I Think Someone Is Sorry

This morning, I was awakened to the smell of fresh pancakes. Since DH's usual attitude about Sunday morning panckaes (which my Dad always made for us) is "If you want 'em, you make 'em," I'm pretty sure this was his grand gesture towards an apology. Admittedly, I've reached a point in my life where I would rather just hear "I'm sorry," but it was still a step in the right direction so I'll take it.

Apparently, Bitty Princess' party was a rip-roaring success among the preschool crowd. I received many compliments on it throughout church today, and even my sister called last night when she got home from work to tell me how much my nieces enjoyed it. So, at least my efforts weren't wasted. I wish I had enjoyed them more, but I am truly glad that the kids did. Even better is that Sonny Boy, who has the next birthday, wants to have his party at a local putt-putt golf place where all I have to do is show up with a cake. And I think I will be getting that at Wal-Mart. (A castle cake was a challenge, a Bionicle cake...I wouldn't even have a clue. What a relief!)

A Post that should be about Bitty Princess but isn't...

...because my family is so dysfunctional. I have surfed the internet, shopped dollar stores and Wal-Mart, and even bought that stupid Disney Princess party planner video in order to make a very special day for my three year-old's birthday. I wanted it to be wonderful, so the two people who enjoy nothing better in life than 'taking me down a notch' made sure it wasn't. At least Bitty princess was oblivious to it.

We started this morning with a "Disney Princess Enchanted phone call" from Cinderella, then the idea was that we all finished prepping for the party. We were supposed to do it the night before, but my parents didn't even show up to "help" until after 8 p.m. So, I did what I could and told Mom I would need help tomorrow too. Well, she was oh-so-sorry, but she had a hair appointment that she had scheduled before she "knew about the party." (which was held on Caroline's actual birthday this year-nice try) So, Dave promised he would get up early in the morning to finish things. I told him he had to, because I was assembling a castle cake (which I had never done before) and didn't have time to deal with blowing up the balloons, putting out the food I had already prepared, or setting up the chairs. He said "no problem." I said we had to start early and was told again "no problem."

What happened instead was that he didn't want to wake up, he took his time getting ready, and came up with a litany of "errands" that required dropping me off at the clubhouse with the kids where he would show up and help later. Of course, you know what happened. He go back just in time for the party to start and I would up doing everything for the party during the party while Dave chatted leisurely with his Dad and my grandparents. I feel like I missed the whole party when all I've done this week is plan for today. Bitty Princess seems to have had a good time and is napping in her Princess Anneliese dress as I type this. As if it's not bad enough I missed all the party games because Dave didn't show up with the rest of the cake frosting until AFTER the party started, he yelled at me when I complained about it IN FRONT OF MY MOTHER. Thanks jerk! You just made her day for the next year. Now every conversation she has with me or about me in the next year will involve at least one re-telling of this incident which will become more dramatic with each 'performance.' At least Jonathan witnessed it too, and will usually be on hand to correct her. And that will totally annoy her. I'll admit, he won't paint me in a perfect light either, but it will be worth it if he makes her stick to the facts. Maybe today wasn't so bad after all...maybe tomorrow I will feel like waxing nostalgic about Bitty Princesses birthday. I'm still glad she had a good one.

The Trip-Pt. 17, aka "The End"

Cast of Characters

Me- WDW nut who just may love planning trips more than taking them
DH-reluctant escort who I think may enjoy WDW more than he lets us know
Little Tink- almost 7 year-old WDW vet and budding park commando like mom
Sonny Boy-4 year-old "Stitch" fan who acts a lot like 626
Bitty Princess-2 year-old Diva
Baby Girl-6 month old along for the ride
MeMe-My mom and doting grandmother
PaPa-my Dad and mentor in vacationing 'commando-style'
DSis-My youngest sis, pregnant on the trip wed last July
DBIL-Sis' new husband, an unknown quantity, and birthday boy this trip

After such a good trip, I'm a little reluctant to post how it ended. But, my Sooners "finished" their season for better or worse, so I will do the same with this trip report. As I mentioned previously, it didn't seem to me like we were going home yet. We had big plans for Chef Mickey's and Downtown Disney the next day. Then, we were on our way to St. Pete's Beach to visit DH's aunts and watch the Sooners in the Big 12 Championship game. We arrived back at the hotel early, and as I walked over to the laundry room I thought we had lots to look forward to still...that's what I get for thinking.

After starting the laundry, I had a feeling I should go back to the room and check on everyone. I had planned to stay with my clothes and avoid a laundry theft (Hey! It happens more than you think.), but intuition called. I'm glad I answered. I walked in to find PaPa holding Bitty Princess and DH changing her clothes. She was sick and had just thrown up, uh oh! PaPa decided to take her with him anyway since they had a washer and dryer at their hotel. (yes, this is the man celebrating his 33rd anniversary that day no less, you've gotta love him!) So, he took her and her blankie and we turned on the bedtime story channel to get the others settled in for the night.

After a few long treks back and forth to the laundry room, our clothes were clean and packed. Could anything else go wrong? Didn't I know better than to ask that? At 2 a.m., I was awakened by he sound of another retching child. This time it was Little Tink. She seemed to have it even worse than Bitty Princess. I'm not sure how many times we were up with her that night, but I do know that by 7 a.m. we were calling to cancel our PS at Chef Mickey's. (Instead of calling the reservation number first thing in the morning to get a seating, we were calling to cancel. It's funny how much that makes you laugh when you are sleep-deprived and worried about your kids) I hope another big party of 8 got a nice surprise when they tried to get into Chef Mickey's at the last minute. The thought of that really made me feel better about canceling. Of course, at the time I was too worried about the girls to really feel like I was missing out on anything. Once I hung up the phone, I proceeded straight to the gift shop to see if they had a bottle of Emetrol. I would have paid whatever ridiculous price they were asking, but they didn't have it. Instead, feeling terrible for her, I bought Little Tink that stuffed Nala she had been admiring all week. I really knew she was sick when I presented it to her back in the room and all she did was smile at it wanly before going back to sleep. The poor kid was so miserable. She just didn't understand why she had to be sick on vacation. We cleaned up everything the best that we could (she is very neat when she gets sick, I'm sure Mousekeeping is grateful) left a huge amount of money for Mousekeeping (who we had tipped regularly all week) with a note expressing how sorry we were, and loaded up the car. Bye Animal Kingdom Lodge-I hope we are all feeling better the next time we see you.

We went over to MeMe and PaPa's where we found out Bitty Princess had passed a much more peaceful evening and seemed a bit better. DH and I made a Wal-Green's run for some children's Emetrol and that seemed to help poor Little Tink. I'm usually of the opinion that a kid shouldn't be stopped from getting sick in case of food poisoning, but my poor little girl seemed in danger of dehydration and needed some rest. The medicine really helped her. Once she was sound asleep, me, MeMe, and DSis decided to make a quick trip to Downtown Disney for some Christmas shopping. I felt really bad leaving my sick girls, but DH had them well taken care of and there were things on Christmas lists that could only be purchased here in the parks.

With cell phone in hand, we went over there. I hadn't been there in a few years and they have something new that I love. There are these huge bins of Mr. Potato Head and My Little Pony accessories for purchase by the box. For the ponies, there are furniture pieces and princess hats and skirts. For Mr. Potato Head, there are the usual hats and shoes, but also 'rides' to put Potato Head in (like Dumbo and Buzz Lightyear's Spin), Darth Vader masks, CM badges, and, of course, Mouse Ears. We got a box of pony goodies for each girl and a Potato Head box for Sonny Boy that he managed to find before Christmas. His favorite is the Buzz Lightyear ride. (yes, I still made him wait to open them). We skipped the other stores. Even though I was dying to go to the Scrapbook and Pooh stores at the beginning of the trip, I had certainly lost the heart for it with two sick girls. They were both sleeping when we got back. DSis had some very tired feet and was mad at BIL because he teased her about wearing high-heeled boots to Epcot the day before. Don't tell her, but I was on his side-shh!-I just know better than to tease a pregnant woman!

Knowing we were expected elsewhere, we loaded up poor Little Tink and headed towards Tampa. I felt so bad, it's miserable to be moved around when you are sick, and this was the second time we were doing it. DH kept trying to take back roads as a 'short-cut' and turned an hour's drive into three. We stopped first to see Aunt J. She is the relative in our family with the touch-me-not house and is normally not too friendly, but this time she had decorated her whole house for Christmas just to please the kids and packed up a huge picnic lunch. DH thinks she is getting lonely in her old age (she was 17 years older than MIL) I felt really bad that we barely visited her, but she was recuperating from pneumonia and we didn't want Little Tink to make her sick again. Eventually, we made it to Aunt P's place on the beach. We had booked a motel room so we wouldn't crowd her and with a sick little girl, I'm glad we did. Still, it was much more relaxed at her house. She is DH's favorite aunt. We made it through halftime at her house, then went back to the hotel where I'm told everyone but DH zonked out before the end of the 3rd quarter.

By the next morning, Little Tink was much better and I was so relieved that I still call this a "good" trip. We had a nice breakfast with the aunts and then another good visit with DH's sister once we made it to Lafayette, LA the next morning. It was actually one of the best visits we had in years, probably because their step-mother wasn't there playing 'divide and conquer.'

I'm glad we came when we did. DH's brother-in-law is an associate pastor at a small church there, and is paid only by church donations. They didn't have rent money, but there they were trying to entertain us. (We made sure to arrive after breakfast and leave before lunch so they wouldn't feel obligated to feed us.) It was at this point on the trip that we made a very controversial decision. We were at the end of our budgeted savings for the trip, so instead we gave them the 10% of our monthly income that we usually give to our church. I almost cried right along with SIL, she was so relieved. I think it taught BIL's church a lesson because within a month he was hired full-time and salaried. I guess hearing he paid his rent thanks to an LDS family was more than his congregation could handle. Unfortunately, it meant DH and I were delinquent in our year-end tithing settlement. I'm not sorry we did it, and I haven't told our church leaders why. You see, I am absolutely convinced it was the right thing to do, and were I to hear in my bishop's office that I made a mistake keeping a roof over SIL's family, I might get angry. I don't want to get angry, so I'm just saying nothing instead. So far, it works for me. By the way, I'm very glad to comment that our church leaders are completely unpaid and rely on their "day jobs" for income. It works so much better that way.

