Remember back when I said that if I got this HR job I would be jumping in with both feet, as opposed to easing my way back into the work force with a stress-free part-time job? Wow, I couldnt have possibly understated that any more. My first week with Westport was fun, intense, interesting, fast-paced, stimulating, stressful, mind-numbing, and oh, did I mention intense? With the exception of Monday, every day had me looking up at the clock to notice, "Holy monkey, its 5pm already." Thursday and Friday were especially fast paced and filled with learning different processes of my job. I got to spend those two days working with my direct supervisor who is normally stationed out of our Westport, WA facility. The duties are your basic HR functions but with a huge amount of employee relations. That is my favorite part of HR, so Im okay with that. On average we hire about 10-12 people per week, with about 20 interviews per week. Every Monday I will be facilitating an orientation for those new hires. Its really too much for one person to do, and the second HR guru will be joining me July 9th. Im looking forward to that. Once he gets here, I will be working with our Interior Plant, (the huge shop that makes all the interior woodwork and furniture for the yachts), three days a week. Im not sure how it will all shake out - time will tell. There is just so much to do, and I can already tell so much has fallen through the cracks while they were going through an HR crisis for about a month. I already have identified about 10 projects that I want to undertake given the time to do so. One hurdle that needs to be addressed is the high turn-over rate. Westport is a great company to work for....lots of perks and bennys, and they pay well, (for Ghettosville). So I need to figure out why the revolving door is spinning so quickly. Many of the entry level jobs are labor-intensive - having to wear tyvek suits and respirators. "I get to help build a yacht!" sounds way more exciting than, "what I really do is sand fiberglass all day long in a plastic suit with a mask on my face." I think reality sets in once they are on the dirty hull with all the equipment on...wondering how they are going to do it day in and day out. If you can stick with the job though, you can move up fairly quickly in position and pay. Anyone need a job?
On a personal note, going back to work hasnt been as heart-wrenching as I thought it would when it comes to Jubilee. Maybe its because I did all my stressing about it before I actually started. Having Meema's Juju Care Inc. helps a lot too. Plus, it just doesnt seem like she misses me. Which hurts and heals at the same time. One morning as I was saying goodbye she said,
"Where you going Mom-mom?"
"Im going to work."
".....AGAIN!?"
Thats about all shes said about it so far. I miss her like crazy though and cant help feeling like Im missing out on something. In fact, my very first day she ended up vomiting at my moms house. I missed a barf! Not sure if she just had a little bug or what...seems fine since then.
So this weekend I hung out pretty close to her and we did much of nothing. I think we are in the process of phasing out naptime. *sniffs and holds a small moment of silence for naptime* Since weaning from the binkie, Jubilee has had a horrible time going to sleep at night. She plays and basically throws a party for her babies, mermaids, Diego and Dora for about 2 - 3 hours. If she does not nap during the day, she is usually asleep by 8pm. However, today I attempted to keep her awake all afternoon while playing cards at my parents house and it didnt go so well. I left her with my mom to go pick up my Dad and by the time I got back she was VERY soundly asleep in the chair. Party tonight in Juju's room!
On another note, as of this morning, I have lost 125lbs. Dangggggg that is a lot of freaking weight. I feel like I should be a LOT smaller than I currently am having lost that much. 125lbs in 7 months. I know that seems really fast and unhealthy, but its a very good pace for RNY patients. Plus, Im getting in protein drinks and vitamins every day. Still not as much protein as I need, but Im working my way up. I also have a god-awful hernia as a result from the surgery. Whenever I sneeze, cough, or laugh, it squishes out and my tummy looks like something from Alien. I need to have it repaired badly, BUT....if I can hold out until I finish losing all the weight I want to lose, my surgeon will do a tummy tuck at the same time as the hernia repair. WOOHOO! Im not sure how much I want to weigh as a goal. My goal is to be comfortable, to feel good.... I think I would feel great in a size 14. I never had the desire to be a skinny-mini and when I see a woman who I think is gorgeous, she always tends to be on the curvy/round side. If you look at a clinical chart that states what you are supposed to weigh, my "healthy normal" weight is between 104-118lbs. I think I would be skin and bones at that weight. ew. I think no matter what my size is, I wouldnt like to lose more than another 50-60lbs. A drop in the bucket compared to what Ive lost so far. And I would like to be finished losing all the weight by the time my anniversary for my surgery date gets here in November. That would be about 10-12lbs a month. Think I can do it?
Sunday, June 24, 2007
Thursday, June 14, 2007
Operation Binkie: Update
All is well in the binkieless world! She has hardly mentioned her binkie with one exception and I will explain that in a minute. Naptime is the same as before, she pretty much puts herself down for a nap, telling me when she's tired and falls asleep quickly. Bedtime is a different story. Jubilee has always been easy when it came to bed time. We get a bath, a few scenes of a movie in my bed, bedtime story and prayers in her bed, then lights out and shes asleep within a few minutes. The routine now is still the same, however, after I turn the lights out and leave the room, apparently a party ensues. Theres singing, bouncing, tapping and knocking on the walls, and when I go in to tell her its time to sleep, the bed looks like wild horses ran through it. It now is taking her a solid two hours to fall asleep at night.
