I have to admit it, I am being a curmudgeon in this post. You know-getting all grumpy about A)something I can't control, and B)something that really doesn't matter. But sometimes it feels good to get jiggy with my curmudgeon side, so today I am rolling with it.
Facebook, and chain e-mails, seems to love sending around the "remember when" ditty's. Rememeber when gas was a quarter? Remember when the sexiest thing on tv was "Love Boat"? Remember how we actually had Christmas Vacation and not Winter Break? Remember how we smoked during pregnancy AND snacked on lead paint chips? I usually roll my eyes or jog down memory lane for just a wee bit, even though most of these are not to interesting. However, there is one that always frustrates me. Remember when we actually played outside and the street lights going on meant it was time for home?
I can't change the price of a loaf of bread, and I wish we could go back to the days of LESS reality tv, but seriously, if you want to see kids play outside, LET YOUR KIDS OUTSIDE!! Seriously, we can solve this one. I hear people lament about this one all the time, about kids not going outside anymore, and it frustrates me because it is so easily solved.
Ohhhh, I know what people will say. The possible bee stings, broken bones, or fights from bullies. Kids can get bit by dogs, scratched by cats, or chased by rabid possums. They could get weird germs from playing in the gutter, or the dog poop in my front yard. What if they eat the weird berries, or worse, someone tries to abduct them?
The truth is, statistically, kids are safer than ever before. With bicycle helmets, immunizations, and sunscreens, kids today have protections most of us over 40 never dreamed of. And while I wish abductions never happened, the truth is, most children are taken by someone they know. So why are we so damn scared to let our kids out? Every headline seems like our backyard. The worst you can imagine may have happened half way around the world, but still, it happened, scarying us into fat kids who view the outdoors as the worst place to be.
Just because statistically kids are safer doesn't mean you have to let your guard down. I don't send my kids out to play in highway traffic with hunting knives because hey, statistically they are safer now then 20 years ago. I still go with my 6 year old to the restroom at the mall, and I never let my kids out in the front yard unless I am out front too. Statistic might relieve my mind, but my heart still has to see those horrid stories about kids not coming home due to a predator. However, what I can do as a parent is make sure I am giving my kids the opportunities I had. I go out front so they can. I let them play in my fenced in backyard, even though they could break something. I watch them make up weird games, and sometimes pretend I don't see them poking at the dog poop so they can snickeer about it later. And I would challenge any parent concerned that their kids weren't getting to watch the street lights come on in the summer, to do the same. Childhood is calling...go enjoy it. So there.........
Tuesday, May 29, 2012
Friday, May 11, 2012
Scout Properties
Regarding the Long Range Property Plan:
I have been a Girl Scout member since 1978 (an adult member since 1990). My credentials are such that I worked as a resident counselor at Arrowhead for four summers, spent one summer doing Brownie Camp at Mountaindale, and I am currently gearing up for my fourth summer as a day-camp counselor. In addition, I worked at outdoor school here in Oregon, and Pennsylvania, and spent a summer as a day camp counselor for Campfire.
My original intention was to comment on Homestead; the scout property closest to my service area. After reading the report however, I find that I have several comments to make.
Considering the leadership that Girl Scouts had regarding outdoor programming in the 1970’s and ‘80’s, I am incredibly dismayed to discover so many of our properties with deferred maintenance issues. Even the “best” of our camps, have adequate facilities at best. Considering the role Girl Scouts has played in outdoor education, I find that leadership has let us down to have so many properties needing so much attention. Particularly disturbing was Marilyn’s Place at Mountaindale. Despite the apparent age of the facility, it is actually quite “young” compared to facilities at numerous other camps and yet there are already significant drawbacks to programming and general usage. As we consider the future of our program, and what we have to offer, I hope that mistakes of the past, either mismanagement or poor planning, can be avoided. Buildings constructed should not be considered “past their prime” within a few decades. Properties should not be allowed to disintegrate, and then hope they can be spun-off because of upgrading costs. All of our membership deserves more than that.
For decades, most outdoor opportunities for girls and young women was through the Girl Scouts. Now that we have achieved so much, it seems as if scouts wants to push us back. Our council sits on prime sites-either because of their ruggedness, or proximity to urban areas. We have the ability to be leaders once again in this arena. I would argue that we work to save all sites regardless of our personal thoughts. Obviously I will be biased to the ones closest to me, but I would argue that some of the sites I am unfamiliar with have their supporters as well. Re-alignment is barely two years old. Most of us are still grappling with the idea that Grants Pass, Newport, and Portland are all of the same council. We should be given more time to explore some of these areas that are so new to us. We should take into consideration the expected influx of “new arrivals” to the Pacific NW in the next twenty years, and especially look closely at ALL properties by urban areas.
