Christmas Time with the Family at Disney World

[Angelrose]

Well for some reason this picture of Jesse didn't show up.

Not Happy about the end

Then came the full out tears. He really wanted to see that show again. He would have been happy to sit there all day and watch it.

 

[Angelrose]

December 15, 2009 Day 5

There was dense fog this morning. We slept in and had breakfast in the hotel. We went back to the rooms and got ready to swim in the Fantasia pool. OMG what fun we had! Jesse was in the kiddie pool for a while and then he and Karen came to the big pool. It was heaven in the water. We swam around for a while and then Jesse wanted Grandma to hold him in the water. So I bounced him up and down and started saying “Woop de doo”. He just repeated it right after me and would splash the water as he did it. I was laughing and so was Chuck and Karen. We took turns playing with him for about two hours. Chuck would take him right under the sprays and Jesse would laugh. But when he bounced him up and down he had to say “Woop de doo”. Jesse was getting cold, so we went back to our rooms to shower. Unfortunately there was no hot water. It was such fun washing my hair in cold water. BRRRRRRR. It was around 2 when we headed to AK. We got some pictures taken and then Chuck and I went on EE. It was only a 20 minute wait so we got in line. Pretty soon we got in our train. I was a bit nervous about this, but it was FUN. I laughed the whole time. Jesse had fallen asleep and then Karen and Chuck went on. She loved it too. We went into a few stores. Karen added three more flamingoes to her collection and they were all beautiful. I bought some lolly pops. It was getting close to our reservations at Boma, so we went to the lodge and 4 and waited until our reservation at 4:30. Jesse was having fun playing with the phones. He loves to press buttons. As soon as we were seated, Chuck and I went up. Chuck got Jesse some pasta and sauce. I got some falafel with sauce, babootie, corn and spinach pudding and some pork with tamarind sauce, chicken, Kool slaw and mac and cheese. I also got some chicken and corn chowder and some lamb soup. There was nothing I didn’t like. I loved both soups, the falafel and the corn and spinach pudding. I went back to get some rice and veggies, some sun dried tomato humus and some bread. I also had pomegranate lemonade. Then it was dessert time for me. Jesse was working on his FORTH plate of pasta. He hadn’t been eating well in the heat, so this was great. He also had four chocolate chip cookies. I got the zebra domes of course, some apple crumble, pineapple cheesecake, panna cota and even though I hate bananas, I tried the banana bread pudding with chocolate run sauce. I thought I had died and gone to heaven. If I could have had just a bit more room in my tummy, I would have gotten a whole plate of it. Jesse was so happy and laughing the whole time. After dinner we stopped in the gift store and I got Jesse a Tigger t shirt. It was still warm and humid, so we headed back to the Fantasia pool and swam again for an hour. We all had fun, but Jesse was shivering. It had been a long day and we could all use a good night’s sleep. We did have hot water for our showers tonight.

This picture the photographer told us to claw like we were the yetti. LOL

Here we are at Boma. I wish I was eating there right now!

Jesse was having a good time

A very good time

 

[Minnie&Nana]

Angelrose, your family is soo photogenic!! Beautiful!!

 

[snapppyd]

I feel like I'm back there! You tell a wonderful story, and the pictures are gorgeous!

 

[xDisneyAngelx]

Awww such an adoreable grandchild. I love the pic where he was upset about the end and he wanted more. Thats so cute. Great update

 

[Angelrose]

Thanks Christine, snappyd and xDisneyAngelx. I like writing about it because it has great memories for me.

Christine, have you tried Mickey Mouse Clubhouse dvd's for Sophia? They are hypnotic to kids. Well, and me too. I love to watch them. Bright primary colors and questions that they can answer. Jesse loves to answer the questions.

I will try and get a bit more posted tomorrow before I go to the dr for my checkup. I am so glad that I wrote up all this every night while I was there from notes I took during the day. I would never remember anything at all by the time I got home.

 

[Minnie&Nana]

Angelrose, we do not have any of the Mickey's Clubhouse DVD's - would you recommend a good one for a first one? Thank you.

