DS5 continued to sleep in my arms on the bench while waiting for our table. I tried to wake him up for a few moments but then the soft warm fuzzy feeling of holding a sleeping child took over. I could almost hear my heartbeat slow down and time become hazy as I realized that my baby was now five years of age. There weren't going to be too many times left when I could hold all of him in my arms and cradle him like this. I took a few deep breaths and tried to capture this moment in time in my memory and I let him sleep a bit longer.
His brother and sister wanted to get in on the act. But it was just an act for them.
About now his brother and sister started demanding my attention. They were fighting over who got to sit next to me on the bench. Although they weren't sleeping like their younger sibling their weariness was showing in their crankiness.
I'm not sure how long we waited for a table but it seemed like about half and hour. Once I stood up and started moving into the restaurant DS5 began to stir. There was a moment where I wasn't sure which DS was going to emerge. A well rested and ready to play one or a tired cranky worn out one. Luckily it was the first. The birthday boy saw the tigger topiary in the front and promptly rubbed his eyes and wanted down.
"Where's tigger mama?" he asked.
"He's going to come to our table hon." I replied. Actually he never did come to our table but we will get to that in a minute or so. Yes, this proves that sometimes Mothers do lie. I swear that I truly believed tigger would come to our table. The unofficial guide and TGM had said he would.
Our waiter had a birthday button and card waiting for DS5 at our table. The card was from all the characters at the CP (including tigger!). Naturally as DS5 got more attention and more excited about his birthday DD6 's mood would go lower and lower. She got into quite a crank during dinner. She refused to do the parade around the room. We were there for three cycles of it. The first one was moments after we sat down. Our waiter handed the first flag to the "birthday boy" and that was it for DD. No flags, no parades, no food and most of all no birthday celebrating for her.
I knew DD6 was tired, hot and hungry but that does not excuse her behaviour. In very clear terms she was told that we are a family and we celebrate all of our birthdays. I got more "humphs" and crossed arms out of her so I explained to her that she had two choices. Sit down at the table and share a pleasant meal with her family where only positive and nice statements are said or take a time out sitting beside our table on the ledge until she was ready to join in again. I got another "humph" and she stomped to the ledge.
The boys came back from the parade and we took turns going up to get dinner. Someone had to stay with DD6 on the ledge. Nanny stayed behind. I don't know how she did it and quite frankly I don't think I want to know how she did it but she managed to coax my cranky Cindy (DD6) to have some food. A few minutes later she coaxed Cindy to the table where the "humphs" disappeared but there was still some remaining angry body language.
We were all able to enjoy dinner after that. The kids mobbed each of the characters and wanted individual pictures with them all. Most of the pictures were bear hugs where you can only see the back of the kid's heads. I must remember to talk to them about turning their heads to the side for this years pictures.
For desert our waiter bought out a white cupcake topped with sprinkles and a candle for DS5.
DS5 and his birthday cupcake
I thought DD6 was going to spin out again but she was too busy in conversation with Nanny over something. Yeah Nanny!
We were completely stuffed for CP does have one of the better buffets in the world and still no sign of tigger. We couldn't go until we saw him. The kids were adamant about it. Once again our waiter stepped in and took the three kids to tigger. He was over on the other side of the restaurant so the waiter walked the kids over with Poppa and I in tow cameras ready to snap.
It was worth the wait. The kids were thrilled to finally see tigger. It was another of those moments when you try to freeze time and capture it in your memory. The anticipation and then the sheer joy of the interaction with tigger was getting to me. Even DS8 seemed to believe in the magic of that moment.
Tonight was our last night and I was reflecting upon the difference between these three children running and hugging tigger and the three children who spotted Mary Poppins in the world showcase on our first morning. Those children were frightened and overwhelmed. I was starting to doubt whether coming to Disney had been a good idea or not. These children were running and laughing. Proof that this trip was the right thing to do.
Sometimes I wish I had taken the kids to Disney when they were younger. Especially DD6 when she was so into the princesses. DS8 was into Thomas the tank engine when he was younger but DD loved all things Disney. I think I made the right decision to wait. They weren't ready yet. I was but they weren't. I am so looking forward to this next trip because the learning curve for my kids won't be so long. They know what to expect and are feeling confident in what they want to do and experience.
Back to that evening. We picked up DD6's personalized parasol. I had ordered her a pink parasol with her name on it and purple flowers while I had crossed MK to get Buzz fast passes. She was thrilled with it. DH was not so thrilled with the money it cost to get it.
Here they are posing in Cindy's castle and DD6 is holding the parasol.
We went on Mickey's philharmagic. Totally loved it, each and every one of us. Even Poppa stayed awake for this one. He does like Donald Duck best though. DH and Poppa took the kids on the carousal while Nanny and I waited in line at "it's a small world". This is Nanny's favorite ride. We had the 48 of this growing up and it had the IASM logo on it. So it brought back memories for me. The kids didn't love it but knew how much Nanny and I liked it so they put up with it.
We then went to tomorrowland to use out fastpasses. We only saved ourselves a five-minute wait or so with them. It was dark by now and the parade was starting. Nanny promised the birthday boy he could pick out a toy for his birthday and he took some time deciding which buzz toy to get. He narrowed it down to two. Nanny bought both.
I talked the family out of watching the parade. It was about 5 people deep to see it and we had missed so much of it already that once I started to mention the crowding on the buses (that got the adults) and that the fireworks were next (that got the kids) they all agreed we should head to the bus now and skip watching the parade.
It was a tight squeeze through those sidewalks with a stroller. It took a long time and it was difficult to find passage through the crowds. It is enough to turn me off watching parades ever again.
When we made it though to the other side of the main gates we noticed that the electrical parade was passing by. We had just missed it when we went to the hoop de doo so we stopped to enjoy it. Much less crowded than spectro. Much shorter than spectro.
Off to an empty bus we went. The kids all fell asleep on the bus ride to the hotel. I'm sure Poppa did too. I stayed up a bit to try to do some more packing when we got back.
The last day- breakfast with Mickey!
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BUT...you are almost there again!!!!
