Stitch's Great Escape...A Mom and Me Birthday Celebration! *7/26 Link to new PTR*

Woo-hoo, all those rides and uninterrupted alone time with Donald, sounds like the perfect birthday to me!! :cool1:
 
It was a lot of fun for both of us! Although I was worn out by the end of our ride marathon (I felt like I had run one). I think both of us really enjoyed our meeting with Donald Duck. It was one of my favorite memories from the entire trip.

How exciting that her surprise is getting so close!

Having that extended meeting with Donald had to be great. What a treat. You have made wonderful memories with each child. Ones that they will never forget.

Yes, it is getting very close now and we that know are very excited. My son-in-law who is having his birthday on the 26th of May (and doesn't know either) is going to be thrilled. I have this strange family you see. I will be 60 in July but this son-in-law will be 60 in May. My daughter (his wife) is going to be 38 in September. Love him and they have 3 wonderful children together. I hope he chooses the fast pass for his birthday surprise. Their youngest turned 15 yesterday and got his driving permit. EEK! He drove over to our house last nite. Glad I was not in that car.

One more quick question. Did the rooms at CSR have hairdryers? My younger DD can't go anywhere without one.

Anxiously awaiting for more.
 
Somewhere in between the oodles and oodles of rides, I convinced my little ride fiend to let us stop for a bite to eat. Ha ha. Our plan was to eat at the Coral Reef, but he wasn't interested in sitting for that long...so we used the cell phone to cancel and made our way to the closest TS place. Being as we were just coming off of Soarin', the closest place was the Sunshine Seasons Food Court. I had the roasted chicken with mashed potatoes and grilled vegetables. Stitch went for the kid's chicken drumstick with mashed potatoes and grapes. We each had a bottle of water to drink and shared a fruit salad for dessert. While it wasn't my very favorite meal ever, it was good and filling and we were able to fit it in on our manic schedule. ;)

Full (for now), we once again headed out and made our way back to the World Showcase area. We had a few rides to attend to 'back there' and I had a devious scheme to trick Stitch into letting me do a little bit of shopping. After a few rides through troll infested waters, I convinced him to climb aboard the World Showcase launch.
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We exited near France where I proceeded to bribe my son. ;) Our conversation went a little something like this:

Me: "How about we stop in France for a few minutes, I want to pick up some make-up and then we can grab an ice cream cone."

Stitch: "Nah, I would rather ride more rides."

Me: "But if we can stop for a few minutes, we can also get...a crepe."

Stitch: "A CREPE!! How about two and we can stop for the rest of the day!"

Me: "DEAL! *snickering to myself because I knew he couldn't pass up the chance to snarf down a crepe, one of his favorite foods on this planet*

Stitch: "Let's go, hurry, hurry!" *snickering to himself because he thought he had tricked me into two crepes, really, I would have bought him three if he had asked* ;)

Me: "First, Guerlien for my make up, then crepes."

Stitch: "Don't forget, you offered ice cream too."

Me: "That was before the two crepe agreement."

Stitch: "Please..." *said while giving me his best puppy dog look*

Me: "Fine, it's only your 8th birthday once. You can celebrate it in full crepe/ice cream glory."

Stitch: "You are the very best mom ever, I love you so much."

Me: "You are the very best Stitch ever and I love you even more." *said with a dreamy eyed happy mom look*

Stitch: "Even if you didn't buy me the ice cream or two crepes, I would think you were the best mom and I love you forever...I still get the crepes too, right? {insert me nodding}..."

Me: "SNIFF, SNIFF. I love you even more still." *sniffing done while pulling him in close for a long hug*

Stitch: "Are you okay? Let's go." *said while pulling me by the hand toward the shops*


My quick stop at Guerlien cost more than all of the shopping we had done the day before. :rolleyes1 But, I did find just what I was looking for (and then some...lots more some;) ).

