Also known as today.
We decided to go to Branson about four hours before we actually left the house to drive down. Our spontaneous trip occurred because when we analyzed the rest of the summer we realized a Branson trip wouldn’t happen until after fall started if we didn’t go now and we had promised the girls we would go over the summer.
We stayed at the Grand Country Inn, which is a hotel with an indoor waterpark. We’ve stayed there before and always have fun. We planned to go to the water park this morning.
My children, who are, as a friend puts it, part-rooster, got up early and donned their swimming suits. But... sad day!... The water park didn’t open until 10 a.m. With that in mind we decided to skip the water park and just get breakfast, heading to Silver Dollar City after eating.
This meant that I didn’t get “prettied up” after swimming, which becomes important later in the story as my armpits remained uncoated with Alzheimer-inducing, sweat gland prohibiting cream.
Also known as deodorant.
After sharing breakfast with friends who were also in Branson we headed toward Silver Dollar City. It took us approximately three light years to plod through the traffic between Branson and Silver Dollar City, giving Mia plenty of time to drool over passing minivans.
She really loves minivans. Maybe more than she loves her family, but that’s hard to say. After listening to her point out every minivan she saw I asked her, “Mia, you really like minivans – Why?”
"Because they're so beee-utiful,” she enthused. “And golden and black and silver – just so pretty!”
When we finally arrived at SDC we found that the car air conditioning had protected us from the 100% humidity level (now might be the time to interject that I have strong statements about weather but have never actually been trained in weatherology. I’m all about proper disclosure in my writing.). When we exited the vehicle with enough items to load a pack mule to capacity we hit a solid wall of heat and saturated air.
Then we decided to walk to the park rather than wait for the tram.
Then we decided to watch some young girlie-girls do a riverdance and clogging routine under the band shell. (The girls loved that show. However, Mia didn’t understand that they changed shoes in between songs and thought they were layering their shoes. She was really, really confused.)
Then I smelled myself a little too intimately and began a quest, a quest for deodorant.
Once I was successful in my quest – I will be eternally grateful for Lady Speed Stick! - we were free to explore the old-fashioned town at will. I started people-watching, which led me to the conclusion that there are a LOT of really smart people at Silver Dollar City.
Why?
Albert Einstein said, "Once you accept the universe as matter expanding into nothing that is something, wearing stripes with plaid comes easy." Based on his perspective, that theme park was filled with people who have a firm grasp of the ordering of the universe. There were some... Bizarre... outfit choices there.
The saving grace is that most everyone was actually covered. I appreciated that.
It was a great day. All joking aside, it was also an important day for us, because it helped us realize something life-changing.
Since I’m all about quoting tonight, Tom Bodett said, “In school, you're taught a lesson and then given a test. In life, you're given a test that teaches you a lesson.”
Our little SDC adventure was a test to see if we can still do things as a family, now that we have three kids. That probably sounds silly since you know that we have been across the country with three kids already, but we’ve had help almost constantly since Mikayla was born. Now that we are on our own we keep doing things that stretch our horizons and affirm that we will survive and possibly even thrive this newest season of life. Today’s trip resulted in a burst of confidence that we CAN do this parenting three kids thing!
It helps that Mia is capable of reasoning and Maggie is generally good natured. Also that Mikayla is maybe the sweetest baby ever born.
Since I’m all about quoting tonight, Tom Bodett said, “In school, you're taught a lesson and then given a test. In life, you're given a test that teaches you a lesson.”
Our little SDC adventure was a test to see if we can still do things as a family, now that we have three kids. That probably sounds silly since you know that we have been across the country with three kids already, but we’ve had help almost constantly since Mikayla was born. Now that we are on our own we keep doing things that stretch our horizons and affirm that we will survive and possibly even thrive this newest season of life. Today’s trip resulted in a burst of confidence that we CAN do this parenting three kids thing!
It helps that Mia is capable of reasoning and Maggie is generally good natured. Also that Mikayla is maybe the sweetest baby ever born.
When I think of her I get the same feeling as when I see a baby goat. Yes, I recognize that's weird and possibly just plain wrong to you, but I was raised around goats and there's nothing sweeter than their little velvet snouts, gentle, lipping lips and quiet little bleats. Their ears flop around in an amazingly charming fashion and they have an awkwardness to their bodies, being all elbows and knees (kind of like most adolescents). Mikayla's not a baby goat, she's way better!, but she draws out such a nurturing, protective instinct in me I really can't describe it except by going back to my earliest attempts to nurture something. (Give me a baby bunny or goat and I'm done for!)
So we left Silver Dollar City with confidence and a salty sheen from being outside all day. Whew!
To top off our general good feelings, on the way home I got a good chuckle because of Maggie.
We stopped at McDonald's for dinner (yep, we’re all about the healthy choices available to us) and Maggie got a Happy Meal. Soon I heard, “Mommy!” and when I looked what should I see but two tiny Maggie-eyes peering back at me!
She was holding her Happy Meal box up & peeking her eyes through the holes of the golden arches. It was so random and so stinkin’ cute!
I love my kids.
Now we’re home. We’re showered. Kids are in bed. Isaiah’s watching TiVo’d soccer. I’m writing to you.
Life is pretty good. Thanks for reading.
Life is pretty good. Thanks for reading.
No comments:
Post a Comment