My Disney Magic Moment

[dana0801]

I'm not sure if this is the right place to submit this but I'm sure it will be moved to the right location if not.

I have to tell the story of my Disney Magic moment.

Let me set the stage with a little pre-story. Picture it... The Pacific NW in the Spring. The year was 2006 (sorry I like the Golden Girls). I'm a single mother of an absolutely gorgeous 16 year old Blonde Bombshell (I wouldn't be biased in any way ).

When she was 2 her dad and I split. He had more fun playing house with the neighbors wife than with me, but I digress. Anywho back to the story. She was 2 when we split and I wasn't working at the time. We struggled for many years (visualize pyramids and sweaty workers here). Time passes .... We jump ahead to a little smoother plane of existence (2004 to be exact). She is now 14 and we are on our way back to WDW for her birthday as we have done for the last 3 even birthdays (starting when she was 10) You know even numbers 10, 12... Well you get the picture.

Ok enough bunny trails....

We have come HOME for her 14th year in this life and we are enjoying being in each others company (when she isn't doing the sulking teen thing and I'm not scowling at every set of eyes that see the Blonde Bombshell hiding just under the surface... YOU KNOW WHO YOU ARE) Did my evil eye work? have you gotten the worst case of athelete's foot yet??????HMMMM?

Ok back to the story.... We were walking in Tomorrowland (Paging Mr. Morrow, Mr. Tom Morrow....Sorry had to pay homage to Zzub (man what a writer!) I bunny trail a lot it seems to me.

Ok so we are walking and she decides to ride on SM again. I'm not in a SM kind of place (and that is not the SM you bad people may have been thinking ) so I go to sit and watch the folks on Autopia do their thing while I'm waiting.

As I sit and watch the families riding, the little kids driving and mom/dad looking like they are going to toss their Mickey bar at any moment (come on you know that you have tried not to when it gets a little rough). It dawns on me that I am crying (IN WDW OF ALL PLACES). I'm misty because I see the families with the 2.5 kids having FUN and I realize that it is just me and my DBB (New one here Disney Blonde Bombshell). I hear her holler at me as she exits the ride and I wipe my eyes before she can see that her old mom has lost her emotional marbles in the WORLD of all place (and to make it worse IN PUBLIC) heaven forbid.

So OK, as we are walking along to our next point of excitement I say to her "I'm sorry that I couldn't give you that", as I point to a Mickey Mouse moment of Mom, Dad and kids enjoying a frozen lemonade.

"What, the lemonade?" she asks. Look I didn't say she didn't have her blonde root moments here.

"No!" I say, "the whole family thing. You know Dad and sibs."

"I'm glad we don't have that." she says as she gives me the look like I have somehow sprouted another eye in the middle of my forehead.

"Why?" I ask as I am really curious. I grew up with two brothers and we were never lonely. Battered and bruised from beating on each other but never lonely . I sometimes wonder if she is lonesome for sibs but just doesn't know it cuz she's never had any.

"Cuz, if we were like that we wouldn't be able to come down here as often as we do." she says. Now I'm not trying to say that we get to go more often than anyone else but remember I am a single mother AND I live clear up in the NorthWestern most state before you hit Canada (NO Not Alaska, although I have lived there too.) Pull out a map. It's Washington State.

"What???" I ask as I am more than a little confused. We don't get here that often.

"I like that it's just you and me. If it were more I wouldn't get you all to myself and we wouldn't be able to come and enjoy WDW as much cuz there wouldn't be like you know... enough money, being able to get new clothes and stuff." She says and tries to look away. (she has inherited this genentic anomoly called "CRYINGius at the DROPilium of a HATarus". You should see my family when a good commercial for something sappy comes on. We should by stock in Kleenex)

I have caught her being not only a GREAT kid but an extremely well adjusted human being. ONLY IN WDW.

I reach over and give her a hug. "Thanks kid," I say, "It's nice to know you appreciate what we have even if it is just you and me."

"MOM!!! Not in public there's a boy over there and he's STARING!" as she gives me the LOOK again.

Ok maybe when you're older kid.

That is my little bit of Disney Magic and I'm sticking to it.

 

[kj2mom]

Thanks for sharing the magic! I am a single mom of twins and am taking them to DW for the first time this fall. Unfortunately they have to share me so I can't hope for the exact same scenario but I too feel bad that I can't offer my children the 'perfect' family. I hope someday they will reassure me that that is ok !

