It’s my favourite weekend of the yr, and one we normally spend at Walt Disney World. That gained’t be occurring this yr, however solely as a result of our conventional post-Thanksgiving journey was delayed by different travels–we actually simply obtained residence yesterday from a Christmas journey to 3 of our favourite theme parks on earth–however extra on that later (and by way of images all through this submit).
As I sit right here scripting this at roughly 3 a.m. in a jetlagged stupor, I really feel like a child on Christmas morning. Not a creature is stirring, aside from Yossarian the Cat who actually needs consideration, and gained’t cease meowing and biting my ears. I’m excited as a result of the Detroit Lions managed to tug off a win (or reasonably, the Bears managed to grab defeat from the jaws of victory with horrible clock administration). I’m excited as a result of it’s Black Friday and there are literally numerous actually good Disney-related offers this yr.
I’m additionally excited to begin celebrating Christmas at residence. To get out our Twinkly tree and all the opposite stuff I purchased on clearance in February (we actually cleaned up at Crate & Barrel when costs dropped to 75% off). To lastly begin utilizing our extreme assortment of Christmas espresso mugs. (Is it bizarre that over half of our mugs are for a vacation that lasts lower than two months? Don’t reply that.) However I can’t do any of that till Sarah and Megatron are up. So now, I jot down ideas and spherical up offers.
Quiet mornings like this one, within the shadow of Thanksgiving, are additionally a good time for reflection. And I wished to share a few of these with you as a result of a few of them pertain to you…and since the cat is in additional of a speaking than listening temper.
Let’s begin with one of many large issues for which Sarah and I are each grateful, which is the readers and commenters of Disney Vacationer Weblog. We need to as soon as once more reiterate how grateful we’re for all of you and attempt to categorical our earnestness. This isn’t perfunctory reward or insincere sentiment, like a band shouting “we love [insert city they’re in].” We actually and really imply this, from the underside of our hearts.
We’re so extremely appreciative of your help. Whether or not you lurk silently, touch upon each single submit, or someplace in between. Your help means the world to us–in all probability way over most of you’ll ever know. Thanks so, a lot.
That is doubly true throughout a yr when synthetic intelligence has decimated running a blog. As a author who by no means makes use of AI, I’ve gotta admit that it’s been greater than a bit regarding to see the proliferation of a lot computer-generated rubbish. To see that junk meals content material carry out effectively is likewise disheartening.
Worse nonetheless, to have Google and different AI platforms steal work and move it off as their very own. I do know there’s a way of “adapt or die” to all of this, however a chatbot can’t go to Walt Disney World and do analysis on touring technique–and this content material will stop to exist (and there thus might be nothing for them to steal)–if present developments proceed.
So thanks all for supporting the true, human-created content material on this web site. I’d wish to suppose it’s higher than AI-generated garble, however then once more, I’m a biased and subjective human who can’t match the target reasoning of a robotic. I typically really feel like Dwight as he tries to outsell the pc throughout the Dunder Mifflin Infinity web site launch occasion. I do know the writing right here isn’t all the time good, and I’m definitely extra verbose than the typical pc, however I hope it’s helpful, entertaining, and interesting.
As all the time, we vastly recognize your readership–and once you share our posts with your folks, household, colleagues, and so forth. We really are grateful to have the perfect and most considerate readers. Which will seem to be a trite platitude, however we actually imply it. Spend any period of time shopping the feedback part right here versus most different web sites and also you’ll see the distinction. There’s a cause why the primary rule of the web is by no means learn the feedback.
Fortunately, that has by no means utilized with you all. That has additionally been doubly true this yr, as I’ve completed little or no moderation. Stuff nonetheless will get flagged for no matter cause from time-to-time, but it surely’s nearly all the time permitted. (Aspect notice: I’m grateful most of Disney’s assorted controversies that gave rise to elevated moderation appear to be within the rearview mirror.)
