Everyone Needs a Ginger

Ginger went with us to Disneyland. I didn't ask. She offered. She's 15 and she gave up her Friday morning to go to Disneyland with 3 little kids and their Mommy. I love that.

She took James on Star Tours while I took Lilly and William on Autopia.

She took James on Pirates while I took Lilly and William on Winnie the Pooh.

We rode the train and everyone wanted to sit by Ginger.

We rode the Jungle Cruise and everyone wanted to sit by Ginger.
She took the boys on the Teacups.
Twice.
She spun them really, really fast cause that's what they like.

Lils and I had to be in our own tea cup so we wouldn't slow them down.

Good thing Ginger was there.

Look how much fun they're having.

Every one should have a Ginger.

I'm so glad I do.

Thanks, Ging, for being a part of our day, a part of our family and a part of our life.

We all love you.

1 Month--We're Doing Better

It has been a month.

We're doing better.

Last week I ventured to Disneyland. I didn't feel quite up to doing it by myself, so my sweet Ginger came along. (more on that later--stay tuned)

Watching William on the Teacups filled my heart with such joy.

I think he has taken this the hardest. It is so good to see him smile.

Even his eyes are smiling.

Last night we were eating dinner at the picnic table, under the avocado tree and life felt good.

William was sitting next to me.

Out of no where, he put his arms around me and said, "Mommy, I'm glad you're not sick anymore."

Oh that sweet, sweet, sensitive boy. How does a 3 year old have that much understanding?

He's right.

I feel more stable. There is less up and down. More up. Less crying. More smiling. Less frustration and anger over insignificant things. I feel more like me both physically and emotionally.

Mostly I think about it at night. When things are quiet, I still get sad. Sometimes I can't believe I'm not pregnant anymore. I'd probably be feeling the baby move now. Instead, I'm packing away maternity clothes.

The thing that helps is when other mothers tell me that the hurt lessens but the missing remains. It is OK to feel sad still.

And it's OK to feel happy.

We're doing better.

Thank you for being here.

Love Greta

The Magic Kingdom

We spent Superbowl Sunday at Disneyland. It was great! The last time we went was 3 years ago, so it was almost like going for the first time for James and definitely for William.

Aaron and I used to go to Disneyland a lot. In fact, that is where we went on our first date after we spent 6 weeks together in India falling in love. Oh, and doing missionary work.

Back in those days, it cost us $25 dollars to go to Disneyland. Now you can get a churro and a coke for that. Thankfully Aaron's parents gave us a day at Disneyland for our Christmas present this year. So we packed up a big bag of snacks and hit the park.

here are the highlights.

"We're goin in." (imagine that said in a very high, Michael Jackson voice. that's for all you Disney trivia freaks out there)

First stop, Autopia. The boys # 1 choice. You can barley see Lilly's head in that car with William and Aaron.

It is amazing I got any pictures on this ride--James was pretty terrible at steering. But he had fun.
Our first time on the Finding Nemo ride. Aaron and I were underwhelmed.

But the kids loved it.
Stopping at Aaron's favorite spot: the Tiki Room.
We all went on Pirates of the Caribbean. I love the Blue Bayou.
We rode the train around the park twice.
Lilly broke 2 of the rules over and over:

"Remain seated please." and "Keep small children away from the openings of the train."
William snuck a peek at Winnie the Pooh. He didn't want to get close to him. "Just see him."
And now, my 2 favorite pictures of the day.

We caught a show in front of Sleeping Beauty's castle.

Who is it, you ask?

Ursala? Malificent?
The evil stepmother from Snow White?
Oh no, it was Mary Poppins!

She, apparently, was terrifying.
Lilly liked her.
She liked the horsies too. Poor Lilly. A life time of "can you see?" jokes lie ahead of her. I should know.
We rode the monorail. I didn't know you can ride in the very front with the driver. It is fast.
James and William try their hand at feats of strength.
It is a pretty magical place.
We even saw Mickey before we left.
We left with 3 very tired kids. But we all had a blast. It doesn't matter how many times you go, it just never stops being fun.

Thanks Mom and Dad!

At the Art Museum

I remember the first time I saw a Vincent Van Gogh painting in person. Until then, I had only seen prints. I even had one hanging in my room. Starry Night. It was beautiful, although it was only a poster. But when I saw the real thing, I was utterly in awe.

The colors were brilliant. There is no comparison between the real painting and a photograph. The painting is alive. It took my breath away. I could not get enough of the texture, the rough layers of his paintings. I had no idea what I had been missing until I experienced the real thing. It only made me love his work even more.

That was my first "art moment". That moment when a piece of art fills my soul and I am taken away by its beauty, and I marvel at the ability of a person to create such richness. I marvel at the gifts of creativity our Creator has given us. It happens when I listen to music, read something, or watch dancers. It is very emotional. It is very fulfilling.

And yet, I don't get enough of it. So when my dear friend, Alicia, wanted to celebrate her birthday by brunching at a french cafe and then visiting an art museum, I was more than ready to join in. It sounded like a birthday party for me!

We went to the Norton Simon in Pasadena. As soon as we entered, I felt a sense of calm. And excitement.

