A Tale of [family madness in] Two Cities - Final Thoughts & PTR Link!

[jenseib]

Wonderful update. I would rather be a Disney busy then at home here....well maybe if I had the option to go at a slower time I would rather do that. LOL!

It might be the antibiotic. Does it look similar to chicken pox? My DD had a reaction to amoxicillin when she was 18 months old and it looked like that kind of rash...her face and tummy were the worst, little dots everywhere. The dr. said that she can't have any antibiotic with the word 'cillin' in it now. Good luck!

I was goingto say the same thing. Claire had a light rash after amoxicillin once. She had taken it before with no problems, but she got it within 2-3 days after taking it and since DH is allegic to penicillin they figure she is probably most likely too. They said the only way to test it is to give her more....but I'll pass and just be on the safe side. I don't want to make her suffer, when we can just get an alternative. My mom also became allegic to it as an adult...so we have it on both sides of the family.

 

[brookelizabeth]

Wow, what an update!! I think the MK ws way toooooo crowded for my taste, but you managed to do quite well there!

Your MIL was right about the "Haus" - the funny thing about Pinocchio is that it is an Italian children's book, but for artistic reasons the Disney film takes place in a German village. I saw an exhibition on the art of Disney once and there they went into detail how the animators recreated a German village.

The crowds were a bit much at times, but this day they didn't bother me as much as our NEXT day at AK. We seemed to get through everything okay, and often were going the opposite direction of the crowds, so we'd end up getting out of the masses pretty quickly. However, we do prefer the SLOW season much more!

I had no idea that Pinocchio was an Italian children's book!! Interesting! I bet what you saw during that exhibition was fascinating....they are always so good with their details!

It might be the antibiotic. Does it look similar to chicken pox? My DD had a reaction to amoxicillin when she was 18 months old and it looked like that kind of rash...her face and tummy were the worst, little dots everywhere. The dr. said that she can't have any antibiotic with the word 'cillin' in it now. Good luck!

Nope, that's the kicker - it doesn't look like anything the doctors have seen as a reaction to the medicine. It looks more like mosquito bites on his hands, little white bumps. And just a rash on his face. His Ped. said it still might be a reaction to the medicine, because his immune system has been down, a mix of factors causing this weird reaction. Yesterday he didn't get it at all, and today he hasn't either...so who knows! Next time it happens (if it happens) I'm going to take a picture to bring in with me.

Wonderful update it was worth waiting for. I love the video of the parade and the music. Did the parade get you ready for the next part of your trip?

Henry does have a cute smile when he saw Mickey's house.

Yes! It did! And I didn't know this was going to happen, but during the wedding in New Orleans we were part of a similar parade down Bourbon Street! Dancing, parasols, waving hankies, and music! When I watched the video for the first time after we got back home it made me think of the parade we were part of for the wedding.

I love that second picture of Henry with his eyes closed...it's like he was sucking it all in, "Ahhhh, we are at Mickey's!"

It could also be 5th disease- which is just another toddler virus type thing. that was exactly what my son had when he had his blazing 104.3 fever I had mentioned in my prior reply. After the fever broke- he had red cheeks and bumps on his belly so i called the pediatrician and they said that is what it is called- also called slap cheek virus or something like that. Anyway they said that I didn't need to bring him back in but that they would put it in his chart that he had it. They said that it is also explained the high fevers as that is common with that virus. These babies get all kinds of funky things! It's good that you are bringing him back to the dr just to make sure.

I've heard of 5th disease before, I remember it going through my elementary school when I was really young. Thankfully I escaped somehow since it's highly contagious. What Henry has though goes away, and it more looks like mosquito bites - white bumps. It's very odd. He hasn't reacted in the past couple of days, so hopefully it was just something funky that has worked its way OUT! Yesterday, while we were at the doctor, he didn't have the reaction at all and was given a clean bill of health...no RSV, no pneumonia, no ear infection!

 

[brookelizabeth]

Henry is adorable in all his "bump" pictures

Thank you! He loves to give the bump!

What a great start to your morning in Magic Kingdom! Even though it was a bit busy, you still got some fun things done. It's so neat that Henry is old enough to walk through the queues by himself now. What a big boy!

