Spring Break

Spring Break means I have time to update and upload- sorry David that it has been so long since anything new has been posted! This week I will work hard to get the soccer pics and videos up as well as the ones of the Easter egg hunt.

William is spending the night off with a friend for the first time tonight. He is well prepared with 3 stuffed animals, his "Go Dogs" blanket, Bolt, his new favorite movie, and the knowledge they are having pizza tonight. Jackson is having a great time with all this undivided attention and use of all the toys without having to share. A few times, like when dad first got home, Jackson forgot that he wasn't here and went screaming "BUBBA!!!!!!" through the house

More Disney

We started our adventure by going to the dinner show at the Polynesian- it was fantastic! The show kept the boys entertained, and W actually ate a lot of what was served- the rice, veggies and chicken were all a hit. J didn't eat any of his dinner, but he did eat 3 desserts- chocolate moose volcanos with mango and pineapple sauce.



Boys enjoying the dinner show


On our ride back to the hotel we got to ride it the front of the monorail. Since J thought that was the best ride he went on all week- it was definitely a highlight. Every time a monorail would go by J would yell "MONORAIL!MONORAIL!" which attacked a lot of attention from onlookers, who usually commented about the "big word from a little guy"- if only they knew!



Each day we got to the park as it opened, stayed way beyond normal nap time, came back to the hotel for a nap, had dinner, and headed back to the park until long past bed time. Our second night we went to Epcot and saw the Reflections of Earth show (I think that was the name). We all loved it, but J said it was too loud and hurt his ears, even though during the show he was enthralled. W loved the Norway viking ride and asked all week to go back and do it again.

William shows off the moves he learned at school



Most nights we went back to the Magic Kingdom. It was amazing with all the Christmas lights, the light parade was also spectacular. W and J sat with their mouths hanging open through the whole parade. W named each character- including the fairy godmothers from Snow White (who knew?) and J said "hi" to each passing character. I am posting two short videos that feature the boys, but if anyone wants to see the whole parade, it is pretty cool.



Light Parade with the boys' reactions

We were lucky with most rides at night- the lines weren't too bad, except for Dumbo and Peter Pan, we never had much of a wait. J loved It's A Small World so much, we rode it several times, J felt so comfortable with the the "characters" he said "hi!" "bye" and "good-night" to almost every doll in the ride.



The boys loved the Haunted Mansion as much as their Dad (who opted to ride it by himself rather than ride Small World yet again). We were able to walk right in, and as J said - "it wasn't scary, it was silly scary"



W is a fan of the roller coasters, so our days at the Magic Kingdom were spent gather fast passes and making plans for the major attractions. Since we got there so early everyday, it wasn't much of a problem. And with the rider switch policy, W got to ride most things twice- once with H and once with me. Splash Mountain, Big Thunder Mountain and Pirates of the Caribbean were W favorites. I am sure Space Mountain would have been on the list if he had been tall enough.



Epcot was surprisingly busy. Everyone made a mad dash for the Soarin' and Test Track fast passes. We headed to Soarin' and then rode the Nemo ride and talked to Crush while we waited for our time on Soarin'. It was worth the wait- one that made us late to our lunch reservations at The Coral Reef. We saw huge turtles and fish swim by, and even saw a scuba diver. Great way to spend our lunch break. After lunch it was a visit with Mickey, Minnie, Goofy, Pluto and Donald, then on to test track.



Animal Kingdom was our least favorite- although over all it wasn't bad. The animals were cool, but it was pretty much like a visit to the zoo. The safari was good, as was the Bugs Life movie. Other than that...not much going on. The Dinosaur ride looked really scary, so William passed on it. He was too small for Everest, and Primeval Whirl was not running that day. W and H rode a ride like Thunder River. We had a good time, but it was a slower day and not a park to ride a lot of rides. H and I were both longing to ride Everest, but that will have to wait for one of the guys to reach 44".



Hollywood Studios was CRAZY. H and I planned to split up, he would go get fast passes to Tower of Terror, while the boys and I went to stand in line for Toy Story Mania. WOW!. EVERYONE went to Toy Story. By the time we got there, and we went straight there at the opening, the fast pass line for TS was a 30 minute wait. The line for the ride was outrageous, but I jumped in line anyway. There was no way to wait on H without incurring an additional 30 minute wait, so we went on in. It only took about 30 minutes, great time considering that by the time we got off the wait time was up to 100 minutes and 140 minutes when we were leaving the park. I wish H could have ridden, he would have had a blast, and been better at the arcade style games than me. I could see why it was so popular.

