Holiday World and Santa's Lodge Vacation

Ever since we moved to Indiana, we have heard people raving about their experiences with Holiday World and Splashing Safari amusement park. It has so much to recommend itself: free drinks all day, free sunscreen, family atmosphere, and the combination of both daring rides and refreshing water. Time after time, others have encouraged us to visit this park.

I have to admit, I have been dragging my heels for years. Every year, John would suggest it and I would say, "I really don't want to go to a big, crowded amusement park with two little ones and a teenager who is chomping at the bit to ride big rides all day (thus leaving me, inevitably, with the two overwrought little boys). Part of that was my growing anxiety issues (thus the near panic attacks at Big Splash Adventure and the mobbed Children's Museum), but part of it was that it just didn't sound FUN.

So, once again, I went along just because everyone else wanted to go. By the time John got around to making our accommodations all the less expensive rooms at Santa's Lodge were taken (that's his story and he's sticking to it ... but perhaps he wanted the more spacious room all along). Thus, we found ourselves in a glorious Family Whirlpool Suite.

It was marvelous. It was glorious. It was so exciting for the little boys that ... we almost turned around and went back home on the first night (perhaps you have never experienced my boys on a high of excitement and anticipation - yikes). You can actually take a virtual tour of our room here.

The room boasted a king size bed (somehow Bryce and Sean finagled that one on the first night) and two queen size pull-outs, a microwave, fridge and kitchen area. Of course, the most exciting feature of all was the jacuzzi. The boys had been talking about it all week, saying "the first thing I'm going to do when we get in the room is jump in the hot tub."

Thankfully, the Lodge also had an indoor pool (another "must-visit" for my younger boys). So the first evening, I was able to sit in a cozy room watching a lengthy (gruesome) news show interviewing Jaycee Dugard. I would have been unable to watch this at home because the content was not appropriate for child viewing. Despite the horror the show inspired, it was so wonderful to watch in peace and quiet while Daddy took the boys to swim!

Monday morning, we headed over to Holiday World and purchased two-day tickets. The anticipated heat index for the day was 110 degrees! Let me tell you, we felt it (especially Sean and I, since we are both prone to heat stroke and sun burn). If we had not been able to fill up complimentary cups of ice water repeatedly throughout the day, I don't think I would have survived. John and I also marvelled at my new-found ability to deal with the crowded lines and anxiety laden experiences (thank you, effective medicine!).

The park is divided into themed sections based on holidays. I quickly stowed our swim gear in a locker in the water park area and met the boys in the Thanksgiving section. I loved how each part played accompanying theme music. In the Thanksgiving area, we were treated to "We Gather Together."

Bryce immediately determined his favorite wooden roller coaster of all time - The Voyage. He and Trevor rode it together first (given their sibling animosity of that morning, it was a true miracle of gathering together - ha!). Of course, Bryce was so impressed that he begged Dad to ride it with him next, so I dragged Trevor and Sean into my "favorite" ride - Gobbler Getaway (favorite because it is air conditioned, has no sudden swerves or surprises and is genuinely fun) where you shoot turkeys with a laser gun. Bryce even convinced me to try this "awesome roller coaster" on the second day of our visit. With all that shaking, my insides may never be the same, but at least I can say I survived The Voyage!




(Photos courtesy of the Holiday World web site)

Other favorite rides were: the Revolution (finally the little boys were willing to ride it alone because it was making me far too dizzy) and the Legend (which I never tried because Bryce said it has such hair-raising turns that it actually gave him a headache on the first evening). Besides, because of Sean's height (44 inches) there were many things that he couldn't ride and I stayed with him while the others went on. (He has since been drinking milk like there's no tomorrow because he is convinced that it will make him grow taller. Immediately after drinking, he asks me to measure him again ... funny kid!)

The heat drove us to spend most of the day in the Splashin' Safari section, which meant that I was sporting a major lobster-shaded burn for the second day. But it was a lot of fun. I loved riding Watubee because we were all five in the inner tube together as we went down. Zinga was a bit of a disappointment because we waited almost 50 minutes on surfaces that scorched bare feet and then the ride was quickly over. I think all the boys loved the Bahari Wave Pool the best. Even Sean was jumping to ride the waves.

Our favorite eating establishment (again, due to the intense heat) was the Plymouth Rock Cafe. The children's meals (real home-cooking, to get away from burgers and fries) were only $4. The place was air-conditioned (ahhhh) and the food was delicious.

