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So, this past weekend we went to the happiest place on earth...Disney World!! We were 8 adults, a 3 year old, a 1 year old, and a 6 month old. We have over 200 pictures filled with smiling babies and exciting character meet and greets. It was truly magical!
Now, let me tell you the truth behind all those "oh so cute " pictures. Traveling with kids is no joke! I was more exhausted at the end of our vacation than I was when I left home.
We arrived in Orlando on Friday. The drive was actually not bad ( except fighting with my 3 year old for 15 minutes at a rest stop about using the bathroom and reassuring him that the automatic flush wasn't going to suck him into the toilet).
We wanted to end the night with a yummy, relaxing dinner. After a spilled cup of ice water, a fully eaten bottle of baby puffs, a table covered in toys, 3 trips to the bathroom for "I have to do caca" (which was never done because who wants to be sucked in by the automatic flush?), an almost 2 hour wait, and an eventual free meal... the night was officially over.
Saturday morning we headed to Magic Kingdom! The kids were still sleepy but how could they not be happy at Mickey's home??? The joy of the rides was quickly sucked away by the 90 minute wait times. The 3 minute rides were worth the wait though. The little faces of wonder on "It's a Small World" were all I could stare at. Now, the screams of terror on "The Pirates of the Caribbean " were a different story.
The day was filled with snack breaks, potty breaks, diaper changes, nursing covers, stroller pushing, laughter, and mini break downs.
By 8:00 PM ( 11 hours after arrival) the kids were done. Mostly the 3 year old. When I asked him to get off his stroller to go see the Country Bear Jamboree, he had a full on meltdown. I've never seen him like this before. A little Satan emerged from this tiny tired body. Then the rain came. He kicked and screamed that he was not going to wear the expensive Mickey raincoat we bought. In my frustration I threw his (again, very expensive) Mickey lollipop in the trash. Then I cried because I didn't like the way I reacted to his tantrum. We ran to the trolly, boarded "villains" instead of our correct parking of "heroes" and ended up having to walk through all of Disney parking to find our beloved rent-a- car. Bright side is that we totally got to see the fire works from the Simba parking lot!
Sunday and Monday were much better. We learned our lesson about long days and babies. We met the famous Mouse and my 3 year old was completely star struck. His smile when Minnie kissed him is still etched in my mind. His face as we entered Toy Story Land was the face of pure happiness.
If the pictures we posted told the whole truth, there would be tired faces (both children and parents), pictures of tears and frustration, and pictures of endless bathroom trips. But, along with those pictures, are still the pictures of smiles and excitement. There are still pictures of family memories that will always be remembered.
There is something special about traveling with kids. Whether it be to see that giant mouse or to lounge on the beach or to see snow for the first time, you always seem to forget the bad. The exhaustion fades away and our crazy selves start planning the next vacation with just as much excitement as the last.