Our life is such that some days I feel like Ed and I are
ships passing in the night. His schedule is different every week. He’s
extremely lucky if he gets a weekend off. In fact, he’s lucky if he gets a
Saturday off. We feel blessed if one of his days off is Sunday. The other is
usually a weekday. On that weekday, I work – leaving the house at 5:30 in the
morning and not getting back till 4:30 or so. And then if he works the late
shift one weekday (which is from 2 to 10), off I head to work from 5:30 to 1.
And since every week is different, it’s hard to plan anything.
This week, though, he had an extremely rare two days off in a row!!!! It ended up being Monday
and Tuesday. I could have easily worked both of them, but I decided to only work
Tuesday. Monday would be a family day. And we had the perfect plan. Thanks to
his best friend, we had free tickets to a little amusement park 1½ away called
Idlewild. So, we packed a lunch, swimsuits, towels and extra clothes…and off we
went.
Idlewild has been voted the best family amusement park in
the country – and I can see why. There’s certainly nothing fancy about it. In
fact, a woman I work with says it’s hardly changed since she was a kid. No huge
rollercoasters or suicidal thrills. The rides are targeted at kids – a smaller
Ferris wheel, log ride, carousel, paratroopers. At just 36 inches, Emry was
able to ride a great deal of them. There’s Storybrook Forrest, which is simply
a pleasant walk full of little houses, a castle, the shoe the Old Woman lived
in and Mother Goose to greet you to her land of nursery rhymes and fairy tales.
The most popular attraction is probably the water park, complete with lazy
river, really great looking waterslides, a wave pool and splash zone for the
littlest ones. But the greatest area by far has got to the Jumping Jungle.
There’s a ball pool, but Emry adored the huge climbing net, lots of steps, a
cross bridge and slides. Ethan could have spent hours putting balls in pipes
that blow air and send them soaring into the air. In all honesty, it was
nothing fancy…but every kid I saw there was loving every moment of it!
And for us parents, well, it’s shaded. Located in the middle
of woods, there’s hardly ever a place you can’t find shade. I like the fact
that you pay as you park so there is no main entrance – every parking area is
near a way in and out. It’s not huge so you’re not walking extraordinary
distances. Emry is an ardent runner and walker so she scampered all over the
place, hopping in the stroller with Ethan only once for a brief time. Best of
all, though, we took two extremely exhausted, dirty and happy children home.
Not to mention that we were a bit tired, too!
Emry’s first ride – the Ferris wheel.
Ethan’s first ride – the hot air balloons.
Even I rode the hot air balloons!
Emry in the balls.
Ethan trying to catch a ball – it was fun to watch!
Emry and Papa climbing the net.
Emry isn’t the new king – that sword just wouldn’t come out!
Ethan loved the carousel!
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