From the World of Adults to the World of Kids, Fifth Birthday Trip is Over!!

[kmedina]

Sounds like a nice day at DHS so far! I'd love to try the Animation class, but I'm also a hopeless artist and DH is worse, so we usually skip it. Someday we'll end up there because Maddie loves to draw though. Xander's drawing is really good!

Those character shots are great. I love the ones of Connor trying to figure out what the heck is looking at him!

Those Buzz and Woody lines can get crazy! I'd heard horror stories about the princess and Rapunzel meets, but we waited longer for Buzz and Woody than either of those. Those pictures are priceless though.

Did you guys enjoy American Idol? We'd like to do it someday, but I'm always so afraid that we'll spend a ton of time waiting for and watching a show that we might not enjoy when we could be doing other stuff.

Can't wait to hear more about you day!

Even though I am terrible at it, I really enjoy how much Crap and Xander love it. You will have a great time once the day comes.

I do too. Connor stared at a lot of the characters, but he never took his eyes off Mickey. He my have recognized him from Xander's cartoons.

That was not even our longest wait of the day believe it or not. We character stalked a lot, since our to do list was so small. I did not time the Mickey one, but it was probably 20-30 minutes itself. Those pictures make me smile. My babies were so tired and so cute.

Crap and Xander love watching American Idol on TV. Sometimes I watch with them. Xander loves to sing and dance. My husband is a perfect balance of the left and right brain. I think Xander takes after him. On our trip before this one, Xander picked American Idol and enjoyed the show. This trip, he was sleeping, so we decided. He loved the show. The talent was certainly better this trip, so I enjoyed it more this time around too. We did not wait for it at all. The show started at 1pm, and we arrived at stroller parking about 3 minutes before that. Xander woke up right then or we may not have watched. It is easy to carry sleeping Connor into a show, but it is harder to carry sleeping Xander in. If we had to wait, we probably would not have done it. I agree with you. Even though the park is small, there is so much to do there.

Hi there! I'm joining in and I've enjoyed your TR so far! I'm enjoying reading about a nursing mom's adventures at WDW. We're taking our DS in October (will be 14 months) and I'm not sure if we'll still be nursing (if we are, I'm sure it will be far less frequently), but if we are it's nice to see it can be easily done in the parks. Of course with an older child it will not be so easy! That picture of the boys sleeping with Buzz & Woody is one of the cutest things ever! I'm glad Xander thought it was funny instead of being bummed that he slept through it.

Looking forward to the next installment!




Just wanted to say: I'm also a hopeless artist - seriously, desperately hopeless. But I tried the Animation class when I went on a solo trip and I absolutely loved it! It was so much fun and a unique experience. I turned right around and did it again! My drawings aren't great by any means, but you can at least kind of tell what character they are. It's more about the experience than the quality of the art. Give it a try and enjoy!

I also did AI that trip and I liked it a lot more than I thought I would! Then again, there was no wait when I went. I probably wouldn't do it again if there was a long wait.

I really thought nursing through the World was incredibly easy. Wait until you read where I nursed him later on that evening. If you are still nursing your DS when you go, I think you will see what I mean. DH really helped with Xander when I was nursing Connor otherwise, I agree that it would be difficult to nurse him anywhere and everywhere with an older child. We were relieved that Xander thought it was funny he slept through the meeting. I tried to sell it to him before I showed him the pictures, so that may have helped. As soon as we sat down for Idol, I asked him if he enjoyed his nap. He said he did. Then, I asked him if he remembered meeting Woody and Buzz while he was sleeping. He looked confused. I showed him the pictures and said they had so much fun meeting you. Look. The pictures were funny, he said. Just then, the AI started, and he never mentioned it again.

I am a hopeless artist too. My pictures do not look like the characters, but I enjoy trying. Yes, AI is fun. If the wait was long, I would not do it either.

that is sooo funny that the boys met Buzz and Woody while sleeping! My Zachary would not have just laughed at the photos, he would have insisted we meet them again. We got lucky on our trip and were first in line when they first opened, so that was good!

