What’s that they say about the best laid plans often going awry?
I’d bet anything that a parent came up with that one.
It was probably a mom traveling with kids. A mom on vacation desperately trying to squeeze a million activities into a single day in order to make her children happy, but finding that the universe, and the kids, had other ideas on how the day should unfold.
Sound familiar?
It does to me.
A few days ago my 6-year-old daughter and I took a summer road trip to Six Flags Great America, so that she could be reunited with her BFF Sylvester.
(Reunited and it feels so good!)
Actually, we were there to check out the popular theme park’s newest addition, Riptide Bay. And we couldn’t have picked a better day to do so. Chicago was on fire during our visit to Great America. Temperatures were in the 90s with heat index values topping 100 degrees. What better way to stay cool than to explore a wet and wild water park?
That was the plan.
And by the plan, I mean my plan.
Turns out my daughter had a different plan. Way different. Her goal was to follow her favorite feline around the park.
“I’m back!” she’d cheerfully announce to Sylvester at each encounter. She then Velcroed her arms around the costumed character until I mentioned that her body heat may cause the cat to pass out.
Not wanting to harm her BFF, my daughter decided it would be much cooler (in more ways than one) to pretend she was Sylvester. Of course, this meant tracking down Tweety, so she could show him who was boss.
(“Gwanny! Save me!”}
“It’s so hot; let’s go back to the water park,” I suggested. I was determined to experience at least one of Riptide Bay’s new high octane water rides before the sunset.
Unfortunately, my daughter had other ideas for cooling off.
Mother Nature’s air conditioning proved too tempting for my little roller coaster lover to resist, and what parent can say no to her child when she’s having this much fun?
Adjusting expectations and amending plans; it’s all part of good parenting, right?
I employed that rationale up until my daughter’s chance encounter with a stuttering duck.
Then, all bets were off.
Maybe it was the heat, or perhaps she just enjoyed the smell of roast duck. Regardless, my daughter fell hard for Daffy, and soon we were chasing his tail feathers around the park.
(Double dipping with Daffy!)
With all the rides, the live shows, the parade, meals, music and so much more to experience, I didn’t get to spend nearly as much time at Riptide Bay as I had planned before the park closed for the day.
So much for trying to squeeze a week’s worth of fun into a single day.
My new plan: A return trip next month.
I’m pretty sure that’s exactly how Great America execs would have planned it.