One few notes about Disney (one of many?)

We had a great time at Disney World! Wow.
One of the things that really tickled us parents was Anne's insistence to ride Peter Pan and Winnie the Pooh so often. Apparently, she "got it" that the ride was based on the books, and, in her words, we were "in the story." Awesome!

Here is what I posted on Facebook:

It has been a long time since I had an opportunity to be impressed by a well-oiled machine, but Disney World is a great example of just that. Considering the sheer scope and size of this little 47-square mile pleasure city, I cannot help but to let me jaw drop a tad.

So much of what Disney does is behind the scenes, and this is where the real Magic works; all the little things that one usually does not think about, it just all ticks away, keeping a synchronized step with the beating Disney drum. Disney really is a city unto itself; it has its own streets, its own municipalities, restaurants, sanitation, water works, Transit Authority.... everything! I would not be surprised if it had a hospital and airport strip as well. And the strange thing is, I never saw a cop once. Who enforces such regimented discipline in this city-state?

The attention to detail just astounds me. When taking the steam-powered railroad around Magic Kingdom, there were little gadgets (props, animals, snakes, indians, etc) that were carved out and painted in great detail, most of which nobody is even going to notice as they are not only a bit removed from the train tracks, but your average joe is only going to go past said scenes once (if that much). That is but one small example amidst thousands. The overall landscaping is just amazing; Florida has declared a drought, but the Disney-branded lawns are the greenest we saw (I'll let the conservationists argue about that on their own). And there are other details that may not be unique to Disney - I do not know. For example, the Pooh Bear ride in Magic Kingdom starts off with a story, a windy story. And the letters are blown right off the page as you read them. The rooms change temperature very well to reflect the part of the story (dry & warm for inside, cool and subconciously wet for outdoors). That ride, and many others like it, include so much detail that one can easily forget about the story and the ride and get lost trying to find it all. For instance, shortly into the ride there is a section where the walls move/shake. Looking at the black matte ceilings it is obviously that hydraulics are moving the wall pieces. There is a fire spigot (by code) which is permanently attached to the ceiling, and the wall piece not only has a cut-out for the water pipe, but it is painted and decorated to look like the hole was ripped by the action of the moving wall. The waiting line for Pirates of the Caribbean is excellent, as it has one wondering through old wooden motif's right out of folk-lore.

And I absolutely love how all the staff are so in-tune with the people. Rarely did I come across a staff who did not smile and notice the "It's my Birthday" button pinned on our little girl's shirt/jacket. The characters are wonderfully mindful of their costumes, and do an excellent job of using their outlandish features as if they were natural. If a child whispers something, the character will lean over, put his/her hand to the ear piece (which, keep in mind, may be a good 6 or 10 inches removed from the real ear) and act as if they are listening. And they do this all in good cheer, day in and day out.

And as I have mentioned earlier (or rather, elsewhere), everything is larger than life. Disney goes above and beyond to reinforce the idea that "we aren't in Kansas anymore"; from natural-as-can-be unnatural smiles, staff ready for your beck and call, to unbelievable fanfares, fireworks and pomp! And this is reflected in the price one has to pay as well. All this comes at a jaw-dropping cost.

I cannot help but to be impressed in every way. True, Disney exploits the American Dream like no other entity I know and does so under the somewhat sincere guise of childhood merriment. It is still impressive.

In the "interesting things that children say" category

Yesterday during dinner, Anne asked "Does God get hungry? I think he is hungry right now." At the time I did not think about it, but surely Jesus experienced hunger, just as he felt pain, sorrow, happiness and everything else. I am not sure if Anne makes the connection between the Jesus of the Bible and the God we pray to, yet. I need to ask her about that....

Summer Lovin'

Although I have been neglectful in reporting on Anne's life and our experience as her parents, it is largely due to the fact that we are just living and enjoying this time with her. As I write, she is taking an early nap because yesterday we attended her friend's birthday party, where the “four musketeers” decked themselves out in princess attire and ate Gwendolyn's scratch cupcakes, and then we skipped out on the nap to swim all afternoon. What else is summer for?

Sholem Aquatic Center is way more than a pool. It's an oasis, and we love it there. Every nice day, we are there at least 2 or three hours. Since Anne has never feared the water, we enrolled her in YMCA swim lessons this spring. Now she is agile and strong, rendering surprise looks and praise from the “big kids” swimming near her: “Can she touch here?” (She prefers not to). Growing up on the shores of Lake Michigan, having literally crawled into the water before I could even walk, it makes my heart glad to see Anne so enjoying the water. With the tall oaks swaying above the green grass and the water crashing from play fountains nearby, I can almost imagine I am back at the beach where I first learned to love the elements: sun, sand, water, trees. No sand here, though. Thus we will make our annual summer pilgrimage to Traverse City in a couple short weeks to enjoy the beach, Cherry Festival, and Schelde's broccoli cheddar, and of course grandpa and grandma.

