Day Three:Maybe Disney World is Fun...

On our third full day at Disney I woke up feeling semi refreshed and ready to hit the parks.  This was the only day we didn't plan to come back for a nap, and I was pretty nervous.  We were going to Animal Kingdom and they have shorter hours than every other park (9-5) so I figured we could power through the full day and have a relaxing evening at the pool.

After another Bounty Platter breakfast, we were first in line for the buses.  We quickly arrived at Animal Kingdom and both Boyfriend and I noticed Evelyn was a little more chipper this morning than she had been the last two days.  We thought maybe Evelyn realized that Disney was a fun place after all.  

After the park officially opened we immediately went to Expedition Everest.  As we were walking, everyone in the family was impressed by the scenery-lush trees and plants, intricate details every where.  We probably took the longest route to get to our destination but once there, Boyfriend was in and out within 10 minutes, I was able to walk straight through myself as well.  I was actually slightly bummed it was a straight walk on for the ride-you could tell there was so much thought and planning into the queue and I wanted to see all of the Everest artifacts Disney had acquired.

After Everest, our next stop was Dinoland U.S.A. for Dinosaur, TriceraTop Spin, and some playtime in the Boneyard. I wasn't sure if Evelyn would like Dinosaur or not-she didn't exactly hate it but it was not a favorite by any means.  

She did however, love TriceraTop Spin.  I don't know why but these type of rides scare me, I suppose I feel like we may fall down/out.  Either way both girls had a blast on it and I was finally getting some great smiles out of Evelyn.

Originally I hadn't intended on having Evelyn play in the Boneyard but I knew she could benefit from some free play.  Once we walked in she was off running around, climbing and sliding.  Eventually we made our way over to the "dig site" where she could dig through a sand and rock box for bones.  We probably spent over 30 minutes just watching her dig by herself.  I think Evelyn was really craving the alone time and the only reason we left was due to an emergency bathroom break.

Our next stop was lunch at Yak and Yeti counter service.  Boyfriend and I got into our first argument here.  I'm actually impressed we went three full days without a little spat, we tend to grate on each other after a full 48 hours together.  He wanted to order the chicken fried rice, I ordered the honey seared chicken with a side of fries and we were all going to share.  When we sat down Boyfriend, with just the slightest edge of annoyance asked me, "Did you order me chicken fried rice or just regular fried rice?" 

I was very confused because there was only one fried rice option-which was chicken fried rice. He explained there was no chicken in his fried rice so it was obviously my fault because I hadn't specified that I wanted to include chicken.  My point was that if there is only one type of fried rice me saying, "an order of the fried rice" would automatically include chicken unless you specified to not include it.

Eventually we discovered a teeny tiny nuggets of chicken and all was forgiven (on both sides) and we headed towards our next destination-It's Tough to be a Bug!  Evelyn loved this show and thought the special effects were really cool.  When we were leaving, we stumbled upon Dugg and Russell.  Up until then we hadn't waited in any lines but I told Boyfriend we had to because I think Russell is his five year old self's doppelganger.  Evelyn refused to even come near us to take a picture.

We had a FastPass+ for the Safari so we headed that way, stopping for a few Memory Maker photos on the way.  This photographer was our favorite and some how convinced Evelyn to pose for a Magic Shot-I think Evelyn's Magic Shot is my favorite Memory Maker picture of the entire trip.  You can just tell how unimpressed she is.

Once on the Safari, Evelyn came alive.  She pulled out her camera and started taking picture after picture of all the animals and getting really excited when she would spot a new one.  Once again, I teared up knowing she will always remember those moments with us.

While in the area, we took the train to Rafiki's Conservation Station where we learned about different animals, saw a baby rhino, Evelyn pretended to be rhino poop and pet a few animals in the affection section.

After our train ride back over, we stopped so that Boyfriend could get a drink and I took one last picture of Evelyn in a good mood before everything changed.

We had a FastPass+ for The Lion King that wasn't for another hour and a half but there was a show that was just starting as we walked by it so we decided to go ahead and go to that show since we were getting pretty hot.  As we were walking up some family was literally running in (they had just announced last call for this show) and ran into Evelyn, knocking her down.  Evelyn became very upset for two reasons-one she was hit by a random woman but the second, she suddenly had all of this stranger attention.  I told the woman she was fine to get her away from Evelyn since it was upsetting her more and she just ran away faster towards the doors.  

Once inside, we of course we end up sitting right next to her (so truly-no need to run) and Boyfriend gave her death stares the entire show.  I felt uncomfortable, while I thought it was ridiculous the woman was running full sprint, I knew it was an accident and she had apologized.  Papa Bear on the other hand was having a harder time letting go.  Evelyn ended up asking to lie down on the bench and fell asleep during the show.