The one exception to her even talking about the binkies occurred yesterday when I was watching Camden. Camden is Troy's brother's baby. He is six months old and CUTE as ever. Jubilee was the perfect little mother. She wanted to help in everything we did for him. At one point while I walked to the kitchen to get Camden a bottle, I turned around and saw that Jubilee had piled toys on top of Camden. If he didnt play with what she brought him, apparently she just put it on his lap and kept bringing him things, (including a standard-sized Garfield basketball). So I unburied him and she got to help me feed him lunch. She was thrilled. Then it was naptime for both of them. We got him settled into his seat.....with his binky. Oh boy...was that a mistake. When Jubilee saw Camden with his binky - she wanted hers back. "I want my binky baaaaaaaaaaaaack!" Crying and wailing ensued for 10 minutes until she was just too tired to cry anymore and fell asleep. I know I cant let her have a binkie back now after days of success - but boy did I feel like a mean mommy!
After that little melt-down, there hasnt been another instance of mentioning the binkie. I think it really has become a situation of out-of-sight, out-of-mind.
The one exception to her even talking about the binkies occurred yesterday when I was watching Camden. Camden is Troy's brother's baby. He is six months old and CUTE as ever. Jubilee was the perfect little mother. She wanted to help in everything we did for him. At one point while I walked to the kitchen to get Camden a bottle, I turned around and saw that Jubilee had piled toys on top of Camden. If he didnt play with what she brought him, apparently she just put it on his lap and kept bringing him things, (including a standard-sized Garfield basketball). So I unburied him and she got to help me feed him lunch. She was thrilled. Then it was naptime for both of them. We got him settled into his seat.....with his binky. Oh boy...was that a mistake. When Jubilee saw Camden with his binky - she wanted hers back. "I want my binky baaaaaaaaaaaaack!" Crying and wailing ensued for 10 minutes until she was just too tired to cry anymore and fell asleep. I know I cant let her have a binkie back now after days of success - but boy did I feel like a mean mommy!
After that little melt-down, there hasnt been another instance of mentioning the binkie. I think it really has become a situation of out-of-sight, out-of-mind.
Tuesday, June 12, 2007
She Works Hard for the Money
Or at least I will be starting Monday, June 18th. Yesterday I received a call and was extended a job offer which I accepted.
I will be the HR Generalist for Westport. If you go to their website here, click on "careers", you can see the ginormous list of job openings they have and why they are in desperate need of HR help. Plus, you can learn a bit about the company there. The product is exciting - this job will be so different from working in the non-profit, human services field. Westport is the largest employer on the Olympic Peninsula. Along with a second HR Generalist, which they have yet to hire, I will be responsible for the HR needs of over 400 employees. MUCH different from a small social services agency with 50 employees.
The waiting period from my interview until I was offered a job was about 8 weeks. Both the lady that interviewed me, and the first HR Generalist they hired for the job I applied for, quit within a week of each other. So they went from having to fill one position, to having to start the process over twice. Plus they did some strategic planning for the HR positions - hence the wait. In the meantime they still had to keep hiring 10-12 people a week to keep boat production on schedule. Im told it was quite a mess.
Im very excited, but still sad about leaving Juju everyday, all day. I do realize there are perks for her of me going back to work. Not the least of them me not getting annoyed by being alone with a toddler all day. Plus, there are activities like dance classes, piano lessons, and sports that I may not have been able to afford otherwise. And I get to dust off the cobwebs from my brain and use it for something other than strategic maneuvers in Diego checkers. But still, I will always miss our daily morning snuggles until she decides its time for a bowl of "Honey Butt Cheerios".
Now that Ive actually been offered the job, I have to focus on my career wardrobe. The problem being I dont have one. After losing 118lbs, I dont have much that fits in the way of business casual. If it were appropriate to wear baggy t-shirts and Garfield jammy bottoms to work, I'd be set! Who wants to go shopping with me?
I will be the HR Generalist for Westport. If you go to their website here, click on "careers", you can see the ginormous list of job openings they have and why they are in desperate need of HR help. Plus, you can learn a bit about the company there. The product is exciting - this job will be so different from working in the non-profit, human services field. Westport is the largest employer on the Olympic Peninsula. Along with a second HR Generalist, which they have yet to hire, I will be responsible for the HR needs of over 400 employees. MUCH different from a small social services agency with 50 employees.
The waiting period from my interview until I was offered a job was about 8 weeks. Both the lady that interviewed me, and the first HR Generalist they hired for the job I applied for, quit within a week of each other. So they went from having to fill one position, to having to start the process over twice. Plus they did some strategic planning for the HR positions - hence the wait. In the meantime they still had to keep hiring 10-12 people a week to keep boat production on schedule. Im told it was quite a mess.
Im very excited, but still sad about leaving Juju everyday, all day. I do realize there are perks for her of me going back to work. Not the least of them me not getting annoyed by being alone with a toddler all day. Plus, there are activities like dance classes, piano lessons, and sports that I may not have been able to afford otherwise. And I get to dust off the cobwebs from my brain and use it for something other than strategic maneuvers in Diego checkers. But still, I will always miss our daily morning snuggles until she decides its time for a bowl of "Honey Butt Cheerios".