The second day's visit was slated to be a bit cooler, but when we left the Lodge (even earlier than the first day) the temperature gauge read 98 degrees - urgh!. I was very concerned that we would end up spending a lot of time in the water and sun again, so I donned John's over sized t-shirt and Sean's floppy hat. I looked ridiculous, but I didn't damage my skin any further, so I won't complain. Plus, the second day, we remembered to bring along flip-flops and swim shoes so that the sun-scorched pavement wouldn't blister the soles of our feet so much.

Shortly after lunch, a storm blew in (and I mean blew in, because it actually pulled the umbrella right off our table). At first we were waiting it out against a wall of a building, but it was getting downright cold and the thunder and lightning were extremely dynamic. I noticed Bryce was standing by a family restroom, so I asked if anyone was in it. He and I ended up spending a half hour crammed with ten other people in the small 4 x 5 foot bathroom (we chuckled because no one offered to take the throne). I thought John and the boys were in the Pepsi Oasis, but they had come out and watched what they called "a tremendous lightning show!"

Once the storm looked like it was blowing over, we had this brilliant idea to try to get in the front of a line for the Wildebeest (billed as "America's longest water roller coaster"). Sadly, everyone else had the same idea and we discovered that the power to the ride had been knocked out. It is definitely on our to-do list for our next visit. Even the wave pool was out of the question because the lightening just kept coming back. Finally we headed to our old stand-by, Gobbler's Gathering and when even that was shut down, we went back to the Lodge.

The boys were quite bummed about the heat and storms keeping us from getting to ride all of the rides in the park or even from getting our money's worth out of our visit. Still, I reminded them, "we will never forget our first visit to Holiday World." I'm sure we'll be remembering this for years to come.

Plus, our early return to the Lodge meant that we ended up trying their downstairs restaurant/buffet. Since it was evening, the lit up decorations were stunningly beautiful. I found myself wishing my mother were there to see it. She would absolutely love a visit and a meal there. The food in the buffet was amazing! I think Bryce may have eaten 12 chicken wedges. We were all grateful for the delicious fruits and vegetables, too. And the apple cobbler was fantastic, as well.

I was so impressed that I even asked the hotel if they would send me some pictures to use on my blog post:






They don't capture the magic of seeing these decorations in the evening, but it still gives a view of how cozy and quaint the experience was. John kept saying, "we should have your family Christmas gathering here in December!" Of course, I still want to keep it here in our home, but I can understand why he'd want to bring everyone to Santa's Lodge. It was a wonderful experience. I doubt I'll drag my heels when the suggestion comes up next year!

Book Review: Love, Aubrey

I must start out by saying this book was absolutely beautiful! I was drawn to the book by both the stunning cover photo and by the lovely name. I have always loved the name Aubrey and even considered bequeathing a possible daughter with that name. Alas, no daughter named Aubrey. This book has given me a character, Aubrey, who will live in my heart and mind forever.

Although the book is slated for grades 4-6, I can guarantee that adults will be drawn into the tale equally. What a powerful voice the main character has! I don't want to give away any of the details because the story unfolds like a budding flower.

I concur with this cover endorsement by Audrey Couloumbis:

"I love this novel! Aubrey is the best kind of survivor - on the surface, an ordinary girl who no one would guess had a particular talent for making it on her own. Faced with not one, but two terrible situations, she's lost and alone, and her response is to take baby steps in the right direction. I look forward to Suzanne LaFleur's next book."

Book Review: Real Murders

This book was recommended at the end of the audio version of one of the Number One Ladies' Detective Agency books. I wouldn't put it in the same category as that beloved series, but it was still an enjoyable romp of a book. Think of it as a good beach read, or in my case, a good book to read whilst watching my boys play on their swing set (interruptions don't really annoy with this book because it isn't entirely riveting).

Aurora Teagarden is a young librarian in Lawrenceton, Georgia. She also participates in a club called the "Real Murders Society." This club gathers to discuss real unsolved murders. It is merely a past-time for the members, until one of the group is murdered in a re-enactment of the murder slated for discussion. Is it someone from within the group, with full knowledge of a wide variety of real murder cases? Is it the mystery author who has recently moved to Lawrenceton to teach a writing course? Even Roe (Aurora) herself is deemed suspicious by the police as they try to crack the case.

