Disney Day One-Magic Kingdom

Monday, January 20th was Magic Kingdom day!  We ate breakfast in our room, gathered our things, and walked to the bus stop between 8:15 and 8:30.  We didn't wait too long for a bus, but the bus then made three other stops at our resort.  It was still a quick trip, and we got to the turnstiles as they were finishing the opening show.  We made our way in and purchased our autograph books, and it was a good thing, because we stumbled across Pluto.  Both kids were excited but Sam's face was priceless.

We then started working our way down Main Street and had to get a few pictures of the castle.  It was kind of crowded on Main Street but I knew that was due to the holiday and everyone getting in at opening.

We made our way to Dumbo and didn't need to use our FastPass.  It was the perfect way to start our Disney day!

We also rode the Prince Charming's Regal Carousel, The Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh, Buzz Lightyear's Space Ranger Spin, and It's a Small World.  I had a FastPass for Winnie the Pooh but we didn't need it.  We basically walked right on to every ride.  It was amazing to see the kids faces and take it all in.

We also did some sightseeing and found fun things like Rapunzel's tower.

We decided to walk back towards the castle close to our lunch reservation time, and we stumbled across the Move It! Shake It! Celebrate It! Street Party.  It was a fun, quick parade/show with really catchy tunes.

By then it was time for lunch at Cinderella's Royal Table.  We met Cinderella as we went in {and spotted Gus} then went upstairs.  We had a great table at the window and overlooked the carousel.  I loved that they brought cheese and grapes quickly for the kids and hummus, cheese, and crackers for us.  Ned had beef short ribs and I had the catch of the day.  Both were delicious, as was my chocolate mousse dessert.  The kids weren't eating much because they had wands and swords and were meeting princesses.  We met Snow White, Sleeping Beauty, Ariel, and Jasmine.  Please note Sam trying to pierce Snow White with his sword then flirting with Jasmine.  It was such a fun and special lunch and totally worth 2 dining credits a piece for Avery to eat in Cinderella's castle.

By then it was nap time so we started making our way to the bus.  As we walked I was sure I was behind Carrie {I actually spotted her husband first}.  I knew they were there but didn't want to speak to the wrong person.  I finally got brave and said her name, and it was her!  I've wanted to meet a blog friend in person for a long time, and what better place than Disney!

Sam took a long nap once we got back, and the rest of us rested.  We hustled back to Magic Kingdom to use our FastPass for the Jungle Cruise.  I had worried about using one for that, but Avery ended up loving it so I was happy I did.  The wait at that point was pretty long for it.

Dinner was at Columbia Harbour House.  I had fish pieces and Ned had fried shrimp.  Mine was good; Ned said his had a little too much batter.  I liked that it was very quiet and calm inside.

We did some walking around after that.  Things were getting busy with the parade at 7 and fireworks at 8.

Our last goal of the night was to pick up mouse ears for Avery and Sam in the very busy Emporium.  Avery was thrilled with her ears and needed them on right away.

It was past bedtime when we got back, but I still had to get a picture of this buddy in his ears.  He was a trooper all day and far exceeded our expectations for his behavior.

Avery and Sam went to sleep, and Ned and I watched TV and played on our iPads until we were ready for bed.  Everyone slept well after our magical day.

You can read about our adventures traveling to Disney here.

Disney Travels-Heading South

Saturday, January 18th was a highly anticipated day....the day we left to head to Disney!

We had most of our things packed up the night before, so after some breakfast and packing the car, we were ready to go about 8:30 a.m.  We planned to stop in Florence, SC for lunch at Chick-Fil-A, and we made good time.  We did not plan on the Chick-Fil-A being only drive-thru.  Luckily, it was right outside a mall that had a Chick-Fil-A in the food court.  That gave us a good way to stretch our legs.  We also didn't plan on Sam peeing through his diaper and soaking his pants and car seat.  A quick change, lunch, and a diaper opened up in the car seat to keep Sam dry and we were on our way again.

