Tools of the Trade

A trip of this magnitude is not possible without some help. Two things specifically have made this trip easier or even possible, our iPhone and stroller.

Our iPhones have been useful in countless ways. Using the Undercover Tourist Disney World app that show maps of the parks, ride locations, up to the minute lengths of lines, restaurant menus, and parade times. Beyond that movies and shows for the kids have kept them entertained and away from the path of oncoming busses. Instead of screaming, wiggling, and overtired children on a bus we have quiet contained little ones. Lastly pictures and blogs. Without this device we'd have another piece of gear to manage on our trip. The iPhone takes great pictures and video too. With Internet access at the resort costing $9.99 a day we are forgoing Internet for our computer and instead I'm posting the blogs from my phone. Typing on this small screen is slower and more prone to errors but I'm managing.

The above tool is a convenience but this next tool is a necessity, our stroller. We didn't want to have to check our stroller on the plane plus we wanted one with the ability to seat two. At the recommendation of www.mousesavers.com we rented a stroller from an off site company for $100 for 6 days of use and that price included $25 loss and theft insurance.


For just that bit we got a double wide stroller delivered to our resort, that we can use at the resort, with seats that fold flat, and has three drink cup holders. When we are done we pack it back in it's bag leave it at the front desk and we are done with it.


Whereas if you were rent one from the Disney parks it would run us $31 a day for this hard plastic nightmare that doesn't fold flat and can't be used at the resort.

Even though we have a great stroller the kids sometimes won't use it. Luke especially has a dislike for it when he needs it most. In the morning he is all about the stroller but as the day wears on he uses it less and less. We try to let him walk but if we have a long way to go sometimes we have to buckle him in against his will and go.

Disney World Day: 2

The second day of Disney got off to a slow start as we all slept in until 8:00 or later. Nearly 11 hours of sleep for all of us!


We visited the Magic Kingdom again to hit the spots we missed the day before. we rode the notable rides like the Tea Cups and Dumbo (more on that later) and we tried some new attractions such as Mickey's Philharmonic and the Winnie the Pooh ride.


Those two "new" rides deserve some ire. I guess it's just a Disney thing but what is with all of the peril on their rides and in their movies? There were some legitimately scary scenes in the Philharmonic show that made both a 4 and 2 year old cry. At least warn us it's coming! Next the Winnie the Pooh ride. That's right Winnie... The... Pooh... Was scary. That takes some effort right? On the ride there were a few scenes where it looked and sounded like a tornado was coming through. Then toss on a few scenes where everything was flooding. Mix that together and we have another set of crying kids. The only redeeming quality of those rides were the Fast Passes.

Fast passes are Disney's way of getting people to maximize their time in the park. You can show up early for a ride grab a ticket and come back later. When it's your turn to ride you come back and are placed at the front of the line a godsend for those with kids who can't handle lines on hot days.





Cue the Dumbo ride. The one ride Alyce wanted more than any other was the Dumbo ride. It's a pretty short ride. You get in, you go in circles, you go up, you go down, and you're done. The problem is that the ride holds at best 20 people a shot and there is no Fast Pass for one of the most popular rides in the park. Mom and I steeled ourselves for the suffering that was to come from the 45 minute line, in the sun, and on a 95 degree day. Things go well for the first half but the second half is when the wheels fell off the bus. Any rational thought Luke had went out the window. He'd start running into other people, laying down on the ground, and pretty much ignored or did the opposite of what we'd ask of him. By the time we got on Dumbo we were done and so were the kids.

Speaking of lunch Mom and I were kind of surprised. With the kid's meals they came by default with grapes and carrot sticks instead of fries. Even more surprising? The kids ate them and left our fries alone! They did however eat our dessert.

To finish up on Dumbo I have to give Alyce a gold star. She handled herself very well in line and enjoyed the ride. Only when she's past tired, extra hot, or super hungry does she step out of line. You can't ask for much better.

