kid council

so several months ago, we're enjoying a nice family dinner when one of the children mentioned that they would like to make another family trip to great wolf lodge . we have been twice before, with the last trip when molly was only a few months old (her first trip to a pool...all the pictures of which were lost in a laptop crash...ah well).

anyway, i digress. the conversation continues about how difficult it is to go away sometimes, with the distance, and the expense and possibly missing school. we propose something 'to the council' - we will take you to great wolf lodge if you would like it as your christmas gift - no other gifts, just the trip.

after pretty short deliberation at the dinner table, they all reach a unanimous decision - they want the trip. we tell them that we will re-visit the topic in a few weeks to make sure that this is still their desire.

a week or two later, we discuss again. yes, their vote remains the same. and thus, as parents, we began the process of the 'christmas surprise'...

we book a room at a pretty good rate...we discuss with teachers...we deflect future conversations saying that we don't know if it's going to work...we talk to swim teachers....and choir directors....and secretly pack the kids and even load the van to the near top.

it's saturday morning - just like any other and we tell the kids to eat breakfast and get dressed...we have some errands to run (like Christmas shopping) so we're all going out...

we pile them in the car and remarkably, no one notices that the back of the van has suitcases in it...we successfully distracted them with our new GPS unit and by putting on a movie..."it's going to be a bit of drive to the one store we want to go to..." we say, "so sit back and relax..."

porter asks if we can go to the toboggan run later...we remark that we don't know if it's open yet, but maybe, if they're good while we're shopping, we can go to the community center pool.

we drive and drive. they ask where we're going, but only about 3 times. we're nearly to traverse city (2 hours of driving later!) when we stop for lunch, telling them that we're almost to the store, so it's best if we eat first and then we can get the shopping done. so we eat...and we climb back into the van...with just 5 miles to go.

I'm in the left-hand turn lane...into the resort. lilly reads the sign..."great wolf lodge?!??" and she and maya look at each other..."WE'RE GOING TO GREAT WOLF LODGE???!!?!?" and they say - no wonder you said we could go to the pool this afternoon!

and we pull in and say "merry christmas"...

i never thought in my wildest dreams that they wouldn't have guessed we were going within the first hour of the trip. but they didn't - and their surprise when we arrived was totally worth it.

we got our fill of the waterpark.





we enjoyed story time and the 'snow' in the lobby.

we had sugar cookies and milk delivered to our room as a 'sleepy time' snack.

and we ate out at some of the kid's favorite restaurants.

they loved the trip, and the fact that they got to 'skip' of day of school to do it.
quality family time - what the holiday season should be all about.

(ps - they'll still be getting some gifts on Christmas, too...but they don't know that yet!)