I really needed some R'n'R. Life has been a bit stressful lately for many reasons, so I invited Reese to go to DisneyWorld with me today! Mark wasn't feeling well and Nikolai had had some behaviors this week making him "ineligible" to go, so Reese and I had some good old fashioned "quality time". (Plus, I only had one free pass...!)

Normally, he doesn't really like DisneyWorld, preferring Universal Studios for sure, but he agreed, and as I had my season pass and he had a free ticket, he thought it sounded okay. (Kids these days...!!) We went back and forth all the way to Orlando (an hour) trying to decide which park to go to and we decided on Disney's Hollywood Studios (formerly MGM). Good choice! We had a GREAT time! Reese is one heck of a nice kid: even at 14 he's not too proud to enjoy time with his ooooold mom, and even hugs me in public still!! We really enjoyed each other's company and had some good old bonding time. The weather was beautiful (mid 70's for highs with solid blue skies) and the crowds weren't bad at all.

Here are some pictures:

Here he is outside of the Tower of Terror. I don't remember it being scary or that much of a thrill when we went in 2005, but this time it was GREAT! I really enjoyed it! That elevator dropped so fast that me, at my size, actually lifted out of my seat!! If it weren't for my seatbelt (God bless seatbelts!!) I would have flown up clear out of my seat and into who-knows-who's lap!! What a RIOT!

Okay: I KNOW this picture doesn't exactly show my "best side", but it was so much fun! After we went on this crazy roller coaster that inverts in the DARK, we were in the gift shop. There were some crazy hair wigs and guitar purses, so I got silly and Reese got my picture! This shows how *comfortable* I am with my ...self. (cough!) But it was fun and we had some good laughs.

Here's Stud Man, trying to look reeeeeeal tough in his Rocker hair-do. I don't know how many times we tried to get this picture - he kept smiling!! He had to keep doing that thing where you pull on your lips to try to make a serious face. This was the best he got. He's just not a serious person. (Thank goodness!) I tried telling him to make a pouty, kissy face, but he just couldn't keep a straight face. LOL

Okay: Disney Hollywood Studios has this new ride that if you go there, you HAVE to go on this thing!! It is called something like "Toy Story Mania" or something, and it's like you've stepped into a world of toys!! Imagine being the size of a Barbie Doll in Andy's room (from the movie). The set of this ride is worth the experience even without the ride just from the atmosphere!! It was easily our favorite ride there. The ride is really cool: you wear 3-D glasses and you sit with your partner in a little car. It takes you along in front of these different arcade games where you have to pop balloons with darts, or throw rings around the Pizza Planet aliens, or whatever, with your little gun thingy. Nothing actually moves, it's all computer generated, but with the 3-D glasses, it really looks like you are playing! I, ahem, have to admit that even though I am soooooooooooo extremely old, I did beat the young whipper-snapper both times in score...!! Poor kid was humilated, but that's experience over youth, I guess...! LOL (I love it!!)

Ah, and here we are, on our way out of the park after a fun fun afternoon. Gosh, I love living in Florida!! I can't wait to take Nikolai and Mark on that Toy Story ride next time we come! They'll both LOVE it! Bye for now!