Ever, Ever After: The TR Formerly Known as Wishing You Were Here- May 2011

[Lifelong_Dreamer]

I have never eaten at Flame Tree but it sure does seem to be a nice place to hide from the rain, great view and yummy food.

 

[DisneyMomma09]

Oh! I got behind! Stupid grad classes...

All caught up now! Ketchup is Colby's favorite food! He dips just about everything in ketchup, but his favorite thing to dip is his fingers, too! He also enjoys tasting rocks!

I can't believe we have not taken him to the Digsite yet! I will have to put it on the list for our August trip! I am sure Colby will love it as much as your boys! He loves practicing going up and down steps right now, so I am sure we will hit that area!

 

[PirateKate]

I have never eaten at Flame Tree but it sure does seem to be a nice place to hide from the rain, great view and yummy food.

I love the view from those tables. It's so beautiful and the very sight of Everest is kind of exciting. Good place to get out of the rain, too.

Oh! I got behind! Stupid grad classes...

All caught up now! Ketchup is Colby's favorite food! He dips just about everything in ketchup, but his favorite thing to dip is his fingers, too! He also enjoys tasting rocks!

I can't believe we have not taken him to the Digsite yet! I will have to put it on the list for our August trip! I am sure Colby will love it as much as your boys! He loves practicing going up and down steps right now, so I am sure we will hit that area!

I suppose if it came right down to it, grad school could be considered more important than DISing.

What is it about ketchup and fingers? Landon would eat ketchup at every meal, if I let him. He'd probably even eat ketchup covered grapes. I don't mind if kids want to taste the rocks, but I don't think they should eat them.

I'm sure Colby would love the Digsite. It's always one of Carter and Landon's favorite part of our Animal Kingdom days. One of the nice things about those stairs is that they lead to a dead end, so there's not a ton of bigger kids rushing past them.

 

[PirateKate]

Once Landon appeared relatively ketchup free, I took a convoluted shortcut to the Baby Care Center. It was still slightly drizzly, but nowhere near as bad as it had been raining.

We spent a few minutes admiring some wildlife. Carter and Landon were very impressed by the birds.

We reached the Baby Care Center and I was pleased to see The Little Mermaid was on. I let the boys loose to play and I sat down to watch.

The boys were having a great time and there was very little that they could get into.

Once again, there were no other kids in the movie room, which was perfect. My two boys had the run of the place.

Carter liked to come over by me regularly, just checking in.

Landon never came over. He'd have gone all the way to Camp Minnie Mickey by himself and never looked back.

I was really hoping at the end of Kiss the Girl, that the eels would not tip the boat over and Ariel and Eric would get to kiss and live happily ever after. Sadly, this didn't happen and they fell in the water, just like always. Maybe next time.

My phone rang and it was Jeremy calling. I thought it would be therapeutic for Carter to get to talk to his daddy, so I gathered the boys and went outside.

I let Carter and Landon talk first and they did seem happy to hear from Jeremy, especially Carter. I filled Jeremy in on what we had been doing and told him I was worried about Landon.

"I'm sure if he is getting sick, he can wait to go to the doctor until I'm there tomorrow."

"That's true. That's something at least."

"It won't be much longer. Just one more day and then we'll have a lot of fun. Unfortunately, I'll have to hang up now. I've got my job to do."

"Do it well."

"I will. I'm going to leave as soon as I can tomorrow morning. You can call me when you all are up and I'll let you know what time I should be there."

"Call me tonight?"

"It'll be late. I was working last night until after one."

"Don't call me, I'll call you."

"That's probably a better idea."

"So, I guess that's how it is."

We hung up and I decided it was time for the Safari. Our Fastpasses were ready and it would be nap time fairly soon.

As busy as Africa had been that morning, it was even worse now. The regular line for the Safari was eighty minutes. Despite the Fastpasses, I was a little nervous. With a line that long, we would still have to wait a bit to get on and I wasn't sure Landon would handle it well.

I foolishly ignored my premonition of line misery and went in the Fastpass return entrance. We were fine until I got to stroller parking.

I got the boys out and Carter was as good as gold. He stayed right next to me and walked nicely through the line.

I started out holding Landon, which got more and more difficult as he threw his body this way and that way to try and get away from me. Eventually, he squirmed until he was nearly upside down, getting odd looks from others in the line.

I gave in and tried to appease him by letting him down, holding both his hands and letting him walk whenever the line moved.

Of course, appeasement seldom works and it wasn't long before Landon was demanding to be walked constantly, not just while the line was moving.

It just wasn't practical. We were all squished in the line with other people, none of whom appreciated Landon's behavior. I knew he would like the ride, if he would just stand still for a few minutes.

I realized how I must look to the others in line. The way Landon was carrying on, it would appear to others that he was suffering greatly. I felt a bit sorry for him myself, and I knew his complaints were invalid.

It was time to give it up. We were still far from the front of the line and I was out of ideas for Landon. I figured everyone else in line would be grateful if we left, so I found a CM and asked to be shown to the exit. We would just go back to Pop Century and let Landon have a nice long nap in the room.