Once it was over we put her and Penny in the stroller and decided we would just let them sleep for an hour or so.  Boyfriend and I found a shaded area and people watched while our girls snoozed.  Eventually it was time for us to go to Finding Nemo so we carried in our sleeping girls to the air conditioned theater which was such sweet relief from the heat. Finding Nemo was enjoyed by all, especially Evelyn once the bubbles started to fall at the end.

After the show we honestly had nothing else we wanted to do but it was about an hour prior to our dinner reservation at Tusker House.  We decided to see if we could get in early and only 20 minutes later we were seated early after taking our family picture.

After our experience at Askershus with the Princess dinner, I wasn't exactly excited for all the characters to come by.  Surprisingly though, Evelyn agreed to take a couple of pictures with Daisy because that is Penny's favorite (as assigned by her big sister).  She still wouldn't look at the camera though and of course what big sister is doing, little sister has to copy.

By the time we had finished dinner the park was officially closed but we took our time walking back to the buses.  Evelyn was excited because we promised her we would go swimming upon our return (which we honored) and she was overall in a good mood.  

Our day at Animal Kingdom was one of my favorite days because by the time we got back to the hotel we were able to swim, eat a snack and get in bed at a very reasonable time. Getting a lot of rest was important because the next day was the day I was looking forward to the most-our first full day at Magic Kingdom!  

Perfection

The English language is colorful, sometimes flowery and full of unique ways to describe a situation, person or action.  Then we have our core words--base terms everyone understands what you are trying to imply.  A prime example is the word "perfect."   This word is overused and often utilized when something is really great, but there are so few things in life that are truly perfect.  Without any flaws.  

The tale I am about to tell is my perspective on a story that isn't my own.  I was extremely fortunate to be a witness and to play a very small role in a true miracle.  I am forever grateful that my presence was welcomed and I am forever changed.  Grab a cup of your preferred beverage and allow me to share with you one of the most beautiful stories there is to tell.

******************************************************************************************************************************

March 5th started out like any other work day.  Just kidding, it was far from an average morning. Overnight, Dallas had experienced a freak snow fall that blanketed our streets in 3-4 inches of stunning white powder.  I had been warned of the potential ice that would occur (and possible treacherous driving to work, perhaps a delayed start) but was completely in awe of our new scenery.

I was lying in bed and around the time I would be leaving for work, Amanda (the BFF) called me and asked me if I had gone into work.  I told her that I hadn't, I was going to see how the roads looked when the sun came up and then make my decision.  She replied, "Well good, because my water just broke!"

As she was 37 weeks and 5 days pregnant, I had been on high alert for THE CALL for about a week now, but this time I was totally shocked.  I immediately squealed and jumped out of bed; I had to move my body because I was so excited.  

Some background information for those of you who are not familiar with my relationship with Amanda.  She is so much more than a best friend but there isn't a phrase or term that can describe it.  I once called her my soul sister out of desperation to convey what she meant to me, but even that doesn't touch what my heart feels.  Think of the person whom you are closest to and multiply it by infinity-that is what she means to me. The birth of her first child was a big deal for me and I was so overwhelmingly giddy.

Amanda’s labor and the birth of her baby was truly a miracle.  She fought hard to respect and honor her body and deliver her baby into the world in the best way possible.  I’ve always respected Amanda but the level of respect I gained from watching her bring her stunning baby into this world is immense.  I will never be able to let her know how much I appreciate her for letting me witness it. 

As breathtaking as the birth itself was, this is where the story becomes real, and so beautifully raw that I still become quite emotional as I recall my memories.  I will never be eloquent enough to channel the true emotions that occurred that evening but I am going to try.

Within two minutes of the doctor suiting up and putting on his gloves and only a couple of pushes later, sweet Sydney June was born at 10:39 p.m. weighing 7 lbs 14 oz and 20.75 inches. 

Amanda's mother and I held onto each other and cried, I was snapping as many photos as possible.  Jeff was kissing Amanda on the forehead and Amanda had a look of relief and exhaustion as she waited for the doctor to reunite mother and daughter.

The nurses placed Sydney on Amanda's chest for just a moment and asked if it would be ok to clean her up.  Amanda granted permission and I walked over to the warmer to start obsessively taking pictures of Sydney in her first minutes of life.  I couldn’t get over how cute her pouty lip was and the rolls, oh her delicious rolls.  I took photo after photo, documenting everything about her.  I saw her sticking out her tongue over and over and this caused me to pause.  I knew that wasn't typical of a newborn but assumed that it was because she was a little early. I also noticed she was very swollen and turned to Amanda and she asked me how she looked.  I said she was swollen, but absolutely gorgeous.

The next moment that happened is something that will forever weigh on my heart because I feel like I failed my friend, my soul sister.  Amanda looked at me and whispered so that no one else would hear, "Does she look like she has Downs?"  I immediately told her I didn't think so.  I turned back to Sydney again: it hit me in the stomach as to what she was referring.  While I truly thought she was still swollen from birth, I could see a hint of facial features that caused the alarm in her mother.

