We threw ourselves into the holidays without hesitation this year. As my children grow older at a speed that startles me I no longer dread the onslaught of the six week break. Instead I look forward to it in the same way I anticipate a good curry.
It may get a bit hot in places, some moments may bring tears to my eyes, I will drink too much to cope with the intensity. And when it is all finished I will need a lie down and maybe a bit of time in the loo, alone.
But it is fun whilst it lasts.
We have a screamer of a summer planned, from trips to the coast, to festivals and finally finishing blissfully wrapped in Cornish sunsets.
And we started with an overnight stay at Thorpe Park. Even bringing Libby-Sue, my smallest, along for the ride for the very first time.
As always the rides didn’t disappoint. Even for my smallest girl. She found plenty of thrills on the indoor rollercoaster, X, and we rode the Rocky Rollercoaster more times than I care to recollect.
The sun bore down on us with a passion, and we embraced its kiss, relaxing by the beach in the midst of the theme park. The kids swam, paddled and played and I caught a tan.
Perfect time for all.
Then the park started to show signs of tiring and getting ready to close. We threw ourselves onto Tidal Wave and were coated in a torrent of water.
Then we headed the short distance to our hotel, Shark at Thorpe Park.
Cost effective, compact and cosy are the rooms. Designed to look like a boat interior and decorated with ride imagery. The kids were overwhelmed with excitement, even more so when they discovered the wet room. I tested the bed, found my exhausted backside to be a perfect fit and the hotel was declared a hit by us all.
As I said this is our summer to relish, to grab opportunities, to try our hand at anything.
Hence why at 9am the next morning I found myself struggling back into a wetsuit about to ride a flowrider for the second time this year.
It was just as much fun (possibly more so because my wetsuit said size 10 this time round…)
Even my tiny one joined in, and we surfed as a family together.
We laughed till we cried at dramatic wipe fun outs. I shed more tears as my daughter, who lives with a constant pain condition, bravely threw away the crutches and rode the waves.
It was an incredible start to the six week holidays.
Bring on the rest.
Riding the Flowrider at Thorpe Park costs a bargain £15 per person for an hour and is quite possibly the best fun you can have outside of a rollercoaster.
Staying at the Shark hotel for a short break costs from £39.99 per person
Full details to be found at www.thorpepark.com
