It’s Getting All Crafty Around Here
July 13, 2011
There is only so much swimming you can do before you long for some time relaxing in the airconditioning. Even the kids have said they want to do something that doesn’t involve water. Too bad for them we are going to Schlitterbahn tommorrow. Something I am equal parts excited about and dreading. (If you local people have any advice about going, lay it on me.)
I bought some hemp thread, intent on teaching the kids how to make friendship bracelets. I remember making them when I was a kid.
During this process I have discovered some things:
1) I must have had a lot more patience when I was a kid than I do now.
2) I am not very good at it. So either I have lost some skills as I have aged, or I care more now about the details. I hope it is the latter, though I suspect the former.
3) My kids’ idea of learning to make friendship bracelets is picking out the colors they like, handing them to me, and then skipping off while calling over their shoulder, “Tell me when you are done!”
As a result above of the we all have bracelets now that look like this instead:
And yes, that is my wrist. 40-something isn’t too old to have a string bracelet is it? Don’t answer that.
And speaking of camp related activities… What? Didn’t you make these things at camp?
I have a new post over at AlphaMom about sending kids away to summer camp. Are your kids ready for sleep away camp? Are you? I’d love for you to weigh in with your camp experiences.
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Have fun at schlitterbahn! we are going next month..and have never been. We are going to see Houston,Galveston, and San Antonio for vacation….figure we’ve lived in Tx for 4 yrs now we might as well see it with the kids!
I am eagerly awaiting the other replies in regards to the waterpark.
July 13th, 2011 at 11:28 amI’m in Texas right now, visiting with my dad. My step mom says that Schlitterbahn’s a great place to go. You can bring your own coolers, and the kids will have a phenomenal time. Be prepared for tired kids.
She also suggested going to Enchanted Rock - it’s a big hiking area with lots of really cool rock domes and she says that your kids will have a blast.
Enjoy!
July 13th, 2011 at 11:45 amHaha, one of my children would say the same about friendship bracelets!
Schlitterbahn looks fantastic, but is it really $50-60 EACH to get in for just. one. day?
I know I’m getting old now that I think everything is so ridiculously expensive. I always think everyone should be able to afford a day out at a waterpark, a trip to the movies etc. But the prices always seem so unrealistically high, despite everywhere being over crowded, so clearly it’s just me!
July 13th, 2011 at 11:50 amGo to Schlitterbahn early. After 3pm it’s half price so it gets really crowded and the lines for the slides get to be 1 hour wait plus. It’s fun though. And you can bring in a cooler with your own food and drinks to save $$.
July 13th, 2011 at 12:07 pmDitto here with the bracelets! There I was sitting at the dining room table all alone making THEIR bracelets! It wasn’t the outcome I was hoping for because I too remember spending hours making these in my youth.
Oh well!
I am sharing a really cheap and fun idea that you and the kids can make. All my kids (12-10-5) loved it and it unexpectedly kept them busy playing TOGETHER!
Marshmallow Shooters! (I know it sounds like some kind of adult beverage. Unfortunately no - but they kept everyone happy for like hours.)
Check it out on my blog if your interested.
July 13th, 2011 at 12:11 pmSchlitterbahn is so much fun! I bet you and your kids will love it. I recommend bringing your own food. You probably already know this, but they’ll allow you to bring coolers to use at their picnic tables. The only thing they don’t allow is glass containers, but we made that mistake and they just poured our drinks into plastic cups for us. I’m from the east coast originally, so that kind of friendliness was amazing to me! Oh, also there is an older side that is gorgeous and uses the river water and a newer side that is chlorinated. We spent most of the day on one side the first time we went, because we didn’t realize that there were two.
July 13th, 2011 at 1:28 pmIf you have time/desire, go to Granzin’s, just a quick 5-minute (maybe less!) drive from Schlitterbahn. My favorite BBQ in the state.
July 13th, 2011 at 1:30 pmAs a Texas (Houston) resident, we went up there every single summer when I was a kid…I used to think Schlitterbahn was a mandatory summer activity. Then I realized other families went to Disney World and I was not pleased.
We went back last year now that I have kids and I have to say, I don’t remember the lines being nearly that bad when I was growing up. So have lots and lots of patience with the lines. My biggest recollection is constantly trying to keep my kids from hitting the people in line in front of us with their tubes.
My one piece of advice…everyone does the old part of the park in the morning and heads over to the new part in the afternoon, so swap it up to beat some of the crowds. It’s hard to convince the kids to do so because you just got there and they want to ride something in the water, not a tram to the other side, but you’ll find the new part of the park is much less crowded when it opens.
Also, you probably already know this, but you can bring in your own cooler for sandwiches and stuff. However, they will search it at the entrance and confiscate anything glass, so make sure you don’t have any glass bottles or jars of mayo or such.
Hope this helps…have fun!
July 13th, 2011 at 2:02 pmBreak out the macrame! We found making those bracelets fiddly, too.
July 13th, 2011 at 3:52 pmSchlitterbahn advise: Get there early and hit the newer part of the park first. It has less shade and all of the larger rides will be swamped if you wait. Have your kids figure out which rides they really want to go on, and get in line for those first. I would also rent a locker and stash an extra pair of sunglasses in your bag. One of us always looses a pair. Have fun!!!
