Disney Smiles & Frowns from #HundtBoysx4
A while back I read a Tweet from a teacher I admire sharing how he does smiles and frowns in his High School English class- it gives his students a time and safe space to share their voice about what's going on in their life; I thought it was great and genius.
We began doing it at my house at bedtime and now it's become a staple routine- the boys sharing their smiles and frowns from that day. A lot of times this short reflection is super insightful and leads to other wonderings and talks and sharing. The smiles can show that even if the day is challenging, even if I find myself being a mean mommy, there are things my boys take-a-way and cherish that show me and them that there is good in every day... because there is. The frowns help draw out what may have happened in the day that isn't perfect and it shows me what's been bothering one of my boys. Again, it also shows that there is an ebb and flow to the day to day.
Thankfully, even though our Disney trip feels like AGES ago now, we've been able to keep the magic alive in our home. We talk about the trip literally every day, we look at pictures, and we keep talking about rides we missed, rides we loved, and sharing our reflections and thoughts about the trip over and over again. So, in keeping the magic alive, here are each of my kids' smile and frown from their experience with Disney...
Nolan, age 5:
SMILE: Splash Mountain
We weren't sure how the boys would do with rides because we've never really been to an amusement park or carnival or fair. The Air Zoo in Kalamazoo is about the only exposure we've had. Honestly I feel like my kids were at prime ages to do Disney because they don't even KNOW to be scared of anything... An elevator ride?! Awesome! A roller coaster that goes backwards?! That sounds fun! They were honestly game to do just about anything.
Nolan was an absolute joy to ride rides with, seriously. He laughed, smiled, screamed, and loved every single second. For some reason though, Splash Mountain was tripping him up and he didn't want to ride it. I think it was because you can see the big hill so clearly and he was also worried about getting his shoes wet. Enter my father-in-law who got Nolan to ride it if they were able to sit together. Nolan was legitimately terrified and I wasn't sure if he would actually ride it. He DID get on the ride and he LOOOOOOOVED it. So much so that there was no hesitation that it was his smile of the whole trip. Watching him overcome his fear was amazing- a magical moment and a great life lesson.
FROWN: The day it rained all day at Epcot.
I totally get why that was his frown- it was pretty awful, but even that day, his joy radiated.
Judah, age 5:
SMILE: It's a Small World
Judah, while game to try anything out of naivety, started to get smart. He was not loving hills or drops so he began to ask if the ride we were in line for has either of those. When we finally got to ride It's a Small World, on our last day, he assured him there were no hills or drops on this. He smiled big. While the ride was happening, he was oooing and aaahhhing and loving it. One of the first things he said was that we needed to listen to our Disney CD on the way home so we could hear the song again (as if the seventeen times it plays during the right isn't enough).
Related smiles would be when he hung out with Josh's dad and got to ride around on the scooter with him while everyone else was in line for the Barnstormer (more on THAT ride shortly) and the safari at Animal Kingdom. Hearing him yell "This is awesome!!' is one of my smiles for sure!
FROWN: The rainy day at Epcot
This kid handled the rain like a CHAMP, but yeah, it wasn't the best day to be at an amusement park.
Carter, age 3:
SMILE: Barnstormer
This little human did SO many big boy things at Disney- he did not skip a single opportunity to ride anything. He kept getting measured BARELY skimming the bar for being 40 inches. Some of the rides he was probably too little for worked out great for him, others, not so much. When we were hanging out around the Dumbo area, the Barnstormer was supposed to have a fairly short line so everyone went on except for me (I was wearing Preston who was asleep), Josh's dad, and Judah who took one look at that roller coaster and said 'no thanks.' The line ended up being double what was advertised, we almost missed our fast pass to Winnie the Pooh, and the ride, I hear, lasted less than a minute. Meh.
Carter though, could not stop talking about it and how much he LOVED it. I guess the long wait and short ride was worth it.
Other smiles would be seeing fountains, meeting Wreck It Ralph, meeting Mr. Incredible.
FROWN: Tower of Terror
The poor kid was so short, you can't even see that he was actually on the ride in the photo. He was terrified- of the drops, of the ghosts, of all the darkness. He didn't cry though ;)
Preston, age 9 months:
SMILE: It's a Small World
Preston rode with us on everything he could. most of the time he seemed fairly uninterested. It's a Small World did capture his interest though and he was smiling and engaged.
I think if Preston could talk, he'd also share a few other smiles. He might mention how fun it was to be worn by his mama for most of the trip. Preston would also love to comment on the fun foods he got to try while at Disney, how cute everyone thought he was, and the extra snuggles he received when everyone else was on a ride and Mommy or Daddy or Grandma or Grammy stayed back with him.
FROWN: Falling asleep on rides
Preston's morning nap was usually wherever and whenever he felt like taking it. I know I needed to be flexible with him and not try to stick to his schedule or else he'd never end up actually at the park. I held pretty firm to going back to our hotel to give him his afternoon nap, but in the morning, he'd be awake one minute and passed out the next. Usually he caught some zzzs while we were on a ride. He fell asleep on the Haunted Mansion and the Safari for example. He would never end up staying asleep for too long, which certainly affected him. He was so tired! He also had trouble sleeping at night- we think he was scared and also teething terribly so a few of the nights we were swaying with him back and forth most of the night. He was totally out of whack, but took it like a champ.
