An EPCOT Morning

Welcome to our second day at Disney World!

The day started with a rousing game of "ring around the ottoman" in our room before we got a bite to eat at Captain Cook's.

Waiting patiently is not the hallmark of a two year old, so I'm glad this fan was able to keep Sara's attention while she waited for her giant Mickey waffle!

Sara loved riding the monorail over to EPCOT. She kept raising her hands above her head and yelling "Whee! This is fun!" Just wait til she is tall enough to ride a real roller coaster!

Emma liked all the beautiful vegetation around the Polynesian Resort but she really loved the hibiscus flowers we saw. Grana picked her one and she kept up with it the whole day! After a while, we put it in her hat.

Can you guess this celebrity we "ate lunch with" at EPCOT?

Grana spotted Matt Lauer (from the Today Show) while she was ordering the girls some french fries at the quick service restaurant in the American Adventure. She came back to tell us who she saw and I didn't believe her. So I ran up, pretending to be engrossed in the menu, so I could get a closer look at him. Sure enough, it was him! He looks thrilled to be at Disney, doesn't he?

My parents are going to be love this one! There was a special section devoted to Pears in the Food and Wine Festival. I don't know what these funny mirrors had to do with pears, but this is what Grana and Grandaddy would look like if they were turned into dwarfs.

While some of us were stalking Matt Lauer, Beth visited the New Delhi, India booth and picked up some Samosa with Tamarind Sauce for us all to try. Quite tasty!

Marcus tried some sushi from the Japan pavilion's Food and Wine Festival booth. Grandaddy just observed this time around. We also sampled some great food from Chile, Germany, Italy and France.

The girls loved visiting the Journey Into Imagination pavilion. The girls are running around lighted squares that have different musical instruments on them. When you stand on one, you hear the sound of the instrument. They got a chance to get out of the strollers and run in the AC. As you can see, this one is a big hit with the preschool set!

As we were enjoying some Creme Brulee Chocolat au Lait from the Lyon, France Food and Wine Festival Booth, Emma was happy to sniff another flower Grana picked for her.

We didn't have to share our Creme Brulee with Sara because she feel asleep. I was worried her neck would be sore when she woke up, but it didn't seem to bother her.

Back onto the monorail for the trip back to the Polynesian. We had big plans that night to attend Mickey's Not-So-Scary Halloween party so we had to nap, eat supper and get into our princess dresses!

Emma's Disney Pics- Day 1

We gave Emma a disposable 35mm camera to use while we were at Disney. Thanks to Aunt Beth's suggestion, we took the camera to Walgreen's and they put the pictures on a CD. Hope you enjoy Emma's view of the Magic Kingdom!

Not too bad for a first try at photography! Emma got a great shot of the castle and a little sliver of her Daddy.

Of course, a few fingers got into the picture along with Grana.


I love this picture of Sara's rosy cheeks and Grandaddy's cap!


Since Emma already got a picture of the cap, she decided to just capture Grandaddy from the cap down...and that lady to the right that we don't know.

We'll travel on to Day 2 soon!

Magic Kingdom- Saturday

Here are a few of the pictures we took on our first day. Marcus took lots of pics too but I can't

"get" those pictures off of his memory card or camera by myself. I'm too afraid of messing it all up so we'll just have to work with the pictures that I took. Here goes!

Emma's expression upon seeing Cinderella's Castle for the first time.

Our first stop was the Winnie the Pooh playground area. The ground is covered with what was probably once tires so it's nice and bouncy. Emma enjoyed ringing the bell at Pooh's house.

Our adventurous Sara ran right into the playground and through a honey pot!

The girls made themselves at home in Pooh's house. They sat right down his table and had a drink to cool themselves off after all of the running around they did at the playground.

On our way from the playground to the Crystal Palace, we had a chance encounter with Sleeping Beauty herself! Princess Aurora was standing all by herself so we had a nice chance to chat and get a few pictures before continuing on our way to lunch. I have to admit, I was a little star-struck!

We had a few minutes of waiting time before lunch so I got out Emma's disposable camera and we had a little picture taking session. I can't wait to get those pics developed!

