I’ll let you in to a secret.
I should be in Florida right now.
I should be staying at a fabulous hotel in Disneyland, alongside 7 other UK bloggers, courtesy of Mickey Mouse. I should be savouring the delights of sampling a holiday that is apparently accessible to families on all budgets. I’d have been interested to see that. But, I had to turn it down.
The Deluxe Golf Hotel at Epcot – I had to turn down.
The free Virgin Flight and access to the V Room at the airport – I had to turn down.
Free Entry to all the Disney Parks, including the water parks, Universal Studios, etc – I had to turn down.
Good food, massages, spa treatments – I had to turn down.
Why?
You know why. I couldn’t leave my little monkeys. It’s too soon, for them, too soon for me and it would have been wrong.
So as I sit here munching on a packet of wotsits and drinking a large glass of red wine, am I bitter? Am I all twisted up inside, a green piece of coal for a heart?
Nope.
Well, ok, maybe just a little bit. But if you want to see what I WOULD have been getting up to, then go here to the fabulous Dulwich Divorcee, here to the blumming marvellous Are We Nearly There Yet Mummy?, and here to the lovely Family Affairs. Or pop in atYou’ve Got Your Hands Full, English Mum, Diary of a Desperate Exmoor Woman, or Erica at Little Mummy.
I hope they’re having an amazing time. I would have loved the chance to meet them all in person, but next time maybe I’ll be able to say yes.
And if you’re wondering if I definitely made the right decision, I got my answer tonight. I mean how could I have missed the following conversation??
Miss M: ”Mummy, I love you.”
Me: ”I love you too babe.”
Miss M: ”I love your nose.”
Me: ”And I love your nose.”
Miss M: ”And I love your biiiiiiiiiiiiiiig bottom.”
Me: ”Cough, thanks babe, and I love your little bottom. Night night.”
MIss M: ”Night night your bottom.”
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April 30th, 2009 at 1:59 pm
Disney can’t give you that.
Good call.
April 30th, 2009 at 2:08 pm
Yeah you definitely did the right thing. Anyway, I’m sure they’re not having that great a time!!
April 30th, 2009 at 2:11 pm
Indeed good call.
BUT..
Why does nobody offer ME free holidays damnit!!!
Also, it’s a bit odd them not offerign tickets for you kids too, what with all the other blogs you listed being vry much in the parentblogger genre.
April 30th, 2009 at 2:19 pm
oh, I thought you had the runs by the title!!! aaah, how could you leave those lovely little things behind and face the horrors of mickey mouse shaped burgers and pizzas, they’d never forgive you in a million years x
April 30th, 2009 at 2:34 pm
I would probably be in the coal for heart category – though I have to admit having refused a similar (though less amusement park based) invitation myself for the reason I too couldn’t face leaving the boys. (Or, to be honest, organise the child care required, dammit). Pass me those wotsits, Jo?
April 30th, 2009 at 2:39 pm
Ahhhhh, bet it’s raining there anyway
! You did the right thing, you’d spend the whole time fretting anyway.
April 30th, 2009 at 2:41 pm
If it’s any comfort I turned it down too for the same reason – we’re idiots
x
April 30th, 2009 at 2:55 pm
Aw no. Good decision though. Here’s me thinking they were off to Euro Disney. Pah! Don’t they know there are “UK” mummies over here who could have gone for a lot less?
April 30th, 2009 at 3:20 pm
This? Is one of the many, many reasons I love you. Mwah!
April 30th, 2009 at 3:40 pm
Hi honey I’m with you in spirit. I don’t think Disney would EVER have allowed me through their doors, so it’s a good job I didn’t even dare contemplate it. You’ve done the right thing staying with the little monkeys. I’ve missed you and am in so much need of a catchup. And just in case you haven’t caught it yet, I’ve got a meme waiting for you over at the old rubbish blog. Lots of love
xxxx
April 30th, 2009 at 4:14 pm
Funny how being unselfish for your kids’ sake doesn’t feel like a huge sacrifice sometimes, isn’t it? Maybe next time. As for the ‘big’ bottom – I get that sort of back-handed compliment constantly. It was my birthday recently and Captain Underpants asked me how old I was. Oh, 21 (Again) I said blithely. 21?! he remarked…you are over 20?? Wow. That’s really OLD mum. Yeah…thanks love.
