Being Home

We just got back from a short trip.  It was only 350 miles roundtrip and less than 3 days total so it was quick and even relatively painless in terms of screaming (my own, of course, from being cooped up in a car with three youngsters for three or four hours and a hotel room by myself with the kids for 4 or 5 hours while Dave was in a meeting).  We technically went on this trip because Dave had to work but he made it so we could have a mini-vacation which was what the Holst family greatly needed.  Dave planned it so instead of using his Room Allowance to stay somewhere "adult nice,"  like a Garden Inn, we stayed at the "Carribean Cove," a hotel that obviously caters to the younger generation.  In fact, the kids caught sight of the water slides as we drove into the parking lot and their reaction was pure awesome-sauce (yes, I said awesome-sauce).  We might not have got valet parking but we had squeals of glee from the backseat.  I'll take it. 

After getting registered and changed, we headed down to the park and for the first time in their lives, THE KIDS LOVED POOL WATER, especially my littlest waterbug, Ammon.  We'd sit with him on the edge of the kiddy pool and let him splash in the little fountains but then he'd start crawling in until he was face deep.   People were laughing at us as we were constantly dragging him back to safety. 

Ava learned to stand as tall as she could because she barely, barely (and it might have been questionable at that) made the line to ride the tube slide with her mama.  In fact, despite the fact that the lifeguard at the bottom said we were ok, the one at the top almost sent us back down.  Once she was cleared to go though, the child showed no fear despite the height, and hopped right on the tube, giggling the entire way down.  The joys of childhood.  The park had weird hours, opening at 4 pm and closing at 10 pm so we had to leave at 8 (which is, of course, bedtime) which made our earlier "Favorite Parents in the Entire World"  status drop to "Worst Parents Ever."  Oh well.  It might have been short-lived but we had our moment to shine.   

After a rough night in which Ava kicked Noah to the floor and he went flying to the floor screaming  (have I mentioned that no one can sleep with Ava?  She's a sideways sleeper and a kicker) and a few nightmares from Ava, Dave left for the work part of his trip and I was stuck in the room with three kids for a few hours.  What do you do in a hotel room with three kids for several hours?  The answer?  Not a whole lot.  Thank you, Nickelodeon.  I'm not exactly sure where we'd be if it wasn't for Dora.  Ava colored Coco the Crododile, Noah ate (constantly) secretly feeding his little brother, and we waited and waited for daddy to get back from his meeting.  And he finally did.

After quickly changing clothes, we headed out to the second surprise of the trip...the Indianapolis Zoo.  Ava has only been to the zoo a handful of times in her life.  Three times in Montgomery Alabama, and once in Salt Lake City, Utah.  Even during those times, she was only 2 years old.  Her memories are hazy at best.  Noah, sadly, had never even been to a zoo, even at the age of 3.  So we were excited to see how he'd like it.  It was a fun day.  Ava made herself the map reader (and surprisingly didn't even get us that lost), and touched a shark.  She would have been shark bait herself if this guy had anything to do with it.  He certainly had his eye on her.

Ava then raced a cheetah.  She made it about 10 inches before being eaten.  She convinced me that I needed to try.  I ran about 14 inches before being devoured.  I blame it on my sandals.  I think in better shoes I might have made it at least 18 inches, right?

We also got to see a precious baby elephant that was only 12 days old.  He was doing a lot of exploration but staying pretty close to his mama.  His mama just looked...relieved. 

Noah looked amazed and fascinated by everything.  He was transfixed by the dolphin show.  He sat on my lap and just drank in everything.  It was fun to watch.

Then it was back to the hotel for our last night at the water park.  This time we let the kids stay until the pool closed.  They had such a great time.  It was hard to leave and come home to the boringness that is every day life, although sleeping in our own beds is always a positive.  And, hehe, Dave managed to leave the hotel with one of their pillows.  Thankfully I called to tell them we were sending it back so they didn't charge us the $150 they were about to add to our room total.  That Dave.  It has so not been his month.   Did I mention he backed into a dumpster in my new minivan?  My "barely-a-year-old" minivan?  The minivan with the back-up cameras?  I call that serious talent.  It could have been worse, I keep telling myself because it could have done more damage.  It could have been a car he hit instead.  But it still made me sad because if I have to drive a minivan, I want it to look pretty for as long as possible. 

Being home now means that I need to get back into routine and quickly because the school year will be starting soon!  Only three more weeks until my precious baby girl, the one who I just held so tightly on that tube slide for the first time will be gone during the day.  It's sad and amazing how fast that time has flown.