Making Memories

This weekend the grands used the gift I gave them for Christmas.

In the past I've purchased Christmas gifts that have been on their wish lists only to find out that they lost the gift, it had broken, or it had been left out in the elements and ruined

So I decided a few years ago that the best presents I could buy them, wouldn't be things at all, but would be gifts that create a memory. A memory of spending time with Grandma. Things they can get up and talk about at my funeral. Hahahahahaha.

I always trying to think up fun things we could do together that would make a lasting impression.

One year their gift was to fly to Naples Florida in January with me. It was their first plane trip, and we had a ball. I wasn't sure how I was going to survive for 5 days by myself with 3 rambunctious boys, but we did just fine.

Here they are checking out the crash landing pamphlet.

At the Pool

At the beach

And on a boat ride at the zoo.

This year their Christmas gift was a trip to Traverse City, Michigan, where we would be staying at the Great Wolf Lodge Indoor Water Park.

Our big weekend began Friday. We jumped in the van around 2:00p.m.. The car was packed with enough junk food to last a week, but with 3 growing boys I figured we would be lucky if it lasted until noon the following day.

I had my new Tom Tom all set and it began barking the directions as I backed out of the driveway.

Oh my, what a difference a few years makes.

There was no alphabet sign game on the drive up, no game of twenty questions, nor were there any sing alongs that they used to adore. Instead they had their ipods hooked to their ear and they were playing games on their Nintendo DS's. Even Wendy was hooked up to a Harry Potter book she had downloaded.

It was actually okay with me, because the roads once we passed Bay City were icy and slow going. I wouldn't have done very good concentrating on the alphabet game.

During one of the rare conversations we did have, I pointed out a restaurant where RJ had taken me while we were still dating.

Wendy asked me if I ever heard from RJ anymore. When I told her he was married and that I had discovered it by googling his name, she was appalled and replied:

"Mom, You are such a stalker"

And the two of us began a lively discussion on what constitutes internet stalking.

We finally arrived at our destination after discovering I'd entered the wrong address in my Tom Tom.

It was a great hotel, very kid friendly.

The water park was a blast and the grands loved all the fun things to do. With all the stepping it took to get to the slides and with playing all the water games, my body was forced to call on muscles that have long been in hibernation.

Man, I suck at water basketball, and I'm not much better at water volleyball, but the judges gave me a whopping 10 in hot tub sitting.

When the grands weren't in the water, the hotel had a great mystery game for them to play, (providing you purchased a $15 magic wand.)

I bought one wand for them to share. Big Mistake! I almost went nuts listening to them argue over whose turn it was to hold on to it.

The idea of the game was to find clues by using the magic wand and following a treasure map leading you around the hotel. When you find all the clues, you can fight the dragon and try and win a prize.

We, along with a zillion other kids, rode the elevators back and forth between four floors as we looked for clues. I gave up before they were finished and went back up to the room for a nap.

Last night we had dinner in a restaurant called Camp Kritters, The magic wands worked in there as well, making the trees light up, the fireflies flicker and the chipmunks swing. Strenched out on a limb above our table was a stuffed bear.


After an exciting fun filled weekend it was finally time to pack up and head home.

Except for all the burping and farting sounds that have somehow worked its way in to the grands pubescent life, it was a wonderful weekend full of special memories.

On the drive home the boys began to rate the trip for things like the most fun ride, the best place to eat, and the hardest clue to solve, etc. But the thing that stood out in their memory as the number one funniest moment of the trip was when their mom called their Grandma a stalker.

I can see it all now... Dressed to the nines in their suits and ties, together they'll walk up to the podium and address the audience and begin sharing memories of their Grandma.

"You probably never knew this...but our grandmother was an internet stalker."

Oh yes, memories are priceless.