Show Me Your Smolder! October 2012 B-Day TR NEW 4/1 Trip Wrap Up & NEW PTR LINK!

[debrapagliasotti]

Great RD morning at MK!! We honestly have never made it for the show

Cant wait to hear about the haircut

 

[khertz]

How adorable that DS said "mouse" and "pirate ship"! Ahhh, Disney is definitely the place to be. I definitely would have started tearing up during the morning show.

Love the "Princess Security" thing. Very clever!

I already tear up during the opening show, so that moment just made it even more tear worthy! Very exciting to hear him acknowledge Mickey Mouse for the very first time.

I thought the Princess Security shirts were so adorable. Might be something to keep in mind if Paxton ever has a little sister!

yay for early morning rides on Dumbo! I love the new storybook circus section, I think it is a lovely addition to the parks.

I'm sorry that Paxton got a little nervous on Dumbo, I was afraid that Everett would be that way this last trip, but thankfully he was OK, and the only time we had issues was when we weren't riding the ride he wanted to be on at that exact moment.

I also feel you on the whole speech delay dilemma. I was worried about Everett for a while too, but it ended up being OK. I just think that some little boys are way more interested in moving than talking at first, but eventually they catch up. What a nice moment with Mickey, its thinks like that that makes the whole trip worth it!

I think they did a great job with Storybook Circus! It fits in pretty seamlessly and I really loved the Sideshow character greets when we did them later in the trip.

I was surprised by how many rides seemed to make him nervous this trip that didn't the past 2 trips. Especially considering his personality, he is pretty fearless. I'm glad for you though that Everett did well! I know you took him a lot the past few years, so maybe that is the problem, we are not taking Paxton on enough trips! I'm sure DH will love this revelation when I tell him we need to start taking Paxton more often...

That is one of the other things people kept telling me, boys just take longer! Honestly it was just driving me nuts, especially hearing what a friend's little girl was saying at 5 months younger than Paxton. She mentioned about a month before we went on the trip that Avery was saying "pirate" and I was like, "Really?! Paxton is not anywhere close to words like that!" So I was more than a little happy to report to her that Paxton is now saying "Pirate."

Great RD morning at MK!! We honestly have never made it for the show

Cant wait to hear about the haircut

You should definitely try to make it once on your upcoming trip, it's an AMAZING way to start off your day in Magic Kingdom!!!

Haircut will be next update, hopefully Monday.

 

[Chelley00]

Great RD morning at MK!! We honestly have never made it for the show

Us either! I'm so glad to hear someone else hasn't seen it either. We came **really** close once, but the monorail stopped on the track and we got there just as the train pulled away!

 

[afwdwfan]

And it was at that moment that something clicked in his little mind and he uttered one word that just brought tears to my eyes...He pointed to Mickey and said, "Mouse!" Now, I have to tell you why this is such a big deal. In the past, he just didn't call Mickey anything. He could identify all of the Fab 5 characters in the sense of saying, "Where's Mickey? Where's Minnie?" etc. and he could point them out in a picture in a book, but the only one whose name he would say was Donald, but he would really just say, "Duck" for him. So this was the first time he ever "gave Mickey a name" so to speak as in he recognized him and wanted to call him something. It was very exciting for me, even if it was only the second part of his name! I just hugged him so tight and swallowed back the tears (I get very emotional in Disney!) and said, "Yep, that's Mouse!"

This just brought back a great memory from our trip last year when DS saw "Duck" in his first character sighting. I know exactly what you're talking about. It is a great moment and one that you'll never forget.

I'm glad to see that he is gaining more of a vocabulary. We kind of had the same concerns about DS for a while. He got to the point where he'd say a few single words, but then he hit a point where he never really seemed to be expanding his vocabulary or putting words together to make a sentence. Now, he talks non-stop. Even when he's asleep.

Even though Touring Plans says now that Dumbo has Fastpass, you don't need to do the Dumbo Dash first thing in the morning, we headed there first. We wanted it to be DS's first ride of the morning as a sort of right of passage, and we also wanted to check out the new Storybook Circus area of the parks.

I'm kind of on the fence about this one. Actually, I guess I'm not. DS tells us he wants to ride Dumbo first, so I guess that's what we'll do.

