Disney Trip 2014 - Day 6

We signed Jocelyn up for a kids race as part of the Princess Half Marathon weekend.  She was so excited and did a great job.  She wanted mom to run with her - or at least that is what she said until the race started and then she was off, completely focused on the finish line and not paying attention to whether I was still next to her and ran right by Mickey who was giving high fives right before the finish line.  She got her finisher medal and some point after the race on the way back to the car she fell and hurt her knee.  She limped for hours after that and made a very big deal about running the race and then hurting herself.

After the race we headed over to Magic Kingdom for some Princess time.  We met Merida first - who was so much fun to meet and interact with. 

Jocelyn wanted to change into her Rapunzel dress before we met Rapunzel - so that's why there is an outfit change between these sets of pictures. 

I'm certain we rode some rides and did some other things than just meet Princesses - but  can't be certain.  I know we ate lunch at Liberty Tree Tavern and this was my first experience eating here and it was really good.

Let's meet some more characters....

I think this is the day that Mom and I saw two families getting into it over a stroller.  One family accused the other of stealing their umbrella stroller - I'm talking about one of those $10, flimsy fold up ones from Wal-Mart.  There was no identifiers on the stroller and I'm sure the identical stroller was sitting somewhere nearby.  There was some cursing from the accusees but the accusers were relentless and were not going to let it drop.  The Disney Cast Member that was working in the area (I believe he was on the janitorial staff) was trying to handle it but you could tell he wanted the Disney security guys to get there ASAP.  Anyways, it was very interesting how one little thing can set some people off.  On our last trip I accidentally took someone else's stroller - it was identical to ours and when I realized it was the wrong one I immediately took it back and the people were there looking for it and I apologized profusely and it was no big deal.  Everyone just laughed it off - because it happens.  In my defense, it was really dark in that stroller area of Epcot and it was already night time.  Oh well.

I think we headed back to the hotel to relax and have a early evening in - Melanie had to be up super early the next morning for her 10K Race.  This may have been the night that we got Chick Fil A and ate in the cabin.  It was really nice to have the space to be able to do that and let the babies play in the living room area and be out of their stroller.

Disney Trip 2014 - Day 5

I know I'm way behind on these Disney updates.  I'm about to take a trip to Disneyland in 3 weeks and I have to finish my report on the last trip before I can go on another one - well, at least that's my goal. We are now on Day 5 and today (Thursday, February 21) we headed to Disney Hollywood Studios!  All the parks are awesome, but I love this park because it has several of my favorite rides - Tower of Terror and Rock n Roller Coaster.  

I don't remember the exact order of the attractions that we went on but I know that we did Rock N Roller Coaster first.  Because of the kiddos we were able to do the "child swap" option and 2 people went in to ride and we got a fastpass for the rest to get to ride once they got off.  Saves some time and it's a nice perk. I think the babies were sleeping during this time. 

We had FP+ for Tower of Terror - so we were going to do that later.  We wanted to get Little Mermaid show and Disney Junior done that morning.  Jocelyn loves these 2 shows.  We saw Jake outside Disney Junior when we got done and we had to meet him! 

We, of course, had a FP+ for Toy Story Mania and so I'm sure we did that before lunch and also met these guys.... I sat with the kids while they slept and John and Jocelyn did this one and Mom and Mel did Toy Story Mania.  Jocelyn had a blast! 

We ate lunch at Mama Melrose at 1:20.  This was a great break during the middle of the day to have a nice sit down meal and relax for about an hour.  I enjoy the food here too - good size portions and I've never been disappointed with the food.  Always good - and the drinks aren't too shabby either. 

I'm pretty sure we did the Muppets 3D show sometime after that.  I can't remember the exact order but one of the highlights of the day was Jocelyn riding Tower of Terror (Mom and Mel wouldn't even ride it).  She did get freaked out in the line a little bit but was a real trooper and got on the ride with us.  Afterwards she was not too much of a happy camper (cried a little bit).  

