Taylor Vossekuil was 15 when she passed away from ALL leukemia in November 2007. It was a brief and courageous battle - she had been diagnosed in the spring and was taken into God's heavenly arms in the fall.
Taylor loved Halloween and last year at Halloween I remember hearing about "Taylor's Pumpkin Crusade". People from the community rallied to fill Taylor's front yard with pumpkins and it was a rousing success. I followed all of this very little as I was a bit preoccupied with our visitors from the African Children's Choir and with helping with a benefit for a dance student of mine who was battling brain tumor. But Taylor Vossekuil, the name stuck in my head.
One sleepless night in February found me browsing the internet and searching for a Caringbridge site for Taylor. I found it and was shocked to find she had passed away...in the fall I had not realized how sick she was. I stayed up, reading Taylor's journal from beginning to end, crying at times uncontrollably, and at times with a smile of pure joy. What a journey Taylor and her family traveled and I am thankful they shared it so honestly in their Caringbridge journal. Since February, I've checked on Taylor's site to see how the family is doing. An entry this past week by Taylor's mom, Ann, talked about how it has been nearly a year since Taylor passed away and how the pumpkin crusade was going on a year ago at this time. I felt an uncontrollable call on my heart to spend the next month in deep prayer for Ann, but also for...pumpkins:) I just couldn't get it out of my head! And so I decided to talk with Isabella about the situation, honestly.
I told Isabella that there was a Mommy named Ann with 4 daughters. One of her daughters, Taylor, had a really bad sick, a sick that was so bad that it just couldn't get better here on Earth. So God took her up to Heaven to make it all better and Taylor is healthy now and can run and play and be an angel watching over us. But sometimes Taylor's mom, Ann misses her a bit, and pumpkins help her to feel happy because Taylor loved Halloween and pumpkins so much. I suggested to Isabella that we should decorate some pumpkins and bring them to Ann. Isabella said, "That would be good and we could put angels on them and write on them, 'Thank you God for taking away her sick'". Man, I love that little girl sooooooooooooo much. I love that we could share that moment together, I love that she got it. And that day that all our friends came over, she kept coming up to me and saying, "Tell them the story Mom, tell them the story about the girl and her mommy". Isabella - you are so special...more special than you will every know and I love you so very much! I cherish those moments with you and keep them in a special place in my heart that is for just you and me.
So with the help of many of our little friends and their moms on Tuesday, our village of friends decorated some pumpkins to deliver to Taylor's yard on Halloween. Pumpkins with glitter on them, pumpkins with Superman stickers on them, pumpkins with mainly dried glue on them and a sticker or glitter spot here or there...they were the most beautiful pumpkins I ever saw!
Tonight, the four of us delivered the pumpkins to Ann Vossekuil's yard. Isabella rang the doorbell and the door was opened and they were prepared to give us candy. But we explained why we were there and the smile on Ann's face was priceless! "You just made my night", she said! Isabella distributed the pumpkins throughout the yard, Bryan and Veronica watched, and I got to share a hug and hand squeeze from one mom to another and see the light of Taylor's spirit shining through her mother's eyes.
It was a good night...a very good night. I continue to feel compelled that our family's call from God is to serve and I love sharing this with the girls and our friends. We receive so much from it and Isabella at such a young age seems to understand quite a bit about giving to others (in a variety of ways). I have a feeling that the Vossekuil family will become a special part of our Halloween celebration from here on out!
Thanks be to God for healing Taylor with his personal, loving embrace. Please continue to keep the Vossekuil family in your prayers as they approach the one year anniversary of Taylor's passing in November. They have been so couragous and strong in sharing their story...it has been so inspiring. It would mean so much if you would lift them up in prayer!!!
Friday, October 31, 2008
Halloween...the Hanson Family Way:)
Halloween...I love it so!!! And this year our Halloween Day took us on different journeys that made the whole day so special and causes me to pray many prayers of thanks for the blessings and people in our life! I'll break down the highlights:)
*Visit to Grandma Grace's office...this is always a Halloween hightlight! Grandma's 'work friends', as Isabella calls them, are always SO KIND to the girls. Grandma works with a wonderful group of people, including John Schmisek who pulled out a dollar bill for each girl because he didn't have any candy to offer, which was not necessary...however, he endeared himself to Veronica, the money lover, forever:) Thanks Grandma's work friends...you are always so incredibly thoughtful and sweet!
