A week after our trip, Baby B celebrated his first birthday, surrounded by family and friends. It was a lovely day perfect temperatures, not a drop of rain. But. It was bittersweet and, yes, some tears were shed as we all sang Happy Birthday. My tears were, of course, for D and B and the one person who should have been there but wasnt. But I also cried for my own loss. See, four years earlier, it was Leo celebrating his first birthday. And I cried then for the loss wed both suffered when his dad left. D was there that day for us and I couldnt help but feel a sense of déja-vu as history appeared to repeat itself.
It hasnt repeated, of course Ds and my losses are incredibly different. She lost a man she loved and who she knew loved her. I, well
. didnt.
But were both facing life as single moms, for the time being, and I, for one, am so grateful to have her friendship by my side as we navigate the mysteries and revelations of raising boys.
Oh, V. I was getting all teary and then you cracked me up. To quote
Steel Magnolias, "Laughter through tears is one of my favorite emotions." Or something like that - I'm too lazy to Google the exact quote...
Oh yes, we needed a re-do and werent about to take any chances by bringing the kiddos. We set out with no plans, no ADRs and a boatload of nerves. Maybe that was just me. With the nerves. Prior to the May trip, wed last visited EP together with a group of grown-ups for the Food & Wine Festival last November. Ds husband had been with us. So, heading into the big trip, Id been concerned about visiting EP. Would the memories be too much? Baby B and his yakking took care of that nicely. No time to reminisce about what once was when youre helping a sick baby, right?!
But it was just D and I on our re-do and I wasnt sure what would happen.
What happened was this:
We enjoyed a bunch of rides.
We got into Rose & Crown with no ADR and had a lovely lunch, accompanied by a beer. Or three.
We bought candy in Germany and margaritas in MX.
And we laughed. A lot.
It was a good day. No, it was a great day! EP was not to be cursed by memories and I was so very glad of it.
That's terrific! I'm so glad that you got a great do-over day.
E enjoyed the rest of her vacation at Ds house before returning north. She purports to have had a wonderful time and hopes to do WDW with us again someday. Next time, she gets a schedule ahead of time.
And lessons from my BFF, Dr. Belle, who has no kids but would NEVER abandon me (or her sister or sister-in-law, to make the comparison even more accurate, as she's a real aunt as well as the honorary one to my boys) with a puking baby. Just sayin'...
Gramma still says she hates WDW. But I saw the look on her face as she tackled Sorain for the first time. She was HAPPY, I tell you! Wed made it back to use those FPs just before leaving that last day and Leo mustered the courage to not only ride again, but to hold Grammas hand and tell her its not scary, too. I still say Gramma had potential.
Go, Gramma!
Leo spent the summer in day care before starting Kindergarten last week. He loves it! Hes still at the same school, with his friends and teachers hes come to know and love. He talked about Disney a lot for a few weeks after our trip, especially about Typhoon Lagoon. He played water park in the bathtub for weeks, until he clocked his head on the faucet whilst sliding down Crush-n-Gusher and I called a halt to any more bathtub waterslide activity.
We didn't even hit the water parks and my Woody did this the other day. What is it with 5 year old boys and sliding in tubs?
As for the
Crocs, I believe the old, Lime Green Beach clogs are history, as are the Niles. Both are good for running the garbage out to the dumpster, or walking to the pool, but thats about it. The Mary Janes were the clear winners in the Croc-a-thon.
But.
They have some competition. In the form of my new Capris. Theyve been a dream, tooling around town, but can they hold up to the rigors of WDW touring, V-style? Only time will tell
I tried on the Mary Janes (the Beach ones are just too wide) and LOVE them, so I'm glad to hear this report. I just have to find non-neon orange ones.
This summers been the most challenging yet in my quest to finish my Art History degree virtually non-stop research and writing. Floridas massive budget cuts spelled layoffs for my municipal employer, and I spent a couple months wondering if Id still have a job. At the same time, insurance hikes meant an extra $300 a month to cover the deficit in my condos building insurance fund. Of course, all of this transpired within weeks after I took the plunge and bought into DVC. Vs Fuzzy Disney Law strikes again.
Do I regret it?
Not one stinking bit!!
Sorry you had the tough summer, and total bummer about the finances. But, it's in the rearview mirror now, and "nothing but blue skies ahead." (except maybe a tropical storm, according to T's report???)
So
THANK YOU everyone.
Thank you for reading. Thank you for chiming in with your anecdotes, questions, and comments.
Thank you for worrying when Im not around for a few days. Thank you for asking if Im okay when storms have threatened FL.
Thank you for bringing the funny into my days. And for allowing me to think Im funny, too.
Thank you. For making me want to write more.
Believe me when I say, "You're absolutely welcome, and I absolutely feel that it's MY pleasure."
I love your reports. I love your honesty and your wit.
You were the person I quoted most often on my trip, "V says this... V did that..." and I appreciate beyond belief how willing you are to share your experiences, tips, even the bad times.
So, missy, you'd best be writing something on the next trip.
I can't wait, either, for LL's, Jo's, and Tracy's reports, but I think they'd agree that we'd all miss your take on the World this time.
I'm just sorry that I can't be there for a Lapu on the beach.
Thanks again for sharing with us! 
You are a wonderful writer!
). Someone somewhere said, "you have to make your OWN happiness" and my mom always tried to instill in me that "no man was worth a life of unhappiness", which is probably why I divorced and remarried. I agree with Disfan3....."when life gives you lemons.......GO TO DISNEY". 
LY/MI!!!
