Orlando!

Sunday was Animal Kingdom. We set off early amidst grumblings about the heat and humidity. I have to admit, it's worse than the Carolinas. But I was expecting that. I pretty much had the same attitude I had when I spent the summer in the Middle East ten (!) years ago: it's disgustingly hot so you just have to deal with it. It also helps that no one looks good in that heat/humidity, so you're in good company.

We started off the morning riding a kids' dinosaur ride (like Dumbo) while waiting to use the Dinosaur fast passes. Mabes loved the little dinosaur ride and would have been happy to ride that all day, but soon we left for Dinosaur. Since it had a pregnancy advisory and I wasn't adamant about riding, I took Gemma and hung out in the air conditioned gift shop while everyone else got in line. While I was watching the pictures of people in the scariest part of the ride, I started getting nervous. What did I send Mabes to ride? Suddenly the details of the ride came back--the ride is funny, but a little scary. And I rode it when I was 20. I could see the part of the line just before the passengers boarded the cars and soon I saw the family. Everyone was happy, but Mabes was clutching Dave, quite unsure. A few minutes later, their picture popped up:

Where's Mabes, you ask? She buried her head in Gramma's lap. But she survived and I commended her for trying something new. Scarred by that, she was hesitant any time we went into a dark room before an attraction--she really didn't want to go into the "It's Tough to be a Bug" exhibit and didn't really watch that, either. But she loved the Safari, all the animal exhibits, and Kali River Rapids. As we were leaving, we ran into the parade. I don't think we really planned on watching it, but it was there, so my dad hoisted Mabes up on his shoulders so she could watch. Mabes was waving like it was her job. She was so excited to see the different characters, and as her face lit up each time, I finally got what everyone had said about how taking a 3/4-year-old to Disney was so fun because it's all real. She was completely starstruck when Mickey's float came by--I mean, it was Mickey Mouse himself!

(I like that something reflected on my dad's ear so it looks like he has an earring)

On Monday, Sarah's family and my mom went to Cocoa beach, Aunt Nancy, Mabes and I stayed at the resort, and everyone else (Dad, Dave, Jeff, Laura, Becca, and David) went to Universal Studios/Islands of Adventure. Dave was a little hesitant to go to US/IOA since he wasn't sure how rollercoasters would affect him in his advancing age (I discovered I couldn't do them any more at the ripe old age of 24), and after a rough week the week before, he was leaning towards just hanging out with me and Mabes at the pool. When I told my dad this, his response was "I am convinced Dave will have a great time at US/IOA, and I am therefore buying him a ticket. There’s nothing like being whipped around upside down a few times to dispel the troubles of a crappy week." As always, Dad was right. Dave had a lot of fun, and especially liked Dueling Dragons.

Mabes and I spent the morning at the pool with Nancy, and we had a great time splashing in the fountains and swimming around. Mabes' favorite game was to hang onto the back of Nancy's swimsuit and be pulled around the pool while waving to everyone. Two older ladies particularly enjoyed Mabes' Miss America wave. We went back to our room for lunch and a little quiet time, and then Nancy came over and read stories to Mabes. Mom, Sarah and family returned from the beach, so we joined them at another pool (which thankfully also had fountains) for the remainder of the afternoon. After Mabes was in bed, Dave encouraged me to go spend time with the fam, so I went down to my parents' suite and just hung out with them, Laura, Becca, and David. Sometimes just sitting around, talking and not talking, is the most fun.

Tuesday morning, the men headed out early for golf while we slept in a little (as much as you can with Mabes). When they returned, the kids went to Blizzard Beach while my parents, Nancy, and Jeff went to Epcot. The morning started off great when we realized we didn't have to pay for parking there. I wasn't sure how Mabes would do, since earlier this summer she was really afraid of the water, and after Sunday, she seemed to be afraid of most rides. But after riding down the first slide with Dave, she realized that waterslides are fun and quickly let her guard down. (Except at the Lazy River--for some reason, she hated that. Maybe she's just not the lazy type?) I wasn't going to attempt any of the crazy rides, so I was happy to stay with Mabes while Dave and David went down the bigger slides. When everyone else was ready to go, Dave decided he wanted to take Mabes down a few medium-sized slides, so everyone else took off in one van while we stayed a little. Mabes and Dave thoroughly enjoyed the slides, and it was a lot of fun to watch them. As we were leaving, Dave said that he loved waterparks and liked waterslides better than rollercoasters. Interesting--I never knew he felt so strongly! Guess you can still learn something new about someone after 10 years.

Even though it wasn't Mabes' birthday yet, Nancy and Jeff were leaving the next day so we decided to celebrate Mabes' and my dad's birthdays that night. I had ordered a Cinderella cake (I'm sure it's always been a dream of my dad's to have a Cinderella cake) and Dave and I picked up fried chicken and salad for the family. It was all delicious, and I particularly enjoyed the contrast of fried chicken with a nice green salad.

Wednesday morning brought more golf for the men and more pool time for us. I had brought inflatable swim rings for the cousins, and it was hilarious to see the three of them swimming around the pool together. We had lunch, we had rest time (Mabes actually napped!), and then my parents offered to watch the grandkids so the big kids could go out to dinner. Dave and I don't get to go out much without Mabes, so it was nice to take them up on the offer. Savoring steak and time with my siblings made it even better. When we got back, our friend Nyea from Dave's MBA program met us at the hotel. We hadn't seen her since graduation, so it was great to introduce her to Mabes and catch up.

On Thursday, we went to Sea World. I have to admit, I had low expectations. I mean, it's a glorified aquarium, right? Not that aquariums (aquaria?) aren't fun--but sandwiched in with theme parks? I was wrong, though, and between the rollercoasters that made my mom want to swear, the shows, the exhibits, and the kiddie area, we spent a lot more time there than I had expected. Mabes was fascinated by all the sea creatures we saw (though once again was a bit nervous at first--Dinosaur must have scarred her because she started freaking out in that first dark hall we went in. I assured her it was okay, but it took a lot of time with the penguins to realize that none of them would jump out and breathe fire at her).

In the kids' area, she got to ride her first rollercoaster, which she absolutely loved, and the sea carousel, which is always a winner. Oh, and more waving. Mabes also loved Shamu and the dolphin show. We got to pet some stingrays, and then Dave insisted on seeing the manatees. For some reason, Dave identifies with sea cows. Again, plenty to learn about someone after 10 years. Mabes loved them, though, and was particularly amused when she noticed that they were eating lettuce--"Silly sea cows...salad is KID FOOD!" We had noticed as we went into the building that it was starting to sprinkle, and by the time we came out, it was a full-fledged downpour. At least my family got to experience the crazy rain I had been telling them about. We hovered under an overhang for probably 30 minutes waiting for the rain to ease up. The torrential rain and inches of water on the ground weren't my main concern, it was the very close and loud lightning that was scaring Mabes. It let up a bit and we made our way to the cars, went back to the hotel and changed, then had brinner at IHOP (my dad was tempted to try Waffle House, but upon seeing it, started to understand Gaffigan's jokes and decided IHOP would be a better choice).


And Friday was Magic Kingdom. That bad boy gets a post of its own. More on that later.