*A special visit to dance class...I had one class to teach late this afternoon and decided to bring the girls with me. It is the same level Isabella attends, just on a different day....I knew she would be fine...but Veronica...hmmm...how would this go. My hope was that I would put her out there and she would just follow along, motivated by being with the big girls. And you know what....SHE DID:) So there stood my two brown-eyed girls side by side tapping their toes to the counting song and 'Ghostbusters' and doing grand jetes' over pumpkins, and playing the Bear Hunt. It was really really really wonderful!!! How fun for us all to share an actual dance class together.
*We attended 'Funanza', Isabella's school carnival and had a fantastic time playing games, jumping in the inflatables and eating yummy treats!
*Trick or treating - Daddy/daughter time:) SPECIAL:) After leaving Funanza, we headed to Grandma and Papa's, but Isabella and Daddy had something to attend to once we arrived...some real good ole fashioned trick or treating!!! Isabella has never done trick or treating outside door to door:) This was something just for them...it was sweet. I did tag along for about 3 houses to take a couple of pictures and just get a glimpse of her reactions. It was sweet, she remembered her 'trick or treats' and 'thank you's' all on her own and Daddy even convinced me to stand back and watch as she went up to one house all on her own. It was sweet...her eyes were sparkling with excitement as treat upon treat was dropped into her bag!!! It was a whole new world for her - one I think she and Daddy will probably share as a special tradition of their own. There's nothing that melts my heart more than a Daddy/daughter moment...it's the best!!!
*"Miss Halloween, miss Halloween, hi Gamma, hi Papa, hi Daddy"...oh Veronica! Could there possibly be a cuter kid on earth??? At times, such as tonight, I think not:) We had been at G and G's for a little bit when Veronica began galloping around and around in a circle in the living room saying something over and over that we couldn't quite get. We started to make out something and than the word 'Halloween'...than realized it was 'Miss Halloween' and she was singing it in a rhythm. Around and around she galloped for probably about 5 minutes straight saying this, when I finally got it!!! "This is Halloween, this is Halloween" I sang...the chorus of a song I had used for our Halloween parade in dance class...Veronica had seen it 3 times this week, including earlier today! Her intepretation came out as "Miss Halloween, miss Halloween". Veronica than realized how much we were enjoying watching her do this and she would throw out "Hi Daddy", "Hi Papa", "Hi Gamma" with a wave worthy of Sarah Palin in between her 'Miss Halloween'. We just sat and watched her do this for the longest time. I kept waiting for her to run out of gas and just fall over, but on and on she went. It was adorably cute, goes down in the history books as one of the cutest moments EVER...in all of history...and I'm not being dramatic (ha ha ha:)!!!:)
*Grandma's goodie bags...each year when Gamma gives the girls their Halloween bags, I joke that I didn't know that it was xmas or birthday time. But after 4 years, I've finally given up and am just going to be thankful. With the goodies come that one super duper special reaction that just melts the heart. Grandma gave V a stuffed Donald Duck from DW in her bag and oh man, how she loved that Donald Duck and hugged it and smiled at it and loved it up..."My Donald Duck"...she loved it so much.
And Isabella just has cute, so sincere moments! Her delighted expression of "Oh cute" when she saw the Mickey Mouse hair barrettes from DW and I think she and I were equally excited about the soccer coach Barbie Doll!!! We'd both looked longingly at that Barbie in the toy aisle together:) Now we can play with it together...if she'll share it:)
*Costumes...oh how I love them!!! Last year, I wanted Isabella to be Batgirl so bad...I knew she would be the perfect Batgirl. But she preferred Dorothy and I respected her wishes. But this year she was into the Batgirl idea and she was the perfect Batgirl!!! I put her hair in a side ponytail and crimped it and it was great!!! When we got her to wear the mask and the boots and gloves, it was priceless!
