The Final Day

The final day was supposed to include Epcot for at least half a day. However, we overslept. The fact that everyone slept late made me hopeful for squeezing one last "good" day out of pooped little JLS. We had a late breakfast reservation in our hotel at Chef Mickey's, so we just packed up and went straight there. Of course, breakfast with Mickey, Minnie, Goofy, Pluto and Donald Duck was a total hit. We met all the characters with excitement, until sweet Pluto. That is the moment JLS decided to call it quits for the day. Prior to that he was on pins and needles waiting for each character to come to our table, especially Donald Duck.

After breakfast we hopped the monorail to Epcot. As JBS mentioned, the monorail was his favorite ride. In fact, at one point, we were lucky enough to get to sit up front with the driver. It was just as impressive to Babe and I, as the front of the monorail is all window. We felt like we were flying across Disney World.

We had only a few short hours at Epcot before we had to catch our bus to the airport. We were able to walk/jog thru each country, enjoy a lunch in Italy and ride the Nemo ride. JLS cried through the whole thing, but he was just falling apart by this time. It was a great last ride...(For some reason Babe felt it necessary to make every picture an "action shot". His action includes pointing...in every single picture. Thanks Babe.)

We raced back to The Contemporary to catch our bus. Within a matter of minutes I feel Babe tap me on my shoulder to look at JLS. He literally fell asleep sitting up backwards in the bus seat. There was no place for his head to fall but forward.

His wild and crazy little body just finally tuckered out.

The Magic Kingdom

Our last full day was spent at The Magic Kingdom. This was, hands down, our favorite park. How in the world can you beat the original Disney World? The other parks were great and busy, but while at the Magic Kingdom, we were completely excited and overstimulated at all that had to be accomplished in that one day. What I absolutely loved about The Magic Kingdom is that while they have certainly kept up with the trends of technology and characters like Buzz Light Year, etc, they have not removed some of the original and best rides there. It's a Small World and Peter Pan...It was thrilling to do the cool new Winnie the Pooh ride with all the techno-savvy equipment. But it was just as thrilling to me to ride in It's a Small World and see the EXACT same painted ply-wood backdrops that were there when I was there last...28 years ago!!! I didn't remember the ride as well as I did once I was on it and had some MAJOR deja-vue moments.

We did it all. Thirty nine inch JLS was, of course, devastated each time the ride had a forty inch height requirement. However, he finally got to ride a roller coaster in Mickey's Toontown area and It. Made. His. Day. He got off that ride glowing and swishing and spitting all the turns and moves trying to show me what a big deal it was. The only ride we ever rode more than once was...."The Hoy's". This would be the merry-go-round with all the white horses. JLS threw a fit every time we passed it, so twice we humored him. I will admit, it went fast and made me a bit woozy. I sat the second ride out.

We ate breakfast at the Crystal Palace with the Winnie the Pooh, Tigger, Eeyore and Piglet and we closed the day down with the Spectramagic Light Parade. I need a nap just re-living the day.

(I have to interject here that I tried to crop out the "PI PHI" on my poncho that I am certain a few of you will notice. I know I am too old to be wearing it, but it was the only poncho I owned. I found great humor when one of the cute little college workers asked me where I was a Pi Phi and went on and on about the Greek system. I almost made it without notice!)

It poured and I mean POURED down rain for about an hour this day. Babe had a Fast Pass for one of the bigger roller coasters and the boys and I had a Fast Pass to Peter Pan....on the other side of the park from where we were. Of course, Babe said, "This is an answer to prayer! Everyone goes inside for the rain. We get to ride all the rides!" So, alone, with the boys in the POURING rain, I ran across the park pushing the double stroller to make it to Peter Pan on time. We were soaked. So much that I was thinking, "WHY am I out here? WHY am I putting myself through this?" Because it was an answer to prayer....right? I guarantee Babe was tucked up under a roof waiting this "Godsend" out while I was running thru the worst of it with two screaming and soaking wet kids.

.

When I say we crashed other days, we really crashed this night. No movement from the boys once their heads hit those pillows until 8:30 the next morning. We were worn slick!

