Overdue and Overpacked II: The LaLas Take on the World: EPILOGUE ON PAGE 58

[njbeachbum]

WE NEED AN UPDATE!!! WE NEED AN UPDATE!!! Hope all is well Lala, but after reading 1000 pages of your novel, I feel lost without the next chapter!

 

[MouseDogMom]

Of course I said it numerous times. I exclaimed, then proclaimed, and then just shouted it out loud for good measure. And then I promptly filled my bowl all the while sending out a telepathic "this is for you La". The waiter didn't seem to understand my excitement. They know me as the white girl who only orders one thing.

And just to show you the realm of your influence LaLa, we were at this same restaurant a couple of weeks ago. I had Mulligatawny, and suggested to DD/SoccerDog that she try it because it was really good. She would have NOTHING to do with it. Then your post... and suddenly... well, you know the rest of the story!

WHERE is the next chapter? I had to book another trip to WDW today to get me through the withdrawals!

 

[LaLa]

But I am DED at Soccer Dog. That's too funny.

MouseDogMom: I feel so sorry for you. Having to book a trip to combat withdrawals. But CONGRATS! That's awesome. I assume congrats go out to Soccer Dog as well. Assuming you're taking her Mulligatawny eatin' self with you.

NJBeachBum: Thanks for posting. Update coming up.

 

[LaLa]

The morning after the Neverending Story debacle, we were awakened by something slightly different than what we’d become used to so far on our trip that week.

It wasn’t the canned voices of Mickey and Stitch on the other end of our telephone that stirred us from our slumber. Nor was it the low mechanical hum coming from a trio of poop pumping trucks outside our balcony that woke us that morning.

It was merely a soft knock on the door.

That’s right.

Room service, baby.

You can go ahead and start the Redneck jokes now. Because as much as we love them there new fangled electrical lights and indoor plumbing, we love room service even more. Because it’s not something we get to have, as a family, very often. And I’m not just talking about overpriced bacon and eggs rolled into your room on a silver platter either.

Like most of you, I’m sure, a normal morning routine for us at home is an insane flurry of activity. It never wavers from day to day and it involves prying a couple of sleepy headed children out of bed, getting them dressed, fed, off to school and then getting ready and reporting to work ourselves. We all hurriedly head off in four different directions each morning and we don’t meet up again until that later that night. That’s our reality.

But while we’re on vacation, blessed vacation, it’s a totally different story.

Without the normal day to day pressures and responsibilities of work, deadlines, school projects, and housework, my husband and I are free to relax and just be in the moment with our children. We are able to focus on our family for the entire week. And what better way to start at least one of those days than sitting around in bed wearing your pajamas, leisurely eating a breakfast fit for a king (no jelly donuts were harmed during the making of our breakfast) that has been hand delivered while you catch up with your kids and laugh as they crack silly jokes about Goofy and assume that we must be staying at The Tipton Hotel and not the AKL because they’ve got room service.

Somehow it always comes back to Zack and Cody.

Besides, what’s better than having someone else cook your family’s breakfast to order, cordially deliver it to your room with a smile, and then clean up after you when you’re done?

In Busy Mom Land, that’s what we call hitting the Trifecta.

Okay, so it’s not. I just made that up. Like pilfer, I’m not really sure what the word trifecta means and there is no such thing as Busy Mom Land. But if there were, I imagine it would look a little like Fantasyland at high noon.

Either that or my kitchen on a Monday morning. One or the other.

We hear a second knock and DH answers the door, stands by as the server rolls the cart into our room, and then pays for our meal. Because while we’re dumb enough to pay OOP for room service when we have free dining, we’re still not dumb enough to give away two table service credits for it.

Give us a little bit of credit. Or not. I really don't care.

Or do I?

The kids wake up, rub their eyes, and immediately go nuts. You’d think it was Christmas morning with the way they reacted. And no, we don’t get out much. In case you were wondering. But still, it was very cute. They were appreciative. From what we could tell though, the appreciation wasn’t so much for the fact that we had a cart loaded down with silver platters in our room just like they have at The Tipton. But it was mostly because they spotted the side item that came with Timon’s Griddle Cakes.

