A Teachable Moment for Us All

Warning: The following was not intended to be a short novel but it is what it is. And if you don't want to hear biblical truths, you might want to skip on over to another blog. This might hurt.

As you know, most of the conversations I have with my boys these days go in one of two directions. Many times I’m screaming behavior-modifying them {doesn’t that sound so much nicer?} in my GI Jane military voice - ‘Please remove your underwear from the table and put them back ON your body. The birthday suit is not acceptable attire for dinner, especially on the cloth-covered seat cushions. We have enough stains without the addition of your dirty hiney.’

And then there are the other exchanges we have where one of them is telling a story and, due to their age and inability to use discretion, it turns out pretty comical -‘Why is Grandma so moley? It scares me. I don’t want her sleeping in my room when she comes to visit. She might leave some of her moles in my bed.’ {For the record, I’m not outing my mother-in-law on her skin tags; they told her this when she was here last month so she’s fully aware of how it freaks them out. She happens to find it funny herself. Just wanted to clear that up.}

This next conversation falls into its own category and I don’t really know what to call it yet. I guess I could just call it the ‘teachable moments’ – it’s not disciplining because there’s no ‘crime’ being committed by the child but it’s definitely not comical.

In the car to school:


Radio Announcer: ‘…….last night, a robber broke into a home and stole several large appliances…..’

d1: Mommy, are robbers bad guys because they steal appliances?’

Me: ‘Well, they are breaking the law so I guess you might say they are bad guys.’

d1: ‘So they’re going to the bad place when they die, right?’

Me: {still not picking up on the ‘moment’ here – I’m a little slow in the morns} ‘Not necessarily. Just because they break the law doesn’t mean they don’t love Jesus. Either way, I'm sure it makes Jesus very sad at their actions.’

d1: ‘But if I’m good, if I don’t steal and if I help my homeless friends, I’ll get to heaven, right?’


Let me stop right there. Although I should have seen where this was headed, it took me a second to realize his thought process and how incredibly important it was that I answer this correctly and biblically.

So basically what I’m hearing my seven-year-old ask me is that if he is a good boy and does a few charitable projects in his life, he’ll spend eternity in heaven? NO BUENO. This is, in my opinion, a lot of what is wrong with the world today where churches are concerned and it’s two-fold. People either think that their salvation is determined by how they conduct their lives {‘I’m doing okay as long as I’m ‘better’ than the next person’} or they think they aren’t ‘eligible’ for salvation because they’ve already done too many ‘bad’ things.

It just so happens that I fall into the second category. See what happens when you come from a background like mine? You can identify with so many jacked up situations, although I have a feeling a lot of people can relate here.

For 20+ years, I felt like I was not good enough to be one of those ‘Christian folk.’ Those people always seemed like they had it all together – the clothes, the kids, the careers, the whole package. {PS - I’m learning that the more they look all put together, the less they probably are}. And since I've never managed to have it 'all together,' I didn't feel like I fit that mold. It didn’t help when I had encounters as a teen with religious people who condemned such things as wearing jeans in the sanctuary. Because God cares what I wear? Really? I mean, if He didn’t want me in my nicest pair of Levi’s, why on earth would he want me with my reviled past?

Or how about this one? This is another true story of how the ‘church’ rejected me and likely led to my distaste for any and all churches in general. I was about 13 or so. My brother and I lived with our grandma off and on during my mom’s jail stints. My grandma was an amazing woman but that’s another post. Anyway, when we stayed with her, she always liked for us to go to church with her. I didn’t usually argue with her because there were cute boys in the youth group and I liked boys. Hello? I was a teenage girl. One night at youth group, I remember talking to one of the boys. I can’t tell you what we talked about now and it's irrelevant. However, I do remember the youth group pastor coming over to him and asking him to move away from me, to find someone else to talk to. The boy didn’t understand – I mean, we weren’t holding hands or trying to sneak a peek. We were talking. He asked why and this youth pastor whispered in his ear, ‘Just move. You don’t want to get mixed up with her.’ Too bad his voice carried and his whispered words were felt to the core....

