Ohio Fun – Page 4 – Mom on the go in Holy Toledo

Imagination Kingdom

July 2, 2015July 2, 2015momonthegoinholytoledo

I don’t know what is more fascinating, the Imagination Kingdom or all the amazing people who made Imagination Kingdom possible! This project is a true example of what is possible when we all come together. We could all learn something from the community of Wauseon, Ohio.

Imagination Kingdom is a handicapped accessible playground located in Reighard Park, in Wauseon, OH. It is the first ever 100% plastic playground in Ohio. (Why plastic? Maintenance isn’t as much, it doesn’t require staining & sealing every year like wooden playgrounds, and as an added bonus parents don’t have to worry about kiddos getting splinters). The playground project was funded, all $250,000, by a committee who solicited area businesses, organizations, and individuals. They also sold engraved pavers & fence pickets which can be seen as you walk up and around the playground. And get this, the playground was no only built by the community, but was entirely staffed by volunteers!! Ah-mazing!!

As we pulled up to Imagination Kingdom all I could hear was oohhs & aahhs coming from the back seats. “It’s a CASTLE!” screamed the 4 year old. The car had barely come to a complete stop and they were unbuckling and jumping out in pure elation and anticipation of the fun to be had! “I am going to be Rapunzel “, yelled out the 4 year old as she ran up to the castle. Meanwhile my 8 & 9 year olds ran off to explore. Mind you, there is no running off; the entire Kingdom is fenced in, a mother’s dream come true!! But it is large enough that they felt like they were exploring on their own.

We enjoyed a brief interlude from exploration to enjoy some jams!! How cool are these? They are by Sound Play.

From a parents perspective I like the fact that the Kingdom was separated. Far too often little ones get trampled on by the big kids. It was nice that the little ones have their own space. I also like the fact that the big kid space and little kid space were right next to each other; it was easy for me to keep an eye on all 3 kiddos.

Imagination Kingdom is definitely a destination. You will want to linger for a little longer than most playgrounds, which is why I advise stopping by The Red Rambler on your way there and grabbing yourself a refreshment.

The iced coffee was delicious!! Or perhaps stopping in at Sullivan’s before or after you play. Or better yet, pack a picnic! But don’t forget your bug repellent, the mosquitos are bad this year. Your little princes and princesses are certain to enjoy all that the Imagination Kingdom has to offer, happy playing!!! Now of a sweet playground within a 60 mile radius of Toledo? Please share!! I was thinking it might be nice to have a list of all the clean, mom approved, and fun playground in the area.

5 moms & NO Kids for 24 Hours!

June 18, 2015June 18, 2015momonthegoinholytoledo

Every generation has that “boy band” that all the adolescent girls swoon over. In 1950 it was, The Clovers, Ames Brothers, Drifters, Four Freshmen, ect. 1960/70, The Beatles, The Jackson 5, The Monkees, The Osmonds, etc. 1980s it was New Edition and New Kids on the Block, 1990s welcomed, Boyz II Men, All-4-One, Backstreet Boys, ‘NSync, 98 Degree, etc. And the legacy continues with One Direction & Big Time Rush. Though I enjoy and appreciate the talent found in all these boy bands my adolescent heart belongs exclusively to New Kids on the Block. I can recall a many lunchroom conversations in 5^th grade that were dedicated to New Kids on the Block. We would discuss who was the cutest (Jordon & Joey were always the top 2, mind you, my favorite was always Donnie), their latest song, dance moves, etc. So, when a friend contacted me back in January about seeing NKOTB in concert in Columbus on June 16th that little adolescent girl inside me was jumping up and down screaming YES!!!

A LONG winter and wet Spring later and the day has finally arrived! After much planning, between the 5 moms who attended the concert we have 13 kiddos who needed to have babysitting arrangements made, bags needed to be packed, pets watched, etc. The money, time, planning, etc. was ALL worth it for 24 hours KID FREE with my BFFs to see not only NKOTB but also, Nelly & TLC!!! Eeee!! It was amazing!

Hour 1……

Our first stop was Starbucks for a caffeine fix….there would be no going to bed on a kid free night!!!

Hour 3….We arrived at the Sheraton Suites where we busted into our suitcases, changed our clothes, added jewelry, freshened makeup, and ditched the mom persona and manage to become reacquainted with our pre-momma selves!! There we are, our light-hearted, fun-loving, kid free selves!! Looking good ladies!! Lookout Columbus here we come!!

Hour 5….Before we headed to the concert we hit a local famous eatery, The Thurman Café! It was featured on the Food Network’s, Man vs. Food for its immense, impossible to eat, grandiose Thurmanator Burger! FYI- the burger won!

It is such a cool burger joint. While we waited for our table we jammed out to some NKOTB tunes. We were totally Hangin Tough. Haha!

I had to get a pic of this….I can’t remember the last time I saw cigarettes in a vending machine!

The atmosphere was fun and the décor was, well, full of singles signed by patrons forever commemorating their moment in history. I LOVE it! Genius!

To forever commemorate the event we all signed a dollar and taped that sucker to the wall. So, maybe I will never get a Star on Hollywood Walk of Fame but at least I can say I have a dollar on The Thurman Café wall!!

Here is a pick of a burger that is a “baby” in comparison to the Thurmanator!

Hour 7….And finally, the moment we had been waiting months, years, and decades for, the NKOTB concert!!! Nelly & TLC opened for them and they were amazing!! The crowd was so much fun; everyone was up on their feet, dancing and singing. The majority of the peeps in attendances were female age 25-50, allowing their inner teenage self out for a few hours; some of those ladies were getting down. Lol!

As NKOTB made their grand appearance I have to admit my heart was beating a bit faster in anticipation.

And then they started singing….and for a brief moment I thought, thank goodness my 9 year old self no longer selects the music I listen to because her taste is questionable. But then they sang some of their old school classics like, Step by Step, Hangin Tough, Please don’t go Girl, etc. and I could practically feel my braces on my teeth again. Haha! Donnie had a blast with us OSU fans!! There was a lot of OH-IO and buckeye paraphernalia that he wore, it was awesome!!

I honestly don’t know if it was the music, the nostalgic effect the music brought on, the peeps I was with, or a combination of all three that made it a night to remember. I had the best time!!

Hours 11-24 shall remain in our memory….what happens in Columbus stays in Columbus. Truth be told, around 1:30am we crashed, we were so tired. You can take the mom away from the kids but you can’t remove the exhaustion of having kids from the mom. LOL!

Huge thank you and shout out to all you amazing peeps who made this evening possible, including the 4 amazing ladies who made it a night to remember, my magnificent parents for watching the kiddos, and my hubby for encouraging me to go see my adolescent heartthrob…now that’s a secure man! Lol! And a special thank you to you for allowing me to share this memory with you….who was your adolescent crush? Were you a NKOTB fan? If so, who was your favorite?