Tower of Terror was great! W and H rode first. It was the first time W got off a ride and didn't want to get back on. I talked him into it (so I could ride) and he was fine. He was still smiling when we got on and off the second time.

William loved Star Tours, I was glad I only had to ride that once.

J got to do a lot at this park too. We went to see Playhouse Disney Live on Stage. Then he got to meet Handy Mandy. I think that was the highlight of his day. Mator and Lightening McQueen were parked at the garage for pictures, and we had lunch at Pizza Planet. It was definitely a movie filled day.

More info and videos later!

Disney!!

I know - it have been almost 4 months,and no new pics. I can't believe how busy we have been since school started. I WILL be better about this, hopefully. J and W both do and say such amazing things that I want to share, but ... where does the time go?

Before I start posting our Disney pictures and stories, I have to share a short J story.

The other night at dinner H, W and I were talking about the planets and stars and that they were soon going to start a new mission to take astronauts to the moon. J, who had been eating, and not talking much, looked up and said - "But they might fall off."

I said "Who might fall?"

J "They might fall off the moon."



Now to DISNEY WORLD!!! We had a fantastic time, and I know I will have a hard time deciding which ones to pick.

First Day of School

W's first day of school was today! I wasn't able to take him this morning, but he was all smiles when I picked him up this afternoon. He took me to see his classroom and his seat. He said that he didn't like school, but my teacher friend he waits with in the afternoon said he came down with a big smile and his arm wrapped around someone. He ate all his lunch "except for just a little bit of jelly" (jell-o). He said he did not get in trouble today, although a friend from class last year got in trouble ten times (this is an unverified claim of course).

I also had a terrific first day. I know I am really going to enjoy my classes. I am not used to talking so much in a day, and now I have a terrible sore throat and no voice. Hopefully it will be back before tomorrow's classes!!!!

Balance

W and I went to the birthday party of a friend who has moved out of town. We had a wonderful time, and it was so good to see our old friends again. I love to watch W play with this family. The two boys are older, and their daughter is younger. W is normally very shy and quiet (in fact he spoke his first words to their father today- we have known them for YEARS), but with these children he cuts loose and yells and screams and will even yell his own directions sometimes. It is wonderful to see this side of him.

Despite this freedom in play, his true nature shins through. When it was time for the pinata, he was ready- stick in hand, in position to pounce. When the candy spilled he dove in and began to pick out the pieces he wanted- one by one. The older kids filled their bags quickly with heaping handfuls and moved on, he continued to hunt for the pieces and flavors that he wanted, careful not to get the gum that he is not allowed to chew. The best moment of the party for me (certainly not for him) was when he and their 2 year old daughter were the only two left at the candy pile. He picked up a lolly pop and turned to her and asked "... do you have a lolly pop yet?" She peered into her bag and he said "here, you can have this one" and gave her the last lolly pop. W loves "pops," they are one of his favorite treats. I am so thankful for his caring, concern and unselfishness. I want that moment to live in my mind forever. When we got home and looked in his bag, he had one lolly pop. I was even more proud.

We are concerned about his lack of aggression, and we fear that he could be "run over" by other kids at school. Had he been a candy grabber, he would have missed the opportunity to share with someone else. I hope that he finds balance for himself that will allow him the opportunities to care lovingly for his neighbors and take care of himself. He seems to have found it- today he got what he wanted, he took nothing that he did not need, and while he missed out on extras, he had enough to share- a balance that we should all strive for.

Where has the time gone

Wow! I can't believe that tomorrow the week will be half over! We had a wonderful weekend, with a lot of time with the grandparents. The boys and I went to visit Mimi and Papa (Pop-Pop, as J has renamed him) Friday, and Sunday Nana and Grand-D came and spent the day with us. It was nice to wrap up the summer break with family time.

We are all having a hard time adjusting back to the schedule. W is so tired at night that we are putting him to bed at the same time as J- 7:30. They probably need to go to bed even earlier, but we can't seem to manage that and still have time to spend with them in the evening! We are going to work in a trip to the pool tomorrow after I pick them up. We haven't been since before the beach, and W is anxious to go back!

W is looking forward to his Open House, he is counting down the days. We pass his new school each day and he talks about all the things he will see in his new school (the toys and cubbies and books and bathrooms and lunch room and library, etc). I am glad he is so excited. I hope Thursday fuels his excitement.

