lessons learned

our 3rd go-round at the CHOC walk was yesterday morning, bright and early. and so here are a few things i either learned or re-learned during the process:

do not expect the teen and the hub to be bright and chipper when they have to wake up at 5:30 in the morning.

the bean is a happy camper no matter what time she wakes up.

taking the stroller is the largest pain in the ass that you can possibly imagine. strapping the bean to your person makes it more AND less challenging - you can weave your way through the crowds, and you get an extra workout because you've added 20ish pounds to your walk.

making the trek out to the OC the week before the walk to pick up wristbands and t-shirts is totally worth not having to deal with it on the day of the walk itself.

wearing uggs and tight ass butthugger jeans to walk a 5K is not a great idea, no matter how many other girls seem to think otherwise. i'd worry about chafing.

disneyland always goes all out when decorating for holidays, which is fun to look at - even when you're walking through it before hours with about 20,000 other folks.

try to walk on the other side of the many attractions and costumed folks parked along the walk route, because that's where everyone and their mother stops for a picture.

even freaky ass shit like this.

i miss my friend tater.

short cuts are for sissies. it's only a 5K, people. come on.

this restaurant sign always, always, ALWAYS reminds me of my stepdad.

if you find yourself with an overpowering thirst after pushing through the crowds during the first half, just wait - there's lots and lots of free water before you enter california adventure.

don't be late, or you could get assed out completely.

taking the crappy camera is good and bad - it's easier to cart it around, but you often end up with really blurry pictures when you do walk-by shots vs. stopping with the gajillion others.

the route winds around and through both parks, including some of the behind-the-scenes areas, which can be interesting.

any kind of jonas brothers-related sighting is enough to cheer the teen up - even to take a picture with her mom.

must return to ride rides. soon.

stop for freebies - even when they're just stickers. stickers are fun.

the end of the walk means you're just that much closer to breakfast.

bring tissue, because there are many, many signs and commemorative t-shirts that will remind you exactly why you get up at the buttcrack of dawn to do the walk in the first place. and then hug your loved ones and hope and pray that you never have to return in honor of someone you know.

make a mental note to raise more money next year. until then: