The high temperature in our neighborhood today was 108. My two young children both dissolved into inconsolable fits of rage. Tonight I opened up a bottle of new, local wine that I bought at the farmer's market, and it tastes a little like beer. And in spite of it all, I have joy to share with you. It's all about focus, perspective and where you want to put your energy. Let's get to the good stuff, shall we?
You may remember from an earlier post that my 4-year old daughter is under the impression that the Arden Fair Mall in Sacramento is, in fact, Disneyland. My husband is distraught by the fact that I published this information on the internet, for fear that others will think we locked our daughter in a cage for her first few years of life, released her into the Disney Store and made her believe it was the real deal. Not so, friends. Not so.
At the tender age of FOUR, this child has seen the real Disneyland not once, but twice. Two times!! I would tell you how many times I went to Disneyland as a kid, but that fact is currently under debate in my family of origin. Suffice it to say, when I was four I lived approximately 2,165 miles from Disneyland and was not even aware of its existence.
It just so happens that we DID go to Disneyland this year...just a few short months ago. It was March to be exact. This really doesn't explain why my daughter would mistake the Arden Fair Mall for Disneyland since she just saw Mickey Mouse in the flesh 3 months ago....but who really knows what goes on in the mind of a 4-year old??
I know, it's a little late for me to be blogging about the joys of Disneyland. But it was a fantastic trip. Our joy was multiplied (x6) by our travel companions, the Hergenraders. Tina and I met while working at a Lutheran camp in the Santa Cruz mountains during the summer of 1995. We shared a room, shared a lot of laughs and became fast friends. Let's be clear about this. Tina and I shared a room for exactly ten weeks. Ever since, we have lived approximately 2,000 miles away from each other. And yet our friendship endures. She is awesome. You should meet her. Oh heck, here's the link. Check her out.
So, we're at Disneyland in March, with four adults and six kids. I'm not going to mention how many bottles of wine, because that's not really relevant, is it? Here's the recap; Five nights together in a shared vacation home, three-day park hopper passes all around, and lots and lots of laughs and fun (with only one trip to the ER). That's the Readers Digest condensed version. If you want more detail, you'll have to check out Tina's blog because she's a professional writer and can fill in the blanks better than I ever could.
If you have traveled with a group during this digital age, you realize that it seems a little silly to haul four cameras around Disneyland to capture every moment of the experience. And when you have six kids in the mix, you quickly decide to lighten the load, take one camera and (through the miracle of the internet) share all the photos. Grand plan.
It is grand. Unless you are traveling with the Hergenraders. Because, God bless them, those Hergenraders are busy. They have four kids and lots going on. You MIGHT just go to Disneyland with them and have nothing to show for it because they are too darn busy to share any digital photos that they took.
But then, lo and behold. One day you'll casually mention in a text message to Tina that you haven't seen any photographic proof that your families were actually at Disneyland together. And she will immediately stop wiping noses, take a break from lifeguarding the backyard pool, pull over the van she is carpooling to swim lessons, and send you 741 photos from your Disney trip.
Yes folks. 741.
I would say more but I'm pretty booked for the next three days trying to look at all these photos.
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