Disney 2015 Day 2

Our Disney days always start at the crack of dawn.  Come on, its not like we aren't up anyway, Grace wakes up at 5:30 every day!  Monday morning we headed to the Polynesian Hotel for a breakfast with Lilo, Stitch & Friends.  It was our first character breakfast of the trip and I was eager to see how Grace would react.  Last trip she wanted nothing to do with characters and Brian had to hold her just to get a High 5.  Grace totally forgot her fear of characters and smiled, laughed and hugged each and every character that came her way. 

After breakfast we went to Epcot. 

Finally Grace is tall enough to ride the big rides.  She is definitely a McNeely!  Arms up in the air screaming the whole way.  So much fun!  And we even ran into the Cristelli's!  Jake and Anthony had a good time walking around the countries while Grandma and Nana took the girls back for a rest.  Jake loves to do the Agent P mysteries in each country so we did a few countries before dinner. 

The girls came back and we watched a street performer for a while.  He was so good, Julianna was so impressed.  He even gave her a ball to throw in a hoop.  She loved it!  We ate some yummy Italian dinner, watched some fireworks and called it a night. 

 

Disney 2015 Day 1

Yes I meant 2015...not 2016.  I am so behind in my posting but I am making a sincere effort to be better this year.  Which means catching up on last year, so I can tell you about this year.  Now I have probably confused you but I am just going to keep typing.

Once again we had a week off in September so of course we go to Disney World (where else would we go?)!  Our fun filled week started out with a long 7 hour drive down to Orlando, picking Nana up along the way!  Our first night we spent at Downtown Disney shopping and walking around.  Jake and Julianna had to get their Disney ears too!

After a yummy dinner, we decided to head back early and rest up...long week ahead!

Our first real day at Disney was Sunday.  We were up bright and early and ready to hit Animal Kingdom.  Of course technical difficulties ensued and we stood in line for what seemed like forever.  But in true Disney fashion they want you to be happy.  Daddy negotiated lots of free snacks (see below picture) and fast passes for lots of rides.

We rode roller coasters, kid rides, went on a safari and ended the afternoon at the Kali River Rapids.  Nana warned everyone..."whoever sits by me will get soaked!"  Sure enough, she and Julianna left the ride completely drenched!  Grace thought it was super funny...Julianna not so much!

 



After that we headed back to the hotel to pick up Grandma, who flew in for the fun!  I was able to snag some last minute reservations at Hollywood Studios so we had a great dinner and saw the Fantasmic show.  And guess who we ran into?  Our neighbors the Powell's!

 

 

On a side note, I have to tell this story because it totally restores my faith in humanity, not to mention my love for Disney World!  I went to water fountain to wash my hand off.  I set my phone and map on top of the water fountain.  10 seconds later I walked off, completely forgot my phone.  Ugh!  10 minutes later I realized my mistake and ran back.  Phone gone.  My heart sank.  It's Day 1 and my phone is lost.  I ask around and no one noticed anything.  I try calling it but it goes to voicemail.  Already I am thinking how much is this going to cost, where is the nearest Verizon, when am I going to have time to get a cell phone?  I sent the whole family off to get seats for the Fantasmic show and thought I would just check in Guest Services and leave my name.  Wouldn't you know they had my phone!!!  I cried when the lady brought it out.  I was so happy.  I told her I couldn't believe someone turned it in.  She replied "This is Disney, of course someone would turn it in."  She even said most people actually get their phones back.  Can you believe it?  There is some really wonderful person out there who picked up my phone and took the time to turn it in, you didn't have to but I am really glad you did! 

Julianna loses her first tooth...followed closely by her second!

So funny story.  Sunday August 9th I get a text and picture saying Julianna has lost her tooth.  My heart lurched.  I missed it.  I was so sad but happy she lost a tooth (I didn't even know was loose).  They couldn't find it so we decided she must have swallowed it.  Gross.  When I got home she was asleep so I didn't see it.  Since she wrote such a nice little note, the tooth fairy left her a gold coin.



