I realized I never shared these photos on here and it ended up being the perfect timing to post them, because there’s a relevant story behind them. One of the best parts about being a mom is getting to create all the fun magic for my kids. I love it. But…. I also think it’s gone a little too far. I hate to bring the energy of ~social media ruined it~ however i do think that’s the case here. The bar for “childhood magic” just keeps going higher and higher.
You can’t just take your kids on a vacation, if you want real magic you need to pack a suitcase for them, wake them up and tell them they’re not going to school, they’re going on a ~special trip~! You can’t just have a little Easter basket, for real magic you need to have goodies and treats that rival Santa Claus’ loot. You can’t just have a cake cutting celebration with family, for real magic you need a $700 balloon arch. Obviously you don’t need it, but it does feel like if you’re not going above and beyond, your kids’ childhood isn’t as magical as it could be. And man, as a mom, that is exhausting and there’s just SO much (undue) pressure. We’re already spread thin, can we please not also be responsible for putting together five themed outfits for two year old’s daycare.
A lot of it is self-inflicted. We might be influenced by social media, but no one is forcing us to do this.
I watched a TikTok recently of a dad recounting this magical trip to Disney that he and his wife took his kids on and he shared a long list of fun things they did over their (expensive) weeklong trip. Ice cream every day! Visits to the gift shop! Character lunches, fun rides, and extra late bedtimes. The kids’ favorite part of the trip? The part that they couldn’t stop talking about the whole way home? …. when their dad fell down the stairs in the hotel.
So these photos. What’s the story, you ask?
I realized quite late that Jack had multiple days off daycare and preschool and we were really freaking over the cold weather after an extra dark winter. Mike and I decided to take the family on a very last minute trip to Tampa for a “spring break” of sorts. I can’t lie, I started to spiral trying to think of all the ways to make the trip SPECIAL. Including…. attempting a day trip to Disney. 1) We’re not a Disney family so I was already overwhelmed thinking of the details and 2) our trip to Tampa was already short so I was trying to see if we could make it just a day trip. Nothing “over the top.”
The reality though was that even if I planned a perfectly low key day trip to Disney, it was going to be a lot of work and planning. And for what? A few hours of “fun”? For WHOM? Rory certainly would sleep and nurse throughout the entire day and Jack would probably have a blast, but wouldn’t he also have fun playing in the backyard with his grandma and grandpa?
I quickly realize how insane I was being. We didn’t need to ~GO TO DISNEY~ to make this spring break special. And I certainly didn’t need to spend days and days planning a “low key” (lol) day trip to Disney.
I thought, “Jack would probably have equal amounts of fun going to the splash pad down the road.”
And he did. It was wonderful. We went to a family favorite restaurant (that I also love) for breakfast with my mom and sister. We scooted down the road to the splash pad where we all ran around through the water having the best time. It was just what we needed for a magical morning and nothing more.
What else made the trip special? Putting around a golf ball at my parents’ country club. Hitting a baseball into the pool for Dada to catch. Going to Home Depot to pick out colorful flowers and milkweed and planting them for the butterflies in Meesh’s garden. Munching on cookies and lemon bread and marshmallows.
It was magical for everyone. And we kept our stress and anxiety and running around to the very bare minimum– there is some degree of this when you’re traveling with a toddler and a newborn– and I think that contributed to the magical nature of it. Everyone, including mama, was in a great mood which meant we were all set up for success.
I keep trying to remind myself of this. A few times a week I feel this urge to do something a little crazy and a little over the top (likely after scrolling on Instagram or TikTok for too long) and then I have to remind myself that the magic can really glow when the family is relaxed and when everyone is calm…. most importantly when I’m calm as mom.
My Dress (c/o) // My Sunglasses // Jack’s Rash Guard // Rory’s Sweatshirt // The Boys’ Swim Trunks // Jack’s Shoes // Rory’s Hat
As for the matching outfits. Yes, they may be a little over the top and a little unnecessary. But hey, we were all going to need to wear clothes anyway right