As we mirror this weekend on all of the methods we’re grateful, we couldn’t move up the chance to cease and share a really honest and heartfelt thanks. Once more. You all deserve a spherical of applause.
So long as we’re on the subject of thankfulness, I assumed I’d share a fast Child Bricker and household replace within the type of different issues for which I’m grateful.
At the beginning, I’m grateful for Sarah. I’ve mentioned it earlier than and I’ll say it once more: caring for a child isn’t only a full-time job. These are solely 40-some hours per week, whereas that is 24/7. Sadly, Megatron doesn’t even give us weekends or holidays off! And truly, this isn’t a job in any respect–it’s extra like volunteer work…that we’re paying to do?!
Sarah is up in any respect hours. She’s doing all of it. She’s making wholesome, home-cooked meals for Megatron and me, and regardless of how a lot I would grouse about preferring frozen pizza, I actually recognize the trouble she places into protecting us wholesome. (For anybody who’s ever requested how we’re match regardless of consuming a lot Disney meals, that’s the reply.)
I proceed to be in absolute awe of Sarah and someway love her even than ever. She’s so good at every part she does, however watching her be a mother–one thing she wished for therefore lengthy–has been really magical. She’s positively the Megatron of Moms (or Barry Sanders, if you happen to’d desire). The very best to ever do it.
On a extra lighthearted Megatron-related notice, I’m grateful for Disney’s distinctive misplaced and located.
I’ve talked about earlier than that Megatron hates carrying socks, to which a lot of you responded recommending Sock Ons. Effectively maybe these do work if you happen to’re not elevating Houdini Junior. However Megatron could be very persistent, watches what we do, and adapts to reverse-engineer and undo what’s been completed. You know the way velociraptors study to open doorways? That’s Megatron with something…together with the door to her “baby-proof” gates.
So we should always’ve recognized higher when studying opinions earlier than shopping for child sneakers, believing that they’d be “not possible” to take away, and solely shopping for one pair earlier than a visit. These puppies have been continually being thrown on the bottom, and whereas more often than not we caught them being jettisoned, we did should make three separate journeys to misplaced and located. And towards all odds, returned residence with that one pair of sneakers! There have been some shoeless and sockless hours in between, although.
Oh yeah, Megatron’s main milestone is that she’s strolling now!
What a game-changer this has been already. She had been cruising for a couple of months and would do laps of our lounge with me every night time earlier than dinner together with her little child walker. That meant she was nonetheless placing her weight on one thing else, however she had been getting extra surefooted. She was additionally capable of stand for longer and transfer quicker.
Then cruising with the walker transitioned to strolling with me holding each of her fingers. Within the blink of an eye fixed, we have been strolling down Foremost Road together with her, and obtained the sense that she wished to stroll on her personal. (A way we obtained as a result of she made clear to us that she wished to face on her personal. And with that, I obtained my first bittersweet style of the way it feels as children begin to outgrow their dad and mom.) As becoming and picture-perfect as that will’ve been, there wasn’t actually the house for it, nor did we really feel it’d be secure between the crowds and exhausting floor…so we stored holding her fingers.
A number of days later, Megatron took her first unassisted steps in an empty eating room one afternoon at Casbah Meals Court docket. I can solely assume she was impressed by a superb journey on Sindbad’s Storybook Voyage!
Far much less picturesque of a setting, however we are able to’t plan the place and when life’s particular moments will occur. It might’ve been magical regardless of the place it occurred, even on the DMV. These first steps are indelibly etched into my reminiscence. What a second.
So many of those main developmental milestones have occurred within the blink of an eye fixed. I nonetheless keep in mind the day that she lastly rolled over, and the way overjoyed we have been when it occurred.
It appeared like that one took some time, however every part since–sitting upright on her personal, crawling, standing, strolling–has occurred manner too quick. How did our little child go from having bother rolling to now eager to stroll independently in so little time?!