 

[MichelleChell]

That's really sweet. I enjoyed you story telling too.

 

[dana0801]

Thanks for sharing the magic! I am a single mom of twins and am taking them to DW for the first time this fall. Unfortunately they have to share me so I can't hope for the exact same scenario but I too feel bad that I can't offer my children the 'perfect' family. I hope someday they will reassure me that that is ok !

You know it's funny but, because I grew up in a 2.5 household, I not she, had the hardest time accepting the "it's you and me against the world" thing.

There are times that I swear she is channelling some 800 year old Guru when she spouts wisdom like that, but then the teenager re-emerges and we are off and running again.

They will appreciate you and they will be thankful. I got lucky that when that 800 year old Guru shows up they are the one that spouts all the niceties. When the teenager is around it's another story.

You didn't mention how old your twins are. It's great that even if you don't have the all together perfect family that they have you and each other so they are never lonely!

Because it's been just my daughter for so long she has a hard time letting me do "grownup" things with my friends because she thinks (somewhere in that head of hers) that she is adult too so there is a drawback here. We work on that one all the time.

It is nice that she thanks me from time to time and it gets more frequent the older she gets (when she isn't hiding in her room and whispering on the phone about some nosey old woman who won't let her lead her own life . )

Take courage. This too shall pass.

 

[dizprincess27]

Hello Dana0801,

It's funny that I should read this today because I am a single mother of a very soon to be 13 yo Brown Eyed Bombshell who is a blonde at heart Anyway, I took her to Disney last year and on the DCL. We had so much fun and it was so nice to be able to bond with her and not have her be on the phone or computer. Anyway, I'm very down today because she has had a snappy, rude and mean attitude since Sunday and well it's just tough someetimes sn't it??? I wish she were a little still. It was so much easier.

 

[dana0801]

Hello Dana0801,

It's funny that I should read this today because I am a single mother of a very soon to be 13 yo Brown Eyed Bombshell who is a blonde at heart Anyway, I took her to Disney last year and on the DCL. We had so much fun and it was so nice to be able to bond with her and not have her be on the phone or computer. Anyway, I'm very down today because she has had a snappy, rude and mean attitude since Sunday and well it's just tough someetimes sn't it??? I wish she were a little still. It was so much easier.

Hi Dizprincess27,

She sound beautiful.
Amen to that. Remember this too shall pass (or at least morph)

I found it funny because there are different stages of the "sulky teenager syndrome". When my daughter was waiting for her Aunt Flo to come visit she was the worst BEFORE it started (10-12 we weren't sure if she was going to see her next birthday ) then it would even out and rays of sunshine would beam down on our house (picture Thomas Kincade painting here) . The next day it would be as if some strange space alien had come and sucked out all of her nice manners and inserted some strange hormonal coding in it's place. Her head would spin and she would talk in tongues.

As she has gotten older it gets weirder because now she's snappy one minute if I say hello and then nice when I'm in a bad mood because of her being snappy.

I think it's a secret teenager conspiracy they all talk on the computer and plan it at the same time so that all us parents are in a bad/good mood at the same time.

You know that they pass that secret look to each other in the stores (you know the one "yeah she's mad and I did it ")

Anyway sorry I like to bunny trail really easy , I understand how you feel and I just continue to hold the thought that she will be 40 with kids someday and I can do what my parents are doing now. Traveling as far as possible so they don't have to deal with it (JK). My dad constantly reminds me that it is my turn to "reap the benefits".

 

[lordog]

What a great story! I too am a single mom with a six year old daughter (with a teenage attitude) and I have also had moments at Disneyland when I have observed the typical family and started to feel sad and cry under my sunglasses because it was just the two of us. I feel better in knowing that others feel that same pain and it's not just me feeling sorry for myself. If anything, we should feel fortunate (as well as our children) that we still have the desire and financial ability (as well as the courage to hike out on a twosome Disney trip) to be able to take such trips. I know that my daughter appreciates it and loves the "girls only" time.

 

[sahbushka]

I'm not sure if this is the right place to submit this but I'm sure it will be moved to the right location if not.

I have to tell the story of my Disney Magic moment.