So, even if it wasn't a storybook ending, our family saying is that "there's always going to be another trip to Walt Disney World." And for Little Tink, that's going to come sooner rather than later. Don't tell her, but not long after we got home, I got an email from Disney with a discount code (we think it's because of a survey we did on our way out of the parks one afternoon) and thanks to Marla at Dreams Unlimited, just she and I are headed back the first week in June for a week at Port Orleans (yes the discount is "that good" and we are expecting a big tax return) I never thought I would be someone to go to Disney World more than once every year or so, (in fact, my first trip was supposed to be my only one) but I have to admit I'm excited. This trip, my sister and nieces are coming along to split the cost of the room and make the trip even cheaper. As much as I like taking all my kids, the idea of going without a stroller, diaper bag, and making frequent diaper changes and nursing stops is very appealing. So stay tuned-there's more to come in June! Thanks for reading!

My blog...now with picture!

editing my signature 

The Trip Pt. 16

Cast of Characters

Me- WDW nut who just may love planning trips more than taking them
DH-reluctant escort who I think may enjoy WDW more than he lets us know
Little Tink- almost 7 year-old WDW vet and budding park commando like mom
Sonny Boy-4 year-old "Stitch" fan who acts a lot like 626
Bitty Princess-2 year-old Diva
Baby Girl-6 month old along for the ride
MeMe-My mom and doting grandmother
PaPa-my Dad and mentor in vacationing 'commando-style'
DSis-My youngest sis, pregnant on the trip wed last July
DBIL-Sis' new husband, an unknown quantity, and birthday boy this trip

After doing all the big rides, our plan was to see the kid shows and then take the boat from Disney Studios to Epcot. We had a little surprise cooked up for MeMe and PaPa, but they had to work for it first. We jumped in line for The Little Mermaid show. I hadn't seen it since my first trip in 1998, and I forgot how good it was. It was definitely more that just the "kiddie" show I thought I remembered. After that, it was time for Playhouse Disney. Am I evil when I say I'm kind of looking forward to the kids outgrowing this one? I am? OK, sorry-but that's still how I feel. My attitude probably has to do with the family of about 100 that stood in front of us and continually let their relatives cut into the line while we waited. Now, no one understands better than me about kids and the potty, but these were grown adults strolling over and jumping in with everyone else, and more than a few of them. Still, we didn't wait too long before the doors opened. Unfortunately, we were ushered into the same section as this family. We were hoping to ditch them for a different spot. Sure enough, they spread themselves out rather than bunching together as the CM's asked. One of the men was practically sitting in my lap and completely blocking Bitty Princess' view. (she came to the parks with MeMe and PaPa) My Dad took her in his lap instead, and I had a slightly evil trick up my sleeve to get the strange man back into his family's space and out of mine. I am usually very concerned about my surroundings when I nurse Baby Girl because I don't like to make others uncomfortable. But since 'Strange Family Man' was making me uncomfortable by sitting on the edge of my feet when he had plenty of room to sit with his own family, I decided to return the favor. I leaned against DH for support, and began feeding Baby Girl. It's amazing how quickly he decided to sit a little closer to his relatives after that. (Hey! That was my last trip to WDW with a nursing baby and my last chance to use the 'nursing defense.')

Once the show started, all the kids scrambled up to dance and personal space was no longer an issue. All three of the bigger kids loved it so much that I guess I'm glad we went-but after years of it, I still think I will be glad to leave the pushy parents and oh-so-comfy floor seating in my Disney visiting past.

After the show, we rewarded ourselves with some Mickey bars. I shared mine with Bitty Princess and after she had taken a few bites, I didn't want it anymore. (It's a good Weight Watcher strategy) Then came 'the incident.' Lest there be any misunderstanding, let me make it clear that I am very used to dealing with wheelchairs. My great-uncle, a WWII vet, was wheelchair-bound from the time he came home from the Philippines until his death in 1988. Until old age prevented it, there was nothing this man couldn't do on his own except walk. He helped an architect design his wheelchair accessible home in the 1950's, installed bars, light switches, and door handles throughout his home so that no one would have to help him do anything, and built his own electric wheelchair/lawnmower when there was nothing available to the general public to suit his needs. He also installed a hand-brake in the car so he could drive, though I don't remember him doing it often. He described two types of wheelchair users-those who use one to get from point A to point B, and those who use one to get everything. He didn't have much use for the latter category and as a result, neither do I.

As we cleaned up from our ice cream, Sonnyboy saw the Green Army Men from Toy Story marching out in front of the Sorceror's Hat. He started to run for them and almost ran in front of a woman in an ECV. DH stopped him, told him "no," and apologized to the lady. She lady proceeded to wheel herself to my feet and roll her eyes at me repeatedly. I wasn't sure if she was getting ready to gripe me out or have a seizure. I am hypoglycemic, and I have seizures if my blood sugar drops too low and her exaggerated facial expressions seemed to mimic mine just before that happens. I began to think I should dig in my diaper bag for my glucose tablets when she finally said "your children are out of control and OU stinks!" (PaPa was wearing his OU hat and jacket) Caught off guard, all I could hear were my uncle's words about wheelchairs not making you entitled and I shouted to her retreating back "Get over yourself, he's just excited to be here and this place is for kids!" She was dressed in head to toe Wisconsin team colors and logos, but since I have nothing against Wisconsin, I didn't reciprocate her rude sentiments about her preferred college team. (Besides, this was a month before the Orange Bowl and she didn't have the right to criticize OU...yet.)

My parents looked at me with their jaws dropped-they did not raise me to yell at people in wheelchairs, so I suppose I behaved inappropriately. But, as I told them, Sonny Boy was stopped before he crossed her path, reprimanded, and made to apologize. What more did she want? A public flogging? (and that would have gotten me in trouble with other park patrons, anyway) Either way, I was a little annoyed as we left the park, but slightly amused at myself. It really isn't like me to yell at old ladies, and now I had done it twice in one trip.

We took our first boat ride from Epcot, and made our first visit to a very quiet Boardwalk. Someday, somehow, I will stay at the Yacht Club-four kids or not. That is one gorgeous resort. It was neat to see it up close after all my repeated viewings of it on the Travel Channel. My kids kept asking "Where's Samantha" (Brown) when we were there. Little did we know, she was in Europe filming a new series. I guess they think she lives at Walt Disney World. That's where all their favorite Great Hotels episodes were filmed.

We entered Epcot from the back and went straight to France. I knew DH wasn't interested, but Little Tink and I wanted crepes for lunch. Yum! Sonny Boy shared a few bites with us, but was holding out for more American chicken nuggets. There is just no accounting for taste with that boy.

After a visit with Pere Noel, we escorted MeMe and PaPa to their "surprise." We got them a Candlelight Processional Package! Every Christmas, EPCOT has an evening show featuring superior choirs from the Orlando area and guest-star narrators like Rita Moreno, Jim Cavaziel, LeVar Burton, and Gary Sinise. The choir sings holiday songs while the narrator shares the Christmas traditions of several cultures. The show is extremely well-done and it's extremely hard to get seats. Most people line up at least an hour before it starts. The only way to get preferred seating is to pre-purchase a dinner package at one of the EPCOT restaurants. Since today was my parents' 33rd anniversary, and they had spent the whole week making sure we were happy and having fun, we wanted to give a special gift in return. We escorted them to the "package-holders" line and told them to go to Rose & Crown at 7 p.m. for dinner "on us." (where else could my Dad get a Guinness?) They didn't know a lot about the Candlelight Processional, but I knew they were in for a treat. (their narrator was Kirk Franklin, not a big star, but he put on a great show from what I saw when I passed by it)

Having given them their gift, we continued on our quest for the "world's best" snack. DH tried something in Morocco as I took the kids to see the Daruma doll vendor in Japan. We passed on both sushi and kaki gori (too cold) there and went on to Germany to see the nutcracker. Since we had filled up on treats in Germany yesterday, we went to the Italian pavilion to see La Befana. I once lived in Italy, and have a special place in my heart for their Christmas traditions. I just wish I had thought to make a priority seating for Alfredo's. I have yet to eat there. I was dismayed in the shops to realize that I may still understand Italian, but my speaking skills are rusty. I wish I had some way to practice. As we left Italy, we watched a bit of the Processional. It's an incredible show, but nothing my children would have sat through on this trip.

Oh well, back to the World Showcase, the Santa's, and the snacks. Tonight's fare included rice cream, egg rolls, nachos (for Dad), and some candy from Mexico. Don't worry, it wasn't all at the same time, and the kids actually ate very little of it. They were too excited. Little Tink got to be Mary in the presentation at Mexico and we thought it was time to call it a night. It was getting colder and we hadn't thought to bring jackets after such a mild week. The older kids were sad about missing Illuminations, (so was I), but there was laundry to wash and pack, and the little ones were getting cold. About that time, the cell phone rang. It was MeMe and PaPa thanking us for such a nice anniversary dinner. They said they were going to stay for the fireworks and would meet us later at the hotel to get Bitty Princess. With all the arrangements in place, it seemed like time to go. With a planned breakfast at Chef Mickey's in the morning, I didn't really even feel like we were leaving yet and I wasn't sad about the trip winding down...I should have known better...

The Trip Pt. 15

Cast of Characters

Me- WDW nut who just may love planning trips more than taking them
DH-reluctant escort who I think may enjoy WDW more than he lets us know
Little Tink- almost 7 year-old WDW vet and budding park commando like mom
Sonny Boy-4 year-old "Stitch" fan who acts a lot like 626
Bitty Princess-2 year-old Diva
Baby Girl-6 month old along for the ride
MeMe-My mom and doting grandmother
PaPa-my Dad and mentor in vacationing 'commando-style'
DSis-My youngest sis, pregnant on the trip wed last July
DBIL-Sis' new husband, an unknown quantity, and birthday boy this trip


Thanks to Stitch and Mickey, everyone was up early and raring to go. After a quick bowl of cereal (love those Tupperware Flat-Outs and an in-room refrigerator), we were at the bus stop. We made it to Disney Studios well before rope drop. The lesson I learned for the trip is that my little ones are good to go for regular park opening, but we really have to stretch ourselves to make it in time for early entry. This was our last day in the parks, but it was good to note for the future. Maybe we will do better with early entry as the kids get a little older and more self-sufficient.

DH and I are huge Star Wars fans and, thanks to us, so is Sonny Boy. After a week filled with Princesses and other girly things, we decided to give him a special treat and proceeded straight to Star Tours. I think we were third in line to ride-or, at least, Sonnyboy, Little Tink, and DH were-I baby switched with Baby Girl which meant the kids got to ride twice. (by the end of the week, they loved this baby swap stuff) I always love starting my day with a jump to lightspeed, and was in good spirits when we hit the gift shop. Believe it or not, I didn't spend much. I pretty much either already had or didn't want most of what I saw. (much to DH's relief) I did find a little shuttlecraft for Sonny Boy's stocking and a Yoda Christmas pin for my lanyard. Then we had to get our pictures taken on the speeder bike (I've always been afraid to sit on it in the past, I didn't think it was allowed) and by the AT-AT. The Muppet Show wasn't open yet, so we did the next best thing and went to the gift shop. I added Sam the Eagle and Bunsen Honeydew to my plush collection, but again, already owned pretty much anything else worth buying there. (My love for Star Wars and Disney are second only to my love for the Muppets) I have to admit I was a little disappointed that there wasn't more stuff. I was hoping that since they were now Disney-owned, there might be more Muppet merchandise available. Maybe next time...(and believe me Disney-merchandisers, I will buy it!)

