jaysaint Getting it all down on paper…

Writing this one up was a long time coming. We did this last fall, when life was flying at me pretty fast and I was flush up against a total writting logjam.

The whole trip, that whole season, was one long lesson in how there are plans and there is what happens. And that’s not necessarily a bad thing.

In the run-up to the trip I said the same thing to everyone who asked: “I’m looking forward to watching my kids at Disney. And I’m looking forward to watching my Mom watch my kids at Disney.” I made enormous emotional and financial investments to make it happen.

We had a great trip, but it was not the trip I anticipated.

It was hotter than we thought it would be. Herding both kids proved a big challenge. Elliot was not impressed. Mom didn’t like the crowds or the waits. The best way to cope was often to leave Elliot and Mom to play at the hotel (which was fantastic) while Damon and I took Alden on rides.

It is possible that both Alden and my Mom’s favorite part was riding the monorail. They had a routine down where she would act confused as to when it would start and where it was going, allowing him to guide and reassure her. They had lengthy debates about whether it had wheels (It does. He was right, he would like you to know.). We did many recreational circuits, Alden perched on the back of the seats.

It is possible that my favorite part was the day Mom kept both kids and let me and Damon run around Epcot Center and ride big-kid rides together.

So no, not at all what I imagined.

I did manage, though, to let go of what I was hoping for and enjoy what I was getting.

Also, indulge me in a little before-and-after:

Disney World, February 2009

Disney World, September 2010

2009

2010