Kites

One of the highlights of our beach vacation this year happened on the very last day.  We flew kites on the beach.

GG bought all the cousins a kite as a special surprise.  We waited until the last night when the weather was warm and windy.

It was the perfect ending to a fun week.

Myrtle Beach ’11

It’s been a rough couple of weeks adjusting back to “normal” after our beach vacation.  Plus, add the fact that Hubbie went away for the weekend to attend Queen’s funeral and then, we both got sick. Yeah, good times.  It was some nasty stomach virus and the only up side was that the kiddies did not get it.  THANK GOODNESS.  But, needless to say, the house has not been cleaned and there is laundry piling up.  It took all my energy yesterday to get the house refilled with groceries and toiletries.  Today, I feel much more “normal.”

I was also able to FINALLY download all our beach photos!  We go to Myrtle Beach, SC every summer with my parents and my sister’s family.  They all drive south.  We drive north.  We meet in the middle.  It’s the best case scenario for everyone.  It’s so awesome for all the cousins to hang out together.  They are all around the same age and they love each other so much.  We spent loads of time on the beach, in the waves, in the awesome indoor/outdoor pools, and at Broadway at the Beach.

July 4th is one of my favorite holidays and we threw a party in our beach hotel room to celebrate.  We decorated the windows and had crafts for the kids.  Hubbie made some mean hot dogs and chicken fingers and my sister was in charge of the red, white and blue ice cream treats.  We watched A Capitol Fourth on PBS and danced along to the live performances.  Even Grandma and Grandpa. The night was perfect.  (Although Annabel did miss the flag painting because she was so exhausted. You can see her in the background just snoozing on the sofa.  But, don’t worry,  she was awake before dessert and the fireworks on the balcony.)

Cousins

 July 6, 2011.  Myrtle Beach, SC.

 

 

Disney World Trip ’11 – Part Three

If you missed Part One.. Click Here!

If you missed Part Two.. Click Here!

Last year we did the awesome Chef Mickey’s character breakfast in the Contemporary Resort and I highly recommend it.  It’s the perfect place to meet Mickey, Minnie, Pluto, Goofy, and Donald Duck and get all those photo memories out of the way.  TIP: Book reservations for 7:15 AM so you can be one of the first ones seated.  You can enjoy an hour long experience and then go directly to the Magic Kingdom on the monorail.  If you are not staying at the Contemporary, just show them your reservation confirmation so you can park there.

This year we decided to try the character lunch at The Crystal Palace in Magic Kingdom.  Again, reservations are necessary.  We saw lots of tired families trying to get a table and there was a very long wait.  I made reservations on-line for 11:45 AM.  There is a large buffet with lots of food choices for adults and kids.  And you get to meet Winnie the Pooh, Tigger, Piglet and Eeyore!  Piglet even helped us with our check-in.  He was so cute.  And Annabel loved him the best because he’s pink, of course.

Then, we were off to Adventureland!  I really thought the kiddies would love Pirates of the Caribbean, so we were a little bummed out when they just wanted to skip it entirely.  Bean LOVED the Swiss Family Robinson Tree House.  It’s a giant tree house with LOTS of steps. It was a little steep for Annabel, but she was fine to enjoy a popsicle in the shade.

Then we FastPassed the Jungle Cruise and went on the Magic Carpets of Aladdin ride.  It’s very similar to the Dumbo Flying Elephant ride in Fantasyland, but I loved that our family of four could ride together on one “carpet.”

That is Bean with the super cute Mickey Mouse bucket hat.  TIP:  Bring a bucket style hat for the kids AND you.  I forgot my straw hat and I wish I had it.  It gives your head instant shade.  And SPF 50 is also a must.

Then we used our FastPass for the Jungle Cruise.  We enjoyed the Jungle Cruise so much that we forget to take some photos!  It’s a very relaxing, shady ride and it’s a great break from all the action in the park.  The kids loved visiting the different continents and seeing all the cool animals.  The tour guides must be trained in comedy because the corny one-liner jokes just keep on coming.   But it was fun.