Now that Ive actually been offered the job, I have to focus on my career wardrobe. The problem being I dont have one. After losing 118lbs, I dont have much that fits in the way of business casual. If it were appropriate to wear baggy t-shirts and Garfield jammy bottoms to work, I'd be set! Who wants to go shopping with me?
Monday, June 11, 2007
Operation Binkie: Night One
Last night was more successful than I imagined. We put Jubilee through her night-time routine with reminders of where her binkies were headed: To help Baby Jaguar. She was fully prepared to go to bed with no binkie because, "Im a big girl!". It all seemed too easy. I grabbed the monitor and sat down to watch TV. After an hour of listening to her play, bounce, sing, and generally have trouble settling down, I went back into her bedroom and reminded her it was bedtime, not playtime. It was at this point I realized she is much too smart for this binkie plan I concocted.
"Mom-mom, I need my binkie."
"Where are your binkies? Do you remember?"
"Yes, with Baby Jaguar. He's still a baby and Im a big girl."
"Yep! So now its time to close your eyes and go to sleep." *edging my way to the door...*
"....waitwaitwaitwaitWAIT WAIT WAAAAAAAAIT!! ......I have an idea."
"Whats your idea?"
*using her hands to emphasize her points* "After Baby Jaguar has all my regular binkies, we go to the store and get NEW binkies!!!"
*wondering why I hadnt come up with a toddler-proof Operation Back-Up Binkie Plan* "Well... um.... It doesnt work that way." ......Lame, I know. I just didnt know what else to say to her.
"How come?"
"Because youre three years old now. You are a big girl and you dont need a binkie anymore. Binkies are for babies and you arent a baby, right?" *hoping this makes sense and I wont be guilted into running to Walmart for new binkies."
"WAIT WAIT WAIT! I have another idea." *holding her hands out in front of her as if stopping me in the name of love* "Baby Jaguar got my binkies, I get Litte Mermaid binkies!!!"
I said, "Juju, I dont think they make Little Mermaid binkies."
"Nooooo, I give Baby Jaguar my binkies, and now The Little Mermaid will give me HER binkies!" Afterall if she is going to share her binkies, the only polite thing for the Little Mermaid to do would be to share her binkies also! This girl REALLY wants her binkie.
"The Little Mermaid is a big girl too. She doesnt have binkies anymore either!"
"Oh. Okay."
After this conversation, it only took her another hour of singing songs from The Little Mermaid and Aladdin to fall asleep. When all was quiet and she was asleep, I went in to find her sleeping sideways in her bed, her babies, little mermaid dolls, a carebear, blankets and her pillow were strewn all over, but.....she was soundly asleep.
This morning she woke up at her normal 6:30am bright-eyed and bushy-tailed. ....No mention of the binkie yet.
"Mom-mom, I need my binkie."
"Where are your binkies? Do you remember?"
"Yes, with Baby Jaguar. He's still a baby and Im a big girl."
"Yep! So now its time to close your eyes and go to sleep." *edging my way to the door...*
"....waitwaitwaitwaitWAIT WAIT WAAAAAAAAIT!! ......I have an idea."
"Whats your idea?"
*using her hands to emphasize her points* "After Baby Jaguar has all my regular binkies, we go to the store and get NEW binkies!!!"
*wondering why I hadnt come up with a toddler-proof Operation Back-Up Binkie Plan* "Well... um.... It doesnt work that way." ......Lame, I know. I just didnt know what else to say to her.
"How come?"
"Because youre three years old now. You are a big girl and you dont need a binkie anymore. Binkies are for babies and you arent a baby, right?" *hoping this makes sense and I wont be guilted into running to Walmart for new binkies."
"WAIT WAIT WAIT! I have another idea." *holding her hands out in front of her as if stopping me in the name of love* "Baby Jaguar got my binkies, I get Litte Mermaid binkies!!!"
I said, "Juju, I dont think they make Little Mermaid binkies."
"Nooooo, I give Baby Jaguar my binkies, and now The Little Mermaid will give me HER binkies!" Afterall if she is going to share her binkies, the only polite thing for the Little Mermaid to do would be to share her binkies also! This girl REALLY wants her binkie.
"The Little Mermaid is a big girl too. She doesnt have binkies anymore either!"
"Oh. Okay."
After this conversation, it only took her another hour of singing songs from The Little Mermaid and Aladdin to fall asleep. When all was quiet and she was asleep, I went in to find her sleeping sideways in her bed, her babies, little mermaid dolls, a carebear, blankets and her pillow were strewn all over, but.....she was soundly asleep.
This morning she woke up at her normal 6:30am bright-eyed and bushy-tailed. ....No mention of the binkie yet.
Sunday, June 10, 2007
Binkies. Baby Jaguar- 4, Jubilee- 0
Right now, sitting in my mailbox, is an envelope addressed to Baby Jaguar, care of Diego in The Rainforest, with four beloved binkies inside. "Rawr-rawr!"
