KathyRN137
DIS Veteran
- Joined
- Apr 14, 2006
- Messages
- 7,882
Chapter 30: A Magical Moment (aka: The Eye of the Storm)
(Wow! 2 chapters in one day! Amazing!)
Feeling both mentally and physically refreshed after taking the kids on Splash Mountain, I held Billy’s hand while Tricia called Ed to find out where we should meet. He and Aunt Rae were, predictably, waiting on one of the benches in FrontierLand, so we set out to connect with them. I asked Tricia if her father sounded as if he were still Grumpy and she shrugged and said those three little words we parents love: "I don't know!"
We soon caught sight of them. As it turned out, they had spent the time just sitting in the shade because the Ferry was not operating for some reason. Ed looked at his watch and said that he wanted to take Billy to HOP so he would stop pestering us about it. He did, however, give me a furtive look, as if to ask if it was okay. I think.
In any case, I murmured my consent and decided to use the change in plans to my advantage.
“We girls will be in Ye Olde Christmas Shoppe,” I called out as he led Billy toward HOP. Ed rolled his eyes, but what could he do? He knows how much I absolutely love Christmas stores! And what could be better than Christmas shopping in WDW??
Heh heh heh!
Nothing like a little therapeutic shopping to make a girl feel vindicated!
(Actually, as much as I love the Christmas Shoppes here and at DTD, I rarely buy much. They carry mostly tree ornaments and my tree is
jammed full already.) I do, however, like to get a dated ornament each time we come to WDW and luckily, Aunt Rae was anxious to visit the store as well. She puts up a tabletop tree every year that has nothing on it but lights and those glass ornaments shaped like Mickey Heads. It’s really sweet! She was definitely into getting some more of those.
Tricia wasn’t exactly thrilled, but she was hopeful that like most gift shops, there would be a selection of pins to look at and perhaps a CM to trade with. We wandered into the store and began to browse happily. AR immediately found the type of Mickey
ornaments she liked and was debating colors while I nosed around looking for a dated ornament that could hold a photograph. A pleasant CM noticed Tricia near the register and said, “Our tree needs decorating, would you like to do it?” Tricia hesitated a moment and turned to me.
There, standing next to one of the registers, was a slender Christmas tree that was, in fact, bare and undecorated! Well, imagine that! I recalled thinking that I had read something about being able to ask the CMs at the Christmas Shoppe if you could decorate a tree, but since it was so late in the day, I figured that the opportunity had been long lost. (Think: “waking up Tink” in Tinkerbell’s Treasures.)
Of course, I said yes, she could!
The CM reached behind the counter and pulled out a basket full of ornaments and handed them to Tricia. “Do you know how to decorate a tree?” she asked, politely. I snorted. Tricia laughed, “Yeah, my mom’s kind of a Christmas nut, so I know how to decorate!”
She began to hang the ornaments on the tree and I ran over to get AR so we could watch her. Then I took some more stupid pictures:
After the tree was completed, the CM placed a note on it proclaiming to all that “Patricia” had decorated it that day. (I guess Trish felt the occasion warranted her full, formal name!) She then made out a “Magical Moments” certificate, gave it to Tricia, and assured her that “her” tree would stay that way until tomorrow. She got a big kick out of that. (And so did Aunt Rae.)
We gathered up our things and, realizing that we had been in the store for much longer than we had expected, hurried off to find the boys and tell them about our “holiday” magic.
Up Next: More calm before the storm.
Kathy
(Wow! 2 chapters in one day! Amazing!)
Feeling both mentally and physically refreshed after taking the kids on Splash Mountain, I held Billy’s hand while Tricia called Ed to find out where we should meet. He and Aunt Rae were, predictably, waiting on one of the benches in FrontierLand, so we set out to connect with them. I asked Tricia if her father sounded as if he were still Grumpy and she shrugged and said those three little words we parents love: "I don't know!"
We soon caught sight of them. As it turned out, they had spent the time just sitting in the shade because the Ferry was not operating for some reason. Ed looked at his watch and said that he wanted to take Billy to HOP so he would stop pestering us about it. He did, however, give me a furtive look, as if to ask if it was okay. I think.