The nurses needed me to move away so I went and sat on a chair and immediately searched for symptoms of Down Syndrome in newborns.  After only one or two links, I knew.  Amanda on the other hand didn't need to do any research, she already knew.

When I think about the vulnerability Amanda had to display in asking me about her brand new daughter, only being part of this world for five minutes, my heart literally writhes with pain.  And while I know I did nothing wrong by answering off the cuff my initial thoughts, she didn't need me to reassure her that Sydney didn’t look like she had Down Syndrome, she needed someone to share with her acknowledgement she most likely did.  She needed someone to share that fear with her and I failed her.

It was only a short while after the nurses set Amanda and Sydney up to do skin to skin cuddling.  Amanda's doctor became one of my very favorite people on this Earth when he compassionately told Amanda, "Sydney is an absolutely gorgeous baby.  She does have some facial features that are characteristics of Down Syndrome so we will have her tested in the morning."  With his compassion and reassuring presence, he set the tone of, “this is not what you expected but it is going to be ok.”

Amanda looked down at Sydney, shook her head yes knowing that the test results would come back positive. In that moment, as she shook her head yes, tears running down her cheeks, I saw her go from becoming a mother to being a mother.

My friend looked at her baby girl and while I will never know the true feelings she had in that moment, I know she decided to love her baby no matter what.  She seemingly put on her momma pants and decided that while this was going to be different than she had imagined, this was not going to be a detriment to their relationship. She stroked the softest cheeks there ever were, staring into her daughter's eyes.  She smiled at her, reassuring Sydney that she was loved. 

This was an alternate version of parenthood that Amanda and Jeff had dreamt but that didn't mean that Sydney should have any less of a celebration; so celebrate we did.  I held Sydney and whispered all the things we would do in the future.  I told Sydney of how we would have sleepovers at my house; I promised her that she could tell me anything she was scared to tell her mother.  I told her that I have two eager girls at home waiting for her to become best friends.  I kissed and loved on Sydney as if she was my own.

As the visitors started to leave and we were alone in the hospital room, I became nervous.  I wanted to make sure I said the right thing and desperately didn't want to say the wrong thing.  One thing I just couldn't get over was how in awe I was of Amanda and Jeff.  Any venture into parenthood is difficult but to go in blind and experiencing something you don't have an example of, well I wouldn't handle it with the grace and confidence (even if it is faked) that she and Jeff had.

I was the last to leave that evening and when I got in the car I just burst out crying.  It wasn't fair that my friend, the most amazing woman I know, didn't get the opportunity to experience only the excitement that comes with a newborn.  I wanted to badly to shield her from the fear I could only imagine she was experiencing, and any pain she was feeling from the unknown.  Then a wave of calmness overcame me.  I remembered that when Amanda was pregnant, she told me that in her gut she knew everything was going to be ok and I will trust a mother's gut over anything.  While not on the outside, Sydney was already here just not physically with us.  Nothing changed, this was the same exact baby that Amanda had the gut feeling that everything was going to be fine.  A different version, but it was going to be ok.

******************************************************************************************************************************

We all truly love Sydney.  Her little round head covered in scraggly, but silky, hair. She is spunky and determined, much like her mother.  She makes me laugh when she raises her eyebrows just like her daddy.  

Sydney is absolutely, undeniably the epitome of perfection.

Love Actually: My Proposal Story

Nine years ago today Boyfriend attempted to upgrade his status to fiance by proposing.  I accepted, with the condition he would always be my boyfriend.   For those of you who don't know the story, it wasn't an over the top, grand gesture but an absolute perfect start to our everlasting marriage.   On May 26, 2007 I was working as a nanny for a wonderful family.  Both parents actually worked from home running a business so it wasn't odd to me when they sent me home early that Friday evening to spend some time with Boyfriend who had a rare Friday off.  It was just after lunch time and I came home to Boyfriend watching Love Actually on the couch, with him patting the couch to join him as I entered the room.   Maybe this would be odd for most women to find their boyfriends watching a romantic comedy on the couch, but it was our favorite movie at the time so I didn't think anything strange of it.  I even commented, "Oooh! Just in time for my favorite part!"   As I cuddled into him, totally unsuspecting of what was about to happen, my only regret is that we didn't have the opportunity to watch my reaction to his latest version of the movie:  

Now I know the editing isn't top notch and it is definitely a nod to what technology we had at the time (again this was 2006) but I was in complete and total shock.  I had known Boyfriend would be proposing soon, but yet he still managed to catch me totally off guard.

Just as many other people report when they are proposed to-I couldn't tell you what Boyfriend said.  I'm sure it was something sweet and sappy, I only remember telling him he had to get down on one knee because he just kept talking while sitting on the couch.

