**No pictures this chapter-just EMOTIONS**
I woke up with a start that morning. I sat up in bed and to glance at the alarm clock around DH. It read 6:05 am. I ordered the wake up call for 6:30 but all sorts of things were going through my mind and I couldn't quiet it back down so I gave up and just got up. I don't even think DH mumbled as I rolled over him so I wouldn't step on Cindy on the pull-out trundle bed beside me.
The first thing I did was open the door to check on the weather. Because the Newscasters could have been wrong. It just might be your average Florida sunny sunrise going on out there. It was my first full day of our trip so I had hope that anything could happen.
Nope. It was dark, windy overcast and raining. Not a really hard rain but rain nonetheless. I guess the weather forecasters knew what they were talking about. Sigh.
Yesterday when we turned on the weather station it showed thunderstorms for the next 5 days. Do you know how depressing it is to start your vacation in the sunshine state looking at weather forecast of only the thunderstorm icon? I had hope though. It couldn't possibly thunderstorm for five or six days straight I thought. I held on to that thought the same way I believe that if I don't count how many of the little tiny Halloween size chocolate bars I eat in one sitting than my body won't notice the extra calories. I believed because I had to believe. Our entire vacation depended upon me believing that the sun would indeed shine through. I tried the weather station again to see if they had changed their minds about the rest of the week. Nope. Still a full screen of thunderstorm icons. Bigger sigh.
So I went about my morning routine. I opted not to walk all the way down to the food court for a coffee and made myself one in the room instead. I was fully dressed and eaten before the wake up call happened.
The kids had argued last night about who got to pick up the phone to listen to Mickey and Stitch. They all wanted to do it. Of course that was not at the ungodly hour of 6:30 am when they normally sleep until at least 7:45 or 8am on summer break. No one stirred. It was like t'was the night before Christmas poem. Not a creature was stirring, not even a mouse. So I answered. It was the first time I had heard it. Let me just say I hope they have a new one by my next trip. I mean you would think that Disney would have a few options to choose from.
Anyhow, I will spare you the details but I got them all up and ready. Jedi Knight had the hardest time getting ready to leave. He had a melt down. I didn't record the details just the words in uppercase. DS5 MELTDOWN.
It doesn't stick out in my memory because he had a meltdown everytime we tried to leave the room even to go swimming or to the food court for a meal. Mind you I was guilty of having a mini-meltdown in my head everytime I had to walk to the food court because I was so angry I didn't get my room request filled. It got really loud (in my head at least) each time I walked by a sign for the building I wanted. I'm not sure it was always in my head and I suppose I could have been ranting out loud a few times but no one would have heard me over all the rain anyway. So my madness was contained or rather concealed for the time being.
But back to DS5 Jedi in training and his meltdowns. I can't blame him for not wanting to go outside that morning. It was depressing looking. It was a little chilly and not exactly what we had all anticipated and experienced last year. He was so bad in the morning that DH and I spoon fed him and had to carry him to the washroom and back. He was not willing to do anything himself.
The morning started out with DH and I cajoling him, cuddling him and very sweetly trying to convince him to get ready to go. Eventually our patience wore out and by the time we were ready to depart from the room DH and I would sound like the screaming nasty parents you see all over the MK around 4pm otherwise known as the bewitching hour. After DH and I had crossed over to the nasty yelling smart alec side of parenting and Jedi in training had reached his boiling point one of us would pick him up and shove him into the stroller and off we would go in a huff. It was a horrible way to start everyday and every outing. Looking back I still don't know how we would have stopped it.
You see, it was different things that would set him off each time. It could have been a water bottle or a particular piece of clothing, he wanted to take or not take with him. It could have been a ritual he hadn't completed properly with his stuffy stitch, or his pillow. It could have been that he hadn't finished playing with his new
Lego (even though he got lots of warnings and physical reminders like we are leaving when this TV show is over or when the clock numbers say…). It was different things each time but it was always something.
Perhaps like DH Jedi in training secretly hates it when mommy is in charge. Perhaps he really doesn't like Disney after all (Blasphemy I know). All I know is that DH and I had to take turns battling it out with him just to keep our own sanity. That morning we hadn't worked out the tradeoff thing yet so we were both agitated and frustrated with him which meant we were taking it out on each other and grumping and nipping blaming each other for setting him off and huffing and puffing until we blew ourselves up. Think the three little pigs and you know where I'm going with this. All pink faced and fuming.
So you can imagine the look on Poppa's face as he was standing at the door with Cindy and Eeoyre waiting for DH and I to emerge with Jedi. He can hear all the yelling and some of it I'm sure he found amusing but I'm also sure he started to feel uncomfortable. Poor Poppa. He was ready right on time and in a cheery mood. Unlike the rest of us.
At least Cindy and Eeoyre were ready to go. They might have kicked up a fuss too but you know there is one thing I have noticed about my kids. They are really good at sharing the spotlight. The meltdown spotlight that is. Usually I only have one freaking out at a time. The others may feel a meltdown coming on too but I guess the act of watching their sibling go through the motions is enough to sedate them. So Cindy and Eeoyre just watched. Eeoyre tried to play the "Look how good I am Mommy card" but I shot it down quick with glare and an eyebrow raise.
You will notice that I haven't mentioned Nanny yet this morning. Why would that be? Because I hadn't seen her yet. She had yet to emerge. Poppa went back to check on her and I could see she was still in her nightgown.
So it is 7:10 or so and I have been through what feels like a drawn out emotionally charged battle just to get my family ready for ropedrop and Nanny isn't even changed yet. The fury raged inside me. If I was Donald duck I would have had flames in place of my pupils.
"Just start walking to the bus without me" Nanny says.
Now I love Nanny to pieces but she is not exactly the fastest walker in our group. In fact she is the opposite. I spent many a day last year saying "Come on Nanny" or "Nanny-Keep up" as we traveled through the parks so I knew there was no way that Nanny would "catch up" to us as we walked to the bus stop. I also knew that I didn't want to physically see a bus for the MK stop and not be able to get on it.
DH pushed Jedi knight and took off like a flash due to all that frustrating and agitation. Poppa, Cindy and Eeoyre started walking more slowly. I took one look back and followed behind them.
We all found a seat at the bus stop. There was one other family there. I can't remember where they were going but it wasn't the MK like us.
A bus came. You'll never guess which bus it was. That's right folks. Our MK bus. The driver opened the door and asked
"Where are you heading folks?" (Don't you just love the way they toss around that word in the south? It gets me every time.)
DH told him we were waiting for someone and he said he had a minute. He'd sit tight. Eeoyre was dispatched down the path to check if Nanny was coming. I know we all hoped she would suddenly appear and off we would go on this empty bus to MK our own family fairy tale in the making.
I would love to write that Nanny arrived just in time and we made that first bus. But that would be a lie. My heart sank as the bus driver closed the door and drove off.
It was 7:15am. Were we going to make rope drop?
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on the edge of my desk chair.
We took my boys to DL when they were 6, 11, and 13, and boy oh boy could they fight -- and it was constant
I laid it straight out for them -- money was tight, but we had saved up to have a nice vacation and wanted EVERYONE to have a fabulous time -- all of them, and Brrt (their step-dad) and me too. So NO FIGHTING, PERIOD.
I totally didn't expect it to work, but for some reason it did
I don't think they argued or bickered for the whole trip! And now they are 17, 22, and 25 -- and they still haven't gotten around to killing each other, so I guess that's a good sign
Looks like you had such a good time at the cottage -- I love that in the pic with your dad you are all wearing a rainbow of 