.

While these pictures didn't come out so well, I took two pictures, one for my friend, Sarah, and one for my Dad. Sarah had a baby while we were in Disney World (yahoo!) and she told me to take a spin in a tea cup for her. While that didn't feel like such a great idea for me, the boys did...and here they are doing it.This picture is for my dad and basically for my family. To this day, my dad will randomly break out into song singing, "Blooood on the saddle, Blooood all around..." I made Babe and the boys go see Country Bear Jamboree with me because I remember it SO well. I also know all the songs because my mom bought the record when we were there in the 70's. The lights went out and the "stuffed" animals started talking on the walls and it was like I was 6-years-old again. In great anticipation the curtain was opened and here he was singin', "Blooooood on the saaaaddddllle. Blooooood all around" just like it was yesterday.

Babe was bewildered as to why that was so funny and meaningful and great all wrapped up into one...as I am sure you are, too. But WE get it! :) Dad, that was for you.

Hollywood Studios

Day Two we spent at Hollywood Studios, but not before we had breakfast at O'Hana with Lilo, Stitch, Mickey Mouse and Pluto. The first character to come to our table was Lilo. I guess we are completely uninformed, as we didn't know Lilo and Stitch. Lilo was so sweet and put her arm around JLS and he punched her in the nose. She was a bit shocked. After JLS figured out the whole character thing, he loved them...we just got off to a rough start at the expense of Lilo's nose.

Because we were a little late getting to Hollywood Studios (ie after the gates opened), we missed out on a few rides because the Fast passes were already sold out. Without those, the lines were at least two hours long. Please imagine for a moment standing in line for two hours with JLS. It's inconceivable. We still made the best of it and saw Indiana Jones, rode the Star Wars ride, went to The American Idol Experience, watched the stunt car show (which JLS thought was too loud). We ate lunch at The Pizza Planet (from Toy Story) and dinner at Hollywood and Vine. The highlight of the day was seeing the parade with Woody, Buzz, the Monsters Inc characters, Mr. Potato Head....

We closed the evening down by staying for the Fantasmic laser light and water show. It was really pretty and lots of fun. Our first really late night for the boys, however. We crashed when we got home.

A successful day in Disney World.

Animal Kingdom

Our first full day of Disney World was spent at the Animal Kingdom. We heard from a few people it wasn't a full day, but this family of animal-loving kiddos absolutely loved it. We spent an entire day there and even had dinner at the Animal Kingdom Resort.

Our first and favorite adventure was taking the Safari ride through "The Savannah". It was beautiful to see how the animals ranged freely on what looked just like a Savannah! We had to wait as giraffes walked across the road in front of us. The "yions" as JLS loved to say with his claws out, were a stones throw away, the hippos and the zebras...all of it so much fun!

The River Rapids Ride was a total hit with the boys. I was ready to go when I got to the loading point and it said, "Expectant mothers should not ride." Darn it. JBS LOVED it, JLS was a bit in shock, but no tears were spent.

We also really enjoyed "The Tree of Life." I don't know how it was made, but this tree has hundreds of carved shapes of animal heads in the tree. It was amazing to see. At the base of the Tree of Life was the Bugs Life show. As we were walking thru the line, I noticed a yellow exclamation mark as a symbol for the event. This meant, "some content can be scary for young kids". We both laughed and said, "What can be scary about Bugs Life" and toted our boys in for the show along with 100 other young children. Well, within the first minute of the show every single child in that dark room broke in to tears, including our own, as it was one of those 3D "sensory shows." When, the bug spit on the audience, we felt water. When the stink bug turned his bottom toward us, we smelled it. The part the kids hated most was when the puff of air hit us. I don't even remember what the scene was, as Babe and I were laughing so hard holding 2 screaming kids and listening to all the other screamers in the room.

Disney really knows how to entertain those kids :) Despite the trauma of "It's a Bug's Life", we loved the Animal Kingdom.

