Trip Report Always two there are. No more. No less.

Remember how in the final push for my previous TR when I had to make a bullet point list of the wild events in my last year?

Here comes a list of the things that happened in between writing the end of the last TR and the start of this one.

“How much could have possibly happened in a day and a half BES?!?” you are surely asking yourself.

Well…

• There’s an area rug sized hole in our family room ceiling.
• We have to replace a furnace
• DH decided not to go on the trip (due to above)

There might have been more stuff tbh but I’m too tired to fully process all of this now. More detailed explanations coming later.

So now it’s just me and lil BES on the trip.

I still don’t have full use of my left hand due to my fracture in November. I’ve only gotten a few hours of sleep. And lil BES has thrown some epic tantrums lately.

If I wasn’t sticking with Star Wars themed titles the runner up was:

Special lady time the vacation edition has already commenced.

May the Force be with us all.

Spoiler: Track 1:

 

[cgersic]

Count me in as a Brave fan! I'm the youngest of 4 girls that were raised by our Mom, who taught us everything we needed to know to become independent young princesses

 

[erstwo]

Friday January 24th (Day 1) continued:

The person flying in DH’s seat was a lady traveling to FL for some event without her kids. You could tell she was a little nervous about flying and about being away from her kids.

Lil BES living her best plane life:

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Flight was uneventful. Our time in MCO? Well… nothing out of the ordinary but we were running on “lil BES time”.

It took 2.5 hours to get from landing to getting on our bus to the hotel.

We had airport pizza for lunch:

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Our next goal was to pick up the stroller. At some point on our way there I got talked into expensive airport M&Ms.

At some point this happened:

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(I know! So gross! But wait…)

And then this:

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She didn’t fall. She was cycling between crawling and walking on her knees.

Finally made it to the stroller.

Now that lil BES was contained I could pick up the pace. Well kinda.

Had to go to other MCO side to get luggage. Found our carousel was empty. Our bags were moved to another holding area.

Got our bags and now I had two suitcases and lil BES’s tiny roller bag and a stroller to get to the Mears area. (Reminder one of my wrists wasn’t back to full strength either)

Got on a bus relatively quickly. Not a lot
of people on it but Lil BES wanted to sit right behind an annoying family.

The husband and wife both constantly kept calling each other “babes”

“Ok babes!” “ Hey babes.”

Their kid looked 2ish. Super cute. Acting pretty well for their age but parents already seemed annoyed that he didn’t want to sit still. I got to listen to the lady give the entire trip itinerary to the guy.

A lot of time doing table service restaurants with a toddler. Oh boy. Best of luck.

Brave was playing on the bus. Lil BES hasn’t watched it entirely but I sure hope she does eventually. A movie about an independent little redhead and her mom? All the feels.

Spoiler: Track #8:

Heard this one in the car today. Also all the feels.

Was the couple English?

My daughter’s friend from south London area calls everyone (EVERYONE!) ‘Babes’.
Cracks me up.

 

[Back!Elbow!Shoulders!]

Was the couple English?

My daughter’s friend from south London area calls everyone (EVERYONE!) ‘Babes’.
Cracks me up.

Nope. Ohio.

I think it would be physically impossible for me to be annoyed by a British accent.

 

[Tuvalu]

I think it would be physically impossible for me to be annoyed by a British accent.

Woody and I were just saying the same thing, as WDW is currently overrun with Brits. (And their polar opposite - Jerseyans!* )


*No flaming arrows please, as I have beloved family and friends from Jersey (and have lived there myself.)

 

[Back!Elbow!Shoulders!]

Woody and I were just saying the same thing, as WDW is currently overrun with Brits. (And their polar opposite - Jerseyans!* )


*No flaming arrows please, as I have beloved family and friends from Jersey (and have lived there myself.)

I’ll back you up @Tuvalu (even though I am in no position to judge with my Michigan vowels and “yeah no” and “no yeahs”)

 

[Tiggerish]

“yeah no” and “no yeahs”

Not for nothing (that's a Bronx-ism), we say those here too!

 

[littleroo]

Woody and I were just saying the same thing, as WDW is currently overrun with Brits. (And their polar opposite - Jerseyans!* )


*No flaming arrows please, as I have beloved family and friends from Jersey (and have lived there myself.)

We noticed the same thing when we were there. Everyone was from Jersey or UK.

 

[Back!Elbow!Shoulders!]

