Dollhouses, Glass Menageries, and Pink Rooms

I said something very profound the other day. Really, I was very proud of myself. It went something like: "You never regret having the children you have, you just are sad for missing out on the other side of things." Of course, this was in reference to someone asking me how I felt about having another boy. This woman, from Gymboree, has just had a girl and was chasing her 2 year old son around. She then replied, "I am so done, I am glad I got one of each."

I told her the truth, we are so done too. This is what it is, can't change it. Going to love man #2 (or #3 really) as much as anything. And, it does not reflect poorly on my love for him, or for Joel Andrew for that matter, but something inside me is profoundly sad that I am not going to have a girl.

I knew all along, since the day I saw the strip turn "pregnant" - that this was another boy. I think I was first more than shocked that we were having Deuce. All of this was not what I had planned, and I am a planner. I have it all mapped out and I thought that I would have a boy, and a girl, three years apart. Nope. Two boys under two it is. Lots of excitement ahead. I have been focusing on the good things, like how they will be best buds. We have all the stuff already, they can play together. At the lake, and at Sunday River they will bunk together for as long as my mind can see, and perhaps they will have the right amount of competition to keep eachother on their toes but not to stress themselves out. Not to mention Daddy will take them golfing, to the monster truck rally, to all sorts of things and Mommy will go to the spa and/or drink wine.

But still something makes me sad. And, it really hit me this weekend when I started to clear the way for Deuce. We will be putting him in our last bedroom, which until now has been a guest room. This room was made for a Princess. The sun shining in made the walls, though the same color as all the other walls in our house, glow pink. The bathroom has pink tile (and yes, it has it's own bathroom). The closet is so huge that you can literally fit two pack n plays in it. I walked in the room and it sold the house to me. The window, three windows in a bay, is what did it. I saw my Grandfather's dollhouse in that window corner. The pink toile wallpaper, so gorgeous. And to back me up, friends of ours have two girls, when they were the perfect ages, 4 and 6 they came over and were mesmorized by this room. Really, I am not kidding, the perfect girl's room.

So, I began taking things out of it. Time to paint it blue. I took down the glass menagerie - those little Swarovski glass animal figurines, you know them? I had a bunch when I was younger and I hung them, in a glass-mirrored case in this room, waiting for a little girl. Well, now it is in my closet. Again, focusing on the future at hand, I picked out some nice "boy" colors and am really hoping that the new bathroom color will make the tile look more orange than pink. But I still can't get over the dollhouse.

My grandfather made this dollhouse for me. It took him 5 years. He laid hardwood floors, in beautiful intricate patterns, in each room. He used wallpaper from my home growing up in the rooms, so it is also a time capsule on top of everything else. When I was 12 or so, we exhibited the dollhouse in the local Historical Society. My Mom spent literally hundreds of dollars on the curtains, fixtures, details and furniture for the place. And, now it is rotting in my attic. This dollhouse is so special, that when I made reference to it in a recent Facebook post friends of mine from elementary school who I haven't seen since about that time remarked how they remember it, and how beautiful it is. I had these grand dreams of restoring it back to its former glory. Investing in new furniture (as hurricane Angus destroyed a bunch a few years back). Re-painting the outside to go with the toile wallpaper of my future daughter's room. But no more. I know a lot of people say that boys can still play with dollhouses, but as Joel husband describes it - GI Joe defense barricade war-play is not exactly what I had in mind for this handmade family treasure. Perhaps I just have to stick around long enough and hope for a granddaughter.

So, the pink room is now blue. The painter lady is here today. The blue is gorgeous, and all will be fine. But I can't help but wonder what it is going to be like with a house full of boys. Lots of Joel's to pick up after, lots of boy talk to listen too, lots of movies and video games with loud bangs and gun noise. Perhaps I should rekindle my idea of building a lady space-barn in the back lot with a darkroom, quiet space and chicken coup? It can have a separate area, with a bay window, for a newly restored dollhouse.

