It's been equal parts quiet and busy around here. The second week of December was filled with play dates. We decorated cookies, played at parks and attended the science class at Lick Creek Park. It was so fun and pretty relaxing too. After all the fun, I started to feel under the weather. I haven't fully recovered and have been taking it easy. I've been having to take naps in the afternoon to keep up with my kiddos. I'm exhausted. I'm still teaching in the mornings (which I love), or I'd be sleeping in too. I'm so ready to be at 100% again!
Today we head to Dallas for the start of Christmas festivities. We'll spend the weekend with my family and then move over to my in-laws' for Christmas eve and Christmas day. It should be a wonderful time. May you have a Merry Christmas as we celebrate the birth of our savior!
Andrew has been growing by leaps and bounds. He is in to everything, partially because he just has to know everything! He's giving me a run for my money, and I'm trying to remember it's a phase. He is becoming more aware of his surroundings too. This morning when he woke up, he saw all the presents under the tree were missing (they are packed up and ready to go). He checked every inch under the tree before pointing at it in confusion. He has also started to sit an listen to books being read. It's possible I'll have 4 little bookworms soon.
Hannah is doing well. She is in a testing rules phase, but is quickly learning that the reason for rules is mostly her own protection. We've had a few ice packs needed around here lately. She loves Andrew and all babies. She has developed a sweet group of little friends. You ask her who her best is, and she'll rattle off around 20 names before you cut her off. She likes most everyone, which makes her very likable. She's got down letters and their sounds and will point them out around town. It's so fun to see her mind at work!
Robert had taken off suddenly with reading. He is reading novels now (like over 200 pages!). This just started in the past couple of weeks. He's reading over my shoulder currently and nodding at what I'm typing. I'm so proud of you, Robert! "I can read that whole thing!" he just said. Robert is also proud to announce that he can tell time and add and subtract even the biggest numbers (mostly in his head!). He's also still sweet as sugar with a "mini-hulk" streak. I think I'll keep him.
William is still an avid reader. He checked out 6 novels yesterday from the library and read them all before dinner. He and Robert have been listening to "The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe" at night. Books are an essential part of our house. William is working on his French also and with him wrapping up part of his schoolwork (already?!?), we are going to devote more time to it. If I've learned anything from teaching children in China English, it's that hard work and practice pay off! William is beginning to hear and recognize French with more consistency, and this can only help his language production. I'm so proud of him too!
Francis and I are doing well. Not much to report from us. Francis is the assistant coach for William's basketball team this year and games for both big boys begin in January. I managed to get the bulk of Christmas shopping done and wrapped before I started feeling bad, so I've been able to relax a bit in that department. The only exception was the three hours I spent helping the kids wrap the gifts they bought for their siblings and cousins. My whole body hurt by the end, but the kids learned how to wrap packages!
That's it for now! Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!
Friday, December 20, 2019
Thursday, December 5, 2019
December 5, 2019
The last 3 weeks have been crazy exciting. Disney, Thanksgiving and Christmas activities have kept us busy.
We left for Disney the Friday before my birthday. Francis and I drove cross country overnight with all the kids in the car. It actually wasn't that bad! I took the middle 5 hour shift (middle of the night) and found it relaxing and quiet. I never just get time to think and pray, so I enjoyed driving for, like, the first time ever. Francis did the evening and morning driving and after breakfast, we arrived at Disney Springs. We shopped, relaxed and had lunch at Francis's favorite place (Wolfgang Puck Express) before our room was ready. We went to the room and *tried* to nap, but the kids were wired so we gave up. We ended up taking the bus to Magic Kingdom and then the monorail over to the Grand Floridian. It is beautiful there at Christmas time and they had their huge Gingerbread house up in the lobby. It was super cold outside (in the low 40s), but the kids were undeterred so we took the water taxi back to Magic Kingdom. Brrrr. We made it back in time for Francis to go get dinner and all of us to have an early bed time. It was the perfect way to ease us into a fun filled week!
