feels like forever and that'll be $200 please!

It's been a long couple of days since Daddy left on the ship --that's what the circus determined last night! I agree...feels like forever and it's only been 3 days! Took the circus to Busch gardens to participate in the heroes program --1 day free admission for active duty folks and their family members. Nothing on the website to tell you what to expect, but with deployment papers in hand, thought I was well armed. (I really couldn't see paying full admission for 4 of us as none of the circus wanted to ride roller coasters, but thought it might be fun to check out.)

So, deployment hits me square in the face when the lady asks for military id cards for the 10 and 12 yr olds accompanying me! In Ohio and even California, we've known we could get the id cards for the boys, but never saw a need for them --this was the first time I was ever asked! I assured her the circus was definitely mine! Didn't work --that'll be $200 please. So I say to the boys, sorry, we can't afford to do that (and not ride the rides) and I start in crying because she said if the active duty person was there it would've been easy. I show her the deployment papers and she starts in crying too as she sees the boys' disappointment. Really, honestly didn't plan to cry, but daw gon it --it all hit me at once. Next thing I know, we've got VIP status and the folks at Busch Gardens are terribly sorry for any inconvenience they've put us through.

The cost of an untidy chamber and for want of a quiet tongue --I think they got these boys mixed up!!!!

#1 convinces brothers that the hammer ride will be easy --and he was right!!! WOO-HOO! We rode this one 3 times in a row!

We ended up having a great day, although the AC was out in most of their buildings and it was excruciatingly hot! After the Soaring over Europe type ride, they loved meeting the zookeeper best, learned about sloth butt moths, ate brats in Germany, loved the da Vinci rides and totally tore up ELMO's world for the rides they could handle there!!!!!