Looking back I was surprised at how much we got done in just 3 hours. Pooh, Jungle Cruise, Monster's Inc. and the TTA. Along with stopping and enjoying the atmosphere/taking pictures, chatting, etc. All things considered, not too bad!

I was so proud of Henry doing well in the queues! I feel like after he did that at Pooh I have a lot more freedom in allowing him to walk in public and knowing he'll stay right with me and not dart off. Which is a relief, considering how heavy he's getting!

Great update Brook! Love the pictures of Kidani (of course!) and the ones from the Princess Tiana parade. Ugh, I wish they still had that, I would've loved to see that.

I didn't watch all of the JC video but Sam seemed like an awesome skipper. That makes the ride so much more fun, especially when you've been on it so many times.

I love those pics of Kidani my DFIL took! The sun is just beautiful on the building, isn't it? Everything looks so ALIVE in them!

I'm sorry you missed the Princess Tiana parade! I didn't realize they had stopped it already. So the boat is just back to a normal boat? It was beautifully decorated - I think I have a picture... Where do they have the Princess Tiana meet & greet now?

Sam was awesome!! I will look for her next time we are there to try and get her boat. I had to watch the whole video again to make sure you couldn't hear me laughing the entire time before I posted it. Just once I caught my laugh.

Holy crowds Batman!!! It looks like we left just in time

I bet after this trip, WDW will never feel crowded to you again!

Sounds like Henry did amazingly well in the lines - guess he is an old pro at this Disney stuff!

Tomorrow, December 29, was WORSE. Trust me....! Like I read anywhere, as the week went on, it got more and more crowded! You guys did leave just in time crowd wise! I think if we do NYE week again, we'd just come on the 30th and do no-park days on the 30th and 31st, enjoy the festivities and then have our park touring start January 1 when things slow down dramatically. That way we get it all still!

I've trained Henry well, haven't I?

As far as the medicine, I'm sure you have tried this, but have you tried to get it flavored? I know sometimes you can't do that, because it is already flavored and sometimes not flavored well. Of course we don't want Henry to get sick again, but if he does you might could look into it.

I checked inot that right away...it was already "tutti-frutti" flavored. I certainly can't tell, it tastes like something horrid and bitter to me! We've been giving Henry 1/3 piece of gum before the medicine, he chews on it a lot, then opens wide, gets the stuff down and then we give him a bit more gum. I'm not thrilled with my 2 year old having gum, but at least it's sugar-free and it helps me get the yucky stuff down!

That is the same thing that my son has said since his first trip when he was a year and a half and he will be 4 next month. We don't tell him otherwise either.

I'm glad I'm not the only one! We'll ride that boat as long as we can....!

 

[brookelizabeth]

wow...those crowds would drive my DH nuts! I'll think we will stick to the off season times.

Hope everything turns out ok with Henry at the doctor.

We aren't big crowd people either, but we knew what to expect going in - so we just rolled with it...it wasn't ideal though. The atmosphere in the parks was pretty festive though, that did help some! And, knowing our 2010 trip WILL be during the OFF season!

Ah, early morning at Kidani looks so peaceful! It's hard to believe that over in the MK it was wall to wall people! Which speaking of, those crowds make me twitch just looking at them in pictures!

Hurray for Henry getting excited about seeing the Castle!

I love how big Henry is getting -- talking, waiting in lining, remembering his favorite rides -- it's all so adorable! I was laughing while I was looking at the Items of Distraction bit!

I remember those Shamrock Shakes from last year -- and I still wish we had them down here. Enjoy one for me!

I hope my AK day pictures do the crowds justice. You guys will be under the tables rocking in the fetal position! It was baaaaaaaad! MK was busy, but manageable. We seemed to time things well there and avoided the "big" stuff.

It's amazing what will entertain a 2 year old!! I love it! It's been fun to post here with everyone and watch him grow up. His first trip being when he was just 14 months old. Sigh...!

I wish you had Shamrock Shakes too! It really is a shame they don't have them everywhere, I just don't understand why not! I will be sure to have one in your honor!

What a wonderful LONG update!

Love the pictures and video of the Princess Tiana parade, I really want to go to New Orleans after watching that movie and listening to the music.

I think my favorite picture is of your feet! How cute. What shoes are you wearing? They are super cute.

