really?? already?? How can it be that so many afternoons feel like time is dragging and yet how are the months disappearing so fast?
L
height:
weight:
Newest Achievements:
-attending kindergarten and loves it. Her favorite part is Ned's Head where she reaches into a bucket, pulls out an item and has to identify/sort the item by the first letter in its name. She loves riding the bus and usually is singing the new Spanish word she learned that day. She loves school but usually I have to ask her about her day question by question as she doesn't readily tell me.
-She's taking two dance classes this year, one is her Sparkles Class (for competition team) and Ballet. The year had a rough start, as she was really worn out by her new, much more demanding schedule but now she's really enjoying it.
-Lost her first tooth (bottom left) and now the top left is wiggling it's way loose too.
-loves to dish herself up, pour her own milk.
-Up next? she wants to ride her bike without training wheels and learn to ski.
Favorites:
-activities: going outside to play with new neighbor friends, helping me cook, playing house/school/doctor/"cooker"/tea party/carnival
-foods: salmon, cucumbers, mushrooms, ham and cheese sandwiches, red vines, pizza, chocolate pudding, ice cream and sweets of all kinds
-toys: princess barbies, books, purses/dress-up clothes, her stuffed animals (but her favorite rotates), play kitchen, puzzles
-movies/shows: Matilda, Beauty and the Beast, Princess Diaries
My favorite moments:
-how she takes care of her sisters, sweet and tender (mostly)
-her very sincere, very seemingly "grown up" prayers
-the way she wants to include everyone: sisters, Daddy, cousins, random strangers at the park, etc.
A
height:
weight:
Newest Achievements:
-Amazed how well she colors, staying in the lines so precisely.
-She loves school, squealing and dancing and rarely waits for "backpack time" to show me her projects from the day.
-Up next? she wants to rock climb. guess we better get a kid sized harness.
Favorites:
-activities: coloring, reading books, riding her scooter, playing house/doctor/school/storytime, going to the drive in
-foods: mac&cheese, ramen, peaches, popcorn, goldfish, tortellini alfredo
-toys: Doc McStuffins doctor kit, princess barbies, play hair salon
-movies/shows: How to Train Your Dragon, Tangled, DocMcStuffins
-and since it didn't fit in any other category but is too cute to forget: Panda and Yellow, of course. She has become really good at leaving them
home and doesn't even ask to take them anymore. we even braved our
first night without them during a weekend at Grammy's. but since I'm
not in a hurry to let her grow up, I'm fine with her endearing
attachment to them for quiet time and bedtime and movies.
My favorite moments:
-she wants me to cuddle her into wakefulness. While most of her day is abrupt and full of bursting energy, she can be surprisingly tender and sweet, especially when tired.
-her impish-light-up-the-world grin, particularly when she's done something mischievous
-she loves to be her Daddy's helper and really shines with some one-on-one time, becoming so sweet and polite and talkative
E
height:
weight:
Newest Achievements:
-I love the way she jumps. both feet, huge grin, knees bending bounce and land giggling
-she likes to pick her own clothes now, usually I let her choose between two outfits
-she sings along with me at church
-she's become very good at opening doors and escaping if they're not dead bolted. can also climb in and out of her high chair now (refusing to use the tray but likes to "scoot! scoot!" up to the table) and into her carseat
-mastered feeding herself. watching her spoonfeed herself cereal without dripping or drink properly from a cup kind of makes me melt and wish I could shrink her back to a little baby that still needed my help
-Up next? potty training. not so excited about that. but she shows all signs of readiness, we've just been waiting for better timing (post moving and travel).
Favorites:
-activities: chasing/imitating sisters, playing with babies (real or toy), going for walks, bubbles, tiger tickle chasing
-foods: pancakes, berries, fruit snacks, suckers, ice cream, ramen, string cheese
-toys: her dollies, her stuffed animals (her entourage currently includes a pink tiger, her lion, Grumpy, her unicorn, a giant Minnie Mouse, Kitty and a pile of blankets)
-movies/shows: Mickey Mouse Clubhouse
My favorite moments:
-the nonstop chatter. she talks all the time and I'm continually amazed by her vocabulary. She's the only two year old I know that uses "sure!" and by far the most polite child I've ever met, always saying please and thank you without prompting and addressing people by their names. her new favorite however is "nah nah nah! come and get me!" thank you big sisters.
-when I pick her up from daycare, even though its only been an hour, she squeals and races to me like it's been days.
-too many. she's just so unbelievably cute!
our usual routine:
I wake up at 7am to go L. She wakes up grudgingly, always cranky and begging to keep sleeping. I usually give her five more minutes and then rouse her by having her choose an outfit. We eat breakfast together, finish getting ready and then I walk her to the bus stop. I wake A up by asking her to choose an outfit and by then, L is calling me. She wakes up in a great mood, calling me, begging for milk, breakfast, "get dressed" or "change bum". They eat while I do dishes and we're off. Most mornings A goes to school while E and I go to daycare/the gym and then run errands until the big girls are home from school. We eat lunch, play for a little while and then E takes a nap while we have "backpack time" and a quiet-time-movie. When E wakes up, we play with toys, do some chores, play outside with neighbors (and on their trampoline) make a huge general mess of things and wait for Daddy to join us for dinner and whatever evening plans we've made. By 8, (usually closer to 8:30), we ready the girls for bed, E first followed by the big girls. And shortly thereafter, I consider the list of things I should do and do very little of it and surrender to my comfy bed.
Tuesday, September 24, 2013
big sister L
After a long day, I put the baby to bed, turned on a movie and cuddled up with my two big girls. A and I both fell asleep and I, still half-asleep, realized that L was gently covering us with blankets, tucking in the edges and kissed us each on the head before she left us to curl up on her Daddy's lap.
A few days later, she had another too-cute-to-not-remember sweet sister moment. We were almost finished with dinner and ready for the ice cream I had promised. A was the first one finished so I got out the ice cream and slowly began dishing her up, hoping to motivate the other two. L finished quickly and received her ice cream too. Meanwhile, E was begging and pleading for ice cream and stubbornly refusing to finish her dinner. I stuck to my guns, and insisted she eat one more bite or no ice cream. She abruptly screamed at me, hurled her dish to the floor, splattering pasta everywhere. So I cleaned up the mess, cleaned her up and put the ice cream away, explaining why she couldn't have any. Now, she's my baby but I'm trying hard to to overindulge her and break the rules just because she's so charming. But her crying nearly broke my heart. However, it was big sister that broke first, tearfully asking, "Mom, she's just so sad, can I please give her a bite of my ice cream?" Especially generous if you know what a sweet tooth she has. How could I resist that? So I explained again to E that I would not give her a bowl of ice cream because she didn't finish her dinner. Then left the table allowing L to sit closely to her and I heard her say, "E, you have to be good for mommy! please be good. You didn't earn your ice cream but I will share my ice cream with you if you promise to be good." and giving her a few tiny tastes. So I don't really know if that counts as sticking to my guns and having good, consistent parenting, but it was so adorably sweet.
A few days later, she had another too-cute-to-not-remember sweet sister moment. We were almost finished with dinner and ready for the ice cream I had promised. A was the first one finished so I got out the ice cream and slowly began dishing her up, hoping to motivate the other two. L finished quickly and received her ice cream too. Meanwhile, E was begging and pleading for ice cream and stubbornly refusing to finish her dinner. I stuck to my guns, and insisted she eat one more bite or no ice cream. She abruptly screamed at me, hurled her dish to the floor, splattering pasta everywhere. So I cleaned up the mess, cleaned her up and put the ice cream away, explaining why she couldn't have any. Now, she's my baby but I'm trying hard to to overindulge her and break the rules just because she's so charming. But her crying nearly broke my heart. However, it was big sister that broke first, tearfully asking, "Mom, she's just so sad, can I please give her a bite of my ice cream?" Especially generous if you know what a sweet tooth she has. How could I resist that? So I explained again to E that I would not give her a bowl of ice cream because she didn't finish her dinner. Then left the table allowing L to sit closely to her and I heard her say, "E, you have to be good for mommy! please be good. You didn't earn your ice cream but I will share my ice cream with you if you promise to be good." and giving her a few tiny tastes. So I don't really know if that counts as sticking to my guns and having good, consistent parenting, but it was so adorably sweet.
Thursday, September 19, 2013
quote of the day
I told L she needed to hurry, she only had a few minutes before it was time for school. She responded, "oh mom. Just turn the clock off and then it will be fine."
During our bedtime chat, I asked A about her "happy and sad"s of the day. She told me her happy was "Eating scrumbly eggs with my Daddy."
I asked little E, "hey who's adorable?!" she grinned and chirped, "me!" I laughed and she followed with "I adorable. so cute."
During our bedtime chat, I asked A about her "happy and sad"s of the day. She told me her happy was "Eating scrumbly eggs with my Daddy."
I asked little E, "hey who's adorable?!" she grinned and chirped, "me!" I laughed and she followed with "I adorable. so cute."
Tuesday, September 17, 2013
post Disney, E's Birthday!
I sent my mom this text:
"Today did not involve any lines, buses or oversize cartoon characters. Lunch was less than $5, my pancakes were boring circles and no one took my picture all day. There has been no parades, singing or anything that moved over 25 miles an hour. And worst of all, no kidsister. Disney withdrawls!"
Since we had arrived home very late, I let the girls sleep as long as they needed to. Which means L slept through the bus but woke up and readied for school shortly after. Daddy dropped her off and I headed for the gym. I didn't teach until the next day but I needed a refresher on the programming and taking a week off and indulging in so many sweet treats definitely made me sluggish. Despite having slept well, the kids all napped that afternoon, still recovering from the trip.
By evening, we were ready to celebrate. We met Grandma, Grandpa, Auntie and Daddy at the girls favorite fast food restaurant for dinner. We played outside on the train themed tables as we waited, pretending it was a Disney train taking us to see princesses (of course). After we ate, everyone came back to our house for the girls to open a few last birthday presents from Grandma and Grandpa and have dessert. Daddy had picked up E's favorite treat, double stuffed oreo cookies and even prepared them properly for her, opening up four cookies and placing them in front of her, ready for her to scrape out and devour the patty of frosting. (Then she gives the frosting-less cookie to her dad. It's a great system.) We sang to her (she sang to herself, she's been singing the song ever since my birthday a month ago and it's downright adorable) and dished up ice cream. She's also been practicing her age, declaring "two!" and holding up an awkward hand, waiting for me to help manipulate her figures to show just two of them.
Can't believe she's so big already. Milestone post to come.
"Today did not involve any lines, buses or oversize cartoon characters. Lunch was less than $5, my pancakes were boring circles and no one took my picture all day. There has been no parades, singing or anything that moved over 25 miles an hour. And worst of all, no kidsister. Disney withdrawls!"
Since we had arrived home very late, I let the girls sleep as long as they needed to. Which means L slept through the bus but woke up and readied for school shortly after. Daddy dropped her off and I headed for the gym. I didn't teach until the next day but I needed a refresher on the programming and taking a week off and indulging in so many sweet treats definitely made me sluggish. Despite having slept well, the kids all napped that afternoon, still recovering from the trip.