Ever since Jubilee came out of her drug-induced sedated state in the NICU, she has had a binkie. She lovvvvvvvvvvvvvvvves her some binkies. I knew all along I would have to break this habit, and Im not sure why Ive let it go on so long. I even hate seeing other kids over 2 years old with binkies in their mouths at the store! But Jubilee only has hers at night and when she's sick... Plus I felt like I could justify the binkie-usage knowing she let go of other vices so early and easily. She weaned from the bottle at 11 months, she slept through the night in her own bed early, she potty trained early, ....she doesnt even use sippy cups anymore. So whats a little binkie now and then, right? Well, I think three years old is my limit. However, knowing how attached she is to her binkies, (usually going to bed with one in her mouth and one in her hand), I came up with an idea to make getting rid of the binkies more....acceptable. I want her to not have to rely on a binkie, but I dont want to be the big mean mommy monster that took them away!
Dylan and I talked at length about Operation Binkie. We came up with a plan that seemed fun and would let her feel like a "big girl" at the same time. Jubilee digs getting the mail from the mailbox. She also digs Diego. He's an animal rescuer. So "Diego", (Dyl and Mak), wrote Jubilee a letter from the Rainforest:
"Dear Jubilee,
Hi, this is Diego! We need your help! Baby Jaguar lost all of his binkies. He doesnt have ANY! Can you help him and send him all of your binkies?? Youre a big girl now and you dont need your binkies anymore.
Love,
Diego"
Since we were all assembled at Mom and Dad Botts's house for a BBQ today, we let Jubilee retrieve her letter from Meema's mailbox. (I know its sunday and usually no mail is delivered today...but it was from THE Rainforest...it was special delivery.) Jubilee's face lit up in that HUGE surprised way with her mouth in a gigantic "O". She ran back to the house and brought me the letter. As I read the letter to her, I dont think she understood the total consequence of saying YES. I re-read the letter to her and explained that if she sent her binkies to Baby Jaguar, that she wouldnt have them anymore. She nodded and said she would give all her binkies to Baby Jaguar. She gathered up her one binkie she kept at Meema's house, ( and you better not have any in hiding Mom!!), and put it in the envelope to send to Baby Jaguar. Nap time would be the test.
When it was time for her nap and as I was taking off her shoes, she said, "I need my binkie." I said, "Remember? You said it was ok for Baby Jaguar to have your binkies. He's still a baby and needs a binkie. Youre a big girl who's three years old!" She thought about it for a minute and said, "Ok." I layed her down expecting some tears, but instead she sang herself to sleep with a couple of loud renditions of "A Whole New World".
When we returned home from the BBQ we went through the house letting her put her binkies in the envelope to Baby Jaguar. She kept saying, ...as if to convince herself, "Im a big girl and I dont need a binkie! Baby Jaguar has all my binkies. He's still a baby." We colored on the outside of the envelope, taped it shut and we walked together to the mailbox to send off the binkies. As she shut the mailbox door she said, "Bye Bye Binkies!"
Tonight is Binkieless Night Number 1.
Ever since Jubilee came out of her drug-induced sedated state in the NICU, she has had a binkie. She lovvvvvvvvvvvvvvvves her some binkies. I knew all along I would have to break this habit, and Im not sure why Ive let it go on so long. I even hate seeing other kids over 2 years old with binkies in their mouths at the store! But Jubilee only has hers at night and when she's sick... Plus I felt like I could justify the binkie-usage knowing she let go of other vices so early and easily. She weaned from the bottle at 11 months, she slept through the night in her own bed early, she potty trained early, ....she doesnt even use sippy cups anymore. So whats a little binkie now and then, right? Well, I think three years old is my limit. However, knowing how attached she is to her binkies, (usually going to bed with one in her mouth and one in her hand), I came up with an idea to make getting rid of the binkies more....acceptable. I want her to not have to rely on a binkie, but I dont want to be the big mean mommy monster that took them away!
Dylan and I talked at length about Operation Binkie. We came up with a plan that seemed fun and would let her feel like a "big girl" at the same time. Jubilee digs getting the mail from the mailbox. She also digs Diego. He's an animal rescuer. So "Diego", (Dyl and Mak), wrote Jubilee a letter from the Rainforest:
"Dear Jubilee,
Hi, this is Diego! We need your help! Baby Jaguar lost all of his binkies. He doesnt have ANY! Can you help him and send him all of your binkies?? Youre a big girl now and you dont need your binkies anymore.
Love,
Diego"
Since we were all assembled at Mom and Dad Botts's house for a BBQ today, we let Jubilee retrieve her letter from Meema's mailbox. (I know its sunday and usually no mail is delivered today...but it was from THE Rainforest...it was special delivery.) Jubilee's face lit up in that HUGE surprised way with her mouth in a gigantic "O". She ran back to the house and brought me the letter. As I read the letter to her, I dont think she understood the total consequence of saying YES. I re-read the letter to her and explained that if she sent her binkies to Baby Jaguar, that she wouldnt have them anymore. She nodded and said she would give all her binkies to Baby Jaguar. She gathered up her one binkie she kept at Meema's house, ( and you better not have any in hiding Mom!!), and put it in the envelope to send to Baby Jaguar. Nap time would be the test.
When it was time for her nap and as I was taking off her shoes, she said, "I need my binkie." I said, "Remember? You said it was ok for Baby Jaguar to have your binkies. He's still a baby and needs a binkie. Youre a big girl who's three years old!" She thought about it for a minute and said, "Ok." I layed her down expecting some tears, but instead she sang herself to sleep with a couple of loud renditions of "A Whole New World".