I thought it was funny too. The characters really had a lot of fun with it as well. Despite the fact that they were sleeping, the Phototpass photographer took a lot of pictures. It was really a fun moment for me and Crap too. Our smiles are real, because everyone in the room really played up the situation. Xander really liked the pictures, so that probably helped. He thought they were funny. I should also add that he had met both of them before in the past and did see Woody again later this trip as well.

 

[ronnmel]

Connor's first fireworks show was the night before at Illuminations. Mostly, he nursed through it. He enjoyed the few that he saw. His face lit up each time he was actually paying attention. We have been to shows where the fireworks seemed louder. It is probably because Disney pipes them in with the music so well that they do not seem that loud to me (even when watching up close).

Xander watched fireworks for the first time at four months and also did well. I never noticed either of them react negatively to the fireworks or the sounds. Every baby is different though. Connor slept through the entire show when we were on the boat. You can watch them from the Poly Beach if that makes you more comfortable. If your baby does not react too loud noises, then she may be okay watching them up close. It really is hard to say. I would go for it.

Thanks for the advice. We'll have 6 months with her before we go to Disney, so hopefully by then we should have a good idea on if she can handle loud noises or not. As a kid I loved thunder, so hopefully she'll take after me.

On a slighty off topic subject, how long does it take to wean a baby off breastfeeding, or at least partly weaned off? I'd like to still be exclusively nursing during the trip to make it easier, but I'll be going back to work about 6 weeks after that so I'll need to cut down a lot on the nursing by then.

That's a relief that Xander took sleeping through meeting Buzz and Woody so great. Some kids would have thrown a fit!

 

[kmedina]

Thanks for the advice. We'll have 6 months with her before we go to Disney, so hopefully by then we should have a good idea on if she can handle loud noises or not. As a kid I loved thunder, so hopefully she'll take after me.

On a slighty off topic subject, how long does it take to wean a baby off breastfeeding, or at least partly weaned off? I'd like to still be exclusively nursing during the trip to make it easier, but I'll be going back to work about 6 weeks after that so I'll need to cut down a lot on the nursing by then.

That's a relief that Xander took sleeping through meeting Buzz and Woody so great. Some kids would have thrown a fit!

Loud sounds never bothered me either. Six months is more than enough time to see if she dislikes loud noises.

I weaned Xander around six months old, and it only took a few days. Then again, he was not exclusively breastfed and was used to taking a bottle. I mostly breastfed him when I was home, but had his caregivers (my husband and MIL) give him formula when I was at work. I tried pumping but was never able to pump more than a few ounces after an hour. We stopped giving him formula (and a bottle) just after he turned 12 months and again it only took a few days. The luck I had with him on weaning more than made up for the 9 months it took me to potty train him. He was almost 3 before we finished that.

Connor never accepted formula and will not even take my milk from a bottle (my husband and MIL have not had any luck although the staff on the cruise ship got him to take one). I have a feeling he will take a lot longer. If you are going to pump, I would try to get her used to taking a bottle before she turns one month old. That will also give you an idea of how much milk you are able to pump. I never left Connor before he was a month old, so he was not used to bottles. If you are transferring her to formula when you go back to work, I would try to sneak in some formula now and then to get her used to the taste months before you go back to work. Otherwise, she may reject it. We waited too long with Connor, and he was not having any of it. I have not gone back to work yet, so I am okay with exclusively breastfeeding. I would have done that for Xander too if I was able to pump more milk. Xander was way better at latching actually. Connor gets lazy sometimes.

I was relieved that he was not upset, but he can get very cranky when he is tired. Waking him could have backfired as well. I do not like to wake them unless I have to.

 

[pharmjenn]

Kim, just found your report and read through the entire thing. Connor was born on my 40th birthday!
We visited WDW with family 6 years ago and my sister was nursing her 6mo twins at the time. She did great juggling the near-constant nursing, since she wasn't able to nurse them simultaneously out in the parks. It doesn't sound like nursing really affected your trip at all.
Can't wait to hear how you handled your dining plan mess, whatever exactly they did.

