Weekend Update

As overwhelming as keeping up with the kids, the house, and a new job at church have been; I have to admit that this weekend wasn't too shabby. On Saturday we took the kids to a birthday party and had the pleasure of visiting with a lot of our old friends from where we used to go to church. I miss them and it was great to see them. My parents met us at our house a few hours later and watched the kids while Dave and I went to a Carole King concert at the Zoo Amphitheatre. I guess it's odd that we went while my parents stayed home, but Dad doesn't do concerts and I still love them.

She put on a good show. I knew I liked just about everything she sings, but I didn't realize she had written so many more of the songs I love. I do resolve not to buy anymore tickets online, though. We had close seats, but spent most of the evening peering around a support beam on stage to see her playing the piano. Fortunately, I go into a bit of a trance when I hear good music, so the fact that I couldn't see her well only bothered me on occasion. The drunk idiots to the left of me bothered me more. I'm not opposed to people drinking in general, even if I don't do it myself. But, when you pay $50 or more for a concert ticket in an outdoor venue, why would you get so wasted that you risk severe dehydration AND you won't remember much about the show? Not to mention, you make it unpleasant for everyone else around you. Besides, it was not a wild show. She played the piano and sang, and we listened. Still, I had a great time.

Among all the old favorites, she sang a new song she has co-written with Paul Williams who I know as the composer of one of my all-time favorite songs "The Rainbow Connection." (He also has a cameo in The Muppet Movie-just so you know.) She also did her new version of "Where You Lead, I Will Follow" a' la the Gilmore Girls. Very nice! I was shocked to hear she was 63! She didn't look or act like it. I wouldn't have believed it, but she told us onstage, and why would it benefit her to lie? She is also very involved in the USO and dedicated "So Far Away" to the troops in Iraq. Who knew? Not me. Barry Switzer was at the concert in the VIP section and she actually got him to sing along (from his seat, but facing the crowd) when she sang "Natural Woman." He was a pretty good sport about it. I don't care what the media says, I'll always love Barry. I went to elementary school with his kids-they got no special treatment back then. He must have made thousands for our PTA, he was always showing up for fundraisers and donating autographed pictures and footballs. Don't believe all the bad press, he is a good guy.

After such a good night, I was dreading Sunday. As I mentioned, I have a new job. I teach 5 and 6 year-olds. That's not really my strong suit. I did fine in the church nursery, I thrived teaching anyone from ages 12 and up, but elementary school kids in large groups aren't my favorite. This class in particular is difficult. They gave it to me because I was new and they didn't think I would know any better. But I already did. The last two weeks were rotten, but today was a little bit better. For one, I am used to dealing them after three weeks, AND I am in love with the one little girl in the class. She's adorable. The three boys still run wild, but on the advice of their previous teacher, I set up a table in the class and seated them around it. In our tiny classroom, they lost all their space to run around and get into trouble. Class went much faster today. I guess I have done so much crying to God about this that He is helping me to be more patient just so I'll quit bothering Him with my complaints. For that, I am very grateful. I didn't like dreading Sundays, and I've found myself doing that since my first day in that classroom.

After church, I got the rare treat of a little nap then we had my parents over for dinner and a movie. This week it was "The Other Side of Heaven" which apparently doesn't hit me as hard when I'm not hormonal. I still liked it though, and so did Mom and Dad. I like these mainstream movies about life as a missionary that give my parents an idea of what I did in Italy for 18 mos. without hitting them over the head with deep religious doctrine. "The Best Two Years", "Singles' Ward", and "God's Army" have been popular Sunday viewing with the folks here too. I personally can't wait for the next movie installment of "The Work and the Glory," but I'm not sure when it's due to be released. The books motivated my mother and I to go to Nauvoo back in 2000. It's nice when we can all get along and watch a movie without arguing. I suppose I should thank all these LDS screenwriters for making that possible, but I'm just too jealous. Maybe someday it will be my turn.

Until then, I'm just glad I had a good weekend with a minimum of hormonal outbursts, temper-tantrums, and pee-pee puddles. May next week be as good! Too bad there's not another concert.

Could It Be...PMS?

As my last post can attest, I've been a bit sensitive and grouchy lately. I thought it might be PMS when I watched "Legacy" and couldn't stop crying, but argued I with myself that it really was a very good movie for a church production. It told a good story taken from actual personal experiences in church history and it did so without the usual moral high-handedness and the cheesy sentimentality usually attached to films made by the church. (OK, there is a bit of cheesy sentimentality, but I forgive it.) Then, when "The Other Side of Heaven" made me cry, I was again torn between whether or not it was PMS or high-quality film-making that brought on the tears. But when I had to grab the tissues because Jackie and Roseanne won the lottery, I prayed it was something hormonal.

After years of being pregnant and nursing, I guess I'll have to get used to this whole monthly-cycle thing all over again. Was it always this much of a pain in the rear (not to mention the lower back)? While I would have killed Dave for suggesting it, it turns out that this lousy week can all be chalked up to PMS. Next month, I think I'll take up the practice long abandoned by our forbearers and hide myself in a cave, no children or husbands allowed. Anyone know of such a place?

The Princess and the Potty

Yesterday was not a good day. I could post about my little meltdown at my sister's last night which was the culmination of a day spent wiping up puddles of pee (Caroline is potty training), trying to get my son to do at least one thing he was told to do, finding every last trash can in the house full when I tried to throw something away, discovering that Dave had made a huge mess in the closet I spent an hour organizing on Friday in the 30 seconds he spends each afternoon getting ready for work, dealing with a non-functioning dishwasher, and realizing I had left a load of clothes in the wash since Saturday night. I could post about how I then lured my kids over to my sister's house for a much-needed break in the form of a Mary Kay party with the promise of seeing their cousins only to get there and discover they had been whisked away by her MIL. No doubt she was doing my sister a big favor, but me...not so much. And, trust me, if she can accomplish both in one action-it's a good day for her. My kids were disappointed about it, to say the least, and rather vocal in their displeasure. Lucky me. It's a good thing I wasn't going to go on and on about my bad day, isn't it? (hee! hee!)

Well, by the time Dave got home, the three older kids were still awake and blatantly ignoring my requests to go to sleep. I was in tears over the fact that I have too many children and too much house to take care of all at once. Dave's mere presence seemed to scare them into sleeping though, and he and I stayed up way too late watching the original version of "The Goodbye Girl" which was even better than I remembered it. Things were looking up.

I'm happy to say that today has been better. TOday we discovered that book among books, "The Princess and the Potty." To be just like "the princess," Caroline has only had one accident as of this writing-as opposed to only one success yesterday. The kids have behaved themselves much better, and the check Aunt March sent finally cleared the bank. If you have a little girl, this book just might be the key to your success as it was to ours. I just hope she keeps it up, since the whole mood of our 'palace' seems to be dictated on her ability to "peep in the potty." (that's how she says it, isn't that cute?)

I Want My HGTV (and my Food TV too!)

So is it a sign that I'm aging when I prefer those channels to MTV or even VH1? Don't answer that! Since we moved into the dream house, I just love watching these channels. My absolute favorite is Mission: Organization, but I enjoy Decorating Cents and Divine Design-though the former is much more friendly to my budget to the latter. On FoodTV, I've discovered the cooking genius of both Sandra Lee and Rachel Ray. Obviously, I don't get to watch these shows all week long, but they are my new obsession now that we are mid-way through summer reruns. I didn't realize how much these shows were rubbing off on me until last night when I served my (or actually, Marie Calendar's) Mexican casserole along with an attractive dollop of sour cream scooped into a serving bowl complete with a tortilla chip placed in the serving bowl for attractiveness. My kids were unimpressed by both the casserole and the artful sour cream presentation. Oh well...They must be gleaning something from Mission: Organization. Natalie spent today cleaning her room then presented me with a box of stuff she wants to get rid of-YES! Of course, of her million toys, she only managed to part with about 10. But, it is a start.