When we returned home from the BBQ we went through the house letting her put her binkies in the envelope to Baby Jaguar. She kept saying, ...as if to convince herself, "Im a big girl and I dont need a binkie! Baby Jaguar has all my binkies. He's still a baby." We colored on the outside of the envelope, taped it shut and we walked together to the mailbox to send off the binkies. As she shut the mailbox door she said, "Bye Bye Binkies!"
Tonight is Binkieless Night Number 1.
A Few Pics From The Trip
Jubilee and Dylan chillin' in the sun.
Jubilee totally loved the bowling. Especially the teeny sized bowling balls she got to use.
Juju and D on the train in Silverwood.
Dylan and Chewpee going for a swim.
I actually found a bikini that fit Juju this year....
...Unlike the previous year.
I actually found a bikini that fit Juju this year....
...Unlike the previous year.
Saturday, June 09, 2007
Camping, RollerCoasters, and Thunderstorms, Oh My.
After 6 fun-filled days away - we're back to our humble abode. I always forget how much I love my own shower and my own bed until I cant use them for a few days in a row. Its good to be home. Zoe thinks so too. I can tell by the way she is following me around the house and planting herself in my lap if I seem to settle in one place for more than two seconds. If she happens to lose me in the house somewhere, she will howl until I answer and let her know which direction I can be found. Its good to be missed! ....even if its just the cat. HA
SATURDAY: Woke up at 3am - in the Grocery Getter by 3:30 with a very tired but excited Juju Bean, and we hit the road. The van was stuffed to the gills with camping equipment, 3 suitcases, (one for each of us... I habitually overpack for Juju. Never know with a toddler what youre going to need....and I never let Troys socks or underwear touch mine.), and various toys and attention grabbers for Jubilee since we'll be spending so much time on the road.
We caravaned with Holly, Jason, Dylan, Mak and Tyler, (known as The Wick 5 on the Walkie Talkie), and hit the 5:10am ferry with time to spare. Once boarding the ferry we went upstairs to enjoy the view and eat some breakfast. Jubilee stared out the window the whole ride exclaiming that, "The Little Mermaid is in the water!!! Theres Flounder! Theres Sebastian! OOOOH The Sea Witch!" She entertained, (or annoyed) all who sat in the same section of the ferry as us. She was quite excited, and even if I reminded her to use her "quiet" voice, she pretty much just had one volume: LOUD.
We got back on the road and made just a few pit stops on our way to Lake Chelan. Jubilee slept for a couple hours and we hit the campground by 10:30am. Once unpacked, all the kids went swimming, including Jubilee. She only swallowed 1/4 of the pool and choked it back out. I made a mental note to look into swimming lessons as soon as possible. We spent the rest of our time at Lake Chelan taking it easy, swimming in the 100 degree weather, and visiting with family. We left Chelan early monday morning. Destination Idaho!
MONDAY: We woke up early after a night of spotty warm rain and lighting with yummy thunder and hit the road. The Wick 5 and the Grocery Getter caravaned while Mom and Dad Botts got a bit later start. We got to Idaho a few hours ahead of them and we spent the time at Raptor Reef. A small waterslide park located right inside Holly and Jason's hotel! It was sooooooo much fun. I hadnt been on waterslides in YEARS. Dylan and I shot down the double slide on inflatable tubes. It was like being in a cannon. It shot us out into this toillet bowl-like swirly pool and eventually you ended up getting shot down another dark slide. I screamed like a gore queen in a b-flick movie. Soooooooo fun. Raptor Reef also had a whole section just for Juju Beans! Jubilee had a total blast going down her own waterslides, standing under waterfalls, (ok, she didnt much dig that part, but it was really funny to watch), and turning off and on water spouts with the valves she could control.
After everyone was exhausted from hauling our booties up the 74 stairs, (Dylan counted) over and over again to ride the slides, we went back to the room to get cleaned up for lunch. The waterslide park had a connected arcade that included not only the obligatory arcade games, but bowling, laser tag, indoor and outdoor mini golf, go-carts and bumper boats. Holly got this great deal with her room that came with tickets to play on all the fun. We all got to try everything several times. I have to say the go-carts were my favorite. Even tho I got in a bit of trouble from the go-cart boys, I enjoyed running into other people...sorry Dyl! HAHA After watching Jubilee for me while I rode the go-carts once, Mom Botts, (they caught up with us while we were in the water park), decided she needed to give it a go. Holly watched Jubilee for me while we jumped back onto the carts. This time we up graded to the single-rider, double the power carts! Dad, Troy, Mom, Jason and myself chose which cart we wanted based on which we thought was fastest....this was, after all a race to the death. I was in the lead for quite a while, but Troy would NOT have me beating him at anything so I was soon over taken. After a couple laps around Mom I realized she was going reallllllllllly slow. It was like she was on a sunday drive from the old folks home. I kept my attention on Dad and Troy - trying desperately to catch up. Then just when I was about to pass him, Troy spins out on the corner, I hit him - Dad Botts zooms past me once again to win. So I didnt win, but Troy spun out and I got to crash into him which was very satisfying.