 

[kmedina]

Kim, just found your report and read through the entire thing. Connor was born on my 40th birthday!
We visited WDW with family 6 years ago and my sister was nursing her 6mo twins at the time. She did great juggling the near-constant nursing, since she wasn't able to nurse them simultaneously out in the parks. It doesn't sound like nursing really affected your trip at all.
Can't wait to hear how you handled your dining plan mess, whatever exactly they did.

It is cool that you have the same birthday as my baby. Nursing twins sounds a lot harder. Props to your sister. You're right. The nursing did not really affect our trip at all. I felt like it was very easy. Plus, we enjoyed the breaks. We moved a lot slower this trip than the previous one. Everyone was overly tired on the previous trip where we just moved all day long. One day, we may even try afternoon breaks. We found out about the mixup the next day.

 

[kmedina]

Before I start the next update, I just want to quickly share these pictures. We went to see 100 Years of Disney Magic on Ice last night. It was a really good show. Since Connor does not take bottles, I bring him with us pretty much everywhere. This is his third Disney live show. He slept through almost all of the first two, Phineas and Ferb and Toy Story on Ice. I am happy to report that he was awake for all of the first half, and half of the second half last night. What made me laugh is that Xander also slept through part of the second half. As I mentioned in the last segment, I do not wake them unless necessary. We got a cute (blurry) sleeping picture. Sleeping through shows is a habit for my kids. Xander even slept through half of La Nouba on a previous trip.

Intermission

End of the Show

About a week before we left for Disneyworld, I received a second call from Disney Dining. We had a late lunch reservation at Mama Melrose’s with a Fantasmic dining package. The CM mentioned the restaurant had unintentionally overbooked our time slot. She asked if I would be willing to move our reservation to 11am. Our breakfast reservation that morning was for 8am. DH asked that I never put our sit down reservations less than five hours apart. It did not work out well on a previous trip when we had a few restaurants that were only four hours apart. I politely declined to move it as that would only give us three hours between meal start times or likely two hours between finishing one and starting the next.

Due to the aforementioned call, I was not shocked to find the restaurant swarming with people. The host mentioned there would be a long wait of up to an hour from our check-in time or about 30 minutes from our reservation time. We did arrive 25 minutes early. A little over one hour after we walked in, we were finally seated. That was the second longest wait I’ve ever had in my life. The first was an LA restaurant that we did not have a reservation for (as I do not think they take any). Our server was friendly but obviously overwhelmed. Everything was slow from getting drinks to our orders to dessert. Xander absolutely adored his dessert. It looked like spaghetti and meatballs, but it was a chocolate cupcake. Once again, they put a candle on it. He was happy to celebrate his birthday early and again. Connor nursed again during the meal, and he was asleep when we left the restaurant.

Xander was in the mood to do more character stalking. I remembered that the line to see Lightning and Mater closes earlier than some of the others, so I suggested we do that first. Connor was still asleep, so we left him in the stroller for the group picture. Then, Xander got his solo pictures. This was the first time he ever stood still for pictures with them. Usually, he is so blurry from all of the running.

Next, we walked over to the Phineas and Ferb location. Connor was still asleep, so Crap stayed out of the line with him. The line was outside and directly in the sun. Tall buildings and the fact that it was getting later helped as I moved up in line. Xander initially stood in line with me. Eventually, he started complaining that his feet hurt and went out in search of his Dad and brother. There is a DJ and a lot of fun antics for the kids to interact with while the parents stay in line. I enjoyed watching and listening and have to say that it made the very long wait more pleasant. Almost an hour after getting in line (the longest character wait of the trip), we were finally at the front of it. Xander enjoyed his meet and greet. Connor was once again just staring at them trying to figure out what they were. It was a lot of fun. We got a picture of Connor with the chicken on the way out of the area.

The line to see Mike and Sully is usually empty, so I suggested we walk over there to see some more characters. When we arrived, I was surprised to find that it had quite a few people in it. Shortly after we got in line, they closed it. Nice timing on that one. Despite the line, it did not take too long (compared to the rest of the day) to reach the front. Sully put his arms out toward Connor as soon as he saw him. He gave Connor such a cute hug. I think he liked it, because he was smiling afterward. He probably liked Sully, since he was so soft. Xander enjoyed them too. Mike had a lot of fun with Xander.

