2010

NYE 2010 was a family event. We did lose a few members of the crew after Christmas thanks to this little thing called a job that took priority for some. Luckily, quite a few of us aren't as dedicated (to work, at least) and were able to extend the holiday gathering for a few more days.We put on our party clothes and hit the streets looking for some fun. I guess we were feeling brave because we made dinner reservations at one of the area's nicer restaurants, despite the fact that our party included two "small" guests. Surely our little guys could control themselves for a few hours?I must commend the boys for their excellent behavior. Sure, the iPhones came in handy. The fact that we seated in the private room overlooking the main dining room also helped! Honestly, the setup was perfect, and the hostess never even batted an eyelash when she realized we brought children. What a poker face she must have!After dinner, we stopped by to see our friends Bob & Whitney who were ringing in the new year at home with little Ethan and some out-of-town guests. This little pit stop was exactly what the boys needed after the controlled environment at the restaurant. Jax & Baylor could run free, and they did!A few rounds of champagne later, and we were headed out the door in search of the twinkling lights of downtown. We did our best to keep the party going, but with Midnight approaching, Baylor's "party animal" mode began to wind down. Even the live band wasn't enough to raise the energy level.The youngest member of the crew called it a night about 30 minutes shy of 2010. Not only did Baylor lose the opportunity to be showered in Midnight kisses...

He missed out on the evening's real entertainment...FIREWORKS!!!

The boys couldn't contain their excitement. They started the show before the girls even made it out to the driveway and labeled it a "practice" round. Nice!Now, while the boys may have started the show, we all took a turn lighting a fuse or two. Even Jax got in on the action, despite Aunt Kelly's protests over the danger of Roman Candles.I think it's safe to say she's still battling the emotional scars from having a Roman Candle misfire and hit her in the face when she was 4. Notice, I said "emotional scars," and as you can see below, she's working on conquering those fears.

At 1:00 AM we took pity on our neighbors and concluded the display. Yes, we had fireworks left over. Clearly, the boys went a bit crazy at the fireworks store, but that just meant there were a few rounds left for New Year's Day.

2010 started with a bang! Let's keep the momentum going! Happy New Year, Everyone!!!

Disney Insanity, Day 2

We were up bright & early on day 2 at Disney World. Nothing was going to keep us from experiencing the Magic Kingdom at it's finest, decked out for the holidays! After a quick picture at the entrance (notice: Baylor refused to cooperate), we made a mad dash into the park.It's really quite a display. Everyone should experience the grandeur at least once, just not during "hell week." Maybe that's a bit melodramatic, but at times the crowds were absolutely overwhelming. Luckily, the morning was relatively drama-free. I guess the masses decided to sleep in or they were all enjoying character breakfasts.

Once inside, Baylor was finally feeling somewhat camera-ready.

Everybody loves Cinderella's Castle! It seems to cast a spell over you. You're magically drawn to it. I am not kidding!Unfortunately, the magic wears off as soon as you find yourself in line. We were actually quite fortunate and managed to ride Peter Pan, Small World, and Winnie the Pooh within the first 90 minutes. Baylor LOVED every single ride and HATED every single line. He's too young to internalize his frustration like the rest of us. No, he has to share his anger with the world!We all did our best to entertain Baylor. Some strategies were more successful than others, but to no one's surprise (I'm sure) the iPhone reigned supreme. Ultimately, we decided that 19 months is just not a good Disney-age for Baylor. He considers himself too "big" for the stroller, but the parks were entirely too crowded for him to walk on his own. Combine that with the fact that Baylor's favorite game to play that day was "watch me run away as fast as I can," and I'm sure you can understand our group frustration with him.Jax handled the long waits like a champ. He was all smiles most of the day. The rest of us experienced a roller coaster of emotions. At the start of the day, everyone was excited and looking forward to a fun day. It helped that the lines were moving relatively quickly.By mid-afternoon, the meltdowns began. Not Jax, this picture was staged. However, the rest of us weren't feeling so chipper. Baylor was miserable. Although, I can't say I blame him. We all woke up at the crack of dawn to insure our entrance into the park, and all the caffeine in the park wasn't helping.The only relief came when you actually sat down to enjoy an attraction. Those few minutes were magical. Unfortunately, you were dumped back into the masses at the end of the ride.Luckily, we did find a place for Baylor to roam free...Pooh's Playground. It seemed to be the solution for quite a few parents.Jax made it over to his favorite spot too...the go-kart track. Vroom! Vroom! Out of his way!With the lines out of control, we decided it would be best to just sit back & enjoy the afternoon parade. You can't help smiling at the spectacle.

