Our Disney-Less Adventure
May 28, 2008
Just over a week ago we embarked on our “great adventure” to Orlando – home of Mickey, Minnie and the Bibbity Bobbity Boutique. (Blech). Warning – this is going to be a long one!
Friday, May 16 – Let the Packing Begin
I made a critical mistake early on that day – I told Rosie that we were going on vacation with Nonna. The day was then filled with a multitude of “Nonna” chirps. My Mom went with Nonna because she felt it was easy for a baby to say. She actually had come to this conclusion before Rosie was even a possibility – and now, about 3 years later, I can say that she was 100% correct. It is a very easy word to say…and scream…and shriek. Unfortunately, the weather was crappy, which put Rosie in a mood. The highlight of her day – in my travels I stopped at McDonald’s to get her “Fen Fwies” and “Appy” (apples). It was also the highlight of my day because it made her just that happy. By 10:00, Nonna, Papou and Aunt Kristen had arrived, Rosie was wired for sound, I was 98% packed, my house was 60% clean and I was in desperate need of a Mint Mocha Chip Frappachino. A brief Starbucks run fueled me until 1:30 when my head finally hit the pillow.
Saturday, May 17 – Leaving on a Jet Plane
17-month olds don’t understand the concept of flying. They also don’t understand the need to be dragged out of bed at 6:45 for a flight. Rosie took it in stride – I don’t think she was actually awake when I got her dressed – but she perked up once she was in the car and playing with her rhinestone sunglasses. To BWI we go. Without much ado, we got on the plane and were able to procure two rows across from each other. Fortunately, our flight was not full, so the seat between my parents remained empty. Rosie was a PERFECT angel – only cried once when Papou got up from his seat. Prior to take-off, she was sitting on Aunt Kristen’s lap pointing at the ground and saying “Biewl” – her name for Uncle Bill. It was as though she understood that he was missing. We landed in Orlando, grabbed our luggage and toted the now sleeping angel to the rental car. After lunch, we brought her to the pool –which she loved. It was breezy – so once you were wet, you were cold. Rosie did not care. Her little lips were blue and trembling, but she was not getting out of the water for anything! Despite an exhausting day, she was unwilling to go to bed and stayed up to see Uncle Bill.
Sunday, May 18 – Rosie *heart* Ogres
We planned on spending the day in Universal Studios – which couldn’t have been better. The excited squealing began on the people mover coming out of the garage – she saw “Shek” and was beyond excited to see her green hero. She loves Shrek just for his looks – since she had not seen the movie or heard his voice. She does, however, have a Shrek doll that Grandmama bought her in February – that’s a whole different Blog… Anyway – after I got pooped on by one of the wonderful Universal Studio birds, we made our way over to meet Shrek and Donkey. Holy crap – I thought Rosie was going to leap out of her skin with excitement. She has been saying “Shek” for Shrek since November, but her new word for our first full day of vacation was “Don-keeeeee.” She got suddenly shy when she actually met the characters, but we got pictures. On to the ET ride – which she seemed afraid of until we were off the ride – and then she excitedly gestured for more. After lunch we all made our way over to Shrek 4D. Even the line was exciting for us. She was so tired – but so happy. Unfortunately, I was unable to hold her for this one – I had to sit in stationary seating while everyone else bounced around in the row behind me. We gave her a binkie in case she was scared – but she didn’t need it. She clapped and cheered her way through the movie/ride – and as soon as the lights came up, was gesturing for more. She also saw the “Blues Brothers.” She has seen the movie with us – and loves it for the soundtrack. Seeing them was tremendous. She got up off my lap at one point during the outdoor show, grabbed her Dad’s hand and walked him up through the crowd so that she could shake her “tail feathers” in the front row. She was so adorable, I actually got a little choked up. Her spontaneity and liveliness makes me want to be a kid again with her. A little in park napped revved her up for the pool later on – and she was a happy girl for the rest of the night.
Monday, May 19 – We Land at Suess Landing
With Papou in his first day of Golf School and Daddy in an afternoon swing class, the rest of us took the little Button to Universal’s Islands of Adventure. Despite periodic downpours, we delighted in the Suess Landing – a part of the park that brings the writings and drawings of Dr. Suess, my favorite children’s author, to live. We rode on Suessical beasts on the “Caro-Suess-el” and hoped in a fish to swim in a circle on “One Fish, Two Fish, Red Fish, Blue Fish.” Rosie went with the rest of the crew on the “Cat in the Hat” ride – a mini-roller coaster with no age or height requirement (but expectant mother restrictions) for which you strap yourself onto a couch while the book comes to life. Once again – we saw a lot of signs for more after each ride in Suess Landing.