There was still more time before Fantasmic was due to start. The boys were awake and in a good mood. I knew we would not have enough time to ride Toy Story before the show, so I suggested we watch Beauty and the Beast. Xander and I both really enjoyed that on the prior trip. It was just a few minutes away from starting, so we headed over there.

 

[mvf-m11c]

I had some time this morning to read the threads and I finally got to read your WDW TR. You did mention on my thread that the monorails were down during your visit. That's why I like staying at the deluxe resorts if I stayed on-site because of the monorails.

All of your photos are very nice at EPCOT. It was neat that you also have a Leave a Legacy panel on the stone at EPCOT. I also have a Leave a Legacy panel at EPCOT when it first began back in 2001.

You got to do a lot of rides and glad that you got in Akershus after getting there late that morning.

Hope your date for Connor's first birthday at DL will be enjoyable when you get there on the 21st of June.

 

[kmedina]

I had some time this morning to read the threads and I finally got to read your WDW TR. You did mention on my thread that the monorails were down during your visit. That's why I like staying at the deluxe resorts if I stayed on-site because of the monorails.

All of your photos are very nice at EPCOT. It was neat that you also have a Leave a Legacy panel on the stone at EPCOT. I also have a Leave a Legacy panel at EPCOT when it first began back in 2001.

You got to do a lot of rides and glad that you got in Akershus after getting there late that morning.

Hope your date for Connor's first birthday at DL will be enjoyable when you get there on the 21st of June.

Bret

The monorail was part of the reason we stayed deluxe as well. Xander adores the monorail too. It was disappointing that we did not ride it more.

We like the Leave a Legacy tile but are unlikely to visit it again unless we remember to look up the location before we leave our house.

I was surprised how many rides we got in at Epcot. Despite mutiple days there last trip, we did not get as many. It was nice.

Hopefully, you enjoy your trip as well. I cannot wait to read about it.

 

[kmedina]

We got to the Beauty and Beast show a few minutes before it started. As soon as we sat down, Connor started nursing. Xander was once again enjoying the show. There was a large group in front of us that kept getting up and down. Two of them were arguing, although I could not understand what the disagreement was about. It was in Portuguese. Most of the group left except two ladies and a girl who was about eleven or twelve. Luckily, those are the three that were immediately in front of us, and they continued to stand and sit the entire time we were there. Connor finished nursing just as the villagers stormed the castle. I looked at the clock as soon as my hands were free. The show was longer than I remembered.

I panicked and told Crap we should go. The Fantasmic Dining Package is only worth it if you get decent seats with little to no waiting. Xander did not want to leave. He was visibly upset, so I figured we should go before we disturbed the people still watching. On the way out, he exclaimed that the show was not over, and he wanted to finish watching it. This made me feel bad, but I thought going back in would be a huge distraction. I knew he was enjoying the show, but I had no idea he was enjoying it that much. Had I known, I would have chanced completing the show. Sticking to my guns, we headed toward the package entrance of Fantasmic.

When we arrived, I was surprised to see the dining package section less than a quarter filled. Crap insisted once again that we sit directly in the first row. I told him that I did not want to get wet. He said something to the likes of what do you think this is a water ride? Reluctantly, I grabbed our front row seats. There was quite a bit of time from when we arrived until the show started. We used that time to play with the kids and buy Xander some light up toys (not that he needed anymore). Our house now has at least seven to ten of them. We brought a few from home, so we did not buy any this trip. However, we did not have any snowmen. Xander was quick to point that out.

Finally, the stadium filled up. The time lapse from when we arrived to when the stadium filled probably meant we could have easily stayed and finished Beauty and the Beast. I made a bad judgment call with that. There was still about 10 minutes from when the stadium filled up until the show started. Many in the crowd used that time to start a wave. It took a few tries to get it going. After a few failed attempts, it was in full bloom. Xander loved it. This was the first time he had ever seen or experienced anything like it. While I love the wave, and it had been years since I had done it, they just did it too many times. Eventually, I was over it as was most of the audience. Then, the longest running wave that I had ever witnessed was finally over. The show was about to begin.

