Turning into a Gustav Report! - We're home!

[DisneyTiger]

Hello all. I have to say, I am feeling much better but my insomnia has seemed to set back in. I know it's because I've been sleeping like 15 hours a day since I got sick! I'm taking advantage of this awake /quiet time to do a little update.

So, when I last left you, we were settling in for a good nights rest. I had set the wake up call AND alarm clock for 6:30am! I am not a morning riser in any shape or form, but I was determined to get to MK for rope drop. You see, above all of the silly daydreams and fantasies that I had had about this trip, seeing my kids faces during the opening ceremony at MK was absolutely, positively, 100% number one on my list. For those of you who have not seen it, check this out. For those of you who have, just enjoy...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wGWy8d7nac8

I guess I could post some of my own videos couldn't I? I will have to look into that. Anyway, as I was saying. This was really THE moment that I had been waiting for. It brought tears to my eyes just thinking about it and it was sure to bring tears to my eyes when it actually happened. Well, tears were brought to my eyes but not for the reasons I had hoped

The alarm went off almost simultaniously with the wake up call. I let DH get the phone. He always gets a kick out of hearing the suprise voice on the other end of the phone! I was up and at em'. Went in the kitchen to brew some coffee (Community of course Couteau_Chick - and BTW, I did find those little travel packs you told me about. Thanks ) and hopped into the shower. I was dressed and on the balcony enjoying my coffee before Jason even woke up. This is a rarity to say the least. He joined me and we actually were able to watch the sun come up. It was breathtaking. 7am struck and like "magic" the music started playing around the quiet pool and once again, I had to pinch myself to make sure I wasn't dreaming. DH was then off to the shower and the kids were starting to stir. I go in and say "Come on, time to start another day!" to quote Cinderella from the beginning of the movie. I like to say that to my DD when she's having a rough time getting going in the mornings. Boy, they sure didn't need my help! They were rested and ready to go. The day was Saturday. Busy day at MK in Lake Buena Vista - Game Day back in Baton Rouge. I couldn't wait to get us all dressed in our awesome Tiger / Tigger shirts that an amazing DISigner Tylen made for me!!! I have to say, we looked pretty cute. Time was ticking by and I was getting nervous. I wanted to be out of the room by 8:00 so we could get to the park by 8:30. I wasn't stressing out too much since I had gotten that great tip from the ME driver! It was time to go. I think it was a little after 8:00 before we actually left our room and headed to the back gates of Epcot. As we get closer to the gates, a horrible realization comes to mind. The ME driver did point out that this was a quicker way to get to MK, but he probably didn't mean for people trying to get there before park hours!!! Nooooooooooooooooo! I knew it before we even asked the security people at the turnstiles. They said they could not let us in, even if it was just to cut through to the monorail. I really believe that they felt badly for us. I like to believe that there was truly nothing they could do, even when I turned away from them with tears streaming down my face. I knew we were going to miss it. I just knew it.

I can't tell you how devastated I was but I tried to keep a positive attitude and remember that this is not the worst thing in the world that could happen. We were here, on our dream vacation, and that was enough. Right, well, then why am I welling up right now just typing this???

Ahhhh, the story must go on. So we run, well, as much as two pack mules pushing a stroller carrying 70lbs of toddlers could run, towards the buses. I really have no idea what time it was at this point. All I know is we lost precious minutes. We got to the bus stop and had to wait for probably 10 minutes. Now that I think about it, this was probably the longest wait that we had at our resort. Murphy's law. The bus came and I think it was around 8:50 or so. I was so upset on the bus and Jason knew it. I had talked about this particular moment for months upon months. We had planned who was going to hold what camera so that we could get the show but also the kids reactions. It was sad really, the thought I put into this. So, after about an hour and a half bus ride (or so it seemed) we pulled up to MK. Guess what was pulling up right along side us? The train. Yep, we saw it from a distance but the kids didn't. Really, I got over it pretty quickly once I saw the entrance to the park. I knew that so many other memories were waiting to be made just beyond those gates and I was ready to do it!

Alright, so sorry if that bummed any of you out. I really just want y'all to know what I was going through every minute of this trip , good and bad. Hope that's ok. So, now onto the happy things....

