Slelepover Day 3 - Lagoon

Today we didn't have to leave early because we are going to LaGoon and it doesn't open that early.  We got up and had breakfast at the hotel.  The sun was just coming up and it was looking to be just a beautiful day.

There are so many ways that Jaxon reminds me of Blaine.  For 1, he is the spittin image of him since the day he was born he is an absolute mini Blaine, and he is a fussy eater just as Blaine was.  But today, he just kept eating cheese omelets and bacon.  I think he put down 5 of the omelet's and he just kept eating.  It was good to see.

After a lovely breakfast, we went to drop Gimme off at one of Ambur's friends where she is staying for the day.  It was fun because she remembered the house and she could hardly wait to get out of the car.  After she was safely in the house, we headed out for the amusement park.  There was so much excitement in the air.

We got a great parking spot and then we got all of our stuff and headed to get our hands stamped.  I already had the tickets purchased and I wanted to get a locker for our swim stuff for later in the day.

We were going to head to the Rattlesnake Rapids first off and what did we see right off the bat-this beautiful peacock.  He was just struttin his stuff and it was just great.  Of course if you know me at all you know I love seeing stuff like this.

We got to the rapids and were told they were closed-such disappointment.  Then after a minute they told us they just opened them.  AWESOME!

    

We all got pretty wet and we all had such a great time.  There was no real line so we got to go again without going back to the line.  It was super fun.  It is nice when you can all fit into one raft.  You can't really tell by the picture, but we were wet.  Tessa and Ashlyn got the brunt of the water on these two rounds of the ride.  Later in the day we ended up going on this ride three more times and each time someone else ended up soaked.  Definitely one of the favorites of the day.

We had a talk about the fact that some rides everyone may not want to go on and they would wait for those who wanted to go on the ride.  Such is the case with the Pirate Ship that swings back and forth.  I don't like to swing so I knew I wouldn't go on it.  Everyone else went off on it and I just took some pictures.

When Jaxon got off, he said he didn't want to go again.  No one really wanted to go again right after, but everyone else had a great time on it.  Next the swings.  Jaxon took one look and decided that wasn't going to be for him.  In fact the girls, Ashlyn, Kinsley and Tessa were the only ones that went the first time and then Jaxon decided he wanted to try it.  I know they love this one, there is no way for me, but I love watching them on things like this.  They just love it and nothing seems to phase them.  They all had a great time on it.

We headed to the old wooden roller coaster.  My favorite ride in the park--well next to rattlesnake rapids.  Everyone was so excited to finally go on a rollercoaster.  Let's just say, it was a lot of fun-with the exception that Ambur wasn't able to go for safety reasons and Jaxon just hated it and said it was too scary for him.  So we only went once.  I suppose I could have gone through again, but there are other rides I wanted to do and the lines were too long.  I told Jaxon it was OK there would be other kinds of rides.  The next thing we went on was this fire engine.

Next we went on this fire engine ride.  Jaxon was feeling pretty excited so I went along.  Ambur sat this one out.  (I wish I had).  This is in the kiddie rides and I don't think I have ever felt so close to throwing up.  So all it does is go up and down nothing drastic, but it made me sick.

Next up, this dragon ride.  Everyone that went had a good time on it.  This is a much better ride for Jaxon and everyone had a great time on it.  We all went on this one.  

Next was the music express.  We all went on this one and everyone loved it.  We did it a few times throughout the day.  When Saratoga used to be the place to go--many years ago--they had a ride called the zugspitz and this was much like it.  All around and around one way and then back to the other way.

Ashlyn, me, Tessa and Kinsley all went on the wild mouse.  It is just like the game and I thought it was going to be a little tamer.  Boy was I wrong.  It was so much fun, but you sure did get jerked around. It felt like you were going to go right off the track at every turn.  It was so much fun.

Kinsley wanted to go on wicked-I thought I would go until I actually saw it, but the upside down stuff is a little much for me.  So her and Tessa headed with Ambur as the guide to go to wicked and the rest of us chickens, Ashlyn, Jaxon and myself waited.  We got everyone a lemonade for when they got back.  Kinsley was especially excited for this one and I could not believe she went on it.  I really wanted to see her so we had planned to go again so I could maybe see to get some pictures, but the day got away from us.  You can see by their faces that they had a good time.