Almost immediately after the show started, we got wet. That’s not too bad Crap said. He did not even finish that statement before we got soaked. Poor Xander got the worst of it. Connor looked so surprised. I nursed him for a few short minutes after that to keep him warm and content. It worked out well. Despite the fact that they were both wet, they both enjoyed the show very much. Yes, there were loud sounds that made both of them jump. After they jumped, they were immediately fine. They could not wait to see what was next. Connor literally laughed out loud a few times. Xander only took his eyes off the show when the fire was nearby. I never asked him why. If I had to guess, I would say it was due to the fact that it was bright and hot against our faces.

Fantasmic ended, and we exited the stadium as quickly as possible. Our plan was to get to Toy Story quickly. We hoped to get ahead of anyone who watched with us, and that many people would wait to see the second show. After walking as fast as our legs and the stroller could carry us, we found the standby line to be 50 minutes. That was the shortest wait we’d seen since 9:15am that morning. It shaved five minutes off. It really was now or never that trip. We got in line. Many people must have had the same idea as we did, because the line filled quickly behind us. Within five minutes of getting in line, Connor started crying.

I knew we would not get another chance if I left the line with him. What does any nursing Mom do in a pinch like that? You guessed it! I began nursing him while walking through the queue. That was not the first or last time I did that either. This prompted the family in front of us to commend me. It was the beginning of a beautiful 45 minute friendship. They told us about their family and hometown of Chicago while we told them about our family and hometown of Vegas. Their father (who was also in line) visits Vegas three to four times a year, and even stayed at the hotel Crap was working at on his last visit. Everyone thought it was neat that they may have run into each other at some point in the past. It is funny how often you realize it is a small world while at Disney. We did run into them one other time later in the evening and said hello.

I did take one small nursing break to snap a picture of Connor in the queue.

Almost exactly 50 minutes (yes I timed it, but it was the only ride all trip I remembered to time) from when we entered the line, we were ready to ride. Connor was sound asleep by this point. Crap loves shooting games. Just as I lack right brained abilities, I also lack hand eye coordination. I volunteered to hold Connor through the ride while Crap and Xander went in another car. As soon as our car made the first turn around the corner, I realized I needed both hands to hold Connor. The ride became just another one where you watch the sites rather than play a game for me. It was still very enjoyable.

The best part of all was when I got to the exit, I noticed I was beat in my car. It said my seat scored zero. No surprise there as I never shot anything. Despite being completely empty, the seat next to me scored 100 points. I joked with the ride attendant when I exited that I was beat by a phantom. While I do not remember if it mistakenly started off with 100, malfunctioned in some way during the ride or truly had a phantom fire a shot off, I really got a kick out of it. Crap bragged about his score although I cannot remember what he claimed he got. Xander actually got a very high score for his age, which made me very proud. He obviously took after his Dad. It was worth the 50 minute wait for all three of us, but I still hope to actually get Fastpasses next time.

The park had officially closed by the time we exited, and extra magic hours had begun.

 

[kmedina]

Before I start this update, I am going to quickly mention our Day Out With Thomas. Xander adores trains and often pretends to be a train. Crap found out that Thomas was going to be nearby in Boulder City. We went there yesterday. After an amazing ride on the actual Thomas the Train, they had a bunch of small events. There were shopping and picture opportunities. It was a great day. If Thomas ever visits your city, I say go. I really enjoyed it almost as much as Xander did.

After finally riding Toy Story, there was only one thing left on our must do list. We wanted to see the Osbourne Spectacle of Dancing Lights. It seemed like everyone else in the park had the same idea. There were so many people in the area. The line to get a picture with a Photopass photographer was like nothing I’d ever seen. There were some spots were we could not even squeeze through with the big double stroller, so we often got stuck in spots.