And yes, that’s a cup of gummy bears. As a side item. For breakfast. Because what better way to start off your kids’ day at Disney than with a cup of rubbery sugar shaped into little bears? That’s what I always say.

Or do I?

As we sat around in our pajamas eating breakfast and drinking eegulah coffee, we talked about the events of the days that had already passed so quickly and excitedly discussed what still lay ahead of us. Because we had MNSSHP at the MK on the agenda for that night, we were planning on taking it slow that day. We weren’t planning on going into a park at all but would be heading over to Fort Wilderness to look around and have lunch at Trails End Buffet instead. We had done the same thing a couple of years back and we had really enjoyed it then. Besides, it didn’t involve anything too strenuous and we thought it would be the perfect place to spend some time without getting caught up in the usual frenetic pace that we (thought) we so wanted to avoid that day.

Remember that. Cause there’ll be a pop quiz later.

We took our time getting ready that morning (because we could), then we casually strolled down to the van (again, because we could) as we looked forward to a leisurely day. We jumped in the van, buckled up and threw in a little Tom Petty as we made our way into the great wide open and over to Fort Wilderness. The girl excitedly pointed out all the Disney busses that we passed. Funny. Even after she’d been on property for the better part of a week, those things still got the girl’s blood pumping. Cause that’s how she rolls it.

Once we arrived at Fort Wilderness, we parked, hopped out and took a bus over to the petting zoo and horse stables.

From the moment we arrived on the scene, our noses were immediately accosted. Bumrushed. Ambushed. Violated. I won’t go into too much detail about the source of the smell, but suffice it to say, there was more poop in those pens than in certain bathroom stalls in Canada.

Sad but true.

We spent the next half hour or so doing what people normally do at petting zoos. No, not that. That either. The other thing. We petted the animals. Well, three of us did. The girl kept a safe distance until she saw that we had all managed to successfully touch the animals without getting both our arms and one leg each gnawed off. Because in a five year old child’s mind, that’s an almost certain probability when you’re dealing with goats.

Once we’d had our fill of petting dirty animals, watching dirty animals, and smelling dirty animals, we decided to head on over and take a look at something else.

More dirty animals.

But these were much cuter. And they came equipped with a saddle. So it was all good.

The pony ride was the big hit of our trip to Fort Wilderness a few years back. The kids talked about riding the ponies for months after we returned and when they found out we were returning this year, they declared that they would be riding the ponies again. Without question. I would be having me a Dole Whip and they would be riding the ponies. Among other things. Simple as that.

With this in mind, we made our way over to the barn and asked the handlers to rustle us up a couple of purebreds.

And this was the best they could do.

Ladies and Gentlemen, meet Decrepid.

Okay, so his name isn’t really Decrepid. Or even Decrepit. It’s Scout. Yes, you read that right. Scout. Apparently the groomers have a really twisted sense of humor.

The girl likes him though. She says he’s good. She can tell. She climbs up the steps with a huge grin on her face and we help her into Scout’s saddle. The handler gives me a brief tutorial on how to lead Scout and we take off around the long winding trail. When I say we take off, what I really mean is that we began walking very slowly. At a snail’s pace even. Put it this way. Scout was moving slower than I imagine Sly Stallone was after putting in a sixteen hour day on the set of Rocky Balboa. But the girl was enjoying herself and that was all that mattered. She giggled the entire time and kept saying “Hey Scout.” That’s all. Nothing else. Just “Hey Scout.” And then she’d pet his back and giggle again.

We pressed on. I led. They walked. She giggled.

Four hours later, we finally made it back to the barn and I helped the girl out of the saddle. She told her new friend Scout goodbye and made way for her older brother. But apparently Scout can only take so much excitement in one day. He needed a break so they let him rest while a young whippersnapper took over the responsibilites.

Enter Legs.

