Wonders never cease

This post is about our recent trip to the indoor waterpark. Complete with hotel stay. It was Mr. Hall, Mrs. Hall (me), Pancake (daughter age 6) and Mac (son age 2).

And no, you don't get to look at the photo below unless you read the whole post!

Let's begin, shall we? :)

I am finding myself to be more helpful in planning these family vacations. I found the place, figured out how to get a discount, printed out two maps even. Did the packing, the buying of extras. I forgot the ear sticks though (aka q-tips). Which Mr. Hall has a fetish for. He loves the earsticks. I completely forgot. He was funny about it. He said, "Well, someday you'll remember, I mean, it's only been eight years of marriage, there's still time."

Best moments of the trip:

Bursting into the hotel room. Two queen beds and sofa sleeper. The sofa sleeper was separated by a half wall. I loved unfolding the sofa sleeper in front of the kids. Like pulling a rabbit out of hat. Then we went to the water park.

It is very loud. Indoor water parks are loud. Gushing water, yelping short people, finger wagging taller people, all loud. It was really warm, humid even. The water temperature is warm. Feels quite awesome, the walking around in warm humid air. Again, as pointed out here, I felt fabulous!

The toddler toddled off with Daddy. The Daddy has the ability to let Mac wander and explore at a safe distance. I have more of a Kung Fu grip. Over reactive. Mac needs to wander and discover, without a hovering mom. Mr. Hall is perfect for this. So, there they go, Mac wearing a lifejacket and cute Thomas the Train boardshorts.


Pancake was in her element. She started swim lessons this year. Loved them so much she wanted to go three times a week. So I signed her up for all three days. She was primed and ready to go in her cute pink stripey suit. With her swimgoggles firmly affixed, she swam, swam, swam. I waded behind her, grabbing at her feet.

Then we went down the water slide like 20 times. We alternated between the blue and green slides. Having lost a bunch a weight not only allows me to be a hot mom, but, all the treks up to the top? I wasn't even winded!! We had so much fun, each time she would yelp and giggle. Then during one of the rides down she said, "MAMMAA!!! THIS IS FUN! MORE FUNNER THAN SWIM CLASS!!!"

That pretty much says it all eh?

Four hours passed, four awesome and four very wet hours.

Dinner was fun. We didn't eat at the hotel. I have a pet pea with that. I also have a pet pea about Mr. Hall because he will never let me order room service. He has a thing, a moral principle, against being price gauged at hotels. I thought since I had organized the trip, he would let us eat at the hotel restaurant. But no, I was wrong, and off we went. I was kind of pissy and let him know. "Well, what did you expect, I mean, it's only been eight years now, someday you will remember." This made me laugh.

We went to one of those Mexican places where all the waiters speak Spanish easily and English notsomuch. Chips were brought to the table. The kids polished two baskets instantly. The floor was slippery from soap reside and we spend some time 'ice skating'. I ordered a strawberry daiquiri. Dinner runs long. Mac starts scaling the booth seat. Then he starts scaling the wall. Mr. Hall is still enjoying his dinner. That man never hurries when we are out to eat. Always with the 'Sure, I'll have one more cup of coffee.' While the kids are going bananas.

I love my husband. It was his birthday this weekend. So, in a semi-tipsy state, with Mac on my hip, my hand holding Pancake's, espadrilles on my feet, I wobble my way to the car. That way the kids can be crazy, but they are strapped in. I sit in the passenger seat.



I flip on the radio, we rock out. Singing and dancing in our seats. We clap and laugh. The song we play over and over . . . . . America from West Side Story!



Then the arcade. I tell Mr. hall to buy the kids 10 tokens each. I don't know why I even bother telling that man anything. He buys so many tokens, that we are at the arcade for two hours! The kids never walk the entire time. They just do that skip/hop/run thing that kids do. I am so happy. We play skee-ball (my personal favorite), Pancake does a few driving games with Daddy. Mac plays whack a mole with great zeal. There was so much giggling and squealing and running around. An arcade is like Las Vegas for kids.

Then we turned our 500 tickets into two inflatable toy hammers. Mac passes out in my arms on the walk back to the hotel room. PASSES OUT LIKE A BABY! (I would start to weep here, but not yet, too happy to be all sentimental). I want to hold him like this, all night.

Kids in bed, we pass out. No covert nookie. We just pass out. Morning comes, a good eight hours of sleep. Heaven.

We blow up the hammers. They begin to pound everything around them. Including each other.They make a squeaky dog toy noise with every whack. Very fun. We pack while they chase each other. Then I start to blubber. My family in this hotel room. I am overcome with the sheer force of it. The love floods me. I bring Mac near me, propping him up on the sink while I do my make up. He is facing me. I am in my bra and jeans. He pushes his puffy playdough feet on my belly. Mr. Hall nears, pats me on the tush, kiss on the cheek, smiling. Pancake jumps from bed to bed.



Breakfast buffet. Omelet station. Coffee. We discuss the name of the next baby. Pancake suggests "Godzilla" or "Astrilla". She always comes up with the funniest names. Then we talk of getting a turtle for her at the new house. "A turtle can protect itself by biting and retreating, he stands a chance with these kids," Mr. Hall says, "A gerbil or a hamster though . . ."

More water park. The kids are less enthusiastic. Going through the motions. Pancake and I spend a lot of time in the hot tub. Mac and Daddy come over. We skirt the rules about NO MINORS UNDER SIX. We dress and head home.

So much fun was had. I want to remember all of it. Ingrain it on my brain. I wanted to take a thousand photographs. But we were in a waterpark and chasing kids. Not ideal conditions for photographs or a camera.

I can say this, all of the sweetness of my babies, it is so, it just makes me ache with so much love.

Before we got up for the buffet, lounging in the hotel bed, Mr. Hall and I discussed our life. How it's woven so tightly with these kids. How wonderful it all is, our family life. Then we talked about what happens when they are grown. And we get large chunks our life back. Our second life as we called it. It is unimaginable right now. Such a mixture of love and vibrating achiness.

Ooo, this life I have, so full of wonders and love.


A life where wonders never cease.