And my Snow White...oh Veronica! I think it was this summer that I had the vision of my V as the perfect little Snow White and she did not disappoint! From Disney World, to Halloween Day at dance class, to Grandma's office, to tonight...I couldn't get enough of her in that Snow White dress! And though her little bob of curls that I tediously produced from convincing her to let me put curlers in her hair would only last about 10 minutes before it gave way to a wild mess of hair...oh it was PRECIOUS!!!
I may have missed the mark on some major parenting issues, but gosh darn it, I nailed it on the Halloween costume front this year...ha ha ha:)
*And for a super special memory from tonight, I hope you'll read our entry titled, "Angel Taylor's Halloween"!
Happy Halloween everyone...kiss your sweet little trick or treaters and love them through all the peaks and valleys you travel on this unforgettable parenting journey! We are so blessed to be parents!!!
*Visit to Grandma Grace's office...this is always a Halloween hightlight! Grandma's 'work friends', as Isabella calls them, are always SO KIND to the girls. Grandma works with a wonderful group of people, including John Schmisek who pulled out a dollar bill for each girl because he didn't have any candy to offer, which was not necessary...however, he endeared himself to Veronica, the money lover, forever:) Thanks Grandma's work friends...you are always so incredibly thoughtful and sweet!
*A special visit to dance class...I had one class to teach late this afternoon and decided to bring the girls with me. It is the same level Isabella attends, just on a different day....I knew she would be fine...but Veronica...hmmm...how would this go. My hope was that I would put her out there and she would just follow along, motivated by being with the big girls. And you know what....SHE DID:) So there stood my two brown-eyed girls side by side tapping their toes to the counting song and 'Ghostbusters' and doing grand jetes' over pumpkins, and playing the Bear Hunt. It was really really really wonderful!!! How fun for us all to share an actual dance class together.
*We attended 'Funanza', Isabella's school carnival and had a fantastic time playing games, jumping in the inflatables and eating yummy treats!
*Trick or treating - Daddy/daughter time:) SPECIAL:) After leaving Funanza, we headed to Grandma and Papa's, but Isabella and Daddy had something to attend to once we arrived...some real good ole fashioned trick or treating!!! Isabella has never done trick or treating outside door to door:) This was something just for them...it was sweet. I did tag along for about 3 houses to take a couple of pictures and just get a glimpse of her reactions. It was sweet, she remembered her 'trick or treats' and 'thank you's' all on her own and Daddy even convinced me to stand back and watch as she went up to one house all on her own. It was sweet...her eyes were sparkling with excitement as treat upon treat was dropped into her bag!!! It was a whole new world for her - one I think she and Daddy will probably share as a special tradition of their own. There's nothing that melts my heart more than a Daddy/daughter moment...it's the best!!!
*"Miss Halloween, miss Halloween, hi Gamma, hi Papa, hi Daddy"...oh Veronica! Could there possibly be a cuter kid on earth??? At times, such as tonight, I think not:) We had been at G and G's for a little bit when Veronica began galloping around and around in a circle in the living room saying something over and over that we couldn't quite get. We started to make out something and than the word 'Halloween'...than realized it was 'Miss Halloween' and she was singing it in a rhythm. Around and around she galloped for probably about 5 minutes straight saying this, when I finally got it!!! "This is Halloween, this is Halloween" I sang...the chorus of a song I had used for our Halloween parade in dance class...Veronica had seen it 3 times this week, including earlier today! Her intepretation came out as "Miss Halloween, miss Halloween". Veronica than realized how much we were enjoying watching her do this and she would throw out "Hi Daddy", "Hi Papa", "Hi Gamma" with a wave worthy of Sarah Palin in between her 'Miss Halloween'. We just sat and watched her do this for the longest time. I kept waiting for her to run out of gas and just fall over, but on and on she went. It was adorably cute, goes down in the history books as one of the cutest moments EVER...in all of history...and I'm not being dramatic (ha ha ha:)!!!:)
*Grandma's goodie bags...each year when Gamma gives the girls their Halloween bags, I joke that I didn't know that it was xmas or birthday time. But after 4 years, I've finally given up and am just going to be thankful. With the goodies come that one super duper special reaction that just melts the heart. Grandma gave V a stuffed Donald Duck from DW in her bag and oh man, how she loved that Donald Duck and hugged it and smiled at it and loved it up..."My Donald Duck"...she loved it so much.
