Disney World and Universal Studios, Florida
We went to Florida and did all of the parks. Each of them.
I was wrecked by the end of every day, so I left early with Russ and Gemma all but one day. Also each day, my phone was dead at the end of the day, and I believed that my sense of direction had improved since the night before. I drove around thinking I just could intuit where our condo was, after hiking through the parking lots pushing a huge stroller wearing platforms looking for our one-of-thousands black minivan. I finally made sure a charging device was in the car and things were fine after that. But, mercy... the strength of my pride. (slow head shake)
It was amazing. We had so much fun. We planned our fast passes by age group ahead of time so we spent almost all day of almost every day in cousin groups, and we had lunch or dinner together every day as a group of 31. It was crazy. And we loved it. It was a trip of a lifetime. We're so thankful to Hyrum's mom for making it happen. I hope our kids, at least Georgia, have memories of it for the rest of her life. :)
It went like this:
Monday: Epcot Center
All of the Kirtons went. It was a whole thing.
The first ride on the first day, when I was still energetic enough to be taking pictures.
This was awesome! You stand in front of animation of Figment, and direct the music and it follows you- SHE DID IT! SHE UNDERSTOOD IT AND IT FOLLOWED HER! This girl loves music <3 span="">
The "too shorts" and the "too pregnant" hanging out together while everybody else does stuff.
W all got SOAKED in one of those Orlando rain storms. It was intense. It was WELCOME. It was 93 degrees and ThirdTrimester, here (my nickname of late), cannot- SIMPLY CANNOT HANDLE- the heat. Makes me sick and dizzy and bad. So bad.
Watching with rapt wonder as the water hopped from one fountain to another.
Tuesday: Magic Kindgdom
Ahhhh.... Magic Kingdom, how I love thee.
Wednesday: Disney's Hollywood Studios
Thursday: Animal Kingdom
My favorite moment of the trip was at Animal Kingdom and I ACHE that I didn't make one of the onlookers send me one of the pictures that they all got of it. We went over to see the gorillas, and there was a pretty thick crowd so we adults couldn't see through to see what the gorillas were doing, or even if they were there. But Russ wiggled right up to the glass and I hear all of these, "Oh! Oh my gosh! Are you getting this?!" And then the guard who is there to keep people from touching the glass starts yelling, "Whose child is this? He can't be up here! You have to get him away from the glass!"
There are 4 baby gorillas the same height as Russell and they were all running round in front of the glass. When he got up there they were fascinated with him, especially this one little male. They touched each others hands on each side of the glass, and then they like hopped up and down, and then the gorilla beat his chest at Russell, and was visibly sad when I had to pull Russ away. It paced the glass and hit the glass like, "Hey, come back!", and then kept hopping up and down looking at Russ and beating his chest trying to get Russ to want to play with him again. And at one point Russ did wiggle out of my hands and got back up to the glass and these two little buddies had like 2 seconds to laugh at each others faces before I had to pull him away. I wish I had been slower to follow the rules. The guard was sad, too. She explained that this was the only park she knew of where you can't approach the glass to interact. It was so magical
That little girl is obviously not my son, but it was like this.
Russ was up at the glass where the woman in the red shirt is sticking out her toe under the rope.
This is two of them. They are a few inches taller than this now, but they are so adorable.
Later we had to meet Rafiki <3 p="">
Could you die? It was so sweet. Whoever is in that suit is really good at his or her job.
You're right, this is devastating
.
Friday: Universal Studios, Day 1
Butter beer. Just as overly sweet as advertised, and I loved every single sip. You can get it in cold or frozen (slushy), and I loved both but would have a frozen one every day if I could. Actually I could. Its flat root beer with butterscotch flavored heavy cream foam on top. Its amazing.
Hyrum let us get a wand! Georgia and I were in Olivanders for a long time looking for the right wand for her, and she wanted Hermione's. Its lovely, heavy, carved with beautiful leaves, and has no spring to it at all. Very Hermione. :)
I nerded out a lot in my head while in the Wizarding World. I was so excited to see the Hogwarts express!
Oh! And I went on Pottermore and got sorted, and found my patronus and my wand!!! I'm a Gryffindor (natch), and my patronus is A DAPPLE GRAY STALLION! (see previous post for the significance of this revelation) My wand is Spruce wood, with a Phoenix feather core (ahem, of COURSE), 14 1/2 inches in length and very flexy. I surmise that it looks much like Tonks' wand. It took my breath away at Olivander's. I have mixed emotions admitting that that is not an exaggeration.
