Are We Turkeys? - Thanksgiving 2006 at WDW - NEW 5/17 Chap 11 on Pg 13

[belle8306]

I have read your TR for the last hour! You had me ! I can't wait to read the rest.

 

[Grammyof2]

NM ?????

A little bump to encourage you

 

[nicolemarie]

No pressure, Grammy!

Ironically, I had taken some time to work on this report this afternoon. I appreciate you giving me a little encouragement!

Mikamah and Belle - Glad you enjoyed what you've read so far. Thanks for posting!

Lexmelinda - Girl, where would I be without your bumps? Back in the depths of the forgotten reports, for sure. Thanks for all your little smilies. Hope you're planning a new trip right about now!!

Everybody else, thanks for hanging in there. I hope next time I won't be so delinquent!!

NM

 

[nicolemarie]

Thanks to the sweet folks who bumped me along and gave me some motivation to move forward with this report! Spring hits hard and fast here in Georgia, and I am swamped with stuff going on with the kids. And swamped with other stuff, too. But I want to finish this report. I enjoy it. Thanks for hanging in there.

Now then. Where were we? Oh yeah. Right here. Watching all of these people descend on the Magic Kingdom on Black Friday. Attacking it like the swarm of ants I watched kill a scorpion on Discovery Channel last week.

It was nasty, by the way. The ants killing the scorpion. Yet I never changed the channel and I watched the whole thing. I can’t explain it.

Anywho. Following the great advice of Tour Guide Mike, The NM’s were leaving the Magic Kingdom crowds and were headed back to the AKL for a swim and rest. Well, half of the NM’s were going to swim. The other, much older half, thought it was too cold. So we boarded the bus, I set my watch timer as always, and in 14 minutes we were back at the resort. We made the short walk back to the room, let the kids change into their swimsuits, and went down to the Mara for some lunch.

I was pumped for this lunch. You see, my girl LaLa had written about the Mara’s Turkey Melt in her trip report. And it sounded delish. Double dutch delish, even. I couldn’t wait to try one. DH got in the line, and the kids and I walked outside to find a nice table by the pool. I did the anti-bacterial wipe down – on both the kid’s hands and then the table – and we sat and waited on DH. We were all really hungry, and it seemed like forever before he arrived with the food.

When he did, the inevitable Food Envy occurred for me. It’s a ritual. Happens every time. When I’m super hungry, my husband’s order ALWAYS looks better than mine. Call it Green Grass Syndrome. Order Remorse. Whatever. But I was wishing I had ordered what he had. The Turkey Melt looked bland. And DH was sporting a fat, juicy cheeseburger and fries. It looked waaaaay better than the Turkey Melt. But the Melt had come highly recommended, so I was sure I would be happy once I took a big bite.

I got the kids situated, made sure nothing would burn their sweet little tongues, and sat down to enjoy my Turkey Melt. I spread a little of the sauce on the bread and bit down.

Yuck! It tasted just like it looked. Bland. And it was cold. I had just bitten into a big ‘ole wad of cold mozzarella cheese and turkey. The melt was missing the heat.

Meanwhile, DH was enjoying his flamebroiled burger with melted cheese and hot fries. It was definitely lookin’ so much better than what I had. I stood up to return my sandwich to the counter and have them correct the problem. As I walked into the Mara, I spotted the microwave. Not ideal, because nuking isn’t as tasty as toasting, but it’s faster. And I was all about faster. So I stuck the sammie in there and pressed the button.

Twenty-five seconds later, my cheese was melted, the turkey was hot, and the bread was soft. And the sandwich became the one LaLa told me about. The good one. I enjoyed every bite.

We finished our lunch, cleared off the table, and the kids took off for the pool. It was chilly for swimming if you’re older than 8, but since neither of my kids are, it was the perfect temp.