By evening, we were ready to celebrate. We met Grandma, Grandpa, Auntie and Daddy at the girls favorite fast food restaurant for dinner. We played outside on the train themed tables as we waited, pretending it was a Disney train taking us to see princesses (of course). After we ate, everyone came back to our house for the girls to open a few last birthday presents from Grandma and Grandpa and have dessert. Daddy had picked up E's favorite treat, double stuffed oreo cookies and even prepared them properly for her, opening up four cookies and placing them in front of her, ready for her to scrape out and devour the patty of frosting. (Then she gives the frosting-less cookie to her dad. It's a great system.) We sang to her (she sang to herself, she's been singing the song ever since my birthday a month ago and it's downright adorable) and dished up ice cream. She's also been practicing her age, declaring "two!" and holding up an awkward hand, waiting for me to help manipulate her figures to show just two of them.
Can't believe she's so big already. Milestone post to come.
Disney Day 6
We spent our last morning at Disney in the pool. The girls giggled and swam and played. Then they ran over to the splash pad to dart around and through the fountains of water and play with the Finding Nemo characters that sprayed water unexpectedly.
After swimming, the girls opened their last Tinkerbell Magic, Barbie princess dolls that they promptly opened to play with while Husband and I packed our things. (Tinkerbell even brought a figurine for kidsister.) We ate lunch in our room and reluctantly said goodbye, taking the shuttle back to the airport.
The flight home was much easier, despite not having Grammy and Papa who were staying one more night. The kids were so worn out from days of activity and over stimulation that E slept most of the flight to Vegas. A napped for awhile while L and I had some one-on-one time doing puzzles and bead pet crafts I brought for her. After A woke up, we played with books, colored, watched a movie, drank hot chocolate, played with pipe cleaners and eventually arrived in Vegas. We had just enough time to find out connecting flight and feed the kids before we were off on the short flight home. I tried juggling E and L but towards the end, I passed E to her Daddy and L and I both fell asleep for a few minutes just before landing.
And soon, we were home.
Miscellaneous:
--the resort tries to make checkout and airport shuttle as easy as possible. But some how we missed some details this time and there was a bit of confusion. There is an airline check in at every resort but it's only open in the morning. Which means, you can leave your room, check your bags into the resort's airport check in and then go play (at the parks, downtown disney, etc.) until your shuttle arrives to take you to the airport (usually 2-3 hours before your flight). Since we stayed at the hotel that day, we didn't go to desk early enough and missed the luggage check in. Which ended up being fine, we just had to collect it from the shuttle driver and check it ourselves at the airport. Otherwise, the shuttle (The Disney Magical Express) would have taken care of the for us.
--Did I mention that the new hotel keys are actually wrist bands? They're still working out all the details but eventually the wristbands will connect guests to all their meal reservations, charging privileges (if authorized) park tickets, fast passes, PhotoPass and even include a child locator in case they get separated from their parents. Very cool technology.
--PhotoPass is another fun DisneyWorld feature. There are photographers all over the park offering to take your photos and then connect your photos to a card number they give you. You can have multiple cards and link them together if you forget it. This allows you to look at the photos after your vacation and decide if you want to order them, which ones and how many. You can even drop the pictures into pre-made scrapbook pages. Cool feature but can be pricey. So the nice part is that the PhotoPass photographers will take your picture using their camera and then you can ask them to take the picture using yours too. So you have the picture on your camera. They are always in the best photo op places and character meeting spots. Hopefully in the next few days, I'll feel settled enough again to look at our pictures online and with any luck, there will be an amazing family picture.
After swimming, the girls opened their last Tinkerbell Magic, Barbie princess dolls that they promptly opened to play with while Husband and I packed our things. (Tinkerbell even brought a figurine for kidsister.) We ate lunch in our room and reluctantly said goodbye, taking the shuttle back to the airport.
The flight home was much easier, despite not having Grammy and Papa who were staying one more night. The kids were so worn out from days of activity and over stimulation that E slept most of the flight to Vegas. A napped for awhile while L and I had some one-on-one time doing puzzles and bead pet crafts I brought for her. After A woke up, we played with books, colored, watched a movie, drank hot chocolate, played with pipe cleaners and eventually arrived in Vegas. We had just enough time to find out connecting flight and feed the kids before we were off on the short flight home. I tried juggling E and L but towards the end, I passed E to her Daddy and L and I both fell asleep for a few minutes just before landing.
And soon, we were home.
Miscellaneous:
--the resort tries to make checkout and airport shuttle as easy as possible. But some how we missed some details this time and there was a bit of confusion. There is an airline check in at every resort but it's only open in the morning. Which means, you can leave your room, check your bags into the resort's airport check in and then go play (at the parks, downtown disney, etc.) until your shuttle arrives to take you to the airport (usually 2-3 hours before your flight). Since we stayed at the hotel that day, we didn't go to desk early enough and missed the luggage check in. Which ended up being fine, we just had to collect it from the shuttle driver and check it ourselves at the airport. Otherwise, the shuttle (The Disney Magical Express) would have taken care of the for us.
--Did I mention that the new hotel keys are actually wrist bands? They're still working out all the details but eventually the wristbands will connect guests to all their meal reservations, charging privileges (if authorized) park tickets, fast passes, PhotoPass and even include a child locator in case they get separated from their parents. Very cool technology.
--PhotoPass is another fun DisneyWorld feature. There are photographers all over the park offering to take your photos and then connect your photos to a card number they give you. You can have multiple cards and link them together if you forget it. This allows you to look at the photos after your vacation and decide if you want to order them, which ones and how many. You can even drop the pictures into pre-made scrapbook pages. Cool feature but can be pricey. So the nice part is that the PhotoPass photographers will take your picture using their camera and then you can ask them to take the picture using yours too. So you have the picture on your camera. They are always in the best photo op places and character meeting spots. Hopefully in the next few days, I'll feel settled enough again to look at our pictures online and with any luck, there will be an amazing family picture.
Disney Day 5
We spent our last full day at the Magic Kingdom. While Hollywood Studios is probably my favorite to suit my own interests, this was by far, my favorite for a family experience. I love watching my girls, seeing their faces light up with such delight.
We headed right for FantastyLand and ventured into the new expansion. We went to Enchanted Tales with Belle and it promptly joined the Top Ten list. We wound through the line and entered Maurice and Belle's home. L spotted the water wheel outside, glanced around and exclaimed, "It's Papa's house! Belle's Papa lives here!" Inside the home, a cast member showed us the magic mirror, which was one of my favorite special effects. We entered and were greeted by the Wardrobe who invited us to act out the night Belle and Beast fell in love. L and A were invited to participate as characters. L played Maurice but she shied away halfway through and asked another girl to take her place. A got to be Chip and she was adorable, hopping around with Yellow (her blanket) clutched firmly in her arms. We were joined by Belle who helped tell and act out the story. At the end, she greeted each child actor for hugs and pictures and presented them with a bookmark, even inviting L to come up again. Such a fun, interactive experience.
Then we went next door to have lunch in Belle's castle. We had been emailed and invited to try a new resort guest service, the FastPass Plus (which rumor has it, will be replacing FastPass entirely). Belle's castle is a restaurant, Be Our Guest, which serves dinner by reservation only and I simply couldn't get in, even six months in advance. Lunch is also served but as a "quick service" dining which means faster, more casual, with limited menu and limited service. The wait is typically 2 hours for lunch except that FastPass Plus allowed us to pre order and then come during a limited window for our lunch. It was a little confusing and chaotic but the castle is amazing and the food was good. We chose to eat in the Ballroom but after we finished, kidsister took the girls to see the enchanted rose in the West Wing and the Music Box in the Library.
We rode the new Voyage of the Little Mermaid, the typical but fun retelling the story and continued on to Dumbo. I wasn't particularly excited but knew the girls would love the simple ride that I remembered from times before. However, Dumbo has been seriously upgraded. Much larger, brighter and grander, two versions of the Dumbo ride stand side by side while the line disappears into a tent between them. The "line" is a kids indoor playplace where each party is given a pager and then the kids can run free to play in the maze and among the toys while they "wait". So fun and brilliant! In fact, the wait was probably more fun than the ride itself.
We waited to meet Merida, letting the girls play and color pictures in the themed courtyard while we waited. L excitedly compared her hair to Merida's and asked about her horse. But their favorite part was getting to shoot the bow and arrow before we left.
We rode the spinning tea cups, surprisingly one of A's favorite despite her panic about rides and the Winnie the Pooh ride. We rode the carousel and stopped for ice cream cones in the intense heat. From there, we split up again, Grammy and Papa took the A and E to the Philharmagic (super cute 3D movie with Donald trying to take over Mickey's orchestra) where A watched absolutely enthralled again and E promptly fell asleep and took a great nap. Meanwhile kidsister, Husband, L and I ran over to AdventureLand to ride Splash Mountain and the Big Thunder Mountain Roller Coaster. Both were so fun but of the two, L loved the roller coaster more. Husband took video of her face through most of it, beaming with delight.
After that, Papa and kidsister headed back to the hotel to lay down while Grammy, Husband and I took the girls to meet Tinkerbell and Terrence. Waiting in line, we could watch Tinkerbell cartoons but other than that, the waiting room was very plain (but thankfully, inside and air conditioned). But then we entered the "garden" which was spectacular. The girls loved when Terrence showed them the "lost thing" he had found--a crayon (which was taller than them) and eagerly waited to meet Tinkerbell. A was so tired and getting fussy but she perked up and showed her Yellow to Tinkerbell, asking her to put fairy dust on it. They thanked her for the gifts (the "Tinkerbell Magic", the presents they had been finding in the hotel room each day) and admired her shoes and wings.
After meeting Tinkerbell, we asked the girls about more rides but they declined, asking to go back to the hotel and go swimming instead. So even though we were skipping some favorites, we headed for the hotel. We stopped for a few minutes to freshen up, discover more Tinkerbell Magic (ribbon wands) and then went to Downtown Disney for dinner at the Fulton's Crab House. We were pretty tired (mostly me. I was cranky. I'm always cranky when I'm hungry.) but the food was amazing and our server brought two huge serving of rich chocolate cake for the birthday girls.
After dinner, we went shopping. The girls had been waiting and planning the whole trip. Grandma had given each of them a $15 gift card and we promised the could pick out a toy before we left. So we had shopped, perusing our options every day. They were so excited that it was finally time to choose. Daddy wandered with E while I took L and A. A headed straight for her prize--a Doc McStuffins doctor kit that she had been wanting all week. L made several laps of the store, discouraged that she couldn't find something she really wanted. Suddenly she landed on a set of markers and insisted it was perfect. I was skeptical since it was just markers but the bag is really cute and she loved it so we let it be her choice. Daddy returned with E who was happily cuddling a plush Minnie Mouse, almost as big as her. As we waited for everyone to finish shopping, Daddy took A and E next door to LegoLand for a few minutes while L and I made yet another lap of the store, "just to be sure". Eventually we were ready and kidsister went with L and A to purchase their souvenirs.
