I Suppose the Baby Can Come, As Well-A December 2013 PTR Updated 12/13* TR Link Up

[amazingact21]

A few odds and ends to update on.


It is October already. I think this is a first when it comes to an upcoming Disney trip, but I believe time is going by quickly.


I think that’s because I still have so much to get done, but hey, I’ll take it. I’d rather be scrambling that 3rd week in November than watching the clock tick away, begging for the calendar days to pass by.



I don’t have our Day 3 plans written up, yet, but I did have one or two Disney related items to share, so I figured I’d do a recap of what our little Disney lovin’ family’s been up to in the past few weeks.



Sometime in September, the DIS Unplugged aired a live feed of the first MNSSHP. Alex got off work right around the time it started, and we were having a foul week due to a new work schedule and other circumstances, so I decided we needed some Disney magic.


So, we plugged the computer into our TV and watched the Boo to You Parade and Hallowishes with Landon.











Not going to lie, I thought it was going to be kind of lame. Like watching the shows on youtube. It’s fun, but it’s not the same.


And while it certainly wasn’t the same as being there, it was actually kind of fun.


The fact that it was airing live, knowing a mere 427 miles away thousands of Disney guests were watching from the street, from their balconies, from beaches that exact show was pretty cool. You could hear through the audio all the excited voices of both children and adults, and it made me think back on the party we attended in 2011.


Sadly enough…


I was sick at the time (I’ve said that a million times, I know.)


However, I remember most of the details of the night decent enough.


While we were watching the parade, though, Alex casually drops, “I don’t remember this stuff.”


WHAT?!



“Did we even see the fireworks?”


I have pictures to prove we did.



I couldn’t believe the boy doesn’t remember the party. He commented during the show that he liked those fireworks better than regular Wishes.


Yet, he can’t remember them.






So, clearly, I am more than a little distressed that the Christmas Party won’t hold much stock in his long term memory.


I guess that’s what these trip reports are for.


To remind him, since he reads ‘em.


One day, he’s going to get fed up with me bad mouthing him and create an account just to “clear things up.”



Love you, dear.






Anywho, just like a typical kid, Landon fell asleep waiting for the fireworks, so Alex and I made the house as dark as possible and we enjoyed the show. There was one moment where I could practically smell the popcorn and smoke in the air.

It was a great way to get a Disney fix while waiting for our trip.






Today, Alex and I are at 54 days in our countdown, and around the 64 day mark, we went to our base ticket center and bought our….



ANNUAL PASSES!!




It’s official, we are passholders again!


(Well, when they are activated we are, but semantics.)


It feels so good to say that.


Passholder.



I never knew how much I loved being one until May rolled around and our last ones expired.



I went round and round with Alex on whether or not we should spend the money on them rather than get the military promotional tickets.


There were 3 factors that finally convinced me to pay the little bit extra and get the passes.


The biggest was that, as of right now, the military tickets cannot be linked to MDE and, therefore, cannot be used to reserve FP+. The test window hasn’t been extended to December yet, but when it does, I don’t want to miss out on FPs just because I don’t have the right kind of tickets.


Another one was…Alex has Disney shopaholicitis. That is…he cannot resist buying out the stores while we’re on vacation.



To his credit, he has never once gone over the budget I’ve set for him, but you better believe he uses every last penny. And he bets, barters, and begs for as much as possible. Whenever, I make up the budget for an upcoming trip, I’m realistic enough to put a nice amount down for souvenirs.


Having an annual pass will give us a discount on merchandise, which will be a nice plus. When we went in October 2012, I added up how much we saved and (not including my purse) it was about 60 dollars. And that was only over 3 days…



And lastly, the most obvious reason for an annual pass….so that we can return within the year!


Alex and I have a VERY tentative date of when we’d like to go back, but that’s so up in the air we’re not holding our breath. But even if that doesn’t work out, we will feel compelled to go back, even for just a long weekend, to get our money’s worth out of the tickets.



Can’t complain with that logic…





Shifting gears completely here, I figured I’d say it now so there aren’t questions in future posts with pictures.


A few weeks ago, Landon had to go to an eye specialist, and we were told he has accommodative esotropia, which to put it in very general terms, means he’s farsighted.


