The Best Weekend Ever

We all just had one of the most superrific weekends ever!

Saturday morning started out on a high note for me, when Zane pooped in a potty on purpose for the first time.  I'm so happy!  This coming Saturday we start our dedicated week of potty training, but this early success just put me over the moon.  I'm so ready to be done with diapers, and Zane really needs to be potty trained before school starts in September.

Then we headed to soccer.  I had signed Zane up for L'il Kickers in the Thumpers division.  Several weeks ago when I was at work, Michael and Zane headed over for the first class, and Zane had a complete snotty-face and flapping-arms meltdown and refused to participate.  Two weeks ago I was again working for the second class.  Michael took Zane and this time they had a fabulous time.  So this past weekend it was finally my turn to go, and we both had a great time!  The class is almost an hour long, but coach Austin kept us going with lots of different games to keep up the kids' interest.  We ran, did red-light-green-light, planted trees (righting little cones with feet only), kicked balls, tried to do headers, chased the coach, and played with a parachute, plus more!  We've had strange humid and thundery weather for the past week, and thunder storms rumbled during the whole class, but luckily we were spared having to dash for cover.  We also got to meet up with our favorite neighbor Josie (4 yo) and her family.  Josie is in a soccer class, too, and after the classes we hung out at the play ground together.

In the afternoon all three of us got ready to go down into Ballard for the annual Seafood Festival.  I had promised Zane he could have ice cream, so he was excited for it!  We walked down with the stroller, but Zane walked about half of the way himself.  We got ourselves some ice cream, a corn dog, fried zucchini, and salmon and slaw to get started.  First things first!  Then we headed over to the European Super Slide.  This thing is about 3 stories high!  Zane qualified to go, so we bought three rides and climbed the stairs to the top.  All the way down Zane whimpered on the bumps, but once we got to the bottom he hopped up and said, "I want to do it again!"  Then he zipped right up the stairs two more times for two more rides.  Each time he was scared on the way down but wanted to go again!

We were going to go to the spray park next, but it was inexplicably turned off on a rare hot day during the festival!  We saw some bouncy houses across the park, though, and headed over.  We soon discovered it wasn't just a bouncy house, but also a blow up obstacle course!  I had just a few days ago explained what an obstacle course was (in relation to his toys in the living room), and now he got to do one!  I have never seen anything so awesome for little kids.  The whole thing was soft.  You squished through pillow-like bollards, slithered through tunnels, climbed mountains, and slid down the other side.  Zane went through again and again.  We finally convinced him to go home, and he walked halfway home, uphill and pushing a stroller.  Needless to say, after crazy soccer, playground, walking to the festival and back, and being an obstacle course maniac, he slept well that night.

The next day we headed down again for lunch.  When Zane saw what Michael was wearing he needed to have on a Hawaii shirt, too.  This time we started with the park, and found that a small animal zoo had been added!  Michael and the camel got on well.  We also saw two little ponies, a baby pig, bunnies, young ducks, guinea pigs, a dove, some quail, hens and roosters, baby bunnies, and baby goats.  All Zane could see, though, was the obstacle course gleaming in the distance.  Calling, calling to him.  We headed over there and there was no line, so he went through three times fast, and then had a stint in the bouncy house.

Next we headed over to the super slide, but we saw face painting on the way.  I asked Zane if he wanted to do it, and I was surprised that he did!  He chose a tiger face, and sat absolutely still for the whole procedure.  I was amazed. Unfortunately, when he saw his face in the mirror he was not happy.  I think he was weirded out by the fact that he did not look like himself.  As long as he didn't see his reflection, though, he was fine.  He ended up roaring most of the way home.  We had another three turns on the Super Slide, and when Zane got off at the bottom he started to shout "Yeah!  Yeah!" in a gutteral way.  He was still scared by the ride, but he seemed to get a real high from the adrenalin rush.  I think we are in for some scary teen years.  After that we got the same food as the day before, except a pineapple shave ice replaced the ice cream.  All in all another fantastic day!

Monday morning we even squeezed in a visit with Josie at her house, and then 5 kids and 3 moms in our backyard for awhile before Zane and I had to get ready to head out for work and daycare.

I would have to say we had the most fun weekend ever, with all three of us together!  And here we have some video evidence:
 


Next adventure? Potty training!