Fourth of July

For Fourth of July we had a total blast! On Friday, we left at 8:45 to go to Jupiter Beach. We played in the freezing-cold water and made sandcastles from a sandcastle-making book. Since it started to rain, we left the beach. When we all got settled at the hotel and took much-needed sandy showers, my dad went to a local sub shop to get some lunch. After lunch, all of the kids watched Mr. Rogers and Cartoon Network while the parents took naps and read their magazines. Since my mom was bored, she took Hannah with her to go house-looking. By accident, she went to Port St. Lucie! By the time she got back, it was time for the minor league baseball game.
The stadium for the game reminded me of high school stadiums in the movies, except it was a lot smaller. When we walked in, the game had already started. While walking to our seats, a ball flew out of nowhere and Alyssa dived for it. It was hit so hard that it had a blue bruise! After the Jupiter Hammerheads and the Palm Beach Cardinals were done playing (Jupiter won 6-2), it was time for the Fireworks Extravaganza. Hannah didn’t like the loud noise, so she had her hands over her ears the whole time. Then, we left the game and found a local Cold Stone to eat at. We were up so late that I almost fell asleep in the car!
On Saturday, it was time to go to Rapids Water Park. While my mom and Hannah went to the kiddie section, my dad, Alyssa, and I went to the Baby Blue Super Bowl ride. I don’t know if you have ever seen the commercials, but the Super Bowl ride is like a huge toilet bowl that you slide around on. I was so excited to go on it. First, you sit down on the mouth of the slide. When you start sliding down really fast, water gets in your eyes and nose because the slide is closed in. Luckily the sun shone through the plastic so it was not so dark. When you close your eyes to stop the water, you cannot see where you are going. Next thing you know, you are shot out of the slide into the toilet bowl part. Since it starts going slow, you get more relaxed. All of the sudden, you drop 3 or 4 feet head, feet, or butt first, depending on how you are positioned, out of the hole at the bottom. Since the pool is six and a half feet deep, you cannot stand up. The lifeguard gives you a stick to hold on to so he can pull you in. It was the scariest ride I have ever been on!!!! Next, we went on a family raft ride called Riptide Raftin. You get onto your multi-person raft and slide into darkness (ps. its NOT as scary as it sounds!). Alyssa and me were kind of scared because we heard a bazillion people screaming. You go through multiple twists, turns, and drops in a pitch black tunnel. After going back into open air for a little bit, you go back in a tunnel that is not as dark as the first one. Then you slide from the slide to the exit. Next, we went to the wave pool and we treaded water for ten minutes while waves were shooting at us. After going on the Lazy River, Obstacle Course and various kiddie slides we decided the day was over.
Even though it was a short trip, it felt like a whole week! After dinner at Bahama Breeze on the way home, we tried to think of something we could have added or subtracted to this trip but we couldn’t think of anything. It was just perfect!

-- by Meaghan and Alyssa, as told by Meaghan

Take Me Out to the Ballgame

On Monday and Tuesday my dad Meaghan and I went to two baseball games. We were sitting in probably one of the best seats in the stadium. We could hear the umpire call a strike. We also had waiters come up to us and ask us what we wanted. We were in the third row. At the first game the Marlins were playing against Washington. The Marlins won that game. We had a net in front of us so we had no chance of catching a ball. Also at that game we were sitting right next to the Washington’s dugout and all throuout that game I was trying to get a foul ball but I couldn’t get one. Then finally at the end of the game I got one from the father of a ball boy. Then in the next game the marlins lost 9 to 6 and during that game Meaghan got a ball since we were sitting right next to the Washington dugout. It was so fun!- Alyssa