The Safari would have been fun and I still thought Landon would have liked it, if he hadn't been so unreasonable in his walking demands.

Oh well. These things don't always work out the way I want them to. Kilimanjaro Safari would still be there next trip.

 

[afwdwfan]

We are definitely going to have to remember to check out that baby care center in AK. It looks like a great place to just relax and let them run wild for a bit.

I'm sorry Landon didn't want to cooperate in the FP line. Not much you can do when he doesn't understand how the payoff for your suffering in line works. Thumbs up to Carter for being good in line though.

 

[lbuzz52]

oh, sorry Landon didn't cooperate sometimes i think it would be nice to have the kids be babywearing size for a few extra years. hopefully you make it there later on the trip

 

[leshunlenese]

Aww. sorry Landon did not want to wait in line. I guess all boys are alike, devyn was like that. whenever the line stopped he had a fit. He just wanted to keep going and i know it was just you with two boys so u had a harder time than i did. I got those looks too. at one point i can't remember where i made a comment that if people do not want to be around children then they should never come out the house. In my defense it was hot.

 

[CandleontheWater]

So sorry you were not able to make it on the Safari! I completely understand! Everett won't let me hold him for more than a few minutes either, and if I let him down, he wouldn't be content with just standing. The only way I could get him to wait in lines this past trip was to strap him onto my back in the Becco carrier. For some reason he was OK strapped in, but not OK being held in my arms.

I hope things got easier when Jeremy joined you, and I'm sure Landon possibly being sick didn't help his mood either.

 

[jc040404]

Too bad about the missed safari. I know how that goes though. Trying to handle two little guys alone in line is an adventure, especially in that squirmy stage. Thankfully, we never had it too bad, but Dh used to put Blake up on his shoulders if we were in line very long. The view was enough to settle him and keep him entertained. Not so easy when it's just you! Hope the naptime makes for a nice rest of the day!

 

[Lifelong_Dreamer]

That is too bad that you missed out on the safari but I guess flexibility is key when traveling with young children.

 

[amandaw]

I've heard on here that the baby care centers are nice but had never see a picture of them. I was really impressed by your picture of the movie room. What a great idea to bring them in there & just let them run around. I'm so sorry you didn't get to take the boys on the safari. They definitely would've enjoyed it. But, like you said, it'll be there next time. I can't wait to hear how the boys reacted to seeing there Daddy once he gets there!

 

[DisneyMomma09]

I will have to remember the Baby Care Centers when we are there in August. It will be the perfect place to beat the heat! I'm sorry you did not get to ride the Safari...you seem to go with the flow so easily!

 

[cadek]

It's hard enough to hold a child, and so much more tiring when they struggle against you! My youngest was/is the same way. I hold him to keep him under control, and he usually ends up fighting it! Same way with holding his hand, he asks why I'm squeezing it or pulling on his arm. I tell him if he wasn't trying to get away I wouldn't have to hold it so tight, and I'm not pulling on his arm, it's him pulling on mine trying to escape! He is getting better though, and now automatically reaches for my hand... until he sees somewhere he wants to run off to again!

 

[oOJulieOo]

I'm all caught up again. Landon and Claire are so much at the same stage as far as not wanting to be in the stroller and not wanting to be held for very long. It is so hard to get Claire to be still and sit on my lap on the trains here. Ugh! I feel your pain with waiting in the line and not wanting to bother the other people in line.

I am excited for you that Jeremy arrives tomorrow. It must have been such a relief to know that you'd have an extra pair of hands. And such a feeling of accomplishment that you did the first few days solo!

I loved that baby care center in AK. So great for the babes to play around and get out that energy!

 

[TeresaG]

Aw, sorry you missed out on the safari. It's really hard to hold a kid in line, add to that the fact that you had two of them and were alone I'm positive I would've done the same thing. Usually when Maddie starts to get impossible I hand her over to my DH for a little while. Usually just passing her back and forth helps a lot.

We love the baby care center at AK too. I wish the one at MK was half as nice.

 

[tammy]

I never knew what the baby centers were. I thought it was a changing place in the regular bathrooms. Just goes to show how much I know. In my defense, I have an adult son who was 3 years when we took our first trip.

I remember when my nephew Tyler was 2 and we were waiting in the line to ride Dumbo OMG!! He wasn't having any of us trying to hold him, he wouldn't stand beside us and to make matters worse, he insisted on swinging the ropes. It was awful and the looks we got from people...

 

[PirateKate]

We are definitely going to have to remember to check out that baby care center in AK. It looks like a great place to just relax and let them run wild for a bit.

I'm sorry Landon didn't want to cooperate in the FP line. Not much you can do when he doesn't understand how the payoff for your suffering in line works. Thumbs up to Carter for being good in line though.

I love the baby care center at AK. I could and have spent a lot of time there. When its hot or cold outside or just time for a break, there's no better place to be. Carter and Landon love a chance to run wild.