After a few kisses were exchanged and me saying, "I can't believe you surprised me!" on repeat for about ten minutes we called all of our family members and best friends.  My mom asked me to come over that evening so we could celebrate, we agreed to meet later that night.

Once the initial round of calls were made, Boyfriend mentioned he was tired and wanted to take a nap.  We settled in for our (actual-not "celebratory") nap time and he immediately drifted off to sleep.  I laid there next to him watching him and with an equal dose of excitement, I also felt a huge letdown and disappointed.

I was genuinely pleased with his creativity and unique method of proposing but I just felt like we had this huge, overwhelmingly life changing event and here we were just taking a nap.  I was proposed to, promised to spend my life with the person and just as quickly as my life changed-we were back to the mundane.

Eventually I fell asleep too and woke to Boyfriend encouraging me to get change into something a little more fun-he mentioned that my mother would insist on us taking some silly pictures.  When we arrived at my moms my mood quickly was lifted-she and my brother were so excited and I was able to share and relive the moment with them.  We decided to visit other family members near by and bring a few bottles of champagne to toast to the occasion.

After our visit with my family we headed back to my moms house.  When I entered the house, the next best surprise (after the proposal itself) was waiting for me-my BFF who had flown in from out of town that evening and several of my other girlfriends. Boyfriend had known I would want to immediately celebrate with all of our friends so he arranged for everyone to meet up that evening at our favorite bar-Whiskey Bar (RIP).

Our first night as an engaged couple

  Any disappointment I had felt earlier in the day totally melted away.  I realized that every detail of the day had been planned intentionally- our nap time was planned knowing that I party best after a good nap.  Visiting my family members was done so that my best friend had time to fly in.  Spending the evening with all of our friends was nearly the perfect ending-the cherry on top was meeting Mark Cuban and having him toast our new status as an engaged couple.

As I mentioned-it was a simple proposal but the details were well thought out and considerate.  Boyfriend isn't always that way but he still managed to pull off a story that I am happy to retell, even nine years later.

Day Two: Can't We Just Go Swimming?

Even though the night prior I slept just as well as I do any other night (aka-not at all) I woke up excited and energized.  Both girls on the other hand were totally out of it and weren't ready to wake up.  We just threw them in the stroller and headed to Pop's food court for another Bounty Platter before heading out to Hollywood Studios.   On our way to the bus stop, I noticed Evelyn massaging Penny's feet-I don't know why, even nearly a year later, I am so in awe of how much she loves her sister.  

\

Our first stop was Rock 'n' Rollercoaster.  While Boyfriend and I took turns, the rested a bit longer which was actually nice because I didn't have to worry about them being ancy to get going to something fun for them.

Since we arrived at park opening, Boyfriend was in and off Rock 'n' Rollercoaster within 20 minutes-he just went through the single rider line. At this point, it was about 9:40 so thought we had plenty of time for me to ride and make it to our first FastPass+ window of 9:20-10:20 for Toy Story Mania (Boyfriend's favorite ride ever).

While it still didn't take me very long-30 minutes from the time I exchanged babies with Boyfriend to exiting the ride, that meant we only had 15 minutes (I had heard they offer a five minute grace period) to get to Toy Story Mania.  Hollywood Studios is not a large park, but you have to walk back through the main entrance area which at this point was very crowded.  I quickly realized, even with us walking at a brisk pace that we would not make our time slot.

I opened the My Disney Experience app and searched for a later FastPass+ time slot and found one for later that evening.  I asked Boyfriend if we should just switch it (with only three minutes to go, accounting for our grace period) and he was insistent on trying.  I knew we wouldn't make it so I just went ahead and switched it, and at 10:25 I told him it was too late. He actually seemed pretty irritated, I started to feel bad because it was my turn on the ride that had caused us to be late but he explained he wasn't at all upset with me-he was just disappointed because he was looking forward to riding Toy Story so much and knew that Evelyn would really get into it.

I thought it was really cute how excited he was and promised him we would be riding his favorite ride later that day.  At this point (and again, throwing out our Touring Plan), we were directly in front of Disney Junior's Playhouse Live on Stage.  There was a show starting in just a few minutes so we parked the stroller and hopped in line.

When we entered the building I felt relief from the heat that was starting to build but also disappointment that we would have to sit on the floor.  Neither Boyfriend and I are comfortable sitting on the ground for extended periods of time and I knew I was going to have to nurse Penny and it is a lot harder to do it (and discreetly) when I'm not in a chair.  Boyfriend ended up ditching me and favored what I referred to as the "Dad wall."

The wait for the show wasn't too long and as soon as it I heard the intro song, my throat started to tighten and I felt (happy) tears welling up.  Evelyn was in awe as she was seeing a real live Mickey, Minnie, Daisy, Donald and Goofy dancing on stage to songs she knew.  She was smiling in the way she doesn't want us to know she is smiling and whisper singing along-this is what I wanted her to experience.  With each new set of Disney Junior characters appeared she became (quietly) excited and was dancing just enough for me to know she was-even if no one else around could recognize it.

