Sunday, May 29, 2011

Kaylee's Disney




Kaylee's Disney World experience was unique. Most of her days started out like this picture taken the morning we went to Animal Kingdom. She was fresh and ready for an adventure, looking clean & crisp. By the end of a full day of activities, messy snacks (ice cream at least once a day), & excess humidity, she usually looked more like this. On our first day we returned home for afternoon naps, but on the other days we just kept going & going. She was such a trooper & though it was hard for me to catch her smiling (see previous post) I did catch her in action.

Some highlights from her trip included riding Dumbo, the carousel, Peter Pan's Flight & It's a Small World at the Magic Kingdom. She didn't go crazy over the princesses during our lunch at Cinderella's Royal Table (inside the castle) in part because she is more familiar with Buzz Light Year, Jedi's, & Pirates (thanks big brother), but also because she was served her own ice cream sundae with Mickey Mouse sprinkles. Sorry Belle, you can't compete with that! Kaylee was mesmerized by every parade we saw though. She was waving & blowing kisses to every character who passed.


At the Animal Kingdom Kaylee loved seeing the real animals. I felt bad that she was too short to go on the fun water ride (Kali River Rapids), but she found some fountains to splash in and got the wettest of us all. It was fun to watch her dig in the Boneyard - she was so focused. On this day her exhaustion got the best of her and she fell asleep right in Grandpa's arms. Though Kaylee will not remember this trip, except through pictures & video, we hope she will at least always remember the song she learned to sing.


Wednesday, May 25, 2011

Capturing the Magic

I'm so grateful for memories. Because as I've looked back over the 250 pictures I took during our amazing vacation, so few actually capture the magic we felt. (I know, cheesy, right?) I don't know if the problem is: A. My children who, understandably, prefer to look at whatever cool thing is happening rather than turn around and smile at me. B. My Canon Powershot that isn't quick enough to capture the expression I'm seeing. or C. My lack of photography skills.

Take for example, this lovely shot. Our first day heading to Magic Kingdom. The kids were a little sleepy, but SO excited. Grandma LaRue had made them these adorable Mickey & Minnie clothes & they were sporting their "First Visit" buttons. Cute, right? But could I get them to stand together on the cabin porch, look at me, and smile sweetly? No. We did get a few shots that captured the magic. What amazed me most about Disney World was how contagious the "magic" was. All 4 adults confessed to feeling like kids again at one point or another. How could we not?

Mom & Dad waiting for Matt to snag some more Fast Passes before riding Splash Mountain
Matt versus Dad on Buzz Light Year's Space Ranger Spin
(Space Mountain + No Kids) x 2 = GiddynessDad feeling regal on Prince Charming's Regal Carousel.Matt meeting his favorite princess (besides me of course).Toy Story Mania 4 times.

And even though my first picture of the first day didn't turn out great, these two made up for it. Pure magic.


Monday, May 23, 2011

Downtown Disney & Hoop-Dee-Doo Revue

We arrived at Disney World on a Wednesday afternoon. We arrived early enough to get settled into our Fort Wilderness cabin, but too late to go to a theme park. Instead, after returning our rental car, we browsed Downtown Disney. Really, this place is just another spot for Disney tourists to lose their $. I was proud that we were able to thoroughly enjoy the magic here without spending a penny. Highlights included designing our own light saber (did not spend the $21 to purchase it), building Darth Tater (saved $15 on this one), admiring the larger than life LEGO creations (free), & racing LEGO cars (free). We also rode our first of MANY Disney buses (free).


That evening we began our true Disney adventures by attending the Hoop-Dee-Doo Musical Revue at Pioneer Hall. When we first booked our trip, my parents insisted that we attend this dinner show, one that they'd enjoyed immensely on a prior trip to Disney. I'm glad they did because it was a riot. Cheesy performances, corny jokes, fun songs for the whole crowd to join in. They served the food in metal buckets. Fried chicken, ribs, & all the fixins finished off with Strawberry Shortcake- all delicious. The kids were laughing & clapping along and loved leaning on the balcony rail to watch all the action. The whole evening was as ridiculously, fantastically fun as my parents had remembered. Hoop-dee-doo!