So, the little guy has to wear glasses indefinitely. It could be for 6 months, could be 7 years, could be the rest of his life. Only time will tell.


But that’s why, from now on, pictures of him will look like this:








As an aside, he was trying out the jacket we got for him to use at Disney. The ears on the hood are just too cute.



The glasses have become so normal around here for us, that he actually doesn’t look like himself when they’re off. And, he’s surprisingly good with them, so I don’t anticipate any issues while we are in the parks. The worst part will be watching for when he falls asleep so I can take them off and store them in a safe place.





Finally, in unrelated news, anyone remember my brother in-law, Eddie?


Went with us on a day trip last December? Got to stay at Pop and use the MagicBands?




Convert to pin trading?



Well, over the summer he got a job with Mears there in Orlando and now works around Disney.


He rotates around, but he does a lot of shuttling conventions from their Disney resorts to the parks, and he works the Magical Express.


He loves the job and the ability to see the parks and different resorts every day. He has said, in his own words, “Those resorts are pretty frickin’ cool.”


It’s safe to say Eddie has come to love Disney. Not to the scale we all do, but he’s getting there. Give him another few years.


Anyways, if you are ever on the ME and see him, say hello and tell him you know me. He’d get a kick out of it.




Well, that’s about it for this update. I’ll return later with more day to day plans.

 

[afwdwfan]

So, we plugged the computer into our TV and watched the Boo to You Parade and Hallowishes with Landon.

I'd be tempted to do that myself, but DW just isn't a Disney fanatic on the scale I am. She'd think I'm nuts.

It does sound like a nice way to unwind for the evening. I'm glad that it was more entertaining than you expected.

I guess that’s what these trip reports are for.


To remind him, since he reads ‘em.


One day, he’s going to get fed up with me bad mouthing him and create an account just to “clear things up.”

Alex... just so you know, there is a Dis Dads club here with over 700 members. So if you ever do feel like creating an account and telling your side of the story... well, you'll have a support group.

Anywho, just like a typical kid, Landon fell asleep waiting for the fireworks

Hmmm... hopefully this is a good omen for your trip.

But even if that doesn’t work out, we will feel compelled to go back, even for just a long weekend, to get our money’s worth out of the tickets.



Can’t complain with that logic…

Any excuse to go back is a good thing.

It’s safe to say Eddie has come to love Disney. Not to the scale we all do, but he’s getting there. Give him another few years.


Anyways, if you are ever on the ME and see him, say hello and tell him you know me. He’d get a kick out of it.

Cool! Glad he enjoys his job and is gaining more love for Disney!

 

[MeeskaMomma]

Great update! I think we may have to hook up firework/parade videos to the tv to get some pixie dust! What a great idea!

Your little guy is rocking the glasses! I know it can be a struggle early on, but it is so great they are already part of his routine. Are those miraflex by the way?

Oh and woo hoo annual passes!!! We have been debating on getting annual passes, but we aren't sure we will make two trips in the same year.

 

[MagicShell]

Landon's glasses are SO cute! My daughter has had glasses since she was 3. She probably needed them before that. We never had any problem with her keeping them on either. I know what you mean about Landon not looking like himself without his glasses now.

How cool that you watched the parade and fireworks. I wish we had internet at home.

Yay for annual passes!

 

[Nermel9]

That's cute, watching the MNSSHP on tv! I tried to watch some of the fireworks but I got too sad and had to stop lol.

YAY for being Passholders again! I can't wait until I can get an AP again, it was the best year of my life!

Aww, Landon's glasses are too cute!

 

[Disney9.9.10]

It is so cool that you guys watched the live MNSSHP feed and it didn't feel silly like some of the videos do. I love Landon's little sweater with the ears And it is unfortunate that the poor guy has to wear glasses but he looks so cute and it is great that he is good with them.

 

[MEK]

Landon's costume is TOO cute! Love it!

How fun to watch Wishes on TV. Definitely not the same but I think you did a good job using your imagination.

I love having an AP and I am always super sad when it expires.

Fun update! You're getting closer to your December trip all the time and having another trip to plan is just that much sweeter!