Here’s some background info on my kids. They’ve had swimming lessons since before they could walk. There is an instructor here in our town that we affectionately call the Swimming Nazi. She’s been successfully teaching swimming lessons in her backyard pool for 20 years. Sometimes – OK, most times – a kid will start out scared. And crying. The Swimming Nazi will raise her hand in the air and snap her fingers as she barks “I DON’T LIKE THAT NOISE!” It usually works. The kid sucks in a deep breath and quits the crying. And on the rare occasion the snapping technique doesn’t work, throwing the kid in the pool ALWAYS does.

It may be brutal, but it gets results.

Amazingly, most every child I’ve ever seen in either of my kid’s classes, has graduated able to jump off the diving board and get themselves to the side of the pool. Even when they seemed to start off helpless.

I first thought this “tough love” technique might scar my kids for life. But it didn’t. And it didn’t kill them, either. They are both great swimmers, and usually get compliments from strangers when we are swimming on vacation.

I tell you this for two reasons. First, our kid's swimming confidence has turned into a love for swimming. They were more than ready to hit the pool. But second, and most important on this chilly Black Friday, our kids were perfectly equipped to swim without DH or I having to join them. Not only were we not joining them, we were still in jeans and long sleeve shirts.

We found a couple of chairs near the slide, and sat back and relaxed while the kids swam around in the pool and took turns going down the waterslide.

Aaaaaah, good times.

You know, there are times when I miss my babies being babies. I miss the grin with only two teeth. I miss the cuddling while I rock them to sleep. I miss the excitement of watching their first steps. Hearing their first words. I miss them needing me for everything.

But then there are these times when I’m glad my babies aren’t babies. Times when they are able to have some fun independently of me and their Dad, while he and I can relax and enjoy ourselves. Times when we don’t have to shiver in the AKL pool because our kids really, really want to swim.

Yes, it was good times indeed.

We hung out by the pool a little bit, then went back to the room for a rest before our return to Magic Kingdom.

Once everyone except my busybody DH had rested up, we got ready to enjoy the twinkling of the Magic Kingdom after dark. The only thing better than Main Street after dark, is Main Street after dark during the holidays. It’s so beautiful. I couldn’t wait to get back that evening.

Remembering how crowded it was as we were leaving at lunch, we didn’t have big plans for the night. Being there to take in the atmosphere would be plenty for me. But we did have some Fast Passes from the morning we would use, and we wanted to watch Spectro and Wishes. There was no ADR we were rushing to, and the park was open until midnight. What I’m sayin’ is we had no schedule. We just wanted to enjoy the night. It was the complete opposite of our Magic Kingdom morning. Which happened so long ago, that you’ve probably forgotten about it. In a nutshell, we waited FOREVER for a bus to MK, and then made an illegal detour at the Contemporary Resort before finally being 20 minutes late to breakfast at the Crystal Palace. I’m still sweating just thinking about it.

So the fact that we now had no schedule, ADR, or plan felt super good. We were even going to take our own car.

Now I don’t know about y’all, but I usually don’t like to take our car anywhere once we arrive at Disney World. Inside of my car are too many reminders of the busy life we lead at home. Just looking at that car pool sign in the window makes me think of projects, schedules and homework. But after a bus fiasco like the one we had experienced that morning, I was OK with taking our own car for a peaceful ride to the Kingdom.

We walked down to the Lobby, and there was the car waiting on us. Already this plan was a huge improvement over the morning bus experience. We hopped inside and buckled up. The seats were comfy, the car didn’t smell bad, and best of all, there was no passenger requesting we drop him off at Kennedy Space Center for the Astronaut character meal on our way to the Magic Kingdom.

By the way, if there was an Astronaut character meal at Kennedy, we’d be down with it.

We turned on some tunes, and hit the road. Before long, we were passing through the Magic Kingdom arches on our way to the Contemporary to park our ride. With permission from an AKL valet, we ignored the sign that said “Parking for Contemporary Guests Only” and pulled into the lot to park and catch the monorail to the Magic Kingdom.

