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I always remember that scene in Pinocchio when the kids and I visit LA, you know the one: I always remember it as “Donkey Island.”

You know, the one where sweet little Pinocchio goes to the fun zone and starts turning into a donkey as he overindulges in all the kind of forbidden things: sugar! whirly rides! no rules!!

That’s a little what it’s like for my kids visiting my sister in LA. It’s a version of pleasure island for my kids: an aunt is crazy about them and doesn’t see them enough – who will indulge them utterly. And it IS vacation so we DO relax some things, after all. All the things we normally don’t have (or have much) are here for the taking. Sugar! (ok we have it, but not like in quantity or forms like this) No rules! Endless Wii, late nights (ok we have those too, but not like this). FUn fun fun FUN FUN. TOO MUCH FUN swirling around like a tilt a whirl….and you know what happens then…

Then, they start to turn into donkeys. It’s more so for the smaller ones, (the big ones have learned over the years how to navigate the funhouse) worst for Little Man. Poor kid. It’s just so crazy fun here, that the sassy levels skyrocket because, hey, why not give that a try too? But the problem is, I’M still here, and I am no fun at all. Mean mom. I still enforce a few rules and tell them it’s late and almost bedtime, and worst of all, scold for that utter flaunting of rules. Time out for hitting the golf ball at his sister’s head. Inside.

LA is a strange place to us in many ways. Oh, the opportunities……the potential for sheer glorious ‘donkey island fun.” And so, it is time for us to drive down to a simpler life. A better fun: beach, sun, sand, water, simple tired out at night from salt air fun. My sister will join us again down there and it will be different. Because it is not LA. And so it’s time we drive.

Last night, I think I might have heard a bray. Today, we hope to restore Little Man back to “real boy” by tonight.