A SURPRISE Disney Cruise!

About a month ago, we found out that Disney was offering a Florida resident deal on their cruises sailing from Port Canaveral. I had really been wanting to take another one since our last one (in December of 2011) was kind of stressful what will all five of us in one VERY expensive cabin, Bailey having a broken leg and Liam being a (nursing) baby (with food allergies) (who only wanted his mommy). In fact, when we got off the boat that time, Will said, "never again!" BUT Disney cruises are really the best and I wanted to take the kids now that they are a little bigger.

Well, I called and found out about the deal and it turns out that the cabins that were on sale can't accommodate five people, so we would have to get two cabins--two CONNECTING cabins with balconies! And it actually worked out cheaper than the one cabin we would have gotten! For me, that cinched it. Will was on board and he decided that we shouldn't tell the kids that we were going. It was a really hard secret to keep, especially after Mimi and Grandpa decided they wanted to go, too!

A couple days before we left, we asked the kids what they REALLY wanted to do this summer. Bailey shouts, "GO ON A CRUISE! And go to Chuck-E-Cheese and see Muppets Most Wanted." So Will said, "I can promise that at least two of those things will happen!" :)

On Thursday, June 5, we loaded the kids into the car and told them we were going to the beach. All the way to the port Will kept dropping little hints like, "Who wants to go really far out in the waves today?" LOL. They were clueless. We almost got caught when we were nearly there and Bailey decided to look behind her and saw all of the suitcases in the back. As we got closer, we pointed out the cruise ships to the kids and asked them if they wanted to go see them up close. They were pretty excited about that. Then Will said, "What if we just drove in there? Think they would let us on the boat?" Bailey and Liam were cheering and saying, "Yeah, yeah!" but Emily was like, "No, it doesn't work that way." We finally told them that we weren't going to the beach but we were going on the Disney Dream. They were shocked. I don't think they actually believed us!

In the port there was another surprise--Mimi and Grandpa were waiting for us!

We really had a lovely time on the ship. Three days was pretty short--I didn't feel like we got to take advantage of everything they have to do. But we did manage to see two shows and do lots of swimming and AquaDuck-ing and eating!

The girls also did a special Glitter and Glow makeover in Mickey's Mainsail. They got their hair and makeup done as well as a face gem and a hair clip to keep. Then we went to the princess gathering and they met Rapunzel and Ariel.

 On deck 11 with Mimi and Grandpa!

 Ready to set sail!

Liam fell asleep during the Golden Mickeys and the slept through the whole dinner at Animator's Palate! He missed Crush the sea turtle chatting with Emily.

In the Mickey pool

 Bailey and Daddy just after B's first AquaDuck ride!

 in Nassau

 After the AquaDuck with Mimi and Grandpa

 on our balcony

 posing at Castaway Cay

 Pa giving Liam a ride to the beach

 Saw this crab on our way to the beach! I don't think I've ever seen one "in the wild" before!

 Bailey met Captain Jack Sparrow while we were walking around Castaway Cay

 Love this--found this note from Bailey on our cabin door.

 Princess makeover!

 Princess makeover!

Unfortunately the trip was over way too soon but it was definitely a summer vacation to remember!

Our Summer List

Each year since Emily started school, the kids and I have been making a summer wish list with lots of fun ideas that we want to try to do during the summer. Here is this year's version of the list:

My goal is to do as many of these as possible! As you can see, "board games" has already been checked off--hooray! We'll keep you posted!

Summer Break!

Today was the girls' last day of school. I can hardly believe it--I'm now the mommy of a THIRD GRADER and a FIRST GRADER!!

Both girls came home with excellent report cards. Emily scored 100% on the district math assessment. She also got straight As all year long. Bailey scored a 3 in writing, which is the highest score they give kindergarteners. She got straight Ss on her report cards all year.

When I picked them up after school, they were so excited! Emily is psyched about summer break. Bailey isn't so sure--she loved school and she didn't want it to end.

Here they are getting off the bus!

After school we had a special lunch of pizza and cheese sticks. Then I took the kids to the splash park to play. We had a lot of fun!

We got ice cream (and frozen lemonade for Liam) from Burger King on our way home. It was a super fun start to our summer break! We've started writing our summer wish list--more on that tomorrow.

Bailey's Frozen party

Today was Bailey's 6th birthday. We decided to have a Frozen-themed party and it was so much fun! I really got into the theme (thank you, pinterest!!) and had lots of decorations, themed food and games, fun goodies for the kids, and a beautiful gown for my princess.

We served yummy snacks like Anna's sandwiches (pb&j, of course!), Sven's carrots and other yummy treats (veggie tray), Olaf's snow-dipped fruit (fruit with white chocolate dip), Kristoff's icicles (rock candy), Elsa's ice wands (pretzels dipped in white chocolate with sprinkles), Anna's snowballs (powdered donuts), plus a beautiful cake and cupcakes that were all frosted sparkly white.

I hung snowflakes and paper lanterns all over the play room and it was simply magical in there. We had a long table with snowflake centerpieces and a shimmery wand or glow necklace for each guest. B invited her whole class so we had a  LOT of kids here!! We played freeze dance to music from the movie; do you wanna build a snowman with toilet paper, construction paper coal and carrots, and tape; pin the nose on Olaf, and pulled the ribbons on the piñata. Everyone got a prize as well as a "do you wanna build a snowman" kit to take home, which was filled with marshmallows, pretzel sticks, chocolate chips, and a rolled starburst "nose." We also had blue swirl lollipops with Thank You! stickers on them.

The big surprise of the day was when Aunt Joann arrived for the party--from Pennsylvania!! We weren't expecting her but it was so wonderful to see her.

