Mommin' It Up!

February 25, 2011

Why I am a Fun Mom (and Jenny is not)

We’ve discussed before how I try to be a fun mom and Jenny tries to keep things like King’s Island and Disney World hidden from her kids. Today I bring you another example of Jenny’s lack of fun-ness.

A few weeks ago, Jenny and I were both contacted by people at Cedar Point and invited to bring our families up to spend the night at their new indoor waterpark, Castaway Bay. So, because I am fun, I said yes. And because Jenny is not, she said no. (So she’s got a newborn, what’s your point?) (But shout out to Cedar Point for inviting us both.)

Anyway, last Friday Andy and I packed up the kids and headed north to Sandusky. Despite having lived my entire life less than four hours from one of the top theme parks in the country, I have never actually been to Cedar Point – a fact that Tricia, who is their biggest fan and was also there last weekend, finds appalling. But if Castaway Bay is any indication of what the rest of the parks are like, I want to go there asap!

We arrived fairly late in the evening on Friday, and after we checked in, I went straight to the blogger event held at the spa. (I think it’s kind of brilliant for an indoor waterpark to have a place for parents (read: moms) to sneak in a little pampering and relaxation!) By the time I got back to our room, it was a little after nine and Sam was already in his pajamas – but Kate was raring to go! She and I decided to explore a little bit, so we went down and found the water park. Does she look excited?

Can you blame her?

Anyway, by that point it was about 9:15 and the water park closed at 10… but in my quest to be a fun mom, I asked Kate if she wanted to go put on her swimsuit. She RAN through the hotel, and we were back to the water park in no time.

Kate and I had so. much. fun. Very few people were there by that time, and we didn’t have to wait in line for anything. After we went down the first slide, she got a glimpse of the Rendezvous Run Water Coaster. It is by far the most thrilling ride in the park, and I really didn’t think she’d want to do it. But I was WRONG. When we rode it the first time, we didn’t know what to expect – when we went through a tunnel in complete darkness, I had a hard time breathing I was so claustrophobic! I tried to be brave and yelled up at Kate (we were in a raft together) “It will be over soon, honey!” and she yelled back “I LOVE THIS!!!”

We rode it over and over again, and on one ride Kate bounced up as we went down a hill, and from my perspective it looked like she lost her grip on the raft’s handles (she swears she didn’t). I immediately grabbed her arm and yelled “Hold on!!!” and she yelled back at me, “Oh my GOSH, Mom, I’m FINE! SERIOUSLY!!!” and I could see her teenage years flash in front of my eyes. When we got to the end of the ride, we were both laughing so hard we had tears in our eyes.

The 40-ish minutes we had at the water park that night will stick with me for a long time.

The next morning the kids were up and ready to go by 7 a.m. However, the water park didn’t open until 9. So, we managed to keep them contained until it was open, and we were the first people through the doors. Kate and Andy headed straight for the Water Coaster, while Sam and I explored the Toddler’s Tide Pool. Sammy didn’t leave that area the whole time we were there, and that was just fine with him. He had a ton of fun! The toddler pool is right in the middle of the water park, which made it really easy for me and Andy to switch off. I also loved how clean and well-maintained the whole resort is. Honestly I think there’s something inherently skeevy about water parks, and I fully expected to feel slightly grossed out at Castaway Bay – but I totally didn’t at all. Pretty impressive.

After a few hours of fun, we had to head home. Kate, of course, would have happily stayed for another week, but Sam was ready for lunch and a nap! But Castaway Bay was still on Kate’s mind at school Monday. She wrote her own review as a school assignment!

To translate:
Fun Fun Fun!!! I loved my trip. It was so cool! At the water park I went on every slide! Castaway Bay was the best! I played basketball in the pool! I went on a barrel rope thing. Can you imagine what it was like? If you go to Castaway Bay you will love it. I loved the wave pool. It was so cool! Go there soon.

