Monday, March 30, 2009

Our Disney Vacation

We did it! We survived and you might even say thrived at Disney World! Here are some highlights from our trip:

Thursday-Owen comes into my room and informs me that we can go to Disney without him. He will stay home with Grammy. Turns out he was a little concerned about the flight. After some very smooth mom-talk, Owen had a change of heart and decided this was going to be a great trip! We arrived at the Caribbean Beach Resort in time for dinner and some exploring.

Friday-We learned that our family loves Epcot! Who would have thunk it! The boys had a blast at The Seas with Nemo Pavillion. Turtle Talk with Crush was a big hit. Daddy enjoyed tasting all the international sodas at Club Cool. We had lunch at The Coral Reef and dinner at The Garden Grille. The boys got to meet Chip, Dale, Pluto and Mickey himself! We ended the night with a brisk walk around the World Showcase.

Saturday-We were off to The Magic Kingdom. The day started off a bit rocky when all three men decided the Dumbo ride looked a little too threatening. We changed plans and headed to Mickey's Philharmagic . . . not my best idea. I think it was the combination of the dark theater, creepy 3D glasses, and water shooting out of the seats that sent both boys into hysterics. From that point on, the boys were quite leery of entering any sort of theater building. We recovered with a boat ride at Small World and really pleased the little guys at Pooh's Playful Spot, a little play area. Just before lunch at Tony's Town Square, we headed over to the Harmony Barber Shop. Owen went first and did a great job sitting still for Mr. Rex. Next, Miles stepped up to the plate for his very first haircut! He was given his very own Mickey ears with "First Haircut" stitched in the back . . . too cute! After some down time at the resort we returned to the Magic Kingdom for a quick dinner and a ride on the Jungle Cruise and a train ride.

Sunday-The day began with a mad rush to Toy Story Mania at Hollywood Studios. Unfortunately, everyone at the park seemed to have the same idea. This ride must be amazing, but we will never know. The highlights from this day include seeing the PlayHouse Disney show, JoJo and Goliath and Leo and June at Play N Dine, Lightening McQueen and Mater (Owen was delighted), the Block Party Bash and finally finishing our day with dinner at the 50s Prime Time Cafe. Brandon got a stern talking to from our waitress . . . she was great!

Monday-A slightly rainy day--perfect for the Animal Kingdom! We began the day with Kilimanjaro Safaris. This was amazing! The animals were out and about and soooo close! The boys loved this ride! After a trek on one of the trails we boarded a train to Rafiki's Planet Watch. Owen and Miles loved the petting zoo. Those goats and sheep received some tender loving care from my boys that day! I believe today was the day that we stopped at DinoLand for some carnival games. Owen won "Alphabet Snake" (he came up with the name) and a little stuffed bat which he gave to Miles. Fun times!

Tuesday-Back to the Magic Kingdom! We hit the Indy Cars, Monster Floor Laugh Inc and Mickey's ToonTown. Again, the little play area was a favorite for Owen and Miles. We ate at Cosmic Rays and headed back to the resort for some down time (we did this almost every day). We returned to the park for dinner at the Crystal Palace. We met Pooh, Tigger, Piglet and Eeyore. After dinner, Daddy saved us a great spot for the SpectroMagic Parade while the boys and I took a train ride. The parade was awesome and probably one of my favorite things!

Wednesday-Our last day! We began the day at Epcot. Owen ended up enjoying "Living with the Land" boat ride after initially screaming and yelling "I think this is gonna freak me out!" He also had a chance to see Turtle Talk with Crush again. This time, Crush talked to Owen and Daddy! Very cool! We headed over to the World Showcase for a boat ride at Mexico and then off to lunch at Rose and Crown Pub. While waiting, Owen loved the hedge maze at United Kingdom. We had a special surprise at Rose and Crown. The boys were the first youngsters at the restuarant as we had reservations right at opening. They received crowns and special certificates in a little ceremony at the entrance to the pub. That evening we headed back to Animal Kingdom. We used some Fast Passes from the Conniff's to ride Kilimanjaro Safaris again. We ended the evening with The Lion King performance which was amazing! The monkeys were the best!

Thursday-We were picked up from our room at 6:30am! The Magical Express took us to the airport at 7:30am to catch our 12:30pm flight. After a long day, Grammy and Grampy picked us up at OHare airport and delivered us safely home. What a great week!

Wednesday, March 11, 2009

The Potty Process

I received a text from my sister-in-law the other day saying that my sweet little niece Maggie went on the potty for the first time. How exciting! Maggie is a few weeks younger than Miles so it is natural to compare a bit. Where is Miles in the potty process? Well, he loves to wipe . . . while fully clothed! It's really quite hilarious. That kid brings a smile to my face on a daily basis. Keep wiping Miles, at some point it will be a very useful skill :-)

Tuesday, March 10, 2009

Early's Kingdom

Received a fun link to this website from one of my Jr High girls. Too funny! Thanks Bethany!