Revelations and the Missing Punchline

Now that we've recovered from the Disney trip and we are trying to adjust to summer break, (it's a blessing/ it sucks!) I wanted to post a short Disney recap for posterity.

This is us, plus my nephew Cole. And yes we are that family. If you come on vacay with us, you WILL wear a matching shirt. I only do it at Disney and while part of it is for safety reasons, I just like to do it. And I know secretly that the hubs and kids get just as much joy from it as I do. Right Jon?

This trip was full of revelations. The most important being Jack hates Disney world. Hates it. There are three things that he likes: swimming, animals, and the one playground that has a rope maze at MGM Studios. Yes I know the name has been changed to Hollywood Studios but I am a woman of nostalgia and tradition. In the past, he is content riding in the stroller and we could occasionally talk him onto a ride, although we always regretted it after. This time, there was no riding. There was no being content in a stroller. And the second time we pulled up to the Magic Kingdom and he screamed "please don't make me go in there again" I realized that our family trips, if there were to be any future ones, were going to be different. Jack did find moments of peace and happiness. Doing this:

Sitting on the balcony, with his iPad, looking for animals. So that's what we let him do. The $400 park ticket be damned.

The second revelation: George loves it. Absolutely loves it. He loves to ride, loves to be in the parks, and loves everything else that most nuerotypical children like to do. And I realized this was the first experience we've had like that. My parents watched Jack and Charlie for us one night and Jon and I took George to the parks late and did what I remember doing with my parents as a young kid; riding as many rides possible and having a blast and not having fear about a meltdown or over-stimulation or coaxing him out of a stroller into a line only to have to leave the line right before we get on the ride. And I realized that I spend the majority of my vacation in fear. Fear for Jack's comfort. And it sucks. Bad. That being said, it makes his good time even bigger and better and I'm more grateful for it. And it made our time with George so much sweeter. We were able to appreciate it more and see it as blessing and a precious memory to be made with just George. The days leading up to that night, I had decided that there would be no more trips for us to Disney world. I felt terribly guilty for taking Jack back to a place that was so traumatic for him purely out of my desire to hold on to my family's past with Disney. But that night I realized that we can compromise, just like we do at home, in our everyday lives. We find a balance with Jack and George and now, somehow, with Charlie. We will plan ahead more, divide our time more between parks and room and children. And we can create and enjoy these different moments of bliss with each child. And I'm excited. And grateful, still, for our times at Disney. And it still is and always will be, my happy place. 

Third revelation: For the first time ever after a Disney trip, thanks to Crossfit, I wasn't sore. And when I say I had a 6 month old strapped to my bosom? I mean I had a 6 month old strapped to my bosom from 8 am to around 9 or 10 pm with very few breaks in between. And I didn't need to crash for 2 days after. My back and legs weren't sore and I absolutely attribute that to being stronger through Crossfit. So that was cool. Even though I didn't run. And FYI, the punchline to my last blog post was going to be me in a selfie of me running at Disney. But alas it didn't happen and some of you got your panties in a wad because I hit a nerve. Relax! Take your selfies and be proud!

Where we are currently: I'm starting the 6 month training plan for the Galloway method. We are starting it June 1st for 2 reasons. After much deliberation, I've concluded that the Galloway method will be best suited for me. Secondly, I'll be taking a month off come July 19th because the boobs are coming off!!! To say that I'm excited would be an understatement that rivals that of Justin Bieber needing pec implants. We have a few races on the calendar but, I know me. I need structure and a calendar telling me when to run and how far. And I'm signing up for another month of Crossfit bootcamp with the women. I'm still intimidated by the muscle walking around that Crossfit place. But I'll work up to it. Eventually. Especially when I drop ten pounds of boobage. I'll be a beast! A beast I tell you!

PS I took a selfie of me at the plastic surgeon's office in that cute pink robe. But, but, it just felt too ridiculous to post. I'll work on it. In the mean time, let your freak flags fly people.

Quote of the Day: "We're all pretty bizarre. Some of us are just better at hiding it, that's all." - John Hughes

Song of the Day: "Freak Flag" - Shrek the Musical