I really love the Contemporary. For several reasons. But the main one is sentimental. Back in the early days of parenting, when our daughter was an only child and DEEPLY in love with all things Cinderella, we took a trip to Disney. We were freeloading off my in-laws, but they were happy we were there, and so were we. There was a convention at the Contemporary that they were attending. And when they issued an invitation for us to join them, we were in without a second thought.

All five of us shared a room. If that sounds insane, it probably is. But we are super close to my husband’s parents, and it worked out just great.

My daughter thought, as all three year old girls in love with Cinderella do, that the beautiful, sparkling Castle was Cinderella’s home. She stood on our balcony overlooking the Magic Kingdom every chance she got. And just stared. In awe. At the Castle. It was the first thing she looked for every morning when she woke up, and it was the last thing she looked at every night before she went to sleep.

I must sadly admit that I didn’t “get” Disney then, but I had such a great time watching my daughter. The moment she met Cinderella goes down in scrapbook history as one of my favorite memories of her childhood. She was speechless.

We celebrated her third birthday at Crystal Palace. She loved it.

Anyway, back to Thanksgiving of 2006. My daughter isn’t 3 anymore – she’s just turned 8 – but I don’t step foot in the Contemporary without remembering her first magical trip to the World.

We rode the escalator to the monorail platform, and within minutes we were mouthing our favorite Spanish speaking announcement as guests were warned to stand clear of the doors. If I ever go to Mexico, I won’t be able to speak enough Spanish to get me much further than saying hello and goodbye. But by golly, if someone is about to be crushed to bits by the doors, I can warn them to stand clear. Cause I’ve got that sentence down pat.

As we exited the monorail and walked down the ramp, I felt giddy. Stupid giddy. Little girl giddy. I was about to enter the Magic Kingdom. Yeah, I’d been there only five hours earlier, but since our lunchtime departure, a transformation had occurred. Replacing the perfectly blue sky was the dusk of evening. Replacing the color that can be seen in the light of day, were the thousands of lights all over the Main Street shops. They were also draped across the street like canopies. The Christmas lights were twinkling, the music was playing, and the decorations were abundant. I didn’t care if all we did was sit on a bench on Main Street.

But we’re the NM’s. And as much as Mama NM would have liked to park it on a bench and take in the sights and sounds, Daddy NM and the Little NM’s were looking for some action. In other words, they ain’t down with parking it on a bench. They’ve got Fast Passes burning holes in their pockets and they WILL be using them.

So off we went. Our first stop was Mickey’s Philharmagic. We love that show even more every time we see it.

After enjoying Philharmagic, we split up for a little bit. DH and I went to have dessert at the Plaza, and the kids went to Toontown to ride the Barnstormer. I know they are just 8 and 4, but they are super mature. Plus, we sent them with one of our Nextel phones, so they could get in touch with us if they needed to.

Oops. I see I may have messed that up a little, now that I’m looking back at my pictures. It was actually me and the boy who went to Toontown for the Barnstormer. DH and the girl went off to the Mountains in Frontierland.

After the third ride on the Barnstormer, DH called to let us know they were heading our way. I told him that we’d use our FP for Buzz, and then meet them on the Tomorrowland bridge to park the stroller and watch Wishes. We’d never watched from that vantage point. I think I had read somewhere that it was a good spot for seeing Tink fly.

Once we met up at the bridge, the kids sat down in the stroller, and DH and I leaned against the railing.

Things get a little fuzzy here. Or maybe the fuzziness is just my reluctance to share a less than magical NM moment. Either way, I’m pretty sure one of the kids whined or acted disrespectful and DH took appropriate action. Which I thought was harsh, given the busy day we’d had, and how far past our kids normal bedtime it was. Unwisely, I expressed my opinion in a slightly condescending, know-it-all Mom voice.

Let’s just say that my opinion might have gone over a little better had I used a different tone. And let’s leave it at that.