After my quick make-up pick up, we headed back to the crepe stand which also conveniently sold ice cream. One vanilla ice cream cone (for him) and three crepes (two for him, one for me) later we parked our tushes on the closest bench. Just across from us (and right next to the crepe stand) was another stand. This one had Grey Goose Lemon slushies...the perfect treat for a tired mom. :thumbsup2 I left Stitch happily munching his treats (with a warning not to touch my crepe or things would get ugly:laughing: ). I returned with one VERY TASTY treat! I will be getting one next time I visit EPCOT, and the time after that, and the time after that and...well, I think I have found a new "must have" treat! Y-U-M!!

With my new found tasty treat in hand, I headed back across the walkway to Stitch (who lucky for him, hadn't eaten my crepe). Stitch ended up having bigger eyes than a stomach. He was able to finish off a crepe and a quarter (along with most of his huge ice cream cone). I very happily finished off his extra crepe for him! I guess I should explain, we are a crepe loving family, but I rarely actually take the time to make them. They are one of those favorite foods that is always a real treat when you have it at home. To have that sort of a treat at WDW while enjoying such a great day...it was a slice of perfection for us!:cloud9: As we sat munching, we saw the chair balancing performers (I forgot what they are called?!). We had a good view from our bench. Please ignore the lady in the white pants. :rotfl:
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By the time shopping, dining and watching came to an end, we had spent almost 45 minutes in France. Stitch was ready to be off again! So, off we went, back to the Norway pavilion for yet another ride on Maelstorm!
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Once we had completed our journey through Norway's troll country, we headed back out and for a completely unexpected reason, slowed down for the second time. As we walked out, Stitch started jumping up and down and pointing up. What was up there? A character? An unlimited usage fast pass? Superman? None of the above. What Stitch had spied was one of the trolls that they sell in the store 'hiding' on an outside window ledge. Having spied one troll, we had to look EVERYWHERE for more. He had so much fun doing this! I had never noticed the trolls perched out of reach (yet in plain sight) before. I guess it just goes to show that there is always something new to discover at WDW! Here is a snapshot of the first two trolls he spied.
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On our way back toward the front of the park, I was able to talk Stitch into stopping for yet another set of photopass pictures.
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After what felt like another twenty miles of walking and having added the final rides to our ride total tally, we were spent and done for the day. Instead of hanging around for the dinner we had planned (at the Garden Grill), we once again canceled and started to make our way toward the bus stop. Along the way we stopped for one final set of birthday pictures. These are some of my favorites from the entire week. :cloud9:
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After the pictures, a short bus ride back to the CSR we still had a short walk back to our room. You can almost see just how tired Stitch is in this picture.
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Once we made it back to our room, we collapsed on to our respective beds and feel asleep. It was over two hours later that we finally started to stir. Although the nap refreshed us, we (and by we, I mean mostly me) were still not up for lots of running around. So, we took a slow stroll down to El Centro. As we were walking, dh called and talked to his birthday boy. After a few minutes, Stitch handed the phone back to me and dh instructed me to take him to the gift shop and buy him one of whatever he wanted. So, we took a short detour and Stitch had fun picking out a special gift from dad. Here are the Mickey ears he ended up choosing.
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After his birthday shopping, we made our way over to the Pepper Market and I had a GREAT meal! I had the pizza station dinner special. It was G-R-E-A-T!
Grilled shrimp and goat cheese pizza. It was amazing! I finished up about half of the pizza and had the rest put in a box for breakfast the next morning. Speaking of breakfast, I also used the dessert part of my meal credit to pick up an over-sized cinnamon roll to save for the next morning as well.

As we made our way back to our room, we stopped and sat on a bench near one of the beautiful fountains in the casitas area. We sat there for almost an hour, holding hands and talking about how much fun we were having, what he wants to be when he grows up, how much we missed our guys back home, how much fun it was to be alone together and lots more. This time on the bench was my very favorite moment of the entire trip. I will never forget how sweet he looked or how his eyes sparkled in the light reflecting off of the water or how the moon looked almost like it was painted up in the sky. It was a picture perfect moment to make a forever memory from. :cloud9:

Upon our return, we cleaned up and after a Disney channel show or two fell asleep with the television and lights still on. ;) I guess riding so many rides in one day really does tire a person out! ;)

Next up? The Magic Kingdom!

