Last night we had Kenslee's friend, Elizabeth, spend the night at our house. Elizabeth and Kenslee have been friends for over 3 years, as they've gone to school together ever since Kenslee was a baby. Elizabeth's mom, Nicole, and I have become good friends over the years, and a few weeks ago we thought it might be fun for the girls to have a sleepover together.
We booked the date, and created an "Elizabeth countdown", as Kenslee called it. Similar to the "Mickey countdown", Kenslee counted down to the sleepover by crossing off a number each morning. Each day leading up to the sleepover, Kenslee told everyone she was having a "campover with Elizabeth". I think she would have gone with 'sleepover' had she not wanted to sleep in a 'tent' in her room, since 'tents' make her feel as if she is camping. She was so excited when she woke up Saturday morning and the number 1 was the only number left on the board.
That afternoon we drove up to Elizabeth's house to pick her up, and the girls were bouncing off the walls with excitement. Side note - they were still bouncing off the walls when we walked in the door at our house, a half hour later. Since it was almost dinnertime, the girls (and Colin) helped make pizzas.
Kenslee doing the cheese
Elizabeth also workin the cheese
Colin had fun spreading the sauce
After dinner we bundled up, and took a walk around the neighborhood to look at Christmas lights. When we came home, the girls put on their pj's and played up in Kenslee's room for a while.
Daddy was building the "tent" while the girls played
Snuggled up in the "tent"
And asleep within 20 minutes (before 10pm)! So cute!
I peaked in on the girls around 11pm when I went to bed, and they were sound asleep, sharing a pillow. Kenslee usually sleeps through the night (with the exception of a trip to the potty around 4am), so I was surprised when she showed up in my room at midnight. She told me Elizabeth had rolled over onto her, and she wanted to move back up in bed to sleep. Not a problem - I set up her pillow and a blanket, and she was good until morning. For some reason Tim was the first one awake Sunday morning, and he went downstairs to enjoy some peace and quiet before the kids got up. Much to my surprise, Elizabeth was the next to wake up, but instead of waking up Kenslee, she quietly walked downstairs and had breakfast alone with Tim! Kenslee woke up about a half hour later, and came into my room wondering what happened to Elizabeth. I sent her downstairs, and I was able to enjoy another half hour of sleep.
Once I got up, the girls helped me bake Amish friendship bread, then played with puzzles for a while.
Mixing the 'mush'
Pouring in the pudding
Putting together one of their favorite Diego puzzles
Thanksgiving this year was a wonderful holiday, made all the more special given we spent it with all of our family (except Aunt Stacey and Ryan, who unfortunately were caught in traffic and didn't make it out of Washington, DC). We have so much to be thankful for, and the most important is our health. I've had some scares over the past few months, as these blackouts had been occurring more and more frequently, but it seems things will be okay, and the doctors will just keep an extra close eye on me going forward. Tim, Kenslee and Colin have been incredibly healthy, with the exception of various colds and viruses the kids bring home from daycare, but it hasn't been anything that really knocks them down.
I personally am so thankful to be working part-time, to be home with the kids several days each week. This has been such a blessing, even more than I ever thought possible.
We are also thankful to be able to spend this holiday with both of our families once again. We had dinner at our house with my family on Wednesday, including Mom and Dad, Michelle and Bob, and Poppy and Cheryl (Nana).
Dad really wasn't asleep during this picture, just must have been blinking
And I'm not sure what exactly Tim is doing with Babe on the rocking chair
Thanksgiving morning we woke up early and made our way down to Philly for the big parade. We've done this every year (except for when it rains/snows) since I was a baby, and I love being able to share this experience with the kids. We try to be out of the house by 7am, and have our blankets and chairs set up on Broad Street (near the Luxembourg flag) by 8am. This year we made it down on time, but the curb spots were already taken so we were forced to sit across the street, on the other side of Broad. This really isn't a big deal, except we've always sat in the same place, by the same flag, next to the same families, year after year. I should also mention the parade is an Adkinson tradition (my mom's side of the family), and this year included my mom's brothers (Tom and Fred), my Aunt Candy, and my cousins (this year it was just Ryan and Amanda). Usually all of my cousins are there, along with my Aunt Candy's family. But for whatever reason, this year there was just a small group of us.
Standing L to R: Amanda, Lindsay (Ryan's fiance), Ryan, Aunt Candy, Bob, Mom, Uncle Tom, Dad Sitting L to R: Fred, Michelle, Kenslee, Colin
After the parade we headed to Tim's parents, but unfortunately Kevin, Carrie, Jamie and Jillian were with Carrie's family so the cousins didn't get to play together. We did however get to enjoy dinner with Tim's parents and Dennis, and the kids got to spend one-on-one time with Fifi and G-Daddy.
This Thanksgiving we celebrated our families, and really savored the time we got to spend with everyone!
