Farm Progress

Joy’s Reflections: Three little kids and Grandma in the car make for an interesting trip!

Joy McClain

May 30, 2017

2 Min Read
BEST MEMORY: Every moment of a trip with grandchildren may not be memorable, but this scene at Disney World certainly was. From left to right are Ezra, Evelyn and Isaiah Montague.

“When you believe in a thing, believe in it all the way — implicitly and unquestionably.” That’s what Walt Disney once said. 

Wise words from Mr. Disney, himself. I recently believed that it was time for a vacation when my daughter invited us along on their family trip to Florida that included Disney’s Magic Kingdom. I believed that, unquestionably, watching our 4-, 3- and 1-year-old grandkids have these experiences would be so much fun.

I wonder if Walt ever got in the car with preschool-age children for a 14-hour trek? I wonder if he, like most mothers, would have numb leg syndrome after logging thousands of miles in a vehicle with so many bags around his feet that it’s impossible to place them squarely on the floor?

I wonder if while dreaming of the future, he foresaw the introduction of souvenir shops placed smack at the exit of the attractions? Is that so little boys who floated through The Pirates of the Caribbean experience must walk past all kinds of swashbuckling fun while not noticing or begging their mom for a $20 sword?

Disney characters
Mickey, Donald, Minnie and the whole crew were there. Our little boys squealed with delight at the thought of being in their backyard. Our sweet girl giggled from head to toe when she experienced the animation, fireworks and sticky fingers from all-day snacks.

Apparently our 3-year-old grandson shows his admiration with the sense of taste, because we actually caught him licking one of the rides. Aside from that and the 4-year-old attempting to collect gum off a trash can … the day was mostly sanitary.

My daughter had unquestionably believed that this vacation would prove to be their most expensive yet, perhaps ever. I believe that was affirmed and validated.

It was a time filled with moments that, as the commercials say, “were truly priceless.” They included little chubby 1-year-old toes standing at the ocean’s edge, little boys collecting shells, all three burying Dad in the sand, and hours upon hours playing in a warm and carefree swimming pool.

Worth it for the memories
The drive down just about did us in. So my husband and I flew home. Too much money was donated to animated characters who have never worked a single day in their life but could probably be on the cover of Forbes for income. And some of this vacation was just down right exhausting. Nevertheless, we made irreplaceable memories.

All because we implicitly and unquestionably believed that we could walk away from the norm for a week. Our grandchildren may not remember much of it, but there will always be pictures and the permanent flattened taste buds on the tongue of the 3-year-old from his mother attempting to wipe off the germs of a million children. I’d say, implicitly, we’d do it again — only next time, Mimi and Papaw will fly both ways.

McClain writes from Greenwood.

About the Author(s)

Joy McClain

Joy McClain writes from Greenwood, Ind.

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