On the way to Disney!!!

We started our countdown to Disney early.  The girls loved helping me make this "calendar" for the playroom.  I was going to cut each head out myself but the girls wanted to help and I was more than happy to let them!

 

By the time we started this countdown, I had completed all the actual planning for the trip.  The details that remained were all for the road trip and the stay in the hotel (since we'd have access to a full kitchen I planned on doing some light cooking while we were there).  Each week I dedicated to a topic - packing clothes, planning car activities, and planning food.  It turns out a lot of that time was wasted.  Because we had a washing machine, the girls' clothes were washed frequently and they chose to wear the same outfits multiple times.  Only about 2 of the many activities I researched, planned, and created were actually used during the trip.  We never made it to the grocery store or placed an order for my fresh food so we didn't do too much eating in the room!  Oh well, lessons learned...

We left for Disney on a Friday right after school.  Kelly had taken the day off so we used the morning to pack the car and then went to chapel with the girls at school.  Once home, we ate lunch, changed clothes, and loaded up the last few things.  While we were loading up, Killian fell and cut his eye.  He's still pretty happy though!  I was convinced he needed stitches.  Kelly kept saying he was fine and that even if it scarred it would be okay.  I don't think it will scar and he is fine but I was not so sure at the time!

The only of the activities I made that he liked.  Unfortunately it was pretty loud and that frustrated the girls.  I say he "liked it" because he played with it for about 3 minutes. Everything else I gave him he would look at and then drop down the side of him closest to the door and furthest from me.  He didn't scream the entire way but he wasn't the easiest to entertain either..

Keeley using my magentic "felt board" to act out the story of "The Three Little Pigs"

Killian also really enjoyed this wipe box I stuffed with scarves.

Kayden colored this package of princess coloring sheets for about 90% of the drive.  There were 80 sheets in it and I think she just about finished it all.

Keeley looking through an audio book.  I don't think we actually listened to it, but she did look through it.  All she really wanted to do was watch movies.

Some highlights of that first day driving: 

* stop and go traffic on 380 which meant that Killian could not fall asleep and stay asleep for his afternoon nap.  No afternoon nap = a bit of screaming that no one enjoyed

* stopping at McDonald's to let kids play for a minute ended in me fishing a dead bee out of Killian's mouth

* Killian went on nursing strike and refused to nurse at all the entire day

* terrible rainstorm with cars all in ditches all along the road

* Attempt to drive as late as we could into the night resulted in Killian waking up screaming at 10 ready to eat (finally!).  The screaming made girls wake up and Kayden started screaming.  We decided to check into hotel and there was more screaming from Kayden.  We checked into hotel at 10:30 and were not asleep until almost 1.

* everyone woke up happy (thank goodness) and we were off again soon

 

 

 

Kelly drove the entire way to Disney World.

Because no one got a good night's rest, there were naps on the way. I cannot tell you the last time the girls' took naps before this...

 

We played with glow necklaces until they were chewed on.  No, not by the baby....

Some highlights of day two:

* Killian still refuses to nurse

* All three kids took naps

* Girls already tired of grilled cheese and mac and cheese

* more rain

* everyone ate tons of snacks

* horrible stop at a Dairy Queen for "dinner" which resulted in everyone really throwing most of their food away and the girls eating ice cream for dinner

* realization about 2 hours from Disney World that I had forgotten to pack my master spreadsheet that was organized with all my reservations, plans for each park, itinerary possibilities.  I had been waiting until the last minute to print it so that it would be the most up-to-date copy but then I forgot to pack it!

We arrived at our hotel, Disney's Wilderness Lodge, really late and were greeted by Uncle Kendall and Angie.  I had managed to keep it a surprise that we were going to see them at Disney World.  The later our drive got, however, the more concerned I became that the girls would not react well to a complete surprise.  About two hours before we arrived, I told them that there would be a surprise when we arrived.  Keeley immediately thought food and asked if Killian could have it too.  I told them it wasn't food.  As soon as Kendall hugged Keeley, she told him that there was a surprise and she was excited.  Kendall told her that it was him and Angie.  Keeley was visibly upset that was the whole surprise.  Fortunately for everyone, though, we all loved spending the week with Uncle Kendall and Angie!  I'm so very glad they chose to come!

Everyone was so glad to be at the hotel and out of the car.  I was so thankful that it would be a week before I would have to get back in the van and go anywhere!  After we checked in we headed over to the Villa we had rented and along the way a frog hopped in our path.  The girls thought that was great.  We got settled in and told Kendall and Angie we'd meet them the next day and everyone went to sleep.