oh you have done it now. Your girls will talk about this for years and years and then it will just get worse with time. We just this year convinced our 24 year old daughter to go back into a haunted house with her Dad, her boyfriend and me. It sounded so cool, it was Edgar Allan Poe themed at Busch Gardens in Williamsburg. We barely got in the door before she shrieked, glued herself to my back, wrapped both arms securely around my midsection, and buried her face in my neck. I had to shuffle as her feet were on the outside of mine. The whole thing was nothing but jump scares, and the decorations and costumes were amazing, so on point for Poe and so neat looking. She would have nothing of it. Refused to look up even once. Do you know what workers do when they see a cute adult girl clinging like that who refuses to look? They came right up and whispered constantly at her which resulted in much screaming in my ear. Her Dad and her boyfriend spent the whole time through laughing. I had to literally drag her through as the more they whispered the more she refused to walk.
“My kids screamed so hard their souls left their bodies.” Been there.😱
When I was 8 my Dad and Uncle decided it would be a good idea to indulge us girls with a trip into some giant horror house at some fair that we BEGGED to go into. We were 8, 5, 5, and 3! (My Aunt objected to the 3 year old but my cousin was tough, even at 3). What we saw in there was in my nightmares for YEARS. My Uncle had to take his 2 girls out half way thru and my Dad had to hold my 5 yo sister with her head buried against his chest for us to get to the end. I still see that stuff like it was yesterday. It was baaaaad.🫣 My sister and I had nightmares. My mom was totally ticked off at my Dad, as was my Aunt with Uncle.
Hadn’t thought about that in years. Don’t go into Haunted Houses…or stables!
Ah, I would love to have listened in on how your girls told their friends about what they experienced. Did they embellish or downplay the scare factor? I applaud them for wanting to go in the first place. Our daughter went a few times but she is fearless. Our son went once and never again - he always hated loud noises and jump scares and probably thought he was too cool to be freaked out. I wouldn't go if you paid me because I'm jumpy in real life, even at things that aren't really scary, just unexpected. I can take a good ghost story around a campfire (husband tells great ones) but that's it for me.
First and only haunted house experience: guy jumps out at me, I punch him with adrenaline strength, I get kicked out of haunted house. I feel like that would have been Mae's experience, were she a couple of years older.
I forget if Mae or Betsy is the oldest, but Mae displays the oldest vibes leadership by yelling at the workers to take it easy around every corner. I lol’d bc of the foresight & of course in sympathy, as the oldest myself. We can analyze that this is all put on, to talk ourselves through this, but also helping others keeps my focus there & not on my fear. Huh. Breakwell, I think I just had some sort of therapeutic breakthrough w your haunted house newsletter! PS hope you get to write off the 41 bucks …
Oh man I love your newsletters… you go from one rookie mistake to another, and the fact that you should have learned from some of your mistakes by now, just makes it so much sweeter that you clearly haven’t! As a mom of 7 I salute you!
I'm one of the scene at the "Fright Forest" a non profit group.
Thankyou for writing about us!! We have put this on in our little town of Lebanon since 1995 starting out as a birthday party for a child. We have only been at the Fairgrounds the last four years. We plan to make ever year stronger and more adventurous then before. Thank you for bringing your girls through
OMG, I am one of the actors and on the board of Fright Forest ! I am so upset you guys walked right by me ! I was at the entrance as you walked in. My character is a mad scientist named Lord Hashtag, Master of time,space and the Multiverse. . Your story has made all our volunteers so happy. We are a non-profit and do this for the fun of it and give a scholarship to a 4H student. We would love to have you and the girls AND your wife back next year . You and your wife could even be part of the crew ! Oh yea, the Murder Clown is the son of one of my oldest friends and he is VERY good at what he does ! We actually have a Haunted Alley this Saturday for Mischief on Meridian on the square in Lebanon . https://www.facebook.com/mischiefonmeridian/
I do not know if you are brave, or should be committed, for taking 4 young girls through a haunted house. I do know that I enjoyed the description thoroughly! I had sons, and they just laughed their way through haunted houses.
I love that Lucy's mantra! I should've applied it a lot more back in the day.
Speaking of early childhood trauma: when I was in kindergarden, there was a "Pinocchio" play or readalong (I dont' remember). But after hearing the part in which he's turning into donkey, and that (in the version presented to us) the first sign of it were the ears, I was so scared that for a few years I was unable to go to sleep without covering my ears with blanket [as I told myself that it would prevent me from turning into donkey. Apparently, It seemed to work ;)].
The haunted houses were never on my bucket list. I was so paranoid about them, that everytime on family & school trips I went to one, I had to be dragged out by my younger brother, who on the contrary liked those so much, that he often hid at the exit to scare other trip participants and random strangers (and many times the staff had to tell him to go wander elsewhere and not do their job). He always laughed at me for being so sensitive, fragile and fearful, even nicknaming me "the biggest coward in the whole country", which I didn't deny.
oh you have done it now. Your girls will talk about this for years and years and then it will just get worse with time. We just this year convinced our 24 year old daughter to go back into a haunted house with her Dad, her boyfriend and me. It sounded so cool, it was Edgar Allan Poe themed at Busch Gardens in Williamsburg. We barely got in the door before she shrieked, glued herself to my back, wrapped both arms securely around my midsection, and buried her face in my neck. I had to shuffle as her feet were on the outside of mine. The whole thing was nothing but jump scares, and the decorations and costumes were amazing, so on point for Poe and so neat looking. She would have nothing of it. Refused to look up even once. Do you know what workers do when they see a cute adult girl clinging like that who refuses to look? They came right up and whispered constantly at her which resulted in much screaming in my ear. Her Dad and her boyfriend spent the whole time through laughing. I had to literally drag her through as the more they whispered the more she refused to walk.
