the water park

Last winter, we bought season passes to our local water park.  We have not been there since 2001, but we took the chance that the kids would love going.  One cool thing about the passes was that every Sunday from October to the end of March, you were able to go to the park and do one of their "dry" activities...  ie mini golf, rock climbing wall, or the 8 and under kids play area.  (The laser tag was not included in the promotion.  No problem, we probably wouldn't have chosen that activity anyway.)  We did play mini golf a bunch of times.  Remember, we can be outside all year round down here.  Mini golf in January is fun, not something only polar bears would attempt.  So, we took advantage of those fun Sundays.  Still, we did not factor that cost/savings into the price of the tickets.  But, we did know that once we have visited the water park part 3 times, we will have paid for the season passes.

Well, as of today, the water park has been open 4 days.  We have been there for 3 of them!  And, we are planning to go back tomorrow as well.  Right now, they are only open on weekends, but once school lets out in early June, they'll be open every day.  We'll get to go a lot this summer.  I do hope the kids don't think we are going to keep up this pace of going every day they are open, though.  I already have been polling different workers and get the same answer from every one.... NO FRIDAYS!!!  Apparently, Friday is "camp day" and many summer camps will show up with literally hundreds of children.  But, Mon - Thursdays should be doable.  One of their buddies from kindergarten has passes as well, so we have already gone with him once and plan to do that a lot this summer, too.  Two adults on 3 kids is a good number.  The nice thing is that there are lifeguards everywhere, so the kids can climb up the slides and come down by themselves while we wait by the bottom or wherever the tubs are going to dump them out.  Today, Lew barely got wet. He just wandered about watching them climb up and slide down.

Yesterday, I brought the camera to take a few photos and then brought it out to the car.  Here you go.......

Carl and Lew walking into the wave pool.  About every 10-15 minutes, this thing starts up and makes huge waves to play in .  I will try to bring the camera back on another day to take a little video of the kids loving this!   You can also see some of the other slides in the scene here.

Carl did not like this one.  He is not into coming down head first.  Gretchen, however, loved it!  Sometimes, she would have a partner to race with, but every time she loses because she is so light.

 Here's Lew wandering along the lazy river!  This circles the park with several spots to jump out and climb up a slide.  3 of the slides dump you out into this as well.

This is Carl's favorite.  (look up at the top - Lew is getting into a tube up there)  It is fun, but the most tame.  

 Ah ha - here comes Lew... and a cute passenger!!

They love swimming.  This is in the lazy river.  They do not float when in there... not so lazy, I guess.

 She is in there, too.

We all wore plenty of sunscreen, but just to be safe, I have ordered Lew one of those sunscreen shirts like the kids are wearing.  I bought myself one at Sears last week, too.  Gee - there are no pictures of me in a bathing suit to post here.  Imagine that.  I did just buy myself 2 new suits and that rash guard I just mentioned.  4 sizes smaller than my other bathing suits.  Yes, four.sizes.smaller.  You read that right.

This purple and yellow one is Gretchen's favorite.  Maybe mine, too.   You go down from the upper left corner there into that well where you spin around like those things at the mall where you roll a penny or nickel and it circles several times before dropping into a hole at the bottom.  Today, Gretchen and I circled 6 times before getting sucked into the ending tube.... backwards!

Here is a picture of her coming out backwards, too.  She loves it!  

When it is busier, they can race down these slides, but for now, only one side was open.  First Gretchen... 

 then Carl....

 He liked this mat slide much better than the tall one Gretchen liked... feet first!

This big white slide is the scariest.  Gretchen mustered the courage to try it today (all pictures are from yesterday, so no shot of her on it)... and she did NOT like it.  But, she wins the Most Brave Family Member award since she is the only one of us to try it so far.

Should be a fun summer!!!!!