And Isabella just has cute, so sincere moments! Her delighted expression of "Oh cute" when she saw the Mickey Mouse hair barrettes from DW and I think she and I were equally excited about the soccer coach Barbie Doll!!! We'd both looked longingly at that Barbie in the toy aisle together:) Now we can play with it together...if she'll share it:)
*Costumes...oh how I love them!!! Last year, I wanted Isabella to be Batgirl so bad...I knew she would be the perfect Batgirl. But she preferred Dorothy and I respected her wishes. But this year she was into the Batgirl idea and she was the perfect Batgirl!!! I put her hair in a side ponytail and crimped it and it was great!!! When we got her to wear the mask and the boots and gloves, it was priceless!
And my Snow White...oh Veronica! I think it was this summer that I had the vision of my V as the perfect little Snow White and she did not disappoint! From Disney World, to Halloween Day at dance class, to Grandma's office, to tonight...I couldn't get enough of her in that Snow White dress! And though her little bob of curls that I tediously produced from convincing her to let me put curlers in her hair would only last about 10 minutes before it gave way to a wild mess of hair...oh it was PRECIOUS!!!
I may have missed the mark on some major parenting issues, but gosh darn it, I nailed it on the Halloween costume front this year...ha ha ha:)
*And for a super special memory from tonight, I hope you'll read our entry titled, "Angel Taylor's Halloween"!
Happy Halloween everyone...kiss your sweet little trick or treaters and love them through all the peaks and valleys you travel on this unforgettable parenting journey! We are so blessed to be parents!!!
Sunday, October 26, 2008
Happy Halloween...Mickey Style!!!
Thursday night, with great excitement, we were off to "Mickey's Not So Scary Halloween Party". This is a special event at Disney, with a limited number of tickets sold. All of the rides are running, but the wait time is a lot less since there is less people in the park. But best of all, there are all kinds of fun activities/features happening at the park...it is AWESOME!!!
We headed to park in costume, full of the Halloween spirit. The girls, in full princess spirit, opted to wear their special dresses from Grandma. I was 'Momma Snow White' thanks to the incredible generosity of my Debbie-day-ana (smile) who kindly lent me her costume. Daddy was a Ghostbuster and Grandma was a nun!!! Everyone is pretty much in costume and it is so fun to see!!! There was a family where the parents and their four children were Dalmation dogs and their Grandma was Cruella Deville!!!
The ticket taker told Grandma, "Have a good night, sister" and Daddy was a hit in his Ghostbuster costume! People kept asking him which one he was, if he was on his way to the Haunted Mansion to take care of some business, etc...it was great! And of course, our princesses got many adoring looks and comments!
We had a blast at the special Halloween dance parties. We totally fell upon the first one on our way to Fantasyland...we passed a restaurant and there was Lilo and Stitch dancing on stage! Holy Cow!!!! We dashed in and I don't think I'll ever forget the excitement that spread across Isabella's face when she saw Stitch!!! Lilo and Stitch is one of our favorite cartoons on snuggle mornings!!! We did the chicken dance and the YMCA and got a big wave and kiss blown to us from Lilo! Veronica, also a fan, was entranced and danced in Grandma's arms. She got some very special up close waves from Lilo...it was sooooo COOL!!! Daddy captured it all on video camera and it was so fun to watch!!!
