A No Snooze Bar Christmas, Harry & Mickey are Waiting..it is done

[Leger13]

I had not intended to string everyone along for this week, but between soccer for Goo, Track season starting for Ab/Cheer season ending, Wrestling with Boo...time has been short. I wanted to keep everyone reading and not post for a week...I promise the final reveal will be up tomorrow (tonight I plan on working on the youtube video) and by Sunday we should arrive at MCO.

I so hope you are not disappointed by the reveal video...

sssuuurrrreeeee. Excuses excuses! DIS is more important. Didn't you know that?? LOL I'm SO j/k.

 

[FosterA]

awwww Goo looks so cute and is so excited about everything already. Can't even imagine how he's going to be at Disney!
Tammie...you have said a couple times that the actual trip part of the TR isn't all that exciting and maybe even boring but that is so not true. Us Dis/TR reading-freaks like all the little details and wont think it's boring. I promise! I thought my TR was pretty uneventful and boring too but alot of people liked it. Us Disers are ez to please
I can totally picture Jeff at the airport being frustrated with the crowds because that's soooo my husband too! They are brothers from another motha!

 

[Monknmom]

Damien's first subway reaction was like that of Ann's family she watched! It was horrible so be glad that his was good! LOL the cliffhangers weren't planned? You did them so well though!!! LOL what the heck we can start the PTR whenever... we kinda did on facebook no? i have been thinking of giving him mine and upgrading for myself, but mine was a little over $200 and only like 2 years old he doesn't need all of that! So I am going to try to stalk like you did for a pretty good one! Thank you!

 

[annmarieda]

I still am in awe that you pulled off the kids not knowing. Seatac is a large airport, but it wouldn't matter.. my kids (including Zoe) would see the gate and know where we were headed. Course, they have all flown before...so maybe that is the difference.

I just can't wait for the final reveal!!!!

 

[lovethattink]

I can't wait either!!

Are you related to any of the Lost writers?

 

[sl_underwood]

 

[petals]

You know how to build the moment can't wait to see final reveal

 

[addictedtothemouse]

Ok I'm all caught up, you may procede with the reveal now.

I can't wait to see the kids' reactions.

 

[momabaarjo]

ARE YOU READY?​

I sure hope with all the build up that this does not disappoint anyone!​

 

[momabaarjo]

After a Year of Planning I Can Finally SCREAM..."We're Going to Disney World!!!"​

Where did we leave off? Oh yeah, the final reveal props. I had made little cards for each of the kids inviting them to a special event during our trip that they would be interested in and attached them to our family tradition of Hammond’s candy canes.

Ab-Invitation to a dolphin swim
Boo-Acceptance letter to Hogswart
Goo-Letter from Lightning McQueen

LINK TO YOUTUBE VIDEO OF PHASE 3: Final Reveal
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pmhE...xt=C3e57daaUDOEgsToPDskICCMRySs_KDyYW5_xKu6bA​

Not the jumping up and down reaction that I was dreaming of…as you can see I have one child telling me she knew it all the time, one child once again in shock/disbelief, and one child jumping up and down. It was even funnier when I told them to turn around and read the sign. Jeff quickly took their orders and they all headed to McDonalds. I wish that I gone with them because Jeff said the conversation with them about the trip was funny. I guess dad got all the real excitement in line at McDonalds…figures he does nothing and get all the true reaction. I sink in a seat and suddenly I realize the last 12 months of planning are really unfolding. Jeff and the kids come back with a sack full of Egg McMuffins (and cinammon rolls for Ab) and we proceed to have a breakfast picnic right there at the gate.

I question Ab that if she knew everything, why did she not say anything…her response, I did not want to ruin your surprise…ahhh, proof that this teenage girl does not always think of herself. Did I mention that during our breakfast texts and calls kept pouring in on our phones wanting to know how the kids reacted? Thanks friends for waiting and not making me try to cover up more today!

Reflections of the Reveal: I am a bad at capturing the moment on video…just when I think the excitement is over I shut the camera off only to miss great little bits. As you see from the video, it take Boo once again a long time to process what is unfolding around him. He cracked us up with, “You mean we aren’t going to Mr. Biggs?” Mr. Biggs is an indoor playground (video games, bowling, pizza, karoke, laser tag, go carts) like Chuck E Cheese in Colorado Springs…for the last couple of years we have spent New Year’s Eve there with the cousins…Jeff is right WDW makes Mr. Biggs look like Mr. Small. Boo is usually my more animated child, I cannot believe that we had him in shock! Ab’s face during the reveal was priceless…I love her smiling when she realizes that her guess was right!

