The air is crisp, Starbucks has released my Pumpkin Spice Latte, and school is back in session! Riley starts third grade this year, and he was extremely excited (unbeknownst to myself, being a third grader is one of the biggest milestones you can have in life--according to Riley). He is loving spending time with his friends, playing flag football, and getting some much needed relief from his two younger siblings. He was placed in Mrs. Muncey's room this year (the first time in two years we have not had Mrs. Anderson as a teacher) and it has been a large adjustment for me, more than for him. So far he is enjoying his class, making a ton of new friends as his last class was split amongst the four third grade teachers. Some of his studies are proving to be challenging, but he is getting better now that the first few weeks are behind him.
In football Riley is shocking us all as one of the fastest kids on his team! So far the Vinton Jaguars are 2-0, with Riley scoring a touchdown each game. This past Saturday, he intercepted a pass and ran in the wrong direction. The coaches were able to turn him around to make the touchdown for his team, and even with having to turn around the other team couldn't catch him. We are very proud of how well he is starting to understand the game of football too (I thought it would take at least two seasons to have him get the hang of it). He is thriving and enjoying sports again, and we couldn't be happier that he wants to be more involved in extra curricular activities.
Andre and Brynn are starting older classes at day care now that the school year has begun. Andre is now in the Kinderbears, which is their version of Pre-K. He is starting to read and write, and is really enjoying learning more than he has in the past. He is so excited to go to school next year, he cries almost on a daily basis because he can't go to regular school with his brother. I love that he is so excited, but it can make the days a little stressful! He has started doing gymnastics at daycare and absolutely loves it! His favorite roll is the pizza roll, which is how they get the kids to a backwards somersault (by telling them they are making a pizza with their bellies so they roll). He is also getting interested in Karate, and we are going to start introducing him to it at daycare as well. We are so lucky to have a facility that brings outside programs to the kids, so their parents don't have to fill their nights and weekends with extra curriculars until they are older.
Brynn has moved up to being a Pooh Bear. It's very fitting, because we have been calling her Brynnie the Pooh since birth (because her favorite stuffed animal is Winnie the Pooh), She is learning her shapes and letters, and is getting better at interacting with the kids her age. She is still having a few issues with sharing, but hopefully she will stop being a miser and begin to understand the concept of sharing. She is also doing gymnastics and loving it! She is getting better and more nimble by the day, and next summer we are going to sign her up for a toddler dance class. Hopefully she will enjoy that as much as gymnastics. We are having a great fall, keeping very busy, and enjoying the festivities that this season brings.
Right now my blog isn't accepting my photo format, but I will try to post pictures of the kids later.
Thursday, September 19, 2013
Wednesday, August 28, 2013
Back to school...
So we have begun a new school year, and a new sport for Riley. This year he wanted to try football, but I was a bit discouraged when I found that most of the football options in the area were tackle. I am not comfortable with a child so young playing tackler football, and many doctor's will caution parents that no child younger than 12 should be tackling due the damage the severe hits can cause to a growing brain. Thankfully, Roanoke Parks and Recreation offered a flag football option. Riley's team is The Jaguars (yes after the professional team), and even though there are only 8 kids on the team, they are still having a great time playing. I actually enjoy the smaller team because Riley is getting to play instead of sitting a bench. I feel it helps him actually learn the game by applying the rules and strategies, instead of being expected to learn everything by watching from the sidelines (which is where little bugs like him usually get stuck). He is really enjoying it, and is having a blast with his teammates. His first game is going to be Sept. 7, and I could not be more proud to have him try a new interest!