The question always remains, how to provide AND pay for the things we wish to accomplish. The obvious answer is that IF there are in fact no properties in the entire council area that NO ONE has emotional ties to, it should be sold, or otherwise dealt with accordingly. I have already stated I have low hopes for that being the case, but if I am wrong, I support a sale. I would also argue about the type of programming we can offer at these sites. Most of the sites are poised for excellent outdoor education-from simple to extreme. The first time hiker with a daisy troop should find access readily available, but some of the older girls would enjoy learning wilderness rescue, extreme camping, and outdoor survival. And while outdoor education is always a positive, there are other ways to utilize these properties. In the mid-1980’s, I attended an overnight in The Dalles with the sole purpose of completing a badge. Our council overnight facilities can be used for this again. Also let the membership know that girls from Portland might love to know where overnight facilities are in the Medford area, just as girls from K. Falls would love an opportunity to learn about the Columbia River Gorge. Encourage troops to do educational trips to these “exotic” locales. Council needs to “sell” these trips. Maybe instead of “Wider Opportunities”, we do “Local Opportunities”. Mini-trips planned around the location of the scout houses. I myself can envision a four night trip to The Dalles to learn about the geology of the Gorge, or maybe a three night stay at the Albany or Eugene house for seniors in high school, to check out colleges in the area (Univ. of Ore., Ore. State, AND Western Ore. Univ. are all within an hour’s drive of each other). There also might be opportunities for girls to partake in upgrading the facilities. While building a brand new lodge is probably not realistic, older girls might relish the opportunity to learn how to build a new Adirondack at Arrowhead or Whispering Winds; saving money AND teaching useful skills. Trail building, healthy forest management, painting simple outbuildings, are all activities that can be appropriately managed for different ages and skill levels. We need to look “outside the box” of what the great outdoors is, and re-define it to be more acceptable to the 21st century. We need to do the same with how we can utilize the valuable sites we have.
In regards to Homestead specifically, I find it disheartening that once again, a property on the east side of the Portland-metro area is in danger of being let go. We in this area seem to have to fight for a space to send our girls. And it certainly isn’t because we aren’t interested. Arrowhead saw healthy numbers of participants, and yet was still allowed to disintegrate, seemingly with the hopes the membership wouldn’t want to spend money to preserve it. The number of visits days Homestead is visited is listed as 105, a misleadingly low number. That is not even half the days of a given year. However, it does represent almost every single weekend, which shows the immense interest in this valuable site. Those of us who live near this site are willing to take an active role in its usage and preservation. We have shown our utmost dedication by actually using this site, repeatedly. If this site is taken from us, where would we have the kind of access elsewhere? The committee stated it was willing to make sure girls had access to other areas, if one site became unavailable, so where would east county go? While Mountaindale and Arrowhead are both great areas, they are not as close in proximity as Homestead, nor are they as convenient for smaller programs. I ask again, what would replace Homestead?
I would bet that any service area would fight for the sites it deems emotionally valuable. Council, and the committee, need to let us, the membership take an active role in not only Homestead but every site we have ownership of. Because the girls are repeatedly begging for different opportunities, and we have the possibility to provide them, it needs to be done. But we need new thinking, and new ideas, to get these properties ready for the future, and declaring them to decayed and bothersome, is not the way to do it.
Friday, July 29, 2011
Outdoor School
The disclaimer to this blog is: I am 100% behind efforts to keep the Outdoor School Program (any Outdoor School Program) up and running, so this blog is biased. This is not some balanced piece explaining both sides; this is a disgruntled club memeber upset the club might be closing. As a 6th grader who attended Outdoor School in the Fall of 1983, as the Junior Counselor 3x over between 1989 and 1990, AND as a Resource Counselor in the Pennsylvania Outdoor School System in 1998, you might ask yourself why I feel qualified to right this blog? I feel qualified because I have been there, and Outdoor School is beautiful. However, my love affair with Outdoor School actually began in 1981, as a 4th grader listening to a presentation by the 6th graders who had just returned from their Outdoor School experience. Their stories of resources lessons, sleeping in cabins, and campfires, had me hooked. As a two-summer veteran of summer camp, Outdoor School sounded like my kind of place. (Since my love affair with summer camp has lasted decades, it is easy to see why I was such an easy sell!)