Tuesday, May 20 – Woo-hoo to Wah
Papou was back at golf school and Daddy met him for a round in the afternoon. But – before Daddy’s departure, the three of us went into the Maze. Rosie was a ball of giggles. This thing was awesome – 3 levels of cargo nets, ropes and slides – it was heaven for the child in us all. Not necessarily pregnant-woman friendly, I took pictures of the happy explorers. The afternoon turned cranky and miserable, and we just stayed put in the room trying to convince Rosie to take a nap. She finally fell asleep on Nonna.
Wednesday, May 21 – Suess Landing, part 2
Back to Islands of Adventure we go! It was a beautiful and hot Florida day without a cloud in the sky…and Rosie got to go on all of the rides in Suess Landing again – this time with Daddy. We determined that she likes the “scared shitless” feeling – because despite any look of terror that might cross her pretty little face during a ride – she was asking for more as soon as it was over!
Thursday, May 22 – SHAMU or BUST
Off to SeaWorld we went – and aside from the Killer Whale show – it totally sucked. I was so disappointed. Even the show wasn’t worth the price of admission – it was mostly video. We waited on line for 45 minutes for a show that was over in 24. Shamu was really cool. That whale is too big for words. In our relatively short visit to SeaWorld, I decided I was done with crowds for a while. There were a lot of assholes there – one in particular almost lost a vital part of his anatomy. Rosie and I were walking towards Shamu Stadium when this ass comes running from behind us. I guess he thought Rosie was a hurdle – because he tried to jump her and instead his shin hit her square in the back and she hit the ground. I was very done with SeaWorld after that. I plan to avoid crowds for as long as possible. All in all – SeaWorld was a total bust…
Friday, May 23 – The Sun Came Out
It was supposed to be a crappy, thunderstorm filled day, so the 5 of us that weren’t on the golf course lounged in bed until lunch time, when we realized the sun was out and shining brightly. We made Nonna unpack her swimsuit and all the girls hit the pool. Later on that afternoon, Mike and Nicholas Gaughran came for a visit. Rosie impressed me yet again – this time with her ability to share. She picked up her treasured Ernie doll and put it squarely in Nicholas’ hands. It was a wonderful afternoon and so great to see Mike and Nicholas. The kids (who are about 4 ½ months apart) got along really well and we caught them holding hands a few times. After dinner, we went to Wonder Works – an interactive museum with over 100 exhibits. Rosie stood inside a bubble – and Daddy and Aunt Kristen tried to lie down on a bed of nails. It was definitely one of the cooler things we did all week.
Saturday, May 24 – One Last Thing Before We Go….
Our bags are packed and we are ready to go – but we have one last stop to make. Breakfast with Elmo and Friends. Rosie’s enthusiasm in meeting her favorite movie stars made my heart race. She was a little wary at first – after all, her buds – Bert, Ernie, Cookie Monster, Zoe, Elmo and Big Bird are usually on the “TP” (TV) or stuffed toys a fraction of her size. She was very interested in all of them from afar at first – but she warmed up before long. She was too excited to eat. Bert, Ernie and Cookie came around first – she is really obsessed with Ernie and likes saying (and eating) “Cookie.” Then all six characters came out and did a dance. Once the dance was over – she got to go up on stage to meet Elmo and Big Bird. She has been in love with Big Bird since January when she first saw “Follow that Bird” on TV and she sleeps with a Big Bird doll every night. We can’t leave home without him. From the safety of my arms, she gave both Elmo and Big Bird kisses. Zoe was entertaining the line, which happened to be right next to our table. She eventually wanted to hug Zoe. Rich and I decided to bring her up after all the other kids had taken a turn. This time – we let her walk across the stage to Elmo – and she ran straight into his arms! She just kept hugging him. I’m getting a little teary eyed thinking about it.
RECAP –
It was a week of adventure, new experiences, new words and fun. I realized that there is nothing more magical than being able to feel the excitement of a child. Rosie will not remember this trip – even though I have 502 pictures to prove she had fun – but I will never forget the wonder on her face an the excitement in her eyes.