On other fronts, I got one of my normal nagging phone calls from "Aunt March" today asking me where my mother was then scolding me for not knowing. Didn't I know she was off the play bridge and needed to find my mother first?! So, all things seem normal on that front. I was never so relieved to get an annoying phone call from her in my life. And, believe me, she makes sure I never lack for them.

Oh boy! Dave has the kids in their evening baths. I wonder if HGTV shows repeat episodes late at night...

Say Goodnight Not Goodbye

Many of you know I have an elderly "Aunt March" of sorts who is rather well-off and helped my family out considerably while my Dad tried to bridge that gap of PhD grad to job-holder in the real world. She got wealthy the old-fashioned way, hard work and thrift. It didn't hurt that her husband, my late Uncle Johnny, was planning on a career as an investment banker before serious injuries in WWII left him paralyzed and wheelchair bound for life. Considered unemployable in the 1940's, he invested from home using his gut instincts and his Wall Street Journal. She worked daily at the phone company earning the paychecks he invested. They netted a small fortune and they did it the old-fashioned way.

She is fussy, she is demanding, and having lived her life childless; she does drive me crazy with her parenting advice. But, I love her and she is my last living connection to my great-grandmother who died in 1996. While she has supported my family in the past, paid off the mortgage on my previous home, and bought me a car as a college-graduation gift; she is not generally over-frivolous or too generous with her money. She will send $100 here and there, especially when the kids are having a birthday, but early this evening she summoned my Dad to her house. A couple of hours ago he gave me a check made out to me from her that made my jaw drop. I'm told each of my sisters received one too.

I'm grateful for the money, but I just can't get past the feeling that the grand dame is just getting her affairs in order before she leaves us. If I give the money back, can I keep her a little longer? I know it doesn't work that way, and, that at 95 years old, she has more friends on the other side. I just want a little more time and you can't put a price on that.

Forgot to Mention...

We sold our house last week! I am still in shock. It didn't get listed until July 7th, but by July 17th we had finished haggling over the price and signed all the papers necessary until we close in mid-August. We brought our buyers up $9,000 from their original offer and we came down $3,000 from our first counter offer. We won't clear too much profit this way, but we sold the house in 10 days for $6,000 more than we paid three years ago. (the small profit comes when you subtract out the realtor percentage) Wow! It still doesn't seem real, but we are very happy with the outcome. I hope our buyers will be good neighbors. Our little street and all its college 'party houses' could use that.

Harry Potter and the Magic Number

As I mentioned previously, I have already purchased and finished the latest Harry Potter book. I'm still in mourning over both the events in the book and the fact that I'm already finished with it. I tried to go slowly, really I did, it just didn't happen. If I believed JK Rowling were a witch (picture me rolling my eyes here), I would swear she had cast a spell on her books that compels readers to be completely obsessed with them until they hit the words "the end." The truth of it is, she's just that talented as a writer. Kinda makes writer wanna-be's like me want to jump off a bridge, but I think I'll put that off until I've read Book 7. How long until that one comes out?

I didn't discover the HP books until the summer Book 4 came out. To my great chagrin, Dave pre-ordered Book 5 from Amazon as a "surprise", and I missed out on the release parties I was so looking forward to. (I guess I could have gone anyway, but really what was the point?) This time, I made sure to find a party. It was at Border's. I don't know why I wanted to do this so badly. I'm not big on crowds, and the place was packed. Natalie, however, had a ball. She played games, earned galleons, got her face painted, and traded those galleons in for a sparkly wand. I'm glad I brought her. My best friend Chris and my sister Selena were also there. Because we didn't pre-order before July 5th, Chris had to put our names on a waiting list first thing Friday morning. We giggled like the 12 year-olds we still are on the inside when our number on that list was 69! Yes, we are pitiful-I can't speak for Chris, but I giggled many times about it throughout the day while Dave merely rolled his eyes and asked me how old I was. It's not his fault, he just doesn't understand the backstory; 69 is our lucky number.

When we were younger and used to go bowling every weekend, the winner was determined either by who scored the highest OR whoever bowled a 69. Since I stink at bowling, I won this way more than once. We always thought this very funny. And we often tried to be order number 69 at various take-out places or to pick it in numbered parking lots. And I suppose it's easy to discern that from our immature amusement at using the number, none of us were really familiar with doing anything related to what it represents. And you would be correct-we just liked to say it and laugh.

So, when Chris arrived at the store and checked in, we giggled like school girls to see our number in print on the ticket they handed us. And of course we had to call our pal John (who had usually bowled at least a 69 by the 4th frame and never won that way) and tell him all about it. He lives in Dallas now, but comes to visit every once in awhile and yes, we still go bowling. He had the nerve to make fun of us for being geeks at a Harry Potter party while HE was home watching baseball on TV. I think that brings the geek contest to a draw, don't you? He congratulated us on our 'winning number,' scolded me for having my seven year-old out until midnight, then relented because it was for Harry Potter. Had he been with us, it would have been just like old times (only we would have been going to the movies to see whatever summer blockbuster we loved for the umpteenth time, chasing each other around with cap guns, or hanging out at Uncle Jeffy's-and not with Natalie in tow because she didn't exist yet), but having him on the cell phone was better than no John at all.

While we thought it was oh-so-appropriate for us to have the number 69, we didn't think it determined our place in line. After all, most of these people had reserved their copies of the book at least two months in advance and had arrived at the book store much earlier that we had that night. So, imagine our shock when midnight approached and they called ticket numbers 1-75 to get in line. The guy lining us up assured us that #69 did indeed give us a place in that first group. Feeling a little giddy, we got in line and began laughing to the families in front of and behind us about our little coup. It turns out, we shouldn't have done this. The lady in front had #170 and the man behind us was #415. Both had pre-ordered as soon as they could and both had lined up with us in hopes of line-crashing. They all hated us when we told them not only had we not pre-ordered, but that we had been issued our number first thing this morning and only had to pick it up when we arrived and checked in earlier that evening. I thought we were going to get beat-up, I'm not kidding. The man behind us said in a scary voice "that doesn't seem fair" and the lady in front of us was protesting as we received our books and paid for them because they wouldn't let her buy her books before her number group was called. I didn't hear the whole argument but the words "but THEY didn't pre-order" did echo as I cringed.

I should have felt bad, but I didn't, the little cringe notwithstanding. First of all, it's a book! It's a wonderful book, and one I have much anticipated, but still just a book. Second, it was purely the luck of the draw that this happened. Chris and I would have happily waited until the last book was issued if they had required it of us. I rarely have good luck like this and I am almost never pushy, so if fortune smiles on me a little here and there-then I'm all for it. We didn't lie, cheat, or line-crash to get our "golden" ticket (as Chris' husband called it) we just did.

So, surrounded by poor losers, we got our books and chatted with "Hagrid" (the staff was in costume) as we paid for them. He couldn't let us keep our number ticket, though we really wanted it. He was, however, sympathetically amused by our request. We walked happily to our cars and I had Natalie home by 12:30. Still many hours past her bedtime, but not nearly as bad as it could have been. When we got home so quickly, Dave asked how we did it. He had seen on the news that crowds were huge at the stores and didn't expect us for at least another hour. He rolled his eyes as I told him happily it was because 69 IS my magic number. I told you he just doesn't get it.

