pin trading - better than heroin?

once again we decided that our Monday would be much better spent at Disneyland AND it was a school holiday AND boy1 (who doesn't have an annual pass) had received a voucher for a free park-hopper pass AND I owed my nephew a trip so off we went. Boys1 and 2, Girl 1, niece and nephew and me.

i don't know if you are up on the whole pin trading thing but it's completely out of control. it started with a lanyard and a few pins which people would trade with cast members and other park visitors while waiting in line. it has evolved to men wearing dark glasses (should have taken a picture...sorry) sitting at tables for hours with ALBUMS of pins. (at disneyland, they sit by the buzz lightyear ride)

my brother and his family have joined the craze and it must be an unspoken rule that you must convert a non-trader to the cult, because they keep trying to get us to trade. my niece actually told girl1 "here's a free pin that you can start with." (get thee behind me, satan!)

and here was girl1's entrance into the "drug" world of pin trading:

she bought a "starter" set (at least she picked a cool one - "Nightmare Before Christmas"). look how excited the cousins are about their first convert....it's sad....we may have to have an intervention.

see the guy in the background? that's Matt. he's a cast member (a Disneyland employee). He's crazy. He's a pin trader, too. He rejoiced in the corruption of an innocent soul.

here he is enticing her to do her first trade. this one's for her baby book. "girl1's first pin trade" can't you just see the pretty pink page in her album? awwwwwwww

the whole pin thing led us to a discussion about which would be the cheaper way to get a "high" and Matt agreed that heroin would probably be less expensive but more dangerous.

other memories from the day:

boy1 trying on hats

boy1 realizing that he'll never find a coonskin cap to fit over all his curls. nephew and boy2 helped him search but this was the best they could find.

and, finally, family bonding time on Space Mountain. boys1 and 2 wanted us to all do some band's sign, but we decided to do tourist and old lady without a clue.

gosh, i really LOVE Disneyland!