About that time, Wishes started. I wish I could report that DH and I both looked sweetly in each other’s eyes, smiled and apologized, and held hands for the duration of the show. Just happy to be in the Magic.

But if I said that, I would be lying.

However, despite the little bit of tension in the air, Wishes was a great show as always. I wasn’t crazy about our view from the bridge, but I’d always wanted to try it, so I could mark that off the imaginary list.

By the time Wishes was over, the tension had cleared and we were off to sneak in a couple of rides before the NM Family Favorite – The Spectromagic Parade.

We watched the characters decked out in lights float by, my kids waving and calling each of their names.

After it was over, we had time for one more ride.

It was almost midnight by this time, and no one was fading yet. But the Magic Kingdom was about to close, so we had to choose our last ride of the night. The kids chose the Haunted Mansion. While this isn’t our absolute favorite ride, we all love it and enjoy fake scaring each other during the dialogue in the stretching room. Plus, we can all cram in one Doom Buggy and have a good time together. It was a good way to end our night.

Now, all that was left of our Magic Kingdom experience was the slow walk to the turnstiles. I stopped for several pictures, and tried to capture everything I could before we walked through the exit. I didn’t want to leave. I knew we wouldn’t be back this trip, and I was just enjoying looking and listening.

But all good things must come to an end. Except when I get to Heaven, of course. Then that rule won’t apply anymore.

But it applied tonight. And it was time to turn in the stroller and catch the monorail one last time. We walked slowly up to the monorail platform and waited. The kids were starting to fade, and I was glad that we had planned to sleep in on Saturday morning. The monorail arrived, we climbed on, and the kids fell asleep before we arrived at the Contemporary.

We shuffled them along as best we could once we got off the monorail, and we rode back to the AKL with them asleep in the back seats.

It was at this point that DH and I reminisced about trips from our childhood. And came to a startling realization. We couldn’t remember our parents EVER waking us from a backseat slumber to take a bath before bed. Yet there was NO WAY we were gonna put our kids in their beds without cleaning them up. I mean really. Think of all the germs!

Are we alone? If you’ve made it this far in my trip report, I’d love it if you’d chime in. Do you bathe your kids – no matter how late it is – before you put them in the bed at Disney World? Be honest. I’ll weigh in for the NM’s.

Absolutely. Every single time. The thought of anything less makes me cringe.

So we ran a quick bath, got the kids all clean and sanitized, and they fell asleep quickly. We weren’t far behind, and knowing we could sleep in the next morning made falling asleep that much sweeter.

But could we? Could we actually sleep in at Disney World?

That’s for next time.

Word.

[post=18717642] Next Chapter [/post]

 

[LaLa]

Personally, I was beginning to feel neglected. Like you'd forgotten all about us. I thought maybe you'd never come back.

Or did I?

The Turkey Melt looked bland. And DH was sporting a fat, juicy cheeseburger and fries. It looked waaaaay better than the Turkey Melt.

I DON'T LIKE THAT NOISE!!!!

The melt was missing the heat.

Ded.

And the sandwich became the one LaLa told me about. The good one. I enjoyed every bite.

See? LaLa wouldn't steer you wrong! But it really is better when it's grilled instead of nuked. Cause that way, there's no chance of you burning your face with sandwich filling that's been nuked for too long.

Before long, we were passing through the Magic Kingdom arches on our way to the Contemporary to park our ride. With permission from an AKL valet, we ignored the sign that said “Parking for Contemporary Guests Only” and pulled into the lot to park and catch the monorail to the Magic Kingdom.

What'd he do? Write you a note? I suppose he also told you that you could have free refills for life with the purchase of a resort mug. I'd expect that kind of rule breaking behavior from ZZUB. But not you, NM. Not you. I'm shocked at how numb I am right now.