It is a pleasant enough read and fairly light fare. I would deem it average and the ending didn't really satisfy as much as I had hoped. Still, if you are looking for an easy, light mystery, this book could fit the bill.

Book Review: Minding Frankie

It has been far too long since I've read a book by Maeve Binchy. She is a fabulous writer. Binchy has that rare Dickensian gift of being able to people a landscape with her fully embodied characters so you feel you live right alongside them and share in their joys and sorrows. Minding Frankie continues that tradition, tying in characters previously encountered and introducing new ones.

I listened to this Binchy book. While I usually prefer Binchy's books delivered in this format, with the Irish accent, I would have prefered reading this one for myself. In Minding Frankie, Binchy introduces an American relative, visiting family in Ireland, who ends up staying and transforming the lives in the neighborhood of St. Jarlath's Crescent. Plus, another character turns up from New Zealand, claiming to be an unknown son. Although this narrator did a fine job with the Irish voices, I didn't care for her presentation of the American or New Zealand. The American, Emily, ends up with a simpering sort of voice that didn't really seem to jibe with her character. The New Zealand character also seemed forced, with too many pauses and inflections.

I believe Binchy did not need to introduce the American character into the scene. The Dublin set seem perfectly fine without bringing in a foreigner who came off with superhuman powers of observation, organization, and inspiration. Emily was, perhaps, too perfect.

Regardless of the narration and possibly unnecessary character, this was again a Binchy masterpiece. The story centers on an unmotivated fellow named Noel who discovers that he has fathered a child during one of his drunken sprees. The mother, on her deathbed, begs him to care for Frankie and keep her out of the foster system. At first Noel reacts with denial, but eventually faces his responsibility for this child, shakes off his alcoholic tendencies, and applies himself in ways that no one ever thought possible.

Unfortunately, the social worker doesn't fully believe Noel is the best fit for the child. She is determined to dig up dirt on Noel so that she can place Frankie in a "more suitable environment." Noel surrounds himself with a whole network of people in the neighborhood who help to care for and love Frankie. In the process of minding Frankie, many characters discover that nurturing a child is a powerful way to center life.

I'm thrilled that I can pick up this most recent Binchy book without having read the books in between. Each of her books does a fine job of standing alone. But they also provide an enduring legacy for characters we meet again and again in the landscape of her fiction.

Book Review: Still Alice

Last night, I had another wonderful opportunity to attend a book group. I love getting the chance to sit with other women and discuss the thoughts and literary devices surrounding a piece of fiction. This month's object of discussion was the book, Still Alice, by Lisa Genova.

I think that I had been earlier put off by reviews of this book. I had read somewhere (perhaps BookPage) that the book was about a woman who calls her three children together to tell them that she has early onset Alzheimer's disease and plans to take her life when her life no longer seems worth living. This idea (a false representation of the book - she never articulates the suicide plan to her children and by the time she has failed her own litmus test of importance questions, she cannot take those steps) is quite reprehensible to me. But at the same time, I can fully understand a person getting to the point where they feel that they have nothing left to offer in life and would rather choose nothingness over struggle and diminished capabilities. I found myself internally yelling at Alice, reminding her that even if she has seemingly nothing to give, God has a reason for allowing her to continue existing until He chooses to take her (I sometimes need to yell this at myself - so I'm familiar with the refrain).

We had an excellent discussion about the book. I must admit, I was dreading the possibility of a very depressing discussion. The book moved me to tears throughout my reading. I readily put myself in the place of the characters and could entirely empathize with the devastation they were experiencing. Thankfully, our discussion was not depressing (even though, the other two book club members in attendance both had family members battling Alzheimer's). We delved into topics of identity, loss, perspective, denial, and honor.

Alice Howland is a Harvard professor teaching cognitive psychology and giving lectures on linguistics. Her identity has been largely driven by her intellectual successes. She interprets a period of scattered forgetfulness (losing words during lectures, misplacing her Blackberry) as symptoms of menopause. (Perhaps this triggered my intense identification with the book because I have experienced the mental blips of menopause, where my brain doesn't seem to function as effectively as it once did.) However, when she gets lost on a run in her own neighborhood, where she has run for decades, she finally approaches a doctor. At not quite 50 years of age, she is diagnosed with Early Onset Alzheimer's.

I have never had anyone close to me struggle with Alzheimer's. Indeed, the closest encounter I have had was observing the mother of an Army friend. She could not recognize her own children and asked repeatedly why they were in the dining hall at a camp she had attended for many, many years. It broke my heart and I could only imagine how heart-breaking it must have been for them.