In Summary

I'm so glad I finally got the trip report finished so that I can move on with my regularly scheduled blogging. But first, some final thoughts on the trip:

First, spending time at Aunt P's is probably better as the concluding part of the trip because it is so relaxing. Also, as much as I hate a small carry-on bag with back-up toiletries and an outfit, I need to start packing one again. (I gave it up when security was tightened at airports because I dreaded the idea of that type of bag being searched in front of everyone at the checkpoint). Oh, and it's amazing how many cheap clothes and toiletries you can buy at Wal-Mart if you shop the clearance racks.

Disney hotels are worth the money for their atmosphere and convenience as long as you know where to stay. I loved Port Orleans. You pay a little more, but you save on parking if you want to drive to the parks. ($8 per day unless you are staying on property) I also recommend the use of a car over the bus service. We did busses only on our last trip and spent a lot more time waiting around than we did with the rental car this time. Because we were on property, we didn't use a lot of gas going from park to park either. Fortunately, Disney has accommodations to suit all price ranges. I haven't yet tried the campground (Ft. Wilderness) or any of the All-Star (budget) resorts, but I'm sure I will in the future.

To see parades and shows, get there early and, if you know in advance you are staying for the afternoon or evening parades, keep a beach towel in your bag to use as a seat. Not only does it keep you off the ground, it gives your family's seating area some definition to ward off the encroachers that practically sit on your lap. Other tote bag necessities are band-aids, baby wipes, some type of little snack, fold-up rain ponchos and if there's room-bottled water. Sunglasses and ball caps are nice to have too. (and you want to get most of that at places like Wal-Mart or Dollar Store before you go, not when you are on Disney property). The nice thing about going with no stroller is obviously that you don't have to drive it through the crowds, the drawback is there is no big basket to pile your stuff in as you tire of carrying it.

The edge of Main Street is the best place to view both parades. If the parade starts in Frontierland, you can actually show up after it starts and still see it from there. (afternoon parade strategy) If it starts on Main Street, you want to get there 30-45 minutes early, but then you are part of that first group out of the park. (obviously, a good exit strategy) Parade waits are always better with a snack and a drink whether you buy one or bring one yourself. I'm told the afternoon parade at Animal Kingdom begins and ends in Africa, and that you can get a good spot there to see it end after it has passed through there the first time, but I haven't tried it yet for myself. Fantasmic is definitely not to be missed, and you probably do need to get there 45-60 minutes early. Make it a picnic dinner and you won't mind so much. Also, one Gameboy does help keep three girls happy during long waits, but three Gameboys probably would have been better. (I told MeMe and PaPa what I thought they should give Queenie and Lady Capulet for Christmas-hee hee!)

I would definitely allow at least five, and preferably, six days to see the four parks. That leaves time for lots of rest breaks and other non-Disney related outings, and you don't leave feeling that you've barely scratched the surface of what you wanted to do. Their new ticket pricing makes that affordable with just two to three dollars price difference between the number of days you stay. The feature I dislike about the new tickets is that now you pay extra to go from park-to-park on the same day. I bought that option this trip because that's how I preferred to visit the parks on previous trips. We did use that option two or three times on the trip, but next time I think I will skip it and save myself $30.

Finally, I have learned that no matter how many neat shampoos and home remedies there are for head lice, nothing works better than a bright light and a fine-toothed comb. Unfortunately. My nieces are now sporting much shorter 'do's, but Natalie and Caroline preferred the comb-out torture. Lucky me. That was one childhood rite of passage I could have done without this summer.

So now I'm caught up and to catch you all up, as I've written these reports I have applied for a job at a museum in OKC (I'd be happy just to get an interview), started teaching the six-year olds at church (not my favorite, but not as terrible as I thought it would be), purchased the Harry Potter book at a release party (good story there, maybe I'll blog about it tomorrow) and finished it. Don't worry-no spoilers from this blog!

The Trip Pt. 19-The Big Finish

After a big fun evening of packing suitcases and picking through hair with a fine-tooth comb, I determined that neither Queenie nor Natalie had any bugs as of yet, and that I didn't know how I was EVER getting rid of Lady Capulet's. I was frustrated to say the least, and more than a little glad to go home and make it her mother's problem instead of mine. (though I was pretty sure with all the close contact between her and Lady Capulet, I would have my own problems once we got home.)

We spent the next morning loading the car, charging the cell phone, Palm Pilot, and the Gameboy; and loading unnecessary items into the car. At around 2:30 p.m., we made our final trip over to the Magic Kingdom. I had learned a little parade trick during our last visit, and wanted to see if it would still work during the busier season at the park. If you read my last trip report, you know that when we arrived at the park at around 3:30, we were sure we had missed the 3 o'clock parade, only to see it coming right at us at the relatively uncrowded front part of the park as it concluded. So, I tried it again and again it worked! It was very hot, though. But, with bottled water, spray fans, and a parade passing; the girls didn't complain too much.

Immediately after the parade, we got fast passes for Space Mountain and spent the rest of the day fighting massive crowds. As empty as the Magic Kingdom was on Saturday (which was a huge surprise), it was jam-packed on Sunday. (yeah, yeah, I know...let it be a lesson to me, and believe me it was) There were three hours before our fast pass time return, and we didn't accomplish much in that time. We rode the Astro Orbiter (which I usually avoid because I hate being up so high), Goofy's little roller coaster in ToonTown (during which I refereed MANY spats while we waited in line), the spinning tea cups, and we waited for yet another cancelled showing of Cinderellabration. (Poor Natalie, it just wasn't meant to be on this trip) Finally, our fast pass time came up!

I LOVE Space Mountain. It is possible my favorite roller coaster and has been since my friend Joy and I took a bus trip to California our senior year in college to visit Disneyland. (Bus trip? Yes, and I don't know what we were thinking either.) However, I have been anxious about letting Natalie ride it. She is tall enough, but very thin. The ride doesn't have a safety belt, just a lap bar, AND you ride it individually. I had these horrible visions of her flying out of the ride and tried to calm my nerves by sitting in the car just behind hers and holding onto her shoulders. (Yes, I know, I have some serious issues with 'letting go.') She was fine and loved the ride. I can't remember a less-enjoyable ride myself. She was fine and I'm sure the ride engineers know what they are doing when they set the height limits, but I'm still glad our next trip will be when she is a few years older and (hopefully) a few pounds heavier.

When we exited the ride into the gift shop it was POURING rain. (I guess they knew what they were doing when they cancelled the show) I was determined to wait out the rain there, but persistent cries of "Can I have..." finally convinced me we needed to get out of there. I realized that Stitch's Great Escape had a covered line and decided that no matter how long the stand-by wait time was, we were staying. When I saw that it was 45 minutes, I balked a little, but we had done everything else and I sure wasn't standing in another store with three girls who had bad cases of "the gimmies." I pulled out the Gameboy, timed their turns, and we waited it out. In the end, the older girls weren't too impressed with the show/ride, and it's not my favorite either. Natalie, on the other hand, loved it more than she did on our last visit.