After our shopping and some more pictures, it was time for the first show. So we lined up outside Muppet theatre. I showed Sonnyboy the key under the mat. He was impressed and showed it to the little boy in line behind us. Since the show hasn't changed since we first started coming to the parks, I always promise DH and family that "next time we'll skip it to save time", but it never happens. Besides, there's always a kid of mine who has just become old enough to appreciate it. So, after another good show, we went out and found the Woody, Jessie, and Buzz were all at Al's Toy Barn. I hoped Sonny Boy would join Little Tink for an autograph, but he was still too shy. Oh well, more character time for her, I guess. On the way over to the Great Movie Ride, we spotted Mike and Sully. Sonnyboy looked at me as if to say, "Are you crazy, Woman? If I didn't want to meet my hero Buzz, do you really think I'm going to pose with closet-monsters?!" So, Little Tink and I were on our own again for another meet and greet. Our timing was good, we were the last picture before the monsters went on break.

When we arrived at the Great Movie Ride, I thought I should take the older kids on a potty break. As usual, I had to insist on it because they would have much rather gone from ride to ride until they exploded than stop in the middle of the action. On the way, I reminded DH not to buy any snacks until we were done with the ride because we couldn't take them past the place where the ride line goes inside the building and the line wasn't long. When we came out, DH had purchased two soft pretzels. Um hello?! Did you hear me?! He said we would be done before we got in the building. I was not pleased, and even less so when a CM came over to tell us we needed to finish our food before entering the ride. She must have clued into the situation quickly because she told us as long as we wrapped up what was leftover and stuck it in our diaper bag, there was no problem.

The funny thing about the Great Movie Ride is that I've been on it at least once every trip, but have never done the Gangster version ride, just the cowboy one. As we moved through the rather quick line, I asked the fairies silently for a little pixie dust. I really wanted to do something different. When our vehicle stopped just shy of the gangster area, I shouted a silent "YES!" and told DH it was different from what we had done in the past. (just in case he missed it)
OK, so it wasn't THAT different. It is still nice to be able to say I've done both versions of the ride now.

After that ride, DH stopped again and got me a churro as a way of saying 'sorry.' I know I'm on Weight Watchers, but a churro split between me and three kids wasn't going to do much damage. They are only 2 points whole, and I think I got a fourth if I was lucky. We finished that up in about three steps, and continued towards the Rockin' Roller Coaster where DH and I were getting passes in anticipation of my parents' arrival. Sure enough, the cell phone rang just as we were pocketing them and we told them to meet us on Sunset Blvd. Little Tink had this crazy idea that she wanted to ride the Tower of Terror. Her Daddy said he would take her since Mommy has ridden it once to say she did it and has proclaimed herself "done" with that ride. So, I got comfy on a bench with Baby Girl and Sonnyboy, when suddenly he decided he didn't want to miss anything Little Tink was doing and away he went with them! OK, so I did stop them to remind DH of the chicken exit and beg him to hold on to them tightly if they did go through with it. (then begged him to buy the picture if it came out good) But, since I have always said I don't want my kids to grow up shy and afraid of things like me, I did let them go. I couldn't believe they both wanted to ride it!

I met up with MeMe and PaPa while waiting for them. They were also amazed that both kids were both riding it (neither one of them ever has). Before too long, we were rejoined by DH and two very proud little ones who rode Tower of Terror and loved it! Unfortunately, DH said the picture didn't come out well of them because they are so short. I was so proud of both of them. Little Tink wanted to do it again, but decided to go with MeMe and PaPa instead while we rode the Rockin' Roller Coaster. Probably because going somewhere with MeMe and PaPa and without Mom usually meant at least one new pin for her lanyard while I wasn't there to object or make her use her own money. Not only is Little Tink fearless, she is also no dummy.

DH and I stood behind a group of very rowdy teenagers the whole time we were in line. I've mentioned that I usually enjoy teenagers, but these kids were really annoying. They were swearing, shoving, and otherwise making nuisances of themselves. It felt like the longest fast pass line I've ever been in, even though it only took about ten minutes. After insisting that their whole party of 16 ride together, the CM's said no problem, sent them to a gated area, and let all of us who had been stuck behind them on the ride first-explaining to them they could be "together" after us. Score one for the CM's! Of course, this meant DH and I were in the front 'limo'. Have I mentioned I scare easily? Oh well, when you are looping through the air at 60 mph with your eyes closed and screaming at the top of your lungs, it doesn't really matter where you sit. It was a great ride, as usual.

More to come...

The Trip Pt. 14

Cast of Characters

Me- WDW nut who just may love planning trips more than taking them
DH-reluctant escort who I think may enjoy WDW more than he lets us know
Little Tink- almost 7 year-old WDW vet and budding park commando like mom
Sonny Boy-4 year-old "Stitch" fan who acts a lot like 626
Bitty Princess-2 year-old Diva
Baby Girl-6 month old along for the ride
MeMe-My mom and doting grandmother
PaPa-my Dad and mentor in vacationing 'commando-style'
DSis-My youngest sis, pregnant on the trip wed last July
DBIL-Sis' new husband, an unknown quantity, and birthday boy this trip

It's really hard to top that magical moment we had with Peter Pan and Wendy. In fact, this installment doesn't even come close. After lunch at Pecos Bill's, we went back to the hotel. We had one of those afternoons where everything we did just made us later and later. We didn't get to Epcot until well after 4 p.m., and had been unable to find MeMe and PaPa despite repeated games of cell phone tag. This meant only the smaller kids got to ride in strollers because we didn't have more adults to push. So, with all the whining about tired legs from the bus stop to the park gate, the mood was already a little tense. Oh well, soon the kids would see Nemo and friends at the Living Seas and all would be well. And it was, for them, DH had inadvertently removed the camera from the stroller while we were at the hotel, and didn't seem at all upset about it. Watching the kids enjoying Nemo and the bubbles outside the Living Seas and not being able to capture it on film was really making me sad, though. DH refused to pay $20 for a disposable camera, so I was out-of-luck and more than willing to tell him exactly how I felt about it. My mood didn't improve when we heard Living Seas was closing early that evening and we needed to get in there quick for a "whirlwind tour." So, no Turtle Talk with Crush, no peaceful strolling through Sea Base Alpha, just lots of pushy people at the elevators, antsy CM's wanting us to leave, and a very put-out Mommy without a camera. What could save our evening? Maybe the Epcot tree-lighting ceremony? Of course.

We didn't get there particularly early, but we still could see just fine and the kids loved singing carols while we waited for the show to start. Nothing like a lot of music, corny jokes, and beautiful Christmas lights to get me back in the Disney mood. It was a great show! (Just don't ask me for any pictures of it) Afterwards, we decided to snack around the world for dinner. Yum! The highlights include the pretzel bread from Canada (the evening favorite), croissants from France, and bratwurst in Germany. The kids liked the chicken nuggets from the American pavilion. What do they know? Since we had a surprise in store for MeMe and PaPa at Epcot the following evening, and DH had promised to help them pack up later on that night (they were moving to Saratoga Springs Resort) we called it an early night after lots of good snacks and a visit with the Santa Claus in England.

I meant to surprise DH with some quiet adult time while he was helping my Dad by having all the kids bathed and asleep when he got back, but I guess all the effort wore me out as well because I never heard him come in, and didn't wake up again until Stitch and Mickey told me to the next morning. Thankfully, all the kids heard them this time too. It was our last full day in the parks.

The Trip Pt. 13

Cast of Characters

Me- WDW nut who just may love planning trips more than taking them
DH-reluctant escort who I think may enjoy WDW more than he lets us know
Little Tink- almost 7 year-old WDW vet and budding park commando like mom
Sonny Boy-4 year-old "Stitch" fan who acts a lot like 626
Bitty Princess-2 year-old Diva
Baby Girl-6 month old along for the ride
MeMe-My mom and doting grandmother
PaPa-my Dad and mentor in vacationing 'commando-style'
DSis-My youngest sis, pregnant on the trip wed last July
DBIL-Sis' new husband, an unknown quantity, and birthday boy this trip

I had mentioned my intentions to DH earlier in the week, so I thought he would understand what I was up to as I headed towards Adventureland. He had, of course, forgotten, but followed along cooperatively. As we crossed the bridge, Little Tink saw a short line for an Aladdin autograph. She thought this was the big surprise. I'm not sure why, she's not a huge fan. But, to save the real surprise, I played along with her. We were in line behind a bunch of hilarious teenagers. Some girls, who really wanted to meet Aladdin, and their guy friends who were really embarrassed. There were some moms along the side of the line basically telling the boys they HAD to be in the picture. Before I had kids, I student-taught high school Latin and now teach the high school Sunday school class at my church. Dare I say I enjoy adolescents? Well, I do and so I was really enjoying the pre-autograph entertainment (and the boys did smile for the picture) and while watching the antics I completely forgot to check my purse for a pen. (I know, "Bad Mommy") Fortunately, Aladdin had a Sharpie of his own and saved the day (or at least that part of it). I told him he was my hero. I really love the way these CM's stay in character-it's so much fun.

After I was a safe distance from the costumed character, Sonny Boy joined us and asked to climb the Swiss Family Treehouse. This was something else we had never done before, so I thought "Why not?" Except I forgot something, I'm not big on heights when I can see how far I will fall. Climbing stairs with little kids also makes me nervous, and Bitty Princess had insisted on coming with us. (and DH was more than happy to volunteer to stay below with Baby Girl who was napping in her stroller) So, as cute as the treehouse is, it will be awhile before I climb it again-but I'm proud to say I've done it, just the same.

