Last summer Joe's parents and my sister teamed up to bring Max and his three older cousins to The Dells for a few days. Max had the time of his life and I got a wake up call... Joe and I can't only be good at celebrating the mundane everyday things with our kids. We've got to get over the "hullabaloo" and hype of some of the special things and do them ourselves. We realized that if we didn't want the Grandmas and Papas and Aunties to have ALL the fun, we'd better take a page out of their book!
So as we were tossing around ideas of how we could celebrate Otto's 3rd birthday and Max's 5th birthday we floated the idea of a Dells trip out to the boys. Max was so excited and started jumping up and down and hooting and hollering. Otto wasn't sure what the Dells was, but joined in the ruckus. Max didn't stop talking about the possible Birthday trip and how he'd show Otto the games and the pirate ship and the water slides and all the really cool stuff in the Dells.
It was clear. The boys were growing another year older. And we'd grown a year wiser - we'd learned to have a ton of fun with the kids, do what they want to do! We knew The Dells with Max and Otto would be a lot more fun if we left little sister at home. There is just such a huge difference between 3 and 5 years and a 1-year old. We wanted their birthday trip to be a mostly 'Yes!' trip for Max and Otto, and bringing Wren with would result in a lot of trade-offs on what would be best for her and most celebratory for the boys.
Very lucky for us, Jamie was willing to watch Wren in Minneapolis during one of her rotations off of work so we could take just the boys on vacation for a couple days.
And so Thursday morning we set off down Hwy 94 for our dream vacation in the Dells (if you don't know this song, I've linked to a YouTube video of it and pasted the lyrics below...the week leading up to our trip I couldn't get it out of my head).
The Waterpark
My friend Greta, who's been going to the Dells every year for quite some time, recommended The Wilderness as a great waterpark for kids. I found some good rates, signed the boys up for their Birthday Club and we were all set.
When we went into the resort to check-in upon our arrival, the boys were bowled over with excitement. The enthusiasm and dancing and smiles in the below picture were a very common site for us while there. So much fun watching their happiness over all the treats and experiences that were in store for them over the weekend.
Wearing sandals and swimsuits in the snow was just.too.much for them! They couldn't contain themselves - so happy!
The little kid waterpark was the park we all liked the best. We tried out all four of the indoor water parks that were open at The Wilderness, but this definitely suited us. It was the warmest, least crowded (until Saturday when it got busier, I think there were only 2-3 other families even in this park at any given time), quietest and manageable. The two other larger parks were somewhat cold (air and water), loud and had enormous buckets dumping 1,000's of gallons of water every couple minutes (Otto wasn't a fan). We were all perfectly happy at this little using the water sprayers, going down all the slides, using the indoor/outdoor hot tub, etc.
Max under the water mushroom.
Otto did have a blast in the giant wave pool. He was full of squeals of delight.
The Arcade
I'm thankful Max had gone to the Dells once before so that I was a bit better prepared about what to expect. For instance, the Arcade. I would have shunned the idea of going to the arcade. I would have fought it badly. Would have tried to talk the boys out of their request to go. Throwing money away. But because he had been there before I was forewarned that the Arcade is a HUGE part of the Dells experience. To budget time, money and expectations accordingly. So we did. We withdrew $20's from our bank accounts in singles. Even Grandma and Papa delivered Birthday $20's for the boys for the arcade!
The thing is, at the Arcade they've done away with tokens for the machines and tickets for prizes. Nowadays everything is an e-credit on plastic. I handed over my wad of dollars and got a plastic credit card in return. A little confusing for all of us the 1st day, but I quickly found my flow. However, I think Max thought he had no tickets to cash in for prizes until late into our second day. When I said he and Otto could go get a couple prizes he said he didn't have any tickets to get anything. I explained the new credit approach and they shrugged it off while selecting a small candy treat and an airplane glider. They saved the rest of the tickets hoping to win enough to get a Froggy Bubble Gum Machine.
The GamesThe Claw. An evergreen arcade game. Highly addictive. Watching prizes s.l.i.p. through the metal grabbers over and over. And over and over. Knowing it should not be that hard to grab a prize and get it to the drop box mere inches away.
Our resort knows this game is the pinnacle in arcades and had a great mix of Claw games...
The standard one, a medium sized claw to try and grab stuffed animals and the like. After a couple failed attempts our interest waned with this Claw.
They also had the "Everyone's a Winner" claw game filled with little rubber duckies. For every game played (at $1 a pop) you were guaranteed a rubber duck. If you didn't get one the first try, you could try again and again until you got one! The thing is, for this claw they used a bigger gripped so it was much easier. Personally, I wish they'd use the same slender claw of the standard game to make our $1 bills and my kid's play time last a little longer. Regardless, the boys loved that it was the claw game and that they walked away with a prize every time they played.