Legs was in much better shape than ole Scout. He was spry. He was peppy. He had attitude. In fact, he came galloping out of the stable to ZZ Top while he spun a guitar around on his hip.

Okay so he didn’t. But he should have. If it would’ve been up to me, he would have.

The boy climbs up into the saddle and DH leads him around the trail. As they walk away, I notice how much bigger the boy looks on the pony than the girl did. When did his legs get so long? I shake my head and am reminded once again of how fast time can fly.

Before long, they’re back. Both boys are all grins. DS hops off and we make sure to take a turn at the “Hand Washin’ station before we head into the stables to check out some of the big boys.

Since we were heading to MNSSHP that night and were hoping to be able to catch the Headless Horseman make his run around the parade route, we tried to predict which horse might be the one fulfilling the duties in the parade that night. Cause we’re cool like that. DH hoisted the girl up onto his shoulders and we walked around looking for the coolest and biggest horse we could find. We were in awe as we looked at some of those animals. It was insane how big they were. And how beautiful they were.

And no, this is not Legs.

As we made our way down the line, the kids gravitated toward the very last stall. And instantly fell in love with this little girl.

How could you not fall in love with that? Just look at that face. All she wants is a wittle wuvin’.

Her name was either Sadie or Silkie, according to the sign. We’re still not sure which. But she was seriously sweet. The boy became instantly attached to her and hung out around her stall for a good fifteen or twenty minutes, checking her out, talking to her, and just petting her head.

After awhile she opened up and shared that she doesn’t care much for her stallmate because she hogs all the good hay and snores at night, which keeps her from getting her beauty sleep. Even went so far as to call her a horse’s rear.

At that point, we all went numb.

After we’d checked out all the animals, we bid Sadie/Silkie goodbye, told her to hang tough, and looked around for something else to do.

Leisurely day indeed.

We still had a good bit of time to waste before our ADR at Trail’s End so we checked out the wall of pictures in front of the stable. There were lots of pictures of Walt with the horses. Apparently he loved horses and it was all pretty interesting stuff. If you like that kind of thing. Which we do. Because we’re Rednecks.

Once we’d read all we could read, (twice), we still had some time to waste. We slowly made our way over to the Settlement Post to look around. Several items were selected. Several items were given great thought. Great, long, drawn out thought. We eventually stopped loitering before they called security and paid for the ones that made the grade. Then we walked back out front.


And we looked at each other.



Twice. For good measure.



I checked my watch and realized we still had time to waste before Trail’s End opened.



Then we looked at each other.



Again.



Then we smiled.



And looked down at our shoes.



We heard the soft rustle of the wind in the trees.



Which caused us to look up.



As long as we were looking up, we decided to watch a bird in flight.



Then we looked over at the kids.



Who were looking back at us.



And we all smiled at each other.



Again.



We followed the tumbleweed with our eyes as it rolled by in front of us.


And then I said…



Well. We’ve still got twenty five minutes to kill until they open. What the heck are we gonna do now?

It was at that point that I realized we were in withdrawal. We had gotten used to constantly having something stimulating to do and we had become bored out of our minds when we tried to slow down the pace. After letting the kids have a shot at the pressed penny machines, we decided to head over to Pioneer Hall, have a seat, and wait.

We picked out a few nice rocking chairs on the porch and put our feet up. We talked. We took pictures. We relaxed. And we waited.

And waited.

Once the clock hit noon, we checked in and were immediately shown to our table.

Good thing we beat the rush.

If you’ve ever been to Trail’s End, you know that the place just exudes down home country atmosphere, right down to the red and white checked napkins and the Mason jars of insanely good sweet tea. It makes you wanna yell Yee Haw and watch some Hee Haw. That's how country it is.

We give our super nice Scottish waiter with an extremely thick Scottish accent (what’s up with that?) our drink order and then make our way to the buffet. We fill our plates with fried chicken, BBQ, country vegetables, and other assorted comfort foods. While I scoured the buffet for pickled pigs feet (yeah right like I really eat those), I remembered from our previous trip that the salad bar was really good. I helped myself, making sure to ask the chef whether I was being served arugula or spinach even though I could tell it was clearly iceberg lettuce.

