Florida: Day Three

Day 3 was the BIG day around here.  Since we had plans to only visit the parks ONE day, we decided we would get there when the park opens, nap in the middle if needed, and then close down the park that evening.  We ended up going on March 1, the day after the Magic Kingdom was open for 24 hours straight for Leap Day.  So, they closed at 6 AM the day we visited and then reopened at 9 AM.  Things were running a little slow and although we gave ourselves a solid hour to make it to the Magic Kingdom, we missed part of the welcome show--a little disappointing!

Henry (seen here as Peter Pan), started the day out tired which is exactly how you DON'T want to start your Disney day.  But we adjusted and at least he was content riding in the stroller for a bit.

As you can see, by the time the boat arrived, Peter was hat less.  As the day went on, he slowly lost pieces of his costume.  Luckily, by "lost" I mean "took off". Hat or no hat, though, the kids were pretty pumped!

We all were actually.  Don't we look like a happy bunch?

We made it!  Couldn't help snapping a picture of Jason sending his ticket through.  Everyone's adrenaline was seriously high at this point.

We had an absolutely picture perfect day! 

Getting pictures with characters was HIGH on Amelia's list when we visited just one year ago.  I lost track of all the characters she met and she proudly carried her autograph book with her for months after we returned from our trip.  We soon found out THIS year, though, that she was really only interested in riding the rides!

Sure, we stopped for a quick picture with the Fairy Godmother, but that was pretty much where the character meet and greets ended.  (Other than Mickey and Minnie, of course).

Peter Pan found his shadow!

Dumbo was closed this trip (which was FINE by me!), so we hit up Peter Pan's Flight first.  The Disney cast members were beyond thrilled with our little Peter Pan and Wendy.  Something tells me they don't see those costumes too often.  We hit many of the rides in that area that tend to get longer lines as the day goes on and then Henry and I took a walk over to get fast passes for Space Mountain while the rest of the crew headed for the Haunted Mansion.

Amelia was feeling brave.  She rode the Haunted Mansion during the last trip, but spent the entire time with her face buried in someone's lap.  This year, she used the "chicken out" escape twice before deciding she was ready to go through with it.  And after she made it through, she was NOT impressed and we all paid for it later that night when she had a Haunted Mansion inspired nightmare...

But, Henry and I decided to stake ourselves out at one of the comfy rocking chairs and enjoy a little snack while Amelia decided what she was going to do.

I can't remember the exact route we took, but we eventually made our way to the Pirates of the Caribbean.  The ride was pretty "meh" with both kids, but the store (and more specifically the merchandise) riders must pass through to exit was a pretty big hit.

 

Earlier, Amelia had insisted on trying out Splash Mountain.  She could very clearly see what she was getting herself into and was quite sure she was on board.  After a very dramatic height check, we were in!  I have never ridden this ride before myself.  It is quite long, but the payoff in the end was worth it.  Amelia would end up riding it again later in the day because it was such a big hit the first time.

After Splash Mountain was a success, we tried Space Mountain which was a huge hit!  I was SHOCKED, but she couldn't get enough.  She rode it back to back and was begging for more when we decided we would catch an early lunch.  It was shortly after that, however, that things went downhill fast--for Henry anyway.  He fussed the entire time at lunch and nothing was helping, so I decided I better start the journey back to the cabin.  Fortunately, Jason's mom joined us and he quickly went down for a nap when we finally got back.  

Amelia, my mom, and Jason weren't too far behind.  They checked out the Buzz Lightyear ride and enjoyed some street performers before returning to the cabin. 

EVERYONE napped for a couple of hours.  We had a few outfit changes and refueled a bit before heading back to the park for the evening.

Despite LOTS of complaining from a little girl who only had eyes for Space Mountain, we made a stop to see Mickey and Minnie.  The sign stated the wait was 5 minutes, but we were ushered right into a room and were the only ones in there for about 10 minutes.  So magical!

As time went on, Henry grew more wary of the mice.  However, I couldn't get enough.  I think I may have even teared up.  This is one of the places where Disney really shines!  They make you feel so special--like you are the only people in the park!

While my mom forced took Amelia to the Tiki Room, Jason, his mom, Henry, and I rode Aladdin's carpet.  I have video of Henry giggling this really sweet little giggle.  He really loved it!

I also have video of Henry screaming like a girl and running away from the fake snakes and spiders located in a shop right by the ride.  Jason, however, wasn't bothered.

After a few more rides and dinner, we grabbed our spot for the nighttime parade.  The kids were getting a little antsy, so I pulled out some glow-in-the-dark items I had brought with us. Since only about 50% of them actually worked, I was starting to get a little nervous.  Luckily, in typical Amelia fashion, she made a friend to chat with until the parade started.  They had the SAME!!! princess light up stick (from Walgreens, no less) and she was FIVE!!! too, so they had lots to chat about.