Also on the homefront, Riley began his first day of third grade yesterday. He was so excited to see his friends again, and enjoyed his new teacher Mrs. Muncey. I was worried there was going to be an issue with transitioning, as this is time he has had a teacher, besides Mrs. Anderson, teach him. Luckily, he did great, and had an excellent first day. In other school news, Andre began his first day of Pre-K! Next year he will begin his journey in the "big kid" school, and this was his last year as my little toddler boy! I can't believe the time has gone so fast, it feels like the blink of an eye that he was born and first placed in my arms! He had an excellent first day in pre-K, surprisingly without a tantrum or uncomfortable incident. He is actually behaving more in his Kinder-bear (kindergarten bear) class, than he ever did in his backpack. The extra lesson plans and increased curriculum seems to agree with his personality more, and he is now thriving at daycare! Brynn on the other hand, has had a more trying transition from the Teddy's to the Pooh's. She normally loves going to the Pooh room, but now that she knows she will not be going back to the Teddy room, she can get very emotional. She has become more insistent to hold my hand or have me sit with her before I leave. I was very surprised by this as she is my laid back baby, who is never phased by a new situation. This time she is the one struggling, so she is getting extra snuggles and lovin's to make up for the lowered confidence. I'm opitimistic that she is going to get more comfortable with her new surroundings this week, and hopefully I'm not wrong. No matter the outcome, we are all enjoying the new schedules and the upcoming fall weather!
I will have to add the pictures later, as my computer does not want to show my latest downloads to me.
Also on the homefront, Riley began his first day of third grade yesterday. He was so excited to see his friends again, and enjoyed his new teacher Mrs. Muncey. I was worried there was going to be an issue with transitioning, as this is time he has had a teacher, besides Mrs. Anderson, teach him. Luckily, he did great, and had an excellent first day. In other school news, Andre began his first day of Pre-K! Next year he will begin his journey in the "big kid" school, and this was his last year as my little toddler boy! I can't believe the time has gone so fast, it feels like the blink of an eye that he was born and first placed in my arms! He had an excellent first day in pre-K, surprisingly without a tantrum or uncomfortable incident. He is actually behaving more in his Kinder-bear (kindergarten bear) class, than he ever did in his backpack. The extra lesson plans and increased curriculum seems to agree with his personality more, and he is now thriving at daycare! Brynn on the other hand, has had a more trying transition from the Teddy's to the Pooh's. She normally loves going to the Pooh room, but now that she knows she will not be going back to the Teddy room, she can get very emotional. She has become more insistent to hold my hand or have me sit with her before I leave. I was very surprised by this as she is my laid back baby, who is never phased by a new situation. This time she is the one struggling, so she is getting extra snuggles and lovin's to make up for the lowered confidence. I'm opitimistic that she is going to get more comfortable with her new surroundings this week, and hopefully I'm not wrong. No matter the outcome, we are all enjoying the new schedules and the upcoming fall weather!
I will have to add the pictures later, as my computer does not want to show my latest downloads to me.
Summer Lovin'!
In my usual fashion, I have neglected yet another blog. I began working again right after we returned home from our Disney vacay, and have not been able to get on the computer since to update everyone on the happenings of our family. So, this is a small run-down on some of what we have been doing:
Riley decided he wanted to try baseball again, so we signed him up with the Vinton Mudcats. Though they only won their last game, the kids really improved their skills, and loved playing with each other over the season. We had a great time and met many awesome parents (and Brynn and Andre made a few new friends too)!
We went to our friend Zoey's 3rd birthday Party and the other House of Mouse, Chuck E. Cheese. The kids had a great time and it was nice to see some of the stay at home momma's I am friends with, but Andre needs to learn to be a better sport (as evidenced by him throwing a fit because Zoey was able to smack Chuck E.'s hand).
Fun times with Daddy while Riley was out of town. As the young ones have gotten older, it has proven more difficult for them to be without their brother during his long, six week hiatus to Georgia. We were able to keep things as fun as they could be in his absence, though they were more than happy to have him back mid-summer.
After Disney we fell off the Paleo band-wagon, but in this instance I was so glad we did! We tried Benni Marconi's pizza in Roanoke, and it is a local treasure! The pie is larger than our oven, and it is by far the best Roanoke (and anywhere in VA in my opinion) has! Though, Mellow Mushroom is coming to Blacksburg this fall, so we shall wait and see if Benni's or Mellow is the reigning king of the New River Valley!
And of course we just tried to spend a lot of time together, now that I am back to work and our family time is much more precious. It definitely is a different ball game to go from stay-at-home mom for the last five years to working, but we have dealt with the ups and downs pretty well (for the neurotic mess that we are)!
So that is our summer in a nut-shell. Lots of activities, movies, sports, and hanging out with one another. I hope everyone else's summers were just as fun, and I am now looking forward to the cooler temperatures and all the activities and holidays of the fall and winter seasons!
