Paparazzimama
DIS Veteran
- Joined
- Oct 10, 2007
- Messages
- 794
Hi everybody!!! Thanks for stopping by my trip report! I hope that you will stay with me on "re-visit" of our vacation! 
We had a FABULOUS time and I can't wait to tell you all about it! So, come on! 
To start, I'll give a little introduction to our "cast": (This is copied from my PTR to which there is a link in my signature - feel free to check it out to get to know us better)
Me: Melonie (29) loves ALL things Disney! Always has a trip in the works (whether DH is aware or not) and never stops thinking of plans for the next trip. Could not function without Excel spreadsheets and does not like anything that I cannot plan and obsess over in advance and be in complete control over! Was a spoiled only child (okay, okay, so still am . .. ) and always got my way much to DHs dismay since (as I like to put it) I was that way when he met me, so he knew what he was getting into and has accepted the responsibility to keep me in the lifestyle I am accustomed to!
LOL! Okay, so no flames I am definitely a spoiled brat, but have coated it with a sweet and loving personality. 
Thankfully, DH does love me the way I am, and I want to say here that I love him with every fiber of my being! He is the greatest man I have ever known and its so exciting to think that after the blessing of 10 years of marriage, we still have so much to look forward to in life. Being married to him is what I cherish most in life (GASP! Yes, more than Disney World) and we enjoy the time that we spend together. In other news (read those words in the voice of Tom Brokaw), I work full-time outside of the home as a bookkeeper, but my favorite job is being a mother! I hope to one day have the opportunity to only work during the hours that my children are in school so I can have more time to enjoy them in the innocence of their childhood. (Its in my 5-year plan! And, yes, that plan is in the form of an Excel spreadsheet!) 
Okay, so enough about me I will talk about myself enough in the rest of this report! 
DH: Brandon (28) As stated above, he has his hands full putting up with me, but he does a fabulous job of it and spoils me and our 2 children to a point that is probably not healthy.
He is a youth pastor and is an amazing man of God! He reaches teenagers in a way unlike Ive ever seen before and they feel totally comfortable coming to him with their problems. He substitute teaches at the junior high and high school in our community and takes advantage of that opportunity to connect with his students and be completely involved in their lives. I guess you could say we have 2 biological children and 40-50 foster children that can be expected to pop by at any moment. (Our house is NEVER quiet!) As far as Disney goes, he really enjoys it, but is not as into it as I am. Actually, I think the only reason he goes along with me insisting that we go there every year is because he knows how much joy it brings me and the kids. Okay, so I guess its mostly me that gets so much joy out of it, but the kids like it too dangit!!! (Rant over) 
He hates my OCD planning of every detail and usually rolls his eyes at the sight of the Disney Binder (where I put the printed spreadsheets) but he amuses me for the most part and even pretends to look at it sometimes. Gotta love him! I think the thing he is looking forward to the most this trip is the fact that we are on the Deluxe Dining Plan and get to try some awesome restaurants that are paid for before we even get there. I hope to get him to comment during the trip report, because he has an amazing sense of sarcastic humor and is a natural riot!
DD: Brooke (7 ½ ) I think this child may have the potential to follow in her mothers spreadsheeting footsteps.
I constantly see her making lists people she wants to invite to her next birthday party, things she needs from Wal-Mart, party supplies, etc . . . An OCDP (obsessive compulsive Disney planner) in the making I do believe. She is in the 2nd grade and makes straight As cries over any missed answers on homework or a test. She is everything Id ever wanted in a daughter beautiful, smart, sassy, confident, and compassionate. She probably spends too much time around adults, as I often hear her saying things well beyond her years. For example, the other night she and two of her friends were cleaning up the mess of toys they had made in their Sunday school classroom when I overheard her say to the others, We should pray before we dismiss. Too funny! When it comes to Disney, she is a roller coaster lover!!!! Her favorite rides are Big Thunder Mountain Railroad, Expedition Everest, Rock n Roller Coaster, and Space Mountain. She is a princess fanatic and is looking forward to eating in the castle again and also to having dinner with Cinderella, the step-sisters and Lady Tremaine. She will sit at the computer with me for hours watching youtube videos of the places we are going during our trip. See what I mean OCDP all the way baby!!! 