Soon enough it was parade time.  I haven't a single good picture, but I tried.

We tried to sneak in a little ride on "It's a Small World" between the parade and the fireworks, since there was NO ONE in line.  It was great to be able to step right on and Henry was pretty mesmerized with the whole thing. 

I realize this is a terrible picture of Henry, but I like the doting grandmas in the background.  We were SO lucky to have these ladies join us for the THIRD time!

Unfortunately, our decision to ride led to us not really getting to a great location to see the fireworks show.  We just barely glimpsed Tinkerbell as she left the castle (my favorite part), but she did fly right over our head which was pretty neat! Henry wasn't so sure about the fireworks, but he did like to say "Boom!" when talking about them!

Of the whole day, the time from the fireworks ending until the park's closing was my favorite.  It wasn't a super crowded day at the park anyway, but after the fireworks TONS of people left and there wasn't a line for anything!  We opted to mostly go on rides we could all do together.  It was getting late, but since both kids (and all the adults) had napped, we were going strong.  I loved all of us riding the carousel together.

Then it was on to the cars.  Henry was just tall enough to drive--what a mess that was!  He was with Jason.  Amelia went with GG. And Cindy and I were together.  I was so worried about catching up with the kids and seeing how they were enjoying things that I was driving like a damn fool!  I couldn't stop laughing with each swerve and jerk.  And, I never really caught up with the kids despite all of my "effort".

Amelia couldn't pass up one more ride on Space Mountain and we were in the LAST roller coaster car of the day.  Nothing like shutting down the park!  Henry, Grandma, and Jason rode the people mover which was apparently pretty popular with him.

And then it was the long journey back.  If it is possible, I think I love this place more every time I come.  And it is WAY more fun as an adult that it was for me as a kid.  I never, ever thought we'd be the type of people that take yearly trips to Disney, but it is amazing how different each trip has been and we keep wanting to return.

So, until next time Disneyworld.  I swore we were done for awhile, but after writing this post, I think I may be eating my words!

Florida: Day Two

Day two was packed!  We woke bright and early and started off with breakfast a breakfast of Lucky Charms while watching cartoons--two things that never happen at home!

 

Then we dressed for the pool and headed over that way when it opened.

 

Stopping only to play in the volleyball court sand.

 

The pool was perfect!  The temperature was just warm enough for it to be comfortable in and out of the water and there was hardly anyone there.  I guess there are advantages to early wake ups.

 

I, unfortunately, didn't get a picture of the waterslide at the pool, but Amelia thought it was great!  Actually, everyone in our party took several turns on the slide (except poor, too-short Henry).  It was super fun.  I have lots of video and a great one to blackmail my mom with if that should ever become necessary. All that sliding and swimming made for some very hungry kids.  So after snacks and a few more laps it was naptime!

 

Amelia napped EVERY SINGLE DAY we were on our trip.  And of course, Henry did too.  In fact, to be perfectly honest we all did.  But for Amelia to take naps 3 days in a row is pretty much unprecedented these days.

Right outside of our cabin, some very talented person created this Mickey Mouse head out of pine cones.  I don't know if it was a "cast member" and it is standard practice or if there is some more interesting story to it.  It was pretty neat and the fact that it was in "our" front yard made it all the better.  Our cabin location (in the 2200 loop, I believe it was) was so perfect.  Tons of room in front for the kids to run around and explore and only a couple steps from a bus stop.

I decided to get a couple of pictures at the bus stop.  I had a love/hate relationship with the bus system at Wilderness Lodge.  Sometimes it was super quick and efficient and other times, not so much.

See how close our cabin was to the bus stop?  That is ours straight behind my mom and Henry's heads.

 

My friend Susie knows how much Amelia LOVES Peter Pan and gave her this super cute outfit for her birthday last year.  Amelia was overjoyed that she I packed it for her.  And while she enjoyed pin trading this visit, it wasn't quite as popular as last time.

One of the best things about Fort Wilderness was that you can take a boat to several different locations--including Magic Kingdom and some of the other resorts.  This was a big plus for Henry.  I made dinner reservations for us at the Wilderness Lodge on our first full day at the Whispering Canyon Cafe.  We headed over a little early to explore the Lodge and trade some pins. 

We told Amelia that the "whispering" part of the Whispering Canyon Cafe meant that she needed to be on her best behavior and keep her voice down.  In reality, the place is the exact opposite.  They have pony races for the kids, do the hokey pokey in the middle of your meal, and shout to everyone to "Keep it DOWN!" if they see someone on the phone. 