Friday January 24th (Day 1) continued:

Got this text on the Mears bus:

I was happy with the location as lil BES wanted “ a mermaid room”

I *think* the bus dropped off POP/AoA/Riveria then CBR.

We unloaded and walked thru the lobby and started the trek to our room.

I knew when we booked that the desired mermaid rooms were a distance from Old Port Royale. I didn’t know then my current predicament of being the solo adult on this trip.

Lil BES loves to help. She insisted she could push the stroller and I could do the bags. You all know how that went.

We took a break at the first beach along the path.

She made a sand angel:

We drew in the sand with a stick:

We added the aforementioned stick and a palm leaf to our collection of items.

Eventually we will ended up at our building and I made a horrible discovery. (Well horrible at this point in a really long day)

The CRB buildings don’t have elevators.

Normally not a problem. But this trip wasn’t normal.

Took multiple trips and a lot of negotiations with lil BES on where she needed to stand but I got everything upstairs.

We both liked the room a lot. Lil BES was so excited about the tiny Murphy bed.

I really like being able to keep one of the queen beds up for more space.

Our room was so close to the Spyglass Grill but we ended up at Centertown Market for dinner.

Maddox helped us order and was genuinely friendly and fun to talk to.

Here we encountered our next conundrum of a solo parent trip. Do I leave lil BES at a table and pick up the food/silverware/more napkins etc or make her go with me?

It was pretty empty so I let her stay put. It depended on the situation but I ended up doing that a lot during the trip.

Lil BES is an expensive friend to have (especially at WDW) and talks non-stop. If anyone took her I figured they would bring her back real quick.

Here was our dinner:

Spoiler: Track #9:

 

[Tiggerish]

Lil BES is a hoot. Probably an entire hootenanny, even.

Lil BES is an expensive friend to have (especially at WDW) and talks non-stop.

For the same reasons, I have no worries that anyone is going to try to steal my husband.

 

[Back!Elbow!Shoulders!]

Lil BES is a hoot. Probably an entire hootenanny, even.

She really is. Yesterday we took her to McDonald’s (which she insists is called Old McDonald’s.)

After lunch she started to climb onto a nearby table. I stopped her and asked what she was doing.

“Getting on the table to dance!”

For the same reasons, I have no worries that anyone is going to try to steal my husband.

 

[Back!Elbow!Shoulders!]

Friday January 24th (Day 1) continued:

We explored the quick market where shockingly Lil BES declined a cupcake on our way back to the room.

She did allow a peek in the gift shop. An older lady made a big deal about her red hair and even touched it.

I mention her age only to say I guess she gets a grandma pass on the touching?

I know people are coming from a good place on this but it just seems weird.

On our way back to the room lil BES witness another child’s epic meltdown. Her reaction was:

Finally back to the room for bath and bedtime. The tub didn’t hold water well but well enough to get the job done.

We unpacked at lil BES’s insistence. Left up to me I would leave everything in the suitcases.

After all of the excitement about the tiny Murphy bed lil BES ended up in bed with me.

We were both zonked out by 9. It was a long, long day but a good one.

Spoiler: Track #10:

One of lil BES’s hot jams this summer

 

[Tuvalu]

As a grandma I would never touch a stranger’s child like that.

 

[Back!Elbow!Shoulders!]

As a grandma I would never touch a stranger’s child like that.

Good. Though I had no doubts about you making the right choice.

 

[Back!Elbow!Shoulders!]

Saturday January 25th (Day 2):

Impressively I show we were heading to breakfast at 7:25am.

We walked to Port Royale. Well lil BES tried to run. I introduced her to “red light,green light”. A game that served me well for the rest of the trip (and after)

I think we both had kid’s waffles.

On the way back to the room lol BES noticed “sparkly grass.”

She also noticed a rock that reminded her of me. I asked if it was because it was green, my favorite color.

Nope. “Because it’s gray like your hair!”

Next we stopped at Disney First Aid for that sick burn.

Just kidding! We got the stroller and kid accessories and headed to the Skyliner.

It was “cold” that morning. Lil BES had seen lots of people in winter coats and mittens etc and insisted she wear her mittens:

Soon we tapped in to Epcot at the IG. (Am I the only one who is a bit nervous for the first tap in on a trip? Like what if somehow the tickets don’t work)

We meandered around World Showcase and has Morroco all to ourselves.

Lil BES danced in Italy.

She conned me into a cookie in Germany.