Have a good check-up tomorrow!

 

[Angelrose]

Well, Jesse has a lot of them and they are all great.

http://disneydvd.disney.go.com/disney-mickey-mouse-clubhouse-mickeys-great-clubhouse-hunt.html

All the way on the right you can see a few of the dvd's available.

 

[Minnie&Nana]

Thank you so much, Angelrose! I just ordered Mickey Mouse Clubhouse: Mickey's Big Splash from amazon.com! Hope she loves it!!

 

[Angelrose]

December 16, 2009 Day 6

We had an early start and it was cool enough that I could wear my new Tink sweatshirt. We had breakfast at Chef Mickey. I had the 4 cheese eggs, Mickey waffles, bacon, tater tots and potatoes, cheese and bacon. For dessert I had a cheese Danish. Everything was yummy. Jesse couldn’t wait to see the characters. For some reason, he kept calling Mickey, Minnie. Maybe because he had on a chef’s hat. He was fascinated by Pluto. He put his hand in Pluto’s mouth and tickled his tongue. We had a good meal and lots of laughs at Jesse’s reactions to the characters. The picture package turned out well and they bought it.

We headed to the MK and rode PP and decided to try Jesse with Philharmagic. He was great. He kept his glasses on and loved it. Next was HM. Chuck and Karen held Jesse and told him how silly it was, and he loved it and wanted to do it again. OK enough rides for now, lets look into some stores. I got Jesse a large plush Daisy and Donald and a small Goofy and a castle fleece blanket for me. Now that is definitely the last things I will buy him for Christmas. ( I have these delusions a lot lately) Now it was time for a store for adults. The jewelry store! Karen and I each bought a Mickey charm for our Pandora bracelets and I bought a silver Mickey ring with Rhinestones. We had to stop at the candy store. Chuck got a couple of chocolates and I got a piece of celebration fudge and a huge Mickey head made out of white peppermint chocolate. I tried the fudge later that night and it was way too sweet. ICK!

We left MK and headed back to the Contemporary Resort where we had parked and Chuck took Jesse back to the hotel and Karen and I went to the GF for our after noon tea.

We both decided on the Buckingham tea. I got the Princess breakfast tea, which was a blend of vanilla and raspberry and Karen got the Harmony tea which was peppermint. We loved the scones and Devonshire cream with strawberry preserves. The tea sandwiches came next. Out server told us which each sandwich was and one of them was shrimp salad. I am allergic to shellfish. She immediately took the plate away and brought me a new plate with two egg salad, one chicken salad, cucumber and watercress and one pear and gorgonzola and an onion tart. The pear and gorgonzola was terrible. We both loved our teas and drank the whole pot. The sandwiches were delicious and our favorites were the egg salad and the cucumber and watercress. That onion tart was wonderful. I think we both could have eaten at least 5 more of them. For dessert Karen chose an éclair and carrot cake and I chose the fruit cake and the strawberry swan. We were stuffed! Karen texted Chuck and he said the babysitter came and Jesse just curled right up in her arms. They were going to have a good evening together.

We met Chuck at Epcot and he had made reservations at Teppan Edo for 7:40. We went on SSE and then to the land to get FP for Soarin which was at 9:30. We took the boat ride and then rode Imagination. What a let down from the original. Why does Disney think that bad smells are amusing??

We headed for Japan and hoped they could take us earlier. No such luck. Everyone had the same idea. But we got in close to our reservation time. Karen and I chose the filet mignon and Chuck had the chicken and shrimp. They knew of my shellfish allergy and the manager came out to talk to me. He was very nice. The chef cooked my steak first before putting the shrimp on the grill. It was so good. The steak, the rice and the veggies were all perfect. Our whole table had the chocolate ginger cake for dessert. It was heaven. Karen and I couldn’t finish ours, so Chuck helped us out. We waddled out of there and went on Soarin. After that we headed back to our rooms. Jesse and his babysitter had a great time. She said she never had a child who took to her so fast. She took him for a walk and everyone told her how cute he was. Well, of course! My grandson is the cutest, smartest, most wonderful child in the whole world. No, I am not in the least prejudiced.

