Nov 2010 -- Even our Stroller has Christmas Lights! New 12/22 Lessons Learned #222

[Marshay]

Today is still Monday, November 22nd. After we got home from Epcot, we decided to take a nap. It took a little bit to get Elizabeth down since she dozed on the ride back. But eventually we were all sound asleep.

Then my alarm went off around 2:50pm and we had to go quickly to meet our DIS friends. Everyone was kind of cranky. Jerry wanted to just rest. Rachel was sound asleep and Elizabeth was still sleepy.

At least it was good weather, right? We can go explore Ft. Wilderness before our dinner.

Nope -- as we leave the hotel, it starts to rain. Buckets. UGH.

And of course, guess what I did again?? Yep, I made another wrong turn.

WTH???? Seriously.

Finally we arrive at Ft. Wilderness, wait for a bus to take us to the Settlement and as we walk I hear, "Marsha!!"

It's Julie, aka "Mousescrapper" Yeah, we finally get to meet!! I think I originally met Julie on one of the scrapbooking threads and then we were both following each other's PTR.

Julie and her family were simply wonderful! Since it was still raining, we all huddled under the roof near the restrooms but that didn't dampen our spirits. Julie, DH Matt, DD Rebekeh, DS Nathan and DD Rachel were so great to meet!

Here we are:

And of course we have to have a Goofy photo

My Rachel was so excited to meet Julie's Rachel (she had seen all the pics of Julie's incredible Disney Days). They got along really well. Both Rachels played with Elizabeth, all drawing pictures that Julie was kind enough to give to my girls.

Here are the smiling Rachels -- 5 and 8 years old

My Rachel also received 2 pins from Julie ... and now she is adamant about starting pin-trading! So for our next trip in May, I will get her a lanyard!

By now it was time to go to our respective dinners. Julie's family was going to Hoop Dee Doo and we were going to Trail's End. Dinner at Trail's End is always enjoyable -- inexpensive (for Disney) and just good home cooking. Rachel esp liked the gummy bears on the ice cream bar!

We changed into warmer clothing and then I went for a walk to see if our surprise for the girls was ready.

 

[Marshay]

Now if you recall, I had scheduled a Carriage Ride at Ft. Wilderness but didn't tell Rachel about this. So I go up to the driver and tell him that I'm his 6:30pm reservation and just wanted to make sure everything was good to go, since this was a surprise.

He tells me to bring everyone back and when Rachel sees the carriage, he'll ask her if she wants a ride, she'll scream "yes" and then we can pretend we just decided to grant her wish.

Sounds easy, right?

So I go back and get the girls and Jerry, we walk by...the driver does his spiel telling how much fun the ride is and would she like to do it ... and Rachel doesn't say anything. So we ask her, would you like to take a ride? She calmly says, sure.

So we get in and she's still not excited or anything. Great! There goes $45!

So I ask her, do you want to go on the ride...you sure aren't acting excited or anything. and she says happily, "Yes! I just didn't think we were going to be able to do it!"Guess it was a bit too much of a surprise!

Here is a picture of our Cowboy Joe and his horse, Dave.

We traveled down one path, saw 2 deer, came back and traveled around some campsites that were all decked out for Christmas and Thanksgiving! It was a nice relaxing ride. I probably wouldn't do it again, since it was so short. But it was nice.

Afterwards, we walked back to the campsites to see the Xmas decorations again and then went home to SSR.

Jerry put the kids to bed and I took the boat over to DTD to shop for Christmas presents.

I got an Ariel costume for Rachel's Disney Dolls. A princess book with song player for Elizabeth and 2 pair of Disney socks for Jerry plus the promotional item.

I was oh-so-tempted to get one of the Dooney & Burke purses. I'm not really into purses and the name D&B doesn't mean much to me. I had seen the purses before but this time I held one, saw the incredibly cute multi-color zipper and was *this close* to purchasing one. Mickey looks sooooo cute! And they had one that wasn't boxy. I forget the name..but it was like 8" tall and maybe 5" wide with a long strap.

