Branson, MO

August 2014, two weeks before school started, my mom decided we needed a family vacation and took us all on a trip to Branson, MO.  With so many people and so many little kids there were definitely some highs and lows.  Our little family overall fared very well.

The itinerary included an early departure to Silver Dollar City.  Then dinner after the park closes (always destined to be a disaster with 14 kids and 10 adults, none of which have had a nap).  Rooms at Castlerock hotel.  It is one of the hotels with an indoor water park.  Swimming all day on Sunday, then heading home.  Here are some of our highs and lows:

Low: The traffic.  It was everywhere.  In fact I think we may have picked the busiest weekend to go to Branson.

High: The rides.  We didn't do very many, but the kids loved them.

Low:  The rides.  While they said they loved the rides after we were done, they cried the entire time we were on them.

Low: Waiting in line for an hour (with 4 kids and no other adults) to be the next on the ride and it gets shut down due to lighting.

High:  Running through torrential rain with 4 kids.  They loved it!

High:  A thunderstorm rolled through the park shutting down the rides.  After the rain stopped the park was cleared out and we had several hours to enjoy the quiet park.

High:  People watching of course.

 
Low:  People watching.  It was a disturbing cross section of humanity.

Low:  The food.  I just didn't get enough time to try all the fried, homestyle goodness.

High:  I wasn't hungry.  Might be a first.  Or the Lumberjack skillet.  Or the icecream.

High:  Because of the rain we got free tickets to come back.

Low:  Going back by Christmas (our tickets may go to waste.)

High:  Spending that time with my nieces and nephews, sisters, brother-in-laws, and parents.

Low:  Going to the amusement park with 14 children under the age of 10.  In fact my mom took off with my baby, our phones, and our money for over an hour. 

Low:  Paul breaking my sunglasses.

High:  Realizing later they weren't my sunglasses because I had my sunglasses.  So Paul broke a total strangers sunglasses.

High:  Adult beverages in the hotel room and hotel hall as the kids were sleeping.

High:  Waking up and having food an amusement for the kids without leaving.  It was actually really relaxing to get to the water park with minimal preparation.

 

 

Low:  The drive home.  Many, many bathroom breaks.  Clint spilling his grande starbucks in my new car.  Beau having a fever.  Lots of crying from pure exhaustion.  Clint asked what happened to the car when we got home.  I told him, "I may have been throwing food at them just to get them to shut up."

Overall I love themed amusement parks.  I love water parks.  I love my family.  It is definitely not as magical in one sense being the parent and trying to keep it together (Clint was incredibly cranky because he couldn't eat the food).  On the other hand it was so special to see it though the eyes of my children, nieces, and nephews.