Than as we came into Fantasyland we fell upon a second dance party with Chip and Dale!!! But this time, Chip and Dale weren't on a stage, they were on the dance floor and you were right there with them!!! I took Isabella out there and she stayed and danced rather stiffly, she was a bit in awe and overwhelmed being right out there with them. It was so cute:) She did the cha cha slide with them, but she seemed more interested in seeing if there was another kid her age who would dance with her. She kept asking different little girls to dance with her, but they were more interested in dancing with Chip and Dale. Veronica went with Grandma to do some trick or treating...being that close to a 'head' character (as opposed to a 'face' character like the princesses) was still a bit too much for her:)
Time for a parade!!! And what a parade the Halloween one is!!! Fantastic! Mickey, Minnie, and the gang are all in Halloween costumes...it is SO CUTE!!! The parade features a lot of the Disney 'villians' - like Captain Hook, Ursula, the wicked queens, it's super cute!!! We had a front row seat and enjoyed sitting next to a family with kids our age. Their 6 year old daughter and Isabella chatted up a storm while waiting for the parade to start...it was VERY CUTE to listen too!!! Isabella was turning up the full charm as she made a new friend, including being adorably cute to her baby sister..."Oh here little sisty, have a candy while you wait".
The parade was fantastic!!! Veronica sat right up front with Daddy, waved immediately when she saw Donald Duck (our first indication that she is starting to warm up to the 'head' characters), and seemed to be having a great time. Than of course it had to happen...really it's hilarious when it's all said and done. There were four of the evil hyenas (did Ieven spell that anywhere near right?) from the Lion King (of course in costume) and they would prowl up on the sidelines and randomly growl at people. And who were some of those lucky people - Daddy and V of course!!!! Ahhhhh man!:) Veronica flipped out and spent the rest of the parade in my arms:) But the parade was wonderful, full of Halloween spirit, and so much creativity!!!
Now a ride report...new rides we tried that night -
*The Buzz Lightyear ride...fun and Veronica seemed to particularly enjoy it
*Stitch's Great Escape - oh boy, don't know if we quite knew what we were getting into. This is more of an 'experience' than a ride. You're strapped into a chair with a lot of effects going on around you, like the sensation that Stitch is ruffling your hair, water spraying at you, the feeling of Stitch jumping on your chair, and the scent of him burping in your face. Lots of darkness and noise effects. Isabella was skiddish from the start...she had overheard someone say it was scary right before we went in. But we reminded her it was pretend and went for it. She was a bit freaked out throughout it, but true to 'Isabella form' the second we got out, she went running to Grandma telling her all about and begging to go on it again, reminding Grandma it's all just pretend:)
*Thunder Mountain - Daddy and Isabella went on this. Bry said Isabella got freaked out right before they got on the train car, almost didn't go on, but once again, LOVED IT and came bouncing off pleading to go again. So off she and I went, with my sweet girl telling me, "It's not scary Mom, just fun, ok?". And fun it was! Isabella giggled and shrieked throughout the coaster ride that involves no huge drops, but has a lot of speed and curves and twists, and is especially cool to ride at night, since you come out of the mountain and are outside during some of it! Hands down...my favorite ride!!!!
The night started winding down with a fantastic fireworks show! Fireworks are going off all around you...it's spectacular...but very loud:) It was getting close to 10, and Veronica was tired and not digging the noise. Isabella was pretty enthralled with everything during that point and beamed like a ray of sunshine at the fireworks going off around her.
We were heading out right after the fireworks, when a tired and delerious Veronica exclaimed, "Horsey, horsey" as we passed Cinderella's carousel and proceeded to perk up considerably. So Grandma, Daddy, and the girls boarded the carousel.
