Last October, Joe and I drove up to Seattle for the weekend to take Taelin to a Wiggles concert. On our way back home, I noticed a huge neon sign flashing "WATER PARK". I did some research on Great Wolf Lodge (the owners of said neon sign) and I will spare you the details of the decision of going and all that went with that...all you really need to know is that we went this past weekend and all in all, had a great time.
Obviously with Taelin only being 2, there were parts that were not really accessible to her but they did have quite a bit that she could do. She had a great time playing in the water and going down the little "waterslide" in the toddler area.
Leading up to the trip, I knew I was going to have the opportunity to check something off my list...going down a water slide. Now, some people may wonder why in the world I would put this on a list. I mean, for many people, going down a water slide would be something fun; those people, are not me. Water slides are usually high off the ground, so for someone afraid of heights (as I am) that is strike one.
Strike two. Water slides don't exactly provide a person with a lot of control while going down. You kind of get sloshed about, side to side, and you have to hope that whoever designed that water slide was better at physics that you were. In my case, I have to hope that whoever designed it was a lot better at physics that I am. I will admit to fearing a time or two that I will be the unlucky person that gets tossed over the edge no matter how many people have successfully gone before me!
And of course, there is strike three. Strike three is the strike that is inevitable. Um...I weigh too much. And in order to go down a water slide you probably have to wear a swimsuit. See where I am going with this....
Ok...now before I get to far off track I need to say that I did put in on my list (unlike learning physics..you will never see that on the list). All three of those "strikes" are really things that need to be overcome...so, on the list it went.
The first night we got there kind of late but we did going swimming for a little bit. And after getting a handle on how completely adorable my daughter was in her new swimsuit and how excited she was about everything, my eyes turned to the 5 big water slides. In an instant, I wished I could change my mind, but knew that Joe would give me endless crap if I backed out. Luckily, I got a reprieve that night because there just wasn't time.
The second day, there was plenty of opportunity but I chickened out. I got all weird about it kind of like I did on my 21st birthday when I refused to even have one drink even though that is what you are supposed to do on your 21st birthday. I didn't really have a good reason not to do, but I just don't like being told what do to. And apparently that goes for when I tell myself I have to do something I don't want to do. (Seriously, if you want to call the men in white coats...feel free...I know how crazy this sounds.) Needless to say, I didn't do it and I was correct in that the loving harassment from Joe started. And I quote, "If you don't do it, I will so call you out on Facebook and your blog. You will never hear the end of it."
So, it was on the third and final day, with only hours to check out that I finally decided to go down the damn slide. Up the stairs I went, picking the least scary of the slides, and when I arrived at the top, I found myself a couple stories above concrete, in my swimsuit, surrounded my girls that were surely 1/3 my age and weight. I want to say for the record that I was not having fun.
After standing in line, for what seemed like forever, I plunked myself down at the top of the slide realizing that there really wasn't anyway off the damn thing unless I wanted to take the "walk of shame" back down the stairs. I looked up at the lifeguard whose job it was to give the "all clear" when she shouted, at no one in particular, "Lay down, cross your arms and legs and go!" in a voice that I can only describe as one that I have seen a drill segregant use in movies. I obviously didn't want to go unless I knew for sure it was my turn (what if I went before I was supposed to go and ran into someone?!?) so I continued to look at her until she looked down and yelled, "GO!"
At this point, I just wanted to be done with it all so I laid down, crossed my arms and legs and went. And as I sloshed back and forth, hoping that I didn't fly over the side down to the concrete below and land in front of all those skinny little girls that had gone down before me, I realized that I really just don't like water slides and that should be okay.
I am glad I went because I can check it off the list. And when Taelin grows tall enough to go on them herself and if she wants me to go with her, I will climb those stairs again and ride along with her instead of watching on the sidelines. But I won't like it...
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