Workforce Solutions' Lagoon Day!

For the first time since John started working at Smart, we took advantage of the discounted tickets for Lagoon. We also felt like Griffin had reached a height where we could do all the rides together. However, we still planned on a 50/50 split with the little ones: first, Ian and Mags would go and do the rides they wanted while we took the little ones, and then after a few hours, John and I would go do our faves and the little ones would go with the big ones. As it turned out, we had more fun doing everything together! John won a $10 iTunes gift card and an egg-shaped clock in the employee drawing, and then we took off for Rattlesnake Rapids. To our surprise, we stayed together for almost the rest of the day and went on almost every ride together. It's kind of hard to snap pictures since we had to keep a lot of things in ziploc bags so they wouldn't get ruined (water rides) or in the mini-pack so they wouldn't fall out (roller coasters). But here are a few.

After the two water rides, we went on the new ride: the Jumping Dragon. Ian had already taken Griffin on it, but he wanted to go again. So did Ellie. John took Ellie first.

Then I took Griffin. I knew "round and round" rides were death for me. I said to John, "So how was it," and he said, "Fine." I thought, "Oh, I can do this." (While I was waiting, Crystal Huber Hunter came up behind me to say hello. She saw on my Facebook status that I would be at Lagoon and was there with three of her kids. It was so good to see her!) Unfortunately, my video won't load, but as John asked what I thought, I suggested that the ride was "pukey."

We went from there to the Flying Aces so John and Griffin could give it a whirl. I, on the other hand, was sitting another "round and round" ride out. While we were in line, Mags called to let me know that she and Ian had done the Rocket Blast Off (0-200 feet in 2 seconds). (She would never do it before.) I told her we were right by that, so she and Ian came back. She got in line with Ellie to do the Hydro Luge while Ian took pictures of Griffin and John and I waited in line to do the Rocket with John.

While John and I were waiting, we asked Griffin if he wanted to go with us. He made it quite clear that he was not interested--until we were about to get on and then he said he would do it. But the kids kept him with them and Ian took some pictures.

Surprisingly, this seemed to actually settle my stomach from the "round and rounds," so I was good to go again! Now, this was not our first time on a ride like this. John and I have done it on top of the Stratosphere in Las Vegas, so starting from the ground made it a piece of cake.

We went to the ferris wheel so Griffin could get a view of the park and we decided what to do next. While Mags and Ellie went to Cliffhanger, John and Griffin did the bumper cars.

It was off to the Sky Ride to explore the other end and hit the roller coasters.

We started with the Wild Mouse. I knew this one was going to be the roughest on my neck, so I said I would do this but no others like it. It's just a slam fest right and left, round and round.

From there, it was on to the Spider, a rollercoaster with a car that rotates as you go. I wasn't sure if I could do the "round and round" factor again, but this actually was my absolute favorite. While we were waiting in line, Griffin ran over and said, "Mom, a GONK droid." (From Star Wars--walking battery droids.) I guess we all see things differently.

I didn't notice the round and round, but Griffin came off saying that he "broke his butt" on that ride.

We stopped for dinner, and I went to a booth where they have to guess your age. Maggie had told me that the girl running it was horrible and that I was sure to win. So I forked over my $2 for my $1 stuffed animal. She guessed I was 25. Not bad for a nearly 42-year-old.

After winning my stuffed turtle, we went on the train through the animal kingdom. It gave us a chance to take some pictures and decide what to do from there.

I was pretty much done for the day as far as rides go, so I volunteered to hang out and take pictures. They wanted to take Ellie on the Pirate Ship and Griffin saw, for the first time, Kiddieland. Seeing that he is 53" tall, and you have to be over 50" to ride the big rides and under 54" to ride the kiddie rides, he had the best of both worlds. So he would get off and get back on. Off and on. Run to the next one. Off and on. Off and on. Run to the next one. During this time, they rode on the Tidal Wave (pirate ship) while Ian did the swings. (He said he had never done it and "Why not?")

We left Kiddieland for the Odysea (another new ride) and the family friendly roller coaster, "The Bat." I sat next to Griffin on this one--a coaster you sit in with your feet flying free. As we started the climb, Griffin said, "This is the part I HATE about roller coasters." And then of course, the fall and the twirls. When we finished, he said, "I LOVE THIS ROLLER COASTER!" I think he would have spent the whole day there had we done that one earlier.

As we finished "The Bat," Ellie said she wanted to do the Jet Star 2. Ian and I hate this ride with a passion. Talk about whiplash! Maggie came off saying that she just about lost Griffin and he almost died because the restraint didn't come all the way down to hold him in.
We watched Ian and John do the Samurai, an insane ride that turns you 360 over and over, up and down, round and round. We cheered them on while I worried that John's life insurance policy might not cover "death by Samurai--the ride!" After they finished, we ended on the Ferris Wheel once again, only for the cold front to move in and rain to start while we were on the top. Our timing was perfect, and we knew it was time to go home (it was, after all, nearly 10 pm).

It was such a great day, better than any of us had expected. It was maybe 72 degrees and slightly overcast. The lines were never too long. We all enjoyed one another's company. Nobody threw up (but boy, would I have liked to). A piece of heaven on earth.