Let me set the stage with a little pre-story. Picture it... The Pacific NW in the Spring. The year was 2006 (sorry I like the Golden Girls). I'm a single mother of an absolutely gorgeous 16 year old Blonde Bombshell (I wouldn't be biased in any way ).

When she was 2 her dad and I split. He had more fun playing house with the neighbors wife than with me, but I digress. Anywho back to the story. She was 2 when we split and I wasn't working at the time. We struggled for many years (visualize pyramids and sweaty workers here). Time passes .... We jump ahead to a little smoother plane of existence (2004 to be exact). She is now 14 and we are on our way back to WDW for her birthday as we have done for the last 3 even birthdays (starting when she was 10) You know even numbers 10, 12... Well you get the picture.

Ok enough bunny trails....

We have come HOME for her 14th year in this life and we are enjoying being in each others company (when she isn't doing the sulking teen thing and I'm not scowling at every set of eyes that see the Blonde Bombshell hiding just under the surface... YOU KNOW WHO YOU ARE) Did my evil eye work? have you gotten the worst case of athelete's foot yet??????HMMMM?

Ok back to the story.... We were walking in Tomorrowland (Paging Mr. Morrow, Mr. Tom Morrow....Sorry had to pay homage to Zzub (man what a writer!) I bunny trail a lot it seems to me.

Ok so we are walking and she decides to ride on SM again. I'm not in a SM kind of place (and that is not the SM you bad people may have been thinking ) so I go to sit and watch the folks on Autopia do their thing while I'm waiting.

As I sit and watch the families riding, the little kids driving and mom/dad looking like they are going to toss their Mickey bar at any moment (come on you know that you have tried not to when it gets a little rough). It dawns on me that I am crying (IN WDW OF ALL PLACES). I'm misty because I see the families with the 2.5 kids having FUN and I realize that it is just me and my DBB (New one here Disney Blonde Bombshell). I hear her holler at me as she exits the ride and I wipe my eyes before she can see that her old mom has lost her emotional marbles in the WORLD of all place (and to make it worse IN PUBLIC) heaven forbid.

So OK, as we are walking along to our next point of excitement I say to her "I'm sorry that I couldn't give you that", as I point to a Mickey Mouse moment of Mom, Dad and kids enjoying a frozen lemonade.

"What, the lemonade?" she asks. Look I didn't say she didn't have her blonde root moments here.

"No!" I say, "the whole family thing. You know Dad and sibs."

"I'm glad we don't have that." she says as she gives me the look like I have somehow sprouted another eye in the middle of my forehead.

"Why?" I ask as I am really curious. I grew up with two brothers and we were never lonely. Battered and bruised from beating on each other but never lonely . I sometimes wonder if she is lonesome for sibs but just doesn't know it cuz she's never had any.

"Cuz, if we were like that we wouldn't be able to come down here as often as we do." she says. Now I'm not trying to say that we get to go more often than anyone else but remember I am a single mother AND I live clear up in the NorthWestern most state before you hit Canada (NO Not Alaska, although I have lived there too.) Pull out a map. It's Washington State.

"What???" I ask as I am more than a little confused. We don't get here that often.

"I like that it's just you and me. If it were more I wouldn't get you all to myself and we wouldn't be able to come and enjoy WDW as much cuz there wouldn't be like you know... enough money, being able to get new clothes and stuff." She says and tries to look away. (she has inherited this genentic anomoly called "CRYINGius at the DROPilium of a HATarus". You should see my family when a good commercial for something sappy comes on. We should by stock in Kleenex)

I have caught her being not only a GREAT kid but an extremely well adjusted human being. ONLY IN WDW.

I reach over and give her a hug. "Thanks kid," I say, "It's nice to know you appreciate what we have even if it is just you and me."

"MOM!!! Not in public there's a boy over there and he's STARING!" as she gives me the LOOK again.

Ok maybe when you're older kid.

That is my little bit of Disney Magic and I'm sticking to it.

What a wonderful memory to carry with you through all those crazy teen episodes! It's also nice to see another NW-erner here! Sometimes I feel like I am the only one from that side of the world that does WDW and not just DL! What part of Washington state are you from?
Sarah

 

[Alex2kMommy]

Awwwww, what a sweet story. You had me in tears! (I also cry at the drop of a hat, clearly!)

I am the married mother of 2 young boys (ages 5 and turns-2-tomorrow!) I think your girl, even with her surly teenager days, obviously appreciates you and what you have sacrificed for her. Though you haven't had it easy her whole life, you clearly have raised her right.