I saw a cute little family of a small toddler girl wearing full princess getup and her two much older brothers wearing black t-shirts that said "Princess Security." I complimented them on their shirts when I saw them later by the strollers!

Ok, that's cool!

However, as we found out the minute our elephant was in the air, this was the year things started making DS nervous, including flying in an elephant. He wasn't scared exactly, but the smile dropped off his face and he was grabbing my arms tight and whimpering a little. This theme continued on most rides to varying degrees of intensity. But no freak outs, and towards the end he seemed like he was enjoying it a little more.

I'm interested to see how things go this time for us. DS has begun to have a sensitivity about noise and darkness. I have the Undercover Tourist app on my phone that has videos of all the rides and he loves that, but he tends to lose interest in some of the darker ride videos. I guess that's just part of taking a toddler as they gain awareness and sensitivities.

(no, we are not flashers either! lol)

That's a good thing. It is a family park, afterall!

 

[khertz]

Us either! I'm so glad to hear someone else hasn't seen it either. We came **really** close once, but the monorail stopped on the track and we got there just as the train pulled away!

Hopefully you can catch it once. We never used to make it a point to be there before rope drop either, so I never saw the opening MK show until our trip in 2010. After that I was hooked, and now if we are going to MK in the morning, better believe we will be there in time for the show!!

This just brought back a great memory from our trip last year when DS saw "Duck" in his first character sighting. I know exactly what you're talking about. It is a great moment and one that you'll never forget.

I'm glad to see that he is gaining more of a vocabulary. We kind of had the same concerns about DS for a while. He got to the point where he'd say a few single words, but then he hit a point where he never really seemed to be expanding his vocabulary or putting words together to make a sentence. Now, he talks non-stop. Even when he's asleep.

That's funny, because Duck was the only one he WOULD say before our trip! It is always fun to hear him say new words, but hearing him say Mouse for the first time in Disney World was especially exciting.

Paxton talks in his sleep sometimes too! He actually did that a LOT during our vacation, and of course he was right outside our door so we were "in" on the conversation.

I'm kind of on the fence about this one. Actually, I guess I'm not. DS tells us he wants to ride Dumbo first, so I guess that's what we'll do.

That's what we figured, because the only other things that get long lines in the day (Peter Pan, Pooh, etc.) all have FP, so even if you don't do them first thing, you can still get on without a long wait. It was more important for us to do Dumbo first than it was to ride Peter Pan without walking right on, so that's what we did!

Ok, that's cool!

Sounds like a cute shirt idea for Landon!

I'm interested to see how things go this time for us. DS has begun to have a sensitivity about noise and darkness. I have the Undercover Tourist app on my phone that has videos of all the rides and he loves that, but he tends to lose interest in some of the darker ride videos. I guess that's just part of taking a toddler as they gain awareness and sensitivities.

He was never too bad, like crying to the point of skipping out on the ride, just a little more nervous. Hopefully your DS will be the same...a little more aware but not necessarily freaked out or scared. Most of the time he would just kind of turn around like he wanted me to hug him, and sometimes on some rides where it was possible, he would sit in my lap facing me and just peek his head up at times.

That's a good thing. It is a family park, afterall!

Hey, we ARE from New Orleans....

 

[Imagineer5]

#1 LOVE krispy kreme!! YUM!

love the rope drop and all the pictures, how fun that you made it for rope drop! Can't wait to hear how you liked the Dumbo play area! Sorry you never got ot see FLE though.

I can't WAIT for Aria to start identifying the characters -what an amazing moment that must have been.

How did he do on small world? Interesting he was a little afraid of hte rides!

Can't wait for more!!

 

[afwdwfan]

Sounds like a cute shirt idea for Landon!

It is, but I think we've already got the clothing part of this trip covered. DW has a pile of Mickey/Jake clothes for him and Minnie clothes for DD ready to go into suitcases for the trip.

He was never too bad, like crying to the point of skipping out on the ride, just a little more nervous. Hopefully your DS will be the same...a little more aware but not necessarily freaked out or scared. Most of the time he would just kind of turn around like he wanted me to hug him, and sometimes on some rides where it was possible, he would sit in my lap facing me and just peek his head up at times.

