Celebration of Life: Being 5

It has been way too long since I have blogged. I have missed it more than I could have predicted. 2019 is the year I have been vowing to simplify my life. In viewing this goal it has hit me that this is not going to happen in one year. But steps have been made to chip away at this goal.

In order to catch up on my world, let’s throw it back just a few weeks. Yes, there is no way I could keep it quiet: I was so thrilled to have the girls celebrate a birthday this year. Their entire being is still something that brings tears to my eyes. I’m no different from all the other people out there who love the tiny humans in their life.

Blythe & Reese where born in Dallas. I truly believe if we did not live there then I would not have my favorite sidekicks. The doctors who helped me through fertility and thyroid issues where huge gifts. It felt symbolic to go back to Texas  to celebrate them turning five.

The girls and I love a celebration. If they had a resume, I am confident one of their job listings would be attending birthday parties. This year, though, the girls changed it up. Instead of a huge party, they chose to celebrate at Great Wolf Lodge & LEGOLAND^(R) Discovery Center.

A year ago we went to Great Wolf Lodge for the first time. Literally every waking moment since, they have asked when we could go back. It is no secret I am a huge kid at heart, and I enjoy Great Wolf too. This time we chose to go during an off time. The major benefits are that the rooms are more affordable, there are fewer people at the park and shorter lines.

Joining on the fun this time, my Aunt Bets came to experience the Wolf! On our way down we arrived before our room was ready. So the first official stop was at Rainforest Cafe. It has been maybe 25 years since I have been to one, but all the memories came back. And just like that, the girls felt the same way. They would squeal each time they heard an animal sound. Then they created a dance party and enjoyed the largest souvenir cup.

Once we arrived at Great Wolf, they started celebrating the girls instantly. The door had a Birthday sign. To my kids this might as well of been a billboard on the highway! This was the start of Birthday surprises for the next few days.

Some of our best friends in Dallas joined us for this trip. Another fellow twin Mom and her duo. And the girls sweet friend from school and her Mom drove down to make sure this was one epic Birthday!

I must add quickly that this group of humans was the perfect travel companions. Everyone was laid back and just went with the flow. For how many kids were with us, how much sugar was consumed and all the fun it was priceless.

Back to the Great Wolf details! The next few days where filled with endless water play. It as 32 degrees outside, but inside the water park it was 80. Besides water, we stayed busy with our Paw Pass. You can purchase a Paw Pass before your stay or when you arrive. This provides a cute paw that the kids wear around their necks. The activities they get with this are a blast. Magiquest is hands-down the girls’ favorite. You walk around with these wands and go from floor to floor. Now I need to note here that my kids have absolutely no clue what they are doing. They just think it is fun. For older kids they can actually compete and make it a true game quest!

Each day there is story time, dance parties, art and characters. Time always flies there. Waking up each morning to go to the character breakfast is another highlight. My favorite meal there for sure is their breakfast. You can bring in your own food, but how can you pass up an omlette bar and unlimited fruit. Now I want an omlette!

In the evenings the staff would sneak into our room and leave items to help them celebrate their Birthday. The cake was so thoughtful and much appreciated.

On the last day we got the chance to go to LEGOLAND^(R) Discovery Center  before leaving town. Building Legos is something that the girls do daily. Any human loves legos. The distance from Great Wolf to Lego is 2 miles. So easy and perfect activity before driving back to Tulsa.

The space is not huge, but the kids could play there for hours. There is a small ride where you can fly in the sky. Then everywhere you look are interactive areas with every size Lego you could dream up. The amount of creativity in this space is boundless. The favorite thing here was driving the lego cars. I have never seen Blythe drive something like this. Reese is always the driver in 4-wheel vehicles, but to my surprise, Kinley, Blythe & Reese successfully did not run into anyone on the course.

There are also some cool jungle gym things that kids can go in. I could not fit, but they told me they were cool. There where a few things broken that we did not get try. At the end there is a Lego store. There is wall of Legos you can choose from to make your own assortment that I wish was in my house because visually it is so appealing!

Overall I would highly recommend all of these places. Looking back at images, this was a perfect getaway to celebrate being 5!