Notes for the Next Disney Trip

We made it home. This morning we had a quick taste of the Magic Kingdom, with a breakfast at the Crystal Palace (still my fav character breakfast by far, the food is the best, the location cannot be beat and a great way to get into the Park early). He finally has the hang of these things, and loves to kiss the characters as you can see. Breakfast was followed by a haircut at the Main Street Barber Shop (I think called Harmony Barber Shop). It is a "thing" to get your child's first haircut here. I luckily made a reservation in advance - had to call lots of numbers to finally get the right one. They accept walk-ins, but the line was already forming when we were there 10 minutes after the park opened, and they will not reserve you there on the spot. Joel Andrew had a great haircut, got a certificate, first haircut Mickey-ear hat, and we have a lock of his hair now too. So, it is his second haircut really, but who is counting? Sadly we did not see the barber shop quartet that frequent the joint, that would have been cool. Then it was off to home, the travel time gave me some time to reflect on notes for our next trip.
Disney's Magical Express - Is truly neither Magical, nor Express. This is Disney's bus service that gets you to and from the airport. The only good things about it is that it is free, and they get your checked luggage for you and drop it in your room. So, no bag wrangling. That's about it. As you might recall, we had such a long wait to get from the airport to the hotel, had to wait two buses, had to stop at four hotels before ours, had to wait three hours before getting our checked luggage... Well, on the way home we again had to stop at four hotels! What the hey? Toddler was none too pleased to be sitting for an hour and a half in the bus, before airport debaucle and then plane flight. Next time we are forking out the dough for a private shuttle, and getting our checked bags ourselves.
Days and Times - We have decided that our next vacay to Disney will be longer, at least 6 full days, and we will arrive on a Saturday, depart most likely on a Saturday. A Saturday in the park is nuts. They make it too easy in Disney for locals to have annual passes, so on the weekends the place is overrun with them. Likewise, the parks that fill up the quickest, Hollywood Studios and Magic Kingdom, we shall save for the dead center of the week, least crowd?

The thought is as well, with that much time you can focus on a park a day, but you can also focus on the other amenities that you generally miss because you are so focused on the park. For instance, our hotel had outdoor movie night, which would have been awesome. Wall-E under the stars would be a nice way to end an otherwise hectic day. Plus, we totally missed the pool (oh yeah, we are going to find some other warmer, non-school vacation period to come too). So, maybe with more time in our week we could enjoy some of these other activities.
Resort - I would not have changed a thing about our resort experience. We shelled out an extra 15% for our room, which was a 1-bedroom at Bay Lake Towers as opposed to the Studios the rest of the family got. The 1-bedroom had two bathrooms, we stuck a pack n play in one and had free roam of the other. Grandparents had a delicious dine-in meal in the dining area while Joel Andrew slept and Joel Husband and I went out to a nice dinner. Not to mention, the dishwasher, fridge and laundry came in very handy. We had a high chair so we could feed Joel Andrew in the room before his naps. All this was incredibly handy for having an 18 month old with you... But again, the laundry was priceless with our sicknesses, and my lack of maternity clothes.

The other plus is the location. Walk to the Magic Kingdom in 10 minutes. Be on the monorail to Epcot or the other hotels in five. They have Chef Mickey's, which some say is the best character breakfast (it was fine, but had the primo stars), and the California Grill, which Joel and I tried last night and had a fantastic dinner.

As a side bar, we got a chance to peek in at the Grand Floridian, and I like it there, don't get me wrong, but I feel like you have to be dressed up to walk around. Joel Husband and I decided that when the kids are in college and we go to Disney by ourselves again, we might stay there. The Polynesian is the coolest place, the food is really good there and it is very convenient on the monorail, but it seems to be the most expensive. If it ever came down in price we might consider it, but no suites... Last time we stayed at the Wilderness Lodge, which is gorgeous. We love their restaurant Artist Point - and the pool is super cool. You can take a boat to the Magic Kingdom but it is not on the monorail. Bus it from there, which is a downside. They do have vacation club suites though. Finally, Animal Kingdom will be the place we will stay at when the boys are 5 and 7; we keep hearing the views of the animals, from your room, are the best. They have vacation club suites too. The bummer is that you have to take a bus to everything from there.
Age - the big question. When is the best age to bring your kid? Before the trip I said any age! And, I still agree. As long as you realize what you are working with (see post below), your child WILL LOVE the experience! And, you will have the memories that they will probably loose. Let's face it, we are really going for us. But, know your audience. That being said, and the fact that we have Deuce on the way, we are currently thinking the next time we come back Joel Andrew will be 5 and Deuce 3. This way they are hopefully both potty trained, in beds, and not needing planned naps. All this will make the trip easier (though I did not feel particularly hampered about changing diapers, and the kid having his own "bedroom" with the pack n play in the bathroom was nice...).

You have heard my rants and dining before, so I will not go into it again. But I will say, that when and if I bring back my 3 and 5 year olds, I will be going to: Biergarten at Epcot; Crystal Palace at Magic Kingdom; Polynesian Luau; and lots of quick service places (blech). I will have date night with Joel Husband at at least the fancy restaurant of the hotel we are staying in, at least once. (they have a sitter service there, and we would totally use it). We would also do in-room dining once. This burns two points off your meal plan, but as my in-laws and parents said last night, was worth it. They deliver the food to you in little warming, or cooling compartments, so it comes to the table in your room piping hot. They had rave reviews about the food.