After all, my birthday gift from Jerry (Big Figurine of Ariel) arrived busted and each time I asked for another one from WDW, something was broken on it. So I finally just gave up on that...so I never did get my birthday gift from Jerry...

 

[Trentmom]

That is nice you had a fun meet despite the rain

How cool you both have Rachels

 

[Marshay]

That is nice you had a fun meet despite the rain

How cool you both have Rachels

Yeah, if it wasn't for the Dismeet, I think we would have just stayed in our room and skipped the dinner and carriage ride. So I'm glad we did go over. We will definitely plan to go over to Ft. W. again if we ever get there during Christmas. Those people go wild with decorations!!

 

[kaoden39]

How nice you had the meet in the rain. How fun the carriage seems. I haven't done that sort of thing for years.

 

[Marshay]

Today is Tues November 23 and our last full day at WDW.

For once, this trip does not seem to fly by. I'm not sure why, but I suspect it has to do with me not doing as much. For me, now! I know Jerry still thought I packed a lot (too much) into the days, but I honestly think we slowed down. We had only done like one or two main rides and stuck to the smaller attractions, most times. We only crossed the parks 2 times to get a FP (and I volunteered to do that) and normally we are always trying to plan out our FPs, noting the times, running all over the place, etc.

The girls wake us up at 7:15am and we talk about where we want to go today. We end up doing AK.

We arrived at 9:20am which is great for us ... until we find out that today was an EMH and the park actually opened at 8! OH well, it wasn't that crowded. I get a FP for the Safari while Jerry takes the girls to the Boneyard to play. Then Rachel and I go on Primeval Whirl. This is Rachel's first time as she is finally tall enough. In July, they wouldn't let her ride it.

Rachel enjoys it but is also scared of it. I ask if she wants to ride with Jerry and she says no. So off we go to Safari. We are almost out of the Dinosaur section, when she says yes, she wants to ride again with Daddy and literally DRAGS Jerry to the ride.

Elie and I ride TriSpin and then wait for them. Of course one 1/2 of the ride breaks down while they are waiting so this 20 minute wait becomes a 30 minute wait ... but still not bad.

Can you tell she is excited?

However, during the ride, she is like this. I do think I caught a pretty good shot!

While waiting for them, Elizabeth is just being a complete cutie! Sorry, all the pic got blurred but you'll have to trust me, she was adorable!

While waiting, a woman comes up to me and says she is a Disser, too! She was Leannmomofprincess, I think. I wished I wrote her name down. but it was cool to meet her and I gave her my special LGMH with turkey feathers!

After Primeval, we went on the Safari.

 

[kaoden39]

Elizabeth looks like she is having a ball. And yay for Rachel being tall enough to ride on her ride.

 

[Marshay]

I know everyone has a ton of pics on the Safari, so I'll just share a few that caught my eye. We all enjoyed the ride, esp as the animals were out and about (not like in the heat of July).

Baby Giraffe!!

baby elephant

New Construction on the Savannah. I think this is for the new behind the scenes tour you can take at AK. It's called "Wild Adventure" or something like that. You travel on the savannah, plunge out over the hippos and have a snack while gazing over the savannah's new lookout post. I think this is the new post.

Now does this baby Rhino look like it is charging us? Yes, you say? That's b/c it was!! I swear it was going to hit us but did not. It was rather comical. but thankfully stopped short of the truck.

Then we headed over to Flame Tree BBQ. Rachel and I got lunch while Jerry and Elie got table spots overlooking the lake.

Jerry took some photos while waiting -- I love this one -- you can actually see the folks on the ride!

As we left the park, we took a pic at the AK Christmas tree.

 

[Marshay]

the Bad: We get back to SSR around 1pm and I start to pack up. I knew I wanted to do MK tonight and it would be late, so I 'kindly suggest' to Jerry that he pack up, too and that I would like help packing up the food, the toys and the girls' things.

Well, Jerry just wanted to rest so this put him in a 'mood'. Then we shower and rest a bit but since Elie slept earlier at AK, she wasn't sleepy.