You are a maniac, plain and simple! You have been climbing all over everything, as if you were a 4x4 truck, with no fear of falling and getting hurt. You want, and certainly try, to do everything Kenslee does, and that now includes walking down the steps, holding the banister. Falling down the steps is one of my biggest fears for you because everything you do, you do quickly. There is no 'slow down' option for you, just 'go, go, go'! You recently mastered zipping down the steps on your belly at 100 mph, and have given yourself major rug burn on your stomach. Now you think you can handle walking down the steps like a grown-up. We always catch you doing this (which isn't too hard because you are usually yelling to get our attention so you can show us your new 'trick), and we make you go on your belly, but you still stop about 5 steps from the bottom and try to walk down again.
This past month you have become more of a picky eater, and sometimes don't even want your old favorite - the turkey dog. You have just learned about yogurt, and love eating it except for the fact that you are lactose-intolerant so you must drink Lactaid during the meal. You also love string cheese, which once again is a problem for your belly. Fruit is no longer your friend, and you turn your nose up at bananas and pears, when just a few weeks ago you would devour them in just a few minutes. You've joined us at the table since we put away your high chair this month. It's been a bit of a struggle since you like your booster seat, but realized that you can climb out of it pretty easily.
A video of you and Kenslee playing in the leaves:
One good thing is that since you play hard, you really wear yourself out and sleep like a champ. Your afternoon naps are between 3 and 4 hours long, and sometimes we even have to wake you by 5pm. You go to bed for the night around 8/8:30pm and sleep for about 12 hours. All in all I can't complain, I just wish you'd learn some words so we could understand you a little better. Most of the time we have to ask you to show us what you want, because the babbling just doesn't make any sense. But since you are otherwise healthy, the doctors haven't been too concerned by your lack of speech (and they blame most of it on the fact that you are a boy, and have an older sister to 'talk' for you). Here's to another great month!
Kenslee knew she wanted to be Cinderella for Halloween months ago. She borrowed Fifi's costume, and was ready to go. Colin was another story. Since this was probably the last year I would be able to pick out his costume, I thought it would be cute to do a 'theme' for them, and had been searching for a Gus costume (the little mouse who helped Cinderella). I had searched for months, but didn't find anything that would work, in the size he needed. About three weeks before Halloween I stumbled across this adorable Dumbo costume, and knew immediately that was what Colin would be. I brought it home, put it on him, and it was perfect! He wasn't a fan of the hooded ears, but I figured it would keep him warm come time for trick-or-treating. Little did I know at the time just how much wear these costumes would actually get this year. Thankfully Colin's costume was big enough to bundle several layers of clothing underneath, because it was bitter cold in the evenings. Kenslee wore long sleeves under her gown, but refused to wear a sweater or anything else over top to keep her warm.
Trying on his new costume
The Tuesday before Halloween we went over to our doctors office complex (MainLine Health) and participated in a trick-or-treat throughout the different offices. Each specialty had a theme for their office, and the kids had fun collecting stamps (and candy) along the way.
Kenslee was ready to collect some candy!
Colin loved grabbing the candy, but didn't want to put it in his bag.
Thursday our daycare hosted a hauntless house, which was especially exciting for the kids since all their friends were there too! The teachers all dressed up, and sat at different stations handing out candy. First stop was the Brown Bear room, where the kids decorated their candy bags with markers and stickers. Then we went over to Colin's classroom (for the life of me I can't remember the name of his room), and danced to music by Miss Heather. Kenslee and Colin were being shy, so they just sat on Tim's lap while all their friends danced and sang along.
Hannah, Tim, Colin and Kenslee decorating their bags
Listening to Miss Heather
Elyse and Julianna being silly!
Some of Kenslee's friends watching Miss Heather perform.
Jack, Abigail, Claudia and Claudia
Miss Nancy's room was full of games to play.
Elizabeth was a beautiful Princess Aurora (Sleeping Beauty)
And Nolan was the cutest little devil (love the spiked hair)
Cinderella and her royal prince at the end of the party
Mommom and Poppop came into town Friday afternoon, so we took them to the Elmwood Zoo for yet another trick-or-treating celebration. There were haunted mazes, games, and crafts, along with several candy stations throughout the zoo. Most of the animals were already put away for the evening, and there were sections that were closed off, but the kids still had fun visting with the jaguar and sea otter. And Kenslee always has fun sticking her head in the animal cutouts:
Cinderella as a turtle
Dumbo stayed in the stroller most of the night (I think he was too cold to walk around)
There was a DJ at the entrance to the zoo, where the kids had fun dancing and watching this little ghost pop out of the pumpkin.
Saturday (Halloween) morning Kenslee painted her pumpkin:
The serious artist at work
Then all the family came over around dinnertime... Mommom and Poppop, Poppy and Nana, Fifi and G-Daddy, Jamie and Jillian, and Aunt Carrie and Uncle Kevin. The weather was surprisingly mild, but it rained off and on from about 5pm-8pm. We went out trick-or-treating for about an hour, and the kids didn't seem to mind the rain coming down on them.
The annual cousin picture - Jamie, Jillian, Kenslee & Colin
Jamie, Kenslee & Colin
G-Daddy walked around with an umbrella to keep the princesses dry
Trick-or-treating at a neighbor's house
Beautiful princesses heading home after a busy week of Halloween celebrations!