Lol. I'm glad to hear it doesn't change with age.
Keep up the weight lifting, you will need it to drag their twenty-something selves through....
“My kids screamed so hard their souls left their bodies.” Been there.😱
When I was 8 my Dad and Uncle decided it would be a good idea to indulge us girls with a trip into some giant horror house at some fair that we BEGGED to go into. We were 8, 5, 5, and 3! (My Aunt objected to the 3 year old but my cousin was tough, even at 3). What we saw in there was in my nightmares for YEARS. My Uncle had to take his 2 girls out half way thru and my Dad had to hold my 5 yo sister with her head buried against his chest for us to get to the end. I still see that stuff like it was yesterday. It was baaaaad.🫣 My sister and I had nightmares. My mom was totally ticked off at my Dad, as was my Aunt with Uncle.
Hadn’t thought about that in years. Don’t go into Haunted Houses…or stables!
Sorry for dredging back up your nightmares. I thought my children would be similarly traumatized, but in the days since, they've seemed fine.
Oh, and I knew Mae would be the toughest, cos she just is! My hero!
Sorry (not sorry) this made me laugh 😂😂😂😆😂.... I could picture/hear every detail as you read your adventure.
PS...... I don't watch scary movies or go to haunted houses.....and I always have Holy water on hand✝️
Ah, I would love to have listened in on how your girls told their friends about what they experienced. Did they embellish or downplay the scare factor? I applaud them for wanting to go in the first place. Our daughter went a few times but she is fearless. Our son went once and never again - he always hated loud noises and jump scares and probably thought he was too cool to be freaked out. I wouldn't go if you paid me because I'm jumpy in real life, even at things that aren't really scary, just unexpected. I can take a good ghost story around a campfire (husband tells great ones) but that's it for me.
Their descriptions were pretty accurate. The only thing their words failed to capture was the full volume of the screaming.
Thank you for taking them so you could write this! Hilarious!!
I used to work every day in a haunted village. Great fun. Once made a woman run so fast she ran out of her shoes.
First and only haunted house experience: guy jumps out at me, I punch him with adrenaline strength, I get kicked out of haunted house. I feel like that would have been Mae's experience, were she a couple of years older.
I forget if Mae or Betsy is the oldest, but Mae displays the oldest vibes leadership by yelling at the workers to take it easy around every corner. I lol’d bc of the foresight & of course in sympathy, as the oldest myself. We can analyze that this is all put on, to talk ourselves through this, but also helping others keeps my focus there & not on my fear. Huh. Breakwell, I think I just had some sort of therapeutic breakthrough w your haunted house newsletter! PS hope you get to write off the 41 bucks …
I know of a few good therapists when your kids hit their thirties...
Oh man I love your newsletters… you go from one rookie mistake to another, and the fact that you should have learned from some of your mistakes by now, just makes it so much sweeter that you clearly haven’t! As a mom of 7 I salute you!
Hi James
I'm one of the scene at the "Fright Forest" a non profit group.
Thankyou for writing about us!! We have put this on in our little town of Lebanon since 1995 starting out as a birthday party for a child. We have only been at the Fairgrounds the last four years. We plan to make ever year stronger and more adventurous then before. Thank you for bringing your girls through
OMG, I am one of the actors and on the board of Fright Forest ! I am so upset you guys walked right by me ! I was at the entrance as you walked in. My character is a mad scientist named Lord Hashtag, Master of time,space and the Multiverse. . Your story has made all our volunteers so happy. We are a non-profit and do this for the fun of it and give a scholarship to a 4H student. We would love to have you and the girls AND your wife back next year . You and your wife could even be part of the crew ! Oh yea, the Murder Clown is the son of one of my oldest friends and he is VERY good at what he does ! We actually have a Haunted Alley this Saturday for Mischief on Meridian on the square in Lebanon . https://www.facebook.com/mischiefonmeridian/
I do not know if you are brave, or should be committed, for taking 4 young girls through a haunted house. I do know that I enjoyed the description thoroughly! I had sons, and they just laughed their way through haunted houses.
I love that Lucy's mantra! I should've applied it a lot more back in the day.
Speaking of early childhood trauma: when I was in kindergarden, there was a "Pinocchio" play or readalong (I dont' remember). But after hearing the part in which he's turning into donkey, and that (in the version presented to us) the first sign of it were the ears, I was so scared that for a few years I was unable to go to sleep without covering my ears with blanket [as I told myself that it would prevent me from turning into donkey. Apparently, It seemed to work ;)].
The haunted houses were never on my bucket list. I was so paranoid about them, that everytime on family & school trips I went to one, I had to be dragged out by my younger brother, who on the contrary liked those so much, that he often hid at the exit to scare other trip participants and random strangers (and many times the staff had to tell him to go wander elsewhere and not do their job). He always laughed at me for being so sensitive, fragile and fearful, even nicknaming me "the biggest coward in the whole country", which I didn't deny.
Following you from Monterrey, Mx. Love your post!
Following you from Mexico, love your parenting post!