I am sure I'll post a few more nuggets of fun, but here is one for your viewing pleasure. This is at the top of Splash Mountain. And before you think we are just cruel parents, Youngest had been on this ride before and LIKED it. My favorite part is when Eldest screams just as we are about to go over the edge, "Dad, put it away, put it away!"
You can see more vids including all the jokes we told while standing in line [here].
Thanks to Kristen's prompting, last year Eldest participated in the Young Writer's Program of the National Novel Writing Month (NaNoWriMo). She didn't quite get done as we were just getting settled into our new place, but she gave it a valiant effort. She has been scribbling notes down, writing on google docs and generally developing this story - which she has not shown to the parents who brought her into this world - for about six months now. Well . . . she saw me working with my MacSpeech Dictate and her typing problems were solved*. Here she is adding to her novel. She thinks this is just too cool.
* Don't worry, she will still work on proper typing, but at this point her mind is moving far faster than her fingers can.
Today we are leaving for Disneyland.
No, you are not crazy . . . we were JUST there.
We return this time with my mom, step-pop and niece, Ava! That mean momz will have all four of her grandbabies with her. Hopefully she will get all weepy with joy while we are standing line. How embarrassing ;-)
I thought about not bringing my computer and totally unplugging, but then figured, "yeah right" it's not like I am going on some outbound mission trip or hiking in some backwoods part of the world. We are going to have to google some directions at some point for gosh darn sake. More justification you ask? I also didn't want to go through that freak-out stressful time before going on vacation. I have a few things to do for church, but would rather just take a few minutes on Wednesday PM to take care of them rather than cram one more thing into the prep day. Yeah, I'm hooked. But in a good way ;-)
I'll probably blog a bit here over the week, but will mostly sit back, relax and be further sucked into the evil empire we know as Disney.
And the reading list for this trip:
As the Chow clan gathered to celebrate Grandpa Chow's 86th birthday, we ate, laughed and generally had a grand ol' time as usual. The gun you ask? Grandpa Chow told WWII stories and showed off Japanese M1 rifle that he brought back. Apparently the American soldiers got to bring back "souvenirs" from their service.
This evening I had to make a choice. Go and see someone from our church who's band was playing at a local club. I totally wanted to go support them* and hang out with the "youngsters" but there were other forces keeping me home. At least one of the parental units has been gone every night for the past 10 nights, so I thought it would be good for our kids to see that their parents still know eachother.
Plus . . . there was a turkey to eat.
And you know what they say, "Always choose the turkey."
After all, Thanksgiving on February 29th only comes every four years.
* Become a Facebook Fan of The Definite Articles
This trip to the Kansas City area was weird. Unlike my last trip and most that are coming up, I was based in one place and there was a good deal of down time. I had significant time to be on my own, to take some time to rest and even sleep a full night. Rough I know.
Still, the trip reminded me of a few things:
In the mean time, here are the things I have Yelped about while here, because when all else fails, you can call for Yelp ;-)
[image: official jabc site]
On a recent trip I watched the movie The Jane Austin Book Club. Yet another movie filled with beautiful and talented Hollywood. Dramedy escapism at it's finest. I actually loved the archetypes that were represented, kind of like the church or family. On their own, they might not get together, but bring them around one thing and maybe, just maybe . . .
It also tangentially reminded me of my own background and how I was raised. While there were some great men in my life, I think I was pretty much raised by crazy women. I can't imagine it any other way. For so/too many of the major events in my life "The Committee" was brought in to help make decisions. Kim, Joyce, Peggy, Cherita - and others I am sure - and my mom would huddle up over a bottle or three of wine and decide my fate. Whether it was driving, little league or girls, they were all up in my business. Each subsequent sibling also had their "Committee" to help make decisions for their lives as well and by this time, Joel was given membership ;-) It is a tradition.
If you talk to the Reyes siblings, it all started with our Grandma Reyes (AKA Grandma Acoba). Lady was caaaaaraaaaazzzzzyyyyyy with a capital CUCKOO! But in a good way. I have learned much from all my grandparents, but Gma Reyes taught us . . .
