The summer staple has returned! Dutch Wonderland is open! The Kingdom for Kids! Etc! Once DW opens up you know it's summer. It just feels like summer. The smells. The sounds. I will never smell an Uncle Andy's soft pretzel without instantly being trasnported to DW summers. Throw in some chlorine and "mmmm bop" playing and well. Absolute perfection.
We arrived there on Saturday bright-eyed and bushy-tailed shortly before opening. Matt had to get his wheelchair and well, we just can't be late. The Fitzs (minus Mark) had spent the night at our house, which I mean, sleepovers are the best are they not? The kids were given DW pins and lots of noise makers and we all counted down and cheered and clapped under the confetti as the gates were opened for the first time this summer. It was all very exciting.
My older two had both bumped up in their height level. So! Now Letty can officially ride the roller coaster and such scary things as the circular swings and the latter without even an adult! I was having heart palpitations for several reasons about that. David also bumped up another level but hey, he still needs us for most things and well he's very emotional these days so that is probably for the best. We hit all the normal favorites (including that wretched kite ride that makes me sick for hours) as well as the new addition, the hot air balloons.
Logistically speaking we were just trying to figure out this whole DW thing as a family of five with an out-of-commission father, but as usual the Fitzs were there to the rescue and made the entire thing go just swimingly. What we would do without our best friends is beyond me. Be very lonely hermits I would imagine. She took them on rides, buckled seat belts, chased David, you name it. Avery kept me very close company while I fed Dom and hey! I didn't get kicked out for indecent exposure so I'm pretty psyched about that. Dom did really well for a first timer, although I will probably be needing one of those stroller fans for the poor kid. He's a hot one!
And then Mark joined us and it was like a breath of fresh air. Matt had a chair pusher and we had one extra adult to chase down kids and ride those nasty spinny rides! And carry Liam when he just needed to ride the baby trains one more time!
When we left shortly after lunch we were rewarded with not one, not two, but three sleeping children and when that magic happens you go through the drive through and get coffee and just do a lot of not talking because silence in the car is a rare rare thing that must be cherished.
I think we can really take DW by storm this summer, I do. As long as the Fitzs are with.
Get that? With... I'm Dutchy....
