Happy Earth Day

Earth Day is a celebration of environmental awareness. My kids and I are planting flowers this weekend with organic matting and natural fertilizer. We have recycled old cell phones and computers.

What are you doing this month to promote environmental awareness?

Disney II

What did we do before cell phones and mp3 players? We just got back from Disney in Orlando where we visited the big four...Magic Kingdom, Hollywood Studios, Epcot and Animal Kingdom. The number of kids walking through "the most magical place on earth" listening to iPods! Kids are using iPods during dinner with their families. Are you kidding me? If my kid tried that, that would be his last mp3 player. Can this help to explain the decline of the American Family? Do families still talk any more? Between that and the texting.....

And another thing, what is with the cell phones at a theme park? Standing in one of the VERY long lines, I happened to do a highly unscientific and unreliable study. I counted the closest 100 people (not toddlers) to me. In all, 38 of the 100 who passed me that day at the Magic Kingdom were either talking or texting! That is 38% folks! The numbers were similar at the other three parks as well. It got me wondering...what did we do before cell phones? I'll tell you exactly what we did...we talked face to face to people. We had enough respect for our friends to show up on time...instead of calling to say that we would be late. And if we were late, our friends went on without us! There were no fights and no excuses.

Maybe we need to go back to that. Don't call me to tell that you are running late, call me to tell me that you are on time. Call me to see how the kids are. Call me just to say 'Hi". But stop calling with lame, worn-out excuses because you think that your time and your "business" is more important than mine.

And kids, turn off that damn mp3 player and talk with your family. If you don't, you will really miss it when the chance has passed. I learned a valuable life lesson regarding my Dad after his death in 2003 and by then it was too late. Here it is...the older I get, the smarter my Dad became. I just wish I had listened more often and more intently. I know that I would not have with an mp3 player in my ears.

Disney I

Whew. We just returned today from a trip to Disney Resorts in Orlando. The staff at the resort hotels and attractions could not have been nicer or more accommodating. However, if you plan to go, here are some tidbits of advice:

1. If you need to stop and use your cell phone or consult a map, do so to the side and not in the middle of the pathways...it just causes traffic jams
2. If your kid is over the age of 7, forget the stroller! You really have it for you and not the kid and all it does it get in the way or bang into the ankles of those in front of you
3. Control your children but bag the kid leash. If your kid is so wild or you are so inattentive that you need to leash your kid, perhaps a theme park is not a place that you need to be
4. Easy on the booze. Standing in long lines for a ride and having Dorko the Drink breathe and sweat stale beer breath on me is not my idea of a good time
5. Finally, take advantage of the Fast Pass option that is offered. If you do not know what it is, ask. It will become your new best friend in Disney.

More later on our trip.