Exceptional Wolf Lodge

We are back from our whirlwind trip to Great Wolf Lodge, which we have been forced to rename Exceptional Wolf Lodge because it was THAT much fun. Seriously, we all enjoyed it when at least one of us, or probably two of us, had low expectations. Come join us for a little trip over the past 48 hours.

It all began at The Trivet. Aunt Anonymous told us about this restaurant several years ago and we've been a couple of times, but because it is about 15 yards away from Yocco's the Hot Dog King, we don't often get there. But since this was a SPECIAL occasion (and because we were going to stop at Yocco's on our way home) we began our trip north at the Trivet with two very excited little girls who pretty much ate none of their chicken tenders and fries:

We were going to GWL to celebrate Hannah and Lizzie's birthday. Their actual birthday is Nov. 21 but we wanted to do something special and this Halloween weekend worked well for us (read: it was a lot cheaper to go on a Sunday night when there was no school the next day, than a weekend...). It also gave Rob the opportunity to buy them this cool spider cake:

Making the first of what will probably be 42 birthday wishes. Since it was Halloween it seemed appropriate to do everything in costume. I say that because with Hannah and Liz, there doesn't have to be a reason to wear a costume, but this time, there actually was!
However the main attraction of GWL is the water park. It ROCKS. We have gone to the Split Rock water park for the past two years, and it's fun, but this water park is beyond what any almost 8 year old could imagine. Here's Hannah on a random woodland creature that was in the middle of one of the pools:

Oh, and here is the reason Rob enjoyed himself as much as he did. The water park had a BAR in it. And they NAMED IT AFTER HIM:

Lizzie taking a ride around the Lazy River. It's the only time she wasn't running around during the whole trip. This was also Rob's favorite ride, although he wanted to write on the comment card that the innertubes need cup holders:

Both girls on the woodland creature:

Here they are coming out of one of 7 BIG slides (By the way I was using my new camera which is okay for still pictures, but is NOT good when there is action going on -- which there usually is at a water park). They have other smaller slides, but Hannah and Lizzie did every slide about a million times once they learned that Lizzie was tall enough. This one was dark with strobe lights and rock music. There's also a roller coaster slide that goes up and down and around, and then one that twists around outside the building with two large drops somewhere along the way. There's also a slide that sort of flushes you down a drain. I have no first hand knowledge of these slides but Hannah and Lizzie do. They went on all of them. I went on one of the family slides and let me tell you they are fast, and curvy and long and will seriously make you rethink the gyro salad you had for lunch at the Trivet:

Here's Rob and Hannah in the wave pool. I got them in a pool of sunlight so that you wouldn't know if Rob was really that white, or not. The wave pool was probably my favorite part. The waves were fun and Hannah and I both liked banging into each other in our innertubes:

This is one of those balance things that you walk across. Lizzie was pretty good at it. Hannah had more trouble, but I think it's because she thought the lifeguard was cute and wanted him to help her. In fact, Hannah got well acquainted with several of the lifeguards and not because she was drowning or anything. She kept getting her innertubes in places where they weren't supposed to go:

After the water park it was time for the candy trail. The girls got on their costumes and we walked all over the hotel searching for clues and candy and toys. It was a good tour of the hotel, which has lots of activities, AND we got to end the trail in the Cub Club with cookies and hot chocolate:

Here's Lizzie eating one of the gazillion pixie sticks she got:

And here's the post-pixie-stick face:

Here we are getting ready to go to the clock show and storytime. This is the third floor and behind them you can see a couple of wolves that are on the giant fireplace where they have the storytime:
Hannah was in awe of the clocktower show. It starred an Indian princess who told the story about not being scared in the forest. It was all done with these animatronic people that frankly I thought were a little creepy:

Lizzie watching the show:

After the show it was storytime with one of the GWL mascots. Hannah and Lizzie were THRILLED by this, and got seats right up front:

And here they are waiting to meet Violet, the girl wolf mascot (although with about 3,000 other kids!):

And here they are with Violet:

And just to prove I was there, here I am in one of the woodland scenes in the Cub Club, which is the arts and crafts and play area for kids. Which is why I was there:
No, really we were there so that the girls could paint some stuff. Lizzie is concentrating on her frog bank:

And here is Hannah working on hers. (More on the tiaras in a second) There were dozens of items from which to choose, and they both ended up picking the same thing:

The tiaras actually came from the Scoops Spa where the girls got their first ever official pedicure. Let me tell you this place was a little girl's paradise. Here they are in their tiaras, which they got to take home, and the robes which they could have taken home if I bought them, which I did not. The place has an ice cream theme and they both chose Neapolitan which meant they got things in chocolate, vanilla and strawberry flavors:

Here's the final product. Hannah and Lizzie BOTH chose the red glitter nail polish. They were very twinny this weekend, but I have to admit that I'd have chosen this color, too! The best part (or one of them, because there were many) was that they were given the bottle of nail polish to take home, and an ice cream cone when the pedicure was over:

Here's Lizzie getting her polish painted on:

Both girls getting pampered. I knew Hannah would love this since she is always stealing my makeup, but Lizzie loved it too, and kept smelling her feet, which (trust me) very rarely smell like strawberries:
There was lots more. We were back at the water park after a good night's rest. We had ice cream and pizza and watched television and had birthday cake for breakfast. Oh, and as sort of a pre-birthday present, we got the girls feetie pajamas that they couldn't wait to wear. In fact when we got home this afternoon they both put them on and watched movies in their jammies ... great way to end the birthday bash:

It really was a great time and we'll definitely be back!