Riley decided he wanted to try baseball again, so we signed him up with the Vinton Mudcats. Though they only won their last game, the kids really improved their skills, and loved playing with each other over the season. We had a great time and met many awesome parents (and Brynn and Andre made a few new friends too)!
We went to our friend Zoey's 3rd birthday Party and the other House of Mouse, Chuck E. Cheese. The kids had a great time and it was nice to see some of the stay at home momma's I am friends with, but Andre needs to learn to be a better sport (as evidenced by him throwing a fit because Zoey was able to smack Chuck E.'s hand).
Fun times with Daddy while Riley was out of town. As the young ones have gotten older, it has proven more difficult for them to be without their brother during his long, six week hiatus to Georgia. We were able to keep things as fun as they could be in his absence, though they were more than happy to have him back mid-summer.
And of course we just tried to spend a lot of time together, now that I am back to work and our family time is much more precious. It definitely is a different ball game to go from stay-at-home mom for the last five years to working, but we have dealt with the ups and downs pretty well (for the neurotic mess that we are)!
Sunday, June 9, 2013
Things we learned from our Disney trip
So after staying at Disneyworld for nine days, there were a few tips and tricks I thought I should pass along, in case anyone is planning a trip and would like to save a few bucks. Here are some helpful hints to have a great vacation without breaking the bank.
1. Do sign up for a Disney photopass plus BEFORE going to Disneyworld. This is the link to purchase it in advance: http://www.disneyphotopass.com/specialoffers/wdwppp.htm#. The purchase price of $149 seems steep, but it already guarantees you a photopass CD of all the photos from your trip before you even leave for it. If you decide after your trip to buy a photopass CD then you will be paying $169 plus shipping (the $149 includes shipping). You also get an entire CD of stock photos that you can use on your blogs, facebook page, and later in your photo books, etc. that you will order with your photos from your trip. You are given a voucher to redeem at one of the photobooths at any of the parks or Downtown Disney, and this special red photopass card is worth its weight in gold! If you are doing any Bibbidi Boppiti stuff with your daughter's or Pirate's League with your children, you will extra photos of all their photo experiences, and any photo that you have to pay for (for Pirate's League its extra to get the photo they take after they are made up), you will get it completely free! This is also true for any character dining experience or any character meet and greet. Photographers throughout all the parks went out of their way to do extra pictures for us at every venue we were at, and we were even approached by photographers to have pictures done while we were walking. The extra photos we received at Cinderella's Table, The Pirate League, Chef Mickey's, etc. saved us $50 alone. Not to mention the fact that after your vacation you get to edit all the photos (plus it keeps a copy of the original photo) and every photo you have (whether its 1 or 1,000) gets put onto the CD and you get to do what you want with them. This is a great way to do photobooks of your trip cheaper than the price that Disney charges for their products online. I strongly recommend getting this card before you leave. We will always be purchasing this before our vacations to Disney in the future!
2. Unless you are a family of 5+ and really can't do a moderate or deluxe resort, DO NOT stay at the Art of Animation. It is a great concept resort, it just isn't very well executed. The standard rooms (which are much cheaper at the older value resorts) are no different than anything you are going to get at Pop Century, All-Star Sports, etc. If you have to have one of the suites because of the size of your family, then it is a lot cheaper than the deluxe resorts you are usually shoved into. Now many of the moderate resorts have options and larger rooms for larger families, and I would definitely look into options before booking here. We have stayed at the Coronado and Caribbean Beach resorts in the past and have been very happy, where Art of Animation was disappointing. The refrigerator in our room (which they called a cooler and said it wasn't even a refrigerator...apparently cooler's have motors and lights) was not cold for over 48 hours after checking in, and kept warming up and cooling off during the week. We had constant problems storing our milk for the kids during the week because it would get warm until the milk stank, and we would have to throw it out and buy another. The staff kept swearing that nothing was wrong with it, and that we were having no problems. The staff is not very knowledgable and seems to still be learning (even though its been up and running since last year). One staff shift would know Disney policies and procedures and then the next shift would have no clue and claim that what you were asking them didn't even exist (even though the earlier staff took care of the same problem 6 hours prior). They are not as courteous as the staff at other Disney properties we have stayed at, and I was very disappointed. The Art of Animation also doesn't seem to have many buses as the other resorts to transport you to the parks. It would take three times as long to get a bus from Magic Kingdom back to the Art of Animation that it would for Pop Century, just because more buses actually showed up for Pop Century. Finally, THE FOOD SUCKS!!!! The Landscapes of Flavor that is the food court at Animation is horrible! You wait a long time to get the food, get charged Disney prices, and its not even good! Our party walked to Pop Century resort (they have a bridge that connects the two resorts) and the food was much, much better! So definitely look into other options for staying on Disney property (if you stay there at all).