I mean, dang. Who says that? I’m not trying to run this pastor down. I’m sure he’s a nice man and had his reasons. After all, I’m a mother of three little boys. When they are teens, you better believe I will be psycho-stalking every last one of them to know who, what, when, where, why and how they think they'd get away with whatever they're up to but that’s beside the point. It wasn’t about the boy. It was about the way that pastor made me feel. I’m sure the staff was familiar with our home life and we were probably on the many Sunday School prayer chains but I felt like dirt after that. In hindsight, I think about how, had that conversation gone a little differently, had that pastor reached out to me the way I now know Jesus would have, it could have been a changing point in the trajectory of those next ten years of my life. See my ties to that second category? That one whisper that I guess I shouldn't have overheard left me with anything but a desire to know God. If it meant I would feel like garbage after an evening with the church folk, no thanks. I’ll pass.

I'm just constantly reminded that, as followers of Jesus, we need to make sure we’re not sending out either of these messages to our kids and to the entire world, especially those who don’t know the Lord. I do NOT want my boys buying into either one of these ridiculous shenanigans that have infiltrated the church bodies, neither of which are biblical.

D1 and I will spend our lives making sure they know that salvation is never an earned reward. Ephesians 2:8 says that ‘God saved you by his grace when you believed. And you can’t take credit for this; it is a gift from God.’ I know now that salvation has NOTHING to do with works. I know that I am saved by GRACE and that nothing that I do will ever be enough but that doesn’t mean that I stop working for the glory of God and for His Kingdom.

It means that because of my faith, I will continue my works. James 2:18 outlines it perfectly. Check this out. ‘Now someone may argue, “Some people have faith; others have good deeds.” But I say, “How can you show me your faith if you don’t have good deeds? I will show you my faith by my good deeds.” This used to confuse me but now it’s very clear. Our salvation is not dependent on our works but, by our salvation, the works will come. John 3:3 says the same thing – ‘Jesus replied, ‘I tell you the truth, unless you are born again, you cannot see the Kingdom of God.’ His words, not mine. That is biblical.

Secondly, we will make sure they know that, although no one is ‘good enough’ to go to heaven, it is designed for everyone. EVERYONE. Even that guy out robbing old people’s homes for their Fridgidaires. Even the lady turning tricks on 2nd Street to support her family. Even THOSE people. ESPECIALLY those people. Hate the sin, not the sinner. Anyone heard of John 3:16? It says “For God loved the world so much that he gave his one and only Son, so that everyone who believes in him will not perish but have eternal life.’ His words, not mine. That is biblical.

OK, we know that salvation is not dependent on our good deeds, right? I think we've established that much. However, that doesn't mean we just stop and become stagnant. There’s this catchy phrase I heard recently – Found People Find People – and I think it’s dead on. By serving others, in whatever capacity you feel led, you are serving the Lord. You are showing those in need that you are helping without expecting anything in return. When you're doing this, there's a good chance that they will want what you have. Meaning your joy and happiness, not your Coach purse. Whether you’re serving the homeless, mentoring or adopting a fatherless child or volunteering with the elderly, you can make an impact. Our family absolutely believes in the power of serving others in need {Isaiah 58:10}. We only wish we could do more and we continually ask God to reveal opportunities and use us to be a light for Him. It only becomes an issue when someone believes it is their path to salvation, which is where my son’s mind was headed.

I'll be honest and admit that, although I know and believe all of this, it's still difficult for me at times. I struggle with thinking that I have to be involved in this, that and the other to serve God adequately and that's just not true. I know that He wants me to do all that I can in the most effective way possible. I know that I have to be open to opportunities He presents in my life, some that may be way out of my comfort zone. I know I need to be patient and let Him direct my paths. Too bad I stink at having patience. I guess this is yet one more area that He's working on in me.

After giving it some further thought, I realized something else. d1 knows about heaven. He knows how you can and can't get there. Maybe he doesn’t fully grasp the enormous concept of the Trinity {do you? Because I don’t} but he knows what he’s been told and what he’s learned over the years at home and from his SS teachers. He knows that the only way to forever with Jesus is by receiving Him in his heart, believing in His power and seeking a deep relationship with Him. So why would he ask me that question about getting to heaven?

