The bags are unpacked. School and work is again part of our daily grind. My daughter’s pink Mickey Mouse ears were caste aside in favor of her winter hat. The Kempskies have returned home from our first family trip to Walt Disney World to a very COLD New England.
WDW is, by all accounts, THE happiest place on Earth. I’d only add that it’s also the most crowded. What can I say? I guess my family wasn’t the only one looking for a little happy.
The weather was ideal. The ages, height and personalities of my kids allowed for 12 hour days at the Magic Kingdom and the ability to ride every cool ride there was including my personal favorite - Splash Mountain. On our last day, we arrived at the Kingdom at 11 a.m., ate three meals there, watched two parades, went on 10 rides and saw the fireworks display. With blistered feet, I limped back to our car while my kids literally bounced to the car. That was at 11 p.m.
If you knew the details of the weeks leading up to our departure, you’d be happy for me and less inclined to mutter rude words.
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My poor, poor husband. As you may recall, I crashed my husband’s dream car into a utility pole only three hours after he got it. It wasn’t my fault. I blame the weather, the car that hydroplaned in front of me and the universe. It was a bad week. Luckily no one was hurt…except the car.
It was towed back to the dealer for repairs to the back door on the driver’s side. My husband drove a rental car that smelled like smoke and old hamburgers for two weeks. The day before we left for our vacation, my husband finally got the car back. He swept out the garage, kissed his car goodbye and locked it up. He didn’t admit it to me, but I know he was longing for their reunion where he could finally take it on long drives…alone.
Fast forward to the day we get back…
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Boston parents will get a preview of the latest products and services for families at the newly expanded American Baby & Family Expo, the largest baby and family exposition in the country. It’s coming to Boston on March 21 & 22 and P&K is the proud media sponsor!
Here’s what you find:
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You know you are…c’mon. Today you’ve probably told a story about your child(ren) to a colleague or friend. My “Story of the Day” features my 6-year-old son who hung and swung 300 feet in the air from a trapeze. Yup. The child weighs about 40 pounds - he’s a peanut and I, his mother, told him to go for it.
My twin sister and her 6-year-old son also signed up for a lesson at the Trapeze School Boston located in the lobby of Jordan’s Furniture in Reading. The youngest student ever to try this death defying stunt was 2 1/2 years old (BTW, their oldest was 87). My son was on the young side of things. The actual size of the Trapeze equipment didn’t seem to faze him but I could see he was mustering up the courage to take his turn.
The three of them walked up five flights of stairs; strapped on the safety harness and took turns plunging over the edge. They swung back and forth as an instructor shouted commands like “Smile” “Hold tight.” “Swing your legs” You couldn’t wipe the smiles off his little face if you tried. On a similiar note, you couldn’t get my heart out of my throat if you tried. I greeted him at the bottom. “I’m so proud!” He smiled at me. The best part of being proud of your child is when they are proud of themselve too!
So, P&K is hosting its annual Proud Mom Moments contest and I want you to enter. Email me (parentsandkids@cnc.com) your proudest mom moment by April 10 for a chance to win some cool prizes. Entries will be published in our May issue.
This contest is being sponsored by Manic Mommies - two hilarious local moms who host a weekly podcast on the life of busy moms. In fact, I have the honor of being their featured guest this week. Tune in - it’s free and you don’t even need an iPod.
Note: The answer is not below
I have a new theory I’m working on. Hear me out. When you become a parent you have tons of questions. You agree so far, right?
How much should my baby eat? Sleep?
How do I treat a diaper rash?
What should I do about childcare?
Jump ahead a few years. Your “baby” has likely learned to vocalize more and soon those sounds turn to words and…questions. Your child becomes the “King or Queen Questionnaire” in your home. And hence my theory: Questions double, quadruple and grow exponentially in a young family’s home.
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