Their First Trip to Kings Island

July 29, 2012

Daddy and I were both so excited for them to be at Kings Island! This was also a bit emotional for me. I remember how exciting it was to go to Kings Island when I was younger ... And here we were with our babies! The day started off kind of rocky. After I parked the car, started to get the stroller and the girls out, I realized that M had thrown up all over herself (we had to do a full outfit change before we even made it into the park. The funny part was Daddy cleaning M's baby doll. I had him use a wipe to get the puke off, then hand sanitizer to actually clean the baby off. (I was putting sun block on M at this point) while some people were walking by, a lady asked him, "Are you putting sun block on that baby doll?" So funny! 

We had some pictures taken, then found our way to Snoopy Town. Daddy and I were so excited to get them on an ride that we stopped at the first one we came across (this was such a bad "not thinking" decision). It was a haunted house type thing, with a crazy long like. The line itself was horrible (I was totally rethinking why I agreed to bring them here at this age). Several times I wanted to get out of the line and do something else (Daddy didn't want to). They were both fussing and wanting to be held through the entire line. There were times when both of them wanted me to hold them (I was thinking this wasn't going to be a fun day). This ride itself was a bit scary, L was crying and plugging her ears. I covered her eyes and sang songs right into her ear through most of it. Coming out of this ride, the first thing they saw was the swings. They were both excited, L couldn't wait to get on and M wasn't tall enough! This started more fussing... and L was actually bummed out that M wasn't on the ride with her!! Despite everything, L did have a lot of fun on the swings. She looked so big! So happy! I was so happy for her, although this is really the beginning of my baby growing up!!

Trying to get away from those swings, we found some airplanes. L wasn't happy that I couldn't ride with her (she was sleepy) and M wasn't happy that she couldn't ride with L! Daddy and M got in the line of another ride, so off he went with a crying M. Everyone was fussing for one reason or another. No one was happy!

The line that M and Daddy were in was so extremely long as well. We joined them in line after the airplanes and it was a miserable time. Something had to turn this day around! I just had to figure out what it was! After we got off of this helicopter ride, I'm not sure why, but L and I walked off toward a sign I noticed for a character meet and greet. When I saw Schroeder in the store, I knew M would love him. I was calling Daddy trying to get M in there. They were on the carousel and M had just fallen asleep. I had Daddy take her off so she could come and see Schroeder. And she hugged him for about 8 minutes! She wouldn't let go. It was the cutest and the most pitiful thing all at the same time... in all of the pictures, her face was so splotchy and red from crying!! But hugging him made her so happy! She didn't want to let go! I didn't know how I was going to get her to. So sweet!!

After this looooong hug, we had some BLUE ice cream. It was, honestly, the best ice cream I have ever eaten.... I was happy, this was the trick I needed. It worked! The ice cream turned it all around!  

There were some rides they liked more than others. There was one ride they absolutely loved and they were able to ride it A LOT BEFORE THE INCIDENT HAPPENED!! It was the Ladybug Coaster.

 

 The story I'm about to tell happened much later in the day. We left around 6:30, I would say "the incident" happened around 5:30ish. But they were on this ride. I got them situated in their car every time (like every parent was). But one particular time, (this was after I had won stuffed animals for them and M had her stuffed dog on the ride with her), so this one time when I put the black bar across them, her dog was in the way and I didn't see M's hand. I closed the big steel bar down on her hand and smashed her hand between that bar and the metal of the car. She screamed the worst scream that you have ever heard, it took me a second to realize what had happened. I was able to open the bar to release her hand. She held her hand up in the air, she wasn't moving it, and she wouldn't let me touch it. I honestly thought her hand was broken. She was sitting there screaming. The seat belts on the little kids rides locked and you needed a key to unlock it (I love that they are like this, except in this situation). My baby was screaming her head off, I thought her hand was broken, I yelled for the ride operator FOUR times, I got louder every time I yelled and I just couldn't get her attention! I stepped across the middle of the ride and fell right through! Straight down, Daddy said I went down 2-3 feet. I heard everyone gasp although I never skipped a beat. THIS got her attention, She was headed over and I got right up and out of the hole I fell in. I got M out and she was screaming for her Daddy who was so embarrassed that he walked so far away and wouldn't come back. They made everyone get off the ride for like 5 minutes just to put the cover the middle of the ride (that I stepped through and bent). It was operating again in five minutes. It was their favorite ride and Daddy wouldn't go back over there with us for them to ride it anymore. Her hand was fine. Although I found all of my bruises the next day. I did change my shirt after this happened (I had grease on me in multiple places. I'm very lucky I didn't get hurt, I think I fell into the gears that made the ride work). 

Daddy was so embarrassed, and of course it's very funny after the fact! But I stand firm on the fact, that I reacted the way any mother would who thought their little one was hurt!

All in all the day was a success. It had a rocky start and a glitch right before the end. But we stayed longer that I anticipated and the ride home was rough. M cried just about the entire way. I even stopped once to make she she hadn't gotten sick again like she did on the way there. I can't believe I didn't think about this until we were just about 10 minutes from getting on the Watterson Expressway ... but this is when I thought to turn on the Oompa Loompa song (from Willy Wonka). As soon as I turned this on, the screaming immediately stopped! A quick bath when we got home and they went to sleep so quickly!!

All in all, it was a great day and we'll take them back to Kings Island in 2013!