After we rolled ourselves out of the restaurant we headed to the living seas specifically Crush and Nemo. We had worked out a system where each child had an assigned adult for the trip. DS4 was assigned to his Dad, DD6 was assigned to me and DS8 was assigned to Poppa. We never had any fights about who was sitting with whom because we (or rather I) had spelled these assignments out months in advance.
DS4 loved the Nemo ride. He was bounding and bouncing through the lineup. At least until we hit the moving track when you actually enter the shells. Then the anxiety alarm bells went off in his head. It reminded him too much of an escalator and you don't want to be the family behind mine loading onto an escalator. I'm exhausted before I even get on it with the cajoling, begging, explaining and hand holding I need to do to appease them.
With DS4 at least he was small enough that my DH could just pick him up. So into the shell they go. Three empty shells and two other families are ushered in front of us as I begin the taming of the moving track anxiety alarm bells going off in my other two children. Did you know they can stop the track? I found that out later. Wish they had of offered that option for us. I know they slowed it down. Eventually the rest of us and all our anxieties loaded the clamshells. We did enjoy it.
I was looking forward to Crush Turtle talk. I think the kids enjoyed just walking around looking at the aquariums and having the obligatory picture taken with Bruce more than they enjoyed Crush.
Here's the boys outside of the living sea's.
We headed to soaring next. I had done a lot of explaining before we left to my DS8 about this ride. I was hoping we would be in the middle somewhere and luck was on my side. We all took our
crocs off and enjoyed swinging our feet in the wind. It is my DS8 favorite ride. He bought two pins of it. Or should I say he convinced DGM to buy two pins of it once she finally joined us.
Blood sugar was running low again so we all had our first Mickey bars. The thing I love most about the
DDP is that my husband (the tightwad in the family) encourages the rest of us to actually buy a snack. You know, because it is already paid for.
We took the bus home around 1pm and had the entire bus to ourselves. We had a lunch of fruit and cereal in our room. DS4 and DH had a nap in the bedroom while I made the other two lie on separate beds watching TV for an hour. Poppa knocked on our door and offered to take the kids swimming. We headed out to the piano pool (it's the quiet one) around 3pm and at 5pm got counter service from the hotel for dinner.
The whole kid meal thing is a bit frustrating at times. DS4 wanted pizza but ASMU only has pizza as an adult choice. So I switched with DS4 and he ate my pizza while I was left with chicken nuggets. It started to rain so we packed up our food and finished it off in our room.
There was a good thunderstorm that night. Around 7:45pm it was over and we headed back to Epcot to watch illuminations. I had done tons of research on the disboards and TGM and I knew we had to stake out a good spot early and I knew where those spots were. It was too much for my DH. He couldn't bring himself to wait at a spot even with the suggestion from me to get a margarita to pass the time. "Are Margarita's considered a snack item on the DDP?" he asked me hopefully. Since he would have to pay OOPs he declined. The kids wanted to buy the glow in the dark items from the vendors with their money. DH did not approve and faced with the heat, the waiting, the crowds and the possibility of spending money I guess you can all guess what happened next.
This is where the adults had a breakdown. DH and I fought. It wasn't pretty and it wasn't quiet. DH attacked my Disney planning and my scheduling. I attacked back by buying the kids the glow in the dark thingies and accusing him of being a cheapskate. My Dad took the high road and excused himself to go back to the Hotel.
At this point I huffed "fine, you win" and I gave in and gave up our illuminations viewing spot. We went into Mexico and rode the ride. Maelstrom wasn't running and then we went back to watch illuminations. This time we were about five people back and beside a fire-burning pole. Like we needed the extra heat on an August night. The kids couldn't see. DH was feeling more crowded. When I suggested we just leave since no one could see anything anyway and we would be ahead of the crowds going to the buses DH held firm. He said something along the lines of "You told us we were we were going to watch it, we're here now and we're damn well going to stay and watch it now".
It makes me laugh a bit now thinking about it. I've seen other families have these sort of public arguments and never thought I would fall prey to one. Looking back I see that my DH was tired, overstimulated, hot and thirsty. I'd been dealing with the kids melting down all day I never figured I'd need to deal with his meltdown as well. Not that I'm proud of my part of the fight either. We now have a pact that when either of us starts to get snappy or cranky we have to take a long drink of water before we speak again.
After illuminations we piled out of Epcot in the crowds for the buses with neither DH or I speaking to each other. It was the worst night of our trip. I felt totally crushed as I had put so much time and effort into planning and trying to avoid the crowd and yet wasn't strong enough to make DH follow through with me. I was dreading the rest of our trip and questioning the state of our marriage. It was a long squished, hot, cranky trip home.
FYI-there were NO pictures taken that night.
BBB pictures coming up because it was the Pirate and Princess Party
http://www.disboards.com/showpost.php?p=26055462&postcount=35
I also found the moving "sidewalk" problem with your kids amusing, not because it reminded me of my kids but it reminds me of ME. I'm not a fan of escalators and trying to get on with a kid, not my idea of fun. Down is worse than going up, but the first time I ever went to Disney with dh I saw the moving sidewalk at Spaceship Earth and had to hold on to dh
I'm slightly better now because I have to hide my fear from my kids who have enough fears of their own, they don't need to add from mine