We lined up for the early evening parade only for it to be (guess what?!) cancelled. So, we got some dinner at Cosmic Rays. It turns out that the $13 chicken and rib platter plus one $4 kids meal was enough to feed all four of us abundantly. That was probably our cheapest dinner of the trip. I wish I had figured that our sooner. After dinner, we were amazed to find a good fireworks viewing spot with a bench! It was wet, which is why it wasn't occupied. I'm glad I carry one of those small microfiber towels in my tote bag. Woo Hoo! We rested until the fireworks started. They were great, and we thought maybe grabbing some ice cream as we walked to the exit was how we would end our evening. Fortunately, we got one last sprinkling of pixie dust. As we exited the ice cream parlor, we heard that the later parade was definitely a go. Then, we found seats at the edge of Main Street (this meant good parade viewing AND a quick exit as the parade was still making it's way towards Frontierland).

The older girls tried to act 'cool' during both the day's parades, but you could tell they were getting into it. All I could think as I watched their happy faces was "Thank goodness I didn't wait another year to bring them!" Lady Capulet is teetering dangerously close to adolescence, and I'm glad to see that, if you show her a good parade and toss in an ince cream cone for good measure, there is still a little girl in there somewhere. And again, their enraptured faces convinced me that they won't look back on this as just "the head lice trip," though I'm sure someday we will look back on that and laugh. Just not any time soon.

We made it back to the car with a minimum of crowd trouble thanks to our good parade spot. At about 11:30 p.m., it was no trick to get the girls in bed after some more combing and hair checks. We got up the next morning and did our final loading before grabbing a late breakfast at the Food Court. I found the airport with little trouble and turned in the rental car. We lugged all our junk into the check-in desk and got to the gate with lots of time to spare just like I like it. The girls were a little bummed that because I was with them, they didn't get to pre-board, but excited to get to sit together on the plane.

The flight was uneventful. I finished The Divine Secrets of the Ya Ya Sisterhood and started Little Alters Everywhere (loved the former, not so keen on the latter). We got to baggage claim and didn't see Dave yet. When he did stroll through the doors, he was a lot better-looking than I remembered and I can't say enough about how nice it was to have another adult to talk to. All in all it was a worthwhile trip, but I certainly am glad to be home.

P.S. Elisa remembered me-just like everyone promised!

The Trip Pt. 17-The Magical Magic Kingdom

Lady Capulet insisted on shampooing again with that nasty lice killer, even though I was worried about its effect on her hair. I combed out as much as I could find the evening before, and we did it again for good measure the following morning. I'm sure the truly responsible thing to do would have been to keep us all in the room until her hair was perfectly nit-free, but this was our last full day in the parks. For those of you familiar with real "nit-picking," you know I would have had to extend the trip by at least a week before her head was truly clear. So, I combed out everything I could, pulled her hair back, gave her a hat and silently asked the other park guests for forgiveness. Then, we went to the Magic Kingdom.

If you miss the park opening at every other park, don't miss it here. It was very well-done and fun for the kids. Even Lady Capulet liked it. Today we were following that Unofficial Tour plan to the letter. That meant our first stop was Dumbo. We were in line less than 10 minutes-another welcome first for a Disney trip. (it's a slow-cycle ride with very limited capacity and the ride line grows very quickly) Then, we hit the Pooh ride, Snow White's Scary Adventure, Mickey's Philarmagic, and It's a Small World in rapid succession. The girls still love Pooh, I'm glad I waited until Natalie was older to start riding Snow White (it would have terrified her when she was little), Mickey's Philarmagic is still the neatest new attraction at the Magic Kingdom, AND you can see down to the bottom of the water in It's a Small World now! The girls were busy looking at the repainted and repaired dancing dolls while we rode while I just couldn't get enough of how clean the water was. This was only the third time I've ever been on that ride that I didn't use it as a chance to discreetly nurse a baby. I wonder what it's like to have a family full of older kids. I guess that's what lies ahead for me.

It sprinkled lightly while we went from ride to ride, but nothing too bad. After a ride on the carousel, it was time for the Haunted Mansion. They seem to have tweaked it a little since the movie came out, but it still isn't too scary. We went to get a fast pass for Splash Mountain and were pleasantly surprised by a short line. Again, it just wasn't wet enough for my nieces, but I was glad to have them instead of Tristan sitting in front of me this trip. (he ducked under the front of his seat and let me get soaked on a previous visit) We grabbed fast passes for the Big Thunder Mountain Railroad and went to Pecos Bill's for lunch. I've heard about their amazing burger 'fixin's' bar for a few years now, and I wanted to try it out. It did indeed live up to the hype. There were grilled onions, mushrooms, and any other regular condiment you could want on a burger.

We got there again at the magic hour of 11 a.m., and again we watched the place fill up while we ate. I wish we had grabbed a slice of the chocolate cream pie before we left, but I was feeling both budget and weight conscious and decided to go ride the roller coaster instead. All things considered, Lady Capulet and I had really earned a slice of that pie. Oh well, we would make up for it later.

We got to the ride five minutes before our fast pass time with only a fifteen minute stand-by wait. We decided to ride twice. Once in the regular line and once again with the last passes. Unfortunately, Natalie and I were seated in the very back and all the rattling around on the first ride was enough for her to skip a second one. I sent the older girls alone and handed my fast passes to the first couple I spotted. In another ten minutes, they were done and we were off the The Pirates of the Caribbean. As usual, it wasn't too crowded and it was lots of harmless fun. Before I knew it, we also had the Tiki Room and Aladdin's Magic Carpets finished too. And, of course, it was raining.

Natalie really wanted to see the new show at the castle, Cinderellabration. Since it was a light sprinkle, we waited outside the castle until they cancelled the show five minutes before it was due to start. Natalie was disappointed, but we still had tomorrow to try again. We detoured to the Main Street Bakery and the girls had dirt cups while I tried some cake. It was good stuff. After watching some glass-blowing in the crystal shop, we realized we had seen everything we wanted to that day, and it was still only 2 p.m. We decided to enjoy some small attraction rides in Tomorrowland before leaving. To my great delight, the Carousel of Progress was open. It never has been on a previous trip. It isn't a thrill-a-minute ride, but it is quintessential Disney. Next, we took a ride around Tomorrowland on the TTA (Disney's idea of what future transportation would be like) and finished up when we found a surprisingly short line for Buzz Lightyear's Space Ranger Spin. This ride goes slowly through a glow-in-the dark display of Emporer Zurg's headquarters while you shoot at little targets. Your score is posted in the ride vehicle and each one accomodates two shooters. I usually let whatever baby is on my lap do the shooting, so I was excited to try it for myself this trip. Lady Capulet is a better shot than me, but I didn't have the lowest score possible either. The girls had been a bit reluctant to stay and visit Tomorrowland, but were glad we did after Buzz. I decided to leave on a good note. We still had lots of packing and, unfortunately, nit-picking to do before bed that night. At least Lady Capulet was in a better mood after a magical day. I didn't want her to remember this trip only as "the head lice trip." I don't think she does.

The Trip Pt. 16-Creepy Crawlies-AAH!

After our wonderful afternoon at EPCOT, we went back to the hotel for showers and general lounging around before we planned to go back for the evening fireworks. I got showered quickly, then it was Lady Capulet's turn. I was dreading the work it would take to convince the other two to get cleaned up, when I heard the words I've dreaded since I saw the very special episode of Arthur dealing with it. "Aunt Melessa, my head itches. I think there are bugs in there." Picture me doing my best Luke Skywalker "NOOO" shout. Except I couldn't. After all, this was Lady Capulet who had them, and if I think I was traumatized, I had nothing on her. She was mortified. A very preliminary and reluctant exam proved she was right. I was now dealing with my very first case of head lice as a parent. I didn't know what to do-but I started with the basics. I stripped the beds, isolated the clothes, and called housekeeping for new sheets. As much as it killed me, I told them what the problem was because I felt they should know. They were very nice and didn't kick me off the premises. I gave them a huge tip.

