The Disney Series Part 5

The Disney Series Part 5 - Beach Day

Ok, so back to the Disney recap...I figured you guys needed a little break after the last novel of a post. Plus there has been a garage sale that's been taking over my life for the past week or so. But, without further ado I take you to the Sea.

We knew Magic Kingdom would include staying up late for the nighttime festivities so we planned the next day as our "rest" day and planned to drive to the beach. I was the first one to roll out of bed at 8am and I was able to sneak out to the balcony for a cup of coffee before the kids got up! Those of you with kids know this is the equivalent of sleeping well in to the afternoon, and almost unheard of. I even felt a little guilty for wasting so much of the day away!! We woke up slowly drinking coffee, watching cartoons, and inventorying our growing pressed penny collection. We finally got moving forward around 11 and headed to Clearwater beach. It was about a 2 hour drive from our hotel, but we figured the girls could use a good nap in the car and Beau could catch up on some reading for school. The drive was worth it because the beach and the water were so pretty, and a great first ocean experience for the kids.

When we arrived (all in one piece, no thanks to the lady in front of us who seemed to be having a crisis deciding between her candy crush game and actually driving her car) Luke needed to use the restroom and opted to take the stairs vs. waiting for the elevator in the parking garage. So that left me, 3 kids, our bus of a stroller, and the 2 drunk spring breakers getting on the elevator. I believe they said something to the effect of "oh lets let this mama and her carriage get on first." Leaving me wondering how the hell I got so old?!? I think my pondering probably turned to a scowl as I thought seriously I canNOT be that much older than you! They chatted with my kids about the dangers of drinking as Beau kept sneaking looks at me like "mom what is wrong with them" and Cora couldn't take her eyes off the girls bejeweled belly. I couldn't decide if her stares were out of horror and confusion or amazement and wonder. In either case I made a mental note to show her what ONE stomach piercing looks like after 3 children, let alone a stomach covered in sparkly bling. ANYWAY....we did reach the street without this mama having a midlife crisis, and thankfully the area of the beach we were on was a family area so time was turned back to its rightful place.

Cora was a natural mermaid jumping right into the "sea" as she calls it. As usual Beau was a little more cautious, but gradually worked his way out to the deeper water and bigger waves, where he stayed most of the time. They both ended up with noses full of salt water multiple times, and loved every minute of it. Every time Cora's head would go under she'd bob back up and say "did you see that?! I just drowned!!" Apparently she's like a cat and has multiple lives. Sylvie is more like her brother, a cautious explorer. She would start with the water washing over her feet and work her way out to the point where the waves were almost knocking her over. That would result in a trip back to our spot in the sand for a little break, before venturing out to do it all over again. It was a fairly short trip, since we knew we had a long drive back and wanted to get the kids to bed early. The trip back to the hotel included an emergency bathroom stop (are you noticing a bathroom trend throughout this vacation?!) at the most disgusting gas station bathroom I've ever been in, and a stop at Target for some frozen pizzas for supper. (Some of you will be happy to note that there was no confusion as to what a frozen pizza was this time, but that's a story for another time ;).

It was nice to have an evening to slow down and relax. Luke even ventured out to find us some drinks at the hotel bar, while we filled the Jacuzzi tub so the girls could pretend they were back at the sea. They were thrilled to be able to splash until their hearts were content...as all of you with little girls know those mermaid tails can make quite a mess! The kids got to bed at a decent time leaving us time to (nerd alert) look over the maps and touring plans for the coming days. Don't judge, in all my dedicated (ok, obsessive) plan checking I was able to score an early reservation that opened up at the Magic Kingdom for breakfast on Thursday. And not just any breakfast...a breakfast buffet at the Crystal Palace with Pooh and friends!! Not only was I excited for the characters, but that meant we got into the park an hour early with the Disney resort guests!!!!