I'll tell you why. Satan was all over my boy. He wants him to question his child-like faith that is growing by the minute. He wants him to believe that which is not true. The worldly views are pushed on our children left and right and, as parents, we need to be on high alert for this mess. Spiritual warfare is at its peak - just watch the news for any given two-minute interval and you'll know that. We’ve got to be prepared for battle. These little people need us to have their backs against the Enemy – gear up, friends!

On The First Day of School....

....we had little drama. Praise the Lord! I'm still slightly traumatized from d1's first day of K-5 so I can truly appreciate this gift of ease.....


As always, we began the school year with a grandioso breakfast. This year the menu consisted of whole wheat brown sugar banana bread pancakes, scrambled eggs, sausage links, grits and fruit smoothies. Now, before you start thinking that I'm the Betty Crocker of 2011, I will be honest and tell you that the pancakes were gross. No, really. They were disgusting. I could have probably eaten the photo of the pancakes and tasted more flavor. I knew there was a problem when they wouldn't even finish half of a pancake when they typically burn through at least three a piece. d1 did break it to me gently and said, 'I don't mean to hurt your feelings, Mommy, but this just isn't good. Do I have to eat it?' I don't know where I went wrong but I did sample a bite and they were awful. Period.

For some reason I cannot perfect specialty pancakes and I'm done trying. I've wasted way too many bowls of batter only to be irritated when they aren't edible. I've mastered a homemade ice cream cake and I can whip up a tasty meatloaf - I'll leave the pancakes to IHOP and feel no shame.

Off they go....

2nd Annual Front Porch Photo

d3 assisted me in walking d1 and d2 to their classrooms. I've got to give the little booger credit - he did really well. I had originally asked my sweet friend to keep him for a quick playdate with her little P while I did the 'First Day' duty solo {D1 has to be front and center at his school} but we were running a few minutes behind so I just put my brave panties on and took him with me. I was unexpectedly surprised by his big boy behavior. Oh the possibilities are endless with a compliant toddler, although I'm not holding my breath. He is his oldest brother's mini-me and, well, age 2-4 wasn't a walk in the park.

We haven't actually reached that 'walk in the park' period that the 'books' speak of and I don't expect d3 to be any different. How's that for optimistic? I'm just going with realistic outlook....

Making their way into the doors of Buena Vista Elementary

No tears from either boy and just a few from their quacky mother. I still can't believe I have a 2nd grader and that little d2 is in Kindergarten. Everyone always says how time flies and, in the moment, it doesn't always seem like it's moving quickly but when I walked them in this year, I felt the harsh reality that they are growing up so fast and before I know it, they'll be off to middle school and then high school. Oh, I can already feel the ulcers lighting up now....

i {heart} my boys

Some days I wonder if children, particularly mine, are physically born with emotions or if they are just developed over time.

Wait, let me rephrase that. I am well aware that they have emotions.

I know that they feel sadness because they cry when their sibling hits/kicks/bites them, depending on the perp’s preferred approach for pain. I know that they feel happiness because their faces light up when we announce that we’re heading to Pizza Inn for an all-you-can-eat dinner {it’s no secret that food is the direct line to all hearts in this house}. I also know that they feel anger because they scream, ‘you’re the meanest mommy ever and I don’t like you right now’ when they are sent to their room for jumping off of the bed/couch/stairwell. {BTW, new moms - those words don't sting anymore}

I don’t doubt any of those emotions. I know they have them, obviously. What about things like compassion, sympathy and consideration? I don’t see much of that. At least not very often and I attribute that to their age but, recently, I’ve been pleasantly surprised.

Now, don’t get me wrong. There have been times in my seven years of mothering where I’ve seen an action or two from the little guys and I was taken back by their ability to empathize with someone else. However, this week it happened on several occasions and I just can’t stop thinking about it.