The "winner every time" rubber duckie claw game was Max's favorite. Our first night he got a few ducks and put them in a baggie. He carried that baggie wherever we went and enjoyed adding more ducks each day.
The claw game I was obsessed with was called "The Giant." It was a huge 15' square glass house filled with giant inflated balls. The claw easily had a radius 3 feet wide to try and grab one of the huge balls.
We tried a few times our first night there but had no success. Yet we saw people everywhere holding the huge inflated balls around the arcade and resort. What was I doing wrong that I couldn't win one!? I told the boys I'd try again tomorrow.
So our second night we saw a group of people around "The Giant," holding six balls they had just won. We watched them win another one. Then went to try for yet another - twice - with no success.
However, all their attempts left a green (Max's favorite color) ball jostled up on top and seemingly easier to get at with the claw. Max reminded me I said we could try again today. I needed no reminder. I remembered. And I wanted that ball.
We wasted no time. In fact I don't think Joe and Otto were nearby to see us begin our attempt. I swiped my card, slid the claw over to the green ball, dropped it down and in a swift movement the claw grabbed the ball, carried it over and dropped it in the box for us to retrieve it!
We showed Joe and Otto that we finally got one. And now, rightfully so, Otto wanted one too. And he knew exactly which one he wanted.
A purple one. The purple one Wedged in a corner, partially buried by not one, but two other balls. I tried to get Otto to be OK with a different purple ball - one that was on top of the purple ball he wanted - and seemed easier to get. He wasn't having it. He wanted THAT purple ball. The buried one, wedged in the corner.
No sense wasting time. I had just won a giant ball! I was on a roll! And Otto isn't my kid to settle for the easy way out. I best get working on the challenge of the buried ball.
With a small audience watching - they had heard Otto's challenging request and my failed attempt to tempt him with a ball within easier reach. I went into "fight" mode (as much as one can when playing an arcade game) and swiped my card so I could try and win Otto his ball.
I tried my best to operate The Giant as swiftly as I had when winning Max's prize. The claw dropped down on top of the jumble that Otto's purple ball was buried under. And, almost as in slow motion (with Chariots of Fire playing in my mind), the claw opened, tipped onto its side, and got each of it's three prongs out of the way of the other balls and wrapped around Otto's purple ball. It closed tightly around Otto's purple ball! As the claw lifted up and carried Otto's purple ball over to the drop box the whole arcade went wild at the valiant, successful grab. Maybe not everyone, but me and my Otto did! Seriously, it didn't look like there was a chance in hell that I was getting that ball for Otto. He's got this quiet, unwavering knowledge about him - he knows when he knows, I guess!
The Giant claw game and the balls I won for Max & Otto!
Our work there was done. It was off to conquer skeeball.
With only a few thrown (instead of rolled) balls and near shattered window guards, the boys got more comfortable with the skill and speed needed to get the balls from their palms, and into the targets behind said window guards.
Very quickly Max was earning loads of points. Maybe we do have a shot at raising a left handed pitcher or catcher!
Treats, Treats, Treats
We let the boys indulge in treats while in the Dells. Gum balls from giant gum ball machines and those little wax soda bottles filled with sugar water - just to name a few :)
3-D Black Light Mini Golf
Another novelty for all of us. Joe and I needed to remove our 3-D glasses after just a few moments as we felt migranes coming on.
A perfect vacation with Max & Otto, and a great jump-start to their Birthdays. They had such a fun time, and so did we. It was so great getting to have a 1:1 ratio with the boys. Each one of them always had mine or Joe's undivided attention and we can tell they like that.
Heading home. Tuckered out. Wearing a hat from lunch. Holding the Froggy Gum Ball Machine that we earned just enough points to get (thanks to a great last minute arcade play by Joe).
Dream Vacation In The Dells (Gear Daddies)
Been saving now for over a year
Let's pack the kids get outta here
We'll leave behind our troubles for a week
We'll borrow the pop-up from Phyllis and Steve
Just tell the boss I gotta leave
Be the best week of our lives as I can tell
We'll take our dream vacation in the Dells
We'll see the robot world and the water show
Go anywhere you wanna go
Circus world Museum in Baraboo
We'll play mini-golf at the Jellystone
And we'll finally see that house of foam
And if the kids wanna buy a t-shirt what the hell
It's our dream vacation in the Dells
And at night when the kids is all asleep
Then off to the lounge for a nightcap we can sneak
I know our lives they ain't the stuff of dreams
But for one full week we can live like kings and queens
So let's board the dogs lock the door
We'll roll down Interstate 94
Be the best week of our lives as I can tell
We'll take our dream vacation in the Dells
Gonna take our dream vacation in the Dells
I am SO glad you guys had a good time. And clearly I now need to get pointers from YOU! Can I tell you that in the four years we have been going we have YET to discover this kiddie pool you speak of, and we have been dealing with a very frightened child every year--apparently those darn buckets are VERY scarring.
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