sea world

I make it a point to get as close to a dolphin or whale as I can whenever possible. It has a way of snapping you out of the everydayness of things and replenishing your bucket of awe and wonder. 

We have been to all three Sea World locations and we can now say with some authority that San Antonio is by far the worst. I guess not everything is bigger in Texas,

Surprisingly, the rides ended up being a highlight of the day. The three bigs LOVED this roller coaster. Braden took them 3 or 4 times in a row. Then we alternated taking Anabelle and Lila on some serious coasters. Lila was barely big enough- like her poofy hair probably gave her an inch that she needed to be legal. Now I love a good heart racing thrill just as much as the next guy but this experience had my heart pounding for all the wrong reasons. As we waited in line for her to go on her first real roller coaster she could not have been any more calm. She showed absolutely zero fear or apprehension. I felt some, for her of course. As we got in and buckled up I checked hers about 14 times. Maybe more. I kept trying to recall if she actually did touch the line or if she was too short to be on the ride. Would she fall out on the loops? She's really sort of  small for her age, you know. Our car started to climb a completely vertical track and I lost my mind just a little. I had my legs stretched as far as I could reach them, covering hers. My arms were tangled awkwardly through the bars, trying desperately to cover her chest. It was roller coaster fear like I had never known. 

And she loved every minute of it. And she never fell out. Because I was covering her with my body, obviously. And she asked to go again. And then again. 

It was a crazy moment of having kids old enough to do this with. It blew my mind a little. And it was exciting. And of course I had a shred of psycho Mom for a minute, but that's allowed every once in a while. 

Sea World makes me happy for at least a dozen reasons. It's always the right choice.