When you were a kid did you ever watch a Disney movie and think, ‘Man, this is so inappropriate and violent! I shouldn’t be watching this.’

I didn’t either.  But Addison is in love with all things Disney and Pixar.  Our DVD drawer has slowly mutated from Thomas Crowne Affair and Rounders to Snow White and Monsters, Inc.  I’m not gonna lie, I was pumped when she showed an interest in all the movies I loved in my childhood.  I thought of all the great music from Cinderella, Little Mermaid (and every other animated Disney feature known to man) and how I still know every word.  How could those not be good movies for my daughter to watch?

Well, here is my opinion after watching them all, numerous times, with my own child:  I can’t believe I let my sweet little girl watch these movies.  Snow White’s stepmother wants the huntsman to kill the poor girl and bring her heart back in a box, Sleeping Beauty is supposed to die by poisoning, Simba watches as his father is brutally murdered and then a hit is put out on him and Aladdin faces death by torture and swords all day every day.  The Little Mermaid is a promiscuous little thing that is encouraged by the sea witch that she doesn’t need a voice or opinions because all she needs is her body to land a man.  And on top of that her father marries her off to a man neither of them really know when she is sixteen, 16! And have you ever seen the animation of Ursula’s body in that movie? Boobs bouncin’ everywhere, I tell ya.

It is my most sincere hope that Addie remembers the high points about these movies and not the death, violence and sex.  She already knows all the songs (you should hear her sing a score from the Little Mermaid, its awesome) let’s hope she doesn’t follow in any of the Princesses’ footsteps.

Chris and I have come to the conclusion that theme parks are bad for relationships. Not ours; don’t worry, we are solid as ever.  We have taken Addie to three major theme parks in the past week: Disneyland, California Adventure and Seaworld, and have encountered our fair share of unhappy couples.

As they bicker and snap at each other Chris and I catch each others eye and silently comment.  I understand, a day at a park with one (or numerous) kids can be stressful. But man, these people seem like they barely like each other! They snap and snarl with unveiled irritation, and sometimes worse, while their kids stand at their feet and watch, waiting for their next instructions.

I try to excuse myself from the proximity of the nastiness hoping that it won’t rub off on us.   I never know if I should feel sorry for the kids because they are stuck in a family where their mom and dad don’t get along or for the parents because they are so stressed out that they can’t even be nice to each other.  In the end its none of my business, I know.

Who knew that there would be so much snarkiness in the center of the happiest place on earth?

I used to love sitting in the sun.  I could lounge by the pool without really needing to get in the pool for more than a quick cool off then return to my nice, warm chair where the sun would turn me a lovely shade of bronze.

In the last three years I have had five total opportunities to sit by the pool – two of those included a one year old Addie napping in the shade next to me and one was on the deck of our apartment building overlooking the BNSF rail line, not a cool blue pool.  In short, my tanning days are over until my child(ren) are old enough to play in the pool without constant supervision.

But today; today was special.  We belong to Lifetime Fitness because they have an incredible pool.  Its perfect for Addie and we have frequented its cool relief this summer.  We sit in the zero depth section and play with her bucket, shovel, watering can and princesses.  We buckle a ladybug floatie around her torso and paddle in the lazy river.  We float and climb the stairs (over and over again) by the island.  We have a lot of fun together.

Why was today special? Addie surprised me and broke our routine: she wanted to spend some time in the playroom before swimming.  That meant she would get to play with other kids in a supervised and safe setting and I…I would get to sit in the sun.  Alone.  For as long as Addie would play happily.

Oh sweet summer relief!  I was beside myself with anticipation of the relaxation and sun baked bliss I would be experiencing.  I found a chair, set up my towel, peeled off my cover up and stretched out to absorb the warmth and…

I was bored.  I tried closing my eyes.  I tried sitting up straighter.  I checked the time.  Five minutes.  My mom called, we chatted.  I checked the time. Ten minutes.  I was hot and kinda uncomfortable.  And the water looked so cool and refreshing.  And those kids were having so much fun!

I promised myself I would only leave her in the play area for half and hour, no matter how incredible my poolside nap felt but I was heading toward the playroom after 20 minutes.  Addie was at the door looking for me, her little pigtails bouncing as she peeked through the glass.  When she saw me she was quick to tell me that the other kids wouldn’t let her type and wanted to show me the offenders.  I just wanted to have my buddy play in the pool with me.  So we checked her out, slathered her in sunscreen and gathered our toys.

I know motherhood would change me, but I really thought the super-tanner was eternal.  Let’s have a moment of silence as we remember the tranquility of WANTING to sit beside the pool rather than get in and play.   Times up. Let’s go play in the fountain.