I heard a rumor that some of you periodically check this page for news on another Schultz baby. Sorry to disappoint, but we're estimating another year or so. Frankly, life is too simple and enjoyable right now. I am thankful to have had all of Anne's toddler years with her, distraction-free. And instead of mourning her exodus to kindergarten, I think that sounds like just about the right time to welcome another member of the family. On Anne's birthday in February I became nostalgic, recounting to her the happy days when she was still in my tummy: “I could not wait to meet you and see your face!” From the back seat of the car, Annie piped up, “Mom, I think you need to pick another baby.” I explained that babies tend to be noisy and need lots of attention. “I won't mind,” she assured me. “I can help. I'm a good mommy.”

Why do people ask small children whether they want a brother or sister? It's not as if they have a choice! Nonetheless, they often express a preference. When Anne last placed her order for a certain gender of sibling, I explained that babies are like the gumball machine at WalMart: You can't choose what will come out, and you just have to be thankful for what you get. The next time we shopped and she put her quarter in the gumball machine, she said, “Mom, it's just like you!” Anne will be a wonderful big sister, and I will be a wonderful mommy if I wait till the time is right.

Now I will go feed my hungry tummy and slather on some sunscreen for an afternoon in the splash zone. How much bliss is one life entitled to?

Annie: Are we going to The Mommy School today?
Me: The Mommy School? I didn't know mommys went to school.
Annie: Yeah, The Mommy School. They test your feet.
Me: They test your feet? Do I go to the Mommy School?
Annie: Yeah, they test your feet and give me stickers.
Me: (Lightbulb moment) Are you talking about Weight Watchers?
Annie: Yes, Weight Watchers! Are we going today?

I am happy to report that my feet passed the test this week!

Sphooky

"Daddy, I tell you Sphooky story!" she says as we enter the dark bedroom. She directs me to hold the sheeets up and make a tent, turn on the flashlight, and then she is ready to begin.

It was a dark night, with full moon....

She is actually pretty good at the drama, and the whole thing is hilarious, especially with her special pronounciation. She got the idea from watching Clifford, in an episode where one of the characters tells a spooky story in honor of Halloween. Anne continues on her story, describing how the ghost went to the hospital to visit friends and Aunt. Then, "Daddy, I tell you another Sphooky story!".


A lot has happened in the past few months. The weather was very pleasant for most of November and even into December, which allowed us to get out and play with friends. We drove travelled to grandma's for Thanksgiving and to see our first real snow.

Gearing up for Christmas, Annie met the Claus'es and really liked Mrs. Claus. We spotted them a few times around town, and once at a crazy-busy holiday event at one of the local malls.

Why you do that?

Anne has gotten into the question asking phase of her development, and it is great to see her grow. I love that she is not merely asking "why", but slightly more elaborate questions like "Why you do that?" or "What you mean?" or "What you doing?".

We recently had a mouse in the house, and I set a large number of traps to catch the little critter. Mommie and I had talked to Anne about mice, describing them as little and fury (but fast!). Anne wanted to befriend the little guy (without having seen him). One morning I found that a trap had scored, and tossed the rodent in the trash. When Annie woke up, I mentioned that the mouse was gone, and she asked where it was. Weighing the pros and cons of how to deal with pests and death, I decided to go for broke and give her the facts. I explained that although mice are cute and cuddly looking, they destroy things and leave a big mess without cleaning up. We prefer that the mouse simply walk out the door on his own, but they never do. I got the mouse out of the garbage so she could look at it. I made it clear that the mouse was dead. She made some observations about it ("fury" and "claws"), then in a very concerned and almost constrained sort of way, asked "why you do that, Daddy?" On the one hand, it is quite an experience to see such a young mind connect the dots like that. But it is also sad to realize that eventually they have to deal with unpleasant topics. I much rather they are exposed to such topics in a controlled environment, and I think this was a good object lesson.

In other news, we had a most excellent time this weekend; watching a soccer game in freezing temperatures (well, not really, but it was stinking cold), watching bands practice, going out to the Decatur "Boo at the Zoo". I think Heather wants to say more about that, so I will leave that open for now.