I smirk as I write that because it's almost a laughable concept.....for a mom. Unless you and your husband are sneaking off to Disney sans kids (which, in my opinion, would be kind of mean and something for which you may never be forgiven) this is no vacation.
I had a good friend tell me long ago, "Moms don't get vacations--just changes of venue." This idea has helped me immensely over the years to just get over myself when taking trips with my kids. I don't look to these next 11 days (a week at Disney and then a few days in Naples) as a vacation. I think of them as a change of venue, and that makes all the difference.
You see, I'm not complaining or psyching myself out. I'm looking at reality. I will probably be working even harder as mom while at Disney World. I mean, young children who are sleeping in a strange place is enough to cause havoc at any time during the night. But add that to over stimulation, staying up way past bedtime, eating too much sugar, waiting in long lines, being around mobs of people, going from place to place at a 'much faster than usual' pace, being hot and tired, etc. and you get a recipe for disaster!! :)
So why go?? Why do we do this to ourselves as moms? I think we all know why.
All these things that make our life a little harder are sooooo worth the smiles when little ones see Mickey Mouse for the first time (I know I'm so excited about Cedar seeing his "Dickey Love" which is what he calls him.) And oh those little girls and their princesses--how their eyes light up at the sight of the castle.....the magic and the hope. And of course we can't forget that even the teenagers and tweens are just as excited about the roller coasters and excitement that is Disney.
There's nothing like it. I really do believe that it is "The Happiest Place on Earth."
One of my favorite pictures is from our last trip there....three years ago. It's a picture of Shepley, Cama-Jane and their cousin Lucy twirling with Belle. It's precious. The smiles on their faces are worth every ounce of effort it takes to get them all there and keep them happy!! :)
I love roller coasters. I love taking off with my big kids and riding the thrills and spills. Of course, I am thankful to have that luxury because my parents and brother and sister-in-law will be there as well. So while I'm on a few roller coasters, I'll be able to feel like this is a little bit of vacation. ;) But I have a two year old--my most active and challenging two year old yet! So I'm not sure who is going to be up for the challenge of hanging out with him much while I'm off riding the coasters!! Ha ha!!
Much preparation has gone into getting us ready for this trip. I made my list on Monday of everything that needed to be done this week before leaving in order to leave the house in some semblance of order. As I looked at all my checked off stuff last night (everything actually got done at some point in the week) I wondered how it could have all gotten done---and then unraveled again. Because the house doesn't really look like any semblance of order I had planned!! :) But clothes are packed and the car is cleaned out and I guess when it comes down to it, that's all that matters. The house will still be here when we return--messy as usual. But that's life with kids, I guess--especially six of them.
So soon I will head off on my "change of venue" with my six precious blessings and wonderful husband to meet up with my generous parents (who foot the bill) and my amazing brother, SIL, niece and nephews. Tomorrow we will pile in cars, strap in car seats, turn on DVD players, get out the games, pop out the ipods, and start the entertainment for the trip down. Snacks and sippy cups will abound. Excitement will be in the air as cousins and brothers and sisters will share all their plans for the next week at Disney.
And as much effort as it took to get to this point today and as much effort as it will take to get to where we need to be everyday for the next little bit, it will all be worth it!! It will be worth all the whining and fussing that will inevitably come. It will all be worth the tears that may show up. It will all be worth bad attitudes from teens and tweens who may not get exactly what they want. It will all be worth the patience that we must display as loving mothers and fathers. It will all be worth the late nights and middle of the night interruptions and early morning wake-up calls. Because we're going to.....
The Happiest Place on Earth!!
And I wouldn't have it any other way!!
