Friday January 19. So much happened on Friday that it was hard to do it in one post.
Back at HIFS after a busy and tiring day at MK. I am exhausted. Unfortunately the kids don't get tired like I do! Husband decides he needs a haircut???? whatever!! So he and son #2 take off. That leaves me with son#1 and daughter. I try to force Sarah to take a nap..ha ha ha ha. So I rest while she and son #1 watch tv....I love TV. I know its evil, I know I should hate it...but I loved it then. I rested for a bit but within 20 minutes I was anxious to get back to the parks.
To some extent, for me, once we use that hopper pass to enter one park I feel like any second I am not in Disney I am wasting money. So soon I am up and rounding the kids up. We head down to dinner, cheaper all around to eat at the hotel, kids eat free at the buffet!! So we eat and head off, son #1 gets a stomach ache...NOW???!!! But he is still ready to go...so off we go to EPCOT!!! I am so excited to walk around the world all lit up.
The evening is perfect. Breezy...a bit cool. Jeans and sweatshirt weather...sounds familiar to us northerners...but its nice not to wear coats, scarves, boots mittens...etc etc.
I just love Epcot and entering the park at night with spaceship earth glowing was wonderful. We have decided to enter the world from Canada Husband wants to get Beaver Tails. We read about them last year but never made it.
It was really beautiful walking into all those twinkly lights. On our way in we walked over stones that were all lit up like walking over stars. My two sons were taken by how pretty it all was but we are on a mission...on to beaver tails!! I was also scouting a good spot to watch illuminations, I was most excited about that and mildly annoyed with myself for not trying to book the illuminations cruise...but we'll see I thought...
With a tail in hand we make our way through the United Kingdom heading towards France, I was looking for that park I read about but it was roped off (bummer) still its good we didn't stop. Sons wanted to get to Japan pretty bad and husband to Morocco...I wanted coffee by now. Sarah stopped and made a mask, I thrilled the boys and bought pokemon cards (we can't get these at home....mom!) We walked around a bit. I wished there were museums in the lands not just shopping but it was just so nice to stop and talk to people about pins they had and to just hear the music and see the lights and well just to be together wandering around with nothing more important to think about than to get coffee in Japan or Morocco. On we go, Son #1 and I head into a Moroccan Cafe to get coffee and delicious chocolate cake (can't live on Mickey Bars you know!!)
Italy was lovely and now I am feeling really stupid for eating back at the hotel and not grazing through the world. But I know with three kids...two pretty finicky it wouldn't have been fun to try to find something to suit everyone.
Its getting time for the Tapestry of Nations which I didn't really care about until it started! We found a good spot near Germany to stop and we plunked down to wait a bit.
Sarah was a bit sleepy and enjoyed just being pushed around in her stroller the lights reflecting off the lagoon and spaceship earth changing colors occupied her for awhile. Soon the park dimmed and the story began and the parade started. We moved around a bit, it came at you from two directions and we ran off one way with Sarah to see it. She loved the huge puppets! It was terrific. We put her up on our shoulders and they would lean down and touch her as they floated by. She was just in awe. Sons #1 and #2 reached out as they passed and they would drift over their heads while they strained up to touch. Eventually some would come by and bow down and seem to dance with them. Son #2 would hug them and bow and they would pass by. Son #1 would try but every time he would move in for a self conscious hug they would pull away (boy is it hard to be 11!!). By the end we were laughing at him and he was laughing at himself, reaching out trying to get one of the puppets to wrap around him, while his brother would just drift in and out of their embraces. When one parade seemed to finish we ran back aways to catch part of the other! Sarah waved bye-bye as the last clock chimed and the last puppet drifted away.
The lights dimmed again and we all turned to the lagoon! Not knowing what to expect I can only say it blew us away!! In moments I was thrilled I hadn't booked the illuminations cruise, Sarah would have had a heart attack! The pyrotechnics scared her...but holding her tight and turned slightly away relaxed her enough to watch. I can only say you have to see it reflecting in the eyes of your children to realize how amazing it all was. There we stood while lights traveled around and fire burst and the world exploded. The boys were mesmerized (we were all mesmerized) by the end we were silent, my middle child son #2 who is by far the most emotional of us all, just took my hand and gave me a kiss.
It was a moment, one of many I had that week, that I gave thanks for my wonderfully flawed perfectly normal family! It was good to be a mom that day in fact it was just plain good to be! Oh its Disney...it brings out the kids in us all if you let it work its magic. It could happen anywhere you let your guard down and just be.. but its so much easier there!