On Sunday, October 25th our neighborhood held it's 3rd Fall Fest for the kids, over on Lillian Lane (see pictures of the 2nd Fall Fest here). It was supposed to occur on the 24th, but the weather didn't cooperate, so we bumped it back a day. Unfortunately I can't say I was much of a help with planning for this since the two weeks prior I was in Disney vacationing, and DC for work. However, the festival was even better than previous years, and we continued the tradition of a family block party once the games were all put away.
The Fall Fest began with a Halloween parade:
Kenslee, Siena, and Mrs & Mr Lagana with Alyssa (they were the only 3 out of maybe 5 girls at the festival, with about 40 boys)
Some of the neighborhood boys
And it included face painting, games, crafts, a giant moonbounce, and tons of prizes:
Kenslee wanted a plain red heart on her face
Having fun bouncing around an obstacle course
Our next-door neighbor Siena & Kenslee
Kenslee loved the moonbounce...
...as did Colin, although he stayed close to Tim
When the games ended, we moved the party over to Coulter Court for a family picnic! Everyone brought food to share, and we enjoyed smores around the bonfire.
The Lagana family (minus Alyssa)- Renee, Nick, Jason and Pete
Mike, Nick, Pete, Evan, Lissette and Siena
Tim was giving Kenslee lessons on how to toast the marshmallows
A great time was had by all, but unfortunately this may be the last year of the Fall Fest since not enough families volunteer to help with everything. I'm hopeful that sometime in the future we can pull this together again, and continue the tradition of the Block Party as well!
For quite some time you've been asking to go back to Jungle Wonder, so we finally gathered some friends and made a trip up there a few weeks ago. As usual, you wore yourself out running and climbing and sliding. I'm not sure how I managed to capture this picture above of you and Jack, but it's adorable, and shows just how cute of a couple you are! When you're not with him at school (Tuesdays and Wednesdays), you're together at the gym when Kristi and I workout, then afterwards for lunch or a playdate somewhere, and often together again on the weekends. You've got many girl friends, but Jack is the only man in your life (besides Daddy).
Earlier this month we spent a week in Disney, and you were just the most wonderful little girl the entire time! You had so much fun on all the rides, and never complained about standing in any lines (although they were quite short, so I'm not sure how you'd handle an actual amusement park line when the regular crowd is there). You loved meeting the characters, and really enjoyed posing with all of them, especially the princesses!
One of your goofy sleeping scenarios...you wanted to sleep in this laundry basket
The week after Disney, I went away to Washington, DC for 4 days for a work conference. While I was gone, I was happy to hear you were a great helper for Daddy. This comes to no surprise, as you have always been a big help, but I'm just really glad to hear that you can still keep going even when I'm not around.
Cheering on Daddy at the Evansburg Trail Run
You helped me bake a cake for Nana's birthday (October 22nd), and went over to surprise her with it. We had a heck of a time with the icing (a new recipe...one that will never be used again), but thankfully it tasted good atop a big scoop of vanilla icecream. We had dinner before going over to Poppy & Nana's (at Mommom's PA house), and during dinner you asked when we were going to take it to her. Our dialogue went something like this: Me: "after dinner we'll take the cake to Nana's house."
You: "is it ready yet?" Me: "yes, it's in the fridge." You looked at me with a puzzled face, then laughed and said "a house doesn't go in a fridge Mommy!" Turns out you were asking if Nana's house was ready (as they are building a new house), not the cake.
Celebrating with Nana (the icing ripped off when we pulled out the wax paper from underneath)
The very next day (10/25/09), Colin was swatting at your head with his plastic baseball bat. It didn't phase him though, and he continued to swing at you. You shouted out, "I'm not a baseball Colin!", and we all just looked at you and couldn't stop laughing!
Sleeping in your 'tent'
I'll post more pictures in the Halloween section, as we've had multiple Halloween events during the past few weeks, and you've had so much fun dressing up in your costume! This was another great month with you in my life.......
We planned to visit the main Disney parks every other day, so on Wednesday we decided to head over to Typhoon Lagoon for some relaxing water fun. It was a great day for the water park; sun was out, temperature was about 92 degrees, and there weren't really any crowds (which was no surprise since we hadn't seen crowds all week). The kids had a blast in Ketchakiddie Creek, which is this awesome play area just for kids under 48 inches tall. We didn't have to worry about the 'big kids' knocking into them, or pushing them down the slides - they had lifeguards walking around with a measuring stick to kick out anyone over the height limit. There were several little body slides, as well as a tube slide that Kenslee loved, and tons of fountains that sprayed water every which way (which made it almost impossible to take pictures in this section). I did manage to capture a bit of the excitement:
Colin loved the sand
Digging sand 'castles' (mounds) with Daddy
Having fun in the fountains
Kenslee loved this raft slide, and did it about a dozen times, if not more
No fear!
Video of Kenslee on the raft:
Colin loved this slide - and always started face forward...
...and came out on his belly!