Looking back on it I don't blame Luke for flipping out. It was just too hot for too long for a two year old. If the weather were nicer or he was older we would have had a different result. Sorry little guy.


Following the Magic Kingdom and a nap we went out to dinner at Downtown Disney. At the recommendation of the Disney Reservation person I talked to on the phone we tried the Raglan Road Irish Pub and Restaurant. I'd say his recommendation was right on. We had front row seats to live music and Irish dancing. The music was a bit loud but they were on break for most of our meal and the dancing kept the kids entertained. Mom had a chicken salad for dinner and I had a seafood chowder. Seriously, when did we get so old? In hindsight I should have stayed away from the seafood as I'd never eaten half of the stuff in it. Who knows if I would have been allergic to some unknown shellfish.


Following dinner we stayed out waaayy too late shopping. I got a cool Lego set, Luke got two Mickey Mouse dolls, Alyce got a Cinderella doll and pink Minnie Mouse ears, and Mom got a set of Minnie Mouse ears.

By the time we got the kids to bed that night it was pushing 11:30. They passed out from exhaustion but we knew we were going to pay for it the next day. Cue the ominous music.

Disney World Day: 1

After the bus ride from the airport we got into our room to find it was missing the pack n play we requested. Our plan was for Luke to take a nap before we ventured out but without a proper bed there was a slim chance for that to happen. So we forged on into the abyss and hopped on the bus to the Magic Kingdom with a boy that was up since 4:00 a.m.


Whether it was luck or magic we saw Princess Cinderella, Mickey, and the gang first thing. Right in front of the Enchanted Castle a show was just starting titled "Dreams Do Come True". It had dancing and signing and everything a little girl in love with princess could want.

Following the show we headed behind the castle for some rides. Our first ride and the one with the shortest line was It's a Small World. Showing my exhaustion I just about fell asleep on the ride. Those little happy singing dancing kids are hypnotic.





Following that we took a few trips on Prince Charming's Carousel. This is when Luke finally broke down. Just getting him off the horse would evoke screams. Part of you would get frustrated with him and the other would feel sorry for the guy.


We called it a day and on the bus back Luke fell asleep on Mom. After the bus ride he slept through dinner in our stroller. This was a welcome relief because we didn't really have a clue on how we were going to feed ourselves. By him sleeping through Mom and I had an enjoyable quiet dinner.

Showing how old we are getting. Mom and I ate roast turkey, potatoes, and broccoli instead of burgers and fries for dinner.

After dinner we headed back to the room to call it an early night. However our pack n play was still not yet delivered! One angry call and 20 minutes later we were in business and asleep by 9:30.

Airplane

Even though we are still up in the air as I write this the trip has been going ok so far. The trip though airport security was stressful. We were two people trying to get 4 pairs of shoes, carry ons, and a car seat through security. If we bad been there when they were busy I'm guessing we would have had our fair share of eye rolls.


Moving through the airport was easy enough. A coworker let us borrow a rolling car seat that we used to strap Luke into. Moving through the airport was easy getting the car seat on the plane no so much. The seat fit and we got it buckled in. However it put him too far forward so much that he could push on the seat in front of him. Mom was sitting with Luke and was a miracle worker at keeping him happy and not kicking.





Alyce has been a gem the whole time. At six in the morning she's skipping through the airport. Disney World can do that. Sitting on the plane she looked out the window quite a bit and eventually started watching some shows on my phone. Before we even got off the ground we did have a funny moment. She pulled out the emergency pamphlet and started to look it over. She looked so grown up.


Our flight to Orlando had a layover in Atlanta. Our plane landed on time but took a while getting to the gate.

A Rough Start

Today we left for our vacation to Disney World! Every trip starts with a first step and ours began at home.