Gimme a break. It was like a Pavlovian response by that point. And the word is fun to say. Stop thinking what you're thinking. You would've done the same thing.

Once our plates were full, we sat down and dug in. The food was good and the sweet tea was even better. It really hit the spot. Once we finished our meal, we bid our really nice Scottish (?) waiter goodbye. As we walked away, he shouted “Yall come back now, y’hear?!”

Except that he didn’t. Of course.

But he should have. Because with that accent of his, it would’ve sounded really funny.

Before we leave, we stop to pose for the obligatory photos in front of the mean looking grizzly bear on the other end of the restaurant.

Like every family before us, we pretended to be caught in the bear’s death grip, running for our lives and screaming at the top of our lungs. But that’s not the funny part. The funny part is that no one seated at the tables around us even blinked. Because they all know that’s what you’re supposed to do with the stuffed bear at Trail’s End. It’s another unwritten rule.

Let’s review. Nothing can be placed on top of the cooler. If you’re the only one in line for a ride, you must run-walk the entire length of the queue (we established that one last year, remember?) and if you stand for a picture in front of the bear at Trail’s End, you have to act like he’s about to strike you down in cold blood and rip your frail body limb from limb.

Or else you’re just not cool.

Once we establish our coolness, we exit the restaurant and head for the bus stop.

As we sit and wait on a bus to take us back to the van, I throw my arm around the boy and we begin to chat. Our chats usually consist of about five minutes of serious conversation, followed by a barrage of endless jokes and nonstop slapstick humor. The boy’s main goal in life is to make everyone around him laugh. I love that about him and think it's great. At home. Not so much in a classroom. But he wasn’t in a classroom on that day. He was on vacation. And he let me have it with both guns. I sat with my arm around my son and laughed as we waited for the bus to come take us back to the parking lot. I looked over at my husband and daughter and watched as he cuddled and tickled her. I don't know what they put in the sweet tea at Trail's End but whatever it was, it must've been some good stuff because we were all in a great mood after that meal. It didn't matter that much of the day had been a little slow. We were in the moment and that's all that mattered. Now, I normally love to people watch on the bus because there’s an endless supply of activity there. Lots of freaky stuff going on. You know it as well as I do because you've seen it too. But on that day, I can’t tell you one thing about a single soul on that bus. Because I don't remember even noticing anyone outside of the three people who were with me. I wasn’t paying attention to my fellow busmates. I was only paying attention to my kids. And my husband. We were the ones the others were watching for a change. But it's all good. Because we were enjoying ourselves.

As is our right. On vacation. Blessed vacation.

Once we made it back to the van, we looked at the clock and realized it didn’t take as long to “do” Fort Wilderness as we had anticipated. We still had several hours before we would need to start getting ready for our ADR that evening.

Because our day had been oh so leisurely (read: boring), we were actually itching for something, anything to do. We knew we should probably just go back to the resort and rest because we had the party that night. That would be the smart thing to do. But we’re the LaLas, dangit. We don’t do smart. We also don’t pack lightly. We don’t show up early for ADRs unless we’re absolutely bored out of our everloving minds, we don’t waste our time riding El Rio del Sucko and above all, we don’t rest (much) in Disneyworld.

Cause there’ll be plenty of time for that when we get home.

So as our little van eased on down the road, we saw the entrance to the Animal Kingdom coming up and DH looked over at me. His eyes remained silent. There was no need for words in that moment. Actual words or eye words. Whatever those are. We were already in agreement. I returned his gaze and we both broke into a goofy grin as he turned into the parking lot.

And swerved to avoid the curb as the kids yelled for him to keep his eyes on the road.

That’s right. We were going for broke.

Carpe Diem.

Temporary loss of sanity.

And all that.

Up Next: The LaLas Do The Fourth Best Park on Disney Property. In Two Hours.

