The Waterpark

I booked a hotel through Hotwire, (Ya know the website that gives you discount prices on hotel, but doesn't tell you the name of the hotel until after you've paid.) for our return trip home from IL. Turns out we hit the jackpot, as far as the kids were concerned, because our hotel in OH had a waterpark attached to it. I wish the admission cost to the waterpark were included with the cost of the room, but no. That is a topic for some other time. At any rate, do I really need to say, that the kids had a fabulous time!
So here's what it looked like. The waterpark was all indoors, which for me, who has to stay out of the sun as much as humanly possible, really loved that! There was the little kiddie side like this.


Then on the other side there was this, which made Erin, my little adrenaline junkie, very, very happy.


So Erin took off to the "big kid" side and Sean, Shannon, and I hung out on the "little kid" side. After an hour or so Shannon, my I'm afraid and skeptical of most everything kid, says, "I think it's rude that they won't let seven year olds go on those big slides over there. It's not fair." "Say what? You want to go down those huge slides over there? Seriously?" I answered. This was the moment that I had an "a-ha" parenting moment. I never even bothered to ask her if she wanted to go. I just assumed, based on her past behavior, that she wouldn't be interested. Wrong, oh mercy I was wrong, though I wish it were the first and last time on the being wrong thing. Wishful thinking I know!
Erin volunteered to take Shannon down the big yellow slide, which weaved inside and outside of the building. Erin had already tested all the slides out and knew which one Shannon would like. So they went down together 6 or 7 times on a double raft until Shannon was ready to go on her own. Then Shannon was free for the rest of our time there to bounce back and forth from big kid to little kid side. I still can't believe it. Several times Erin, Sean, and I were playing together while Shannon was going up and down the 4 or so flights of stairs to enjoy the yellow slide all alone. I'm glad that I was there to see it for myself or I may not have believed it. I would have payed double to see Shannon conquer her fears and develop a greater self confidence all while having fun too! Good, good memories.