Video of Colin on the slide:
Video of Colin & Kenslee on the body slide:
And once again, when Colin became tired he passed out for a little nap...it didn't matter where he was:
My snuggle-bug
Colin and Kenslee loved jumping the giant waves in the surf pool, and floating around Castaway Creek (there were little rafts for Kenslee to float on, while Colin just rested on my lap). And Tim and I got to enjoy the adult water rides, while my parents had fun with Kenslee and Colin. This was another great perk of spending the week with my parents - having extra help with the kids. It was so nice to sneak away for an hour here and there to ride the Crush 'n' Gusher water coasters and other rides, and not have to worry about them. Plus the kids loved having Mommom and Poppop to go on the rides with them!
Thursday morning Tim and I went back to the Magic Kingdom with the kids, while my parents went up to Universal Studios (to use tickets they won during the SuperBowl!). We started the morning visiting a few rides we had missed the first day, beginning with Buzz Lightyear's Space Ranger Spin. This ride takes you on a space cruiser, and the goal is to zap as many evil robots as you can, while the ride moves you through different scenes. The kids enjoyed having control of their own lasers, and Kenslee was totally getting into it, yelling at everything!
Next we let the kids drive cars on the Tomorrowland Speedway. Colin was with me, and was having so much fun controling the steering wheel (even though the car is on a track)...he was cracking up laughing harder than I've ever seen him laugh...until the car finally started jerking back and forth on the track. Of course I was laughing along with him, not even thinking to put my arm around the back of him, so one rough bump and off he slammed into the side of the car. He wasn't injured, just scared, but it ruined the rest of the ride for him.
Getting ready to race!
Kenslee on the other hand had a blast with Tim, and was steering every which way! She was so focused and loved being able to control the car by herself (although Tim had to keep his foot on the pedal).
Master of speed (with the tongue hanging out)
Can't wait to drive when she grows up!
The kids also got to enjoy the teacups once again.
And we took another flight with Peter Pan.
Another fun area we missed the other day was Tom Sawyer's Island, so we jumped on a raft and headed over. The kids had fun running around the 'island', but the caves were a little too scary for them. We walked through one, but Kenslee put her foot down when we wanted to do another. They did however have fun bouncing on the many bridges around the island, as well as playing in the big fort.
Having fun climbing around
Bouncing on the barrel bridge
Kenslee need a break while waiting for the raft to get off the island
We headed back to Mickey's Toontown Fair, where we rode Goofy's Barnstormer roller coaster two more times....this is definitely Kenslee's favorite ride!
Getting ready for another roller coaster ride!
Video of Kenslee on the coaster:
While in this area of the park, I decided we'd check out the line to meet the princesses. Surprise - only 30 minutes! Kenslee was excited to meet them this time around, so her and I stood in the line, while Tim and Colin played with Mr Potato Head. The line was only about 25 minutes, and I definitely think it was worth every second of standing in line, just to see Kenslee's face when she met Cinderella (her most favorite princess of all). We walked in the small room where Cinderella, Belle and Aurora were, and waited just a minute for our turn to meet them.
Cinderella was first, and Kenslee immediately ran over and gave her a big hug!
Kenslee told Cinderella how she was going to be her for Halloween, and Cinderella asked if she would wear gloves like hers too (ummm, 'no'), then they talked about how much fun Kenslee was having at the park.
Cinderella asked her what her favorite color was, and Kenslee responded, "blue", to which Cinderella replied, "mine too!" - then they both laughed.
Next princess was Belle (from Beauty and the Beast), and she walked over to Kenslee, took her hand, and helped her up onto the bench.
For the life of me I cannot remember what they talked about, but Kenslee's mouth hung open the entire time (as it did while talking with Cinderella).
So cute - Kenslee looks engulfed in Belle's dress!
Kenslee couldn't wait to run over to Princess Aurora (from Sleeping Beauty), and tell her all about her cousin Jamie, and how she is Jamie's most favorite princess.
Kenslee learned the 'princess wave'.
Kenslee and Princess Aurora
The princess visits were by far the most amazing character 'meet and greet' I've ever seen, and trust me, I've met a ton of characters over my lifetime at these parks! The ladies really took their time with Kenslee, and made her feel like a princess herself. Her jaw was dropped the entire time, except for when I'd yell over, "smile, I want to take your picture!" Of course Colin just so happened to fall asleep right before we walked in the room, so he missed out on all the fun. What a truly memorable experience to meet these beautiful princesses!
One more tour through Minnie's house - with a detour out back to take a picture
We spent the rest of the day repeating rides we enjoyed the other day, then checked out Mickey's Philharmagic - a 3D show that even the kids loved.
The glasses were a bit big for the kids, but Kenslee was able to hold hers on her own... Colin needed a little assistance.
On our way out of the park, we found Peter Pan in a hidden corner. I can only imagine Kenslee was saying, "my dad has bigger muscles than you!"
Colin shied away from Peter Pan, but Kenslee was happy to pose.
