Those Magic Moments

Summer has officially arrived. You might think I know that because it now takes twenty minutes to navigate through downtown Laguna. Or that I keep checking my bank account to see if I can buy some art at this year’s Festivals. No, I know that because my family and I were almost trampled at the Disneyland fireworks last weekend. The fireworks start at 9:30 p.m., but people were taking their spots by 6 p.m.. Can someone please get a life?

At 8 p.m., we decided we’d better find a good spot or else we would miss Tinkerbell’s flight to the Magic Castle. (See, we have no life either.) We found the perfect spot—right behind the statue of Walt Disney and Mickey Mouse holding hands. How perfect is that? Except that an ex-basketball player decided to hold up his cell phone the whole time, as if it was a high definition video camera with an infrared lens.

While we were waiting for the fireworks to start, people were pushing, shoving and stepping on us as they jockeyed for position. It was worse than Main Beach on Labor Day. I wanted to hold up a lighter, sway back and forth and sing Kumbaya, but my husband stopped me.

“That would not be a good idea. You will set everyone on fire,” he said, motioning for me to sit down.

I didn’t even have a lighter, but I’m sure I could have borrowed one from the mom I met at the hotel pool. She was smoking her way through a pack of cigarettes while her husband enjoyed the pool bar. Between each beer, he would belch and exclaim, “This really is the happiest place on earth.” He did not need to hear Kumbaya. He was already there.

So what does this have to do with being a mother? I was getting all vaklempt at Disneyland, as I watched my children grow up through Disney moments. It was only last summer when my five-year-old daughter couldn’t sleep because she was so excited to see the Disney Characters and Princesses. This time, she asked, “Is that Goofy or someone in a costume?”

“Of course, that’s Goofy,” I declared, hoping my four year old hadn’t heard her. Using the distraction method, I suggested, “Let’s go see if Cinderella is in front of the castle.”

“I’m not really into the Princesses anymore,” my five-year-old continued, “But I don’t want to hurt their feelings.” Give me a tissue, please. Wasn’t it just yesterday that we gave Belle her binkies to keep in the Magic Castle? I know I’m only moments away from hearing, “I’m not going to Disneyland. That’s for babies.”

I now understand what all those annoying people meant when they told me, “It goes so fast.” As I was changing two sets of diapers, living on four hours of sleep, and still wearing my maternity clothes, I could only think, “Please, make it go fast.”

I’m going to try and enjoy this summer with my kids. Have a few more Kodak moments that aren’t based around people in funny costumes. Of course, that’s after they get home from day camp. It’s important that they learn their campfire songs. You never know when Kumbaya could come in handy.