Since the moment had arrived for Little Tink's surprise, I popped into the first shop I saw with pens by the cash register. I certainly didn't want to be without one...We proceeded towards Pirates Of the Caribbean and walked just beyond it, I spied what I was looking for, a short autograph line with Peter Pan and Wendy at the other end! Now I've mentioned Little Tink loves Peter Pan on numerous occasions, but permit me to go in a bit more detail...She and my niece pretend they fly to Neverland for hours every time they get together. She loves not only the Disney cartoons about Peter, but even that turkey of a Peter Pan movie that came out last Christmas and even loves watching Hook with me. (In fact, she probably gets her love of Peter Pan from me, but I've kind of become the grown-up Wendy from Return to Neverland) So, can I just say that Little Tink would have been happy just to stand in close proximity to Peter and Wendy and was over the moon that she would actually get to meet them. The line moved quickly, but I don't think she noticed anything. She was fixated on her heroes. Finally, it was our turn. Little Tink is not usually at a loss for words, but she was so overwhelmed that she could barely speak to them. Both of them were beautifully in character-I was so impressed. When I told them we had driven from Oklahoma, they suggested that next time I should "fly." Then they asked Little Tink if she knew how. She nodded. Then they asked her what her happy thought was, and she ducked her head shyly. She didn't tell them, but I knew what she was thinking. "Right here, right now!" I was just trying not to cry and scare the wonderful CM's that were making her happier than I'm sure they could have known since she was so quiet. After a nice visit, we rejoined DH and the other kids. (who were just too scared to come over) I wondered how much of the interaction DH had witnessed, but the smile we shared let me know he hadn't missed much. Since we felt there was no way to top that, we decided to grab some lunch and head back to the hotel before Little Tink left cloud 9. More to come...

The Trip Pt. 12

Cast of Characters

Me- WDW nut who just may love planning trips more than taking them
DH-reluctant escort who I think may enjoy WDW more than he lets us know
Little Tink- almost 7 year-old WDW vet and budding park commando like mom
Sonny Boy-4 year-old "Stitch" fan who acts a lot like 626
Bitty Princess-2 year-old Diva
Baby Girl-6 month old along for the ride
MeMe-My mom and doting grandmother
PaPa-my Dad and mentor in vacationing 'commando-style'
DSis-My youngest sis, pregnant on the trip wed last July
DBIL-Sis' new husband, an unknown quantity, and birthday boy this trip

After a good night's sleep, we were awakened again by Mickey and Stitch and a very pleased voice calling from the top bunk "Mommy I heard it!" Good Little Tink! Now get moving like Stitch says! For a special treat, I had ordered room service for the morning. We had banana-stuffed French toast for DH and I to share and some Pumbaa pancakes for the kids. They were served with two little cups of gummy bears which I hid to save for later. Just one serving of the French toast was plenty for DH and I and the two kids' pancake platters fed Sonnyboy and Little Tink with enough leftovers for Bitty Princess, who arrived within half an hour of our wake-up call thanks to my wonderful Dad. (who probably relished the thought of dropping her off and sleeping the rest of the day-but still went above and beyond bringing her over before we left for the parks.) They didn't have Extra Magic Hour (entering an hour before the parks open) privileges in the parks, and since we were spending the morning in Fantasyland we didn't want her to miss it.

After a good breakfast, we loaded up our gear and headed to the bus stop. While we didn't arrive to see the park opening (which I really want to see someday), the wait time for Dumbo was still only 15 minutes. Score! This was probably the longest wait we had that morning. Before long we were soaring with Dumbo and lining up for Pooh. We were behind an adorable family: a mom, her first child, and her parents. I remember those days...
Pooh was fun as usual, Bitty Princess was especially enthralled to bounce with Tigger and float with Piglet and Pooh. We kept the kids from loitering in the gift shop with the promise of Peter Pan's Flight. There was a slightly longer wait there too, but still nothing we couldn't handle. I've mentioned before that Little Tink is a diehard Peter Pan fan, so I always ride this with her because I love watching her face. This time, I felt pulled in two directions-it was Bitty Princess' first ride and she was sitting with Daddy. I kept looking behind me, calling out to her, and pointing out all the details of the ride to her as we passed them. So, I apologize to all that were annoyed by the woman on Peter Pan's Flight who kept calling out to the folks behind her "Look Honey! It's Wendy! Look over there! It's the mermaids!" That was me. Sorry. After the ride, DH reminded me that he too was capable of pointing out the wonders of London and Neverland, but he was clearly amused.

Since Small World was closed, we tried something we had never before done as a family, Snow White's Scary Adventure. The kids liked it, but I am so glad I never took my sensitive Little Tink on there any younger than she was on this trip. It's a little scarier than the other Fantasyland attractions. Bitty Princess is much tougher than she is, being child #3 and having a big brother will do that to you. . To round out our Fantasyland tour, DH took the kids on the carousel while I snapped a ton of pictures. Then, as they headed to the Tea Cups, I took Baby Girl and went to get Fast Passes for Space Mountain. This is my favorite ride, and we had been in the parks for days without riding it. I felt my grin growing as the passes came out of the machine into my hot little hands. ( I will let you in on a little secret. This is the third trip that I've made my Fast Pass run while DH takes the kids on the tea cups. It's because I secretly fear he will spin them so fast they will get sick, and I don't want to be there for that. Oh how that would come back to haunt me in a few days...)

Baby Girl was acting hungry again, so DH took the kids to get some snacks while I found a secluded bench. Because there are five of us, and some of us eat less than others, DH only got three frozen lemonades. This made Sonny Boy mad. He decided to throw a fit. That's right, another fit, this one right between Fantasyland and Tomorrowland. We did what we have been told to do by his school counselors, which is, we ignored him. After a few minutes, he calmed down and decided he wanted to go to the bathroom. As I took him there, still sniffling, an elderly couple passed us and the husband remarked rather loudly "I hate it when people drag their crying kids into the parks!" Before I could stop myself, I heard myself say "Did you want to buy him a frozen lemonade to take three sips of before he threw it away?!" (Note to self: Talking back to judgmental park guests is a really good way to find out how fast they can walk away from you.)

By the time I had taken three kids in and out of the bathroom for potty stops and diaper changes, DH, Sonny Boy, and Little Tink were pin trading with a nice CM just outside Star Traders. I can't believe I thought the kids were too young to trade. They loved it-and Sonny Boy had completely forgotten his meltdown. Once the trades were completed, our Fast Pass time was getting closer. So, I did what I had promised all week. I took Sonny Boy into the Stitch shop with his money. He had a ball looking at everything before he selected a shirt and a toy which he paid for himself-and made another trade with the CM at the register while he was at it. My goodness! He was cute for those fifteen minutes.

We met up with the rest of the group and finally, it was ride time for Mom! Mom loves Disney, she loves everything about it, but most of all-Mom loves Space Mountain. All pretense as an grown-up and a mother-of-four behavior was gone. I grabbed my pass from DH, gestured to a nearby bench for them to sit on, and raced to the line. My favorite ride AND a ten-minute break from the kids, what more could I want?! To do it again? Nah! It was DH's turn, and probably the reason he hung onto the rest of the passes. Now, I had made one small error by getting passes for DH, myself, Little Tink, AND Sonny Boy. As it turned out, Sonny Boy was still too short and, in my opinion, Little Tink is still too tiny. She is the average height of a 7 year-old, but weighs about 10 lbs. less. I'm sure Imagineers considered this when deciding the ride's height limit, but at the end of the day, I'm an overprotective mother. So, after DH's turn, we had two options: Ride again using the kids' passes, or sprinkle some Pixie Dust ourselves and go get a good spot for Cinderella's Surprise Celebration. When we saw a couple looking flustered by the long stand-by line, we knew what to do. We gave them our passes and headed to the main hub. Unfortunately, that meant passing Buzz AND Stitch...with Sonny Boy. It didn't go well. As much as we didn't love the Stitch ride, my DH did the good Dad thing and jumped into the stand-by line with Sonny Boy while the girls and I went to the show. Thanks DH and I'm sorry.

The Cinderella show was cute (I've seen it before), Bitty Princess was in heaven and Little Tink wasn't far behind her. I guess that made the 45 minutes on my feet worth it. DH and Sonny Boy materialized just after the show, and DH asked if I was ready to go back to the hotel. Not quite. You see, I had heard from a friend of mine that a certain someone would be giving autographs at a certain spot in the next hour, and I wasn't going to let Little Tink miss him for one more trip...

The Trip Pt. 11

Cast of Characters

Me- WDW nut who just may love planning trips more than taking them
DH-reluctant escort who I think may enjoy WDW more than he lets us know
Little Tink- almost 7 year-old WDW vet and budding park commando like mom
Sonny Boy-4 year-old "Stitch" fan who acts a lot like 626
Bitty Princess-2 year-old Diva
Baby Girl-6 month old along for the ride
MeMe-My mom and doting grandmother
PaPa-my Dad and mentor in vacationing 'commando-style'
DSis-My youngest sis, pregnant on the trip wed last July
DBIL-Sis' new husband, an unknown quantity, and birthday boy this trip

When I left off, my family of 6 had just survived something only slightly less traumatizing than the four hurricanes that pounded Florida before we arrived. That is, a two year-old tantrum that lasted about two hours. After lunch, we walked to the bus. As an ill-advised shortcut, we went through the gift shop because it had an exit on the other side leading straight to the bus stop. (I think I was after a disposable camera too) Little Tink found a huge stuffed Nala she 'had' to have. Since the kids brought their own money and I saw plenty of Nalas, I told her to keep it on her wish list and we would see about it on our last day. (Be warned, I missed out on "Rudolph Stitch" this way-fortunately, it was me who wanted him and not Sonny Boy-phew!) We got to the bus stop, and the bus came quickly. I thought the empty bus and large exiting crowds at the Magic Kingdom were a sure sign we had missed the parade. That's what I get for thinking. "Oh well", I thought, "at least its warm enough for Splash Mountain. Let's get a Fast Pass right away."

No sooner did we get off the bus, than the Pixie Dust started flying. First, there was no line at the bag check, then an exiting family GAVE us their double stroller. After DH picked me up off the ground where I had passed out from shock, we saw an empty Main Street, but heard something...it was music...it was the parade coming back to its starting place and my kids were seated right at the curb in a free double stroller! Would you laugh if I admit that I stood there with them just watching the parade and wiping tears off my face? That was pure Disney magic at its best.

Now the problem was, we were supposed to meet MeMe and PaPa at a designated location and had been unable to do so-or to reach them by cell phone. (one of the very few times that was a problem for us) Again, Tinkerbell must have waved her wand because there they were by Tony's Town Square restaurant as soon as the parade ended and they spotted us immediately. After a potty stop, I had a promise to fulfill my two older kids. It was time for their first Splash Mountain ride...but they got distracted the minute we walked into Adventureland. They just couldn't understand why Mommy was pushing them right past Aladdin's Magic Carpets and the Tiki Room. Didn't I know they loved those things? If I didn't, they sure were loudly filling me in-so to all of you at the Magic Kingdom that day who felt sorry for the big kids in the stroller just crying to get out and ride something, don't worry, they did.