As you can tell, we had a fantastic time and Castaway Bay, and can’t wait to go back. In fact, we just might go back sooner than we planned, because the nice people at Castaway Bay have a great offer for all Mommin’ It Up readers! Click the button below and find out how you can book an overnight package for as low as $129. Believe me, it is WELL worth it!

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Castaway Bay provided me with a night’s stay and water park passes, but the views and opinions expressed above are all my own. And Kate’s.

February 22, 2011

‘Roid Rage

We spent most of the day Sunday at the pediatric urgent care. Sam had been fighting a fever and cough and it seemed to be getting worse instead of better. I was on the fence whether or not to take him to the doc that day, but when we were on our way to my grandma’s house for lunch, he was coughing so hard he was gagging.

So off we went to the urgent care. (but not before dropping Kate off at Grandma’s – urgent care with one kid is bad enough.)

When we arrived there was a posted 2-hour wait to see the doctor, so it freaked me out when the nurse took one look at Sam’s chest and said she needed to take us right back to the exam room. His oxygen levels were low, but apparently not alarmingly so (I think she said 94 but I have no idea what that means), and we were taken off the fast-track.

He was so pitiful, laying in my arms pale and feverish. They gave him ibuprofen and a breathing treatment, and he got a lot better.

Anyway, after two breathing treatments, a chest x-ray and some steroids, we were sent home – he had a double ear infection and a bad chest cold, but fortunately it hadn’t turned into pneumonia yet.

Now he’s working on a course of antibiotics and an inhaler – and the steroid prednisone.

I cringed when I heard prednisone – Andy was on it briefly a few years ago for poison ivy and he had a terrible reaction to it. One of the side effects is that it can raise blood sugar, which means it is a GREAT medication to give a type 1 diabetic. {insert sarcasm punctuation mark}

Another side effect is that it makes kids CRAZY.

The nurse told me he might be “a little hyped up,” but that was an understatement. Last night he was running in circles and couldn’t seem to stop. He was on me like white on rice, but even though he insisted on constantly sitting on my lap, he also insisted on constantly hitting/kicking me and yelling “Bad Mommy!”

It was awesome. But not unusual, according to my very scientific facebook poll. I put something about him being a nutjob on my status, and a number of parents commented saying that insanity was to be expected (and actually a doctor and a pharmacist commented so it was scientific!). A few also said something about insomnia but I refused to even consider that possibility (and fortunately he slept great. knock on wood.)

Oh and did I mention the urgent care doc said not to send Sam to school until at least Thursday? Yeah. Lovely. Yesterday my dad stayed with him, I’m here with him today and tomorrow is Andy’s tour of duty.

So I am going to be here all day with this amped up version of my son. Any advice for living through it? I’m sure he’ll be fine, it’s me I’m worried about now!

February 21, 2011February 23, 2011

Renew and Redo Your Bath with Home Depot

Remember a few weeks ago when I told you about Home Depot’s Renew and Redo Your Bath sale? You have a few more days to take advantage of it!

Really, it doesn’t take much to make a bathroom feel (and work) a lot better! We simply changed the shower head in our bath tub, and it completely changed how bath night goes at our house. My kids no longer scream like they are being maimed when I’m washing their hair, because the water comes out at such an easy, even flow now.

Want to do something but not sure what? Take a look at Home Depot’s Bath How-To Center. They’ve got inspiration for your bathroom – and every other room of the house! They’ve also got buying guides, calculators, design tools, and everything you need to make a DIY project manageable.

So go check out Home Depot’s Renew and Redo event – but hurry, because it only lasts until February 23!

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The Home Depot works with bloggers like me to conduct product reviews. They do not tell bloggers what to say about their products or how to say it. The Home Depot fundamentally believes that people should be free to form their own opinions and share them in their own words. The Home Depot often provides product – free of charge – to bloggers for review as they did for this post. The Home Depot’s policies align with WOMMA Ethics Code, FTC guidelines and social media engagement recommendations.