We are off to Universal/Islands of Adventure on Sunday. Wanted to surprise my 10 and 14 year old kids. Looking for suggestions on how to break the news to them. We will be flying. Not sure what to tell them once we get to the airport. They think we are driving to Vermont.
We did this to our kids years ago. They also thought we were driving to a destination. We started taking some back roads towards the airport so the kids wouldn't know we were heading there.
We had taken many road trips previously and our kids were notorious when they were young for complaining that we needed to find a rest stop about 5 minutes into the trip. So, DH and I almost immediately start a comedy skit about me needing to go to the bathroom about 5 minutes into the drive. It was complete with all the parental admonishments that we used to utter, such as "I told you to go before we left." "I didn't have to go then" I would reply petulantly. "I told you to try." The kids were in hysterics, joining in the fun with their own long ago complaints and mimicking the parents. They thought we were just poking fun at our road trips when they were younger.
We live in Denver, so the big terminal tent can be seen for miles. Finally the peaks of the tent come into view (remember, we were taking back roads to confuse the kids) and DH makes a big production of "OK fine, there is the airport, we will stop for a bathroom break."
Of course, I complain, "the airport, isn't that a bit extreme? Paying for parking and all?" More hilarity ensues, the kids not really believing we would actually go to the airport.
DH pulls into long term parking, exclaiming I will have to walk because we were NOT paying for short term parking for a bathroom break.
The kids were now very confused, thinking maybe Mom really did need to go to the bathroom and Dad was being a bit crazy. Ok, not a bit crazy, very crazy.
DH starts pulling out the luggage. Kids are like "what?" He replies "You don't think we are going to leave the luggage in the car while we walk Mom to the bathroom, do you?"
The kids were now suspecting we were going on a trip, so at this point we finally tell the kids we are actually heading to Universal, their favorite place in the world.
This was pre-Harry Potter. I would have loved to have the additional prop of a letter from Hogwarts to present to them at this time. They were excited and laughing that we actually pulled one over on them and surprised them.
They still talk about Mom's "bathroom break." It was the subject of many school essays over the years.
