A night of ICE in Whoville!

The ICE exhibit at the Gaylord Texan is simply amazing!  The entire family including my mom went on Friday night.  The weather outside was nice.  The temperature in the exhibit was 9 degrees!  It was C.O.L.D! This year’s theme was, 1957 Dr. Seuss holiday classic--How The Grinch Stole Christmas. 

We started off by eating a yummy burger dinner at Mooyah!  It was peaceful yet, we were all anticipating the excitement to follow. 

waiting in line

While my mom and Nealy waited and saved our spot in line, Scott and I took B to see the train and other cute holiday things the Gaylord had set up around the ticket booth.  He was SO excited to see the train and play.  Having taken him away from the train to start moving in the line might of been what started a tiny bit of a downward spiral.  

As we started moving along and working our way to enter the 9 degree temperature filled area…Brayden started to get a little nervous.  It wasn’t scary but, I think he started to feel a bit claustrophobic.  When we tried putting his big blue parka on, he didn’t like the fact he couldn’t see his hands because the sleeves were too long.  Things went down hill from there.  It was super cold (I can’t say it enough) and his tears were drying so quickly I kept wiping them away in fear they may freeze on his skin. (totally not kidding). My poor little guy.  He did make it halfway through the exhibit.  We were so proud he was such a trooper.  He had made it so nicely through the long drive, dinner (he was such an angel), waiting patiently in line, and halfway (teary eyed) in the exhibit.  He and Daddee turned around and headed out.  People were saying, “make way….frozen baby.”  The excitement and fun didn’t end there…

 

The best part of our outing (other than being together as a family and experiencing a magical holiday memory), was the ICE slide.  Now, I have to say, I am way bummed about not getting pictures of the slides themselves or even pics of Nealy and my mom on the slide but, I have a really good excuse. Getting to the slide part of the exhibit was soon after my two boys departed.  Although, Scott explained to take our time and he was totally okay with a crazy crying toddler, I still felt a bit uneasy.  So, I asked Nealy if she wanted to slide down the slide (hoping she might say no…isn’t that awful?)  Anyway, she says, “um, not really.”…SO, we decide to keep making our way through the exhibit.  We walk up these stairs thinking it’s the only way to continue on.  Wrong!  The stairs lead to 3 different slides and our ONLY way out it to slide OR walk back down the stairs.  There were SO many blue-parka-people behind us, in my mind that wasn’t an option.  Now, I was a teensy bit worried about my mom going down.  She’s not in the best of the health and not quick on her feet.  (You know how you have to put your feet down QUICKLY to pop up at the end of any slide).  I quickly assess the slides and pick the ‘best’ one.  I’m thinking, “this can’t be bad. BUT, what if my mom hits her head on the ice etc?”  I get a tiny bit panicky but, decide we don’t have a choice.  I know what you’re thinking….WHAT do you mean you don’t have a choice?  Let me explain, I was freezing.  Worried about Scott and B.  I couldn’t think clearly!  Nealy goes down first.  Fast, perfection, success.  I decide to go after my mom.  I take my mom’s purse, I have Nealy’s too, my big ‘ole thing, AND my camera! Mercy!  My mom sits down and takes off.  Well…kinda.  She was suppose to have sat on her parka (to make her slide with ease).  She sat on her jeans and was scooting inch by inch.  The young guy working there looks at me with an embarrassed look on his face.  I want to die! I’m still a little worried about her but, my giggles take over.  The guy says, “are you going to hold all that stuff when you slide?”  Ugh!  I want to die AGAIN.  I say, “um, yeah, I guess so.”  He says, “well, go ahead, you’ll beat your mom down.”  He reminds me to sit on my parka.  I follow his directions and VOOOOM I take off.  It’s way faster than I expected!  I manage with all those purses to put my feet down at the right moment and pop up.  I was in a teensy bit of shock of how fast I went down.  I was SO relieved at the same time, that I didn’t bust it at the end in a big pile of purses. Phew!  I look to my right and see Nealy laughing SO hard that I immediately start laughing.  It takes all my strength to keep from falling over.  I am laughing THAT hard.  Before I even look in the same direction Nealy is looking, I get a visual of my mom on the slide….STILL.  The reality confirms my visual.  Ha-Ha-Ha!  There is my mom scooting inch by inch.  The guy at the bottom of the slide seems annoyed…maybe I am just thinking he was.  I quickly go to meet my mom so she doesn’t stand up too quickly and slip on the ice.  I am trying to pull her up with all those purses and my camera.  I am laughing so hard I don’t have the strength.  So, the annoyed guy comes to help.  I am speechless.  Once up, we hang our heads in shame and continue on.  Once we’re out of sight…the giggles and laughter start up again.  It was SO MUCH FUN!!!!  The rest of the exhibit was breathtaking!

 

Here are my BOYS!  They actually had a grand time playing at the shop and looking at all the different Christmas decor.  There was even another train that B was able to play on!  It was such a GREAT night filled with fun, laughter, and tears!

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