 

[Dugette]

That's really cool about watching the live feed of the Halloween party. I wish I'd known about that!

Yay for having Annual Passes again! A good way to guarantee more trips, for sure!

Aw, Landon looks so cute with his glasses. I'm glad he's good with them. And that jacket with the ears is adorable!

 

[UGAFan0829]

Hi, Alicia!! I've definitely been following along, but just realized that I haven't commented very much lately!

I LOVE that you watched Wishes from your living room...that is just too cool, and I'm glad that it turned out to be more magical than you thought! I also love the fact that it looks like you've officially converted Alex's brother--that's pretty awesome, especially since I remember reading about how much they were trying to resist!

And I cannot get over how adorable Landon is in his glasses...too stinking cute!

 

[amazingact21]

I'd be tempted to do that myself, but DW just isn't a Disney fanatic on the scale I am. She'd think I'm nuts.

I don't think Alex was especially thrilled with me putting on the show, but he shut up and colored for my sake. Can't ask for more than that.

Alex... just so you know, there is a Dis Dads club here with over 700 members. So if you ever do feel like creating an account and telling your side of the story... well, you'll have a support group.

Don't tempt him...he's already patiently waiting for the day Landon's old enough to be "on his side."

Great update! I think we may have to hook up firework/parade videos to the tv to get some pixie dust! What a great idea!

Your little guy is rocking the glasses! I know it can be a struggle early on, but it is so great they are already part of his routine. Are those miraflex by the way?

Oh and woo hoo annual passes!!! We have been debating on getting annual passes, but we aren't sure we will make two trips in the same year.

I was a little upset right after we got the eyeglass prescription, but seeing how much it helps him erases all that. And now, he looks strange without them. I was hoping to find some Miraflex glasses, because I've heard they are one of the best, but nobody had them! In fact, finding infant glasses was near impossible!


Annual Passes are nice, but only if you think you'll save money by getting them. Since we're military and FL residents, the price is really discounted for us. I believe we only have to have 10 park days for the passes to be worth it, and we're already doing 7 on this trip. Plus, if we can save 100 dollars in merchandise, then it'll be even more of an advantage.

Landon's glasses are SO cute! My daughter has had glasses since she was 3. She probably needed them before that. We never had any problem with her keeping them on either. I know what you mean about Landon not looking like himself without his glasses now.

How cool that you watched the parade and fireworks. I wish we had internet at home.

Yay for annual passes!

I'm happy we caught Landon's eyes this young, because hopefully he'll grow out of needing them. (The specialist said it was a probability.) But the only reason we even suspected this early, was because my side of the family is known for eye problems, so my mother was on high alert and noticed immediately. Otherwise, it might have been a few years for us.

That's cute, watching the MNSSHP on tv! I tried to watch some of the fireworks but I got too sad and had to stop lol.

YAY for being Passholders again! I can't wait until I can get an AP again, it was the best year of my life!

Aww, Landon's glasses are too cute!

I know what you mean. There was one moment when I just said, "WHY CAN'T WE BE THERE?!"


I haven't even activated my passes yet, and I already love having them again.

It is so cool that you guys watched the live MNSSHP feed and it didn't feel silly like some of the videos do. I love Landon's little sweater with the ears And it is unfortunate that the poor guy has to wear glasses but he looks so cute and it is great that he is good with them.

Thanks! We stumbled upon the sweater and figured it'd be perfect for cold nights at Disney.

Landon's costume is TOO cute! Love it!

How fun to watch Wishes on TV. Definitely not the same but I think you did a good job using your imagination.

I love having an AP and I am always super sad when it expires.

Fun update! You're getting closer to your December trip all the time and having another trip to plan is just that much sweeter!

I thought the live show was fun. I'm not a great cook, and Alex is a picky eater, so all the themed movie nights just don't work for us. I'm sure when Landon gets older I'll try, but this worked better for Alex and myself.

That's really cool about watching the live feed of the Halloween party. I wish I'd known about that!

Yay for having Annual Passes again! A good way to guarantee more trips, for sure!

Aw, Landon looks so cute with his glasses. I'm glad he's good with them. And that jacket with the ears is adorable!