Every once in awhile they surprise you with their wisdom, don't they? Yesterday my DS5, who would play videogames all day if we let him (which we don't!), was telling me about a friend of his whose parents let him play a lot. He says, "And you know what? That game is rated 'T'!" I said, "Does that 'T' mean it's for 'teens'?" and he says, "Yep. That's not good for him to play. And you know what else? His parents let him play other games that are rated 'M' for 'grownups'. And he plays too much time, I think. That's not good for him."

I thought, OK, he's not always happy with me when I tell him we can't buy that game or he can play for half an hour, but he obviously is listening and paying attention as to why! It made me feel like he understands I'm not just the Big Meanie who tells him 'no' all the time.

 

[dana0801]

What a wonderful memory to carry with you through all those crazy teen episodes! It's also nice to see another NW-erner here! Sometimes I feel like I am the only one from that side of the world that does WDW and not just DL! What part of Washington state are you from?
Sarah

Sarah,

I'm from Vancouver of all places (yes that's the one closest to Portland Oregon)

I know it's a special occasion when we get to go to WDW as it costs so DARN much to get there from here. I always thought I was the only one from this neck of the woods too, but Zzub is also from the NW (not sure where though). If you get a chance go to the trip report forum and read his, THEY ARE HILARIOUS!

Dana

 

[dana0801]

Awwwww, what a sweet story. You had me in tears! (I also cry at the drop of a hat, clearly!)

I am the married mother of 2 young boys (ages 5 and turns-2-tomorrow!) I think your girl, even with her surly teenager days, obviously appreciates you and what you have sacrificed for her. Though you haven't had it easy her whole life, you clearly have raised her right.

Every once in awhile they surprise you with their wisdom, don't they? Yesterday my DS5, who would play videogames all day if we let him (which we don't!), was telling me about a friend of his whose parents let him play a lot. He says, "And you know what? That game is rated 'T'!" I said, "Does that 'T' mean it's for 'teens'?" and he says, "Yep. That's not good for him to play. And you know what else? His parents let him play other games that are rated 'M' for 'grownups'. And he plays too much time, I think. That's not good for him."

I thought, OK, he's not always happy with me when I tell him we can't buy that game or he can play for half an hour, but he obviously is listening and paying attention as to why! It made me feel like he understands I'm not just the Big Meanie who tells him 'no' all the time.

Alex2kMommy,

Thanks for the kind words. Yup it is great (when all those things you wonder if they get after hearing it from us 8 bazzillion times) actually shows itself in comments like your DS.

I have to remind myself when the "ugly teenager" shows up that it is just her way of growing up and trying to figure out who she is. (you wouldn't know it by listening to us talk to each other at those times though )

Sometimes I think it's actually harder for me to let go than for her to try letting go, but I know it's really a struggle for us both in different ways. She wants to be an adult and try adult things and I want her to stay little.

I know that letting her grow up means allowing her to make her own mistakes and learn from them (I HOPE). It's so hard to hold back on the "when I was your age...." stories for two reasons 1) it's a completely different time and space, kids know WAY more than I did at that age and 2) If they don't fall on their own faces from time to time they will never learn all those wonderful life lessons we all have to go through (plus learning how to cope with the outcome).

I'm just glad at this point that she isn't into anything (drugs, alcohol etc) that can really mess her up. We struggle with the boyfriend thing (I'm not really fond of him because I've seen what he will grow up like (my ex was just like him), but I don't want to tell her she can't see him cuz we all know what would happen there )

Anywho... take comfort that all you are teaching them is/will show up in time and it will all be good. (I hold that thought every day in the hopes that it is true )

Dana

 

[prestonsmomma]

Thank you so much for sharing your "moment" with us. As a married Mother of one perfect little guy, I appreciated your take on having an only child. We tried for 4 1/2 years to have another child (and lost 3 on the way) and finally gave up. The hardest thing is explaining to our DS why God hasn't given him a sister yet (yes he prays for a sister DAILY). Maybe it's not how our family was supposed to be. Much like yours, it isn't what we invisioned for ourselves or for him but maybe it's just what is meant to be. Thank you for reminding me.