Then, I gathered the girls and we went to the pharmacy. Lady Capulet refused to go inside and Queenie and Natalie pretended not to know me at the cash register. (it did spare me all the "can we buy this?" requests-that was a plus) As thoroughly disgusted as I was, I tried really hard to play it cool for Lady Capulet's sake. She was really upset. We went back to the hotel, and let the shampooing party begin. After what felt like hours of applying, rinsing, and combing; the results were that only Lady Capulet was affected. Poor kid. Of all three girls, she was the least likely candidate for something like this. I knew I hadn't been successful at completely de-lousing her. Her head was FULL-she said she had noticed the itching a few days earlier, but hadn't said anything. After over an hour of combing, I told her we could take a break.

I went to the food court pizza window and bought some over-priced pizzas and soda. There's nothing some old-fashioned junk food can't cure. Right? Well, it was the best we could do for that evening. I told her as long as we were careful, we certainly were not missing our next two days in the park. We had saved the Magic Kingdom for last...

The Trip Pt. 15-EPCOT Afternoon

Ahh! Sweet sleep-in day! No alarm clock, no wake-up call, no worries. Why is it then, that I woke up repeatedly around the time the alarm would have gone off? Mickey and Stitch didn't tell us to "GET MOVING" this morning, but we still didn't sleep too late. To keep the girls from getting to engrossed in morning TV, I indulged myself in a little Regis and Kelly rather than more Toon Disney. While we watched, we saw a woman win a trip to Aruba. Queenie's thought: "Why would anyone be happy about winning a trip where that girl disappeared and probably died?! She should have picked someplace else." (Indeed, the woman did land on the "pick your trip" space and could have picked another destination.) This is one of the many reasons why I love Queenie. She makes very astute observations and isn't afraid to speak up about them. Regis and Kelly was pre-empted a few times with weather reports and we decided to get to EPCOT sooner rather than later. Bob Sehlinger's Unofficial Guide recommends 1 p.m. for its EPCOT afternoon tour, but we opted for 11 a.m. in the hopes of avoiding the afternoon storms.

We got there just as they were opening the World Showcase. There were several characters lurking around with short lines for autographs. I asked the girls if they wanted to meet Pluto. After the Daisy debacle of a few days ago, they were reluctant, but since there was no line, I told them to go for it. I'm glad I did. This particular Pluto really hammed it up and played around until all the girls were laughing at him. The girls' faith in the characters was restored! Thanks Pluto! We made our way to Canada and, to my dismay, the pretzel breadstick stand wasn't open yet. I LOVE those. We had them for the first time on our last trip and I really wanted the girls to try them. I thought we might check again later, but we didn't get back that way before leaving. Oh well, in this family, there's always another Disney trip in the future. The girls nixed the Canada film, but did get pressed pennies in the gift shop. I got a collection of L.M. Montgomery's Christmas stories to go with Natalie's Anne of Green Gables collection back home. You have to love a $5 souvenir that you know will get used.

From Canada, we moved on to the United Kingdom. The girls each picked out a pin, then had a great time browsing through the old-style toy store and English gardens. We bought some authentic English "biscuits" to enjoy as a snack later that day. We passed on the fish-n-chips stand (too heavy) and crossed the bridge into France. I have to say that this was one of our more pleasant and relaxed days on the trip. The crowds weren't heavy, the weather was mild, and we weren't going at a frenetic pace from ride to ride. Again, it's probably a sign of age, but one of my favorite parts of a Disney trip is a nice stroll around the World Showcase. I recommend the early afternoon because it has just opened and most people are still busy with the headliner rides in the Future World part of the park.

In France, after much debate in the bakery, we settled on a lunch of bread, grapes, cheese, and chocolate croissants. Mmm! That was probably our best lunch of the trip. We looked around the perfume shop (a place I never dared venture with a stroller) and Belle's Library. Too bad I've never been in France at the same time as Belle and the Beast. I presume that's where they do character meet and greets. Then, we caught the boat back up to the front of the Showcase and went back into Future World. Our first stop was Honey I Shrunk the Audience. My Dad loves this show, but I could take or leave it. I knew it would scare Natalie, but because two of her school friends are also frequent Disney visitors, they had talked it up so much before she left that she just HAD to see it. So, we saw it, it hadn't changed and yep-it scared her. Oh well. Maybe next time she will be in favor of skipping it to ride Soarin' again.

After that, we checked the line at Spaceship Earth (the ride inside EPCOT's trademark "golf ball") and found it acceptably short. I like Spaceship Earth, but it's not exactly a thrill ride (it traces the history of communication) and I knew the girls would be mad if they waited too long to ride it. It was a walk-on, and for that, it passed muster with all three kids. This is the first time I've ever been on it without having at least one baby in my crew conk out for his or her afternoon nap. I was really starting to miss those babies at this point too.

We exited the ride and went towards The Living Seas pavilion which is basically a big aquarium with some new life infused into it since the release of Finding Nemo. I took the girls' picture at the Nemo exhibit outside, and was a bit surprised to find a line inside. It usually isn't so busy. Once we made it inside, it was packed. We saw the exhibits with all the Nemos, Marlins, Dorys, and Mr. Rays on display and took the obligatory photo of the girls being "eaten" by a big Bruce the shark on display. (and, because I'm nice, I photographed a few other families in the same pose) I wanted to take them to see Turtle Talk with Crush because I've heard it's really cute. Apparently, everyone else had heard that too because there was a 30-45 minute wait for a 20 minute question and answer period with an animated turtle. I asked the girls if they wanted to wait, but was really glad to hear they didn't.

Our last stop for the day was The Land pavilion because, for some reason, Natalie was dying to see the little Lion King themed movie about conservation. I knew the older girls wouldn't like it, but Natalie made it sound so cool that they wanted to try it. What could I do? As I guessed, there was no line to see it and we got right into the theatre. As I also guessed, Queenie and Lady Capulet were thoroughly bored with it. We grabbed a snack at the Sunshine Food Fair on the way out. (when I don't snack around the world, this is my favorite place for lunch) We sat on a bench outside, thinking we were going to leave when we finished our drinks. Then, a family appeared out of nowhere and asked if we had been on Mission Space yet.

As a matter of fact, we hadn't. On purpose. Any ride that comes with its own barf bag is probably more ride than I can handle. I had done a very good job of distracting the older girls from even seeing it. But now, as the family raved about how fun it was, it was all they could think about. Then, the family really lowered the boom. They gave us their fast passes. Not only did the girls know about the ride, I had also lost my "I would but the line is too long" excuse. I thanked the family nicely, and managed to smile until they disappeared into the crowds. Then, the great debate started...