If Gma were here today, she would point out when I was being a jerk and would make sure I don't turn into total schmuck.
I think I have continued to surround myself with this archetype
Crazy women that is.
I am not naming names, I am not an idiot.
You know who you are.
Thank you!
As I am writing this post, I am sitting on the couch watching the first season of Speed Racer while sitting next to a post-vacation sick child. So sad what a 100+ degree temp does to a normally cheerful kid. Sometimes all we can do to make the day a little better is to cuddle with them, make sure they drink plenty of fluids and watch cheesy cartoons. I am so grateful for the ability and resources that allow me to stay home when needed.
As much as I do know the sinister nature of the marketing that goes on by Disney, the fiscal privilege that allows us to take trips such as this and the totally controlled environment that is Disney, I must admit, it was a pretty special trip. And not to gush too much about the time and my kids, here are a Godly aha's that we experienced on our first non-church related family vacation in years.
Joy like a child - There really is nothing more moving than the pure joy that comes from the body of a child. As we approached the park and began seeing signs that we were about to enter the land of a million dreams, the girls could not contain their squeals of delight. "We're here! We're here!" Priceless.
Change is hard - Transitions are hard, no matter the age, but for those moving from little girl to tweener to teen, tying to find one's place is even more difficult. Disneyland gives permission to once again wear silly ears, ride the Snow White ride and otherwise stay young if but just for a few more moments. One child, however, was concerned that her friends might see her parents singing along to the HSM2 show.
Every child is different - Vacations certainly give an opportunity to see the differences in personalities between family members. Some are the roller-coaster riders, some are ready for bed at 9:00 each night, some like to schedule everything, and others just want to just hang out and see what's next. Trying to get agreement on what we were to do and when we did it required deft negotiation skills. And while cause for some frustration at times, these are reminders of the complex and diverse ways that we also connect with God.
You got Skilz - I have always admired the gifts of performers. Disney has seemed to be able to make what would seem like a pretty cheesy performance opportunities and gather really talented folks to pull of well done productions. From the 45-minute mini-musical of Aladdin to the various street performers, the abundance of gifts that God has given were evident.
Simple Pleasures - Smoked turkey legs, Cotton Candy, Water Rides, Cheesy Pictures and Pirates.
So . . . nothing overwhelmingly profound from our time away other that an a deep appreciation to God for the ability to create such an experience and memory for our family. I guess that is profound enough.
And oh, yes, the Force is Strong in this one . . .
Happy birthday to Robin! Feel free to leave a comment here for her. Alas, no blog or Facebook for the R'ster as of yet.
Luther Vandross' "A House is Not a Home" - if this is on your iPod, you ARE old, cool, but old - has been the soundtrack of the moving saga. Today as we moved into our next stop for the next 10 days, Abby was reflecting on how this was the first time she has EVER moved. For the most part the girls have done pretty well - we have raised them for adaptability - there has been some sadness about leaving the only house the two little ones have ever know.
As we talked about today, Abby asked me how many times I have moved. As I recounted, the memories come flooding back. Far too many to recount, but for those who have walked with the Reyes-Kim-Gibbs-Chow families, some of these places may bring back some memories . . . and hey, help me fill in the blanks as my memory is indeed fading fast.
Wow . . . 14 places in 38 years, and I probably even left some places out. Not sure if it means anything or if it has effected my perception of stability, but there has been one constant, family. My family has always been around, caring, cooking and a lot of laughter. Even these past few days as we have been back at mom's place for a spell, it was a joy to just hang out as a slightly larger family unit.
So . . . take a listen to Luther's song. While a house can be part of a home, even be part of creating or holding back the creation of home, the house is not the home. It is the love that is in it. Drippy, cheesy, but oh so true.
A few pics to share . . .
The last load to the dump from 503. Man what a ton of crap we have!
The sweet view from our HOME for the next 10 days. Yes, we are RIGHT there! I could get used to this.
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