Think Back Thursday: Playing with our Kids

This week's Think Back Thursday theme is "Playing WITH your kids" - so... not just my kids playing and me taking a picture, but I'm supposed to be IN the picture.  Not surprisingly, this was a real challenge, because like most moms, I am the one holding the camera most of the time so if I'm playing then I'm not likely to be in the picture as well.  Of course there are pictures that other people took of me playing with my babies and toddlers, but I seriously don't have the time to root through the old photo albums today and dig those up.

Here's what I found - a collection of pictures from a family trip to Disney World in late 2006.  Kennady was 4 1/2 years old so this was the first trip to Disney that she would really remember.  Again, I was almost always working the camera, but there were a few times when I handed off so I could be in a picture.  They don't always show the action, but I think they can be submitted as proof that I do like to have fun alongside the kids - and especially with Kennady.

The big treat was the Princess Lunch that Kennady and I enjoyed at the Norway center at EPCOT.  

See? I was there!  Kennady and I took pictures of each other across the table. (Look at the goofy waiter smiling behind my head!)

There were a lot of times that DH and I went with the kids to get a picture with a character when they were a little timid.  Kennady was quite frightened of Rafiki...

Here's the whole family getting ready for the parade at the Magic Kingdom.

Kennady and I waited for Mr Tumnus here at Narnia for a bit, but I guess he was busy elsewhere.

Everyone HAS to ride the teacups at the Magic Kingdom.  It is an unwritten rule.  We rode several times.  Kennady laughed so hard.

And the boys had a teacup all to themselves - aren't they manly?

And I suspect this lovely proof that I was in the teacup was snapped by none other than my hubby.

This is my favorite.  Kennady was too little to go on the Tower of Terror at MGM Studios (its name at that time) so the rest of us took turns.  While I was waiting with her, I showed her what it was like on the ride and why she would have been scared to death.  And she took a picture of me doing the demonstration of what the ride felt like:

Yeah, I'm super proud of that picture.  I think I'll go post it on Facebook.  Right. Now.

Or maybe I'll save it for Halloween.  That would be even better!

Okay, and then I thought of a hilarious picture that's a little more recent.  The picture is from 2009, but it's illustrative of the great maturity for which I am known. ;-)  First, some backstory... we went with friends to Niagara Falls on the US side, and walked up the cliff steps beside the Falls.  There were no ponchos in the bin at the bottom so we figured we would do without.  And We. Got. Soaked.  Dripping wet, and mascara running everywhere (at least in my case) - I will skip the picture of that for now, since my kids aren't in that one.  Anyway, the rest of the afternoon, we were schlepping around in our soggy shoes and dripping wet clothes and it was not always comfortable.  Later on we went into one of the public washrooms and found they had some high-speed hand dryers, so we made use of them and my friend took this picture with her cellphone and posted it to Facebook.  Wasn't that kind of her?  LOL

 But you know what? Every single time Kennady and I go into a public washroom that has those high-speed dryers, we laugh like crazy people at how it wrinkles up our hands and stuff.  Every time.  Told you we were mature!

Visit Debbie's Digest to join in with Think Back Thursday, and to see what other bloggers are sharing for this week's theme.  Next week's theme will be Earth/Dirt.  Upcoming themes include: Fire; Wind/Air; Rock; Night.

Think Back Thursday is a photo meme that encourages sharing something from the past.  It is hosted by Debbie's Digest.  You can find out more about it, and how you can participate, by clicking the link or the button below.