We stayed at the waterpark/arcade until closing then went back with Mom and Dad to the campground. The campground was right across the highway from Silverwood Theme Park. Its not as big as Six Flags or Carowinds, but the first thing you see as you drive past it is a HUGE wooden roller coaster. Just seeing that got me all excited for the next day. Well that, and the fact that Silverwood's mascot is Garfield....and well, the thought of actually seeing him the next day got me all tingly.
Actually, the tinglyness may have also been caused by the massive thunderstorm! It started mildly at the waterpark. But by the time we were driving back to the campground, it had gone full force. There were two systems, both shooting lightning into the sky with pounding thunder following right after each double strike. It was AWESOME. I loved every second. Troy, on the other hand, was a big wuss and refused to sleep in the tent for fear of being struck down. And me, being the good wife I am.....just laughed and made fun of him.
TUESDAY: The storms lasted pretty much all night, but by the time the park opened at 11am the storms were gone and left just a little drizzly rain behind. This did not deter me at ALL from my purpose of riding roller coasters and meeting Garfield so I donned my Concho and we all walked over to Silverwood. Our first stop was the merry-go-round. Jubilee lovvvvvvvvved it. Since leaving on Saturday everyone would exclaim, "We're on vacation!" and Jubilee would say, "nooooo...not yet!" In Chelan while in the sun, swimming and having fun we would ask her, "Jubilee, are we on vacation yet?" "Nope! Not yet!" While we were having fun in the water park and playing games in the arcade we asked her again....and she would reply, "Nope! Not yet, I dont see a merry-go-round!" So finally while on the merry-go-round I asked her, "Jubilee, are you on vacation NOW?" She just grinned and nodded her head.
After the merry-go-round we hit a couple other little rides and the Corkscrew. It was Silverwood's only upside-down roller coaster. I loved it! It was a short ride, but DANG fast! Plus it sent you through two loop-da-loops! I loved every second, except being the shorty shrimp I am, the top of my hard plastic shoulder harness settled around my ears and temples. So going so fast around that track, I got jostled side to side while my head and ears slammed into the harness. This hurt, and being the resourceful problem solving genius I am, I held onto my shoulder harness, putting my hands right next to my ears hoping to soften the blows. This only resulted in my face hitting my hands at gravity defying force. It was like I was punching myself in the face so I gave up and let my head bounce around the shoulder harness. Yes, it hurt - but I rode this ride 3 more times.
We spent the rest of the day running all over the park riding everything that was open. Not all the rides were open due to the off and on again rain, but it made for really short lines! Tremors, the HUGE wooden roller coaster was just amazing. It has long steep drops that send you 8 feet underground and make you feel like youre going to be decapitated as you enter the tunnel. WOOHOO! I lost track how many times I rode this one, but I will not forget the ONE time Mom Botts rode it. She had a few choice expletives for us as she staggered off the ride. Dylan convinced her it "wasnt that bad". HAHAHAHA Dad told Mom to be happy...that for about 15 seconds she was wrinkle-free!
Because Jubilee is only 35 inches and you had to be at least 42 to ride even with an adult, she didnt get to ride anything but kiddie rides. Not that I would have taken her on a roller coaster, but Mom Botts did manage to sneak her onto the Scrambler. She giggled and "weeeeeeeeeeeeee'd" her way through it....she is fearless!
Throughout the day I kept my eyes peeled for Garfield. This, afterall, was my destiny. To meet him face to face. Finally when our day was almost over and I had not seen even a hint of orange fur, we asked a park employee, "Where is Garfield???" She said, "Oh I dont think he's coming out today. Its a bit rainy and cats dont like water!" *blinks* WHAT!? I drove across the state, endured HOURS in the Grocery Getter with Troy, and I dont get to meet GARFIELD?! WHAT A CROCK!!!! I was sad...shed a tear....and hit the roller coaster again.
We saved the water rides for last. We made good use of our Conchos and strategically placed them so we wouldnt get wet. That is until Tyler put a quarter in the machine that lets you shoot spouts of water onto the ride from the sidelines! REVENGE WILL BE MINE TYLER! After staying nice and dry all day inside my bright yellow poncho, (nacho-concho for those of you in the know), Tyler had drenched me head to toe in one shot.
At closing time we headed back to the campground and got warm and dry. We ate a little something, Juju got to talk to Jack on the phone, and I got my booty WHOOPED at golf....three times in a row. We dropped exhausted into bed early so we could make the 3 hour drive to Blue Lake the next day.
WEDNESDAY: We drove to Blue Lake only stopping once while Troy got pulled over for speeding. Yes, ladies and gentlemen, the slowest man on earth got a ticket for speeding. His first by the way. *snickers*
Blue Lake Resort is very rustic. The lake is calm, it was warm but windy, and there was nothing to do but relax and fish. For the next two days we did lots of both. Jubilee had fun throwing rocks and wading into the water. Very relaxing two days after a fun-filled week.