I hope he handles it well. I really worry more about loud noises than anything else.

Hey, we ARE from New Orleans....

 

[amazingact21]

Aww, how great that your DS identified "mouse" during the opening ceremony. Talk about making a special show even more magical.

Glad you were able to hit Dumbo and Peter Pan's Flight that morning. Already off to a productive start!

 

[Leger13]

*whew* I finally made it over here!! I WILL keep up with this TR if it kills me!!!!

 

[Leger13]

Ok I'm ALL caught up! What a rough start to the trip with poor Belle! My mutt is like that on car rides. No fun! Yay for a great flight though! Bummer that DTD was so crammed with people! EoS always has a long line unless you're there as soon as they open. I got teary eyed when you said Paxton identified Mickey at the opening celebration of MK! Alex has just started calling Mickey, "Mouse" too but he hasn't on his own just yet. It's so nice that our boys are getting good with speech. I remember we were both worried about this a few months ago. That stinks that little Paxton has gotten a bit of a fear with the rides now. I half expect Alex to react the same way but I'm hoping he will surprise me. Great start on your TR! I'll keep up this time

 

[khertz]

#1 LOVE krispy kreme!! YUM!

love the rope drop and all the pictures, how fun that you made it for rope drop! Can't wait to hear how you liked the Dumbo play area! Sorry you never got ot see FLE though.

I can't WAIT for Aria to start identifying the characters -what an amazing moment that must have been.

How did he do on small world? Interesting he was a little afraid of hte rides!

Can't wait for more!!

We don't have a Krispy Kreme nearby, so that was a great first Disney World breakfast to have!!

I was so bummed about not getting to see FLE. I was really hoping to at least get to see Enchanted Tales with Belle and meet Ariel. Oh well, I guess it will just be something to look forward to seeing next year.

Probably one of the best moments of the trip! I came close to tears quite a few times during the trip, and that was definitely one of them. Girls usually start talking earlier, so I'm sure Aria will be calling them by name in no time! Since sharing Paxton's vocabulary/speech difficulties, I would swear that everyone who chimed in with the same problem had boys!!! Everyone with girls, no problem.

Small World was one of the rides he did the best on. And every time we would pass it, he would start yelling Boat Boat! He really enjoyed that one still.

It is, but I think we've already got the clothing part of this trip covered. DW has a pile of Mickey/Jake clothes for him and Minnie clothes for DD ready to go into suitcases for the trip.


I hope he handles it well. I really worry more about loud noises than anything else.

I sure hope he does well too. Just don't forget to pack his earmuffs! So glad again this year that we had bought them, because we ended up using them a lot more this time.

Aww, how great that your DS identified "mouse" during the opening ceremony. Talk about making a special show even more magical.

Glad you were able to hit Dumbo and Peter Pan's Flight that morning. Already off to a productive start!

That was exactly it, I already tear up during the opening show, but that just made it 10x more exciting and special! Something I will never ever forget, that's for sure.

Ok I'm ALL caught up! What a rough start to the trip with poor Belle! My mutt is like that on car rides. No fun! Yay for a great flight though! Bummer that DTD was so crammed with people! EoS always has a long line unless you're there as soon as they open. I got teary eyed when you said Paxton identified Mickey at the opening celebration of MK! Alex has just started calling Mickey, "Mouse" too but he hasn't on his own just yet. It's so nice that our boys are getting good with speech. I remember we were both worried about this a few months ago. That stinks that little Paxton has gotten a bit of a fear with the rides now. I half expect Alex to react the same way but I'm hoping he will surprise me. Great start on your TR! I'll keep up this time

We are working with Belle on the car ride thing, because we do need to get her to the vet at SOME point!

Yes, it is such a relief to see that Paxton is starting to catch up with his peers now that he is in daycare. He still is not caught up with some of the other kids in his group, but he is getting there! I'm glad our boys are doing better.

Well, I wasn't expecting Paxton to be afraid of them (I mean, we just went to DL in May and he wasn't scared of anything!), so I was surprised that he was. Maybe if you are expecting Alex to be afraid, he will surprise you and do awesome!!