3. Go during the school year when school is in session (no spring break times) or during the fall when prices are lower on resorts and Disney dining plan is free! We paid $1100 for our dining plan add on, and even though it was worth it, it does upset me when I think about how we could have gotten the same trip and paid less for it if the rest of our party could have gone during the fall. So if you are able to go during these times it will be worth it! Lines for rides/characters are much shorter, you will get more attention by staff and photographers, you will save money, and you will beat the Florida humidity (literally I would stand for 10-15 minutes and be drenched in sweat....I wasn't even moving, just standing in lines). We would have avoided hour long waits that we had (for EVERYTHING) if we had just gone at a different time of year.
4. Look into staying off Disney property. Even though there are perks to Disney property locations (buses taking you anywhere you need to go, Disney Dining plan, special hours at the parks for guests on Disney property, free shuttle from airport to resort and back, avoiding paying $14 a day to park), there are some great deals in the Orlando area for very nice hotels. Many of the hotels in Orlando, closer to Universal, have many options for larger families that won't break the bank. Many have free breakfast for kids, free buses to all parks (even Universal and Sea World) and have gorgeous accommodations (some with entire kitchens). I would look at what you want to do in Orlando, and if you will only be going to Disney for a few days so you can explore what else Orlando has to offer, I would suggest staying off property. Many places do special deals, some as low as $59/night, and if you aren't doing a Disney exclusive vacation, this would be worth your while. Just a warning, if you do stay off property and drive to the parks, the cost of parking is now $14/day (but if you park hop, you can use your earlier parking at the next park's parking lot if you do it on the same day). It also takes quite a bit of time to get from the tram or monorail to your parking lot when you leave a Disney park, but if you go at a less busy time of year it won't be that bad of a wait.
5. Definitely do Pirate's League or Bibbidi Bobbidi Boutique if your children are into dressing up. We couldn't do the princess boutique for Brynn this time because she was under 3 (and it can be a very long process with a long wait, so I do not recommend it for children who can't sit a long time), but we did Pirate's League for the boys and it was a ton of fun. You get to dress up (if you want) and get made into a Pirate, with a Pirate name/makeup/sword and pictures. The staff is in full character and have a great time asking the kids about their ships, booty, and how they want to serve with Captain Jack. This made the boys trip (besides meeting Darth Vader) and it was a blast to do! They even have packages for adults and girls (which is similar to Bibbidi Bobbidi with getting your nails/makeup done, you just become a Pirate Empress or a Mermaid), but you have an amazing time! Though if you have the prepaid photopass plus, your pictures at the end are completely free and they will take extra pictures that will be on your photo cd (and they come in a cute paper frame with a pocket to hold your scroll with your new name and agreement to sail in Jack Sparrow's crew). If you don't have photopass plus, pictures are an extra $10 each and you won't get any extra photos put onto your photo cd account.
6. If your children like characters, DO Cinderella's Royal Table for girls (or drag some boys, the princesses usually pay special attention to the boys) and Chef Mickey's. We did both this time and our kids loved every minute of them! We had a hard time finding a time/place where Mickey is able to meet people in the parks now that they got rid of his house in Toontown for the new Fantasyland. We got to meet Mickey, Donald, Goofy, Pluto, and Minnie at Chef Mickey's, as well as get a family picture (and some extras) at Chef Mickey's. It was only one table service credit on our dining plan, and well worth doing. If you pay out of pocket, it will be the best money you spend on a meal at the parks! The food is plentiful, the characters are great, and the kids LOVE it! Cinderella's table was a bit more formal, but the staff is amazing, your children get treated very well by everyone (constantly being called princess made both Brynn and Addy's day!) and the Princesses spend a good amount of time at each table. You can even pay to have a special cake made and presented to your child there (which one family did and the look on their daughter's face was priceless). That was two dining table service credits, but well worth it, and the price tag of $35/plate was worth it too. The food was excellent, the views of the park amazing, and just a great memory to have for your princess.
