Holiday World

On Tuesday, the boys and I went with Jeromy, Christie, Ashlee and Michael to Holiday World.  The last time we went was during a little cold snap and everyone ended up in sweatshirts.  Tuesday was quite the opposite and sweatshirts were NOT required!

We headed straight for the Thanksgiving section where Jacob, Ashlee and Jeromy waited in line to ride The Voyage.  Matthew and I tried to find a speck of shade...which would end up being our main cause through the day.  Oh Bubba, we're just gettin' started.

 The Voyage was having to do it's test runs, so Michael and Christie decided to give the turkeys a whirl.  Please note, spinning rides are Michael's favorites and don't bother him in the least.  Christie, not so much.  ;)

 Two or three sets of riders had already ridden and they were having a little issue.  Of course all I could see from my view point were service men doing working on the controls, them unloading passengers and then doing more test runs.  That was not the ideal situation and I was really glad that our passengers weren't on that next car that pulled out.  They were however, on the second.  Jeromy is in the forth car from the back and Jacob and Ashlee are riding together in the car behind him.

 Starting up the big hill...

 And right about now may have been when Jacob began to feel a little uneasy...

 And by this point, he was wishing he had stayed with me and Bubba.  ;)

 Here they are pulling up to the station... 

 Christie and I noted that Jeromy kept looking at Jacob.  When they came over to us, Jacob informed me that he wasn't ever riding another one of those in his life!  Funny part is, on the drive up I had told him that he could ride whatever he wanted since he would be tall enough for everything, but that it was okay if he didn't want to ride because some of them could be scary.  "Scary is my middle name," is his direct quote I do believe.  Ha, after this he said his middle name was more like Scared.  Ashlee said the entire ride he sat with a bear-hug on his harness with his head down.  He was bonking his head on the harness and she couldn't get him to set up and it scared her to death thinking something was wrong with him.  I don't blame him at ALL!!!  (and it didn't bother me a bit that he didn't want to ride anymore coasters!)  :)

The next ride was the Gobbler Getaway, and Matthew rode with Uncle Jeromy and Jacob.  Jeromy said Matthew seemed to like it.  Next was a relaxing flight on the eagles...



 Ha...I had to include this to show the height difference in Michael and Christie...

 

 

 I'm not sure how many strange people I got pictures of because I had the hardest time catching the right bird.

 Same goes for the swings!  Here is the underneath side of Jeromy and Michael.

 FINALLY...I caught the right people.

 We had lunch at the Kringle Kafe, which was BY FAR Matthew's favorite part of the day!  Then we headed down to the water park.  I told Jason later via text that I had never seen as many boobs, butts and bellies in all my life and that I had seen things that no one should EVER have to see!  Goodness people, there is a reason that you didn't see me in anything other than my capris and t-shirt.  I have a high suspicion that the majority of the people there had not seen themselves in a mirror.  I also am a firm believer that there should be an age limit on bathing suits topping out at about five years old.  ;)  Do you know that it is next to impossible to find a seat in the shade anywhere within the confines of Splashing Safari?  I ended up sitting on a flower bed retaining wall with Matthew in his stroller in the tiniest bit of shade cast by a small tree.  We were roastin'.  At about 1:15, I asked Jeromy if he would bring Jacob to meet me at Kringles around 3:00 since I needed to get Matthew (and myself) to some air conditioning...and because I figured it would take me about that long to get him pushed up the hill.  GOOD GRIEF.  Why in the world can't they build an amusement park on flat ground?  First, I do own a mirror and know that I am a big ole gal.  Secondly, pushing my 15-year-old, plus the weight of his stroller all the way from the wave pool in the FAR corner of the waterpark to the top of the hill at the entrance of the amusement park was quite a trek.  I honestly thought I was going to have a heat stroke or heart attack.  I am positive that I was given some odd looks, but I had my eyes straight ahead...looking for the first bench in the shade and a Pepsi Oasis. Ha!  Christie later told me that if I did that everyday I would be in shape in no time.  I then informed her that it wouldn't work cause I hit up every Pepsi hut along the way.  ;)  We finally made it to the dive show area, and to our luck, they were just starting a show.   FINALLY, we made it to the Nativity scene and I plopped it on a bench.  Oh, but NAY.  Matthew could now see the gift shop that was home to the stringy ball that he had been asking for ALL DAY since he saw it in there first thing that morning.  Crap.  I'm about to die.  He's pinching, scratching and saying, "ball".  I sucked it up and headed across the small (and flat!) courtyard.  After all, they had air conditioning!  He picked out two balls and we made a mad dash (not even close) to the Kringle Kafe and I collapsed in the first available booth.  We sat there for an hour, sipping free Pepsis, and Matthew was finally happy to have the balls he had asked for all day.

I may or may not have let him drink out of an open top cup by himself while we were coming up that hill.  Truth is, I didn't have enough strength to hold it for him and I reasoned that it was great occupational therapy.  Who cares if he has root beer all over his white shirt.  (And now looking at this picture I can see why he had a little sun on his chest.  I thought to myself later, "he didn't have on a V-neck shirt?")  :)

 I have also decided that Matthew and I have made our last trip to Holiday World unless they install conveyor belts to ride us to the top of the hills in that place.

 Yep, he had those balls ruined in two minutes flat, but they kept him happy and occupied.  That was about the best ten bucks I spent all day.

 Jacob had a scrimmage game that night, so the boys and I left around three to get back in time for that.  (I do believe that was the longest day EVER!)  On the way back, Jacob cracked out the camera.  All of the remaining shots are Jacob's except the last one.

 UGH...I am NOT a fan of bridges.

 He was trying to get the river and ended up getting a support instead.

 Better...

 Here's a good one...

 Hmm, someone had rainbow ice dippin dots once we got in the car.  Couldn't imagine who that would be by looking at those teeth...

 Got a picture of Bubba too...

 Ha...he had to take a picture of this old barn...

 and a pond...

 and the smokestacks were a huge hit...

 And this was just for fun. Jacob was writing down directions for me so we could follow them in reverse to get back home.  Our directions read, Turn left just passed McDonald's by the ROMP owl sign.  :)

 We also saw smoke on the way home and knew it was coming from a rather large fire.

 Farmers were burning off their fields...

 The smoke was so thick you could barely see...

 And my little photographer couldn't hold out any longer.  He was taking a nap with his monkey he won throwing baseballs at the clowns.

A little side note...Jacob's all-star team did well in their scrimmage.  They made some mistakes, but this was only their third time "practicing" as a team.  Jacob did well...he walked once up at bat and hit the ball the other two times...the last time denting his bat...that we just bought.