The End of Summer Vacation

I finally figured out what it is that I am depressed about. I felt this change coming to our lives with the start of kindergarten for the twins, but I couldn't really put my finger on what it was that was bothering me. Until tonight. The night before they start kindergarten I finally realized that my freedom with the kids is disappearing. They are going to be in school every weekday now, required to be there smack in the middle of the day since we had asked for afternoon session. My freedom to pick up and go to the beach, or toss them into the car and head to the zoo, ride the train or even lay around all day in pajamas has been severely restricted to weekdays and holidays shared with everyone else. I cherish that time that we had together, and I mourn that now they are growing up and their time with me has to be shared with a teacher and classmates.

I know that this is a very important and necessary step in our lives. I know that they are ready and eager to go to school now. I know that the school they will be attending is good and the kindergarten teachers have all been lauded. I also know that while we have kept busy this summer, there have been times when they've driven me nuts. Summers are hard because it seems like my time with them is compromised during the day because I have to fit in the cleaning, cooking, errands and laundry that won't end. Today they asked me why I don't play with them very much. Ouch. What I want to do more than anything is sit and play dolls with K. And I have. And I want to build train tracks with C. And I do. But I don't seem to have to have the stamina to do it as much as I would like, and surely not as much as K and C would like. What is it that has changed? When they were babies it seemed like they consumed my every waking minute. I could barely do one load of laundry, unload the dishwasher or prepare a meal for the day. The rest of the time was spent with them. Am I wasting my time on things that don't matter now? August has been really fun, and also very difficult because I've not really had much of a break from the kids. The babysitters moved away or were on vacation the whole month. Now that school is starting, I will be able to get some chores done while they are away and also have a little time to myself. Then I hope that I will have more energy and devotion for them when they are home. Our schedule is going to be weird though. Mornings at home, school from almost noon to three. And then some tired kids to come home. I'll have to find some way to not squander the morning time... which I'll be more than apt to do if I'm not careful.

There's no excuse for my whining, when I look back and see what wonderful trips we have had this summer. I'm simply adjusting back to reality when we've literally been to FantasyLand!

Beautiful shot of Sleeping Beauty's castle at night.

Kevin with the old witch from Snow White. I'd never noticed it before, but there's a special place inside Sleeping Beauty's castle called the Villain's Lair where you can have your photograph taken with a Disney villain.

K on the golden carrousel horse.

C with Captain Jack Sparrow. Pirates of the Caribbean has been reopened with some new additions to incorporate the latest movie and possibly the follow-on to be released next year. Captain Jack Sparrow is featured in the ride three times, that we could see. And now his shifty character is seen cavorting around New Orleans Square, flirting with pretty girls and walking off with autograph books.

A night shot with Pooh's honey pots after getting our soaking on Splash Mountain.

My grandmother came with us on this trip and I'm very glad she did! She has been to Disneyland with us and the kids the previous two times we went as well. She enjoys telling anyone who will bend an ear that she was born in Anaheim and grew up in Fullerton. It's now not quite the strawberry fields and orange groves it used to be. But Disneyland is so much fun! The park was crowded and the weather was warm, but it really wasn't too bad because I went without expectations. My grandmother joined us on some of the tamer rides like Pirates and Small World. Then we talked her into Alice in Wonderland and Mr. Toad's Wild Ride. Well, a toad's ride through hell was a little much for my 89 year old grandmother. She chose to enjoy the sights (and not the rides) after that. In the afternoons we would head back to the hotel and she could rest while we swam in the pool. Then we would clean up and all head out to dinner. She'd go back to the room for the evening while we dragged the kids (literally) to more rides.

Our friends, Lucien and Jennifer, who happened to be vacationing at Disneyland at the same time we were! Lucien and I worked together as engineers at Apple in the Newton Group and again at Intuit on Quicken for Macintosh. It was great to see him and Jennifer. They are BIG Disneyland fans. Jennifer used to spend her summers working as one of the Disney characters while she was going to school. Their wedding cake was the most fantastic Disney cake I have ever seen! (It was so beautiful I can't believe we ate it.) Jennifer told us all kinds of park trivia that I can't remember now.

And lastly, and of MUCH importance:

Our corrected I171-H safely arrived in the mail the day after we returned from our trip. Thank you all for your good thoughts and prayers!