Disneyfication

We're leaving for Orlando on Thursday (and by we, I mean me and the kids -- Julie's working and won't join us in Florida until next Tuesday). That means this week I've been going nuts buying anything I can think of to distract the children on the plane. I know, I could bring a portable DVD player, but considering I need to bring diapers, change of clothes and snacks, the machine won't fit in the backpack and I refuse to bring a huge bag (well, a big duffle to check in, but not a big carry on).

So here are some of the things I bought: comic books (Simpsons and Mickey Mouse), magic coloring books (those things where you use a marker that brings the color out of the paper), a Superman action figure, a little dog that laps at a baby bottle, a book of crossword puzzles for myself and three Little Golden Disney picture books and one modern one.

The reason for all this Disney hyping is that the kids haven't really been exposed to much Disney -- Pixar, yes, but not Disney proper. And they will need to know the iconography for our trip. So I quiz them to identify Mickey Mouse and Donald Duck and we've been reading Peter Pan, Dumbo and Cinderella to them. Mari LOVES Cinderella. As soon as you finish reading it she says, "Again!" Austin loves Peter Pan and the pirates.

BTW, the Little Golden books have stiff covers and the artwork is really beautiful, painted with lots of beautiful details like Tinkerbell flying around the margins. The Cinderella, in contrast, is a modern Random House edition, with a paper cover and drawings that look like cels drawn in South Korea by 12 year olds. Talented 12 year olds, but they can't compare. Oh, and the Little Goldens were half the price of the crappier Random House ($2 to $4 at the New England Mobile Book Fair).