I have a tendency to romanticize things-like family outings-in my head. I picture this “perfect” family moment and when it inevitably becomes a “regular, real life family moment” I get disappointed. Having realized this about myself, I’ve been using some social stories on myself to help me prepare for our latest family trip.
You are going on a trip to the Renaissance Fair with your 5 year old. It’s okay to not see everything at the fair. A successful fair trip with a 5 year old is getting to see 2 things. If your five year old starts to whine, you can take 3 big breaths and then tell him to use his BIG BOY words. It’s okay for mom’s to have one drink when they are with their kids at the Fair.
My challenge this week was to keep my cool when attending the fair with the Biscuit (now aged 5), my mother and my brother. It was difficult as you will soon see:
Incident #1: Traffic was backed up on the road going into the fair. I stopped at the light to avoid blocking the oncoming traffic should the light change. A pick up truck ended up passing me on the right side. Super annoying-but I’m pretty good at avoiding road rage. I didn’t even have to take a deep breath.
Incident #1.5: Too bad I couldn’t say the same for my brother. He decides to make some finger gestures at the pick up driver-which is returned by the driver-and later by his 8 and 9 year old children in the back seat. Did I mention that we are stuck in traffic?
Incident #1.75: My brother further antagonizes the driver by snapping a picture of his truck to post on a “I hate your driving” website.
Incident #1.8: At the next stoplight, the pick up driver jumps out of his truck screaming at me that he knows some police officers too , taking pictures of our license plate and insisting that I was the one who was causing the traffic delay in the first place. I’m silently cursing my brother.
Incident #2.0: We spend the next 2 hours stuck behind the angry pick up driver. We needed to go three miles.
Incident #2.5: We get to the fair at 4:30-it closes at 7 but since we’ve just spent over 2 hours in the car, I am insistent that we enter the fair.
Incident #3: We finally find a parking spot-and walk towards the entrance of the fair. We are wrong-we are walking on the back end of the fair. We turn around and head towards the fair gate.
Incident #3.5 (sanity saver) It’s now 5:00. BUT a stranger gives me a FREE TICKET. Thank you! I am renewed with positive energy.
Incident #3.7: WE ARE IN THE FAIR!
Incident #3.8: The Biscuit gets his first bee sting.
Incident # 3.9-12: I spend a lot of time reassuring strangers that the Biscuit isn’t your typical crabby overwhelmed 5 year old. He is suffering from a bee sting. I get a lot of weird treatment options from people dressed up in Medieval Garb.
Incident 12.1: I see someone dressed up like Mario.
Incident 12.5: We spend the next hour waiting in line for face painting. We bought one wooden sword.
And then-it was time to go. We stopped at Chipotle for dinner.
In spite of the incidents, it was a good day. We are healthy. We have a home. I have a job that I love. Life is good.
