Yesterday after school we went to Disneyland. Our California resident season passes have black-out dates for most of the summer so we wanted to get one more day of fun in while we could. We met Barr at the usual In-n-out parking lot off of Jamboree so we could drive over together. Of course we had to get some burgers and fries to tied us over at least for the first 2 hours. It's amazing how often our family is hungry. I know my kids (and I used to be) calorie burning machines. Ben is often asking why he eats all the time and is still as skinny as a bean pole. So of course I also had packed bagels, granola bars, fruit, cholocate covered pretzels, and drinks for the 4 hours of Disney fun. I'm too cheap to buy food at the parks. Not sure if it's a learned thing from my parents or just an inherit inability to pay more for something than it's worth.
Anyway, Christy Dayton told me a few months ago that I can get a disability pass for Brooke to get quick access on the rides. The best discovery in the world!!!! It allows up to 6 people on the attractions. So in 3 1/2 hours we rode Space Mountain, Thunder Mountain Railroad, It's a Small World, Peter Pan, Mr. Toad's Wild Ride (which broke down while we were on it!), Snow White, Pinocchio, Pirates of the Caribbean, Winnie the Pooh, the Madderhorn, and watched Captain EO which was at Barr's request and was the stupidest thing I have ever seen! I would feel a little quilty just walking on the rides and seeing everyone else standing in lines forever. I wasn't sure what to think of Ben's comment, "Brooke, I'm glad you're handicapped!". It seemed like a selfish thing to say. We were all benefiting from Brooke's disability. But then I think of all the things Ben, Brittany and Brigham deal with that other families don't: having to watch the James' room video for hours a day going on 3 years now, getting pinched and grabbed if they are standing too close to her or sitting by her in the car, getting her diapers, shoes, pants, etc..., helping her walk around and get in and out of the car and her bed and her chair, and the countless other acts of service they perform unnoticed. I guess as a mother I view these things as sacrifices my kids are making, but in reality I should be counting them as blessings. Brooke is just that, the greatest blessing this family has. Even after dragging her on Thunder Mountain Railroad which terrifies her, she said "thank you Daddy" as he helped her off the ride. When she peed through her diaper and I was changing her in the bathroom she said, "I'm sorry Mom". And hearing her try to sing "It's a Small World" through the entire ride brought such joy to me. She has come such a long way in these last few months. I guess it's nice when the world offers us special treatment like quicker access on attractions, but they don't realize we receive special treatment every day by hearing Brooke laugh or feeling her arms around our neck.
Friday, May 28, 2010
Wednesday, May 26, 2010
I know I am supposed to be keeping a journal, but I haven't been able to make it part of my daily or even yearly routine. On Sunday, something our Gospel Doctrine teacher said made me recommit myself to the idea of keeping some type of record of my life. Since the traditional pen and paper journal has not been successful, I have decided to try the blogging thing. I am not promising any awe inspiring or even well written entries, but I will write honestly, hopefully leaving a true record of who I am and what my life is really like.
So here I go with entry #1.
It's Wednesday night, about 8:20. Barr just got home about an hour ago from a business trip to Lake Tahoe. I am feeling like I should have acted a little happier to see him when he walked in, but I was on the couch giving Brooke a breathing treatment while watching Mary Poppins. This week it's the only show that can distract her from constantly crying for "James' room". The first time I showed it to her, I had to skip to only the songs to keep her attention, but luckily being a musical, there was no shortage of them! A few of the scenes scared her since they mix in reality with fantasy. She can't distinquish between the 2 yet. The Uncle Albert laughing on the ceiling fascinated her and she kept asking "what's that?". It's been nice having something to play other than the 6-minute Larsen clip over and over again!
Ben is obediently attending a city council meeting tonight to fulfill a scouting requirement for a merit badge. As I dropped him off he said he was just going to write "boring" all over his notes. Way to have a good attitude! I am grateful he's willing to go though.
Brittany was at swim team practice.
Right before these events, we went to the elementary school for the Science Fair. Brigham was so nervous in anticipation to see if he was awarded a blue ribbon. My heart sank as I saw his strained smile when he discovered only a participation ribbon hanging on his board. He tried not to show his disappoinment, but a mother can tell. He just wanted to go home, especially after learning that Brittany, who didn't care at all about ribbons, had a big blue one on her project. It made me think how unfair life seems at times, especially to kids. Of course with feelings hurt, there was an argument once we got back to the car about who's sitting up front. I guess legally Brigham is still too light, but the school is only a few blocks from home. I was really hoping Brittany would have offered it to him seeing how upset he was. But Brigham's negative mood rubbed off on her and they were soon yelling at each other. I have to be the deciding voice, giving Brigham shotgun of course since my heart is still hurting for him. As I'm buckling Brooke into her seat, the yelling has just stopped, and she looks up and asks, "what's that?", meaning "What just happened that everyone was so mad about?". I had no good explanation for her so I just smiled and shut her door.
