A Smile in my Heart–Magical Week of Friends,Fun & Freezing-10/28-COMPLETE!

I absolutely love your report! So much so that I went back and read your older ones. :goodvibes Your kids are adorable and I can't wait to read more.
 
Your kids are beautiful!!

We still haven't gone to T-Rex yet, I am hoping in October. I really enjoyed all your pictures from there and have to put your drink on my list of ones to try.

The carousel pictures were adorable. She looks so happy.

I can't wait to read more!
 
Hi Sara!! I am all caught up! I didnt know you started!!! I love your idea of DTD on your first day- I am going to use that next trip and lunch at Trex too! The kids are so adorable and look so excited in the pics.
 
Great update! DTD is so fun to shop at!! :)
DD will just LOVE that Tinkerbell set...she has ALL of the Princesses like that! I haven't seen Tinkerbell at the store...maybe its just @ WDW?? Cool. We give DD & DS a gift card for WDW and they shop from that! It works out great! Ready to read more reviews!

Thanks for reading! Yes, that Tinkerbell set was not the only one we left with...it was an ongoing theme to say the least! :laughing: We had quite a few already at home, but the lure of getting them at Disney is even greater!

I have read ur previous reports and am very excited you have another!! Great start so far!!

Thanks so much!! Glad you are here! :goodvibes

I absolutely love your report! So much so that I went back and read your older ones. :goodvibes Your kids are adorable and I can't wait to read more.

Aww...thanks! Feel free to go back and read. :goodvibes The October one has Chapter links, the Thanksgiving one USED to have links, but one time I checked on it, and the links didn't work. :confused3

Your kids are beautiful!!

We still haven't gone to T-Rex yet, I am hoping in October. I really enjoyed all your pictures from there and have to put your drink on my list of ones to try.

The carousel pictures were adorable. She looks so happy.

I can't wait to read more!
Thanks so much Tracy! :hug: Definitely try the cottontini - it's delicious! :thumbsup2 Katie was very happy on the little tiny carousel! It was just what she needed to perk herself up! :cloud9:

Hi Sara!! I am all caught up! I didnt know you started!!! I love your idea of DTD on your first day- I am going to use that next trip and lunch at Trex too! The kids are so adorable and look so excited in the pics.

Thanks Nickie! DTD is always so hard for us to get to so I thought going on arrival day might be a good way to get it done and also get some of those Goofy treats to nibble on all week! It worked out well even though we were only there for a short while! :thumbsup2 I looked for you when we checked in though and also when we returned to the Poly that evening, but never did see you or your adorable boys! :sad2:

Sara
 

Saturday, February 6th - Arrival Day Complete – but what have we already lost????

Apparently, both Shawn and I are directionally challenged, because even with a GPS, plugged in with coordinates to get us back to the Poly, we got lost and went in a big circle and came out at the EXACT same spot we had just been prior. I think we did better getting around places when we stayed offsite! I guess we just got more used to the routes!

In our defense, the GPS DID tell us to do something that was not correct.

I think.

I don’t really remember.

Maybe I blocked it out since it was not very pleasant! :laughing:

We did eventually make it back to the Poly but low and behold we had totally forgotten to make that little stop at the grocery store to get a few things. Mainly we needed milk, yogurt, some fruit, cranberry juice for drinks, and some more oatmeal (as I packed way too little). Oh well. We will manage.

Shawn dropped us off at the front of the Poly and went to park the car. I made my way back to the room with the kids to get myself unpacked. The kids had mistakenly thought we were meeting all our friends and their kids and having a pool party. Don't know where they got that idea but on our walk back to the room I had to set them straight that no, we would NOT be swimming that night. Brrrr...:cold:

We got back to the room and Michael and Emily ripped open their goofy's treats and dug in! Katie just wanted to play with the Tinkerbell set, and I took that time to unpack my suitcase as it was the last one of the bunch. We stored all the suitcases over next to the bed by the wall for the week and it worked out fine since that's where the kids slept and they didn't need to go around that side of the bed!

On Shawn's way back in after parking the car, he caught the torch lighting ceremony and took some pictures. I saw this when we were at the Poly for our quick couples trip in May, but Shawn had missed it so I was glad he was able to catch some of it. I thought these pictures came out pretty cool! I just love that the Poly does this every night – how fabulous!