And to make a long story short...next came what Bryan calls my 'Sarah Palin Crazy Hockey Mom' moment. Let's just say that I was tipped off that Cinderella and Prince Charming were doing a character appearance in Toon Town and that the line probably wouldn't be very long since the second parade was going on. This led to me tearing through the park to get us a spot in line while the rest of my family trailed behind (I encouraged them to walk since I was running:), only to be told by the attendant that Cinderella and Prince Charming would be leaving in 5 minutes to be replaced by Aurora and Prince Phillip. What???? We'd already met Aurora that morning, I wanted a picture of Cinderella and Isabella wearing her Cinderella dress. But I had two tired kids, a tired Grandma, and a husband who was less than impressed with my crazy running through the park, and while the line was not too long, there was no way we were goign to get to her before she left. So we told Isabella that Cinderella was going to have to leave and asked her if she wanted to just go home or did she want to see Aurora and Prince Phillip. In a very calm, sleepy voice, Isabella said, "That's fine, I will just meet them". So sweet, so cute. I pointed out to her again, because I think she missed it, that she was going to get to meet a Prince! Isabella had asked me before the trip if any of the prince's would be there and I'd told her I didn't know...well, here we were about to meet a prince! When Isabella realized that she got EXCITED! But the second it was her turn, she turned into the very shy, demure little girl that had been at the princess breakfeast...it's so darn cute:)
So I walked her up to Aurora and Prince Phillip, and said, "We had such a wonderful time meeting you at breakfeast this morning, Aurora". And here is what I LOVE ABOUT DISNEY...all of their people are so on their game. Aurora and Phillip immediately picked up on my cue, Aurora responding, "Yes, so did I" and Phillip getting down on his knee at Isabella's level and saying, "And what is your name?" (Aurora couldn't ask - she'd already met Isabella that morning, nod nod wink wink:). "Isabella" my sweet daughter said, and Phillip looked up at Aurora and said, "Oh yes, this is the little girl you were telling me about"! Isabella beamed and I just could have cried, all of this little things, these little details, considerations, they mean so much to me as a Mom, watching my child experience the 'magic' of Disney.
With that, it was time to head home:) By the time we were on Main Street USA (the entryway of the park), Isabella and Veronica were both sleeping peacefully in their strollers - our own Sleeping Beauties. What a great night! It was such an awesome experience!!!
We headed to park in costume, full of the Halloween spirit. The girls, in full princess spirit, opted to wear their special dresses from Grandma. I was 'Momma Snow White' thanks to the incredible generosity of my Debbie-day-ana (smile) who kindly lent me her costume. Daddy was a Ghostbuster and Grandma was a nun!!! Everyone is pretty much in costume and it is so fun to see!!! There was a family where the parents and their four children were Dalmation dogs and their Grandma was Cruella Deville!!!
The ticket taker told Grandma, "Have a good night, sister" and Daddy was a hit in his Ghostbuster costume! People kept asking him which one he was, if he was on his way to the Haunted Mansion to take care of some business, etc...it was great! And of course, our princesses got many adoring looks and comments!
We had a blast at the special Halloween dance parties. We totally fell upon the first one on our way to Fantasyland...we passed a restaurant and there was Lilo and Stitch dancing on stage! Holy Cow!!!! We dashed in and I don't think I'll ever forget the excitement that spread across Isabella's face when she saw Stitch!!! Lilo and Stitch is one of our favorite cartoons on snuggle mornings!!! We did the chicken dance and the YMCA and got a big wave and kiss blown to us from Lilo! Veronica, also a fan, was entranced and danced in Grandma's arms. She got some very special up close waves from Lilo...it was sooooo COOL!!! Daddy captured it all on video camera and it was so fun to watch!!!
Than as we came into Fantasyland we fell upon a second dance party with Chip and Dale!!! But this time, Chip and Dale weren't on a stage, they were on the dance floor and you were right there with them!!! I took Isabella out there and she stayed and danced rather stiffly, she was a bit in awe and overwhelmed being right out there with them. It was so cute:) She did the cha cha slide with them, but she seemed more interested in seeing if there was another kid her age who would dance with her. She kept asking different little girls to dance with her, but they were more interested in dancing with Chip and Dale. Veronica went with Grandma to do some trick or treating...being that close to a 'head' character (as opposed to a 'face' character like the princesses) was still a bit too much for her:)
Time for a parade!!! And what a parade the Halloween one is!!! Fantastic! Mickey, Minnie, and the gang are all in Halloween costumes...it is SO CUTE!!! The parade features a lot of the Disney 'villians' - like Captain Hook, Ursula, the wicked queens, it's super cute!!! We had a front row seat and enjoyed sitting next to a family with kids our age. Their 6 year old daughter and Isabella chatted up a storm while waiting for the parade to start...it was VERY CUTE to listen too!!! Isabella was turning up the full charm as she made a new friend, including being adorably cute to her baby sister..."Oh here little sisty, have a candy while you wait".