The show was quickly over and Evelyn became about as animated as she did the entire trip collecting "gold doubloons" (tissue paper) that had been thrown out during Jake and the Never Land Pirates set.  As we exited, she asked what was next and I was happy to report to her that we were going to see a Frozen show.

We walked over to the Frozen sound stage, utilizing our FastPass+ which honestly wasn't necessary but with a Frozen fan, it was a must do and I wanted to ensure we got in.  We were able to sit in the front row, unfortunately our wait  was considerably longer-nearly 30 minutes.

Even though the Frozen show is essentially a retelling of the movie and the Elsa and Anna are only part of it for less than five minutes, the entire family enjoyed it.  The story tellers are hilarious and made a ton of jokes that went right over Evelyn's head but made all of the adults laugh. I also learned where Evelyn inherited her desire to not let anyone know she thinks something is funny-I would look at Boyfriend when a funny joke was being told and I could tell he wanted to laugh but was trying not to. We really enjoyed the show and by the end Evelyn was loudly singing along to the lyrics.

Immediately following the show it was time for our lunch reservation at Mama Melrose.  I had made this reservation specifically based off the fact that it was part of the Fantasmic! Dining Experience, which in additional to only utilizing one Table Service credit per person, we also received expedited entrance and reserved seat for Fantasmic! later that evening.  The last time Boyfriend and I went to Disney we skipped Fantasmic! because the line to get in started about 90 minutes prior and we just weren't interested in waiting that long so the lack of wait and priority seating was especially appealing.  Lunch was awesome and our waiter provided the classic Disney customer service you hear about!

By this time lunch was winding down, I could tell everyone was starting to melt apart (or mostly me) so we decided to go ahead and start our afternoon break and headed back to the hotel.  On our way out we saw a couple of Star Wars photo opportunities and Evelyn actually asked to take a picture so that she could show her daycare friends.  I guess she didn't need to smile for her friends.

Once at the hotel we decided to swim again, but I only lasted about ten minutes before I claimed Penny swallowed too much water (my code for it is my nap time) and needed to take her back to our room. I don't know how long Boyfriend and Evelyn remained at the pool but I do know that they came in quietly and fell asleep almost instantly.  I had set my alarm to return to Hollywood Studios by 6:00 pm and was very sad and still sleepy when my alarm went off at 5:00.

We arrived back at Hollywood Studios with quite a bit of time before our next FastPass+, Tower of Terror.  We decided to head over to The Magic of Disney Animation to see if we could partake in a drawing class.  I thought my little budding artist would really enjoy this, even if I knew I would be terrible at it.  Sadly we were the first to arrive once the class had filled up so we walked around a bit, looking at old Disney drawings.  We decided that since we were already on this side that we could just skip Tower of Terror and ride it later on in the week when we would be returning to Hollywood Studios and go straight over to Toy Story Mania because our FastPass+ time was about to begin.

Boyfriend had rightly pumped Evelyn up for Toy Story Mania so she excitedly skipped up to scan  her magic band when we got a big blue light flashed at us (side note-I love how Disney uses positive language, even in their color scheming-no red for us!).  He explained that we not only a bit early-but over an hour early.  

Somehow I had mixed up our FastPass+ time, and while the disappointment on Boyfriend and Evelyn's faces was understandable, at least we were early and didn't skip over the time!  I had noticed that Voyage of the Little Mermaid was about to start as we were walking over to Toy Story so we booked it and hopped in right as they were about to open the doors.  Once again, Evelyn was mesmerized by the show and once again I started to get choked up.  I don't know why I have such an adoration for the Little Mermaid-but I have always loved her.

After the show, we headed over to get Evelyn a popcorn snack and then it was finally time for Toy Story Mania!  Evelyn's face is illustrating just how serious she was about winning.

As suspected, Evelyn had a blast and Boyfriend got a forearm cramp because he takes the games way too seriously.  Evelyn immediately said she wanted to ride it again and I promised her we would later that week.

On our way out we stopped for a couple of Memory Maker photos-not only was Evelyn not interested, neither was Boyfriend.

We headed to Fantasmic! and loved our assigned seating section-front and center.  I was worried they may not do the show, it was extremely windy that evening but once in the amphitheater not only was it not windy, but the air was hot, sticky and still.  I suppose that is by design for the show but it was very uncomfortable us.  It also confirmed that I could never go during the middle of Summer-it was only in the 80s that day but I was sweating profusely. 

While waiting for the show, we broke out some of the glow stick jewelry "Tinkerbell" had left for her which was a great distraction.  Eventually the show started and Evelyn was not at all impressed.  She liked when her favorite characters would come by on one of the boats but that wasn't often enough to keep her interest.  All she kept saying was, "Can't we just go swimming?!"

