NaNoWriMo for Youth! (Local Event in Chandler AZ)

About a month ago, my sister asked me if I was going to participate in NaNoWriMo (National Novel Writing Month) this year.  I said I wasn't sure, and then she asked if I knew there was a youth program as well.  I wasn't aware of that, so I looked into it (well, okay, she sent me the link and I clicked and started reading.)

The website has tons of great information, including an 126 page workbook that is free to download.  It also has writing prompts, and kids can create accounts to keep track of their word counts online and connect with other writers.

I thought it would be fun for Colin, and maybe Nate.  The more I thought about it, I thought it would be fun to get a group of kids together to work on novels in November.  Colin worked at Gangplank this summer on a journalism camp, so I contacted the director and asked if she had anything planned.  She replied that she didn't, but she'd be happy to provide the space if I would help get the word out and organize it. Of course, I said I would.

Our kick-off event is this Saturday, and we plan to meet again mid-way and then at the end to have a celebration.  I have no idea how many kids will show up, but I'm hoping for at least 10 (and shooting for at least 30).  I shared the information with Colin and Nate's teachers, as well as online, and now here on my blog. 

The event is all about writing.  The kids will set word count goals, and if they meet their goal by the end of the month, they have the opportunity to have their books published.  Adults are expected to write 50,000 words in November, but the youth will set goals between 1,000 and 20,000 probably. 

I'm hoping to find a few sponsors to provide prizes, but I'm holding off searching very hard until I have an idea of how many kids are participating.   I think it will be a great learning experience and I'm excited to read the stories that come out of this project.

Are you participating in NaNoWriMo this year?  What about your kids?  If you're local with young ones, contact me directly for more information about our Saturday event! 

Tell Me Thursday - Lazy River at Arizona Grand Resort

If you look carefully, Bo & my boys are in the middle of this picture, floating on the lazy river which is in the Oasis Water Park at the Arizona Grand Resort. 

As has been our almost-annual tradition, we spent time there this weekend, and even though last year I declared that we probably wouldn't return for a few more years -- a year brought more maturity for all 3 of my children. Lydia wore her life vest while in the park, but she can swim now and the boys have also improved their swimming (plus they're taller this year!)

We did have a few issues regarding housekeeping and a couple other things.  It appears that the resort is doing pretty well, and some things slid during our brief stay because of the volume of guests.  Certain areas just didn't meet the expectations I have come to expect from the resort. Management did talk with me about my concerns, and worked to correct the issues, so I'm sure we'll be back again.

My kids absolutely love the Oasis Water Park.  Colin declared the lazy river his favorite, while Lydia this year preferred the "bumpy pool" (otherwise known as the wave pool).  She was fearless bobbing in the waves and thought the entire experience an absolute delight.  Nate loves the water slides best, and had the opportunity to take quite a few slides with Bo during our stay.

We stay in a suite when we go, which gives us plenty of room.  There are 2 beds in a bedroom, and then a pullout couch in the front sitting room.  We also like to choose a suite close to the water park, avoiding the need for a shuttle (or a long, hot walk) to get to the water park.  We bring snacks and drinks to help keep costs down, but those are only for in our rooms, since outside drinks and food are not allowed into the water park area.  We also enjoyed treats and drinks by the pool, and the prices are fair and typical for a resort. 

School starts next week, and while it was looking iffy for a bit whether or not we would be able to take our annual water resort vacation, I'm glad we were able to end the summer on a high note.

Travel with Kids: Arizona Grand Resort (The Not So Good)

Yesterday, I wrote about our weekend and mentioned the good things about our stay at the Arizona Grand Resort.  I couldn't let the weekend pass without mentioning the not-so-good parts about our weekend stay.

The water park is small, but it is also easy to get separated. Since it's a "water" park, carrying phones to stay in touch isn't possible. On Friday night, the boys went to the water slides, while Lydia and I continued around the lazy river (and I have to mention that she has asked 3 times today if we could just GO to the lazy river again, please??)  A while later, she & I got out and went over to the chairs where we left our stuff.  The boys weren't there, so we decided to go over by the water slides and watch them come down.  We went to that area, and waited a while but never saw them.

So, we headed back to our stuff and our stuff was gone.  To cut a long story short, we looked for them, I reported my bag as missing (it held my phone and my Kindle.  And all I could think about was how Bo was going to order me a new one that night because I love my Kindle!!)   I muttered under my breath that I was going to kill them when I found them.

Part of me thought Bo must have picked up the bag, but it held the room key so I was going to have to get help from the staff to get into our room. Part of me worried that one of the boys was injured and they couldn't find me but left for the hospital (yes, I do worry quite a bit.) Part of me thought the boys were still sliding, and someone stole our stuff.

When we finally spotted the boys, I was mad.  Mad because I was so worried.  It wasn't a pretty few minutes until I calmed down and realized everyone was just fine and Bo did have our bag and my precious Kindle was just fine.

So, that didn't set up the weekend very well for me.  We got over that and spent some time in the wave pool.  I'm vigilant about keeping an eye on all my children in a body of water at all times.  It is much more difficult when you're in a very large pool along with hundreds of other people.  There are lifeguards, but that doesn't mean to me that I should let down my guard.  As the waves were pushing through, I had Lydia in a tube that I was holding and Nate and Colin were each about 20 feet away from me in opposite directions.