Despite the crowds, it was an amazing thing to see. Crap seemed to enjoy the lights just as much as the boys and I did. I have seen some over the top decorations in my life (I live in Vegas after all). This was like nothing I’d ever seen. There were lights everywhere. Disney knows how to put on a show. Every few minutes, most of the lights would go off for a few seconds. Then, a light show set to Christmas music took place. If that was not enough, it would “snow" for a few seconds after each show ended. It was magical. I do not think anything else can compare to that, and I will always think of that whenever I see Christmas lights in the future. Christmas was still three weeks away, but I really felt the Christmas spirit.

We found a nice family that wanted a group picture taken. They did one of us as well, so we were able to get a group picture.

I was so immersed in the atmosphere and trying to take it all in. Crap reminded me that we better get going if we were going to make our late dinner reservation. There was quite a line headed to our destination, but we were lucky to catch the second boat by the skin of our teeth. Our dinner reservation was for 9:20, and it was only about 9:05. We decided to walk the boardwalk and get some pictures. There were a few people roaming around, but we did not see any entertainers. It was getting closer to 9:20, so we decided to head into The Flying Fish Café. The restaurant was less than half filled.

Our waiter came over and was very nice. He complimented my kids, got our order and stayed a while to converse. Before the first course arrived, Connor nursed until he fell asleep. The food was good. Thanks to the waiter, we enjoyed the overall experience. Even though the restaurant was nearly empty by the time our food came out, it still took quite a while to get our dessert order in. This was Xander’s favorite dessert from the whole trip. It was a painting board. Not only did he get to paint (which he loves), but he got to play with his food (which he also loves). Once again, they put a candle on it to celebrate his birthday. He adored everything about the presentation and had so much fun playing with and eating it. As it turns out, he played a little more than he ate.

We once wrapped up a 9:50 meal at Narcsossess by 10:40 with three courses, so I was surprised when it was almost 11 despite the 9:20 start. Xander knew Seashore Sweets was next door, since we walked through there to get to the restroom during dinner. I told him I would allow him to buy some things after dinner. While Crap waited for the check with our sleeping baby, Xander and I went shopping.

Xander found quite a few things that appealed to him. Some were covered by the Disney dining plan, which always gives plenty of snack credits. Just as we were paying for our purchases, Crap walked in and found some things he liked as well. We waited outside while Crap made his purchase. It was after 11 by this point. Since dinner took longer than expected, and we had an early morning, I suggested we take a cab instead of Disney transportation. This was our second cab ride this trip. The cab driver (according to Crap, because there is no way I would remember this) was the same man who picked us up after we left WCC on the previous trip. It really is a small world after all. By the time we got back to the room, it was after 11:40. The boys were both asleep, so it did not take long for all of us to settle into bed.

 

[MinnieLovesMickey]

Definitely a small world! We were there for EMH at Hollywood Studios that night. We had dinner reservations at 50s PTC at about 8pm and they were running about an hour behind (luckily it ended up being about 30 minutes). After that, we went and checked out the Osborne Lights too. It was so funny because DH had set up his camera, tripod and all, we had at least half a dozen people come up to us with their photopasses thinking DH was one of the photographers even though he was wearing shorts and had tatoos showing.

 

[kmedina]

Definitely a small world! We were there for EMH at Hollywood Studios that night. We had dinner reservations at 50s PTC at about 8pm and they were running about an hour behind (luckily it ended up being about 30 minutes). After that, we went and checked out the Osborne Lights too. It was so funny because DH had set up his camera, tripod and all, we had at least half a dozen people come up to us with their photopasses thinking DH was one of the photographers even though he was wearing shorts and had tatoos showing.

That is funny. You entered the restaurant just before we exited TSMM. We probably left the park before you left the restaurant. I wonder if we unknowingly passed by each other at any point in our trip. The line for the actual Photopass person was insane. People were probably so excited to see him with the tripod that they were not thinking straight.

