Really real

I often wonder what life was like for my mom.  I wonder what life would be like every day without my iPhone.  It's more than just my lifeline, my connection to other moms via a short text chain or a quick phone all to the hubs just to hear his voice in the chaos.  No, it's much more than that because I use it daily to capture silly moments around the house.  Quite honestly, I use it much more than I should.  It could be said I take way too many pictures and take way too many videos.  Every. Day.  There are just so many memories I don't want to slip away.  I just want to make them last. Forever.  

Today I could have recorded it all.  (Don't worry, I did try to at some point.). But as I stood holding a way-too-big to be held Hudson up so he could view the Dreams firework show, and we bobbed our heads from side to side to see through the sea of phones and iPads lifted in the air to record the show, I turned my camera around.  Sure, we've seen some amazing, fun, beautiful things today, but what I want to remember, what really matters to me, isn't how awesome the "projection mapping" on Cinderella's castle (there's a term I wouldn't have known pre-Hint) or what an amazing fireworks display.  But in however many years will I really care about those things?  Nope, what I want to remember was those eyes.  That face.  The way his arms gripped tightly around me.  The way his soft skin felt pressed against my cheek.  I took a quick snap and told myself I never wanted to forget how much love and happiness I felt right in that moment.  

Here's some more things I hope I never forget.  I mean, all of them.  But, as Barks snores next to me, I need to make this short because we do have 5 more days of fun! 

Here we go: 

1. As we rode the monorail and looked over Magic Kingdom, Hudson's face lit up. "Disney World is really real!" He exclaimed.  And Charli squealed, "princesses house!!!!" 

And right here, he saw Mickey Mouse.  He yelled out, "Hi Mickey!  Do you remember me?  I'm Hudson Barker."  Yep.  Melt me. 

2.  It's a small world after all.  Amazing how a sweet little water ride with  dolls singing in different languages can evoke so much emotion.  Yeah, I know, that's probably not the same for everyone, but riding that tranquil little boat today I got pretty teary.  Last time we were here the not-yet two year old Hudson couldn't communicate much to us.  He stood in awe of everything.  I was newly pregnant with Charli then and sicker than a dog.  Visions of that sweet little tow head Hudson pointing at everything and even flashes of seeing this same ride as a child myself with my mom and dad... Well, it was just too much.  

3. Charli does this funny thing when she's excited.  She gets tense throughout her whole body and starts to shake.  And she has been biting her fingernails since she was an infant.  This is pretty much how she looked all day.  

Oh, and The Chach has a hard time watching characters perform on a stage or in a shoe or even in a parade.  She gets her shaking going then starts yelling, "I wanna go say hi to them." And she seems to truly believe she has every right to go be friends with them and hang out and/or that she belongs on stage. (Obviously she's a Barker, right?) Barks may have had to remove her from Enchanted Tales with Belle due to her attempting to crawl her way to the Princess.  

Here she is trying to get to the princesses at a parade.  

She also does this funny thing when I'm holding her.  Just like when she was a baby and I would blow on her face or hair to make her giggle, she does the same to me laughing each and every time.  Silly, yes.  But completely heart-melting, too? Absolutely 

4. Hakuna matata.  It means no worries.  And there in Tomorrowland where perfect timing and misdirection lead us to unknowingly be in a line to see none other than THE Buzz Lightyear? Well, there i realized, I can plan and plan and plan, but sometimes those very best parts of your trip you happen on to by accident.  And with these happy littles by my side, that's all that really matters.  

And yes, her mind was blown, her poor fingernails were back in her mouth (oh the germs!) and her sweet little body was so tight and shaky with excitement.  I can only imagine how it'll be to finally see Woody! 

Although we did take some downtime, these little rock stars still closed down the park tonight with no naps.  Ok, so they crashed in the car, and there were no baths tonight.  But we can deal with sticky, dirty, well-rested kiddos in the morning.   

Excited for Epcot tomorrow! 

****Note: pictures aren't loading tonight so will update in the morning with more photos! 

Brief recap of the day: 

Morning character show at Cinderella's Castle 

Peter Pans Flight

it's a Small World 

Carousel 

Dumbo 

Lunch 

Monsters Inc Laugh Factory 

Buzz Lightyear ride

Carousel of progress 

Met buzz light year 

Enchanted Tales with Belle

Down time at hotel for a couple of hours 

Back to MK 

Walked into end of electrical parade 

Light and fireworks show 

Met Cinderella and Rapunzel 

Another carousel ride for Chach 

Split up: boys to Peter Pan girls to Small World 

Then as our ride to Small World ended, we were on an empty bots and the boys joined us for another round.  

Alladins magic carpet ride

Ice cream 

Done. 

I even got to ride the magic carpets with my sweetheart.  

The best daddy ever.