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Showing posts from March, 2010

Flying Solo: Week One

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We've survived week one of Rob's trip. Everybody is getting where they need to be, they're eating and sleeping and have even been bathed. But 'round about Sunday, the kids all racheted down a notch -- they're tired of Papa being gone and they've all let me know. This one here has been acting like he's strung out on antibiotics: he's squirting water out of the fridge dispenser onto the floor, he's bitten me, hit me, thrown things at my head and generally had about twice as many smackdown tantrums as usual. The other day as I was trying to dress him and he was wriggling away, I said "Now are you going to be nice to me today?" He put his head on my shoulder and said "luvoo Mama" (which doesn't preclude any of the hitting, biting or water damage, but still felt nice). Then Monday after a particularly trying round of violin practice, I was serenading Will and Joss by belting out "Love at Home" in my mock-opera voice. I

Disneyland Tips

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So here, for Pmom and others' benefit are my own personal tips on Disneyland: 1.I love, love, love The Unofficial Guide to Disneyland. There is a 2009 edition and it is not only informative, it is an entertaining read. I tried another guidebook afterward and threw it down in disgust; they weren't opinionated enough. I checked this out of the library and it told me how to get kids on the rides they want to ride: the Chuck-Bubba handoff, the Hail Mary Pass and the Dumbo-or-Die-in-a-Day touring plan for maximum parental sacrifice and maximum fun for kids under 8. (No, we didn't do it -- are we all about the kids?! I think not.) It also told you which gate to enter, rated the rides for scariness and wait time and hotels and restaurants too. It was Lois's recommendation and I second it. 2. Don't let your kids get lost. After four kids and five trips to Europe, I finally succumbed and bought Joss The Leash. I decided that I didn't want my kids to have memories of gett

More Reunion

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We saw personalities. I think all of us, even Rob , went on the teacups this trip. Grandma thinks it's the prettiest ride in the park. Uncle John coined a new term: "teacupping" -- when the force of the ride causes one to smash into her fellow rider. He claims that he got teacupped on Big Thunder Mountain Railroad. I'm afraid he's right. Grizzly River Run. It is a beautiful ride, but inescapably wet. Water spurts up through the drains when you splash down. I think my shoes finally dried out at 10:00pm that night! When I got off of our raft with three kids, looking like dripping hobos, there was a hot guy getting on in his Gore tex jacket who looked at us disparagingly and got onto our raft. We turned right back around and got in line again, and who should be getting off the raft, but Gore tex man and his son, sopping wet and walking like saddle-sore cowboys! I was smug, it's true. Charlie, who barely, barely, BARELY made the height requirement (they measured