After we finished eating, I handed each of the kids the travel books I had made outlining the whole trip.

LINK TO BOOKS in PTR
http://www.disboards.com/showpost.php?p=43423461&postcount=1781​

There was lots of our we really doing there and doing that…lots of little squeals of delight which made the time go by really fast and before we knew it we were boarding our flight non-stop flight to Orlando.

The seating arrangements on this flight were similar except this time there was 6 seats across.

Jeff and Ab sat behind us in the middle and window seat, while I sat on the isle with Goo in the center and Boo by the window…can you say fight between the boys until I guaranteed Goo that Boo would switch with him ½ way through the flight and then the boys discovered the TV monitor embedded in each seat in front of them. We settled into the flight fairly quickly and before I knew it, time to figure out how to pay for the movie…Guess what was showing…Harry Potter 7.2!

It took me several attempts but finally I got the movie to play and the boys became engrossed, thank goodness because Goo has not stopped talking all morning and I had a little time to journal the events of the morning…I began regretting the seating arrangement because Jeff was getting 3 hours and 45 minutes of peace sitting next to Abigail (who only is interested in the movie and her new book from her travel bag)... while I got 3 hours and 45 minutes of boys (Goo's non stop talking and Boo complaining about Goo interrupting his movie)! If you ask Goo, the favorite thing of the entire flight was checking out the bathroom and the warm chocolate chip cookies! Of course ½ way into the movie Goo gets bored and I do my best to keep him entertained the next 2 ½ hours,

until...WHAT DID YOU EXPECT, now that the reveal is over I have to keep you following along somehow!

 

[annmarieda]

OMG! That was awesome. It makes me want to be in that moment again... you know, the moment where all the planning is over and the trip is all right before you...instead of behind.

AB looked like a cat that swallowed the canary! And Boo... Too funny, he just seemed like your "new" plans totally through him.

You did such a great job!

And your flight... I get being where you were. Last time I flew with Alex and Zoe... I sat between them. (not at all fun) While dh sat alone with the then 17 year old.

Can't wait to read more!!!

 

[lovethattink]

Awesome reveal!!!

 

[Grumpy's Wife]

Priceless! I'm so glad it went as you intended.

 

[petals]

Love the reveal! Bet she didn't know but she was just letting on she did! Woo can't wait to read the rest of your disney trip now

 

[sl_underwood]

Great reveal... and more cliffhangers...

 

[veggiemama]

Great Reveal! I love how in shock they all were!

thank goodness for tv screens on the plane. Had my kids entertained all flight as well. warm cookies?? How do you manage a thing like that!

 

[momabaarjo]

Dinner & a Movie Night:
Snowball Express
January 29, 2012

The kids have been begging to get start doing dinner and a movie night since we got home. In fact, they asked on the plane home if we were going to continue doing movie nights (how could I resist?). I am going to scale back and just do the dinner and the movie part, unless I find a craft we just have to do. It just seemed like the craft was rushed most of the time. So here is our first on since our trip...

Jeff and I both remember seeing Snowball Express as a children, which did not make the boys to excited to see and "old" movie (Ab was at a party), but it is movie night...so deal with it, right? I loved seeing Harry Morgan (of MASH fame) and I think I remember having a crush on Dean Jones (OMG) when I was little. In the end, I think the boys laughed the hardest of all of us...end fact they wanted to know if they could watch it again!

Menu:

Snowball Express Subs with a side of Skis

Blizzard Fruit Salad

White Out Drink

(I had planned hot chocolate, but it was just too nice outside for that.)


Snowball Cookies

​

​

 

[momabaarjo]

OMG! That was awesome. It makes me want to be in that moment again... you know, the moment where all the planning is over and the trip is all right before you...instead of behind.

Me too...in the moment of the trip...not before or the end, but enjoying the moment!

AB looked like a cat that swallowed the canary! And Boo... Too funny, he just seemed like your "new" plans totally through him.

She was funny...and Boo, well my funny child who always has something to say was speechless...

You did such a great job!

thank you...

And your flight... I get being where you were. Last time I flew with Alex and Zoe... I sat between them. (not at all fun) While dh sat alone with the then 17 year old.

I figured I needed to take care of the boys since I am the one who flys the most and this was their first flight...does not pay to be nice sometimes!

