There's Nothing to Be Scared of Here

There is nothing to be scared of here. That is the mantra of the song that all the animated woodland creatures sing at The Great Wolf Lodge. Well, that may be true until you get your credit card bill at the end.

I have longed to take a trip to this magical place, made ever more enticing by it's promise of fun for the whole family. The kids could have their little den in the room. They didn't tell you the sleeper sofa would be unsuitable and the air mattress would leave my fat butt deflated and on the floor. The kids could play a game of clue as they go on the Magi quest adventure. They didn't tell you there is a fee for the wand and an activation fee and a fee if you want the unicorn on top and a fee for the carrier and you will be taken on a 20 mile hike up and down and up and down the stairs. They left that part out .. oops. Would you like a 2 liter coke with that? Just $5.99.

I could never afford this trip on my own so I went with one if my best buds and her two boys who we have traveled with before. All kids have their days and both of ours took their turns with their meltdowns. These meltdowns were usually brought on by someone not getting their way or some parent, meaning me or Jill, not shelling out endless amounts of money for whatever they desired. I was a sourpuss I have to admit. I am ashamed of my behavior. I actually honked the horn and screamed as loud as I could in the room, all in hopes of making a point. What was that point? I have no idea.

I am not proud of this behavior, but the Great Wolf Lodge brought out the magic in us all. Maybe it was the pixie dust in the boys magical wand price $27.99 or the sparkle in the star that Em stuffed, price $32.00. It affected us all in different ways. It made me sleep through the fire alarm that otherwise evoked action in Jill and other concerned parents. Not me. I was in a deep slumber. Not even the sound of the fire truck or the siren to sound all clear could awake me.

You may think I did not enjoy my trip and if you were there with me you would say that I really didn't, but that is not true. I did enjoy the rides that I got to go down with my friends son and that feeling in the pit of my stomach. That feeling right before the bottom dropped out from underneath the ride that reminded me of what it was like for just a second. Oh what it is like to be a child. The anticipation and excitement. When we walked in and put our bags down we turned around and their suits were on, ready for the water park. The pixie magic that is childhood. They don't have aches and pains and worries. They have the here and the now. They don't get stuck in the water slide, screaming for the attendant to please push them cause there is a kid waiting at the bottom for them. I did enjoy looking at the children as they looked up and saw trees singing and animals dancing, even if the song was annoying me.

I would also like to say what a trustworthy bunch of people live in Concord, N.C. I left my car unlocked with GPS, DVD, camera and other things free for the taking and they were left unharmed. Apparently I didn't think that was enough of a test so, I left the door wide open and added some cash and credit cards to entice you more. I left it open for more than an hour and still no one took the bait. Thank you all for being kind in my time of complete and utter lack of brain function.