Splash Down

Making up for lost time with the kids after our babymoon getaway last weekend, yesterday we went to Splash Down Waterpark for our family outing this month. Located in Manassas (about 45 minutes from us), this park offered a quite a few things for kids our little ones' ages and being so close made it convenient as well. They have a good number of attractions for guests to enjoy but aren't overly huge the way many parks are, which made it easy to keep up with the kids and kept the walking distances to and from points of interest minimal. The entry price was reasonable too especially with the coupon I found online.

Our first stop after getting changed and sunscreened up was the Lagoon and Lazy River. The Lazy River was a kind of tricky as we precarious tried to balance both ourselves and the kids on tubes to stay afloat, but we got the hang of it eventually. The Lagoon, on the other hand, was more our speed. Both Hadley and Caleb got right in and had a ball. I appreciated that the water was relatively warm and that the area wasn't crowded. With both the kids being so busy going about their water fun business, it wasn't hard to keep an eye on them and the water was comfortable enough that I didn't feel jolted if I had to quickly go in deeper to retrieve Caleb without adjusting to the temp like I prefer.

Caleb noted that they had a mushroom waterfall just like the one at our local town pool but that it was a different color

He is definitely getting braver. Rather than clinging to us like he did when we visited the WARF a few months ago, we actually had to warn him to stay close in the shallow water instead of wandering to the deeper end near the Lazy River.

Hadley was in her element! Water, water, water!

 

Hadley's big thing was wanting to lay on her back. Thankfully, the pools where she tried this were zero entry accesses and for the most part we could keep her from getting her whole head under. I am not sure why this was so much fun but she had the complete opposite approach to the water than her brother who didn't want his head getting wet at all if he could help it.

After some time at the Lagoon and the Lazy River, we tried out the Sandcastle Kids Kove and Splish Splash slide. This was a perfect spot for both kids with water slides and all kinds of things shooting water for them to play in. The water was very shallow which definitely helped us manage them easily as well.

Caleb was all about the water slides. As soon as we walked in the park he was beside himself wanting to run over and jump on one. Sadly, when we measured him at the gate, he was a few inches too short to ride most of them though. He was pretty upset when he first found out that he couldn't ride the big ones, but settled quickly when we told him the things that were available for him to do. He soon lost his interest in the forbidden and had a good ole' time in the section designated for his age group.

Hadley got her chance at a water slide too! Though she couldn't go on all the ones Caleb could, there were two small slides she got to ride a few times with Mommy and Daddy. (Come to think of it, I guess Baby Boy got to ride down a few times to with his sister and mom.)

The concept of standing in line was very difficult for Caleb. It wasn't that he was impatient; he just didn't quite get how it worked. He'd climb up to the top but instead of getting behind the other kids, he would stand off to the side or sometimes even walk right up to the front. The lifeguards weren't great about making sure the kids stayed in line, probably because they were too busy keeping an eye on the kids going down the slides into the pool below. This made it difficult at times for me to direct him though because I couldn't be both at the top to guide him into line and keep him there plus be at the bottom to make sure he got out of the way before the next kid came. Being pregnant also made it scary to keep climbing the rope net they had to get back up to the slides. I was so nervous I was going to slip and fall!

 
One extra included in the price that I loved were free life jacket rentals. The ones for the babies were mildewed pretty badly so we didn't use one for Hadley, but it worked wonderfully for Caleb and made me feel a lot better if he got to the bottom of the slide without me, even if it was very shallow. It also helped on the Lazy River the second time we tried it; I didn't feel as stressed about trying to keep him from sinking through the hole in the tube.

My busy water lovin' baby girl could really have used a life jacket though. I can't count how many times she flopped under the water while we were there, pushing Dave and I away every time we tried to hold on to her or take her by the hand. Miss Independent never cried about getting a mouth full of water or dunking her whole head under; we'd just help her up and she'd wallow around again. My low back couldn't handle all the energy this girl had for very long so her daddy got the job of keeping up with her most of the day while I chased her brother.

We packed our own lunches this time around but the food prices were very reasonable to our surprise, and in the future we may just eat in the park to save time and the hassle of having to run to the car. They did have a little picnic shelter beside the parking lot though so it made bringing our own meal pretty quick.

As you might imagine, four hours is a long time for our family to spend swimming, but everyone did great and it went fast. We learned that on weekdays the price of admission sinks to $9 per person from 3-7 so we may try this option in the future since the kids liked it so much. Going later also would help us to beat the sun, though the weather was gorgeous and the temperature perfect on Saturday (well, up until we decided it was time to head home and then the thunder and lightening started!) Though juggling both kids, especially Hadley was quite a bit of work, it was worth it and should be even better next year- if we get a babysitter for the new baby that is.

Ants on a Log

Today a childhood memory popped into my head. I can't remember when or where I made these before or even who I did it with, but at some point when I was little I can recall constructing a healthy snack called "ants on a log." Who knows what made this craft come to mind, but I realized today that I had all the ingredients to make a similiar memory with Caleb. 