Our next destination was Savannah, and we made it there around 4:30 and got checked into our hotel.  This was Sam's first hotel, and that goodness it was a big room.  There was a lot of running, and so much phone use that we had to unplug it and put it up.  We left for dinner before any limbs were broken and curtains torn down.  Savannah is definitely a walking city, and while our hotel was right in the historic district, we didn't want to set out walking with the kids in the cold so close to dinner.  We were able to find a parking garage so that we could get some dinner and do a little walking.

After dinner we headed back to the hotel, and it was lights out by 7:30 p.m. so that the kids would sleep.  Sam was a little unsure at first, but I sat by his pack-n-play until he fell asleep and he slept all night.  We were ready to go the next morning and had breakfast at the hotel then bathed the kids before walking to The Lady and Sons.  We were a little early, and even though it was cold, we did some strolling.  We definitely want to get back to Savannah one day.

We got seated at for lunch and Sam immediately fell apart because I wouldn't let him throw the delicious bread around the table.  Then he wouldn't eat from the buffet.  We were sweating by this point, but he finally got happy with some food I brought and let me enjoy my birthday lunch.  The Sunday brunch buffet was delicious, and the restaurant was surprisingly calm despite the amount of people moving around for buffet.

 

We walked a different route back to our hotel, and after a bathroom break we headed for Florida.  Avery slept a pretty long time, which was unusual, but Sam only managed 30-40 minutes.  That was a least longer than the nap on Saturday.  We stopped at a Target just past Jacksonville to pick up a few things and stretch our legs.  We were thrilled to see this sign around 5!

We checked into the Port Orleans Riverside resort, drove around to our room, and Ned started bringing in some bags.  Sam's mix of not enough nap and hunger caused his biggest meltdown up to that point.  I think it was frustration over his Buzz not doing what he wanted it to.  He cried on the walk to the car to get the stroller, cried through adjusting the straps on the rental stroller, and cried part of the walk to the food court at our resort.  Dinner was kind of hectic since Sam wasn't eating, but we made it through. 

We walked back to the room and got everything set-up for bed.  Sam went to sleep quickly behind his curtain that separated the room from the vanity.  Avery did not go to sleep as quickly since we had the TV on, but she finally drifted off.  We all got a good night's rest before our first big day.

4.5

Dear Avery,

You were 4 1/2 years old yesterday!  We celebrated by driving home from Disney World.  I'm not sure if that was a true celebration, but the few days before certainly were.  We told you that you would be 6 when we went back to Disney, and that sounded so crazy in my ears.  Approaching 5 is hard enough.

You are still a pretty tiny thing but are proportionate and healthy.  I don't have recent height or weight measurements, but you wear size 4 clothes and a 9.5 shoe.

You have to be the most loving little girl on the planet.  You want to hug, kiss, and cuddle all day.  You constantly tell me that you love me, that you're my precious, and that we're best girls.  While you are a mommy's girl, you chose to do a lot of things with Daddy now, and I know that's because of you're time together with him in the mornings before school.  You love Sam too, sometimes a little more than he would prefer.  He loves you too, and you two are playing well together in imaginary games.  You love the rest of your family, friends, and teachers.  You are just truly full of love!

This is such a fun age, so it's hard to be sad that you're growing so quickly.  You are a great companion and are a great conversationalist.  Sometimes my head does spin at the rate you talk and ask questions, but it's so interesting to see how your brain is working.  You don't miss a beat and don't forget a thing.  You still have some words and ways of saying things that remind me that you're a little girl.  I don't correct you because the day will come when you'll say it all perfect and be all grown up.

