Disney Day One

Ok, I am going to attempt this. I can't say that I will do it justice, but I will try to share all that I remember. I mean, honestly, it was just so HUGE to try to condense into a few blog posts.

But before I can write about Disney Day One, I have to write about the night before I left.

I found out my friend Holly was in town from FL, where she moved a few months ago. She asked me to come out for coffee with several girls, so I did. I told Curt I felt guilty leaving the night before I was leaving for three days away from my kids. He reminded me that I have just spent the last five weeks under my children's noses as I recuperated from this broken foot. He said I had an extra night coming and not to sweat it. So, with his blessing, I went out. We wrapped up our evening around 10:30 and Holly offered to drive me home. We ended up sitting outside my house for over an hour, gabbing away. Swapping stories and comparing notes on life. It was great-- except for we finished talking at midnight and I still had to pack!! I finally crawled into bed about 1am and had to be up at 6:30 to get to the airport. So, I started off on a sleep deficit, which, in retrospect, was not smart. But still worth it to spend time with a friend I don't usually get to see. (So, Holly? Don't you dare feel bad about it!!)

My flight was, thankfully, uneventful. I got there on time and was greeted by a Disney VIP driver. I felt like a VIP! She even gave me the card with my name on it that she was holding just as proof for those days I forget what a VIP I am. The woman that drove me was super nice and we had a good conversation while we drove to the Beach Club Resort on the Disney property. It is a beautiful place. As much as I wanted to walk around it, though, I opted for a nap. I had just walked a lot through the airport and reasoned that it might be good to lay off the walking while I had a chance. This was a smart move on my part. (See! I occasionally do make good decisions!)

After my nap, I met my college roommate (hey Sam!) who was down there visiting Disney with her family. I know. What are the odds? We sat outside and talked for about two hours, just catching up and swapping stories. (Have you gotten that I love to sit and talk to my girlfriends for hours yet?) Before too long it was time to say goodbye as we had to meet in the hotel lobby for a reception in our honor. Sam left and I joined these total strangers who became friends over the course of the weekend. We trekked up to a lovely gazebo area that overlooked the beautiful pools at the resort, where there was Sangria and an assortment of appetizers awaiting us. We made small talk and introduced ourselves all around. Then it was time to head to Epcot for dinner.

We ate in Italy and were treated so wonderfully by the chef and the waitstaff. They even surprised us with a special dessert sampling-- even though we were going somewhere else for desserts! We laughed and said, "Oh well, life's short! Might as well eat both desserts!" We were all starting to get to know each other and loosen up. Then it was time to trek over to our special VIP area to watch the Epcot fireworks over the water while we ate dessert and had coffee. The fireworks were beautiful and the night was perfect. I couldn't believe I was there.

After that we had the option of heading back to the hotel or staying at Epcot. I decided to go with some of the other girls and ride Soarin. We began walking and I walked with one of the girls from the Disney Moms Panel, which was recently formed. These girls were picked out of 10,000 applicants for their knowledge of all things Disney. They amazed me with what they knew!! As we walked, I asked Kim how far away we were. She pointed waaaay up ahead of us. I knew I had pushed my broken foot far enough and turned back towards the hotel. As much as I didn't want to miss Soarin, I also didn't want to overdo it on my first night.

I hobbled my way back to the hotel, talking to my husband on the cell as I walked. He kept me company from hundreds of miles away. The miracle of technology. When I got back to my room, there was a gift bag waiting on me filled with such adorable goodies-- a stainless steel pink coffee mug, a mousepad, a camera, a flashdrive, Mickey ears with "Mom" written on them, a cute little backpack. I was so tickled by all the little extra touches they had waiting for me! I crawled into bed with an ice pack on my foot just for good measure and watched coverage of the Polygamy case on tv. Larry King was interviewing several of the wives. This all seemed very odd to watch from my swanky room in a Disney resort. Very quickly, I got tired of that and fell into an exhausted sleep-- dreaming of the fun I was sure I would have the next day.