During lunch, we were visited by Winnie the Pooh, Tigger, Eeyore and Piglet. When Tigger came by, he pretended to take Sara's chocolate milk cup which set Sara off. She kept yelling, "No, Gigger! That's my milk!" After that, each character that stopped by was told "No! That's my milk!"

After lunch, we went back to the Polynesian for a nap...but that never happened. Sara got sick so I bathed her while Marcus found a cast member to help us change the bed. Emma kept busy by giving a play-by-play of the whole thing.

Marcus got well acquainted with the guest laundry room (Sara's blanket, clothes, and Marcus' socks were...well...yucky) while the rest of us took the girls to the beach by our room. I thought if Sara got sick again, it would be easy to just throw some sand on it!

Grandaddy watched the girls while they played Pooh Sticks. It's a very complicated game that involves throwing a stick into the water and waiting for the tide to bring it back to the shore. Sara didn't always have time for the tide so she would take matters into her own hands and go in after her stick. By the time the game was over (about an hour and a half after it started) she was soaked up to her arm pits.

She didn't get sick again but she did have a terrible cough that kept us all up on Friday and Saturday nights. Well, I shouldn't say "all" because Emma was able to sleep through it and she was in the bed with Sara!

Our next entry will includes highlights from Sunday! Look forward to the monorail, EPCOT's Food and Wine Festival, and Mickey's Not So Scary Halloween party with Cinder-emma and Snow Whine Sara! Hopefully we'll have some of Marcus' pictures too!

Guess Where We've Been?

More photos to come!

September Round Up

We were pretty busy during the last week of September. Here is a quick rundown of what we've been up to!

The girls had a great time at Papa and Aunt Beth's birthday celebration Sunday afternoon. They really enjoyed the noise makers!

We went to Pump It Up on Monday and the biggest draw seemed to be the hula hoops.

Emma did enjoy the blow up basketball area. Sara was content to sit in my lap and watch her sister.

The girls and I had some individual arts and crafts time. Emma enjoyed painting the stamp.

I couldn't take any pictures while Sara and I worked on her bag. I wasn't sure what she would do with all that paint around her!

Emma's completed project!

We discovered a new park not even 5 minutes from our house. The best part is that the girls can climb up to the slide without help!

Emma is very excited about our upcoming trip to the Magic Kingdom. She was checking out her map to make sure she knows the quickest way to the Winnie the Pooh playground.

Sara is getting ready for the trip by pushing her babies around in her shopping cart.

The Middle of September Already?

We were invited to Uncle Brandon's birthday cookout a few weeks ago. The girls enjoyed playing with (or maybe it was more like around) Cooper. I'm not sure he enjoyed the attention he was getting from his oldest cousin!

This is not a political endorsement but I thought it was really funny! We got pads of paper from a candidate during the 4th of July parade and Emma improved upon them. I thought they looked a little like that Andy Warhol print of Marilyn Monroe!

I finally broke down and gave Sara a trim before our church pictures were taken last Friday. Her hairstyle was starting to resemble Grandpa Munster. I trimmed a little over each ear and she looks like a new little lady!

One day while we were out in the "magic door" (our van) I mentioned the STOP signs in the parking lot at Kohl's. We talked about what color and shape they are and now Emma points them out where ever we go. I now have to be ready to hear Emma yell "Stop" from the back seat when she happens to see one...whether it is for the side of traffic we are on or not!

Sara and I went to a Pool Party on Tuesday....shhh...don't tell Emma! She was at school!

Yes, I took my camera. Yes, I changed the batteries before we left. And, yes, my camera wouldn't even turn on when we got there! How frustrating! I took a picture with my cellphone but I don't know how to transfer it to the computer. So...you get a picture of one of the floaties and Sara's towel on the laundry room floor! Anyway...

Sara didn't mind wearing the Nemo floaties (thanks Aunt Beth) but she did mind be anywhere other than right up against me in the pool. She did stand on the steps and splash a little but she wasn't interested in venturing anywhere by herself...except out of the pool, which she did once.

I'm hoping the girls will enjoy the zero entry pool at the Polynesian when we stay there next month. They also have a kiddie area with spray jets and a beach. Maybe they will come back as super swimmers!