Natalie absolutely didn't want to ride it and I wasn't feeling to good about it either. Of course, Queenie and Lady Capulet couldn't wait and after skipping the Rockin' Roller Coaster, a second ride on Tower of Terror, and Primeval Whirl; I hated to disappoint them-especially when the family thought they had done something really nice for us. So, we discussed back and forth how I couldn't leave Natalie alone, and didn't want two of the girls to wait for us alone either. Finally, Lady Capulet had a brilliant realization. "If you have to buy an adult ticket when you're ten years old, shouldn't you be able to ride alone like an adult?" She went on to point out that since she and Queenie would be in the fast pass line, it wouldn't be very long. They pointed out that there is a cast member about every 20 feet along the ride line, and they promised to scream, fight, and kick if anyone tried to abduct them. Then they told me I could meet them right at the exit. They should be lawyers. I was almost convinced, but we walked over to the Cast Member outside the ride line to discuss it further. He repeated everything the girls said almost verbatim and showed me right where to wait for them. What could I say? They had me-and I was glad. Just because Natalie and I are thrill ride wimps doesn't mean it should spoil the fun for her cousins who are made of tougher stock. (just like their mother) They grabbed their passes and disappeared quickly and happily. Natalie and I took up residence at the ride exit which was full of activities for small children and chickens like us. I called my sister to let her know what I had done, she was happy for the girls and probably proud of me for being able to let go just enough for them to do something they would really enjoy even though I wasn't right with them at the time. I know I surprised myself a little with the decision, in a good way. Still, I was relieved to see them when they came out and they were very happy too. I made them each a congratulatory pressed coin and probably would have bought them $7 ride pins I was so proud of them for riding and surviving. What they wanted instead was $3 space ice cream. I'm no dummy, so I bought it instead and told them we would snack on it back at the hotel. After such a nice afternoon, I thought nothing could bring us down, that's what I get for thinking...

The Trip Pt. 14-Fantasmic Redemption

We left Animal Kingdom and raced back to the hotel, but the downpour started again about a minute before we found a parking place. Even though we parked right in front of the stairwell, we were soaked before we got to the top of the stairs leading to our room. We went inside and dried off and "the rain, rain, rain came down, down, down..." Thanks again to Toon Disney for your movie marathons, but even so the natives got restless and cranky. Our hope for the evening had been to go back to Disney Studios later to see Fantasmic. It is THE show to see at Disney, unless you spring for Cirque de Soleil tickets. To be honest, I usually skip it, it's goodness notwithstanding, because it's recommended to arrive 90 minutes early to get a good seat. With my usual crew, waiting for anything for more than 20 minutes is a pain. Armed with a Gameboy, a Disney trivia game (available for purchase in the parks OR much cheaper on eBay), and money for a counter-service dinner; I thought the older girls could handle it. But, would the rain let up? The weather channel didn't offer good odds, but I wanted to risk it anyway. The worst that could happen would be that it would start to pour and we would get wet going back to the hotel. Since that already happened once, I figured, 'Why not?!' Natalie was ecstatic because she had been very upset we missed the show on our last trip, the nieces weren't as excited because they didn't want to get wet again. I had the car keys, I won. (I knew they would like the show and crossed my fingers that it wouldn't be cancelled.)

We entered the Studios and, since we were a little early, I went back to the Star Tours gift shop to get Tristan his souvenir, a Darth Tater. (which I just saw at our local Toys 'R Us for $4 less last Saturday-grr!) Since the stand-by wait for Star Tours was less than 5 minutes, we jumped in line. Almost immediately, we were on the ride again. Woo! Hoo! Feeling optimistic, I checked the stand-by line for Tower of Terror as we walked to the Fantasmic theatre. No such luck-sorry Queenie. (next time, I will take her twice, then visit my chiropractor soon thereafter) So, we went to find seats for the show. We were exactly 90 minutes early and we sat front and center. To be honest, I think crowds were a little thinner than normal because of the weather, but we still could have had decent seats up to 45 minutes before show time. I wouldn't wait any longer than that, though-and I did love the seats we had. For the age group I was traveling with, they were worth the wait. Once we had seats established, I walked up to the hot dog stand to get some food. Because even the ice cream stands took debit cards for the past three days, I didn't worry about cash. Big mistake! Only one of the vendor carts took debit cards here and (in my best melodramatic tweenager voice) it had NOTHING that Lady Capulet wanted to eat. I did feel bad for her, but part of me was thinking, "Come on kid! You're at Disney World with front row seats to the best free show in all four parks. Roll with it!" So, she got popcorn and cotton candy with some of her own money. I did buy her a Coke. We were done with the hot part of the day, we had a late night ahead of us, and I owed her one for forgetting to bring cash. She must have agreed with me because she cheered up considerably as we waited for the show. Queenie, Natalie, and I enjoyed hot dogs and soft pretzels. With all the vendor cart drama, our 90-minute wait passed more quickly than I thought it would. The weather held and the show started right on time. Thanks to Tinkerbell for the pixie dust, the girls loved the show and so did I. Most frequent Disney park visitors recommend seeing the later showing when one is offered as it was that night (usually one at 8 and 10 p.m.), but I'm not much of a late-night gal and neither are the girls, so this worked better for us. Even so, I made sure to schedule a sleep-in day for the next morning, just in case that first show had been cancelled. So, we arrived back in the room in plenty of time for bed, but we were all happy that we wouldn't be getting up at the crack of dawn with Mickey and Stitch the next morning.

The Trip Pt. 13-Animal Kingdom, This Time For Real

Mickey and Stitch sure called us early this morning. I didn't blame the girls for moving slow, I was tired too. But, I promised everyone a sleep-in day tomorrow and eventually we all made it to the car. A little slower than the days before, but still excited. Lady Capulet, much like her Aunt Selena, adores animals and remembered the Animal Kingdom more than the other parks. She couldn't wait to get there. Again, we made it before the gates opened and again, I can't recommend that enough. We chatted with the family in front of us while we waited. I know that the bigger summer crowds should mean grumpier visitors, but I found everyone a lot more laid-back and friendly than a lot of people I encountered on our off-season trips. Maybe it was the "it's summer vacation" mentality. It was a welcome change for sure.

We went through the gates and, again, were lucky enough to see the opening ceremony. They aren't a huge deal, just a little chit-chat from Mickey who is usually on a double-decker bus for maximum viewing potential, but they are cute. As Mickey drove away, the girls and I did just what the Unofficial Guide told us, we went directly to Kilimanjaro Safaris. It is so much easier to navigate crowds without a stroller, but I was careful not to cut-off or shove my way around anyone pushing one. I've been there/done that too often myself. Again, the line was forming as we arrived, but we didn't stop moving until we reached the boarding area. I hate to say it, but having done this safari four times now, it's not the big deal it once was. Maybe I'm just having sour grapes because not a lot of the animals were out, or maybe it's because I've heard the saga of "Little Red" one too many times. Either way, I will be glad when Expedition Everest opens before our next visit. It's supposed to thin safari crowds a bit and it will give me another park opening destination, though I doubt all my kids will be tall enough to ride it before our next visit.

After a fun safari, the girls were eager to ride the Kali River Rapids. It's one of those "you will get wet" rides, but I had a rain poncho and was ready to go. The rapids, however, were not. They hadn't opened yet, so we grabbed some fast passes. The girls were disappointed. They wanted to get wet NOW! Little did we know...With at least an hour before the rapids opened, we made our way along the path to Dinoland USA. We passed Expedition Everest under construction and I have to say even in six months there has been a lot of progress. It's going to be a bobsled-type roller coaster like the Matterhorn at Disneyland, in case anyone was wondering.

Dinosaur still scares the daylights out of Natalie and I, which means that Lady Capulet and Queenie loved it. The ride now exits through a gift shop and while I hate that, I did find Elisa's souvenir on this particular trip. A little Jack-Jack doll that talks, but not in a loudly annoying manner, that was under $10-yay me! (She loves it too-so I really did good.) After surviving Dinosaur we decided to skip the Triceratop Spin (just like the Dumbo ride) and its long line and have some lunch. The older girls were disappointed that we had to also skip Primeval Whirl which is a mouse-type roller coaster, but only Lady Capulet and I were tall enough to ride it anyway. I've heard all it's good for is throwing your back out of alignment, but I'm sure riding it looms in my future anyway.