"Oops Tooth Fairy I swallowed my tooth.  Please can you still give me money?  Love, Julianna"

 

 

The next morning she popped out of bed to show me her gap.  Imagine my surprise to see a tiny gap from her very loose tooth that was still in her mouth!  Oops!  False Alarm.  She did lose it later that night, after Brian got home. Mommy doesn't pull teeth.  So she officially lost her first tooth August 10th!

 



 
Then a couple days later she came home from school missing another tooth!  She said "I bit into something at lunch and I didn't want Daddy to pull it out so I just did it myself.".  And her top ones are loose too!  Don't know how she is going to eat!

First Day of School

I am pleased to report the first day of school was fantastic!  It was a very early morning but we managed to drag ourselves to the bus stop early to take pictures.  All of my worrying was for nothing.  Julianna hopped right on the bus and didn't even look back.  She was so excited she could hardly stand still!

Look how big our bus stop has gotten! 

 

And at 3:00 they were back!  With huge smiles on their faces.

 

 

A week later it was FINALLY Grace's turn to go to school. After being alone with Mommy for a week this girl was looking forward to seeing her friends!  Grace is in Mrs. Orgeron and Mrs. Kaye's class, they are the Top Dogs. And since she is 3 she gets to go through carpool and walk to her room all by herself.  Such a big girl!

 

 

I know these crazy kiddos are going to have the best year ever! 



 

 

 

 

 



Goodbye Summer!

I just checked my blog.  How is it possible I haven't written a word since the last days of school?  What have we been doing?  Well sit back and relax its going to be a long post!  I left off with my kids finishing up 1st grade, Pre-K, and the 1st year of preschool.  We were looking forward to a fun-filled summer.  Swimming on the swim team, hanging at our neighborhoods brand new pool, playing in our BFF's backyard pool (do you see a theme?).  Then this happened...on Day 3 of summer vacation.  As Grace would say "Seriously?"

He fell off the monkey bars.  I didn't see it (thank God!) but I saw Brian go running and heard Andy say "there's no way that's not broken."  Sure enough fractured both bones in his wrist.  He was out of the pool and had to miss his first sleep away camp.  But the 3 1/2 weeks in the cast went fast.  And he was back in the pool literally an hour after it was off.

While Jake was healing, Julianna was turning into quite the swimming Shark!  Her swim team the PWMC Sharks went undefeated.  Julianna did great in the freestyle and backstroke.  She and Lily were always neck and neck.  They loved the meets and getting ribbons.  Looks like next summer we will be back at it!

Hopefully since Grace (yes she is just 3 years old) learned how to swim.  She just went to the pool one day and when I went to put her floatie on she said "I don't need that Mama."  And she didn't.  Now she is a fish, excuse me, "a mermaid...and a shark."  While she was too young to compete in the swim meets she was a great little cheerleader.  Here she is candy in one hand and yelling with all her might.

Next up our trip to Cincinnati.  What a fun-filled week!  Grandma and Poppy took the whole week off to shower us with attention.  We went bowling, blueberry picking, swimming multiple times, to the park, Skyline Chili, shopping, saw Aunt Cindy and Sheri, and even went for a jog!  But I think the highlight this year was the Children's Museum.  It was amazing, the kids had such a great time.  There was so much for them to do.  They all loved it.

Gotta say thanks to my parents!  Not only for giving my kids such a fun week but for giving me a break!  I got to sleep in every morning and my mom cooked my favorites!  I think I read 4 books while I was there!  And I got a night out with my BFF, Lisa!  It was awesome!  Can't wait for next year.

We came home in time to spend 4th of July with out neighbors.  I stopped in Tennessee to get fireworks.  I had NO idea what I was doing, but "you get what you get and don't throw a fit!"  The dads made sure with whatever I brought back and the kids loved the fireworks!