High Tea (taken with Karen's cell phone_

We had our pinkies out

Karen with her pinkies high

 

[Angelrose]

Chef Mickey pictures

Tickling Pluto's tongue

 

[Angelrose]

December 17, 2009 Day 7

We got started around 9 and went to AK. We grabbed Danish for breakfast and went on the safari. We saw quite a few animals including a couple of cheetas, a lioness, black and white rhinos and a few elephants and giraffes. Plus the usual antelope and birds. Jesse was most excited about the elephants. It was close to lunch, so we went to the Yak and Yetti. Chuck and I had the crispy honey chicken and Karen had the tamarind chicken. It was all delicious. Karen and I got the fried wontons with grilled pineapple and Chuck got the mango pie. This place also gets some bad reviews, but we were more than pleased with everything.

We walked the Panganini trail and saw lots of birds and animals. My favorites were the meercats and the gorillas. One of the gorillas was sleeping right by the glass wall and we got a good view of her. I was so impressed by her size.

We wound our way to the FTLK. I always enjoy this show. Such beautiful voices and energy. Jesse was half asleep watching it, so we decided to head back to our rooms. I was babysitting tonight while the kids went to MGM for dinner at the Sci Fi Café. Jesse fell asleep with 10 minutes and I was able to catch up on my TR.

Jesse woke up after about an hour and a half. He cried a bit and we had a snuggle and I gave him the Donald racer. We played with that for a while and we watched Mickey cartoons. I ordered a pizza and some milk for Jesse. He only ate 1 ½ pieces. He usually eats three. I ate two and was stuffed. We took out the Aqua doodle and took turns playing while watching Mickey cartoons…… over and over and over and………. It is on a very short loop.

The kids came back around 8:30 and I read Goodnight Moon to Jesse. It was his bedtime. We made plans for the morning and I said goodnight. Time to watch some real tv and relax.

Chuck being goofy with a glow necklace. I don't think he makes a credible angel.

Jesse loved the Dino ride

I loved watching De Vine

The kids on their night out

 

[Angelrose]

December 18, 2009 Day 8

The kids were scheduled for a Segway tour this morning, but it was cancelled because of the rain. I stayed in my room and watched tv, and Jesse had a babysitter. I had planned on going to MK if the weather had cooperated. Chuck came back around 9 and we changed our plans and had breakfast at Kona instead of tomorrow. Their Segway tour is rescheduled for tomorrow and I will watch Jesse all morning. Now back to our breakfast at Kona. Karen had the Tonga toast, I had the Macadamia nut pancakes and Chuck, ever the adventurous one, had scrambled eggs, bacon and breakfast potatoes. I had the lilikoi juice also. Oh that was so good. I had bet Karen $5 that she couldn’t finish her Tonga toast. I lost. But she cheated. Chuck took two bites. Although I gave it a valiant try, I couldn’t finish my pancakes. Karen did take a couple of bites of my pancakes. Moving rather slowly after that huge breakfast, we headed for DD. My first stop was at Basin. I got Almond Body butter which I love and also got Pomegranite. It smells so fresh. On to the bath bombs. I got peppermint, lily of the valley and Dream. I also picked up a bath bar with Christmas decorations on it. I went into the WOD to get a Minnie t shirt and a light up thingy. I saw Karen and she showed me her new watch. It has a beautiful blue face with Mickey at 12, and a silver link bracelet with Mickey faces on it. I loved it so much I went right back and bought one too. It was a very good price and I liked it better than all the expensive ones. Our last stop was Ghiardelli’s for our free chocolate. Karen bought some bags of chocolates for gifts. Then we headed back to our rooms for some down time.

