I haven't written in a few weeks and I'm fumbling with how to even start this... My brain is mush from vacation, I guess it's true, you do need a vacation after your vacation!
After a very busy few months, we took a vacation in Williamsburg Virginia for a week, just the five of us. We had an amazing time just being together, just being a family, whether it was hanging at the pool, or out and about.
The big "thing" we did for the kids was spend an entire day at Busch Gardens... Yes, an ENTIRE day at Busch Gardens with our 5 year old, 4 year old, and 15 month old! The kids had a blast, running from one ride to the next, stopping at all the water play areas on the way, meeting all the Sesame Street characters.
I so enjoyed seeing the joy this trip produced and loved experiencing it with them, but, and here is where we get really honest... it SUCKED! Don't get me wrong, I loved that they were having fun and all that but it sucked. It was 98 degrees and crazy humid, we were dripping with sweat, pushing all three kids in a stroller up and down the hills from one end of the park to another, passing all the "good" rides, not stopping for funnel cake and churros and all of the other typical Theme Park foods.
I mean really, when you're bringing children, especially young children, why do you still have to pay the expensive adult fee, it's not like you're going to take part in any of the offered activities. You can't get goodies because then the kids cry that you stopped walking, you can't get on rides, you can't watch the shows because the kids are scared of 4d shows...
Okay rant over, but really as this is all taking place I'm swarmed with memories of going to theme parks as a child. Memories of peeing my pants on a ride (after my mom begged me to use the bathroom before getting on), eating funnel cakes and fudge, my dad buying us over sized sweatshirts, my parents waiting at the bottom of the water slides, laughing and screaming... It was so much fun, and I don't remember what the experience was like for my parents. I'm coming to the conclusion that when we were younger their experience was similar to mine. Hot, sweaty, aching feet and back, tired, and I could go on and on.
They went anyway, even when we were young, they made a sacrifice, paid the outrageous prices, walked miles on end, sweated pounds off, not for themselves, but for us. It makes me look at other things, that I look at as a hassle, and inconvenience and realize that it's not about me. It's not about whether I enjoy walking a mile from the car to the water at the beach, and whether I enjoy following the three of them in different directions at the park, or whether I enjoy cleaning up playdoh bits, and globs of paint...
As their mom, it's a sacrifice I make, letting go of what I want or don't want, and just enjoy making memories with/for them. Allowing them to fully experience what life as a child has to offer, because... IT'S NOT ABOUT ME!
Whether I plan it or not, everyday they will make a memory, it's my responsibility to make sure the memory that they make is a good one.
My challenge to myself is to intentionally make 1 good memory every day with my children. To not just let the day go by, busy with life, but to stop everyday and make at least 1 good memory with them. My other goal/challenge is to change my thinking, so that it is no longer a sacrifice but just second nature.
So does anyone else struggle with this?