My daughter thought, as all three year old girls in love with Cinderella do, that the beautiful, sparkling Castle was Cinderella’s home. She stood on our balcony overlooking the Magic Kingdom every chance she got. And just stared. In awe. At the Castle. It was the first thing she looked for every morning when she woke up, and it was the last thing she looked at every night before she went to sleep.

This was so sweet, my girl. Gotta love those magical memories. But I'm a little confused about something. What exactly are you trying to say here? Cinderella doesn't really live in the castle? Next you'll be telling me that the Magic Kingdom's really not all that magical.

As we exited the monorail and walked down the ramp, I felt giddy. Stupid giddy. Little girl giddy.

I know that feeling.

About that time, Wishes started. I wish I could report that DH and I both looked sweetly in each other’s eyes, smiled and apologized, and held hands for the duration of the show. Just happy to be in the Magic. But if I said that, I would be lying.

Yep. I know that feeling as well.

We rode the escalator to the monorail platform, and within minutes we were mouthing our favorite Spanish speaking announcement as guests were warned to stand clear of the doors. If I ever go to Mexico, I won’t be able to speak enough Spanish to get me much further than saying hello and goodbye. But by golly, if someone is about to be crushed to bits by the doors, I can warn them to stand clear. Cause I’ve got that sentence down pat.

Borg. Por favor mantaganese sumpm sumpm de las puertas. That's how we roll it.

Are we alone? If you’ve made it this far in my trip report, I’d love it if you’d chime in. Do you bathe your kids – no matter how late it is – before you put them in the bed at Disney World? Be honest. I’ll weigh in for the NM’s.

Okay, there may have been one time. ONE TIME that we didn't throw them in the bathtub before they went to bed. It was late and we were all pooped. They'd fallen asleep on the bus so we changed them when we got in and I did antibacterialize all the appropriate places. They never woke up. I probably could have thrown them in a bathtub full of ice water and they would've never woken up. So my long and winding answer is yes, we do. Except for the time that we didn't. Now it's your turn to go numb.

But all good things must come to an end. Except when I get to Heaven, of course. Then that rule won’t apply anymore.

I loved this.

Well NM my girl, I gotta say this one was well worth the wait. It was. I really enjoyed reading it. I just love the glimpses you give us of your family and your pictures are incredible as well. Like always. Well, all except for that one. What the heck is that anyway? The glow necklaces in Spaceship Earth again?

Aside from that, thanks for taking me back there with you today, NM. It was fun.

You ROCK!

 

[mikamah]

What a wonderful chapter. I love the sentimental memories you bring up of your daughters first trip. I have so many wonderful memories of my sons first trip this past december, and my favorites are the looks on his face as he met the characters. He absolutely loved meeting then and his face lit up whenever he saw a character greeting.

As far as bathing the kids, my son and I travelled with my brother and family, and I did not make my son bathe or shower every night, and I'm pretty sure my bro didn't bathe my niece on those nights we carried them in. I do feel a little icky now. And I have a feeling on my next trip after a long hard day in the parks, I'll think of you and the germs as I tuck my little one in. But will I have made him shower? or not?

 

[ukwildcat]

Welcome back NM!! I've been missing your TR for some time now.

I especially liked hearing about your past trip with your in-laws. You mean to tell me there was a time when you didn't "get" Disney? I have a hard time believing that.

My mother brain-washed me at an early age. There's no place I'd rather be than WDW with my family.

And we put the kids to bed with out a bath. We're a morning washing family. Sorry to make you cringe. We're not germ-o-phobes.

Again, welcome back.

 

[Kay7979]

When he did, the inevitable Food Envy occurred for me. It’s a ritual. Happens every time. When I’m super hungry, my husband’s order ALWAYS looks better than mine. Call it Green Grass Syndrome. Order Remorse. Whatever. But I was wishing I had ordered what he had.

At least you don't keep changing your order based on what everyone else decided to have. That drives me crazy. Your Green Grass Syndrome is easily solved. You make a pact beforehand to share each other's food. We do that all the time.