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After Shawn arrived back in the room, he took a quick rest while I finished unpacking and the kids and I watched some TV and prepared to meet up with some friends on the beach to watch Wishes.

I knew some of the girls were at the Poly eating dinner at Capt Cooks and some of them were on the way from BLT, so we started down towards the beach after the customary battle for the "who-gets-to-push-the-elevator-button-this-time" debacle! Oh boy, that's gonna get old!

We made our way out to the beach and WOW that wind was blowing! It was seriously cold that night!

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None of the girls were there yet, so I decided to go back to the room (love Samoa and how close it is to the beach) and get the blankets we had brought from home for the kids. I hoped no one would mind covering with a Transformers and/or Jonas Brothers blanket! LOL! I left Shawn to freeze on the beach with the kids (who at that point seemed oblivious to the cold and were just running around in the sand and playing with the buckets and shovels I had brought from home), and on my way past the pool, I met up with Nichole and her beautiful daughter Kaylee. We stood there and talked for a while and I ambandoned my trip to get the blankets in return for going back to the beach to introduce the kids.

I sent Shawn back to get the blankets instead so I could talk to my friend!

Aren't I nice? :laughing:

After a little while longer, the rest of the girls showed up and the kids were in friend heaven. Four 9 year old girls, two 8 year old boys, a 6 year old girl, 5 year old girl, 5 year old boy, and 4 year old girl were all instant friends and they took off down the beach, running, swinging in the swings, lying in the hammocks, digging in the sand, etc, etc, and we Moms were able to sit on the beach chairs and cover up with blankets and talk for a few minutes before Wishes started. Shawn returned and hung out with Dave (Monica's husband) and then tried to set up his camera on a light post in the sand since he forgot his tripod, to take some pictures of the fireworks.

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The kids seemed to all care less about the fireworks except when something big happened! They were much more interested in playing with one another and blowing off some steam.

Wishes was fabulous as always!

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After Wishes was over, we decided to head back into Capt Cooks since some of us had not had any dinner. Low and behold my kids had all taken off their shoes (yes it was like 45 degrees outside) and were all putting them back on when Katie came up to me and said she couldn't find her shoes. :headache: The rest of the group headed inside and I combed the very dark beach looking for her very light colored tennis shoes in very light colored sand! Lovely. They were impossible to find as she had covered every inch of that beach while she was playing, and there was no telling where her shoes were actually buried!

Eventually, and very reluctantly, (as they were her most comfortable shoes and this WAS our first night at Disney), we gave up the search and went back to the room to put on her other shoes and head to Capt Cooks. Katie was upset about her shoes but what else could we do?

Unfortunately, somewhere in that cold air on the beach, the rest of the group did not realize that I was scouring the sand for lost shoes - they thought I was in the bathroom or something. There was a big miscommunication and I felt awful that they had waited around for a while for me before just getting their food and eating. By the time Katie and I got there, it was pretty late but everyone had just started eating, so I got in line and ordered up a couple of meals.


Shawn and I had the Adult Grilled Cheese with the Polynesian chips with a Dole Whip for dessert and Emily had the kids grilled cheese. Michael and Katie didn't really eat anything - they might have nibbled off of ours, I don't really remember.

The kids all had a lot of fun hanging out with eachother.

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(Monica’s daughter Megan, and Emily)

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(Megan and her pudding)

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(Michelle getting ready to take a picture…she is standing in the back…)

Here is her picture (I stole it, Michelle) of the girls and you can see Shawn taking his picture in the background!
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(Four 9 year old girls)


And two 8 year old boys, trying to avoid the 9 year old girls….
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We had a great night, but Katie was worn out so I had to take her up to bed.

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Now looking at this picture, I realize Katie ate some Cheetos for dinner! Aren't I a good Mom?



Shawn went by the lobby and picked up our stroller from Orlando Stroller Rentals and brought it back to our room (love that company). Emily was loving getting to sleep on the pulldown couch at the Poly and Katie and Michael were sharing the other bed. Katie was out in a matter of seconds!