FRIDAY: We headed home early yesterday morning. We stopped several times for potty breaks and had lunch at Hooters with the Wick 5 in Tacoma. The Hooters Girls loved Juju and gave her a balloon. We also stopped at the Silverdale mall on the way and picked up Jubilee's 3 year portraits. It was a relaxing ride home. I have to say I am so proud of Juju on this trip. There were no melt-downs, no problems, no potty accidents, no incidents of sick of being stuck in a car seat... besides a few whiney moments where a nap was needed, and a couple moments in a naughty corner, she was an absolute joy. Im a lucky mommy. For being so good on the trip, Jubilee got to pick out a prize at the Disney store, (no I didnt spontaneously combust upon entering the store...but I did feel like I sold out a bit). She chose a Little Mermaid lantern and a Little Mermaid car. I was surprised she didnt pick out something Jasmine since Aladdin has been her movie of choice lately, but apparently Ariel is still queen or..err... princess.
I have some pictures from the trip and will post those soon.
SATURDAY: Woke up at 3am - in the Grocery Getter by 3:30 with a very tired but excited Juju Bean, and we hit the road. The van was stuffed to the gills with camping equipment, 3 suitcases, (one for each of us... I habitually overpack for Juju. Never know with a toddler what youre going to need....and I never let Troys socks or underwear touch mine.), and various toys and attention grabbers for Jubilee since we'll be spending so much time on the road.
We caravaned with Holly, Jason, Dylan, Mak and Tyler, (known as The Wick 5 on the Walkie Talkie), and hit the 5:10am ferry with time to spare. Once boarding the ferry we went upstairs to enjoy the view and eat some breakfast. Jubilee stared out the window the whole ride exclaiming that, "The Little Mermaid is in the water!!! Theres Flounder! Theres Sebastian! OOOOH The Sea Witch!" She entertained, (or annoyed) all who sat in the same section of the ferry as us. She was quite excited, and even if I reminded her to use her "quiet" voice, she pretty much just had one volume: LOUD.
We got back on the road and made just a few pit stops on our way to Lake Chelan. Jubilee slept for a couple hours and we hit the campground by 10:30am. Once unpacked, all the kids went swimming, including Jubilee. She only swallowed 1/4 of the pool and choked it back out. I made a mental note to look into swimming lessons as soon as possible. We spent the rest of our time at Lake Chelan taking it easy, swimming in the 100 degree weather, and visiting with family. We left Chelan early monday morning. Destination Idaho!
MONDAY: We woke up early after a night of spotty warm rain and lighting with yummy thunder and hit the road. The Wick 5 and the Grocery Getter caravaned while Mom and Dad Botts got a bit later start. We got to Idaho a few hours ahead of them and we spent the time at Raptor Reef. A small waterslide park located right inside Holly and Jason's hotel! It was sooooooo much fun. I hadnt been on waterslides in YEARS. Dylan and I shot down the double slide on inflatable tubes. It was like being in a cannon. It shot us out into this toillet bowl-like swirly pool and eventually you ended up getting shot down another dark slide. I screamed like a gore queen in a b-flick movie. Soooooooo fun. Raptor Reef also had a whole section just for Juju Beans! Jubilee had a total blast going down her own waterslides, standing under waterfalls, (ok, she didnt much dig that part, but it was really funny to watch), and turning off and on water spouts with the valves she could control.
After everyone was exhausted from hauling our booties up the 74 stairs, (Dylan counted) over and over again to ride the slides, we went back to the room to get cleaned up for lunch. The waterslide park had a connected arcade that included not only the obligatory arcade games, but bowling, laser tag, indoor and outdoor mini golf, go-carts and bumper boats. Holly got this great deal with her room that came with tickets to play on all the fun. We all got to try everything several times. I have to say the go-carts were my favorite. Even tho I got in a bit of trouble from the go-cart boys, I enjoyed running into other people...sorry Dyl! HAHA After watching Jubilee for me while I rode the go-carts once, Mom Botts, (they caught up with us while we were in the water park), decided she needed to give it a go. Holly watched Jubilee for me while we jumped back onto the carts. This time we up graded to the single-rider, double the power carts! Dad, Troy, Mom, Jason and myself chose which cart we wanted based on which we thought was fastest....this was, after all a race to the death. I was in the lead for quite a while, but Troy would NOT have me beating him at anything so I was soon over taken. After a couple laps around Mom I realized she was going reallllllllllly slow. It was like she was on a sunday drive from the old folks home. I kept my attention on Dad and Troy - trying desperately to catch up. Then just when I was about to pass him, Troy spins out on the corner, I hit him - Dad Botts zooms past me once again to win. So I didnt win, but Troy spun out and I got to crash into him which was very satisfying.
We stayed at the waterpark/arcade until closing then went back with Mom and Dad to the campground. The campground was right across the highway from Silverwood Theme Park. Its not as big as Six Flags or Carowinds, but the first thing you see as you drive past it is a HUGE wooden roller coaster. Just seeing that got me all excited for the next day. Well that, and the fact that Silverwood's mascot is Garfield....and well, the thought of actually seeing him the next day got me all tingly.
Actually, the tinglyness may have also been caused by the massive thunderstorm! It started mildly at the waterpark. But by the time we were driving back to the campground, it had gone full force. There were two systems, both shooting lightning into the sky with pounding thunder following right after each double strike. It was AWESOME. I loved every second. Troy, on the other hand, was a big wuss and refused to sleep in the tent for fear of being struck down. And me, being the good wife I am.....just laughed and made fun of him.