May 28, 2008
Just over a week ago we embarked on our “great adventure” to Orlando – home of Mickey, Minnie and the Bibbity Bobbity Boutique. (Blech). Warning – this is going to be a long one!
Friday, May 16 – Let the Packing Begin
I made a critical mistake early on that day – I told Rosie that we were going on vacation with Nonna. The day was then filled with a multitude of “Nonna” chirps. My Mom went with Nonna because she felt it was easy for a baby to say. She actually had come to this conclusion before Rosie was even a possibility – and now, about 3 years later, I can say that she was 100% correct. It is a very easy word to say…and scream…and shriek. Unfortunately, the weather was crappy, which put Rosie in a mood. The highlight of her day – in my travels I stopped at McDonald’s to get her “Fen Fwies” and “Appy” (apples). It was also the highlight of my day because it made her just that happy. By 10:00, Nonna, Papou and Aunt Kristen had arrived, Rosie was wired for sound, I was 98% packed, my house was 60% clean and I was in desperate need of a Mint Mocha Chip Frappachino. A brief Starbucks run fueled me until 1:30 when my head finally hit the pillow.
Saturday, May 17 – Leaving on a Jet Plane
17-month olds don’t understand the concept of flying. They also don’t understand the need to be dragged out of bed at 6:45 for a flight. Rosie took it in stride – I don’t think she was actually awake when I got her dressed – but she perked up once she was in the car and playing with her rhinestone sunglasses. To BWI we go. Without much ado, we got on the plane and were able to procure two rows across from each other. Fortunately, our flight was not full, so the seat between my parents remained empty. Rosie was a PERFECT angel – only cried once when Papou got up from his seat. Prior to take-off, she was sitting on Aunt Kristen’s lap pointing at the ground and saying “Biewl” – her name for Uncle Bill. It was as though she understood that he was missing. We landed in Orlando, grabbed our luggage and toted the now sleeping angel to the rental car. After lunch, we brought her to the pool –which she loved. It was breezy – so once you were wet, you were cold. Rosie did not care. Her little lips were blue and trembling, but she was not getting out of the water for anything! Despite an exhausting day, she was unwilling to go to bed and stayed up to see Uncle Bill.
Sunday, May 18 – Rosie *heart* Ogres
We planned on spending the day in Universal Studios – which couldn’t have been better. The excited squealing began on the people mover coming out of the garage – she saw “Shek” and was beyond excited to see her green hero. She loves Shrek just for his looks – since she had not seen the movie or heard his voice. She does, however, have a Shrek doll that Grandmama bought her in February – that’s a whole different Blog… Anyway – after I got pooped on by one of the wonderful Universal Studio birds, we made our way over to meet Shrek and Donkey. Holy crap – I thought Rosie was going to leap out of her skin with excitement. She has been saying “Shek” for Shrek since November, but her new word for our first full day of vacation was “Don-keeeeee.” She got suddenly shy when she actually met the characters, but we got pictures. On to the ET ride – which she seemed afraid of until we were off the ride – and then she excitedly gestured for more. After lunch we all made our way over to Shrek 4D. Even the line was exciting for us. She was so tired – but so happy. Unfortunately, I was unable to hold her for this one – I had to sit in stationary seating while everyone else bounced around in the row behind me. We gave her a binkie in case she was scared – but she didn’t need it. She clapped and cheered her way through the movie/ride – and as soon as the lights came up, was gesturing for more. She also saw the “Blues Brothers.” She has seen the movie with us – and loves it for the soundtrack. Seeing them was tremendous. She got up off my lap at one point during the outdoor show, grabbed her Dad’s hand and walked him up through the crowd so that she could shake her “tail feathers” in the front row. She was so adorable, I actually got a little choked up. Her spontaneity and liveliness makes me want to be a kid again with her. A little in park napped revved her up for the pool later on – and she was a happy girl for the rest of the night.
Monday, May 19 – We Land at Suess Landing
With Papou in his first day of Golf School and Daddy in an afternoon swing class, the rest of us took the little Button to Universal’s Islands of Adventure. Despite periodic downpours, we delighted in the Suess Landing – a part of the park that brings the writings and drawings of Dr. Suess, my favorite children’s author, to live. We rode on Suessical beasts on the “Caro-Suess-el” and hoped in a fish to swim in a circle on “One Fish, Two Fish, Red Fish, Blue Fish.” Rosie went with the rest of the crew on the “Cat in the Hat” ride – a mini-roller coaster with no age or height requirement (but expectant mother restrictions) for which you strap yourself onto a couch while the book comes to life. Once again – we saw a lot of signs for more after each ride in Suess Landing.