 

[kmedina]

I just started pre-planning our next six vacations: Disneyland, Disneyworld, Paris to see Disneyland there, The Disney Fantasy, Hawaii to visit Aulani and New York to see whatever Broadway show Disney is running at the time. Crap agreed to all of them, so we are on. My dream to see everything Disney may come true. Yes, I am a Disney nerd. We may have to throw in some non-Disney trips for weddings and family events here and there, but I will manage to get through them. The Disneyland trip is coming up soon, so I really need to stop procrastinating with planning that one.

We woke up early to make our 8am ADR at The Crystal Palace. I am happy to report
that the monorail was actually running. It was the second and final time we rode it this trip. Once again, the early ADR line did not open until right at 8am. The line was long again, and we were toward the back. That meant we had time once again to have some quick Photopass pictures taken along the way. By the time we arrived at the restaurant, the wait was so long they gave us a pager.

It was after 8:30am by the time we were seated. This was the morning Crap and I decided to nix the first dining slot for future trips. Our third straight hour before opening breakfast failed at giving us a chance to enter the park at opening. The whole point is to get into the park early. If we were not getting done in enough time to do so, what was the point? Granted, the first people seated were exiting the restaurant before park opening every time, but who knows what time they arrived at the gates to be the first in line! We just did not want to get up that early. On our last trip, we were toward the middle of the line and were still able to get out of the restaurant before the park opened once. Would it happen on this trip?

Prior to loving Mickey and Manny, Xander loved Pooh. It was the first character he loved. That may have something to do with the fact that we decorated his nursery that way. I promise to post pictures of his new Mickey room if and when Crap ever finishes it. We bought all of the stuff before Connor is born. Despite the fact that he is ten months old, Xander’s room has barely been touched.

Whenever Xander sees Pooh, he feels inclined to hug him. I have a lot of great pictures of that over the years. Connor was nursing, so he missed Pooh. That made me a little sad, because some of my favorite pictures of Xander were with Pooh. At that point, I did not realize the Photopass photographer from HS only took one photo or I would have found the Pooh character spot here and got pictures of Connor. As usual, I got some great shots of Xander with Pooh.

Xander really liked my Friends Tigger and Pooh and was sad when Disney took it off the air. It really seemed like he enjoyed the Pooh characters the most. Eeyore was fun, but Piglet really had a lot of fun with Xander.

They gave Xander another cupcake with a candle in it here. He got another card signed by his Disney friends. Crap remembered to take a picture of it. Both gestures made Xander very happy.

It was well after 9am and Tigger never came around. I asked his handler if we could sneak in and get a quick picture, since he was still on the other side of the room. She said he was taking a break after he finished those tables. Since those tables were waiting for him too, the best she could offer was a quick picture in the middle before his break. We waited about ten minutes for him in the middle of the room. It was the only picture we got of Connor that meal, so I am glad we waited. Then, we were off.

Our destination was Dumbo. There is something about a kid’s first Dumbo ride that is just extra special. We never rode Dumbo on Xander’s first Disney trip at four months, because the line was always too long. On his second trip at six months, we decided to deal with the long line. It was worth it, because Dumbo was magical for me and him. Crap stayed off the ride to take our pictures. The first ride needs to have pictures, and the pictures from a distance are better.

This time, I told Crap to ride with the boys while I took the pictures. It was his turn to have the magical experience of a first Dumbo ride. Connor seemed to enjoy his first ride. I never really got a good look at his face until he exited, so I cannot be sure. Crap was happy to have that experience with Connor. Xander enjoyed it, and I got a magical picture of him. Since it took almost 30 minutes for the first ride, I decided to ride it with him on a future trip.

 

[usnuzuloose]

I got behind, I am glad you liked the GF. Is it easy to draw the characters? The class looked like alot of fun. You will certainly have alot of fun making plans for those vacations. I love xander's room. I love the photos of them sleeping..

 

[kmedina]

I got behind, I am glad you liked the GF. Is it easy to draw the characters? The class looked like alot of fun. You will certainly have alot of fun making plans for those vacations. I love xander's room. I love the photos of them sleeping..