Day three brings us to the Animal Kingdom, we missed all the shows on the last trip and then back to the Magic Kingdom so Sarah can see the light parade (okay I wanted to see the light parade!). Another early day...I want to get on the first Safari Ride!! I am a bit compulsive
Back at HIFS after a busy and tiring day at MK. I am exhausted. Unfortunately the kids don't get tired like I do! Husband decides he needs a haircut???? whatever!! So he and son #2 take off. That leaves me with son#1 and daughter. I try to force Sarah to take a nap..ha ha ha ha. So I rest while she and son #1 watch tv....I love TV. I know its evil, I know I should hate it...but I loved it then. I rested for a bit but within 20 minutes I was anxious to get back to the parks.
To some extent, for me, once we use that hopper pass to enter one park I feel like any second I am not in Disney I am wasting money. So soon I am up and rounding the kids up. We head down to dinner, cheaper all around to eat at the hotel, kids eat free at the buffet!! So we eat and head off, son #1 gets a stomach ache...NOW???!!! But he is still ready to go...so off we go to EPCOT!!! I am so excited to walk around the world all lit up.
The evening is perfect. Breezy...a bit cool. Jeans and sweatshirt weather...sounds familiar to us northerners...but its nice not to wear coats, scarves, boots mittens...etc etc.
I just love Epcot and entering the park at night with spaceship earth glowing was wonderful. We have decided to enter the world from Canada Husband wants to get Beaver Tails. We read about them last year but never made it.
It was really beautiful walking into all those twinkly lights. On our way in we walked over stones that were all lit up like walking over stars. My two sons were taken by how pretty it all was but we are on a mission...on to beaver tails!! I was also scouting a good spot to watch illuminations, I was most excited about that and mildly annoyed with myself for not trying to book the illuminations cruise...but we'll see I thought...
With a tail in hand we make our way through the United Kingdom heading towards France, I was looking for that park I read about but it was roped off (bummer) still its good we didn't stop. Sons wanted to get to Japan pretty bad and husband to Morocco...I wanted coffee by now. Sarah stopped and made a mask, I thrilled the boys and bought pokemon cards (we can't get these at home....mom!) We walked around a bit. I wished there were museums in the lands not just shopping but it was just so nice to stop and talk to people about pins they had and to just hear the music and see the lights and well just to be together wandering around with nothing more important to think about than to get coffee in Japan or Morocco. On we go, Son #1 and I head into a Moroccan Cafe to get coffee and delicious chocolate cake (can't live on Mickey Bars you know!!)
Italy was lovely and now I am feeling really stupid for eating back at the hotel and not grazing through the world. But I know with three kids...two pretty finicky it wouldn't have been fun to try to find something to suit everyone.
Its getting time for the Tapestry of Nations which I didn't really care about until it started! We found a good spot near Germany to stop and we plunked down to wait a bit.
Sarah was a bit sleepy and enjoyed just being pushed around in her stroller the lights reflecting off the lagoon and spaceship earth changing colors occupied her for awhile. Soon the park dimmed and the story began and the parade started. We moved around a bit, it came at you from two directions and we ran off one way with Sarah to see it. She loved the huge puppets! It was terrific. We put her up on our shoulders and they would lean down and touch her as they floated by. She was just in awe. Sons #1 and #2 reached out as they passed and they would drift over their heads while they strained up to touch. Eventually some would come by and bow down and seem to dance with them. Son #2 would hug them and bow and they would pass by. Son #1 would try but every time he would move in for a self conscious hug they would pull away (boy is it hard to be 11!!). By the end we were laughing at him and he was laughing at himself, reaching out trying to get one of the puppets to wrap around him, while his brother would just drift in and out of their embraces. When one parade seemed to finish we ran back aways to catch part of the other! Sarah waved bye-bye as the last clock chimed and the last puppet drifted away.
The lights dimmed again and we all turned to the lagoon! Not knowing what to expect I can only say it blew us away!! In moments I was thrilled I hadn't booked the illuminations cruise, Sarah would have had a heart attack! The pyrotechnics scared her...but holding her tight and turned slightly away relaxed her enough to watch. I can only say you have to see it reflecting in the eyes of your children to realize how amazing it all was. There we stood while lights traveled around and fire burst and the world exploded. The boys were mesmerized (we were all mesmerized) by the end we were silent, my middle child son #2 who is by far the most emotional of us all, just took my hand and gave me a kiss.
It was a moment, one of many I had that week, that I gave thanks for my wonderfully flawed perfectly normal family! It was good to be a mom that day in fact it was just plain good to be! Oh its Disney...it brings out the kids in us all if you let it work its magic. It could happen anywhere you let your guard down and just be.. but its so much easier there!
Day three brings us to the Animal Kingdom, we missed all the shows on the last trip and then back to the Magic Kingdom so Sarah can see the light parade (okay I wanted to see the light parade!). Another early day...I want to get on the first Safari Ride!! I am a bit compulsive