TUESDAY: The storms lasted pretty much all night, but by the time the park opened at 11am the storms were gone and left just a little drizzly rain behind. This did not deter me at ALL from my purpose of riding roller coasters and meeting Garfield so I donned my Concho and we all walked over to Silverwood. Our first stop was the merry-go-round. Jubilee lovvvvvvvvved it. Since leaving on Saturday everyone would exclaim, "We're on vacation!" and Jubilee would say, "nooooo...not yet!" In Chelan while in the sun, swimming and having fun we would ask her, "Jubilee, are we on vacation yet?" "Nope! Not yet!" While we were having fun in the water park and playing games in the arcade we asked her again....and she would reply, "Nope! Not yet, I dont see a merry-go-round!" So finally while on the merry-go-round I asked her, "Jubilee, are you on vacation NOW?" She just grinned and nodded her head.
After the merry-go-round we hit a couple other little rides and the Corkscrew. It was Silverwood's only upside-down roller coaster. I loved it! It was a short ride, but DANG fast! Plus it sent you through two loop-da-loops! I loved every second, except being the shorty shrimp I am, the top of my hard plastic shoulder harness settled around my ears and temples. So going so fast around that track, I got jostled side to side while my head and ears slammed into the harness. This hurt, and being the resourceful problem solving genius I am, I held onto my shoulder harness, putting my hands right next to my ears hoping to soften the blows. This only resulted in my face hitting my hands at gravity defying force. It was like I was punching myself in the face so I gave up and let my head bounce around the shoulder harness. Yes, it hurt - but I rode this ride 3 more times.
We spent the rest of the day running all over the park riding everything that was open. Not all the rides were open due to the off and on again rain, but it made for really short lines! Tremors, the HUGE wooden roller coaster was just amazing. It has long steep drops that send you 8 feet underground and make you feel like youre going to be decapitated as you enter the tunnel. WOOHOO! I lost track how many times I rode this one, but I will not forget the ONE time Mom Botts rode it. She had a few choice expletives for us as she staggered off the ride. Dylan convinced her it "wasnt that bad". HAHAHAHA Dad told Mom to be happy...that for about 15 seconds she was wrinkle-free!
Because Jubilee is only 35 inches and you had to be at least 42 to ride even with an adult, she didnt get to ride anything but kiddie rides. Not that I would have taken her on a roller coaster, but Mom Botts did manage to sneak her onto the Scrambler. She giggled and "weeeeeeeeeeeeee'd" her way through it....she is fearless!
Throughout the day I kept my eyes peeled for Garfield. This, afterall, was my destiny. To meet him face to face. Finally when our day was almost over and I had not seen even a hint of orange fur, we asked a park employee, "Where is Garfield???" She said, "Oh I dont think he's coming out today. Its a bit rainy and cats dont like water!" *blinks* WHAT!? I drove across the state, endured HOURS in the Grocery Getter with Troy, and I dont get to meet GARFIELD?! WHAT A CROCK!!!! I was sad...shed a tear....and hit the roller coaster again.
We saved the water rides for last. We made good use of our Conchos and strategically placed them so we wouldnt get wet. That is until Tyler put a quarter in the machine that lets you shoot spouts of water onto the ride from the sidelines! REVENGE WILL BE MINE TYLER! After staying nice and dry all day inside my bright yellow poncho, (nacho-concho for those of you in the know), Tyler had drenched me head to toe in one shot.
At closing time we headed back to the campground and got warm and dry. We ate a little something, Juju got to talk to Jack on the phone, and I got my booty WHOOPED at golf....three times in a row. We dropped exhausted into bed early so we could make the 3 hour drive to Blue Lake the next day.
WEDNESDAY: We drove to Blue Lake only stopping once while Troy got pulled over for speeding. Yes, ladies and gentlemen, the slowest man on earth got a ticket for speeding. His first by the way. *snickers*
Blue Lake Resort is very rustic. The lake is calm, it was warm but windy, and there was nothing to do but relax and fish. For the next two days we did lots of both. Jubilee had fun throwing rocks and wading into the water. Very relaxing two days after a fun-filled week.
FRIDAY: We headed home early yesterday morning. We stopped several times for potty breaks and had lunch at Hooters with the Wick 5 in Tacoma. The Hooters Girls loved Juju and gave her a balloon. We also stopped at the Silverdale mall on the way and picked up Jubilee's 3 year portraits. It was a relaxing ride home. I have to say I am so proud of Juju on this trip. There were no melt-downs, no problems, no potty accidents, no incidents of sick of being stuck in a car seat... besides a few whiney moments where a nap was needed, and a couple moments in a naughty corner, she was an absolute joy. Im a lucky mommy. For being so good on the trip, Jubilee got to pick out a prize at the Disney store, (no I didnt spontaneously combust upon entering the store...but I did feel like I sold out a bit). She chose a Little Mermaid lantern and a Little Mermaid car. I was surprised she didnt pick out something Jasmine since Aladdin has been her movie of choice lately, but apparently Ariel is still queen or..err... princess.
I have some pictures from the trip and will post those soon.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
