Family Night from He**!!
It all started out with good intentions.... I had this inkling to take the kids swimming at our newly built community center that has the huge water play center(fountains all over, twisty waterslide, you name it) in this great big shallow pool area specifically for toddlers. They adored it this past summer when we went and we just hadn't taken the time to go back. So I asked Lena if for FHE she would like to go swimming. And of course she was thrilled at the idea, so we gathered our things ASAP once Mark got home and we headed off the the pool! Excited and full of anticipation, Dane and Lena RAN to the large window to watch the children playing in the water when we entered the building and tried to check in. To our shock, we hadn't checked if the hours in the winter had changed (they had) and so we were informed that open swim time was over already!! As soon as they realized it, Lena began to cry. But not just any cry, it's more like a dirge, self-created to a tune. Lena goes, "No bo-dy wants me to go--ooo swiimming...I won't have any more fun to-day....I don't like anything else, I just want to swim..." on and on and on.. Her little swimming heart was broken. As if this was the last time she'd ever have the chance. And of course, Dane being 18 months old is just starting to be aware that something is not going the way he thought it would, so he just begins to cry in confusion as we all get BACK in the car that we just exited, and start to drive off.

Well, Mark and I really didn't want to go home now either, we had wanted some good family outing, so we start racking our brains for thing we could do, "How about Mc donalds? " Noooo. "Chick fil-A?" Nahh.. "I know!" Mark says, "What about Chuck E. CHeese!" I say, yes, that sounds pretty good. (inside already feeling kind of queasy at the thought of thier pizza, but it's better than nothing) We ask Lena if that sounds good. She dejectedly sings, "Nooo, it won't be open..." She has been burned too many times apparently. So we reassure her as we drive there that we'll have to see (we're too afraid to gaurantee because what if heaven forbid it IS closed?) . So we drive over there and sure enough the Heavens have parted and it is open. Lena cautiously considers her options. "I might have fun here"she says, and we all get our hands stamped with the numbered glow ink as we walk into the kid crazyland.

On a normal night at this restaurant you might have a birthday party here or there, a few other families milling around. Not our luck tonight. As I order they ask me if I am part of the "something fundraiser" I soon realize that tonight may NOT have been the best tuesday night to pick. SHOOT! Why have a school find drive here tonight?? We literally have to wait for a table just to sit down, but we're here now and we're not going any where else. SO we start to play games, try to have some fun. Get this. The first 3 games I try with Lena are OUT OF ORDER. I am really thinking that we are being taught some sort of lesson right now. I don't know WHAT the lesson IS, but I know I should be learing something right now. There were so many kids there that we had to WAIT to play anything at all, so we try to make the best of it and play what we can while we wait and wait and wait for our (ick) pizza to show up.

After eating, and finishing our tokens, and stading in line AGAIN to get a lipgloss (not what she REALLY wanted, but they were out of her 1st choice) and some rubber fish from the coveted TOY stash, we leave. I am feeling in shock at the entire night.... we had such great intentions, how did such a well-intended FHE get so annoying and expensive and unhealthy? (pizza, pop,$ 25, and too many tokens) TO add to the fun, Lena decides to rub the salt in as we drive past the community center... with another rendition of her previous dirge, adding a new verse "I don't wa-aant to goo home, there's no more fun at home..." and on not in a sad way but a very annoying way. Let's just say, I am feeling like I am being punished for SOMETHING, but I don't know what. About 30 seconds before we get home, she is ranting like there's no tommorow and we practically stop the car to get her to quit saying "not nice words about our house. " And force her to zip her lip until we get home "or else!" Anyway... the kids went to bed soon after, and I am suddenly feeling like nothing in the world compares with the simple peace and happiness to be found at home.