Alex and I are counting on the passes guilting us into more trips in 2014. We can't just let them go to waste!

Hi, Alicia!! I've definitely been following along, but just realized that I haven't commented very much lately!

I LOVE that you watched Wishes from your living room...that is just too cool, and I'm glad that it turned out to be more magical than you thought! I also love the fact that it looks like you've officially converted Alex's brother--that's pretty awesome, especially since I remember reading about how much they were trying to resist!

And I cannot get over how adorable Landon is in his glasses...too stinking cute!

Thanks, Missy. Watching Hallowishes was fun, and it definitely reminded us that our trip is getting closer. Having been away for so long, it felt like we were never going back!

And I just saw in your sig. that you have a TR up! How did I not know this??? Going to subscribe and read right now!

 

[MeeskaMomma]

I was a little upset right after we got the eyeglass prescription, but seeing how much it helps him erases all that. And now, he looks strange without them. I was hoping to find some Miraflex glasses, because I've heard they are one of the best, but nobody had them! In fact, finding infant glasses was near impossible!

Anytime you here vision problems at that age it can be a bit upsetting. It is good you caught it young. His glasses look great, but if you want to find a place that specializes in kids/infant glasses I can see if any of the moms in my aphakic group are in your area. All are kids start out in glasses as an infant so they would know where to go I could give you a great place in Houston

Also you may want to check out EyePower Kids Wear. It was started by a mom whose son is aphakic. It does a lot to raise awareness for childhood eye problems, and they sell really cool t-shirts.

Good luck with it all! He looks so handsome!

 

[amazingact21]

Anytime you here vision problems at that age it can be a bit upsetting. It is good you caught it young. His glasses look great, but if you want to find a place that specializes in kids/infant glasses I can see if any of the moms in my aphakic group are in your area. All are kids start out in glasses as an infant so they would know where to go I could give you a great place in Houston

Also you may want to check out EyePower Kids Wear. It was started by a mom whose son is aphakic. It does a lot to raise awareness for childhood eye problems, and they sell really cool t-shirts.

Good luck with it all! He looks so handsome!

Thanks. Right now he likes these, so I'm going to stick with them. Come March, when he has to go back to the specialist, we'll see. I'm afraid he's going to outgrow these by then.

 

[amazingact21]

What a weekend we had…


Last Thursday, Alex got an unprecedented 4 days off of work. That’s unheard of for him. In 2012, we had to reschedule our weekend Disney trip 3 times before Alex finally had to submit official leave to go.


Needless to say we were restless. We hadn’t gone out of town since before Landon was born.


Thursday morning, we decided enough was enough. We needed a quick vacation!



Alex ran off to get the oil changed in our car, and I packed everything we’d need as quickly as I could. 3 people, 3 day’s worth of clothes and toiletries, and 1 dog’s stuff…all in 1 suitcase.




When Alex got home, I made a quick lunch, and Alex packed our car.


This whole thing turned out to be an excellent test run for next month, because we saw just how little space our Crossover has once a Pack & Play, a stroller, and a suitcase is shoved into the trunk. I’m going to need to get really creative with my packing in the future.



I had all of us ready to leave by 1:30pm that afternoon.




Off we went!


On the longest carride of all time.



Oh, how I immediately missed the times when Alex and I could cruise down the interstate with minimal stops and lots of peace and quiet.

It was about 4 hours in, around where 10 turns into 75 that Landon made it clear to us we needed to travel during his nighttime sleep. That kid does not like being trapped in his seat for very long.


A normal 7 hour drive took 9 hours!


Yikes!



Alex and I were headed to his parent’s place around Cocoa Beach for the weekend, so that the grandparents and aunts/uncle could spoil the baby and let us relax for a few days. It was a responsible decision, since we had our dog with us, and we hadn’t planned financially for a trip, but Alex and I couldn’t resist the pull of the mouse.


We couldn’t…



I intentionally left our Annual Pass vouchers at the house, because I knew if I brought them, we would’ve been in the Magic Kingdom within 24 hours of pulling out of the driveway.


So, I was strong and said no parks.


But c’mon…we were 45 minutes away from Orlando!


We had to do SOMETHING!