When we got to Splash Mountain, I was sent ahead to grab Fast Passes while strollers were parked and little ones were secured with MeMe at the play area. The bad news...the Fast Pass machines weren't working, the good news...only a 25 minute wait in the stand-by line. While I was at it, I grabbed some Fast Passes for Big Thunder Mountain Railroad and updated the group on our plan of attack. So, after Bitty Princess ran joyfully into the play area (and MeMe thought she would notice us leaving) the rest of us got in line. Once the kids understood where they were and what they were about to do, they began dancing in anticipation. The line moved quickly, and before we knew it we were loading. When I saw Little Tink and I were about to sit in the front row of the log, I traded with a somewhat reluctant DH and Sonny Boy. Hey! I wasn't getting wet. (or so I thought) The ride was a big hit with the kiddos, and that made it that much more fun for me. Everyone seemed ready and eager for the 'big drop' when Sonny Boy got an idea. Just as we went down and hit the water, he ducked down in his seat leaving the big splash to drench the person sitting behind him. That would be me, his loving mother. Thanks Sonny Boy! We all had a good laugh and went to collect MeMe (whose back condition prevents her from enjoying the Mountain rides) and the little ones. Baby Girl was hungry, so it was a few minutes before we regrouped at went on to our next ride. Thankfully, Bitty Princess minded a few more minutes in the play area. It's hard to believe that adorable child having so much fun had been such a screaming demon just a few hours before...not that I was complaining.

After Baby Girl was topped off, we headed for Big Thunder Mountain. Even with a Fast Pass, it was a pretty good wait. Since this was to be the kids' first 'real' roller coaster ride, I was a bit worried about them. I shouldn't have bothered. They had a blast and so did we. Seriously, as someone who has only visited the parks as an adult, I never remember having so much fun on that ride. Although I've always taken my kids to WDW as babies, and will most likely continue to do so, I will somewhat acknowledge the argument in favor of waiting until they are a bit bigger. Surely, Little Tink and Sonny Boy have never had more fun than they did on this trip and that made it that much more fun for DH and I too. Then again, I don't regret the previous three trips either and I guess I'm just thankful that we've been able to go so often in the past few years.

After the ride, we went back to Adventureland and caught all our favorites (after explaining to Little Tink that jumping back into the 65 minute stand-by line for another ride on the run-away train would be counter-productive to our evening). I know a lot of people can take or leave the Tiki Room, but we just love it. After that, we soared with Aladdin and got spit on by a camel, then met up with DSis and DBIL for Pirates of the Caribbean. As much as she loved the movie and every other 'thrill ride' she went on this trip, the Pirate ride kind of unnerved Little Tink and definitely bothered Bitty Princess. It never used to, so I suppose that this too is just an age thing. Funny enough, they were more than happy to compensate for their 'trauma' on the ride by shopping at the gift shop. Bitty Princess got a lanyard just like Little Tink and Sonny Boy's. (She's 2-who knew she would want one?!) Sonny Boy got a plastic light-up sword for the bargain price of $5.63 (I'm not kidding! I didn't know you could get anything in the Magic Kingdom for $5.63), and Little Tink, a HUGE Peter Pan fan, bought a playset with Peter, Hook, and the treasure chest. We were just about to gather the strollers and leave the park, when I got lost trying to find the stroller parking. To Little Tink's delight, we stumbled right across the Spectromagic parade!

MeMe and Little Tink went to an empty bench where, the crowd notwithstanding, they could see pretty well given the height of the Spectromagic floats. No longer disoriented, I ran back into the gift shop and herded the others out to our spot. While MeMe and PaPa watched the kids, DH and I gathered the strollers and caught the rest of the parade with Baby Girl in my arms and Bitty Princess on his shoulders. You know, the stuff Disney commercials are made of. After the parade, we were just ahead of the crowds enough that we could have made it out of the park before Wishes started, but we didn't have the heart to leave. I tried to reason that we had just seen it Sunday, but when we heard Jiminy Cricket's voice as we headed down Main Street we found ourselves turning around and rooted to the spot.
At least we tried.

As it turned out, we still made it onto the bus rather quickly. On the drive back we had the nicest conversation with a grandmother and her grandchildren visiting from England. I felt bad because they were standing near my seat and with a baby on my lap and a folding stroller at my feet-I couldn't do much to help them. So, we chatted instead, and my "mommy instinct" had me grabbing her grandson every time the bus turned a corner just to make sure he didn't fall. (and yes, I also stick my arm out across the passengers seat anytime I brake suddenly even though the invention of standard air bags means none of my children have ever been front seat passengers in my car) She and her grandchildren were charming, and Little Tink was enthralled by their "Peter Pan" accents. They had been in the parks a few days and were planning a "massive pool day" tomorrow. They also helped us off the bus when we arrived back at the hotel and we wished each other well. Just another lovely example of how crowds don't bring out the worst in everyone. With one last trip through the gift shop for milk (and a wave at stuffed Nala), we were in our room and sleeping. More adventure to come tomorrow...

The Trip Pt. 10

Me- WDW nut who just may love planning trips more than taking them
DH-reluctant escort who I think may enjoy WDW more than he lets us know
Little Tink- almost 7 year-old WDW vet and budding park commando like mom
Sonny Boy-4 year-old "Stitch" fan who acts a lot like 626
Bitty Princess-2 year-old Diva
Baby Girl-6 month old along for the ride
MeMe-My mom and doting grandmother
PaPa-my Dad and mentor in vacationing 'commando-style'
DSis-My youngest sis, pregnant on the trip wed last July
DBIL-Sis' new husband, an unknown quantity, and birthday boy this trip

After breakfast, PaPa and DH saw they were losing their Fast Pass window for Mission Space and took off shouting something about us having cell phones and that they would call us later in the dust trail where they had just been standing. So funny to watch grown men act like this-only at WDW! I didn't know either of them could move that fast! MeMe, the kids, and I stopped off at the Baby Center so I could change everyone's clothes and give Baby Girl a refill on her breakfast. It was funny because the CM (an older retired man) was telling me about all the features of the Baby Care center as I was using them. "Ma'am, the changing table is here..." as I was spreading the paper, "the kids can watch cartoons here..." when they were already in there, can you tell I've done WDW with babies just a few times before?

Once everyone was settled, we went back to Test Track just to see if they would let me use the kid switch pass I had obtained earlier. I was pleasantly surprised when they did. While on the ride, I realized we hadn't secured Little Tink's hat and promised myself I would be on the lookout for it once the car sped onto the outside track. Sure enough, it blew off AND I actually caught it as it came past me! Nice save, Mom! If you knew my limited athletic skills the way my family does, you would be even more impressed.

We exited the ride and found PaPa and DH had found us and were none to worse for wear after Mission Space. Maybe I will be brave enough to try it on our next trip...maybe. After that, we headed for Journey into Imagination. The kids love Figment and I love that there is never a long line to ride this-at least not during late Fall when we go to the parks. After sending some photo emails (the one where DH morphed himself into a monkey was a particular favorite), we decided to hit Spaceship Earth and go back to the hotel for a lunch/rest break. I was hoping either Baby Girl or Bitty Princess would fall asleep on the ride as their older siblings have on previous trips. No such luck...So, we parted ways with MeMe and PaPa and went to the bus stop. (I am loving the park transportation, just so you know.) After what was likely our longest wait of the trip, we were finally on our way back to the hotel. We went ahead and took Bitty Princess with us, because we were meeting up with my parents at the Magic Kingdom about half an hour before the parade. Or so we thought...

Bitty Princess, as we mentioned, was tired. She is also 2 years old. This is a BAD combination. We got back to the room, and rather than gaze contentedly at the animals from the balcony, she got into a fight with Sonny Boy. One of Sonny Boy's Fairy Godmother gifts were a pair of Shrek and Donkey puppets. Sonny Boy hadn't been too impressed by them, until DH and I demonstrated how they could recite dialog from the Shrek movies. Now, they were his new best friends. Mousekeeping must have liked them too, because they were sitting in an adorable pose on our bed. Bitty Princess wanted to move them, Sonny Boy didn't. The result was Bitty Princess throwing the mother of all temper tantrums. I was glad it was lunch time and the hotel was fairly empty, otherwise I'm quite sure she would have gotten us evicted. (Aren't the AKL guests glad she never spent the night there?)

She screamed, she cried, she kicked, and just when you thought she had worn herself out, she started all over again. This went on and on while we watched our lunch time tick away on the clock. Obviously we couldn't take her anywhere until she calmed down, but the vacation commando in me was starting to panic-she was wasting precious theme park time! To make matters worse, everything I was thinking, Little Tink was saying. "Mommy! We're not going to get back to the parks in time, are we? We're going to miss the parade, aren't we? How are we going to find MeMe and PaPa if we aren't there in time?" DH wisely told Little Tink to hush.

At home, tantrums are handled by isolating the perpetrator. Aside from the bathroom, there was no place to do this with her, and with two other kids, sealing off the bathroom was a bad idea. Seeing that her crying was really pushing Mommy's buttons, she continued. (I suppose we could have put her on the balcony, but why spoil the nice day for the animals?) Finally, she calmed down and we grabbed some lunch at the hotel food court, but I knew there was no way we would get back to the park in time for a decent parade spot. Needless to say, I was bummed. (Don't worry, it gets better again...)

The Trip Pt. 9

Cast of Characters

Me- WDW nut who just may love planning trips more than taking them
DH-reluctant escort who I think may enjoy WDW more than he lets us know
Little Tink- almost 7 year-old WDW vet and budding park commando like mom
Sonny Boy-4 year-old "Stitch" fan who acts a lot like 626
Bitty Princess-2 year-old Diva
Baby Girl-6 month old along for the ride
MeMe-My mom and doting grandmother
PaPa-my Dad and mentor in vacationing 'commando-style'
DSis-My youngest sis, pregnant on the trip wed last July
DBIL-Sis' new husband, an unknown quantity, and birthday boy this trip

Morning came bright and early and in the form of Stitch telling us (and Mickey) to "Get Moving!" It was my first Disney wake-up call and I thought it was great, but even though I hit speakerphone, my kids slept right through it. (Everyone' s a critic, I guess) DH and I began to have a silent argument over who got the first shower until Baby Girl woke up and tipped the scales in favor of her Daddy since I had to feed her. So DH showered, I fed the baby, then we woke up the sleepyheads. Little Tink got her wits about her fairly quickly when she realized we were eating breakfast with the Princesses, but Sonny Boy needed more motivation. He didn't want to eat with the Princesses and didn't care if we were late. He's like that. DH motivated him-not with violence or bribes, but with the promise of Test Track which he had seen on my endless list of Tivo'd WDW specials on the Travel Channel.