We left the park mid-afternoon and went home for showers and a quick nap. By 5pm we headed over to Disney's Hollywood Studios. Unfortunately most of the shows were already closed by the time we got there, even though the park was open until 9pm, but we were still able to see The Voyage of the Little Mermaid, and Muppet*Vision 3-D. Then we found seats for Fantasmic!, a spectacular performance of characters, lights, explosives, lasers, and fountains (which displayed movie clips across the mist). Kenslee loved the show, and did not take her eyes off the stage/theater the entire time! Colin was entertained for a short while, but then fell asleep in my arms.
Getting ready to see the show!
Colin - pre-Fantasmic!
Colin - 30 minutes later. If you look closely, you can see the lovely black eye he gave me earlier in the week.
On Friday we hungout with my parents, at their place just outside the parks. The weather was becoming more like 'fall', rainy and temps in the low 70's. The kids still played in the pool, but it was a little too chilly for us to join them.
Colin loved this noodle
This was from earlier in the week...Colin was obsessed with the ducks, which were all around the resort. We fed them one night, so everytime the kids walked out on the porch, the ducks would quickly swim across the pond, and run up onto the grass near the screen.
This was such an amazing vacation, and I'm so thankful to have had my parents there to enjoy it all with us. Kenslee and Colin loved every minute of it, and she's still talking about it a month later (as I write this on 11/21/09). I'm ready to book another trip for next year, but I'm afraid it may be two years until we go back again.
Mom and Dad - thank you so very much for spending the week with us, and allowing us to stay with you. We also greatly appreciate all of your help with the kids; there's no way we could (or would) have done it without you!!!
Tuesday morning we got up at 7am, and went to Disney's Animal Kingdom with the kids and my parents. Thankfully we didn't have to be out of the house until 8ish, as the crowds aren't nearly as crazy as at the Magic Kingdom. Although we weren't one of the first 100 cars parked, we still made it to the front lot. And the first thing you have to do when you get out of your car is write down what lot you are in. But who needs paper and a pen in this day and age when we have digital cameras to capture everything, so Tim posed to help us remember. Take a guess.
My husband, the unicorn
While we waited for the gate to open, Mickey and Minnie, and several other characters put on a little show for us. Colin watched with anticipation, not sure what this day would bring. Little did he (or we for that matter) knew, he would get to meet a ton of characters!
Once through the gate, we ran back to Expedition Everest. At this point, it was brought to my attention that I walked out of the house looking like this:
I can explain. As I was getting ready, I decided to put on one of each flip-flop to see which pair was more comfortable. Figured by the time I got myself ready, kids dressed and fed, and the bags all packed, it would be an easy decision as to which shoe would be more comfortable to walk around in for the day. Not only did I forget about this little 'test', but not one of the five people with me noticed while we were getting ready and out the door. I'm still not sure how I climbed in the car without noticing, walked through the entire parking lot without spotting it, or how I stood in line to get through the gate without realizing my feet were at different heights. And again, not one of my family members had a clue either. It was brought to my attention only after running to get on Expedition Everest... a nice gentleman at the entrance stopped me and said, "you can't go on this ride like that." I thought he was going to tell me I had to wear sneakers to get on the ride. I looked down at my feet, and my jaw dropped. Wow, how embarrassing! Boy did I laugh! And Tim too. As did my parents once I told them what happened. And then a second later my dad pulled out the camera, not willing to let an event like this go uncaptured.
After Expedition Everest, we headed back to Dinoland to ride the TriceraTop Spin.
Daddy and Colin in the back
Kenslee and Mommy taking control
There was a short line to meet Goofy and Pluto so I sent Tim over to stand in line, while the kids rode the TriceraTop Spin again with my parents. Both kids were excited to see the characters up close, but when the time came to meet them, Colin was a little freaked out. He walked by Pluto and went right over to Goofy, but pulled away when Goofy reached his hand out.
Kenslee ran right into Pluto's arms, while Colin maintained a safe distance from Goofy
Poor Colin wanted nothing to do with having his photo taken, but Kenslee loved it!
On their way to Dinoland
After Dinoland, we headed up to Africa to get fast passes for Kilimanjaro Safaris. We had 1-2 hours to wait, so we took the Wildlife Express Train over to Rafiki's Planet Watch. In the entrance to Conservation Station, there are murals of every different animal imaginable. Colin was fascinated by this, and was pointing at each face as we walked by.
This boy loves his animals
Colin had no fears meeting Jiminy Cricket - he ran right up to him!
Kenslee loved meeting Jiminy, and posed for some pictures
The kids got to meet Rafiki, but Colin wasn't so sure about the hug
Kenslee & Pocahontas
Colin was all about the petting zoo, and as gross as it was, I let him have fun (I guess he had leftover snacks on his hands)
Kenslee liked the goats too, but for some reason they seemed to keep a safe distance from her
I thought the kids would love Kilimanjaro Safaris, but Colin was asleep within 2 minutes. I don't think we had even seen one animal before he passed out in Tim's arms. Kenslee however loved spying the animals!
