Centennial Olympic fun

What a fun day. We have been having something I like to call spoiled-brat-boot-camp here all week. I am trying to figure out how to be able to do all the fun things I want to do with the kids this summer without turning them into spoiled brats. Evan, being the oldest, is bearing the brunt of boot camp. I think I set his expectations too high last summer with all the fun stuff we did, so we are working on adjusting the attitude of gimme, gimme, gimme, and trying to teach appreciation along with the lesson that if you whine and complain about the stuff that has to be done (e.g., the grocery store) or that someone else wants to do (e.g., the reading of the princess books), you don't get to do what you want to do (e.g., go to the pool). So, we have not been able to go to the pool the last 2 days because he is having a hard time with that lesson so far. (I know you'd like to think we didn't get to go to the pool because of all the rain, but hush! Let him think it was the other reason....because we wouldn't have gone even if it had been sunny.)

Yesterday, we went to the gym and got haircuts for the kids. We found out during haircuts that there are kid-friendly concerts on the square on Wednesdays from noon to one. I wish I had known earlier, because they are only during the month of May, so yesterday was the last one. Anyway, we wandered over to the square to check it out. It was very fun, or it would have been if Mr. Grumpus hadn't put such a damper on the whole thing. There was this Wiggles-like band set up in the gazebo playing silly songs about riding in the car with your window down and losing your shoes. Silly, but fun and dance-worthy. Lil P was all about it and I was glad to have stumbled onto something free and fun. Evan complained the whole time and sulked every time I tried to involve him in the fun, but Pressley managed to have a good time nonetheless. She is quite the twirler....

Today, we did get to go to the pool because Evan was on his best behavior long enough to make it happen. It was gorgeous today, despite the prediction of rain for the 40th day in a row. This afternoon was the real fun, though. My friend Shay works four days a week. She is off on Thursdays and has what she calls Special Thursdays with her daughter, Marie. This Thursday, she invited us to join them on a trek downtown to the playground at Centennial Olympic Park. We decided to add to the adventure by taking MARTA - and then topped it off with a visit to the fountains. The train ride was a success. The walk t0 the playground was longer than we anticipated and it was way hotter than I would have expected. The kids (mine at least) were grumpy and hot by the time we got there and Evan just flat-out refused to play at first. Exhibit A:

They all eventually explored the playground a little bit, but really just wanted to get to the fountains. That was definitely the highlight of the trip. My kids were cute and all - and they loved the fountains - but Marie wins the prize for cutest toddler ever. She was clearly the favorite of everyone out there. She made fast friend and experienced Just Pure JOY. She was not phased when the water came right up and hit her in the face. She just rolled with it. Cutest. Thing. Ever. I wish I had better pictures. I thought I had better pictures. But, alas, they are not great. It was just really hard to capture the delight...without getting all wet and ruining my camera, that is. Maybe Shay got some better ones. If she posts any, I'll link to them.

The only dark spot of the day (aside from Exhibit A, above) was that Pressley got a blister on her foot running around in the fountains with her crocs on. It really did look painful. Shay insisted that Pressley ride in Marie's stroller and she would carry Marie. As guilty as I felt about that scenario, I took her up on it since I could not see my way to carrying all 36 pounds of toddler all the way back to the MARTA. I felt even more guilty when Marie cried all the way back to the train..."Miiiiine"...as she pitifully pointed to her occupied stroller. Bless her heart. She's not even two. She can't be expected to grasp sharing yet and there was Pressley riding in her stroller.