So, on Saturday morning the two of us decided to take Landon to Downtown Disney for a few hours, along with my mother in-law.



We got a little bit of the Disney magic!





It was a pretty uneventful ride; my MIL entertained the baby in the backseat while I looked at all the creative billboards for Disney World. Normally, I would have been sad not to being going into a park, but knowing I’d be returning to the area in a little over a month and a half helped keep that envious beast under control.


I didn’t bring a camera, so all my photos are from Alex’s phone.

 



And, clearly, I’m not as coordinated with that device as I am with the good lens. Some of my shots are not so good. Sorry.




I worried some about visiting the area on a weekend with the parking lots under construction, but the Disney Gods were looking down on us that day. The first lot we pulled into there was someone backing out and nobody else around to strong arm their way into it.


It was the easiest time we’ve had parking.


Ever.




The Characters in Flight balloon was flying high when we got out of our car:





It looked very nice up there in the bright blue sky; whoever was up there was getting a heck of a view.




The first order of business in Downtown Disney was getting Landon a new diaper. I managed that while Alex unloaded the stroller and put the diaper bag in the storage compartment. We met back up along some benches and paused to see how Landon was enjoying his first taste of Disney.






Anything?



He seem excited?





Oh..he looked thrilled.






My MIL was taken aback by the Lego store. That was just the beginning. She had no idea what Downtown Disney was all about, and it was so much fun for me to witness all the shock and awe.

Alex…

He just pushed the stroller.













But at least he looked happy.


In fact, he was very happy.


Very much so.




A souvenir was just released the day before, and Alex was booking it across the sides to get to a particular store.



He did take a break for a second to let me take a picture or two.




The weather was nice that day. A little warm, but not smoldering, and the crowds weren’t as horrendous as I thought it’d be.


Thank you Epcot for hosting the Food and Wine Festival and Magic Kingdom for putting on Mickey’s Not So Scary Halloween Party.





The three of us plus the munchkin strolled from the Lego store to D-Street. We parked my MIL and the stroller on a nearby bench, and Alex and I went into our first store.


I let out a breath I didn’t even know I holding once I stepped inside.


Everywhere there were Cast Member lanyards, guests with sunburns, tennis shoes, and bulky shopping bags. There were Vinylmations all over shelves and displays, their rubbery stinky smell creeping into my nose, telling my brain there was one place and one place only I was inside.



A lovely Disney store.



Aahhhh…..It’d been too long.



Alex did not waste much time. He found the Marvel Avenger’s Vinyls along a side wall and picked up 2 boxes.




Meanwhile, I took in the place.




I want this Vinyl:









I might have been the only one, but I was inspecting these guys to see if there was any resemble to the actors that played them.





Don’t judge.




Alex and I went back to his mom and Landon and Alex pulled out one of the boxes. The 2nd one, unfortunately, was not for us. Our fellow Disney friends had bought Landon his first Vinyl back in July, and we were returning the favor.

Of course, to make sure Alex didn’t “forget” and “accidentally” open theirs, I made him put the bag in the stroller as soon as we were ready to move on.



The item pre-opening:





Landon was in the background, offering to open the box for us.


Actually, he just wanted the D-Street bag.

He could’ve cared less about the Vinyl.


Vinyls don’t make crunchy noises when you squeeze them, after all.




Alex was excited with what he got.








He’d really wanted Iron Man, but he ended up with the Chaser from the series.




Ultron.


Picking a Chaser was a first for both of us, so that was a pretty cool little first to have happened. Not to mention, this meant his mother- unlike his siblings- was not the bearer of bad Vinyl luck.


Our curse was broken!



On our last trip, Alex bought 3 (or 4, I can’t remember) Vinyls from the Pixar series, and they all turned out awful! Two of them were Chuckles, the creepiest clown made into souvenir form.


It was around that moment when we remembered said creepy clown was zipped up in our suitcase back at his parent’s house.


We brought the thing 7 hours from home, only to leave it when we head to the place we could trade away its spooky self forever.



So, Chuckles is, unfortunately, back in our display case for a few more weeks.



Gah!




With Alex’s D-Street fix taken care of, I made the command decision it was time to eat.


That’s always my decision.


