The Wrap Up

Okay so I have about a bazillion things I need and want to do in the next week and a half before we move so I thought I should buckle down and get this updated so that it is in the family journal and I don't feel guilty about only checking my email anymore :) This is a blitz people. I am sure no one but my and Chris's family will read all of it but I am totally okay with that! Start your engines here we go:
Half Day at Magic Kingdom
To avoid further tempting of labor we decided to only do a half day the next day at the Magic Kingdom. This turned out to be wonderful. We rested in the morning, hit the pool and then leisurely headed to the park. Chris's dad even got us free parking for the day by knowing five of the seven dwarfs names! (The parking attending totally didn't know what he was getting into when he offered a trivia question for free parking, Rick is the KING of trivia. I often nag him about going on one of his fav shows Jeopardy now that he is retired.) Sam of course loved the "mamarail" and "Toby" ride up to the park. Then to make him even happier we hoped on the train and went around to Toon Town.
I personally think Toon Town is rather lame. I mean you've obviously GOT to do it but it is just a bunch of cartoony houses with REALLY long lines to meet characters. SO we didn't stay there long. Chris and I didn't know if they would like it but decided to chance taking the boys on the raceway ride where they get tot drive a car on a railed track. Now why Disney hasn't simply painted the cars to look like the ones on the Pixar movie Cars is beyond me. That ride would skyrocket in coolness if you could hop into Lightening McQueen or Chic Hicks. All it takes is some paint? Irregardless I got to drive with Liam because he choose today to be a SUPER mamas boy.

This turned out to be a very bad idea as we slammed repeatedly into the rail and had a line of about twenty cars behind us. I finally grabbed the wheel at a super awkward angle and speed us into the finish. Sam loved it and I think he did a pretty good job for a first timer! The line for the Buzz Lightyear ride was super short so we ended up going on it two or three times.

Again Liam rode with me and was scared, crying just a little in the tunnel. I tried to show him how to use his gun but gave up and instead focused on getting him to say Zerg.

The second time around I decided to see how many points I could rack up. I don't mean to brag but I did awesome!

Afterwards us adults tried to figure out what I did that worked so well but it remains a mystery. After a melt down because we wouldn't wait in the crazy long line to go on the Astro orbiter we headed over to frontier land to go on Pirates and jungle cruise again. On the way out from Pirates Sam found this cool pirate scope and to my surprise it was only 3 bucks, so I had to get it! Is it just me or as a kid did EVERYTHING seem insanely expensive at Disneyland... maybe it is my champagne taste.

Sam hit up his other favorite the Swiss family tree house, I believe four more times (things look a lot cooler through a scope) before we headed over to the bear country jamboree. While waiting to go in Liam flirted through the window with a lady in the candy shop to the point that she called us over. He riffled through so much of the salt water taffy that I felt like I should ethically buy some even though I am not a huge fan. This is when I found out that you can't just buy one or two pieces but you have to "fill the bag" and the girl insisted that I jam as much in their as humanly possible. I also discovered that Liam will only eat Taffy if the wrapper is still on it.... yeah, so a bag of taffy about the size of an airplane barf bag went in the trash. As for the Bear Country Jamboree the boys seemed to enjoy it. It was so funny going as an adult and catching so many innuendos that went right over my head as a child. They also didn't perform my favorite "Two Different Worlds" where a bear sings to an octopus, but that's okay. The girl bear I used to think was SOOOO beautiful did descend from the ceiling and swing so that made up for it. We then headed over to get a good seat for the fireworks this time in front of the castle.

This is when one of my favorite moments happened. I was sitting on the park bench taking in the gorgeous display with Sam on my lap when he turned around put his arms around my neck and said "I am so happy. I love you." I thought I was going to die. I literally started tearing up and felt so silly but right then, I was in heaven! What a great half day!
Seaworld
Because I have the platinum pass to Busch Gardens I get in free to Sea World!! Well I was not going to miss this opportunity, BUT we didn't want to shell out the sixty bucks for others to go, so while everyone took the day off, the boys going to another movie and Jan getting some quality Liam time, I took Sam and the two of us head to Seaworld!

I was so excited. Chris and I seem to have a thing for Aquariums and this was the only Seaworld I hadn't been too.

We started off with a Bang by getting stellar "disabled persons" seats to the Believe show because apparently now being pregnant makes me disabled, or at least it does to the usher at Seaworld-- hey I am NOT complaining I wish more places saw it this way! Sam and I were both in Awe.

It was such an amazing show.

Sam kept asking to go down and go swimming with the shark. Afterwards he picked out a baby killer whale as his toy for the trip and proceeded to show it everything at the park! Soooo cute!

Since it was just he and I we took it nice and slow. We stopped several times for ice cream and drinks and it was nice to be able to let him sit and stare at things for as long as he wanted without worrying about another little guy running away.

There were zero meltdowns and although I don't know if it is worth the price if you actually had to pay, it will go down in history as one of my favorite days with Sam, and something I certainly need to do more often with both boys (one on one time not necessarily Seaworld).