TO BE CONTINUED...
 

WOO i'm the first to comment! i'm actually pretty excited about that, hahahahah.


LOVE THIS. oh man. :lovestruc

sounds like an amazing birthday! i had been planning to be in WDW on my birthday (May 10), but then i didn't graduate in January so it didn't end up happening...yes this week was rouughhhhh, hahaha, especially with the podcast cruise going on. :headache: i'm not bitter, i'm not bitter, i'm not bitter. :laughing:

speaking of May 10...a belated happy mother's day Jay!! :flower3:
 
How did you make your cool countdown things? I love how it flashes and has 'real' pictures!

My ticker was made at **************, you can upload your own pics and have them rotate if you want, and they also have generic ones. :thumbsup2

What a very magical 8th birthday! I love the ride frenzy and the very magical interaction with Donald Duck! I bet it was incredibly magical for you to slow down (or in this case RACE around) with your little guy. Being able to see what they want, eat where they want, and truly experience Disney through their eyes is such a treat! And to think, you get to do this a couple more times with your other boys!! :yay:

It will be fun for us readers to see how the boys are different and similar...
 
What a perfect day! Your photopass pictures are fantastic, so many good ones. :thumbsup2

You had me all teary eyed reading about your 'greatest mom in the world' conversation while heading to France, and how you were able to end your day just focusing on each other and how much fun you were having.

Great report, as always :worship:
 
Such an exciting day for you and Stitch!
Good job getting over France for make up, gotta have that! ;)
I really like the lighting in the photopass pictures, so warm and colorful.
I suspect that this birthday will always be remembered, it is wonderful to have one on one time.
And then a birthday call from dad to go buy something special to celebrate the day!:goodvibes
I can understand why the hour on the bench was your favorite moment... so nice. :cloud9:
 
Jay I have been telling my DH all about the future Mom and Me trips I plan on taking with my (future) kids! Thank you showing us all how great these trips can be!
 
Hiya Jay....I loved this latest update!! What a wonderful day...from all the rides, to the sneaky trick to buy your make-up...LOL...your yummy crepes and new delicious drink....to the troll spotting and lastly the amazing hour with your special boy. Definitely memories to cherish forever!!

(Oh and I must say I love the new photopass pictures. You two are so cute)!!!
 
Once again, I am stunned by your beauty, girl! No wonder you and your cutiepie husband have such gorgeous kids. (DON"T tell him I said that)
 
I thought it was for only 4 as well (2 from each grouping). In fact, I had read as much as I could about the offerings and had never seen any mention of eight...but when we got there the CM said eight, I was very happy! The fact that the printed information they handed us said eight too let me know it wasn't just a fluke! :woohoo: I have my fingers crossed that it is still 8 rides (if that is what Goofy picks) in September! :thumbsup2 It was a fantastic surprise on top of the treat of it all in the first place!
Thanks for the scans they're great, I did ask and apparentlyit can change at any time so don't promise your other DS's anything just incase :thumbsup2

Stitch: "You are the very best mom ever, I love you so much."
Awww bless what a wonderful son you have :goodvibes Also the photos of you two are adorable!
 
Love the pictures! On our first night in Disney we are going to have dinner at the Pepper Market. I've heard so many great things about that place from quality of the food to variety of selection! I think the next time we go to WDW we are definitely going to have to stay there. It looks just absolutely beautiful!
 
Absolutely love the Mickey ears he chose. Perfect for a birthday boy. What an end to a perfect day. Those pics were each and every one just wonderful to view. The expressions you both had revealed the time you were having. Good for you. Bring on more.

We are refusing to take computers with us when we leave next week so I will be out of pocket for awhile. I bet I have a lot of catching up to do.

Write more this week so I won't miss so much.
Ginny
 
What a wonderful birthday for Stitch. You are one special mom! That is such a special trip for you both to remember.

Your pictures are great. Can't wait for the next update!
 
