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| Seeing Rogue One again |
For our last day of vacation, we finally slept in. After
packing and cleaning up after ourselves, we checked out of our resort at 10:00 and
drove to a Waffle House for breakfast. The service is so fast at Waffle House that
it feels like they’re handing you your food before you’re even finished ordering.
As Ashley ate her waffle, she said, “It tastes like an Eggo,” and we were afraid
the cook was going to hear and beat her to death with a spatula.
We spent the rest of the day at Disney Springs, Disney World's massive outdoor shopping/dining/entertainment complex. The temperature was in
the mid 80s, but it was Christmas everywhere. We saw it in the decorations, the
music, the food—it just felt strange because sweat was dripping down our backs
and the smell of sunscreen filled the air.
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| Walking in a Winter Wonderland |
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| Even the janitors ("showkeepers") are artists in Disney |
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| This place looked like a scene from Rogue One |
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| "Rebellions are built on hope." |
We had tickets to see Rogue
One at 12:30, so we window shopped until then. The AMC theaters at Disney
Springs is massive, and we were glad for assigned seats because we were
basically at a Star Wars convention. Everyone wore their best Star Wars
t-shirt, the movie soundtrack blared over the speakers, and everywhere we
looked, we saw that old Rebel Alliance symbol we all love so much. Our seats
were in the third floor balcony because we bought our tickets only four days in
advance. We snuggled down into our recliners, and watched the movie again. The
second time was even better than the first, and the audience’s explosion of
applause at the end gave me goosebumps. They weren’t just clapping; they were
clapping hard, and there’s a
difference.
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| "Look, Mom! We're Stormtroopers" |
When it was all over, we walked through Disney Springs talking
about our favorite parts and how they tie in with the original films, replaying
the highlights of this trip, and, of course, talking about our cat. Tootsie is like Elvis Presley and our kids are like his teenage
fans in the 1960s. No matter where we are or what we are doing, they manage to work
Tootsie into the conversation.
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| My kids whenever Tootsie waddles into the room |
“What if Tootsie’s our pilot on the way to Florida and she’s
wearing those pilot goggles and a scarf?”
“What if Tootsie missed us so much that she packed her
little hobo bindle and followed us here?”
“What if Tootsie was a Star Wars droid?” This discussion was
my favorite because for the entire trip, Ali did Tootsie the Droid impressions.
Click here to see her magically transform.
This probably sounds so dumb to you, but I tell the story
because these tiny family moments will be everything when the kids are grown
and gone, and I want them to look back on this blog and remember how much fun
we had and how important being a tight family is. I keep reminding them that
Tootsie will probably die in a few more years because, while I want them to
enjoy life, I also want them to have realistic expectations. It’s all about
balance.
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| These two kind of remind me of Chad and me |
Orlando’s airport was like every bustling airport in every
Christmas movie ever made. Once we checked in and made it through security, we
ate dinner at On the Border Mexican Grill & Cantina. We watched the sun set
and talked about how what if Tootsie was mad at us for leaving her so she broke
all our Christmas ornaments and knocked down our tree. You know, normal family
discussion topics.
As we took off, I looked out my window and saw a firework
show at one of the parks below. Tiny and insignificant amid the millions of
lights, I knew what a big deal it was to the families who were down there watching.
An hour later, we passed through a terrific lightning storm that scared and
amazed me, and the thought actually crossed my mind, “I sure hope Tootsie’s not
flying this plane.”
When you wish upon a star
Makes no difference who you are
Anything your heart desires
Will come to you
-The Niemeyers
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