 

[lexmelinda]

I love this episode not just because it was funny...which it was...but because it was a sweet day of just hanging out with your family and enjoying each other's company.

Like most of you, I’m sure, a normal morning routine for us at home is an insane flurry of activity. It never wavers from day to day and it involves prying a couple of sleepy headed children out of bed, getting them dressed, fed, off to school and then getting ready and reporting to work ourselves.

This is all so familiar. I would also include make the lunches, drive to the local elementary, middle, and high schools. And I don't know about you but I'm ready for school to be OUT!

In Busy Mom Land, that’s what we call hitting the Trifecta.

From the land of thoroughbred racing, I can confirm that your use of the Busy Mom Land Trifecta was right on. Which is why I love hotels. Alas DH prefers the rental house at the beach where there is cooking, laundry, and cleaning up to do. And no room service. PS....we are going to Disney World again this year.

As they walk away, I notice how much bigger the boy looks on the pony than the girl did. When did his legs get so long? I shake my head and am reminded once again of how fast time can fly.

I know. DD13 finally passed me up in height and shoe size. When did that happen?

We followed the tumbleweed with our eyes as it rolled by in front of us.

Love this whole scenerio. Perfect!

Cause there’ll be plenty of time for that when we get home.

So as our little van eased on down the road, we saw the entrance to the Animal Kingdom coming up and DH looked over at me.

I love this and you're right. There's plenty of time to sit and do nothing or watch TV at home. You can't get the Stacey show but who really wants to watch that anyway?

Great job, girl! Can't wait to hear what you accomplished in AK in 2 hours.

 

[Suzflee]

Loved it! Beautiful! Picturesque and oh so eloquent!

I'd be all over those gummy bears! How does Disney know what will make our day? But why weren't the pancakes making a Mickey?

What is in the bear's mouth?

And I'm glad you all got back in the groove 'cuz I was beginning to wonder about the time-dilation effect being in slow motion...

Bring on AK!

 

[ForKeeps]

LaLa,

In exactly 6 days I'll finish my ninth year of post-secondary school. This last year of law school has been tough, and exam periods are just the worst.

When I woke up this morning I looked at my trusts work and groaned.

I thought: What I really need is a killer Lala installment.

Thanks for reading my mind.

Amazingly good writing as usual.

 

[MouseDogMom]

Trail's End has sweet tea?

My only complaint (well, maybe not my ONLY complaint) about the World is the lack of sweet tea. May have to change the ADR's.

And I finally beat SoccerDog to a new chapter! HA! (Only because she's at work this morning, but victory is still sweet. Moms don't often win when there's a teenager in the house.)

Great installment, LaLa. I can't wait to hear AK in 2 hours (but then, we did all 4 parks + Downtown Disney + a 5K race in 48 hours, and that included sleeping time, so I know it can be done!)

 

[nicolemarie]

LaLa! I can't believe you've held out giving me this information!

The NM's will be at Trail's End. Someway, somehow.

It was merely a soft knock on the door.

That’s right.

Room service, baby.

Great call!! We've never done room service in the World. But our kids would LUUUV it. If we could just get Mr. NM past the cost. Cause I'm with you - if I won't waste 2 TS credits on a WDW restaurant, I'm darn sure not wasting them on room service.

I love that y'all went to visit Ft. Wilderness. And although I still don't know how to copy a picture into my post, I LOVE the clever name and logo of the Tri-Circle-D Farm! Those Imagineers think of everything.

DS hops off and we make sure to take a turn at the “Hand Washin’ station before we head into the stables to check out some of the big boys.

Of course you do!!

We were in awe as we looked at some of those animals. It was insane how big they were. And how beautiful they were.

They are beautiful! I love the pics.

There were lots of pictures of Walt with the horses. Apparently he loved horses and it was all pretty interesting stuff.

Sounds like just the thing for a biography book report on Walt Disney. Just in case anyone is doing one.

