Sunday 8 May 2011

Never again

I recently convinced myself that taking our kids to a very large theme park would be a good idea, and on a bank holiday, what's more.  Tom was harder to convince, but we ended up going anyway.

Once on site, I insisted that Betty and I went on the first ride we came to.  We queued for an agonising hour and twenty minutes, behind a lady that Betty couldn't take her eyes off.  I feared she was going to give loud judgements on what this lady was wearing/saying at any given moment, and get us beaten up.  When we finally got to the front, I rationalised that to queue for this long, the ride must be bloody amazing.  'Hold onto your hat' I told Betty, as our carriage pulled away.  'Why are we going so slowly?' Betty asked, 'Is the ride broken?'  I was embarrassed, and even more so when literally 30 seconds later we were back at the beginning, and I had to break it to Betty that after all that standing in a line it was time to find something else to do.  'Isn't this all such fun' I said faux-cheefully.  Betty looked intensely annoyed.

From then on, the day just got worse: Dolly got bellowed at by another child who said 'I don't want you here, go away', Betty became increasingly frustrated/upset that she couldn't go on most of the rides, Dolly lost her sacred rabbit comforter, my new shoes were killing my feet, Tom had gone into a depressive state and wouldn't talk, it was hot, and busy, and Betty got temporarily lost.  It was at this point, once we had found her, all of us in tears, tensions at an all time high, we decided to throw in the towel and go home. 

As we sat in traffic on the M25 in uncharacteristic stunned silence, Tom announced: 'I am taking out that National Trust annual membership as soon as we get home'.

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12 comments:

Irene said...

Tom is a very sensible man.

Alijane said...

Legoland by any chance! National Trust is so much more sedate, think nice picnics in gorgeous country houses, it beats a theme park any day.

Alison
x

Iota said...

I don't get why people are prepared to queue for so long for rides. It seems to be acceptable in a way that it wouldn't anywhere else.

mum in meltdown said...

I'm with your hubby I'm afraid!! or just go to the seaside xx

nappy valley girl said...

Yes - my idea of hell is a theme park. We managed six hours at Disney last year and that was enough. We take our boys to botanical gardens instead.!

Expat mum said...

I'm ashamed to say that my 7 y/o has never been to a theme park. I don't think he even knows they exist. I was so over them with the older two that I can't face them these days.

Elsie Button said...

hi nora, yes far more so than me it seems - should listen to him sometimes...

hi aliijane, we are big fans of national trust - big expanse of grass, pretty flowers and a climbing frame of some sort - perfect!

hi iota, yes, queuing makes me mad - at the best of times - but for that it was a double insult

Elsie Button said...

hi mum in meltdown, absolutely - nothing beats the seaside!

hi nappy valley, botanical gardens sound so much more appealing - lovely!

hi expat mum, i don't think i will ever go to one again - however much my kids might want to in the future (although i doubt they will)

The mum of all trades said...

Thankfully n Ireland doesn't have any theme parks. Sometimes its good not to have lots of facilities!

Elsie Button said...

Wow, no themes parks - sounds perfect!

Anonymous said...

Theme parks are my idea of a nightmare, Freddy Kruger style. An hour and twenty minutes? Are you mad?

definitely prefer to National Trust!

CJ xx

Elsie Button said...

hi CJ, yes i must be! - give us national trust any day! x