Before You Hit the Road, Jack

I came across some of our Walt Disney World Videos last night.  Ahhhh, the memories.  Several of you asked for Trip Planning, Packing, and Executing ideas after we came home,and at the time I was overwhelmed with this endless load. So now that we’ve conquered potty training (insert angels singing) I might get around to sharing a little of how we survived a 32 hour road trip with quadruplets.

A special thanks to Purolator Cabin Air Filters who allowed me to team up with them for this post. They are hosting a sweepstakes at Parents where you as readers can enter to win a trip for 4 to Walt Disney World in the Purolator BreathEasy Sweepstakes!

Go enter so you can have your own picture like this, (minus the quad stroller, of course):

So Before You “Hit the Road, Jack”, Here Are A Few Safety Tips We’ve Learned:

* Check Your Carseats – Make sure they are appropriate for your child’s age/height/weight.  Rear facing until your child has reached the stated limits. Your local fire department is a great place to check with to make sure you are “good to go”.  (Shout out to Barb Carrier who has been our AAA car seat guru from the beginning.)

* Get a Tune-Up for Your Vehicle – Have you local mechanic make sure your vehicle is running well or you might end up like us on our first road trip.

* Sleep the Night Before – A good nights sleep will get you further down the road the next day, and your be easier to get along with on the trip too!

* Keep Your Little Travelers Occupied – This helps cut down on driver distractions. Things that worked for us: dollar toys, CDs, DVDs (A portable DVD player is worth every penny!), talking about the scenery, counting down each state, and lots of snacks!

* Know Your Driving Limits – Take a break every few hours and always stop before you hit your driving wall, even though it may be tempting to keep driving to meet your destination

* Check in with Family Members Along The Way – Let them know your progress and where you’re staying along the route, along with numbers where they can reach you. (Trust me, your mom will sleep better hearing that you are safe. Right, mom?)

And don’t forget to make memories along the way that you’ll laugh at later.

Making Home The 2nd Happiest Place on Earth

Thank you for allowing me to let me share my heart last week.  An ugly beginning of the week gave way to a superb ending.  Along with my own attitude adjustment, the gorgeous spring weather helped tremendously. I have never been so grateful for a fenced in backyard in my whole life!

We’ve been home from our vacation to Walt Disney World for a month now, but it has not been quickly forgotten.  The boys pretend to be at Disney everyday, especially when they play outdoors.  They pretend to go on the rides, greet the characters, see the fireworks…I LOVE the imagination capabilities of three year olds!

I don’t think any place on earth can compete with Walt Disney World for the happiest place on earth, but home ranks in at a close 2nd!

My Favorite Twins on The Interweb

 

We were blessed to meet Janice and Susan from 5 Minutes for Mom at BlogHer.  They spotted our stroller at the hotel and we became instant friends. They are the sweetest, most hard working, energetic, and welcoming duo. I really hope that someday my boys will share as strong of bond (in a brotherly sort of way) as they possess.

They recently completed a redesign of 5 Minutes for Mom and it looks fantastic!  Love the fresh, crisp look, Ladies!

Today I was pleasantly surprised to see a video interview of our family featured on their site. It’s a super cute clip of our boys from the Disney Social Media Moms Celebration.  Can you tell the boys were having the time of their lives? (And that was only the beginning!)

Thanks again, Janice and Susan!  You are both an inspiration and an encouragement to our family!

Disney Quest 2010: A Mickey Surprise

Do you remember the souvenir surprise that I eluded to before we left for Walt Disney World?  The one I snuck on our trip after finding a bargain at the Disney Store that was going out of business?

Here’s what they found sitting by their tents* upon returning to our hotel from a day at Magic Kingdom:

(This video was shot a little bit after the initial reaction. We took that in without a video camera in hand.)

And in case you are curious what they are singing and dancing their Mickeys to…

It’s a clip that we showed the boys on YouTube before our trip from Mickey Mouse Clubhouse

Isn’t it fun watching your kids eyes light up?

 

* Notes Affiliate Link

Disney Quest 2010: Reactions

Whenever we take the boys out, especially if it requires “The Beast” Quad Stroller (which we use pretty much limit to long walks or big excursions now) it becomes a spectator event.  Most people have never encountered quadruplets in person. People take their pictures and pelt you with questions from every angle.  Most of the time in the following order:

1. Are they … (long pause)?  We usually fill in the blank with “QUADRUPLETS” for them, because no one can seem to come up with it in the moment.

2. How old are they?

3. Are they all identical?

These 3 questions are often followed by another round of infertility questions that are both inappropriate and awkward to be asked in a crowd of strangers. Sometimes people make very hurtful and crass remarks. However, many times people are gracious and encouraging. (Which is a breath of fresh air!)

Regardless of the reactions, we know that this comes with the territory of parenting multiples.  Most of the time we are take the attention in stride, smile for random pictures, answer questions, and roll with it.