I love museums. I don't get to them often enough. Visiting one always makes me feel like I am traveling. Probably because we always visit museums when we travel. Some of my favorite memories are of museums: the Musee d'Orsay in Paris, filled with some of my most favorite art of all time, the photographic exhibits at the Getty, which always leave me spellbound and seeing the David in Florence, my most powerful art moment ever.

And how can I not love room after room devoted to the celebration and enjoyment of beauty?

Here are some of my favorites. These grapes, although you can't tell in this picture, are transparent. How does one achieve that? It is utterly amazing.

These rough sculptures by Degas are still so lovely. They made me smile and think of the very rough sculptures James has been working on this week.

I also loved the modern art. The colors are spectacular. And I love how there can be so many different kinds of art, the very old, very ornate paintings of Christ and the virgin, the Impressionist and their scenes of every day life, and the modernists, exploring shape and form and color. They are all so different and so beautiful.

This one was a hands down favorite. The colors draw you in. It is just so beautiful.

As I walked around, I wanted more than anything to bring James back. I knew how much he would enjoy it. How he would study the painting of David and Goliath in all its gruesome detail. How he'd look at some of the modern paintings and say, "hey, I could make that!". The scale of things would impress him. He'd have fun.

And then I got kind of panicky. I haven't even taken him to an art museum yet. We've done lots of other kinds of museums, but not strictly art. Unless I take him alone, bringing the 3 of them seems daunting to me. (as discussed here) He's almost 6. Have I failed him in this area of his development already?

It is hard not to be overwhelmed sometimes by all the opportunities I'd like to give my children. There are so many fabulous things in our world that I want to show them, teach them, and help them to enjoy. I know I just have to take a deep breath and do the best I can. We will only scratch the surface of all that's out there for us to enjoy. And that my friends, will still be a lot.

So, we'll be spending more days, at the art museum. And who knows, I might even try to take all 3 of them. Do I dare????

Finally! Seeing the Rose Parade Floats

I have lived in southern California for my whole life, and I have never been to the Rose Parade. From what I understand, it is a pretty big undertaking. If you want to go for free, you have to spend the night on the sidewalk. If you want seats, you have to pay. Quite a bit, I'm sure.

But if seeing the parade is out of reach, you can still go and view the floats. Some people claim this is even better because you see them up close and personal. The floats are on display for 3 days after the parade.

Really there is no excuse for me to not go and see these amazing creations. I have been wanting to for years. Why we didn't before we had kids, I'll never know. There is a lot of stuff we didn't do before we had kids. Things we should have done. I guess you just don't know how precious time is until you have none. But that's another blog.

Since this is the year of adventure and doing new things, and it was January 2nd, I decided it was time to get started. Seeing the Rose Parade Floats would be the first thing checked off the list!

I knew it would be crowded, so we got there early. So did everyone else:

This is the first float we saw and it really is amazing when you get up close. You can't imagine the detail that goes into these things. They are incredible.

This underwater float was my favorite. Look at the jellyfish.

The kids loved this guy.

And the coral. Everything is made out of a plant material. We had fun trying to identify what each plant, flower, leaf, seed or grass was. Some were easy to identify and others not very.

The boys really liked this one. It was very dramatic.

This ship was also a favorite. Not only was it huge, it was also animatronic. The dolphins were jumping, the crabs waving, there was music playing and the flags waving.

We all loved the Boy Scouts float. In addition to their float, the Boy Scouts also had a whole scout village set up to celebrate 100 years of scouting. There were rope bridges, Indian dancing and, inside a tent, a short movie about the joys of scouting. The boys were so hooked! Heck, I wanted to sign up to be a Boy Scout. Rock climbing, scuba diving (OK that one's not for me) back packing, fire building, helping others, it sounds pretty good.

And then there was this, the Boy Scout's code of conduct, or whatever you call it. I'm not a Scout. I don't know the lingo. No matter what you call it, these qualities are all things I want to cultivate in my boys. In my girl, too. And in myself. I think these might just become the Eskridge code of conduct.

Mark me down as a fan of the Boy Scouts.

It was great to see the floats. Aaron and I decided we would definitely do it again...without the kids. Just kidding. But there are some things you should know before you go with little people.

Before You Go:

It's going to be hot. Wear layers and maybe even bring shorts.

We all would have been more comfortable in cooler clothes.

It will be crazy, crazy crowded. Arrive as early as you can.

They open at 9, but if you are there a little early, they might let you in with the seniors and disabled. They get in at 7.

Pay the $3 to ride the shuttle. The parking is free. You just pay to ride the shuttle. Otherwise you'll walk a long way from your car.

We used the back pack instead of the stroller. It was easier to get it off and on the shuttle as well as moving around in the crowds.

It is really well organized and the people in the white suits are super friendly and helpful. I love a well organized event, and this is one of the best I've ever been too.

Pack food, but bring extra $ to buy your kids an ice cream cone. It will help them on the long walk back to the entrance you came in. You have to return to the same gate you entered in order to catch the shuttle.

Expect that you might not see all the floats. Your kids might just be too tired.

Or leave the kids at home and take your time!

You can see that our kids were pretty wiped out after a while. The heat and crowds did them in. But we really did have a good time. All of them, even Lilly enjoyed seeing the floats. They are spectacular for all ages.

You have to do it at least once!

I'm planning on going again. Sometime.