The logistics of a family trip is no vacation

I was thinking over our recent trip and certain things keep passing through my mind, many of the "how did we survive it all?" variety. It's funny how you look back on your time away and quickly forget all the crazy hoops you jump through in order to enjoy yourself.

So, for example:

1. Realizing that one's struggle with road rage does not diminish over time. It gets worse.

It is also very difficult to deal with when you're trying to be very quiet because the children, who until half an hour before had been little rapscallions who refused to remain buckled in and fought for hours over some ridiculous Happy Meal toy, have finally conked out and you desperately hope to get a few miles behind you before the next wave of irritating behavior.

So when the moron in front of you is driving below speed limit, and an equally annoying driver in the passing lane is creeping ahead at a snail's pace... plus the big rig sitting on your back fender with his high beams searing your retinas, you realize just how many curses you can scrounge up and hiss under your breath before your repertoire gives out. This might just be the point where you suddenly realize just how reasonable airfare can be if you were to book well in advance.

2. Realizing that road rage can easily transfer to other situations, such as suffering through a timeshare presentation or standing in line for an hour with tired kids. The former happened during our first trip to Disney, the latter was this time.

Having spent around $350 on admission, parking and food, we were determined to milk this outing for all it was worth. We dutifully consulted the park brochures and showed up for as many parades, meet-n-greets, and rides as we possibly could. The park was set to close early for a Princess and Pirate party that we couldn't justify paying for, so when the witching hour of 7pm arrived, we along with all the other cheapskates who weren't sticking around began a Pamplonian stampede for the exit.

Considering that our parking spot was probably no more than a 15-minute walk from the main gate, we made the silly mistake of waiting for the parking shuttle (along with everybody else). At the time, our decision was heavily influenced by tired kids whining that they couldn't go one step further, and the line really didn't seem that long. This was before we realized that the shuttle capacity was so small that we ended up waiting for about an hour. 45 minutes in, our kids suddenly decided that they did have enough energy to walk the half-mile or so, but we were tantalizingly close to the head of the line and decided to wait it out.

By the time we actually hit the road for the 10 minute drive back to our hotel, I was not in the mood to tolerate any adverse driving conditions. Husband insisted that he would drive and that I should tilt my seat back and relax. I guess he saw the dangerous glint in my eye and could see I was raring to screech at someone.

3. Never underestimate the tween. Last time we only managed to meet one of the Princesses, but this time we caught up with all of them. In each case, as soon as the book had been autographed and pictures taken, Tweenie started screaming with delight. Literally.

It reminded me of the time my friend met Drake Hogestyn at a car show (?) and screamed while she was meeting him. She later confessed that he actually staggered backward while she clutched him in her arms, squealing in his ear. That summer, she went to Boston to track down the New Kids On The Block. I never heard the whole story, but she remained a fan long after they split so it must have worked out.

Luckily for Ariel & co, Tweenie waited until she was further away before she started up with the fist-pumping air punches and various noises only audible to canines.

...

And yet, even as I write these memories down I find myself forgetting a thousand details that irked me at the time.

Instead, I think of riding the carousel with Tweenie and Rascal, who whooped like a cowboy (despite the fact that his steed was bedecked with pink roses); running after Rascal and Kye who spotted Tigger and tried to chase him down; sitting on a Naples beach in the middle of February getting the barest hint of a tan.

Good times!