Unless, of course, you're Baylor. Then, you pass out! The poor kid misses all the good stuff.I guess the nap wasn't quite long enough because Baylor woke up in a fowl mood. Like any good mom, I knew the solution was SUGAR. Okay! Okay! So maybe that wasn't the "good mom" solution, but it worked for me at that moment. No one wanted to listen to yet another meltdown.

The boys seemed to like the new strategy. Sadly for them, this strategy does not apply at home. A few more rides, and we decided to call it a day.

However, we simply could not leave without seeing the SpectroMagic parade. It's incredible in every way, pure Disney spectacle! With the castle as the backdrop, we watched in awe and the illuminated floats made their way down Main Street.

It's hard to say who enjoyed the parade more, Baylor or Uncle Al?

I really can't think of a better way to conclude a day in the Magic Kingdom. As we made our way towards the exit, Disney treated us to a magical snowfall. Baylor was amazed! I think that's the happiest he was all day, even happier than when I gave him the lollipop.

Despite a few rough patches it was a nice trip. I'm already looking forward to the 2010 Disney Holiday Adventure, but you can be sure it will be scheduled prior to December 24th!

Disney Insanity

I know the appropriate term is "Disney Magic," and that's what we experienced during the 2008 Holiday season. However, in 2009, insanity is the more accurate adjective. In '08, we were told by Disney staff that we had timed our departure (Dec. 24th) perfectly to avoid the crowds. Why oh why didn't I heed the warning?!?

Nope, not me! I thought, "How bad can it really be?" and planned a 2-day trip back to "the happiest place on Earth" during the busiest week of the year between Christmas and New Year's Day. Genius! We arrived just before Noon on day 1 only to discover that The Magic Kingdom was at capacity, and they weren't allowing anyone else to enter the park. Great!

Did that stop us? No! Determined to make the best of the situation, we headed over Disney's Hollywood Studios, our backup park choice. We had planned to possibly check it out on day 2. It seemed easy enough to simply flip-flop our itinerary. I have to admit, I was a little nervous though. Magic Kingdom is by far the largest park when it comes to attractions. I feared that the handful of worthwhile rides and shows at Hollywood Studios would have ridiculous lines.

I was right, for the most part, but we tried not to get discouraged. All we needed was a plan. We learned very quickly during the '08 trip that you are pretty much screwed at Disney without a plan. You just end up wandering aimlessly among the massive crowd people. So, we grabbed a map and formulated a plan of attack.

First, meet the characters. We crossed paths with the Power Rangers, but Jax didn't seem interested in meeting them. I suspected Jax's lack of enthusiasm was the result of wanting to see his favorite characters, Lightening and Mater. While that was part of it, Jax later confessed that he felt a bit intimidated by the Power Rangers. I guess I can't blame him. They are Super Heroes, after all.

Baylor once again missed out on the opportunity to meet the Cars characters because he was napping in his stroller. This is exactly what happened last year. Oh well! I'm sure he'll have opportunity to pose with Lightening & Mater at some point in 2010. He's lucky we bought the annual pass!

Our second stop was the Lights, Motors, Action stunt show. I missed out on this last year because I was busy talking with security about my stolen/lost purse. Yeah, that was a blast! My suspicions from last year were confirmed during this trip, the group that saw the show got the better end of the deal! It was awesome!

After the show, we milled around for a bit. The already crowded park seemed even more crowded, and we decided it was probably best to just find an attraction and get in line. Everything had a line by that point!

Baylor's favorite ride of the day was one that featured scenes from some of Hollywood's greatest movies. He was wide-eyed from start to finish, taking it all in. Baylor seemed to enjoy being caught in the middle of an old west gun fight. If only he hadn't left his holster and 6-shooter at home!

Never one for Westerns, my favorite scene involved a yellow brick road.

With the sun setting and the temperatures dipping, we decided the only way to keep warm was an adrenaline rush. At Hollywood Studios, that means a ride on Aerosmith's Rockin' Roller Coaster and The Twilight Tower of Terror. The lines were long, but Baylor & Jax actually came to our rescue.

Disney offers parents (with children that are too small to ride some of the faster attractions) a switch ticket which allows the two parents the opportunity to switch off and take turns on the ride. Basically, the ticket works like a fast pass. As an added bonus, you are allowed to take up to 3 people with you on one switch ticket. Thanks, Disney!

While it didn't go according to plan, day 1 did turn out successfully. We were able to see/ride all of the major attractions. That's no small victory when you consider the volume of people. Stay tuned to hear whether our luck continued on day 2.