DS: Bo (5 ½ ) This boy has the most personality of any one person Ive ever met! In just a few words all goodness, badness, sweetness, mischief, kindness, sarcasm, lovingness and comedian rolled into one little boy! He keeps me on my toes and has the entire family laughing all the time! He just started kindergarten and is self-proclaimed as the smartest kindergartener. I mean, the boy reads on a 3rd grade reading level, so I guess he is justified in thinking that, but we are trying to work on his inflated ego issues!
Bo will do ANYTHING for a laugh and we are very worried about the phone calls from the school that we will receive this year. I should also mention that as much as he is comedic, he is very very tender-hearted. Any time someone is sick or hurting (physically or emotionally) he gets very upset and worries over the situation until he knows that its all over and everythings okay. I just love this kid! In terms of his Disney personality he is up for anything! The only ride that he was unable to do last trip was Rock n Roller Coaster and we are measuring him weekly to check his progress for this year. We have about an inch to go so were thinking of buying some heelies (without the wheels in) for our MGM day. 
He is going to be absolutely heartbroken if he cant ride it. He is pretty much a go with the flow kind of child and will probably spend his trip going along with whatever everyone else wants to ride. Oh, and he is DEVISTATED that he has not gotten a Mickey Mouse stuffed animal on any of our past trips so he will be purchasing one as soon as we arrive to our resort!
There are actually 5 other members of our trips cast, but they have their own PTR, so at this time I will direct you over there for their introductions. So go over and meet my DBFF, Katie, and her family. We will all be traveling down together, staying at the same resort, and have most of the same ADRs.
We're Going To Disney, But It's Our Little Secret
And here are some more pictures of our family:
Wow!!! Just realized that DD has her lips closed in every smile in every picture! I promise she is a happy child - but since losing her 2 front teeth, she is a little self-concious about it.
Okie-Dokie, so now that introductions have been made, stay tuned for the next post . . .
The night before we left, DH said to me "I can't believe we're flying on a vacation tomorrow!" 
You started! 
I'm here! I'm here! 
I know - sounds so totally vain, right? But seriously, all I did every morning was put some powder on my face and some tinted gloss on my lips and I was ready! It was so wonderful to not have to worry about racoon eyes from the sweat and water rides, yet be "picture ready" in an instant! It was awesome - just wish I could convince DH that I need to have it done every 4 weeks! LOL!!! 
So, we place all of our carry-on items on the belt, send the watches through, mine and DH's shoes, the kids' shoes . . . all is going well . . . DH goes through the metal detector . . . DD goes through . . . DS goes through and BEEP BEEP BEEP . . . the red light above the archway is going off . . . sweat forms on my brow and I'm imagining military police rushing in to carry off my sweet little 5 year old . . . okay, so I have an incredibly overly-active imagination! So, they make Bo go through a 2nd time, and again, buzzers sound, lights whirl and all eyes are on this 5 year old boy that always has a mischevious grin on his face! I immediately feel 
. My mind is starting to panick when all of a sudden it hits me like a brick! "Bo, do you have a car in your pocket?!?!?!" Bo replies, "Oh! Yes ma'am!" as he retrieves the shiny green Hot Wheel! The security personnel break out into laughter, have him send his metal prize through the "x-ray" machine and he procedes through the metal detector - this time without event! So . . . once it is all said and done, DH and I are laughing so hard that we can hardly put our shoes back on! It's so typical of DS to carry a car around in his pocket that I never once thought about it causing an "issue" with airport security! 
I do have long eyelashes that don't need curling, so I guess I should consider myself lucky on that (but I don't...I find it much easier to whine about what I don't have than to be pleased with what I do have! LOL! 
Looking forward to reading all about your vacation!
Once everyone had finished their lunch, we got in line for Soarin'. This was the first time seeing the new interactive game you play while you wait. You wave your arms to pilot your own hot air balloon thingie and collect coins for points. It was lots of fun and the kids really got into it. The line moved pretty quick and as soon as we rounded the corner right before you get divided off into row lines, DS says that he needs to go to the bathroom and that it can't wait until after the ride! {Sigh} So, DS and I get out of line to find a restroom while the rest of the group goes hand-gliding over California. I wasn't too terribly upset about leaving the line - I have been on that ride countless times and knew that we would be back to Epcot 2 more times during our trip. No biggie. Once everyone finished their "flight" we all headed over to our favorite Epcot ride - TEST TRACK!!!!!!!! Here are some pics of our wait in line:
Can you guess what it is????