Sunday, May 22, 2011

Nostalgia

My family moved around quite a bit when I was growing up. I never lived in one house longer than 4 years, usually no more than 2. In fact, when I go "home" to visit my parents, it is to a house I have never lived in. Matt, however, goes home to the house he grew up in. When we visit, each room has stories and now my children are taking part in the memories of where their dad grew up - running around in the yard he ran in, sleeping in the rooms he slept in as a kid, & playing in the same rooms he played in .

This trip to Florida was particularly special because I felt like I was coming back to my childhood home. Though I hadn't been to visit Grandmother & Papa at their house for over 3 years, so much felt exactly the same. Not just the same as my last visit, but the same as every visit since I was a little girl. From the beef & noodles served on homemade mashed potatoes to the Tervis Tumblers to the sunny, pool-filled days, it was all the same. And during this visit my children, for the first time, were able to take part in all the memories of my childhood at Grandmother & Papa's.

No trip to Grandmother's was complete without her Mickey Mouse pancakes. True, I did not make them from scratch like she always did (hey - we had a flight to catch), but before heading to the airport to begin our Florida vacation, I served up one of my favorite childhood breakfasts. I even let Danny help put on the chocolate chip eyes and noses.
Our first afternoon at Grandmother and Papa's, Danny discovered and fell in love with the pool. I swam in this pool, played with that watering can, and dove for those sticks. Cousin Hannah spoiled Danny & Kaylee with lots of attention. Aunt Lisa & Grandpa both gave Danny mini-swim lessons. Matt played motor boat with the kids. I demonstrated the fine art of doing hand-stands in the shallow end, like I had done with Jessie & Jennifer & Lindsay over and over and over (don't worry, I spared any readers a picture of that frightening sight - Seattle legs flailing out of a pool - nobody needs to see that). And Danny, just like I had done, jumped in again and again and again until he'd worn out every adult who was willing to catch him. I spent much of my childhood in the Northwest, so beach trips in OR & WA involved sweaters & raincoats. On the sunniest days I could brave the water for short increments. But when we visited Florida, the sun and warmth were plentiful. As a cocky 6th grader aspiring to get a tan, I got the worst sunburn of my life during a Florida beach day. Beach trips began with a short ride in Papa's painting van and were filled jumping waves, playing volleyball, building sand castles, searching for sea shells & shark's teeth, and burying each other. Kaylee was a very focused builder, Danny didn't want to leave the water, and Matt was a willing volunteer to be buried. Fortunately there were no sunburns on this beach day. I almost laughed out loud when I heard myself saying, just as I had been told, "Remember, brush all the sand off your feet before you get in the car. And sit on a towel. Let's keep the sand at the beach." On our last day, I pulled out some of the toys from my childhood. Kaylee loved the stacking hamburger (forgot to take a picture) and Danny spent hours building with these straws, the same ones I had built with. In fact, when I was about Danny's age, older cousins and siblings used these straws to build a cage for me & my younger cousins. I loved reading him the books Grandmother had read to me. A Fish Out of Water, The Grown Up Day, and A Big Ball of String. And no trip to Grandmother & Papa's was complete without hot fudge sundaes. I can't believe I used to eat my hot fudge at that little table. It was a wonderful visit that I will always cherish. Thanks for a lifetime of memories Grandmother & Papa!