The music was VERY New Orleans! When we arrived in New Orleans, during our first day, I heard so much music - coming from all the store fronts, the street corners, etc. It was beautiful! But, more on that LATER!

Thank you! The shoes are Keens! They are SO COMFY! We bought them back in 2006 and they have been worn a zillion times! They come on every vacation and are worn anytime I know I'll be doing a significant amount of walking (like shopping ). My Crocs are nice, but these are much better. They were expensive, if I recall, we paid $95 a pair, but worth every single penny considering 4 years and several trips later, they are still awesome. I wore them when we did a very intense 10 day touring schedule in Israel and my feet felt great the entire time.

 

[brookelizabeth]

I love Henry's excitement at seeing the Castle! He did great in the Pooh line; what a big boy!

It does sound like the rash is from the antibiotic.

Woo hoo for the Shamrock Shake! I've never tried one, but now I have to!

It was great to see a big smile on his face! Now he DEFINITELY knows what that Castle is. Any picture he ever sees of it has him jumping and dancing!

If you like mint, you'll like the Shamrock Shake!!! Joe isn't a huge fan, it's too minty for him.

Supper glad Henry is back to himself and got a clean bill of health and so glad you got your Shamrock shakes back. I so need to move to Minnesota. You have all the things Texas doesn't... rain, snow... shamrock shakes..... Mall of America.





Loved the update with Henry's pics in queue. Too cute. It's amazing the difference a September baby to January baby makes. 4 months makes a huge difference in things they can do and say when they are toddlers!!

Glad you finally got the reaction you were lookin for when he saw Mickey's house.

You want snow?!?! I'll FedEx ya some, we've got about 18 feet to spare. We also have below zero weather and high taxes! The Shamrock Shakes though are a big pull for MN! I wonder if the McDonald's in the Mall of America serves the Shamrock beauty??? Hmmmm!

4 months is nuts when they are that little! I have a girlfriend who's little guy is 3 months older than Henry and I'm always shocked at what he can do and say compared to Henry. Then Henry gets that old and it's just an everyday thing! Since 18 months he's just CRUISED in terms of development! He already knows all his upper-case letters and we are working on counting. Just 5 months ago he could barely talk it seemed!

Hey Brook!! I am wayyyy late joining in, so I am going to catch up now!

Glad to have you here!

Brook, did you know that Chick-fil-a has a peppermint shake?!?! Let me tell ya, it's like a little slice of heaven! I bought one for my DD thinking that it wouldn't taste too good. Well, I took a sip and then (blush!) drank more than half of it! Seriously, it's reallllly good. I've never tried the Mcd's shamrock one though. I know where I'll be going tomorrow!

Love Henry's reaction to the castle. Shouldn't everyone's be that way? I think so. Also love his butterfly exclamation during Monsters, Inc! It's those cute little things that nobody else would understand but that you'll find incredibly adorable! My littlest DD used to call a book 'boop'. DH and I thought it was sooo cute and funny, other people not so much!

It does?! Okay that SEALS it. If we aren't flying in/out on a Sunday (because they are closed), we are hitting Chick-Fil-A at the airport on this years trip!!!!! I've never eaten there, but have heard rave reviews. And the Peppermint Shake is a normal menu item? So I can get one any time of the year? Not just around St. Pattie's day?? This is also a big "Plus" on the list for moving to FL.

I am surprised everyone doesn't act giddy when they see the Castle! I know I do! I'm here! I'm here!

I do love all those little unique things about little ones. I don't think I'll ever forget that moment in Monster's Inc. It was so sweet - I remember Joe's look on his face, which matched mine!

Another great update...and I'm so glad that Henry is feeling better!

Oh, and I know where I'm going tomorrow...straight to Mickey D's to get me some Shamrock Shake! Thanks for the heads-up!

Thank you!!! I'm so glad he's back to normal too! It's a RELIEF to have a clean bill of health finally!

Your welcome on the SS info, ENJOY! Yum!

 

[brookelizabeth]

WISH I lived closer!! A Shamrock Shake date sounds heavenly!!! If only there was a place, Brook, we could get BOTH TOGETHER!!!!!

could there be anything better under the sun?? A minty yum with a doggity delish??