Overall, our reception with Disney goers was very pleasant.  In fact, I wish that the happiest place on earth would rub off on the rest of the nation! =)

A few times we had to end some long-winded conversations because we had to be mindful that our kids were experiencing Walt Disney world for the first times in their lives and they are THREE for goodness sakes.  They aren’t always amused by stopping for 20 minutes to discuss a stranger’s aunt’s neighbor’s sister who had twins 13 years ago while watching the Dumbo ride take off when they remain trapped in the stroller.

Some “unique” initial reactions have stuck in our memory and made us chuckle several times since returning home. Here’s just a taste:

“WHAT. ARE. THEY???????????????” (Was one of my personal all-time favorites.  I was so tempted to tell the sweet old lady that they were 3 year old aliens, but I resisted the urge as Brad answered with a smile, “Children”.)

“Awwww.  Oh My Goodness.  They are like a bunch of little Dalmatians.” (Dalmatians?  Thanks. I think.)

“One. Two. Three. Four. Four? Four?  Inter-resting.” (And so are you, Dude.)

“How You Do That?  They all came out of you?  All Them? How’d That Happen? How You Do That?” (Um, did you they not cover that in your middle school health class curriculum?)

 

Perhaps you had to be there or be in our shoes to find the humor in these, but I wanted to write it down to remember it someday.  After all, that’s what blogging is all about, isn’t it?

 

Disney Quest 2010: Character Greetings

My expectation was for the boys to be shy and frightened by the Disney characters.  After all, when they met the Colts’ mascot a few months ago they FREAKED.  They were shaking, screaming, clinging, hiding, the whole bit. 

We tried to prepare them for the Disney characters that we thought they might encounter before we left.  We talked about how big they were, and how they love kids. I even showed them YouTube videos of other kids meeting the characters to try to help with their fear of costumed creatures.  I’m not sure if we have those measures to credit, or if it was just a maturity issue, or if they were just so in love each character. Regardless, they ADORED the Disney characters.

Thanks to the Disney Social Media Moms Celebration, we were able to meet the characters on multiple occasions.  Our boys were able to dance with Donald, Mickey, and Minnie.  Woody and Buzz became their closest buddies. And they probably gave Mickey high fives 8 times in one night.  It was so adorable to see them love on their favorite (and new favorite) characters.  Their excitement was evident through their smiles, squeals, and jumping.  They acted like they were their bestest buddies, that they needed to hug, kiss, and play with!

Here’s a FEW of our favorite encounters!

The first character we met, Daisy, at ESPN Wide World of Sports

3 Goofys: Isaac, Daddy, and Goofy

“Tailgating” with Mickey

 

Isaac, Clark, Mama, and Henry (back) at Disney’s Hollywood Studios Back Lot

 

Isaac giving some high-five love to Minnie

 

Gotta love those famous Mice!

Having the time of their lives with Woody and Buzz in real life at Disney’s Hollywood Studios

 

What boy doesn’t LOVE Lightning McQueen?

Tonight I asked them who their favorite character is and here’s their responses:

Brooks: Minnie Mouse!

Clark: BUZZ!

Henry: Donald Duck!

Isaac: Mickey Mouse!

Daddy: Goofy

Mama: Minnie

How about you?  Who’s YOUR favorite Disney character?  Who’s your kid’s     favorite(s)?

I linked this post at Life as a Mom.

Disney Quest 2010: Big Thunder Mountain of Laundry

So what does the laundry pile look like upon return from Disney World with quadruplets after a snow storm delay? 

Sort of like this…

Accept more impressive in real life.

6 loads folded

1 in the washer

1 in the dryer

3-4 waiting to be washed

If only I could have bottled up some Pixie Dust that would magically wash/dry/fold/put away these giant loads of laundry! 

HOWEVER…it beats living out of a suitcase! 

It’s soooo good to be home after our 2,000 mile road trip to Walt Disney World and back. There’s so much that I cannot wait to share with you, sweet blogging family!

HOWEVER, laundry is ready for another switcharoo! 

If you don’t hear from me soon, come check the bottom of the pile, okay?   

Disney Quest 2010: Cinderella’s Castle

I could stare at it all day….

The only thing that can beat the castle at dusk,

Is the castle during the nightly fireworks show. 

Magic.  Pure Magic. 

Disney Quest 2010: First Flight

What better ride to pick as your first ride at Magic Kingdom than Dumbo? What’s YOUR favorite ride in the Magic Kingdom?

What a RIDE this has been for our family! 

 

PS I promise my posts will get longer when we get home and back to “normal” routine. And I might even post something non-Disney but for now we are soakin’ up the magic just a little while longer!  Thanks for riding it out with us!

 

Disney Quest 2010: Dancing With The Duck

I don’t think I was as excited to see the characters as a kid as I was to see them through the eyes of my little boys this week.  It truly is magical to see their eyes dance with wonder as Donald and Mickey stroll into the room.  This has been an incredible couple days that I know I will never forget……even if they do.

