Wednesday, July 24, 2013

H2Oasis Fun

On Monday we went to our local indoor waterpark - H2Oasis.  I had promised the kids we could go this week (a bit of a bribe for good behavior), but when our weather started turning unfashionably scorching again I tried to convince them we should wait.  After all - Anchorage weather in the 70s and 80s?  That means we should be having a outdoor pool and sprinkler day, right?!

But alas young minds are stubborn and when they have expectations they don't want to be delayed (or denied, for that matter!).  So off we went - Bentley, Jake, Viva and I!  Lincoln and Evan stayed home and enjoyed a peaceful afternoon and some outdoor relaxation with Grandma.

I learned, when checking on the schedule, that our local H2Oasis is the 5th largest indoor waterpark in the nation.  I thought that was impressive (as well as improbable - it's not THAT big), but my mother pointed out to me that most waterparks are outdoors.  It's just us cold weather states that favor indoor parks.  I think she has a point.

Anyway off we went!  H2Oasis is QUITE expensive in my opinion.  Luckily for us we had some free passes from a friend whose family helped build the place.  :)  Even though the passes were free to *justify* using them I figured we should stay a while and get our $$$s worth.  My goal was to last for 2 hours.  I, however, impressed myself.  We stayed for almost 4 hours!

That is a loooong time!  It is hot, and the kids kept me moving the whole time!  And I'm a wimp, I will freely admit with no shame!

I'd share pictures of my adventuring cherubs, but my phone died on the way to the park.  Poor planning on my part.  Here's a shot of part of the place though, stolen from their site:


Do you see that blue strip across the top of the picture?  That's the super soaker slide "thrill" ride.  Last time we went to the water park, in the spring for a school event, I couldn't convince any of the kids to try it.  Way way too scary, they said.  This time?  Bentley walked in the door and declared he wanted to go on the BIG ride!  (It's way way way too scary how quickly children grow up when you're not looking.)  

The ride starts up high at the top of the building in a corner.  To get up there you have to take quite a few steep wet stairs - three flights of them, and not normal size flights!  It's enough to give an over anxious parent a heart attack, watching small kids try and climb these in a rush...  as if keeping track of three children, albeit ones who can swim, in a fun filled water park isn't enough!  The ride uses a double man intertube, and you have to cart that up to the top of the building from the bottom - yay, a work out!

Even better?  The kids aren't large enough to ride this 2 man ride together - so I, super Mommy, got to ride the ride over and over.  10 times?  More?  I lost count!

We had a great time.  Million trips around the lazy river?  Check.  Thrill rides?  Check.  Lots of goofing around?  Check, check.

We all slept well when we finally made it home.  It was a fun afternoon, but exhausting!

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