Our last stop was a quick trip to another toy store to the Mr. Potato Head tower for the unique Disney only accessories that are impossibly cute. We arrived back at the hotel, postponing swimming for the next morning and went to bed.
Miscellaneous:
--Next time you're there, don't miss Pirates and Haunted Mansion. We skipped them because my children seemed particularly sensitive lately. We also skipped TomorrowLand entirely, mostly because that's where kidsister works and we supported her taking a day of entirely from that area of the park. And because we ran out of time anyway.
--If travelling with babies or toddlers, two of my favorite Disney features are the Baby Centers and the KidSwap. The Baby Centers are not widely advertised which keeps the quiet, clean and peaceful. They have huge changing areas, private nursing rooms, a sibling room with cartoons and a little store that carries any baby item you could possibly need (diapers, clothes, medicine, etc.). It's a nice respite from the heat and a comfortable and inviting place to take care of kids. The KidSwap allows parents to take turns riding the rides without waiting in line twice. As you get in line, ask the entrance attendant for a KidSwap ticket. Then Mom waits with baby while Dad rides (with other family members). Then Dad rides while Mom goes straight to the front of the line (taking up to 3 family members with her).
--You can rent stroller at the parks. But truthfully, strollers are a huge nuisance and spend most of the day parked at the entrance to some attraction or show. I'm very grateful we had one for the walks to and from the bus or to use when getting from one area of the park to another. So if you actually need one, take your own so you can use it when you really need it.
--DisneyWorld is huge. And so different from Disneyland. Disneyland is an incredible arrive-early-and-stay-late to see it all in one day kind of adventure. DisneyWorld is a more relaxed, more immersed, stay and play for days kind of experience. So even though we didn't stay all day, every day at the parks, it maintains that magical vacation feeling at the resorts through it amazing themes and decor and service. In fact we like to leave a whole day for just playing at the resorts, there's so many fun things to do there.
--We also skipped parades and shows at MK this time. Long time favorites include the Electrical Light parade, the Castle Show and the incredible firework show called Wishes. :( Guess I'll have to go back. :)
We headed right for FantastyLand and ventured into the new expansion. We went to Enchanted Tales with Belle and it promptly joined the Top Ten list. We wound through the line and entered Maurice and Belle's home. L spotted the water wheel outside, glanced around and exclaimed, "It's Papa's house! Belle's Papa lives here!" Inside the home, a cast member showed us the magic mirror, which was one of my favorite special effects. We entered and were greeted by the Wardrobe who invited us to act out the night Belle and Beast fell in love. L and A were invited to participate as characters. L played Maurice but she shied away halfway through and asked another girl to take her place. A got to be Chip and she was adorable, hopping around with Yellow (her blanket) clutched firmly in her arms. We were joined by Belle who helped tell and act out the story. At the end, she greeted each child actor for hugs and pictures and presented them with a bookmark, even inviting L to come up again. Such a fun, interactive experience.
Then we went next door to have lunch in Belle's castle. We had been emailed and invited to try a new resort guest service, the FastPass Plus (which rumor has it, will be replacing FastPass entirely). Belle's castle is a restaurant, Be Our Guest, which serves dinner by reservation only and I simply couldn't get in, even six months in advance. Lunch is also served but as a "quick service" dining which means faster, more casual, with limited menu and limited service. The wait is typically 2 hours for lunch except that FastPass Plus allowed us to pre order and then come during a limited window for our lunch. It was a little confusing and chaotic but the castle is amazing and the food was good. We chose to eat in the Ballroom but after we finished, kidsister took the girls to see the enchanted rose in the West Wing and the Music Box in the Library.
We rode the new Voyage of the Little Mermaid, the typical but fun retelling the story and continued on to Dumbo. I wasn't particularly excited but knew the girls would love the simple ride that I remembered from times before. However, Dumbo has been seriously upgraded. Much larger, brighter and grander, two versions of the Dumbo ride stand side by side while the line disappears into a tent between them. The "line" is a kids indoor playplace where each party is given a pager and then the kids can run free to play in the maze and among the toys while they "wait". So fun and brilliant! In fact, the wait was probably more fun than the ride itself.
We waited to meet Merida, letting the girls play and color pictures in the themed courtyard while we waited. L excitedly compared her hair to Merida's and asked about her horse. But their favorite part was getting to shoot the bow and arrow before we left.
We rode the spinning tea cups, surprisingly one of A's favorite despite her panic about rides and the Winnie the Pooh ride. We rode the carousel and stopped for ice cream cones in the intense heat. From there, we split up again, Grammy and Papa took the A and E to the Philharmagic (super cute 3D movie with Donald trying to take over Mickey's orchestra) where A watched absolutely enthralled again and E promptly fell asleep and took a great nap. Meanwhile kidsister, Husband, L and I ran over to AdventureLand to ride Splash Mountain and the Big Thunder Mountain Roller Coaster. Both were so fun but of the two, L loved the roller coaster more. Husband took video of her face through most of it, beaming with delight.
After that, Papa and kidsister headed back to the hotel to lay down while Grammy, Husband and I took the girls to meet Tinkerbell and Terrence. Waiting in line, we could watch Tinkerbell cartoons but other than that, the waiting room was very plain (but thankfully, inside and air conditioned). But then we entered the "garden" which was spectacular. The girls loved when Terrence showed them the "lost thing" he had found--a crayon (which was taller than them) and eagerly waited to meet Tinkerbell. A was so tired and getting fussy but she perked up and showed her Yellow to Tinkerbell, asking her to put fairy dust on it. They thanked her for the gifts (the "Tinkerbell Magic", the presents they had been finding in the hotel room each day) and admired her shoes and wings.
After meeting Tinkerbell, we asked the girls about more rides but they declined, asking to go back to the hotel and go swimming instead. So even though we were skipping some favorites, we headed for the hotel. We stopped for a few minutes to freshen up, discover more Tinkerbell Magic (ribbon wands) and then went to Downtown Disney for dinner at the Fulton's Crab House. We were pretty tired (mostly me. I was cranky. I'm always cranky when I'm hungry.) but the food was amazing and our server brought two huge serving of rich chocolate cake for the birthday girls.
After dinner, we went shopping. The girls had been waiting and planning the whole trip. Grandma had given each of them a $15 gift card and we promised the could pick out a toy before we left. So we had shopped, perusing our options every day. They were so excited that it was finally time to choose. Daddy wandered with E while I took L and A. A headed straight for her prize--a Doc McStuffins doctor kit that she had been wanting all week. L made several laps of the store, discouraged that she couldn't find something she really wanted. Suddenly she landed on a set of markers and insisted it was perfect. I was skeptical since it was just markers but the bag is really cute and she loved it so we let it be her choice. Daddy returned with E who was happily cuddling a plush Minnie Mouse, almost as big as her. As we waited for everyone to finish shopping, Daddy took A and E next door to LegoLand for a few minutes while L and I made yet another lap of the store, "just to be sure". Eventually we were ready and kidsister went with L and A to purchase their souvenirs.
Our last stop was a quick trip to another toy store to the Mr. Potato Head tower for the unique Disney only accessories that are impossibly cute. We arrived back at the hotel, postponing swimming for the next morning and went to bed.
Miscellaneous:
--Next time you're there, don't miss Pirates and Haunted Mansion. We skipped them because my children seemed particularly sensitive lately. We also skipped TomorrowLand entirely, mostly because that's where kidsister works and we supported her taking a day of entirely from that area of the park. And because we ran out of time anyway.
--If travelling with babies or toddlers, two of my favorite Disney features are the Baby Centers and the KidSwap. The Baby Centers are not widely advertised which keeps the quiet, clean and peaceful. They have huge changing areas, private nursing rooms, a sibling room with cartoons and a little store that carries any baby item you could possibly need (diapers, clothes, medicine, etc.). It's a nice respite from the heat and a comfortable and inviting place to take care of kids. The KidSwap allows parents to take turns riding the rides without waiting in line twice. As you get in line, ask the entrance attendant for a KidSwap ticket. Then Mom waits with baby while Dad rides (with other family members). Then Dad rides while Mom goes straight to the front of the line (taking up to 3 family members with her).
--You can rent stroller at the parks. But truthfully, strollers are a huge nuisance and spend most of the day parked at the entrance to some attraction or show. I'm very grateful we had one for the walks to and from the bus or to use when getting from one area of the park to another. So if you actually need one, take your own so you can use it when you really need it.
--DisneyWorld is huge. And so different from Disneyland. Disneyland is an incredible arrive-early-and-stay-late to see it all in one day kind of adventure. DisneyWorld is a more relaxed, more immersed, stay and play for days kind of experience. So even though we didn't stay all day, every day at the parks, it maintains that magical vacation feeling at the resorts through it amazing themes and decor and service. In fact we like to leave a whole day for just playing at the resorts, there's so many fun things to do there.
--We also skipped parades and shows at MK this time. Long time favorites include the Electrical Light parade, the Castle Show and the incredible firework show called Wishes. :( Guess I'll have to go back. :)
Disney Day 4
Friday was another quick breakfast in the room and onto Disney fun at Hollywood Studios. We first raced to get fast passes for Toy Story Mania (the wait time is always long and even the fast passes run out quickly) and then jumped in line to meet Buzz and Woody. The line is full of fun photo ops and the girls thoroughly entertained us. Their favorite part of meeting Buzz and Woody was when Woody showed them how to push Buzz's buttons and turn him off so he would collapse and be still. They did it over and over giggling.
We continued on to meet Ralph and Vanellope, Vanellope being particularly cute and mischievous, posing us for a picture and then dramatically standing in front of it. The girls begged to meet Mr. Incredible and Frozone as well, showing off their muscles and giggling.
We stopped for another picnic lunch and then lined up to see the Disney Jr. show. The girls LOVED it! They had almost front row seats and couldn't contain themselves, cheering and wiggling and signing along loudly. Even E bounced along and jabbered the lines she knew. The show was super cute, set up like an episode of Mickey Mouse Clubhouse and visiting Sofia, Jake the Pirate and A's favorite, Doc McStuffins. After the show we got to meet Sofia and Jake for hugs and pictures.
We went to the Beauty and the Beast stage show. The girls got antsy and cranky whenever we had to wait in line or for a show to start but were transfixed as soon as the music started. After the show, we tried the Movie Ride (meh) on our way to an early dinner reservation at kidsister's favorite restaurant: the 50s PrimeTime Cafe. It was like stepping back in time to my grandma's kitchen, complete with chrome edge tables and delicious comfort food. The food was incredible (especially Husband's pork chops and my roast beef) and we topped it off with hot apple crisp with ice cream. The girls each got a "kid sundae" which turned out to be a generous scoop of ice cream and four little cups filled with a variety of toppings. They were in heaven.
