So last Wednesday I woke up to find my credit card had been used fraudulently. I noticed a couple of foreign transactions fees and knew I hadn't been out of the country the day before, so I called my credit card company. They removed the charges and got me a new card (even if I had to wait a week for the card). I'm glad I noticed though. Someone could have had a shopping spree at my expense otherwise! We went to Barnes and Noble that morning where William and Ranger had a sweet reunion and Angel and I were able to catch up. William told Ranger all about our trip and invited him to come back with us "next time". Now sure when that's gonna be, kid! The boys and I had lunch with Angel and Ranger before we headed on to their 1 and 3 year old check-ups at the doctor. William is still at the top range of his age being nearly 39 inches and having gained 5 lbs in the past year. His BMI is perfect, and Dr. Enders says everything looks good. Robert too has grown to be 30 inches long, but he only gained just over a pound in the past 3 months instead of the expected 3. The doctor wasn't too worried since he still gained weight (didn't lose weight), and said as we stop nursing to make sure he gets even more healthy, high calorie foods to get his weight up. We began the weaning process that day, much to Robert's displeasure. I would give all the reasons we needed to wean (not that I need to explain myself to the internet), but it's better to just say it was time. We also started working on getting Robert to sleep in his own bed all by himself the whole night. What a rough week for my baby boy. My big boy (William) had his first AWANAS meeting that night. He is a proud cubbie! He went straight into class and right to work. Other parents were hanging around to get their kid's comfortable, but William said, bye and I took him at his word. I'm so proud he's reached this milestone, but it's happened so fast! After dropping him off Robert smiled and I realized he has two more teeth. His top two one year molars are in, bringing his total number of teeth to 10! I needed some good news right about then and this was it. Robert is a keeper, that's for sure!
Thursday we has Bible Study. Robert screamed when I left him and I could hear him scream until he eventually passed out. Separation anxiety has been in fully swing. I take two steps away form him and he starts to cry. It's been exhausting. I know I will miss all the cuddles when it's over, but the crying makes me feel so sad when I have to go do normal things like make dinner or go to the restroom. It's nice to be loved.
Friday the boys and I went to Mt. Playmore with a group from my new MOPS group which included Angel and Ranger. It was a fun morning but towards the end we had to leave because William kept sticking coins in the games without telling me and then the game would run out with us having not played it. He got a warning and decided to ignore me once more, so we had to go home. He cried and cried, but once he settled we had a great opportunity to talk about sin, Adam and Eve and what happened when they disobeyed their Father (kicked out from the Garden of Eden). I then told him that he was going to get a second chance (which we explained is grace) and that after nap we could try again if he was willing to show me he would listen to me. I am pleased to tell you the message sunk in and that after nap and dinner, Francis and I took the boys back to Mt. Playmore and William listened really well. Who knew Mt. Playmore would have Biblical applications? Yes, I know every thing has Biblical and spiritual applications. This time I just happened to see it in the right moment.
Saturday, (with Francis still working Saturdays), the boys and I went up to the mall and happened upon an event at both the Disney store (a Doc McStuffins' event) and at the mall at large (Julius Jr. and his friends event). The boys got to do activities, make crafts and William even got his face painted. It marvelous when a plan accidentally comes together.
Sunday I was back at church and I love how much church feels like home. Our pastor teaches the truth even if it is hard to hear. After church we had a birthday party at the Little Gym. William's friend from there turned 3. When I arrived, I recognized more than half of people at the party (I thought I would only know the mom of the little girl) and one of them was actually someone I had met at Mt. Playmore on Friday from my new MOPS group. Small world! I'm getting to where I can't go anywhere where I don't know someone. It's great!
Sunday night was the last time I nursed Robert. Francis had Monday off so after the boys and I made a grocery run, I had a Dr. appointment to finally get my ear looked at. I've had fluid in my ear for nearly a year, and two different doctors told me they needed to wait until I was done nursing to deal with it. I'm now on steroids. After my appointment, Francis, the boys and I bought Robert his new, big boy car seat. No more carrier car seat for my big boy. We got a 4ever car seat by Graco and I think we will really like it.
Tuesday was Little Gym day. It's always fun to see my boys learn new things. Wednesday morning I had my well-woman's exam and everything looks great as far as that goes. Before heading to the appointment, I threw out my back. Like bad...I dropped the boys at Angel's, and I couldn't even lift Robert out of the car without wincing in pain. I'm still not recovered, but I'm on regimen of Aleve that seems to be helping significantly. Wednesday night William officially finished his cubbies entrance book and got his cubbies vest. He was so excited! He's looked so big when he tried it on. I', so excited for him.
