Class Trip

Every year, the kindergarten class gets to go on a class trip to "Storybook Land". Today was my youngest daughter's turn to experience this special rite of passage. I have had the pleasure now of escorting each of my girls on this special class trip, and it is impossible for me not to think about each one today.

To preface, Storybook Land is a mini theme park not far from Atlantic City. It's a magical place. It's been around for about 50 years, and seriously, you get the feeling that nothing has changed in all that time. Cheesy displays of Mother Goose and Fairy Tale Characters pepper the park. For instance, you can get a peak of The Three Little Pigs, that look like they were created by an unremarkable third grader, in the window of their strong brick house. A red button "animates" them when pushed, and a creepy version "Who's Afraid of the Big Bad Wolf" plays over and over again from the roof. Imagine any other fairy tale, and there is an equally low-tech display to enjoy.

This is so unlike Disney, which is so slick and stylized, but not all that dissimilar in the feeling you get when you are there. It's nostalgia, pure and simple, and joyful fun for your child. (I highly recommend the trip!)

With my oldest daughter (now 13), when it was time for her first class trip, I eagerly volunteered to be a chaperone. I couldn't believe I was actually chosen for this honor, how lucky can a mommy get? About 40 seconds after I stepped onto the school bus, I realized why no one else volunteered. The sheer decibel of the kindergarten noise gave me an instant headache. I was assigned to 4 children that day, and it was my responsibility to keep them safe. Hayley, her little friend Erica and two boys that had recently come to the United States from China. They were boys, and I was (and still am) clueless how to deal with boys, and even more challenging, they spoke very little English. In fact, when I asked one of the boys if he'd had fun, he responded, "I don't know this word "fun". It was an exhausting and difficult day for this new mommy.

The very next year, my middle daughter (now 12) got to go to her class trip. This time, I had a nursing 3 month old in tow, so I dared not volunteer to chaperone. Instead I followed behind the school bus and met them at the park. This time, her chaperone was a woman I'd never met before, who was more interested in spending time with her friend than spending time with the children. They were both fabulously attractive and well dressed, and I felt like an imposter. In addition, I couldn't keep up so well with my group, having to stop and nurse and change diapers. I ended up leaving early, feeling very disappointed in myself and very ashamed of the fact that I was no supermom, like I really wanted to be.

This year, when my youngest came home with her teacher's note about the trip, I made sure not to volunteer to chaperone. (I'm too smart to put up with that more than once in my life!) But I cleared my schedule so I could follow the bus and meet them there. To be honest, I wasn't all that excited about going. It's a very busy month for me work-wise, and on top of that, my hubby's birthday is tomorrow and my middle daughter's birthday is the next day. I have a bad habit of just wanting to hibernate when things get crazy, and that's how I've been feeling. But as soon as I saw my little girls beautiful little face appear in the entry to the park, a wave of calm came over me. We just had fun together. We got to go on every ride, see all the sights and enjoy gorgeous weather, and be silly with her friends. I'm glad I was able to feel relaxed for the first time in a while, and to just enjoy the day. And I was glad that she and I could share "special time" together. No phones, no computers, just us.

Every time we visit this magical little place, I take a picture of the kids next to humpty dumpty. Today was no exception, and I'm glad to share this photo today. (My little one is on the left.)