What a special day the two of you had. It really has inspired me to think about doing something like this with my kids. They would love to have their mommy to themselves.
 
Someday I hope to do trips with each of my kids, you make it sound so special! Can't wait to hear what you did next!popcorn::
 
Aw!! What a great finish to the day!!

HEY!!! Where's that Crepe shop!?!? OMG i LOVE crepes! I could safely eat crepes all day when we get to Epcot!
 
WOO i'm the first to comment! i'm actually pretty excited about that, hahahahah.



LOVE THIS. oh man.

sounds like an amazing birthday! i had been planning to be in WDW on my birthday (May 10), but then i didn't graduate in January so it didn't end up happening...yes this week was rouughhhhh, hahaha, especially with the podcast cruise going on. i'm not bitter, i'm not bitter, i'm not bitter.

speaking of May 10...a belated happy mother's day Jay!!
May 10th must have been hard on you! I know the year I was pregnant with Buzz (aka out Little Prince), I missed out on THREE planned trips to Disney. Two of them were with friends and one holiday trip with the boys. Every time the days rolled around that I was 'supposed' to be at WDW, I really starting 'needing' my Mickey fix. ;) Being stuck anywhere else when you had planned on being at WDW is no fun at all...thankfully, more trips can be planned. :thumbsup2

And thanks for the Mother's Day wishes. I had a really quiet one. I was recovering from pnemonia and not up to doing very much. It was really nice in it's own way though, it forced us to just stay in and veg out and watch movies all weekend long. The boys made me cards and painted me pictures and dh brought me pancakes in bed...so I felt spoiled.:cloud9:

My ticker was made at **************, you can upload your own pics and have them rotate if you want, and they also have generic ones.

What a very magical 8th birthday! I love the ride frenzy and the very magical interaction with Donald Duck! I bet it was incredibly magical for you to slow down (or in this case RACE around) with your little guy. Being able to see what they want, eat where they want, and truly experience Disney through their eyes is such a treat! And to think, you get to do this a couple more times with your other boys!!

It will be fun for us readers to see how the boys are different and similar...
I am so excited for the other boys to get their trips! I am really looking forward to it! It will be really interesting for me as well, to see how the different boys see the ideal way to 'do Disney'. I am currently planning Goofy's trip and I am thinking his will be much more into dining experiences (he is my little foodie), shows (he likes them) and less focus on thrill rides and going full blast. Then again, I may be wrong. :rotfl: That is part of what is making these trips so much fun for me, I am getting to follow their lead and see Disney through their eyes. :lovestruc I love it!

Thanks for telling me about Mickeypath! I am going to check that out! :)

What a perfect day! Your photopass pictures are fantastic, so many good ones.

You had me all teary eyed reading about your 'greatest mom in the world' conversation while heading to France, and how you were able to end your day just focusing on each other and how much fun you were having.

Great report, as always
Ha ha ha. It was really sweet, the thing is, I think he knows he is really sweet. He is going to be a charmer, I hate to think of what he will get away. ;)

Sitting on that bench near the fountain at the CSR was my very favorite part of the trip. It was just so 'unscripted' and unplanned and not at all forced. And most importantly, nothing was distracting from simply enjoying being with my little guy. I loved every minute of our bench side chat and I am smiling even now thinking back on it. :cloud9:

Such an exciting day for you and Stitch!
Good job getting over France for make up, gotta have that! ;)
I really like the lighting in the photopass pictures, so warm and colorful.
I suspect that this birthday will always be remembered, it is wonderful to have one on one time.
And then a birthday call from dad to go buy something special to celebrate the day!
I can understand why the hour on the bench was your favorite moment... so nice.
I hope it will always be a memory that he cherishes. And hopefully, he will remember (when he is a parent) that the best moments in life come when you make time to enjoy your family. I know that I will always cherish our trip together. :cloud9:

Jay I have been telling my DH all about the future Mom and Me trips I plan on taking with my (future) kids! Thank you showing us all how great these trips can be!
Ha ha ha. I hope you enjoy your trips...with your future kids. ;)

I hope you will be writing a trip report about your upcoming trip. I am anxious to hear all about the fun you two have! :)

Hiya Jay....I loved this latest update!! What a wonderful day...from all the rides, to the sneaky trick to buy your make-up...LOL...your yummy crepes and new delicious drink....to the troll spotting and lastly the amazing hour with your special boy. Definitely memories to cherish forever!!