I had Bible Study this morning and I have MOPS tomorrow. I am so blessed to be around such Godly ladies who challenge me to know God better and to reach out to a world who needs Him.
Finally William had been doing great at (home) school! He's learning more and more sight words to read, writing better and completing tasks. He is learning so much about math and science and literature. I'm so impressed by him. Just the other day I let him open some of the junk mail. I asked him what it said and he goes, "mommy it's just a bunch of 'yes's and 'no's. Sure enough, I looked at it and it was a chart comparing a bunch of different cable providers with yes and no in each square. I was so impressed! Today and yesterday we've been using a balance scale given to us by my mother-in-law to talk about mass. He learned that not all things have the same mass, that it takes precision to measure and, most importantly, that one Oreo is equal to 12 chocolate teddy grams in weight. Priorities! He's also been learning his Bible verses and taking them to heart. So far he's learned 1 John 4:10 and Romans 3:23. If you see him around, ask him to recite them. He'll be so pleased to tell you what he knows! He's been working on his French too. He likes learning about all the things he will be wearing in Canada and how to say thing in French.
Robert had learned to turn around and walk sideways. This comes in handy as he has been getting into every space imaginable and had to find a way out. His appetite has increased since he finished nursing and I have every confidence that he will pack on the pounds in no time. He actually slept 9 hours in a row without any assistance for the first time ever this week (his record was 5 hours before). It's only happened once, but it's a start!!!
My boys are so fun. I'm so blessed that they are mine.
Thursday, September 25, 2014
Sunday, September 21, 2014
Robert's Birthday, Disney World Part 2
Where was I, oh yeah! Wednesday before last, my baby boy turned 1! We woke up and put Robert in his ONE shirt that had his name on it and also put on his Disney birthday button. He was not as excited about this proposition as I was, but he indulged me. We headed to Magic Kingdom, and immediately rode, you guessed it, Buzz Light year 9 or more times (Francis and my mom and I traded out riding with the boys so we could ride other things they couldn't). William and Robert sure love that ride. Good thing there was no line! We spent the day riding nearly every ride we could with short lines or no lines in most cases. The two most anticipated rides were The Jungle Cruise and The Seven Dwarfs Mine Train. Well, we got straight on the Seven Dwarfs ride using our fastpass, and William jumped the whole way through the line. I was as giddy as he! The ride was so fun, even if it was a bit short and the seats a bit narrow. I guess William likes roller coasters because this was the third one he's been on and he's loved all of them! The Jungle cruise is one William has "ridden" on our Disneyland game many times and so he was very excited to get on it. The ride did not live up to his expectations, I'm sad to say. He got scared that the fake hippos and fake crocodiles were so close to the boat and started crying (funny thing is we were right next to real Hippos the day before at Animal Kingdom and that didn't bother him!). Not every dream turns out the way you expect. Shortly after that ride both the boys passed out and Francis and I rode Haunted Mansion while my parents watched the boys and the parade. The ride has been changed to be extremely scary/creepy and I didn't enjoy it. I was so glad that we didn't take William on it. I wouldn't take young ones on that ride! When we got back Robert was awake and Sweetie had bought him a toy for his birthday. He toddled along happily with a little stuffed wolf, smiling at me. It made me happy to see him enjoying his day even a little. William woke up and we rode more rides and I even managed to get a picture of Robert with his 12 month sticker on in front of the castle with no one around! There was a dance party going on in the square in front of the castle which effectively blocked off access to the castle except from the direction we came and so the courtyard was deserted. I felt so happy to snap that shot with no one else in frame. It's definitely going in his baby book. For dinner we ate at Liberty Tree Tavern. The food was delicious, especially the beef. Robert ate quite a bit, and the waiters brought him an ice cream with a candle and sang to him. I made the mistake of putting a completely adorable 1 Birthday Mickey Mouse hat on him and he cried through the second half of the song. He did like the ice cream though so I think he forgave me. We made it out of the restaurant just in time for the Lights parade, and William and Robert were mesmerized by it. Then we wisely used our last fastpass of the day to watch the fireworks in a special wide open spot with plenty of room (though the spot was a pain to get to thanks to the crowd gathered). The boys loved the show (almost as much as I did) and is was a perfect end to our day. Overall I think it was a successful first birthday.