We just wanted to enjoy the night. It was the complete opposite of our Magic Kingdom morning. Which happened so long ago, that you’ve probably forgotten about it. In a nutshell, we waited FOREVER for a bus to MK, and then made an illegal detour at the Contemporary Resort before finally being 20 minutes late to breakfast at the Crystal Palace. I’m still sweating just thinking about it.

Yes, amazingly, I do remember this, which speaks well for your writing abilities as I think I was still a teenager when I read that chapter.

With permission from an AKL valet, we ignored the sign that said “Parking for Contemporary Guests Only” and pulled into the lot to park and catch the monorail to the Magic Kingdom.

The valet will be laughing at you as they tow your car away, just as he did at the last six families who took his advice.

I also loved your quote that if you go to Mexico you may not be able to speak many useful phrases, but you can warn people to stand clear of the doors. How very true.

Thanks for not abandoning your readers. Looking forward to more.

 

[ZZUB]

We walked down to the Lobby, and there was the car waiting on us. Already this plan was a huge improvement over the morning bus experience. We hopped inside and buckled up. The seats were comfy, the car didn’t smell bad, and best of all, there was no passenger requesting we drop him off at Kennedy Space Center for the Astronaut character meal on our way to the Magic Kingdom.

Frankly, we like to mix it up a bit when we're there. Sometimes we bus, sometimes we drive. Sometimes we take a cab. I especially love me some valet parking. Good times.

After enjoying Philharmagic, we split up for a little bit. DH and I went to have dessert at the Plaza, and the kids went to Toontown to ride the Barnstormer. I know they are just 8 and 4, but they are super mature. Plus, we sent them with one of our Nextel phones, so they could get in touch with us if they needed to.

That's twice you've done that and I've fallen for it. I was reading along thinking, "no she didn't." The Nextel bit was very convincing.

About that time, Wishes started. I wish I could report that DH and I both looked sweetly in each other’s eyes, smiled and apologized, and held hands for the duration of the show. Just happy to be in the Magic. But if I said that, I would be lying.

Numb. You had a fight with your husband at Disney?! Unheard of!

In response to your question, I have no freaking clue. My wife is in charge of cleaning up our daughter at Disney. I'm normally futzing around with the camera and planning the next day, eating cheetos and drinking Yoo Hoo. I reckon she bathes the kid before bedtime but who the heck knows?

 

[kpk89]

Hey NM! It's about time you got back. I lovelovelove your memories of your daughter's first trip! Each little Disney memory does tend to seep in and make it that much harder to resist the Mouse in future.

Good job on braving Black Friday! You were not the scorpion!

 

[Frickles]

Thanks to the sweet folks who bumped me along and gave me some motivation to move forward with this report! Spring hits hard and fast here in Georgia, and I am swamped with stuff going on with the kids. And swamped with other stuff, too. But I want to finish this report. I enjoy it. Thanks for hanging in there.

Your TR is worth the wait sweet girl! We all know you are really just busy shopping, getting your nails done, getting massages, reading magazines, eating bon-bons, watching soaps, getting facials....but we'll let you slide.

You know, there are times when I miss my babies being babies. I miss the grin with only two teeth. I miss the cuddling while I rock them to sleep. I miss the excitement of watching their first steps. Hearing their first words. I miss them needing me for everything.

But then there are these times when I’m glad my babies aren’t babies. Times when they are able to have some fun independently of me and their Dad, while he and I can relax and enjoy ourselves. Times when we don’t have to shiver in the AKL pool because our kids really, really want to swim.

I totally dig what you are saying! We can do the same thing now and it is so, so lovely.

We walked down to the Lobby, and there was the car waiting on us. Already this plan was a huge improvement over the morning bus experience. We hopped inside and buckled up. The seats were comfy, the car didn’t smell bad, and best of all, there was no passenger requesting we drop him off at Kennedy Space Center for the Astronaut character meal on our way to the Magic Kingdom.