Thankfully Colin never fussed, he just fell asleep whenever he was tired
Kenslee loved the elephants
She also loved this little shark, and it seemed to like her too, as it swam back and forth when she moved from one side to the other
This is one of my favorite photos of Colin - he was mesmerized by all the fish in the tank
We loved the Festival of the Lion King! The kids kept their eyes on the stage the entire time, and really loved the music and dancing. They clapped, stomped, and had a great time.
This was such a neat performance, and a nice way to introduce the kids to theater
Poppop, Mommom & Daddy pretending to be warthogs - we were sitting in Pumba's section - while Kenslee just wanted to see what was happening on stage
Video of the Lion King show:
All smiles meeting Minnie Mouse!
Video meeting Minnie Mouse:
Next we met Mickey Mouse
This is where the character greetings started to become really fun for Colin. And I mean 'fun' in a great way, not the scary way it was earlier. Colin loves Donald Duck, and just got his first Donald Duck stuffed animal when we were at the Magic Kingdom the other day - thanks Mommom & Poppop! We stood in a short line (a minute or two long) to meet Donald, and as soon as it was our turn to see him, Colin went running up to Donald with his shirt up to his neck. He stood there for about 10 seconds with his belly hanging out, just staring at Donald...as if to say "I bet my belly is bigger than yours!" It was the honest to goodness cutest thing I've ever seen. Perhaps this is the formal way to greet Donald, and we just don't know it?!?
Colin showing his belly to Donald
Not sure what was happening here, but I'm pretty sure they were talking about bellies
I love this picture - this truly captures Colin's love for Donald...all smiles!
We headed back to Dinoland to see "Finding Nemo - The Musical". This show was amazing! The picture below shows one of the sceens, and if you look closely you can see all of the animals are actually people in costumes. This show is not to be missed, the performances were truly outstanding! Kenslee sat and just stared... as did Colin, before he fell asleep. And I have to admit, prior to having kids, I always just skipped the shows at the parks. But now I realize I was missing out on so much, and once again I am ever-so-thankful to be able to enjoy it all through the eyes of my children.
After Nemo, we went over to ride "Dinosaur". I actually stayed back with the kids, while Tim went with my parents. I vaguely remember going on it years ago and was terrified. I mean terrified! And by years ago, I mean when I was in my 20's...certainly an age when I knew dinosaurs have long since been extinct, and shouldn't have been afraid of some ancient Disney magic. So while they had fun, the kids and I played on this mini-dinosaur.
Climbing up, and sliding down, the dinosaur
After Tim went on the ride with my parents, he talked me into going on it with him, and for some stupid reason I agreed. I had read in my Disney guide that it was a rough ride, and certainly something you don't want to bring kids on (even if they do meet the height restrictions). I innocently went along, holding Tim's hand as we breezed through the maze of ropes (apparently there must be long lines for this during the busy season). Now, about the ride. It is bumpy as all hell, tossing you every which way: forward, backward, sideways, up and down, all at the same time. I don't know how I didn't throw up, or pass out. But towards the end of the ride everything went black. The car stopped moving, the lights remained off, and you couldn't see a thing. I was waiting for a humongous dinosaur to jump out at us, and I was prepared to punch it in the nose. Tim whispered in my ear, "this didn't happen earlier." Great, just great! So we sat, in the dark, for what had to have been a full minute, if not longer. There were kids in our car, and I was amazed they never shouted out or cried, especially since I was about to. I was never so happy when the car began moving again, and the ride was over. (Side note - I was this happy once before... the moment after I delivered Colin...and believe me, I was just as terrified then as I was during this ride)
Now on to more fun character greetings! On our way out of the park, we decided to check out the line to meet Pooh and friends. They were hidden down this back trail, through the trees and behind buildings, so you couldn't tell how long the wait would be until you ventured down the path. Thankfully there were only a handful of people ahead of us, so the wait was just a matter of minutes.
Colin went running into Pooh's arms...
...but then quickly disappeared to go meet Tigger, leaving Kenslee to pose with Pooh
Colin just clung to Tigger (another favorite of his), and stood in this position for about a minute, smiling the entire time.
Posing with Eeyore
Another memorable day at Disney.... where the kids had the time of their lives, and so did we!
For the past month we have been counting down to Saturday, October 10th. The kids had a Mickey Countdown, and each morning would cross off another number, getting us one step closer to our trip to Walt Disney World. When the day finally came, Tim and I were up by 4:30 to shower and do the last minute packing. We woke the kids around 5:45, so we could be on the road by 6:15. The trip to the airport is about 50 minutes with no traffic, and we wanted to be extra sure we allowed enough time to park, check our luggage, and get through security before our 9:25am flight. We stopped for coffee and bagels on the way, but about 10 miles from our house (down 422) Tim asked if I had remembered their birth certificates. Hmmm, I did not. Had no idea what they would be necessary for, so I left them at home. "Great, I think we need them for the airline." he says. So... I call the airport and am told that 'yes' we do need them to get through security. "Great, just great." We get off at Swedesford Road, get back on 422, and make the trek back home. By the time we left the house with the birth certificates in hand, it was 7:15am. So much for leaving early. At this point we honestly knew there was no way we'd make our flight. Thankfully I have a husband who loves to speed, and thankfully there were no cops on the road (except for the one who flew past us with his lights on - which by the way, we just knew he was going to pull us over. He didn't). We made it to the parking lot, onto the shuttle, through the baggage check line, upstairs through security (thanks to the family friendly line), and to the gate with 3 minutes to spare. We were just walking to the front desk to get the pass to gate-check the stroller, when they announced they would begin boarding. What a way to start the trip! And amazingly enough, I never lost my cool. Honestly. I just accepted the fact that 'it is what it is', and we'd just catch the next flight.