 

[mandas08]

I thought I subscribed but I guess I didnt. I'm excited to get all caught up!

 

[khertz]

Day 2 Continued: Sunday October 21st

When I last updated, we had made it to Magic Kingdom for rope drop, checked out the Storybook Circus area, and done a few attractions in Fantasyland before heading back to Main Street. Our destination...the Harmony Barber Shop!

Loved the Barbershop Quartet in pumpkins decorating the top!

Our appointment was for 10:30 and they informed us we should check in 15 minutes early, so it was right around 10:15 when we went inside to check in. There were three people already in the chairs, but no one waiting, so the CM told us we would be next. We took a seat inside and DS immediately started pressing his nose against the glass, so I made DH run outside and take a picture. I think this one came out great!

And another one that's just funny...was that face a foreshadowing of what was to come?

The one I took from inside​

It became crowded rather quickly as another family checked in with their toddler for an appointment, and another family came in as a walk-in, but then they called us up to CM Michael's chair.

As soon as we tried to sit him on the seat, DS FREAKED. OUT. Like crying, sliding down off the chair, kicking me kind of freak out. DH and I looked at each other a little panicked, thinking this wasn't going to work, and besides wanting the memories of it done in the Magic Kingdom, DS really needed that haircut! After just a few minutes of meltdown mode, and a long trail of Mickey stickers, DS calmed down enough for Michael to get started. You can see from his face in the first few pics how much he had been crying! (Oh, I was VERY excited to see a Photopass photographer in the Barber Shop that day, that was something they didn't have last time!).

​

Part of the way through, DS finally relaxed (you can see he was still a little tense and unsure of the whole thing in those pictures!). We also chatted with Michael as he asked who had done his first haircut, and although I couldn't remember her name at the time, Michael knew from my description that it was Norma, but she was not working that day. It would have been great to have her again, but Michael was fantastic with DS and his hair!

He really enjoyed getting the hair blown off the back of his neck!

The finished product!​

By the end of the experience, DS had definitely warmed up to Michael, and was even willing to give him a high five once the haircut was complete.

Another one outside for the "After" photo!​

All in all, it was another fantastic experience at the Harmony Barber Shop. Although I was sad to see those sweet little curls go (DH wasn't...), it was nice to see DS all "cleaned up" again. His hair really had been getting a little out of control lately!! His last cut had been before our Disneyland trip in May, and then just as it was starting to get long enough for a cut, I knew if I did it then he wouldn't really need one by the time we went to Disney World. So I just let it grow and grow. It was driving DH nuts, but it didn't bother me!

After that, I took DS over to Guest Relations to get him a birthday button while DH stopped inside the Fire Station to pick up our first sets of SotMK cards. I was a bit bummed when the next CM to call me over was a male...He happily got me the birthday button and asked for DS's name so he could write it on the button, then told me he was trying to work on making his handwriting neater. Lol!! Although it was not the cutesy print I was used to from the female CM's who have written on buttons for us in the past, I have to say that male CM didn't do a bad job and even turned the "o" into a Mickey head for him. He also gave DH and I some of the "I'm Celebrating" buttons and wrote in "Paxton's B-Day" on them for us. Those were actually nice to have because we kept DS's birthday button on the stroller so he wouldn't constantly pull on it. That way, even when we didn't have the strollers with us, most of the characters still caught on that it was his birthday even without seeing his button.

We met up with DH as he was getting his cards and the CM was giving him instructions on how to play the game. Then we headed out onto Main Street and decided to take our first family Photopass pictures.

Continued in next post...

 

[khertz]

Day 2 Continued: Sunday October 21st

The first spot we wanted to stop was in the flag area where they had some pumpkins set up for photos with the Castle directly behind you.

It would have been a much better picture had the sun not been blinding and making us all squint! We decided to stop a little closer to the Castle for a few more, and the sun was not as bad here so they came out a little better.

Our next stop was we wanted to hit the Haunted Mansion, so we headed off to Liberty Square. Although we probably could have walked right in on the right hand side, we decided to head through the graveyard to let DS experience the interactive queue. Great choice!

Loved playing the music!