Oh my word. If Casey's served Shamrock Shakes I don't think I could leave! Serrrrrrrrrrrrrrrriously. Yum!

WOW!!! Those crowds are crazy!!

Oh my goodness!! Henry is just too cute!! His reaction to the castle is priceless!! Claire (who is 2) has been saying, "That's MY castle!" so it should be interesting to see how she reacts in May!!

Henry is such a big boy standing in line and choosing what rides to go on!!

Just wait as the week goes on! Tomorrow (Dec. 29) is even worse!! MK was manageable though - I felt like we covered the park pretty well, I think we just timed it well though, we were often going against the crowd and would end up in pockets of no people it seemed - or they would follow us. I wouldn't realize how nutty it was until we were already where we were going....at least this day is how it went...tomorrow is another story.

I can completely picture Claire running up and trying to hug the Castle! Btw, I cannot recall if I mentioned this, but if Henry was a girl, his name would have been Claire!

Shamwow! Rock on with your bad self!

That totally made me laugh out loud - I spit on my computer! Shamwow! Just ask your wifey about Shamrock Shakes...I wonder if she remembers them from MN!

YUM!!!!! My favorite to!!

How is Henry? You know my son had the exact same reaction to antibotics he can't take any "cillin" or "mycin" (?) antibiotics. I'll never forget we were at the doctors for a recheck of his ears, stopped at the pharmacy and I look down at him and he pulls up his sleeves and says look mommy chicken pox's! Well he was covered in red welts! Thank goodness we were at the pharmacy and I could call my doctor and have him change his prescription.

Next time he's sick ask if he could take a ZPAC (zithromycin) (?sp) You start with a double dose then single dose for I believe 4 more days. But the antibotic stays in your system for as long as a normal prescription would be. This is something that Matt (DS) can take even though it's part of the "mycin" family of antibotics. And it was something he could tolerate taking when he was little.

Aren't they just delicious?! All this talk about them is making me crave another! I must resist for a while otherwise all the exercise I have been doing lately will be for nothing.

Henry is doing VERY good now! The reaction he had wasn't like chicken pox - it was white bumps, like mosquito bites on his hands. It was very, very weird. The doctor hadn't ever heard of a reaction like his to the medicine, it was usually the red bumps. She thinks it perhaps is something reacting due to his compromised immune system. For the past 2 days he hasn't reacted at all...so...if it happens again, I'm taking a picture and we are supposed to stop the medicine until the doctors and research. We do know he is all healed up now though, so stopping the antibiotic would be alright. Hopefully it's over and done with and was just something weird!

The Shamrock Shake is good!

I like the picture of you pointing at the shake with the lid off

It was about 1/3 gone in that pic, minutes later it was GONE.

LOL @ at the shamrock shake! I knew it had to come out soon! They were all over the Mickey D's when we lived in Michigan, but now that we are in Ohio, I've never seen one.

I had friends in college that would order a chocolate and a shamrock shake and mix the two! Yum!

It's so strange that some McDonald's don't have them! Such a shame.

That chocolate/shamrock does sound good! I bet Joe would REALLY like that - the Shamrock is too minty for him...I'll have to suggest that! Just what we need, more ice cream!

 

[brookelizabeth]

Wonderful update. I would rather be a Disney busy then at home here....well maybe if I had the option to go at a slower time I would rather do that. LOL!

I was goingto say the same thing. Claire had a light rash after amoxicillin once. She had taken it before with no problems, but she got it within 2-3 days after taking it and since DH is allegic to penicillin they figure she is probably most likely too. They said the only way to test it is to give her more....but I'll pass and just be on the safe side. I don't want to make her suffer, when we can just get an alternative. My mom also became allegic to it as an adult...so we have it on both sides of the family.

I would rather be at Disney than here too - I prefer a slower time, but I'd take ANYTHING!!!

Did Claire's reaction bother her? Henry's didn't at all....it didn't match up to anything the doctors know as a reaction to that medicine. The bumps were white mosquito bite looking instead of red bumps, it didn't itch or hurt, it was inconsistent...very odd. He hasn't reacted in two days, so we'll see! Thankfully he was given an "all clear" yesterday, so if we do have to stop the antibiotic I know he's already healthy!

