final days of freedom

Tim and I decided to take a few days off this week and have one long, final weekend with Noah before school started. And I'm so glad we did.

We had such a good weekend with him and I think he had a wonderful vacation with us.

Saturday we spent the entire day on the boat, not coming in until nearly dark. He enjoyed boating with his cousins, Haylea and Tina. Both he and Tina had a blast on the tube. The weather was perfect, even though rain was predicted. There was a lot of trash in the river, as a result of the storms the night before, but we made the most of it and had fun anyway.

Sunday we woke up, had a big breakfast, and headed for Bowling Green. I booked us a room at a hotel for a couple nights (one of Noah's requests) and it helped make it feel more vacation-like too. We arrived early so we spent a couple hours at the mall, where Noah wanted absolutely everything he saw!

He was excited upon checking in to the hotel. I'm always amazed at what excites children. This hotel has a cascading waterfall that you can see on every floor. He loved throwing pennies into it and to try and reach each balcony with different coins. He also got a big kick out of getting ice from the ice machine (go figure!). And he spent several moments in the bathroom playing with the mini hair dryer. I just enjoyed watching him enjoy everything.

We were lazy the first night, just playing in the pool and going to dinner. Although his age still allows him to order from the kid's menu, his appetite has surpassed it. He ate his portion and helped himself to most of my ribs and part of Tim's plate too.

Monday we had breakfast in the hotel lobby and Noah enjoyed having waffles made for him. He also got a kick out of the fact that his meal was free and he could eat all wanted. (my wallet was happy too!)

We then set off for Beech Bend, the biggest request on his list. All three of us had a good time, riding rides and being together. Tim surprised me by riding a few rides (he is scared of heights so that is rare for him to try).

I loved the Sea Dragon, which came from Neverland, and was apparently Michael Jackson's favorite ride. They played only his music and had a tribute wreath in front of the ride. Noah rode with me but did not enjoy it like I did. As soon as the boat started to sway, his face dropped. I said quickly, "Please don't throw up me!" And I'm thankful he did not. However, I wasn't able to fully enjoy that ride for the fear he would.

Noah's favorite ride was a ride where the smallest person squishes the other as the carts criss-cross and circle around. He got a kick out of squishing me and then Tim. I didn't tell him that I was chanting to myself, "Please don't throw up on yourself!" throughout the ride. He then rode it about four times in a row by himself.

While there, we played a round of miniature golf. Tim is usually the champ at this game but Noah gave him a run for his money. He got several amazing hole in one shots. At the 17th hole, he hit too hard and his ball landed in the water mill's pond. Ignoring the posted sign, "Do not enter pond" he ducked under the rope to retrieve it. I saw what happened next from the moment his foot entered the concrete pond. Noah leaned in to reach the ball, as it was whirling in circles from the motion and slipped on the algae-covered sides. Instantly, his eyes widened like saucers as he slipped into the water. Tim was right there, with a golf club to pull him out. I was secretly giggling (because I knew he was safe and knew he'd be mad if he saw me) as I watched the two of them arrive back on shore. He took it like a trooper though and said, "Well, at least I'm cooled off now!"

We spent the last half of the day of there, watching him play in Splash Lagoon. He makes friends so easily and enjoyed playing with the other kids. One of the last things we did there was watch a magic show. The best part was that he picked Tim from the crowd to help. Tim was taken backstage by the lovely assistant, probably the only reason he agreed. A few minutes later he came out wearing a long "dolly parton" wig, a pink polka dot bra and floral skirt. It was the highlight of the day for me! Noah laughed so hard I thought he might wet his pants (except for the fact they were already wet from the day's activities). It was a funny end to a great day at the park.

Noah wanted to go into their game room but we tired, hot, thirsty and hungry at this point. Instead of walking back to the car to retrieve more cash, I suggested Chuck E Cheese. And that was all it took. Noah excitedly ran to the truck, ready for the next adventure. Tim and I were tired and our feet throbbing but he had such a good time. We spent a couple hours there before heading back to the hotel for a dip in the pool.

At the pool, Noah quickly made friends with several other boys and they enjoyed playing volleyball. What we thought was a quick dip lasted a couple of hours and we had to drag him out in the end. It was worth it though to see him smile and having such fun.

So, our big vacation of the summer didn't include airfare or beaches. No big souvenirs or major landmarks to see. Just a simple, long weekend with each other, less than an hour from home. And it was wonderful.