Anyone who grew up in western Mass, knows exactly what I'm talking about. The wooden roller coasters that beat the heck out of you. The Thunderbolt, the Cyclone... The days when it was okay to wait in line for an hour for the Black Widow - HELLO? ONE loop! The ghetto midway arcade games and the smell of blacktop pathways. It was a summer mecca for me as a teenager, which continued long into college. I haven't been in years.
The days of The Thunderbolt are long gone, replaced by icons of product placements and a kickass waterpark.
Traveling with a 5, 3.5 year old and a 13 month old who thinks he's a 3 year old is ... interesting.
Kayla, the princess of Disney World thinks vacations should be monthly. She's probably right, but I don't do Disney well. Something about overstimulation and overprincessization!
Ethan just wants to play with his diggers. Or bugs. Or throwing rocks, sticks and other objects.
And Dylan would rather cause mischief (or eat) than anything else in the world.
Add to a "vacation" the unexpected twist of camping, and near 100 degree weather (and throw in a good dose of humidity), and you got yourself a full fledge circus with the Rippons. We Rippons are not known for our advance planning... call it self induced stressed. Some how, we manage a good time!
Dylan is fearless. He went down waterslides in the kiddie area that Ethan wouldn't go down. He also refuses to wear any sort of safety item in the pool. I don't recommend to anyone that they take 3 kids under 5 to a pool by themselves! But how else were we to pack up the car and clean the campsite? Especially with Dylan around.
Kayla and I got to spend LOTS of time, while Daddy hung out with the boys. We went on all the waterslides she was tall enough for. We got to spend girl time at the pool while the boys napped, and we got to shower together, without the boys. She was sad to leave.
Ethan loved peeing in the woods, catching bugs and spiders, and pretending to be a shark. He wasn't fond of the water park though - icey cold water, and heat that flushed his face and made his back sweaty. He's caught between the worlds of toddlers and big boys, and trying to find his place.
You really learn to appreciate personal space, when a family of 5 shares a 1 bedroom cabin. Dylan got a kick out of grabbing my toes at 6 AM (after REFUSING to go to bed until almost 10). He's really lucky he's cute... We went for a ride and got mommy an iced coffee and Dylan a munchkin! Naps are nearly impossible to pull off. And its amazing the mess that can be made by my three little people.. Who would have thought that cheese could smush like that!?!
Mama and Daddy managed a few quite minutes alone after dark by the campfire. The iPod, some Sam Summer's, and Smores... oh, and a porch swing! Perfection...
Even though this Mama missed out on her thrill rides (I'm a sucker for a GOOD rollercoaster), I enjoyed my family time away from all the other distractions that our life seems to bring. I wish there were more campsite days than there were park days!
Pictures to come!
We have moved on....
17 years ago