Oh, I did manage to snap a pic of the kids waiting for the bus at the resort. Well, we did have 10 whole minutes to kill!

Made it to the park. Here is DH waiting to get through the turnstiles. I love this pic because it represents the moment before my kids were introduced to teh happiest place on earth!

While walking up to the gates, I snapped a few pics of the Halloween decorations. I had never been at this time of year so it was neat to see all of this for the first time.

I know there's more. I will have to find them.

We finally make it through the gates and were onto the number 2 thing on my most important list. I took Aubrey out of the stroller and sent Jason ahead with Brendan. He was standing up on the curb at the hub outside the train station. As I walked towards him, he had the camera aimed and focused, ready for the shot. Here it is. The number 2 moment I had been waiting for forever. Aubrey's first reaction...

To this...

I could feel her little body tense up as if it were being cover with goose bumps. She was thrilled. "Cinderella!" She screamed. "Yes baby" I whispered in her ear, "we're here."

That was, by far, one of the best moments I have shared with her yet. I will Never forget it. And with that dramatic ending, I will tell you good night.

 

[coteau_chick]

You should have warned me to get a kleenex before I read this post. I sure need one. It is 12:44 and I am still up. Faron is out of town and I hate when he is not here. He will be back Wed. I am sorry about you missing the opening ceremony. I have never seen it. Maybe next time. I can't wait to hear more.


Bath bombs are sold at a store in Downtown Disney. I think the name is Basin. I really wanted to get some but Faron was shopped out. We passed in front of the store and it smelled wonderful. I am definitely getting some next time.


I think I have bitten off more than I can chew. I started painting our utility room. I had a bright idea to do it to surprise Faron when he comes home. I did the trim around the doors and the moldings today. I am going to do the walls tomorrow. I wonder how that is going to work with Grace running around. My mom came over today and watched her. I think I am going to call my mother in law to come over tomorrow and watch her while I paint.

Goodnight. Thanks for the tear-jerking update. I was a beautiful moment when she saw the castle. Thanks for sharing it.

 

[Where'sPiglet?]

I am quite perceptive! You are going to love the food down here. Just remember, it may sound weird but at least try it. And it's going to be spicy. Make sure to have a glass of water at all times. I will be very proud of you if eat some hogs head cheese or fried gator

The campfire was really cute. And to think that they do it every night. It just blows me away. I must point out though that the marshmallows were not free. $3 a bag! There was a smores kit also for $7. Oh well, whatya gonna do

At those prices you could have pretended you were in NYC!

Maybe the spicy food will clear out my sinuses? They're a mess.
Hog's what? Gator!

Okay gotta read the update...

 

[Where'sPiglet?]

Uh yeah...I agree with coteau_chick...you need some sort of Kleenex Alert Warning System! It was the "yes baby, we're here" line that did me in!

I hate being late. Just HATE it, so I can totally relate to what you were going through. I love that morning show, as corny as it can be. Good morning, Good MORning! Then, the mad dash up Main Street sends me into fits of giggles every time. At least you sound like you were able to move past the disappointment, and I hope you got to see it another day!

Ah...Basin! I heard about their bath bombs from a friend I know from a Disney forum. I went from "hearing about them" to completing the "Basin Tour" in less than a year's time! From what I've been told, there are only 3 Basin stores. One is in the Mall of America (they are based in Minneapolis) and one each at DTD in Disneyland and WDW. I went to the MOA one in April 07, the WDW one in August 07, and the DLR one in April 08. Pretty good, huh? The bath bombs are just fizzy things that you put in the water...they dissolve and scent the water and make it extra nice. Some of the "flavors" leave a ring in the tub but it's easily washed out.

I was up late last night too...but not as late as you two! I think it was 12:30 when I went to bed. *yawn*

 

[Fall1]

That picture with you and Aubrey is priceless - so sweet!! You are making me tear up, glad you made it to MK, can't wait to read the rest!!

 

[jake&samsmom]

That was sweet.

I think girls have a more emotional connection to the castle. The first time my boys saw Cinderella's Castle, the reaction was not quite what I had hoped for. They were like, "Mom, can we go do the rides now?" Boys!!