It seems like I’m not only witnessing a new level of maturity {even if it only lasts for seconds at a time} but I’m slowly seeing heart changes and that’s what excites me. It’s like an awakening inside of them {even if it only lasts for seconds at a time} and it’s awesome. The heart is what we’re fighting for.

Allow me to share some of this week’s conversations and observations of my two oldest, sweet boys {the jury is still out on the compassion level forming in #3}. That bolded word back there is pretty big for me – usually my stories begin a little different and I’m not always so much doting….

A few days ago, d1 and d2 were doing something in the dining room. I don’t really recall every detail although they’ve become quite fond of Dining Room Dodge Ball after their daddy instructed them on how to pull off a quick game with minimal damage. Anyway, something happened that ended with d2 crying because of something d1 had done. After hearing both sides, I sent d1 to his room for a few minutes to cool off and planted d2 on the stairs for time out.

When d1 came down, I encouraged them to ‘hug it out,’ which was a new tactic I was trying as it seems these days they hate each other and it couldn’t hurt to show some love, right? Though they didn’t hug right then, what happened next had me speechless.

d2 said, ‘Mommy, I want to pray.’ Huh? I was confused. I just told you to hug and you're asking to continue your game? So I said, ‘You can play after you hug.’ In all fairness, he does have a slight speech issue with his ‘r’ so it sounded a little like ‘play.’ Then he said, ‘No, I said I want to pray -- for us.’ Um, okay. This was new but I went with it. So there we were in the dining room – me and all three little d’s {d3 wasn’t about to be left out of this event} – heads bowed, eyes closed, hands being held while d2 led us in a prayer asking Jesus to forgive everyone’s naughty behavior and to help us all make the right choices. And then they hugged and d2 told d1 he loved him.

OK, as I type this, it’s hard to not giggle at the memory but, in the moment, it was priceless. I always joke that he’s our little Billy Graham and he keeps re-affirming it. The kid just turned five and he’s requesting an impromptu prayer circle. This world could sure use more prayer warriors! Maybe it’s not compassion per se but more of a spiritual side developing in him. Either way, I am so delighted. I guess I should mention that within two minutes, they were both back in opposite corners for another round of ‘cooling off.’ Ah well. It was nice while it lasted….

And then there was today. We try to make it a part of our normal weekend routine to lie down for a nap/quiet time with the older boys while d3 is having his mid-day snooze. We use this as time to be alone with one boy at a time and today I paired up with d1. Usually we’ll have some chats while I scratch his back and then he’s out for an hour or so.

Today as we talked, though, he started asking questions about my dad. I knew the time would eventually come where the boys would start wondering where my parents were and I never really knew how to answer. I didn’t have a plan other than to keep it simple but optimistic. Now, in many parts of my childhood, that’s not so easy and I did use the tried-and-true line of, ‘one day you’ll understand’ but, in the end, I just told him that although I do have a dad, I’ve never known him. He doesn’t need to know the disappointing specifics so I left it at that. He started to ask some other questions but really focused on the father aspect and seemed a little bugged by it but then fell asleep. I thought that was the end.

Here’s where I witnessed a change in my firstborn son. Later this afternoon when we were getting ready to sit down to dinner, he randomly says, ‘Mommy, I didn’t want you to know earlier but after you told me you didn’t have a daddy, I rolled over and cried. It made me sad for you.’ I mean, really? How can a child his age feel that kind of emotion for someone else?

I had no words, just tears welling up inside of me. Not sad tears for what I didn’t have but happy tears for what I have now. These boys are amazing and I don’t deserve them. For every ounce of stress they cause me, they make up for it a hundred times over in these moments.

Some days I wonder if we’re screwing our kids up. No, I worry about that everyday. Are they eating enough fruits and vegetables or too many HFCS, processed items? Do we raise our voice at them too much? How much Wii is too much? Thankfully I have days like these above that help remind me that they are good boys. A little bit wild and a whole lot of crazy but their hearts are molding and forming and I can see a love for Jesus shining through them, little by little, in their words, actions and behaviors.

Though these moments aren’t daily or even weekly, it is proof that work is being done inside and for that, I’m praising God and claiming Proverbs 22:6 over my boys – ‘Direct your children onto the right path and when they are older, they will not leave it.’