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After getting the kids (and Shawn, LOL) tucked in to bed, I spent the next 45minutes or so getting everything organized for the morning and our first day at the parks!!

Ok, Ok, and I ate a pretzel from Goofy’s!!! :rolleyes1

Our first day at the parks is next and it would be a doozie!!! But first, Shawn and Michael decide to try and get up at o'dark thirty to watch the Space Shuttle launch!!! Did they make it? What did they see?

Then....Touring Animal Kingdom with a group of 18!!!

Sara
 
Sorry about the Shoes !!

It looks like you had a great meet otherwise!! It also looks COLD. Glad you had the blankets!

Adult Grilled Cheese and Dole Whip...Does it get any better then that???
 
If it makes you feel any better it was still cold the next week while we were there.

What a great meet! Friends, beach and fireworks. Having a quick meal together even better.:thumbsup2

Can't wait to read about your first park day.
 
You are making me really want to stay at the Poly! :cloud9:

Shawn got some great pictures of the fire guy! We happened to see him a few nights before when we were heading to 'Ohana, really neat performance!

I totally forgot about Katie losing her shoes! We were wondering where you took off too. :rolleyes1

It was so great to spend the evening with you and your family and I hope we get to do it again sometime soon. :hug:

ETA: Oh, and I love the picture of me taking a picture of Shawn taking a picture - hehehe
 
hey:mad: I think Disney's direction signs are not clear and need to be fixed. Yes the GPS was wrong, but the signs at this place are almost designed to confuse you like Alice going in a the rabbit hole. Disney please fix your direction signs. It would help to have a few more turn here dummy signs around.

Wishes was fun from the beach, I wish I had not forgot my tripod, because my next opportunity was dashed by low clouds of the Magic Kingdom...:sad2:

Oh, Thanks for sending me back to get blankets. It gave me a chance to make and adult beverage.. :banana: :laughing: :laughing: :laughing:
 
Sorry about the Shoes !!

It looks like you had a great meet otherwise!! It also looks COLD. Glad you had the blankets!

Adult Grilled Cheese and Dole Whip...Does it get any better then that???

I don't think so! It was a pretty nice night! :goodvibes

If it makes you feel any better it was still cold the next week while we were there.

What a great meet! Friends, beach and fireworks. Having a quick meal together even better.:thumbsup2

Can't wait to read about your first park day.

Thanks! It was a lot of fun to be there all together! :grouphug:

You are making me really want to stay at the Poly! :cloud9:

Shawn got some great pictures of the fire guy! We happened to see him a few nights before when we were heading to 'Ohana, really neat performance!

I totally forgot about Katie losing her shoes! We were wondering where you took off too. :rolleyes1

It was so great to spend the evening with you and your family and I hope we get to do it again sometime soon. :hug:

ETA: Oh, and I love the picture of me taking a picture of Shawn taking a picture - hehehe

LOL Michelle! I thought that was pretty funny about the picture thing! :laughing: It was great being with you guys too. Wish it had been warmer and we could have had pina colavas on the beach instead of huddling under blankets and then rushing inside as soon as we possibly could! Next time we will try to plan the weather better! :rolleyes:

hey:mad: I think Disney's direction signs are not clear and need to be fixed. Yes the GPS was wrong, but the signs at this place are almost designed to confuse you like Alice going in a the rabbit hole. Disney please fix your direction signs. It would help to have a few more turn here dummy signs around.

Wishes was fun from the beach, I wish I had not forgot my tripod, because my next opportunity was dashed by low clouds of the Magic Kingdom...:sad2:

Oh, Thanks for sending me back to get blankets. It gave me a chance to make and adult beverage.. :banana: :laughing: :laughing: :laughing:

Hey now! Don't go telling people what happend on the other attempt at pics from the beach....I'll get to that day in about 4 more months! :rotfl: Yes, I do remember your adult beverage....as I had a couple of sips of it myself! Yum! :thumbsup2

And I am sure that you only grabbed that to help keep you warm:lmao:
Great pics even with out the tri pod!!!



:drinking1:jumping1::drinking1



Sara
 
Sara:

18 people :scared1:--Were you herding cats again? :rotfl2: Okay, seriously, I am in a silly mood tonight!