If you’ve ever been to Trail’s End, you know that the place just exudes down home country atmosphere, right down to the red and white checked napkins and the Mason jars of insanely good sweet tea. It makes you wanna yell Yee Haw and watch some Hee Haw. That's how country it is.

Again I say, how could you have denied me this information??

I sat with my arm around my son and laughed as we waited for the bus to come take us back to the parking lot. I looked over at my husband and daughter and watched as he cuddled and tickled her. I don't know what they put in the sweet tea at Trail's End but whatever it was, it must've been some good stuff because we were all in a great mood after that meal.

There was nothin' special in that sweet tea - well, except for lots of REAL sugar. But it isn't what gave you that moment. I don't have to tell you that. It was the fact that y'all sat back, took some time to relax, and just enjoyed being together.

But don't be having anymore of these kinds of moments. You can drink sweet tea and look at animals at home. I'm glad to know your next stop was AK for two hours.

That's the Park Commando LaLas I know and love.

This was a great installment, friend. I love that y'all did take it easy a little. But not too much. And I can't wait to hear about your whirlwind tour of the AK.

Keep on keepin' on - I'm loving every minute of it.

NM

 

[Disfan3]

ummm excuse me

I hate to show my Disneyworld knowledge of mustdos with the camera over you...
but I am about to try...

blame it on the stars that shine at night...


you missed:

the big shark head....you must look as tho you are being quartered by said scary shark, because Fish are friends but humans are finger lickin good...

and


you must put on freaky little yellow 3D glasses and find the tallest person in Disneyworld to take the said picture, because after all...what is a family 3d Photo-op unless your yougest child has half a head, you can see your husbands bald spot, and two of your other kids' arms are missing? But. As a good mother. You strategically place yourself right smack in the middle of the photo. Good times.

What about the photo in front of the castle?? Or the Mickey hat?? Or the Epicot ball? U know the ones...where you find that one person in WDW that you can actually SMELL through the developed pictures 6 mos later??

and what about the fastpass Machine at Maelstrom?? I mean...come on


and what about posing your kids' stuffed animals with liquor filled pineapples?


also...not to be missed:

the kids after eating chicken wings at Ohana
adults posing with large rodents IN SPACE COSTUMES no less
pretzel bread
funnel cake BEFORE the obliviation
Dole Whip that needs a "cleaning" really really bad...
poncho pictures
without poncho in the rain pictures (oh come on now...you know you have done it to!!)
animals at AK gettin' thier freak on
and not to be missed....


inapproriate disneyword attire 101.


I mean geeze. I could go on and on forever. Point is...

I love this TR and you have some mad skillz

 

[ZZUB]

You can go ahead and start the Redneck jokes now. Because as much as we love them there new fangled electrical lights and indoor plumbing, we love room service even more. Because it’s not something we get to have, as a family, very often.

I thought for sure you were confusing housekeeping with room service. Turns out you actually meant room service. Which is surprising.

so we checked out the wall of pictures in front of the stable. There were lots of pictures of Walt with the horses. Apparently he loved horses and it was all pretty interesting stuff. If you like that kind of thing. Which we do. Because we’re Rednecks.

And showing off that you can read.

I don't know what they put in the sweet tea at Trail's End but whatever it was, it must've been some good stuff because we were all in a great mood after that meal.

It surely wasn't saccharine. Or aspertaime. Or Shug Avery pee.

Or do I?

Well, do you or don't you?

 

[eternaldisneyfan]

As always a lovely post. I have been a fan for a while and actually saved your first trippie to my computer...But, alas, I never knew what to say...

Today I can.

First the petting zoo. When I was six I was having a grand old time at a petting zoo. Until I was bit. By an Ostrich. I got over it.

It's funny you should mention pickled pig's feet. Cause my Grandma ate 'em. And tongues. And brains. She was a true West Virginia hillbilly...