Thursday when Robert woke up, he felt really warm. I was nervous, but anxiously hoped the fever would quickly pass. After all, we were celebrating William's birthday that day (exactly one month late)! William put on his Mickey Mouse Birthday Boy shirt and button and beamed with pride. We went to Epcot, where every employee wished him a very happy birthday and he in turn told them that he was three years old. He was so proud and loved the attention. We rode the much anticipated (by me) ride Soarin' and William was actually just tall enough to ride (40''). He loved it and so did I. It is quite possibly my favorite ride at Disney. As the morning went on, Robert continued to feel hotter and hotter until we took him to the clinic at Epcot. He had a fever of 104.6! We quickly got him some acetomenaphin and a cool wash cloth to get him temp down, but I felt terrible that he was in so much pain. After lunch Francis took Robert back to the hotel where Robert took a good long nap. My mom went back with them and headed to the airport, leaving my Dad, William and me in Morrocco at Epcot. The three of us went "around the world" meeting and seeing characters as we went including Aladdin and Jasmine, Pluto, Snow White, Alice, Mary Poppins, and the chipmunks to name a few. William was delighted to meet all these characters even if he knew they were "just pretending". He's such a sweet kid. William even got to spend some time with Mickey, Minnie and Goofy up close and personal as there was no line. They each kissed him and Goofy even picked him up and swung him around. He's still talking about it. The only dark spot in the afternoon was when I took William on Maelstrom in Norway. It's a pretty creepy ride thanks to the trolls(which I didn't exactly remember), and William got scared. Poor kid; mommy fail. Funny thing is when we got back from our trip, they announced that they are taking out that ride and putting in a Frozen ride instead. I don't blame them! After a long nap, Francis and Robert rejoined us for William's "birthday" dinner at Coral Reef restaurant, but not before riding the Nemo ride for the 4 or 5th time. It's his second favorite ride after Buzz Lightyear. The Coral Reef restraint had good ambiance, but the food was just ok. William didn't care though. At different intervals he would excitedly say, "There's Crush!" Or "there's a shark" and we would look at the aquarium filling the entire wall and watch the sea life as it went along. He was so happy!
Friday was our last day at the Disney parks. Robert was doing better and mid morning his fever broke and he returned to his happy self. We went to Magic Kingdom and rode, you guessed it, Buzz Lightyear a bunch of times. My dad stayed at the hotel. Turns out he wasn't feeling great, but we didn't know it. We rode all the rides we hadn't on Wednesday. We had reservations at Be Our Guest in Belle's castle, and we made sure to be on time for our reservation. The inside of the restraint was impressive. they have three cafeteria rooms (though I feel silly calling them that because they are so well done). One is the ball room complete with hanging chandeliers and snow falling outside the windows. Another is the beast's chamber with everything ripped and the rose slowly losing petals as you watch. The third is like a library and has Belle and the Beast dancing around on a pedestal. The food was equally good. We all cleared our plate. I got a light up souvenir goblet with my meal which made me feel exceptionally royal. I also like that the food was different because that made it special. It's the place to be. When we left the restraint, it started to rain, so we hurried around to ride the Belle's enchanted castle ride. It started to pour just as we got inside. Whew! William was selected to play the part of Chip and he did his part admirably. Belle took her picture with him and he smiled so big, I thought he would burst! After the ride, the rain subsided, and we went to visit Cinderella and Rapunzel while we waited for our fast pass time to come. Then it was time. William scanned his magic band and we got to go see Anna and ELSA! They were all done up and played their roles beautifully. William spoke to both of them with such excitement and gave them each a hug. They admired his Olaf shirt and he laughed with pleasure. When we finally had to leave he walked backwards out of the building so he could see them as long as possible. I think he may have a crush on some of the Disney princesses, though he claims that Olaf and Buzz will forever be his favorite characters. Robert did well to with the princesses. He smiled and let them touch him, but he didn't much want his picture taken as a rule. He may take after his daddy who also is not fond of posed photos. William chose the last ride: Ariel's Grotto. It was a great end to our afternoon. We then headed over to Downtown Disney for dinner and a little shopping. We ate at a Wolfgang Puck restaurant (which was included in our meal plan, wow!) and it was delicious. I have no complaints about any of the food consumed that day. We bought a few souvenirs (we hadn't been shopping until then) and headed back to the hotel exhausted but happy. William wasn't don't though. He and Francis went swimming one last time before bed. He wanted to squeeze in just a bit more fun.
Saturday we pack, checked our bags for the airport at our hotel and had some breakfast. The boys also played in the hotel arcade until our bus came to pick us up. William was ok with leaving until we physically got on the bus. He then decided to have the second biggest meltdown he's ever had. He wailed saying he didn't want to leave and then tried to exit the bus over and over. I finally took him to the restroom on the bus so he could calm down. As soon as he got over it though, he even waved bye to the hotel and said, "we'll see you again sometime". I'm glad he didn't cry the whole way home. Robert nearly did. He cried on and off even on the plane. We parted ways with my dad after lunch at the airport and once we were on our plane I saw a rash on Robert's torso. I quickly realized he had had Roseola this week, and we were now infecting an entire plane...awesome. Nothing could be done at that point and I read afterward that the are actually less contagious once the rash appears (sorry if you were on that plane! I really thought he was healed!). I still feel really bad about the whole thing. Well, we made it home and unpacked, glad to put our kids down in their own beds.
