The Magical World of Disneyworld

We recently returned from the wonderful world of the mouse. We made the pilgrimage as a rite of passage - hoping for the best, but not having high expectations. I was surprised to find myself swept up in the magic on more than one occasion and we really did have an amazing trip.

Now, I'm a pretty cynical, skeptical person. And let me be clear - I am no fan of princesses. I feel fortunate I don't have to go down that road because I have boys. I hate what they stand for - that beauty reigns supreme. The idea that girls have to sparkle and that their natural beauty isn't good enough - ugh! It turns my stomach. The false expectation that girls have to sit around all sparkly, glammed up and wait for their price to come - puh-lease! Don't get me started (ok - too late!)!

So, there I am all cynical and hands full of boys who couldn't agree more that princess are yucky (albeit for different reasons) watching the Spectromagic parade. They are enamored with the lights, but haven't a clue who many of the characters are because they are from old Disney movies or from movies involving princesses (any movie touched by a princess is the equivalent of girl cooties and will never be welcomed into the house by these guys). We are loving the parade - swept up by all the Disney magic as usual. When, low and behold, along comes Cinderella in her pumpkin - all lit up and beautiful. I got goosebumps. WHAT?!? Yes, princess-hating, cynical me - mom to three boys without a spot of glitter in the house - got all verklepmt over seeing Cinderella strolling along in her pumpkin.

I suppose that means there's still a little girl in me hiding under this wet blanket of jaded cynicism! I guess that's how I came to be the queen of this castle ; ).

I hope I can remember what it's like to be me right now.

Time heals all - and helps us forget times that were less than pleasant. But sometimes, I think we need to force ourselves to bear the scars of the past and bring them along to make us better people in the future. Being a mom of little kids is a tough job - especially when one of them is a wild two year old. Although life can be challenging some days, overall I think my kids behavior is decent. I rarely experience any complaints from other parents and they save most of the bad stuff for our home - mercifully.

Those of us who have kids recognize that we thought we knew it all before we had kids and were shamed into admitting that we really knew nothing. As the saying goes, "I was a perfect parent before I had kids." As my kids get older, though, I'm starting to realize that some people forget what it's like to have little kids and maybe their judgment of parenting skills is even more harsh than before they had kids - thinking they've been there, done that, and done it all right.

More often than not, parents of older kids give me knowing smiles and looks of appreciation and understanding when they see me dragging along a two-year-old who has decided to become a wet noodle on the grocery store floor. But, occasionally, I have experienced the harsh stare from a parent who knows they would have done better.

Recently, I had an encounter with another parent who sent my mind spinning - and sent me back to my blog (insert audience cheer here!). Our church is under construction. It's been a pain, but change is sometimes painful. While my oldest goes to chime choir, the rest of us are left to find a place to sit for 45 minutes and I can tell you - that is no easy task!

We used to sit in a classroom where the music staff keep their office. However, Trevor started tearing things apart and after a couple of casualties we decided to make the hallway our home. The boys spend most of the time running up and down the hallway. They aren't bothering anyone - just being boys. No one is coming in that they are running into. Sure, they could be quieter. But just how realistic is that? They aren't in the sanctuary - they aren't being sacrilegious. Just trying to be patient for 45 minutes.

There's another mom who waits there - her older boys are teenagers. They are trying to read and do their homework. I think my kids are bugging them, but what can I do? There is limited space and we have to share. Yet another mom comes in. She is loving up my boys and encouraging them to show her how fast they are - she is living in the moment - remembering the younger days of her own kiddos. She says to the annoyed mom, "remember those days?" Annoyed mom says, "My kids would have tried to behave like that, but they knew I would pull their pants down and spank their bare bottoms." Stunned me gathers the boys and finishes the night waiting in the bathroom.

I hope I can remember the painful judgment of this day when I look down on younger parents for their inability to harness the energy of their crazy kids.

Karla