 

[3prettyprincesses]

It does?! Okay that SEALS it. If we aren't flying in/out on a Sunday (because they are closed), we are hitting Chick-Fil-A at the airport on this years trip!!!!! I've never eaten there, but have heard rave reviews. And the Peppermint Shake is a normal menu item? So I can get one any time of the year? Not just around St. Pattie's day?? This is also a big "Plus" on the list for moving to FL.

You know, I think it was a seasonal item. Darn! I want to say that it was at our Chick Fil A starting around late October till at least January. I'll have to see if it's still at ours!

Another minty delish drink is Starbucks Peppermint Mocha. I am not a coffee drinker (I prefer tea) but this is really good. Very pepperminty but also with a nice chocolate kick. Geez, all this talk is making me hungry!

 

[andrews1ma]

I've heard of 5th disease before, I remember it going through my elementary school when I was really young. Thankfully I escaped somehow since it's highly contagious. What Henry has though goes away, and it more looks like mosquito bites - white bumps. It's very odd. He hasn't reacted in the past couple of days, so hopefully it was just something funky that has worked its way OUT! Yesterday, while we were at the doctor, he didn't have the reaction at all and was given a clean bill of health...no RSV, no pneumonia, no ear infection!

That is great news about the clean bill of health. Hopefully the rash thing is gone for good too...who knows it could have been completely unrelated to being sick, maybe he touched something he was sensitive too. As long as he is feeling better then that is all that counts!

and yummmmm on the milkshake. I had never even heard of them before! I need to go see if we have them down here in NC.

 

[brookelizabeth]

Last we left off we had conquered Pooh, the Jungle Crusie, part of the Princess Tiana show, Monster's Inc. and the TTA in 3 hours. Not too shabby all things considered! Now it was time for lunch, CHH was on the horizon.

Crossing back though the Hub from Tomorrowland to Liberty Square

Video of the Castle

Our goal for later

I remember this area being a bit much...strollers EVERYWHERE. I got a bit overwhelmed here, with the family asking questions about lunch, trying to park the stroller, get all the bags and the child, etc, etc. It was just the start of a hectic lunch for me...

We entered CHH to find a MAD HOUSE! Oh my worddddd! I figured since it was around 1:00 pm we'd be a bit safer, but wowsers. It was busy in there!

My DFIL was intending to capture the beautiful decor of CHH, but he also managed to capture the throngs of hungry guests!

We all looked at each other with the "Should we go somewhere else?" question in our eyes, but I, the "Designated Tour Guide" offered some advice. By the time we get anywhere else, and order it will take just as long. This is Disney, they have the system down pat for crowds like this. Everyone agreed and we stayed. Within minutes I was ordering. Love that.

Took a bit longer to get the food, but not too bad. However it was long enough for Henry to fall asleep in the stroller. We carried him and our food upstairs and by the time I had gotten everything we needed, a snoring (and drooling! ) Henry situated

Yes, we totally swiped a bench from a table that wasn't using it and allowed our toddler to crash out on it while we ate. We got a few glances, but most people just "Awwww"ed.

and made a bathroom stop, the family was over half done with their food.

Deep breath, Brook.

It worked.

I loved every bite of my sandwich,

And apparently was so hungry I forgot to take a picture until I was half done!

The rest of the family also enjoyed their meal.

If I can recall correctly, everyone got the tuna sandwich at my and Joe's recommendation. Yummo! We sat there for a while, contemplating our next move. The decision was made to go to the HoP, then we'd head out of the park and back to AKV for a rest.

Out of CHH we go...

Yep, still empty tables in that huge place! It was a good choice for such a busy day.

Forward ho to HoP we went.

Isn't Liberty Square just beautiful?

This was taken from our stroller's POV. Bye CHH, thank you for a yummy meal, as always!

The Princess Tiana show was rolling again

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[brookelizabeth]

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When we entered there was a large crowd waiting for the next show, I got the "wow-there-is-a-lot-of-people-in-here-should-we-go?-eyes" from the family again, and I reassured them, this would mean a new show is starting soon. We stayed...

A beautiful room!

I really wanted a picture without strangers in it, but it just wasn't going to happen.

Henry still sound asleep!

Poppa lovin' every single second of holding him! He was always inviting Henry up on his lap, it was so sweet. And Henry LOVED it of course!