 

[makinorlando]

Single mom of DD9, and we have been alone since she was 5 months old. Many times she tells me she is glad that it is just the two of us! We live comfortably with no help from her DF(D in this case - Deadbeat). I like that it's just the two of us to make decisions, and that we can do things without too much planning.

She loves when we have visitors and she had other kids to do things with and go on rides with, but she also loves the times that it just us.

I am sad though that she does miss out on some of the traditions that 2 parent 2.5 kid families have - especially during holidays and the like... but hey - we can got to WDW on any holiday we want.

We don't really know any other way of life - so to us - this is what is right!

(I am secretly dreading the teen age years.... DD is so sensitive and moody now at times!)

 

[dana0801]

Thank you so much for sharing your "moment" with us. As a married Mother of one perfect little guy, I appreciated your take on having an only child. We tried for 4 1/2 years to have another child (and lost 3 on the way) and finally gave up. The hardest thing is explaining to our DS why God hasn't given him a sister yet (yes he prays for a sister DAILY). Maybe it's not how our family was supposed to be. Much like yours, it isn't what we invisioned for ourselves or for him but maybe it's just what is meant to be. Thank you for reminding me.

Michelle,

You are very welcome. I have to remind myself sometimes that this is not my world to plan and I have to give it over to God. I am sorry to hear of your losses and hope that God does grace you with what you wish for. It is hard to explain to our children and HOPE they get it about what will come in it's own time not ours.

I know about praying daily for things (I used to pray for someone for me so that I wouldn't be lonely) but I have found that it will happen when He wants it to and not when I say so so I will wait. If i doesn't happen then that is ok too.

 

[dana0801]

Single mom of DD9, and we have been alone since she was 5 months old. Many times she tells me she is glad that it is just the two of us! We live comfortably with no help from her DF(D in this case - Deadbeat). I like that it's just the two of us to make decisions, and that we can do things without too much planning.

She loves when we have visitors and she had other kids to do things with and go on rides with, but she also loves the times that it just us.

I am sad though that she does miss out on some of the traditions that 2 parent 2.5 kid families have - especially during holidays and the like... but hey - we can got to WDW on any holiday we want.

We don't really know any other way of life - so to us - this is what is right!

(I am secretly dreading the teen age years.... DD is so sensitive and moody now at times!)

Oh the memories as they come flooding back to me of that wonderful age and time. It's better than riding ANY rollercoaster. The only problem is there is no way to hit a shut off button when you are tired of riding. No really I had a ball when my DD was that age and sometimes wish we could go back to those easier times. It is getting harder to remember that she is soon to be an adult and her own person. But all is good as I will know when that time comes that I have done all I can to prepare her for what's to come (ok not everything. There are somethings that I have to have fun with so that I can enjoy life )

 

[DizzyErin]

How i thankyou for that story i am a single mum to my DD since she was 2 and is now 7 and often wonder what will happen in the future but after reading your magic moment .. through the tears .. I'm gonna just enjoy it being us 2 without any extra worries so THANKYOU

I'm not sure if this is the right place to submit this but I'm sure it will be moved to the right location if not.

I have to tell the story of my Disney Magic moment.

Let me set the stage with a little pre-story. Picture it... The Pacific NW in the Spring. The year was 2006 (sorry I like the Golden Girls). I'm a single mother of an absolutely gorgeous 16 year old Blonde Bombshell (I wouldn't be biased in any way ).

When she was 2 her dad and I split. He had more fun playing house with the neighbors wife than with me, but I digress. Anywho back to the story. She was 2 when we split and I wasn't working at the time. We struggled for many years (visualize pyramids and sweaty workers here). Time passes .... We jump ahead to a little smoother plane of existence (2004 to be exact). She is now 14 and we are on our way back to WDW for her birthday as we have done for the last 3 even birthdays (starting when she was 10) You know even numbers 10, 12... Well you get the picture.

Ok enough bunny trails....

We have come HOME for her 14th year in this life and we are enjoying being in each others company (when she isn't doing the sulking teen thing and I'm not scowling at every set of eyes that see the Blonde Bombshell hiding just under the surface... YOU KNOW WHO YOU ARE) Did my evil eye work? have you gotten the worst case of athelete's foot yet??????HMMMM?

Ok back to the story.... We were walking in Tomorrowland (Paging Mr. Morrow, Mr. Tom Morrow....Sorry had to pay homage to Zzub (man what a writer!) I bunny trail a lot it seems to me.