I think it's important to have the awareness that in just about everything you do in life there are smiles and frown, highs and lows, roses and thorns- whatever you want to call them. Even on vacation, not everything is perfect (FAR FROM IT...I'm not even sure why I called it a vacation there- that's a loose term ;) ) and it's important to notice and reflect on that.
We'll be back, Disney World, that's for sure.
We began doing it at my house at bedtime and now it's become a staple routine- the boys sharing their smiles and frowns from that day. A lot of times this short reflection is super insightful and leads to other wonderings and talks and sharing. The smiles can show that even if the day is challenging, even if I find myself being a mean mommy, there are things my boys take-a-way and cherish that show me and them that there is good in every day... because there is. The frowns help draw out what may have happened in the day that isn't perfect and it shows me what's been bothering one of my boys. Again, it also shows that there is an ebb and flow to the day to day.
Thankfully, even though our Disney trip feels like AGES ago now, we've been able to keep the magic alive in our home. We talk about the trip literally every day, we look at pictures, and we keep talking about rides we missed, rides we loved, and sharing our reflections and thoughts about the trip over and over again. So, in keeping the magic alive, here are each of my kids' smile and frown from their experience with Disney...
Nolan, age 5:
SMILE: Splash Mountain
We weren't sure how the boys would do with rides because we've never really been to an amusement park or carnival or fair. The Air Zoo in Kalamazoo is about the only exposure we've had. Honestly I feel like my kids were at prime ages to do Disney because they don't even KNOW to be scared of anything... An elevator ride?! Awesome! A roller coaster that goes backwards?! That sounds fun! They were honestly game to do just about anything.
 |
| He was also pretty scared to ride Expedition Everest and he LOVED it also- so proud of him |
FROWN: The day it rained all day at Epcot.
I totally get why that was his frown- it was pretty awful, but even that day, his joy radiated.
 |
| After a long, rainy day, he wanted to make sure everyone knew he was good! |
SMILE: It's a Small World
Judah, while game to try anything out of naivety, started to get smart. He was not loving hills or drops so he began to ask if the ride we were in line for has either of those. When we finally got to ride It's a Small World, on our last day, he assured him there were no hills or drops on this. He smiled big. While the ride was happening, he was oooing and aaahhhing and loving it. One of the first things he said was that we needed to listen to our Disney CD on the way home so we could hear the song again (as if the seventeen times it plays during the right isn't enough).
 |
| He dug Toy Story Mania- who wouldn't?! |
 |
| Scooting around with Grandpa! |
This kid handled the rain like a CHAMP, but yeah, it wasn't the best day to be at an amusement park.
Carter, age 3:
SMILE: Barnstormer
This little human did SO many big boy things at Disney- he did not skip a single opportunity to ride anything. He kept getting measured BARELY skimming the bar for being 40 inches. Some of the rides he was probably too little for worked out great for him, others, not so much. When we were hanging out around the Dumbo area, the Barnstormer was supposed to have a fairly short line so everyone went on except for me (I was wearing Preston who was asleep), Josh's dad, and Judah who took one look at that roller coaster and said 'no thanks.' The line ended up being double what was advertised, we almost missed our fast pass to Winnie the Pooh, and the ride, I hear, lasted less than a minute. Meh.
Carter though, could not stop talking about it and how much he LOVED it. I guess the long wait and short ride was worth it.
Other smiles would be seeing fountains, meeting Wreck It Ralph, meeting Mr. Incredible.
 |
| This kid freaking LOVED fountains- Disney sure had a lot of those to see ;) |
FROWN: Tower of Terror
The poor kid was so short, you can't even see that he was actually on the ride in the photo. He was terrified- of the drops, of the ghosts, of all the darkness. He didn't cry though ;)
 |
| Here is our Tower of Terror ride picture- Carter is behind the lady next to the person with their hands up- not that you'd ever know. Judah is next to me, literally shaking. |
SMILE: It's a Small World
Preston rode with us on everything he could. most of the time he seemed fairly uninterested. It's a Small World did capture his interest though and he was smiling and engaged.
I think if Preston could talk, he'd also share a few other smiles. He might mention how fun it was to be worn by his mama for most of the trip. Preston would also love to comment on the fun foods he got to try while at Disney, how cute everyone thought he was, and the extra snuggles he received when everyone else was on a ride and Mommy or Daddy or Grandma or Grammy stayed back with him.
 |
| living his best life for sure |
FROWN: Falling asleep on rides
Preston's morning nap was usually wherever and whenever he felt like taking it. I know I needed to be flexible with him and not try to stick to his schedule or else he'd never end up actually at the park. I held pretty firm to going back to our hotel to give him his afternoon nap, but in the morning, he'd be awake one minute and passed out the next. Usually he caught some zzzs while we were on a ride. He fell asleep on the Haunted Mansion and the Safari for example. He would never end up staying asleep for too long, which certainly affected him. He was so tired! He also had trouble sleeping at night- we think he was scared and also teething terribly so a few of the nights we were swaying with him back and forth most of the night. He was totally out of whack, but took it like a champ.
 |
| On the Safari- can't hang |
I think it's important to have the awareness that in just about everything you do in life there are smiles and frown, highs and lows, roses and thorns- whatever you want to call them. Even on vacation, not everything is perfect (FAR FROM IT...I'm not even sure why I called it a vacation there- that's a loose term ;) ) and it's important to notice and reflect on that.
We'll be back, Disney World, that's for sure.
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