January 3, 2010

Happy New Year, everybody! I’m happy to say that I’ve returned from the land of delirium and I’m still sane, though completely spent!  We had the bright idea of taking advantage of the wonderful deal Disney World offered to military families.  Getting a 5-day ticket for $99 and a completely free ticket for my hubby was just too sweet for us to pass up.  Being Miami-born, Disney World always brings a smile to my face. I remember running through the different countries at Epcot Center, tasting all of the amazing food.  I had a blast on the water slides and floating down lazy rivers until the sun set only to enjoy amazing fireworks shows with spirited Disney music.

I don’t have to tell you that going to Disney as the parent of a princess-crazed preschooler and an infant was a completely different experience.  Since I had such a rude awakening during my holidays at Disney I figured that I should share it with you to soften the blow for your trip.  Or make you giggle a little bit reminiscing on the time when you endured the land of delirium.  I’ve come back with a few kernels of truth for you.

1)  Never take a princess-crazed preschooler and an infant to Disney World.  It was truly my daughter’s dream come true.  She was surrounded by all of her favorite princesses, got primped, prettied and fussed over in the castle, and was never pestered about nap time. The child was sure that she had died and gone to Heaven every single day of our trip.  My baby boy, on the other hand, wondered when the crazy form of torture would end.  I think he finally concluded that the trip was pay back for the turmoil he inflicted on our lives during his first two months of life and decided to grin and bear it.  Seriously, the baby was miserable after about an hour in the park. So if the kiddo is still in a diaper, just leave them at the house.

2)  Old rules still apply.  For some strange reason, parents believe that just because they have paid a few hundred dollars for tickets and made a road trip, their children will miraculously act like angels once in the theme park. Not so! The same kid who is a terror at home, will undoubtedly throw a tantrum right in the middle of Main Street U.S.A.  Countless parents were seen dragging their tired, crazed kid through the park shouting, “You better get up now! We’re not going home yet!” I felt bad for those parents, because we’ve all had those days, and quickly gave my daughter the evil-eye to make sure she didn’t try the same stunt.

3)  Last and most importantly is the truth that people are nuts.  I saw so many examples of the extent to which people are nuts, it’s hard to provide you with just a few concrete examples. People literally collided with full-on parades or immovable objects because they were just completely oblivious of their surroundings.  Families stood in line for nearly an hour to pay $30 a piece for matching Disney neck lanyards.  Please know that the economy is alive and well at Disney World.  That whole recession nonsense is a sham.  People have plenty of money to spend, they just save it for a blow-out trip to Disney! Maybe the delirium of Disney makes everyone forget that they are broke, which brings us right back to the truth that people are nuts.

All of the craziness and humor of Disney World made for an amazing trip, one that we will never forget. Thanks to Disney for remembering military families, it was a great time to make new memories that will come in handy down the road.  It’s a good thing too, because we won’t be going back again until 2015. I’m broke and exhausted, have fun at Disney for us!

November 3, 2009

We’re back from California and I’ve never been so happy to see Fort Jackson.  I went to Stanford for a reunion weekend with some of my girlfriends that I haven’t seen since my wedding.  I’m the only one married with kiddos out of our group, the others are still living the single life and no where near a military base.  I was talking to one of my girlfriends about events my hubby had missed due to work/deployment and about times back home when I was holding down the fort.  She jokingly said, “Girl, you know you can tell us the truth if things didn’t work out between you two. We love you regardless!”  I laughed because, to her, it did seem like my hubby and I were on the outs.  Years had gone by and she had never seen his face.  If they had not met him in college and also stood next to us at the wedding, my college buddies probably would’ve thought that I made the whole thing up!

Such is life as the Army wife.  We get used to holding down the fort as if it’s no big deal, but to our civilian sisters it is a major feat.  We become accustomed to going places solo when some civilian spouses stage protests and stir up arguments.  It’s just a part of the life when you love a soldier.  Every bit of sunshine casts a shadow somewhere. Every relationship has its ups and downs.   The truth about life as an Army spouse is that your partner is not your own.  You share your loved one with the Army consistently and you just hope to find great friends to keep you company during the lonely times. For me, it just makes coming back to Fort Jackson that much sweeter.  I know you ladies understand me.  You girls know why it’s just me and kiddos out on the town.  You know what it means to be married to the Army.  Best of all, you know exactly where my hubby is.  He’s breaking in those soldiers, just like yours is!