Sorry, d3. You didn't make this issue. Maybe you should stop screaming your favorite two-letter word at Mommy all day long and I'll have something sweet to write about you....

Five Days of Disney - Day Five

How appropriate. It’s been five weeks since our trip to the Happiest Place on Earth and I’m blogging day five. I never imagined it would take me this long to document our family vacation but then I never imagined before I became a mother just how much energy it would drain from my 31-year-old body and how, at the end of the day, I would have nothing left in me, not even the little amount of effort it requires to draft up some narration so here it is. Day five.

We returned to the Magic Kingdom to round out our third day of park passes. After doing it the first day and then trying out Animal Kingdom the second, our only other option was Epcot and we had heard it wasn’t really kid friendly. We knew that there was probably a good bit at MK we didn’t see the first go round so we felt it was the best choice. And we were right – there was TONS of stuff we never even got to.



For the record, I walked this entire day with what I believe might have been a broken toe. That’s a feat in itself but what makes it even more heroic is that I did this while following Speed Racer, aka Dallas Darnell. I know it’s just his normal pace but dang! I didn’t even try to keep up with him. I figured he would eventually get lonely walking two miles ahead of us so I went as fast as I could. I did contemplate one of those motor scooter buggies until I saw the $75 a day price tag. Not a chance. I would suffer in silence {okay, that’s never been a true statement} and deal with the pain of the wound later.

Earlier I said we only met one character. I must have forgotten about this handsome little guy. Too bad d3 is petrified. I think this was the same look he had standing next to Pinocchio.

We were there when the park opened the gates and spent the entire day. We hit up some repeat favorites like Buzz Lightyear & People Mover along with some new favs like Peter Pan and It’s a Small World. d1 and I tackled Splash Mountain together, which was fun to do one-on-one but I was a sopping mess when that was over. Apparently the first car equates to the wettest car. I didn’t know that until afterwards AND I was wearing a white shirt. Perfect. I vote a warning sign be placed near that first slot but that’s just my whiny opinion….

Enjoying a nice, indoor ride on It's a Small World - can you see the exhaustion in their eyes?

Once again, we packed a cooler full of goodies for lunch and snacks which saved us a bundle of cash. This time, for our afternoon treat and at the suggestion of our Disney-crazed Harris friends, we splurged on Dole Whips. Sure, they were good but with the scorching temps, it didn’t take long for it to turn into a Dole Smoothie. I will admit – it was a tasty pineapple-vanilla treat that I can’t pick up just anywhere.

Adventureland - home of the Dole Whips

We ended the day with an attraction called PhilharMagic and it was my favorite of all three days. Call me lame, old, whatever but it was super cool. It was a short 3-D show with extra effects like wind and rain and lots of fun music, led by none other than Mickey Mouse and friends. It was just really neat. Funny thing - I remember my grandma always loving ‘shows’ and I remember thinking that it must be an ‘old person’ thing. I guess that confirms my suspicions. I’m old. But at least I’m not in denial.

I was further reminded of this fact yesterday when I spent less time examining calories and fat content of a cereal box and more time on the fiber, searching for the highest grams per serving. Now that’s when you know you’ve hit a new level in life.

Oh good. The lovely 'rock & roll' hand gesture made it in yet another photo. I was afraid it wouldn't.

Before we headed for the parking lot, we made a stop at one of the million gift shops to let the boys pick out a souvenir while a quick storm rolled in. They really had no interest all week long to look in these shops but we told them that they could bring something back home. However, the actual selection process was an ordeal in itself. Earlier that day, d2 had spotted this Mickey Mouse foldable brush/mirror that he loved. Random, yes, but it was $5 so, along with him, I loved it, too. I told him that, at the end of the day, if that’s what he wanted, he could pick that. All day long he talked about it so naturally it’s what he asked for in this store.

I had the brush in hand {and d1 decided he wanted the same thing so we had two and ready to pay}, my sweet husband asked the dreaded question – ‘Are you sure that’s what you want to take home?’ What? Why? Why would you ask a 5 year old that? He’s highly overstimulated, he has so much to choose from that he could spend hours deciding but he had made a decision, one that he was very excited about and you ask him if he was sure?