The parade was fantastic!!! Veronica sat right up front with Daddy, waved immediately when she saw Donald Duck (our first indication that she is starting to warm up to the 'head' characters), and seemed to be having a great time. Than of course it had to happen...really it's hilarious when it's all said and done. There were four of the evil hyenas (did Ieven spell that anywhere near right?) from the Lion King (of course in costume) and they would prowl up on the sidelines and randomly growl at people. And who were some of those lucky people - Daddy and V of course!!!! Ahhhhh man!:) Veronica flipped out and spent the rest of the parade in my arms:) But the parade was wonderful, full of Halloween spirit, and so much creativity!!!
Now a ride report...new rides we tried that night -
*The Buzz Lightyear ride...fun and Veronica seemed to particularly enjoy it
*Stitch's Great Escape - oh boy, don't know if we quite knew what we were getting into. This is more of an 'experience' than a ride. You're strapped into a chair with a lot of effects going on around you, like the sensation that Stitch is ruffling your hair, water spraying at you, the feeling of Stitch jumping on your chair, and the scent of him burping in your face. Lots of darkness and noise effects. Isabella was skiddish from the start...she had overheard someone say it was scary right before we went in. But we reminded her it was pretend and went for it. She was a bit freaked out throughout it, but true to 'Isabella form' the second we got out, she went running to Grandma telling her all about and begging to go on it again, reminding Grandma it's all just pretend:)
*Thunder Mountain - Daddy and Isabella went on this. Bry said Isabella got freaked out right before they got on the train car, almost didn't go on, but once again, LOVED IT and came bouncing off pleading to go again. So off she and I went, with my sweet girl telling me, "It's not scary Mom, just fun, ok?". And fun it was! Isabella giggled and shrieked throughout the coaster ride that involves no huge drops, but has a lot of speed and curves and twists, and is especially cool to ride at night, since you come out of the mountain and are outside during some of it! Hands down...my favorite ride!!!!
The night started winding down with a fantastic fireworks show! Fireworks are going off all around you...it's spectacular...but very loud:) It was getting close to 10, and Veronica was tired and not digging the noise. Isabella was pretty enthralled with everything during that point and beamed like a ray of sunshine at the fireworks going off around her.
We were heading out right after the fireworks, when a tired and delerious Veronica exclaimed, "Horsey, horsey" as we passed Cinderella's carousel and proceeded to perk up considerably. So Grandma, Daddy, and the girls boarded the carousel.
And to make a long story short...next came what Bryan calls my 'Sarah Palin Crazy Hockey Mom' moment. Let's just say that I was tipped off that Cinderella and Prince Charming were doing a character appearance in Toon Town and that the line probably wouldn't be very long since the second parade was going on. This led to me tearing through the park to get us a spot in line while the rest of my family trailed behind (I encouraged them to walk since I was running:), only to be told by the attendant that Cinderella and Prince Charming would be leaving in 5 minutes to be replaced by Aurora and Prince Phillip. What???? We'd already met Aurora that morning, I wanted a picture of Cinderella and Isabella wearing her Cinderella dress. But I had two tired kids, a tired Grandma, and a husband who was less than impressed with my crazy running through the park, and while the line was not too long, there was no way we were goign to get to her before she left. So we told Isabella that Cinderella was going to have to leave and asked her if she wanted to just go home or did she want to see Aurora and Prince Phillip. In a very calm, sleepy voice, Isabella said, "That's fine, I will just meet them". So sweet, so cute. I pointed out to her again, because I think she missed it, that she was going to get to meet a Prince! Isabella had asked me before the trip if any of the prince's would be there and I'd told her I didn't know...well, here we were about to meet a prince! When Isabella realized that she got EXCITED! But the second it was her turn, she turned into the very shy, demure little girl that had been at the princess breakfeast...it's so darn cute:)
So I walked her up to Aurora and Prince Phillip, and said, "We had such a wonderful time meeting you at breakfeast this morning, Aurora". And here is what I LOVE ABOUT DISNEY...all of their people are so on their game. Aurora and Phillip immediately picked up on my cue, Aurora responding, "Yes, so did I" and Phillip getting down on his knee at Isabella's level and saying, "And what is your name?" (Aurora couldn't ask - she'd already met Isabella that morning, nod nod wink wink:). "Isabella" my sweet daughter said, and Phillip looked up at Aurora and said, "Oh yes, this is the little girl you were telling me about"! Isabella beamed and I just could have cried, all of this little things, these little details, considerations, they mean so much to me as a Mom, watching my child experience the 'magic' of Disney.