Since I'm a frequent Disney visitor, I try to eat lunch at a different place in each park on each trip. The last place yet untested for me at the Animal Kingdom was Pizzafari. Let me digress a bit here to say that our stomachs stayed on Central Standard Time for the whole trip and that was a very good thing. We stopped for lunch each day at about 11 a.m. and rarely waited in line. By 11:30, places were packed and we were leaving. Pizzafari was a little slow, but I think it's because they had just opened. Oddly, there are no pizzas on the kids' menu, so we spilt two adult meals. While eating, we saw someone in an OU shirt. He was actually from Florida, but says his Dad grew up in Tulsa. Mine did too, what a small world!

After lunch, we decided to check the line for "It's Tough to be a Bug." It was short, so we decided to see the show. It's a 3-D show about bugs hosted by Flik. To be honest, it's not my favorite, but the girls were eager to see it. It was still "just OK" to me, but it was nice and air conditioned inside and it made the kids happy. Isn't that the bottom line? When we exited the theatre, we were treated to yet another 'one thunderclap followed by pouring rain' storm, and we sought shelter under an overhang. It let up after about 15 minutes and since we were already wet, we decided it was time to take our fast passes on the Kali River Rapids. Believe it or not, we didn't get all that wet. The girls were disappointed, me-not so much. The next Festival of the Lion King show was 15 minutes from starting, and even though you really do need to get there 30 minutes early, we decided to chance it. We not only made it in, but we got to sit in the giraffe section to boot. After being a Lion and a Warthog on previous visits, I was very happy. (For those of you who don't know, I LOVE giraffes)

Lady Capulet remembered this show very well because the last time she was here, she was picked at the end with a few other little kids to march around in the circle playing a little instrument. She was five then. I could just bawl. I may have admitted to the safari getting a bit old, but this show never does. It's just as good as the first time I saw it. Speaking of bawling, I really embarrassed myself at the end of the show. As the little kids picked from the crowd marched around with the instruments just like Lady Capulet had once done, I looked at how little they were and how grown-up she had become since then. I was already fighting tears when Lady Capulet leaned over and said "Look Melessa, they're marching around just like I did when I was little!" In a choked voice I answered, "I know Honey, I know." It goes by way too fast, it really does.

After the show, we beelined to the Pocahontas Show line. Since everyone else tends to do likewise, I told the girls to be quick. They were. Lady Capulet really got into my tour plans and strategies. I wish she could rub that off on her Uncle Dave. The show started, then stopped when it started raining. This time, it poured even harder and lasted much longer. The girls were disappointed that they stopped the show, and became irritable while waiting in a nearby gift shop for the rain to stop. I called Dave to check in on the kids and update him about the trip and the weather. He told me there was a tropical storm headed for Florida. Well, of course there was. Leave it to me to pick a vacation week that coincided with the first week of Florida hurricane season. Fortunately, it wasn't headed directly for Orlando. Unfortunately, it meant rain for the rest of the trip...

The Trip Pt. 12-Shop 'Till You Drop, Or At Least, Blister

We had just reached the hotel parking lot when, with one small thunderclap, it began to pour. I thought we Oklahomans had some freak weather, maybe this is why Aunt P transitioned to Florida so easily. So, we canceled our swimming plans and hoped the skies would clear before dinner, which we had planned to get at the hotel food court. Thankfully, we had plenty of snacks in the mini-fridge and Toon Disney was running a movie marathon. We watched Hercules and Robin Hood and got cleaned up while we waited for the rain to quiet. I'm was so glad Lady Capulet was not only able, but willing to take showers and brush her hair on her own because Queenie and Natalie needed lots of encouragement to do likewise.

Once the rain stopped, the girls and I walked towards the main building. Some complaints about Port Orleans Riverside are that many of the outlying rooms have a long walk to the Food Court. We found it pleasant, but the rain had cooled things considerably. Before we went in the lobby, we noticed the boat to Downtown Disney pulling into the dock. On a whim, we boarded it and found ourselves on our way there. I guess it is faster by car since the boat ride was about half an hour, but it was pleasant and we were on vacation. Once we arrived, I had two missions: To see the "Under $10" store and the scrapbook store. Both were new since my last visit. We found the "Under $10" store almost immediately. It was cute, but I didn't see anything Natalie or the kids back home really needed. It did have a good selection, though. We passed through the Pooh store and saw things Aunt Selena might like, then we ventured into a more dangerous place, the pin store. Natalie, Tristan, and Caroline discovered pin trading on their last trip, and our recent move had left Natalie's pin lanyard inaccessible when we were packing. Feeling bad that she didn't have it, I planned to get her a couple of pins to take home. Then, Queenie and Lady Capulet got into the act and we spent a bit more than I was planning for the day. In the end, I got a new lanyard for me because it had a little holder for your resort ID and park tickets and I let Natalie put her pins on it. My nieces each got a lanyard and a couple of pins. To make up for my splurge, I told the girls it would have to be the hot dog stand or McDonald's for dinner. This made Lady Capulet mad and she started pouting. Then Queenie pointed out that she had a big blister from wearing her older sister's dress shoes and that she wanted a pair of flip-flops. The search was on! We finally found some that weren't unreasonably priced at World of Disney, but that store is WAY too crowded for me. Remind me to skip it in the future.

Once her flip-flops were securely in place, Queenie was ready to eat and had pretty much convinced Lady Capulet to join us in some McD's. (off the record, I felt LC's pain, McDonald's isn't my favorite either) After a not-so-bad after all dinner, we decided to catch the bus back to the resort. On the way to the stop, I finally found the scrapbook store. It really didn't live up to all the hype, but that's a good thing since I had no money to spend there anyway. After what seemed like an endless wait, the Port Orleans bus came and we were on our way back to the hotel. The girls insisted on standing and holding the handrails even though the bus had lots of seats. I tried to tell them they would have plenty of 'standing room only' experiences on Disney transportation in the days to come without inventing it, but what do I know from fun? Fortunately, they were tired enough from their outing that they didn't bug me to go swimming when we got back to our room. I wasn't incredibly impressed with the pool closest to our room and wondered how I would convince the girls they didn't need to swim in it constantly for the rest of the week. Little did I know, a good excuse was heading our way...literally.

The Trip Pt. 11-So I Lied, it was Disney Studios

My memory isn't what it once was. As I looked over my very sparse notes from which I write this travelogue, it was actually Disney Studios we visited next, not Animal Kingdom. Let me also apologize for the lag in posts, a lightening strike about 20 feet from my house spared my laptop, but not its power cord. I'm on the kids computer which, to my horror, is even slower with dial-up than the laptop. My power cord is supposed to arrive tomorrow. Our rural trash pick-up is supposed to come too. I'll believe both when they actually happen...