 

[WannabeAriel]

WOW! I am loving this trip report! I love your LSU gear too! (Geaux Tigers)

Thanks for the link to the opening ceremony! I will HAVE to make it one day! Do they usually do it 30 minutes before? Or is the time posted somewhere? I've always been way too late! I've made it to Animal Kingdom at rope drop but this seems so much more "Disney"!!!

We are taking some first-timers over Thanksgiving... and I'd LOVE to be able to catch the opening at least one of the days!

 

[DisneyTiger]

You should have warned me to get a kleenex before I read this post. I sure need one. It is 12:44 and I am still up. Faron is out of town and I hate when he is not here. He will be back Wed. I am sorry about you missing the opening ceremony. I have never seen it. Maybe next time. I can't wait to hear more.


Bath bombs are sold at a store in Downtown Disney. I think the name is Basin. I really wanted to get some but Faron was shopped out. We passed in front of the store and it smelled wonderful. I am definitely getting some next time.


I think I have bitten off more than I can chew. I started painting our utility room. I had a bright idea to do it to surprise Faron when he comes home. I did the trim around the doors and the moldings today. I am going to do the walls tomorrow. I wonder how that is going to work with Grace running around. My mom came over today and watched her. I think I am going to call my mother in law to come over tomorrow and watch her while I paint.

Goodnight. Thanks for the tear-jerking update. I was a beautiful moment when she saw the castle. Thanks for sharing it.

I know, this was an emotional moment for me too. I will never ever forget it! Aubrey has seen all of our pictures around the house from our previous trips. We have a few in front of the castle and that's all she ever knew of it. I think she was in shock to see it in real life! Missing the opening ceremony was very upsetting to me, but I quickly got over it. I mean, how could I not!

I absolutely despise painting. In fact, I have 4 gallons of paint sitting in my kitchen and have been there for weeks now. I need to repaint Brendan's room. It's still in pastel baby colors and he needs a big boy room! It's just impossible to paint with the kids running around. I think I am going to have to send them to my sister's for the weekend so I can get it done. Good luck with that. You are a good wife suprising your husband with that! By the way, I love his name. Very unique!

Uh yeah...I agree with coteau_chick...you need some sort of Kleenex Alert Warning System! It was the "yes baby, we're here" line that did me in!

I hate being late. Just HATE it, so I can totally relate to what you were going through. I love that morning show, as corny as it can be. Good morning, Good MORning! Then, the mad dash up Main Street sends me into fits of giggles every time. At least you sound like you were able to move past the disappointment, and I hope you got to see it another day!

Ah...Basin! I heard about their bath bombs from a friend I know from a Disney forum. I went from "hearing about them" to completing the "Basin Tour" in less than a year's time! From what I've been told, there are only 3 Basin stores. One is in the Mall of America (they are based in Minneapolis) and one each at DTD in Disneyland and WDW. I went to the MOA one in April 07, the WDW one in August 07, and the DLR one in April 08. Pretty good, huh? The bath bombs are just fizzy things that you put in the water...they dissolve and scent the water and make it extra nice. Some of the "flavors" leave a ring in the tub but it's easily washed out.

I was up late last night too...but not as late as you two! I think it was 12:30 when I went to bed. *yawn*

Sorry about the need for a tissue. It was such a special moment for us. I don't know what it is about that opening ceremony. It just kinda starts the whole trip off for me. Every time I hear that music, it really makes me feel like I'm there. I can almost smell the bakery on Main Street!

So, these bath bombs seem to be pretty awesome. Only problem is, we don't have a bathtub, just a shower. Well, the kids bathroom has a tub but it's overflowing with toys and I don't think it would be very relaxing soaking in the tub next to DD's little mermaid barbie!!!!! We do have plans to remodel our bathroom and bath bombs will be first on my list of things to treat myself with after the construction! You are a regular Bath Bomb guru, traveling to all of their stores. How funny! I am so tired today. I think I may nap while the kids are asleep. You get some rest too!

That picture with you and Aubrey is priceless - so sweet!! You are making me tear up, glad you made it to MK, can't wait to read the rest!!

Thank you. This really is my favorite pic of the trip. While it's not the best of me, it still says so much. I will never ever forget that moment. In fact, I plan on framing that pic and putting it on my bedside table

That was sweet.