We’re additionally grateful that Yossarian the Cat has come into his personal as an incredible large brother. He truly began out as being petrified of Megatron, which was in all probability as a result of she was loud, wiggly, and international to him.
The final time we introduced residence a loud, wiggly, little critter, it turned out to be his youthful brother, Walter E. Dogsney, our miniature dachshund. Yossarian in all probability nonetheless needs we stored the receipt and returned the canine.
Ultimately, Yossarian grew to become detached in direction of the canine. Sometimes, they’ll cuddle or the cat will do a “drive by” licking of the canine, however Walter positively loves Yossarian greater than the opposite manner round. We anticipated the cat to have comparable sentiment in direction of the infant. Boy have been we unsuitable.
Yossarian loves Megatron.
I can’t fairly pinpoint why and even how this angle adjustment occurred. I do keep in mind one night time after we put the infant to mattress solely to return again to her crying, and the cat curled up proper exterior of her crib, completely unbothered.
They’ve gotten even nearer since, to the purpose that Yossarian involves Megatron when she’s upset and purrs in her face. He’ll stroll in circles round her, sit subsequent to us, and rub his nostril on her. It’s like he is aware of precisely what to do to calm her down, make her smile and snort. (Nothing is funnier than a cat!)
Yossarian has all the time been affectionate with me; he’s positively “my” cat and 90% of this weblog’s posts (together with this one) have been written with him on my lap. He normally avoids nearly everybody else, besides Sarah’s mother and typically Sarah (not all the time–she’s responsible for the canine acquisition, and Yossarian holds grudges for many years).
Nonetheless, we by no means anticipated Yossarian to be so loving in direction of a child. Particularly provided that he’s 17 years previous and barely caught in his methods, and she or he’s barely, uh, exuberant. However love her he does, and he’s been an enormous asset to us in serving to with Megatron.
A lot much less shocking is that Megatron loves Yossarian.
She will get excited each time she sees him, and few issues immediately cheer her up like Yossarian the Cat. The possibility to pet him has averted many a meltdown, and induced 180-degree angle enhancements.
She loves him a lot that “cat-cat” was one in every of her first phrases (oddly sufficient, she hasn’t fairly mastered “Yossarian” but). Once we go locations, in search of stray cats is a favourite exercise that likewise brings instantaneous pleasure. Identical goes for squirrels or different small furry creatures.
Amusingly, a lot of Megatron’s favourite Disney sights are those who include critters that might plausibly be cats. I’m debating an inventory of her favourite rides (like Sarah & Tom Bricker’s Prime 15 Disney Points of interest, however a lot much less detailed)–partly for enjoyable, partly for our personal sake so we are able to look again on it–and about half of the entries can be rides that include cat-like animals.
It’s fascinating to find which animals are and aren’t cats to her. Mickey isn’t, which is becoming given the cat-mouse dynamic. She additionally sees him quite a bit, each in individual and by way of plushies. So she acknowledges Mickey and Minnie independently, as their very own species or no matter. Pooh additionally isn’t a cat for a similar causes. Beast and bears (of the non-Pooh selection), however, are cats. So she additionally loves them.
We lately took a 16-hour flight, which is a very long time for anybody, however particularly a child. We don’t usually let her have any display time, however determined it was higher than the choice about midway by way of the flight when issues have been going a bit off the rails.
Wanting one thing that wouldn’t be overly-stimulating, I noticed “A Horse’s Story” on the in-flight rest video display. That immediately did the trick, as Megatron waved and cheered on the “cat-cats.” I’ve now watched that one video three-dozen instances, which isn’t an exaggeration (it’s 21 minutes lengthy and I’ve watched it for about 12 hours).
Most significantly, we’re grateful to have a child who’s joyful and wholesome.
One of many issues many readers mentioned in response to our previous child posts is how they beloved every new stage greater than the final. That the childhood expertise simply stored getting higher and higher. Wow can we really feel that!