So, that is all I have for now. As I reflect more, I will post more. And, maybe this will help some. It is hard to believe we are done with Disney for at least 3 more years... All the work that needs to happen before then!

Animal Kingdom!

I was very upset yesterday with all the plans changing the monsoon had brought and was finding that our trip was slipping away quickly, without the little guy really enjoying any of the things I thought he would enjoy. It is certainly difficult to plan a trip for a group of people, but I learned that it is especially difficult to expect everyone to want to be at the same spot three meals a day. This was the hardest thing for Joel Andrew. So, I already let you guys know in previous posts - don't expect the little guys to sit for too long. GASP - consider quick service. Gasp. Too much time in restaurants equals not enough time in parks! It also is tough being here preggers when your husband has other people to ride the rides with. I was continually upset that he kept going off to get on the roller coaster (who can blame him), but I felt left alone. Let's not forget, I am 7 months preggers here. I can be moody and emotional. But in the happiest place on earth? That, to top it all, made me the saddest!
The sadness and crankiness of me continued (I know, whine, whine, whine), when I became violently ill. This came equipped with a miniature black eye (ice really does help) because the stupid toilet seat in our hotel room is designed not to stay up for very long. Normally something I would be a fan of, but not last night. So, after being up all night and ill - probably the worst stomach bug yet, there was no way I was getting to go to Animal Kingdom today. Which was even sadder. But, sleeping in was a treat, and I woke up refreshed. When the kiddo got back for his nap I heard of all the wonderful things he did - and such a great time he had, and I was over the moon.
He went there with all the men, Pa, Grumpy, Dad and him. He went on the safari again, which is one of his favorites, and then saw a ton of animals. The petting zoo was also a plus but it seems as though the ducks remain the biggest hit. Ironic, in a place with tons of different exotic animals and the kid goes for ducks.
As you can see, he and Pa also continued to have a good time. Pa is the Joel Andrew wrangler while we are walking around the parks, they are like frick and frack. After Joel Andrew's nap we went to the Magic Kingdom, caught some rides and went on the train. Again, the birds and monorail are the best for the little guy. Our trip has come to an end, and it is very sad, but we did have a lot of happy moments. Next time I will be a little more street-wise in planning, not pregnant, and Joel Andrew will really be old enough to enjoy it all. Deuce on the other hand...

Today

Today was not the best day, though we did have our highlights. We were supposed to go to the Animal Kingdom, which we did go to... for about an hour. We had our breakfast at the Tusker House. Again, the kiddo was done. Not a fan of dining in general at this point. But, we got through it to meet Daisy. Right after breakfast everyone decided to go on the safari ride, which pregnant women are not allowed on, so I waited for them. Then the monsoons came. Torrential is not the word. I had a nice little hut all to myself until the entire country of Spain decided to "squeeze" under with me. Five minutes of the rain and we knew there was no letting up. I found the kiddo after their ride and ran to the bus. By the time I got there I was so soaked my preggo pants were see-through. There's a sight!
Kiddo did not mind though, he actually slept through the running through the rain. Nice and dry in his newly refurbished uppababy. So, we dry off an reassemble. I am again perplexed by the sudden change of plans (I do not handle change well), and we regroup. Husband and I decide it is time for some alone time. And, we take the kiddo - the three of us - the the Polynesian. Monorail (kiddo's fav thing), to enclosed space with interesting things to look at, and food. What can go wrong?
Once the monorail started working again we were off and we had a nice lunch. It was the first time the whole trip the kiddo ate his meal up. We got home to the hotel, he napped and we regrouped. Then, were ready for the Hoop De Doo Review.
The show is at Fort Wilderness, which is a boat ride away from our hotel. Lovely! The kiddo loved the boat ride, and the birds. It is a nice show, one that has not changed in years, if ever. The kid was a little restless, but did have a good time. As soon as the show started he went silent, watched intently - and when everyone clapped, he laughed and clapped as well. Very cute. The problem is it lasted about an hour and a half, which meant a very cramped baby. We decided to skip out before dessert, which was probably a really good plan as we were the first on the boat to the Magic Kingdom!
So, now we are back at the hotel. My luck continues as I started not to feel very well while we were walking around the park. We rushed home so I could lie down. And, I guess this is pretty funny, but while I was mid-sick (sorry for the goriness) the toilet seat hit me in the head, and now I have a black eye. No joke. Nice, eh? I am not having the best of luck with minor details like these but I am trying not to let it get me down like it did earlier today anymore. So what if I have a shiner. Can you imagine? I can't even say I was drinking!

