Derek, Vivien and I had the opportunity to go with the school orchestra on a week long trip to Disneyland. Three chartered buses, loads of kids, an equal load of instruments, and enough travel treats and caffeine to stock a grocery store pulled out of the school parking lot on Sunday evening ready to travel all night long.
I'm not sure who chose the movie to be watched on the bus but it was quite entertaining to see a whole group of 15-18 year olds singing along to the musical score of Seven Brides for Seven Brothers and to see the head bobbing of those trying to drown out the theatrical music for a more modern playlist provided by their iPods. The night hours dragged on as we all tried to curl up cat style in our bus seats with some finally giving up and stretching out on the floor.
Our first stop, that wasn't meant only as a potty break, was at the beach. Because it was Memorial Day the beach was very overcrowded and we had a hard time keeping track of each other. I was glad that Derek and his friends were happy to have the mommy chaperones around (we were the designated sunscreen appliers and bag holders) and we had a a good time taking pictures of our farmer tanned teens.
Derek's idea of getting warm was to let everyone else bury him in the sand. He said it would have worked if it hadn't been so itchy.
The beach was also where I got to know my roommates for the week. We had all been assigned to ride separate buses so the beach gave us a chance to meet and chat, realizing that we already knew a bit about each other through our sons.
After the beach we were scheduled to eat and be entertained at Medieval Times. Everything was going as planned until we attempted to board the buses and one of them wouldn't start. While holding up California traffic we tried to cram everyone onto 2 buses and just as we were all finding floor space or tripling up in the seats we got a call that the other bus had finally started and was on its way. So, still holding up traffic, the extras scrambled off buses and quickly boarded the {hopefully} repaired one. We had such great bus drivers that we still made it to Medieval Times with plenty of time to get a couple of pictures before the show began.
The boys loved the show! There's not much more manly than eating a meal with just your hands while sitting in a dusty arena with a hint of horse poop wafting through the air and watching men dressed in fighting armor gallop around on horses trying to knock each other off with really long, sharp, pointed sticks. It was fun, the food was okay, the horses were beautiful and the guys not so bad looking, the giddy looks on the boys faces as they met the winning knight was the best!
Vivien was with a good group of girls for the whole trip as well. She didn't really care for the Medieval Times show. Not so much fun for a germaphobe used to a knife and fork for each meal who could end up in an allergy coughing fit due to the dust flying around. Still, I think she had fun at the beach and being with the group she was with.
After a stop at Walmart to load up on food for the week so that we wouldn't have to pay Disneyland prices for our meals, we found our hotel and crashed for the night. We (the mothers) had to do room checks at midnight and most of the kids were already asleep.
Tuesday was a full free day at Disneyland. Stephanie, Tricia and I were planning on leaving the boys to run around by themselves and we would wander around as mothers lost without children to watch after but the boys came to our room bright and early in the morning and informed us that we were to hang out with them. We were thrilled and honored. Throughout the day I gained a love and respect for that group of boys. They are respectful, kind, extremely humorous, silly and they gave their moms a great day.
The Tower of Terror and the Screamer were their favorite rides. With the help of fast passes they rode them each so many times we lost count. I did the Tower of Terror once and felt like my head was sitting on my neck wrong so I was glad to be the bag lady holding all the backpacks and sitting out those two rides. Their faces and enthusiastic reliving of each ride was priceless.
Throughout the week we would occasionally run into Vivien and the group of girls she was with. They seemed to be having a great time and while the boys hung out at California Adventure where the more daring rides were, the girls caught all the fun traditional Disney rides. I learned that the next day the girls also went to California Adventure to get their adrenaline fix as well. I think the girls saw more that the two parks had to offer but the boys certainly found what they loved and stuck with it.
On Wednesday the group went behind the scenes of Disneyland to record music. They were taken to a recording studio where they were handed music to practice through once and then have recorded the second time. The kids looked like zombies as they went into the recording. Many were sunburned, they had had a full 2 days going at top speed to get in as many rides as they could, some had stayed up most of the night, and all had glazed eyes from eating junk, not drinking enough water and very hot temperatures. According to Derek, the recording was awful. Knowing how good they are, I believe that it probably went better than they give credit for.
Thursday was performance day. The group dressed in their formal clothing to take the stage and show off their musical stuff in 100 degree weather with the sun shining so bright they could hardly see their music.
That's my Derek!! Man, he is talented and handsome!
The trip home was LONG!!! It started with another bus problem that took them about an hour and a half to fix. We really wanted to leave on time because we were driving as far as Las Vegas and needed to be in our seats by showtime to see one of the last performances of Phantom of the Opera. By September the show would be over, the stage torn down and something else put in it's place. Our stops to Vegas were limited because of the late start but we made it there just in time to park, quickly make our way through the stinky casinos and take a quick breath of fresh air conditioned air before it started.
I loved the show. I have wanted to see Phantom since my junior year in high school (and that seems FOREVER ago). I loved the music, the stage, the costumes, the people I was with, all of it. Derek loved the music and stage but was a little lost because it was a little difficult to understand a couple of the performers.
After the show was over we again boarded the buses for another long drive through the night. We got back to the high school in Rexburg about 9:30 the next morning. Most of us were ready to get to our homes and lay down on a real bed to sleep but Vivien had a hard time leaving. It would be the last time she would see her American friends. There was plenty of hugging, a few tears, letters shared, and many sad goodbyes. The school year was now officially over and she would be heading back to Slovakia in 3 days.
The mood in our home quickly changed once this trip was over. Everything prior to the trip included the excitement of the final month of school with concerts and graduation, getting ready for Disneyland, Erika getting engaged, and summer coming. Now, it seemed that all the fun was coming to an end. We didn't want it to come and Vivien wasn't looking forward to it but we were forced to face the inevitable.
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