Emma brought home one of her school papers that needed a little extra work. I thought she looked so scholarly sitting there with her orange crayon! I kept asking her if she would rather write with a pencil (the Kindergarten teacher in me is screaming "We write with pencils and color with crayons!") but she had to continue with the orange theme she started at school.


Sara is really into books now. Her favorites include Biscuit and the Little Pup, Five Little Pumpkins and Cock-a-doodle-doo! Barnyard Hullabaloo. She likes pointing out the puppy, his ball and bone in the Biscuit book. She also loves the Five Little Pumpkins so much that she insists on it being in her bed with her a nap and at night. Plus I love hearing her say "pun-kin."

Quotable Kiddos

Here is another installment of what will know be known as "Quotable Kiddos!"

One day the girls were playing with their new washable (thank goodness!) markers. Sara was holding up various markers and saying different color names. She would occasionally get the correct color with the correct name but I'm getting off track. She picked up the gray marker and Daddy said,
"That's gray."
Emma replied,

"Just like Grandaddy's hair!"

Later that day, they were playing with the markers again. Emma picked up the gray and said,

"It's Granddaddy's gray. And Grandpa's gray!"

The hills are alive
with the sound of Emma! Ha ha!


From Emma:

Here you go Sara. It's all yours. (handing Sara the cell phone)

I spilled on my place map! (instead of place mat)

Why are you cutting my feet nails?

Would you take off my tear? (after waking up crying in the middle of the night)

Well, color me impressed! (something she heard from Mickey Mouse Clubhouse)

Mommy, I think my fingernail is tangled! (after finding a hangnail)

Here you go, Sara. This will cheer you up!

(after supper one night) Do you have anything else in the oven?

(sitting at the little table) Would you like to join me?

Mommy: Emma, you're not in trouble. Who put you in the naughty seat?
Emma: Jesus.

Mommy: Are you going to be a friend tomorrow at school?
Emma: I don't know.

I don't want any coffee medicine! (during her recent coughing fits)

These slippers (her new Sunday shoes) fit me just enough!

From Sara:

French fry! French fry! (whenever we pass McDonald's)

Duck, duck, deuce! (guess she's been watching too much tennis)

I love you, Daddy. I'll try.

Thank you much.

There. All finish. (after cleaning her supper plate)

What doing Daddy?

Hold hand. Hold hand!

I need milk...please! (which came out more like "pweeze")

Where pwetzels (pretzels)? Where pwetzels?

First Day of Preschool

Today was Emma's first day of preschool. We went to Open House last Thursday and met Emma's teacher, Ms. Louise. We also picked up all the various "parent info" sheets. Call me crazy, but I took a picture of all of it! I'm used to being the one getting all those papers together so I appreciate the work put into it all!

One of the papers was an "All About Me" sheet. It included questions about favorites, siblings, birthday, etc. Here are some of her more humorous answers:

Favorite game: golf
Favorite toys: screwdriver and hammer (no, we don't make her do carpentry in her spare time)
Favorite song: The Hot Dog Dance (from Mickey Mouse Club House)
Favorite book: Jesus

Here's our big girl posing with her Disney Princess backpack. You might recognize the princess on the middle right as our very own Princess Emma!

Emma had a tough weekend battling a cold. She got sick Friday night but has been recovering ever since. I didn't want her to miss the first day of school but I also didn't want her to get anyone else sick. So, yes fellow teachers, I was "that" mother who sent her child to school with a river of a runny nose! I talked it over with her teacher before I left her but if it's still the same on Thursday, she might have to miss school!

The runny nose explains the expression on Emma's face here. That is not a normal smile, but here is Emma and Ms. Louise. Ms. Louise is from England and I just love listening to her talk! I keep telling people that she reminds me of Mary Poppins. Hopefully she won't get the children interested in jumping into chimneys.

First Day Artwork!
Ms. Louise said she was impressed with Emma's coloring. I wasn't sure that this paper belonged to Emma because she never colors like this at home. Her coloring usually consists of a bunch of different colored rectangles all over the place. I kept making sure it was really her paper but you can see some of Emma's signature coloring to the left side of the apple.

We'll keep medicating Emma and, hopefully, she'll be able to go back to school on Thursday!