Tomorrow we will try Animal Kingdom again, wish us luck! No projectile vomiting tomorrow, no monsoons. Cross your fingers.

Disney: Know Your Audience/ Hollywood Studios

Ah, Day four of Disney World and we are still in the thick of it. I should recap with what happened last night. We went to dinner in the Magic Kingdom, the Castle, to find out the sex of the baby (#2, or heretofore Deuce). We did the same exact thing we did last time (finding out Joel Andrew was a boy) - dinner at the Castle, photo with Cinderella, even the same waiter, Fernando - the best. The kiddo loved all the princesses, and was very shy/flirty with them. It was a lovely evening. Everyone chowed their food fast so that the cake would come out. I had a co-worker of mine call the Disney hotline in advance, open the envelope the sonogram tech had given me with the big news, and tell them what to write on the cake. So, after dinner Fernando brought out the cake, and it was a boy. Totally unsurprising to me, but very surprising to most I think. The kiddo seemed relatively happy about it until minutes later he got sick, all over the cake. We are thinking he does not like the idea of a little brother. Hmm. That took $40 and a quick stop to the nearest gift shop (don't worry, they have plenty in Disney), and a new outfit! He seemed fine after this event, so we chalked it up to juice gone down the wrong pipe, and carried on with our evening. We got onto Pirates of the Caribbean, the Jungle Cruise, and saw the Country Bear Jamboree. He seemed to like the bears the best, but does not love the rides. He just sits there for the rides (which I guess is better than squiriming!).

Seemed like he was doing much better and Joel Husband thought he needed something to eat, so we got him popcorn. BIG mistake. Three minutes later, the entire stroller was a mess. So, we booked it home. This is where the conveinence of the Contemporary Bay Lake Towers come in. I cannot say enough about how this is the best hotel for toddler-aged kids. We were within walking distance to the hotel, so no need to wait on massive lines for a bus or monorail. Plus, we had a laundry machine. All was cleaned, little guy got a few more things out of his system, and was to bed a bit late. But he woke up this morning back to new.
So, we went to our character breakfast of the day, Hollywood and Vine at Hollywood Studios. This is where we met some of the Playhouse Disney characters including Handy Manny, Agent Oso and two people from Little Einsteins. As predicted, the little man did not love the experience. It is making me wonder whether we should cancel all our remaining character breakfasts. This is where know your audience comes in. I typically always sign up for character breakfasts because A) - they get you in the park early. If you time it right you can sign up for a 7:30am breakfast at some places, and then you get out just as the park is opening to the general public. Then, you are first in line at any attractions you want. B) - It is a great way to see so many characters without having to wait on long lines. They come to all the tables, and they typically sit and interact with you for a while. C) - they are usually buffet, which means I can eat what I want. And, fill up for the day. We are on the Disney dining plan here, the Deluxe plan, which means these Character breakfasts are included in our meal plan. Some dinners and special dining events take up to two points (you get three points a day on the Deluxe), so if you use one point at breakfast for a character buffet, and fill up - then you can typically skip lunch, and just use your snack credits - and then have a nice two-point dinner, or go to something like the Hoop De Doo Review or Polynesian Luau (which I think is now politically called the Spirit of Aloha). So, I think character breakfasts are great, and they probably will return to being great when kiddos are over the age of 3. But, until then, maybe one for the whole trip instead of one a day would have sufficed...
The other know your audience problem is when you are with a big group. Lots of people wanting to do lots of different things but all saying that "we will do what Joel Andrew wants." I will not get into group dynamics here, you can probably imagine. The truth is, what Joel Andrew wants is to go down the slide in the theme park five times. Lots of people pointed out to me that he can go down the slide at home, I agree. But this is what he wants here too. He is a little man and can wrap his brain around this, not so much the Toy Story ride. Some of his most favorite times have been at the mini-parks here. Within Hollywood Studios the best place for the little guy was the Honey I Shrunk the Kids Playground. I squeezed into a slide with him a few times, and he just climbed around otherwise, Loved it! Again, he also likes to stare at the birds. We do bring him on rides, but as I mentioned above, and as seen in the photo below, he is not a fan. He is good, he sits there, but it is not his thing. He wants to be active, walking, climbing, and doing things that he can understand and that do not overwhelm him. So, my best advice to you if you are planning a Disney trip, is to not try to lug the kid where you want to go, but rather do everything with them. This is their trip after all, and it will make it easier in the long run for all of you.
We split up from the rest of the group, and Grumpy, Joel Andrew and I went to the Mickey Mouse Clubhouse show. This was a BIG HIT. There were two tantrums during the show, but only because I would not let him run to the stage. When the bubbles came down from the ceiling I thought he was going to loose it. He danced in circles, bopped around and clapped a ton. He paid attention the whole show and I have never had him sit in my lap for more than 30 seconds otherwise... It was a real plus. I think this show is perfect for parents to get a break, and kids to get out some energy, up to age 4 or 5? The pluses of these two things, the Honey I Shrunk and Clubhouse show - I didn't even know they existed before this visit and I pride myself on knowing all things Disney. So, again, another advantage of knowing your age - is you get to see new things.
Sadly we had to move our lunch at Primetime 50's cafe, so Grumpy and I decided to take the little guy back to the Contemporary for lunch and his nap. Knowing my audience here, after getting sick all night last night, he needed a good lunch and nap. I think out of all these restaurants that I have been dragging everyone - most sadly the little guy - too, he loves the quick service at the Contemporary the best. French fries, chicken fingers, birds (that come in through the monorail entrance), and most of all, his most favorite, the Monorail! What could be better? Hmmm. That could have saved us a lot of money, time and aggravation, (plus some fancy linens that they had to throw out at the Castle), if I just put us all on the Quick Service dining plan, and maybe only had one character breakfast and one nice dinner. Maybe for next time? But man, some of the restaurants are so good...