(Oh and I must say I love the new photopass pictures. You two are so cute)!!!
That troll spotting was FUN! And I really will cherish those memories. :wizard:

Thanks for the photopass picture compliment. I so rarely get to be in any pictures (I am always snapping them instead), it's a treat to have some pictures of Stitch and I together!

Once again, I am stunned by your beauty, girl! No wonder you and your cutiepie husband have such gorgeous kids. (DON"T tell him I said that)
HA HA HA, I know, don't want his head to get any bigger. ;) And thanks, Linda, you have a way with making me smile.

Thanks for the scans they're great, I did ask and apparentlyit can change at any time so don't promise your other DS's anything just incase :thumbsup2

Awww bless what a wonderful son you have :goodvibes Also the photos of you two are adorable!
Thanks for asking (and for your sweet words), Jo...I figured as much (on the 'can change at any time') thing. I won't tell them about it, but I will have my fingers (and maybe even my toes) crossed! ;)



Love the pictures! On our first night in Disney we are going to have dinner at the Pepper Market. I've heard so many great things about that place from quality of the food to variety of selection! I think the next time we go to WDW we are definitely going to have to stay there. It looks just absolutely beautiful!
We very much enjoyed the CSR and the Pepper Market. I hope you ejoy your time there as much as we did ours!

Absolutely love the Mickey ears he chose. Perfect for a birthday boy. What an end to a perfect day. Those pics were each and every one just wonderful to view. The expressions you both had revealed the time you were having. Good for you. Bring on more.

We are refusing to take computers with us when we leave next week so I will be out of pocket for awhile. I bet I have a lot of catching up to do.

Write more this week so I won't miss so much.
Ginny
I hope you are having a magical time! I also hope you might consider sharing some of your adventures in a trip report! :)

What a wonderful birthday for Stitch. You are one special mom! That is such a special trip for you both to remember.

Your pictures are great. Can't wait for the next update!
Thanks and it was a very special trip. Just last night Stitch and I had tea (having tea together is one of our 'things') and looked over his photobook together. It was lots of fun and we were very happy to have such great memories to pour back over!

What a special day the two of you had. It really has inspired me to think about doing something like this with my kids. They would love to have their mommy to themselves.
YES, do it! I know you would love it! How are those sweet kids of yours anyway? Do you have any trips currently being planned? I hope you guys are all healthy and having a great spring! :)

:surfweb:popcorn::

Youwhooooo...Jay...we need more....LOL!!!! Patiently (not) waiting for next update!!
I know, I know, I have been terrible about writing this report. I just cannot seem to find enough minutes in the day to get everything that I want (or have) to do done. Things should slow down a bit within the next few weeks. I have set a goal and hope to have this report completed and my next pre trip report started by the end of June. Here's for hoping! :drinking1

Someday I hope to do trips with each of my kids, you make it sound so special! Can't wait to hear what you did next!popcorn::
Thank you...and I am working on getting the next update done right now. I finally have the photos picked out and put in order, my outline of the days events are done and now I am just working on pulling it all together. ;)

Aw!! What a great finish to the day!!

HEY!!! Where's that Crepe shop!?!? OMG i LOVE crepes! I could safely eat crepes all day when we get to Epcot!
The crepe cart is right in front of the France area. It's a cart, not a shop and it's located right next to the alcoholic smoothie (the Grey Goose Lemon Slush and the Grand Mariner Orange Slush) cart. The crepe cart also sells bottled soda/water, ice cream and fruit (I think). Once you are near France, you cannot miss it! YUM!!! I do so love crepes (with powdered sugar)...DIVINE!:cloud9:

COMING UP VERY SOON: OUR 1st MK DAY!
 












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