I think girls have a more emotional connection to the castle. The first time my boys saw Cinderella's Castle, the reaction was not quite what I had hoped for. They were like, "Mom, can we go do the rides now?" Boys!!

Oh yeah. I can totally see Brendan running right past the castle when he's a little older. He's a wild one, that boy. But I guess boys will be boys

WOW! I am loving this trip report! I love your LSU gear too! (Geaux Tigers)

Thanks for the link to the opening ceremony! I will HAVE to make it one day! Do they usually do it 30 minutes before? Or is the time posted somewhere? I've always been way too late! I've made it to Animal Kingdom at rope drop but this seems so much more "Disney"!!!

We are taking some first-timers over Thanksgiving... and I'd LOVE to be able to catch the opening at least one of the days!

Thank you thank you thank you! I am loving doing it and sharing all of our magical moments with my DIS friends! The opening ceremony happens right before the park opens. They say to get there around 8:30 so you can get a good spot, but you really can see it from anywhere since it's so high up at the train station. I don't know what it is. I believe that this is the best way to start out any Disney trip. That's why I wanted it to be the first things that my kids saw but it didn't quite work out that way It ended up turning out to be a wonderful day anyway. No worries

I have done the Animal Kingdom ceremony too. We did it this trip in fact. I just think MK's is the best. I definitely think you should make it be the first thing your first-timers see. They will get a kick out of it. I don't care who you are, all of that magic has got to get to you, one way or another!

 

[kathleen27]

The picture of you and Aubrey viewing the castle is so sweet.

Sorry you missed the morning show. I love to see it, but the last two trips we haven't been able to fit it in our schedule. I hope you saw it another day. If not, anything missed is a reason to return.

Looked like a good first night at DTD and the campfire.

Your room looks amazing! And so does the balcony. I'd spend a lot of time on the balcony if I stayed there.

 

[coteau_chick]

It is almost eleven o clock and I am still painting. I had a few interuptions. My new neighbor and her friend decided to walk over and visit just as I had put Grace down for a nap. I was getting on a roll painting and I had to stop. I answered the door with my paint in my hand and talked to her on the porch for a while. Her little two year old walked past me and into the house. So they all came in. I looked like a sight. I was full of paint. They stayed a long time. I like her but I was glad when she left. I finally said I really need to finish painting before the baby wakes up, and they left. Guess what? Grace woke up just after they left. She was in my feet all day. I didn't have a baby sitter. I did the trim around the ceiling and where it was too high for her to reach, while she was awake. I did the floor and low trim while she was sleeping. I did it that way so she wouldn't touch wet paint. It worked out pretty good. I waited to do the rolling when Brennan got home so he could watch her for me. I am almost finished but I want to quit. Before I started this project I had planned to do the kitchen next. I think I will wait on that one. I might do the kids bathroom next month. When we built our house we made a stupid mistake of using flat paint. It gets so dirty and is soooooooooooo hard to clean. It has been seven years since we built our house and I am just sick of the paint. I have painted the kids bedrooms over. Now it is time for the other rooms. Good luck with your painting this weekend. I like your idea of getting the kids out of the house before you paint. What color are you painting Brendan's room? I painted my utility room a tan color. It is called kitcher twine brown. I better go finish painting. I can't wait for another update.

 

[DisneyTiger]

The picture of you and Aubrey viewing the castle is so sweet.

Sorry you missed the morning show. I love to see it, but the last two trips we haven't been able to fit it in our schedule. I hope you saw it another day. If not, anything missed is a reason to return.

Looked like a good first night at DTD and the campfire.

Your room looks amazing! And so does the balcony. I'd spend a lot of time on the balcony if I stayed there.

Trust me, there were many "we'll just see it next time" moments on this trip! The campfire was a blast. It was the perfect ending to the perfect day. I miss our room. I want to be on the balcony right now!

Can't wait to hop over and check on your report!