Phrase Friday

J's phrase for the week is "I ike tat song" or "I don' ike tat song." Every time anything resembling music can be heard J must make his opinion known. If he really "iks tat song" he will shout "Up peas, Mommy! Up peas!" until it is at the desired volume and dancing ensues.

W's upcoming school is the driving force behind his phrase this week: "...when you were at school?" Everything seems to spur a question about what it was like when I was in school. Yesterday, when we were approaching the school were I teach, he begin to ask questions about my friends and teachers and the physical appearance of my elementary school. One more week before my big guy starts school. Wow!

All most time

It is almost time for the school year to begin. This beginning is the most difficult. Not because I long to stay home (although I do desperately wish I could take J to work with me), but because this is W first year of "real" school. He will begin pre-k at our neighborhood school- the big building that hold kids as old as eleven! Actually, the school is small, I think only two classes of each grade, but still...it is much larger than the church preschool program that he went to 3 days a week last year.

When did he get so big? I am already a nervous wreck, this list doesn't begin to cover my worries.

• He is so shy- will he really speak up when he has a question or a need?
• He is such a slow and picky eater- I will pack his lunch each day, but will he have enough time to finish eating? H bought a timer and we have been timing each meal for the 20 minutes he will get at lunch.
• Will he make friends?
• Will he behave?
• Will his teacher see that when he is "dazed" that he isn't not paying attention- he is really trying to see what he can "see" in that object (it took me forever to figure this one out- for example his pile of peas looks like a dog, or if you turn the toy this way it really looks like the sun partially covered with a cloud, etc...I kid you not)

I don't express my worry to him, but he expresses his worries to me. He doesn't want to take mac and cheese or "the best noodles in the world" (the sodium filled $00.15 a pack kind) because he doesn't want to take things that are "long or messy." At lunch the other day I explained that his class will not say the blessing together like they did this year at school, but that he could say the blessing to himself. He said "what if no one else wants to say it, or if they don't want me to say it?" I am not sure where this came from, as he has never been in that situation, but the look of panic was real. I told him he could say it silently in his head if he would rather do that. He nodded and smiled, and his shoulders relaxed. I am not sure if that was what I should have said. I hope the Lord will understand my hesitation in making my child nervous. He will shine his light in non-verbal ways.

We met his teacher- they do home visits for pre-k. She seems really nice and excited about the year. W liked her, although he didn't actually speak to her while she was here. I know he will have a wonderful year, but I can't help but worry.

She doesn't look like a Patty

W wanted to copy the pineapple face we saw on display at the grocery store. He figured out how many and what fruits we would need. He wanted to place everything himself and leave it as a surprise for Daddy (no doubt to those of you that know Daddy- he don't really like anything on the face...). When everything was finished W decided the face needed a name, and that it looked like a "she." He told me to pick a name. I tried, naming several reasonable names, all with strong "nos" and vigorous head shaking and twice I was told "That is not a name" (although I beg to differ- as would several children I have taught). My last suggestion was "Patty Pineapple." He said "NO, SHE DOES NOT LOOK LIKE A PATTY!" Very exasperated with me. I gave up, and repeated my earlier request for him to pick a name........Alealeeya (I spelled it phonetically, I have no idea how it would be spelled A-lea-lee-ya) You decide. Does she look like an Alealeeya? Is Alealeeya a real name?

Cloth Diapers are Awesome!

I have to sing the praises of cloth diapers! I love cloth diapers! J's diaper rash is gone, and only rears it's ugly head when he sleeps though a wet or dirty diaper. We had to switch to cloth swimmers too. They are fabulous!

Cloth is a little more work. I wash a load every night because the thought of dirties sitting all night freaks me out. And, as I have to remind anyone who keeps him, you actually have to change him when he is wet. What!?! What a concept! With the cloth, that point is emphasized though actually inconvenience to the ones in charge. The diapers will hold one potty with no problem, no leaks, no issues. If you let it go and try and allow a 2nd or 3rd bathroom break to go by, there will be problems. Not that I am perfect, I have allowed a few oopses, but each time I see where I made the error, no an issue with the diapers. And there have been no more leaks than when he used disposables. I did put him in disposables for our car trip. I couldn't tell from my seat when he was wet, so I thought that would be best. Just the few hours in the car were not enough to bring back the rash since he was lathered in cream.

I am so thankful that cloth has come so far from the days of pins and folds. The AIO are a life saver for me and for J!