I packed up princess dresses for Tink and Baby Girl and called over to MeMe and PaPa's to make sure they did likewise for Bitty Princess and we headed to the bus stop. I was pitifully excited-I hadn't ever used Disney busses before, just watched them drop off their passengers as close to the parks as possible as I trudged jealously over from the tram stop. Since it was Epcot Extra Magic Hour, the bus was crowded. I brought my Baby Bjorn and prepared the kids to stand, but a very nice couple gave one seat to me and Baby Girl while another found places for Little Tink and Sonny Boy. DH and I were amazed. We came to WDW determined to make sure we were kind to those around us, we didn't expect the same treatment in return. In case I don't remember to say it again, we met some of the kindest people ever on the bus to and from the Animal Kingdom Lodge. While we may have encountered the occasional grump, most of the people we talked to seemed to have an attitude similar to ours. This was to remember that we were on vacation and it was time just to chill out and have fun.

We arrived at the park in time to see it open, a first for my family. Knowing our time was limited, DH ran to get fast passes for himself and PaPa to Mission Space while I pushed the stroller towards Test Track. We got our kid switch passes and DH took the bigger kids for their first ride. Baby Girl and I did some car shopping, or more realistically, car dreaming while we waited at the ride exit. Of course, this was Test Track which meant delays right and left. (can't they ever keep those cars from getting stuck?) By the time they got through, there was no time to switch for my turn-we needed to get to Norway. We took the kids to the restrooms and I looked crazily for a family bathroom so we could help them change their clothes more quickly. Finding nothing, we separated and I got the girls dressed as fast as I could in the ladies room. As we exited the bathroom, I spotted the family one. Always in the last place you look!

We got to Norway and MeMe and PaPa arrived with Bitty Princess as I checked in at the podium. Bitty Princess hadn't slept well and really hadn't wanted to wake up this morning. Not good. I hoped the princesses would cheer her up. We waited a bit longer for seats, but still not a noticeable wait. The girl checking us in thought I was trying to pull a "fast one" and get an extra seat on my Priority Seating when I told her Baby Girl would be sitting on my lap. She kept insisting "Everyone at your table counts as a seat." I told her that was fine, but that Baby Girl couldn't sit on her own and therefore couldn't use a high chair and not to bring her one. I wasn't mad at the fuss she was giving me because I am guessing she had been warned that people would try to sneak in extra guests and was just trying to do her job. I was also pretty sure she didn't have kids of her own and didn't understand babies don't sit in high chairs (at least not those wooden ones) until they can actually sit unassisted. Our server seemed to understand what the problem was and took back the high chair. None of this was a big deal, just frustrating to the poor hostess who was trying to enforce "the rules" as they had been explained to her.

By the time we all sat down, we already had cinnamon rolls. YUM! They were great. It was hard not to ask for seconds, but I am on Weight Watchers and knew more cinnamon rolls on the table weren't in my best interest. (or MeMe's who is on The Zone diet) Our food was out before I knew it and there was a LOT of it. I'm not a big fan of eggs and sausage, but DH and PaPa were happy to pick up my slack. I guess we should have further confused the poor hostess by getting rid of Sonny Boy's chair because as soon as he saw the princesses, he dove under the table and popped out only long enough for a bite of fruit or egg and a sip of juice. The princesses were all lovely. I was impressed with all of them, but they each get their own props for something special.

Belle talked to Sonny Boy under the table, even though she didn't get him to come out-he did like it. Mulan was wonderful with Bitty Princess who was feeling a bit shy and out of sorts because she was tired. She (Mulan) also spent a few minutes talking to us grown-ups and seemed to me the most in-character. Jasmine was the favorite of Baby Girl, and she actually whimpered sadly when she went on to the next table. Snow White loved the fact that Baby Girl was in her Snow White dress too and called her "Baby Snow." She even remembered to wave at her when she passed us later on her way to another table. Aurora reminded the girls they were princesses and taught them how to pose with their dresses. It was all very charming and enjoyable and even though we finished eating a few minutes before Aurora arrived at our table, never once did we feel pressured to leave. I've never had any luck in my previous three trips in getting a PS at any Princess meal so thanks again to Marla at Dreams Unlimited-mission accomplished!

The Trip Pt. 8

The good news if you like these reports is that we are only half way through them. I guess that's also the bad news if you don't like them.

Cast of Characters

Me- WDW nut who just may love planning trips more than taking them
DH-reluctant escort who I think may enjoy WDW more than he lets us know
Little Tink- almost 7 year-old WDW vet and budding park commando like mom
Sonny Boy-4 year-old "Stitch" fan who acts a lot like 626
Bitty Princess-2 year-old Diva
Baby Girl-6 month old along for the ride
MeMe-My mom and doting grandmother
PaPa-my Dad and mentor in vacationing 'commando-style'
DSis-My youngest sis, pregnant on the trip wed last July
DBIL-Sis' new husband, an unknown quantity, and birthday boy this trip

Leaving Little Tink behind with MeMe and PaPa, DH and I took the others to the Animal Kingdom Lodge to check in. I warned him that it might be a long wait, because we didn't take care of it in the morning as I had planned. I was also a little concerned about walking into the lobby of a Disney Deluxe resort looking like I had just spent the day in the theme parks. DH thought this was very funny and with good reason when we walked into the lobby about found ourselves surrounded by many other families who looked just the same. To my pleasant surprise, we walked right in and right up to the check-in desk. Everything was in order and we had been upgraded from a pool view to a Savannah! The only glitch was that we had a room with two doubles when I knew Little Tink and Sonny Boy would need bunk beds. I politely asked if it would be possible to change that and about 45 seconds later, we were all settled. In about 5 minutes we had our room keys and a map. I was so excited I was bouncing more than the kids. Of course, they didn't know about the Savannah view, yet.

We did have a pretty good hike each day from the elevator, but no one was complaining. We were at the Animal Kingdom Lodge! We walked into the room. The kids admired the Mickey soaps, the bunk bed, and the TV cabinet (which was beautiful) when I summoned them over to the curtains and opened them. We walked out onto the balcony and saw giraffes! Of all animals, giraffes are my personal favorite, so I knew we had the right room. The kids were enthralled, and just sat out on the balcony mesmerized. Before long, our suitcases were brought up and we had the Pack-n-Play set up for Baby Girl. I loved the Mickey sheet provided for it, and even more, I loved that I got to leave our Pack-n-Play downstairs in the car. I let Bitty Princess enjoy our view all that she could, because in order for us to stay at the AKL, one of the kids had to stay at the timeshare each night with Mom and Dad. (before you feel too sorry for Bitty Princess, she loved staying with MeMe and PaPa and getting spoiled rotten and I loved not having to worry about her climbing on the bunks, not to mention letting someone else deal with her 2 year-old tantrums for a change)

We had plenty of time to get settled and cleaned up for our 6:30 PS at Boma's. In fact, we got there early. My sister is a vegetarian and BIL has had to change his diet somewhat since they got married. Both of them love spicy food and it was BIL's birthday so I wanted them to have a special treat. Once everyone arrived (with Little Tink sporting two more new pins on her lanyard-thanks MeMe!), I checked in and, with a minimal wait, we were seated. (I have to mention here how impressed I am at how easily WDW can seat such big parties of people, there were ten of us.) Our server was very helpful-I say that because Dad wanted to know all about the pressed pot coffee and Mom wanted some South African wine advice. Given my Disney expertise, they looked to me but I drink neither coffee nor wine and I was clueless. I guess the server (can't remember his name) gave some good answers because they ordered both and were very happy. Then it was time to load our plates...

I once spent almost two years in Italy, where I befriended several African immigrants. So, some of the food was familiar to me-and very welcome. I loved the FuFu and the potatoes with Afritude best. BIL wasn't quite as daring as I thought he would be, and mostly ate the nut-crusted salmon and some mac and cheese from the kids' section. DH likes his food spicy as does DSis, they both made several trips before dessert. I wish I could give the detailed bite-by-bite reports that I read here, but I spent most of this trip sneaking bites while making sure my kids were eating something without making themselves a nuisance to those around us. I did love the Zebra Domes and the banana bread pudding.

DSis must have told our server it was DBIL's birthday (he made me promise I wouldn't), because he brought over a little Mickey-head cake and candle at the end of the meal. He didn't make anyone sing because he said he didn't think BIL would like it. I think BIL was happiest with an acknowledgement of his special day without any accompanying humiliation. (he's still new, we'll get him next time) Dinner was good, but I could tell Bitty Princess was getting tired so it was time for MeMe and PaPa to go, after a brief tour of our room. Little Tink had been in the parks, and was really excited to see where she would be staying. It was dark and the animals were gone, but that worked to our advantage because Bitty Princess had no misgivings about leaving and the other kids were quite willing to settle down. I love that Disney story channel, it had a calming effect on our room every night we were there. Once they were in bed and Baby Girl was tucked in, I finally spread out on our bed. I don't know if it's the Animal Kingdom Lodge or the fact that I was tired, but I remember thinking that it was possibly one of the most comfortable beds I had ever slept on, and that was about my last thought before I fell asleep too.

The Trip Pt. 7

Cast of Characters

Me- WDW nut who just may love planning trips more than taking them
DH-reluctant escort who I think may enjoy WDW more than he lets us know
Little Tink- almost 7 year-old WDW vet and budding park commando like mom
Sonny Boy-4 year-old "Stitch" fan who acts a lot like 626
Bitty Princess-2 year-old Diva
Baby Girl-6 month old along for the ride
MeMe-My mom and doting grandmother
PaPa-my Dad and mentor in vacationing 'commando-style'
DSis-My youngest sis, pregnant on the trip wed last July
DBIL-Sis' new husband, an unknown quantity, and birthday boy this trip

We got up early this morning with the intention of going over and checking in at the Animal Kingdom Lodge first, then hitting the park. As usual, we underestimated the time it takes to load the gear for a 6-person family not to mention getting all the sleepy-heads awake and dressed. By the time the last seat belt was buckled, we decided to go straight to the Animal Kingdom park. To circumvent any conflict about me wanting to get up too early or make too many touring decisions on my own, we just agreed to meet the rest of the folks at the Flights of Wonder show at 10:15. This left me somewhat free to go into commando-mode and go straight to the safari ride once we passed through security and the park entrance. Little Tink was right there with me! We weren't the first ones there by far (as we DISers know, you have to be careful driving a stroller), but we didn't have a long wait either. I won't say going first thing was all that different from the other times I've 'been on safari' at Disney, but I did see the lion awake for the first time. Our tour guide wasn't super-hyped about doing the whole Little Red scenario (the 'premise' on which the ride is based is that we are saving a baby elephant and his mother) which was fine with me. It's amazing, Little Tink has aged almost seven years since her first safari, but Little Red doesn't seem to have aged a day. The older kids had a ball taking pics with disposable cameras and Bitty Princess seemed in awe of the animals. It was a fun ride, and the CM who joked with us while we waited in line recognized us at the stroller claim area and joked some more. His best line was when DH stumbled over Sonny Boy who stopped suddenly in front of Baby Girl's stroller and he said "Ladies and Gentleman, please refrain from running over small children-even if they are yours." You've gotta love that!

