A holiday of sorts

I can not begin to tell you what a blessing this weekend was.

With the kids going back to school and all the chaos that THAT brings, I think we were all in need of something fun.

And Saturday, we headed far far away to Santa Clause Indiana to Holiday World.

It's just a little hole in the wall amusement park but it has this GIGANTIC water park, of which there are no pictures of because HELLO- we were in the water?!?

I am here to tell you that listening to Christmas music and riding Santa themed rides does not change the fact that I had swear rolling down every crevice of my being. 

 It was HOT!

Emily wanted to ride these rockets so dag gone bad- but she was a bit too tall and over the weight limit.  She wanted to ride the seahorses too- but same deal.

I must say- this was our first trip to a park where all of our children were tall enough to ride whatever they want- and too tall for some (as emily found out).

We rode the white water rapids, log flumes, scramblers, eagle things, giant water roller coasters, whatever we wanted.

Dan and I even got to ride roller coasters with Ally- who is now apparently a roller coaster guru.

The kids LOVED this little ride in the kiddie part.

First it takes them way up.......

And then drops them just like that.

This was Emily's favorite ride.  She is not a huge risk taker and doesn't so much love the fear that comes with crazy rides.  This was right on pace.  Please notice Allyson in the last car, being a good sport.  Kind of- at least, even with a scowl and her arms folded, she is on it.

And here she is again, thrilled to be riding the train.  I made us all wait in line for EVER to ride the train ride.  Only I didn't realize we were going to have to basically fold our legs over our heads and not BREATHE during the hold thing as we stuffed ourselves into these tiny little cars without room for your legs.

Here are Sam and Emily in the caboose.  Please note Dan in the car ahead of them. His car was tiny teenier than Ally and I's- so basically he had to tear off his legs and leave them at the station.

And it was such a silly ride that just went around Holidog world and back.

But on that ride I realized that my kids know none of the nursery rhymes- which is basically a big parenting fail (they had statues acting them out and they didn't know any of them).

Emily even made me explain what happened to Jack and Jill.

So sad.

Here is a super great picture of Dan and Sam riding the super high swing things.  Sam LOVED anything that went fast and high.  Dan was a good sport and rode with him since I would have thrown up (circle rides- carousels included- don't work for me, or Ally, or Emily we found out)(but she didn't puke even though she said she was going to- yay emi!)

Basically that's all the photos I took.  I was too busy just enjoying my family and the time we'd been given.  Luckily, Sam apparently snapped quite a few photos from our breakfast at the hotel though- so I have something to offer.....

 Even though we didn't check into the hotel until midnight- house keeping was kind enough to begin banging on our door at 9am.  They wanted to see if we'd checked out yet.  Kind and generous people. 

 So much for sleeping in because she woke up Sam who began asking immediately how long until lunch.  We were so busy at the water park we skipped dinner.  And when we left the park, we were too tired to eat.  The boy woke up STARVING.

(classy- I know.)

 The girls and their water goggles.  We had so much fun in the hotel pool until it was time to pack it up and head back home.

Such a great way to spend a weekend.  It was nice that everyone in our family was together and happy.  Even though Ally complained a bit about not having friends, that she'd rather be at home and that the rides were not like Kings Island- she was having fun.

Now back to reality- the one without santa rides, swimming pools and omelet stations.