So far today, we only had one brief shower. I hope the sun stays out. I put the weather channel on and laid down, just to get my feet up. I woke myself up by my own snoring at 2. We left a few minutes later for Epcot. We ran into Mexico because of another shower. I had my poncho on. I hate to wear it, but it does a good job. We took the boat ride. We had never seen it since they changed it. It was very cute and Jesse loved it. Chuck and I decided to check in early for our dinner at Tutto Italia. Our waiter was so cute. AHHHHHHHHH if only I was 40 years younger. We both ordered the cannoloni al forno. They brought us bread and herbed butter, some olives, peppers and mushrooms and a dish of olive oil. The herbed butter was delicious. The olive oil was terrible and left a bitter taste in my mouth. We had just finished a piece of bread each when our entrees arrived. OH MY GOD! It was more than delicious. If I could have licked my plate, I would have. I finished every drop and even had room for the lemon cheesecake with strawberries for dessert. It was so light and creamy. Chuck had the tiramisu which he loved. We were out in 45 minutes. We met Karen and Jesse and stopped in the stores of China and Germany and then went to the American pavilion to see what time Santa would be there. We had plenty of time, so we walked all the way around to Norway to ride Maelstrom. Jesse loved that too. It was time for Santa and we got in line. Jesse wasn’t too sure about him, so Karen held him wearing her Goofy Santa hat. I wore Chuck’s Santa hat because my Mickey Santa hat was resting in my room. It was time to head back. Jesse was getting sleepy and so were we.

It was the end of another wonderful day.

 

[Angelrose]

Our Santa pictures. Jesse was not too happy about this.

I hope I didn't break Santa's knee.

 

[Minnie&Nana]

Angelrose, what wonderful days you are having! You all go a nice pace and do not push Jesse - that's the way we will be for Sophia's first trip.

I know I said it before, but your family is so photogenic - I love every photo.

Thank you so much for sharing this trip with us.

 

[Angelrose]

Thanks Christine. It's funny you should say we're photogenic. Ron always said he loved my smile. And I always loved his. He really did light up the room with his smile. But Jesse has that million dollar smile. Karen has such a beautiful smile too. Oh yes, and my DS Chuck. LOL He always seems like he is trying too hard to smile for pictures.

If you don't see me for a day or two, it's because we are expecting a blizzard tomorrow night into Saturday. Oh GOODY! I'm moving to Tahiti. Another 1 to 2 feet of snow and sustained winds of 25 to 35 MPH with gusts up to 50. Doesn't that sound like FUN? I'm running out tomorrow morning and picking up a few things at the grocery store and then I am hibernating. After my dr visit I stopped in the hardward store and picked up one of the few remaining bottles of snow melt. There were only about 4 left.

 

[Minnie&Nana]

We are expecting an ice storm tomorrow - serious stuff around here - and could lose power for days. Today I checked the local hotel to see which are pet friendly and the trip advisor reviews so we know where to go, if we lose power for more than a few hours.

Take care and be careful on the roads and stay warm at home!

(p.s. I am not comfortable in front of a camera, so always try to hard too).

 

[Angelrose]

Oh ice storms are the worst. Stay safe and warm!

 

[Angelrose]

December 19, 2009 Day 9

I spent the morning playing with Jesse. He was a good boy and we had fun. Thank God for the Disney cartoons. I think I will see them in my dreams.

We went to the hotel food court for breakfast and Jesse was so good for me. He loves chocolate chip pancakes and he ate 1 ½ all by himself and a pint of milk. When we went back to the room, he was a stinky butt, so I had to change him quickly. We played until noon when the kids got back from their Segway tour. We had lunch at the hotel and headed to the MK for Mickey’s Once Upon a Christmas parade. I think there are several small countries completely empty because they were all here. We could hardly move. But, we did get a good view of the parade. Chuck headed to TL to ride SM but the crowds were crazy. He wanted one last ride on POC so we fought our way there. The line was outside the building and looped around inside. I was surprised to see the wait time was only 35 minutes. We timed it and by golly, that’s what it was. Jesse loved the ride and wanted to ride it again. We were not about to do that. We headed out of the park. We debated on what to do and we all agreed, we were pooped. We headed back to our rooms and, OH GOODY, my key card didn’t work. We decided to eat dinner first and then get a new one. They gave me a new card. I went back to the room, but it didn’t work either. I went to the kids room and Karen called the front desk. They said they would send a maintenance man to let me in and would work on the lock. He tried my card. Do they think I am a moron who can’t figure out a key card?? He tried giving it a charge, but that didn’t work either. Finally after one more try, the door opened. But he couldn’t get it to work again. He said that it would be fixed tomorrow morning while we are at AK. It would be fixed by noon. It’s our last full day. I really enjoyed this trip and all the time I got to spend with Jesse and the kids. That said, I will be glad to get home. I am exhausted.