...and within just a few minutes we were let into the theater. Because Poppa was in a wheelchair we were let in quickly and led to the back row. This was a problem for Joe and KK who have an eye condition and they need to sit closer for a decent view. We were quite the group! Joe just used his binoculars and KK used the zoom lens on the video camera - it was good enough.

Sometimes the images would just be on one screen, and sometimes it would span across all three.

Unfortunately, from our position there wasn't enough light to get any good pictures.

We all really enjoyed this show! We never saw it before the re-furb, so I cannot compare, but what they have going now is beautiful and educational.

We filed out of the HoP and saw people lining up for the parade. I had mentioned I wanted to see the parade a few times, and apparently while I wasn't paying attention the family decided that instead of going back to AKV like planed, we would all stay and see the parade because I wanted to! It was a wonderful surprise and a nice magical moment for me!

We found a wheelchair area very close to HoP, right outside the Ye Old Christmas Shoppee, and waited...and waited. I thought I heard music...but we waited, and waited some more.

And what do we always do while waiting? Take pictures!

Still zonked.

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[brookelizabeth]

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Finally someone asked a CM. The ropes were up, but the parade wasn't for another 1.5 hours! No way were we waiting here that long! I suggested we could skip it, but the family was having none of that. We WERE going to see this parade!!

We opted to go back to Tomorrowland and do the CoP!

I got to ride in the wheelchair because Poppa needed to walk a bit to stretch his legs.

Looking up from the wheelchair.

Since I didn't have to watch where I was walking, the wheelchair provided an opportunity to capture some things I normally don't see in such detail.

I think this line was part of the Buzz Lightyear line...

I was pretty excited we fit CoP in because Joe and I had missed it the past few trips. I was also hoping for a spin on Buzz Lightyear and get my regular picture of Henry behind bars...but the wait time was 80 minutes. EIGHTY!

For some reason my camera didn't capture it well!

So instead I grabbed some FPs for later thinking we would come back after dinner. Out with the Buzz FPs were FPs for CoP....we ran into that quite a bit that week, rides that don't normally have Fastpasses did.

As we entered and were seated on CoP I thought of gellybean. I recall her nearly being "crushed to death" on the CoP when she left through the door clearly marked 'EXIT' halfway through to nurse her little one. A CM totally flipped out that she did that, being the ride could have moved and caused her harm; however, it has her left wondering if the door had an "EMERGENCY EXIT ONLY" sign on it.

Well, I was so happy when I remembered to look.

It does NOT!

It merely says "EXIT"!

They say no pictures on the ride, but you know how rebellious my FIL is! (I'm secretly glad he took pictures, I love this attraction!!!!!)

And I do believe it was halfway through this scene when we heard the telltale sound of a child fussing. It became quite loud...so the mother stood up to try and console the little one. It didn't work. I noticed her walking up and down the side aisle, glancing at the EXIT door, and I just waited for her to do it...she was going to try and leave!!! I just knew it!!

Sure enough, SHE DID!

Gelly, you aren't alone!

And I knew what would happen next....

The ride stopped for a brief moment. An announcer came over saying we were NOT to leave the ride, and the woman suddenly came back through the door. All eyes were on her as light poured back into the theater. Poor thing!! Thankfully for her, the child had fallen asleep during this and she could enjoy the rest of the attraction.

This scene is so cheesy-fabulous!

By the time CoP was over Henry was awake...and hungry! We zipped through the Tomorrowland Noodle Station - YES-it was open!

I was so curious as to what they sold, turns out they had Mac & Cheese. Perfect because that is what Henry was asking for.

After his food was purchased and bathroom breaks were done, we went toward Main Street hoping to scope out a spot for the parade. We were kinda last minute, so I was thinking we'd get a cruddy spot...

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[brookelizabeth]

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Then a CM spotted the wheelchair. "Right this way please." Straight into a roped off section with 1 other family in it. RIGHT on the curb.

While we waited...

Poppa went exploring a bit...

The parade soon started....it was AMAZING! And it was LOOOOOONG! Loved, loved, loved it! Poppa is not a big parade person, so he was really taking one for the team, but even he enjoyed it for the most part!

Ready for the pictures....????

Who does Henry see?

Clapping along!

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[brookelizabeth]

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Waving at Henry!