By the time I made it to Outdoor School 2 years later, I was a four-summer veteran of summer camp, so many of the things teachers want us to learn there went right over my head. Eating in a group setting where everyone gets firsts before you get seconds, being independent from home and thinking for yourself, being in the forest, learning about animals, etc. I had been there, done that-repeatedly.
However, even in my experienced state, I managed to take away two very important lessons. I had camped several times through Girl Scouts and with my family, and had never realized that forests, like other habitats, is a science. The web of life, watersheds, animal homes-it is all part of what we were/are. The forests wasn't just for camping and hiking; it had/has PURPOSE. The second thing I learned was that not everyone was like me economically. Of course I knew that in theory; by the 6th grade we had done many projects to help those that were disadvantaged. But no one in my neighborhood fit that category, and neither did any of my friends, ergo not in my backyard, right? Being with kids from different areas taught me a thing or two about what disadvantaged was.
The reality was though, I didn't walk away from Outdoor School a totally changed person. The things I learned are important, and I am grateful for them, but I can't lie and say I became The World's Most Empthetic 6th Grader. I was 11; not the most shining year I ever had. However, there is another side to Outdoor School that rarely gets mentioned. It is not in the PR I have seen, and outside the Hallowed Trees of Learning, few people realize that there is a whole another set of people learning important things at Outdoor School. I speak of the Junior Counselors (JC for short).
Not all Outdoor Schools are run the same. In the Portland-metro area, Outdoor School is made possible by the hundreds of high schools students who, every Fall and Spring, miss a week of regular school to make the magic of Outdoor School happen. They receive no pay, get to make up all the homework they missed, sleep in the cabins with a bunch of 6th graders, plus teach a resource . There are 4 Resource Subjects the 6th graders learn, and that the JC's must pick from to help teach-Water, Soil, Plants, and Animals. (The 6th graders rotate so they get one day for each, while the JC's stay with that subject the whole week.) For the record, I spent one program week on Water, before I switched and did my last two program weeks with Animals (Granola was HOT-all the girls wanted to be on Animals!) (And yes, we all had camp names.)
I swear on the keyboard I am using to write this: I learned more at Outdoor School as a Junior Counsleor, than I EVER learned as a 6th grader. Of course being on Water and Animals, I can tell you all about Watersheds, and that there are eels in this area. I got up close and personal to Helga the camp possum, and even stuck my finger in her pouch. Yes, I am way cool. Turkey Vultures are scavnegers that keep the forest clean, and clean water is the cornerstone of a healthy forest. Yes, yes, yes: Woodsy Owl and Smokey the Bear love me.
However, there is more at stake than being able to lead the best camp song at campfire:
*There are 2 JC's per cabin at night; my co-JC left midway through Outdoor School because she missed her boyfriend. I learned about repsonibilty, follow through, and what happens when people count on me and I let them down. (In all honesty she was a bitch and I wasn't sorry to see her go despite the added responsibilities.)
*I was the leader on the dead animal walk-an animal corpse with lots of maggots and beetles that had purposely been left near the trail so the kids could see decomposition at its finest. (Funny thing; no JC but me was excited to lead this walk!) However, one group of boys, who I thought would totally be into my subject, refused to stay on task. Finally out of exasperation, I asked what was so darn interesting, besides this really cool, dead corpse. Every single one of them answered, "the crickets." I got pissed, and in my sternest, teenage voice declared they could look at those at home; we had a lesson to finish. The quieter ones, followed me, but both the bolder two boys shook their heads and one of them said "no we can't; we don't have crickets at my house." These kids were from North Portland. Not only were crickets a rarity; going outside at night to see them wasn't done often either. Lesson here was live animals trump dead ones, don't interrupt the learning excitement wherever it may come from, and never under-estimate the coolness of nature.
*One little girl cried EVERYDAY that she was homesick. When Friday rolled around, she cried that it was time to go, and was upset at all she had missed by moping for home. I learned that time passes whether I am happy or sad. Sharing feelings is fine, and acknowledging when I am upset is good too, but if I don't watch out, good times will pass me by when I am not looking.