Sunday we got up early and made it for extra magic hours at Hollywood Studios. We rode the new Skyliner, and I am sold. It is the best way to travel and so fast! We did Toy Story land (after walking through Star Wars Land...which was nuts). We found out Andrew is indeed 32 inches tall and was able to ride the new Alien Saucers. The boys did the Jedi Training and rode all of the intense rides with either Francis or me. Hannah, Andrew and I went to the Little Mermaid show and rode the more tame rides an additional time when the opportunity allowed. We had dinner at the Sci Fi Drive in for "Hannah's Birthday", which the kids really seemed to enjoy. Toward the end of the day, we ventured back into Star Wars land. It was still crowded, but less so. Francis rode the new Smugglers Run alone, and then the boys and I rode it together. It's a cool ride! The boys liked being gunners, and my personal favorite spot is the pilot. We finished off the first night in the parks with Fantasmic. It was a cold but great day!
Monday we headed over to Magic Kingdom. We made the mistake of trying to do the Jingle Cruise, but thanks to Fast Passes, the rest of our day was not nearly so stressful. Hannah met Cinderella, we rode all but maybe 7 of the rides (a few by choice), and had great timing when it came to the parade. that night we watched Anna and Elsa light up the castle. It was magical. We had dinner at the Crystal Palace for "Andrew's birthday" and got to add signatures to our book from Pooh and friends. We got pictures of ourselves in front of the castle and watched the fireworks show. I give Disney serious credit for giving compelling shows with lights and fireworks. It's amazing. After the show, extra magic hours allowed the big boys to ride some bonus rides while Hannah and Andrew slept in the stroller. William and I (and Robert the second time) managed to ride Space Mountain twice in a row right before park close. It was great! I am very proud of Robert. He went from not liking roller coasters to loving them in the span of one day!
Tuesday we did Epcot. We rushed to ride Frozen when it opened, and Hannah, Andrew and I rode it twice before the line got too long. The boys went to ride Test Track during our second ride. We met up and all but Andrew rode my favorite ride: Soarin! We rode all the ride, went home for a rest and swim in the mid-afternoon and still had time for dinner at Coral Reef (for "Robert's birthday") before the fireworks show. We walked over 15 miles (The kids took turns in the strollers), but it was still somehow both fun and relaxing.
Wednesday was Animal Kingdom. We were there at park opening (as we were every day). We got in line for Navii river Journey first thing and rode it. Then we rode rides, got wet (on the river rapids...thanks William and Hannah), and saw a ton of Animals. Before we knew it, my whole family arrived! That's right! My parents, Danielle, Kevin, Christian, Chad, and my niece and Nephews Alexandra, Issac, Timothy and Gideon all joined us at Disney World for my birthday. We watched the Lion King show, had an amazing dinner at Tucker House (for "William's birthday"), and had VIP seating for the Rivers of Light show. It gets better. We finished off the day with Fast Passes to Flight of Passage in Avatar. It is quite possibly my new favorite ride. The boys got to ride it twice, and I'm a tad jealous still. The ones who rode it on the first past pass went and rode the river journey before heading home. It was a fantastic day and I went home overflowing with excitement.
Thursday was the big twins' (Issac and Alexandra) real birthday. We started off the day in Magic kingdom and rode Buzz Lightyear a couple of times before riding most of the rest of the rides in Tomorrowland. We had a group picture with Cinderella and after a few rides (including Ariel), we had lunch at the Beast's Castle. It wasn't exactly as I envisioned (busy and we ended up in the beasts' room), but we got a free fast pass because my food took so long. We rode one of Hannah's favorite rides next: the Seven Dwarfs Mine Train. The Drakes headed back for a nap, and after riding a few more rides, the rest of us headed over to EPCOT. We rode more rides (Hello soarin!) and had a delicious dinner with the Princesses at Akershus. We were the last people at the restaurant (waiting on our bill) and almost didn't make it back on the Skyliner. whew!
