Disney Daze
With an Early morning wake up call for Azul, I went into his nightlight-filled room and gave him a kiss and said, “Good morning my love.” With his eyes closed he responded with, “I’m trying to get some sleep here.” I said, “Guess what day today is?” I could feel him thinking and I continued, “We’re going to Disneyland today!” In his sleepy voice he said, “Right this minute?” He needed a little more time to wake up, but once he got going he didn’t want to stop. There is nothing like going to Disneyland with a child, everything is so big and so bright and so exciting. The first on Azul’s list, Star Tours. When we walked in, we were greeted by R2-D2 and C-3PO and in amazement he gasped and said, “I didn’t know they were real!” Everything was real, even the Twilight Zone Tower of Terror, which he was ready to ride. I tried to explain that it was too scary, but he was ready and met the height requirement, so we went in. That didn’t go so well and when we walked out he said, “Now that I experienced it, I’ll never ride that again!” At the Matterhorn he announced, “I’m having a great day!” But, after Space Mountain he admitted, “That was a bit much for me.” We did ride Splash Mountain twice and both times with absolute joy he yelled, “I am soaked!” All in all in three days we rode 29 rides, including jumping on the bed at the hotel while watching the fireworks display. We had a blast. He is still talking about it and even said, “I want to take my son to Disneyland one day too.”
Quiet Wars
Following an afternoon battle over playing Star Wars Angry Birds, I was told, “I’m going to my quiet place so I don’t have to listen to you talk!” Quietly relieved I thought, FINALLY.
The Leviathan
This weekend Azul and I decided it was time to deflate the blow-up pool we had set up in the back yard all summer. Now, if there is a secret on how to do this, please don’t tell me, because I don’t want to feel stupid. This is how it went down — first we opened the little blow holes (you know the ones you put the air compressor in to blow up the thing in the first place) and we sat on the pool to force the air out, that didn’t work. 
The air wasn’t coming out and we both just rolled off laughing. Next we decided to stick our fingers in the holes while we were sitting on it, so the air could escape, and when I say “we” I mean “me” because I am obviously the adult and the one making the decisions. Now, if you have never had to stick your finger in a hole, I’m telling you, you have got to get it just right for it to work! I’m on one side fingers engaged, while Azul is on the other trying to jump on the pool, but just getting bounced right off. Then he tried to jump on my side and it was like playing teeter-totter by yourself, with the far side in the air. Mind you, we’re an hour in, we can’t stop laughing and are getting nowhere fast. But, my Starbuck and I were not about to turn back or be outdone; we conquered our Moby-Dick, albeit with sore bellies from laughing so hard, and put him away, at least until next year.
Carmelina Hart 