Can you guess what happened then? Uh huh, we spent at least 20 minutes in this store with a thousand other drenched tourists while BOTH boys looked for another souvenir. Yes, both. Obviously d1 wasn’t sure now , either. Awesome. We were all tired, d3 was D-O-N-E in all sense of the word and we’re walking circles around buckets of junk in a gift shop but let's make them second guess their choices. Brilliant, dear.

After a very intense decision-making process that resulted in a Mickey water bottle, a Buzz drinking cup and a plastic Mickey doll, we put on our bright yellow ponchos {the ones I bought at Wilson’s 5¢, just in case} and started our journey back to the van. This is where life got interesting.

As we were heading to obstacle number one of the exit {i.e. the Monorail}, D1 was pushing the double stroller which carried d1 and d3. He was doing a slow jog because the rain was still steadily falling. I was trying to keep up with Speedy Gonzalez at my gimpy pace and d2 was, as usual, lagging behind me, getting his last few moments of Disney People Watching in. {In his defense, it really was one of the best people-watching locations we’ve experienced.}

As the rain picked up, we started going a little faster and once we made it to the monorail station, we caught our breath and decided to wait for the next train. We were the only ones that didn’t get on the previous train but we weren’t all accounted for. ‘d2 was missing. OH.MY.WORD. My child was missing. At DISNEY WORLD. I don’t think I’ve had that kind of panic. Ever.

Just then the doors of the monorail opened and someone yelled, ‘Whose kid is this?’ as they pointed to d2. Apparently he had followed another yellow poncho onto the monorail {they were probably smoking and, for some reason, my kids can’t seem to look away from smokers these days}, thinking it was us. Praise the Lord that someone thought to ask him where his mommy and daddy were because he didn’t speak up. I’m convinced he was still staring. We really need to work on that with these boys. Not just for safety reasons but it’s embarrassing. It happens everywhere we go – grocery store, restaurants, gas stations.

So, now that we had our moment of terror out of the way, we felt pretty good about the rest of our night. We headed out of Orlando, grabbed a big dinner that would help the little people sleep sound, and settled in for a nice EIGHT hour drive {you were right, Kelley C}. If you read day one, you understand why we decided to drive at night. There is NO way we will EVER attempt a daytime drive again until they are in their teens {if then}. Sure, we were exhausted when we rolled into Greer at 4am but it was such a peaceful drive. No complaining, no bodily noises {at least not intentionally}, no repeating questions - just me and the big D, lots of Dr. Pepper and a kickin’ Pandora playlist.

All in all, it really was a good trip. Would we do it over if given the chance? I don’t know. Obviously we are so grateful at all that my aunt and uncle provided for us in the way of lodging and meals and we can never thank them enough but I’m not sure the boys were at the right ages to appreciate such amazing adventures. That was made painfully clear when they asked if we could go back to the waterpark instead of Magic Kingdom on day five. It's not their fault - they’re just not old enough to fully grasp the colossal Disney experience. Who does, really?

That being said, if you do go with small children, here are my recommendations – do take a stroller, don’t go in the middle of the summer, and do bring a full cooler. Unless, of course, you’re loaded with money, in which case, we probably don’t know each other…….


One overlooked photo from day two I couldn't resist adding. Who says eye rolling starts in the tween age? He's got it perfected at two.

Five Days of Disney - Day Four

Although we took a break from the parks on day four, I’m not changing the title. I thrive on continuity. And even though we weren’t technically in Disney, we were just a few short miles so it still fits.

This might have been my favorite day of our trip. Crazy, right? How can a day in Orlando without any fictional characters or wild rides be so great, you ask? Because those parks are utterly exhausting. Fun and exciting, yes, but we needed to change things up a bit after the first two park visits and we thoroughly enjoyed the variation.