To get to Disney World we are flying. Better 3 hours in the air than 16 by car. We wanted the kids to be on their best behavior so we got an early flight. By early I mean the plane took off before 7:00. To get ready for all of this Grams spent the night so she could take us to the airport in the morning. We were planning on waking the kids around 4:30 - 4:45. Every good, right? Wrong!

During the night a huge storm blew through. Mom and I were up getting ready while the tail end was overhead. Right as Mom was sitting down to put on her makeup the power goes out. From that moment to when we left we had to use flashlights and iPhones to move around the house. Alyce and Luke both had flashlights in the dark and they were having a blast with them. Mom finished packing, Grams got the kids ready, and I packed up the van. Surprisingly we were only 20 minutes late leaving the house.

We had planned a lot of extra time to get on the plane and we needed it. Our experience at the airport was orderly but we didn't have but five minutes to spare.

Geo Trax, Fight!

There is a downside to having a really cool toy; everyone wants to play with it.  That cool toy in our house is our Geo Trax train set and it has become a source of confrontation between our children. Geo Trax first showed on the scene a bit ago and since then there has been some ebb and flow with their interest in it.  If we have them hidden they don't notice they're gone and they don't play with them much.

When we have them out and I build a track then it becomes a free for all.  One child could be playing along nicely and then the other comes in and wants to run a train themselves.  The problem is that a lot of times the trains share the same track and sometimes the same space (read crashes into each other).  When they block each other out either intentional or by accident is where the problems start.  Mom and I understand there will be conflicts but when Alyce and Luke get into it they get loud.  The usual example is Luke knocking Alyce's train off the track as he crawls around.  Alyce then yells "Luke, you are always messing up my stuff!".  Luke responds with a long high pitched scream you could hear a block away.  If they both want the same train, track piece, or anything it only gets worse.  They will both be pulling on it screaming at the top of their lungs.

The whole thing is maddening.  The best way I've found to combat their combat is to create two tracks and make them play by themselves.  Of course if the tracks aren't identical there there is still some room for jealousy.

Oh kids why are you so kid like?

Time For a Big Boy Bed

The time is quickly approaching for Luke to get a big boy bed.  Most mornings Luke is quite content to hang out in his crib for a bit while Mom gets ready for the day.  Last week that nicety ended.  Mom was dozing in our room when she heard a crash from the kid's side of the house.  Rushing into Luke's room she saw that Luke had climbed over and out of his crib.  He didn't hurt himself but it showed that the crib can no longer contain him.

We are lucky that his crib has a little door on the side and at night when Mom checks on him she can open it.  That way in the morning he can get out of bed in a safe way rather than re-enacting a scene from a Spiderman Comic.  We haven't done that yet because I have yet to secure Luke's dresser to the wall.  If  he were to climb up on the open dresser drawers he could pull the whole thing down on top of himself.

Later Bed Time

Even though it isn't official Luke is getting a later bed time.  It seems we are out and about most nights and don't manage to get him to bed until 8:30 or later.  What's even more pleasing is that even though he is past his bedtime of 7:30 he doesn't get cranky.  Some nights when we do get him to bed on time we can still hear him up to an hour later talking to himself and kicking the side of his crib.  We refer to it as he's having a party in his room.

It's probably just as well he's going to bed later.  It make life easier on us knowing that we have more time out at night and don't have to rush him home.  We've pushed him as late as 10:00 and he does okay but we pay for it the next day with a cranky little boy.

Can't Say the Letter T

Luke's language is coming along nicely.  His vocabulary is out of this world.  He knows most of his colors, some shapes, and a few animals.  He knows octopus and zebra, circle and triangle, and green, blue, and red as a few good examples. One thing Luke doesn't have a good grasp of is the letter T. Well saying the letter T anyway.  Anytime the letter T comes up in a word he says it silently. A good example is when he says the name of Thomas the Tank Engine it comes out as "Momas". Whenever we drive home we cross a bridge over water and a lagoon. When Luke sees the water he says "waber". After we drive past Luke says "bye bye waber".

