Thursday, July 16, 2009

Happy


I took the boys and my niece to Universal Studios today. We went on the late side and stayed until closing. I had to pay about a million dollars for three six-month passes for the boys and me, and that cost less than a one-day ticket for my niece. And another million dollars for some really gross food. And about half a million dollars for three waters and a blue Powerade. And about fifty dollars for one churro.

Despite this hemorrhaging I actually had FUN!!!

And my favorite ride was The Simpsons. Really. It was exhilarating. And I laughed like an idiot. Like I had no cares in the world.


I even spent a couple of thousand dollars to document my giddiness after the ride (you should know this about me: I HATE amusement parks. Honestly, I'd generally rather stick needles in my eyeballs than go. I hate the people, the lines, the crap, the sensory overload). Here's the evidence, though of happiness:


That's me in the back row, next to the boys, and I'm cracking up. They snap the picture right at the end of the ride, so everyone is completely gasping or shocked or laughing, like me.

On the way out, the boys were incredulous when I bought them bags of candy. Swedish fish, gummy coke bottles, licorice.

It was the greatest day ever, they said.

8 comments:

  1. I'm the same way about amusement parks BUT after throwing about a million kid birthday parties, one year I told my two youngest that if we could only have the family birthday parties that year, I would take them to Disney World. And I did. And the first night, after watching the fireworks over the lake from Epcot, my daughter ran to me and said, "Mama, Disney World IS magic."
    Okay. It was almost worth it.
    I still hate the mouse.

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  2. the swedish fish would definitely make it a happy day. hooray!

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  3. This could be a Mastercard commercial ;)

    "Fun with the boys: Priceless"

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  4. I would like amusement parks much more if they didn't allow children

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  5. Elizabeth I love the picture of you. You are beautiful and I love how you are laughing.

    What a good Mom, candy too.

    xoxox

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  6. Yahoooooooo! Hate them too, but love an unexpectedly great day no matter where i am.
    ps. love your essay in Cup of Comfort!

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  7. Sounds like that day was worth a couple million dollars!! We just took ours to a water park for the first time (first time for a big one). It was loads of fun!! They were excited I actually went on some rides because at Six Flags I do not do coasters.

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  8. Here is another reason why I like you so much: I also dislike amusement parks...I will do what I can to avoid them.
    Don't tell anyone, but we never took our kids to Disneyland...not once - and they never asked to go, thank goodness. Gregg & I were so happy about that. But we did take them to the zoo, Wild Waves (HORRORS), theatre, symphony and James Taylor (live), the ocean, desert & the movies; I figure that that makes it okay.
    When we were hiking in Switzerland, riding the cog-rail trains, gondolas and the alpine slide, I said to David, "This is our family's version of Disneyland." And he was fine with that.
    Love that photo. I'm SO glad that you were able to enjoy your day there with the kids, and that they loved it!

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