A spontaneous little trip for Simon

Realizing that we all needed a little escape, after a couple of unnecessarily stressful weeks, we decided to make good on a freebie and connections for a quick vacation. Last spring, I won a night at Great Wolf Lodge from the door prizes in the Red Cross mini-golf tourney at Cedar Point. Diana is going to be on their ask-a-mom detail, and we know some folks there, so we could get a good rate on a second night. With Simon's birthday on Tuesday, we had all the reason to go have some fun!

Going to a destination that's only an hour away is nice because there isn't any real sense of urgency or schedule you have to follow. We rolled into the lodge around 2, and landed in our "Wolf Den" suite shortly thereafter. It's a neat room with a "cave" at one end with bunks and its own TV. It had little peep holes to see out where mom and dad sleep, and a window toward the sink as well. Simon loved it, except when he hit his head on the window hole, over and over.

The Sandusky Great Wolf Lodge is known as the "cozy" one because it's a little smaller than the others. I thought it was perfect for someone like Simon. I think it could use a wave pool, but it's certainly not a deal breaker without it. They actually have a few more kid-friendly slides compared to the one in Washington. They have an especially large hot tub, and another big one that is adults-only. The bar is comfortable, just off the lobby, and their breakfast buffet is actually half family-style.

We went to the water park four times in the 48 hours we were there, and it wasn't as much of a struggle as I expected to get Simon engaged. He's still very unsure of himself in the water, maybe in part because of when I dropped him in the lazy river at Cedar Point early last year. He was totally apprehensive at first, but by the morning we left, we had him almost free floating in a life jacket. He was asking us to go in the water by that point. I think when the water parks open this spring, we'll have to make it a point to get him in as much as possible.

The general manager at the hotel showed us around the different room types they have there, and some of them are really spectacular. I particularly loved the two-bedroom suite, which would be great if you had grandparents or something along for a visit. She's wonderful, by the way, for taking time to show us around. We met her a few months ago when they opened up the MagiQuest attraction there.

We had dinner with "Uncle" Timmy and Lois at BWW, which is something I've been doing now for more years than I can count. I wish we did it more often. It's always fun to catch up. Although I suppose if we did it more, it wouldn't be catching up, but that's OK. We also scored pizza at Chet & Matt's. And of course, no visit to Sandusky is complete without a stop at Cedar Point. Simon has been talking about visiting pretty much since the park closed, so even getting to walk around with it closed was a treat for him. And of course, we got to see GateKeeper a little closer. Couldn't get too close, because Simon is not exactly construction site friendly.

I've often said that I'm glad we generally include Simon in most of the things we do for leisure. But I also should say that it's not out of obligation that I feel this way. He genuinely appreciates and finds joy in our little adventures. He may not realize how fortunate he is to have them, but there's no question he's into our trips.