FEA showed a 55 min wait and unfortunately it was accurate. Lil BES did well in line and liked the ride. (Except for the snow monster part)

Now it was nearly time for our lunch reservation.

Spoiler: Track #11:

I know, I know.. we had waffles not pancakes but this seemed like an appropriate morning post song

 

[k8einwdw]

“Because it’s gray like your hair!”

They are relentless at this age L informed me the other day that he likes my legs because they’re “squishy” It really do be your own kids.

 

[Back!Elbow!Shoulders!]

They are relentless at this age L informed me the other day that he likes my legs because they’re “squishy” It really do be your own kids.

There’s no ill intent. Just the hard truth. She’ll also tell random kids at the park how old I am.

 

[Minnie1986]

Pretrip:

So when did this trip start to fall off the rails? Hmm. In retrospect, approximately one week prior to departure.

Lil BES is 3.5 yo now. I think we are certainly in what I was warned was the “three-nager” stage. She’s super sweet and happy 95% of the time but that other 5%…

The weekend before we left, lil BES had an increase in very spirited tantrums.

Reasons for some of the meltdowns included:

• We wouldn’t let her eat crackers in our bed
• I wouldn’t (and couldn’t) move a piano upstairs
• I had to pee

The increase in meltdown suddenly made sense when lil BES awoke Monday to say her throat hurt.

Lil BES has developed what my family calls “Uncle E syndrome.”

My youngest brother has always been sweet and mild mannered- except when he is sick. It’s been a family joke that whenever he would say something mean as a kid the next day he was sure to be sick.

Luckily lil BES developed only a mild cold. Tuesday was her peak sickness level. Her preschool was cancelled due to outside temperatures being too low.

I ended up staying home too. I was feeling a little iffy and had been up much of the night with lil BES.

We were all trending better by Wednesday.

Then Thursday happened. It’s getting its own post.

Spoiler: Track 2:

Getting a grumpy toddler to take medicine reminded me of this one.

• We wouldn’t let her eat crackers in our bed
• I wouldn’t (and couldn’t) move a piano upstairs
• I had to pee

Were these necessarily "funny?" No. Did I laugh imaging a toddler having a life ending meltdown because a piano could not be moved up a flight of stairs? Perhaps...

But in all seriousness, while I may not have kids of my own, I've been a godmother and auntie for thirteen years now; so as someone who has seen the downright ugliness that the "three-nager" stage can bring multiple times, you have my whole heart; because WHOA BABY!!!! Excited to read along!

 

[Minnie1986]

They are relentless at this age L informed me the other day that he likes my legs because they’re “squishy” It really do be your own kids.

They truly have less than no filter at this stage

 

[Minnie1986]

Day 0 Continued:

By the time my dad left I think lil BES tipped into the dreaded overtired category. So instead of packing. Or eating dinner. Or talking much to DH, I was instead dealing with a very very fiery redhead.

DH was clearly overwhelmed by the day and the epic tantrum. At some point in the tantrum lil BES dismissed me (temporarily) downstairs and DH announced he didn’t think he could go on the trip.

Before we could talk about it I was summoned upstairs by lil BES who also declared she wasn’t going on vacation.

It was rinse and repeat for another hour or two before I got lil BES to calm down and fall asleep.

Then I finally got to actually talk to DH. He again stated he didn’t think he should go on the trip. He was too stressed about the house and knew he would just spend the trip worrying which wouldn’t be helpful or fun.

As tired and stressed as I also was I knew he was right.

In all fairness to DH I see looking back at his texts that at some point he did ask if it would be possible to transfer his ticket to my mom or brother if it came to that and I said I didn’t know.

In all fairness to me I was simultaneously dealing with a bunch of stuff at work while all this was going on.

DH encourage me to still go on the trip with lil BES. Despite what she said during the tantrum she would be devastated not to go.

It was probably around midnight when I started packing and DH got on the phone with Delta.

Eventually DH got his ticket refunded. I finished packing. It was off to bed for a few hours of sleep.

The broken furnace was in the part of the house that heated our bedroom so it was too cold to sleep in there.

I crawled into bed with lil BES and DH was off to our guest twin bed.

Spoiler: Track #5:

The fact that you all managed to keep it together at all is nothing short of a miracle!

 

[Minnie1986]

Not for nothing (that's a Bronx-ism), we say those here too!

Oh, how I miss the sayings back home (originally from NYC)