We didn't spend all day at the park and left, probably around 4pm - right after the Beauty and the Beast stage show.  We really like that show.  We headed back to Ft Wilderness and I did some laundry and we rested a little while.  That night we did the Sing A Long and made smores at the campfire, met Chip and Dale and watched Pocahontas outside on the big screen.  I know Jocelyn swam at the pool one of these nights too - just can't remember which one.  Here are the picks though from Ft. Wilderness.  

These kids are getting so big!

The babies had their 15 month check up on Wednesday and both are growing like weeds and doing great.  Liam is 28 lbs and Lizzie is 25 lbs, and Liam is almost 1 1/4" taller than Lizzie.  They each got 3 shots but took them like champs.  It's been so fun to watch them grow and see how their individual personalities are coming through.  They both sleep great through the night and have good schedules during the day.  I'd say we're pretty blessed to have such wonderful kids! 

Liam makes the cutest faces and loves to laugh.  He is happy about 99% of the time and only times he cries is when he is super hungry (better shovel some food in that boys mouth) or he falls down.  We are a little concerned that his legs are a little bowed, but we're waiting it out a bit to see how they grow.  He is quite saying words but definitely knows what you're saying.  He loves to play outside and all things that stack.  He his perfectly happy playing with a toy all by himself.  Liam sleeps like a rock (see the bottom of this blog post for his many nap positions).  He does not, however, take long daytime naps like his sister does.  He might sleep up to an hour, but that's about it.  Lizzie will nap in her crib, but Liam sleeps in the living room since they are shorter naps and no one wants him waking up Lizzie during her 2 hour naps.  

Lizzie is a super goof.  She has discovered how to climb on everything and we've had to put up some barriers in the living room to keep her from climbing on the couches and tables.  She likes to wear Jocelyn's princess dress-up shoes and walk around in them.  She wants to be out and about, always with someone and wants your attention 24/7.  She is already saying Mama, Dada and YaYa.  She is simply adorable and cracks me up  - and cracks herself up too.  She throws her head back and laughs when she thinks she done something hilarious.  She is also a bit of a diva and will throw herself on the ground in the most dramatic fashion to cry when she doesn't get her way.  

Jocelyn is doing well too and loves her brother and sister.  She starts school on Monday the 25th and I think she's ready to get a little social interaction time with kids other than 2 15 month olds.  She will be in Pre-K4 and will get to partake in some field trips this year.  She has spent the summer mostly at home - but did get to enjoy a gymnastics class and an art class.  We've signed her up for soccer for this fall but we're not sure at this point whether there were enough coaching volunteers to get all the kids on a team.  We're still waiting to hear about that.  Her latest obsession (other than Frozen) is Phineas and Ferb on Netflix.  

Liam is the sleeping king - here are a few of his sleeping positions.  I wish I could sleep anywhere like this kid can.  He cracks me up! 

Moody Gardens

I decided to take Jocelyn for a day trip to Moody Gardens on one of my Friday's off for a Mommy-Daughter day.  She has spent a lot of time cooped up in the house this summer and we are somewhat limited to how much we go out because of the babies.  I thought a little one on one time would be good and she'd get to have a really fun day.  I decided on Moody Gardens because it was relatively close and I thought there'd be a lot for Jocelyn to do there.  Plus, the Palm Beach area is right up Jocelyn's alley - she loves all things water.

I purchased a day pass through Gulf Coast Educators Credit Union since it was slightly discounted.  The cost was $46 per person and it gave us entrance to all 3 pyramids, the 4D movie, a 3D movie and Palm Beach.  I wasn't sure how much time we'd spend at each pyramid and I was certain Jocelyn would like the Pirates' exhibit.  Overall we had a great time - but I think it's a bit pricey for what you get (and I'm one that thinks Disney park tickets are worth the astronomical price).

