Sorry this chapter took so long!! It's been a crazy week! The next chapter may be a little bit in coming as this weekend is packed full of birthday parties AND Jay's parents are coming. Must play the hostess and all!
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After our "refueling stop" at Pizzafari, we were ready to head out! There were lots of animals yet to see!!
Right near Pizzafari there are lots of "animal looks" as Teddy calls them! We saw Flamingos:
Of course Sally likes Flamingos b/c they are pink! Me too!!
It was no surprise that Teddy began rattling off Flamingo facts...all the while pronouncing "Flamingos with a D instead of a G..."
"MissCammie Flamindos are pink b/c of their diet...it's high in the same stuff that's in CARROTS!! And guess what else?! Baby Flamindos are white or grey and not even PINK! And Flamindos can fly!"
Sally rolled her little eyes at her brother's extemporaneous lecture on Flamingos!
"Teddy...it's NOT FlaminDO...it's FlaminGO..."
So THERE!
Our favorite animal by FAR was the Otter!!! We love us some Otters! Mostly b/c MissCammie can speak to Otters...in Otter language...and they come a runnin!
Seriously. It's true. They speak roughly the same language as squirrels...which I also speak.
I do.
stop laughing.
I spoke Otter to the otters in the Otter look and they came from all parts! The kids were WILDLY impressed! Sally starting speaking Otter too and they were VERY interested in what she had to say. They were standing up and looking for the otter that had managed to escape the Otter look! The crowd around us was equally interested in our unique ability.
Look how FAST they were running!! They BLURRED!!
aren't they DARLIING?!
The family that had been standing there before us said they'd been waiting to see an otter for nearly 10 minutes...then we come along and they come rushing from all corners!
I am the Otter Whisperer!
I shrugged my shoulders an said "I speak Otter..."
Sally backed me up with "Yeah, she learned how in COLLEGE!"
One of the BEST things about Sally and Teddy is that they totally believe every single solitary thing I tell them. Which is why they believe there is a strange force field around our house that causes toys with batteries and noise making ability to stop working in the night...the batteries get mysteriously sucked from the toy. It's really odd...
*ahem*
it's true.
And I put on my Secret Solid before I left the resort so it was NOT that I smelled funny! (which I think my husband was trying to imply!)
I happen to have a gift!
We spoke to the otters for a bit longer. Sally told them they were cute. They told Sally that SHE was cute...and smart...they could tell. Of course I had to translate this for Sally b/c she speaks Otter better than she understands. Which happens sometimes when one is learning a new language...
*ahem*
Jay finally pulled us away and said it was time to move on.
He nailed me with a "my wife is losing her mind" look.
I nailed him right back with an arch and a smile that said "Don't be jealous dear, just bask in the warmth of my many talents!"
We were having WAY too much fun and it was barely even noon!!
The kids hopped into the kid transporter and waved goodbye to the their new friends, the Otters!
I said goodbye too...in Otter language...cuz I'm cool like that.
We headed in the direction of the Festival of the Lion King! I had been wanting to see this show for AGES. I'd heard it was pretty fun and that the kids would enjoy it. Jay is not so much a show person. He's a bit too twitchy to just sit and watch. But I figured he could handle it!
Unfortunately the show was not running...or was postponed...or canceled...or something like that.
Jay was not unhappy.
He distracted my disgruntled-ness by pointing out that Camp Minnie-Mickey was RIGHT HERE!!
YAY!!!
This was even BETTER!!
We quickly hopped in line for my personal hero, Donald Duck.
(just a side note: you can tell I'm not from the East Coast b/c I wait IN lines, not ON lines. The first time I heard someone talking about getting on line, I thought they were referring to the internet! Which was confusing b/c we were at Six Flags and I didn't know where the nearest computer hook up was!

)
The coolest part about waiting in line at Camp Minnie-Mickey is the FAN and the MISTER!!! Air conditioning if you will!!! It was HEAVEN!!! And the lines weren't very long!
When it was finally our turn, Sally marched right up to Donald and said,
"My step mom LOVES YOU!"
Teddy added
"Yeah, you're her FAVORITE DUCK!"
I was rewarded with a large hug from Donald and a loud smooch noise as he pressed his beak against my cheek!
SECOND smooch from a character in three days!! Horace Horsecollar being the first!
Sally patted Jay's arm and said "It's okay Daddy, he's just a duck!"
peace maker Sal!
Getting those signatures!!
The Donald pics are some of my favorite pictures of the whole trip. Just love me some Donald!!!
Next up was Minnie!!! Sally was hop skipping in line as we waited! Minnie and Sally have a close personal relationship as y'all know!
getting hugs from Minnie!!!
Sally told Minnie how much she liked her "Camp" outfit and Minnie pointed to Sally's
crocs and gave her a thumb's up. Sally absolutely BEAMED the whole time they were "viztin" with Minnie, it looked like somebody plugged the child in to a wall socket! Minnie just did it for Sally. Made her feel good, made her feel loved and validated. That little spark that had been started when Sally was just 3 had remained lit all these years...NOBODY was able to put it out. These moments are the moments that will keep us coming back to Disney year after year.
We took some pictures with our girl Minnie. When our turn was up, Minnie pulled Sally in for one more hug. I SWEAR y'all...Minnie just KNEW that Sally needed one last hug...one last reminder that she was a cherished little soul. It was one of those great hugs with whole arms wrapped around bodies...Sally leaning her head against Minnie's shoulder. It was a real hug...b/c it was real love that traveled between girl and mouse.
As were heading to the next stop, Sally put her both her arms around me and said "MissCammie, I love Minnie. She's really my friend. I mean, I really love her."
I kissed her head and told her that I could tell she really loved Minnie and that Minnie loved her...And the best part was that she and Minnie would ALWAYS be friends, because that's part of the magic!
Sally said "Like the way you loved Donald?"
Jay gave a snort from behind us.
Sally threw a look over her shoulder.
"Daaaaaaady, it's MAGIC love. MissCammie is married with YOU, not with Donald! They just kiss sometimes..."
yep...exactly like that.
*ahem*
Next up was the MOUSE himself! Time for some Mickey!!
Teddy had some things to say to Mickey!!!
He asked if Mickey rode with Captain Jack on the Black Pearl if he wanted to take a vacation sometimes...
Pirates on the brain this boy!
Mickey nodded and made some other motions that I'm sure were confirming his frequent rides on the Black Pearl along with Captain Jack...with whom he has a deep and abiding friendship.
I speak character sign language too...
We were going to hop in line for Goofy, but that line was WICKED LONG...and it was HOT...and it looked like it was fixin to rain on us and Jay was itching to get to the Safari. So we bid goodbye to Camp Minnie-Mickey. Sally blew a kiss to Minnie on her way by, and bless that Mouse, she saw Sally do this and she blew a kiss right back.
Sally's little heart was so full at that moment that she said to me in a whisper,
"MissCammie, my cup runneth over!"
Which of course just KILLED me b/c that is something Sally has heard me say to my little sister a million times. It was our way of saying "I love you" and something our grandmother always said to us. Sally had asked before what that meant and I'd explained it by saying "your heart is so full of love that it runs over, like a cup overflowing with water..."
I think Sally used that expression b/c her heart was indeed full to the top and running over with love for a Mouse...and for magic...and being able to believe.
We were on a happiness high as we headed towards the Sarfari ride!
I snapped this on our way out!
Love us some ducks!!!
Up next: Kilimanjaro Safaris!!