Jenkinson's Promises, And Delivers, FUN!

Disclosure:  Please note that I was given free passes to this venue in exchange for blogging about it. While the passes were nice, they did not influence my opinion of the place.  All opinions expressed are my own.  

This whole summer has been an interesting contest of wills: I ask the kids (9 and 15) to get out of the house to do something fun like go to the town pool, a waterpark, Busch Gardens, etc., and they keep looking at their devices and say, “no.” I insist, my voice growing louder and louder, and they dig their heels in. I finally persuade them to pry their eyes from their screens, they go to the places we're going to FOR THEM, and have fun. Fortunately this contest did not happen today when I announced, 

“Let's go to Jenkinson's!” 

So we grabbed Junior's friend, Sam, and trekked down to Point Pleasant nice and early, despite the prediction of thunderstorms, so we'd make it back in time for Diva's gymnastics. Arriving that early also ensured that we'd see my VERY FAVORITE attraction first: Jenkinson's Aquarium!  "'Mommy, look at THIS,” exclaimed Diva as she moved from tank to tank. Her enthusiasm was contagious as she read about piranhas, various types of shark, and just how big some of the fish were. The boys enjoyed the boa constrictor and made fun of a lot of the animals, as teenage boys are wont to do. But I think even they were touched by the story of Lucy, the blind seal, as we watched her and a sea lion being fed. Lucy's disability doesn't hinder her from having a nice life at Jenkinson's and just seeing the bond between her and her trainers is sweet. Diva also had a blast at the Touch Tank, although I was somewhat skeeved by the horseshoe crab (who might have been skeeved by me!). I also loved the penguins and was mistaken when I saw grey, furry-looking one; I thought it was an adolescent. A docent quickly corrected me. The animal in question is their oldest penguin at 29 years old and she was being cuddled by her “boyfriend” who is 2. As I said, I LOVE this aquarium!

School was in session at Jenkinson's!

My daughter touching a starfish.  She petted the horseshoe crab - not I!

Our troop headed over to Castaway Cove for miniature golf, three floors of golfing fun.  Diva immediately got a hole-in-one while the boys scoffed at her “beginner's luck.” She ultimately did lose, and apparently there was a heated discussion about points, but I didn't care. I'd found a bench and a lovely breeze as I listened to Jimmy Buffet over the Cove's speakers. If the kids were bickering, I wasn't listening.

Cheeseburgers in a pail - love this idea from Jenkinson's!

By this time, everyone was hungry, so we headed over to Jenkinson's Pavillion Oceanside Dining where, because there were several restaurants to choose from, we were each able to score what we wanted: a hot dog for Sam, tacos for Junior and me, and a cheeseburger and fries for Diva which was served in pail with shovel. Note to Self: next time, order a kids meal so YOU get a pail and shovel!

After lunch, the boys wanted to go on the rides but I, conscious of the fact that “lunch” and “rides” never produce good results, insisted we hit the the Fun House. This place
is so cool, with mazes of mirrors. After I gracefully smacked into a mirrored wall, I learned to walk with my hands out. The kids, too, were having a good time until they hit the darkened “tunnels” section of the Fun House. Diva grabbed on to her brother when she got a little scared (a lovely mental picture I won't soon forget) and, upon leaving the attraction announced, “That Fun House was NOT fun,” before she begged me to go back in. My son poo-pooed the experience, but all the while there was a twinkle in his eye.

Sorry, Junior!  This clown is taller than you!

 

While they went on the dizzing, dazzling display of rides, I sat on the Boardwalk, taking in the ocean, doing some people-watching, and sipping a cool drink. Shopping was plentiful and the array of hermit crabs for sale, fascinating.  I was happy just browsing while my kids had a blast on the rides.  

Before we left, the boys played another round of miniature golf while Diva and I went to the Aquarium Gift Shop, in my opinion, the best shopping on the Boardwalk. I happily admired the jewelry while she chose a stuffed animal (a penguin) as a souvenir of the day. 

And what a day! Jenkinson's has become synonymous with “fun” and with good reason: there's something for everyone. We could easily have spent the rest of the day there. And we will: even after school is in session, many of the attractions are open. 

We'll be back!

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But YOU don't have to wait that long!  Enter HERE to win a VIP Voucher for up to 5 people so you can go to Jenkinson's!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Please note that the winner will be announced on this blog on August 30th.  Only one entry per family please.  If you win, please contact me so I can mail you the voucher in question.  Good luck!

Mom's “Must-Do's” Before The Kids Get Out Of School

My Guilty Pleasure:  The Beach, ALL BY MYSELF

Now that Memorial Day has passed, my kids are giddy with the fact that school is over in just under 3 weeks. Yeah, they're dancing around with joy but, as much as I love the Summer, I'm tensing up in a panic. Only 18 days left until my solace is over, until I hear the constant whine of “What are we gonna do today?” and the incessant chatter of “Can I have a playdate? Can I have a playdate? CAN I HAVE A PLAYDATE?!” My nerves are already starting to contract.

Still, I have 18 weekdays left to get things done that I cannot get done with them or, at least, can't get done except with difficulty.


