This day was scheduled as a "fun day". Sharon and I figured that sprinkling some kid time into our many, many miles of travel would help them enjoy the trip more. What we didn't know was that this stop was going to be way more fun than we originally imagined!
Before I talk about the day I have to mention the discussion we had in the car about what is a "Dell". For those that don't know, a Dell is basically a valley. So, Wisconsin Dells is a small town nestled in a valley basically in the middle of the state, population 2,678 (I think). This little area is packed with enough attractions, events and activities to keep a family busy for three straight days.
Originally, we had intended to just spend the day at a water park figuring that would be ample for the kids. The park was a blast. Supposedly the biggest water park in the country. The kids all made the height limit for every attraction which not only made the day extra fun for them, but also a great relief for me. The weather was mid-seventies and overcast so the crowds were down and the lines reasonable. We were cold, but decided to tough it out for the sake of fun. OK, maybe I made them tough it out, but either way it was worth it. The day at the water park was a huge success! We finished up at around 4:30 and probably could have called it a day and just gone for an early dinner. But, we couldn't resist adding some more fun to our adventure.
The kids were begging us to go drive the go karts. Now, for the Chalmers kids, this is always a challenge. Usually none of the kids are tall enough to drive on their own, so Mark and I take turns driving each child so they each get a turn. Anybody who has driven with me on go karts or golf carts (Dorothy & Linda) know exactly what to expect. All for the fun of it ;-) Anyway, this time Ally and Brooke were both tall enough to take their own cars. I can't begin to tell you how excited they were to finally do this on their own. Especially for Ally. Anyway, Matthew was a bit disappointed at first, but that soon changed when I let him take the wheel and I controlled the gas. This course was a blast. It had lots of hills and 'S' turns to keep it fun. Matt steered well and I controlled the skids. But the race was on and we were out there with some pretty sketchy drivers. There was a lot of bumping and cut-offs happening out there. Ally was little aggressive terror...hmmm, maybe we'll hold off on her license. Brooke was driving like an old person on Sunday after church. But, it was her first time driving something so we didn't pick on her too much. Matthew was so happy to steer that he didn't realize we fell behind a little.
Robin and Ally were the first two cars called in to the pit stop at the end of the run. At the top of each pit stop row is an orange come to signify to the first car where to stop. Well, Ally was coming in hot so the guy working there was giving her the 'slow down' signal. Instead of hitting the brake she hit the gas and ran over the cone which got stuck under the car. The guy was laughing so hard as he pulled the cone out to safety and waved Ally around for her final lap. Once again, maybe we'll hold off on a license for her. The kids begged for a second run so off they went. Much less eventful the second time around.
OK, now most people would have stopped there, but not the Chalmers/Kerrs'. It was just before 5pm and the kids saw a sign for zip lining. Sharon and I got the low down on the activity and talked it over. We decided "why not", we're here we might as well enjoy it! So, I took my kids and Robin on a 2 hour zip lining tour through the woods and over some rivers and ponds. It was such an amazing experience for us. We not only learned how to zip line, but we learned how to do tricks on the line while flying through the air. Mine and Ally's favorite, of course, was hanging upside down. Brooke & Matt loved jumping off the platform. Robin liked the trust fall. The first zip line was scary because we had never done anything like it before. I will say, I was more scared about the safety of the kids rather than the activity itself. Once we got through the first zip and I realized how safe this really is and we had a great time from there. The last zip was a dual zip where two people can race. Robin beat Ally, Brooke beat Matt and I got my butt kicked by a 6-foot+ man who was a trained air force ranger. Gotta work on my game!
The tour was done by 8pm and we still hadn't eaten. Off to find some dinner and get these kids to bed. They were absolutely exhausted, but happy little critters. I think they all were asleep within 5 minutes of laying down last night. The tent was dead quiet shortly after we got back. I only read about 2 pages in my book and I was out too. It was a great day!!!
Sharon and I were talking about it this morning and we both agreed that we are extremely lucky that all five of the kids are very flexible and do a great job just going with the flow. So far the trip has been amazing.
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