That was hilarious! Maybe we could get a meal with that diaper wearing maniac kidnapper character. Or maybe not.

We turned on some tunes, and hit the road. Before long, we were passing My daughter thought, as all three year old girls in love with Cinderella do, that the beautiful, sparkling Castle was Cinderella’s home. She stood on our balcony overlooking the Magic Kingdom every chance she got. And just stared. In awe. At the Castle. It was the first thing she looked for every morning when she woke up, and it was the last thing she looked at every night before she went to sleep.

Thanks for painting the picture of what it is like to have a girl in love with Cinderella. That is priceless!

We rode the escalator to the monorail platform, and within minutes we were mouthing our favorite Spanish speaking announcement as guests were warned to stand clear of the doors. If I ever go to Mexico, I won’t be able to speak enough Spanish to get me much further than saying hello and goodbye. But by golly, if someone is about to be crushed to bits by the doors, I can warn them to stand clear. Cause I’ve got that sentence down pat.

But can you say it fast or just Disney speed?

Things get a little fuzzy here. Or maybe the fuzziness is just my reluctance to share a less than magical NM moment. Either way, I’m pretty sure one of the kids whined or acted disrespectful and DH took appropriate action. Which I thought was harsh, given the busy day we’d had, and how far past our kids normal bedtime it was. Unwisely, I expressed my opinion in a slightly condescending, know-it-all Mom voice.

I soooo know what you are talking about. That is when Disney becomes not so magical. But, then you get a Dole Whip and you share a little of it and the magic is back.

It was almost midnight by this time, and no one was fading yet. But the Magic Kingdom was about to close, so we had to choose our last ride of the night. The kids chose the Haunted Mansion. While this isn’t our absolute favorite ride, we all love it and enjoy fake scaring each other during the dialogue in the stretching room. Plus, we can all cram in one Doom Buggy and have a good time together. It was a good way to end our night.

Nothing says sweet dreams like a ride on the Haunted Mansion close to midnight!!

But all good things must come to an end. Except when I get to Heaven, of course. Then that rule won’t apply anymore.

Amen!

The monorail arrived, we climbed on, and the kids fell asleep before we arrived at the Contemporary.

This is the sweetest thing ever. My kids would still fight even in their sleep if my youngest rested his head on the oldest!

There was NO WAY we were gonna put our kids in their beds without cleaning them up. I mean really. Think of all the germs!

NM! When my kids were really, really little and we went I would wake them and give them a bath. Now, no deal. They fell asleep two times on our way home from the parks last time and we just washed thier hands with a warm washcloth and let them be till the morning. If you had told me 4 years ago that I would do this, I would have thought you were crazy. (NOZ)

What a wonderful and sweet chapter!!! I love how you rolled with it!

 

[lexmelinda]

At last! I couldn't bump you again without crossing over into "stalker" territory. I'm sorry I'm so late here after pestering you. We're busy here too....t-ball, school play, summer trip planning, and free dining planning...so I totally understand. Great installment, by the way! Do you really time your trips on the bus?

]It was nasty, by the way. The ants killing the scorpion. Yet I never changed the channel and I watched the whole thing. I can’t explain it.

DS makes me watch this sorta stuff all the time on Animal Planet. Sounds like an episode of Planet's Most Extreme.

But then there are these times when I’m glad my babies aren’t babies.

Warning: this gladness comes to a complete hault when they drive out of the driveway in your car for the first time. RE: swimming. I just sign them up for swim team and let peer pressure work it's magic. Plus I HATE jumping in the pool with my clothes on to save the sinkers.

the NM Family Favorite – The Spectromagic Parade.

My favorite too. I actually downloaded the music to my desktop so I can listen to it whenever I want. What a dork!

Do you bathe your kids – no matter how late it is – before you put them in the bed at Disney World?