Finally we get up and go to MK. The line for Tangled was way too long so we skip that and go to the HArmony Barber shop for Rachel's haircut. In early November, I told her that she should get a haircut prior to our trip. But she asked if she could do it at MK instead, which sounded good to me, too.

The barber was also kind enough to sprinkle pixie dust on Elie, too!

As Jerry finishes paying for the haircuts, I quickly shop in the Emporium since they have these skirts I wanted for the girls' trip in May in the right sizes. I get a Minnie skirt for Rachel since she is outgrowing her Minnie dress and a Belle skirt for Elie. This also earns me the Castle Throw for an additional amount of money.

Then we head over to Tiana. The line closes down after the family behind me and the CM says it's a 40-45 minute wait. I tell Jerry to get a FP for Buzz and take the girls with him while I wait, and wait and wait in line.

the Good: Finally it's our turn. Elizabeth walks right up to Tiana and hands her her special teddy

And we get a family photo. Now Tiana is really beautiful ... but I think they nailed it on Naveen!

We then go to Liberty Tree Tavern for our Thanksgiving dinner. I love it here!! The food is good. We started with a salad, rolls and heavenly butter! Turkey, Ham, Beef, Mashed potato, Green Beans, Mac n Cheese, gravy and apple cobbler with vanilla ice cream for dessert! Everything is wonderful.

We then go on Haunted Mansion (5 minute wait) and Peter Pan. Oh! I forgot to mention that when we entered the park, another family was exiting and gave us their Peter pan FPs for 4!!! Woo Hoo!!! I was sooo grateful to them and kept telling them thankyou!!

Then we rode IASW which Elie just loved!

I wanted to check out the new Winnie the Pooh interactive queue line but the wait was 50 minutes so we skipped it.

Instead we watched the parade in front of the castle and of course stared at the castle itself. I had never noticed the gargoyles on the castle before!

Just lovely!

AFter the parade, we ride Buzz LIghtyear with our FPs. Elie is asleep so we ask the CM if we can do a child swap so we don't have to wake her up. He agrees so I ride with Rachel first and then Rachel and Jerry ride. We exit the park during the fireworks and they let us out the back way.

Back to SSR.

The Ugly:Jerry is in a grumpy mood again (men!) and Rachel and I talk about taking a WDW trip without Jerry.

Turns out, last night after I went to DTD with the girls in bed, I had come back and said that if he wanted to do the same tonight he could. He didn't say yes or no about it, so I assumed he wasn't interested.

He took it as fact. So when we stayed out late at MK, we only got back to the room at 10:45pm and DTD was closing in 15 minutes. So he was all peeved at me for offering a 'night out' and then not giving it to him in time to do something about it.

Well, I told him, that he didn't say anything to me when I suggested it, so what was I supposed to do? I didn't know he wanted to do that.

He said, I should have left the night open so if he wanted to go to DTD he could. And if he didn't he wouldn't.

!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Well, you know THAT doesn't sit well with me. There is no way I'm changing our haircut, dinner and parade plans for the 'off-chance' that he might want to do something else.

ARGH!!!


Deep Thoughts: Now each trip that we take, I ask Jerry what he wants to do. I try to tell him what I have planned or have in mind and see what he thinks. but most times, he is not interested in planning. He is definitely the spontaneous person and I am the planner.

This actually works out well in our marriage ... but it also means it frustrates us and raises it's ugly side, too.

But thinking back, I always know that after about 4 days or so, Jerry gets in his "mood". I think part of it is that he is just not used to being around the girls and I so much. I'm a SAHM so I'm used to being with the girls 24/7 and planning our life. Sometimes he feels like an outsider and other times he just needs to get away from "always being on".

It's just something that we moms, esp SAHM or SAHD, have come to accept and know. We don't get a break from being a mom...ever. but Jerry does get a break from being a dad -- while driving to work, during lunch since he eats out every day with co-workers or by himself (oh, wouldn't that be nice for me?!) or running errands by himself and even at work. There's no cranky baby...no super-excited girl, etc. So when we vacation and he doesn't get that break, it makes him irritable!