With our bellies full, we headed for the roller coasters. (yep. not the best idea.) We split up again, Grammy and Papa took A and E to the Disney Junior show again while kidsister, husband, L and I went to the Tower of Terror using fast passes kidsister had snagged before dinner. L loves thrill rides and she is actually (according to me) the only two year old to ride the Tower of Terror. (she's probably the only two year old who was ever tall enough to ride it, and truthfully it was the day before her 3rd birthday but the story sounds better if i leave that part out). She had insisted on going with her dad and we relented, figuring she would see the scary decor and chicken out. I was shocked when she came off the ride and reported, "It was scary. but I liked it." However, this time we jumped in line and went into the "waiting room". We watched the little preview movie and she panicked. Scared and near tears she begged to leave so I quickly assured her she didn't have to go. We had to wait through the line to get to the front where we could leave and were led to a spot where we could wait for Dad and kidsister. They rode, returned with huge grins and I got to do a "kidswap" which allowed Husband and I to jump back onto the ride without waiting in line. Loved the ride, shrieking and laughing and screaming the whole time.
From there we scurried over to the Aerosmith Rock n Roller Coaster and loved it! This is my very favorite roller coaster ever. L rode, grinning and screaming and having a blast. Husband couldn't resist buying the picture afterwards that so perfectly captured her expression.
We raced back to join Grammy and Papa for the Little Mermaid show which the girls had been begging to go to all day. From there we rode Toy Story Mania, a long time favorite that spins and winds around a 3D shooting gallery. Husband took an early lead against my score and I could never catch up. I think kidsister ended up beating him for points, but I won hands down for accuracy.
Our last stop was the Muppets 3D movie which is always a fun favorite. As usual, it was a little overwhelming for L but A and E loved it. After that, we decided to go back to the hotel. It was Friday the 13th and Hollywood Studios was hosting a first-ever Villians night. The villians might have been a little too much for the kids, especially since they were getting so tired but mostly the crowds were increasing at an alarming rate, both in size and of questionable character so we left.
Back at the hotel, we discovered more Tinkerbell Magic (Minnie shaped bottles of bubbles) and had to play with that for awhile before we put the baby to bed and took the big girls to the arcade. We spent close to an hour there, watching them bounce around like ping pong balls, trying various games and eventually picking a few small prizes with the tickets they had earned. And soon, we were sounds asleep again.
Miscellaneous:
--I love love love Hollywood Studios. The entire amusement park is designed to be a "live set", as if the guests are backstage. The Indian Jones show is amazing, the performance is the actors rehearsing a scene, complete with stunts and then performing it as if it's being filmed. It's full of crazy stunts and plenty of fun comedy. Similarly, the Lights, Motors, Action! show is on set with actors "filming" a series of scenes. The audience gets to watch them breakdown the stunts and sequences and then it shows a final production at the end with all the added technology embellishments. but we didn't go to either of these shows on this trip because they are more for adults and probably wouldn't have interested the kids as much.
--We also decided to skip Fantasmic! on this trip. I LOVE this show and it's intense, unique and amazing. But it was late and we knew it would be a little too much for our very young, sensitive kids. L got so upset I had to take her outside when we saw it two years ago, overwhelmed by the intensity, the bad guys and the special effects. So it's amazing but we'll wait until next time to see it again.
--This is probably my favorite of the DisneyWorld parks. For adults at least. It's mostly shows, very few rides and you have to get a fast pass to Toy Story Mania early if you want to avoid an hour plus long line.
--Star Tours has been redone! I'm so excited! But unfortunately, we ran out of time and will save it for another trip.
--If you stay at the DisneyWorld resorts, resort guests are invited for "extra magic hours", where one park opens an hour early each day and a different park stays open late for up to three hours. Cuts down on the crowd and lets us stay out even later, especially if we took a break midday for naps.
--Being with my dad in a wheelchair was a new experience. I hope he still got to enjoy the trip despite his discomfort. Disney is very accommodating and was wonderful about helping us. We usually got decent seats without having to wait in long lines (since we sat in the wheelchair section) and we got to board the shuttle buses first. And the chair enabled my Dad to come on the trip at all so it was wonderful and totally worth it. But if I was to give advice to anyone else, was how hard it is to get around. And not the ramps or buildings, but the crowds. People don't pay attention and certainly don't watch for wheelchairs. People would walk around so absorbed in where they were going that they stepped right into him repeatedly, jostling him sometimes rather painfully or certainly making it difficult to get around.
We continued on to meet Ralph and Vanellope, Vanellope being particularly cute and mischievous, posing us for a picture and then dramatically standing in front of it. The girls begged to meet Mr. Incredible and Frozone as well, showing off their muscles and giggling.
We stopped for another picnic lunch and then lined up to see the Disney Jr. show. The girls LOVED it! They had almost front row seats and couldn't contain themselves, cheering and wiggling and signing along loudly. Even E bounced along and jabbered the lines she knew. The show was super cute, set up like an episode of Mickey Mouse Clubhouse and visiting Sofia, Jake the Pirate and A's favorite, Doc McStuffins. After the show we got to meet Sofia and Jake for hugs and pictures.
We went to the Beauty and the Beast stage show. The girls got antsy and cranky whenever we had to wait in line or for a show to start but were transfixed as soon as the music started. After the show, we tried the Movie Ride (meh) on our way to an early dinner reservation at kidsister's favorite restaurant: the 50s PrimeTime Cafe. It was like stepping back in time to my grandma's kitchen, complete with chrome edge tables and delicious comfort food. The food was incredible (especially Husband's pork chops and my roast beef) and we topped it off with hot apple crisp with ice cream. The girls each got a "kid sundae" which turned out to be a generous scoop of ice cream and four little cups filled with a variety of toppings. They were in heaven.
With our bellies full, we headed for the roller coasters. (yep. not the best idea.) We split up again, Grammy and Papa took A and E to the Disney Junior show again while kidsister, husband, L and I went to the Tower of Terror using fast passes kidsister had snagged before dinner. L loves thrill rides and she is actually (according to me) the only two year old to ride the Tower of Terror. (she's probably the only two year old who was ever tall enough to ride it, and truthfully it was the day before her 3rd birthday but the story sounds better if i leave that part out). She had insisted on going with her dad and we relented, figuring she would see the scary decor and chicken out. I was shocked when she came off the ride and reported, "It was scary. but I liked it." However, this time we jumped in line and went into the "waiting room". We watched the little preview movie and she panicked. Scared and near tears she begged to leave so I quickly assured her she didn't have to go. We had to wait through the line to get to the front where we could leave and were led to a spot where we could wait for Dad and kidsister. They rode, returned with huge grins and I got to do a "kidswap" which allowed Husband and I to jump back onto the ride without waiting in line. Loved the ride, shrieking and laughing and screaming the whole time.
From there we scurried over to the Aerosmith Rock n Roller Coaster and loved it! This is my very favorite roller coaster ever. L rode, grinning and screaming and having a blast. Husband couldn't resist buying the picture afterwards that so perfectly captured her expression.
We raced back to join Grammy and Papa for the Little Mermaid show which the girls had been begging to go to all day. From there we rode Toy Story Mania, a long time favorite that spins and winds around a 3D shooting gallery. Husband took an early lead against my score and I could never catch up. I think kidsister ended up beating him for points, but I won hands down for accuracy.
Our last stop was the Muppets 3D movie which is always a fun favorite. As usual, it was a little overwhelming for L but A and E loved it. After that, we decided to go back to the hotel. It was Friday the 13th and Hollywood Studios was hosting a first-ever Villians night. The villians might have been a little too much for the kids, especially since they were getting so tired but mostly the crowds were increasing at an alarming rate, both in size and of questionable character so we left.
Back at the hotel, we discovered more Tinkerbell Magic (Minnie shaped bottles of bubbles) and had to play with that for awhile before we put the baby to bed and took the big girls to the arcade. We spent close to an hour there, watching them bounce around like ping pong balls, trying various games and eventually picking a few small prizes with the tickets they had earned. And soon, we were sounds asleep again.
Miscellaneous:
--I love love love Hollywood Studios. The entire amusement park is designed to be a "live set", as if the guests are backstage. The Indian Jones show is amazing, the performance is the actors rehearsing a scene, complete with stunts and then performing it as if it's being filmed. It's full of crazy stunts and plenty of fun comedy. Similarly, the Lights, Motors, Action! show is on set with actors "filming" a series of scenes. The audience gets to watch them breakdown the stunts and sequences and then it shows a final production at the end with all the added technology embellishments. but we didn't go to either of these shows on this trip because they are more for adults and probably wouldn't have interested the kids as much.
--We also decided to skip Fantasmic! on this trip. I LOVE this show and it's intense, unique and amazing. But it was late and we knew it would be a little too much for our very young, sensitive kids. L got so upset I had to take her outside when we saw it two years ago, overwhelmed by the intensity, the bad guys and the special effects. So it's amazing but we'll wait until next time to see it again.
--This is probably my favorite of the DisneyWorld parks. For adults at least. It's mostly shows, very few rides and you have to get a fast pass to Toy Story Mania early if you want to avoid an hour plus long line.
--Star Tours has been redone! I'm so excited! But unfortunately, we ran out of time and will save it for another trip.
--If you stay at the DisneyWorld resorts, resort guests are invited for "extra magic hours", where one park opens an hour early each day and a different park stays open late for up to three hours. Cuts down on the crowd and lets us stay out even later, especially if we took a break midday for naps.
--Being with my dad in a wheelchair was a new experience. I hope he still got to enjoy the trip despite his discomfort. Disney is very accommodating and was wonderful about helping us. We usually got decent seats without having to wait in long lines (since we sat in the wheelchair section) and we got to board the shuttle buses first. And the chair enabled my Dad to come on the trip at all so it was wonderful and totally worth it. But if I was to give advice to anyone else, was how hard it is to get around. And not the ramps or buildings, but the crowds. People don't pay attention and certainly don't watch for wheelchairs. People would walk around so absorbed in where they were going that they stepped right into him repeatedly, jostling him sometimes rather painfully or certainly making it difficult to get around.
Disney Day 3, A's Birthday!
We wandered into wakefulness, feeling much more refreshed than our early start the previous day. We had breakfast in our room and then made our way to the Animal Kingdom. Kidsister's roommate met us there and spent most of the day with us.
Our first stop was the Safari Ride which is a jeep excursion through the wildlife preserve. We had amazing, close views of many kinds of animals. E waved and called to the them, somewhat solemnly, as if she was still taking it all in. L bounced happily next to Grammy and Papa while A cuddled into Daddy's lap. We loved the giraffes and elephants in particular. Next we went to the Lion King show. It was the first time I had seen it and I loved it. The girls were less impressed, probably overwhelmed by the loud costumes and thundering music. But the large floats with Lion King characters, powerful music and intricate costumes were incredible. Our favorite was a close call between the tumbling monkeys and ballet birds, all with such impressive talent. We stopped for a picnic lunch in a quiet shaded area outside of the theaters, perfect for letting the kids wiggle and play.
