Water Park: CHECK

 

FINALLY. We braved spring break week in the Wisconsin Dells and took the kids to a water park. 

(AND! Harry went on a separate trip to the Dells with friends, but Ben had to drive him there because he had tennis tryouts and had to go later than his friends. But then, that night after Ben got home, the coach emailed the team and changed the time of the following day’s tennis tryouts, and Ben had to drive BACK TO THERE and get Harry before work. THEN WE DROVE THERE AND BACK AGAIN. TWICE. And now I need an oil change.)

Did I LOVE this little trip? No, not really. Did the kids? YES, ABSOLUTELY.

Dorothy was not sure the first night. She spent most of the time with me and Minnie at the tot slide, which was good because Minnie on the little kid slide was a 2-person job. Someone had to get her to the top and then someone had to be there to catch her. 

But Dorothy psyched herself up the next day and went on everything except some log ride thing that the boys told her was not very fun and the toilet bowl slide because that one really freaks her out.

Jack and Cooper got to roam around together (except when they had to take a turn helping Minnie) and loooooved life.

Minne? Minnie went down the same orange slide about 200 times. AND LOVED IT EVERY TIME. The big kids were all so sweet and patient with her. She was READY TO GO the second day around lunch time which was beyond fine with us. We held her over with snacks and Netflix on Ben’s phone while everyone else scampered off to do their favorite things one more time, and she rallied pretty well.

SUCCESS!

Ben really wanted this airbrush temporary tattoo

But he got his act together

ALSO THAT MAN AND HIS WIFE WENT IN THE WATER FULLY CLOTHED. WHY?

We did have a hotel room big enough for all of us, but we did not stay the night. Mostly because Harry didn’t want to come because he had other stuff to do, and we really didn’t want to leave him home alone overnight. But also because yuck, you know?

We showered the kids in our room, went home, slept in our own beds, and came back for more the next day. With a bonus stop at a candy store that had PAW PATROL STUFFIES YOU GUYS. As if Minnie’s day wasn’t magical enough.

Ben got only old great grandma candy though.

AND THERE WERE DOLLS AT SOME KIND OF FUNERAL

But listen, I found Chuckles, and I couldn’t find them at a single gas station when we went to Florida for Thanksgiving, so that’s a win.

On our slightly creepy tunnel walk from the hotel to the park, Dorothy wanted everyone to recreate this picture 

from 5 years ago, but she was the only one enthused.

Things I want myself to remember next time I Google Chula Vista or WI Dells or water park in the little search box on this blog to see if I have been there and if I like it:

1. IT IS VERY DIRTY.

2. IT IS VERY PEOPLE-Y

3. IT IS EXPENSIVE.

4. When you are in the tot pool, you feel cold water dripping on your head and assume it is a water feature but it is just someone’s dirty splash water leaking from a tube slide over your head with a rusty bottom like the slide is peeing on you while you stand ankle-deep in tot pool water which has to be like 65% pee.

5. THE KIDS LOVE IT.