WDW May 2021 Day 1

I have decided to break this trip into three posts (even though it was only about 60 hours long!) because of the many photos I took!

one of my favorite pics from the weekend

Back in February, a friend - who wholeheartedly shares in my love of Disney - texted me because she'd found cheap flights to Orlando. I decided to take a look and there was availability for the weekend of C's birthday, which I obviously took as a sign that we needed to go! We also had quite a stash of Southwest funds from all of our canceled trips in 2020, so it only made sense to use those up, right? I also found a great deal on a room at WDW, which I will get into shortly, so it seemed like it was meant to be!

On Friday night, we drove Ginny to my mom's house for the weekend, drove back home, and managed to get a few hours of sleep before leaving our house around 3:45 am for our early flight. We recently bought new travel backpacks for shorter trips that are smaller versions of the backpacks we already own and use for longer trips, so this was their maiden voyage. They turned out to be the perfect size!

Once we landed, we took a lyft rather than the Magical Express because that same Disney-loving friend had been there the previous week and had warned against the long wait and the crowding on the bus. Since we had no checked bags and didn't have to wait for the Magical Express, we got over to our resort in no time!

This was the sixth birthday C got to celebrate at WDW! On those previous birthday trips, we stayed at Wilderness Lodge, Beach Club, Boardwalk Inn, Polynesian, and Bay Lake Tower. This time, we stayed at Riviera, which is the newest resort at WDW!

The resort itself is absolutely lovely and it being on the SkyLiner route is a huge bonus! Our room, though, was unusual. When I booked it a few months ago, I thought it would be cool to stay in what seemed like a unique room, and while it was ok, I would not choose it again. It was a studio and it was tiny! The bed was a pull-down murphy bed and there was very little space in the room when the bed was open (although the bathroom was surprisingly spacious!). On the plus side, it was super close to the SkyLiner station and there was beautiful artwork all around the resort, including two gorgeous archways - Peter Pan and Tangled!

Since WDW isn't selling new annual passes right now, we had to buy park tickets when we booked our resort so that we could make park reservations. We are usually pretty laid back about the parks, but had to take a different approach this trip to get the most bang for our buck!

We took the SkyLiner a little after 10:00 am from Riviera to Epcot and as soon as we entered,I began to cry. Not the single-tear-running-down-my-cheek kind of crying...the full on, my-heart-could-honestly-not-handle-it sobbing.

It had been 463 days since we'd been in a Disney Park (with Disneyland Paris being our most recent in January 2020) and 531 days since we'd been in an American Disney Park.

The joy I felt walking into Epcot on Saturday morning was indescribable.

The Flower and Garden Festival was happening and the park was colorful and vibrant and we spent our time going to the various food booths for snacks and drinks. Unfortunately, it was pretty hot, so we went back to Riviera for a nap in the afternoon before returning around 5:00 pm. The area in front of Spaceship Earth has been reimagined and I absolutely love it, and that's pretty much where we eventually ended the night before heading to the back entrance of the park. My friend had warned me that the SkyLiner would have a very long line at park close, and she was right! Luckily it moved quickly and only took about twenty minutes.

my MagicBand for this trip

One final thing from our day...I ran into the owner of a small shop I love! I have purchased a phone case, a mask chain, and many adorably themed buttons - including customs ones I ordered from her for our vow renewal at WDW! If you know me in person, you know how awkward I can be in social situations, and when I spotted her, that awkwardness was on full display. However, she was so kind and gracious! She also gave me a button to add to my collection...she was seriously so sweet!

my new button

my phone case

our custom buttons from 2014

A grand and miraculous day.

Happy Tails to you!

Behind Every Great Teacher...

Today is National Teacher Appreciation Day and I wanted to celebrate the unsung heroes of teachers: our families. Yes, teachers are beyond incredible and they do an unimaginably difficult job. But they don't do it alone.

When I think back over my many years of teaching, there are so many times when my family's contributions to my craft and classroom were responsible for any successes I enjoyed!

Yes, I had a fun celebration with my students on my 30th birthday - because my mom and C's mom spent forever baking ice cream cone cupcakes for all of my kids.

Yes, I always had the best supplies - a long-reach stapler, an electric three hole punch, a heavy duty pencil sharpener - because my dad and C's dad got me what I needed anytime I asked.

Yes, I had math games and extension activities available to my students every year - because B2 spent hours typing up documents and directions for me.

Yes, I had amazing books in multiple languages in my library because B1 brought them back for me when he served overseas in the army.

Yes, I always had gift cards for Amazon, Barnes and Noble, Michael's, IKEA, and Staples to purchase things - because my family understood that making my classroom a happy and engaging space was all I ever wanted for any birthday, Christmas, or other occasion.

And there are not enough words to capture how C's efforts have lightened my load at every turn. Year after year, packing and unpacking my classroom, moving stuff to and from school, building me desks and tables and shelves, cutting out lamination for hours on end, making countless photocopies, labeling stacks and stacks of books, proofreading all of the materials, quizzes, and tests I created, and asking me every day, without fail - and I do mean literally EVERY DAY - "Do you need me to do anything for you today?"

C spent his entire Thanksgiving break
building a ton of Lego structures
for the robotics club I coached a few years ago

He cheers me on when things go well, comforts me when things don't, and tolerates my ranting about whatever frustrations I encountered that day. Even though he lives in a very different professional world, he gets it. He asks about my kids when I share their successes and challenges, often when I've only casually mentioned them, which means he really, really listens. He encourages me when a situation has left me feeling defeated, unappreciated, and undervalued. He stands by, smiling, when I run into students while we are out shopping or dining and the ensuing chat goes on much longer than he'd probably like.

He makes me coffee in the morning and in the evening, not only because he knows I love it, but because he knows the mug he brings it in will make me smile. He gives me pep talks when I need to be inspired and when I need to calm down and he listens to my endless stories about school. Endless.

C and my family when I talk about school:

Me:

Behind this great teacher is a husband and a family whose selflessness and love keep her going!

So on this National Teacher Appreciation Day, here's to all of the people behind the scenes whose help and support keep teachers going!

Happy Tails to you!