That evening, we ate at Boma, in The Animal Kingdom Lodge. The coolest part about the lodge is that the "Savannah" meets the back deck of the lodge. So, the animals are ranging freely up to the resort. You can sit in peace in big rocking chairs and watch the animals graze. Very serene...

WE didn't get to sit in peace, but you could.

Disney World in Summary

Hello, world! We are back from Disney World safe and sound....and exhausted. We left Monday morning from Houston and hit The Magic Kingdom by 3pm. We spent the next three days rising early, skipping naps and staying up late. As expected, JLS had a daily meltdown from total excitement and no naps. However, by Friday he was done, bless his little heart. Since we returned late Friday night, we have slept, relaxed and slept some more and I think everyone is finally back to their old selves, including me. God granted me an incredible reprieve from nausea. Amazingly, I had no signs of sick until the airplane ride home. God is good!

The first full day, we hit the Animal Kingdom. Wednesday we went to Hollywood Studios and Thursday we spent the day at our favorite park, Magic Kingdom. On Friday we had a late breakfast and headed to Epcot for a few hours before we headed to the airport.

JBS claims his favorite "ride" was the monorail. We stayed in The Contemporary Resort where the monorail goes right through the middle of the hotel. The boys LOVED that and went nuts every time they saw it pass. Of course, JLS would yell, "Poo Poo! Poo Poo!" at the monorail in his cute little speech impaired language. I am certain every parent there thought he was telling me he had pooped in his pants, as opposed to the excitement of seeing the choo choo!

I will be posting pictures every day this week of our trip, but I also made a share site on Shutterfly if you would like to check it out.

My 25 Things

Because I have run out of time today and because I am determined to get back in the blogging saddle, I am posting my 25 Things that I finally felt enough pressure to post on Facebook. I was tagged a zillion times and for those of you that I didn't tag back or whatever the rules were, I am sorry. I was just glad to have thought of 25 things to share, albeit a bit of a bore....

My 25 Things

1. When I was little, I was PAINFULLY shy. I used to hide under my mom's skirts (she wore them all the time) to avoid talking to people. One time, I bit her butt...hard.

2. I took ballet when I was 5. The teachers started laughing when they couldn't get my feet in whatever the position is where your feet go straight out, but your heels touch because I have such bad knock-knees. That was my sign to stick with sports. I never took a dance class again.

3. Despite the scars from #2, I still dream of being a good dancer!

4. It took me a long time to be able to pronouce, "Penelope". One time it came out "Puppy" and my family has called me some variation of "Puppy" ever since...Pup, Pup Dog, PD, Puppy.

5. Every good decision I have made in life has its roots in the way my parents raised me. I hope I can be 1/2 as good of a parent as my parents were to me.

6. The greatest desire of my heart is for my boys to grow in to "mighty" men of God and for it to be easy for them to be positive spiritual leaders among their peers.

7. I took my drivers license exam in a stick-shift car. I was more scared Mr. Epple would fail me b.c the seat belt in my VW bug didn't fit around his belly. I think he was lenient b.c I was driving a stick shift...

8. I have been blessed beyond measure with incredibly meaningful and spiritual friendships at every stage in my life. Although life stages prevent me from talking to those girls all the time, I would go to the ends of the earth for any one of them, as I know they would for me.

9. My favorite cat died just a few years ago...he was 18 years old. God love that Lancelot.

10. I "met" my very first friend in life before I could talk. We were neighbors and we still keep in touch...34 years later! (p.s. we could site her for breaking and entering, as she broke in our house to play with our dress-ups when she was 4)

11. Ironically, for a girl who never partied much, I met my husband in a bar. We were introduced by a mutual friend. Within a couple months, I knew he was the one.

12. Before I knew John was "the one", however, he wrecked my Dad's boat...prior to meeting my Dad. hmmmmm....

13. Getting married and having kids has been the hardest, most fulfilling, gratifying, humbling and amazing experience of my life. I don't know how I would do it without God in our lives.

14. Hands down, the last year of transition has been the hardest year of my life.

15. While I was backpacking through Europe, I ran into high school friends in a laundrymat in Rome.

16. I love everything about being in a boat on the lake. I love it day and night in and out and behind the boat on skiis or tubes. Having access to a boat/lakehouse is one luxury I hope my family and I will always have.