I'll admit, I was a little nervous about taking him on this now after his surprise apprehension on Dumbo that morning. He has been on HM several times over his last two trips, yes, but he had also been on Dumbo several times and now he was scared! We herded into the stretching room, and we were standing next to a little girl crying so I was worried that would set the tone for DS. But he actually did very well in there and just held onto DH a little extra tight.

We got into our doombuggy and DS was okay facing forward for the whole thing. I could tell he was a little nervous about the dark and the spooky voice of our ghost host in his ears, but we tried to keep it light by just pointing out things he liked identifying, like the eyes in the hallway, to try and make it a little less scary, and that seemed to help some.

When we got to the point where you are coming out of the attic and going backwards down into the graveyard scene, I have to admit, DS's nervousness made me laugh a little. As soon as we started going down, he grabbed the bar in front of him and held on tight until we were upright again!

When our ride was over, we made our way out of the Mansion, and DH took a few pictures along the way.

We decided after such an early breakfast, we were getting a bit hungry, so we were ready to stop for some lunch. Here is the last picture DH took before we stopped somewhere, and it should give you an idea of where we were heading!

UP NEXT: Not a Pirate's Life After All...

 

[disneybarbie]

The Barbershop looks like so much fun! I've never been in there before I'm glad Paxton enjoyed it in the end hehe.


Emma x

 

[AGPrincess]

Your TR title pulled me in, loving the updates! Your DS is so adorable...love the story about him having a name for Mickey for the first time. Looks like he seemed to like the barber shop in the end, very fun! Sounds like you guys were having a fabulous MK day! I also loved the "Princess Security" shirts on the brothers -- that is such a cute idea.

 

[skier_pete]

Ooooh! If it's where I think it is, my favorite lunch place in Magic Kingdom. Fried shrimp & Apple cobbler!

 

[MEK]

That story takes me right back to the time my oldest son freaked out over his first haircut. Too funny! He hated haircuts so much I would only take him to this cute little Italian barber near my parents house (yeah - over an hour away).

Can't wait to come back and see all your pics!

 

[leshunlenese]

I love the magic kingdom in the fall and the halloween decorations. You guys took some really nice family pics. It looks like you are heading to one of my favorite Quick service locations!

 

[khertz]

The Barbershop looks like so much fun! I've never been in there before I'm glad Paxton enjoyed it in the end hehe.


Emma x

When we booked the Barber Shop for his 1st haircut last year, I didn't even know for sure where it was! I had never been inside there before, but it is really quite charming although it is pretty small so it can get crowded quickly.

I was so happy that he calmed down and actually seemed to enjoy it. I was starting to wonder if we had made a huge mistake!

Your TR title pulled me in, loving the updates! Your DS is so adorable...love the story about him having a name for Mickey for the first time. Looks like he seemed to like the barber shop in the end, very fun! Sounds like you guys were having a fabulous MK day! I also loved the "Princess Security" shirts on the brothers -- that is such a cute idea.

I'm glad the title pulled you in, I guess that means I picked a good one! I always have trouble trying to come up with something.

Halfway through the haircut, I think he realized nothing bad was happening, and he calmed down and had fun with it. What a relief! It was a great morning in MK, and a great way to start off the trip. Thanks for joining in! I'll have to head over and check out your TR today.

Ooooh! If it's where I think it is, my favorite lunch place in Magic Kingdom. Fried shrimp & Apple cobbler!

That story takes me right back to the time my oldest son freaked out over his first haircut. Too funny! He hated haircuts so much I would only take him to this cute little Italian barber near my parents house (yeah - over an hour away).

Can't wait to come back and see all your pics!

Oh my gosh, the things we do to keep our kiddos happy! I was actually kind of surprised because he did amazingly well for both of his previous haircuts, both in Disney and one at a regular shop near the house. What a good mama you were driving him an hour out of the way for haircuts! Although I'd imagine his hair would get nice and long in between cuts.

I love the magic kingdom in the fall and the halloween decorations. You guys took some really nice family pics. It looks like you are heading to one of my favorite Quick service locations!

I was really excited to see it dressed up for Halloween again!

I think we both enjoy the same entree there, so I think you are right about where we are headed next!!