Can't wait to read more!!!

Awesome reveal!!!

thank you...I was looking at the pictures of the kids with Anakin yesterday...maybe we can do it all again someday

Priceless! I'm so glad it went as you intended.

thanks...not exactly the reaction but the plan went down well

Love the reveal! Bet she didn't know but she was just letting on she did! Woo can't wait to read the rest of your disney trip now

I think she had a pretty good clue, but she did not want her guess to be wrong and then be disappointed...

Great reveal... and more cliffhangers...

what did you expect? I hope I can figure how cliff hangers for the rest of the days!

Great Reveal! I love how in shock they all were!

thank goodness for tv screens on the plane. Had my kids entertained all flight as well. warm cookies?? How do you manage a thing like that!

yes warm chocolate chip cookies...I guess that is Frontiers thing to do...they were pretty yummy!

 

[momabaarjo]

Bye Bye Plane, Hello MCO

This flight is seemingly endless and there is nothing to see out the window because of the cloud cover, until it becomes apparent that we are starting our descent and Goo’s ear start hurting, not just a little bit but enough to bring him in tears. I had not thought about that…we try gum, yawning, rubbing/pulling on them, try teaching him to blow through his ears…during the entire time Jeff is telling to do something I already have tried making matters worse (translation: making me mad)…the landing cannot some soon enough, finally his ears pop enough to give him some relief along with Orlando appearing out the window!

Of course I have failed to mention that we are on a packed plane, near the back and my children are raring to go (okay, I am too). As we sit and wait Goo makes an observation out the window and announces to us and EVERYONE on the plane…that THERE IS THE MONORAIL to Disney…yes, he has spotted the mini monorail at MCO.

Everyone on the plane gets quite a chuckle and an older man turns to Goo and thanks him for making his day! That was the best thing he had heard all day! We wish the crew "Merry Christmas"and the kids hand the flight attendants their candy canes! (How sweet and unknown to me...who has no clue that I need my camera).

And the next thing we know it is time to get on that mini monorail (for which Goo can't wait to try out), my mission is to collect our baggage and find Tony…but Jeff has other plans. Have a mentioned yet, that my dh has decided that on this trip is going to bring up the rear and we are always going to be waiting on him?

We get off the mini monorail and there is...

the Christmas tree I have seen in so many trip reports…the first of many trees I can’t wait to see…so I guess it was a good time that Jeff decided to use the bathroom because I got to take pictures of the tree standing still inside of snapping while walking past it, but the kids were not as patient as me but I know that we can wait here looking at the tree or stand at the baggage claim and wait looking at a non moving conveyor belt. Jeff appears out the bathroom and we are down the escalator where we find Tony waiting for us…how cool to have a sign with your name on it and a smiling face! Being that our first stop was not WDW, the ME was not an option and last time I was in Orlando I tried the Mears Shuttle and it took me over 2 hours to get from MCO to RPR at Universal AFTER we had picked up baggage…this time I knew better and hired a personal car (or in this case a van). Tony had come highly recommended on the DISboards and we were about to find out why! This man is a gem, friendly, helpful, early, and not very expensive! As we introduced ourselves he walked us over to the baggage claim and helped us get our bags and then it was off to his awaiting van! Within 20 minutes of stepping off the plane we were already on our way.

Tony and Jeff instantly hit it off, but my husband can talk to anyone, anywhere…which on this trip sometimes was not a good thing! Tony kept us all laughing at his jokes and encouraging the kids to share their favorites, as well as giving us great tips until….

 

[momabaarjo]

Just a little ramblings today...cause I have the Disney Blues...thinking that a month ago we were watching Grinchmas at this time. So I have spent today looking at Disneyland...Cars opens this summer and I know Goo would love that, plus my mom has been hinting at a road trip in July (wondering if I could talk her into that) with the kids, how crazy would it be to do WDW and DL within 6 months of each other?

Part of me would love to go back to WDW as a family, but the other part of me wants to explore other places on this globe...but then I think about our trip and what we did not accomplish that it would be so much fun...so I started looking at cruises. On my bucket list is a cruise and the Disney ones look like so much fun but Christmas cruises are WAY out of my price range for next Christmas...so guess I will just have to do family drama!

Then I think about the furniture I need to replace this summer and the cabin expansion...but my new car has been pushed back another year (Jeff bought a new work truck yesterday...actually just added 3 more years onto his current financing...he needed and ended up STEALING basically a 2012).