I can believe it! My youngest is now a 9-year-old. It’s hard to imagine that I gave birth to O’Shea (formally known as Baby O) almost a decade ago. I remember it all like it was yesterday. My Sandy baby was conceived surprisingly at a time when the infamous Superstorm shut down the NYC Metro area. Some were without electricity, others had no homes to return to. Heck, many lost their lives when the storm surge came crashing ashore.
I was the full-time evening Weather Anchor in the Bronx at the time. Since the superstorm crippled the transit system, my colleagues and I were forced to stay the night at the station. It was non-stop storm coverage. When I finally made it home, my neighborhood looked more like a war zone. It took days to get our power back. This disaster was fresh on my mind and was followed up with more storm coverage. The last thing I could have ever imagined was Baby number two. In fact, I was in complete denial when I found out about the positive pregnancy test.
Fast forward nine years and I look back in awe. Out of this natural disaster came the most wonderful blessing. I remember feeling terrified of the inevitable. We already had a toddler. How in the world are we going to be able to handle a newborn? But by the grace of God, we did it. I’m fortunate to have a strong support system, which is crucial when working crazy hours.
I truly feel blessed. O’Shea has grown into an independent, smart, confident, talented, and handsome boy. Those seeds were planted early on. He rarely cried as a baby. He’d wait patiently in his crib until I woke up. It’s as if he knew Mommy worked a long shift and needed rest. He wasn’t the type of baby that needed constant attention and soothing. He was just fine playing by himself.
After all these years, he hasn’t changed much. He is still an early riser. He wakes up at the crack of dawn, takes a shower, gets dressed, and makes his bed. O’Shea doesn’t stray from his routine. It’s one of the things I admire most about him. Additionally, he has become quite the student, ball player and artist. He went from drawing stick figures to amazing works of art in just a matter of days during the pandemic. I’m still amazed.
Now that he’s turning the big nine, the hubs and I wanted to celebrate this milestone in a special way. O’Shea is a pretty low key kid. When asked what he wanted to do, he chose to have lunch at one of our vegan restaurants in the city.
But of course, we wanted to add something else to the birthday lunch that he’d enjoy. So, we decided to plan a quick getaway upstate to LegoLand. However, The 150-acre park located in Goshen was two and a half hours away. To maximize our trip, we decided to book a motel nearby the night before. If you plan to take your little ones, here are a few more things to consider.
Tips for Planning a Trip to LegoLand
Consider a hotel and ticket package. The combo is hassle-free and comes with added amenities. Make sure you call in advance and allow enough lead time because packages get sold out quickly.
Download the app. It has a map of the park, mobile orders for easy food purchases, details about rides, and lists wait times.
Have a plan. This theme park isn’t as overwhelming as larger parks. However, it’s still a good idea to have an itinerary to make sure things go smoothly.
Arrive at the park early. Doors officially open at 10am. However, they begin letting visitors in about 15 minutes early. This offers enough time to get through security and use the restroom before going on rides.
Be flexible. Let’s face it; things may happen that’s beyond our control. Whether it’s weather related, an illness, or whatever. It’s important to have a plan B.
Bring sunscreen and plenty of water. Shade is difficult to come by at Legoland. We arrived on the heels of a heatwave in July. The sun is brutal anytime of the year. Therefore, it’s important to protect your skin and stay hydrated. There are also fountains throughout the park to refill your water bottle.
Bring Snacks. We usually have a big breakfast in the morning before heading out, bring a sandwich, some fruit, and dry snacks. Then grab a bite on our way home.
As a family that follows a plant-based diet, there aren’t many vegan options. Whether you follow a special diet or not, bringing your own food isn’t a bad idea. It’s also a great way to cut costs. Theme park food can get expensive. Some of the restaurants were closed, but we managed to find a taco place that served vegetable burritos.
Some Favorite Takeaways
LegoLand is great for younger kids, about two to 12-year-olds. Our nine and 11-year-old both had a great time.
Lego Artworks. Figures are displayed throughout the park that make perfect photo ops for social media.
Small crowds. The rides were easily accessible with limited wait times, and it was easy to move throughout the park.
Interactive. In addition to the rides, there were some cool interactive elements like building Legos.
Rides. If you like thrill rides, then you’ll love The Dragon. But overall, don’t expect a lot of them. Honestly, it was nice to have a little break from scary rides. Our 11-year-old is a big thrill seeker, but still found joy in these rides at LegoLand.
Clean restrooms. If you have babies in diapers or are potty training, you don’t have to worry about gross bathrooms at LegoLand.
Our very creative, low key not-so-little guy had an amazing time at LegoLand. His frequent hugs were a clear indication. Seeing the smile on his face makes me warm and fuzzy inside. It’s a reminder of why I started blogging in the first place. I love creating and documenting memories to last a lifetime.