Suddenly I look at Nate and I see him lose his footing. He goes under, comes up and yells, then goes under again.  He's about 3 feet from a lifeguard, but she never notices. I immediately walk over to him and help him gain his footing again.  He was in water he could stand in when the waves weren't flowing, and then he panicked just a bit.  Everything turned out fine, but if I hadn't been keeping an eye on him things may have been different.

On Saturday, the boys ended up separated from me on the lazy river 2 separate times.  We met up again, and they were both smart about finding a place to stay put, but it wasn't a relaxing weekend for me.  Our boys are at that age where they're not small anymore, but they're also not old enough to be completely on their own.  I think we give them a fair amount of freedom, but even though they are both good swimmers, there's an awful lot of water there and while plentiful, I don't have much faith in the lifeguards.


But, in the end, the kids all had a great time and really enjoyed the different water features.  Me? I felt much calmer floating in our own backyard pool last night where I only had to keep tabs on 3 easily seen heads.  Will we visit again?  Yes, probably, but not for a couple years!

The stress of the weekend was all my own doing, and had nothing to do with the locale, service or amenities at the Arizona Grand Resort.  The resort itself, as well as its' staff, were wonderful and I have absolutely no complaints. Bo said (and I agree) that I would have enjoyed it much more if I could have stretched out on a lounge chair, sipped drinks and read from my book -- stepping into the water from time to time to cool off.  With 3 kids, however, that just wasn't happening.  (That picture posted above? Taken in the last 30 minutes we spent there, when Lydia was dancing at my side and the boys were throwing away our lunch garbage. Definitely not the norm for my weekend.)

I realized that I like going away and spending time in nature, and/or learning new things.  That's my preferred type of getaway.  Oh, and one where it's easy to keep tabs on my children and know that they're safe!  Next time, we'll be heading back to the parks and / or historical sites.

*Disclosure: Because this seems to be necessary when writing a blog, and money has been spent -- we decided to visit on our own, and I received absolutely nothing.  All the money spent this weekend was our own that we earned doing things that are non-blog related.*

Travel with Kids: Arizona Grand Resort (The Good)

 We didn't travel far from home this weekend to visit the Arizona Grand Resort.  The resort is only about 40 minutes from our home, but it includes a water park and a chance to get away from nagging chores and long to-do lists.

We checked in Friday night and visited the water park right away.  Lydia had been talking about the lazy river (also called the crazy lake, the silly river, and the lazy lake by Lydia) so we immediately hopped in.  The lazy river is a big circle, with stops along the way, including a stop for the 3 water slides in the park. 2 of the slides are 8 stories, while one is 5 stories.  Nate, especially, had been looking forward to the water slides so all the boys hopped out near the slides.  We also visited the wave pool, which all the kids enjoyed.

Since this post is about the good parts of the weekend, we'll re-visit the waterslides & wave pool again in tomorrow's post, where I'll discuss the not-so-good parts of the weekend.

We headed back to the room for a bit, and then Colin & Bo went back to the pool area to watch Tarzan, which was shown on a big screen above the wave pool.  We enjoyed room service for a late dinner and then everyone fell into bed. (Question about room service -- anybody reading know how much of the 23% service charge the server receives?  There is a $3 delivery charge, and then a 23% service charge added to the room service bill.  I know this is standard -- but how much does the server receive vs. how much does the hotel keep?  It seems ridiculous to add another 15% tip, but I also want to make sure the server receives a tip.)

On Saturday, my sister came out to join us and we spent the majority of the day at the pool again.  There is also a splash pool that is only about 18 inches deep and has a splash pad that is perfect for small children, including Lydia. Dinner found us at Claim Jumper, and then the boys were back at the pool enjoying another movie.  Nate spent the entire movie floating in the pool.

We checked out on Sunday, but spent the majority of our day in the water park again.  The kids had an amazing time, and the variety of pools were great.

It was nice to get away again, and while we have a backyard pool, we don't have 8 foot water slides, a lazy river, or the ability to create big waves in our pool. The service was good, the food tasted good, and it was a very short drive back home.  We did pack plenty of drinks and snacks this time, which allowed us to snack in our room with ease.  We enjoyed eating poolside for lunches, and I even had a drink or 2.

Click here for the 2nd part of this post.

Something Local to Do!

I've written before how much we enjoy the Boyce Thompson Arboretum near our house! They offer so many wonderful learning opportunities, that we are unable to take advantage of them all.  I am bummed that we won't be able to sign the boys up for a kids' photography class they are running this weekend -- but maybe you have the time and want to attend?

On June 13, they are offering a Kids Photography Workshop (for kids 7 - 15) to learn a few simple camera functions and practice their new skills in the Children's Garden. Spaces are limited, and the cost is only $10!  (Digital cameras required)  The class runs from 9:30 - 11 and parents can explore the grounds while their children are in class.  Reserve your spot by calling 520-689-2723.

If you go, I'd love to hear about your experience! I'm watching their info to see the next offering as I know my boys would love a class like this.