 

[DisneyTiger]

It is almost eleven o clock and I am still painting. I had a few interuptions. My new neighbor and her friend decided to walk over and visit just as I had put Grace down for a nap. I was getting on a roll painting and I had to stop. I answered the door with my paint in my hand and talked to her on the porch for a while. Her little two year old walked past me and into the house. So they all came in. I looked like a sight. I was full of paint. They stayed a long time. I like her but I was glad when she left. I finally said I really need to finish painting before the baby wakes up, and they left. Guess what? Grace woke up just after they left. She was in my feet all day. I didn't have a baby sitter. I did the trim around the ceiling and where it was too high for her to reach, while she was awake. I did the floor and low trim while she was sleeping. I did it that way so she wouldn't touch wet paint. It worked out pretty good. I waited to do the rolling when Brennan got home so he could watch her for me. I am almost finished but I want to quit. Before I started this project I had planned to do the kitchen next. I think I will wait on that one. I might do the kids bathroom next month. When we built our house we made a stupid mistake of using flat paint. It gets so dirty and is soooooooooooo hard to clean. It has been seven years since we built our house and I am just sick of the paint. I have painted the kids bedrooms over. Now it is time for the other rooms. Good luck with your painting this weekend. I like your idea of getting the kids out of the house before you paint. What color are you painting Brendan's room? I painted my utility room a tan color. It is called kitcher twine brown. I better go finish painting. I can't wait for another update.

I sure hope the painting is done by now! I hate interruptions when I am trying to get things done. ESPECIALLY during nap time. Those few hours are SACRED! That and the 5:00 - 6:00 dinner/bath time hour. Whenever my phone rings during this time, I want to scream! I mean, doesn't everyone know how crazy a house with kids is at that time Maybe not. We had all flat paint in our first house. I loved it but did notice that it's so hard to clean. That was before kids. I am so glad we don't have it anymore. I always go with satin I am doing a safari theme in Brendan's room, but not crazy monkey and zebra prints. It's very classic, something he can grow into. The walls will be a moss green with a brown stripe around the room, kind of like a chair rail. I also already got moss green roman shades and cute linen type curtains. I have everything, even the bedding. I just need to get it painted! Uh, someday soon.

 

[DisneyTiger]

Well, I must first apologize for the tear jerking post. I really did not intend for that to happen. I just started typing and it came out. It was an emotional morning for me, and as I went through my notes when I was posting, I started to get very emotional myself. I loved this day. It was our first officially day in the parks. It started out a little rocky but we quickly got back into the groove of things.

So, where did I leave off? Oh yes, the "ah ha" moment with the castle. After Aubrey took in the view for a few minutes, I got her back in the stroller and we headed down Main Street to Fantasyland. BTW, Brendan was in the stroller this whole time taking it all in as well. I know I may seem to kind of, well, forget he's there when I'm typing, but I really didn't. Promise. He's just such a laid back little boy and really just loves to people watch. He was thrilled looking at all of the passers by. Jason and I had talked about this trip down Main Street many times. I was so concerned about lines in Fantasyland so I wanted to get there asap. I knew that I would be extremely tempted to stop and take 1000 pictures of the castle and the Friends statue and everything else, but we had made a pact. Head to Fantasyland and do not be tempted. We will take care of all of that on the way out. We must get to Pooh!!!!!!!! And we did, I was proud. We parked the stroller and walked right onto Pooh. This was our first stroller parking which we were both tickled with. I should have taken a picture to document this momentous moment but oh well. I was on a mission. Now, remember this was the first kind of ride that the kids had ever seen, anywhere. They had no clue what to expect and from their reactions, they loved it. We got on the ride with no problems at all. Aubrey and I got in the front and Brendan and Jason got in the back. Here are a few pics from the ride...

Aubrey was much too busy taking it all in to look at the camera. Understandable.

Brendan too. He kind of had this "huh??" look on his face as if he were saying, "what the heck is this all about? I don't know, but it sure is cool!"