July 13th, 2011 at 4:21 pmSchlitterbahn can be overwhelming. Get there early and decide which part of the park you want to start out with first. There are two separate sections that require a tram ride to get back and forth. Buy the “wet money” that is kept around your wrist rather than carrying actual money that will get wet. They will refund whatever wet money you don’t use. Have Fun!
July 13th, 2011 at 5:31 pmmaybe this tutorial for quicker bracelets will help them with the instant-gratification part.
if you’re using embroidery floss, though, you would want to double or triple each color, so its thick enough.
http://www.homemade-gifts-made-easy.com/make-a-friendship-bracelet.html
July 13th, 2011 at 6:43 pmI wasn’t good at those bracelets when I was a kid, so I’m sure I’d be downright awful now.
No tips for Schillerbahn, as we haven’t tried it with kids yet. I do want to say that I thoroughly enjoyed your Aquarena Springs write up. I visited it a few times when I was a kid (back in my not-good-at-friendship-bracelet-days) and got to see the swimming pig, the mermaid show and ride the gondola. I went back a year ago (my in laws are in San Marcos) and couldn’t believe how different it is now.
July 13th, 2011 at 7:32 pmFor Schlitterbahn, bring your lunches! Bring a whole cooler of water, and get there early to park it on a picnic table. Lockers are great to keep all your stuff in as soon as you walk in and bring shoes that stay on your feet…you don’t want to lose any down the lazy river. Ohh, the lazy river, float on it ALL day (but wear lots of sunscreen…inner tube tans are not so cute…)
July 13th, 2011 at 8:41 pmWe went to Schlitterbahn on our Texas vacation a few weeks ago. My suggestions are:
Park 1:
1. If you want to ride the Master Blaster go to this part of the part first thing in the morning. The line for the Master Blaster can be 1.5 hrs long.
2. Ride that, the Dark Knight and the other ride.
3. At this park The Wave Pool/River is much fun, but make sure the little ones have a tube they hold on to. The waves get a little scary deep when it is crowded.
4. Find a chair to the far right of the park behind the master blaster. Chairs, picnic tables and shade.
Park 2 (the middle park)
1. your boys will love the Boogie Bahn - where you can body surf. My son did that about 5 times and we stayed in that wave river during that time. Took about 1.5 hours.
Park 3 (Original Waterpark)
1. My personal favorite part was the old school part of the park. The rides are long and fun. All of the rides are tube rides and you sit and your tube, chill and float along. There are 2 rides where you actually shoot into the river.
2. lots of great places to sit and wait for the kids at this park. Shade and tables all over.
Have fun & I hope my tips help!!
July 13th, 2011 at 8:56 pmSchlitterbahn advice: Go on weekday (check! see you are already ahead). Start at the new parts of the park (Surfenburg and Blastenoff) save the older part of the park which is shaded and partially spring-fed river water for later in the day when it is hotter. If the kids want to ride water coasters, do that first, they are great and worth a two hour wait in line but they are NOT worth standing in the heat in line for a minute longer than that. Great wave ride around the coaster.
You must take water shoes, do not let anyone go barefoot, rent a locker for your stuff, eat lunch at the park, but head to restaurant outside of the park for dinner.
Start early and don’t go if anyone feels sick. It is the type of place where you really need your A game to enjoy it.
have fun!
July 13th, 2011 at 10:28 pmYou are never too old for friendship bracelets. That fad hit about a year ago and I and my 40-something self am currently wearing 8 different friendship bracelets, because you can’t take them off. They have to ROT off… or so my children told me when they tied them on so tight I can’t take them off. Although I did notice they didn’t have any trouble slipping them off their “mini” wrists.
July 14th, 2011 at 7:43 amBut like you, I have now become the expert and can even words!
ahhh, summer bracelets! It’s also a tradition here, where I find small pieces of colored thread all over the house, all summer long.
My daughter usually starts doing them herself, gets bored or screws up after about an inch, then gives it to me: “can you finish it?”
I’m 33, and I usually get 2-3 on my ankles for the summer. I like them, they remind me of summers as a teenager… this is not pathetic, right? right????
July 14th, 2011 at 9:39 amNo advice on Schlitterbahn (I’m avoiding it like the plaque - 5 years and running!
But I decided to do those cute braided hair barrettes with the kids this summer with similar results…the kids ran off and left me to do the dirty work. I made some super cute barrettes though!
July 14th, 2011 at 12:35 pmWow…. Your kids’ summer? What every lucky adult remembers with great fondness!
July 14th, 2011 at 11:54 pmIt’s good to know that my 8yo isn’t the only child who expects me to make a friendship bracelet for her friend. It’s also nice to see you posting more. I always appreciate your perspective on things…and your kids just crack me up.
July 15th, 2011 at 9:24 amWe were at Schlitterbahn over Father’s Day weekend but ended up only visiting Surfenburg and Blastenhoff, both of which I detest. But it wasn’t my weekend, so whatever. We were going to go to Schlitterbahn West a few days later but we got too sunburnt while tubing the Comal. Booo.
July 17th, 2011 at 9:42 pmNahhh—not too old for friendship bracelets! I am the 40- something Mom of a high school daughter who makes them for all her friends…. and me
I love the colors and the fact that she makes them— 
July 18th, 2011 at 5:37 pmI know I’m just a reader of your blog and don’t know you personally but it seems to me like you are really happy this summer, happier than you ever were before. Just an observation. Peace.
July 20th, 2011 at 4:34 pm