Finally, Lala- I know you were known as the ultimate packer...but NO MORE I have you beat!! wahaha

Just see the picture in chapter 2 of my trippie...Great minds think alike

Christamae

 

[ukwildcat]

I don't know what they put in the sweet tea at Trail's End but whatever it was, it must've been some good stuff because we were all in a great mood after that meal.[/B]

Was it booze? It might have been booze. Were the words "Long Island" in front of the words "Sweet Tea?" Just wanted to let you know, since I know you don't drink (booze that is).

And what were you doing up so late. I was up too, but I have an excuse. I had night duty last night with DD.

My favorite days at WDW are those that are slow paced. And we love Trail's End also. Thanks for the laughs.

And on a personal note, we just booked our trip for the fall. Oct. 24-Oct 28 for all those interested. MNSSHP here we come.

 

[SoccerDogWithEars]

I'm sorry, but why the fuss about sweet tea? I'm a southern girl, and I'm just not as thrilled. But then again, I despise ALL forms of tea: sweet, unsweet, and hot. Guess I'm just weird like that.

Scottish accent. Yum.

Haha, ok, now that I've officially a) probably placed myself on your ignore list and b) sounded like a complete loser, I can move on to the real post. As my friend would say, "you roxers my boxers." I'm thinkin' we may have to change ADR's just so I can pose with the bear. Because when I saw it, I immediately thought how cool it would be to pose like it was attacking me. Much borgness. Except on the subject of sweet tea.

Mom, what do you mean "don't OFTEN"?? You never win. The fact that you ADMITTED to seeing the post first because I was at work is proof of that. And I've been quoted more than you. So nyah. LYMI.

Keep 'em coming!!!!!

 

[Chapter 11]

Like pilfer, I’m not really sure what the word trifecta means

It means three fectas. I thought everyone knew that. Sheesh.

Ah yes, a blurry picture of pancakes and bacon. Get a tripod (which, means, of course, three pods, since I know you'll ask).

Cause there’ll be a pop quiz later.

Don't you mean a soda quiz? Cart.

Okay, so his name isn’t really Decrepid. Or even Decrepit. It’s Scout. Yes, you read that right. Scout. Apparently the groomers have a really twisted sense of humor.

I would've said Gluestick, but hey, whatever floats your boat.

Gimme a break. It was like a Pavlovian response by that point. And the word is fun to say. Stop thinking what you're thinking. You would've done the same thing.

No, La, just you.

An informative installment -- we've never visited Fort Wilderness, and thus, I had no idea they had stables on property. Thank goodness, because that's all my horse-crazy daughter would've wanted to do all week. We'll have to check it out next time. I also loved the description of you and your sweet family on the bus, enjoying vacation time. You have such an incredible way of capturing the most mundane moments and making them totally magical. So, thanks for that.

 

[CampbellScot]

Thanks for the laughs once again!! We're having some yucky old movie ofthe week custody dispute family drama around these parts and it sucks much and it was good to read something about a family that truly enjoys being together and realizes how precious these young years are...rednecks or not! Reading your report gave me my first laugh of the day and it's already 3:30. We're giving the blues a whole new level over here. *HUGEGIGANTICSIGH*

It just MAY have been Shug Avery Pee in that sweet tea...or was it? I've heard it's good for what ails you...perhaps I need to see if they have any in stock over at whole foods!!!

can't wait for the MNSSHP chapter!!!

thanks, really...you just crack me up girl!

 

[jcc0621]

OK, it took me 2 days but I have finally caught up on all the excitement. I LOVE all of the 80's references......Can't wait for more.

 

[LaLa]

And I don't know about you but I'm ready for school to be OUT!

Amen, sista.

PS....we are going to Disney World again this year.

CONGRATS LEXMELINDA! I'm happy for you, Woman. And I expect to be able to read all about it when you come back.

What is in the bear's mouth?

That would be his teeth. All of his teeth, from the looks of it. He must've skipped the sweet tea.

In exactly 6 days I'll finish my ninth year of post-secondary school. This last year of law school has been tough, and exam periods are just the worst. When I woke up this morning I looked at my trusts work and groaned. I thought: What I really need is a killer Lala installment. Thanks for reading my mind.

