It's all fun & games, 'til someone cries on vacation

Original post written June 12, 2012 (I know, I know!)

R has been so excited to take the Salad to Great Wolf Lodge all winter long. Took us until this week to get the timing right. We got up early Tuesday morning for an 8:25 AM ENT appointment for A and continued up the turnpike to the Poconos for 2 days of indoor water park fun. The Salad splashed and showed off their swimming skills. We ate at a buffet where we let them get anything and everything they requested, even though it meant a dinner of 6 cherry tomatoes, 1/2 slice of pizza, 1 lemon, some buttered ziti, and cranberry sauce for M. They were seriously giddy when they saw they would be sleeping in their own bunk beds! In their own room! With a TV! And R let them stay up until 9:30 to let them watch PBS! It would have been later, but A came and asked if we could please put her to bed, that "it was time."

We were back in the water the next morning by 9:00 AM. At noon, I told the kids it was time to wrap up, dry off and head out for lunch and then home. S cried. Hysterical. Sobbing. Sat at the side of the pool, refusing to move in protest. Demanding we bring her back someday. Begging for more time.

You know it's a been good vacation when your kid leaves in tears.