Prior to our arrival, my sweet uncle had made arrangements for him and D1 to play a round of golf on this unbelievable Jack Nicklaus-designed course so they headed out that morning while my aunt and I huddled up the kids {my three plus her two-whew!} and headed to the pool for a morning swim. {We actually were the first to arrive. Apparently some people actually sleep in while on vacation. Huh. Weird.}

After the pool, we drove over to this awesome water park inside the housing community. It had a contraption similar to that in the Great Wolf Lodge as well as a Lazy River, sand volleyball, soccer fields, and more. It really was pretty amazing. The weather was hot {and, for the first time all week, I was thankful for the heat!} and the crowds were light. We did everything a few times, enjoyed a nice, pool-side lunch and then did it all again. I didn’t take any pictures on day four from my real camera but was able to snap a few from the phone. If you’ve ever tried to take multiple children to a water park by yourself, you understand why. It’s not just difficult, it’s dangerous, especially when the smallest of smalls hasn’t quite developed a fear of deep water.

Not sure where d1 had disappeared to, no idea what d2 is doing in this pose and the pink hat on d3 was a fill in for the temporarily misplaced Royals hat....although I'm not opposed to dressing him up in pink....

Bless his heart, d3 was a little trooper, though – no nap AGAIN but you could hardly tell, as long as we were in motion. It almost made me forget the previous days with him. Almost. He did take a quick break to catch some rays…..

Handsome little booger, chillin' in the chair. Why does he look like a little man here?

Right before we were leaving, the boys asked me to play a little soccer game with them. Gosh how I wish I had just declined and dealt with their whining from my lack of participation. Instead, I got this…..

Look beyond the three hairs on the toe I missed in my morning shave. What you should be focusing on is the black, blue and purple tints that surrounded my largest piggie.

Now, I realize it’s my own fault, that I should have known better than to try and stop a soccer ball with no shoes on but I never realized it would hurt that bad. No, really. I went to my knees and held back the tears in an effort to not freak out the boys when what I really wanted to do was roll around on the grass and beg someone to cart me off to the ER. Don’t judge. It hurt and the picture still doesn’t do it justice. {And four weeks later, I’m still unable to wear anything other than sandals. I wore a pair of heels to work this week and considered cutting the digit off myself with a pair of nail clipper scissors.}

The day wasn’t over yet. Once we got back to the house, D1 and the unc had returned from their golf game. I was told to jump in the shower because I had an appointment for a spa mani/pedi. Really? Me? Alone? Wait - am I dying? No? Ok, later! That next hour was heavenly. Well, as soon as I pointed out the growing-by-the-minute big toe and asked Miss Mani to exclude from her amazing rub down, it was awesome. They even offered me some drink I’d never even heard of. It sounded tasty and sophisticated but I passed. I was just happy to sit in a massage chair, reading a recent issue of People without someone climbing on me or begging for a turn. Oh and the relaxing sound of Enya flowing through the speakers was a nice touch, too….

We ended the day with a dinner at Kobe’s Japanese Steakhouse, one of my favorite cuisines. I ate so much steak, shrimp and vegetables that I thought I might bust. I couldn’t stop eating, which explains the three pounds that came home with me. That and all the extra Cherry Dr. Pepper I consumed that helped to keep me going…..

According to d1 and d2, this was the best day ever. As much as it overjoyed me to see them so satisfied, I couldn’t help but think about how much money we could have saved by loading up the pink basket with junk, spending every day at the water park and blowing off the Kingdom tickets. Oh well. You live and learn.

Yep, I’m pretty sure day four was my favorite. Oh, I guess I should mention that it was my birthday, too. …..

Five Days of Disney - Day Three

Whew. I’m finally sitting down to finish this little reflection of our trip. We’ve had family in town and life has been a little chaotic. Now that we’re back on our weekly schedule and D1 is back to Thursday night basketball, I have a little free time to blog. Any other night of the week I save for him {especially after his summer as SAHD} and blogging is just not a two-man activity…..

Before we left for Orlando, we had purchased three-day passes to be used at any of the Disney parks. Originally, we thought that we would spend all our time at the Magic Kingdom since it sounded like it was the most kid friendly for our boys’ ages. However, after a few suggestions from others, we decided to change our plans and hit up Animal Kingdom on day two.