We filled our afternoon with wandering and watching shows (if I had the pictures I could probably list everything we did but I'm doing it from memory for now) and in the late afternoon, it began to rain. We were in the Finding Nemo stageshow (one of our favorites, E went nuts over the falling bubbles, I loved the music and the big girls loved the dancing characters acting out a storyline they know so well) when it started. We wandered over to DinoLand and rode a few rides there (in the rain. which was actually pretty fun.) but since we were getting soggy by then, the group split up. Kidsister left to take Katy home while we visisted more characters. We got to meet Goofy and then we went to meet Tigger and Pooh. Due to the rain, the park had emptied so when Tigger and Pooh arrived, we had them to ourselves for at least ten minutes. Smiling, they met Pooh, giving him hugs and posing for pictures. But when Tigger arrived, they raced to him squealing (sorry Pooh), nearly knocking him over with their exuberance. E still shied away but smiled and blew kisses from a distance.
Our last adventure there was the roller coaster. A doesn't like roller coasters, we're still not sure if it's the motion or the height but since we didn't want to push it, I took A and E for an ice cream treat while Daddy and L rode the roller coaster. She came bounding off, full of excitement. We traded places, Daddy staying with the littler girls while L took me on the roller coaster. We giggled and screamed in delight.
After that we made our way back to the hotel, playing in our room for awhile and watching Disney Junior (quite possibly their favorite part of staying in a hotel). We went to dinner at the hotel in the cafeteria style dining, enjoying their "make your own pasta" bar. After dinner, they discovered more "Tinkerbell Magic" and opened new beach towels which we promptly took to the pool with us. They had a fantastic time swimming and splashing and listening to the underwater music.
Soon a very tired E was tucked into bed and L was settled in watching a cartoon. Daddy and I took A for a walk back to the cafeteria for a little ice cream date in honor of her birthday. She absolutely shines with a little one-on-one time so it was delightful to spend that with her. We got a little candle and sang to her (three times actually because she asked so sweetly) before wandering the store for a few minutes. Each of the girls had been given (by Grandma) a $15 gift card and we promised them they could choose a toy before we went home. So throughout the trip they looked and looked. A and E continually landed on the same item but L deliberated much longer. Soon we took her back to the room and tucked her in too.
Miscellaneous:
--It rains in Florida. A lot. They sell ponchos but they're expensive and flimsy so take umbrellas and hope for rain because the parks will empty and it's fun to play in the rain. Most rides will continue to operate, most storms are short and even in a downpour, it's still hot.
--I've been to Disney in March, June, August and September. So far? Smallest crowds in Sept. Coolest weather in March. And it rained at least once every time I've been there.
--I love Animal Kingdom. not a lot of rides but lots of nature trails, birds and animals. Animals are most active in the morning and the park closes by 6 so it's another good one to combine with another park if you're short on time.
Our first stop was the Safari Ride which is a jeep excursion through the wildlife preserve. We had amazing, close views of many kinds of animals. E waved and called to the them, somewhat solemnly, as if she was still taking it all in. L bounced happily next to Grammy and Papa while A cuddled into Daddy's lap. We loved the giraffes and elephants in particular. Next we went to the Lion King show. It was the first time I had seen it and I loved it. The girls were less impressed, probably overwhelmed by the loud costumes and thundering music. But the large floats with Lion King characters, powerful music and intricate costumes were incredible. Our favorite was a close call between the tumbling monkeys and ballet birds, all with such impressive talent. We stopped for a picnic lunch in a quiet shaded area outside of the theaters, perfect for letting the kids wiggle and play.
We filled our afternoon with wandering and watching shows (if I had the pictures I could probably list everything we did but I'm doing it from memory for now) and in the late afternoon, it began to rain. We were in the Finding Nemo stageshow (one of our favorites, E went nuts over the falling bubbles, I loved the music and the big girls loved the dancing characters acting out a storyline they know so well) when it started. We wandered over to DinoLand and rode a few rides there (in the rain. which was actually pretty fun.) but since we were getting soggy by then, the group split up. Kidsister left to take Katy home while we visisted more characters. We got to meet Goofy and then we went to meet Tigger and Pooh. Due to the rain, the park had emptied so when Tigger and Pooh arrived, we had them to ourselves for at least ten minutes. Smiling, they met Pooh, giving him hugs and posing for pictures. But when Tigger arrived, they raced to him squealing (sorry Pooh), nearly knocking him over with their exuberance. E still shied away but smiled and blew kisses from a distance.
Our last adventure there was the roller coaster. A doesn't like roller coasters, we're still not sure if it's the motion or the height but since we didn't want to push it, I took A and E for an ice cream treat while Daddy and L rode the roller coaster. She came bounding off, full of excitement. We traded places, Daddy staying with the littler girls while L took me on the roller coaster. We giggled and screamed in delight.
After that we made our way back to the hotel, playing in our room for awhile and watching Disney Junior (quite possibly their favorite part of staying in a hotel). We went to dinner at the hotel in the cafeteria style dining, enjoying their "make your own pasta" bar. After dinner, they discovered more "Tinkerbell Magic" and opened new beach towels which we promptly took to the pool with us. They had a fantastic time swimming and splashing and listening to the underwater music.
Soon a very tired E was tucked into bed and L was settled in watching a cartoon. Daddy and I took A for a walk back to the cafeteria for a little ice cream date in honor of her birthday. She absolutely shines with a little one-on-one time so it was delightful to spend that with her. We got a little candle and sang to her (three times actually because she asked so sweetly) before wandering the store for a few minutes. Each of the girls had been given (by Grandma) a $15 gift card and we promised them they could choose a toy before we went home. So throughout the trip they looked and looked. A and E continually landed on the same item but L deliberated much longer. Soon we took her back to the room and tucked her in too.
Miscellaneous:
--It rains in Florida. A lot. They sell ponchos but they're expensive and flimsy so take umbrellas and hope for rain because the parks will empty and it's fun to play in the rain. Most rides will continue to operate, most storms are short and even in a downpour, it's still hot.
--I've been to Disney in March, June, August and September. So far? Smallest crowds in Sept. Coolest weather in March. And it rained at least once every time I've been there.
--I love Animal Kingdom. not a lot of rides but lots of nature trails, birds and animals. Animals are most active in the morning and the park closes by 6 so it's another good one to combine with another park if you're short on time.
Disney Day 2
which probably should be day 1 since it was our first day in the parks. but airplanes are still a huge adventure for my kiddos so that has to count too.
Day 2 started very early, waking up at 7 (after less than 5 hours of sleep with our delayed flight and late arrival) to ready the girls for the surprise we had planned. We started with the "Tinkerbell Magic", an idea I borrowed from another family. I had brought little items (purchased inexpensively at home), wrapped in glittery tissue paper to be a gift or souvenir each day. On our first day it was a new water bottle for each of the girls to carry with them during the day.
Dressed in their favorite princess gowns (Belle, Rapunzel and a pink Sleeping Beauty tutu), we made our way to Epcot for a breakfast reservation at Arkeshus. We were able to enter the park early (at the reservations lady's recommendation, otherwise we would have been waiting in line long enough to make us late for our reservation) and slowly wander back to the restaurant. We had arrived a little early though and had to wait for our official reservation time. Then we were led into the reception area and waited in line before being greeted by Princess Belle in her beautiful ballgown. The girls were delighted, near speechless. We took pictures with her, got lots of hugs, exchanged curtseys and eventually were led to our table.
We helped ourselves to fruit and pastries at the buffet line (amazing pastries!) and a hot breakfast of cheesy potatoes, scrambled eggs, bacon and sausages were brought to our table, accompanied by several rounds of chocolate milk. The food was good and plentiful, all-you-can-eat served family style. Our server even brought A her own serving bowl size order of just eggs since she continued to devour them. As we ate, we were visited by several princesses, who each stopped by to say hello and take pictures with the girls. Mary Poppins was also there and was the most fun, perfectly in character teaching them to curtsy properly. L loved it, jumping up to meet each of them, A was unimpressed at first but perked up after she had eaten awhile and E stared warily with big eyes. She didn't want to get too close but watched, waving and blowing kisses. The girls were invited to join the princess promenade (parading around the room to music) twice and as we finished our meal, A and E were each brought a birthday cupcake, generous covered with frosting and mickey-shaped sprinkles. With the cupcakes, they were presented with a birthday card, signed by each of the princesses.
Eventually we gathered our things and paid the check. I had warned Husband that the meal would be expensive and he started a joke that lasted all week by stashing a "$10 banana" in the bag as we left. (It appreciated quickly throughout the week. By Saturday, it was the $42 banana. Mostly because it was more funny each time he said it.)
From there we split up, Grammy taking the two smaller kids while Papa, kidsister, Husband, L and I rode Soarin' CA using FastPasses kidsister had picked up on our way in. After the ride, we met Grammy and the little girls, got the kids changed out of their princess dresses and into playclothes before continuing onto the Finding Nemo ride. A giggled through the whole thing.
The girls loved the ride, but were tired and fading fast. So we skipped the other rides we had considered and went to the character spot to meet Mickey and the gang. The wait was short and the girls liked watching the cartoons as we waited in line. Soon we met Mickey, Minnie and Pluto. L and A ran to them eagerly with lots of hugs, high fives and kisses. They posed for pictures, giggled and grinned. Meanwhile, E panicked, squirming in Daddy's arms to get away from them, crying if he got too close. As they took time to wave from a distance, she settled but made it clear she didn't want to go near them. We did get a few family pictures, E smiled happily, as long as Daddy stayed in between her and the giant characters.
After our Mickey meeting, we went back to the hotel, put everyone back in bed and slept soundly for a few hours.
Everyone roused by early evening, ate a quick sandwich and soon we were on our way to the Magic Kingdom, using the parkhopper option on our tickets. There were a few things left at Epcot that would have been fun to do and many shops and restaurants that Husband and I would enjoy, but we thought the kids would have more fun at MK.
At Magic Kingdom, we headed first to meet Rapunzel. She is A's "princess" so we eagerly jumped in line and went to meet her. Next week, the princess hall will be opening and will permanently host most of the meet-n-greets for princess. But for now, we met her in Town Square in a room with Sleeping Beauty and Cinderella. The girls were happy, giving hugs and brief hellos. But Rapunzel was last and they raced to her, full of chatter and hugs and excitement. They gave her pictures they had drawn and had her sign the birthday cards.
We joined the character street party for a few songs, dancing and cheering. Kidsister showed us the new Rapunzel tower (which is just a backdrop but fun) and we stopped in at the Rapunzel courtyard, admiring the picnic area and looking for the hidden Pascals in the foliage. We rode Peter Pan's flight and It's a Small World, much to the delight of our happy little girls.
We also got to meet Tiana, which was a happy accident because she only appears intermittently and we happened to arrive at the right time. We waited in line, having snacks and making friends with the nearby kids. Apparently a creature jumped up onto the pavilion behind Tiana and she nearly took off running. While Naveen investigated and shooed him away, she was truly spooked and skittish and we teased her about being so leery of frogs. Naveen teased about it being his cousin, encouraging the little girls to kiss it. The girls waited patiently for their turn and then happily greeted and hugged them. A insisted on teaching them a dance she had made up and we asked Tiana to sign the birthday card too.
After that we joined Grammy and Papa who had been saving our seats for the nighttime shows. We had great seats to watch the castle projection show and fireworks. Little Miss E is the perfect, most wonderful and enthusiastic audience member, clapping and cheering at each appropriate break or pause, regardless of the rest of the audience.