We arrived at 10am - right at opening, and went to the Aquarium first.  Jocelyn loved the seals and the penguins.  We looked at all the fish, turtles, star fish and I let Jocelyn take as much time as she wanted.  Being a 4 year old - she was ready after about 30 minutes.

Next up we headed to the Discovery Pyramid for the Pirate's exhibit.  I thought she'd love this because she really likes Jake and the Neverland Pirates.  The exhibit was based on the findings of a real pirate ship called the Whydah.  We watched a short movie all about the history of the ship and the discovery of the wreckage.  The film wasn't scary and didn't seem to bother Jocelyn at all.  But as soon as the doors opened to head into the exhibit, Jocelyn started to freak out a little.  There weren't any scary artifacts - just stuff from the ship - the bell, cannons, cannon balls and there were recreation sets of what some parts of the ship looked like.  We were in there for about a minute and Jocelyn started to cry and wanted to leave.  There was no consoling her, so we headed to the next stop.

The last pyramid was the Rainforest Pyramid and she liked this one but not as much as the aquarium.  We saw lots of birds, snakes, fish, etc and she liked it but didn't have any interest in learning much about life in the rainforest - no big surprise there.  She did see the python and commented that "it must be the snake that eats people."  Not sure where she learned that from.  It was very warm in the pyramid (as it needed to be) and all Jocelyn wanted to do was go to the gift shop because I promised her she could pick out 1 thing.

Next stop = the gift shop.  She picked out a long stuffed snake and she loves it.  We took our purchase and headed into the 4D movie featuring Rio.  Jocelyn really enjoyed this.  There were special effects throughout - rumbling of the seats, puffs of air to go along with scenes from the movie, etc.  It was only about 15 minutes long and very enjoyable.

Next we took a break to eat lunch before heading out to Palm Beach.  We ate at the Garden Restaurant.  The menu was good with lots of variety, plus there was a large buffet will lots to choose from.  I ordered a simple BLT with avocado and fruit and Jocelyn has the grilled cheese.  We had a nice table right next to the window that overlooked the water.  The service was good and it wasn't too pricey (more than fast food of course).  Jocelyn liked having a grown up glass with a straw.

The best part of the day was Palm Beach.  We headed back to the car to grab our bag with our swimsuits and walked over to the water park area.  A quick change in the ladies restroom, a rental of a locker ($10 charge) and selection of life vest (this was free) and we were good to go.  The ladies restroom had a few showers and the stalls just for changing we right next to those, so the floors of the changing area were soaked and made it a little challenging.  I didn't get any pictures of her in the water because I kept my phone and wallet all locked up in the locker.

First we went to the splash pad, then the kiddie slide area, then the wave pool and the beach.  She had a blast.  Of course she wouldn't do the big slides - she loved the wave pool.

Overall, we had a great day.  It didn't feel too crowded and I had no trouble finding a table or chair in the water park area.  We could've spent the whole day at the water area and just paid for that part, but I wanted her to see the other exhibits.  Now that we've done them, I'm not sure I'd buy another full day pass.

I'd like to check out Schlitterbahn Galveston next.  I'm sure she'd love that too.

Butterfly Diaper Cake

Wanted to share my latest diaper cake creation.  This was for a co-worker of mine who is having a little girl and is due in August.  I went with pink (of course) and knew I wanted to do cascading flowers.  The butterfly decor was decided on when I was at Hobby Lobby shopping for the materials and saw the pretty butterfly ribbon.

Schlitterbahn!

This summer we took a "close-to-home" vacation and spent 2 days at Schlitterbahn, New Braunfels and then did 1 day at Sea World San Antonio.  We left on a Thursday and arrived at Schlitterbahn around noon.  Checked in to the resort (stayed 1 night at the Resort at the Bahn which included admission to the parks from the time of check in until park close on the day of check out) and headed to the park for lunch and an afternoon of swimming.  The resort was a great pick and our room was a quick walk over to the original Schlitterbahn.  