We talk about it some more and then go to bed.

 

[Marshay]

How nice you had the meet in the rain. How fun the carriage seems. I haven't done that sort of thing for years.

Yes, it was fun. It was just really short. I think only 25 minutes and the horse was sooooo slow. I could walk faster than it did, so it seemed like we didn't actually get that far.

But it was nice.

Elizabeth looks like she is having a ball. And yay for Rachel being tall enough to ride on her ride.

Elie was just in a playful mood! She had fun.

I'm glad Rachel went on it too!

 

[kaoden39]

I so get it about being a SAHP. When Scotty hurt himself and was out on disability he got an idea about what it was like but only with teenagers. Big difference. I wish he would have had a chance when they were little. I used to get so mad at him when I would go to the store and I would leave the kids with him. I would take my time and enjoy my time away, but invariably it would seem to him that I was gone forever and he would complain. Sometimes I could just scream they don't get it.

 

[Marshay]

I so get it about being a SAHP. When Scotty hurt himself and was out on disability he got an idea about what it was like but only with teenagers. Big difference. I wish he would have had a chance when they were little. I used to get so mad at him when I would go to the store and I would leave the kids with him. I would take my time and enjoy my time away, but invariably it would seem to him that I was gone forever and he would complain. Sometimes I could just scream they don't get it.

Yep! Glad I'm not the only one.

It was helpful for us to have that discussion, but part of me wanted to say, Not while on vacation! This is supposed to be fun!!

I also finally came to the conclusion that since we own DVC, we really and truly will be back again!! I know that sounds really silly, but it really sank in this trip.

Each trip I find myself planning less and less and not doing as much.

Who knows? One of these days I may even skip a schedule altogether ... nah...

 

[kaoden39]

Yep! Glad I'm not the only one.

It was helpful for us to have that discussion, but part of me wanted to say, Not while on vacation! This is supposed to be fun!!

I also finally came to the conclusion that since we own DVC, we really and truly will be back again!! I know that sounds really silly, but it really sank in this trip.

Each trip I find myself planning less and less and not doing as much.

Who knows? One of these days I may even skip a schedule altogether ... nah...

Well, you know with the DVC you can relax knowing it won't be that long until you go again. It can make it easier to relax and do the little things that you want to do.

 

[Trentmom]

I see I Posted prematurely as there was a lot more to come..woops

People at Fort do go all out for holidays. You need to check it out one Halloween.So awesome!!!


That ride Rachel went on looked kind of scary to me...

Ele looked so cute with hair on top of her head in pony tail..too cute

Oh man.....Men.....I would have been irritated too...if he wanted to shop, he shoud have opened up his mouth

That would be a fun TR to read, one wehre you went down with no schedule and just winged it

You should do it

 

[cherbear]

Marsha, 5 and 8? Your Rachel is sooo tall! She could be a model someday

Looks like y'all had a blast....but boy oh boy....men will never get it huh?? Why don't they just open their mouths!! If he'd just answered you, problem solved right there. BAM.

 

[Marshay]

Well, you know with the DVC you can relax knowing it won't be that long until you go again. It can make it easier to relax and do the little things that you want to do.

Yeah, I guess I'm learning too. As many of us on here, we just going to Disney -- so safe, so good for families, so familiar, so much fun! It's slowly sinking in that I will be back. I recognize that may seem silly, considering we own DVC ... but it hadn't penetrated my brain yet. This is the first trip that it started to do so.

I see I Posted prematurely as there was a lot more to come..woops

People at Fort do go all out for holidays. You need to check it out one Halloween.So awesome!!!

That ride Rachel went on looked kind of scary to me...

Ele looked so cute with hair on top of her head in pony tail..too cute

Oh man.....Men.....I would have been irritated too...if he wanted to shop, he shoud have opened up his mouth

That would be a fun TR to read, one wehre you went down with no schedule and just winged it

You should do it

Halloween would be great to see at Ft. W, too! We are hoping to go in October 2013.

Primeval Whirl is like the old "Mousetrap" ride if you've ever been on that. It's a cross between a roller coaster and the tea cups!