We watched the PhilHarmagic 3D show, which was a little overwhelming for our oldest but A and E loved it. And then the park closed, sending us back to our hotel for a good night's sleep.
Miscellaneous tips:
--Epcot is a ton of fun. Our favorite is when we went in March and got to see the beautiful topiaries shaped into all the different characters.
--Epcot is a great place to meet characters, usually with much shorter lines than can be found elsewhere. (ie Mickey)
--Having said that, Epcot is probably more fun for adults than kids. There's a few kid rides but mostly it's the opportunity to wander the "lands", sampling food, browsing shops and feeling surrounded by the culture. But if you skip that, it's a half-day kind of park. Could combine with another park or we love saving time to just hang out in the resorts.
--We didn't see it this trip but the nighttime firework show is amazing!
--If you want to do a character meal with princesses, I highly recommend the breakfast at Arkeshur. There's lot of options for character meals and they can get really pricey but this worked great for us. It's less expensive than doing Cinderella's table in MK and I've read that the food is better anyway. Plus, L's favorite princess is Belle and she "hosts". We made reservations six months in advance and it was already filling up quickly. So hard to get in but it was a great way to kick off our trip!
--I love taking princess dresses for the girls to wear for a special day or occasion. And the princess that they match always makes a big deal of it. Sometimes even cast members go out of their way, complimenting or L's even been asked for her autograph.
--I really thought our kids would be too young to want to do an autograph book (ages 5, turning 4 and turning 2). But by the end of the week, I kind of wish we had. We met so many characters and they saw lots of other kids doing it. So next time for sure. Another idea I found but kind of forgot/ran out of time was to take a wide photo matte for signatures and use it to frame a favorite photo after the trip.
--If you're staying in the Disney resorts, you can send your purchased souvenirs directly to the hotel, rather than lugging them around all day. So shop early and avoid the crowded stores at the end of the day.
--Florida is ridiculously hot and humid. Fortunately, you can get free ice water everywhere in the park. We would get the cups of ice water and use it to refill our water bottles.
Day 2 started very early, waking up at 7 (after less than 5 hours of sleep with our delayed flight and late arrival) to ready the girls for the surprise we had planned. We started with the "Tinkerbell Magic", an idea I borrowed from another family. I had brought little items (purchased inexpensively at home), wrapped in glittery tissue paper to be a gift or souvenir each day. On our first day it was a new water bottle for each of the girls to carry with them during the day.
Dressed in their favorite princess gowns (Belle, Rapunzel and a pink Sleeping Beauty tutu), we made our way to Epcot for a breakfast reservation at Arkeshus. We were able to enter the park early (at the reservations lady's recommendation, otherwise we would have been waiting in line long enough to make us late for our reservation) and slowly wander back to the restaurant. We had arrived a little early though and had to wait for our official reservation time. Then we were led into the reception area and waited in line before being greeted by Princess Belle in her beautiful ballgown. The girls were delighted, near speechless. We took pictures with her, got lots of hugs, exchanged curtseys and eventually were led to our table.
We helped ourselves to fruit and pastries at the buffet line (amazing pastries!) and a hot breakfast of cheesy potatoes, scrambled eggs, bacon and sausages were brought to our table, accompanied by several rounds of chocolate milk. The food was good and plentiful, all-you-can-eat served family style. Our server even brought A her own serving bowl size order of just eggs since she continued to devour them. As we ate, we were visited by several princesses, who each stopped by to say hello and take pictures with the girls. Mary Poppins was also there and was the most fun, perfectly in character teaching them to curtsy properly. L loved it, jumping up to meet each of them, A was unimpressed at first but perked up after she had eaten awhile and E stared warily with big eyes. She didn't want to get too close but watched, waving and blowing kisses. The girls were invited to join the princess promenade (parading around the room to music) twice and as we finished our meal, A and E were each brought a birthday cupcake, generous covered with frosting and mickey-shaped sprinkles. With the cupcakes, they were presented with a birthday card, signed by each of the princesses.
Eventually we gathered our things and paid the check. I had warned Husband that the meal would be expensive and he started a joke that lasted all week by stashing a "$10 banana" in the bag as we left. (It appreciated quickly throughout the week. By Saturday, it was the $42 banana. Mostly because it was more funny each time he said it.)
From there we split up, Grammy taking the two smaller kids while Papa, kidsister, Husband, L and I rode Soarin' CA using FastPasses kidsister had picked up on our way in. After the ride, we met Grammy and the little girls, got the kids changed out of their princess dresses and into playclothes before continuing onto the Finding Nemo ride. A giggled through the whole thing.
The girls loved the ride, but were tired and fading fast. So we skipped the other rides we had considered and went to the character spot to meet Mickey and the gang. The wait was short and the girls liked watching the cartoons as we waited in line. Soon we met Mickey, Minnie and Pluto. L and A ran to them eagerly with lots of hugs, high fives and kisses. They posed for pictures, giggled and grinned. Meanwhile, E panicked, squirming in Daddy's arms to get away from them, crying if he got too close. As they took time to wave from a distance, she settled but made it clear she didn't want to go near them. We did get a few family pictures, E smiled happily, as long as Daddy stayed in between her and the giant characters.
After our Mickey meeting, we went back to the hotel, put everyone back in bed and slept soundly for a few hours.
Everyone roused by early evening, ate a quick sandwich and soon we were on our way to the Magic Kingdom, using the parkhopper option on our tickets. There were a few things left at Epcot that would have been fun to do and many shops and restaurants that Husband and I would enjoy, but we thought the kids would have more fun at MK.
At Magic Kingdom, we headed first to meet Rapunzel. She is A's "princess" so we eagerly jumped in line and went to meet her. Next week, the princess hall will be opening and will permanently host most of the meet-n-greets for princess. But for now, we met her in Town Square in a room with Sleeping Beauty and Cinderella. The girls were happy, giving hugs and brief hellos. But Rapunzel was last and they raced to her, full of chatter and hugs and excitement. They gave her pictures they had drawn and had her sign the birthday cards.
We joined the character street party for a few songs, dancing and cheering. Kidsister showed us the new Rapunzel tower (which is just a backdrop but fun) and we stopped in at the Rapunzel courtyard, admiring the picnic area and looking for the hidden Pascals in the foliage. We rode Peter Pan's flight and It's a Small World, much to the delight of our happy little girls.
We also got to meet Tiana, which was a happy accident because she only appears intermittently and we happened to arrive at the right time. We waited in line, having snacks and making friends with the nearby kids. Apparently a creature jumped up onto the pavilion behind Tiana and she nearly took off running. While Naveen investigated and shooed him away, she was truly spooked and skittish and we teased her about being so leery of frogs. Naveen teased about it being his cousin, encouraging the little girls to kiss it. The girls waited patiently for their turn and then happily greeted and hugged them. A insisted on teaching them a dance she had made up and we asked Tiana to sign the birthday card too.
After that we joined Grammy and Papa who had been saving our seats for the nighttime shows. We had great seats to watch the castle projection show and fireworks. Little Miss E is the perfect, most wonderful and enthusiastic audience member, clapping and cheering at each appropriate break or pause, regardless of the rest of the audience.
We watched the PhilHarmagic 3D show, which was a little overwhelming for our oldest but A and E loved it. And then the park closed, sending us back to our hotel for a good night's sleep.
Miscellaneous tips:
--Epcot is a ton of fun. Our favorite is when we went in March and got to see the beautiful topiaries shaped into all the different characters.
--Epcot is a great place to meet characters, usually with much shorter lines than can be found elsewhere. (ie Mickey)
--Having said that, Epcot is probably more fun for adults than kids. There's a few kid rides but mostly it's the opportunity to wander the "lands", sampling food, browsing shops and feeling surrounded by the culture. But if you skip that, it's a half-day kind of park. Could combine with another park or we love saving time to just hang out in the resorts.
--We didn't see it this trip but the nighttime firework show is amazing!
--If you want to do a character meal with princesses, I highly recommend the breakfast at Arkeshur. There's lot of options for character meals and they can get really pricey but this worked great for us. It's less expensive than doing Cinderella's table in MK and I've read that the food is better anyway. Plus, L's favorite princess is Belle and she "hosts". We made reservations six months in advance and it was already filling up quickly. So hard to get in but it was a great way to kick off our trip!
--I love taking princess dresses for the girls to wear for a special day or occasion. And the princess that they match always makes a big deal of it. Sometimes even cast members go out of their way, complimenting or L's even been asked for her autograph.
--I really thought our kids would be too young to want to do an autograph book (ages 5, turning 4 and turning 2). But by the end of the week, I kind of wish we had. We met so many characters and they saw lots of other kids doing it. So next time for sure. Another idea I found but kind of forgot/ran out of time was to take a wide photo matte for signatures and use it to frame a favorite photo after the trip.
--If you're staying in the Disney resorts, you can send your purchased souvenirs directly to the hotel, rather than lugging them around all day. So shop early and avoid the crowded stores at the end of the day.
--Florida is ridiculously hot and humid. Fortunately, you can get free ice water everywhere in the park. We would get the cups of ice water and use it to refill our water bottles.
Disney Day 1
On Tuesday morning we sent the big girls to school, Husband to work and I finished packing with the not-so-helpful Miss E. She added her own choices to the suitcase, insisted on trying on clothes as I packed them (hers, her sisters', mine or Daddy's, didn't matter) and helped pack and sample snack bags for the plan.
By noon, everything and everyone was loaded into the car, we grabbed a quick lunch and were headed for the airport. With perfect timing, we met my parents in the airport parking lot. We borrowed Grammy's sit-n-stand stroller and it was a perfect choice for the trip, enough room to store a few items and the kids loved riding in it. Papa had some health complication this summer, after the trip had already been planned. He's recovering but needed a wheelchair in order to enjoy the trip with us. So with two girls in the stroller and one on Papa's lap, we headed onto the shuttle and into the airport. It was a grand adventure for the girls. (Especially E, who was flying for her first time.) They searched for the airplanes out the windows and much to their delight, spotted the purple plane Daddy had picked out for us (Southwest Airlines). We had a relatively short flight to Vegas, which they spent diving into the backpacks and snack bags I had packed for each of them. In Vegas, we hurried to find our connecting flight and grabbed a quick meal on the way. The flight to Orlando was much, much longer and even though we supplemented with more snacks and activities, the kids got restless quickly and we resorted to watching Tangled on Daddy's kindle. We arrived at the airport, collected our luggage and made our way through the deserted airport to Disney's Magic shuttle service. It was almost 1 am so we put the kids in pajamas before boarding our bus.
We arrived at the hotel around 2 am, stumbled off with half asleep children (and a sound asleep baby), where we were met by kidsister, eagerly awaiting our arrival. She led us to our room and we quickly got everyone in bed.