We picked a picnic table right next to a great kiddie pool area, fed the babies and made some sandwiches for John, Jocelyn and me.  Of course Jocelyn was way more interested in getting in the water than eating any lunch.  The day was overcast but no rain - so it was actually pretty great because it wasn't too hot and the sun wasn't beating down on us.  The kiddie pool was great - I sat with the babies in the shallowest part and let them splash a bit.  Jocelyn did a few slides (made a friend about a minute after getting there) and then went off with John to do some other slides and the wave pool.  

After an hour or so, I got the babies out of the water and changed them into dry cloths so that we could walk around in the stroller and take a nap.  I must have walked that park about 100 times but they slept pretty good. 

That night we went for dinner at the Gristmill in Gruene and really enjoyed being back there.  Boy have things changed though - lots of development heading up Gruene Rd with new neighborhoods and shopping areas.  Very nice though - I wouldn't mind living there.  Headed back to our room and I hung out with the babies and put them to bed while John took Jocelyn for some night swimming (it was about 8:00 at this point - not really that late).  The room was great - it was a 1 bedroom and had a large living room with a big dining table and full kitchen.  We set up the babies' pack-n-plays in the living room and they fell asleep after just a few minutes of being in their beds.  

The next day we went to the other end of the park - Blastenhoff and Surfenburg areas of the park. Since we stayed on property we could get into Blastenhoff at 9am (we got there more like 9:20 since we stopped and got ice for our ice chest).  I also reserved a cabana at Surf Island for the day and could check in for that at 10am.  John got to do the MasterBlaster before the line got too long.  Then he and Jocelyn did the wave pool/river for probably an hour.  I headed to the cabana to settle in and put all our stuff down.  I am glad we got the cabana (although it was more than I would have wanted to spend) - it was nice to have a place to change the babies, eat lunch, and I could arrange the furniture so that they could just walk around and get out of their strollers.  Plus it had a ceiling fan and was nice and shaded.  It was very close to the kiddie area at Surfenburg where we took the babies to splash in that water and Jocelyn did all the slides there.  While I walked the babies around for a nap, John and Jocelyn did the lazy river and Jocelyn finally got her pink alligator float after asking 2 very nice girls who were so sweet to hand it over to her.

Overall we had a great time - but it was really challenging with 2 1 year olds.  One or 2 more adults would have been ideal - but hey, we live and learn.  We left Schlitterbahn at 5pm and headed to Mr. Wallace's house in San Antonio.  The next day would be adventures at Sea World and we needed some sleep. 

Disney Trip - February 2014 - Day 4

Disney day 4 was another Magic Kingdom day and we had big plans for Jocelyn....an appointment with a Fairy Godmother in Training at the Bibbiddi Bobbiddi Boutique!  It was a total surprise for her and she was so excited.  The salon is so cute (of course it is, this is Disney World) and Jocelyn was so patient and did so well while her Fairy Godmother worked her magic and transformed her into a princess.  We bought her a dress from JCPenny before we left and I brought it with me to the park.  She changed into it right before the appointment (at the Rapunzel bathrooms in Fantasyland - that area is so cute - she wanted to dance and dance). 

After the BBB, we had lunch with the Princesses in Cinderella's Castle!  This was Jocelyn's first time here (we usually would go to Akershus for the Princess interaction...but we changed it up this year) and she had so much fun.  The Princesses loved the babies and gave them lots of kisses!

After lunch, John and Melanie went over to Ft. Wilderness and checked us in to our new home for the next few days.  Mom and I stayed with the kiddos at the Magic Kingdom and went on some rides and did some attractions.  The best one that afternoon was Enchanted Tales with Belle!  Jocelyn got picked to be the Beast in the story because she gave the best growl.  It was the cutest thing ever.  I wasn't sure if she'd do it or not, but she was awesome and the star of the show.