So if a picture is worth a thousand words; how many words would it take to equal one picture?
I had the amazing opportunity to take my family to Disneyland this month. This would also explain the gap in my entries... it takes time to recover from vacations.
So how was it? Awesome! I just love Disneyland and everything about it!(though I wouldn't complain if they let me in for free) I was fortunate enough to grow up with a mom who started the excitement and planned for us to go often. I too wanted to plant that happy seed in my kids and started off right until autism set in... if I couldn't make it through a grocery store there was no way I was going to risk any chance of unhappiness in the happiest place on earth!
It took us six years but we were ready. I was ready. I planned everything. Plan A always had a plan B-H and plan H had back up plans I-X. (you can never really prepare plans Y and Z because those are your emergency escape plans and are generally unimaginable until you reach them- then they're just hilarious because you see what you're willing to do for sanity)
I seem extreme but I had a very tight budget so planning was key. Meals and snacks were mapped out and since I know what my kids will be tempted with I purchased their park souvenirs (light up swords)in advance for half the cost. Rhino has an issue with store bought fun, such as the concessions on every corner that have the luring smell that meets you half way (churros) so I got fun toy story lunch sacks and made sure they were filled with favorites. And because my children are spoiled (I just can't help it)I budgeted for the "reward" churro... and main street ice cream... and frozen banana and one toy they could choose themselves.
The trip was perfect complete with reinforcements... grandma and aunt peacock came along for extra hands, feet and hair to pull. But how can one trip be so perfect? well there was one downfall. It wasn't the lines, we made sure that wouldn't be an issue (thank you thank you Disneyland!)It wasn't the glares we got for not standing in lines, it wasn't the rain and it wasn't even the meltdown outside of the Buzz Lightyear ride that left me apologizing for Tiger's foot accidentally smacking some lady on a motor chair in the head... because seriously, those things have high speeds and she just needed to kick it into gear and get out of our way. Nope- it wasn't anything unpredictable because that I had all predicted would happen.
The only regret I have is the memories that I don't have pictures for. While Mr. Zookeeper was trying to get the first picture of the family vacation, you know the one where everybody stands just inside the main gate blocking all of the seasoned tourists from getting through- yeah- that was us and we were so close to the perfect picture when Tiger picked up the camera and threw it to the ground in protest. Because Mr. Zookeeper is awesome he was able to fix it, but the picture shows his face as not being very happy about it... but from then on we spent so much time and energy keeping everyone safe that we never got a chance to pretend that we were like other families and take lots of pictures.
So- this is my disclaimer to my children when they look through their memory books (the ones they'll have to do themselves because I don't have time)and see no pictures from our very fun vacation. Rhino- you were most concerned with mealtimes and even got a watch as your souvenir so that you could not let us forget when it hit twelve o'clock on the nose... and inform us every minute it was past mealtime until we complied with Father time. You loved the California Screamin and Thunder Mountain... but probably still harbor bitterness as I forced you on Indiana Jones, Matterhorn and Space Mountain... sorry about that- but hey- at least you can say you did it...and you did get a churro so come on- let it go already. Tiger, you are the child who will appear in other people's photos of the child wearing his Buzz Lightyear pajamas, red earmuffs and a hip sack attached to a leash that joined our bodies together which caused you to have multiple rebellious fits. You will also be remembered by the park as the child freaking out over the Buzz Legos in Tomorrowland... that is where you met the woman on the motor cart. Other than those minor hiccups, you had a great time. Your face lit up every time there was a bump, twist or turn and you loved every ride you got on. You won't be seen in any footage on splash mountain because I knew if you got wet, it'd be ruined so every time we went down I drop I draped my body over yours to keep you dry... I think my undies are still drying out but you were worth it. And by the way you owe me six dollars for the rain poncho you chewed a hole through. Puppy- you won the trooper award. One inch too short you were denied a few rides but you went on everything else. You walked the whole time, except when you were riding piggy back and you soaked up the whole experience. You got to be Aunt Peacock's special buddy and even got to sleep in their room... see, it pays to be the well-behaved one. Monkey. As always, you were right in the middle of it all. You took great offense and got so upset every time you got told you were too short to ride... but you made the most of every minute... and it was evident in your refusal to nap. You came to love Pooh's ride as it was your choice every time the rest of us got on Splash Mountain. Like puppy, you loved the parades and danced with the characters. That was our girl time while Dad took the boys back to the hotel... Tiger was overwhelmed and Rhino was concerned it was past dinner time so they went ahead and we stayed behind.
After three days of Disneyland we relaxed at the beach for an hour... that's all it takes for my kids to get into serious trouble so that combined with the wind we didn't need much time, just the opportunity to see the beach. I of course set the rule that since it was rather cold no one should get wet and so naturally it was Mr. Zookeeper that started the race to the first wave but no one drowned or caught cold so he is forgiven. No one got eaten by a shark but there was a killer bird on the loose that left me fearing for my life... sure it seems natural for a bird to protect itself when being chased and hunted by a Rhino, Puppy and Monkey but still. And since we were some of the few people crazy enough to be in the ocean while freezing I was able to let down my guard and grab the camera... so we have lots of pictures of that hour and I am pleased to announce that Tiger left his clothes on the entire time... at least while the camera was out.
So how many words would it really take to re-create all of the pictures that we didn't take? I consider everyone coming home alive as reason enough to not worry about it... and I'd rather have no happy pictures in place of missing child posters to scrapbook but I don't want the moment to be forgotten. It's not so much proof that we actually did it, well- mostly but rather the times we spend together.. and I don't really need pictures for that. Every time I see my kids' faces light up I'll remember not just this trip but all of the good times we have together. Seeing my wild animals explore and enjoy the world made for them is an amazing blessing I get to have as a mother and so it doesn't really matter if they forget every detail just because it isn't documented... and while I'd love to share pictures it doesn't change the experience we had. So hopefully the kids will remember the trip we took to Disneyland in 2010 but if they don't it's OK, we'll just have to do it again... and in case it takes a few years I've scrap-booked the one picture we did take and the ticket stubs just to prove we went!
