We are two weeks away from taking 5 kids to Disneyworld for the annual Spring Break trip.  Spring “Break” — it might be a nice break for the teachers and kids, but for parents it is more like “Spring Chaos”.

A couple of years ago, we had a great idea to take all 5 kids to Hilton Head for the week with our neighbors who also have 5 children.  Off the 14 of us went on our way to a beach vacation — riding bikes on the beach — cocktails at sunset — the sound of the ocean relaxing us so much that we actually take a nap — and a round of golf for the well deserving Dads.  Getting on the plane with 14 people (10 children!) was more difficult than training for a marathon.  NEVER did we think it would be the two moms with 10 kids on the beach making 20 peanut butter and jelly sandwiches (with a nice mix of sand) on the beach each day while applying 8 bottles of sunscreen to each of our semi-burned children.  The Dads had found a “great deal” on a golf package. Our  Spring Break trip turned into Spring Work on the Beach.  Complete strangers thought we were on a day care field trip.  A field trip?  One stranger asked where the van for the school was parked after seeing us carrying 2 umbrellas, 3 bags, 2 coolers with our ten kiddos following us all crying because they were hot and tired.  At least we can laugh about it now.

We have done the Disneyworld Spring Break a few times.  Once we even brought along my 81 year old Mom to add to the fun!  We never miss a ride, a character breakfast, a show and we are always the first family in line when Mickey opens the park and the last group they kick out.  We get the most out of the $101,899.00 it costs for tickets to go into the park!!  We have weathered the rain, sleet, terrorism threats and me once with an killer tooth ache requiring a root canal when we got home.  The photos tell it all — the girls meeting Prince Charming and Cinderella for the first time and the boys meeting Buzz Lightyear… precious Disney memories!  The photos help me forget the time spent packing, the fun of taking them all through security at the airport and getting to the rental van at 2:00 a.m. because our flight was delayed.  A day at Disney and all is well again.

So here we go again.  This year is going to be different.  I am 9 days away from the trip and I have started packing – only 3 bags this year. We are driving to avoid the “fun” of airports, flight delays and needing to be “on time”.  The kids are getting the movies ready for the 20+ hour car ride.  Dad is already putting together the “plan of attack” once we hit the parks.  I have a list of everything that needs to be done before we can head off to sunny Florida — the pets, the house and work.  So proud of ME today… relaxed, feeling on top of things, excited and looking so forward to seeing sunshine and palm trees since we have 20 feet of snow on the ground outside my office window.

Reality is not going to enter my house today — the reality of spending 9 days getting 7 people packed for a 20+ hour / 4 day car ride to Disney where we will spend 5 days and $101,899.00.

Nope — not going to think about it!  Just looking forward to another Spring Chaos Vacation!