7. Finally, DO NOT take large groups to Disney. If you have to take a large family (we took 11) to Disney then make sure you have dining reservations for EVERYTHING and understand that even with reservations you are going to have to wait (sometimes for awhile) because you have such a large group. My suggestion for a large family vacation would be the beach, because you are mostly relaxing on the surf and not really going out much. With Disney you are constantly in line for something and they just aren't as equipped as normal restaurants to handle large parties.
Those are my recommendations, I hope this helps anyone looking into a Disney vacation in the future!
1. Do sign up for a Disney photopass plus BEFORE going to Disneyworld. This is the link to purchase it in advance: http://www.disneyphotopass.com/specialoffers/wdwppp.htm#. The purchase price of $149 seems steep, but it already guarantees you a photopass CD of all the photos from your trip before you even leave for it. If you decide after your trip to buy a photopass CD then you will be paying $169 plus shipping (the $149 includes shipping). You also get an entire CD of stock photos that you can use on your blogs, facebook page, and later in your photo books, etc. that you will order with your photos from your trip. You are given a voucher to redeem at one of the photobooths at any of the parks or Downtown Disney, and this special red photopass card is worth its weight in gold! If you are doing any Bibbidi Boppiti stuff with your daughter's or Pirate's League with your children, you will extra photos of all their photo experiences, and any photo that you have to pay for (for Pirate's League its extra to get the photo they take after they are made up), you will get it completely free! This is also true for any character dining experience or any character meet and greet. Photographers throughout all the parks went out of their way to do extra pictures for us at every venue we were at, and we were even approached by photographers to have pictures done while we were walking. The extra photos we received at Cinderella's Table, The Pirate League, Chef Mickey's, etc. saved us $50 alone. Not to mention the fact that after your vacation you get to edit all the photos (plus it keeps a copy of the original photo) and every photo you have (whether its 1 or 1,000) gets put onto the CD and you get to do what you want with them. This is a great way to do photobooks of your trip cheaper than the price that Disney charges for their products online. I strongly recommend getting this card before you leave. We will always be purchasing this before our vacations to Disney in the future!
2. Unless you are a family of 5+ and really can't do a moderate or deluxe resort, DO NOT stay at the Art of Animation. It is a great concept resort, it just isn't very well executed. The standard rooms (which are much cheaper at the older value resorts) are no different than anything you are going to get at Pop Century, All-Star Sports, etc. If you have to have one of the suites because of the size of your family, then it is a lot cheaper than the deluxe resorts you are usually shoved into. Now many of the moderate resorts have options and larger rooms for larger families, and I would definitely look into options before booking here. We have stayed at the Coronado and Caribbean Beach resorts in the past and have been very happy, where Art of Animation was disappointing. The refrigerator in our room (which they called a cooler and said it wasn't even a refrigerator...apparently cooler's have motors and lights) was not cold for over 48 hours after checking in, and kept warming up and cooling off during the week. We had constant problems storing our milk for the kids during the week because it would get warm until the milk stank, and we would have to throw it out and buy another. The staff kept swearing that nothing was wrong with it, and that we were having no problems. The staff is not very knowledgable and seems to still be learning (even though its been up and running since last year). One staff shift would know Disney policies and procedures and then the next shift would have no clue and claim that what you were asking them didn't even exist (even though the earlier staff took care of the same problem 6 hours prior). They are not as courteous as the staff at other Disney properties we have stayed at, and I was very disappointed. The Art of Animation also doesn't seem to have many buses as the other resorts to transport you to the parks. It would take three times as long to get a bus from Magic Kingdom back to the Art of Animation that it would for Pop Century, just because more buses actually showed up for Pop Century. Finally, THE FOOD SUCKS!!!! The Landscapes of Flavor that is the food court at Animation is horrible! You wait a long time to get the food, get charged Disney prices, and its not even good! Our party walked to Pop Century resort (they have a bridge that connects the two resorts) and the food was much, much better! So definitely look into other options for staying on Disney property (if you stay there at all).
