We finally landed in Orlando. Luckily there wasn't any more drama or bloodshed...
or was there?
I think my husband may have put the smack down on the Loud Child when nobody was looking...
The sweetest Flight Attendant EVER came to make sure I didn't want an ambulance to meet us at the airport. The Captain also paid me a visit, told me he was sorry about the "ruckus" and did I want to...get this..."PRESS ANY CHARGES"!!!::cop:
No I did not, but just hearing him say that made me feel enormously vindicated. Probably b/c I'm mean. And Wicked.
The CampbellScots were allowed to exit the plane FIRST. We're cool like that. Bloody and Cool. Sally took a hold of my hand and threw evil looks over her shoulder the whole way. The mother of the Loud Child acted all offended that we were even mildly annoyed.
I gotta say, I know this child didn't hurt me "on purpose". But he wasn't sorry. He didn't seem to even know that he should have been sorry. It was clear that his bad behavior is excused, not corrected. I don't imagine he has ever been made to take responsibility for anything. He bullies his mom and she sees that as his "assertive personality" shining through. I see it as "Felony of the Future". *ahem*
SOoooo....we trooped off the plane and into the HEAT. It was 60 degrees when we left home. It was 90+ when we arrived in Orlando. The kids started stripping down...taking off sweat shirts and sweatpants.(They had shorts and tanks on underneath!) Normally I don't go for public stripping (this issue will be revisted later in the report!) but the line for the bathroom was LOOOOONG and we wanted to get our Disney groove on PRONTO!!!
So we hopped on the fake Monorail and headed towards baggage. I felt like people were staring a little as we walked along. Okay they WERE staring. Sally pointed it out. I know I had a shiner starting. Sally whispered to me...
"Miss Cammie, people are looking at your eye" To which I replied...
"No they aren't hunny. They are looking at me b/c I'm pretty". Natch.
Actually, I think one person gave an obvious look. We're just paranoid. And I AM pretty...*ahem*
Our very nice driver from Tiffany Towncar was waiting. He had MY last name on the card, not my husband's. This annoys my husband a weens...But I am the one who made all the plans and reservations...and well...I haven't quite changed my last name yet...my passport doesn't expire until November 2008...and it's expensive to change it...and I travel a lot...and I LIKE my last name. I like my husband's last name too...it's great. It's not something weird. It's a good strong Scottish last name. I WILL take my husband's last name. I will. I've only just been married a year. But I will...I am...soon...wait...sorry, I hallucinated that I was in therapy again. It's the computer chair...it's the same color as the chair in my therapists office.
*cough*
Where were we? OH yes...Tiffany Towncar driver...very nice. We got our bags and pointed and laughed at all the people waiting for Disney's Magical Takes Forever No Kind of Express Express bus...and hopped into our lovely towncar. It wasn't a limo so there was a bit of crowding...a little shoving and elbowing...some namecalling...the kids weren't much better!
But we all got situated and buckled in and we were OFF!!
The questions started rapid fire-
MissCammie what is that?! Where are we?! Are we still in AMERICA? LOOK at the PALM TREES!! Where is Pinkerbell? (that was teddy...insists her name is PINKerbell...) Where are we going? How many minutes? Teddy STOP touching me and looking at me...STOP!
Ahhhh vacation at it's finest!
We made a 20 minute stop at Publix grocery store. I love those first moments of vacation. You're on that "We're on vacation so no purchase is too silly or unnecessary" feeling. Which leads you to spending $70 on groceries for a six day trip...even though you're on the dining plan...but we NEEDED all that stuff. We DID! Seriously though, we did need cheerios and fish crackers and bottled water and Diet Coke. And we got some bread and Peanut Butter and Jelly for yours truly!I LIVE on PB&J.
After that we really headed for the Wilderness Lodge. Even though I had a black eye, and I felt nauseous and ick, I was SO excited. I could feel TEddy just trembling with excitement. He kept kissing my arm.
It's an excited response he has. He'll run up out of the blue and kiss my hand...which usually means he's had too much sugar. He's a Cassanova that boy. He told his mom he was going to marry me when he grew up. THAT went over well...
anyhow...
We were headed for Disneyworld. Our emotional Life Raft. The destination that cheered us on countless days. We were in the Magic Disney Bubble of Happiness and Anticipation. It felt good. Black eye or not!
As soon as I saw that sign I handed the camera to Jay. (He was in the front seat)
"Take a picture babe! QUICK"
"Cam, don't you have this picture from last year"
"JAY It's a DIFFERENT TRIP! Now make it SNAPPY MISTER! TAKE IT! Please.
"
That's more like it!!
That sign just gives me a thrill.
Teddy said "MISS CAMMIE LOOOK!!!! It's MINNIE MOUSE!!! She's the BOSS of Disneyworld Right MissCammie? Because she is in charge of her HUSBAND RIGHT?! She's the WHOLE BOSS OF THE WORLD"
Good Boy!!!! I SWEAR y'all, I did NOT tell him any of that. He came up with it on his own. He's a brilliant child. BRILLIANT.
I smacked my husband lovingly on the back of the head.
"DID YOU HEAR YOUR SON?!"
Darn Tootin!
I got a little picture happy. Sally thought I was nuts. She pointed out that you can't get good pictures from a moving car. True. Smart girl.
Here's another one!!
Love those Disney buses!!!
Then we arrived...we arrived at The Wilderness Lodge. It was every bit as grand a moment as we had imagined it would be. As we drove up towards the lodge I tried stay in that moment. We drove past the trees that do not naturally grow in Florida. They were brought over from the pacific Northwest!! I wanted to soak it all up and remember that intoxicating feeling of anticipation and overwhelming excitement and RELIEF to be away from the garbage of custody battles and non stop anxiety. Then my little step son grabbed my hand and said
"MissCammie this is SO happy isn't it?"
LOST IT. I cried all the way up the driveway. I annoy myself with this. I can't seem to control it.
Sally said "Happy Cry missCammie? Right?" Oh Lord, don't burden the children with your emotional upheaval. So I started laughing. It sounded a little bit hysterical, but it was laughter just the same. Jay turned around to look at me to make sure I wasn't having that break down I keep threatening to have. He asked me if I was okay. I tried to answer but I was laughing so hard I couldn't get any words out. This gets the kids giggling, and we are having a full blown laugh attack by the time we pull up to the lodge.
I think the driver thought we were all one brick shy of a load. He was 1 fourth right. Cuz i am. Don't judge.
A Lodge Ranger opened our door and said "Hello and Welcome Home".
It was OFFICIAL...vacation had begun.
Chapter 3 Part II up next!!!
I do hope things get better for you from this point on and you go ahead and cry as much as you need to (at least you're not crying over salmon... 
I so need to use that line. I have an insulin pump and I have a patch on my stomach where I hook it on. And when we go to water parks people are always staring at it.