Sunday and Monday, I kept Robert quarantined until 24 hours after the rash was gone. William and Francis went to church Sunday, and I spend Sunday and Monday getting our house back in working order. Tuesday we were back in full swing at the Little Gym. I think I will close here, because I am getting both longwinded and off topic for this post. Thanks for reading. It was an awesome trip!!!
Thursday when Robert woke up, he felt really warm. I was nervous, but anxiously hoped the fever would quickly pass. After all, we were celebrating William's birthday that day (exactly one month late)! William put on his Mickey Mouse Birthday Boy shirt and button and beamed with pride. We went to Epcot, where every employee wished him a very happy birthday and he in turn told them that he was three years old. He was so proud and loved the attention. We rode the much anticipated (by me) ride Soarin' and William was actually just tall enough to ride (40''). He loved it and so did I. It is quite possibly my favorite ride at Disney. As the morning went on, Robert continued to feel hotter and hotter until we took him to the clinic at Epcot. He had a fever of 104.6! We quickly got him some acetomenaphin and a cool wash cloth to get him temp down, but I felt terrible that he was in so much pain. After lunch Francis took Robert back to the hotel where Robert took a good long nap. My mom went back with them and headed to the airport, leaving my Dad, William and me in Morrocco at Epcot. The three of us went "around the world" meeting and seeing characters as we went including Aladdin and Jasmine, Pluto, Snow White, Alice, Mary Poppins, and the chipmunks to name a few. William was delighted to meet all these characters even if he knew they were "just pretending". He's such a sweet kid. William even got to spend some time with Mickey, Minnie and Goofy up close and personal as there was no line. They each kissed him and Goofy even picked him up and swung him around. He's still talking about it. The only dark spot in the afternoon was when I took William on Maelstrom in Norway. It's a pretty creepy ride thanks to the trolls(which I didn't exactly remember), and William got scared. Poor kid; mommy fail. Funny thing is when we got back from our trip, they announced that they are taking out that ride and putting in a Frozen ride instead. I don't blame them! After a long nap, Francis and Robert rejoined us for William's "birthday" dinner at Coral Reef restaurant, but not before riding the Nemo ride for the 4 or 5th time. It's his second favorite ride after Buzz Lightyear. The Coral Reef restraint had good ambiance, but the food was just ok. William didn't care though. At different intervals he would excitedly say, "There's Crush!" Or "there's a shark" and we would look at the aquarium filling the entire wall and watch the sea life as it went along. He was so happy!
Friday was our last day at the Disney parks. Robert was doing better and mid morning his fever broke and he returned to his happy self. We went to Magic Kingdom and rode, you guessed it, Buzz Lightyear a bunch of times. My dad stayed at the hotel. Turns out he wasn't feeling great, but we didn't know it. We rode all the rides we hadn't on Wednesday. We had reservations at Be Our Guest in Belle's castle, and we made sure to be on time for our reservation. The inside of the restraint was impressive. they have three cafeteria rooms (though I feel silly calling them that because they are so well done). One is the ball room complete with hanging chandeliers and snow falling outside the windows. Another is the beast's chamber with everything ripped and the rose slowly losing petals as you watch. The third is like a library and has Belle and the Beast dancing around on a pedestal. The food was equally good. We all cleared our plate. I got a light up souvenir goblet with my meal which made me feel exceptionally royal. I also like that the food was different because that made it special. It's the place to be. When we left the restraint, it started to rain, so we hurried around to ride the Belle's enchanted castle ride. It started to pour just as we got inside. Whew! William was selected to play the part of Chip and he did his part admirably. Belle took her picture with him and he smiled so big, I thought he would burst! After the ride, the rain subsided, and we went to visit Cinderella and Rapunzel while we waited for our fast pass time to come. Then it was time. William scanned his magic band and we got to go see Anna and ELSA! They were all done up and played their roles beautifully. William spoke to both of them with such excitement and gave them each a hug. They admired his Olaf shirt and he laughed with pleasure. When we finally had to leave he walked backwards out of the building so he could see them as long as possible. I think he may have a crush on some of the Disney princesses, though he claims that Olaf and Buzz will forever be his favorite characters. Robert did well to with the princesses. He smiled and let them touch him, but he didn't much want his picture taken as a rule. He may take after his daddy who also is not fond of posed photos. William chose the last ride: Ariel's Grotto. It was a great end to our afternoon. We then headed over to Downtown Disney for dinner and a little shopping. We ate at a Wolfgang Puck restaurant (which was included in our meal plan, wow!) and it was delicious. I have no complaints about any of the food consumed that day. We bought a few souvenirs (we hadn't been shopping until then) and headed back to the hotel exhausted but happy. William wasn't don't though. He and Francis went swimming one last time before bed. He wanted to squeeze in just a bit more fun.