The list of lessons learned is endless: the music expertise of one of the Resource Counselors; the special needs class that loved EVERYTHING we did; the songs that kids sang over and over and over AND over again; watching turkey vultures soar through the air; the JC that came to Outdoor School with a chewing tobacco addiction; trying to whistle after eating a saltine cracker; what happens when it rains everday; celebrating Halloween outdoors with virtual strangers. I could go on and on, dredging up a lot of good memories. However the reality is, there are very few experiences like this one for high school students, and it would be a damn shame to end it now. I understand why the perception Outdoor School is a 6th grade program. The middle schools pay for it; not the high schools. But to limit Outdoor School to only the one demographic age, is to short change a program that benefits hundreds of students, of multiple ages, across the area. We as a society should be looking at how the cost benefits ALL students at Outdoor School, regardless of age, and realize the price tag isn't so steep. We also need to realize how Outdoor School benefits us all. Year after year, 6th graders and high school students headed off to Outdoor School, grew up, and became voters in this area. Portlanders have a reputation of being pro-environment; something that I doubt happened by accident.
We learn at Outdoor School, in the Soil Resource, that there is no such thing as dirt. Rather there are different layers of sub-strata, all with a different function but working together to form Soil. Soil provides the basis for plant life, which in turn supports animals and air. Outdoor School is the same way- the 6th graders are simply one layer. We need to see that there are numerous layers of Outdoor School, all working together to provide a program that supports other programs down the line. The numerous parties involved in Outdoor School, 6th grade and high school alike, become the stewards of each other, and the planet we live on. Not a bad exchange for anyone.
And my camp name was, and remains, Zinka.
By the time I made it to Outdoor School 2 years later, I was a four-summer veteran of summer camp, so many of the things teachers want us to learn there went right over my head. Eating in a group setting where everyone gets firsts before you get seconds, being independent from home and thinking for yourself, being in the forest, learning about animals, etc. I had been there, done that-repeatedly.
However, even in my experienced state, I managed to take away two very important lessons. I had camped several times through Girl Scouts and with my family, and had never realized that forests, like other habitats, is a science. The web of life, watersheds, animal homes-it is all part of what we were/are. The forests wasn't just for camping and hiking; it had/has PURPOSE. The second thing I learned was that not everyone was like me economically. Of course I knew that in theory; by the 6th grade we had done many projects to help those that were disadvantaged. But no one in my neighborhood fit that category, and neither did any of my friends, ergo not in my backyard, right? Being with kids from different areas taught me a thing or two about what disadvantaged was.
The reality was though, I didn't walk away from Outdoor School a totally changed person. The things I learned are important, and I am grateful for them, but I can't lie and say I became The World's Most Empthetic 6th Grader. I was 11; not the most shining year I ever had. However, there is another side to Outdoor School that rarely gets mentioned. It is not in the PR I have seen, and outside the Hallowed Trees of Learning, few people realize that there is a whole another set of people learning important things at Outdoor School. I speak of the Junior Counselors (JC for short).
Not all Outdoor Schools are run the same. In the Portland-metro area, Outdoor School is made possible by the hundreds of high schools students who, every Fall and Spring, miss a week of regular school to make the magic of Outdoor School happen. They receive no pay, get to make up all the homework they missed, sleep in the cabins with a bunch of 6th graders, plus teach a resource . There are 4 Resource Subjects the 6th graders learn, and that the JC's must pick from to help teach-Water, Soil, Plants, and Animals. (The 6th graders rotate so they get one day for each, while the JC's stay with that subject the whole week.) For the record, I spent one program week on Water, before I switched and did my last two program weeks with Animals (Granola was HOT-all the girls wanted to be on Animals!) (And yes, we all had camp names.)
I swear on the keyboard I am using to write this: I learned more at Outdoor School as a Junior Counsleor, than I EVER learned as a 6th grader. Of course being on Water and Animals, I can tell you all about Watersheds, and that there are eels in this area. I got up close and personal to Helga the camp possum, and even stuck my finger in her pouch. Yes, I am way cool. Turkey Vultures are scavnegers that keep the forest clean, and clean water is the cornerstone of a healthy forest. Yes, yes, yes: Woodsy Owl and Smokey the Bear love me.
However, there is more at stake than being able to lead the best camp song at campfire:
*There are 2 JC's per cabin at night; my co-JC left midway through Outdoor School because she missed her boyfriend. I learned about repsonibilty, follow through, and what happens when people count on me and I let them down. (In all honesty she was a bitch and I wasn't sorry to see her go despite the added responsibilities.)
*I was the leader on the dead animal walk-an animal corpse with lots of maggots and beetles that had purposely been left near the trail so the kids could see decomposition at its finest. (Funny thing; no JC but me was excited to lead this walk!) However, one group of boys, who I thought would totally be into my subject, refused to stay on task. Finally out of exasperation, I asked what was so darn interesting, besides this really cool, dead corpse. Every single one of them answered, "the crickets." I got pissed, and in my sternest, teenage voice declared they could look at those at home; we had a lesson to finish. The quieter ones, followed me, but both the bolder two boys shook their heads and one of them said "no we can't; we don't have crickets at my house." These kids were from North Portland. Not only were crickets a rarity; going outside at night to see them wasn't done often either. Lesson here was live animals trump dead ones, don't interrupt the learning excitement wherever it may come from, and never under-estimate the coolness of nature.