We stayed at the Art of Animation resort in a family suite and it was perfect! Our room was themed Finding Nemo with plenty of colorful and clever decor. Grammy and Papa shared the master suite with E in her crib, Husband and I claimed the murphy bed (which folded into the wall behind the table), kidsister and A shared the sofa bed and L made a bed from the couch cushions. We made good use of the kitchenette and kidsister had it well stocked for our arrival. We ate breakfasts in our room as we readied each morning and packed a picnic lunch most days. Once we got to explore the resort more by day, we loved it even more. The pool area was beyond amazing, decorated with Finding Nemo and dripping with Disney goodness. The large pool was paired with a splashpad area, both of which the girls loved, especially the underwater speakers! They played music which could only be heard when you were under the water. The resort was huge, with a Cars complex (complete with pool), Little Mermaid building and more that we never even explored. There were games and activities hosted throughout the day, the large souvenir store, an awesome arcade and cafeteria style dining. More on all that later. But in short, loved loved loved it. and would highly recommend.
Miscellaneous tips for flying with kids:
--airport security has a family line, usually with a shorter line. Which is good because it takes forever, especially since have to collapse strollers and such. Luckily, kids don't have to take off their shoes. That would be an automatic extra ten minutes for us.
--suckers are the best airplane treat. helps relieve pressure in their ears.
--ask for lids on your drinks. They usually remembered on the kids but I had them cap mine as well since it could easily get bumped. The girls were thrilled they could get hot chocolate.
--we took puzzles from the dollar store (they're small and inexpensive if we lose pieces), coloring books, look and find books, sketch pads (they drew pictures to give the princesses), grab and go packs (5x7 pack with a coloring book, crayons and stickers, usually $1 at WalMart) and best of all, a pack of pipe cleaners. Those will entertain my kids for hours.
--their other random favorite was 2 books Grammy had found with suction cup characters to place and move around on the different activities pages.
By noon, everything and everyone was loaded into the car, we grabbed a quick lunch and were headed for the airport. With perfect timing, we met my parents in the airport parking lot. We borrowed Grammy's sit-n-stand stroller and it was a perfect choice for the trip, enough room to store a few items and the kids loved riding in it. Papa had some health complication this summer, after the trip had already been planned. He's recovering but needed a wheelchair in order to enjoy the trip with us. So with two girls in the stroller and one on Papa's lap, we headed onto the shuttle and into the airport. It was a grand adventure for the girls. (Especially E, who was flying for her first time.) They searched for the airplanes out the windows and much to their delight, spotted the purple plane Daddy had picked out for us (Southwest Airlines). We had a relatively short flight to Vegas, which they spent diving into the backpacks and snack bags I had packed for each of them. In Vegas, we hurried to find our connecting flight and grabbed a quick meal on the way. The flight to Orlando was much, much longer and even though we supplemented with more snacks and activities, the kids got restless quickly and we resorted to watching Tangled on Daddy's kindle. We arrived at the airport, collected our luggage and made our way through the deserted airport to Disney's Magic shuttle service. It was almost 1 am so we put the kids in pajamas before boarding our bus.
We arrived at the hotel around 2 am, stumbled off with half asleep children (and a sound asleep baby), where we were met by kidsister, eagerly awaiting our arrival. She led us to our room and we quickly got everyone in bed.
We stayed at the Art of Animation resort in a family suite and it was perfect! Our room was themed Finding Nemo with plenty of colorful and clever decor. Grammy and Papa shared the master suite with E in her crib, Husband and I claimed the murphy bed (which folded into the wall behind the table), kidsister and A shared the sofa bed and L made a bed from the couch cushions. We made good use of the kitchenette and kidsister had it well stocked for our arrival. We ate breakfasts in our room as we readied each morning and packed a picnic lunch most days. Once we got to explore the resort more by day, we loved it even more. The pool area was beyond amazing, decorated with Finding Nemo and dripping with Disney goodness. The large pool was paired with a splashpad area, both of which the girls loved, especially the underwater speakers! They played music which could only be heard when you were under the water. The resort was huge, with a Cars complex (complete with pool), Little Mermaid building and more that we never even explored. There were games and activities hosted throughout the day, the large souvenir store, an awesome arcade and cafeteria style dining. More on all that later. But in short, loved loved loved it. and would highly recommend.
Miscellaneous tips for flying with kids:
--airport security has a family line, usually with a shorter line. Which is good because it takes forever, especially since have to collapse strollers and such. Luckily, kids don't have to take off their shoes. That would be an automatic extra ten minutes for us.
--suckers are the best airplane treat. helps relieve pressure in their ears.
--ask for lids on your drinks. They usually remembered on the kids but I had them cap mine as well since it could easily get bumped. The girls were thrilled they could get hot chocolate.
--we took puzzles from the dollar store (they're small and inexpensive if we lose pieces), coloring books, look and find books, sketch pads (they drew pictures to give the princesses), grab and go packs (5x7 pack with a coloring book, crayons and stickers, usually $1 at WalMart) and best of all, a pack of pipe cleaners. Those will entertain my kids for hours.
--their other random favorite was 2 books Grammy had found with suction cup characters to place and move around on the different activities pages.
Disney or Bust!
I love Disney. Perhaps I'm still just a kid at heart, or maybe because Disney was such a large part of my own childhood. The cute movies, the amazing songs, the stories and characters, the themed dolls and toys and general taking-over-the-world-with-branded-merchendise. I admire the company for the golden standard of customer service and the fascinating history of Mr. Disney and his dreams. And with three little girls, our world is plenty full of Disney princess and Minnie Mouse.
So several months ago, Husband and I returned to a frequent conversation about wanting to visit my kid sister again. I miss her like crazy. Even more of a kid at heart than I, she embraces the never-wanna-grow-up enthusiasm for fun and games and imaginative spirit and creativity. She's talented and generous and so good with kids. She doesn't get to see my kids very often but they're crazy about her because she plays with them and knows what they love. So it's certainly not the reason why we wanted to visit her, but it's a huge added bonus that she happens to work at DisneyWorld.
After stumbling upon a great flight deal, there was a flurry of quick plans, calls to kidsister and Grammy and Papa. We checked the calendar and the countdown began. (Literally. I texted kidsister with a countdown at least once a week. She has yet to confess if that was annoying or not.) I wandered websites to plan activities, make dining choices and anticipate longingly.
Two weeks ago, we finally told the girls. Grammy was here and kidsister was watching on Skype as we sent the girls hunting for three clues. The each found a wrapped package and brought it back to us. They tore the paper open and then stared in confusion at the three clues: an airplane, a Mickey Mouse and a picture of kidsister. It took several minutes and a few suggestions before we guided them to the answer, we were going on an airplane to DisneyWorld to visit kidsister! Enlightened, the squealing and shrieking began. They called Papa and begged him to go with us (after all, we rarely venture anywhere without grandparents, we don't like being out numbered by our own children). It took several tries before he could even understand them over the phone. And awhile after that before they settled down enough for bed.
Over the next few days they practiced packing and practiced going to Disney. They stuffed their backpacks with all their favorite blankets and toys and took turns pretending to meet the princesses.
So several months ago, Husband and I returned to a frequent conversation about wanting to visit my kid sister again. I miss her like crazy. Even more of a kid at heart than I, she embraces the never-wanna-grow-up enthusiasm for fun and games and imaginative spirit and creativity. She's talented and generous and so good with kids. She doesn't get to see my kids very often but they're crazy about her because she plays with them and knows what they love. So it's certainly not the reason why we wanted to visit her, but it's a huge added bonus that she happens to work at DisneyWorld.
After stumbling upon a great flight deal, there was a flurry of quick plans, calls to kidsister and Grammy and Papa. We checked the calendar and the countdown began. (Literally. I texted kidsister with a countdown at least once a week. She has yet to confess if that was annoying or not.) I wandered websites to plan activities, make dining choices and anticipate longingly.
Two weeks ago, we finally told the girls. Grammy was here and kidsister was watching on Skype as we sent the girls hunting for three clues. The each found a wrapped package and brought it back to us. They tore the paper open and then stared in confusion at the three clues: an airplane, a Mickey Mouse and a picture of kidsister. It took several minutes and a few suggestions before we guided them to the answer, we were going on an airplane to DisneyWorld to visit kidsister! Enlightened, the squealing and shrieking began. They called Papa and begged him to go with us (after all, we rarely venture anywhere without grandparents, we don't like being out numbered by our own children). It took several tries before he could even understand them over the phone. And awhile after that before they settled down enough for bed.
Over the next few days they practiced packing and practiced going to Disney. They stuffed their backpacks with all their favorite blankets and toys and took turns pretending to meet the princesses.
party time
With their birthday only 4 days apart, A and E are destined to have combined birthday parties forever. Or at least a few more years.
So a few weeks ago, A and I sat together looking at birthday cakes on pinterest until she fell in love with a Rapunzel cake. Her favorite princess tends to rotate between a top 3 but Rapunzel is usually the first choice. And E is recently crazy about "mickey da mouse!". Remembering that BOTH L and A had picked Minnie cakes for their 2nd birthdays, it was only fitting that child #3 would also have a Minnie cake for her 2nd birthday. (I make their cakes, but we look at pictures online to let them pick out the theme.) A helped me design the invitations on PhotoShop (turning out super cute) and we threw an amazing Minnie Mouse/Rapunzel party.
On Friday, I baked the cakes with some batter-licking little helpers. Once they cooled, the big girls helped me decorate.
A's cake was a chocolate layered cake (with fudge filling). We covered it with green buttercream frosting (for grass) and then built Rapunzel's tower out of a stack of ice cream cones wrapped with fondant and topped with a waffle cone for the roof. Once assembled, I made a little window and added yellow buttercream frosting trailing down the tower, winding around the cake's edge and then gracefully (I hope) writing out her name in cursive. We also made cupcakes with purple liners, chocolate cake, yellow frosting and topped with a tiara ring for the kids to keep (per A's instructions).
E's cake was strawberry layers with fudge filling. First was a 8" round cake, about 3 inches tall which we covered with pink fondant and then added white poka dots. On top of that was a 6" dome covered with black fondant (to make Minnie's head). We added the big round ears and large floppy bow to create the (if I do say so myself) adorable creation. Then using pink and white poka dot liners to make the cupcakes, we piped on chocolate frosting and added thin mints for the ears. Cute and tasty.
On Saturday morning we attended a family brunch and my niece's baptism. What a wonderful experience! So proud of her for the good choices she's making. After the baptism, we ran a few quick errands to pick up food and headed for the park. Since so much family was already gathered for the baptism, we held the birthday party at a nearby park shortly after to save on driving.
So we arrived and began setting up. (and this is always where I go a little crazy). One table hosting the cakes, the cupcake towers and presents (and for two kids with generous friends and family, it filled the table). I lucked out and got Rapunzel and Minnie plates/napkins/cupcake towers on sale so it was fun, bright and cute. On another table, we set up the food. We made ham and cheese sandwiches for the kids, cut with a Mickey cookie cutter for the festive shape (amidst lots of jokes and samplings from grown ups as we ate the leftover outside pieces). We also made pulled pork sandwiches and had a large variety of raw veggies, apples and grapes, all served in frying pans (in honor of Rapunzel of course). Daddy hung the pinata and guests began arriving as we finished setting up. And as it began to rain. a lot.