We usually wait until Hadley is sleeping for such artistic endeavors because of my need to control the mess for my own sanity. So, once she went down for her nap today, I told Caleb the three ingredients we would need for our snack and let him gather them while I cleaned the space we would use. With a small amount of help, he found the peanut butter, raisins, and celery, and then I cut the celery so that we were finally ready to assemble our snacks.

To begin, I demonstrated how to put the peanut butter into the groove of the celery, and then he helped me put the raisins (oops I mean ants) along the "log." Next I turned the reigns over to him. The perfectionist side of him was a bit discouraged because he couldn't get the peanut butter to spread exactly as it should, but I kept encouraging him to continue trying to do it himself while giving him tips for what method to use and modeling occasionally. Though it wasn't my direct intention, I was glad it gave him the opportunity to practice some fine motor skills in a fun way. Overall, I thought he did a really good job for his first try at something like this.

His favorite step was probably the final one though. Lining up all the ants on the log was exactly the type of task this organized little person was suited for.

 

We may need to buy an apron or smock for such activities! Half way in his shirt was smeared with peanut butter and he had to be completely changed by the time we were through.

There was a bit of finger lickin' going on during the process - one of the reasons it is wise not to eat edible crafts made by a three-year-old.

Here are a few pictures of the final products:

The one in the very center towards the bottom of the photo was the one I tried to let him do solo.

Can you tell which one was my model vs. his creations?

So proud of his "ants on a log"

The eating part was pretty exciting too! Though he was very adamant on Monday that he didn't like celery when we had it with our roast, today he had no problem eating "ants on a log."

When Dave came home this afternoon, he showed him a few of the logs he'd saved for later and then repeatedly went through the steps of how he made them so that his daddy understood the process clearly. He even asked Dave to make some more with him which hopefully they'll find time to do soon.

I guess it's time to see what other fun healthy snack crafts I can find. Thank goodness for Pintrest at times like these!

Babymoon

Ten years ago, Dave and I met for the first time on a mission trip to Jamaica. Six years ago, we got hitched on my grandparents' farm. This year, we commemorated those events with a child-free weekend at Ocean City. 

Since the first time we took Caleb to the ocean, I have been eager for an opportunity to relax on the beach without having to chase a toddler around. I love so much to watch him play in the sand and enjoy new experiences, but taking kids on vacation really isn't much of a vacation. As a result, rather than taking a week long getaway like a lot of families, we decided to take two separate weekend trips to the ocean this year - one with kids and one without.

This "babymoon" definitely wouldn't have been a possibility without the selflessness of my parents and sister, and I am so thankful that they were willing to keep the kids for a couple nights for us before our third little one arrives. My mom especially had a lot on her plate tending to my little ones, but she put her to-do list on hold and loved on them all weekend despite the extra work so we could have this time together. Not only did it give us a chance to refresh individually, it gave us some much needed time as a couple to focus on each other - something that rarely happens these days. In the past year, I doubt we have been out alone together more than five times, and even then for only a few hours at a time. So, needless to say, this was amazing to have a whole weekend just the two of us. 

There definitely was a part of me that felt terribly guilty leaving the kids behind, putting extra work on my family, and realizing that a lot of people don't have such an opportunity, but the devotional book I have been reading lately has repeatedly stressed the need for married couples to strengthen their relationship before the arrival of a new little one and that is what we were doing. It also gave the kids an opportunity to get used to being away from me for a few days and got my parents used to having them for multiple days at a time before my hospital stay in October when the baby arrives.

Day 1: Aside from a little traffic, the trip there went smoothly. We arrived at the Spinnaker Motel about midday, and after I scoured the room for bedbugs (a personal phobia), we unloaded everything and immediately headed for the sand! 

Disclaimer: This post includes some pictures of a pregnant lady in a bathing suit. Proceed with caution! I also apologize in advance for the lack of adorable children in these photos. :)

After being sun-kissed all afternoon while laying on the beach and trying out the pool, we walked down to Phillips for an all-you-can-eat seafood buffet - one of my favorite places to eat! Sadly though, there are a few pitfalls to going on the beach while pregnant; obviously you don't have a beach body (that's a given), but you also have to limit your seafood intake. Since the food is one of my favorite parts of the experience, I was careful to research what items were high in mercury and how much of everything I could safely eat. I over indulged slightly on the buffet items but for the most part stayed balanced and enjoyed a really good meal. Both of us were able to eat our food warm, got to talk to each other, didn't have to juggle making the kids plates or feeding them or cleaning up messes, and ate at our leisure. What a blessing!

Later that night we walked the boardwalk hand-in-hand, mostly people watching but also looking in a few shops here and there. Before we realized it, we'd walked about 15 blocks (somewhere close to a mile). While the walk there didn't seem so bad, I was struggling on the way back. Since we weren't on a deadline for bed times, we just stopped and rested on the benches occasionally, savoring the tranquility of the ocean after dusk.

