Road Trip!

Monday - I look at the calendar and realize that there isn't anything on there next week. A completely unscheduled week? That never happens! Hmmm... I call Spence mid-day and ask, "Do you want to go to Disney next week?" Before the end of the day I received an email with a suggested itinerary, a route of travel and a budget. (It was in quad chart format, of course.) Yep, we were going to Disney!


Wednesday - I asked the kids where they would like to go for vacation. They were unanimous in their answers - CRACKER BARREL! Oh to enjoy such simple pleasures.


Saturday - We were on the road at 7:30 a.m. It was the start of our family cavation (Allison's new word). We made it into Florida, 14 hours later, with only 2 stops. I dare you to try that with 4 kids under 5. Go on, I dare you. :) Dry erase boards entertained Katie, John and Allison for many hours. They quietly colored for so long... And then I heard from Allison, "Mommy, I am decorating!" I turned around and found my little warrior, in full face and body paint, smiling at me from the back seat. Note to all moms: Dry erase cleans off of faces just as easily as washable Crayolas and the entertainment value is well worth the clean up!


The week that followed was wonderful and joyful. We spent a day with Mema (my mom's mom) and Agnes (Mema's sister). Gigi and Ray happened to be there that day so we shared a great dinner with lots of family. The kids were (and I am so very thankful for this!) well behaved and they can't wait to go back to try out the pool! We spent a day with Grandma Dyer (my dad's mom) and another house full of relatives. Katie, John and Allison braved the cool pool water - all day long. That night as we waited for Spence's mom to arrive Katie declared, "I hope Elle brought her cookies. She is a great cookie maker!" I'm quite certain that in the minds of my children Grandma Elle spends all day making cookies and that she is never without them.


Our two days at Disney were better than anyone could have predicted. The temperature was moderate and the skies were overcast. It was lovely. The lines were short. We all rode Dumbo, Pooh, Peter Pan, It's a Small World, Cinderella's Carousel... We even made it through the Haunted Mansion, though Allison was traumatized by the lights out thunder and lightening in the beginning. If I hadn't been holding her hand I don't think I would have found her when the lights came back on. Katie and John tried Splash Mountain with Spence and me. John loved it. Katie was not pleased to be splashed. Nor did she enjoy the drops going over the hills. She won't be braving the roller coasters any time soon. John, on the other hand, was willing to try anything. He even rode the Dinosaur and Everest with us at Animal Kingdom. Some of the funniest moments were after the rides when he interpreted what happened. When asked what their favorite part of the Disney park was they all agreed - Cotton Candy treats! Once again, such simple pleasures. :)

Check out our Disney slideshow. You can click on it to see it fullscreen.