Well our 2018 family vacation (minus Quinn) is in the books. This year we
set out to Legoland and SeaWorld. I am reasonably sure that the very idea came
from your asking Cora, after seeing numerous advertisements on TV. Also due to
the advertising we stayed in the new Legoland Castle hotel- I think the thing
you two were most excited about was the bunkbed in the room.
Our roadtrip there went well all in all, which means you two slept and or
quietly watched your iPads most of the time! One thing I remembered from my
childhood which I wanted to do for you was to stop at a gas station and let
each of you pick something out- we did this in Yuma. I don’t know why it felt
special to me as a kid, but it was fun for me to relive it through you- Deacon
you got M&M’s and Cora you got some kind of gummies. One other eventful
part was as we made the climb from the desert to the mountains before you get
to San Diego we went through a storm- it wasn’t raining very hard but we got to
drive through a cloud. You both put your hands and heads outside the windows
thought it was pretty cold- I couldn’t see too far ahead so I was focused on
the road.
Legoland was awesome, and seeing you two have so much fun was even
better. Once you are a parent you will realize that one of the best parts is
seeing your children filled with joy. From having breakfast in the mornings
(pancakes for Cora and waffles for Deacon) to all the rides, you two were in
heaven. Cora, you were particularly happy that each day you got to drink soda-
another vacation treat. Deacon every single day you found time to nap on me
around noon for about 20-30min, but you never once complained about walking
around or being too tired- you were a real trooper. Cora you didn’t complain
either- except once when you fell down and scrapped your leg and acted like it
was the end of the world…. But you recovered after a few rides.
I think our favorite rides overall were the roller coasters, much to my
surprise you two braved each and every one of them. I remember riding a similar
one in Disneyland when I was young and I got so scared I didn’t ride a roller
coaster again until I was a Freshman in high school- I guess you two are going
to be a lot braver than me. We started with the dinocoaster, then there was a
dragon roller coaster, and finally an oddly named Lego Technic Coaster. Deacon
one of your favorite rides was a mummy ride where we all got to shoot lasers at
a target, Cora your favorite was the Dragon coaster. One nice part about being
there before school was out is there were hardly any lines, thinking back on
this trip as I write makes me sad its all over- but also makes me smile
thinking of all the fun we had.
We ended up at Seaworld on Saturday, which meant it was a bit more
crowded but we still had a great time. There were three shows that we did, a
dolphin show, sealion show, and the orca show. The dolphins was kind of an acrobatics
display, the sealions were all comedy, and the orcas were just amazing to see.
By the time you two are adults the orca show will most likely have ceased,
there was a documentary called Blackfish made a few years back that created a
lot of controversy about having whales in captivity. There are arguments to be
made on both sides, but ultimately when I looked around at the 400 people or
more in the stadium I know 99% of us will never see an Orca in the wild, and
seeing them in Seaworld helps us appreciate them, and if that ultimately makes
us more responsible in preserving the wales environment then I think it is a
good thing. In any case all the shows were great. We also did some rides, two
of which soaked us to the bone!
Spending time as a family seeing you two growing and learning and having
fun is the best part of my life. I am at this point where my youth is more and
more behind me, which sometimes gets me down. However, seeing your lives take
shape and being able to pour adventure and fun into them, being able to help
give you a great childhood gives such purpose to my life. I know things won’t
always be as they are when you are 7 and 4, you won’t always want to hang out
with me and cuddle and listen to most things I say, and that’s ok, because life
is all about seasons. This is one of my favorites, the young innocent, great
wide world of possibilities and adventure season. I want to let you live in it
for as long as you can and enjoy it as much as you can before the next season
arrives.
One aside I will mention, while we were in the Legoland your mother spotted
a child wearing a Make A Wish badge. Make A Wish is an organization that was
set up to bless children with terminal health issues by granting a wish, like a
trip to Disneyland, Legoland, or meeting a celebrity. I thought it was an
important reminder during our fun that we cannot take anything for granted, and
that we should always be cognizant that there are people in this world who are
struggling and hurting. I don’t bring this up to make us feel bad about our
fun, but to draw attention to the balance of life and the frailty of it. Life
cannot be about only serving yourself, and though some moments will be full of
joy others will be full of struggle. For me it was a reminder to live in those
moments with you as much as I can and never take them for granted, and now I
will always have the memories of our trip together, and I hope you will too.
Cora- you were such a big girl on this trip, so helpful at every turn and
so open to expressing how much you were enjoying everything. You left a note
for the housekeepers in the Legoland hotel that those had been the best two
days of your life. You were also kind to your brother during the trip and at
times when he would need it you comforted him, and you played with him really
nicely. The souvenir you decided on was a white seal- or Harp seal- you thought
about your purchase for a few days, you are so smart and always put your
thoughts together so well. I am so proud of you and love you so much.
Quinn- you stayed home for this one since you were not quite two years
old. You pretty much shunned us when we got back, as I am sure you were a bit
mad. You seemed to have a very good time with Mimi and Papa though. Also when
we got back we found you learned the phrases, no no mommy, no no daddy. So that
has been fun lately! I mostly call you my fuzzy headed monster, or still
Qunisters. You are so sweet and cuddly, and your hair is getting so long and a
bit curly at the ends in the back. I sure do love you.