17. I LOVE thunderstorms. I LOVE snowstorms. There is nothing better than being snuggled inside a warm and safe home knowing its cold or crazy outside. Sure miss that Oklahoma weather!

18. I have an unhealthy fear of my children or children close to me drowning. This fear was handed down to me from my mother. Thanks Mom! :)

19. I love to play tennis, workout, run, ride bikes, snow ski, water ski. I have big ambitions after I have this baby. Big!

20. My husband grew up 20 minutes down the same highway in Southwest Oklahoma that my Granny lives on. I drove by his house a hundred times while I was growing up.

21. When I was in Junior High, Casey and I got treed by a momma cow on my Granny's farm. We were never so scared or laughed so hard as we did in those harrowing minutes.

22. I am not good with change (see #14).

23. My favorite thing to do with my Dad is to go skeet-shooting. He bought me a Beneli when I was in college... I think he might have had high hopes for me to shoot competitively...

24. No one in the world can make me laugh as hard as my mother. She brings out the laugh in me that only results in the ugly face and tears. I don't know how she does it.

25. The perfect vacation involves me sitting on a sandy beach, reading a book, and sipping pina coladas next to John. What a dream......aaaaahhhhh!

Words...or Not!

JLS is really movin' along in his speech. This week alone he has used the word, "Lalloween" when describing that he wanted to be a "Sssssssssss next Lalloween" (read "snake for Halloween"). On our way to Speech Therapy, he was eating pretzels and I asked him if I could have one. He looked at me and said, "Mommy, say pease!!" Today when we were getting in the car after Bible Study he was being so funny and cute and I told him I loved him. His eyebrows furrowed and he said very firmly, "No, Daddy. Mommy .....Bake" Thus, Daddy loves JLS, not Mommy. Mommy loves JBS. A Daddy's boy for sure.

With all this excitement in the word department you can imagine the humor from gymnastics. JLS's gymnastics teacher is really good with the speech impaired little cutie that he is. She has a grandson with similar issues, so she is patient, but works with him to say his colors or his name. After class this week, she came out laughing and said that JLS upset one of the little girls in his class. I was surprised and couldn't imagine why, as he doesn't talk much, if any, around kids! She said, the little girl was just yapping and yapping and told Ms. Nancy, "That boy won't talk to me! Why won't he talk to me?"

Maybe she should take heed of the silent treatment, albeit unintentional.

Boobies?

Hello! My mom told me she is growing weary of seeing the "Cake History" and I have had multiple calls inquiring about my health since I haven't been blogging. I am so sorry. Life has still been happening at our house, I have just been experiencing more of it from a supine position. It has to get better soon! And, no, I had nothing like this with either of my boys. This leads me to wonder if this baby is going to be a girl. And that, in itself, leads me to have heart palpatations. Truly, I keep having these "flutters" in my heart. While we will be thrilled with healthy baby of any kind, another boy just seems so easy. A girl will rock our world. Who knows, maybe God wants to rock our world even more than it has been rocked in the past year! I just had a flutter...

So, last night, we had a family laundry folding event. Unfortunately for Babe, everything has been a team effort over the last month....everything! He has been a champ and definitely has been pulling the greater weight around the house. However, I consider my "weight" to be in baby making right now. As the whole family gathered around the heap of laundry, JLS insisted on being able to help. He was getting fiesty without an assigned job, so in my haste, I grabbed a couple pair of my panties and said, "Here, JLS. Put these where they belong. Ask JBS if you need help." JLS insisted upon completing the task independantly, as JBS yelled behind him, "JLS! Let me help. They go right next to Mommies boobies!"

I am sure, knowing JBS's bra fettish from the past, he has spent hours in my underwear drawer unbeknownst to me...looking at my "boobies". This is a story he so won't appreciate when he grows up.

Kind of like the pictures I decided not to take of him when he was a toddler. He loved to walk around the house with my panties around his neck...