Once the show was over we hurriedly grabbed our stroller and headed for the exit.  Boyfriend gets grumpy when stuck in masses of people but with us rushing we were able to beat the crowd.  Initially we were going to head for the bus stops but decided that every one else was too so we went to Star Tours which Evelyn was really excited that she could tell her friends at daycare she rode it.

She said she had fun on the ride but when we asked her if she wanted to ride again with Boyfriend doing rider switch, she declined.  Boyfriend didn't care to ride enough alone so we headed towards the bus stop.

Much to Evelyn's disappointment the pool was "closed."  We convinced her that a bath would be just as fun but instead she decided to read us Bible stories in the dark and throw in a bit of her classic sarcasm.

Once story time was over, we all crawled into bed and due to the magic of Disney-we all fell asleep quickly!

Mother's Day Recap:Kinky Art, Black Eyes and Chicken Fried Fish

My mom is an artist in every sense of the word-beyond her phenomenal artistic talent she is as quirky and odd they come.  All of my mom's art has hidden meanings and suggestive messages.  Take the following photograph for example. My mother says this was for a self portrait, I think it just means she was into some very kinky things prechildren.

   My grandmother lovingly displays a painting my mom did in her home of a woman from the chest up dressed in a blue power suit (this painting was made in 80s) looking down at a bouquet of delicate tulips in her hand.  A blue hat is covering her face, her hair perfectly falling to her shoulders. 
My grandmother loves this painting-she hangs her daughter's art with the same pride I hang up Evelyn's macaroni art on my fridge.  What my grandmother doesn't know about the painting is if you look very closely and study the curves of the woman's hands, her ever so softly off coloring-you will discover that my mother has painted a picture of a woman who has passed and lying in her casket at her funeral.
What does my mother's painting and Mother's Day have to do with each other?  My loving family decided to start my day off letting me know I only looked one step up above my mom's dying subject.  Boyfriend told me I looked like I had gotten into a fight, my under eye circles were so dark.  Evelyn let me know that my skin was really bumpy and my forehead stripes (wrinkles) were getting bigger.  Luckily for them, my emotional skin is thicker than the skin below my eyelids and their comments didn't ruin my day one bit-in fact it was the best Mother's Day yet!

I had wanted to sleep in and Boyfriend took Penny out of bed around 7:00 but because I'm a mom-I could still hear her fussing no matter how far away he went.  Around 8:00 I finally got myself out of bed and she happily jumped into my arms.  The next best thing to sleeping in is cuddling your baby.

As we do every year, we didn't make reservations for the big day until the week of so all the true brunch places were booked up (unless we wanted to pay $60+ per head for a buffet) so I booked us at Amberjax in Trinity Groves and it far exceeded my expectations.  I even got to experience brunch-chicken fried grouper and cornmeal pecan waffles & bacon.  So dang good.

Along with her quirkiness, my mom is also oddly picky about restaurants-her favorite place is IHOP and she hates Breadwinners.  Such an embarrassing statement for this foodie.  Amberjax didn't disappoint her either though, so it was a total Mother's Day win.

After lunch we came home and I napped with the girls, waking a full two hours later.  That two hours of sleep was pure bliss considering that was the longest stretch of sleep I have had in weeks.  Also, despite the fact that I genuinely mean I don't need presents-Boyfriend got me a King Spa gift card which gives me the opportunity to get a guilt free massage when I go with my girlfriends in a few weeks.

My night ended with homemade sushi (that was a fail but I did have leftover cake for dinner instead-so win?) and a head massage from Evelyn.  It warmed my heart when she told me that she was going to give me an extra long massage because it was Mother's Day-I loved that she understood on her own that the day was to be extra special for me!

I know my day was pretty low key and not really much to speak of, it was the first where I felt like my family really honored my position.  And if I look as bad as they tell me I look-I should at least get a little something out of it!

Day One: Well This Isn't What I Expected

Our first day started at 4:30 am checking into Pop Century.  I was nervous about the term "value resort" which conjured up images of a seedy motel, only Disneyfied.  I was quite relieved when we pulled up and the hotel didn't look outdated and at minimum, the lobby was clean.  

There was a little confusion with checking in-I actually had two reservations, one for Friday night only and one for the next seven nights.  It took quite a bit through the process for the Cast Member to understand that I was wanting to check in for Friday night-based off the time I was coming in, he assumed I had already checked in for Friday and was rechecking in for the remainder of my stay.   By the time we finally got to our home for the next seven nights, it was nearly 5:30 am and we had an 8:00 reservation at Bibbidi Bobbidi Boutique for Evelyn to be transformed into a princess.  I decided that since we had to leave by 7:00 in order to catch our bus, there was no point in going to sleep for any period of time and began unpacking.  Penny and Boyfriend fell asleep while Evelyn and I unpacked all of our belongings and got ready for the day.   One thing I had done prior to our trip was have a few items shipped to Pop-our double stroller, snacks, and water (so we didn't have to pay the price of an entire case for just one bottle at the parks).  I put together my stroller and was pleasantly surprised by my $90 purchase.    I woke Boyfriend ten minutes prior to us having to leave and he rolled out of bed, half asleep and we made the two minute walk to the bus stop.  During our walk, Evelyn started to get really excited because she saw the pool for the first time and all of the other features of Pop's grounds.  