I actually don’t know the way it can get any higher than it’s proper now. If I may freeze this second in time, on the nearly 14-month mark, I might. Effectively, not often because I’ve seen sufficient Twilight Zone episodes to know that’s a fraught concept–and since I can’t wait to see what occurs subsequent.
Megatron is at a degree proper now the place she’s extremely inquisitive, capable of study and retain new ideas, and needs to discover every part. Her character is popping out, and she or he’s each humorous and sensible. (I do know each dad or mum in all probability thinks this about their infants, however I swear it’s true!)
And no less than from my perspective, that is making her extra enjoyable and fewer of a problem. Certain, she has increasingly more opinions which are someway each strongly-held and fleeting. That may be fascinating to navigate. However we are able to additionally see who she is as an individual take form, and there’s something actually particular about that.
Tacky as it’d sound, I’m additionally grateful for the Disney Parks.
I discover myself very conflicted as a result of, on the one hand, I take situation with numerous Disney’s current choices. Not simply the recently-announced closures or the poor execution of some big-budget initiatives (though these issues too). But additionally, the previous couple of years of cutbacks, value will increase, nickel & diming, and so forth.
Then again, I’m realizing increasingly more that…they’ve obtained me. Hook, line and sinker.
As Sarah and Megatron walked hand-in-hand by way of the fort, my eyes welled up. My coronary heart overflowed with emotion when my daughter took her first steps in a meals courtroom. It was equally emotional, albeit in a really completely different manner, when she obtained petrified of a mischievous monkey (a not-so-fond reminiscence within the second, however one which’ll age amusingly).
I’ll always remember when she locked eyes with Mickey Mouse on a parade float manner off within the distance and vigorously waved again at him, clearly thrilled {that a} superstar noticed her in that sea of individuals. Each time she sees a personality and her eyes gentle up all of my assorted grievances soften away, and that second is actually all that issues.
One of many issues Sarah and I love to do is sit in mattress after Megatron falls asleep and watch the little ‘moments’ slideshows our telephones create of her. Whereas quite a bit are the small however significant ones at residence (together with her BFF, the cat), quite a bit are from the Disney Parks.
We’re so lucky and grateful that we’ve got two parks in our yard and are capable of journey to the others. Even when we couldn’t go to often, we’d (and do) have full slideshows of unimaginable reminiscences from single days within the parks.
Now I get why among the dad and mom who complain most about Disney’s choices proceed to go. It’s these numerous little moments and experiences which are etched into your reminiscences. They’ve obtained you too, don’t they? Who’re we even kidding with the complaints…
Lastly, we’re grateful for our households. That they’ve been so useful and supportive and genuinely excited for us and Megatron. The grandparents have come out to go to a number of instances and, fortunately, assist out a bit. We’re second fiddle to her now, however that’s okay, as a result of she is extra lovely than us.
Above all else, we’re grateful to be so beloved, to have a wholesome and joyful household, and to get to spend this vacation season collectively. We’re additionally trying ahead to our first Christmas trip to Walt Disney World as a household of three, as we proceed to make up for misplaced time after not touring collectively in any respect final yr whereas Sarah was pregnant.
For now, although, it’s time to get again to having fun with my favourite weekend of the yr, having a belated Thanksgiving feast, placing up these Christmas decorations, and watching a few of our favourite vacation specials on Disney+ and Hallmark! We hope you had a pleasant Thanksgiving with household and pals, get pleasure from the remainder of the lengthy weekend, and have a contented vacation season!
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YOUR THOUGHTS
Any ideas you have got in response to our newest replace on Child Bricker? Does Disney “have you ever” hook, line and sinker, too? Another parental knowledge or suggestions to share? Other ways to maintain these socks and sneakers on child’s toes??? Anything you’re fascinated by studying about with regard to Megatron, infants within the parks, and so forth? Agree or disagree with our takes right here? Listening to your suggestions is all the time appreciated, so please share your ideas beneath within the feedback!