It's another Boy!

Magic Kingdom Part 1

Today is our big Magic Kingdom day. Yesterday we lucked out with the guy napping in the stroller through lunch, so today we thought we would not try to push it and instead use the proximity of our hotel to our advantage and bring him back for a midday nap. So, he is resting up and soon we will be back in the park. I think this will be key, as he was getting VERY tired, and cranky.
We had another breakfast at Tony's Town Square, with the usual character suspects. Once again he had a hard time sitting for it, but loved to see the characters. We have yet to figure out the hour and a half between when he wakes up and food is finally put in front of him at breakfast. I give him milk and cheerios in the room, but it does not cut it. Plus, when we finally get to breakfast and all the characters are around it is just too much for him and he cannot focus to eat. So, just a tip for all of you planning a trip, if they are very young, you may want to just feed them in the room and then they can enjoy the characters. If they eat again at the breakfast, bonus for you. You do not pay for kids under 3 regardless.

Tony's Town Square breakfast is only for groups of 8 or more. If you are planning a trip with a large group, call Disney and ask for "Grand Gatherings" - they will let you know of a few things that you can only do through this program. Including this breakfast, a safari dinner, and a dinner at Epcot. We just did the breakfast this trip. It was nice, but the same characters we saw yesterday - though they spent a TON more time with us today. We ate quickly and ran out before the "show" - but the kiddo had had enough, and I really wanted to get to some of the rides before the mobs sunk in.
Too late! We ran to Dumbos and there was already a 30 minute wait. Joel husband waited in line while the rest of us tried to entertain the little dude. Another thing we have not figured out yet. When you go in a large group it is hard to wrangle everyone, and by the time you do, then you are in a line. Then, by the time it is time to go on the ride or exciting thing, the kid is exhausted. So, he used lots of his morning energy on the sidewalk and did not love Dumbos... He snuggled up real nice through the Peter Pan ride. By 11 all the rides were up to 40 minutes waits, even Winne the Pooh, and he was exhausted. So we brought him back to the hotel for lunch and his nap.
But, I should tell you about the one thing the kiddo loves, the little parks they have interspersed in the Magic Kingdom. The one in Toon Town was such a big hit, I think we watched him go up and down the slide 18 times. Toon Town was fun - you can see Mickey's house, etc. - but it will be closing in February and all redone for the future. My guess is they are going to make it more applicable to their 2-5 program channel that is coming out this Feb (Handy Manny and the like).
Tonight is the big night! What will it be? Boy or girl?

Day 2: Epcot

Today was fun. How could it not be? Our first full day in Disney was spent in Epcot. First we woke up and went to breakfast in our hotel, at Chef Mickey's. This was very nice, food was just fine, location was a plus, and the characters were the primo ones - Mickey, Donald, Goofy, Minnie. But these were "express" characters. They came and went to each table in a matter of seconds. Which was fine, but only Joel Andrew got a real piece of it all. No photos for the grandparents! Good thing we have a few more breakfasts ahead.