We met MeMe, PaPa, DSis, and DBIL at the show and I wished him a Happy Birthday. We have visited the AK on every trip, but this was our first bird show. It was cute, but nothing earth-shattering, PaPa and the kids liked it though and Little Tink wanted to stay for the Q&A with the handlers after it was finished. DH took Sonny Boy out for a potty stop and came back after a visit to the ice cream cart. Let the record state that I know better than to buy ice cream for one kid while in the company of all four of them and now DH does too.

After a visit to the Majarajah Jungle Trek, we intended to walk over the Flame Tree BBQ, but somehow wound up walking the loop around the future Expedition Everest ride. It was a pretty and uncrowded hike and we enjoyed the music from the boat on the river. Since our "shortcut" brought us over to the midway part of the park, we decided to see what the line was like for Dinosaur. It was a walk-on. DH, PaPa, and I took Little Tink and Sonny Boy while Baby Girl, Bitty Princess, and the rest of the family walked onto Triceratop Spin. This was the first Dinosaur ride for the kiddos who have previously been too short. I was sure they would be as terrified and traumatized by the ride as I am, but they insisted on riding it anyway. They LOVED it! The ride picture is classic. I'm covering my eyes and the kids are wide-eyed and taking it all in. What can I say? They are much braver than me. After dragging Sonny Boy out of yet another gift shop, we met up with the group and all took another ride on Triceratop Spin since there was still no line for it.

After that, we had an OK lunch at Flame Tree. The kids devoured their hot dogs while I found my chicken sandwich a bit on the dry side. Seating was limited, so half of us got to sit by the water and the other half closer to the counter area with the strollers. It was a nice break, but we were ready for more fun.
Sonny Boy was complaining in a big way at this point about being tired, so we decided to rent him a stroller. MeMe and I headed back to Guest Relations while everyone else saw It's Tough to be a Bug. I also stopped and bought the bigger kids lanyards. When we all met up, I presented them with their first Disney pins (won off an eBay auction). The Fairy Godmother wasn't sure which hotel to leave them at, and must have put them in Mommy's backpack instead. I wasn't sure how they would feel about trading pins, but both of them had made their first trade with a CM within minutes with no problems.

Our finale for the afternoon was going to the Festival of the Lion King. Is it possible that show has gotten even better since our last visit?! Baby Girl danced and squealed with the music. It was probably her favorite part of the whole trip. Bitty Princess fell asleep on my lap, though. So, it was time to go-or so we thought. We got caught on the quiet side of the afternoon parade. We couldn't get close, but we enjoyed what we saw from behind the crowds. Little Tink found both Flik and Lilo signing autographs with no lines and she was in heaven. The rest of us enjoyed some Mickey Bars and the kids got so messy I HAD to take pics.

Once the parade passed, MeMe and PaPa agreed to keep Little Tink with them while we took the other little ones and started for the hotel. By the time we left the park, all three kids were asleep. We weren't sure how we were going to get on that tram. I watched enviously as a mother with three older children rushed over to the tram and boarded easily without stopping to pick up little ones, gather a diaper bag, and fold strollers. "Someday..." I thought to myself...Fortunately, the pixie dust was abundant that day. An older lady hopped off the tram and offered to hold Bitty Princess while we loaded the rest of our gear. Once aboard, she helped me hang onto the stroller since my lap was full of a sleeping Baby Girl and a huge diaper bag. She said she raised six kids herself, and it was the least she could do. We had a nice chat while we rode to our parking spots and she told me, as tired as she knew I was, that I should enjoy them while they are little because they grow fast. I really do know that, but it's nice to be reminded at times. Once we arrived at the parking lot, the lady who I had watched so enviously while boarding the tram appeared at my side and grabbed both my collapsible strollers from me. She told her husband and children to go on to their car, which was parked close to the tram stop. Then, she proceeded to CARRY OUR STROLLERS ALL THE WAY TO OUR CAR FOR US, even though we were parked much farther away. I just didn't have enough words to thank her. She said she remembered too well what it was like to be me and wanted to help. I'm amazed I didn't cry. I hope tons of wonderful things happen to her for the rest of her life. What a wonderful woman. (and you can bet when my kids are older, I will be looking for chances to "pay it forward" myself)

Refreshed by a rare display of true human kindness, we drove over to the Animal Kingdom Lodge. Our excitement must have been contagious, because the kids were wide awake and ready to check-in at our first Disney property hotel ever!

The Trip Pt. 6

Cast of Characters

Me- WDW nut who just may love planning trips more than taking them
DH-reluctant escort who I think may enjoy WDW more than he lets us know
Little Tink- almost 7 year-old WDW vet and budding park commando like mom
Sonny Boy-4 year-old "Stitch" fan who acts a lot like 626
Bitty Princess-2 year-old Diva
Baby Girl-6 month old along for the ride
MeMe-My mom and doting grandmother
PaPa-my Dad and mentor in vacationing 'commando-style'
DSis-My youngest sis, pregnant on the trip wed last July
DBIL-Sis' new husband, an unknown quantity, and birthday boy this trip

I woke up the next morning in a better mood, but still feeling like WDW didn't "want" me anymore. It was up to my Disney-neutral DH to bring the magic back. Was he up to the task?
He started by taking me to Wal-Mart, then to a salon for a quick shampoo and cut. A few hours away from the kids and a new 'do did help put things into perspective. We ordered pizza for the whole crew from Flipper's when we got back and I took the two little girls swimming in the meantime. Sonny Boy was too busy playing with his Stitch toys to be bothered, and Elisa was being cuddled and adored by DBIL who just might be good at his upcoming Dad gig. I just wish he did more than deliver pizzas and play in a band for a living.

The pirate pool was a huge hit with Little Tink who quickly befriended another girl her age and in no time they were sliding and splashing as if no one else existed. Bitty Princess, on the other hand, had blue lips from the time she entered the water even though it was pretty warm that day. With great determination, she went down one of the pirate ship slides because her big sister was doing it. She hated all the spraying water, was shivering violently, and got flipped onto her tummy halfway down the slide so that she landed at the bottom with a face full of water. I scooped her up and had the following conversation with her:

Me: Good job! You went down the slide!
BP: Yep!
Me: Was it fun?
BP: Yep!
Me: Wanna do it again?
BP: NO!

Then she let MeMe wrap her in a towel and take her back to the room, which is what we had been trying to talk her into doing since she entered the water and started shivering immediately. After Bitty Princess left, Little Tink let me know my presence was no longer required either. She had made a friend, they had things to do and a pirate ship to explore, and I was free to go find Daddy. Well, considering the fact she isn't even 7 yet and doesn't swim well on her own, that wasn't going happen. But, I did have to force myself to pull back a bit. As a mom of four children under the age of 7, that's not something I'm good at. So, I sat at the edge of the pool watching her play and feeling a little wistful about how fast all my kids are growing. Fortunately, Daddy came and let me know the pizza had arrived before I had worked myself into yet another pity party, so I rounded up Little Tink and we had lunch. Flipper's pizza is either really good, or I was really hungry. Either way, if you are staying in the Orlando/Sea World area I highly recommend it.

After lunch, I let the kids open their next gifts from the Fairy Godmother. For the girls, two Cinderella dresses and a knight costume for Sonny Boy in preparation for Cinderella's Gala Feast at the Grand Floridian. They played dress-up while DH and I snuck away to the Premium Outlets for a little shopping. The initial plan had been to go to Downtown Disney, but I was still a little wary after last night. So we went to their merchandise liquidation store instead. After getting lost twice and accidentally driving back onto Disney property, we finally found the place. I got a few Christmas presents for the folks back home and then it was time to go back and get ready.

I have to admit, in spite of all my "this is my LAST trip to WDW" ranting of the night before, I still felt the old excitement welling up inside as we arrived at the hotel. DH dropped us off at the front, and the kids and I took a lot of delight in exploring the lobby. We had been here before, but never at Christmas. Little Tink oohed and aahed at the tree and gingerbread house "just like in the show with Samantha Brown!" I took lots of pictures, and the piano player seemed to supply our background music as he played "So This is Love," while my little girls spun around in their Cinderella finery. The magic was back!

After a lot of parking lot confusion, our party managed to assemble before our PS time and we got checked in. We had a bit of a wait, but again, Little Tink made some friends in the waiting area (which was full of adorable Cinderellas) and it passed quickly. Sonny Boy got lots of attention for his knight outfit, but he doesn't care for a lot of fuss and I had to work to keep him in costume. Once we were seated, the eating began. The kids stuck to mac and cheese until they discovered my strawberry soup. At one point, our server asked if I knew they were eating my food. I said I had four kids and I never got food to myself anymore. The food was OK, though I would have been happy just to eat that wonderful soup and a roll. To set a good example, I also had some chicken and veggies.

Of course, we were really there to see Cinderella and after some fun interaction with Suzy, Perla, and Prince Charming; the moment arrived. As Cindy came our way, Little Tink grabbed my sleeve and said "Mommy, I'm so happy that I'm crying!" Yep! The magic was back!
To my surprise, Bitty Princess got shy and just stood there staring at her hero. Sonny Boy wanted nothing to do with "girly stuff," so Little Tink enjoyed the most interaction. Once Cinderella left, we started packing up to go. Then, Bitty Princess discovered a "baby Cinderella" (or really just a little girl about 6 mos. younger) and I snapped pictures as they danced in their dresses with Little Tink. Why all the trips to Disney? Well, that's a big part of it right there.

We missed the Fairy Godmother in the Lobby, but still called the evening a success. I suggested to Little Tink that we wait for Daddy to pull the car around rather than walking to the parking lot because she had on her dress-up shoes. She insisted she could walk and learned her first lesson in why Mommy is usually right. Fresh from my "Parenting with Love and Logic" class, I thought she should walk the whole way. DH felt sorry for her though, and carried her the rest of the way to the car. We got back to the hotel and quickly urged the kids into bed, tomorrow we were hitting to parks in earnest and I was ready!

