Chapter 24-Day 7-Friday, 2/17/2006- Which way to the beach?
Blizzard Beach that is
..We packed, sent Grammy J on a Magical Express bus, checked out of the digs at OKW and headed over to the snowcapped water park. It was the Friday before Presidents day weekend. We anticipated crowds but did not make it to the extra magic hour. This place was great fun, even if it was only about 68 degrees that day. Dont rent a locker in the morning. Go skinny and bring nada with you
.it takes forever on both ends of the day, unless the park is empty, which I think only happens when it is freezing
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We got in line to go up the chair lift. We decided to do the family raft ride. Not a good place to start with little Jack. He hated it. We really were semi-insensitive to the age of this little guy, I think in retrospect. He was cold and a little freaked out. First water park. So when we got off, we headed to the tike area. All three were happy to dig in the sand, splash in the pools and go down the little tube ride. Jack maybe went 30 times and grinned proudly. You have to keep an eye on the wee ones here, as they move quickly and can easily get sucked up by the crowds and moved to another area. I watched him as he proudly struggled to carry his tube back up and all the sudden he stopped and dropped trow. You all know what that is now, right? Yup Jack dropped his drawers to weewee right there in front of gabazillon parents. I saw the look on one mother. She was looking around and thinking, I am certain, where is the parent of this uncouth urchin? I tried running there quickly but I was quite a distance. He began walking with his tube back up. Only problem was he was taking very small steps as he had failed to bring the britches back up after the deed. Now I have to tell you. We live in the country and the menfolk up here, do occasionally use a tree or a bush in the fields, when nature calls. Jack is a very fastidious little boy and for a long time refused to use anything but proper indoor plumbing. However, a few males, namely his zany uncle, I am sure, have become role models of what to do when you gotta go. Outside. Thanks, unc. So itsy bitsy Stitch made his way up the ramp to the top slowly as I caught up to him and rectified his trunks, as in, hauled em up where they were supposed to be
..Unfortunately, we locked the camera away for the day, so no pic, and of course I couldnt post that here. But I would have loved the shot to show his girlfriend when he is 16
..
Can I recommend something? If you havent been to a water park, get on the lazy river and see it that way. Get off when something grabs your fancy. It seems easier than using those maps or even the descriptions. Sky and I went on the LAAAAAAAAAAAAAZY river alone, as the boys decided to do the next step up on the water slides. My daring pixie loved all the big slides and was very upset when she didnt meet the height restriction on one or two. It was chilly, but beats ice fishing in Maine for Presidents week. So check out the water parks if you get the premium ticket. I do have to say one thing. Some folks should stick to one piece bathing suits and trunks. Just sayin. We closed the park. It was 5:30.
We drove to the Boardwalk and Beach Club to grab a snack and walk around before heading to the Beach for the week.
Can you guess where this shot was taken? I bet many of you can.
We just hung and and took in the sights as the sun set. Here are our last 2 shots of the trip.
Yep, Orange. My kids picked the color out. I really did not care. Hideous is what many people call them, but I think they are fun, comfy and great walking shoes. So there!
A certain popular trip report writer talks about disneyfeude, that certain distressing phenomena as the sinking feeling of leaving Disney sets in during the trip. For some it starts the minute they arrive. For others, it is the last morning. I have the cure for this. Plan a trip somewhere for another day or two or week, and you have that to look forward to. This is what we did. We also talked about when we would next come back to Orlando. So we had no sadness or woes on the last day at Blizzard Beach and the Boardwalk. Just fun and happy times. Savor every moment, dont waste the time feeling woeful and glum. That is my thought for the day.
Here are the kids, passed out by a week of rollicking grand times. This is the first time in their lives all three fell asleep in the car, I kid you not. We got to the beach a hair before midnight. Guess what? We somehow had lost the keys to the condo. Had the directions and all. But not the keys. We blamed the sleeping Stitch as he has a fascination with keys. But in truth I am certain I dropped them somewhere. Are you surprised I am such a spaceshot? Well, I am. My brain sometimes works too quickly and misses stuff. It is yet another flaw
. Called the emergency number and got in rather than sleeping in the car. It is always something when you are a scatterbrain like me, even when I try to be organized
.but we dont mind. It is all a part of travel.
We had an awesome weekend at the Beach all together and drove DJ back to Orlando Sunday so he could fly home and back to work. The three kids and I had an amazing rest of the week in sunny Florida.
The other $1,600? Stay here for just a few more lines and I will finish this tale for you. On Friday, 2/24, exactly one week after we left Disney, the kids and I hit the tarmack in Atlanta after departing Orlando in the afternoon.
Our flight to Maine was to depart at 5:35. Atlanta was packed. It was after all the end of Presidents week, a decidedly busy travel time for lots of Northeasterners, at least. We sat playing Uno. Out of the corner of my eye, I saw some distressed folks at the check in counter. They did not speak much English, but were very, very upset. Moments later, I heard it. The announcement. We need 4 volunteers to take the first flight out in the morning. We will provide each passenger with 3 meal vouchers, first class accommodations and $400 each in airfare vouchers. I looked at the kids, thought for about 10 seconds, and made my way to the counter to give up those coveted seats
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A real person like yourself knows that when Tink's not around, ya gotta make your own 
