So it's our last official day of summer as Nemo goes back to school tomorrow. I remember when I started on the DIS and he was about the same age as Squirt is now. Crazy to think that he's going into second grade! They grow too fast. I'm really grateful that I'm able to stay home with them, and super grateful that I'm getting a break from that in this trip.
Btw, it's absolutely pouring here. Given that it's the last day of summer, we are totally spending it in our pajamas in front of the TV.
So aside from the shoe angst which will work itself out eventually, I figured we could move on to day two of my trip, Friday. Funny how this day is lazy and the day I'm about to talk about sort of is too.
Now the night before, if I make it through MSEP, I figure I'll be pretty tired given how early my flight was. So my goal for this day of my trip is to sleep as late as I can, and just wake up naturally. Ah, the heaven of not having to set an alarm. Bliss!
And really, I plan to spend that morning at the resort. I think there's a hammock and Pina CoLava with my name on them. I'd like to just chill out, read on my Nook, enjoy the relaxation of CBR. Depending on how ambitious I am, I may head over to Downtown for lunch. I'm really jonesin' to hit Earl of Sandwich once on this trip. I love, love, love their yummy sandwiches!
Early afternoon, I'll start getting ready for MNSSHP, which I am SO excited about.
I love Mickey's Not So Scary Halloween Party. I love it so much, I wrote the whole name out for you.
Halloween is my favorite holiday. (For those of you who have heard this before, you can tune out if you like. For those of you who don't know me, read on!) I'm an October baby, and I love fall. Picking apples & pumpkins, the crisp smell in the air, autumn leaves. I love seeing my beloved happy place all decked out for fall, complete with scarecrows and pumpkins. My mother also called me her Pumpkin. (It's a theme.)
I've been to so many MNSSHP, and they're all special for different reasons. There have been the years that it's absolutely poured, and we've put ponchos over our costumes and plodded on, determined to not let rain ruin our fun.
There was the year that DHS and I dressed as Captain Jack and Elizabeth and fulfilled my little dream of getting our picture taken in front of Cinderella's glass coach, pumpkins and all, Nemo asleep in his stroller. I think it was after that trip we started referring to him as MJS instead of DH.
There was the last family trip we took with my mother. Mom, Nana, and my DFIL were there with us. Squirt wasn't born yet, and Nemo was old enough to have any opinion on his costume. He wanted to be WallE, and he wanted Mimi (what he called my mom) to be Eve. So we made it work. We put him in brown shorts, did an iron transfer onto a yellow shirt that looked like WallE's front panel, and then an iron transfer onto a gray hat that were WallE's eyes. For my mother, we ironed the plant symbol onto a white tee, and Eve's eyes onto a white baseball hat. They were soooo cute. It was very sweet, and I still have both their shirts and hats.
So many memories. I love Disney World. I love it in the fall.
And I'm secretly tickled of being able to attend a MNSSHP by myself. I've always had a great time at them with my family, but inevitably there are things that don't get done, and that's normal with any family trip.
But now those things that don't happen? I can try to make sure they do!
Like having my picture taken with all the princesses and their princes. I've never done that, not once.
Seeing if the good Captain is still available for meet and greets like he was last year.
Actually I love the meet and greets during the party, I have to be honest. All the characters are just so ON.
And without a doubt, I will have to find my beloved Tarzan!
I had a bit of a dilemma as to what I would do for a costume. I own my Elizabeth dress (custom made on EBay) but didn't feel I could be Elizabeth without my Jack. And honestly, I wasn't really feeling the whole pirate thing by myself. Pirate, for sure, is something we do as a family.
When my mother passed, I inherited her sewing machine, and was determined to learn how to sew. Since then, I've been sewing up a storm.
And I decided I was going to make my own costume. I tossed around a couple of Disney ideas, but I don't do so well working with patterns. It really needed to be something that I could make without a pattern and just wing it.
So...I decided, with the help of some lovely DIS friends...to be Wendy.
I have always wanted to be Wendy. She's on my bucket list of characters to dress as, as it were.
So one day, and 7 yards of fabric later (I totally messed up the first time, and was able to completely remake the dress) I ended up with this...
I also created a matching hair "ribbon" out of the blue fabric the waist sash is made out of so I can get a nice big hair bow going on. I've been growing my hair out so I can get it in a relatively appropriate length ponytail. I am that hardcore about my costuming. I like it to be as much me as possible.
And let me tell you a little secret about my costume.
It is SO comfortable. I made it with this wonderfully soft cotton fabric I found at Joann's, and it really feels like wearing a comfy nightgown. Awesome.
For the shoes, which you may or may not be able to see in the picture, they're actually a pair of Merrell Mary Janes that were my mother's. After that night, it's quite possible I'll be able to say I've walked a mile (or several) in my mother's shoes.
I'm excited to have something of hers with me on this night, never mind that I learned sewing, really, as a way to feel closer to her.
I'm so excited for my costume and all the special events that take place at the party.
I love the Boo to You parade. I own the special events CD with that soundtrack, which is impossible not to get stuck in your head. I love Hallowishes...it runs quite close to Illuminations as my favorite fireworks show at the parks. The Headless Horseman riding down Main Street, or Liberty Square, depending on where you are...AWESOME.
I can't describe it. That adrenaline rush of walking into a Halloween party, that feeling in the air. Trick or treating in the Magic Kingdom in the dark.
Going on the Haunted Mansion, all the CMs done up in ghoulish makeup to complement the event.
I could go on, and on, and on.
But I think you get the idea.
I am so excited about this day. I plan to enjoy every moment.
Losing my mother taught me that. It's a carppy way to learn about the important things in life, losing someone you love.
Yesterday we were out shopping, and the kids were being kids and at one point, I just looked at them and started laughing. Because there was just no point in getting upset. And honestly, it was kind of funny. So I separated them and continued on my merry way.
My mother loved people, loved her family and friends, and had a zest for life that was so evident at Disney.
Often now, when I do something, I think of whether or not what I'm doing or how I behave would honor her. Would honor the woman she was, and the woman she raised me to be.
I hope that on this trip, I honor her in my actions and in the fun that I have. Because though I know there will be tough parts, I also know that she'll be there with me.
And that really, is quite priceless.
Such bitter sweet moments/memories. 
At least they will always be with you when you two go. Good to share those memories with the kids when you're in the parks. 
someone else who get's my affinity for comfortable shoes.
Well, I'll tell you!
