Do-Overs, Make-Ups and Promises

Today was The Day We'd Been Waiting For. Trevor would be able to get out of work relatively early, so we were going to make our first trip of the season to Avalanche Bay, our local indoor waterpark, where we were going to buy the family pass (big deal here) that would keep us active and happy and occupied all winter long. Trevor and I were like kids waiting for today to arrive. We just couldn't help imagining our children splashing and getting worn out and loving every second of this fun, awesome park. 

And the icing on the cake: Trevor's parents were going to take Berit for the night. That means sleeping when the baby sleeps the next day, my friends, and I was all for it. 

Then I had to go pull an If...Then scenario and bite myself in the butt. Around naptime I explained to Berit that IF she took a nap, THEN we'd go to the pool (I wisely hadn't told her about our big plan to go to the waterpark before this point). Done, she said. Genius, I thought. She marched upstairs, we read a few books, I left the room and she laid there for a full five minutes before deciding to play with everything in her room. Cue me walking into her room repeatedly warning her that we wouldn't be going to the pool if she didn't nap. Finally I had to pull out my last warning, and she blew it. No one would be going to the pool, and without a nap, she wouldn't be awake for two seconds of the car ride to her grandparents' house, so why even bother?

Although we had to plan the sleepover for another night, we eventually decided to go to the pool, when it seemed she had forgotten about the If...Then situation earlier in the day. (We just couldn't miss out!) So we drive the 40 minutes to get there, forgoing Marta's rumbling tummy with the knowledge that as soon as we arrived, we'd be in hot dog/chicken finger/pizza heaven. Berit fell asleep, so once we pulled up, we woke her and carried the children up to the door, everyone on edge for very different reasons. And.... closed. On Wednesdays. Now the kids were really a train wreck... and speaking of trains, we heard one in the distance! Let's find it and forget all about the pool! Hooray! 

We missed it. But hey! Daddy brought home a swingset and we just need to put it together! Wouldn't you like to do that?!? Yes! Let's hurry home to do that very thing right this minute!

It rained. 

Poor kids. Poor us. We now have a weekend full of things we must do, things we've promised we'd do: Pool, put together a swingset, find a train and go on a four-wheeler ride (yeah, we threw that in, too).  

Lesson learned. Always, always call ahead.