*One little girl cried EVERYDAY that she was homesick. When Friday rolled around, she cried that it was time to go, and was upset at all she had missed by moping for home. I learned that time passes whether I am happy or sad. Sharing feelings is fine, and acknowledging when I am upset is good too, but if I don't watch out, good times will pass me by when I am not looking.
The list of lessons learned is endless: the music expertise of one of the Resource Counselors; the special needs class that loved EVERYTHING we did; the songs that kids sang over and over and over AND over again; watching turkey vultures soar through the air; the JC that came to Outdoor School with a chewing tobacco addiction; trying to whistle after eating a saltine cracker; what happens when it rains everday; celebrating Halloween outdoors with virtual strangers. I could go on and on, dredging up a lot of good memories. However the reality is, there are very few experiences like this one for high school students, and it would be a damn shame to end it now. I understand why the perception Outdoor School is a 6th grade program. The middle schools pay for it; not the high schools. But to limit Outdoor School to only the one demographic age, is to short change a program that benefits hundreds of students, of multiple ages, across the area. We as a society should be looking at how the cost benefits ALL students at Outdoor School, regardless of age, and realize the price tag isn't so steep. We also need to realize how Outdoor School benefits us all. Year after year, 6th graders and high school students headed off to Outdoor School, grew up, and became voters in this area. Portlanders have a reputation of being pro-environment; something that I doubt happened by accident.
We learn at Outdoor School, in the Soil Resource, that there is no such thing as dirt. Rather there are different layers of sub-strata, all with a different function but working together to form Soil. Soil provides the basis for plant life, which in turn supports animals and air. Outdoor School is the same way- the 6th graders are simply one layer. We need to see that there are numerous layers of Outdoor School, all working together to provide a program that supports other programs down the line. The numerous parties involved in Outdoor School, 6th grade and high school alike, become the stewards of each other, and the planet we live on. Not a bad exchange for anyone.
And my camp name was, and remains, Zinka.
Sunday, March 06, 2011
Disneyland
A lot of people have asked how the trip to Disneyland was, so I am taking the lazy, high-tech way out, and just writing a blog about it.
First, despite appreances, this trip was well thought out. We went with my parents, so the adults out-numbered the kids. I had reservations about taking a 5 year-old AND a 2 1/2 year-old on this kind of trip. Plus I HATE to fly. I don't have wings to flap if the plane goes down, and I get air sick. Daramamine will keep the nausea at bay, but it doesn't cure the "I don't feel so good" stuff. However, in the end, we went off-season for shorter lines, and we had the expectation of lots of breaks.
Second, we LOVE Disney. Anything after this is totally biased because we love Disney. Nick and I have been to Disneyland without kids about 4 times, and we went to DisneyWorld for our honeymoon. I have even been to Tokyo Disneyland, years ago in another lifetime. It was the first place I saw Captain Eo. Are the parks over-priced? Absolutely. Does the music annoy us? Sometimes. Buuuttt, you get what you pay for. I have been to places far less crowded that were filthy. Disney keeps a relatively clean park, there is staff everywhere to assist you if you ask, and I feel relatively safe. Plus the rides are fun and they have ice cream everywhere for purchase. Good times Dawg.
We left Sunday at about 7:00am. which means we were at the airport by 5:00am. Way to early for me, but it meant that we were standing at the gates of Disneyalnd by 10:00am. First slap of reality was Asa. I expected to wait on Noah- he is younger, slower, might need naps, etc. Asa refused to go on any ride he couldn't actually see the ride. Example-no arguments getting him on the huge Mark Twain Riverboat. Peter Pan's Flight-forget it. It was like that the entire trip. By Wednesday we told him if he went on 4 new rides, he would get a treat EVERY time. We had to pay up twice. Shoot-if that had been me, I would been on enough new rides to make me a sugar zombie, but to each their own. Second reality slap was the crowds. Off-season my ass-that park was crawling with people. Unless we hit it early in the morning or right before we left the park, most rides had at least a half hour wait. We did a lot of passing off between mommy and daddy and grandma and grandpa, because making my kids wait for EVERY ride seemed like a lot. In fact, if we had known there was going to be a national cheerleading competition down there at the same time, we would have picked a different time.
