Countdown

Current mood: excited

Our trip to Disney World is drawing near. We are going the very last week of summer vacation before Lexi makes her Kindergarten debut. So, this means that not only must I prepare for her school year to begin by getting the necessary items (supplies, clothes, shoes, etc.) but I must prepare the family for the trip. Two of the dogs are staying with a friend of mine and the other + Abby are going to spend the week at Nana and Papaw's.

Yes you read that right. Abby is staying home. It was torture for me to finally decide on this because I think that a family vacation is exactly that - a family vacation. But she is only 14 months old and I have been unsuccessful at reducing her from two naps a day to one. Having to take two breaks throughout the day to allow for her naps will be too much. It's not like she'll remember the trip anyway.

Anyway, I have 11 days before we must all be packed up to leave. Lexi's ready for school. The only problem with that is that I think that we are going to miss the preview of her teacher and classroom while we are away. That is, IF there is a preview because I still haven't hear anything about it. My semester is winding down. The project I have been working on all summer is almost ready to turn in. I just have to make some changes to the rough draft and organize it into a final draft to turn in. I'll be so thankful when that paper leaves my hands! My final is on the 24th which gives me 3 days to run around getting things done for the trip.

Lexi is excited. She's already decided that she wants to eat dinner with Cinderella again at the Grand Floridian Resort and Spa. She has determined that she wants to ride the Dumbo ride first, and that she wants to see the Spectromagic parade (the one on Main St. USA) and watch the "Wishes" fireworks show. I love seeing Disney through her eyes. I remember going to Disneyland many times when I was a child living in California, but I must say that as the years creep across my face, the magic becomes a flitting memory. But seeing the parks through Lexi's eyes brings the magic back to the surface and I think that I am more excited about the trip than even she is!

The first time we took Lexi, she was three and we were with Stefan's parents. This time my parents are going with. We are staying at the Disney campground that is right off of Bay Lake and just a boat launch away from the Magic Kingdom. We are renting a cabin for Stefan, Lexi and myself and my parents are driving their RV and camping at a site nearby (hopefully if the Disney folks can do a little magic to make that happen).

This campground is awesome for so many reasons.
1) It is right off of Bay Lake which is so convenient.

2) They have a campfire sing along every night where Chip and Dale lead the kiddos in a sing along, you can roast marshmallows or make Smores, and then when that is all said and done, they show a Disney movie under the stars.

3) There is a boat parade that comes by the Bay Lake beach each night after dark. You cannot see the boats because they are shrouded in darkness, but they are decorated with light grids that light up with sea creatures as music blares from the boats loud enough for all to hear. It sounds cheesy, but it's neat.

4) There is a dinner theater show they have at Pioneer Hall called the Hoop Dee Doo Revue which we have never gone to, but plan to see this time around.

5) Getting to any of Disney's parks from here is incredibly easy which is a huge plus for a family with a young kid in tow.

6) It has a marina where you can rent a two-seater "mouse boat" and cruise around Bay Lake. I think Lexi will like this.

7) The cabins have full kitchens so we can save a little money on eating where we don't have to pay $9 for a cheeseburger and french fries in the park - not the healthiest of meals - per person. Ouch!

8) Lexi and I can take our bikes to get around the campground better. My parents also have bikes. Stefan? Not so much. He's going to try to borrow one.

(Speaking of bikes, the seat that my parents got me for Abby can also hold Lexi. Believe it or not my 5 1/2 year old fits into the "up to 40 lbs" weight criteria. I was riding with her (helmet adorned of course) around the neighborhood and a neighbor stopped me to tell me how extremely unsafe it is (the didn't see the seat). I showed them the seat and they backed down. People! Anyway, if Lexi can't keep up, she can also hop on my bike. How cool is that?)

9) They have a petting zoo where you can also take trail rides on a horse.

10) You feel like you're a million years away from the civilized world but in reality, you're right in the middle of all the hustle and bustle. They did a great job of creating an atmosphere like you're in the Frontier years and at a campground in the middle of nowhere. This is cool because you don't feel like you're overstimulated every waking moment with Disney.

There are more reasons, but for brevity's sake I'll keep the list at ten.

I'll miss Abby like crazy. She is a huge part of each day for me, so it's going to be very hard to leave her behind. Especially when I see things and wonder how she would react if she were seeing the same. It's for the best, though, and it's not like she'll remember being there...or not being there for that matter.

Anyway, I guess I've rambled enough.