Saturday we pack, checked our bags for the airport at our hotel and had some breakfast. The boys also played in the hotel arcade until our bus came to pick us up. William was ok with leaving until we physically got on the bus. He then decided to have the second biggest meltdown he's ever had. He wailed saying he didn't want to leave and then tried to exit the bus over and over. I finally took him to the restroom on the bus so he could calm down. As soon as he got over it though, he even waved bye to the hotel and said, "we'll see you again sometime". I'm glad he didn't cry the whole way home. Robert nearly did. He cried on and off even on the plane. We parted ways with my dad after lunch at the airport and once we were on our plane I saw a rash on Robert's torso. I quickly realized he had had Roseola this week, and we were now infecting an entire plane...awesome. Nothing could be done at that point and I read afterward that the are actually less contagious once the rash appears (sorry if you were on that plane! I really thought he was healed!). I still feel really bad about the whole thing. Well, we made it home and unpacked, glad to put our kids down in their own beds.
Sunday and Monday, I kept Robert quarantined until 24 hours after the rash was gone. William and Francis went to church Sunday, and I spend Sunday and Monday getting our house back in working order. Tuesday we were back in full swing at the Little Gym. I think I will close here, because I am getting both longwinded and off topic for this post. Thanks for reading. It was an awesome trip!!!
Thursday, September 18, 2014
Robert's Party, Disney World Part 1
I've decided it will take more than one entry to catch up to "live" so I will take my time and try to do this right.
Friday before last we had a marriage conference at church. It was a huge success and we learned a lot. When we got home from it, Nana and Grandad were at our house which meant one thing: birthday weekend had begun. They helped put the boys to bed and we went to bed shortly afterward. I woke up and showered early Saturday morning and Francis's mother and I headed out to pick up the (enormous) cake and food for the party. While we were out my grandparents (Jamama and Japapa) called and wanted to come over and spend some time with the boys. Well, Japapa went with William and the men on a trip to Home Depot while Jamama loved on Robert. I think they had a nice time getting to bond with their great grandkids. Right around lunch time my sister-in-law Cyndy and her family arrived and we were able to do an awesome photo session capturing Robert's cake smash. He was not timid like his brother was...oh no! Robert dipped his finger in the icing, tasted it, his face lit up and he dug right in! If I could have changed one thing it would have been to not use any red icing on the cake. There was only a little on there, but it smeared everywhere! The pictures turned out adorable (Thanks Cyndy!). I'm one proud momma!!! Well, my whole family came over before the party including my sisters, brother-in-law, parents, both sets of grandparents and my aunt Camille. We had our whole family together (as Francis's family was all already present) and our house was full of love and laughter. When the party got in full swing we had 37 people including 11 kids! I'm a quality time person so even though the party was for Robert, I certainly felt the love for not only him, but for our family. Robert got so many wonderful presents including a Zany Zoo activity table, Xylophones, a ball pit, books, cars, buses, a Disney birthday t-shirt, a dusty ride on toy, a tricycle, a toy car ramp, and SO MUCH MORE! Don't worry, we will be clearing out other toys to make room in our house. It was a successful party and I am so glad so many were willing to celebrate with us. The full sheet of cake only had a row and a half left. It was great cake! Most of all Robert had fun with his friends and family. He walked around and laughed and played. He's growing up too fast I tell you!
Sunday we packed up our car and headed to church. We brought all the food left over from the party to church and left it there so others could enjoy. After Bible Life class (Sunday school) we picked up the boys early and headed to the airport. I felt silly leaving church early, but everyone was so excited for us and our trip that it turned out just fine. We got to the airport, checked our bags and waited for the plane. I think that was the hardest part because William was so anxious to get there and Robert was anxious to get into everything. The plane ride was fine thanks to a long nap by Robert and William playing with his new Busy Books and watching the TV in front of his seat. The unlimited drinks and snacks helped too (thanks Jet Blue!!!). After the bus ride to the hotel (where William got increasingly excited and kept asking if we were there yet), we were welcomed by my parents in the lobby. Of course even though it was 7:00 and raining, William still wanted to hit the pool right away... which he and Francis eventually did. My mom bought the boys flashing Mickey Trick or Treat baskets and they were glowing in the window when we got up to the room. That is when I knew we were actually at Disney World.