After all that, we went and did the rapids and then decided to have some lunch.  There were a few places to eat and we chose this barbecue place.  I have never paid so much for a lunch and waste so much of it.  The food was really not that great and none of really enjoyed it.  Even the french fries were not that good.  But we all did manage to get something in.  I told them all dinner would be better.  We did see some peacocks at lunch and the babies ate out of our hands.  it was pretty fun...sort of made up for the lousy food.

I don't like the terror ride so everyone else went on that while I waited in the shade and I had a great conversation with a lady from Arizona.  We had some share memories there.

 It was a good rest and then we were going to head over to the other side of the park and do the rides there.  Jaxon didn't want to ride on the lift chairs so he and Ambur walked and I rode with Kinsley and Ashlyn and Tessa rode together.  I told Kinsley she could not make the car sway--she believed me and didn't do it, but I know she wanted to so bad.  My hands were already frozen to the side of the chair holding on for my life.

Jaxon missed out on the umbrella swings because he had to use the restroom and I took him down to go--it turned out not to be so great as the bathrooms were closed and only the family one was opened and they said no one could be in them alone.  So I went in and told him I would turn around and he wouldn't go to the bathroom.  We went out and waited and no matter how I coaxed him, he wasn't going to go.  Then he told me he had to go so bad.  So I finally got him to consent by telling him Ambur would go with him and she wouldn't be able to see anything because she is blind.  He relented to that.  But while that was going on the girls went on the Umbrella ride.

The girls also went on the bumper cars while we were dealing with the bathroom and then we met up and they all got in line for the bumper cars.  Jaxon was really excited for the bumper cars.  They stood in line for 20 minutes and just when they got to the gate--it shut down.  It was so disappointing and I felt so bad for Jaxon.  He wasn't having the experience he had thought he would.  But overall he was a pretty good sport.

I told the girls about this ride and they all wanted to go.  I really thought they would chicken out, but nope.  They all were excited to go.  Right up to the last minute, I couldn't believe it.  They are so brave and just anxious to try anything.  Especially Kinsley.  She had no hesitation about any rides throughout the whole day.

They sure had fun.  No hesitation at all.  Then to the Rocket.  This ride has two sides that do different things.  They can go up fast and come down slower or go up slower and come down fast.  The girls chose to go up slow and come down fast.  (After the ride they told me they really didn't know which line they got in).

Another ride they just had so much fun on.  Jaxon decided to go on the airplane swings and he liked it a lot. All the kids went on this one.

Then another ride that all the kids went on and I was relieved that Jaxon was going on some rides again and even Ambur went on this one.

The bumper cars were open again so we headed back to them and they all had a great time in the cars.  It was so fun to watch them.  Sometimes they would just set in one spot and then Ambur would come along and smash into them and that would get them moving.  Everyone really had a great time.  They went on this a couple of times in a row.

Then more upside down rides.  All three girls went on these --called Air Race.  They are like diver planes that would go up and then down for the dive and turn upside down.  they could be upside down for a whole turn before they turned right side up again.  

I did one more roller coaster.  JetStar II and I went with Kinsley and Ashlyn went with Tessa.  This ride was so violent.  It was super fun, but boy it was a rough one physically.  Tessa got her head banged into by Ashlyn on one of the stops and poor Kinsley just kept getting thrown against the bar and it bruised her stomach pretty good.  I got some bruises of my own on this ride.  We all said it was fun but wouldn't go again.  You would need some big pillows to cushion all the jerks on it.

The last thing we did was the train.  It was a peaceful little ride with lots of things to see.

After that, the park was closing so we went back to the lockers and got our swim stuff out.  We had decided not to go swimming as it looked so crowded and what I thought would be the place they would love all day, turned out to be disappointing to everyone.  But we had so much fun on the rides it didn't even matter.  The one thing I had wanted to do, but they closed before we could, was to get a picture of us all in old west clothing.  That would have been a great picture.  We headed out to the car and had the most beautiful sunset to observe as we went to pick up Gimlet.

What a wonderful day.  I think everyone had a fun time--poor Jaxon not as much as the others, but we did all have fun.  I am ever so grateful that I get this time with the kids.  I think it was a little much for Jaxon, he missed his mom who he still sleeps with at night and the poor sweetheart just missed her like crazy when he got tired.  But I am still so grateful that we all had this time together.  I am blessed and consider myself so lucky to be their Grandma.  Life is just filled with love and kindness and happiness in my journey.  I never want to take it for granted.