Thursday, May 19, 2011

Magical Florida Vacation

I'll have posts with pictures soon, but I wanted to jot down a few things from our Florida trip that I didn't want to forget.
  • Uninterrupted family time for 10 days - it was MARVELOUS!
  • Kaylee & Danny splashing in Grandmother & Papa's pool & playing with the same pool toys that I'd grown up with.
  • Kaylee devouring Great Grandmother's hot fudge - who can resist it?
  • Catching up with cousin Lindsay, who I hadn't seen in 7+ years.
  • Danny's shock at seeing great grandpa's dentures.
  • Building with straws & battling between Danny & Papa.
  • Aunt Lisa teaching Danny to swim
  • Danny jumping into the pool over and over and over.
  • Kaylee playing motor boat with her dad.
  • Girl's lunch out.
  • Beach dog park with the crew.
  • Long, hot run with Matt, ending at the beach & playing in the waves.
  • Building and digging in the sand.
  • Giddiness when we started to see Disney World signs.
  • Hoop-dee-doo Revue when Danny said, "They should have picked me. I know a lot about nature."
  • Racing cars at the LEGO store.
  • Matt & Danny building light sabers at Downtown Disney.
  • When they opened the Magic Kingdom gates the first day.
  • Fastpass Matt.
  • Kaylee & Grandpa riding Dumbo.
  • Danny's pure bliss riding Peter Pan's Flight.
  • Danny refusing to take a picture with a princess at our Castle Lunch until I told him he needed to defend Sleeping Beauty.
  • Matt's request to get a sword like Danny's at our castle lunch. He's still a kid at heart.
  • Danny & Kaylee sharing chocolate covered bananas.
  • Build your own ice cream sundae with Mickey Mouse sprinkles.
  • Electrical Parade - everyone from Grandpa to Kaylee was in awe.
  • Fireworks, holding my sleepy Kay-bear.
  • Kaylee & Danny splashing in the fountains.
  • Getting SOAKED on Kali River Rapids.
  • Watching Kay dig in the Boneyard.
  • Sitting next to my dad during Finding Nemo the Musical & thinking about what a good dad he has been to me.
  • Sitting next to Matt during Finding Nemo the Musical & thinking about what a good dad he is to our kids.
  • Tree of Life
  • Messy Kaylee at the end of long, humid days filled with sweat, sunscreen, & ice cream.
  • Canasta at the cabin after a long day.
  • Toy Story Mania - Kaylee in 3D glasses.
  • Danny talking to the other Padawans before Jedi Training.
  • Matt getting into the soft opening of Star Tours.
  • Florida Downpours
  • Danny debating & deciding what to get for his souvenir.
  • Dinner at 50s prime time cafe - Rootbeer Float for a drink + ice cream sundae for dessert.
  • Sending the kids home with Grandma & Grandpa and park hopping to catch 2 fireworks shows in one night.
  • Soaring & Tower of Terror - flying anyone?
  • People watching with Matt from the train station.
  • Star Tours & Toy Story Mania, again and again.
  • Watching the Electrical Parade while riding Splash Mountain.
  • Late night Thunder Mountain.
  • Kaylee dancing with Chip and Dale at the bonfire.
  • Danny roasting s'mores and getting into the sing along.
  • Grandpa cruising in the golf cart.
  • One last Mickey Ice Cream bar.
This was a vacation of a lifetime. SO MUCH FUN! I'll post pictures soon.

Thursday, May 05, 2011

Beautiful Blooms


About 45 minutes north of us, there are acres and acres of tulip fields. Despite growing up in the Northwest, I never recall visiting the Skagit Valley Tulip Festival. It was incredible!
My friend Rachael and her daughter Anna joined us for the adventure. 45 minute drives are actually quite enjoyable when you have another adult to talk to. And Anna and Kaylee always have fun together.

At the last moment I had the thought to bring an extra change of clothes for Kaylee. It had rained the day before and Rachael, who had already made a visit to the tulip fields, warned me it could be muddy. As mentioned in the previous post, Kaylee is drawn to big mud puddles.
Turns out Anna also likes mud puddles. Danny was able to enjoy the mud puddles by poking sticks in them, tiptoeing through them, and jumping over them.



But Anna & Kaylee were not satisfied unless they were splishing & splashing through every puddle. Rachael and I decided to just let them go for it. We didn't want to battle to keep them out, and the girls were having so much fun. Some people looked at us as though we were crazy. But most smiled & laughed at our muddy girls.



The only crisis was that after several of these . . .

...we discovered there was no running water available for cleaning the girls up. Oops. Luckily a gas station wasn't far and I had heeded the prompting to bring Kaylee an extra set of clothes. I should have brought an extra set for me too! Hooray for a beautifully muddy day!



Monday, May 02, 2011

Trouble

I'm not sure which I should be more concerned about . . . Kaylee's love of mud or her love of shoes.

Between General Conference sessions I knew the kids needed a little fresh air, mud or no mud. Some parents talk about how their children don't like to get messy. Hmmm . . . what would that be like? If I let her, Kaylee would probably be content to bathe in mud. On this particular day, she did.
While I was browsing summer shirts for Kaylee (because I'm being optimistic about warmer days ahead), I turned to see her removing her own socks and shoes. She had found the shoe racks and several pairs caught her eye. Trouble.

Sunday, May 01, 2011

Spring has arrived.


Matt and Dozer soaking up the sun after church.