Then we “cruised” to the front of the park to get a good spot for the 3 PM Celebrate A Dream Come True Parade.  TIP:  Head over at 2:15 PM to get a spot for the 3 PM parade.  There are only a few shady areas along the parade route near the entrance.  We managed to get a spot by a tree so I could park the kids in the strollers.  Daddy left to get drinks and lollipops.  The time moved quickly as everyone else started to pile in and look for a spot to sit.  We were so glad we were near some shade so we could enjoy the fun.

The parade is great for the kiddies to see their favorite Disney characters all at once.  Daniel loved Peter Pan, Captain Hook, and Lilo and Stitch and Annabel loved Cinderella, Princess Tiana, and Belle, her favorite.

Final note:  I planned to take Annabel to Storytime with Belle at the Fairytale Garden behind Cinderella’s Castle, but it has now changed to Storytime with Rapunzel from Tangled.  Annabel has not seen the movie Tangled yet, so it was okay that we opted out of the ENORMOUS waiting line.  The line was at least 2 hours long, so definitely make a plan to have someone wait in line while everyone else grabs lunch.  We did get a little sneak peek look at Rapunzel (and Flynn Ryder!) when we walked by.  It definitely looks neat and worth the wait.

Disney World Trip ’11 – Part Two

If you missed Part One.. Click Here!

We were blessed with perfect weather for our one day adventure at Disney World’s Magic Kingdom last Friday.  Since the kiddies are 4 1/2 and 3, all we really need to cover is the Magic Kingdom.  And since we live so close to Orlando, we can do it in a day in March when the weather isn’t scorching hot.  We are lucky ducks.

We left our hotel at 8 AM to head over to the giant Magic Kingdom parking lot.  Last year we stayed at the Contemporary Resort so all we had to do was take the monorail from the hotel.  This year we had to navigate the parking lot. I was nervous because I always get nervous when I don’t know what to expect.  But it was a breeze.  We parked  our car and had the option to take the tram to the monorail stop or just walk over.  We decided to walk with our two strollers.  It was actually great exercise and only took about 10 minutes.

TIP:  Take a stroller.  If you have more than one kid, take two strollers rather than a double.  This way you can split up if one kid wants to go on a ride and the other kid wants to potty or just take a break.  I really think any kid under 5 definitely needs a stroller.  If your kid is over 5, it depends on their personality and if they will walk around.  You can also rent a stroller at the Magic Kingdom entrance.

We spent the morning in Fantasyland.  Last year Annabel did not go on ONE SINGLE RIDE.   This year was so different.  She was excited and ready to go!  We started with Dumbo the Flying Elephant.  Success!  TIP:  If you have children around the ages of mine, start with Dumbo as soon the gates open.  It’s in the middle of Fantasyland so you will be central to a lot of cool rides.  Plus it’s a great first memory because you can see so much of the park from the sky including a perfect view of Cinderella’s castle.  It really is magical.

We then went to FastPass the Winnie the Pooh ride before we headed to Peter Pan’s Flight.  After Peter Pan we went on the Disney classic It’s A Small World ride and then we were perfectly timed to head back to Winnie the Pooh.  TIP:  FastPass! You must use the FastPass service to make your day more enjoyable.  You put your park ticket into a machine and then receive a pass to come back and ride during a designated hour.  When you return during that hour you get to basically cut the line.  It’s awesome.  The park maps will let you know which rides have the FastPass option.  Only the most popular rides use FastPass.

We then split up so Daddy and Daniel could do the Tomorrowland Speedway cars and Annabel and I went on the Carousel.  We also stopped for snacks.  TIP: Bring your own water and snacks.  It will save you money and time.  Of course the kids will want the awesome Mickey Mouse ice cream bars but that’s part of the fun.  Definitely get one too!  They are SO yummy!  (Or you can always buy the biggest blueberry muffin you have ever seen.)

Then we were off to lunch at The Crystal Palace where we dined with Pooh, Tigger, Piglet and Eeyore!