The just let the snow LOOSE! There was sooooo much!

Due to the sun in the very wrong spot I couldn't get a decent picture of Princess Tiana and Naveen.

Meeting Grumpy!

Meeting Doc!

Bye new friends!

The sun made good pictures really difficult!

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[brookelizabeth]

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Henry was THRILLED to see this guy! He's really gotten into Goofy lately, he does a "Hijuk!" laugh like Goofy every time he sees him!

I thought the sweeping broom was really cute!

You could actually SMELL the gingerbread!

Henry got very excited when this guy came around the corner too! I was hoping he would come up to Henry, but he pretty much stuck to the other side of the street.

This came up closer to us, but Henry's eyes were all on:

!!!

He was just starting to know who Woody was at the time, now he'd be leaping out of his stroller!

Next around the corner came...

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[brookelizabeth]

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These guys were INCREDIBLE! It was the favorite part of the parade for everyone.

How they ever marched, in time, in those shoes, I have no idea!!!

And for the video:

• One (the first 7 minutes)
• Two (Princesses, 4 minutes)
• Three (Goofy, the gingerbread men, 2.5 minutes)
• Four (toy soldiers, Toy Story, Santa, 5 minutes)
• Five (Santa and the end of the parade, 30 seconds)

After the parade we made for the exit

with a brief stop at an ice cream cart.

Waiting in line

I opted not to get any because I was cold already! Everyone else indulged...

well...Joe tried to....but he made a mistake...

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[brookelizabeth]

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...by giving Henry the first bite! He would NOT give it back!

Joe asked for it back and he said "No, mine!"

A few pictures while waiting for the bus...the lighting was just perfect!

Gotta get the ducks!

Thankfully Henry forfeited the Mickey Bar without a fit, just before we boarded the bus heading back to AKV.

(Henry is sitting on my lap as I finish this update, pointing to the picture of him eating the Mickey bar and saying "More of that Mommy, more of that!" )

 

[KristiMc]

Great update! That parade looks so fun. I love the pictures of Henry and the Mickey Icecream bar.

 

[moparop]

Smart Henry!! I want more of that too!

What a sweet family to decide you need to wait before you going back to AKV and should see the parade first. It looks like it was well worth the wait! It's official! I NEED to see that parade. It just looks so amazing!

 

[brookelizabeth]

You know, I think it was a seasonal item. Darn! I want to say that it was at our Chick Fil A starting around late October till at least January. I'll have to see if it's still at ours!

Another minty delish drink is Starbucks Peppermint Mocha. I am not a coffee drinker (I prefer tea) but this is really good. Very pepperminty but also with a nice chocolate kick. Geez, all this talk is making me hungry!

Oh bummer! Well, if our current December plans stick, then perhaps they will have it when we return to FL!

I LOVE the Peppermint Mocha. Our Caribou Coffee (a chain up here) also has it...so, so, SO good!

That is great news about the clean bill of health. Hopefully the rash thing is gone for good too...who knows it could have been completely unrelated to being sick, maybe he touched something he was sensitive too. As long as he is feeling better then that is all that counts!

and yummmmm on the milkshake. I had never even heard of them before! I need to go see if we have them down here in NC.

That is what I figure too! If the rash comes back, we'll try to figure it out again. It seems to happen when we are in public - so thought it might have been his coat too, but we tried that - no reaction!

I hope you have them! They are DELISH if you like mint!

Great update! That parade looks so fun. I love the pictures of Henry and the Mickey Icecream bar.

It was such a funny moment with him refusing to give it back!!

Smart Henry!! I want more of that too!

What a sweet family to decide you need to wait before you going back to AKV and should see the parade first. It looks like it was well worth the wait! It's official! I NEED to see that parade. It just looks so amazing!

That is what I told him, "Me too baby!" When we go back to Mickey's house, we WILL have Mickey bars!

It was very sweet moment when they told me they were all going to stay for ME! It was one thing I really voiced on wanting to see, but I knew they were tired, so it was a sacrifice on my DMIL and DFIL's behalf. I was so thankful! And they enjoyed it too - they were glad we stayed!

It really is an awesome parade. The music is very lively, it has TONS of characters, and it's looooooooooong!! I was amazed at how long it was!