April 30th, 2009 at 4:15 pm
A separation I could handle, missing out on a free holiday… I’m not so sure.
April 30th, 2009 at 5:19 pm
I could never go to a place like Disney Land without the kids! That would just be wrong! Then again I would never have left my kids behind when they are that little either, I have separation issues! LOL! SB tried to take me away for our very first alone holiday about three years ago and we ended up coming home two days early as I was fretting too much! I know LOSER, I am getting better as they get bigger. I managed a whole weekend away by myself last year.
April 30th, 2009 at 9:10 pm
oh JO! you are such a wonderful mummy! ♥
I too am wondering how a person get free holiday’s?????
May 1st, 2009 at 1:03 am
Disney, Shmidny… You’d have only worried about being close to Mexico!
May 1st, 2009 at 4:59 am
Come and stay with me! I’ll show you a good time in America, and you’ll feel right at home, as my children love to talk about bottoms and their functions. My youngest boy has taught himself to burp on demand, and can burp his way through the alphabet song. You don’t get that at Disney.
May 1st, 2009 at 5:33 am
Good for you.. what is the point of going without them?
BM x
May 1st, 2009 at 10:51 am
is this the 2009 UK version of Good Night Moon?????????
May 1st, 2009 at 11:17 am
Aw! I’m so sorry you had to miss it, but I completely understand your decision and certainly agree that it was the right choice.
May 1st, 2009 at 3:26 pm
Awwwww! I’m with SingleParentDad on that one. Great call.
And I know your bottom is not biiiiiiiiiig. Mine is big, but definitely not biiiiiiig. No mummy’s bottom is biiiiiig!!
Children’s perceptions are so ’skew-whiff’ anyway. ;0)
Thanks for visiting – just have a peek at my last post so you’ll recognise me next time I am in. ;0)
May 1st, 2009 at 4:44 pm
You know what? That was a really good call, and not just because you are with your beloved little ones. I think it’s a bit odd going to Disney WITHOUT your kids ( just wrote a post at Bambino about a Disneyland, CA trip) and anyway, what a terrible place to be now with the Swine Flu!! We just cancelled the aforementioned trip for that very reason, and DisneyWorld just had its first suspected case. EEK!
Better off at home with your lovelies. The Magic Kingdoms will be there for years to come, but your little ones at this tiny age? It only happens once.
May 2nd, 2009 at 2:03 pm
Hi there – really really sorry you didn’t come as would have been fab to meet you. I think we all felt it was a bit weird coming without our children but, having been here, it would have been insane as we have raced around so much and had to cram in so much the children would all have been grouchy and we’d all have been even more knackered!
My son insisted I went – I think he’s hoping I’ll like it so much that I’ll finally agree to coming back en famille. I think he’s got a long wait!!
Thanks so much for linking up to me….
May 5th, 2009 at 12:04 pm
Boo. I’m so sorry you didn’t come. We should, by rights, have been the Disney 8, then. You can be our silent partner. And your bottom can too.
May 5th, 2009 at 3:37 pm
Hi Jo – as one of the Disney Seven, I can honestly tell you that your name came up and you were missed by those who knew you and your blog. I hope there are plenty more opportunities when your kids are older and you feel more able to go for a short time. I blogged about being asked to go without my daughters when the opportunity arose and for me, this time, circumstances were okay for me to go. I’m launching a travel blog where bloggers can take their families and hopefully, touch wood, there will be some opportunities to go for a night or six closer to home, so please get in touch if you would like to know more about that. (Places are limited by the way if anyone is wondering!) You can see it at http://www.havealovelytime.com and it’s still a work in progress. Thanks for linking to my blog. I’ve done a bit of a round-up of posts re Disney so far and posted a pic of us lot on a roller coaster here:
http://www.gotyourhandsfull.com/2009/05/back-from-walt-disney-world-.html
Hope the fact that my fellow travellers were raving about you and your blog gives you a warm fuzzy feeling.
Best wishes
Linda