3. Go during the school year when school is in session (no spring break times) or during the fall when prices are lower on resorts and Disney dining plan is free! We paid $1100 for our dining plan add on, and even though it was worth it, it does upset me when I think about how we could have gotten the same trip and paid less for it if the rest of our party could have gone during the fall. So if you are able to go during these times it will be worth it! Lines for rides/characters are much shorter, you will get more attention by staff and photographers, you will save money, and you will beat the Florida humidity (literally I would stand for 10-15 minutes and be drenched in sweat....I wasn't even moving, just standing in lines). We would have avoided hour long waits that we had (for EVERYTHING) if we had just gone at a different time of year.
4. Look into staying off Disney property. Even though there are perks to Disney property locations (buses taking you anywhere you need to go, Disney Dining plan, special hours at the parks for guests on Disney property, free shuttle from airport to resort and back, avoiding paying $14 a day to park), there are some great deals in the Orlando area for very nice hotels. Many of the hotels in Orlando, closer to Universal, have many options for larger families that won't break the bank. Many have free breakfast for kids, free buses to all parks (even Universal and Sea World) and have gorgeous accommodations (some with entire kitchens). I would look at what you want to do in Orlando, and if you will only be going to Disney for a few days so you can explore what else Orlando has to offer, I would suggest staying off property. Many places do special deals, some as low as $59/night, and if you aren't doing a Disney exclusive vacation, this would be worth your while. Just a warning, if you do stay off property and drive to the parks, the cost of parking is now $14/day (but if you park hop, you can use your earlier parking at the next park's parking lot if you do it on the same day). It also takes quite a bit of time to get from the tram or monorail to your parking lot when you leave a Disney park, but if you go at a less busy time of year it won't be that bad of a wait.
5. Definitely do Pirate's League or Bibbidi Bobbidi Boutique if your children are into dressing up. We couldn't do the princess boutique for Brynn this time because she was under 3 (and it can be a very long process with a long wait, so I do not recommend it for children who can't sit a long time), but we did Pirate's League for the boys and it was a ton of fun. You get to dress up (if you want) and get made into a Pirate, with a Pirate name/makeup/sword and pictures. The staff is in full character and have a great time asking the kids about their ships, booty, and how they want to serve with Captain Jack. This made the boys trip (besides meeting Darth Vader) and it was a blast to do! They even have packages for adults and girls (which is similar to Bibbidi Bobbidi with getting your nails/makeup done, you just become a Pirate Empress or a Mermaid), but you have an amazing time! Though if you have the prepaid photopass plus, your pictures at the end are completely free and they will take extra pictures that will be on your photo cd (and they come in a cute paper frame with a pocket to hold your scroll with your new name and agreement to sail in Jack Sparrow's crew). If you don't have photopass plus, pictures are an extra $10 each and you won't get any extra photos put onto your photo cd account.
6. If your children like characters, DO Cinderella's Royal Table for girls (or drag some boys, the princesses usually pay special attention to the boys) and Chef Mickey's. We did both this time and our kids loved every minute of them! We had a hard time finding a time/place where Mickey is able to meet people in the parks now that they got rid of his house in Toontown for the new Fantasyland. We got to meet Mickey, Donald, Goofy, Pluto, and Minnie at Chef Mickey's, as well as get a family picture (and some extras) at Chef Mickey's. It was only one table service credit on our dining plan, and well worth doing. If you pay out of pocket, it will be the best money you spend on a meal at the parks! The food is plentiful, the characters are great, and the kids LOVE it! Cinderella's table was a bit more formal, but the staff is amazing, your children get treated very well by everyone (constantly being called princess made both Brynn and Addy's day!) and the Princesses spend a good amount of time at each table. You can even pay to have a special cake made and presented to your child there (which one family did and the look on their daughter's face was priceless). That was two dining table service credits, but well worth it, and the price tag of $35/plate was worth it too. The food was excellent, the views of the park amazing, and just a great memory to have for your princess.
