Random Disney Thoughts...

I'm not sure what happened, but for some reason, I'm having problems downloading my pictures into PSE (Photo Shop Elements). Typically, all I have to do is plug in my camera to the computer and presto, the pics I just took download by date (or event, or whatever I chose to call them) directly into a folder. However, for some reason, each of the 400+ pictures I took at Disney are downloading into separate files. It's driving me insane and clogging up my picture file. So I need to call in the big guns to help me. I'm too tired and frustrated to try and fix it by myself and don't want to spend hours editing pictures I may have to delete... So I'm working on the pictures, and hope to have day one done by tonight or tomorrow... So stay tuned!! I've got more pictures than I know what to do with, which means, I'll be posting TONS!!

Speaking of pictures.... when I dropped off Katherine today at preschool, her teacher and some friends asked to see them. Being the scrapbooker that I am, there is NO WAY I'm sending her to school with a few snapshots. I'd like to get several pages done and send her with a book to show to her friends. That way they can touch the pictures (which will be in page protectors) and I won't have to worry about bent edges and fingerprints... Yes, feel free to call me anal, I can handle it! LOL!! Typically when I scrapbook, I make separate books for each of the kids, but I think I'm going to just make one Disney book for this trip and call it good. They can fight over it in the years to come. LOL!! If I'm ever caught up, I'll go back and make two books, but for now I just don't see that happenin'!

So since I don't have any pictures to post at the moment, here's some random thoughts from Disney:

1. The trip is exhausting. I literally feel like I need a vacation from my vacation. We ran from the moment we woke up, until SEVERAL HOURS past the kids' bedtimes. There were nights that they were up until well after midnight, and were ready to go at the crack of dawn. When we got home, Katherine turned into Sleeping Beauty. I put the kids down for their naps on Saturday afternoon a little before 3, and the little princess didn't wake up until 8 the next morning. For those that are mathematically challenged, that's 17 straight hours! She was exhausted, and desperately needed the sleep!

2. Our hotel room was great, but the location left something to be desired. Even though our hotel had easy access to Epcot and MGM by boat, the boat took an eternity to get to the parks. Such a waste of time! I'd much rather stay at one of the three hotels on the monorail -- and the Polynesian would be my first choice. So next time we go, that's where we'll stay. It's so much easier (and faster) to get into the parks... and it's where I stayed last time I went and LOVED it!

3. Our suite ROCKED! Laurie, Clyde and the girls stayed in the main room, and then my parents stayed in a room on one side, and Matt, the kids and I stayed in a room on the other side. The kids had so much room to run and play. It didn't feel "hotel'ish" and cramped in any way. It was also great because Grammy and Pop-pops were always there to help out with the kids, which was especially great the first few days with Matt working.

4. Is there a word for loving someone to infinity? If not, there should be.... Caleb has ALWAYS loved my dad, but this trip definitely brought them closer. They share such a wonderful and special bond, and this trip only made it stronger. Caleb was at my dad's side all day every day. He just lit up when he saw him. My poor dad read the same 4 truck books countless times, and Caleb NEVER got tired of hearing them.... I have to admit... Without my dad, meal times and the plane ride would have been a disaster, but luckily, Caleb was content hangin' with Pop-pops.

5. I WILL NEVER GO TO DISNEY IN THE SUMMER AGAIN! Seriously... After going in November and having wonderful weather and fewer crowds, I could never go back to standing in lines for hours in the heat and humidity and feeling claustrophobic from the insane crowds. The kids were able to go on more rides, see more shows, and meet more characters. It was great.

On a side note, SOARIN' is perhaps the coolest ride EVER. For those that haven't been, you are suspended in the air (think hang glider) over California. When you go over the orange groves.... you smell the oranges, when you fly over the national forests... you smell pine trees, when you are over the ocean... you smell the water. You feel like your toes are going to touch the tops of the trees or get wet from the water. You feel the wind in your hair. It's amazing. Really, really REALLY cool. With all that being said, no matter how great a ride it is, there is NO WAY I'd wait in line for hours to see ANYTHING... The guy working the ride told us that during the summer the wait is typically north of 240 minutes. Evidently at one point, the wait was up to 400 minutes... Are you kidding me?? NO THANKS! So again, the late fall is the ONLY time I'm going in the future!

6. 40 inches is the magical height for full Disney enjoyment. There are so many great rides that you have to be at least 40 inches for, and if one person in the party falls under the height requirement, someone is always staying behind. So, for this reason, I will try to avoid bringing a child under this height to Disney again. It will make the trip more enjoyable for all. Katherine made the 40 inches by the soles of her sneakers! So I'm hoping that in two years, Caleb will be at 40 inches. Yea, Kim, go ahead and have a good laugh! LOL!

7. Katherine has no fear. Literally none. I'll give you all the details later with the pictures, but she LOVED Tower of Terror (I was shaking), she laughed on the prehistoric Dinosaur ride at the Animal Kingdom when I nearly passed out, she's a roller coaster aficionado, a lover of thrill, and adrenaline junkie... Her mother.... not so much!

8. Katherine has a style all her own. She's comfortable in her own skin. She's confident and assured. She's happy. She has music in her soul and it flows out at every opportunity. She's always singing, always laughing, always dancing. She doesn't care who's watching. In fact, she glows in the spotlight.

While we were waiting for Fantasmic (the evening light and water show at MGM) to start, they were playing music for the crowd. All of a sudden, Katherine stands up on the metal bleachers, strips off her coat and starts dancing. Dancing as though no one is watching... Dancing like the happiest girl in the world. All of a sudden, a guy from several rows behind us yells, "hey look at that girl. She's the real star of the show. She's quite the little entertainer". Within seconds everyone within several rows of us starts clapping to the beat of the music. Katherine keeps on dancing.... She's got it in her soul!

A couple of days later, when we were at the Animal Kingdom, Katherine wanted to stop and watch some native Peruvian musicians. As the crowd gathered to listen, Katherine stepped out in front of everyone, all by herself, and started dancing. She didn't care who was watching. She didn't care that SEVERAL people started watching her, rather than the musicians.

Over at MGM they have a Broadway style Beauty and the Beast show. While we were waiting, Katherine got talking to one of the ushers, and they somehow determined that it'd be a good idea to pull her up on stage and be sung to. (Yes, I've got the pictures)! She was absolutely glowing. She was totally in her element.

OK, that's all I have time for now... I've got to get dinner ready and have Katherine to dance tonight. It's also Bunco night with the neighborhood girls, so if I have time, I'm planning on stopping my for a while.