44 Days of Summer- Maui Sands

Half Way Point

Well today marks the half way point of summer. We started with 88, today is 44. Wow, it's flying by, as always. Realizing it was the half way point, I wanted to do something today special. Something you typically do in the winter. My first idea? Ice skating. I proposed the idea to the kids. Response from Olivia? No. We don't know how to skate (they've never been) and it will be too cold.

Hum, next thought? Indoor Water Park. Great Wolf Lodge, to be exact. We typically spend one day during the winter months at this amazing place. Well, when you are looking day-of, the prices aren't exactly cheap. So I went to Groupon to see if I could find anything amazing. Maui Sands pulled up. Four tickets to the park for $60. About half price of GWL.

I announce to the kiddos my new idea. Jackpot! Yes, they're beyond thrilled, as Olivia in particular has been begging for months to go to GWL (although she'll settle for Maui Sands based off their pictures on their website). We begin to get ready and it seems like we picked the perfect day to go because forecast reads rain all day. Maw, Jeremy's mom joins us because the idea of chasing two monkeys around an indoor waterpark by myself doesn't sound like an adventure, but more like torture!

The drive there was awful. Monsoon weather. You know, the type that you can't see the car ahead of you. The type that semi apparently has warp-speed window wiper blades because he's barreling down behind you like he's late to his own wedding.  But we made it there around 12:30 p.m.  Check-in was at least 30 minutes of standing in line. The kids were good, but momma was ready to lose it. But we made it into the water park. Let the games begin!

We explored it all. From the 'warm pool' AKA the whirlpools, to the bucket that dumps water every 15 minutes to the tube slides, we jumped around the park like it might close any minute. I so wished I had a apple watch that would have counted my calories I burned climbing the six sets of stairs we climbed to go down those blessed tube slides.

By 7:15 we had enough. Kids were hungry and after six hours of chlorinated pools that had turned every ounce of skill to a white dried up raisin, we were done. We changed and head to eat at the infamous Chet & Matt's Pizza place (a favorite of mine!). With tummies full and energy at a low, we started the drive back to Lima.

Normally I'd end my blog post here, but the adventure didn't stop here. No, it monsoon'ed (is that a word?) home too. So much so that we had tornado warnings. Within miles of hitting our next exit we get a text that "swirl clouds" have been spotted. Um, we can't see a thing as it's pitch black at 10 p.m. and we begin frantically calling Jeremy to see if he can confirm if we should be seeking shelter. Either he never wants to see his mom, wife and children again or the warning had been lowered to watch, he informs us to just keep driving, we'd be fine!

Wow.  What an amazing day. So as I sit here typing up this post in bed with Olivia who napped the entire way home and is now WIDE awake, she drifts off in sleep. Suddenly she's laughing and she rolls over to me and says, "mom you know what I'm dreaming of?" Nope, I responded, what? "Of today and how much fun we had!"

Awe, now that just made everything perfect. Sweet dreams!