Tuesday we rented a car and headed up to the La Brea Tar Pits, and Hollywood. Hollywood is worth a trip once in a lifetime. I had been, Nick hadn't. But Disney has a soda fountaint up there I had never seen, and we ate at the Hardrock Cafe. And it was worth it to get the kids out of the rides scenario and show them something without lines. We saw turtles in the nature walk at La Brea Tar Pits, so we got some education in there too. My only big beef, and Nick rolled his eyes at me, was at Hardrock, they had music and the title so you knew who the artist was. When Jerry Lee Lewis was singing "Great Balls of Fire", they said it was Little Richard singing "Good Golly Miss Molly". I complained-if your business is music, do it right. We also saw Grauman's Chinese Theater and all the famous, and infamous, footprints.
Wednesday, my aunt and uncle drove down from their home in Vegas and met us for a day in the park. Hard to tell who had more fun!! I think the kids just liked having someone else to fawn over them. Since they hadn't been to the new park, we spent the day over in the California.
By Friday, everyone was bushed. Noah had a rash that made walking painful-I am guessing it was the water but I really don't know. We were all tired and cranky, and our flight didn't leave till 6:50pm. By the time we got luggage, got our car, etc., it was 11:30pm before we got to bed.
I never thought I would be one of those people who took kids to places they wouldn't remember. Asa might remember parts of this trip, if we are lucky, but Noah probably won't remember a thing. However, two things make it worthwhile to me. Well, three things. First, my friend Katie gave me some of the best piece of parenting advice I have ever received-your child might not remember, but you will. I have applied that to the first time I took both my kids camping when they were 8 months old, to Christmas morning with Santa. My memories are just as important as theirs, and I have some priceless ones. Secondly, even if the kids don't remember Disneyland per se, they know that they just had a fun time with family. I could wait till my kids are 6, before we do anything fun, and then they would be like "what the hey?". But now, at their young age, they know that we do fun things sometimes, and when the fun times end, another will be there to replace it in the future. We just build on those feelings.
The third, is that I love vacations and I love Disneyland. I just spent 6 days in warm weather, not having to cook, and having someone else make my bed. What's not to love?
Favorite ride for me is Splash Mountain. It was closed down. I did get on Thunder Mountain, which is my second favorite ride. Favorite ride we all could go on was Woody's Midway. You get a "gun" and you shoot at targets to rack up points. Buzz Lightyear is similiar and the kids really liked that too.
Worst moments were Noah's rash. Broke my heart watching that kid cry as he tried to avoid walking. Fighting with Asa over the rides was a downer, but hey, we took the little kids so we had to expect something. He also liked to scream in the bathrooms that he had just gone poop-I am almost positive I heard mom's snickering over that one. Why couldn't he say something quietly before we went in there?
We are officially ready to go again!
First, despite appreances, this trip was well thought out. We went with my parents, so the adults out-numbered the kids. I had reservations about taking a 5 year-old AND a 2 1/2 year-old on this kind of trip. Plus I HATE to fly. I don't have wings to flap if the plane goes down, and I get air sick. Daramamine will keep the nausea at bay, but it doesn't cure the "I don't feel so good" stuff. However, in the end, we went off-season for shorter lines, and we had the expectation of lots of breaks.
Second, we LOVE Disney. Anything after this is totally biased because we love Disney. Nick and I have been to Disneyland without kids about 4 times, and we went to DisneyWorld for our honeymoon. I have even been to Tokyo Disneyland, years ago in another lifetime. It was the first place I saw Captain Eo. Are the parks over-priced? Absolutely. Does the music annoy us? Sometimes. Buuuttt, you get what you pay for. I have been to places far less crowded that were filthy. Disney keeps a relatively clean park, there is staff everywhere to assist you if you ask, and I feel relatively safe. Plus the rides are fun and they have ice cream everywhere for purchase. Good times Dawg.
We left Sunday at about 7:00am. which means we were at the airport by 5:00am. Way to early for me, but it meant that we were standing at the gates of Disneyalnd by 10:00am. First slap of reality was Asa. I expected to wait on Noah- he is younger, slower, might need naps, etc. Asa refused to go on any ride he couldn't actually see the ride. Example-no arguments getting him on the huge Mark Twain Riverboat. Peter Pan's Flight-forget it. It was like that the entire trip. By Wednesday we told him if he went on 4 new rides, he would get a treat EVERY time. We had to pay up twice. Shoot-if that had been me, I would been on enough new rides to make me a sugar zombie, but to each their own. Second reality slap was the crowds. Off-season my ass-that park was crawling with people. Unless we hit it early in the morning or right before we left the park, most rides had at least a half hour wait. We did a lot of passing off between mommy and daddy and grandma and grandpa, because making my kids wait for EVERY ride seemed like a lot. In fact, if we had known there was going to be a national cheerleading competition down there at the same time, we would have picked a different time.