I’m ruled by my stomach, and it was saying if there’s one thing better to being in the Disney bubble, it’s eating the Disney food.


Am I right?



Off we all went back to the other side of Downtown Disney (around a bunch of construction walls, which, normally, would have irritated me, but they made for great shade for the stroller!)




Continued in Next Post…

 

[amazingact21]

We got to World of Disney when my father in-law began hounding my MIL.


No, really….her ringtone for him is a dog barking.






While she stepped away to take the call, Alex and I tried our hardest to get a few pictures with Landon.


He was not having it…






Yoo-hoo! Landon! This way!






Ahh, who can compete with a stroller strap?

It was a fairly new thing; he’s only been in his stroller (sans infant carrier) for about a week and a half.



My MIL rejoined us and we tried to get some more shots.






Hey, lookit there! One decent shot!






Nope. We’d filled the baby’s cooperating quota for the moment.




Photos out of the way, Alex and I began whispering to each other.


We were having a muted argument about lunch.


Alex loves Earl of Sandwich, and he was banking on us eating there that day.


I do like the food there, but I knew we’d be going come December 1st, and I figured this was my one and only chance to try someplace I really wanted.


I kept saying, “You can have Earl in a month and a half, let’s try something new. Besides, your mom should get something better than sandwiches.”


Alex was actually being pretty stubborn on the subject.



(Don’t argue with me, Alex, you were!)



This was unusual for him; he tends to let me pick what we do and goes with the flow.


I guess he just really wanted a sandwich…



That, and he’s a very picky eater, and I think he was afraid he wouldn’t find anything else to eat.


But as stubborn as he was being….I was twice as bad.


I was NOT missing an opportunity to try a new restaurant!


So, I pulled out the cheap shot card and dealt the death blow.



Insert MIL’s name-“There’s Earl of Sandwich and there’s Wolfgang Puck Express, which sounds better to you?”



“Oh, that sounds good, let’s go there.”


Alex, hopefully, “Earl?”


“No, no, the other one.”


I watched as Alex’s face fell.




Yeah, yeah, using his own mother against him was a low blow, but I knew she’d rather eat at Wolfgang, so a girl’s gotta do what a girl’s gotta do.





And we were off!





I parked the stroller while Alex looked at the outside menu. He gave me one or two snippy remarks about there not being anything he liked, but I guess he realized he was lamenting to deaf ears, so he finally decided on something (minus half the ingredients) and inside we went.




The line was long, and I remembered very quickly just how heavy my little butterball turkey of a child is.



I would’ve thrown him in the Ergo, but then he would have fallen asleep, and I didn’t want him napping yet.


So, tired arms it was.



Landon also decreed that sitting still was not an option at that time. He’d been confined to those beastly stroller straps, and he needed to wiggle…loosen up those muscles, get that lactic acid flowing again!



Alex gave him the D-Street bag, which entertained him throughout the whole wait.



As soon as our orders were in, I directed Alex to get me some water, then I went in search of table.


And, another lucky moment, there was one right around the corner. With a booth!


It gave me plenty of room to set the diaper bag down and hold Landon while he played with his toy on the table.


One thing I learned from this trip was that my kiddo gets hyper, hyper, hyper after her gets out of the stroller.


He was bouncing and talking and doing everything in his power to get all the guests in the near vicinity to look over and sing praise to him.


He eats that stuff up.


If I’m not careful he’s going to turn into quite the diva….









He couldn’t get over the fact that his feet could bounce on the chair seat. It was an amazing discovery that couldn’t go unnoticed, even once the food arrived.




Alex ordered the meatloaf sandwich, minus the horseradish and curry:




I took a bite, and it was all right.



My MIL got the beet salad. I had a bite, and it was really good. I actually wished I’d ordered it.



Instead, I got the 4 cheese pesto pizza:




I’m not sure what I was thinking.



I’d completely forgotten that Disney portions are so big.


Thankfully, the other two wanted to try some pieces, so I had help, otherwise there was no way I could have eaten the whole thing.



It was delicious, though.


You know, when you’re at home, you KNOW how good the Disney food is, and you miss it. But you forget just HOW GOOD it is until that first bite. And then you remember what you were missing, and it makes you view every other food as “all right.”