I loved the GF. They give easy step by step directions at the art academy. Anyone could do it. The better your natural talent, the better it looks though. I really need to get started on the Disneyland plans, since we leave in less than two months. I am hoping to get a discount on a Disney property, but the only current offer expires 06-09-12. Thanks on the room. DH did a great job on the nursey. His new room is too unfinished to post any pictures. When it is done, it will have a Mickey theme. They did a lot of sleeping, so I got a lot of those.

 

[pharmjenn]

I had to look closer at the photo of you in line at the CP to confirm you didn't have Crap wearing a pink backpack! I don't think I could ever get my DH to carry one.

I love the Pooh room. You guys did a great job. I am sure the Mickey room will be awesome as wel.

 

[kmedina]

I had to look closer at the photo of you in line at the CP to confirm you didn't have Crap wearing a pink backpack! I don't think I could ever get my DH to carry one.

I love the Pooh room. You guys did a great job. I am sure the Mickey room will be awesome as wel.

I had to go back and look at the photo to see what you were talking about. Crap was taking the picture standing off to the side with our kids. It is funny that I never noticed the guy in front of me had a pink backpack. On top of the fact that I stood behind him for a while, I have seen the picture of that before.

That does remind me of a funny story. When we were shopping for a diaper bag for Xander, I found a beautiful black leather one. It was on sale. DH would not let me buy it, because he said it looked like a giant purse. He was worried about what people would think when he was out alone with Xander. The bag was beautiful. Instead he made us spend over $100 more for a fabric messenger bag (in black of course). I can barely ever get him to hold my purse either. We left my purse and the diaper bag at home in favor of a black backpack.

Thank you. I designed it, but DH did all the work on the Pooh room. Xander had a hand in the designing on the Mickey room, so the colors will be a little bright. Hopefully it turns out well or at least gets finished. DH will not let me paint, since I am breast feeding. He will not let me hire anyone and always has an excuse why he is too busy. It seems like a lost cause at this point. If Connor finishes nursing before Xander goes off to college, maybe I can do it myself.

 

[MinnieLovesMickey]

I loved the GF. They give easy step by step directions at the art academy. Anyone could do it. The better your natural talent, the better it looks though. I really need to get started on the Disneyland plans, since we leave in less than two months. I am hoping to get a discount on a Disney property, but the only current offer expires 06-09-12. Thanks on the room. DH did a great job on the nursey. His new room is too unfinished to post any pictures. When it is done, it will have a Mickey theme. They did a lot of sleeping, so I got a lot of those.

I wish Disneyland would come out with better deals like WDW does, then I might go there more often (it is closer after all). We ended up booking a package through Costco Travel and got a great deal on Desert Palms Inn and Suites.

I can't believe how big Connor is now, he's growing up so quick!

 

[dara00]

Zachary has the same Big Bro shirt! Sadly Simon doesn't have the little bro one!

 

[kmedina]

I wish Disneyland would come out with better deals like WDW does, then I might go there more often (it is closer after all). We ended up booking a package through Costco Travel and got a great deal on Desert Palms Inn and Suites.

I can't believe how big Connor is now, he's growing up so quick!

I agree that Disneyland needs more deals. My theory was that it charged high prices on purpose, because with three hotels they must always sell out. Not only do all three hotels still have our dates (less than two months out), but I spot checked a few days from now and they all have openings. I would go more if they had better deals too. I created another thread to get other hotel ideas and someone mentioned that exact hotel. I may have to check it out. Thank you.

I took him to quick care the other day, and the Dr kept telling me how small he was. He was 50th percentile in weight at his 6 month checkup but only 5th in height. I am glad he looks bigger to someone other than me. I was hoping he grew more relatively speaking, but I guess not. Time is going to fast. I cannot believe he is almost one.

Zachary has the same Big Bro shirt! Sadly Simon doesn't have the little bro one!

Gymboree does change their inventory over quite often. Sorry you missed the Little Bro one. We had just found out we were pregnant with a boy when we bought that. The only size they had for babies was six months. I remember thinking it would take forever before he could wear it, and now he is already too big for it. I have not found any similar shirts anywhere, and I have been looking for a long time. I will pm you if I ever do.