But fortunately, we were under a large pavilion that kept us and all the party dry. A few of the kids ventured out into the rain anyway to play on the playground or puddle jump but for the most part, we kept the party under the pavilion.
For our first activity, each of the kids got a set of watercolors (to take home after) and a white lantern. (thanks to the dollar store and Zurchers) It was so fun to see the row of kids happily dabbing paint onto their lanterns. But with limited attentions and increasing rain we had to move on quickly. I skipped some of the games we planned (including a ring toss around Mickey characters and a volleyball variation using Flynn Ryder balloons and Rapunzel's frying pans. We did play "Tangled Up", where the kids worked with a partner, one child standing still while the other wrapped an entire roll of crepe paper around them (without tearing it). The fastest teams received Disney puzzles (really cute, from the dollar store) as their prizes. And lastly, the pinata. We passed out the Rapunzel treat bags and the kids went to town swinging against the Minnie pinata. We barely made it through the whole group before it burst and the kids all got plenty of candy.
Dessert was devoured, presents were opened gleefully (their favorite part is tossing the tissue paper high in the air) and despite the rain, the girls had a wonderful time. A told me before bedtime (quoting Rapunzel but hopefully sincerely), "mom! it was the best day ever!"
So a few weeks ago, A and I sat together looking at birthday cakes on pinterest until she fell in love with a Rapunzel cake. Her favorite princess tends to rotate between a top 3 but Rapunzel is usually the first choice. And E is recently crazy about "mickey da mouse!". Remembering that BOTH L and A had picked Minnie cakes for their 2nd birthdays, it was only fitting that child #3 would also have a Minnie cake for her 2nd birthday. (I make their cakes, but we look at pictures online to let them pick out the theme.) A helped me design the invitations on PhotoShop (turning out super cute) and we threw an amazing Minnie Mouse/Rapunzel party.
On Friday, I baked the cakes with some batter-licking little helpers. Once they cooled, the big girls helped me decorate.
A's cake was a chocolate layered cake (with fudge filling). We covered it with green buttercream frosting (for grass) and then built Rapunzel's tower out of a stack of ice cream cones wrapped with fondant and topped with a waffle cone for the roof. Once assembled, I made a little window and added yellow buttercream frosting trailing down the tower, winding around the cake's edge and then gracefully (I hope) writing out her name in cursive. We also made cupcakes with purple liners, chocolate cake, yellow frosting and topped with a tiara ring for the kids to keep (per A's instructions).
E's cake was strawberry layers with fudge filling. First was a 8" round cake, about 3 inches tall which we covered with pink fondant and then added white poka dots. On top of that was a 6" dome covered with black fondant (to make Minnie's head). We added the big round ears and large floppy bow to create the (if I do say so myself) adorable creation. Then using pink and white poka dot liners to make the cupcakes, we piped on chocolate frosting and added thin mints for the ears. Cute and tasty.
On Saturday morning we attended a family brunch and my niece's baptism. What a wonderful experience! So proud of her for the good choices she's making. After the baptism, we ran a few quick errands to pick up food and headed for the park. Since so much family was already gathered for the baptism, we held the birthday party at a nearby park shortly after to save on driving.
So we arrived and began setting up. (and this is always where I go a little crazy). One table hosting the cakes, the cupcake towers and presents (and for two kids with generous friends and family, it filled the table). I lucked out and got Rapunzel and Minnie plates/napkins/cupcake towers on sale so it was fun, bright and cute. On another table, we set up the food. We made ham and cheese sandwiches for the kids, cut with a Mickey cookie cutter for the festive shape (amidst lots of jokes and samplings from grown ups as we ate the leftover outside pieces). We also made pulled pork sandwiches and had a large variety of raw veggies, apples and grapes, all served in frying pans (in honor of Rapunzel of course). Daddy hung the pinata and guests began arriving as we finished setting up. And as it began to rain. a lot.
But fortunately, we were under a large pavilion that kept us and all the party dry. A few of the kids ventured out into the rain anyway to play on the playground or puddle jump but for the most part, we kept the party under the pavilion.
For our first activity, each of the kids got a set of watercolors (to take home after) and a white lantern. (thanks to the dollar store and Zurchers) It was so fun to see the row of kids happily dabbing paint onto their lanterns. But with limited attentions and increasing rain we had to move on quickly. I skipped some of the games we planned (including a ring toss around Mickey characters and a volleyball variation using Flynn Ryder balloons and Rapunzel's frying pans. We did play "Tangled Up", where the kids worked with a partner, one child standing still while the other wrapped an entire roll of crepe paper around them (without tearing it). The fastest teams received Disney puzzles (really cute, from the dollar store) as their prizes. And lastly, the pinata. We passed out the Rapunzel treat bags and the kids went to town swinging against the Minnie pinata. We barely made it through the whole group before it burst and the kids all got plenty of candy.
Dessert was devoured, presents were opened gleefully (their favorite part is tossing the tissue paper high in the air) and despite the rain, the girls had a wonderful time. A told me before bedtime (quoting Rapunzel but hopefully sincerely), "mom! it was the best day ever!"
Monday, September 2, 2013
Big Changes
The past two weeks are a blur.
We moved! woohoo! we closed on our house, spent a few evenings working on it (sealing granite and grout, concrete treatment in the garage, etc.) and then spent a very long, exhausting weekend moving a LOT of stuff. I can't believe we have that much stuff. or that we packed it it storage so well that I forgot. anyway. We started on Friday but got rained out. We continued on Saturday with some help from the ward. But still not finished, we spilled over into Sunday, moving stuff from the Grandma and Grandpa's house. But we still hadn't unearthed the parts needed to assemble beds (or found the bedding) so it was finally on Monday that we spent our first night in our new home. Since then, I've been unpacking, sorting, shuffling, moving and generally trying to make sense of it all. Husband suggested it's like a giant puzzle box: all the pieces are in but it's a jumbled mess. But after a week, we have made really good progress and 100% love, love, love our new home. The girls especially love their new room which features a bunk bed for them to share. Overall, there's been a few hiccups like needing the plumber to come back and fix the water pressure, or finding out our laundry room hookups are electric and my dryer is gas but mostly good.
I found an in-home daycare to try and the girls loved it. Being able to take them there while I've been packing or moving has been a huge help. We've been there a few times now and will probably only use the daycare occasionally in the future but the girls have been begging to go again.
Ballet started two weeks ago and L is in heaven. She eagerly shows me what they learned and begs all week for it to be ballet day again. She takes two classes a week, her production class (mostly jazz) and her technique class (she picked ballet). They happen to fall on the same day so it makes our schedule a little easier. Can't believe she's getting so big.
Even bigger, L started kindergarten! We arrived late to back-to-school night to pick up her packet and meet her teachers. She's been assigned to morning kindergarten and is in the dual immersion program so she has an English speaking teacher and a Spanish speaker teacher. I think she will love the challenge and will love being with her classmates. But her favorite part so far is riding the bus. I was a nervous train wreck because she wasn't on the bus schedule (since we just moved her and our newly constructed house isn't even in the postal system yet) but things worked out fine. I walked with her the half block down to the bus stop, explained to the driver why she wasn't on the list and she hopped right on, settling into her seat. I was so worried about the bus list fiasco that I didn't think about a tender or tearful moment until I realized the bus was pulling away. (I waited eagerly for the bus to return after school but instead of welcoming a bouncing princess full of excitement, she trudged down the steps tearfully, upset that they wouldn't let her stay at the school to have lunch and attend the afternoon session as well. "but mom! I love it and I want to learn everything! It was fun but not fun enough.")
On the same day, A started preschool. Daddy dropped her off since I was teaching a class by then. When I picked her up, she ran to me squealing, showing off her art project from the day and singing praises of her new "fun, fun!" teachers.
Since L will be attending morning kindergarten everyday and A has morning preschool three times a week, little E and I get to have one-on-one time now. It was strange and special and wonderful. Mostly we've been unpacking but I loved getting to take her to the store and talking to her and giving her all my attention. After the big girls get home from school, we had lunch and put E down for a nap while I have "backpack time" with my big girls, looking at their school papers and helping with homework.
We moved! woohoo! we closed on our house, spent a few evenings working on it (sealing granite and grout, concrete treatment in the garage, etc.) and then spent a very long, exhausting weekend moving a LOT of stuff. I can't believe we have that much stuff. or that we packed it it storage so well that I forgot. anyway. We started on Friday but got rained out. We continued on Saturday with some help from the ward. But still not finished, we spilled over into Sunday, moving stuff from the Grandma and Grandpa's house. But we still hadn't unearthed the parts needed to assemble beds (or found the bedding) so it was finally on Monday that we spent our first night in our new home. Since then, I've been unpacking, sorting, shuffling, moving and generally trying to make sense of it all. Husband suggested it's like a giant puzzle box: all the pieces are in but it's a jumbled mess. But after a week, we have made really good progress and 100% love, love, love our new home. The girls especially love their new room which features a bunk bed for them to share. Overall, there's been a few hiccups like needing the plumber to come back and fix the water pressure, or finding out our laundry room hookups are electric and my dryer is gas but mostly good.
I found an in-home daycare to try and the girls loved it. Being able to take them there while I've been packing or moving has been a huge help. We've been there a few times now and will probably only use the daycare occasionally in the future but the girls have been begging to go again.
Ballet started two weeks ago and L is in heaven. She eagerly shows me what they learned and begs all week for it to be ballet day again. She takes two classes a week, her production class (mostly jazz) and her technique class (she picked ballet). They happen to fall on the same day so it makes our schedule a little easier. Can't believe she's getting so big.
Even bigger, L started kindergarten! We arrived late to back-to-school night to pick up her packet and meet her teachers. She's been assigned to morning kindergarten and is in the dual immersion program so she has an English speaking teacher and a Spanish speaker teacher. I think she will love the challenge and will love being with her classmates. But her favorite part so far is riding the bus. I was a nervous train wreck because she wasn't on the bus schedule (since we just moved her and our newly constructed house isn't even in the postal system yet) but things worked out fine. I walked with her the half block down to the bus stop, explained to the driver why she wasn't on the list and she hopped right on, settling into her seat. I was so worried about the bus list fiasco that I didn't think about a tender or tearful moment until I realized the bus was pulling away. (I waited eagerly for the bus to return after school but instead of welcoming a bouncing princess full of excitement, she trudged down the steps tearfully, upset that they wouldn't let her stay at the school to have lunch and attend the afternoon session as well. "but mom! I love it and I want to learn everything! It was fun but not fun enough.")
On the same day, A started preschool. Daddy dropped her off since I was teaching a class by then. When I picked her up, she ran to me squealing, showing off her art project from the day and singing praises of her new "fun, fun!" teachers.
Since L will be attending morning kindergarten everyday and A has morning preschool three times a week, little E and I get to have one-on-one time now. It was strange and special and wonderful. Mostly we've been unpacking but I loved getting to take her to the store and talking to her and giving her all my attention. After the big girls get home from school, we had lunch and put E down for a nap while I have "backpack time" with my big girls, looking at their school papers and helping with homework.
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