The ride was over in a flash and the kids were mesmarized the entire time. In fact, when it was time to get off, the inevitable tantrum began. Aubrey wanted to go again. I tried my hardest to explain to her that was not possible but to no avail. I finally pried her out of the cart, kicking and screaming, and was able to whisper in her ear between screams that we were going to see Peter Pan. My child is OBSESSED with Peter Pan. We have a ton of Disney movies (I have been brainwashing her for the last 10 months so she would know all of the characters) and pretty much every day, we have to watch at least some of Peter Pan. It's actually become one of my favs to. Guess that's bound to happen when you see it so much! Anyway, this did the trick. She was ready to go see Peter and Wendy and the mermaids, and oh yes, Tiger Lilly. We musn't forget Tiger Lilly. We all piled into teh flying ships and took off. I had been worried about going on this ride since it's pretty high in the air. I had visions of Brendan wiggling out of our arms and plumeting down into the Mermaid lagoon! But it was nothing. They loved it. Aubrey loved it. So much that I didn't even get to take any pictures . I was too busy reacting to all of the things Aubrey was pointing out to me. We had such a good time on this ride. We could have done it 10 more times in a row but we had to move on. So it was now off to It's A Small World. I had been teaching Aubrey the song for a while and she was familiar with it. She just didn't know anything about the ride. This ride gets a bad wrap I know and it does kind of make you want to pull your hair out. But when you're doing it with your kids for the first time, it becomes a totally different experience. I actually teared up. Since this ride is a little longer and a little more slow paced, I was able to sit back and watch their faces. Brendan aka wiggle worm, was entranced. Aubrey was smiling from ear to ear. Everytime the refrain played, I could hear her softly singing the words. I took a lot of video of this but no pics. Sorry. I wish I could figure how to upload my videos because y'all would get such a kick out of it. So IASM was done and it was time to check out Cinderella's Golden Carrousel. Now, we had had a run in with our carousel at the mall here a few weeks ago. She did not like it at all. I put her up on a horse and stood by her side but she had a death grip around my neck so that didn't work out so well. We were going to try it here and headed towards the carrousel. I then noticed that people were lining up at Ariel's Grotto. I wasn't sure when it opened so I walked over to ask the CM while Jason stayed in line with the kids at the carrousel. The CM told me that Ariel was out and waiting for visitors. I flagged down Jason and told him to get out of line and head over to the grotto. Missing the carrousel wasn't the worst thing in the world, and our first character meet was much more important. And Ariel is one of Aubrey's favorites. You should hear her sing the "Ariel Song". You know the part...ah ah ah, ah ah ah. I know it's impossible to type a song but you know what I'm talking about. And when she sings "Part of your WORLD!!!" she says world so loud and makes such a cute little face. Even Brendan gets in on that one. So needless to say, we were excited about meeting her. What we were not excited about was how the kids were going to react to their first line. The lines for the rides are pretty much always moving, but not with the character meets. Aubrey and Brendan did not get this. I think we must have gone through 4 suckers each with them in that line. Here's Aubrey having probably number 3...

And Brendan sharing his 2nd with dad...

And the scary part was, it really wasn't that long. I cannot imagine doing that line on a busy day. No thank you. So we slowly eeked our way towards Ariel, Aubrey fussing the whole way. We finally make it there and I could hardly wait to see Aubrey's reaction. She had really not seen any characters yet at all and had no clue what it was all about. She saw Ariel and her face turned bright red She immediately became the precious little shy wall flower that I know and love. NOT!!! She is so not a wall flower but when it came to ole Ariel, she would barely look her in the eye. And Ariel was so good and patient with her. Asking her to touch her fin because it was so soft. She was telling her that Eric was at the beach that morning playing with Max, and in her perfect little Ariel voice. It's all so convincing that she even had me going! I bet she would have even sung ah ah ah for us if we would have asked, but I didn't want to push it. Instead, we got some precious shots of a very shy Aubrey sitting next to her favorite mermaid...

I have a few more from my photopass CD that I need to upload. I will come back and add them. Again, Brendan was thoroughly entertained, just not by Ariel. He very much wanted to play with the photopass photographer's camera. He's so into gadgets and things like that so he was happy. We got our first autograph on our photo mat and it looked so cute. I could hardly wait to fill it up, which we definitely did!

