Just got back from our One More Disney Day trip, which really WAS one more getaway, one last getaway for us before we can’t get away so easily anymore. Does that blow your mind like it blows mine? With each mile that brought us closer to Charlotte last night, this whole being parents thing got more real. Haley and Sunny just got to Florida for spring break. My mom and her sisters went to Disney World last spring, and Trudy and Dee Dee are headed back to join the “kids” (who are now 20, 21, and 26) at the end of this week. I’m jealous. Not just because I know they’ll have amazing times and inside jokes (party of one) that I won’t understand, but because this time next year I’ll have a 4 or 5 month old infant to worry about.
I constantly catch myself thinking off all the things that I won’t be doing and it makes me mad. Mad that I am focusing on that stuff and forgetting to think about the important stuff.
There are some awesome things coming my way. Showers, and attention and oh yeah – TOM AND I MADE A PERSON!!!!
It kind of reminds me of a conversation that I had with Mom before we knew I was pregnant. I asked if she’s come to Florida in December if we got knocked up. She said, “why?” And I told her so she could babysit. She said she could just do that at home in Virginia. I said, “Well, that’s no fun. We’ll be in Disney World…” and she said something like, “Yeah, but I’ll have a BABY!”
So, there’s that.
We had a really meaningful and heartfelt conversation in Florida. I told Tom that I am so in love with the part of this thing that is him. He said he felt the same way about the part of it that’s me. It was this big gross love-fest that left us both in tears. Good times.
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Man, oh man! Did we ever go nuts on this trip! Whatever I wanted, it was “sure, babe.” “Of course.” “Anything for you!” It turned into a joke. We went camping to save money, but spent so much that it just turned into, “Sure. Why not? We’ve spent this much… what difference will it make?”
It was a much slower trip than usual. I gave Space Mountain and Splash Mountain a shot, but after that I didn’t press my luck with Tower of Terror, Rockin’ Roller Coaster, Star Tours, Mission Space, Test Track, Dinosaur, or Primeval Whirl. We actually tried to get on Dinosaur, but folks were flooding out through the entrance; so we’re thinking the ride was down. Aaaaanyway…
We spent Tuesday night, the 28th, through Friday night at Fort Wilderness… camping. What do you think of when you think camping? S’mores, right? Campfires? Sitting around in camping chairs? Yeah, me too. I also think of people. Dad. Camping for 2 was weird. Quiet. Lonely. Of course, I wanted to be in the theme parks as much as possible, and it was 90 degrees outside. So, sadly, we were only back at the tent overnight.
I saw a forecast for rain over the weekend, so I put in a call to Dad to see if he could find anything with DVC for us for our last night. I think either way, we weren’t going to camp in the rain. I really didn’t want to try to pack up a wet tent, so it was either DVC or International Drive. Fortunately, Popa Glenn came through for us in a big way. We had a great room on the top floor of The Grandstands at Saratoga Springs. We were right by the elevator and had a beautiful water/golf course view. AND we were across the parking lot from a very open-’til-midnight and not-crowded-at-all pool. Color me excited.
I had an epiphany on Saturday night. Maybe I’m not a themeparksthemeparksthemeparks person anymore. Maybe I’m a, “Dang, this resort is nice!” girl. We had a really good time at Saratoga Springs. We got into our room at 11, returned the tent to WalMart and went to Animal Kingdom. It was crowded and there’s a disclaimer beside almost every ride that says, “Expectant Mothers Should Not Ride.” So we saw, “It’s Tough to be a Bug” and went back to the hotel. I slept (hey, pregnant!) and Tom went to Walmart and bought me a bathing suit. (I told you, “Sure, babe! Anything for you!”) We went swimming for a couple of hours and then prince handsome-pants and I went to the food court and brought flatbreads, sandwiches, and salads back to our room.
The next morning, he brought me breakfast in bed. We packed, rode a bus Downtown and waited for MY SISTERS!!!!! and Sunny Michelle to come have lunch with us!!!!!! We’d had a back and forth with Lindsay all week about her coming up or us going down to Vero. Finally, on Sunday morning we got a text from her that said, “Alright, I’m coming. We’re going to have lunch at Turf Club and I can’t stay long but I’m coming because I love you!” That was special. That was a big huge hairy deal.
I feel old. You know? When I was 10 and my parents were in their mid-30s, they let Lindsay and I go to the theme parks on our own. I didn’t understand until last Saturday night how they could do something like that. The resorts are nice, too. And you pay good money for the privilege of sleeping there – you might as well take advantage of the pools, activities and atmosphere. It felt like a real vacation. People always ask me why we just go to Disney World and never do anything else. My answer has always been, “Soarin’, Splash Mountain, Dinosaur, Illuminations, Wishes, Fantasmic…” but now I feel like I can also say it’s because I love the resorts. When I think about it, a lot of my favorite memories have nothing to do with the parks. Every year we celebrate our anniversary at California Grill at the Contemporary Resort. Last December we had Artists’ Pointe delivered to our room and Tom wheeled me down to watch the Electrical Water Pageant. Tom, Reggie and I got in the hot tub in our underwear when we were in college. One day last week, Tom and I sauntered around Fort Wilderness, saw a bunch of horses, and had lunch at Trail’s End.
It was such a good trip!!! We closed the Newlywed chapter of our lives. And now… we start writing that parenthood part…
That La Kid 
Omg…parenthood part. That is crazy. I’m glad that you were so happy to see us… we were very happy to see you too. Definitely came up just for you because we love you and really wanted to see you.
I’m excited for the Newlywed part… is that weird? Watching those proposal videos last night I kept crying because they were so romantic and I can’t wait for that to happen to me. I don’t feel like I want kids, but I think it’s because I haven’t gotten that part of my life yet, the newlywed part. I am super stoked. Weird. We are getting old. And I am going to be an aunt!