A Mid-Summer Memory

One day, a few years ago, around this time of year- I loaded all the kids up in the suburban and announced that we were going to do something "Super! Fun! today!"
The kids were so excited!
Everyone seat belted in, and peppering me with questions.
"Is Dad coming?"
"Where is it?"
"Is it the bowling alley?"
"Is it McDonalds?"

"I am not telling you, it is a surprise."

Then we merged onto the freeway, and the kids could hardly contain themselves!
Heading into the BIG CITY!
It was going to be AWESOME!

We kept driving.
Past Thanksgiving Point with the dinosaur museum.
Past the movie theater.

Driving on.
Finally, I pulled off of the freeway, made a few turns and this is what loomed into view:

My kids were literally screaming with joy!
"We didn't bring our swimsuits!", they cried.
"It's okay", I said "you won't need them."
I am sure my kids were pretty confused, and conjuring up images of lounging in a lazy river completely nude.
Sharing the parking lot of Cowabunga Bay Water-park is VF Factory Outlet.

I unloaded the stunned children, herded them through the doors of VF, and proceeded to outfit them in $10.00 jeans for the next school year.

I still chuckle about the cruelty of the water-park thing.
And every year, about this time, we begin school shopping and my kids remember the water-park thing too.

It's good to have fond family memories.