Monday I was up bright and early. We showered, ate breakfast and took the bus to Hollywood studios shortly after it opened. They had Frozen stuff everywhere, but William only had eyes for the Toy Story ride at first. We actually rode another ride first as our fast pass was not yet active, and although he liked the Great Movie Adventure, he was even happier when we headed over to ride Toy Story Mania. I was so glad we had our fast passes as we got almost straight on. William loved the ride, and Robert, who was sitting in my lap, was absolutely mesmerized. I got the high score on my side, but Francis and my dad outscored me overall. After we got off the ride, we got in line to see Buzz Lightyear and Woody. It was one of the longer lines we had to wait in, lasting nearly 45 minutes. But when we got to the front, it was all worth it. William lit up and beamed as he got to turn Buzz "on" and "off". He gave both Buzz and Woody hugs and high fives (Robert had fallen asleep just before we reached the front). For the next hour or so, William's face was one HUGE smile. Talk about melting a mother's heart! We used our other 2 fast passes for the Indiana Jones and Cars shows which William also enjoyed a great deal. At lunch we got Elsa and Olaf cupcakes as part of our meal plan, and they were a huge hit! Francis and my dad stayed in the air conditioning while Robert napped after lunch, and my mom, William and I attended the Frozen Sing along. It was so cute and so much fun. At the end they made it "snow" and William nearly leapt out of my lap popping and catching the bubble pieces. At the end he said, "Mommy I didn't sing at all", and he flashed a grin and started laughing. He's a crazy kid. We also got to play in real snow in oaken's trading post. They have an indoor area with a skating rink and snow area. William and Francis built a snowman. Then William kicked it down. Yeah. After we used all three fast passes, you can actually get another. We used ours to get priority seating at the fireworks show Fantasmic that night. It turned out to be a very smart move because as soon as we got off riding Toy Story Mania once more, we ran over to Fantasmic to find it was standing room only, but in the preferred seating (which we had) there were still plenty of benches. The show was great and we had great seats even if we did cut it a little close!
Tuesday we hit the other three parks. You read that right. First we went to Animal kingdom. My dad stayed at the hotel as his knee brace bothered him. We headed straight to meet Mickey Mouse and Minnie Mouse. William again beamed with the happiness of a child without care. He hugged Mickey an d Minnie, danced around them and stayed as long as we would let him. His face once again wore the look of the happiest kid on earth for a long time after we left. It was adorable. Robert looked with interest but wasn't quite as overjoyed. Maybe someday, kid. There was no line for the river rapids so we went straight on instead of waiting around for our fast pass (there were almost no lines for most things). William got sprayed in the face pretty early in the ride and did not enjoy the rest of it. My mom, the boys and I looked at all the animals while Francis rode a roller coaster, but that was the most we did since we can look at animals anywhere. We did ride the Safari ride which was extremely enjoyable. Francis got some really cool pictures. We headed back to the hotel after lunch and after some rest time, my dad joined us as we all headed over to Magic Kingdom. We rode on the Laugh Floor and then rode Buzz Lightyear 3 or 4 times in a row. William has been waiting for months to ride this ride and it certainly lived up to his expectations. It was by far his favorite ride! we also rode the people mover while the men got straight on space mountain. Fun times! Magic Kingdom was closing early for the Halloween party so we went over to Epcot for dinner and to ride a few rides there. Also no lines at that park. It started to rain so we eventually headed back to the hotel. It was a great day!
That's all for now. I will pick up next time with Robert's actual birthday Day!
Friday before last we had a marriage conference at church. It was a huge success and we learned a lot. When we got home from it, Nana and Grandad were at our house which meant one thing: birthday weekend had begun. They helped put the boys to bed and we went to bed shortly afterward. I woke up and showered early Saturday morning and Francis's mother and I headed out to pick up the (enormous) cake and food for the party. While we were out my grandparents (Jamama and Japapa) called and wanted to come over and spend some time with the boys. Well, Japapa went with William and the men on a trip to Home Depot while Jamama loved on Robert. I think they had a nice time getting to bond with their great grandkids. Right around lunch time my sister-in-law Cyndy and her family arrived and we were able to do an awesome photo session capturing Robert's cake smash. He was not timid like his brother was...oh no! Robert dipped his finger in the icing, tasted it, his face lit up and he dug right in! If I could have changed one thing it would have been to not use any red icing on the cake. There was only a little on there, but it smeared everywhere! The pictures turned out adorable (Thanks Cyndy!). I'm one proud momma!!! Well, my whole family came over before the party including my sisters, brother-in-law, parents, both sets of grandparents and my aunt Camille. We had our whole family together (as Francis's family was all already present) and our house was full of love and laughter. When the party got in full swing we had 37 people including 11 kids! I'm a quality time person so even though the party was for Robert, I certainly felt the love for not only him, but for our family. Robert got so many wonderful presents including a Zany Zoo activity table, Xylophones, a ball pit, books, cars, buses, a Disney birthday t-shirt, a dusty ride on toy, a tricycle, a toy car ramp, and SO MUCH MORE! Don't worry, we will be clearing out other toys to make room in our house. It was a successful party and I am so glad so many were willing to celebrate with us. The full sheet of cake only had a row and a half left. It was great cake! Most of all Robert had fun with his friends and family. He walked around and laughed and played. He's growing up too fast I tell you!
