Sunday, October 26

It's like...mandatory, isn't it.

So, when your husband is in med school, and your sole financial responsibility is to try and stay less out of debt, you have to do a lot of improvising. But the other day we did some pretty uncreative improvising. Instead of taking Mia to Disneyland in her "Princess infatuation" years, I took her to.... a Disney show!

I talked it up, and she was pretty excited. She got to go with her best friend Abby, and Abby's mom and I tagged along, too. We plopped the girls in the seats behind the shortest people in the group in front of us, but ended up with them on our laps when the show started. There were dudes in the aisles selling toys that made absolutely no sense: little seizure promoting strobe light wands. I had no idea why the people around us were shelling out $20 dollars for a toy to distract their kid from the show for which they already shelled out $30. And then they spent the rest of the concert trying to get the kid to put the thing away. Why? Because just having the thing in your peripheral vision hurt your eyes, and if looking directly into it for longer than a second didn't cause brain hemorrhaging, it did hypnotize you into buying the other spinning 20 dollar light-up toy.

The show began. A small adult trying to pass off as a little kid came out and flapped her arms to accentuate each syllable as she told the kids she was looking for Mickey Mouse. Mia was... stony. I wasn't too worried. "She'll be excited when she sees Mickey." A few seconds later, out pops the ears. The crowd cheers. I notice I'm cheering more loudly than the kid on my lap. She didn't move for pretty much the whole first half. I tried moving her arms for her. Whispering explanations as to what she was seeing. She was just a little unimpressed stone. "Huh. Maybe she's worried about the very animated actors" who did sometimes look like they were being thrown into epileptic fits by the little seizure promoting strobe light wands out in the audience. Finally some characters she liked came out and she yelled over to Abby, "Look! Tigger!!"

After the intermission, things livened up. Mia's favorites from the Mickey Mouse Clubhouse were on, and she was smiling and clapping after the songs. The choreography for her favorite, "Hot Dog Dance" wasn't very well-thought out. They invite everyone in the audience to stand, and, common sense on their side, the parents stand up their kids while remaining seated. Great- now all the kids will enjoy a break from their seats and Bop to the Hot Dog Diddy. Ah- but no- the performers tell the parents to stand, too. So a bunch of grown-ups get to heave their kids up to their head level to see over the other parents holding their kids up to see over the other parents holding their kids up so their kids can see the Hot Dog Dance.

She's mentioned the show a few dozen times since we went Saturday. I'm thinking we've fulfilled our parental Disney duties. For the next few years, anyway.

11 comments:

La said...

Those are cute pics, Sum. Did you know the trick to Disneyland is standardization? Yes. The reason it is the happiest place on earth is because every single person who works there reads the same handbook on how to make kids and their parents very, very happy. So you'd think they'd be acutely aware of the child's perspective...but maybe they know being on daddy's shoulders makes kids very, very happy, haha

Marsie Pants said...

Abby loved it too. Thanks for inviting us! And those are great pictures.

Britney said...

What a fun mommy-daughter night out! And cute pics, too.

I love reading your perspective on disney shows, prop 8, teeth grinding, life, etc. You're a great writer. :)

Sahara said...

That is a really cute picture of you two.

Ashley said...

Don't feel to bad about not taking her to Disneyland, I'm 20 (almost 21) and I haven't been to Disneyland once!! And I think I turned out pretty normal, I don't think missing Disneyland as a kid was that upsetting!! But then again I've never been so I can't really say!!

NatRat said...

Holy flashback...the song playing right now, I did a Dance company dance too. I just had to mention that because I knew you really cared. Kind of fun.

I love everything Disney! It looks like she had a great time once she started to realize what was going on.

Blog Stalker said...

It's the idea of disneyland and not actually going that is hypped! Just spending the day at the beach or at the Hotel pool is sometimes just as fun.....definitely cheaper and less stressful.....

That being said though, It is a fun time and hope to take kids again in the next year before oldest is too old and busy to be with us!

Ashley - You should plan on going someday! It is more fun than Disney on ice! lol, sorry Summer

Melissa said...

I am among the few who did not go to Disneyland as a child. I didn't get there until Melanie moved to California and I went for a visit. I was 30 years old and I'll have to say I enjoyed it thoroughly. I really didn't feel depraved as a child but I was smart enough to play the "we've never even been to Disneyland" card a few times in my teens. I'm glad I didn't go until I was older because 1) As a child you just can't appreciate the Jungle Cruise puns. Those lines are comic gold. 2) As an adult you already know that those tea cups are going to make you hurl -- no need to test it out. 3) The height requirement isn't going to prevent me from enjoying a single ride. It's nice that for now Disney can come to you, even if they do come with flashing strobes and a marketing department bigger than any other in world.

The Garber Family said...

That is a BEAUTIFUL picture of you and Mia. And Mia seems so much older than even the last blog I saw. Can't wait to see you guys!

Ally said...

You're a much better mother than I.

I don't think I could muster the patience for a Disney show. Actually, Princess has only seen one of the Disney movies (Sleeping Beauty). So she doesn't really have any clue about who all the princesses are and such. But she'd probably get a kick out of the show.

Too bad I'm such a putzy Mom and won't take her! Ha!

Rhonda said...

#1 strobe lights make me want to hurl. can't handle 'em. My friends all look at me like I'm nuts when I try to look not so wimpy and tell them how some people have seizures due to strobe lights. Thanks for vindicating me. Much obliged.

beautiful picture of the two of you...she looks so happy in both pics. Mission accomplished!