The Middle Man and Sahara Sams

Gifted passes to an indoor water park in NJ + a day off of work and school + Drew’s 7th birthday = the perfecta trifecta….or the perfect storm?

Sahara Sam’s is pretty awesome. The kids literally jumped up and down with their hands in the air and threw some high fives in there for good measure when we told them we were going the night before. But, here’s the thing–we weren’t the only ones telling their kids they were going the night before.

Oh. my. word.

By the time the place cleared out a bit and half of New Jersey had left for the day, I was able to pull out my camera to take a few pics.

Having just seen a glimpse of the crowd, you may understand why the following picture features what’s pretty much right in front of you as you enter the water park (and why it had quite a long line).

Of course, that’s just for the adults. The kids are way too busy enjoying the attractions to need any respite.  And, somehow, the crowds didn’t bother ours one bit (especially since the rules were a bit more lax than our pool where Drew and Lydia are required to wear life jackets). See the joy of kids with the freedom to go under water with a gazillion other people without a life-saving device attached to them?

 

Though I was tempted to find the least crowded spot in the park and plant myself there for the rest of the day, I quickly realized that that spot might not be the most comfortable place for me.

 

So, I gave in and joined my older 3 in line for Mount Kilimanjaro, the longest line in the whole stinkin’ place, and the line that moved even slower than it should have given the middle school set who kept budging in line. The lines were a bit of a free for all once you got to the top of the platform here. Without even partaking in the adult respite beverages, I was able to defend our position, however, making my children proud.

I confess, the slide was pretty awesome. I loved it. My older 3, however, claimed they went upside down and wouldn’t do it again and somehow we ended up doing the lazy river about 100 times. They’re still talking about how I defended our position in line though. Yeah, I’m pretty much super mom.

Crazy loud. Super crowded would be an understatement. 90-minute drive each way. Obnoxious middle schoolers trying to sneak into line. Tiny lockers that were sold out. A perpetual line for bathrooms and dressing rooms. But, totally worth giving up our day for. My middle man, the one known for claiming no one plays with him or pays attention to him, was the happiest man in the world.

After dinner at Cheeburger Cheeburger on the way home and presents and brownies at home, he told us it was his best birthday of his whole life.

Now, Mark and I just have to sleep it off.