Now, bear with me. It has been three weeks since we were there and my memory is just not what it used to be {which might not be a bad thing in this case….} The setting was the same – HOT and humid. Nonetheless, we were still at the Happiest Place on Earth and, by golly, they were going to be happy. Oh, and I would like to mention that on this particular day, half of Brazil’s teenage population was joining us in AK. Did you know that when you're an international tourist at Disney, you all wear the same shirts, follow a feller carrying your country’s flag and sing the anthem {or so I assume that was the song they were humming}? In any case, we shared the park that day with them and 5 million other people because it was uber crowded. That I do remember.




After we made our way through security and ticketing, we did a quick scan of the map and decided to take the safari tour first. This was pretty neat. Everyone loads onto a Jeep and the driver heads out into ‘Africa’ where there are giraffes, lions, elephants, etc. within a stone’s throw of the vehicle {I’m not good with distances – could have been 50 ft or 500. Who knows. It was close.}

We did the safari early in the day because it was a popular attraction and the lines grew very long as the day went on. However, that meant that we had to forego some of the other fun rides, like Everest and Dinosaur, because once the safari was over, those other lines were long and the Fast Pass times were later than we planned to stay. This is where we were a little disappointed in our choice of AK over MK. There just wasn’t much that didn’t require a ridiculous wait and, with our brood, that just wasn’t an option. I'm sure it had to do with the enormous amount of people there that day but, in any case, it was a little frustrating.

Another fond memory I have {yes, I did have some} was when we took a train out to Rafiki’s Planet Watch where there was a petting zoo set up with some unique animals. We particularly liked the llama, probably because we're fans of the ‘Llama Llama’ books. Check out this poor chick's chompers….



Later in the afternoon, we were able to score some seats in the ‘Finding Nemo’ musical. The show was awesome, especially since it brought some much-desired, non-stop A/C for an hour or so. The colors were bright and the music was loud, which translated to three amused boys. There’s a valuable piece of advice for anyone asking – hold off on any indoor activities until later in the day when you are beat-down tired and desperate for some relief. I’m sure I wouldn’t have appreciated it nearly as much in the morning when I was synthetically energized by my XL latte as I did in the afternoon when I was running on fumes and dropping sweat by the gallon.

I guess d1 didn't hear me correctly when I offered gum as a bribe for a good picture. He's too busy tossing me the 'Rock & Roll' sign while d2 is non-verbally declaring his love for me. I can tell you which one got that sweet little nuggest of spearmint goodness.....

I think we lasted about 7 hours at Animal Kingdom that day and it was really not easy to do. Our overall take on the park was that it is a glorified zoo with a few extra features of an amusement park. d1 and d2 probably would have been interested in the little exhibits and in learning about the Pangani Forest but we couldn’t….oh, who am I kidding? They’re all about the rides – movement, noise, thrill – and after a day at MK, it wasn’t exactly what they had expected. Although, I have to say that I’m not sure who was more disappointed – the older boys or their daddy. I could be wrong but I think D1 may have wanted me to encourage him to wait in line two hours to ride Everest alone while I just ‘hung out’ with the midgets not tall enough/brave enough to endure the coaster. Had there been a safe place for me to ‘hang’ with them, I might have suggested it but without harnesses or handcuffs, it wasn't happening. There were way too many people to go to a 3:1 child-parent ratio and a nervous breakdown over losing a child in a crowd of Brazilians wasn't high on my to-do list. Maybe next time, dear.

As we did the night before, when we left the park, we headed back out to the uncle’s pad for dinner. Have I mentioned how blessed we were to have had the opportunity to do all of this without paying lodging? It saved us tremendously and we cannot say enough about how thankful we were…..and the boys LOVED hanging out with their second cousins at night, just swimming and watching 'The Karate Kid.' Their excitement was totally worth the nightly panic attacks I had from fear that something irreplaceable {either from sentiment or our lack of cash} would shatter from their energy bursts and new kung fu moves. Fortunately and only by the grace of God, we survived and so did their house.....