Johnny, Shana and Wesley got to some twice this summer.  They stay with us while Johnny's coaches his team.  We had lots of fun swimming and hanging around.  We also went to the Aquarium.  We do have the best aquarium.  It's so nice and big with tons to see.  Most importantly it has the "golfins"  That would be dolphins to adults but Wesley kept saying he wanted to see the "golfins" and it was the cutest thing.  And he LOVED them!  Every time they jumped in the air his little arms went up and he said "amazing!"  So cute!  We had a great time, it's always nice to spend time with family!

Wow, this post is getting long.  I really thought in May this was going to be a laid back, sitting by the pool, lazy days kind of summer.  Obviously I was wrong!  Now I am looking forward to school starting so I can rest a little bit!  So after swim team wrapped up Nana decided to have the girls visit her.  Leaving Jake an only child for 3 days.  He didn't miss a beat.  As soon as they were backing down the driveway he was asking what we were going to do!  He chose to go to this place with bowling, ropes course, and an arcade.  Then we went for pasta.  Brian took him the to College Football Hall of Fame and he threw the football and ran around and even walked over and rode the Ferris Wheel.  No lie the kid had a fantastic weekend!  Monday I took him to a movie too.  By the last day I think he was missing his sisters though.  He wanted to know when we were getting them back.  

That brings us to our final trip.  Seaside, FL.  We rented the cutest house with our favorite travel companions, the Deckers.  Worked out so well.  The 7 and 5 year olds shared a room with 2 sets of bunk beds.  Grace was with Bell and her friend Kaya...yep two teenagers and a Grace.  There was a lot of attitude in that room.  

I can't even tell you how much fun we had.  Our kids are finally old enough to like the beach.  They all had the best time riding the waves on the body boards.  Really the girls loved it the most.  Grace just went again and again.  Julianna never got tired of it.  Next year we will be buying boards for everyone...because sharing just wasn't working!  They all wanted to be catching the waves.  

But they loved playing in the sand too.  JP dug a hole one day and it lasted a couple days.  They all go into it.  Bell told the to dig a hot tub for her...so they tried.  Of course it was about 105 degrees so it was basically a sauna outside.  But the beach breeze was fantastic and the water was perfect.  

We went to Destin one day to play some mini golf.  Oh my gosh, if you want to laugh take a 3 year old to play putt putt!  Grace had me laughing the whole time.  Some holes she would 20 putt and by the end it was more like scooting the ball around.  Then a couple holes in she would hit it off the tee, pick it up and set it next to the hole and hit it in.  Finally the last few she just set her ball down by the hole, tapped it in and said done!  She's a riot.

We were sad to come home but we only had one week left before school started! 

Like I said we had one week before school.  August 3rd - 1st day of school!  Crazy I know but I am ready!  10 weeks of summer is plenty for this mom!  Wednesday night we went to check out the kids teachers.  Jake is in Mrs. Pearson and Mrs. MeGehee's class.  It's team taught and I have heard great things about the teachers.  I met them today and they seem so nice and fun!  Jake will have a great year.  Sadly he and JP were split up this year but Ella (from across the street) is in the class too!

Now Julianna.  Oh Julianna.  She is going to have a rough time.  I mean the kid cried at the 5 minute kindergarten evaluation...that I stayed at!  But as it turns out its lucky she did lose her marbles on the floor of the hallway that day because the teacher noted in her file that she might do well being in her BFF Lily's class.  So hip hip hooray!  Julianna and Lily are in the same class!  Mrs. Cardwell is going to have her hands full!  This is them looking for their names on the list.  It was so cute.  

So bright and early (7:07am) Monday morning we will be at the bus stop.  Please pray Julianna gets on the bus without any tears.  I don't really see that happening.  I am probably going to have the pry her off my legs, sit her in the seat and jump off the bus (maybe while its taking off) to get away from her.   Maybe I should just resort to bribery.  I could just give her a coin...the girl will do anything for a coin.  

So tune in next week for the update!  Or let's be real.  Tune in some time next month for the update!