Friday was my birthday (cue trumpets and confetti). It did not begin as planned. Francis had to go get medication for Andrew who was having trouble breathing, so I had to take all 3 other kids to Magic Kingdom by myself. Hannah had an appointment at Bibbity Bobbity Boutique, but we squeezed in a couple of rides beforehand. The Boutique was amazing and totally worth the price. Hannah had her hair, make-up and nails done. They made a big fuss and announced when Princess Hannah was done. She went and had professional photos done afterward in her Cinderella gown. It was a once in a lifetime experience that she will not soon forget. Francis and Andrew met up with us shortly after so we could ride all of the kids favorite Magic Kingdom rides one last time. The boys wanted Space Mountain (we had already done Buzz) and Hannah wanted Splash mountain (we had already done 7 Dwarfs). We had a spectacular lunch in Cinderella's Castle where we met more princesses, got some wands and swords, and ate delicious food. We met up with my family at Hollywood Studios afterward. We rode all the rides we missed the first time (William loved Rockin Roller Coaster). We had dinner at the outpost in Star Wars land. The food was great, the ambiance very special, and the company was unparalleled. In that moment of getting presents on the edge of the Galaxy, I could not have been happier. I wish I could put in words how much it meant to have all my family there at the most magical place on earth on my birthday. Thank you, family!!!! We rode Smuggler's run and Slinky Dog Dash in groups. The big boys and I snuck in a ride on Toy Story Mania before just barely making it to Fantasmic in time. I couldn't have asked for anything more.
Our last day was at EPCOT. We got up early once again, packed up our room, and took the Skyliner over to the park. We rushed and were able to quickly ride Frozen. All 16 of us just fit in one boat together! We took turns riding test track, soarin, and the land. We all rode Nemo together and spent a short time in the aquarium. All too soon, it was time to say goodbye to my family. Some headed back to the hotel and others headed over to Magic Kingdom. The kids chose one last ride before we left. The boys chose test track and Hannah chose Frozen (complete with getting Anna and Elsa's signatures). We were in luck that it was the last night of the food and wine festival, because we were able to use our remaining snack credits from our meal plan to have a delicious dinner of poutine, filet mingnon, braised beef, and some desserts. It was so good and a perfect end to our trip. We rode the Skyliner back to the hotel and climbed in our car. The drive back home was not as exciting, but we made it back by lunch on Sunday. I'd go back tomorrow if someone offered!
The week of Thanksgiving was spent mostly recuperating and resetting. It was nice to have a little down time. Thanksgiving day we went to Cyndy and Chris's house for a Phillips/Boerger Thanksgiving dinner. It was good food, good company, and the kids had fun with Abby and Jackson. Saturday, my in-laws, and the Boergers came up to our neck of the woods and we went to Santa's Wonderland. We've never been before (even though it's literally 5 minutes from our house), but it was so fun! We met Santa, jumped, rode a train, did a snow hill, played in snow and had hot chocolate. William and Robert also did the mechanical bull ride. My favorite part was the hay ride. We got to see thousands of lights in multiple displays ending in a light display about the life of Jesus. It was a very long hayride, but the second we got off, I was ready to do it over again. The lights were that cool! We hope to go again sometime. Everyone spent the night in town, so Saturday morning we had breakfast at Sweet Paris (crepes) and then went to Urban Air Trampoline Park. Christ, Francis and my father-in-law decided to jump with the kids. It was all fun and games until it was time to go and Francis took one last huge jump. He stepped wrong and fractured his foot. We already had a boot and crutches, so we swung by and got them. After an x-ray, it looks like he'll be in a boot for the next 3-6 weeks. At least it happened after Disney! We still made it to see Frozen II that afternoon. Cute movie!
This week we had our last CC of the semester and the accompanying Christmas party. The kids gave their tutors gifts and got some things too. Wednesday we went to Lick Creek homeschool days and the kids participated in an egg drop challenge. Their contraption was a bit unorthodox (straws sticking out everywhere), but it did the trick and the egg survived all three drops. Today was our last Bible Study before the new year. I am looking forward to a quieter week next week, but we'll see!
Till next time!
We left for Disney the Friday before my birthday. Francis and I drove cross country overnight with all the kids in the car. It actually wasn't that bad! I took the middle 5 hour shift (middle of the night) and found it relaxing and quiet. I never just get time to think and pray, so I enjoyed driving for, like, the first time ever. Francis did the evening and morning driving and after breakfast, we arrived at Disney Springs. We shopped, relaxed and had lunch at Francis's favorite place (Wolfgang Puck Express) before our room was ready. We went to the room and *tried* to nap, but the kids were wired so we gave up. We ended up taking the bus to Magic Kingdom and then the monorail over to the Grand Floridian. It is beautiful there at Christmas time and they had their huge Gingerbread house up in the lobby. It was super cold outside (in the low 40s), but the kids were undeterred so we took the water taxi back to Magic Kingdom. Brrrr. We made it back in time for Francis to go get dinner and all of us to have an early bed time. It was the perfect way to ease us into a fun filled week!
