Orlando: Part 2 (The! Magic! Kingdom!)

On our third full day in Orlando we (all of us, as the conferences had wrapped) headed to the Magic Kingdom. It was Will and Hallie’s first visit, and my first visit in many years and with children in tow. I have always loved Disney World – I find there to be a great deal of truth in their “happiest place on earth” slogan – and I felt tremendous joy as I watched Will and Hallie experience this land of enchantment for the first time. (And in addition to love for Disney, I now also have a great appreciation for their parks - for their cleanliness, organization, safety, and cost. While I never noticed these things in the past, they were in the forefront of my mind this time around and they made the trip a great one.)

Grandma and Grandpa kindly played with Hallie for much of the day, which meant Tom, AJ, Will, and I were free to ride as many rides as we could before Will crashed. We went visited Stitch’s Great Escape (Grandma joined us for this one), Buzz Lightyear’s Space Ranger Spin, the Astro Orbiter, the Mad Tea Party (I sat this one out due to my motion sickness), Mickey’s PhilharMagic 3-D movie, the Hall of Presidents, the Swiss Family Treehouse, Pirates of the Caribbean, and…Splash Mountain. That’s right readers, four-year-old Will went on Splash Mountain. I was SO proud. As proud as I was when he was potty trained. Maybe prouder.

We also had lunch at Cosmic Ray’s Starlight Café, snacked on Kadoozee popsicles, watched a Disney character musical production on the steps of Cinderella’s Castle, and watched a Disney Character parade as the day wound down. The day was amazing, and one I will always remember.

So excited!


"Cindy Lou Who" (in honor of Dr. Seuss' birthday today), Grandma, and Minnie Mouse. Minnie Mouse = LOVE.


Hallie and Tom at lunch.


On and after riding the teacups.


Attempting to pull out the Sword in the Stone, saying hello to Dumbo, and riding the Merry-Go-Round.


AJ and Hallie, Tom and his mom/Grandma Susie.


Kadoozees!


Mickey! Mouse! Minnie! Mouse!


Watching the Disney character performance on the steps of Cinderella's Castle.


Family portrait.


Minnie, Goofy, Woody, Jessie, Chip, Dale, Mr. Incredible, and Frozone in the Main Street Parade.


Blast off!


Bigger family portrait.


Minnie spent much of her day going IN! and OUT! of Grandpa's pocket.


Waiting for and riding the ferry.


Farewell Disney World!

Orlando: Part 1

Almost two weeks ago the four of us packed up and flew to Orlando for a few days. Tom had a conference there, AJ (Aunt Jenna) lives and goes to school there, and in a crazy twist of fate, BOTH of Tom’s parents had conferences there the same weekend; it only made sense that Will, Hallie, and I make the trip as well.

Our travels were a bit chaotic (an hours-long delay on the way there and a near-miss on the way home), but the trip itself was a great one. Our hotel, which was where Tom and Grandma Susie’s conferences were being held, was beautiful and extravagant (there was a TELEVISION IN THE MIRROR IN THE BATHROOM), but to the point that I actually felt uncomfortable being there with the kids. They like to run and jump and sing and dance, no matter where they are, and without regard to the fanciness of their surroundings.

The television in the bathroom mirror, and our hotel, The Peabody.


On our first day the kids and I (everyone else was working or at school) played in the hotel pools, walked to McDonald’s for lunch, and took long naps in our hotel room. That evening, AJ kindly babysat the kids and Tom and I went on a date to the House of Blues at Downtown Disney. We listened to fabulous blues music, toasted with amazing hurricanes and margaritas, dined on delicious specialty burgers, and capped off the night at a true-to-style Disney dance party (Tom, me, and approximately 400 of our closest friends, primarily those ages 12 and under and their parents) on the Downtown Disney waterfront. Our first date in months was a spectacular one.

Exploring on our walk to McDonald's.


On our second day, AJ, Grandpa Mike, and I (Tom and Grandma Susie were still conferencing) took the kids to Downtown Disney for lunch at their Dinosaur-themed restaurant. The inside resembled a Rain Forest Café, but instead of rain forest animals the joint was full of life-size, noise-making, moving dinosaurs. There were frequent thunderstorms and meteor showers, which kept both kids thoroughly entertained throughout our meal.

Getting ready to hunt the huge T-Rex.


Inside the restaurant and enjoying our dining companions.


Stopping to visit with a strange bronzed man (Hallie didn't like him very much) and enjoying a walk down Downtown Disney's Main Street with Grandpa.


Stay tuned for "Orlando: Part 2 (The Magic Kingdom!)" tomorrow!

Valentine's Day Treasure Hunt

Valentine’s Day went on for more than a week at our house this year. We kicked off the festivities by baking and decorating Valentine’s Day cookies with Grandma, and then a few days prior to the actual holiday Will celebrated at school with a Valentine’s Day party. (That party “kept on giving” for a quite a few days, thanks to the crazy amount of candy Will acquired.) The weekend before Valentine’s Day Will, Hallie and I baked and decorated Valentine’s Day cupcakes, and then on the 14th I presented the kids with their gift via my annual Valentine’s Day treasure hunt. In years past, neither Will nor Hallie has really understood what was going on, and Tom’s help was needed for them to successfully transition from one clue to the next. This year, however, Will didn’t need any help at all, and was off to the races the minute I handed him the first clue. (This was great, because Tom was at work and didn't get to celebrate Valentine's Day with us this year.) Below are a few highlights from the treasure hunt!

From the back deck...


...to the fireplace.


From the mailbox...


(Hallie tried to keep up with Will, but he left her in his dust.)


...to my closet, where their gifts were hidden. And yes, Hallie is sporting her red cowboy boots once again. She loves them and wears them ALL the time.

Hallie's 22-Month Bath Pictures

While 22-month-old Hallie is still teeny tiny in stature (I finally packed away the last of her 6-12 month size dresses this week), her personality and need for independence grow noticeably every day. Hallie is incredibly friendly and polite – she says “please”, “thank you”, “hello”, “good-bye”, "sorry", and “excuse me” at appropriate times and to whoever will listen – but can pitch fits to rival any two-year-old’s. She LOVES singing and reading, but only if she’s chosen the song or book. She also loves hair bows, shoes, and dresses, but only if (I’ve convinced her that) she’s picked them out. She talks a mile a minute, narrating everything about her life with a smile on her face, but expects all of us to immediately respond to her spoken demands. She follows Will around like a puppy, until he tries to tell her what to do, that is – then they battle it out like the siblings they are. At 22 months, Hallie is a peach, and most days I could just eat her up.