Enchanted Forest 2011

...the post in which I talk your ears off. Or type your eyes off. Or whatever.

The thing that's awesome about Enchanted Forest is that we have a little tradition going. This was the third year Ben has been able to go, and Matt's first. I find it cute and sweet that many of the pictures are the same from year to year, but the kid(s) in them grow and grow. Here's the link to last year's post (which links you to the year before that, if you want) so you can compare pics. You know, if you're into that. Go ahead, Mom. Click the links. :) Anyway, this year we had the privilege of bringing Josh's cousin Luke along. Never underestimate the power of a non-parent grown-up in your party! The boys love Luke and we had a great time with him. All in all, it was a great day, if a bit chilly - we spent very little time on the water rides because there was a nip in the air (that one's for you, Josh).

Here goes!

Traditional Paul Bunyan pic. Note that I had to be in it in order to restrain my second-born child from exiting the photo op.

Traditional picture in the stump ...thing. This is a cute one to measure against last year's because you can see the height difference!
Josh was so sad that he didn't get to sit on the dog this year. It's OK, Daddy. There's always next year!
Ben knew the drill for all of Storybook Land. He climbed right into (or on) each attraction, and Matt followed suit! I think Ben got kind of tired of it, but I found it pretty cute. Matt was his little shadow.
Josh pointed out the Three Blind Mice to Matt, and Matt broke out into a run, shouting "RIDE IT." And Ride It He Did. :)
Ben looks less than enthusiastic about the unappealing bowl of green porridge in front of him. I noted that the chair is in a different position than it was in last year. Don't these people know that moms are going to compare pics? I was tempted to move it to last year's spot, but I held back. I love how the boys are all business in their sunglasses.
Ben was pretty excited about this one, as he's read about Humpty Dumpty in the recent months. Matt seems to have an interest in protecting Humpty Dumpty from falling, which makes me wonder if he's been listening when I read to Ben, too. :)
There is this really, really, exciting, thrilling, fast-paced train ride that takes you from one end of the park to the other. Ben looks forward to it because he is into trains. Josh and I look forward to it because we get to sit down for 5 minutes. Matt hates the whole thing and makes sure everyone around him knows it by squirming like a champ. The gentleman conductor was an ex-Trooper and former military man, and identified Josh as a compadre by his haircut. The ensuing conversation delayed the start to our train ride (which was further delayed by the gentleman's affinity for storytelling over the PA system). Matt behaved like the angel that he is. And by angel of course I don't mean angel. :) Love you, Matty!
Here I am with Matt... riding the helicopters like a pro.
Ben got to hop in with Luke, which worked out well since Josh could then take pictures of us all. :) Don't you worry, though; Josh got a few rides in on the helicopters himself, and made a big production out of waving hurriedly and then pretending to grab the bar in front of him, terrified by having let it go for a second. I found it hilarious, but he had the camera, so I couldn't document it. I laughed pretty hard, though.
Matt insisted on riding "The geen wan, the geen wan, Mommy. I wan the geen wan." OK, Matt! The green one is yours! Ben and Matt shared a boat almost every time (and trust me, we rode these boats a-plenty), even when there were other boats open, which I thought was really cute.
And after all those fun pics, I have to say, one of my most favorite pictures of the day isn't even of my kid. Josh snapped this beaut of a child who had apparently outgrown the boats, but apparently his mom didn't think so, and apparently she forced him to have fun, and apparently he wanted her to know that he was bored out of his mind. Ha ha ha ha!