Sunday we packed up our car and headed to church. We brought all the food left over from the party to church and left it there so others could enjoy. After Bible Life class (Sunday school) we picked up the boys early and headed to the airport. I felt silly leaving church early, but everyone was so excited for us and our trip that it turned out just fine. We got to the airport, checked our bags and waited for the plane. I think that was the hardest part because William was so anxious to get there and Robert was anxious to get into everything. The plane ride was fine thanks to a long nap by Robert and William playing with his new Busy Books and watching the TV in front of his seat. The unlimited drinks and snacks helped too (thanks Jet Blue!!!). After the bus ride to the hotel (where William got increasingly excited and kept asking if we were there yet), we were welcomed by my parents in the lobby. Of course even though it was 7:00 and raining, William still wanted to hit the pool right away... which he and Francis eventually did. My mom bought the boys flashing Mickey Trick or Treat baskets and they were glowing in the window when we got up to the room. That is when I knew we were actually at Disney World.
Monday I was up bright and early. We showered, ate breakfast and took the bus to Hollywood studios shortly after it opened. They had Frozen stuff everywhere, but William only had eyes for the Toy Story ride at first. We actually rode another ride first as our fast pass was not yet active, and although he liked the Great Movie Adventure, he was even happier when we headed over to ride Toy Story Mania. I was so glad we had our fast passes as we got almost straight on. William loved the ride, and Robert, who was sitting in my lap, was absolutely mesmerized. I got the high score on my side, but Francis and my dad outscored me overall. After we got off the ride, we got in line to see Buzz Lightyear and Woody. It was one of the longer lines we had to wait in, lasting nearly 45 minutes. But when we got to the front, it was all worth it. William lit up and beamed as he got to turn Buzz "on" and "off". He gave both Buzz and Woody hugs and high fives (Robert had fallen asleep just before we reached the front). For the next hour or so, William's face was one HUGE smile. Talk about melting a mother's heart! We used our other 2 fast passes for the Indiana Jones and Cars shows which William also enjoyed a great deal. At lunch we got Elsa and Olaf cupcakes as part of our meal plan, and they were a huge hit! Francis and my dad stayed in the air conditioning while Robert napped after lunch, and my mom, William and I attended the Frozen Sing along. It was so cute and so much fun. At the end they made it "snow" and William nearly leapt out of my lap popping and catching the bubble pieces. At the end he said, "Mommy I didn't sing at all", and he flashed a grin and started laughing. He's a crazy kid. We also got to play in real snow in oaken's trading post. They have an indoor area with a skating rink and snow area. William and Francis built a snowman. Then William kicked it down. Yeah. After we used all three fast passes, you can actually get another. We used ours to get priority seating at the fireworks show Fantasmic that night. It turned out to be a very smart move because as soon as we got off riding Toy Story Mania once more, we ran over to Fantasmic to find it was standing room only, but in the preferred seating (which we had) there were still plenty of benches. The show was great and we had great seats even if we did cut it a little close!
Tuesday we hit the other three parks. You read that right. First we went to Animal kingdom. My dad stayed at the hotel as his knee brace bothered him. We headed straight to meet Mickey Mouse and Minnie Mouse. William again beamed with the happiness of a child without care. He hugged Mickey an d Minnie, danced around them and stayed as long as we would let him. His face once again wore the look of the happiest kid on earth for a long time after we left. It was adorable. Robert looked with interest but wasn't quite as overjoyed. Maybe someday, kid. There was no line for the river rapids so we went straight on instead of waiting around for our fast pass (there were almost no lines for most things). William got sprayed in the face pretty early in the ride and did not enjoy the rest of it. My mom, the boys and I looked at all the animals while Francis rode a roller coaster, but that was the most we did since we can look at animals anywhere. We did ride the Safari ride which was extremely enjoyable. Francis got some really cool pictures. We headed back to the hotel after lunch and after some rest time, my dad joined us as we all headed over to Magic Kingdom. We rode on the Laugh Floor and then rode Buzz Lightyear 3 or 4 times in a row. William has been waiting for months to ride this ride and it certainly lived up to his expectations. It was by far his favorite ride! we also rode the people mover while the men got straight on space mountain. Fun times! Magic Kingdom was closing early for the Halloween party so we went over to Epcot for dinner and to ride a few rides there. Also no lines at that park. It started to rain so we eventually headed back to the hotel. It was a great day!