Thanks for reading my trip report. And for posting nice comments like that one. And hang in there. You don't have much longer to go.

I can't wait to hear AK in 2 hours (but then, we did all 4 parks + Downtown Disney + a 5K race in 48 hours, and that included sleeping time, so I know it can be done!)

I'm in awe. If anybody ever needed a nap in a lobby (not alcove), it's you.

My only complaint (well, maybe not my ONLY complaint) about the World is the lack of sweet tea. May have to change the ADR's.

Yes, they do have sweet tea. And the thing about it is that it's actually really good sweet tea. Because you know there's a difference. In fact, one of the things I rate restaurants on is how good their sweet tea is. Well, that and their salads. If the salad stinks, it just throws off the rest of the meal. Unless they're serving pickled pigs feet.

Kidding.

I'm sorry, but why the fuss about sweet tea? I'm a southern girl, and I'm just not as thrilled. But then again, I despise ALL forms of tea: sweet, unsweet, and hot.

Listen to your mother. It's really good. And get back to work.

Cause I'm with you - if I won't waste 2 TS credits on a WDW restaurant, I'm darn sure not wasting them on room service.

As if! How crazy is that?! And what I can't believe is that you didn't already know about the sweet tea at Trail's End. Don't you have TGM?

...without poncho in the rain pictures (oh come on now...you know you have done it to!!)

No. No I haven't. But only because it would ruin the camera. And, you know, other reasons as well.

It surely wasn't saccharine. Or aspertaime. Or Shug Avery pee.

Funny. I thought for sure you were confusing Shug Avery pee with Celie spit. Turns out you were actually talking about Shug Avery pee. Which is surprising.

Well, do you or don't you?

Yes. And no. It's complicated.

When I was six I was having a grand old time at a petting zoo. Until I was bit. By an Ostrich. I got over it.

An ostrich?! At a petting zoo? Well, I'm glad you got over it because I don't think I would have. Thanks for posting, by the way.

Was it booze? It might have been booze. Were the words "Long Island" in front of the words "Sweet Tea?"

No, the all you can drink booze is at the Hoop De Doo. Or as some like to call it, the Hoop De Don't.

And on a personal note, we just booked our trip for the fall. Oct. 24-Oct 28 for all those interested. MNSSHP here we come.

Congrats!!! Try to keep your pants on this time. k?

Don't you mean a soda quiz? Cart.

Maybe I meant a Coke quiz. Buggy.

An informative installment -- we've never visited Fort Wilderness, and thus, I had no idea they had stables on property. Thank goodness, because that's all my horse-crazy daughter would've wanted to do all week. We'll have to check it out next time. I also loved the description of you and your sweet family on the bus, enjoying vacation time. You have such an incredible way of capturing the most mundane moments and making them totally magical. So, thanks for that.

Chappie, you have to take your daughter there if she's into horses. She would love it. Just come prepared for the stank. And thanks for the props, my friend. It means a lot.

Thanks for the laughs once again!! We're having some yucky old movie ofthe week custody dispute family drama around these parts and it sucks much and it was good to read something about a family that truly enjoys being together and realizes how precious these young years are...rednecks or not! Reading your report gave me my first laugh of the day and it's already 3:30. We're giving the blues a whole new level over here. *HUGEGIGANTICSIGH*

Sorry you're having a rough time of it. Hang in there.

OK, it took me 2 days but I have finally caught up on all the excitement. I LOVE all of the 80's references......Can't wait for more.

It only took TWO DAYS?! I'm impressed. What 80's references?

 

[ukwildcat]

Try to keep your pants on this time. k?

No promises.

 

[Suzflee]

That would be his teeth. All of his teeth, from the looks of it. He must've skipped the sweet tea.

I checked back and as a lover or my mom's Florida sun tea with my big bro doing the honors of adding the right amount of sugar, with my mom yelling at him that two scoops were more than enough...

the bear definitely has not partooken of the tea.

However, I was referring to the brown/black thing where his tongue should be? Looks like a well-done sausage patty, but not of the round variety...