Tuesday we rented a car and headed up to the La Brea Tar Pits, and Hollywood. Hollywood is worth a trip once in a lifetime. I had been, Nick hadn't. But Disney has a soda fountaint up there I had never seen, and we ate at the Hardrock Cafe. And it was worth it to get the kids out of the rides scenario and show them something without lines. We saw turtles in the nature walk at La Brea Tar Pits, so we got some education in there too. My only big beef, and Nick rolled his eyes at me, was at Hardrock, they had music and the title so you knew who the artist was. When Jerry Lee Lewis was singing "Great Balls of Fire", they said it was Little Richard singing "Good Golly Miss Molly". I complained-if your business is music, do it right. We also saw Grauman's Chinese Theater and all the famous, and infamous, footprints.
Wednesday, my aunt and uncle drove down from their home in Vegas and met us for a day in the park. Hard to tell who had more fun!! I think the kids just liked having someone else to fawn over them. Since they hadn't been to the new park, we spent the day over in the California.
By Friday, everyone was bushed. Noah had a rash that made walking painful-I am guessing it was the water but I really don't know. We were all tired and cranky, and our flight didn't leave till 6:50pm. By the time we got luggage, got our car, etc., it was 11:30pm before we got to bed.
I never thought I would be one of those people who took kids to places they wouldn't remember. Asa might remember parts of this trip, if we are lucky, but Noah probably won't remember a thing. However, two things make it worthwhile to me. Well, three things. First, my friend Katie gave me some of the best piece of parenting advice I have ever received-your child might not remember, but you will. I have applied that to the first time I took both my kids camping when they were 8 months old, to Christmas morning with Santa. My memories are just as important as theirs, and I have some priceless ones. Secondly, even if the kids don't remember Disneyland per se, they know that they just had a fun time with family. I could wait till my kids are 6, before we do anything fun, and then they would be like "what the hey?". But now, at their young age, they know that we do fun things sometimes, and when the fun times end, another will be there to replace it in the future. We just build on those feelings.
The third, is that I love vacations and I love Disneyland. I just spent 6 days in warm weather, not having to cook, and having someone else make my bed. What's not to love?
Favorite ride for me is Splash Mountain. It was closed down. I did get on Thunder Mountain, which is my second favorite ride. Favorite ride we all could go on was Woody's Midway. You get a "gun" and you shoot at targets to rack up points. Buzz Lightyear is similiar and the kids really liked that too.
Worst moments were Noah's rash. Broke my heart watching that kid cry as he tried to avoid walking. Fighting with Asa over the rides was a downer, but hey, we took the little kids so we had to expect something. He also liked to scream in the bathrooms that he had just gone poop-I am almost positive I heard mom's snickering over that one. Why couldn't he say something quietly before we went in there?
We are officially ready to go again!
Sunday, January 09, 2011
What Happens If I Disagree?
The shootings in Arizona have left me, and a lot of other people, speechless. A gunman, at this point lone, is pissed at the world and opens up at the politicians he thinks is responsible? How is a nine-year old little girl responsible for the issues of today? Shooting other people while going after your ex-spouse is rehensible. Shooting a cop, while high on meth, to avoid jail time, is disgusting. But at least we can say there was some reason. But explain to me how a little girl is in anyway responsible for your political issues? Not to mention all the other innocent people caught up in a gunman's rampage.
ABC broadcasted an interview with Emanuel Cleaver, Missouri-D,and he said that the toxic discussions coming out of DC were being exported to the rest of the nation (I am paraphrasing-not quoting directly). If truer words were never spoken. Politics has turned into a simple war of right and wrong. I am right, therefore you are wrong. It all boils down to that, and it has turned deadly. Last November, after the elections, most of the non-elected officials, regardless of party, conceded defeat, wished the best to the elected, and promised to get their group back in office. Huh? How about-great win, let's see what we can do for the people. The last 5 presidential races, the latest being no different, concluded with the losing party promising to get folks the help they need, in four years when they re-take the office. And even some elected officials have publicly stated that they will do their best to disrupt the system, until they get what they want. Some politicans have a list of OTHER politicians who are wrong, that way there is no guessing. How is that helpful?