7. Finally, DO NOT take large groups to Disney. If you have to take a large family (we took 11) to Disney then make sure you have dining reservations for EVERYTHING and understand that even with reservations you are going to have to wait (sometimes for awhile) because you have such a large group. My suggestion for a large family vacation would be the beach, because you are mostly relaxing on the surf and not really going out much. With Disney you are constantly in line for something and they just aren't as equipped as normal restaurants to handle large parties.
Those are my recommendations, I hope this helps anyone looking into a Disney vacation in the future!
To the House of Mouse...
Summer has begun and this year we had decided to go on a large vacation, now that Brynn was a little older. We had started planning a Disney trip with my entire family last year, and decided to go a few days before Memorial Day. The kids were pumped and we were gearing up for the 12 hour drive. We started at 8 pm on May 24, and pulled into Orlando around 7:45 the next morning. The kids were beyond excited once we arrived at the Art of Animation, and we patiently waited for my family to arrive. We ate with princesses, rode a ton of rides, met many characters, had the boys turn into pirates and even got to be apart of Star Wars Weekends (which I strongly encourage any Star Wars fan to visit Hollywood Studios during that festival... it was a ton of fun!) The week went quickly, but we were able to get a ton of memories and enjoy one last big family vacation. Locations like Disney are just too difficult to take a huge group, so we are going to stick to beach vacations when traveling with extended family.
Another great thing we were able to do while in Disney was visit with Travis' grandmother. We have not been able to visit since the last time we were in Disney (five years ago) and it was really great to get to see her. This was Riley's second time meeting her, and the first for Andre and Brynn (I was pregnant with Andre last time we saw her). The kids loved getting to hang out with her and it was a joy to get to introduce them to her.
So here are some pictures to show our week in the Florida sun:
Another great thing we were able to do while in Disney was visit with Travis' grandmother. We have not been able to visit since the last time we were in Disney (five years ago) and it was really great to get to see her. This was Riley's second time meeting her, and the first for Andre and Brynn (I was pregnant with Andre last time we saw her). The kids loved getting to hang out with her and it was a joy to get to introduce them to her.
So here are some pictures to show our week in the Florida sun:
Hanging out on the Boardwalk after dinner at ESPN cafe.
Found out that Brynn LOVES carousels!
Meeting Princesses at Cinderella's Royal table (worth the money or dining credits to anyone taking a little girl to Disney)!
Brynn loved the Princess attention!
Making her own cupcake creation at Cinderella's Royal Table!
Mark Backbender...the newest pirate to Jack Sparrow's crew! Another great experience for any gender of child at any age! Such a fun time :)
Thomas Squidcheese swashbuckling his way onto the crew! The Pirate's League was a great time!
Chef Mickey's breakfast buffet! A great way to meet characters (that usually have the longest lines in the Magic Kingdom) and good food!
Running through Nemo's playground at Art of Animation!
Family pic after we just did a 12 hour drive to FL!
Visit to the Elephant graveyard playground after everyone arrived!
The many photo op stops in line waiting to take a picture with Buzz and Woody!
Snuggling with Daddy at Mama Melrose's
Perry decided to climb a tree to do some spy investigating :)
Trying on some hats in China :)
Their favorite character meet of the entire trip!
Dinner at Be Our Guest (the Beast's new restaurant in his castle)!
The enchanted rose in the Beast's room.
The kids being thrown in prison with Zurg :)
It was a great trip, but we definitely will be staying away for a few years so Brynn can get a bit taller to ride more rides. I'm glad we got this experience, and I can't wait for our next Disney vacation!
Saturday, May 4, 2013
Snow Days!
I have found out while living in Roanoke that when you are living in the "south," the thought of snow is frightening. It doesn't matter if the snow patterns have been the same for the last 30 years, or that the town is surrounded by mountains and it has always snowed here (at least in some form). Everyone and everything shuts down at the THOUGHT of snow. Case in point: Riley was in first grade, the forecasters predicted snow, school was shut down before anything happened, and nothing ended up happening. The kids got off of school on a beautiful, sunny day with no precipitation at all. The same happened a few times this year, but it hasn't been quite as ridiculous as our experience in 1st grade. We did, however, get a few days where we saw a decent amount of snow accumulation, so here are a few pictures from our real snow days, not our snow false alarms :)
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