  On our very first bus trip, we discovered Penny hated the bus.  She would cry pretty much the entire time, and grab at my chest wanting to eat.  I hardly deny her nursing so this would especially piss her off and she would just scream.  Over the course of the trip, I began to dread every bus ride.   Once at Magic Kindgom, I attempted to get the girls set up in the stroller but Penny was tired and wanted to cuddle so I put her in the carrier and we started our trek from the bus stop to the front gate.  Since we had a reservation prior to the park opening we waited in a line until about 7:45 when they let us enter the park with a group of other people who had 8 am reservations.   I had heard that this was a prime time to get pictures in front of the castle and stopped at the first PhotoPass Photographer we saw.  The photographer was nice and tried very hard to get a smile out of Evelyn but she was just not  having it.  I kept saying it was ok, but he kept insisting on trying-another trend for the trip.  Eventually we learned to say right away, "She may not smile and that is ok."  

  With our destination right behind us we walked up to the front of the castle and a Fairy Godmother in Training greeted us asking where we were headed.  I explained that Evelyn had an appointment that morning and she brought us back to Bibbidi Bobbidi Boutique.  Even though it was still 7:50 and it didn't open until 8:00 there were already several adorable little girls that had started their transformation.  We walked in and our Fairy Godmother showed us to the Royal Changing Room so that Evelyn could put on her princess gown (Belle's dress).   This is when things turned sour.  Evelyn refused to change into the dress.  I half expected her respond this way-she isn't one for wearing costumes in public.  I explained it was ok and she didn't have to change and let's go get her hair done, it is at a salon (which she asks to do at home).  She said that she didn't want to and started to get a panicked look on her face and tears in her eyes.   I asked Boyfriend to leave the room and sat down with her in my lap.  I told her that I was ok if she didn't want to do it-but if we didn't do it now, we would not have the opportunity to do it at a later time if she changed her mind.  She was scared and overwhelmed and I hugged her for a little bit, finally we exited the room and explained to our Fairy Godmother than Princess Evelyn had changed her mind and we wouldn't be participating today.   Our Fairy Godmother couldn't have been more sweet and brought us back to the front where we spoke with her manager who told us that if she changes her mind at any point in the trip to call her and we will get fit in.  She tried to give Evelyn some Belle stickers but Evelyn had totally shutdown and was hiding in Jackson's arms.  We left and I became filled with fear about what the rest of our trip would be like.     I tried to rationalize that Evelyn was just so tired but that is her personality-she does not like attention from strangers.  I'm not sure why in the world I thought this was something she would enjoy-prior to our trip I made sure to show her videos and pictures of everything we would be doing so she was prepared and she seemed interested at home, but I should have known better.     I didn't feel disappointed by her choice at all, only sadness that she was feeling anxiety over something I was asking her to do.  We left Bibbidi Bobbidi Boutique and I asked Evelyn if she would like to go on a ride.  With her classic shy smile, she said she would.   At this point it was just a few minutes before nine and we noticed a large group of people walking behind some cast members with a rope-the park was officially opening!  We looked around us and due to my preplanning and help from Touring Plans I knew Peter Pan's lines would escalate quickly so we hopped in line.   This was a great first ride for our trip.  Even though we walked straight through the line queue we had the opportunity to play with some of the interactive lighting and cause Evelyn a lot of confusion when we said, "Look there is Nana!" at the famous St. Bernard (I guess Evelyn never picked up that the dog's name was Nana).  By the time we had finished the ride, Penny was asleep in the carrier and Evelyn was in much better spirits.     We went on It's A Small World next, Evelyn and I played a game where we pointed to the prettiest dolls in each area.  Penny continued to sleep.

 

Our next ride was Haunted Mansion, and our realist five year old said that it was no big deal because everything was just pretend.  By the time we finished these three rides, it was only 9:30 but I was started to feel the results of being up all night.

Initially my plans included us staying at Magic Kingdom until noonish and then heading to Epcot but we decided that we would go back to the hotel for a bit and rest, maybe swim a little bit.  By the time we got to the bus stop, Evelyn was in a quiet mood again-I think she was starting to feel overwhelmed again. 