It doesn't take long to see why we are a nation at war with ourselves. Compromise has become nothing but a dirty word, and "us VS them" is the stance on every issue-from our favorite footbball team down to how we deal with health care. Even how to celibrate holidays can turn into World War III.
Aaron, of my college days fame, once said, "agree to disagree". I know he was not the first to say it, but his version was the first I heard, and it sums up everything to me. I am proud to know that some of my closets friends dress different than me, picked their spouse in different ways than me, and gasp! voted opposite of me. And more power to them for it. I hope they continue to do that, because that individuality is what makes them a great friend.
Instead of fighting to make sure we are the same politicaly, or even demographicaly , I want to see more fighting for people being the same socially. I know I am not alone in that I pick my friends by how kind someone is -how they treat their fellow human beings, animals, and family members. How about arguments for hanging out with people who don't use violence to express themselves, and refuse to pick their nose in public ( I couldn't resist-that habit grosses me out.) Like different movies, vote for the conservative, give clothes to the needy and food to the poor and I like you anyway. Go to church, don't go to church, but agree that all children, regardless of color, need hugs. Can we find common ground? Take mass transit, drive your gas-guzzling hummer, burn a bra-just respect the fact I like the Grand Canyon as a vacation spot. There are a hundred different ways we can disagree, as long as we can find common ground in human decency. Can we fight for that, instead of which ideas deserve the most public ridicule?
The shootings in Arizona were the fault of one man, and one man only. I don't blame anything else. But it doesn't hurt to hope for change either. The Civil War offially lasted four years, 1861-1865. But the issue of slavery tore families apart of for decades, before AND after the war. If our nation can survive that, we can survive this current war of ugly words and feelings. It would just be nice if we could do it before more nine-year old children, who can't even vote and are in NO WAY responsible for this political quagmire, are shot down and killed.
ABC broadcasted an interview with Emanuel Cleaver, Missouri-D,and he said that the toxic discussions coming out of DC were being exported to the rest of the nation (I am paraphrasing-not quoting directly). If truer words were never spoken. Politics has turned into a simple war of right and wrong. I am right, therefore you are wrong. It all boils down to that, and it has turned deadly. Last November, after the elections, most of the non-elected officials, regardless of party, conceded defeat, wished the best to the elected, and promised to get their group back in office. Huh? How about-great win, let's see what we can do for the people. The last 5 presidential races, the latest being no different, concluded with the losing party promising to get folks the help they need, in four years when they re-take the office. And even some elected officials have publicly stated that they will do their best to disrupt the system, until they get what they want. Some politicans have a list of OTHER politicians who are wrong, that way there is no guessing. How is that helpful?
It doesn't take long to see why we are a nation at war with ourselves. Compromise has become nothing but a dirty word, and "us VS them" is the stance on every issue-from our favorite footbball team down to how we deal with health care. Even how to celibrate holidays can turn into World War III.
Aaron, of my college days fame, once said, "agree to disagree". I know he was not the first to say it, but his version was the first I heard, and it sums up everything to me. I am proud to know that some of my closets friends dress different than me, picked their spouse in different ways than me, and gasp! voted opposite of me. And more power to them for it. I hope they continue to do that, because that individuality is what makes them a great friend.
Instead of fighting to make sure we are the same politicaly, or even demographicaly , I want to see more fighting for people being the same socially. I know I am not alone in that I pick my friends by how kind someone is -how they treat their fellow human beings, animals, and family members. How about arguments for hanging out with people who don't use violence to express themselves, and refuse to pick their nose in public ( I couldn't resist-that habit grosses me out.) Like different movies, vote for the conservative, give clothes to the needy and food to the poor and I like you anyway. Go to church, don't go to church, but agree that all children, regardless of color, need hugs. Can we find common ground? Take mass transit, drive your gas-guzzling hummer, burn a bra-just respect the fact I like the Grand Canyon as a vacation spot. There are a hundred different ways we can disagree, as long as we can find common ground in human decency. Can we fight for that, instead of which ideas deserve the most public ridicule?
The shootings in Arizona were the fault of one man, and one man only. I don't blame anything else. But it doesn't hurt to hope for change either. The Civil War offially lasted four years, 1861-1865. But the issue of slavery tore families apart of for decades, before AND after the war. If our nation can survive that, we can survive this current war of ugly words and feelings. It would just be nice if we could do it before more nine-year old children, who can't even vote and are in NO WAY responsible for this political quagmire, are shot down and killed.
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