Among my “must-do's” are:

• Schedule any doctors' appointments for myself. There's no reason my kids should have to wait with me to see my doctors when I can go now and get those appointments over with.
• Do some home repairs and organizing. Ever try to paint a porch with kids around? It's great that they want to help, but sometimes “too many cooks in the kitchen” are not productive. Time to grout, paint, and organize by myself.
• Get our pool/beach stuff together. It's inevitable that I will not be able to find all of the toys, floaties, goggles, etc. that the kids will need the first day the town pool opens. It's time to look for that stuff now while I still have a functioning memory cell left.
• Make appointments for the kids' medical check-ups. Wellness visits book up fast during the summer. It's time to make them now before school starts in the Fall.
• Download and carefully read any school sports forms. Some need to be filled out by various doctors over the Summer with some deadlines for the upcoming school year taking place as early as July. This is the time to see what criteria we've met in terms of exams and shots and what we still need to address, especially since annual physicals are coming up.
• Watch whatever TV shows I want. We have one television in the house and once Summer comes, my daughter occasionally relaxes by watching her shows. Until then, I can watch all the “Love It Or List It” I want without worrying about sharing the television.
• Make a summer schedule. I did this last year and it helped tremendously! I basically sketch out the summer, including which kid is in what camp and when, when sports practices start and the week our family vacation is scheduled to take place. On the bottom of the schedule is a list of day trips I want to take with the kids – very helpful because, again, I don't expect to have many brain cells left come August.
• Come up with an informal list of which friends will be around when. Many of our friends go away for the summer and some of the kids' playmates will be at sleep-away camp. Knowing who is around when comes in handy.
• Make plans for some “Moms Only” nights when I can see my friends without kids in tow. Having something to look forward to helps me keep my sanity.
• Stock up on sunscreen. Since the effectiveness of sunscreen wanes over time, I'm seizing the moment to ditch the old stuff and replace it with new stuff. You can't be too careful.
• Clean the coolers. There's nothing worse than going to pack your cooler with ice, only to be met with a funky smell when you take the lid off. Time to get out the baking soda and vinegar and give them a good scrub.
• Visit people it might be difficult to visit with the kids. My aunt is in a nursing home and although my kids love spending time with her, once camp starts, it's harder to go and see her. I want to visit her as much as possible before our Summer hours change and life gets a bit more variable.
• Go to the beach by myself. One of my guilty pleasures is dropping my daughter off at school and then driving down to the beach and spending some time there before I come back to pick her up. Sitting by the water, alone, is like a mini-vacation that I cherish. Since my kids aren't beach people, this is the time for me to make these indulgent forays. They're my way of showing myself some love!

I love the Summer and spending time with my children, especially since my son is about to enter high school and my days with him are numbered. Getting prepared ahead of time will help me enjoy the kids more and worry about details of Summer less. I've got 18 days to prepare – I'm going to make them count!

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What do you fit in before the kids get out of school? I'd love to know!

Who Says NJ Is Ugly?

Mom's Playing Hookey

Portable hammock chair?  Check.  Fully-charged cellphone?  Check.  Tote bag packed with sunscreen, water, protein bars, books, pens?  Check.  Purse?  Check.  I gave instructions to the kids before school:  "Do NOT go to the nurse with anything less than broken bones today.  Mom's playing hookey at the beach."


I was always fond of the ocean, but my feelings grew a few summers ago when we vacationed in Cape Cod.  The ocean breeze cooled the hot flashes that had signaled the start of menopause.  The roar of the waves distracted me from the tinnitus I've lived with most of my life and made the slight hearing loss I'd been struggling with less noticeable.  I mean, no one speaks softly at the beach.  My love became voracious this summer during a trip to San Diego, which is my idea of Heaven On Earth.  There were so many pristine beaches, each more beautiful than the last!   I stood on the shores of Torrey Pines, willing my senses to memorize every sensation. The combination of sun, surf, and sand was intensely cleansing.  Leaving California was painful.

Unfortunately, my children do not share my love of the beach.  They tolerate it at best.  Although they love each other, thrown together, without video screens to distract them, my kids spend much of the time at the Shore fighting.  My husband, who enjoys the beach, though not as much as I do, tries to distract the kids, but it's no use.  It's no fun.

So when school started, I announced that I was going to take at least one day a month to see the ocean.  The much-maligned Jersey Shore is about 90 minutes from my house, too far for my taste, but close enough to make it back in time to pick up my daughter.  Crowded and obscenely expensive during the summer, it becomes quiet is free in the off-season.  Parts of it are breathtakingly beautiful, depending on how far from the New York area you want to go.  The place I go has a new pavilion, rebuilt after Hurricane Sandy, with clean bathrooms and street parking.  It's frequented by older people and mothers carrying toddlers, so there are just enough people around in case anything was to happen but not enough to mess with serenity.

Peace is mine there.  Most often, I sit on a chair at the pavilion and read or write.  Then I take off my shoes and schlep my bag to the edge of the water.  Sometimes I wade in, the waves licking at the bottom of my capris.  Then I sit...and remember other times when I've been at the ocean.  We went to Ocean City, Maryland for a few summers when my son was little.  There, I gazed at the ocean and dreamed of the baby girl we were adopting, so far away, across the water, in China.  I remembered, when I was single, the many cruises I took, by myself, not to meet anyone but just to experience the vastness of the ocean.  I remember other trips I've taken and beaches I've been on in Hawaii, Florida, Singapore, Italy, England, and Jamaica.   I smile, thinking of my honeymoon in St. Thomas in the U.S. Virgin Islands; my husband and I lieing in a hammock, looking out at the ocean, and planning our future together..

It's good that the kids don't like the ocean.  It's MY space, one the kids at present cannot appreciate.  With only a simple tote bag as luggage, my day is a mini-vacation, the ocean a retreat.  Playing hookey there is like medication for my soul, soothing it and making me a calmer mother and a better person.  It is my gift to myself.