Geo Trax

One present Luke got for his birthday was a set of Geo Trax.  It was a starter set and while fun it wasn't big enough to keep Luke's attention for long.  Fast forward to about a month ago and we picked up some more sets from Target that were on clearance.  There were enough pieces and parts to reach the critical mass needed for Geo Trax fun.  Seeing how much fun the kids were having with the train and the age of the of toys I figured there would be some up for sale on Craig's List, I was right.  Looking online I found a few bundles for sale.  20 minutes and $50 later we had more track and trains than we knew what to do with.

To explain, Geo Trax are a line of train toys from Fisher Price.  The trains come with tracks, switches, and ramps that snap together and the trains then roll on them. The track requires just enough force to stay together and survive a 2 year old stepping on them.  The tracks and trains have survived multiple drops on concrete and show no wear for their trouble.  The toys aren't cheap but you do get what you pay for.

Last night while Mom was taking Alyce to a dance recital rehearsal I stayed home with Luke and we played with trains. I cleared out a space on the living room floor and set to work.  I don't have a plan when I start building but quickly something takes shape.  Luke, bless his heart will grab a piece from the crate we keep them in, hand it to me, and mumbles something about it.  I usually thank him for his part and try to use it but a lot of times I hide it while he isn't looking.

Both Luke and I like tracks with ramps and bridges so I always try to include a few raised sections.  I'm also a fan of the switch tracks but the kids don't bother with them so they usually stay set to the longest route.  One piece that is indispensable is the orange station.  That piece is there to help set up the trains.  It isn't hard to get a train on the tracks but if you use that thing you can drop all of the cars in a chain the train is guaranteed to be on the tracks when it leaves the station.

With our purchases we picked up 3 remote control trains.  These trains are controlled by a kid friend infrared remote. Each train gets a matching remote and it allows the driver put only their train in forward and reverse. With as much play as they get you'd figure we'd be chewing through batteries but we have yet to change them in a month of usage.  While Alyce and I like the remote control trains Luke is more of a purist and likes to push his around the track. Technically he should be pulling the train around the track to avoid derailments but Luke hasn't figured that part out yet so he does suffer the occasional crash.


When Luke is playing he is a joy to watch. He likes to get down on the trains level as he pushes them by.  I think he gets a lot out of seeing them move past.  Watching him crawl around the set and sticking his arm around pylons is pretty neat.  He is learning lots of good skills doing this like thinking a few steps ahead to get his body into position for where the train will go.  When Luke gets really into it he will be so focused on what he's doing he doesn't notice me anymore and sends the train around and around the loop.

For the $100 or so dollars we've invested in this toy system I'd say we've gotten our monies worth.  The majority of the toys our kids have don't get played with as much as they should.  This is the first one that's really captured their imagination and held it.  It's also a toy that I get as much fun out of as the kids do.

Bubbles!

Today, after the heat of the day had passed we ventured outside for a bit of fun. We got out all of our bubble supplies and let the kids go wild. Luke was out of it for a while and just kind of hung out in his chair. Alyce on the other hand was going crazy chasing the bubbles. There was leaping, skipping, bounding, and running all of the moves one needs to smash those bubbles into oblivion.


We pulled out Luke's new toy, the bubble machine that automatically blows hundreds if not thousands of bubbles a minute.  The kids were interested in the machine but weren't fascinated with the bubbles. It was as if they were more interested in how the bubbles were being made than the bubbles themselves. Mom and I thought the machine was pretty cool and enjoyed the constant stream of bubbles. Alyce and Luke both liked the big bubbles that Mom and I were blowing for them with the wands Alyce won at Gideon's birthday party.

Later on I'm guessing Luke's dinner finally kicked in and he noticed the bubbles and squealed "bubbles, bubbles!" while running in place. Even though he was late to the party Luke still managed to have a good time with Alyce running from the driveway to the front porch and back again.