Note to self: Remember the sunscreen

I was given free admission for my family this weekend to Raging Waves in Yorkville Illinois. Despite the temp being in the mid-low 70's and the wind that whipped with gusto across the plains, we had a blast!



We arrived early and were the first ones into the enormous wave pool. Just moments later, Corinne turned around and ran straight back to me; "It's FREEZING!"

She quickly got over her shivers when we found the squirting structure and kiddie slides. No fear.

And I am SO glad that I brought swim shirts for each of them. They dried off really quickly to keep them warmer. Also, since I am a brilliant mother who forgot that just because you aren't HOT doesn't mean you won't get BURNED, each of us was sporting some red epidermis that evening. Parenting FAIL.
My fish. Or shark. Whichever is more adept at being in any water at any time. He even rode the wedgie making speed slide! At 49", Evan was big enough for all of the water slides. What a great surprise for him!

He also spent hours in the wave pool. As in, hours and hours and hours...
Only picture of my eldest who was NOT amused that the wind was frigid and the water chilly. He did go in the lazy river 2 or 3 times and on the big family slide with all of us once. THAT was a blast! And it was Corinne's favorite activity. "We did it all together, Mommy! As a family!" It was my favorite too. I liked it even better than the Cyclone (one of those big old bowl things that shoots you around and makes your stomach drop).

I do wish that water parks weren't so dang expensive, though. The price for my family to get in on a regular day would have been about $140 at the gate.* Wow. I mean, I know that it is comparable to a day at Noah's Ark in WI, Six Flags in Gurnee, or Magic Waters in Rockford. And I know that we saved a load of money on gas by having it so close to home, but it's just a big chunk of change for our family right now. I do appreciate the fact that the park allows you to exit and re-enter very easily so that you can have lunch outside the park and then come back for more. Had we been paying our own way, that is the route we would have taken. Also, pay attention for coupons and package deals to save money.

That said, if you are looking for a fun activity, close to home this summer, Raging Waves is absolutely a blast. And it's CLEAN, too!

*If you are a family of 4 or more, you can purchase the Summer Family Fun package for $124 which includes 4 all day admissions, 4 tube rentals and 4 meal tickets. A fabulous deal but it's available online ONLY though, so plan ahead!!

Hey, see that Nickelodeon button over there? To the right and at the top? Yeah, that one. Why don't you click on it and then vote for yours truly at the Parents Picks awards? Here, to save you time, you don't even need to scroll upwards... Every day's a new chance to vote!