Free and Fun is the Best Combo!
Eli and Ava were sooooo good during the move and being flexible with eating schedules and not getting as much 1:1 attention from Sam and me as usual, so I decided to treat them this week with a Halloween surprise. I told them if they got all their school work done in the morning (which meant doing a LOT to catch up on what we didn’t do during the move!) I had a surprise for them. Worked like a charm! “Surprises” in our house are always fun ~ exploring new parks, grabbing a treat at a new bakery or ice cream shop, visiting a friend, etc. None of those jumping out from behind a dark corner scaring the crap out of you surprises that some people find hilarious. Inside scoop – I’m NOT one of those people!! So, I’ve made it my mission to always equate “surprise” with something fun. And if it’s free???? Even better!
If you have kids under 7, you need to check out Hoover Gardens in Westerville. They have a free “haunted” (I use that term very loosely) maze/house, plus tons of pumpkin displays and Halloween inflatables throughout the garden center. On the weekends, they have pumpkin painting for $3. The maze was so cool because it was inside a greenhouse, so it was light and the “scare factor” came from the decorations inside – ghosts, goblins, mummies, witches, spider webs. I say “kids under 7” because Eli was right on the cusp of saying “this is boring” but I think because Ava thought it was awesome, the excitement level was fun for Eli, too. We went through it 4 times and even played hide and go seek once 🙂 We would have stayed longer and likely gone through many more times, but Eli apparently decided to ignore my instructions to go potty before leaving the house and the next thing I know, he is walking out of the maze with his knees bent together.
Me: Eli, did you have an accident?
Eli: Yea, but just a pee accident. No poop.
Me: Well, I’m glad for that. Your socks are wet! Did you pee a lot?
Eli: No, just a little, but I’m not wearing underwear, so it got on my socks. But at least it didn’t get on the straw floor!
*Shaking my head as we walk to the car*
Just another day in the life of a mom with a child who hates wearing underwear. Even when I think I am in control of the surprise, I never really am 🙂