My favorite part, though, was when we asked for ketchup.  I had read enough reviews ahead of time to let Amelia ask for it.  Everyone in the restaurant that has a bottle comes to your table and give you their ketchup. 

This was great fun for awhile, but I was glad when the next table requested ketchup! We happily delivered the bottles!

After dinner we took the boat back to Ft. Wilderness and decided to try out the Campfire Sing A Long offered each night there.

 We brought our own s'more making supplies and we all ate our fill!

Do you see Jason's button below?  When I booked our cabin they asked if we were celebrating anything special.  Since we were kind of close to our anniversary (like 2 months close) I mentioned we were celebrating that.  Because who wouldn't go to Disney for their anniversary and bring their kids and moms?  Anyway, our 10 year is in April, so we weren't that far from a pretty big event!  The man taking our reservation on the phone said he would make a note that we were celebrating our anniversary because they would give us "extra pixie dust" and "magical things can happen".  I jokingly asked if that meant we would have 5 complimentary tickets to the Magic Kingdom in our room upon arrival.  He replied sarcastically, "That would be VERY magical".  I didn't hold my breath and when we arrived, there were "Happy Anniversary" buttons waiting for us and a signed picture of Mickey and Minnie.  Good enough!

Henry started to get a little squirrely right after Chip n' Dale came out.  So, I headed back with him and my mom while Jason, his mom, and Amelia stayed to sing and dance with the rodents.

It was a super full, but fun day.  Amelia ended it with organizing all of her pins and figuring out which ones she wanted to trade.  As usual, the "keep" pile was quite a bit larger than the "trade" one.

I'm not sure if it was the afternoon nap, the late night chocolate and marshmallows or the dancing around with chipmunks right before bed, but it took her FOREVER to get to sleep that night.   That made day 3 especially tricky since it was our day to visit the park!

Florida: Day One

Jason learned a year ago that he will be attending a conference in late February in Orlando.  We talked off and on about whether we should all go and return to Disney World (Amelia's 3rd trip and Henry's 2nd trip, if you're keeping track).  I was pretty much against it the whole time.  There are plenty of places in the US we haven't traveled to with the kids and I wasn't sure we needed to go back to Disney World just a year after our last visit.  Plus, we would have to take Amelia out of school and the park would potentially be busier since the trip was nearing Spring Break time.

BUT, when it came down to it, Jason talked me into it.  I think the deciding arguments for me went something like, "Do you think she will remember one more day of kindergarten or a trip to Disney World?" and  "We can travel other places when they are older and the magic of Disney has worn off some".

And, so we decided that this time we would do things a little differently.  First, we decided to stay on Disney property for the first time.  We knew the trip would be fairly short and knew we would only be visiting the parks for one day.  Staying on property would give us lots to do during the 3 other days we weren't at the park, especially since we wouldn't have a car.  This was new to me and learning about the properties was a lot of work!  In the end, we settled on a cabin at Ft. Wilderness.  My mom and mother in law again decided to join us and the cabin was a perfect fit for all 6 of us and there is tons of stuff to do on the property!

Secondly, we decided we were not going to tell Amelia about the trip ahead of time.  This was very hard, especially as the trip got closer.  Luckily, I could talk freely to Henry about the excitement of the trip and knew he could keep my secret.  We sent Amelia to school on Tuesday like normal and didn't even tell her we were coming to pick her up for an early dismissal.  I had informed her teacher ahead of time, who helped keep it a surprise.  When I came to pick her up after lunch, she came down and said, "Mom! Why do I have an early dismissal?  Am I going to the dentist? Mrs. Bell said that a lot of kids have early dismissals because they go to the dentist". I told her that Henry wanted to tell her why she was getting out of school early, so we headed to the car.  She was surprised to see Jason and a suitcase (that wouldn't fit in the trunk) when she got in.  She asked if we were going to see my nephews Andrew and Jacob.  Henry had been practicing his line, so I told him to tell Amelia where we were going.  However, his word for "Florida" is pretty hard to understand.  When I said to tell Amelia WHO we were going to see, he said "Mickey" very clearly.

Amelia got it right away and was beyond EXCITED.  She wanted to go back in and tell her class.  She wanted to know if we were going straight to the airport (we were!).  She wanted to know if she would miss more days of school. She screamed and screeched all the way to the airport.  And then, once she got to the airport she was surprised again to see that both of her grandmas were coming with us! Of the whole trip, this was my favorite part!

My mom did some pre-trip preparations, making Henry, Amelia, Amelia's doll, and herself some fancy Disney clothing.  When we were on the shuttle bus at the airport, Amelia commented that she wished should could have brought Kit (her doll) with us and I pulled her right out of the carry on bag already dressed in her Minnie Mouse outfit that matched Amelia's dress.  I have never seen a little girl more excited or happy.  It was perfect!