In any case, I murmured my consent and decided to use the change in plans to my advantage.“We girls will be in Ye Olde Christmas Shoppe,” I called out as he led Billy toward HOP. Ed rolled his eyes, but what could he do? He knows how much I absolutely love Christmas stores! And what could be better than Christmas shopping in WDW??
Heh heh heh!
Nothing like a little therapeutic shopping to make a girl feel vindicated!
(Actually, as much as I love the Christmas Shoppes here and at DTD, I rarely buy much. They carry mostly tree ornaments and my tree is
jammed full already.) I do, however, like to get a dated ornament each time we come to WDW and luckily, Aunt Rae was anxious to visit the store as well. She puts up a tabletop tree every year that has nothing on it but lights and those glass ornaments shaped like Mickey Heads. It’s really sweet! She was definitely into getting some more of those.Tricia wasn’t exactly thrilled, but she was hopeful that like most gift shops, there would be a selection of pins to look at and perhaps a CM to trade with. We wandered into the store and began to browse happily. AR immediately found the type of Mickey
ornaments she liked and was debating colors while I nosed around looking for a dated ornament that could hold a photograph. A pleasant CM noticed Tricia near the register and said, “Our tree needs decorating, would you like to do it?” Tricia hesitated a moment and turned to me.There, standing next to one of the registers, was a slender Christmas tree that was, in fact, bare and undecorated! Well, imagine that! I recalled thinking that I had read something about being able to ask the CMs at the Christmas Shoppe if you could decorate a tree, but since it was so late in the day, I figured that the opportunity had been long lost. (Think: “waking up Tink” in Tinkerbell’s Treasures.)
Of course, I said yes, she could!
The CM reached behind the counter and pulled out a basket full of ornaments and handed them to Tricia. “Do you know how to decorate a tree?” she asked, politely. I snorted. Tricia laughed, “Yeah, my mom’s kind of a Christmas nut, so I know how to decorate!”
She began to hang the ornaments on the tree and I ran over to get AR so we could watch her. Then I took some more stupid pictures:
After the tree was completed, the CM placed a note on it proclaiming to all that “Patricia” had decorated it that day. (I guess Trish felt the occasion warranted her full, formal name!) She then made out a “Magical Moments” certificate, gave it to Tricia, and assured her that “her” tree would stay that way until tomorrow. She got a big kick out of that. (And so did Aunt Rae.)
We gathered up our things and, realizing that we had been in the store for much longer than we had expected, hurried off to find the boys and tell them about our “holiday” magic.
Up Next: More calm before the storm.
Kathy
We too find it best to split up for a while - we usually blame it on the kids and say we are splitting them up, but I'm sure creating some distance between DH & myself doesn't hurt either. 
We opted to visit some more attractions in AL and planned to arrive early for the 3:20 showing of the Tutorial instead of the one at 2:15. I was really trying not to push everyone too hard. 
I turned and leaned backwards to see if Aunt Rae, who was sitting farther down the bench, was watching him. Despite all the loud music, “thunder”, and shouting, her chin was nodding on her chest while everyone else’s in the crowd was tilted upwards toward the performing birds. Zzzzzzzzzzzzz.
and I toyed with the idea of forgoing our dinner ADR so she could get back to the Wilderness Lodge and lie down. Ed beat me to it by suggesting to her that perhaps she would be less tired if we finally just got a wheelchair for her.
which he did very enthusiastically to the amusment of several other guests. The OTPer in me was very happy; after this we would have an easy walk over to the LTT and our 4:30 dinner ADR with my sister’s family! 
(Me-oww!) I was quickly losing patience with the whole situation. Aunt Raes a big girl I reminded myself, and I turned my attention to the kids and their enjoyment of the show: 
nabout Aunt Rae. When we finally got my grandmother to accept needing a walker/"transportation chair", she was sometimes ok with it (frankly, I think not falling on her face was positive reinforcement), but there was the fateful day we went to BJ's, I handed the shopping cart to the worker, and Grammy tried to give the lady her walker. 
Where has the time gone, I ask you??
years while you still can!!
Or should I say, "Howdy, y'all"???