Landon has a very limited concept of suffering in general. I'm sure if he could have understood that he was about to get to go on a safari, he would have managed better, but as it was, it just didn't seem worth it. Carter was great though.

oh, sorry Landon didn't cooperate sometimes i think it would be nice to have the kids be babywearing size for a few extra years. hopefully you make it there later on the trip

Landon was easier in line when he was of babywearing age. Of course, even back then, he occasionally would insist on being carried by hand and not in a carrier. Maybe it's just him. Oh well. I'm sure he'll do better in line when he's a little older.

Aww. sorry Landon did not want to wait in line. I guess all boys are alike, devyn was like that. whenever the line stopped he had a fit. He just wanted to keep going and i know it was just you with two boys so u had a harder time than i did. I got those looks too. at one point i can't remember where i made a comment that if people do not want to be around children then they should never come out the house. In my defense it was hot.

I think Landon was at a particularly difficult age for Disney. If we had gone even a few weeks later, I think he'd have done better. It is hard waiting in line and knowing everyone is watching you. I bet the heat at Disney World contributes to many things that get said while waiting in line.

So sorry you were not able to make it on the Safari! I completely understand! Everett won't let me hold him for more than a few minutes either, and if I let him down, he wouldn't be content with just standing. The only way I could get him to wait in lines this past trip was to strap him onto my back in the Becco carrier. For some reason he was OK strapped in, but not OK being held in my arms.

I hope things got easier when Jeremy joined you, and I'm sure Landon possibly being sick didn't help his mood either.

I wonder if Landon would like a Becco carrier. He got too old for his sling and the other carrier we had. I'm glad to hear it's not just Landon who doesn't want to be carried or stand still. I'm sure he'll be vastly improved by October.

I do think that Landon wasn't feeling good and contributed to his overall unreasonably high grumpiness level.

Too bad about the missed safari. I know how that goes though. Trying to handle two little guys alone in line is an adventure, especially in that squirmy stage. Thankfully, we never had it too bad, but Dh used to put Blake up on his shoulders if we were in line very long. The view was enough to settle him and keep him entertained. Not so easy when it's just you! Hope the naptime makes for a nice rest of the day!

Letting Landon ride on someone's shoulders in line is a good idea. I don't think I could have managed it when it was just me and them, but I'll keep it in mind on future trips. Landon loves riding on people's shoulders. I think he likes mine the best, because then he also gets to pull my hair.

 

[PirateKate]

That is too bad that you missed out on the safari but I guess flexibility is key when traveling with young children.

Definitely flexibility is key when traveling with little kids. I probably should have been more flexible and skipped the Safari altogether and took Landon right back for a nap. It's harder with two kids, though. It was a little early for Carter to nap, still.

I've heard on here that the baby care centers are nice but had never see a picture of them. I was really impressed by your picture of the movie room. What a great idea to bring them in there & just let them run around. I'm so sorry you didn't get to take the boys on the safari. They definitely would've enjoyed it. But, like you said, it'll be there next time. I can't wait to hear how the boys reacted to seeing there Daddy once he gets there!

I'm often surprised when there's no one else in the movie room at the baby care center. It's such a great little place for the kids to play and run around and for me to sit.

I was sorry Carter didn't get to go on the Safari. He was being so good and waiting so patiently and then, Landon made it so that we had to leave. It's tough being the oldest sometimes.

I will have to remember the Baby Care Centers when we are there in August. It will be the perfect place to beat the heat! I'm sorry you did not get to ride the Safari...you seem to go with the flow so easily!

The Baby Care Centers are a great place to get out of the heat. I think a lot of people only use them for diaper changes and feeding, but it's also just a nice place to relax for awhile. It was too bad we didn't get to ride the Safari, but believe me, it would have been much worse to keep Landon in that line another minute.

It's hard enough to hold a child, and so much more tiring when they struggle against you! My youngest was/is the same way. I hold him to keep him under control, and he usually ends up fighting it! Same way with holding his hand, he asks why I'm squeezing it or pulling on his arm. I tell him if he wasn't trying to get away I wouldn't have to hold it so tight, and I'm not pulling on his arm, it's him pulling on mine trying to escape! He is getting better though, and now automatically reaches for my hand... until he sees somewhere he wants to run off to again!

That sounds rough. Before Landon could walk, all he ever wanted to do was have me hold his hands and walk with him wherever he wanted to go. Now that he actually can walk, he has no interest in holding hands. I'll be glad when he can understand things a little better. Maybe I can reason with him.

 

[Nermel9]

I seriously want to go hang out in a Baby Care Center and watch Disney movies for a little while in the middle of the day! I doubt they'd appreciate me being in there without a baby, though!

Awww, poor Landon, always suffering! It's too bad he wouldn't wait for the safari, he probably would have liked the animals, but a nap is always good too!

 

[KatMark]

I missed two updates. Glad you got to Flame Tree and had a wonderful CM offer help (these are the little things that just add that extra magic). Ketchup covered grapes? You are a good/brave mama. I do love ketchup, but not on grapes (although I don't like grapes in general). My youngest son (now 23) eats ketchup on EVERYTHING!

Sorry the safari ride didn't work out. It's so hard when the little ones want to do what the older ones do (in this case walk) and they don't yet understand the concept of getting somewhere. But like you said it will be there next trip.