Joel Andrew had the most priceless reaction, which I hope we got on video tape. He was psyched. First of all, he loves the monorail and that it comes in and out of where you are eating practically, so he was pointing at that - and then, out of the corner of his eye he sees Goofy - oh boy! Lots of excitement there. He gave each character a kiss - which for him right now means open mouth against your cheek. Adorable, especially when kissing a character. But, all of this excitement proved to be too much for the little guy, and meltdowns occurred. We had a meltdown the night before at our Japan dinner too (or five or six), so I started off the day worried that we had made a mistake with this vacation. Too early...
But that proved not to be the case. I think this is just a lot of stimulation for the little guy, with all of his family here, so he is just learning how to handle it all. He had a stellar rest of the day at Epcot. We ventured out to the family friendly rides there, which include the Nemo ride, Turtle Talk with crush, taking some time at the aquarium area of The Seas, and Journey to the Imagination with Figment. He loved the rides, and by Figment was exhausted. Grammie and I wisked him away to the country part of Epcot for a nice stroll while the rest of the kids went on Soarin', and he fell fast asleep in the stroller.
This was the best part. The kiddo slept in the stroller, for almost two hours. They let us bring him - passed out an all in the stroller - into the restaurant at Mexico. PERFECT. Very dark room, with soothing noises all around you. He slept like a baby while we enjoyed a very delicious lunch, and toasted his Siesta! I love the inside-Mexico restaurant the best still, San Angel Inn. (they have like four San Angel restaurants, so make sure it is the Inn). He woke up during dessert, and we went on the Mexican boat ride with Donald. Good times.
We spent the rest of the day walking around the houses and killing time before dinner at the Biergarten in Germany. Killing time = the men getting a beer at each country. See below for Top Ten Things for a Toddler to do in Epcot. The Disney Mom's Panel (a great resource where you can ask real Mom's questions about Disney and travel - don't worry, I will be applying), says that Epcot is the least-Toddler friendly place. But, Joel Andrew had a ball. Sure he screamed louder than anything in the Parisien wine store, but hey. I was screaming inside too since I couldn't have the wine either.... It was a great day, with a great little kiddo. Topped with the best dining experience with an awake kid yet - the Biergarten. He loved the music and the show, and ate about 15 of the sausages. It was so loud in there, that even if he threw a tantrum you wouldn't have heard it sitting next to him. Good thing we didn't eat lunch there! Tomorrow, off to "the best park for Toddlers," the Magic Kingdom! (and tomorrow night we find out the sex of #2, but no surprise for me, I am sure it is a boy, it has to be, carbon copy pregnancies here).
Top Ten Things for a Toddler to do in Epcot (country side)

10. Take a siesta in the Mexican House while Mom and Dad enjoy lunch.

9. Watch the ducks in the big lake from Mexico.

8. Watching the Japanese drum performance.

7. The waterfall, and small bridge area in China.

6. Watch the ducks in a small area in China.

5. The Biergarten band singing the Chicken Dance.

4. The bigger waterfall, with popcorn snack, at Canada.

3. The trains outside of Norway.

2. Watch the Ducks from the fountain in Germany.

1. Stand up with Pa, in front of a crowd of tourists, and perform in the United Kingdom street show.

As you can tell, with all the expense and all the excitement of Disney, Ducks made it to primetime. But we all enjoyed the day and certainly made many memories for a long time! Here's hoping for a happy guy tomorrow!

Day 1: Disney

I think most of you follow this blog to hear what Joel Andrew is up to, but the original premise was for me to share some information about our happenings, and hopefully make it easier for other Mom’s out there to venture out and try a new museum, park or beach. It is in that spirit that I hope to blog in the next week – all about our trip to Disney. I know a lot of people who have impending Disney trips, so either that or if you are thinking of travelling, there is a lot that we can share!

So, travelling out was a lot of fun. NOT. As many of you are aware, a huge storm hit New England yesterday. We got at least 18 inches, and with all of the cancellations of schools, businesses, etc. into Thursday, I was very worried about our flight. And, since all Tuesday night’s and Wednesday’s flights had already been cancelled, I pictured if our flight did not go, not being able to go for a few days. Which is all fine and dandy, but not when 6 other family members are there, waiting for only you to have fun. (Let’s be honest, they were waiting for Joel Andrew).

Well, all was fine in the end; flight went off now problem and we arrived! We decided to take Disney’s Magical Express. This would be our second time taking the Magical Express. I have a selective memory, and just assumed all would be good – but Joel Husband reminded me yesterday that our last evaluation of the program was that it was “neither Magical, nor Express.”