No we don't. We're not dirty people...but I have to pick my battles. DS "Mr. Grumpy" would not take well to being awoken after midnight to a bath. Heck, we can barely get him in the bath when he's awake. All rules go by the wayside at Disney...we drink sodas, eat Mickey bars, cotton candy before dinner and the like. We're rebels. But we do always purrell before we dine. At least there's that.

Take care!

 

[Disfan3]

NM....


I love your TR and I love being there as you share your sweet memories...

 

[AnnNan]

The only thing better than Main Street after dark, is Main Street after dark during the holidays. It’s so beautiful. I couldn’t wait to get back that evening.

I really love the Contemporary. For several reasons. But the main one is sentimental. Back in the early days of parenting, when our daughter was an only child and DEEPLY in love with all things Cinderella, we took a trip to Disney. We were freeloading off my in-laws, but they were happy we were there, and so were we. There was a convention at the Contemporary that they were attending. And when they issued an invitation for us to join them, we were in without a second thought.

All five of us shared a room. If that sounds insane, it probably is. But we are super close to my husband’s parents, and it worked out just great.

My daughter thought, as all three year old girls in love with Cinderella do, that the beautiful, sparkling Castle was Cinderella’s home. She stood on our balcony overlooking the Magic Kingdom every chance she got. And just stared. In awe. At the Castle. It was the first thing she looked for every morning when she woke up, and it was the last thing she looked at every night before she went to sleep.

I must sadly admit that I didn’t “get” Disney then, but I had such a great time watching my daughter. The moment she met Cinderella goes down in scrapbook history as one of my favorite memories of her childhood. She was speechless.

What a great evening - from the peaceful ride over in your own car to the sweet memories at the Contemporary (thanks for saying you're close to your inlaws - 'cause you usually only hear about the bad ones!) Loved your sweet little girl with Cinderella and the castle. And then Main St. at Christmas and riding rides and Wishes and Spectro - and ending with the Mansion! Just couldn't get much better!

Enjoying the read! Lovin' it all!

 

[Jessie_Lou]

Thoroughly enjoying your TR! Can't wait for the rest!

 

[Disfan3]

yikes~~~ I need more NM...and Purell. Get busy

 

[Angrypenguin]

I'm relatively new here to the DIS, but I found this trip report and I wanted to say how great it is! NM you're a very engaging writer

 

[NAB]

Turning the pager for you.

Leaving the light on....

 

[1000thhappyhaunt]

Quite strongly.

No ~ we don't wake them up and bathe them before bed!!!!!

Even if they were still SORTA awake we wouldn't wake them up and bathe them before bed.

Even if they were wide awake watching T.V. we wouldn't tear them away from the ****tube to have a bath.

There would be no point anyhow.

Because last trip, with the five happyhaunts, I discovered that TWICE Calvin climbed into the bed (MY BED!), under the covers... WITH HIS SHOES ON STILL... to watch T.V. While eating chips.

So... what is the point of getting them clean before bed to get into freakin' filthy bedding.

Thanks to Calvin.

Then, again, we also CAMP.

Perhaps... we're just not so big on "CLEAN".

Now I feel bad.

Anywho... I LOVELOVELOVE this trippie. I can't believe how sweet you and your family are.

Well... maybe I CAN.

You are as sweet as TEA!!!!! Should be. TFI.

But... I giggled all the way through this because despite being a very good girl. I caught a little bite of a bad(ish) girl vibe.

The illegal parking, watching the ants kills the scorpion, your Haunted Mansion Love, the hair, teeth (bless you for having a full set... white or not!) and nails, your less than perfect Disney moment in the MK and the fact that at one point... ALL FIVE OF YOU shared a room.

I can relate to it all.

You're real.

Or ARE YOU?

And... I like you. Imaginary or not.


Yuck. Gotta go.


Cheers, M.

 

[jaycns]

Just a quick post to let you know that I am finally caught up (again) and that your trip report is still rockin'!

Keep it coming!!

PS That monorail picture is so adorable! I wonder what wonderful dreams they were having!?