Despite my lack of experience with the disease, I gained much from contemplating the idea of identity and what a person experiences when their identity is stripped. Perhaps, again, this is why I related so strongly to this book. When faced with the inevitable decline of her mental and verbal skills, her immediate thought is of the books she had always intended to read. Like a cancer patient, she must shift her perspective of life and focus only on what she wants to attempt to glean from the remaining moments of lucidity.

This book is very well-written and provides so much fodder for discussion and contemplation. Although I found it difficult to read (in the sense that it created such a deep sadness within), I could not put the book down. It is truly a book with a message for anyone and everyone. It is a reminder that, at the end of the day, the truly important things are relationships and the opportunity to love. What a great reminder for us all!

Bryce's Music Camp Awards

After missing Bryce more than I ever have before, I was finally able to go with the group from the Salvation Army corps to go pick him up on Saturday. The first event of the day was an awards concert for the campers. Last year, Bryce won the solo contest and thus, played his solo for everyone in the concert.

This year, he could not find a solo he wanted to use, so I suggested he write his own. I figured that way he could showcase his strengths. When he showed me his final product, I was absolutely blown away. It looks like a professionally notated piece of music:


I think one of his great strengths is that he recognizes the need for variations in volume. Last year, his solo revealed many dynamics changes. Of course, there is only so much one can showcase when limited to performing on a mere snare drum.

I could read the disappointment on his face when he discovered that he took second place in the solo competition. The winner played an outstanding cornet solo which displayed great skill.

Bryce was disappointed again when he took the second place spot in the over-all top band awards. I was very proud nonetheless. He managed to snag the same "Top Instrumentalist" for the whole camp award again this year (which comes with a full scholarship to CMI - Central Music Institute). Altogether, he certainly cannot complain about the awards he brought home:



The medal is for the solo competition. The smaller trophy is for 2nd place in the Brengle Band. The largest trophy is the Brigadier Richard Miller Band Award for Outstanding Instrumental Musicianship.

I am really urging Bryce to take advantage of the scholarship. He may never again get the opportunity to attend this camp (a camp that I attended as a youth). Our school district is considering moving to a year-round schedule and the proposed 2012-2013 calendar reveals that CMI would fall entirely during the school calendar. This year, he would only have to miss the first three days of school.

I think this is feasible and he would easily get caught up. However, he is planning on playing football this year. He will miss a large chunk of practice time while he is gone at CBLI and doesn't want to then add another chunk of absence for CMI. The special guest there at the camp repeatedly urged Bryce to go to CMI, stating that he will easily make the top band there. I agree with another camper who was standing nearby during our discussion. When Bryce said he didn't think he should miss so much football practice, he observed, "It's not like you're gonna make the NFL someday!" It will be his choice to make, but I will beam if he makes the decision I prefer.

Nature Camp

Last Saturday morning, Bryce left for The Salvation Army's Indiana Divisional Music Camp. It thrills me to no end that he has been able to attend this for the past three years. I have so many wonderful memories of my music camp years. It is intensely satisfying to see him long for camp like I did.

I have been surprised by how intensely I have missed him this week. The little boys say that they don't miss him, but sometime around Wednesday or Thursday, they began talking about a Nature Camp. Trevor asserted that they were going to have Nature Camp from 1 to 4 on Friday afternoon. He planned to teach Sean all about nature.

This morning, as they were bouncing on the trampoline, it began to rain. I allowed them to stay out, but grumbled loud and long when it was time for them to come in. They didn't grumble. It was me grumbling. I can't stand the mess of wet clothes and grass and mud.

So, after lunch, I really wanted to tell them that nature camp was cancelled due to bad weather in the morning. Alas, Dad told them they could go out. I was washing the lunch dishes when I looked out and saw the most adorable sight ever. Trevor and Sean were walking along, with walking sticks in hand and backpacks on their backs, searching for rocks and sticks and leaves.





Get a load of how they're dressed for their outing. Attractive, no?



Now, I have more dirty clothes to wash. I also have a garage utility counter covered with items from nature. Trevor explained how many points the different items were worth. To see the two of them enjoying each other and the great outdoors is worth a whole pile of laundry to me!

Besides, even more laundry will be arriving tomorrow when Bryce returns home from camp. With boys comes endless laundry!