I’m so grateful that Alex and I were able to get a day at Downtown Disney and were able to eat a quick lunch there. It was such a nice little break, and I think it helped me get over the fact that it has been so darn long since my last visit.


It was just the push I needed to get through this last leg of the race, and it kind of put a boot in my behind to get me motivated to get everything organized.


Perfect.




About a slice in, Landon began getting fussy, so my MIL took him and walked around with him so I could finish my meal.



I love grandparents.



Seriously.



This was so nice.


To be able to eat not just a meal, but a Disney meal, while the food was still hot. Not worrying about tiny fingers getting in the cheese or dropping sauce on my clothes or keeping a baby entertained with a mouthful of food was bliss.


I am so, so relieved my mother’s coming with us in December. I don’t think Alex and I could do 8 days like that without an extra sets of hands.



When I was done with my food, I went to get Landon so my MIL could eat. I fed Landon his lunch while the other two wrapped up their meals, then they rejoined me.



Landon had calmed down after a walk and food, so my MIL offered to watch him while Alex and I went into the Christmas store.



All right!





I don’t think we could’ve dropped him in her lap any faster than we did.


The two of us jaunted off giddy. Holding hands, relishing the fact that we had a babysitter for ten minutes.


“You know, I could get used to this whole kid-free thing.”


Don’t get me wrong, I love my son. And I’m losing sleep thinking about how much I’m going to love seeing him in Disney.
But I think every parent will agree with me…the chance to spend some one on one time with your significant other, knowing your child is in capable and completely trusting hands is a precious thing.


It’s like, when you’re a kid, and you’re begging your parents to let you go to the movies or stay out an extra half an hour, and they finally give in and agree. You feel like you were given a gift that’s not doled out very often.



So, Alex and I walked up to the Christmas store feeling like we were given a Get Out of Jail Free card.





Walking inside, I remembered all the little details inside the store. It’s not just the items for sale or the Cast Members costumes, it’s the holiday music playing, the cinnamon smell piped into the air, the fireplace with the armchairs on display.

For just a split second, when Holiday Wishes began playing, I thought it was December, and I was on my trip. I really did forget it wasn’t even Thanksgiving yet.


That’s the power of Disney at work.





Alex and I were concentrating on all the Baby’ First Christmas ornaments, in search of a good one to get for Landon.








Disney smiles!

They are a unique look, only brought on by copious amounts of pixie dust.




The first ornament we looked at was a glass one, which we didn’t feel would be sturdy enough to last through the years. In the military, things are handled pretty poorly during moves, so you have to get sturdy stuff.



We did, eventually, find this one:




We liked it, and there was deal of 3 for 50 dollars, but we weren’t ready to commit to it yet. So we figured if it’s still there when we return in December, we might get it.





Leaving the store, we picked up the other two members of our party and went to Pin Traders.




I found the pins I wanted immediately, and as is usual, Alex took forever.


He’s very browsy.


I can be to an extent, but not at Pin Traders. It’s hot, crowded, and I just want to make my purchases and be done.


Like I always have to do, I told Alex we were checking out so he’d hurry it up, and then we went inside World of Disney to show my MIL around.




While inside, Alex stepped away for a second, leaving me with the stroller.

What?


Oh no!



My first turn with the stroller, and he abandons me in the single most crowded building on property.



Talk about a baptism by fire.


That’s all right.


I got it.



I am a stroller pushing expert. Do it every day.



Let’s go.




Three feet later, and I’m apologizing profusely to this stranger for running over his foot.






Ugh.



Alex rounded a corner, and I yell at him, “YOU LEAVE ME ALONE FOR 30 SECONDS AND I RUN OVER SOME POOR GUY’S FOOT!”


“Baby…”


“I know.”


“Seriously?”



“Yes.”



Needless to say, I gave the navigating reigns back over to Alex and am now on edge for December. Clearly, I will be the camera person while Alex takes charge of pushing Landon around.





We needed to get back home by that point, and Landon had finally zonked out, so we made our way to the exit.