Bailey did a fantastic job opening her gifts. She took the time to read every card (out loud) and really was thankful and excited about every gift--and she had a LOT of them!

All in all, I'd say it was a very successful party!

Liam's puzzle domination!!!

Look what my baby can do! I'm really proud of him for knowing all of those shapes!

http://youtu.be/PHyVuJ35C84

Playroom remodel...part two

This morning Dad came over to hang the wall cabinets in our playroom! I've recently painted it a beautiful light blue, rearranged the furniture and organized the toys. We bought the kids a futon and we hung the tv on the wall and hooked up the Wii and the Xbox. Now it's really a kid paradise back there!

Liam helping with the clamps!

 Bailey helping Grandpa!

 Emily helping with the wall screws!

The finished wall!

I'll have to get some pictures of the whole room to post soon.

Silly Kids

This Valentine's Day, I made Italian Chocolate cake for dessert. It was a new recipe and I wasn't sure how it was going to taste, so I told everyone that if it wasn't good, I had a backup dessert. After I served the cake, everyone was saying that they liked it. Emily's reaction, though, was the best. She said, "It's good... enough." :)

**********

About a week ago, Bailey had a rough week at school. I told her that her consequence would be missing going to see the Lego movie with Daddy and Emily. But Daddy offered her a deal: if she went to bed early every night the following week, she could go to the movie. Well, she liked that deal--until it was time to go to bed early, that is! Last night, when we put her to bed, she was NOT happy. She was in her room crying, "Why did I even MAKE that deal???" LOL!

Glasses

Last week I took Liam to the eye doctor. We had noticed that he looked a little cross-eyed whenever he was tired, and when I took him to the pediatrician for his 3-year check up, she said he may need glasses. I was amazed at what the eye doctor was able to diagnose on an uncooperative toddler--but he said that Liam is farsighted and has slight amblyopia. So, Liam had to get glasses, which he has to wear all of the time, and he has to wear an eye patch for 3 hours a day. I was pretty upset at the diagnosis and the treatment, but we are going to do everything we can to get Liam's eyesight as strong as possible. The good news is that he should be able to restore his vision in his left eye (whereas if we'd left it untreated, eventually he would lose his vision in that eye). He may or may not need glasses in the future. We go back in April for a recheck.

I still think he's the cutest boy ever.

Belly Laughs

A few nights ago, Bailey was wearing some pajamas that are getting a little small for her. The shirt would ride up every time she'd raise her hands. Will called her over:


"Bailey, come here." She did. "Lift your arms." She did and as soon as her shirt was lifted, Daddy tickled her tummy. She burst out laughing and said, "Daddy, you TRICKED me!" Then she turned to Emily and said, "If he tells you to raise your arms, don't do it." LOL!!

To Infinity and Beyond

I have been trying to get Liam to poop on the potty for close to a year now. About a week ago, he saw a Sherriff Woody doll in Walmart that he really wanted to have. So I made him a deal that if he pooped on the potty, I would get him the doll.

Every day since we made that deal, he's pooped in a diaper, sometimes more than once per day. And every time he says, "You buy Woody [for] me, [if] I poop in potty." So he totally GOT it but he still wasn't going to use the potty.

WELL, yesterday I noticed him running off into Emily's room, holding his bottom. I said, "Liam, do you need to poop?" He yells, "NO!" I said, "Yes, you do! Let's poop on the potty!"

He came out and tried but didn't go. We repeated that same scenario about an hour after that. He tried hard, but wasn't able to go. So I said, "You tell me when you are ready to use the potty, okay?"

Shortly after that, he came to me and said, "I ready poop on potty now." So I said, "okay! Let's do it!" I sat with him for a while and then I said, "I'm going to get the laundry out of the dryer. So you let me know when you are done."

A few minutes later I find him playing on the floor. I said, "Did you go?" And he said, "I poop in there!" And sure enough, he POOPED IN THE POTTY!!!!!!

Well, we got cleaned and dressed and went right out to get Sherriff Woody. Hopefully we will be out of diapers soon! :)

Oh, and the funniest part of all--after I gave him the doll, he said, "To infinity and beyond, Mom." LOL!!

Pull ups and lost teeth!

Today I tried using pull-ups with Liam. He's still wearing diapers (boo) even though he'll keep the diaper dry all day long and I just keep putting it back on. But he isn't interested in underpants or pooping on the potty yet. Anyway, he had his 3-year check up this week and the doctor suggested that pull ups might help with the potty training process. The package has three designs--a Monsters Univeristy one, Cars, and Buzz Lightyear. Liam had to inspect all of them. He said, "Not Mike Uh-zow-key." So Monsters was out. Then he examines the Buzz one. "It has to have Woody on it." So, no Buzz. That left Cars. Lightning McQueen on the front and Mater on the back. Perfect, right? Wrong. "I no want Mater on my hiney. Put it on backwards! Want Mater in front!!!" Well, you can't put it on backwards or it won't work! So, sheesh! Talk about complicating things!!



On another note, Bailey lost her first TWO teeth today! It was kind of funny because I didn't even know she had a loose tooth, let alone expect her to lose two in one day! This morning, at about 6:15, Bailey came into my room as I was getting dressed. She said, "Guess what, Mommy! Exciting news! I have a lose tooth!" So I said, "Wow! That's so exciting! Your first wiggly tooth!"



Well, not even 30 minutes later, she was eating breakfast and she said, "My tooth came out!" That was it. No drama, no yelling or crying, just a calm statement. We took this picture:

Then, when she got off the bus this afternoon, she was carrying a little baggie. She said, "Guess what? My other tooth came out at school!" So she lost both bottom teeth in one day! I think the tooth fairy might bring her a bonus tonight!!