It was freaking hot so we spent a significant portion of the day at the splash pad in the Curious George area.
How I dream of the "real" Hogsmede. This one is full of beautiful, inspiring Harry Potter soundtrack music and butter beer and demonstrations from the students from the other Wizarding Schools, and I wish I could go there every day, and shop for all of the Wizarding Things.
I felt like I should document my face before it melted off. This turned out to be a good idea. No rainstorm on USDay 1. Those eyebrows ended up being a soul patch.
Saturday: Universal Studios, Day 2
The CaraSeussell
Hot and Angry about it.
Universal Studios is not a place with a multiplicity of options for toddlers and heavily pregnant ladies, so we chilled a bit here and there so Hyrum could go on rides. This is Georgia enjoying a bagel near the Cosby's brownstone, and Gemma admiring a dead cockroach.
Chilling while the others splashed on the pad on Popeye's Ship, "Me Olive Oil"...or something.
I was wrecked by the end of every day, so I left early with Russ and Gemma all but one day. Also each day, my phone was dead at the end of the day, and I believed that my sense of direction had improved since the night before. I drove around thinking I just could intuit where our condo was, after hiking through the parking lots pushing a huge stroller wearing platforms looking for our one-of-thousands black minivan. I finally made sure a charging device was in the car and things were fine after that. But, mercy... the strength of my pride. (slow head shake)
It was amazing. We had so much fun. We planned our fast passes by age group ahead of time so we spent almost all day of almost every day in cousin groups, and we had lunch or dinner together every day as a group of 31. It was crazy. And we loved it. It was a trip of a lifetime. We're so thankful to Hyrum's mom for making it happen. I hope our kids, at least Georgia, have memories of it for the rest of her life. :)
It went like this:
Monday: Epcot Center
 |
| Watching the Manatees |
Tuesday: Magic Kindgdom
Ahhhh.... Magic Kingdom, how I love thee.
Wednesday: Disney's Hollywood Studios
I sometimes let her do things that I know others do not want her to do for much longer than I know anyone is comfortable with. This was most certainly one of those times. This was the Christmas Shop, and I was getting the evil eye from the lady inside who was on break. Otherwise she would have come out to make G climb down. But she was not wasting her break time on work stuff, I assure you.
Thursday: Animal Kingdom
My favorite moment of the trip was at Animal Kingdom and I ACHE that I didn't make one of the onlookers send me one of the pictures that they all got of it. We went over to see the gorillas, and there was a pretty thick crowd so we adults couldn't see through to see what the gorillas were doing, or even if they were there. But Russ wiggled right up to the glass and I hear all of these, "Oh! Oh my gosh! Are you getting this?!" And then the guard who is there to keep people from touching the glass starts yelling, "Whose child is this? He can't be up here! You have to get him away from the glass!"
There are 4 baby gorillas the same height as Russell and they were all running round in front of the glass. When he got up there they were fascinated with him, especially this one little male. They touched each others hands on each side of the glass, and then they like hopped up and down, and then the gorilla beat his chest at Russell, and was visibly sad when I had to pull Russ away. It paced the glass and hit the glass like, "Hey, come back!", and then kept hopping up and down looking at Russ and beating his chest trying to get Russ to want to play with him again. And at one point Russ did wiggle out of my hands and got back up to the glass and these two little buddies had like 2 seconds to laugh at each others faces before I had to pull him away. I wish I had been slower to follow the rules. The guard was sad, too. She explained that this was the only park she knew of where you can't approach the glass to interact. It was so magical
.
Friday: Universal Studios, Day 1
Oh! And I went on Pottermore and got sorted, and found my patronus and my wand!!! I'm a Gryffindor (natch), and my patronus is A DAPPLE GRAY STALLION! (see previous post for the significance of this revelation) My wand is Spruce wood, with a Phoenix feather core (ahem, of COURSE), 14 1/2 inches in length and very flexy. I surmise that it looks much like Tonks' wand. It took my breath away at Olivander's. I have mixed emotions admitting that that is not an exaggeration.
Saturday: Universal Studios, Day 2
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