Onboard Southwest, no meltdowns yet
The kids liked being up the in sky, looking out over the world
Of course they only liked it for so long, but Kenslee entertained herself with crayons, markers and coloring books, and was fine the entire flight. Colin is another story (surprise, surprise). He was entertained for about the first half of the flight, primarily by food, then with markers and books. But then he started getting tired, and was not able to get comfortable. Tim paced up and down the aisles, then stood up at his seat for a while (maybe 20 minutes, thank you dear). Are you ready for this? Colin drifted off to sleep just as we were descending through the clouds. Yes, descending. Through the clouds. So he had about a 15 minute nap before it was time to get off the plane.
On Sunday, October 11th, we got up bright and early, had breakfast, and we were out of the house by 7:15am. Made it to the Magic Kingdom parking lot by 7:30am, and I think we were honestly one of the first 20 cars in the lot! We took the amazingly empty monorail over to the entrance to the Magic Kingdom, and were in line by 7:45am. The turnstile ticket gate didn’t open until 8:10am, so we stood around and sweated our butts off while waiting first in line to get in. Once through the guards, we had to wait in front of the park entrance until Mickey came in on the train at 8:50am to formally welcome us to Disney, and only then did the ropes lift for us to get up Main Street.
At this point we were soaking wet, exhausted from standing and trying to entertain the kids (as they knew Disney was about rides, not standing in lines!), and had thought we were finally going to ride on Dumbo. Nope, not yet. Once up Main Street, there was another rope inside Cinderella’s Castle, which was not lifted until exactly 9:00am. We were more than ready for the fun to begin when they finally let us through!
It was 95 degrees at 9am, and Tim was less than thrilled to have stood an hour just to get through the gate
We headed directly to Dumbo, as there are only 12 ‘Dumbos’ to ride, and we knew the line would quickly grow to ½ hour or longer wait. I had read up on the tricks of how to get the most out of our trip, so we got in line with the kids, then my parents let 12 people get in line, and then they got in place. This way we could ride with the kids, then easily pass them off to my parents, who would be on the next ‘round’ of Dumbo-riders. What a great way to enjoy the ride twice, while not wasting much time standing in line!
Mommom & Colin on Dumbo
Mommy & Kenslee getting ready for lift off!
After Dumbo we headed over to Pooh’s magic adventure, and all rode it together. The kids loved seeing the characters and enjoyed bouncing with Tigger.
Colin was fascinated with the ride and puppets
Next we went over to Snow White’s Scary Adventure, Cinderella’s Carousel, and then on Peter Pan’s Wild Ride. All the rides had very little wait at this point, as it was before 10am.
Kenslee got to ride all by herself
Colin loved the horse, but needed help from Daddy to hold on tight
On Peter Pan's ride...Colin loved this one too
Our next stop was ‘It’s a Small World’ (or as Kenslee calls it – “the place where all the dolls live”), and as much as I was never a fan of the thousands of dolls, I really enjoyed watching the kids enjoy all of the singing, dancing, twirling figurines. Plus, it was a 10 minute, air conditioned boat ride so it was a nice break from the sweltering heat outside.
Irish dolls
Colin was getting tired on the ride, but very much enjoyed looking around at all the dolls
After It's a Small World we headed over to the Haunted Mansion, and as much as I had read about skipping this with kids, we figured Kenslee would be able to handle it, as there isn’t much she is scared of (except skunks in her bedroom). I had forgotten the ‘waiting room’ for this ride is a room that goes totally black, and usually parents and teenagers get a kick out of scaring other members of their parties, so Kenslee did get a little scared. But we held her close, and she was fine. She chose to sit with Daddy on the ride, and he kept reinforcing the ‘friendly ghost’ story, so she seemed to be ok. Not only was Colin completely fearless, but he was also totally unimpressed by the ghostly Disney magic, and fell asleep on my chest.
Next, Tim, Kenslee and I went on the Riverboat, while my parents took Colin into the Hall of Presidents (so he would nap some more).
Checking out the views from the boat
This was the least crowded ride, maybe 20 people on our cruise
We picked up FastPasses for Splash Mountain, so we went to the Pirates of the Caribbean while waiting for our time-slot. The wait for Pirates was probably the longest wait we had up to that point, and it was only about 15-20 minutes.