Ok so we are walking and she decides to ride on SM again. I'm not in a SM kind of place (and that is not the SM you bad people may have been thinking ) so I go to sit and watch the folks on Autopia do their thing while I'm waiting.

As I sit and watch the families riding, the little kids driving and mom/dad looking like they are going to toss their Mickey bar at any moment (come on you know that you have tried not to when it gets a little rough). It dawns on me that I am crying (IN WDW OF ALL PLACES). I'm misty because I see the families with the 2.5 kids having FUN and I realize that it is just me and my DBB (New one here Disney Blonde Bombshell). I hear her holler at me as she exits the ride and I wipe my eyes before she can see that her old mom has lost her emotional marbles in the WORLD of all place (and to make it worse IN PUBLIC) heaven forbid.

So OK, as we are walking along to our next point of excitement I say to her "I'm sorry that I couldn't give you that", as I point to a Mickey Mouse moment of Mom, Dad and kids enjoying a frozen lemonade.

"What, the lemonade?" she asks. Look I didn't say she didn't have her blonde root moments here.

"No!" I say, "the whole family thing. You know Dad and sibs."

"I'm glad we don't have that." she says as she gives me the look like I have somehow sprouted another eye in the middle of my forehead.

"Why?" I ask as I am really curious. I grew up with two brothers and we were never lonely. Battered and bruised from beating on each other but never lonely . I sometimes wonder if she is lonesome for sibs but just doesn't know it cuz she's never had any.

"Cuz, if we were like that we wouldn't be able to come down here as often as we do." she says. Now I'm not trying to say that we get to go more often than anyone else but remember I am a single mother AND I live clear up in the NorthWestern most state before you hit Canada (NO Not Alaska, although I have lived there too.) Pull out a map. It's Washington State.

"What???" I ask as I am more than a little confused. We don't get here that often.

"I like that it's just you and me. If it were more I wouldn't get you all to myself and we wouldn't be able to come and enjoy WDW as much cuz there wouldn't be like you know... enough money, being able to get new clothes and stuff." She says and tries to look away. (she has inherited this genentic anomoly called "CRYINGius at the DROPilium of a HATarus". You should see my family when a good commercial for something sappy comes on. We should by stock in Kleenex)

I have caught her being not only a GREAT kid but an extremely well adjusted human being. ONLY IN WDW.

I reach over and give her a hug. "Thanks kid," I say, "It's nice to know you appreciate what we have even if it is just you and me."

"MOM!!! Not in public there's a boy over there and he's STARING!" as she gives me the LOOK again.

Ok maybe when you're older kid.

That is my little bit of Disney Magic and I'm sticking to it.

 

[Beth E. (NJ)]

Thank you for sharing your memory.

I am a married mom with two daughters -- now 11 and 7. Last year I went with just the 2 of them. Dad stayed home. I was envisioning the "perfect" trip. Then we got there and I found out that they fought and had sibling rivalry at WDW just like they did at home.

As soon as I realized that being at the most Magical Place in the whole wide world won't make them Stepford children we all had a more magical time. I'm even thinking of doing it again.

 

[dana0801]

Thanks everyone for the kind words and I am so glad that you all were able to find something great about your families in my story.

We have just recently celebrated my DBB 16th birthday and will be heading to the World for her 17th (of course we have to start planning NOW!!!

 

[kstinw19]

What a nice story. That's what I think I really like most about WDW...it's a time for families to have fun and really reconnect with each other. No cell phones, computers, blackberrys, etc.

And you know, there are so many unhappy 2.5 families out there, and so many happy single parent families too. The size of your family doesn't seem to matter, the size of the love does.

I bet many people saw your family at WDW and couldn't believe how happy you are.

Thanks for sharing your DBB with us.

 

[funcinderella]

Thanks for sharing the magic! I am a single mom of twins and am taking them to DW for the first time this fall. Unfortunately they have to share me so I can't hope for the exact same scenario but I too feel bad that I can't offer my children the 'perfect' family. I hope someday they will reassure me that that is ok !

I am also a soon-to-be single mom of (just-turned) 5 year old b/g twins too. The guilt eats me away when they ask for Daddy to come live at home again with us, and I think the same thing when we are WDW and see all of the families. I constantly feel like my children are paying for my (and my ex's) mistakes when they've done nothing wrong.. sigh.. I hope it gets better...