Sunday we got up early and made it for extra magic hours at Hollywood Studios. We rode the new Skyliner, and I am sold. It is the best way to travel and so fast! We did Toy Story land (after walking through Star Wars Land...which was nuts). We found out Andrew is indeed 32 inches tall and was able to ride the new Alien Saucers. The boys did the Jedi Training and rode all of the intense rides with either Francis or me. Hannah, Andrew and I went to the Little Mermaid show and rode the more tame rides an additional time when the opportunity allowed. We had dinner at the Sci Fi Drive in for "Hannah's Birthday", which the kids really seemed to enjoy. Toward the end of the day, we ventured back into Star Wars land. It was still crowded, but less so. Francis rode the new Smugglers Run alone, and then the boys and I rode it together. It's a cool ride! The boys liked being gunners, and my personal favorite spot is the pilot. We finished off the first night in the parks with Fantasmic. It was a cold but great day!
Monday we headed over to Magic Kingdom. We made the mistake of trying to do the Jingle Cruise, but thanks to Fast Passes, the rest of our day was not nearly so stressful. Hannah met Cinderella, we rode all but maybe 7 of the rides (a few by choice), and had great timing when it came to the parade. that night we watched Anna and Elsa light up the castle. It was magical. We had dinner at the Crystal Palace for "Andrew's birthday" and got to add signatures to our book from Pooh and friends. We got pictures of ourselves in front of the castle and watched the fireworks show. I give Disney serious credit for giving compelling shows with lights and fireworks. It's amazing. After the show, extra magic hours allowed the big boys to ride some bonus rides while Hannah and Andrew slept in the stroller. William and I (and Robert the second time) managed to ride Space Mountain twice in a row right before park close. It was great! I am very proud of Robert. He went from not liking roller coasters to loving them in the span of one day!
Tuesday we did Epcot. We rushed to ride Frozen when it opened, and Hannah, Andrew and I rode it twice before the line got too long. The boys went to ride Test Track during our second ride. We met up and all but Andrew rode my favorite ride: Soarin! We rode all the ride, went home for a rest and swim in the mid-afternoon and still had time for dinner at Coral Reef (for "Robert's birthday") before the fireworks show. We walked over 15 miles (The kids took turns in the strollers), but it was still somehow both fun and relaxing.
Wednesday was Animal Kingdom. We were there at park opening (as we were every day). We got in line for Navii river Journey first thing and rode it. Then we rode rides, got wet (on the river rapids...thanks William and Hannah), and saw a ton of Animals. Before we knew it, my whole family arrived! That's right! My parents, Danielle, Kevin, Christian, Chad, and my niece and Nephews Alexandra, Issac, Timothy and Gideon all joined us at Disney World for my birthday. We watched the Lion King show, had an amazing dinner at Tucker House (for "William's birthday"), and had VIP seating for the Rivers of Light show. It gets better. We finished off the day with Fast Passes to Flight of Passage in Avatar. It is quite possibly my new favorite ride. The boys got to ride it twice, and I'm a tad jealous still. The ones who rode it on the first past pass went and rode the river journey before heading home. It was a fantastic day and I went home overflowing with excitement.
Thursday was the big twins' (Issac and Alexandra) real birthday. We started off the day in Magic kingdom and rode Buzz Lightyear a couple of times before riding most of the rest of the rides in Tomorrowland. We had a group picture with Cinderella and after a few rides (including Ariel), we had lunch at the Beast's Castle. It wasn't exactly as I envisioned (busy and we ended up in the beasts' room), but we got a free fast pass because my food took so long. We rode one of Hannah's favorite rides next: the Seven Dwarfs Mine Train. The Drakes headed back for a nap, and after riding a few more rides, the rest of us headed over to EPCOT. We rode more rides (Hello soarin!) and had a delicious dinner with the Princesses at Akershus. We were the last people at the restaurant (waiting on our bill) and almost didn't make it back on the Skyliner. whew!
