Best Vacation Ever Part 2

The next best thing to having slaves come for two weeks and do all my chores is go on vacation close to home.  Santa brought us one night at Great Wolf Lodge for Christmas.  20 minutes from our house.  And while it was a little crazy at times and Greg ended up taking Henry home at 1 am because he refused to sleep, Santa may need to bring us 2 nights next year.  In door water park in the middle of winter and the kids having their own "room" in the hotel.  Yes please.  The only thing that made it unpleasant was 1. the price of everything (I paid $5 for oatmeal for Henry), and 2. we had to check out of our room before we headed to the water park so things got a little weird with all our stuff.  Both of those things would have been remedied by staying two nights.

I loved it.  The kids loved it.  Greg had to work.  Yet another hazard of being your own boss.

 We checked in around 2 on Thursday and had to check out our room.  We stayed in the "Wolf Den" room so the kids had their own little section with a TV and bunk bed.  It made staying in a hotel with 3 kids so much easier.  Then we changed, left the camera in the room, and headed down to the water park.

After some swimming we hit up the arcade and then left the resort to get dinner across the street because the food there was expensive and gross.

 

Then Greg had to go to church (I guess there is a downside to vacationing 20 minutes from home) so I took the kids down to the nightly creepy animatronic show and story time.

 Henry was crazy tired from only napping on my shoulder for like 30 minutes at the water park.

Then to bed.  We actually left the kids in the room and Greg and I went on a mini ice cream date in the lobby.  Then Greg took Henry home because he refused to sleep.  Plus of vacationing 20 minutes from home.

In the morning, I bought the kids over-priced donuts and milk for breakfast.

Then we went to the arts and craft room where Rex yet again informed me that I'm a bad mom for not letting him color a super ugly $20 t-shirt.  I gave him one of the free coloring sheets.  Alice got her face painted for free.  

Then Greg left again to go to work.  The kids whined and complained.  I threatened to go home but the Robins in me couldn't do it--I had paid to be there all day, dang it we were going to stay.  So we went back to the water park and the kids had a great time, Henry slept on my shoulder again.  When we got tired we left and where home in time for left-over dinner.

Some tips for next time:

1. Bring cash and only spent cash.  That Dave Ramsey knows what he's talking about.  We set our budget ahead of time, took cash and when the money was gone, it was gone.  Great way not to over spend.

2. Bring food.  There fridges and microwaves in the room.  No need to waste money on gross food.  Save it for a few fun treats.

3. Stay two nights.

So, Dear Santa, Next year for Christmas, I want 2 nights at Great Wolf Lodge.

Best Vacation Ever Part 1

So my parents, Hannah, and Noah came for Christmas.  And it was the best vacation ever.

The problem with normal vacations is that they include packing, traveling, unpacking and either still cooking or eat way too much fast food.  I laughed over the summer at a few Onion articles I read about Moms Does Dishes Near the Beach and such things.  Because moms don't get vacations.  We just take our work with us, and in fact, as mentioned, vacations are usually more work because you're breaking up a million fights in the hotel or stressing that whatever family member you're staying with is annoyed by your messy children.

But not when you bring the vacation to you.  And that's what I did.  Between Grandpa, Grandma, Hannah and Noah, I hardly saw my children and I didn't do a dish.  It was like a real vacation where I got to relax and enjoy being with the people I love most.  It was great.  And it once again convinced me that maybe polygamy isn't that bad of an idea--as long as I'm still wife #1 and wife #2 likes to clean.

Aside from making my family do all my chores, we once again went to Lazy 5.  Because despite what Greg says, there's only one Lazy 5 and it's hilarious to roll everyone's window down except mine.

We went to Fort Dobbs in Statesville.  It is a pre-Revolutionary War hole in the ground.

We went to House of Prayer, which is the Southern church you see in all the movies and it was really spiritual actually.  I had a really good time.  I felt uplifted and joyful in the gospel.  Because at the House of Prayer, they didn't just talk about Adam falling so that men might be, but the sang about it and danced about it and they were joyful about it.

We went bowling/lazer tagging one day.  I suck.

And then everyone went home and my house was so quiet and it took me three days to do the dishes because all the magic fairies left, which is also why I'm posting this like a month late.

Ringing in the New Year--at 8

We continued our now 3-year-old tradition of a New Year's countdown with minute to win it games.  Only this year, instead of ditching the kids with a sitter, we stayed and played with them.  And it was really fun.  I must admit though that the super mom in me was a little disappointed that I had to use my birthday banner to decorate.  New Year's Resolution: make New Year's Eve specific banners and decorations--to ease the transition from lots of holiday decorations to none.  

I tried out the New Year's Eve tree I saw on Pinterest...not my favorite to be honest.  I'm not sure I'll do that again.

I missed the first few games because I was picking up some of the Young Women, who were attending a party at the neighbor's behind us.

Sock head.

 Hannah got all wasted on...water.  Because we ate lunch at like 3, we didn't bother with dinner.

 Balloon volleyball.

 The cottonball game, of course.  Can't be a Robins party without the cotton ball game.

 Alice insisted on putting the vasaline on everyone's nose.

 Then we made party hats and took pictures with out most excited faces on.

Then we played Stack Attack.  Grandma played along and let Rex win.  

 Donuts on a string.

 Alice skipped the whole "no-hands rule."

 Then around 8:30 we made our way outside with pots and pans and any other noise maker we could find, counted down from ten and rang in the New Year.  Even the Wheatley's heard us.  I was surprised to learn through Instagram that many people allow their young children to say up until midnight.  Why would you do that?  8:30 is good for me.

We then came inside for a toast with the (non-alcoholic) bubbly in Dollar Tree plastic flutes and sent the kids to bed.  Rex did ask about staying up until midnight and I said that's not for five-year-olds.  Then I wished him a good night and said, "I'll see you next year."  He thought that was pretty clever and laughed himself to sleep.

 Then the adults played cards until midnight, when Greg and I took the Young Women home.  We were in bed by 2 am.  Would've been earlier, but those dang youth and their partying.

We didn't keep score but Grandma Pattie was president most of the game.  Well done woman who let Rex win at stack attack.

Christmas 2014

Christmas Eve, I sent my dad, Hannah and Noah on an adventure with Rex and Alice while Henry slept.  Meanwhile Mom and I worked.  I like to do one thing fancy a year, which usually ends up being Christmas Eve.  We ate at 5:30.  We had Manti turkey, broiled brussel sprouts, wild rice pilaf, and home made rolls.  Not sure why you care about that but I thought I'd tell you anyway.

Hannah insisted that we take a family picture so Greg got out the tripod and we took this.

 After dinner, we played Bingo (of course).  Hannah and Noah were a little disappointed that we only play one prize per person.   After some whining, they got over it.

 Greg got the best prize: Jesus candle.  Fitting.

 Then, my favorite part: the Nativity.  Henry was a sheep--not baby Jesus because he's too squirrelly for that nonsense.

 Rex was the angel and did better with his lines this year. (Yes, I make my kids memorize lines for my little play).

 Alice was Mary.  A very pensive Mary.

 And then it was bedtime--obviously.

 But Rex and Alice were happy and willing to take a picture together, after Henry went to bed.

 And then there was Christmas.  And Ralph the Night Hair Dresser did Alice's hair for her.

 And we broke out the tripod again.

 Alice got this dress from Aunt Sahar and wore it for several days.

 Henry got a bunch of re-gifted toys from Rex and Alice, because we don't need any more toys around here and he didn't know any better.

 We spent the rest of the day playing and being lazy and went to Chinese for dinner and regretted not doing chores the next day--well I didn't. But my mom did.  Good for Mom.