It is so nice that you got to enjoy Disney with your friends. I think that would be magical. Your report is getting me so excited for July. I cannot wait to stay at the Poly. I have it planned to watch the 4th of July fireworks on the beach on the 3rd--Go figure! The view looks amazing. Also, what time is the torch lighting? That is a must.

Look so forward to your next update.

Erika

BTW, I know I asked you last year about VA and DC. Well, luck of the draw, we are getting most of our spring break and heading for five days to DC. Jeremy cannot wait. I am so anxious to go back.
 
I'm finally all caught up! :banana:

Your TR is great so far... your kids are just adorable and you have a great way of retelling with lots of details (wish I had been there with that room view!) :rolleyes1

Looking forward to more-thanks for sharing! popcorn::
 
Sara:

18 people :scared1:--Were you herding cats again? :rotfl2: Okay, seriously, I am in a silly mood tonight!

It is so nice that you got to enjoy Disney with your friends. I think that would be magical. Your report is getting me so excited for July. I cannot wait to stay at the Poly. I have it planned to watch the 4th of July fireworks on the beach on the 3rd--Go figure! The view looks amazing. Also, what time is the torch lighting? That is a must.

Look so forward to your next update.

Erika

BTW, I know I asked you last year about VA and DC. Well, luck of the draw, we are getting most of our spring break and heading for five days to DC. Jeremy cannot wait. I am so anxious to go back.

Funny that you mention that herding cats thing Erika, because we all kind of talked about that the next day as we were trying to keep everyone moving in the same general direction! Even though we are all experienced DIsney folks, it was still a challenge at times! I think we managed fairly well, and no one minded SPLITTING UP!!! :rotfl: Something that seems to be harder to do on a family trip for some reason! :rolleyes1

The beach is a great spot to watch the fireworks on crowded nights in the parks. I've always said if we ever HAD to do Disney over Christmas week or Spring Break, I would definitely be heading to the Poly for at least one night to watch the fireworks without being shoulder to shoulder with people in the MK. The torch lighting is at 6:00 every night. I'm not sure if they change that at all during the summer, but both times we were there (May and Feb) it was at 6:00. Don't miss it - it's short, but well worth it! You just don't get that at any other resort, ya know? :love:

Oh cool - you are coming to VA and DC!! What are you guys going to be doing? The spring is such a pretty time of year there - the cherry blossoms...ahh...:cloud9:

I'm finally all caught up! :banana:

Your TR is great so far... your kids are just adorable and you have a great way of retelling with lots of details (wish I had been there with that room view!) :rolleyes1

Looking forward to more-thanks for sharing! popcorn::

Thanks! It's funny what comes back to your mind when you start writing about it! I hope my details aren't too boring for people, but I like to get it all in there! :thumbsup2

Sara
 
Great update Sara! Wishes from the Poly beach sounds like heaven:cloud9: (it sounds REALLY good if it was a bit warmer!)

I would have been eating my Goofy treats too:) I hope you were able to find the missing shoes!! Looking forward to your first park day!!
 
Great update! I love watching Wishes from the beach at the Poly! The kids all look like they were having a blast. So fun!!!
 
Thanks! It's funny what comes back to your mind when you start writing about it! I hope my details aren't too boring for people, but I like to get it all in there! :thumbsup2

Sara

Not boring at all- I love all the details!! :surfweb:
 
Hi Sara- I think the last time I posted on one of your TRs was the one for your humungo Thanksgiving trip. I still admire how well you herded all those "cats"! :thumbsup2

I love reading your TRs because they are so "real", so to speak. You tell the good and the bad, and I get a true sense of how it is to travel with 3 kids under 10. Plus, you have a wicked sense of humor and a great hubby to boot!

Can't wait to hear about the rest! :cool1:
 
Great update Sara. O'dark thirty......:lmao::lmao:

I've been there with the looking for shoes in the dark thing. My friends have a huge yard and we go there a lot in the summer for picnics and bonfires. Inevitably one of my boys would take of there shoes who-knows-where in the gigantic yard and we wouldn't discover it until we got ready to leave well after dark. We usually used the tractor headlights to search them out!! Now I gather everyone's shoes BEFORE the bonfire....lesson learned! :rolleyes:
 












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