Tuesday, May 20 – Woo-hoo to Wah
Papou was back at golf school and Daddy met him for a round in the afternoon. But – before Daddy’s departure, the three of us went into the Maze. Rosie was a ball of giggles. This thing was awesome – 3 levels of cargo nets, ropes and slides – it was heaven for the child in us all. Not necessarily pregnant-woman friendly, I took pictures of the happy explorers. The afternoon turned cranky and miserable, and we just stayed put in the room trying to convince Rosie to take a nap. She finally fell asleep on Nonna.
Wednesday, May 21 – Suess Landing, part 2
Back to Islands of Adventure we go! It was a beautiful and hot Florida day without a cloud in the sky…and Rosie got to go on all of the rides in Suess Landing again – this time with Daddy. We determined that she likes the “scared shitless” feeling – because despite any look of terror that might cross her pretty little face during a ride – she was asking for more as soon as it was over!
Thursday, May 22 – SHAMU or BUST
Off to SeaWorld we went – and aside from the Killer Whale show – it totally sucked. I was so disappointed. Even the show wasn’t worth the price of admission – it was mostly video. We waited on line for 45 minutes for a show that was over in 24. Shamu was really cool. That whale is too big for words. In our relatively short visit to SeaWorld, I decided I was done with crowds for a while. There were a lot of assholes there – one in particular almost lost a vital part of his anatomy. Rosie and I were walking towards Shamu Stadium when this ass comes running from behind us. I guess he thought Rosie was a hurdle – because he tried to jump her and instead his shin hit her square in the back and she hit the ground. I was very done with SeaWorld after that. I plan to avoid crowds for as long as possible. All in all – SeaWorld was a total bust…
Friday, May 23 – The Sun Came Out
It was supposed to be a crappy, thunderstorm filled day, so the 5 of us that weren’t on the golf course lounged in bed until lunch time, when we realized the sun was out and shining brightly. We made Nonna unpack her swimsuit and all the girls hit the pool. Later on that afternoon, Mike and Nicholas Gaughran came for a visit. Rosie impressed me yet again – this time with her ability to share. She picked up her treasured Ernie doll and put it squarely in Nicholas’ hands. It was a wonderful afternoon and so great to see Mike and Nicholas. The kids (who are about 4 ½ months apart) got along really well and we caught them holding hands a few times. After dinner, we went to Wonder Works – an interactive museum with over 100 exhibits. Rosie stood inside a bubble – and Daddy and Aunt Kristen tried to lie down on a bed of nails. It was definitely one of the cooler things we did all week.
Saturday, May 24 – One Last Thing Before We Go….
Our bags are packed and we are ready to go – but we have one last stop to make. Breakfast with Elmo and Friends. Rosie’s enthusiasm in meeting her favorite movie stars made my heart race. She was a little wary at first – after all, her buds – Bert, Ernie, Cookie Monster, Zoe, Elmo and Big Bird are usually on the “TP” (TV) or stuffed toys a fraction of her size. She was very interested in all of them from afar at first – but she warmed up before long. She was too excited to eat. Bert, Ernie and Cookie came around first – she is really obsessed with Ernie and likes saying (and eating) “Cookie.” Then all six characters came out and did a dance. Once the dance was over – she got to go up on stage to meet Elmo and Big Bird. She has been in love with Big Bird since January when she first saw “Follow that Bird” on TV and she sleeps with a Big Bird doll every night. We can’t leave home without him. From the safety of my arms, she gave both Elmo and Big Bird kisses. Zoe was entertaining the line, which happened to be right next to our table. She eventually wanted to hug Zoe. Rich and I decided to bring her up after all the other kids had taken a turn. This time – we let her walk across the stage to Elmo – and she ran straight into his arms! She just kept hugging him. I’m getting a little teary eyed thinking about it.
RECAP –
It was a week of adventure, new experiences, new words and fun. I realized that there is nothing more magical than being able to feel the excitement of a child. Rosie will not remember this trip – even though I have 502 pictures to prove she had fun – but I will never forget the wonder on her face an the excitement in her eyes.