That evaluation still stands. Kind of a nightmare. Much easier to just go to the carosuel, get your bags and get in a cab. The Magical Express is free – so there is that, but you have to go from one line to the next. And, wait for your bus. We needed to wait for two busses before we got on. And then, once on the bus you need to go through up to four stops before getting to your hotel. This all sounds like I am nit-picking. But, if you wake a 18 month old up at 5:00am, and they endure a 3 hour flight, and hardly eat – the last thing you need is the pondwater express bringing you to the park. It took us over 2 hours, and now that we are here which is fantastic – we still do not yet have our bags… I am hoping this is just a delay and not lost baggage…

Just called, bags coming. So, we are here, we have been fed (hotel quick service dining…) – and while we are theoretically unpacking the kiddo is taking a quick nap (hopefully taking a quick nap) in the bathroom of our hotel room. Then, we will meet up in a little bit and have our first park experience at Epcot tonight, to celebrate Grammie’s birthday!

Now, I should tell you a bit about our awesome hotel room. We did good. We are staying at the Contemporary Bay Lake Towers. It is right next to the Contemporary hotel (yes, the monorail goes through it), and it is brand new. All of the relatives have their own studio, but we have a 1-bedroom. This is key as the kiddo is in the master bathroom; Joel and I can be asleep in the master bedroom; and others can play cards and mingle in the living area. Also – whomever wants to take the kiddo back to the room at night will feel comfortable relaxing in our living/dining/kitchen/extra bathroom area while kiddo is sleeping. Nice set up. We brought tons of booze to be prepared to watch the Pats game on Sunday, and for general evening fun.

Ok, bags should be here any minute now. I will have to layer up as it is like 30 degrees today… Off to Epcot and the fun will continue!

PS – I should mention that despite the Magical mess, early wake up, lack of well balanced meal, the kiddo is doing GREAT!

addendum - Multiple meltdowns occurred at dinner. Perhaps we should not have woken him up from his nap? Good night sleep is in the works and we hope for a happy boy tomorrow. Need to not push him so much! He loves the monorail though!

Snow Day

Do you know the age when Snow Day's are no longer fun? It is 31. That is because they cancel childcare, they cancel your midwife appointment, snow comes in your attic, and with the internet you are still expected to work from home. All this and concern over whether your plane will actually depart on time tomorrow, first thing in the morning. How will a plane be there for us when they won't allow any to land today? Hmmm....
Trying to put all frustration aside (and for legal reasons I cannot explain further about the snowmen in my attic), the three of us tried to enjoy the day. Little man was a cranky boy this morning for a little bit, but took a pretty good afternoon nap and woke up a better guy. I kept saying to myself, if he is getting stir crazy fine... he has a hell of a week ahead of him so let him get sick of the house. He will be begging for it by the weekend probably.
We ventured outside in the afternoon when the winds died down a bit. He loves the outside, refuses to put on gloves, and is still perplexed by snow. We took out Joel Husband's old sled (or is it Aunt Jennie's?), and just went for a walk up and down the driveway, until Mom almost slipped and had flashes of hurting #2, so that ended that.
I love the photo of him in the snow pile, I took one almost exactly a year ago today, and he is such a big boy now! Love the rosy chubby cheeks. So, we will see what is in store for us tomorrow. Hopefully we will get on our flight and put this white stuff all behind us, enjoying Florida at a chilly 58 degrees... Wish us luck!

Chuck E Cheese

Today we went to Chuck E Cheese. Joel husband's favorite place. He has been talking about going here ever since we found out we were pregnant with Joel child. Actually, since before then. I have not been exposed to many a place like this and have this thing that they are germ infested scary places where people steal your wallets. Not sure where I got that from... Dad... I prefer the more high class establishments like Disney World.

Anyway, so it was both my first time, and Joel Andrew's first time. Joel husband was psyched. He told me several times in the car ride over that I should not ruin the experience for our son. I did my best! I even did recall that in my childhood we had something similar, Mr. Arcade, though it was much smaller and somehow acceptable for the Halls to venture in.
I got the salad bar. I am a huge germie, but was also a "salad bar girl," back in the day, so I know what to avoid and what to go for. It was nice to supplement the pizza with some grapes, tomatoes and beans. The kiddo ate up his food but it was Joel husband that kept saying: "Ok, I think he is done now, is he ready? Can I take him?" The two had fun pushing buttons and playing the games. Joel child did not like the car rides - you know, stick them in the truck, stick in a coin and watch the car move up and down with them in it. Instant crying. This bodes interesting for Disney next week...

