Calaway Park and The Great Rondini

One of the things that I love as a dad is when the kids do things for each other that are not provoked by Michelle or I.  Since the beginning of the trip, Josh has told us that he wanted to buy Emma a Beenie Boo dog named Root Beer with the money he has saved up.  So while in Drumheller, Josh found Root Beer at a Pharmasave and bought it for Emma.  On our way to Calgary, Emma asked Michelle if there were any presents for this trip and to her surprise Josh gave her his gift to her.  I am so proud of you Josh!  I hope Jamie and Emma realize what a great big brother they have in you!!

We headed off to Calaway Park in Calgary for some entertainment and rides.  We split up for a little while so that the boys could do some of the bigger rides that Emma could not do . . . yes, it is the height thing again.  

Quit picking on your little sister!

I think my favourite ride was the Freefall, where the whole family got to ride together.  Essentially it was like the Tower of Terror in Disneyland, but much more calmer and lower.  When the ride got to the top and dropped Michelle cried out, “I thought this was a kiddie ride!!”  I loved listening to Emma scream then giggle, scream then giggle, as the ride went up and down over and over again.  I think the boys enjoyed listening to their little sister and watching her reaction more than the ride itself.  When we got off of the ride Emma turned to me and said, “my throat hurts”.  

Gee I wonder where she gets it from?

We did a couple more rides and the kids played a game where they fished for snapping fishes.  Once again the boys are looking out for their little sister.  Both Josh and Jamie won a medium prize, which was a stuffed dog.  Whereas Emma won a small prize, which turned out to be a squishy yo-yo ball that she probably would have been okay with except that her brothers won a stuffie.  As Jamie could see the disappointment in her eyes, he offered her the stuffie in exchange for the squishy ball in which she happily agreed to.  Another proud moment as a dad!  Emma is very lucky to have you two as her big brothers. 

On our way out, we were able to check off another thing off of Emma’s summer bucket list, which was to eat a candy apple.  Emma chose a caramel apple with chocolate and sprinkles, while the boys decided to try a maze/obstacle course instead.  Lets just say that the boys were not too impressed with their choice as the maze was not that good and they had to watch Emma eat her caramel apple all the way to Uncle Skip and Uncle Ron’s house.  It was a little torturous for Josh and Jamie as Emma’s lips were smacking and the sweet smell of caramel wafted through our truck.

Emma held off other candy apple until her wiggly tooth fell out.

Today we were treated to a home cooked lasagna meal at Uncle Ron’s house.  Dinner was delicious and the hospitality was great.  Ron spoiled the kids with multiple treats and gifts.  The kids received a game called rings, which is like lawn darts but much safer.  I haven’t quite got the hang of this game yet as my throws are very inconsistent.  They were also treated with chocolate milk at dinner and ice cream cones for dessert.  The coolest thing they got was an eco-flower of the wild rose in honour of Alberta’s provincial flower.  The flower comes in an environmentally friendly bamboo box that after one year you plant the whole box into the ground where it will decompose into the ground providing rich fertilizer for the plant.  A very thoughtful evening that everyone enjoyed . . . but wait there is more! 

We were treated to the inaugural showing of The Great Rondini, card trick extraordinaire.  Despite the warm evening and the hot flashes experienced by The Great Rondini in the pre-show, the card tricks went off with out a hitch.  I loved watching the kids’ faces and The Great Rondini’s face when the trick was revealed, as that sense of wonder and amazement that the trick actually worked was clearly written on their faces.  This combination of humour and talent may find its way on Grammy’s favourite TV show, America’s Got Talent!  Ron even shared one of his tricks to Josh and Jamie where they got to try it themselves.  Josh has been inspired and has been trying different magic tricks at the trailer.  The kids are already planning their mini-shows to put on for Ron and Skip the next time we meet.