The Important Things in Life

When I imagined myself having kids I always thought I'd share with them all of the things I love just like my parents did. And so far I think we're doing a great job. The best part about parenting with my husband is that we share the same passion and love for certain things. For one, we're both huge Disneyland fans. Both of us have very fond memories of our trips there and the fun we had. Another would be our childhood TV shows and cartoons. Seriously... what better way to bond with your kids than over a good classic cartoon? And third is my love of doing fun things outside and inside the home. I cannot wait for the days and years to come when we can continue sharing our passion and loves with the kids. And finding out what they love as well.

Disneyland has always been near and dear to my heart. My dad would take us at least once a year and we'd always get to do the same thing... each of the three of us (for a long time I only had 2 siblings... now I have a whopping 6!) would take turns choosing which ride we'd go on next. And every once in a while we'd let Dad decide. We'd also get $20 to spend as we please. I was the smart one and would allow my siblings to purchase their tasty treats and than ask for "small" bites or drinks so I wouldn't have to spend my money. Then at the end of the trip I'd have $20 to spend on a cool toy. I know, I was the cruel older sister.

I would love to start doing that with my kids but with the frequency that we go I don't think we can quite afford $40 for each kid unless we give up the passes. So for now we let our 2.5 year old decide what rides to go on. And believe me... he knows ALL of the rides! My husband is just waiting for the day he's old enough to ride Big Thunder with him. And the hubs always gives in to letting E choose one treat to munch on during the drive home. That may or not be related to the fact that my husband enjoys buying a box of cookies to munch on himself! We are definitely blessed to have passes to the Happiest Place on Earth and love enjoying the park with the kids.

A great thing about my husband and I is the fact that we love childish things. We watched cartoons and went to the theater to watch kids movies long before we had kids ourselves. I love playing fun games and he has boxes of Legos and action figures boxed up in the garage. So when we're able to introduce our kids to the fun movies and TV shows we loved it's exciting. My son's current favorite is Duck Tales. We bought Season 1 and 2 on DVD. He puts them on repeat. And when he wants a change he gets Tale Spin. I find myself singing along to the theme songs with him and dancing around the house. It's quite fun! And I know my husband is chomping at the bit for the day our son is old enough to bust out the little legos. Oh the things they could build together. With a little help from sister, of course. 

We are so excited for what we have and whats to come. And we're thankful for this perfect little family of ours. It may be crazy and hectic but it's perfect for us. The memories we're excited to make and share with our kids will be priceless. Each day we have with them is a blessing and I need to remind myself a bit more about that. It's time to rearrange a few things, get some perspective and enjoy the life we have together. You only have one childhood, right? I want to make sure my kids have a chance at a good one!