Thursday, May 17, 2012

Gypsy Musings




Ants, Moss, and a Geo Metro



Ah summer. All this warm weather and sunshine has me daydreaming all kinds of gypsy adventures! In true gypsy fashion, I run my Littles all over the place. Theme parks? Bring it! Road trips? No problem!  Museums?  I don't even break a sweat. 

 It wasn't always this way. Mostly thanks to my own expectations.  You know the drill... let's go to Disneyland! Pretty soon I'm dreaming of walking hand-in-hand through downtown. Gypsy Papa starts whistling a show tune, and we all chime in. My clean, well-behaved Littles throw their arms around my neck and tell me it was the best day EVER. They kiss me and thank me for loving them so much. 

Then reality sets in. It's hot, crowded, and the Alice in Wonderland ride is too creepy. Gypsy Boy stands in line retching because the man in front of us smells like onions plus feet.  Gypsy Girl is stripping nude because she's too hot and shrieking “this was the WORST DAY EVER!!!” Mr. Gypsy   is getting that panicky “about to run” look... ahhhhhh.... sweet memories. 

It took a few tries, but I finally found a solution. I  lowered my expectations.  (I heard you gasp.... keep reading. It's not as bad as it sounds!) I no longer EXPECT to go places and do what “everyone else” is doing. We do big stuff- like Disneyland- often. I don't expect to ride rides, take tons of pictures, or window shop. Our family has a blast, but we do what works for us. One of their favorites? Finding ant trails and poking at them with a stick. And the moss bit? You guessed it. We hunt for moss and take turns petting it. No outing would be complete without a parking lot hunt for a real, live Geo Metro! Preferably in blue. We proudly wear our noise-canceling headphones, skip the “boring” lines, roll down hills, and just have FUN. There is no pressure, and best of all NO GUILT over missed rides or leaving early.

Some may think this is a “waste”.... time, money, tickets, whatever. Not for us. For our gang it's all about creating memories, having fun, and enjoying our time together. Most likely we'll do a few  rides at Disney, have a churro or two, and probably see a few animals at the zoo. If we're super lucky though, we'll spot a Geo Metro in blue.




1 comment:

Your comments make my blog! Thank you!