Overall, it was a great day, if only because it was so unexpected. How many people are fortunate enough to drop everything and take a weekend to be near Disney? I couldn’t have asked for a better motivator to get the ball rolling for my upcoming trip, and it was a fabulous test run for us. I now have a very general idea of what to expect when it comes to Landon and restaurants and the stroller. There were also a few little details that I was worried about, that now that I’ve done them, I won’t stress about as much.


And my MIL had a great time. She commented once or twice on how nice it is that Alex likes Disney, and how she’s excited to see him take Landon there as he gets older. She turned to me near the end of the day and said, “You know, this was really cool. I had a great time.”


While she might not like Disney to our extent, I think seeing firsthand how happy it makes us has made her understand our passion now. She gets it and accepts that we’re going to continue visiting for as long as we can.


You can’t ask for more than that when it comes to dealing with non-Disney fans.



As I’ve said, it was a great time, and now I’m looking forward to getting everything ready for our real vacation. There’s so much left to do, I should have plenty to keep me occupied up until our departure day. First and foremost, I need to finish planning out the rest of our days! Hopefully, early next week I’ll have Day 3 plans up.

 

[MagicShell]

Yay for a last minute get away. And you got to go to DTD?!!!! I'm glad your mother in law liked it. So did you find out what vinyl was in the box you bought as a gift? Yes I am nosy.

 

[afwdwfan]

That looks like a great long weekend! Always nice just to get away for a few days. Especially when there will be family around to help babysit!

It was about 4 hours in, around where 10 turns into 75 that Landon made it clear to us we needed to travel during his nighttime sleep.

Live and learn. That's why we always try to drive at night!

So, I pulled out the cheap shot card and dealt the death blow.



Insert MIL’s name-“There’s Earl of Sandwich and there’s Wolfgang Puck Express, which sounds better to you?”



“Oh, that sounds good, let’s go there.”


Alex, hopefully, “Earl?”


“No, no, the other one.”

Ouch...

Well played.

Sorry Alex, but I have to admit, I'm a WPE fan. I think it was probably a good call.

I am so, so relieved my mother’s coming with us in December. I don’t think Alex and I could do 8 days like that without an extra sets of hands.

It is definitely great to have an extra set of hands. That way you actually have someone to ride with, even when you do use Rider Swap.

Don’t get me wrong, I love my son. And I’m losing sleep thinking about how much I’m going to love seeing him in Disney.
But I think every parent will agree with me…the chance to spend some one on one time with your significant other, knowing your child is in capable and completely trusting hands is a precious thing.

Exactly.

My first turn with the stroller, and he abandons me in the single most crowded building on property.

Oh, come on! It isn't that bad!

Try pushing a double stroller from Casey's to Adventureland in front of Crystal Palace right after Wishes...

I am a stroller pushing expert. Do it every day.



Let’s go.




Three feet later, and I’m apologizing profusely to this stranger for running over his foot.

Oh well. These things happen. At least you apologized.

And you probably gave some Dis'er something to come back and complain about in one of those anti-stroller threads.

While she might not like Disney to our extent, I think seeing firsthand how happy it makes us has made her understand our passion now. She gets it and accepts that we’re going to continue visiting for as long as we can.

I'm glad that she's starting to see it in that light. Seems like a great opportunity for her to see her son and grandson, and you guys, to enjoy the parks and visit her with her proximity to the World.

 

[marDgreen88]

Glad you got a nice little taste of Disney!

Sent from my iPhone using DISBoards

 

[UGAFan0829]

So, I was totally excited for you when I read that y'all made a spur of the moment road trip and yet had no idea where you were going. Then I saw DTD and my excitement went through the roof! I LOVE that y'all were able to make a short trip there and it sounded like it was an awesome day. I'm glad that you were able to get that "trial run" in! And I'm really glad that Alex's Mom made sure to tell you how much she enjoyed the day!

I know I've said it before, but I just can't get over how adorable Landon is!

 

[Dugette]

That's great that you were able to get in a mini-semi-Disney trip! Nothing like a taste of the magic and a trial run with baby. Very cool day!

 

[teekathepony]

How awesome that you got a little unexpected disney visit! That's pretty exciting, and a great way to judge how Landon will take everything. Not long till the trip itself now!

Sent from my iPad using DISBoards