Part Three tomorrow!  I need to watch the American Idol results show.  (I also really NEED a glass of wine. )

Disney World Trip ’11 – Part One

We surprised Daniel and Annabel on St. Patrick’s Day and told them we were going to Disney World!  I told Annabel in the morning and she was so excited that she wore her Mickey ears in the car when we went to get Daniel from preschool.  Daniel was doubly surprised to see Daddy pick him up in class and then see the rest of us waiting in the car with packed suitcases.  He was almost speechless.  We were on our way!

We drove 2 1/2 hours and arrived at the Doubletree Suites near Downtown Disney  around 3:30 PM.  I cannot say enough about this hotel.  It worked perfectly for us because we planned to spend the evening having fun at Downtown Disney and then check out the next morning for an entire day at the Magic Kingdom.

At the Doubletree, the kids have their own special guest check-in desk.  They sign their names and get a fun goody bag. There is a really neat gift shop in the hotel lobby filled with everything Disney, of course.

After unpacking a few things, we drove the short 5 minutes to Downtown Disney.  Downtown Disney is an amusement center all its own.  There are great family restaurants, lots of cool stores, and tons of activities and entertainment.  TIP: You HAVE to make a reservation for a Downtown Disney restaurant.  If you are staying the week at Disney World and want to hang out at Downtown Disney for one of the days, definitely plan ahead.  Some of the restaurants will take a walk up reservation, but if you have kids you don’t want to wait 45 minutes to an hour.

We love Fulton’s Crab House.  It’s on a boat, which the kids think is super cool, and it has a great seafood menu.  The best part is the kids menu which features crab legs and fish, but also pasta, burgers and mac n’ cheese.  Daniel shared crab with Daddy and both kiddies also had pasta and fun drinks.  I loved my salmon.  Hubbie and I also had our first St. Patty’s Day beer.  Everything was really good.  The place is a bit pricey, but it’s vacation, right?

Then we strolled around enjoying some live music and taking some photos.  (Annabel was a little more into the photo taking that day.  In case you couldn’t tell.  Hee.)

The kids loved the Lego store and we bought T-Shirts at the largest Disney character gift shop on EARTH, World of Disney.  The World of Disney store also has the Bibbidi Bobbidi Boutique which is the super cute salon for little girls to get their princess makeovers.  (It’s a great second option if you can’t get into the main Bibbidi Bobbidi Boutique at Magic Kingdom’s Cinderella Castle.  That’s where I plan to take Annabel sometime next year.)

Then we headed back to the hotel.  Everyone was exhausted.  We love the suite concept because the kids have their own room with two double beds and there is a queen pullout in the main room for Mama and Daddy.  Well, that was the plan until 10 PM when Annabel was WAY too excited to sleep and Daddy was exhausted.  So Annabel and Mama roomed it in on the sofa bed while Daddy and Daniel had the perfect night sleep in their own room.

The next morning was the breakfast buffet in the hotel lobby with all the other excited families.  Then we drove to the Magic Kingdom at 8 AM for a day of fun!

Part Two (and lots of Magic Kingdom tips!) coming tomorrow.

 

Annabel’s Curls

My daughter’s curls are her trademark.  She looks beautiful with curly hair.  It suits her so well.

And her curls looked the best during our beach vacation.  It was something about the pool and the ocean and the salty air that made them look perfect. 

Perfectly Annabel.

Seashells

Daniel and I started a new beach vacation tradition: Looking for seashells together.  Just me and him. 

The best part?  We went on our adventure after Annabel was asleep and it was “really, really late.”  Like “super late.”  Like the only other kids awake at the same time were the “big kids.”

Bean thought it would be “really, really dark” so we had to bring a flashlight.  (It really wasn’t that dark out at 8 o’clock, but he didn’t mind.  He still used his flashlight. )

It was perfectly warm with an awesome ocean breeze as we searched the wet sand.   He was in his jammies with blue Crocs.  He held my hand as we walked but then he would let it go to run after a piece of white or black or silver shell he saw floating in a foaming wave.  We carefully placed our treasures in a mini blue  pail.