Both kids did great on the short flight!  But then things got a little dicey.  We hopped aboard the Magic Express at about dinner time (with no dinner) and our ride to the resort was 1.5 hours!  Oops!  Luckily we had a few airplane snacks to hold the kids over, but no hungry 2 year old should have to be contained that long.  Apparently our stop was the last of 5.  Sheesh.  It was pretty late when we arrived, so we ordered a quick pizza, checked out our cabin, and then got the kids to bed.  Amelia was overjoyed with the rustic bunk beds and I was just glad to have a place to lay down! 

I didn't get as many pictures during the trip as I would have liked.  Jason saw a video made by a father of his family at Disney World shortly before we left.  It was a fantastic video and really showcased their trip well.  Jason decided he would make something similar, so I spent a lot of time shooting video instead of taking photos.  Hopefully that video will be coming along soon, ahem....

Playing Catch Up

Oh my! I thought I was behind on the blog before.  Well, I have lots and lots of catching up to do.  So, here are the random pictures that have been holding me up.  Should they each get their own post?  Should I group them by month?  Theme?  I couldn't figure out a better way to do it, so here goes:

Henry was treated to a trip to the Magic House one day with friends Erin and Elise.  He could have played there all day (but he decided to give a poor, unsuspecting kid a push, so we headed home for a nap instead).  I think this is the only picture I took of him that day.  Not a great picture and taken with my phone.  Cue second child sympathy music.

This little gem was taken at Sesame Street Live.  My dad got some pretty sweet tickets (3rd row!) for us.  Henry was downright scared for the first 15 minutes, but then somewhat enjoyed it after that.  The second half of the show, he and I were out admiring the lobby much of the time.  I thought Amelia might think it was too babyish, but NOPE she enjoyed it quite a bit too!

Henry+headband = one happy little boy

I really like this post bath picture of my two clean machines.  It may not look like much to you, but there is an adorable video that goes with it that STILL makes me giggle.  It is the number one most requested video to be played on my phone by both kids.  It's that good.  BUT, the main purpose of this blog is to eventually make it into a book and I've found that removing videos and posts referencing videos is extra work I'd like to avoid for the next printing.  So, no video here.  Sorry.

Amelia had a book fair at our local Barnes and Noble awhile back that benefited her school.  They had some special events (here she is learning to juggle), surprise readers, and a scavenger hunt for the kids to complete.  It was on a Saturday and Amelia and I ended up staying there for 4 HOURS total on that day.  Seriously, 4 hours.  And the best part is that NEITHER of us were ready to leave at the end.  I think I am adding the book fair to my volunteer duties next year because I was secretly jealous of the volunteers that got to stay from open to close this year!

One day Henry decided to take a "nap" in the laundry basket.  He insisted I add a blanket.

Here he is "fake sleeping". Don't quit your day job little man.

One wonderful Friday night, Amelia was invited to a friend's house for a movie night.  All of a sudden we were down to one kid and decided to head out to dinner (I'd be lying if I told you that we didn't try and get it down to one kid first and enjoy dinner by ourselves).  We placed an order at Buffalo Wild Wings and then headed to Bass Pro to let Henry climb on all the boats and other equipment we will never own. Pure heaven for this little boy!

Henry+bow = one happy little boy

One random day off of school, I took the kids to a local mall.  We checked out the mini golf, played with all the toys in the toy store, and then splurged on a train ride around the joint.  The kids were ecstatic!

I don't know what this was about, but he WOULD NOT take them off for about 45 minutes or so.

Kindergarten has been pretty smooth sailing from day one for us.  We had a great parent-teacher conference in the fall, huge jumps in reading and math, and Amelia has made tons of new friends.  However, she had two minor bumps so far this year.  Her class uses the stoplight system of discipline where everyone in the class starts on green, moves to yellow as a warning, and then red if they don't improve.  Amelia received her first "yellow" for talking during nap time (no surprise there!) in late fall. She was devastated.  But in the weeks leading up to it, she would tell me stories about how she was goofing and talking during nap time, so I figured it was a matter of time before she got busted. She did not like telling me (and especially Jason) this information and definitely didn't like the feeling of being on yellow.  So, I was pretty surprised when she landed yellow #2 in March for talking while the class was switching subjects.  She was pretty hard on herself (again) and immediately placed herself in her room with her pencil, notebook, and stickers.  She emerged with this apology note for her teacher, Mrs. Bell.  

Mrs. Bell, 

I am sore for beege on yllow and tolking.  Love, Amelia

Henry+headband = one happy little boy

These last few pictures were taken when I was checking the camera to make sure it was ready for our trip.  What trip you ask??  Stay tuned, I actually have a couple to document!