Next up, a bathroom break and then heading over to Toontown. We walked up to Minnie's house and Jason suddenly got a look of panic on his face and said "I need to go to the bathroom!" Since we had all just gone, this concerned me. Surely he's not coming down with Brendan's stomach flu??? I was scared. But then I realized exactly what happened. I know my husband too well. He left the camcorder in the bathroom. Aubrey and I walked through Minnie's house for a bit but there was a large group in front of us that was moving very slowly. Aubrey did not understand what was going on. She knew we were in Minnie's house but she wanted to see Minnie. She just didn't undestand why she wasn't there. I dont know if any of you have experience trying to explain these kinds of things to a 3 year old, but it's pretty much impossible. For those of you who do have experience, I welcome any advice! Anyway, we ended up turning around and headed back out. Aubrey spotted the Barnstormer and was now demanding to ride the "coaster roller". The wait was 5 minutes so we walked over to check and see if she was tall enough. She made it with inches to spare so we got in line. I was very curious to see how this would pan out. Jason called me while we were in line to let me know that someone had turned in the camera to the CM stading right outside the bathroom. Thank God for good people. DH has had such good luck with these kinds of things. He has lost his wallet on multiple occasions and has always had it returned, WITH all of its contents! It was once even returned to him by a nice homeless man outside of a restaurant we were eating in, again with all of the contents. We then gave the man the contents of the wallet and told him to go inside and get something to eat. Point is, DH is very lucky, especially since this camcorder was barely out of the box! I told him Aubrey and I were in line for the Barnstormer so he decided to take Brendan over to the little play area. Aubrey and I made our way through the line. I am still having to explain to her every step of the way why we can't cut in front of the people in front of us. This is something that she STILL does not understand. Finally we are in the train and it takes off. At first, she's having a blast and I was able to snap a pic...

This, however, was before the train went down the hilll that we had just climbed. This is a fast little rollercoaster! She was holding onto me for dear life. Thankfully, the ride lasts maybe 60 seconds so it was over before she could freak out, and it was coming, trust me. We met dad near the judge's tent and went in with the intention of meeting Mickey. Well, it was pushing 11:30 now and the kids were getting hungry and tired, and as we all no, this is not a good combination. We decided to browse through the gift shop. Jason had promised a co-worker that he would get her something Eeyore so he decided on an antenna ball. I got in line with Aubrey to check out and she spotted the dreaded sucker cart. I knew this was inevitable and what the hay, we're in Disney right. Well, I picked one out for her. One of the smaller twisty ones. This would just not do for her. She wanted the ginormous one the size of her head. Here's a pic of her pitching a fit. Notice the "Small" sucker thrown on the ground by her feet in a fit of rage!

We were officially done. It was lunch time. I checked out and we headed towards the stroller parked by the Barnstormer. While Jason strapped the kids in, I decided to treat myself with a frozen lemonade. They looked so good and were on the dining plan as a snack so why not! When I checked out, the CM handed me my receipt and told me that I had 24 snack credits left. It didn't register at first, but as I walked away, I realized that there was no way that could be possible. We were there for 8 nights on the basic dining plan which meant that we had 16 snack credits total, and I had just used one Oh well, something to look into later.

Speaking of later, I must sleep. I could not sleep last night and can barely keep my eyes opened right now. I will finish up this day tomorrow, God willing! Sleep well everyone and if you're reading this tomorrow, have a great day!

PS - Before I go, I must first mention the elephant in the room. Or, eh, the elephant in my signature. Yes, I have added a countdown to our next trip which isn't even booked yet but what the hay. I just needed to have a ticker down there!

 

[Where'sPiglet?]

Yay! An update!

I hope you were able to get some restful sleep tonight and you feel better!

And please, don't get upset about those happy tears. They were nothing, and we all know there are far worse things to be crying about!

Your first morning in the MK sounds like it was great. I really love all the photos you add to your report, too. That one of Aubrey with the lollipop thrown on the floor is hilarious! They are all cute though.

And I'm glad someone turned in the camera. That's amazing!

Off to work .....

 

[Laneychris]

Great report

 

[jake&samsmom]

I have an Ariel photo just like Aubrey's It was taken before the kids were born, when DH and I went to see the West coast Mouse in 1998. It was my first time meeting my favorite Princess, and just like Aubrey, I went all shy when it got to be my turn! LOL! So I totally understand!

Lovin' the updates, and love the new ticker/countdown!

 

[DisneyTiger]

Yay! An update!

I hope you were able to get some restful sleep tonight and you feel better!

And please, don't get upset about those happy tears. They were nothing, and we all know there are far worse things to be crying about!

Your first morning in the MK sounds like it was great. I really love all the photos you add to your report, too. That one of Aubrey with the lollipop thrown on the floor is hilarious! They are all cute though.