The best part?  It was just me and him. 

Just him and me.

Family Beach Vacay ’10

I FINALLY downloaded all my beach vacation photos and it was so nice to relive it all again.

We stayed at the super family friendly Dunes Village Resort in Myrtle Beach, SC.  The key feature for us was the nice covered pool area. (This is very important for my pale family.) 

The pool area also has a lazy river…

and TWO water slides.

Bean was in heaven and could not get enough of it.  Annabel was a little hesitant of all the pool stuff the first day. But by the second day, she was a little princess mermaid.   She would sit with me for an hour in the kiddie pool area and just swim around in circles.

She also liked to lounge with me at the beach.  I could not ask for a better companion.  Something about the salty ocean air must really mellow a crazy 2 year old because she was my beach chair buddy.

Daddy and Bean did a lot of sand castle building and wave jumping.

And each day ended with ice cream on the balcony. 

Annabel always had “pink” (strawberry) ice cream from the ice cream parlor.  Bean always wanted a fudge bar from the freezer because that’s what he picked out from the grocery store the first night we arrived.

Family. Pool.  Beach.  Ice Cream. 

Perfect.

Walt Disney World ’10

We finally did it!  We took the kiddies to Walt Disney World for the very first time!

We live in Florida so it was easy to plan a one day visit to the Magic Kingdom.  And when I say PLAN, I mean I had a completely organized print out of all the Magic Kingdom lands we would hit and at what time we would ride all the toddler/preschooler appropriate rides and at what time we would stop and eat at certain restaurants and watch shows and parades, and, OF COURSE, all of it went out the window right after breakfast.

But I like to be overly prepared.  And we did start with the perfect breakfast. We went to Chef Mickey’s in the Contemporary Resort. I read some great reviews about the character breakfast, but I had to cross my fingers while I called them everyday to try and get some last minute reservations.  I also went on their website reservation page five times a day.  You usually have to book them 6 months out.  But, finally, hours before we left, I had confirmed breakfast reservations.   Woo Hoo!  

Chef Mickey’s was adorable. They took a family photo for us. The breakfast buffet was super yummy.  All the main Disney characters were there to dance, sign autographs, and take photos at every single table. We all enjoyed it so much, but this was Annabel’s big Disney moment.  She went BONKERS. She danced and clapped and hugged them all. 

Annabel LOVED all the Disney characters. But Annabel HATED  all of the rides.  I tried everything, even Cinderella’s Carousel, but she surprisingly didn’t want to do any of it.  Daniel, on the other hand, LOVED all the rides.  He had his favorites (Dumbo Flying Elephant, Mad Tea Party Teacups,  Tomorrowland Speedway) and he wanted to go on all his favorites two or three times each.  

He was not thrilled with It’s A Small World, so he did not want to go on any of the other indoor boat rides.  Since I missed out on all the rides with Annabel, I tried to get Bean to go on Winnie the Pooh or Peter Pan with me. He was not having it.  He wanted to be with Daddy.  So Mama did not go on ONE SINGLE RIDE. But, I took Annabel on a lovely stroller tour of the park which included three circles around Cinderella’s castle and visits to all of the Mickey Toon Town houses, random Christmas shops, and multiple refreshment stations.  

We had lunch back at our hotel and took some much needed naps and then we headed back to the park. We found a great spot to watch the 3:00 PM “Dreams Come True” Parade with some Mickey Mouse ice cream.  

We ended up having a fast food dinner at the park so Daddy and Daniel could utilize their fast pass tickets to ride the super popular Thunder Mountain ride at 6:45 PM.   Bean deemed it “the scariest train ride ever” but he did not cry, so that was a success.

Overall, it was a blast!  It was a little overwhelming and exhausting, but the weather was gorgeous and it truly was the most magical place in the world!  Even at the worst of times (ie: waiting in line to take Annabel through Minnie’s Country Cottage House for the 5th time in a row), it was still so much fun and there was always another ice cream stand 20 feet away.