What kind of mother takes her toddler into a Haunted Mansion?

So we went to Disneyland when Derek was just a few weeks shy of 3 years old (under three gets in for free!) All in all, he was remarkably well behaved, especially considering that most of the time he was strapped into a stroller. With the smorgasbord of interesting and exciting sights and activities around him, I'm sure he would have preferred to be allowed to wander and investigate it all for himself!

Speaking of excitement...I guess I was caught up in some form of it because I neglected to stop and think about the "scare factor" before (or even while) we waited to enter the Haunted Mansion attraction. This is what Disney's website has to say about the Haunted Mansion: "The ride itself is gentle, but young children may be frightened by the special effects."

Note to Mummy: DUH!!!!

But I was in frazzled-mummy-coordinating-vacation mode, and I had neglected to read the Disney.com ride warnings ahead of time, so we allowed ourselves to be herded into the "stretching room" of the Mansion tour with a totally unsuspecting, and innocently trusting little blonde boy in tow...

The "stretching room" (actually a large descending elevator) is where the Haunted Mansion attraction starts: Once the elevator is loaded, the doors slither shut (an optical illusion causes them to disappear into the wall), and then all the lights suddenly go out. Approximately 60 anxious people are standing like sardines in complete darkness and utter silence for about 3 seconds before some thunderous lightning crashes and flashes and the spooky narrator starts talking. As the doors slid closed, Derek's grip on my hand became extra tight. Then the lights went out, and as if on cue, Derek's sweet but shrill voice shattered the pitch black silence with a loud and desperate exclamation of

"Let's get out of here!"

This was uttered as he simultaneously and instantaneously found a way to get from the floor to my HEAD and firmly wrap his arms around my neck in a headlock hug of terror! It was both heartbreaking and hilarious in the same split second! I barely had a moment to reassure him before the lightening, thunder and ghostly narration began...but by clinging to me tightly and burying his head in my armpit, he managed to keep most of his composure for the duration of the ride. Of course the guilt-ridden worry-wart in me fears that the scary soundtrack will haunt him for years to come!

Sunflower Store and Damanas

What makes something "cool" to a toddler? I found myself asking that question recently because Derek has decided that a recently opened "healthier alternative" grocery store called the Sunflower Market (he calls it The Sunflower Store) is THE most desired destination in his world.

I can't imagine what impressed him so much about our ONE visit to the Sunflower Market together. After they peppered the city with their "grand opening" flyer featuring some amazingly low prices on fresh produce, I decided to brave the hoardes and try to shop there even though I knew it would be a ZOO with everyone checking out the hype and taking advantage of the grand opening sale prices in the first week. And the experience was pretty much as I expected: cart traffic jams, and long checkout lines, etc. 

But ever since,

• When I say "put on your hat and shoes" - he gets excited and says hopefully, "We go the Sunflower Store?"
  
• As we drive out of our neighborhood he says, "No Mummy, go that way - go the Sunflower Store!! Not go [fill actual errand destination here]!"
  
• When he's bored and wants to get out of the house he will coyly sidle up to me and politely request, "Mummy, pwease we go car ride and go Sunflower Store and buy some damanas?" (Damanas = bananas in Derek-speak)
  
• Every Tuesday when the new flyer arrives in the mail, if I don't sneak it past him and into the recycling, and he spies it, he demands to leaf through it and then has a fit when I won't load up and go straight there...

I suppose it was a Mummy and Derek only outing (by chance, not plan - Kenzie was at school, and offhand I can't remember where Cooper was) , and maybe that made it so special and memorable? And they do have bright, colourful, and neatly stacked produce. We were there quite a while due to how busy it was, and he got kinda cranky toward the end - it's not like it was a fascinating and joy-filled experience, as far as I could tell, at least! If he were old enough to read, I might consider that it's because they actually have a catchy slogan - or maybe he just really likes their pretty green and yellow flower logo? If only it were as simple as just asking him why he wants to go back there so bad...but odds are he will outgrow his adoration of The Sunflower Store before he can articulate the nature of the attraction, and I'll never know the truth!

Perkins Pad - Before

Perkins joined our family this past Christmas, and we quite enjoy his antics. Although he quickly became a part of our human family, we are sensitive to the fact that Chinchillas are social creatures and we are hoping that Santa will bring him a friend or two of his own species this year. In anticipation of friends being delivered for Perkins, we have designed and commissioned a project with the aim of expanding and  upgrading his digs.

When construction is complete we will post photos and announce the name of the rodential high density development...