Yeah ... men. "nuff said.

Hopefully, this time when we plan our trip for May, he'll speak up. I'm particularly going to remind him about this DTD incident. The problem is, he wants to really leave the entire schedule open "just in case" and I want to have a plan -- a plan that can be changed in most cases IF someone speaks up!!

I really don't ever see me going planless ... unless it's just to prove how awful the trip would be.

Marsha, 5 and 8? Your Rachel is sooo tall! She could be a model someday

Looks like y'all had a blast....but boy oh boy....men will never get it huh?? Why don't they just open their mouths!! If he'd just answered you, problem solved right there. BAM.

Yeah, Julie and I commented that my Rachel was as tall if not taller than her 8 year old!! Pretty funny! Rachel is in size 8 right now, 10's if they are leggings. She's always been double the age for clothing.

And guess what? Elizabeth is measuring a full inch taller than Rachel at the last doctor check-up!

 

[kaoden39]

I think your girls are gonna be tall if they keep this up.

 

[mousescrapper]

Ok I'm all caught up and you are almost done...

the rain you had a MK we never got at AK on Sunday morning...but we felt some drizzle and that was the first time ever I actually felt a bit "cold" there...it usually is always steaming hot in AK....

your days looked so fun and you got a ton accomplished for such a short time. The pic's w/ Tiana and Naveen are great...and we though Vidia was a hoot too.

wierd about your comment about the tables after food at Pinnochio VH...we ate there too and did the same thing as you...but grabbed our table then I got in line

and yes the Dismeet was so fun (you forgot about little Naomi-Ruth too)...it was a blast meeting you all and talking about our trips and pins...my kids were so relaxed w/ you and Jerry it was a great wait to spend the time waiting out the rain...and your little treat bags were so fun. I have the jingle bells hanging up in our living room for Christmas...

hope someday our paths can cross again!

oh and Matt is pretty average height....but my side we come from short stock but believe it or not Rachel is actually several inches taller than I was at age 8.

J~

 

[Marshay]

Ok I'm all caught up and you are almost done...

the rain you had a MK we never got at AK on Sunday morning...but we felt some drizzle and that was the first time ever I actually felt a bit "cold" there...it usually is always steaming hot in AK....

your days looked so fun and you got a ton accomplished for such a short time. The pic's w/ Tiana and Naveen are great...and we though Vidia was a hoot too.

wierd about your comment about the tables after food at Pinnochio VH...we ate there too and did the same thing as you...but grabbed our table then I got in line

and yes the Dismeet was so fun (you forgot about little Naomi-Ruth too)...it was a blast meeting you all and talking about our trips and pins...my kids were so relaxed w/ you and Jerry it was a great wait to spend the time waiting out the rain...and your little treat bags were so fun. I have the jingle bells hanging up in our living room for Christmas...

hope someday our paths can cross again!

oh and Matt is pretty average height....but my side we come from short stock but believe it or not Rachel is actually several inches taller than I was at age 8.

J~

So sorry I forgot to mention Naomi-Ruth. She is adorable! All of your kids were great!

I was really impressed esp with Rebekeh, she was so talkative and well-spoken. And I was actually a bit shocked that Nathan spoke to us too! Many kudos to him!

you'll have to forgive me. We have "that virus" that is going around. Rachel woke up Sunday and told me that she threw up in bed ...and it's gone around and around our house until everyone got it.

Now my stomach is fine but I got a cold and am losing my voice!

It always amazes me how large WDW is ... you'll hear someone had rain in one place and not the other ...

Interesting about Pinocchio. Maybe we just hit it at the wrong time...it was about 11:30am. And those CM weren't letting anyone by -- they were standing blocking the entrance 3 across!!!

 

[Marshay]

Julie -- forgot to mention that at Trail's End while waiting in the buffet line, there was a boy about 12 or so with pins on his lanyard. Well, Rachel goes right up to him and starts talking to him about his pins and where he got them etc.

You have definitely started something!! I'm going to blame you when I go crazy pin-trading!!