Day 2: The next morning I woke up early and was unable to get back to sleep. Finally I decided to take my Bible and Bible study books out on the balcony for awhile and let Dave sleep in. It may sound strange to get up at 6:45 or so on your vacation, and even more surprising that I enjoyed it, but the uninterrupted time in the Word and prayer was something that I had been needing too. It was definitely more refreshing than the extra couple hours of sleep would have been.

Once I finally woke up Mr.Lazy Bones (aka my handsome hubby), we went to the Dough Roller for breakfast and then quickly got down to the beach to soak up more warmth. Between there and the pool, we lounged the rest of the day until supper. Dave did venture out down the boardwalk on an excursion for just the right beach chair for himself while I buried myself in a Christian romance novel, but he still got to rest a good portion of the day too.

Usually we prefer to hit the all-you-can-eat options for supper at the beach, but since my restricted seafood diet made that unrealistic, we tried a new place. I searched through a ton of booklets trying to find a romantic venue with a view of the water and outdoor dining. Eventually I came across one called the Sunset Grille that had won a couple of awards in the years past as being one of the best restaurants in Ocean City. Not only did they offer beautiful scenery and good food, but they also had a live band which sealed the deal for us.

When we arrived we were blown away by the number of cars overflowing the parking lot and parked in the grass all down the street. While we knew that was a pretty good sign that we'd picked a winner, there was also the fear that we were in for a long wait. Though I heard one of the waitresses mention that they had over 500 reservations that night, we didn't have to sit around too terribly long before they found us a table - one right in front of the entertainment for the evening. The menu options included some fancy and expensive cuisine, but there were also several moderately priced items for lighter dining. Dave went with a soft shell crab sandwich while I savored a California shrimp salad wrap. We were both really impressed. Even the potato salad was pretty awesome. While we planned on doing some mini-golf and hitting the boardwalk for some fries that evening, both of us felt full and satisfied after the good food and good entertainment so we called it a night and rested up for the next day.

Hey, Good Lookin'!

We got to listen to the band and watch the sun set behind the boats on the bay while we waited for our table.

Day 3: We didn't have a lot of time the last day so we tried to make the most of it. For breakfast we quickly ate some bananas and croissants instead of going out, and then back to the beach we went. Most people must have slept in a bit later than us because the beach had only a few people when we arrived. It was so peaceful!

The weather was much more temperate our last day which made it easier to stay on the beach for hours at a time without retreating to the air conditioned room or the pool to cool off like we had the previous day. As you might have guessed, we struggled to pull ourselves out of our beach chairs and back to the car when it was finally time to go. 

Enjoying the new beach chair he finally decided on

The water was frigid! Retreating!

Hunting for souvenir seashells for Caleb - Sadly, we never found any good ones.

Baby bump!

 

 

On our way out of town, we tried a place called Crab Alley so that I could get a little more seafood but not be tempted to overindulge at a buffet. Again we got to dine outside overlooking the bay and the restaurant was pretty empty which made it a relaxed way to end the trip. My crab legs and corn on the cob were delicious and Dave enjoyed his crabcake sandwich and cream of crab soup too. Definitely a place we hope to frequent on future trips!

We hit some strong rains and traffic on the way home but finally arrived at my parents' to get our babies! I was so excited to see them and curious to see their reactions, especially Hadley's, when we walked through the door. Boy, did she surprise me! Instead of running to her Momma like I expected, especially since she's has never been away from me for 24-hrs straight much less three days and has been quite clingy lately due to a cold/teething, that girl was so wrapped up in an episode of Bubble Guppies that she pretty much completely ignored the both of us. Eventually, she snuggled into my lap and after the show went off she was definitely holding on her Mom, but I am still kind of upset with Nickelodeon for creating a show that steals her affections like that one does. Poor Daddy got the cold shoulder most of the evening as she ignored all of his attempts to love on her after several days of being apart. To make matters worse, Caleb wasn't any better. Since he'd been disgruntled after getting scolded for something by my mom on top of his already cranky mood from having a cold, Courtney tried to get him calmed down by letting him play on my parents' iPad. He was so zoned into the game he was playing that he didn't care too much that we were back either. He just kept moving his little finger across the screen to put all the "dirty laundry" into the basket and win the game. When it was time to go, he wasn't ready to get back to his own bed the way I was. Nope! The tears were rolling as he begged us to let him stay at NaNa and Pop's. I am not sure whether to be heartbroken that we apparently weren't missed all that much or to be happy that they were so well taken care of that didn't get a chance to miss us. At least I know they'll be fine come October, right?

Caleb fell asleep on the way home that evening so we waited until another day to give the kids the one souvenir we picked up - an inflatable caterpillar for the pool. We haven't gotten a chance to get it in the water yet, but they sure did have a blast trying it out on the family room floor.

Now just looking forward to our weekend getaway with these two boogers in August!