And I'm glad someone turned in the camera. That's amazing!

Off to work .....

I did sleep really good last night. I have been working out pretty regularly and that seems to be helping. I also lost 3lbs this week!!! I am quite thrilled about that even though I'm sure some of it is due to the fact that I puked my guts up all Saturday night Sorry, TMI.

The lollipop incident was the first of many, though, I think that's the only one that I documented!

There are not many places other than Disney that someone would turn in a brand new camcorder. Maybe not. Maybe I don't give this world enough credit!

Have a good day at work!

Great report

Glad you're enjoying it. Thanks for posting!!!

 

[DisneyTiger]

After I got my refreshing frozen lemonade, we headed over to tomorrowland to grab some lunch. Cosmic Ray's is always safe for us and I knew they would have good coices for the kids. Our plan was to both get something that the kids could share. I was craving a burger and fried (my all time favorite meal, besides fliet mignon!) and Jason wanted some kind of sandwich. We split up and got in our seperate lines. Before we seperated, we put our stuff down on a table to hold our spot. Again, I would only do this in Disney. It's not like I left my camera and purse on the table, but we did leave our bag. I know I'm probably naive, but oh well. We met back at the table. I had my burger and Jason got a, eh, turkey wrap??? This thing was probably the most difficult thing to eat and the kids would have no part of it. Aubrey ended up eating half of my burger and Brendan ate some of the other half. Mommy was left with a bite. Oh well, I didn't need it anyway. It was ok. Here's some pics of lunch...

Sunny Eclipse was rocking out on the piano. He was quite entertaining. The kids got a kick out of this and ended up dancing in front of the stage with some other kids.

After lunch, we headed towards the gates and caught the end of Dream Along With Mickey in front of the castle. But before we got there, I had to stop and take a picture. I mean, you can never have too many of these right???

Aubrey loved the stage show. Brendan was too exhausted to care. I had him on my shoulders for some of it but he just wanted to be in his stroller. Here are a few pics...

I like this shot of Aubrey's head. I think it's a cool perspective...

One more...

The show was over and the kids were wiped out. We started down main street and was stopped by a sweet CM. She looked at Aubrey and said "Happy Birthday Princess" and then handed her a Tinker Bell trading pin. Aubrey thought this was way cool and so did we. It was very sweet. She held onto it until we put her in bed for her nap!

As we walked down Main Street, I snapped some pics. One of the crowds and one of the balloons. I love those big bunches of balloons. And shockingly, Aubrey never asked for one the whole trip. Yay!

The bus ride home went well because the kids were half asleep. Actually, Brendan was completely zonked out and Aubrey was right behind him...

We got them home and settled in bed. It was a great morning and the day was only half over! More to come.....

 

[Where'sPiglet?]

Have a good day at work!

Thanks....I tried to...I really did! It actually wasn't bad, but it was long (meeting at lunch AND no prep today ) and rather chaotic. The meeting at lunch was this lady from the union coming and saying we are going to put the administration in check (they are violating our contract left and right but they strike worse when you call them on it....this could get REALLY ugly!) Some kid left milk in his backpack and it exploded all over the place, WHILE we were baking cookies (from scratch) in a toaster oven and then this girl bumped her arm on the oven and burned it. And this was all happening at once. At least tomorrow is Friday! (AND I'm going to New Orleans!)

...but enough about me....back on topic!...

I LOVE that shot of the side of the castle...and the sky is SO blue! For some reason, as many times as I've eaten at Cosmic Rays, I've never sat near Sonny Eclipse! And I haven't seen a bus that empty in a LONG time! And you're wearing those cute Tigger/Tiger shirts.

And congrats on the 3 pounds! That's an accomplishment! After this trip I need to work out...TWO people asked me if I was pregnant yesterday (I'm NOT)...um, rude much?

 

[coteau_chick]

It sounds like you had a really nice morning. I keep smiling when I think of Aubrey singing It's a Small World. Sha Baby! That must have been so cute. Ariel is Courtney's favorite princess too. I guess she can relate to her because she is a teenager too. Just think of all the calories our children save us from eating when they eat our food. I love the bunches of balloons too.