Yeah Disneyland! So here we are the day before we hit the road to the most wonderful place on earth and I am thinking of all the possible ways I can keep Joshua safe in a place overloaded with kids and toys.
We went to Children's Hospital for an EEG for Peyton and while I was there waiting to talk to her neurologist I had an idea, an incredibly, wonderful,super,idea. I went to Emergency and because they were dead... okay bad use of words but you get what I am saying, I asked the administration nurse if I could possibly have 5 or 6 of the plastic bracelets that they put on the kids when they are admitted to the hospital. I had this thought that I could take them home and cover them with all the information that would be needed if he got lost, his name, our names, cell phone numbers, everything. Then to make it more appealing to my little almost 3 year old, covered it in stickers... This worked. And I taught Joshua that if he gets lost and can't find mommy or daddy look for someone with a tag (or baby stroller) and point to your wrist. We never needed it but it was a stress reliever and a great idea for any kids that are not speaking yet.
It is literally by the grace of God that we were able to go to Disneyland. Everything lined up just perfectly, our airfare we found at I believe $90 per person, and hotel we found at just $100 per night. we really were tight for money but honestly it was needed. I knew that this fight would be up-hill for the next who-knows-how-long and I needed to be at the top of my game first.
Those days at Disneyland will be cherished for the rest of my life, Joshua needed it more than I ever thought and he was so happy. Every ride, every parade he soaked up as though it were sun and he had been in a cave for years. The relief of knowing that for this week everyday is full of fun, you won't go to the Dr, you won't go to a therapist instead we will have tea with Alice, and breakfast with Goofy. We will ride every ride and see every site.
We also went on a tour through LA and went to Santa Monica Beach, Joshua and Peyton were able to step in the sand. Joshua and I ran out to the ocean and literally just laughed. We did the tourist things like get their pictures drawn in cartoon and it was perfect.
That trip meant more to me than any vacation I have ever been on, and knowing that Joshua smiled and was happy and got to be a little boy with no worries was perfect. I thank God everyday for that special time.
That's the Magic of Disney. It allows you to wrap yourself in its arms and forget all of the problems that follow you in your day to day life. For Joshua, a week of being able to really submerge himself in the pure essence of being a child; wonder and laughter and innocence. For you, the joy of seeing your children at play and at peace with the world around them without fear of judgement or harsh words from ignorant people. It offers hope in an unsteady world. That's why I go... to eat too much, to laugh too much, to watch other people laugh too much and to be able to hold my husbands hand the next day as together we watch a fairytale castle emerge from the gauze of an early morning fog. To be able to sit and dream in the shadow of that perfect castle straight out of a storybook fills my heart with life and love and knowledge that when i go home, i can take that piece of magic home with me and share it with the people i love and try to apply it in my everyday life. And remember, if life gets really bad and troublesom, it's only a hop, skip and a jump across Crocodile Creek and then noth by north east to Neverland :)
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What a pefect description of it!!!!
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