Ever since I've started this blog I seem to be doing an awful lot of counting things down. Counting down how long it will be until the adoption process is finished, how long since I've received RP's referral information and can be scheduled to travel to see her, how long until court, how long until we come home, how long we've been home, etc. etc. etc. One of my New Year's resolutions was to try to spend more time in the "now" and not spend so much time sweating the small stuff and worrying about what lies ahead. I've made some progress on this, but still have a LONG way to go.
That being said, I can't HELP but launch my latest countdown (okay, who are we kidding here, I've been counting this down since Christmas and have a countdown ticker on my Facebook page to prove it!). We are going to DISNEY WORLD in exactly TWO WEEKS!!! Two weeks from now, luck and weather gods permitting, we will already be in Orlando, Florida, hopefully soaking up some sun, calming down five crazed kids, and starting a week of fun in the sun with Mickey Mouse.
In case you weren't aware, I LOVE Mickey Mouse. Always have. I have been to Disney World three times already - once as a child, once right after college, and again in 2009 when I took a class at the Disney Institute (work paid for this trip - at least I got something good out of that wretched job!!!) - and each time I find something new and magical about the experience. This time, however, is sure to be the MOST magical because I will be there with five kids on their first trip (thank goodness there will also be five of us adults as it's sure to be a crazy time!). I can't wait to see all their eyes light up the first time they see Cinderella's castle, or shake Mickey's hand, or hug one of the princesses. RP is beyond excited for this trip, and I'm not sure she truly comprehends what all it entails, but probably more so because everyone else around her is excited for the trip.
If it weren't for my experience last year I would probably be worried about our flights to and from Orlando. Five kids, ages 2-8, flying for the first time and contained in an airplane for three hours, are sure to be a bit of a challenge. I know I get bored on long flights, and the anticipation of going to Disney World is sure to heighten the "are we there yet?" syndrome, especially for little kids. That being said, I figure if I could survive three flights with RP - one about 90 minutes from St. Petersburg to Moscow, one about three hours from Moscow to Zurich, and then a ten hour flight from Zurich to Chicago - before she was two years old, uncertain about what was going on, and VERY cranky, then I can survive anything. I can still remember bursting into tears when the plane touched down in Zurich because RP screamed and cried for two of the three hours of that flight, causing other passengers to give me dirty looks and disgusted grunts. One of the flight attendants, who was wrapping RP in a blanket because I couldn't get to her coat and we had to catch a bus outside the plane to get to the terminal, told me not to worry, that it happens to everyone (even her with her own child!) and that I was never going to see these people again, so what did I care if they were upset?
Hopefully, with lessons learned, plenty of on board entertainment packed for RP and her cousins, and a bit of patience the flights will be smooth and worry-free. Even if they aren't, oh well - we're still GOING TO DISNEY WORLD!
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