A good trip, lots of Purell for Mom. But, definite do again. Joel husband will insist! We left with a Chuck E Cheese mallet toy from our winnings, and a cotton candy. Joel husband had to wack the kiddo with the (very soft) mallet the whole way home to keep him awake. Kiddo is now napping! Additional prep for our big trip coming up, complete.

Ice Cream

More evidence that he is a happier guy, look at his first ice cream sundae experience today. Big fan of the whipped cream, not so sure of the cold ice cream yet. We are getting him ready for Disney. I am already packing a "throw away" shirt for when we give him his first Mickey ice cream pop.
Also, side note - Gymboree, he actually paid attention today and sat with the class! Such progress!

Happy Boy

Since I have spent a lot of recent posts complaining about temper tantrums, I feel I owe it to my son to give a nice post explaining his recent turn in attitude, and his much happier demeanor.

This is not to say temper tantrums have gone away, of course no... But, they are not happening every five minutes anymore! He is still not saying any words, but he is spouting off sentences of mumble that I swear he thinks are English now. So, instead of frustration and whining he looks at me and says: "meeble mobble bubbie moodle mmoo moo." And points. This has helped with the communication and has made a world of difference for both he and I. Not to mention it is so freakin' adorable. We have gone from I can't handle it one minute more to I love it so much, do it again! The only thing that still weighs on the back of my mind, when will he start talking? His former words: "Whassdat?" "Angus" "Oddur (Otter)" and "AAAhhhhdunnnn" have totally disappeared. Lots of mumble garble has replaced it. I wonder, is he just on the edge? My Mom thinks that he is just going to wake up speaking Shakespeare, any day now...

Besides the temper tantrums going away, and the patience that he and I have both recently acquired, he is getting much better at playing. Before it was tossing things around the room. Picture Toy Story 3 and the 1's room, that is my son. I would build a tower and he would NEED to knock it down right away. Maybe his new Christmas presents have opened his eyes to the world of toys and play, but he will sit and tinker with things now. Learn how doors close and open on his farm, put his mini-Mickey down the firehouse slide, and push the cars on the ground. Frustration when something won't work well is still there, but much less. It is really neat to see these changes.

Joel Husband likes to say he feeds off my personality, if I am cranky he gets cranky and it is a vicious cycle. Maybe he is right. From about September - end of December I had a rough time with this pregnancy. It was also a rough time in general (relative rough here, nothing life-shattering of course, but lots of little things that add up). Tantrum stage set in, I went back to work (did you know that, I am back at work now, have been since Sept - just 3 days a week though), and Joel Husband started going to Canada, three days a week, mid-week, almost every week. Not to mention me being exhausted, throwing up non-stop, and overwhelmed in general about the idea of a #2. I can look back now and say: "Boy that was rough." And, it was only a few weeks ago. But at least I am feeling better now and can look back and know that there are phases to everything, nothing is permanent. Maybe my current better mood, my ability to keep food down (which has also caused me to start rapidly gaining weight), or the fact that I no longer need to lie on the floor while my child runs around me crying - has allowed the both of us to be happier, healthier, and enjoy everything more.

Or, maybe it is the excitement for our impending trip to Disney...

I am not sure, but things are better, for now, for this girl and her little boy.

New Years Eve

What a blast, we had the Kings and the McCrensky-Hardings over for NYE again. Last year Britt was not around yet, so we grew by one. Hard to believe the six of us have already turned into 9, and by next NYE there will be at least 11! Scary!
Everyone played really well together (including the adults). The kiddos had a good time playing and snacking all night long and enjoyed a later than usual bedtime. Those visiting for the night had a little bit of a hard time getting settled into bed (but I think that was because they wanted to see Dick Clark), but all in all it went well. We set up our second video monitor camera in Declan's "room" (aka the closet in the future nursery) and we all had a good time switching back and forth on Baby TV watching Joel Andrew and Declan sleep, butts in the air and all.
But, we realized we are all old. Some of us pregnant, some of us drank too quickly... It was hard to make it to midnight. Joel Husband fell asleep 15 minutes before the ball dropped and once it did all the ladies made a quick exit. Brian and Pat eeked it out for about 45 more minutes. We remember the glory days of partying till all hours. Ah, they are taking a break for the moment, but sure to return in a few years.
This morning no one was up before 7:30, which was nice. We had a delicious breakfast and played around some more. Joel Andrew really loves Britt's laptop toy! Britt is a big fan of his dancing Mickey. The boys also continued playing around outside in the gorgeous weather today, it feels like 60 degrees! If this is what 2011 is about, sign us up! Good friends, delicious food, fun times with the kiddos... I just can't believe there is going to be another one soon...