Five minutes after arriving home, we have to leave again to drop off Ben and Brittany and I'm faced with another dilema. Last night, after Brittany's choir concert and Ben's swim practice, we had 25 mintues before we had to pick up Brigham from baseball. I thought it would be fun to celebrate Brittany's great performance by getting some icecream. Of course we had to use a coupon, so we went to Baskin Robbins for some sundaes. I'm wondering what it is about siblings and how everything has to be fair, but I realize that's just the way it is. I didn't get one for Brigham first of all because my coupon was only for 2, secondly I wouldn't know what he would want, and thirdly, I didn't want melted icecream all over the car. I had taken just him there several weeks ago when we showed up for a pack meeting that I hadn't been told had been canceled. I thought that if I just reminded him about that, he would be OK with the fact that this time Ben and Brittany got to go. Well, of course I was wrong. "Thanks for ruining my night" was the reaction I received as he threw himself in the back of the Sequoia. More yelling, more yelling back, yada yada yada. I tell this story from last night to explain my reasoning of offering to take Brigham out to icecream tonight once we drop off the 2 older kids. Of course he's all for it and for the first time since his first place dreams were crushed, he wasn't grumpy. But now I hear it from Ben and Brittany. "That's not fair. Why does he get to go? No, you better not go to Swirls! Mom, that's not fair!". I try to explain all my reasons of why it is fair and finely just have to smile and realize it doesn't matter what I say, kids will be kids!
Brooke is bathed, the laundry's put away (or at least their piles are in their rooms), the sink is clean, my pajamas are on, Barr will be back home any minute from getting Ben and I will assume my nightly task of calling everyone together for scriptures and prayers. Brittany and Brigham will fight over who gets to sit next to me on my bed and read from the big book and since I'm feeling good tonight, I will let them each sit on one side of me. See, this blogging is already doing wonders for my mothering! I hear them now....
So here I go with entry #1.
It's Wednesday night, about 8:20. Barr just got home about an hour ago from a business trip to Lake Tahoe. I am feeling like I should have acted a little happier to see him when he walked in, but I was on the couch giving Brooke a breathing treatment while watching Mary Poppins. This week it's the only show that can distract her from constantly crying for "James' room". The first time I showed it to her, I had to skip to only the songs to keep her attention, but luckily being a musical, there was no shortage of them! A few of the scenes scared her since they mix in reality with fantasy. She can't distinquish between the 2 yet. The Uncle Albert laughing on the ceiling fascinated her and she kept asking "what's that?". It's been nice having something to play other than the 6-minute Larsen clip over and over again!
Ben is obediently attending a city council meeting tonight to fulfill a scouting requirement for a merit badge. As I dropped him off he said he was just going to write "boring" all over his notes. Way to have a good attitude! I am grateful he's willing to go though.
Brittany was at swim team practice.
Right before these events, we went to the elementary school for the Science Fair. Brigham was so nervous in anticipation to see if he was awarded a blue ribbon. My heart sank as I saw his strained smile when he discovered only a participation ribbon hanging on his board. He tried not to show his disappoinment, but a mother can tell. He just wanted to go home, especially after learning that Brittany, who didn't care at all about ribbons, had a big blue one on her project. It made me think how unfair life seems at times, especially to kids. Of course with feelings hurt, there was an argument once we got back to the car about who's sitting up front. I guess legally Brigham is still too light, but the school is only a few blocks from home. I was really hoping Brittany would have offered it to him seeing how upset he was. But Brigham's negative mood rubbed off on her and they were soon yelling at each other. I have to be the deciding voice, giving Brigham shotgun of course since my heart is still hurting for him. As I'm buckling Brooke into her seat, the yelling has just stopped, and she looks up and asks, "what's that?", meaning "What just happened that everyone was so mad about?". I had no good explanation for her so I just smiled and shut her door.
Five minutes after arriving home, we have to leave again to drop off Ben and Brittany and I'm faced with another dilema. Last night, after Brittany's choir concert and Ben's swim practice, we had 25 mintues before we had to pick up Brigham from baseball. I thought it would be fun to celebrate Brittany's great performance by getting some icecream. Of course we had to use a coupon, so we went to Baskin Robbins for some sundaes. I'm wondering what it is about siblings and how everything has to be fair, but I realize that's just the way it is. I didn't get one for Brigham first of all because my coupon was only for 2, secondly I wouldn't know what he would want, and thirdly, I didn't want melted icecream all over the car. I had taken just him there several weeks ago when we showed up for a pack meeting that I hadn't been told had been canceled. I thought that if I just reminded him about that, he would be OK with the fact that this time Ben and Brittany got to go. Well, of course I was wrong. "Thanks for ruining my night" was the reaction I received as he threw himself in the back of the Sequoia. More yelling, more yelling back, yada yada yada. I tell this story from last night to explain my reasoning of offering to take Brigham out to icecream tonight once we drop off the 2 older kids. Of course he's all for it and for the first time since his first place dreams were crushed, he wasn't grumpy. But now I hear it from Ben and Brittany. "That's not fair. Why does he get to go? No, you better not go to Swirls! Mom, that's not fair!". I try to explain all my reasons of why it is fair and finely just have to smile and realize it doesn't matter what I say, kids will be kids!
Brooke is bathed, the laundry's put away (or at least their piles are in their rooms), the sink is clean, my pajamas are on, Barr will be back home any minute from getting Ben and I will assume my nightly task of calling everyone together for scriptures and prayers. Brittany and Brigham will fight over who gets to sit next to me on my bed and read from the big book and since I'm feeling good tonight, I will let them each sit on one side of me. See, this blogging is already doing wonders for my mothering! I hear them now....
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