 

  Everyone was also very hungry so our first stop was to Pop's food court to eat some breakfast and get our refillable drink mugs.  One thing I hadn't planned was how we were going to use our quick service dining credits, I figured we could just use them as needed.  For our first meal, we ended up getting a Bounty Platter-this included eggs, french toast, bacon, sausage and hash brown casserole.  We actually all shared this-Penny ate some of the eggs, Evelyn isn't a huge breakfast eater so she had some bacon and a piece of the french toast (which I ate the rest of) and Boyfriend had the hash brown casserole, sausage and the remainder of the eggs.  For $8.99, while not the tastiest and was the epitome of food court quality, it was an excellent value to feed our entire family and only utilize one quick service credit.  This would not work for families who need a hearty breakfast though.

We filled up our refillable mugs (and I couldn't get over how COLD my drink was) and headed to our room to change into our swimsuits.  With some food in her belly and in her happy place (water) Evelyn was a changed girl.

 

Penny was obsessed with swallowing the pool water so we didn't spend a very long time swimming-maybe only 30 minutes or so.  We headed back to the hotel, took a shower and immediately fell asleep for a much needed nap. 

We woke a couple of hours with everyone in much better spirits.  It is amazing what a nap can do!  We headed back towards the bus to go to Epcot with renewed energy.

I know this makes us in the minority, but Boyfriend and I didn't really enjoy Epcot near as much as we did the other parks in past visits.  It may be that we fought the entire time we were at Epcot the first time, but whatever the case may be-some of it is entertaining for us but it definitely is a park we wanted to visit only once.  Even though this was my least anticipated park, I was still really thrilled as we walked in and saw "the big golf ball."

 

Almost immediately our Touring Plan went out the window.  Evelyn's moods were very delicate that day and so we just decided to go with the flow and only try to adhere to our FastPass+ times.  Unfortunately, we also learned that Penny pretty much hated the stroller so I carried her pretty much the entire trip.

Our first stop was one of the Innovations buildings where Evelyn learned all about saving and investing.  This was a fun and interactive activity and I was happy to see Evelyn starting to enjoy herself, even if she didn't totally understand the activity.  From there we headed over to Club Cool to try out all of the different drinks from around the world, including the infamous Beverly (Boyfriend and I both, predictably, did not enjoy it).

Outside Nemo, we annoyed both girls by taking a kissing picture.  Creeper Nemo.

 

Between that and our last fast pass before dinner, we went on Figment, saw the Tomorrowland Preview (which made me excited to see it), a trip to the Baby Care center for an air conditioned nursing break, completed an Agent P adventure in Mexico, and spent some time checking out the character topiaries that were being featured for the Flower & Garden Festival.

Our last FastPass+ was for Soarin which I was really looking forward to.  This was the one thing that both Boyfriend and I thought was so cool on our last visit.  This was also the first ride Evelyn was going to attempt with a height requirement and I was nervous she wouldn't make it.  According to her doctor's appointment that was a month prior, she was 39.75 inches without shoes.  I wasn't sure she had officially hit 40 inches (minus shoes) but assumed with shoes, especially her boots, she would be tall enough.  

I kissed Evelyn and watched Boyfriend and her head towards the entrance.  Less than a minute later, I got a text from Boyfriend, "We are in!"  After about 15 minutes, I saw Evelyn and Boyfriend coming out the exit and Evelyn was so excited.  I asked her if she wanted to go on it again (thanks rider switch!) and she did so Evelyn and I took a turn.

On our way to our dinner reservation, we stopped to get some more photographs taken.  We had almost convinced Evelyn to smile when a large group of cheerleaders (20+) behind us collectively went, "Awww!" to Penny waving at the photographer.  I love the next set of photos because you can see her disappearing.

Next up was our dinner reservation at Akershus.  I booked this reservation because I thought it was the best way to meet many of the Princesses without having to wait in line.  I also thought it would be fun for Evelyn dressed up as a Princess from her earlier Bibbidi Bobbidi Boutique appointment, though that obviously wasn't happening.

Dinner, well dinner was awesome.  We really enjoyed the food (on a later blog post I'll update my thoughts on all of our Table Service meals) and our meals that evening made us excited for the remainder of our meals that week.

What was not awesome was how Evelyn reacted to all of the Princesses coming by our table.  She was totally overwhelmed and shut down every instance a Princess even came near.

 

I know Evelyn isn't the only child like this and most of them immediately picked up on her nervousness and would focus on Penny, who absolutely loved each and every one of them.

 

We exited Akershus about ten minutes prior to the start of Illuminations.  While I wanted to see the show, I also didn't want to exit right as everyone else was since that was also park closing time.  We walked quickly to the exit and Evelyn watched a few of the fireworks from her daddy's shoulders.

After a tear filled bus ride home (Penny) we arrived back at Pop, filled up our drink mugs and headed back to the room.  When we got back into the room Evelyn discovered "Tinkerbell" had left a few trinkets behind-another coloring book and a necklace.

After showers and baths for everyone, we crawled into bed beyond exhausted. I was really looking forward to the next day-Hollywood Studios, which was our second favorite park from our previous trips.