The Next Day

The light in the sky gently increases as if the Holiness itself moves the dimmer. The white clouds drift over the hill with it's varying hues illuminated by the new day. It's almost 7:00 a.m.


Yesterday was the day after Thanksgiving. Faced with squabbling siblings and The Day After Thanksgiving Bomb that went off in my house, I cajoled the kids into joining in a major clean up effort. When all surfaces were picked-up, vacuumed or shined Mama and offspring went off to spend the Disneyland passes burning a hole in my underwear drawer since gifted last Christmas.

The song of the birds this morning is a stark contrast to the unnatural screams that flew out of my son yesterday as he ran across the mid-way like he'd never seen a theme park before. "This is the best day of my life!" His exuberance was barely containable. My daughter thanked me no less than ten times for "Making her day," as we shuttled between California Adventure Land and Disneyland, paying no attention to the boundaries, holding freedom in our One Day Hopper tickets. Fiona prompted me several times to run from one gate to the other despite my aching legs, still angry and protesting the 5k from the day before.

It was theirs. All of it and they had the wonder lust- the whole of the Disney experience and they were claiming every inch of it. Bliss. "Kiddie" rides I thought would be out for sure were not off limits. Fiona is nostalgic, even at the park, so she visited some of her old favorites while Ian tolerated them and chanted "Roller Coaster, Roller Coaster". His need for thrills is beginning to concern me. But I'm probably overreacting. Jack says it's normal. "The fact that he hacked his old bike to bits on Thanksgiving day with an ax?" "Yes" he responds.

Fiona faced fears and went on Roller Coasters yesterday for the first time ever! Once her head was buried behind her Dare Devil brother she screamed her way out of his shoulder blades and enjoyed herself on The Matterhorn and Space Mountain piercing the blackness with shrill calls of pure happiness. There have been several firsts for her these past two weeks. The results are affection coming back to me after many lean years. She looked back for me while they ran off after dark. In line she allowed me to play with her hair. She put her head on my shoulder and made faces with me. As if they had schemed in the car, Ian on the other hand for the first time, wanted nothing to do with me. Several rides he wanted me to wait by the gate and ride only with his sister. I felt the sting of my baby pushing me away. As I sat on the bench, mildly dejected, the reality was punctuated as the woman next to me received an endless string of kisses from her toddler as he held her face in her hands. My legs hurt nothing like my heart.

The leaves are falling in a stiff breeze now. It's 8:10. The Southern California winter is here as the neighbors tree is fully back lit into a bright yellow. A tear is in my eye and a smile is on my face so early in the day, and I am indeed, grateful to by Mama.