The Trip Pt. 5

Cast of Characters

Me- WDW nut who just may love planning trips more than taking them
DH-reluctant escort who I think may enjoy WDW more than he lets us know
Little Tink- almost 7 year-old WDW vet and budding park commando like mom
Sonny Boy-4 year-old "Stitch" fan who acts a lot like 626
Bitty Princess-2 year-old Diva
Baby Girl-6 month old along for the ride
MeMe-My mom and doting grandmother
PaPa-my Dad and mentor in vacationing 'commando-style'
DSis-My youngest sis, pregnant on the trip, wed last July
DBIL-Sis' new husband, an unknown quantity, and birthday boy this trip

When we left off, it was around 5:30 p.m. We had just finished eating at the Plaza Restaurant and were headed to early seats at Mickey's 'Twas the Night Before Christmas show, which I had been told by several people was "not to be missed". To get there, we had to pass Stitch's Great Escape and Buzz Lightyear's Space Ranger Spin and that's when all my plans for the evening went out the window. Once Sonny Boy had seen Buzz and Stitch, there was no way he wanted to sit through a show-and he let us know it. Acknowledging that it was his vacation to, we walked onto Buzz. It was a big hit! Sonny Boy, DH, and Little Tink really got into it. They were blasting Zurg and his evil minions left and right. With Baby Girl on my lap, I couldn't really shoot very well, but loved watching the kids have fun. I'm not sure what any of the scores were, but, as usual, DH beat us all easily. Unfortunately, this little side-trip ruined our chances of seeing the first show. Even with the nonexistent wait time for Buzz, it goes without saying that there were no seats left when we got there. At Sonny Boy's insistence, we decided to go over and see Stitch's Great Escape, then see the next show. Neither DH, Little Tink, DSis nor I were too impressed by Stitch, but Sonny Boy LOVED it and that made it worth seeing. I wish I had remembered we would exit through a gift shop. Even more, I wish I had remembered to bring the kids' money along that evening. Either way, it was one unpleasant exit. We promised we would be returning to the parks at least twice more during the coming week for his shopping convenience. Sonny Boy just didn't believe us.

Baby Girl seemed hungry, so I tucked myself away in the old Baby Swap area from when it was the Alien Encounter show (like you were EVER going to drag me on that) and almost everyone else went to ride TTA. Unfortunately, some members of our party slipped off for a cigarette, and others couldn't find their way back to our spot after exiting the ride. (PaPa and DBIL namely, I love my Dad but navigation is not a strong point for him and DBIL was new to the parks.)

By the time we got our entire party together, the second show was standing-room only. We decided to stay and watch from the back. In retrospect, it was a good show. At the time, I felt very guilty as if I was making my whole family stand for a 25 minute show just because I wanted to see it. To make matters worse, an elderly man and his party of 6 shoved their way in front of my children just as the show was starting. Nice. Each of us picked up a kid, tried to keep their heads level with ours in case there were people behind us (I was smashed between PaPa, DH, and DBIL, and truly could not see behind me past them). If I had it to do over, I would have sent DH and Sonny Boy off to ride Buzz while obtaining FP's for all of us to do it again after the show. DH can take or leave shows and so can Sonny Boy. Oh well, live and learn...

After that, Tomorrowland was PACKED! We could barely move, so we navigated our way over to the path to ToonTown and headed in that direction. ToonTown was EMPTY! We could breathe again. Bitty Princess had her first ride on Goofy's Barnstormer accompanied by her older siblings, me, DH, and PaPa. We could have gone again when the ride stopped,but I wanted to see Mickey's House. On all our other trips, I hadn't done that. It was very cute. Then the older kids went to see Minnie's house and Bitty Princess spotted Max and Goofy Santa. She begged to go meet them, but changed her mind when her turn came. I went over and found DSis wearing a new Tigger hat and standing in line to meet him in person. I was glad she was having fun. I imagine the hike from Tomorrowland wasn't too great for a pregnant woman, though she reassured me she preferred it to dodging the big crowds in Tomorrowland. Little Tink came out and was thrilled to meet Max and Goofy, so we went and got pictures. She gave me a hard time about forgetting the autograph books. Oops!

From there, we went into an almost empty Fantasyland with one goal, to see Philarmagic. This was a big hit with everyone and something I can't wait to do again! It definitely lives up to its hype.

The first parade was coming through when we exited, so we were unable to get good spots for the next castle show or Wishes yet. I misjudged the parade route and we got stuck in Liberty Square with the kids freaking out that they were missing the parade. (our plan was to see it from the edge of Main Street and leave once it passed) We tried to reassure them there would be another one, but they didn't buy it. There was only one strategy left to regain peace in the valley. Hot cocoa and cookie time! That perked everyone but Sonny Boy right up. He, as he often does, continued to throw a fit and began listing all the things he hated about our evening. Being a mom that wants to plan the "perfect" trip, and having already thrown off my "perfect" schedule to pacify him, I wanted to cry too. I realized at that point we were never going to get our picture taken and I had missed out on buying any of the special pins for that evening either. I think this was our lowpoint. After the parade, we decided just to stay at the tables we had found for Wishes and prayed we could still see it. It turns out that we could. Nothing like Jiminy Cricket and some fireworks to bring the magic back to our group. Even Sonny Boy was smiling at the end.

After Wishes, we tried to see the Castle show, but there was no getting close enough. MeMe, DSis and I would have liked to see it, but Sonny Boy and Little Tink didn't mind. After scanning the still-large crowd, DH suggested we find parade seats early, get some goodies from Casey's, and "just chill" until the second parade. We set ourselves up by another family and spent the most pleasant part of the evening chatting with people around us while we took turns getting food and souvenirs. The parade really did make the evening worth it-even Sonny Boy loved it, though he told me he didn't. Fortunately, DBIL was sitting with him on the curb and gave me a report later of how excited he was-especially to see Stitch and Santa together and that he called out "Hey Stitch! I just saw your show!" Bitty Princess waved excitedly at the Princesses and her beloved "Awice." (Alice) As tired as I was, as disappointed as I was about the picture and the pin, I couldn't help but get into the spirit of it too. It really is like no other parade in my opinion.

After the parade, we left. Sonny Boy was over-the-moon to ride the monorail. Unfortunately, my Dad held up traffic while exiting the ramp at TTC. Since Bitty Princess was sound asleep and he stopped mid-traffic to buckle her in the stroller so she didn't fall out on her head when we went down the steep ramp. I agree that he stopped in the wrong spot to do that, but I was literally trapped behind him as crowds swarmed on either side. Since he wasn't paying attention to their requests to move, two CM's began yelling at me instead. Not suggesting it, but really screaming at me. I had no argument with them, but flattened by crowds against my Dad, I couldn't do much. I tried to explain that, but they just kept screaming. Finally, DBIL told them to give me a break. (You know, he just might be my favorite BIL-shh! Don't tell the other two.) About that time, Bitty was fastened and they shouted a sarcastic "thank you" at us as we finally started walking. Was all that screaming really necessary? I don't think so. I really wish my Dad had pulled off to the side for the buckling, but as I watched her limp sleeping body bounce around in the stroller, I was glad she was strapped in safely. I wish I had told the CM's to bite me.

Between Sonny Boy telling me he had an awful time because I forgot his money, my own disappointment over missing out on the pins, and skipping most of the shows due to crowds, not to mention the screaming CM's; I was beginning to think this whole trip idea was a bad one and that maybe we should go home early...
(don't worry-it gets better)

The Trip Pt. 4

Cast of Characters

Me- WDW nut who just may love planning trips more than taking them
DH-reluctant escort who I think may enjoy WDW more than he lets us know
Little Tink- almost 7 year-old WDW vet and budding park commando like mom
Sonny Boy-4 year-old "Stitch" fan who acts a lot like 626
Bitty Princess-2 year-old Diva
Baby Girl-6 month old along for the ride
MeMe-My mom and doting grandmother
PaPa-my Dad and mentor in vacationing 'commando-style'
DSis-My youngest sis, pregnant on the trip, wed last July
DBIL-Sis' new husband, an unknown quantity, and birthday boy this trip

The next day was wonderful. We got to sleep in while MeMe and PaPa entertained the kids. They opened their first gifts from the "Fairy Godmother" which were a PVC set of Stitch figures for Sonny Boy, the WDW playset that was $6 on clearance at Toys 'R Us.com (thanks DIS Budget Board!) for Little Tink, and the Cinderella Carousel set that goes with it for Bitty Princess. DH and I relaxed, watched the big screen TV, and rested up after our long drive. Tonight was Mickey's Very Merry Christmas Party, and we were very excited. It's a party held after the park closes for a limited number of people (or so we thought) with special shows and the same parade they broadcast on Christmas Day. The evening couldn't come soon enough
Once we got unpacked and DSis "fixed" my fingertip with her liquid bandage stuff, she and I cleaned up a bit at the condo (since we were both staying at Mom and Dad's place and they wouldn't accept any $$ from us for it, we decided to make it up in housekeeping). Then, we started getting the kids ready. We brought jackets, but it turns out I brought more cold weather clothes than we needed for the week. Oh well, like I was going to complain about that.

At about 3:45 we headed for the Magic Kingdom! My heart leapt when we drove under the "Welcome" sign. I was so happy to be back and this time Little Tink and Sonny Boy really recognized where we were too. (that's part of the fun of returning as the kids get older-they are aware of more each time). We pulled into the parking lot and were on a tram. Again, I was just so happy to be there and to see how excited the kids were. It was nice to have all the adults on hand to help when it was time to get off the tram. Sonny Boy was excited to see the monorail, but DSis wanted to take the boat across. I'm not sure why, but I got some great shots of the park from the front of it and the older kids went to the boat's upper-level with DSis and DBIL. My parents each occupied themselves with one of the remaining two kiddos, so DH and I had a moment to stand there together without worrying about the kids. It was nice.
We got off the boat and MeMe, PaPa, DSis, and DBIL said they needed to go to Guest Services. They told us not to worry, and that they would meet us in front of the Plaza Restaurant in time for our 4:45 PS.
We proceeded through the gate and to the restaurant, I'm smiling now just remembering how neat is was to see Main Street all dressed up for Christmas. I never had before this trip.

We got the the Plaza and were soon joined by DSis and DBIL. All they had to do was change their vouchers for park hoppers. Then they broke the news MeMe and PaPa had been hiding from me. I knew MeMe's overnight bag had been stolen at the Orlando airport, but I did not know that her MVMCP tickets were in it! None of us thought Guest Services could do much to help them, and I was telling the CM at the Plaza to reduce our Priority Seating number by 2 when, to my great relief, we were joined by my parents! Not only did Guest Services come through, they did it quickly. Pixie dust abounded, we all felt much better, and we were seated not long afterwards.

The Plaza was a bit more crowded and noisy than I'm told it usually is (it was our first time), but still nice. We had two servers and they were both very sweet. DH had the Cheese steak sandwich and a milkshake. I had salad and water. (I was trying to be good) My salad was fine, but I wanted his dinner! He compensated by letting me finish his milkshake. Baby Girl was a big hit with our server and it was mutual because she let her pick her up and carry her around the table. Baby Girl has a lot of separation issues, so I was impressed. After pregnant DSis satisfied her ice cream craving with a lot of help from my kids, we headed into Tomorrowland. This is where "the best laid plans" began to go awry...