While in Adventureland, we also visited the Swiss Family Robinson Tree House
Prior to our trip, I had been measuring Kenslee and noticed she grew two inches in a period of a few months, and had hoped she would be tall enough (40 inches) for Splash Mountain and Big Thunder Mountain Railroad. Unfortunately she was only 39 inches tall, and came to 39.5 inches with shoes on. And even though the top of her barrette skimmed the 40inch mark, the ride attendants would not let her on the roller coasters. Of course I understand it’s for her own safety and well-being, but I was still a little disappointed she couldn’t enjoy these two rides. They were favorites of mine, and I knew she would absolutely love them…but there’s always next time. While Tim and I went on Splash Mountain, my parents took the kids over to the Tea Cups (which is one ride I refuse to do…just watching those cups spin around and around makes me sick). Both Kenslee and Colin loved them so much, they did it several times.
Colin was beat and ready for a real nap
Contrary to the monorail ride at 7:30am, this time everyone was exhausted
At this point it was almost 3pm and we decided it was time to head home for a short afternoon nap. We showered and crashed for an hour, then repacked the bags and headed back around 5:30pm. The park was open until 11pm, and we wanted to get back for more rides, and enjoy the evening Spectromagic Parade at 8pm, as well as fireworks at 9pm. The first thing we did when we entered the park was get our photo taken in front of Cinderella's Castle (there was no time on the schedule to do this when the park first opened...we had to rush to be first in line for Dumbo).
Mommom, Colin, Poppop & Kenslee (Colin looks like he was still asleep)
Family photo
Next, we headed over to get FastPass tickets for the Jungle Cruise, and then went to the Tiki Room. The kids loved all the birds and totem poles singing, and didn’t even flinch at the staged thunderstorm. We rode Aladdin’s Magic Carpet twice (did the same pass-off method as we did on Dumbo earlier), then it was time for the Jungle Cruise. Since the animals on the cruise weren’t real, the kids weren’t very entertained, but they liked being on the boat, and Colin enjoyed pointing at all the different animals.
Poppop & Kenslee tilted the carpet, while Mommom & Colin made it go up and down
Our turn with the kids
It was getting dark by this point, so I think we headed over to check out Mickey’s Toontown before the parade. Goofy’s Barnstormer Roller Coaster is a kiddie coaster, and all it took was one ride for Kenslee to be hooked. She rode it first with me, then with Daddy, and would have kept going had it not been time to find a spot to watch the parade.
As my dad calls it "the Disney solution to controlling kids"
The kids had the perfect viewing location - on top of Daddy and Poppop's heads
We headed back acrossed the park to Frontierland, and found a good viewing location for the light parade. G-Daddy & Fifi had sent money for the kids to enjoy, so Tim took Kenslee to pick out ‘glow-things’. She picked out a glow sword for herself (again, certainly not a girly-girl), and a glow necklace for Colin (seriously??). The loved their special treats, and waved them all over during the parade.
Kenslee the warior
Spectromagic Parade
Once it was over we headed back to Mickey’s Toontown, and Kenslee got Mommom and Poppop to go on the roller coaster with her (and Daddy again too).
Mommom & Kenslee in the first car (on the left), however you can't even see Kenslee's head in the photo
Five times on one coaster, and she would have kept going had I not pushed her to try to meet the princesses. We went to the tent, where Cinderella and Princess Aurora were camped out, and got in line. The sign had estimated the wait at 15 minutes, so I figured we’d give it a try…. But after 15 minutes and we did not see one person go through the door (and we still had about 15 people ahead of us), I asked Kenslee what she wanted to do. The options were: 1. “Continue to wait to meet the princesses, as it may be your one and only opportunity to meet Cinderella”, or 2. “Go out and have more fun on the rides”. Without hesitating, she chose option 2. Certainly not a girly-girl, thank God! So she went back out and rode Goofy’s Barnstormer one more time with Mommom. Side note: Mommom screams on roller coasters, and Kenslee thinks this is hilarious, so she screamed right along with her. The fireworks had been going off while they were riding the coaster, and Colin just sat quietly in his stroller and enjoyed the show.
Colin squinted at the fireworks, but was mesmorized by them
Once we were able to pull Kenslee away from the ride, we checked out Mickey’s House, then over to Minnie’s (interactive) House.
Resting on Minnie's fireplace
It was getting late by this point, the kids were exhausted, and we decided it was time to head out. There was no line for the Tomorrowland Transit Authority, so we jumped on for one more ride. Colin seemed interested at first, but was asleep within minutes. I think it was around 11pm, and the park was closing, so that was our last ride for the day.
Colin was ready for bed by this point (as was Daddy)
Kenslee posed in front of the castle for one last picture
The kids were awake for the monorail and ride home, then passed out quickly once they put their pj’s on. What a fantastic, memorable, beautiful, and hot day at the park! And throughout the entire day, we were having the time of our lives watching the kids have the time of their lives........
Kenslee doing the cheese
Elizabeth also workin the cheese
Colin had fun spreading the sauce
Daddy was building the "tent" while the girls played
Snuggled up in the "tent"
And asleep within 20 minutes (before 10pm)! So cute!
Mixing the 'mush'
Pouring in the pudding
Putting together one of their favorite Diego puzzles
Best of friends - ready to cheer on their teams!
