So, when I was planning out my Mom Calendar for Christmas break I stumbled upon the Lights of Christmas and discovered that they offered 3 different nights that were "pay what you can". I literally jumped for joy.
What a great idea for everyone who wants to be able to go see this amazing light display but still be able to feed their family for a month too, everyone eats and gets to see the lights.
The Christmas spirit does exist!
Anyway, I told my two little elves that we were doing the lights on Thursday and they were both kind of like 'meh', so I invited Charlies cousin and her 2 kids along to spice things up and get the kids excited. They were busy. So, I told Charlie he had to come. He was busy with his 'job', whatever that is. I asked my mom to come. Thinking that Grandma would definitely not miss the opportunity to hang out with her grandkids and of course, me, her favorite child. No, she said she was going to pass.
What in the hell is going on here? Have I fallen out of favor? Are we not cool enough or something?
Whatever, jerks! We're gonna go and have a great friggen' time!
The kids and I bundled up and took a few pictures under our sad, dead and so dry it will probably start a fire Christmas tree and popped out the door.
I fired up trusty Google Maps and let Siri direct me towards the bright lights of Holiday Cheer.
Steve was immediately upset because I wouldn't turn the light on so he could read his latest 5000 page book and Summer was demanding snacks before I turned out of our neighborhood. No matter, Ill just crank up the Christmas jams (thanks 101.5!) throw some snacks towards the back seat and try and talk to Steve about the latest happenings in his 9 year old life.
As it turns out, nothing super exciting is happening because Steve refuses to tell me about school and Summer was delighted with her extra large bag of crackers.
So, it was a generally quiet ride, which is always nice. We took the back roads to Arlington and over to Stanwood and drove and drove and drove.
It was super dark out and I was getting a little stressed out because I don't come to Stanwood ever and really had no inclination that it was going to take an hour to get there, also I didn't expect to be out in the middle of no mans land either.
I felt better with Siri's robot voice soothing me across the turns and being able to see exactly how many minutes it was going to take to arrive.
Just when Steve started to get antsy and start asking questions we turned a dark corner and ran smack into a glittering wonderland of light.
Actually, it was a police mans flashlight right in our faces directing traffic but we had arrived!
We parked somewhere in the back and bundled into all of our layers and eventually were able to walk towards the soft glow of a billion twinkling light bulbs.
After waiting in line for a bit, we finally got to the front where there was a little old lady with white hair, a bright red Christmas sweater and blinking 'HO HO HO' pin on the front.
"How much would you like to pay dear?"
"I'll pay 7$ tonight, thank you."
"Alright."
She took my card and swiped. Then swiped again. Then swiped again, this time more slowly, with purpose.
She looked at me and giggled, "These darn things!" and promptly pulled the swiper off, blew into it like you would do with an old VHS and tried to swipe again.
"Well, thats alright dear. You and the kids go ahead."
She gave us our maps and the warmest smile I've ever received from a stranger and we walked away with full hearts. I think it may have been Mrs. Claus at the window.
We walked towards the entrance and were stopped in our tracks. It was glorious. and according to the map, much, much larger than anticipated.
We entered and tried to take as much as we could in, it was with some degree of difficulty however because our eyeballs were being assaulted with vibrancy.
They had set up a mountain scene on the side wall and in the distance we could see what I can only describe as a jelly fish tree. They had a larger than life sized nativity scene, several shops, food and hot chocolate stops and a damn train that carted you around.
This was insane. I had no idea it was this developed!
We walked in the frigid cold while Steve directed us. I was happy just walking around but he must have a plan and he must be in charge of the plan. I let him map us around but when we saw some people with hot drinks in their hand I took the reigns. "Hey! Where'd you guys get those hand warmers?"
"Oh, back that way."
We bee lined it back that way and I happily paid 10$ for 3 scalding hot chocolates.
Steve made us stop to orient himself on the map and casually sipped his drink. Summer was complaining that it was way too hot so I held onto hers and tried to take small sips of mine while holding her hand.
It wasn't super flooded with people but I didn't want to chance loosing her.
"Well, we need to take a right and follow these lights this way to get to the petting zoo and the light maze."
We followed along in Steve the Type A's wake and made our way to the petting zoo, which had 2 surly looking goats in it.
As we were still drinking our drinks I suggested we do the light maze first and maybe when we were done we could pet the goats and toss our garbage.
The light maze was 3 foot fencing covered in white Christmas lights and it was stressful.
There were people everywhere and a couple with a stroller hot on our heels. I held Summers hand forcefully and Steve kept getting way too far ahead so I had to keep yelling "Steve! Wait!" which everyone wants to hear, Im sure.
After struggling in white maze terror with stroller people heel stomping us for what seemed like an eternity, Steve finally managed to bring us to the end. We successfully made it and we all high-fived.
Celebrations were short lived however because Steve had a plan and we had to stick to it.
The petting zoo was a few steps away from the end of the maze and we attempted to pet those angry looking goats, however, it seemed that the entire state of Washington had realized it was pay what you can night and they were all flooding the petting zoo.
We looked in towards the animals and watched as they stared sullenly at the ground while a grabby 3 year old poked him in the eyes.
"Well, we still need to see this entire area so lets skip this sad zoo. Mommy, my hot chocolate tastes burnt. How does yours taste?"
"Are you serious? Its hot water and a packet of swiss miss, theres no way that its burnt."
"Yeah this is definitely burnt. Let me taste yours. Oh yours, is burnt too. This is ridiculous. How can they charge that for burnt hot chocolate. Im throwing this away."
"Fine. Which way next?"
He led us to the jelly fish tree which was marvelous, we wound our way through leaping Orca whales, canoes, life-sized toy soldiers, lilly pads, frozen ponds and cows. Everything was covered in lights and everything was spectacular. It was busy but the crowds weren't too bad and all the displays were meticulously crafted. I was impressed and I think the kids were too.
We traipsed around for as long as we could but we were beginning to notice the soft tingling on-set of frost bite. No one was cranky yet and we had wandered around for 2 hours, I decided it was time to try and find the car, no one argued.
I timed it correctly, thank goodness, because when we were about 3 feet away from the car Summer started to cry that her hands were cold.
We unbundled and cranked the heat.
I kindly asked Siri to lead us home, away from the glaring beauty of Christmas Magic and the kids promptly fell asleep while I listened to staticky Christmas music on the hour ride. Which got me thinking. As a Mother, I really feel like its up to me to make all the Christmas magic happen. Does anyone else feel that way? I am the one that forced us to get a tree the day after Thanksgiving, I shoved Charlie into the attic to get the decorations, I bought the advent calendars that I'm pretty sure the kids aren't aware that they are actually a countdown but just think they get little chocolates every morning, I'm the one that's been shopping for the perfect presents since September, I'm the one planning all these little special events that will make the kids excited about the season.
But, do they really care? Is it more to make me feel like I'm doing all that I can? Are they enjoying me dragging them all over the place so that we can look at some displays?
I just want them to look back and think about all the fun things they were able to do as children, this is the best way I can show them that I love them. My grandparents took me with them all over the country and that's how I knew they loved me, they let me experience life. They let me ask questions and dig in with my hands and really show me what the world could be and what imagination was all about. That's what I want for them and if I have to show them that by dragging them all over the place to freeze their little hineys off and complain that their hot chocolate isn't up to snuff, then so be it.
I'll happily be their magic maker.
Cheers.
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