You continue to be very concerned with your clothing choices, and that has now expanded to shoes and hair.  Sometimes we don't always agree, but I try to pick my battles.  Lately, you have been big into pony tails, sometimes with a bow clipped on top, wearing your pink hoodie and/or dance recital costume over clothes, and wearing a variety of shoes in the house.  Shoes are one of our biggest issues, because we don't wear outside shoes in the house.  I've allowed summer shoes to make you happy, since hopefully most of the dirt and germs on those are long gone.  You love to exclaim that an outfit or accessory will be perfect.

Right now you love Bitty, Toy Story, princesses, dancing, coloring and writing, watching movies, and pretending all sorts of lively things.  You like to play outside when the weather is nice and ride your bike or Gator.  Your favorite books are Fancy Nancy, Pete the Cat, and Llama Llama.

The biggest change that has taken place this year is that you started school.  You are in the 4-year-old class at our YMCA.  You have a tiny class and get to do a lot of things with the 3-year-old-class, which is even smaller.  You love school and are learning so much.  You didn't "know" a lot when you started school by some standards.  You knew colors, shapes, counting, and recognized about half of the alphabet.  Most importantly, and what we focused on at home, was that you knew to be a good girl, a caring friend, a listener, a lover of books, and a lover of learning.  We knew everything else would come at school, and we were right.  You're fine motor skills have improved immensely, you know letters and are learning sounds, and are just excited to be learning.  You constantly tell me what letters words start with, and if you don't know, you ask.  It is so wonderful to see you learning and growing all while playing and being loved.  Your teacher had wonderful things to say at our conference about your behavior at school and also your progress.  We visited a school and made our Kindergarten decision before Christmas.  We certainly don't want to rush Kindergarten, but it felt good to know you are going exactly where you need to be going, and now we have lots of time to work on that transition with you.

Speaking of transitions, you are like your mama and really like a routine.  We had some tears at the beginning of school and had some after Christmas.  Your teachers are fabulous about it, you recover quickly, and we know you are very happy at school.  You've also been sad lately about being left at Bible Zone, but keeping Giraffi with you seems to help.  I stay at dance so that's usually not an issue.  You are just a little girl who likes to know what to expect and likes to be with your family.  You came by it honestly.  You are getting ready to go through another transition as your friend Camden moves away next week.  We are so sad to see this family go.  Camden was your first true best friend.  I don't think you understand what it means for her to move away, but I'm sad to think of all the things you will not get to do with her.

Avery, you continue to be a ray of sunshine in our lives.  The amount of love, energy, and excitement you possess in your tiny body is amazing.  It is an overwhelming gift to be your parents.  The task of raising you to be the best young lady that you can be is a great one.  Thankfully we get to do it day by day with a lot of grace.  We are so thankful that you are ours.  We love you to bits and pieces!

Love,
Mommy and Daddy

Week in Review ~ 1/11

We had a crazy week trying to get back into our normal routine.  There were games, an unexpected day home do to cold temperatures, pottying, and a logging operation behind our house.  I loaded these pictures Sunday night and intended to blog each night since.  I'm working to be a lot more efficient in the new year, and while I'm happy to report I'm doing pretty good, I'm too tired to blog at the end of the day.  Enjoy the snapshots from our week.

 

22 Months

Dear Sam,

You are 22 months old today!  Due to extremely cold temperatures, I got to stay home with you today and celebrate...pajamas, Toy Story, and chocolate chip cookies rounded out our day.

We have no new growth stats this month.  You are always looking bigger and feeling heavier, though.  Clothing is still 24 months or 2T.  You wear a size 5 diaper.  Shoe size remains a 6.5, which I feel like I've been saying forever, but they still fit.  Hopefully that means we got them a little big, or your foot hit the last growth spurt before your body did.

You are back on track with your sleep after the holidays.  You are going to bed at 7 p.m. and not rolling around as long, and over Christmas break you were quiet most mornings until almost 7 a.m.  Naps remain 1.5-2 hours and were sometimes longer while we were home.  There was one crazy day where you wanted to rock most of the morning then didn't fall asleep for your nap until almost 3 p.m.