Oh I forgot one footnote. My perfect record with the scooter has been broken. As we were getting off the ferry to the MK, a woman decided it would be a good idea to walk right in front on my slowly moving scooter and was amazed that we collided. Now I asked if she was alright, but she said something very unladylike and stalked off. The woman in back of me said “she walked right in front of you, how could she complain?” She was still muttering and Karen told her to just go ahead of us so we could stay together. I tried to keep right in back of the kids at all times or at least have them in sight. I didn’t want to get separated from them. I panic easily.

So all in all, I think I did a pretty good job with the scooter.

We went back to our rooms and started packing. Is there anything sadder than that?

 

[Angelrose]

December 20, 2009 Day 10

Boy was it COLD this morning! I had on a heavy sweatshirt and it wasn’t nearly enough. We were dying for some hot chocolate, but nobody had it in AK. We had a Danish each. We headed right away to FOLK and it was amazing as usual and Jesse again loved the bird lady. The Tumble Monkeys came by Jesse and he gave them a high 5 twice. He was so happy and clapped and waved bye bye to them. Next we headed to the Nemo show. I love that show too and so did Jesse. He was a little scared of Bruce the shark at first, but he enjoyed everything else.

We had some CS credits left, so we ate at Tamu Tamu. It was NOT the best place. Karen and I got the tuna salad on Pita and a chocolate mousse. Karen only ate half of her tuna and I wish I had done the same. We only ate a few bites of the chocolate mousse. It was gritty. ICK After that we headed out to go back to the hotel so Jesse could nap and the kids could get ready for Chucks birthday dinner at Mexico. I got a lovely surprise when I got back to my room. The lock wasn’t fixed and I couldn’t get in AGAIN. So I went back to the kids room and called the front desk AGAIN. They gave me some lame excuse that there must have been a lot of other problems with locks that morning. Really? They sent two people to try and get me in. They took my card to try it in the door. How surprising, it didn’t open for them either. After trying the same magnetic charge the maintenance man did last night, and by some miracle were able to get me in my room. I told them I wanted the lock fixed NOW. They left after assuring me someone would come and fix the lock immediately. The locksmith came a few minutes later. She was very nice. Then I realized that they had never given me back my room card. She called the front desk and asked them to come back with my card, which they did. As she was working on the lock, she asked me how I was doing. I guess she saw how upset I was. Since my DH passed, whenever I get stressed I start to shake and cry. She felt so bad for me that she gave me a Tinkerbell pin. I thought that was so kind of her. She told me that the parts were just too old and she put in a new one. This one actually worked.

Babysitting Jesse was fun as usual. The kids went to Mexico for Chuck’s birthday dinner and had a great dinner. They came home around 9 and we went to the front desk to settle our room bill. We had express checkout, but we would be long gone before they gave us the receipt in the morning. They were kind enough to give me a $75 credit for my room key troubles. That was fine, but it shouldn’t have happened. What ever happened to routine maintenance?

I went back to my room and did my final packing. Tomorrow Chuck will pick up my luggage around 5:30 and I will ride my scooter to the lobby for the last time.

We have two feet of snow at home. I wonder how I will get in my driveway? I may have to slog all the way from the road to my back door. Karen told me to just go to her house and her neighbor would let me in.