Friday was my birthday (cue trumpets and confetti). It did not begin as planned. Francis had to go get medication for Andrew who was having trouble breathing, so I had to take all 3 other kids to Magic Kingdom by myself. Hannah had an appointment at Bibbity Bobbity Boutique, but we squeezed in a couple of rides beforehand. The Boutique was amazing and totally worth the price. Hannah had her hair, make-up and nails done. They made a big fuss and announced when Princess Hannah was done. She went and had professional photos done afterward in her Cinderella gown. It was a once in a lifetime experience that she will not soon forget. Francis and Andrew met up with us shortly after so we could ride all of the kids favorite Magic Kingdom rides one last time. The boys wanted Space Mountain (we had already done Buzz) and Hannah wanted Splash mountain (we had already done 7 Dwarfs). We had a spectacular lunch in Cinderella's Castle where we met more princesses, got some wands and swords, and ate delicious food. We met up with my family at Hollywood Studios afterward. We rode all the rides we missed the first time (William loved Rockin Roller Coaster). We had dinner at the outpost in Star Wars land. The food was great, the ambiance very special, and the company was unparalleled. In that moment of getting presents on the edge of the Galaxy, I could not have been happier. I wish I could put in words how much it meant to have all my family there at the most magical place on earth on my birthday. Thank you, family!!!! We rode Smuggler's run and Slinky Dog Dash in groups. The big boys and I snuck in a ride on Toy Story Mania before just barely making it to Fantasmic in time. I couldn't have asked for anything more.
Our last day was at EPCOT. We got up early once again, packed up our room, and took the Skyliner over to the park. We rushed and were able to quickly ride Frozen. All 16 of us just fit in one boat together! We took turns riding test track, soarin, and the land. We all rode Nemo together and spent a short time in the aquarium. All too soon, it was time to say goodbye to my family. Some headed back to the hotel and others headed over to Magic Kingdom. The kids chose one last ride before we left. The boys chose test track and Hannah chose Frozen (complete with getting Anna and Elsa's signatures). We were in luck that it was the last night of the food and wine festival, because we were able to use our remaining snack credits from our meal plan to have a delicious dinner of poutine, filet mingnon, braised beef, and some desserts. It was so good and a perfect end to our trip. We rode the Skyliner back to the hotel and climbed in our car. The drive back home was not as exciting, but we made it back by lunch on Sunday. I'd go back tomorrow if someone offered!
The week of Thanksgiving was spent mostly recuperating and resetting. It was nice to have a little down time. Thanksgiving day we went to Cyndy and Chris's house for a Phillips/Boerger Thanksgiving dinner. It was good food, good company, and the kids had fun with Abby and Jackson. Saturday, my in-laws, and the Boergers came up to our neck of the woods and we went to Santa's Wonderland. We've never been before (even though it's literally 5 minutes from our house), but it was so fun! We met Santa, jumped, rode a train, did a snow hill, played in snow and had hot chocolate. William and Robert also did the mechanical bull ride. My favorite part was the hay ride. We got to see thousands of lights in multiple displays ending in a light display about the life of Jesus. It was a very long hayride, but the second we got off, I was ready to do it over again. The lights were that cool! We hope to go again sometime. Everyone spent the night in town, so Saturday morning we had breakfast at Sweet Paris (crepes) and then went to Urban Air Trampoline Park. Christ, Francis and my father-in-law decided to jump with the kids. It was all fun and games until it was time to go and Francis took one last huge jump. He stepped wrong and fractured his foot. We already had a boot and crutches, so we swung by and got them. After an x-ray, it looks like he'll be in a boot for the next 3-6 weeks. At least it happened after Disney! We still made it to see Frozen II that afternoon. Cute movie!
This week we had our last CC of the semester and the accompanying Christmas party. The kids gave their tutors gifts and got some things too. Wednesday we went to Lick Creek homeschool days and the kids participated in an egg drop challenge. Their contraption was a bit unorthodox (straws sticking out everywhere), but it did the trick and the egg survived all three drops. Today was our last Bible Study before the new year. I am looking forward to a quieter week next week, but we'll see!
Till next time!
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