Anyway, back to the trip...We were awakened yet again by Stitch telling us to "get moving!" Seeing the advantage in arriving ahead of the crowds, the girls were still pretty quick to get ready. Lady Capulet was good about washing her face and brushing her teeth and hair without prompting. Queenie and Natalie...not so much. Still, we arrived at the parks in good time looking presentable. This time. we waited in a shady area which beat the morning sun of yesterday. Before we knew it, we were in the park waiting for rope drop. At the Studios, its nothing big and we were too far back in the crowd to even see the nothing big. Not that we were sad, as soon as the crowd moved we made a right on Sunset Blvd. and headed straight for the ride I hate the most...The Tower of Terror. Why ride if I don't like it? Because Lady Capulet rode it and loved it at age four and Queenie was chomping at the bit to try it herself. (She wasn't tall enough that trip.) Natalie and I had already been on it, and while we aren't big thrill ride fans, we are good sports. The good news about getting to the parks before they open is that you really don't wait in long lines for headliner rides as long as you hit them first. In this case, that was also the bad news. Way before Natalie and I were ready (and much to the delight of Queenie and Lady Capulet), we were boarding our elevator. I don't think I'm giving away any big Disney secrets when I say that the premise of this ride is a plummeting elevator. The first time I rode, it was the anticipation of the drop that terrified me. This time, it wasn't nearly as scary, but the up and down motion of the elevator really hurt my back. Did I really just type that? Am I getting old? NO! As we exited the ride, Natalie breathed a sigh of relief and said "Thank goodness that's over!" Queenie just said "Again! Again!" Fearing the line had already grown, I told her 'maybe later.' Of course, it didn't happen. I wish we had jumped back in line or at least grabbed a fast pass. Queenie doesn't hold it against me, but she rarely gets that excited and I wish I had gone with it. Just an aside so the rest of you can learn from my mistake.

We skipped the Rock-N-Roller Coaster because Queenie and Natalie weren't tall enough and no way was I letting Lady Capulet go alone or leaving the other girls and going with her-even though I prefer the coaster to the Tower of Terror. Just a sacrifice overprotective moms like me have to make. Of course, this all would have been do-able had my sister come along like we planned, so we decided to call and gloat. Then we realized it was still earlier in Oklahoma than she likes to get up in the morning, so we saved it for later. (Incidentally, that commercial for WDW where the husbands call their wives from the golf course and pretend to be at the Tower of Terror? Of course the wives saw through that. Cell phones don't work at the Tower of Terror once you are inside the ride. If they did, we would have called Dave so he could hear us scream.)

Our next ride was the Great Movie Ride. I love this ride, but Queenie and Lady Capulet started bickering in line until I feared it would come to blows and split them up. Unfortunately, our turn came up at about the same time and we wound up seated on separate benches, me with Natalie and the spatting sisters together. Oh no. I silently prayed not to get kicked off the ride. They were good for the ride, though I don't think they loved it as much as I do. There are no wild turns or big splashes, so it wasn't their thing. I had the feeling this would be a good time to grab a snack since tempers were flaring. I wish I could remember what we grabbed. I do remember that, to my dismay, the churro stand was closed. As we walked towards the Backlot Tour, we saw Daisy Duck signing autographs. The girls really wanted one, but as they posed for their picture, the memory card popped out. Apparently, Daisy had some not-so-nice words about me and my camera while she waited and the girls heard her. Not cool. At least they were old enough to already know she was just a girl in a costume (and according to all three of them, it was a female voice) I thought about complaining, but decided not to. We all have bad days and I certainly wouldn't want to spend a summer day in Florida wearing a character costume. Besides, if I've learned one thing from my over-frequent Disney trips, it's that if you go in there expecting every moment to be perfect you are really setting yourself up for some hurt. I let it go.

There was more bickering in the line for the tour. I guess after a few days the girls no longer felt obligated to behave for Aunt Melessa. I managed to distract them by telling them how, on my first trip, Aunt Selena and I got picked for the Backlot pre-show while Uncle Dave videotaped it. That, at least, held their interest through the pre-show as I showed them which parts we played and how Aunt Selena was the one who really got soaked as we acted out a battle at sea. (she was the skipper, I was the captain) The tour is shorter than it once was and we got a good view of where the new car stunt show is set up, but we passed on that. This was, after all, a girls' trip.

On my first visit, I proclaimed Disney Studios my favorite. I am obsessed with movies, and it is a parked themed after "the Hollywood that never was and always will be." Moreover, there is a Muppet show, a live mini-production of Beauty and the Beast, and a little ride called Star Tours that, after Space Mountain, is my absolute favorite. We had now reached my favorite part of the day which is when we grab fast passes for Star Wars and go see the Muppets knowing that the show will be followed pretty quickly by a jump to lightspeed on Endor Space Tours. My two favorite things one after the other. Woo Hoo! You would think I would get tired of that Muppet show after seeing the same one on four previous trips. That is, unless you really know me for the Muppetphile I am. So, the show was cute, the gift shop is still woefully understocked, and we decided to take a lunch break before Star Tours so that there would be happy faces and limited pushing and shoving before we boarded my favorite ride in the park.

We tried the Backlot Express cafeteria this time. It was pretty good and had the fastest counter service we experienced that week. This lunch began the week-long Battle of the Coke that I waged with Lady Capulet. She wanted a Coke, I didn't want her to have one. Leaving aside the fact that I don't let my children drink it (it's not so much as a religious thing as it is a "this does nothing good for you and you don't need it" thing), on a hot Florida day with several hours still ahead of you, the last thing you need is a shot of dehydrating caffeine. Especially if you are 10 years old. We settled that day on allowing the girls to get those icy drinks which, for Queenie and Natalie, were included with the kids meal at the same price as a regular drink. Just so you know that...(I didn't, but thanked the lady who took our order profusely for pointing it out) We finished lunch feeling much better about life and very anxious for Star Tours.

Of course, fast pass or not, that is one line that never moves fast enough for me. It was a little longer than I'm used to since I usually go in the off-season, but seeing R2 and C3-PO was fun, as were the other visuals in the line area that I usually miss. We joked that we couldn't tell the difference between my cell phone ring tone ("The Imperial March") and the music playing as we waited in line. We also rehashed what was going on in "Revenge of the Sith," which we were still listening to as we drove to and from the parks. Soon we were on the ride, and while I know Lady Capulet and Queenie didn't love it as much as the Tower of Terror, they did have fun and told me how much they loved it so my feelings wouldn't be hurt. Everyone's good moods and enjoying my favorite ride with some of the little girls I love the best made this the highpoint of the day for me.

After that, it was time to see some shows. We grabbed fast passes for the Indiana Jones Stunt show, then hurried over to The Voyage of the Little Mermaid. (Did I mention how nice it was to skip the Playhouse Disney show this year? If not, let me say it was lovely. The show is cute, but please...) The Little Mermaid has often been skipped on previous trips and that's a shame. It really is very cute AND air-conditioned. We left that show hoping to find seats for Beauty and the Beast. We did, but barely...This show is also great, but not air-conditioned. I'm glad the girls hadn't completely destroyed their dollar-store misting fans yet, they sure felt nice. The pre-show was an accapella group which I loved. The girls weren't as enthralled and whined about their heat until the show started. Of course, once you see those performers in their Cogsworth, Mrs. Potts. and Beast costumes, it's hard to complain about being hot yourself. I don't know how they do it, but I'm glad they do.

After a few gift shop visits, we made our way over the the Indiana Jones Stunt show, which was our last scheduled stop for the day. I was really excited to see the show because the last time I went, 18 month-old Natalie wouldn't sit still or be quiet and I missed half the show when I took her out. This time, she promised to behave herself much better. The girls were good for the show, but I think we were all hot and tired and ready for a break. We grabbed ice cream bars on the way to the tram stop and we had finished them by the time it arrived. This was a good thing because you can't eat on the tram. Ever the mom/packhorse, I did have two wrappers and ice cream sticks left in my hand because I didn't see a trash can. A lady riding with us shot me a dirty look when the tram driver said "no food." I felt like saying "Do I look like a goat?!" but wisely held my tongue. I tossed them at our stop (gotta love Disney-trash cans everywhere) and we loaded up the car. We cooled down as we listened to Anakin turn just a little farther towards the dark side. Our plans were a little rest, a little swim, and a little dinner. Of course, those plans were about to change...

Up next-Downtown Disney, I promise.