We finished seeing all the exhibits a little early so we decided to take in the Clyde and Seamore seal show. We walked into the arena and there was a lady sitting at the top that looked a lot like Chris's mom.

So much in fact that Sam kept asking to go sit by Grandma. I kept explaining that she was at home with Liam but he kept asking and then finally announced he was ready to go. We headed out to the parking lot and the timing could not have been crazier a HUGE thunderstorm slammed into the park. The lightening and thunder was terrifying. Sam literally crawled into the basket of the stroller underneath because he was so scared. Luckily as soon as the clouds opened up to unleash an insane amount of rain Chris pulled up and we were saved from a certain drenching.
Last Day: Good Ole' Epcot!
For our last day we headed to Epcot. I had no idea what to expect except that Chris and his Dad love this park. We first went on the informational ride The Land where I witnessed some gardening techniques I know my mom would kill to learn.

Sam particularly liked it and dubbed it a "boat train", whatever that means. It was amazing... yet puzzling as to why the techniques have not been implemented on a grander scale. We then got to see the Lion King environment movie which made me keenly aware of the fact that I am killing our earth, nice warm fuzzes with that one. To lighten the mood we headed over to the Seas with Nemo!

Liam was in heaven of course seeing his favorite little friend!

Then came what I was most excited for Turtle Talk with Crush. I think this is possibly the COOLEST interactive experience ever! You are placed in a big room where the kids sit up front. There is a flat screen that runs the entire length of the front wall and appears to be the ocean. Crush from Nemo swims in and greets us all in the "Human Tank by banging on the glass" he then proceeds to ask kids in the audience hilarious questions and answer some in return. I LOVE it and have no idea how they sync it all up but wow. Of course this is exactly the moment Sam and Liam both LOOSE it so we had to take them out... DANG IT. We ate a delicious but super noisy lunch at the Sunshine Cafe and after doing battle with the boys I decided it was time to go back and let them nap so that everyone else can actually enjoy Epcot. This turned out to be a good idea because Liam was asleep before I even got to the car and continued to sleep for two more hours! When we came back the boys had fun running away from the spraying fountians.

Apparently people are not shy about modesty though and Chris informed me that earlier that day there was a little girl completly streaking through them. To bad for the boys I still have some scrap of dignity and would not allow it. We visited a few countries including my favorite Norway.

The boys had a blast trying on all viking hats in the giftshop!

Well, correction Sam had a blast trying them all on:

We then found Sam's favorite spot ever, a small (seriously tiny) train display with electronic trains running on it.

Okay these things went so slow that little bunnies felt comfortable enough to venture out and hop around the display.

I am thinkin' we spent a good hour there though. Chris's parents oddly enough didn't want to sit and stare at slow moving trains all evening and went to explore some more countries so after we tore Sam away we let the boys play at the "environmentally friendly backyard" and bang on some African drums, mentionaing several times that we might be living in Africa soon :).

We then headed to bag a spot for what was supposed to be an AMAZING fireworks and lights display. We got an amazing spot and I being the fanatic I am spread us out. (Kerstin you know a little about me and marking my space :)) I had the double stroller stretched out length wise and then made us sit a little away from it while we ate dinner and had ice cream. Of course pregnancy bladder hit and I went to wait in the massive bathroom line leaving Jan and Chris to guard our territory. Jan who shares my enthusiasm for a good view and understands being a protectorate of sweet spots ran to get some ice cream leaving my kind easy going husband. Needless to say when I got back our stroller had been moved and we were now sitting behind a ginormous oak tree with two families on either side!!! Hello! After a brief lecture about being meaner I resigned myself to the fact that our hour and a half of waiting was all for naught... in the end it didn't matter though because as it turns out when a huge lake erupts into flames that tends to scare kids. Liam and Sam wanted none of the show and after about five Min's we decided to beat the rush and head home.

On the way out we recieved some pretty hefty verbal abuse from Liam. He would repeat everything Chris said in this little angry raspy voice. Chris and I thought it was hilarious. I was also able to snap my only picture with the world famous "golfball" in the background :)

We then bid farewell to Disney World and all fell into our beds exhausted!
The Trip Home
Because we didn't have to be out of our Condo but needed to head home to make graduation we took a nice slow morning letting the boys swim one last time and packing up. After a tetris like game of loading the car we hit the road. It is a 12 hour drive from Orlando to Williamsburg and we had every intention of breaking it up into two days, as previously mentioned. But after the boys zonked and we were all still lively and talking we made the command decision to tough it out and make it all the way (I think poor Rick was not to thrilled about this but like his son he is a team player and didn't complain). We arrived home at two in the morning. Although long and exhausting it was nice to be done and wake up in our own beds! PHEW! So that is our AMAZING, wonderful, fantastic, magical week at Disney world. We cannot thank Grandma and Grandpa enough, we loved every minute.... well after the Dumbo ride that is :) I am already looking forward to 2013... oh did we not mention that :) Only this time hopefully we can spoil YOU!