happiest place on earth

And we're back from our little Disney World getaway -- and it feels like we're back way, way too soon. We're not Disney people, my husband or I, not in the least. I'm not quite sure if it's simply being jaded from growing up three hours away from Disney World, but all I know is we lived in Orlando for college and never went to Disney World -- and that seems to perplex, stun and confuse most people. Still, I knew that my thoughts on Disney World were bound to change a little once Ethan came into the world and, sure enough, with his arrival came this parental need to bring him to Disney World and let him experience the magic that we were previously blind to before his birth. Last year, we went during the holidays and that was our intent this year, but life just got so very busy and a plan for a Disney trip fell to the side.

It was a short trip this year, a mix of Animal Kingdom and Magic Kingdom wrapped up into one napless day, but a great trip. We were able to see our good friends who we never get to see on behalf of that pesky three hour distance between us and that alone made it all worth it. A weekend spent in the company of my family and our close friends seemed to be what I needed the most after a particularly hectic few weeks. The magic of Ethan soaking in Disney World, the way his eyes lit up with wonder on It's A Small World, well, that was the icing on the proverbial cake.

Ethan truly had no idea who Mickey Mouse was despite my attempts to read him books on Mickey Mouse perhaps a little too late. He seemed to be sure we were headed on a very, very long drive to a pet store, hoarding the morning's pancakes in his palms with excitement to feed "the mouse" that he couldn't wait to see. While the line for the "real" Mickey was a bit too long for Ethan's liking, the world seemed to stop when he saw a big Mickey doll inside a storefront window. He quickly exclaimed "mouse!" with the hugest grin on his face and, well, clutched his Mickey and Minnie dolls for the duration of the trip.