Tag: Surprise

And So it Goes.

Posted on by Nichole S.

A couple of weeks ago I wrote a post asking for suggestions about how to…or even whether or not to….surprise Thatcher and Finn with the trip we are taking to Florida in April.

You can read that post HERE if you’d like

To summarize, I had planned a “Disney Reveal” three and a half years ago and it was an epic failure.  Thatcher had just turned five and Finn had just turned three.  They had been asking to go and, of course, I thought they’d be over the moon.  Don’t get me wrong…they got excited…just not while I was trying to capture the magic on film.

So, flash forward to Easter Sunday this year.  I figured I would surprise them with the trip during an Easter Egg hunt.  I wrote a little poem, I numbered some eggs 1-18, hid them inside the house (so as not to get confused with the Easter Bunny’s outside eggs), had them line the eggs up in order, open them up to reveal letters, and read the secret message.  It was pretty fun… if I do say so myself.  And, this time, their reaction was….well, no better than last time, actually.  There was a brief moment, when Finn had figured it out, that I thought there may be some celebration dance of sorts….but, he squelched any kind of enthusiasm that was about to break free.  Sigh.

While I know they’re actually excited to bust out of dodge for a bit, head to the sunshine, go on some excellent rides, and hang by the pool….clearly my boys do not enjoy the act of being surprised.

Live and finally learn.

A Do Over. AKA…Freakin’ Balloons.

Posted on by Nichole S.

Shhhhh.  I am planning on surprising the boys with a trip to Disney next month. Although, honestly, I don’t know why.  You could say that I’ve been there and done that already.  And….it was fairly anticlimactic.  Sigh.  You’ll see what I’m talking about in a moment.

My boys are 8 and 6…and they’ve been asking to go. The last time we did Disney they were 5 and 3.  Thatcher was a good age for it all back then, but Finn was just a hair too short for some of the best rides and, while he had a blast, much of it was kind of lost on him.

I’m kind of excited for them to do it again at this age.  If I’m being honest, at this point they could care less about the characters (sorry Mickey, Donald, Goofy, and crew) but they are huge ride fanatics, they LOVE water parks so Aquatica, Blizzard Beach or Typhoon Lagoon will be awesome, and I think they’ll really enjoy Universal now that they’ve seen most of those movies.

When I was little we did Disney every.single.year.  I LOVED it. It never got old.  I know many families could take it or leave it, but for me it is kind of a “must do” of childhood.  Don’t get me wrong, I can’t wait for the day that I can take the boys to Costa Rica to swim with wild dolphins in Drake Bay.  I’ve been dying to recreate my time spent there with them since the second they were born.  Likewise, I’d give anything to relive my trip to Africa…with them by my side this time.  I’ve never been to Alaska, Australia, or Hawaii….and to experience those destinations with them will be a dream come true some day (hopefully). While I’m a big fan of ecotourism and seeing less chartered corners of our world….a good trip to Disney is good for the soul too.  So, that’s where we’re at right now.  We’re going to Disney World.

The “I don’t know why part” was directed at the intended surprise.  Three years ago I planned and plotted to surprise them…thinking, of course, they’d be over the moon. Not so much.  Freakin’ balloons…all they cared about were those balloons….and how I knew whose suitcase was whose.  Heaven forbid they unzip the wrong freakin’ suitcase.

So, I want a do over.  And, I’m open to suggestions.  Any great tips?  Anyone out there surprised their kids with a vacation before? I’m kind of tempted to wait until the day we leave.  Deep down I’m a romantic.  Big time. I kind of like the idea of a big reveal early that morning. But…I also like the idea of them having something to look forward to…and helping with the planning.

Thoughts?