Quatro Daddy

Disney Quest 2010: Aloha!

The boys learned a new word today… ALOHA! 

Today we arrived at the Walt Disney’s Polynesian Resort.  (We feel like royalty!) The boys took their first trip on the monorail (bridge in the background), ate Pineapple Dole Whip, and are now taking a much overdue N-A-P! Tonight we’ll be partying with Mickey at ESPN’s Wide World of Sports. It all feels like a dream! 

We cannot thank Walt Disney World enough for hosting the Disney Social Media Mom’s Celebration – it’s going to be a “magical” experience for our family!

Aloha!

Disney Quest 2010: 11 Hours Down

There’s so much I can’t wait to tell you about our time at Blissdom, but we are onto our next journey already! 

Hopefully, I’ll be able to post most days at least with a picture and a little memory from the day.  That way you can be part of our Disney Quest 2010!

After 11 hours on the road we took a much needed pit stop in Tifton, GA.  The boys did amazing yesterday. Seriously, we couldn’t have asked for a better start to our journey to Mickey. Here’s some things that might make you chuckle that we’ve experienced so far….

* Two hours before we planned on leaving, we went to borrow an overhead luggage compartment and discovered that our Honda Odyssey didn’t have the crossbars required to hold it on our van.  We decided to just try to fit it all in the best we could and see if we could make it work.  Somehow, we fit several tubs, several pieces of luggage, groceries, etc. in the back cargo and headed out on time!

* On the hour someone would cry out “I wanna go to Disney World!!!!” (Like we weren’t going anymore or something)

* We cheered through Indiana, Kentucky, Tennessee, and entering Georgia yesterday.

* After we made it into Georgia, Clark whined, “I don’t wanna go to George’s house!” (He thought we were saying George for Georgia.)

* This morning we provided entertainment for the crowd at the Tifton Hampton Inn complimentary breakfast.  Seriously, people were taking pictures and were cutting up!  Gotta love the Southern hospitality.

* The automatic door provided so much entertainment, that we questioned whether Walt Disney World could compete.

We’ve got about 4 1/2 hours left in our Disney Quest.  Our next pit stop will be at my brother and sister in law’s house in Orlando. 

Here’s how excited we are to be 11 hours in!

  

Smitten by Disney…

I love packages.  Don’t you?  A special one arrived in our mailbox over the weekend…

Smitten &Co (The same creator of birthday shirts last year) hooked us up with a perfect design to wear for our birthday celebration at Walt Disney World. 

Aren’t they delightful?

(Thank you, Tara, for once again making such a personal and perfect creation for our celebration!)

I also found a perfect souvenir surprise to take with us, thanks to a really great deal at a Disney Store that was closing over the weekend.  I’m guessing I got them for a 1/4 of what I could buy them in the park for… No, I can’t tell you!  It’s a surprise, silly!

The days are quickly approaching.  Your ideas for travelling with little ones have been fabulous.  I’ve learned LOADS from y’all!  In fact, I’d love to put together a post of tips we’ve learned along the way after we return.  Also, there is a super-comprehensive post on the Multiples and More Network on “How to Do Disney’s Magic Kingdom with Multiples”.  It’s an incredible resource…even if you’re not traveling with multiples.  Perfect timing!

Now if I could only find a little Pixie Dust to pack some bags, clean the house, and finish the laundry! Wouldn’t that be MAGICAL?

PS One more day until I become a mother of four THREE Year Olds!  Unreal!

It’s Going to Be a February Trifecta

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ONE

In ONE week my preemie quadruplets are turning THREE.  It sounds so grown up.  So non-baby.  Not even “toddler”. I’m in denial…

But every day they are proving how big they are with their independence, their imaginations, their conversations.  We’ve heard that “three” is the new “terrible twos”, but I’m convinced that it’s going to be a great year!  (Remind me of this positive attitude when I’m up to my elbows in potty training, m’kay?) 

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TWO

Our beloved Colts are heading back to Miami for a SECOND appearance in the Super Bowl.  Their last Super Bowl win occurred the weekend our boys were born. 

They sported tiny preemie Colts caps and “baked” under the billiruban lights.  Sadly, I don’t remember much of the game at all.  I was still coming off “The Mag” and Brad was splitting his time between me and the NICU. Perhaps this year we’ll be able to concentrate a little more on the game.

 

 

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THREE

Also in February we’ll be spending THREE nights at a Walt Disney World Resort. We along with 100 or so other bloggers have been invited by Disney to visit at a highly highly discounted rate for the Disney Social Media Moms Celebration family event.  It all seems too good to be true, but I suppose that’s the magic of Disney!  I’m not sure we’ll ever have an opportunity to afford a family of 6 vacation to Walt Disney World, so we excitedly took them up on their offer.

If you have advice to offer about traveling with 4 “preschoolers” (I can hardly fathom it!)in a van for 800+ miles or tips on visiting Walt Disney World with little ones, we are all “EARS”! 

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