Eating habits are still the same.  For breakfast you like bars, waffles, pancakes, oatmeal, or cereal.  Some mornings you will gobble those items up, and some mornings you turn your nose up at the first thing I give you.  This morning you had a bowl of oatmeal and a bar!  For lunch you like grilled cheese, nuggets, or hot dogs.  You are finally eating PB&J now.  Dinner is still hit or miss, and a lot of times miss.  You get what we have but also get yogurt, cheese, fruit, applesauce, pouches, etc.  Every now and then you'll try something new, but usually it comes right back out.  You're growing though, and when the age of reasoning arrives, you'll have to eat some of what we have, which will make your sister very happy.  You still get 2 cups of milk a day with plenty of water in between.

You, Sam, are full of yourself!  While there were many ways that you were easier in the baby days than your sister was, you are much more determined at this age.  She was busy too, but you take it to a whole other level.  You are fun, joyful, and adventurous.  You have no fear of a challenge.  Avery didn't drive the Gator until she was 3; you are driving her around already.  You are a climber.  You bang, throw, and investigate everything around you.  The throwing just recently started and is mostly with your big Woody or little figures like Little People.  It's kind of driving me crazy.  You are just full of life!

You love Toy Story (all 3) and all the characters, little figures like Little People, pirates, etc., holding as many of those figures as you can, playing in the running water from my tub faucet, playing outside, rocking, lift-the-flap books, running, emptying cabinets and drawers, throwing, playing in the tent with Avery, and last but certainly not least...Duckie and your pie pie.

You do not like when the TV is not on something acceptable, Avery in your space, Avery taking your things, having your face wiped, having your pie pie taken, being picked up when you'd rather walk or run, or waiting patiently in restaurants.

Sam, it's so hard to believe that my tiny boy is no longer tiny at all.  So many fun milestones are coming up...a trip to Disney, your first haircut, and your 2nd birthday just to name a few.  Sometimes I think that I am not equipped to parent you, but I am always, always so grateful for this chance. As busy as you are, you still find plenty of time to rock-rock with Mommy, and I hope that never changes.  We love you so much and are so thankful for the joy and sunshine you bring to our lives.

Love,
Mommy and Daddy

Week in Review ~ 1/4

We have had an extremely lazy week with not much going on.  Much of our time was spent at home in our pajamas.  We got dressed if we needed to leave the house, or if the pizza delivery man was coming.  It was a great way to finish up vacation.

 We had a low-key New Year's, taking the kids out to dinner.  We loved the restaurant in the past but found it slightly different this time.  I got Sam out of his high chair while we waited for the bill, and he decided to run to every corner of the restaurant.  Each time I would catch him, he worked on his "Mommy takes my hand, I fall out on the floor" routine.  Several rounds of that resulted in Sam being carted off to the car.  The rest of the night looked like this, with no one seeing the new year arrive.

Avery went back to school Thursday and Friday, and Sam went to Jennifer's Thursday.  I used my free day to attempt getting caught up printing pictures and storing pictures on an external hard drive.  I also enjoyed lunch with Anna and made a trip to the grocery store for a few things.

Saturday afternoon Ned and I headed to Richmond to have dinner and do some shopping.  It was the Christmas of boots for me, receiving Hunters, Uggs, and a gift card for some dressy boots, and I knew it was go now to shop or wait until February.  I ended up having to order the correct size from the store, so hopefully they will work out.  Ned and I had decided to have dinner at The Cheesecake Factory and thought we were doing good getting there a little after 5 p.m.  We still had a 30 minute wait but had a good meal and delicious s'mores cheesecake.  It was much too cold to continue shopping at an open-air mall, so we left to run some errands.  We hit Target for diapers and somehow spent $80.  After that it was  trip to Best Buy, then home.  We were back a little after 9, which is a great date night for me.  The kids did good for Mimi and were sleeping soundly when we got home.