That's all for now. I will pick up next time with Robert's actual birthday Day!
Friday, September 5, 2014
September 5, 2014
Hello September. You've snuck up on me a bit. This week has been crazy. We are in full fall season here at the Phillips house. Sunday night Francis's parents came in town for dinner and spent the night to hang out with us for Labor Day. They could not get over how much Robert has grown and how well he walks now. He does better every day! For Labor Day we went to breakfast at IHOP and then over to Mt. Playmore for a morning of tunnel crawling, game playing and general wearing-out-of -the-grandparents. It was fun. We had lunch at Chick-fil-a followed by some time ice skating at the local rink. William has improved so much since I last saw him in person. He can get around by himself without falling and is even beginning to pick up a little speed. I'm so proud of him! Francis's parents left before dinner, but as William was not done having fun (where does he get the energy?!), Francis took him back to Mt. Playmore for one last hurrah! It was a great day!
Tuesday we had Little Gym. I'm beginning to figure out ways to fill the odd hour between the boys classes. We've been going to all the local stores. William loves going in by himself to his class, but Robert is still struggling not being with his brother. I keep saying, "I know kid, he went and grew up on us." And then I look at him and know he's growing too. Time can go a little slower if you ask me.
Wednesday we did story time at Barnes and Noble with Kristina and her son Samuel. I'm really trying to make an effort to hang out with people from church and elsewhere that I want to get to know better. It was so fun!
Thursday was our first Bible Study at the Quarries church for the year. It's funny because everyone but one person in my group I know from Great Hills and couple of them I even invited to join the study. I'm so glad they did. It's going to be a good year.
Today we were back at Mt Playmore, this time with Laura (another sweet lady I hope I will start to see more of) and her son Stephen. My goal was to wear out the kids and it seems to have worked as the are both miraculously asleep at the same time. Now to clean the house! I have to do it before Robert's first birthday party tomorrow at the house (we are expecting 41 people!), and I have to do it before tonight since I would like to attend the marriage conference at church at 6:30. I feel a bit like Cinderella trying to make it to the ball, but without the cute mice (no my children are not mice). If anyone wants to be my fairy god mother and hire a cleaning service, be my guest! Not sure waving a magic wand will do much. I have already decorated mostly and it looks very festive. I hope to give Robert a party that will make him smile. He brings such joy to my life!
Sunday after Sunday School we leave for Disney World. I'll give you the details of Robert's party, Robert's birthday and our trip after we return. Till then!!!
Tuesday we had Little Gym. I'm beginning to figure out ways to fill the odd hour between the boys classes. We've been going to all the local stores. William loves going in by himself to his class, but Robert is still struggling not being with his brother. I keep saying, "I know kid, he went and grew up on us." And then I look at him and know he's growing too. Time can go a little slower if you ask me.
Wednesday we did story time at Barnes and Noble with Kristina and her son Samuel. I'm really trying to make an effort to hang out with people from church and elsewhere that I want to get to know better. It was so fun!
Thursday was our first Bible Study at the Quarries church for the year. It's funny because everyone but one person in my group I know from Great Hills and couple of them I even invited to join the study. I'm so glad they did. It's going to be a good year.
Today we were back at Mt Playmore, this time with Laura (another sweet lady I hope I will start to see more of) and her son Stephen. My goal was to wear out the kids and it seems to have worked as the are both miraculously asleep at the same time. Now to clean the house! I have to do it before Robert's first birthday party tomorrow at the house (we are expecting 41 people!), and I have to do it before tonight since I would like to attend the marriage conference at church at 6:30. I feel a bit like Cinderella trying to make it to the ball, but without the cute mice (no my children are not mice). If anyone wants to be my fairy god mother and hire a cleaning service, be my guest! Not sure waving a magic wand will do much. I have already decorated mostly and it looks very festive. I hope to give Robert a party that will make him smile. He brings such joy to my life!
Sunday after Sunday School we leave for Disney World. I'll give you the details of Robert's party, Robert's birthday and our trip after we return. Till then!!!
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