Cincinnati Trip

We are home from our trip to Cincinnati, it was a great time with our family!! Mom and Dad came with us and Troy, Sarah, Trevor and Emma met us at Kings Island for the day. I'll have to say I was a little concerned the first day as Aiden wouldn't last in the car for more than one hour at a time. Then once there he tried to dive off the bed (caught by me just in time, but only to scrap his nose on the side of the Pack-N-Play), and then refused to go to sleep...he screamed forever. But once he did finally go to bed he woke up the next morning and was wonderful the rest of the trip.

Thursday we went to Kings Island...we were there for twelve and a half hours. I never dreamed we would be there that long, I thought maybe we would go to the hotel in the afternoon for naps and go back in the evening...but the kids were Awesome so we just kept going!! Alyssa loved loved loved it! She went on all the rides her height would allow, she is 40 inches tall so that was most of them in the kids area. Even the Fairly Odd Parents Coaster which to me looked a bit "big" for her. But Oh No, she went on it twice, once with Todd then with me. She learned a bit of patience as we waited in line for the rides. Luckily we never waited too long as it wasn't very crowded...and the weather was perfect! Todd, Troy and Dad even got to sneak off and ride some coasters. Although WE ALL thought Dad riding "The Beast" was a bad idea so soon after his surgery...but yes, we do know it was absolutely killing you to sit in that park and not ride anything. Luckily he stopped at that and Todd and Troy went off for some more (and Dad is fine after that ride). As for me, I don't know if becoming a Mom makes me more cautious or what, but I no longer will ride roller coasters. I was content riding with Alyssa or sitting with Aiden. Aiden loved to look at all that was going on and just took his usual naps in the stroller. At 10:00 as we left the park, he watched all the different lights and "glow stuff" they were selling. What a Great Day!!

Friday we went to the Cincinnati Zoo. It was fun, but more hot and humid than the day before so the kids didn't seem to last as long (and there were still probably tired from the day before). That Zoo is the most spread out and hilly thing I have ever visited. Throw a double stroller with 50 pounds of children in there and it was quite the workout. Oh well, I think we saw everything except the elephants (After the trek down & back up for the rhinos we didn't want to walk anymore), and the penguins (these we just completely missed).

We spent the last day and a half shopping, eating and visiting Grandma Phillips' grave site. Alyssa said her favorite part was riding the rides at the park. I asked her which one she liked best and she said "The up and down, AGHHH!" (pretend scream there at the end). Not sure which one that was exactly? I personally enjoyed watching her on the Swiper one where it whipped her around the corners...I finally found a place where her ear piercing scream was useful.

Some things I learned on our little trip...

• An exhausted Mom of a preschooler and a baby can stay awake most of the night because she can't sleep at hotels.


• You can spend the same amount of money at a Theme park for two meals that you would on an entire week of groceries.


• That you can sneak food into the park because they don't check your diaper bag (Wish I would have know that one an hour earlier).


• No matter what time the Raines children go to bed, they will wake up around 6:30 AM.


• If Maw Maw is in the adjoining Hotel room, Mommy cannot brush Alyssa's hair.


• If Maw Maw is in the adjoining Hotel room and Alyssa is sooo hungry, she can get snacks (even though she wasn't hungry for lunch or supper).


• Alyssa eats fruit loops one color at a time...yep, she just picks all the same color out of the milk at a time and eats them. (We are pretty much plain cheerios or raisin bran at our house and will continue to be!!). This one is thanks to the continental breakfast...which seemed to take hours each morning.


• You can't relax and watch TV after the kids do go to bed because they are in the same room as you and you don't want to wake them.

So now we are back home and back to our "routine". Todd goes back to work and I will miss having him 24 hours a day!! And I know the kids will too. Thanks Mom and Dad for going with us and helping with the Kiddos. And Thanks Uncle Troy and Aunt Sarah for the great time at Kings Island...Alyssa loved riding rides with Emma and Trevor, and I know Todd was grateful to have someone ride coasters with him.

Don't worry, I will be posting pictures very soon!!

~~Tracy~~