With that, it was time to head home:) By the time we were on Main Street USA (the entryway of the park), Isabella and Veronica were both sleeping peacefully in their strollers - our own Sleeping Beauties. What a great night! It was such an awesome experience!!!
Tuesday, October 21, 2008
A Whale of a Time...SEA WORLD!!!
On Wednesday (GRANDMA'S BIRTHDAY!!!) we headed for some fun and adventure at Sea World. After our first day at DW, Sea World was a good choice...crowds are a bit less intense and there is less of a wait for the rides/shows Sea World offers!
Our first visit was to the Sting Ray exhibit where we all petted the sting rays swimming by (with two fingers along the back:)...even Grandma petted one! Some of the sting rays got a little fiesty and would splash as they swam by...this was funny! Than Daddy got some food to feed the sting rays...this was an adventure! He had to hold the fish in between his pointer and middle finger and reach that hand all the way into the bottom of the pool. A sting ray's mouth is on the bottom of it's body so that is way he had to reach his hand all the way down and let the sting rays swim over top to get the food! We were swarmed with Sting Rays wanting food...it was FUN!!!
Than we went to feed dolphins and pet them!!!! WOW...fun!!! We each had a tray of little fish to drop in for the dolphins and were able to pet their heads!
Off to the dolphin show we went and WOW...it was UNBELIEVABLE! When Bry and I were at Sea World 10 years ago the dolphin show was more education based and showed of their skills...now it's this huge show involving several human performers doing acrobatics, diving, and water tricks with the dolphins and birds flying in randomly throughout the arena...one flew right over G'ma and mine's head...we were pretty surprised!! THIS SHOW WAS FANTASTIC!!! WOW!!! I think my mouth was wide open the whole time and my head moving all over the place trying to catch everything! It was beautiful!!!! Bryan and Isabella sat down in the soak zone while V, G'ma, and I sat a little farther up! Isabella enjoyed the little splashes she got when the dolphins jumped close by her. Veronica sat transfixed by the show eating one Dorito after another:)
Than it was the big SHAMU show...BELIEVE!!! Again, a hit!!! Again, Daddy and Isabella in the soak zone(very close this time) and V, G'ma, and I up top. Daddy and Isabella got SOAKED by the many big splashes Shamu and friends made with their big tails!!! She loved it and proudly showed us how soaked she was after the show! The whole theme behind the show is to believe in your dreams and to work hard for them. There is video of young children telling their different dreams and one of them was to be a dolphin trainer. Not surprisingly this prompted Isabella to turn to Daddy and ask, "Can I be a dolphin trainer when I grow up?":) Daddy said it was one of his favorite memories because he told her of course she could be and they than had one of those father/daughter talks about following your dreams and that you might have to work hard to achieve them, but to never give up....ahhhh Daddy:)
As for Veronica, she was in love with both the dolphin and whale shows. She sat completely still on the bench, except for the movement of her hand bringing endless doritos to her mouth (side note...snacks are an essential during the DW experience...fill your backpack with many so you don't have to drop a huge chunk of change on park snacks:). Any time the whales or dolphins would disappear and the 'humans' would take over to give them a break, Veronica would strain her neck looking all around and asking in earnest, "Where Whale?", "Where Dolphin?"...she loved watching them jump and splash and do their tricks!!! It is fun wathing her so young and little on this vacation finding the things she enjoys!!!!
We of course had to stop by the Clydsdale horse (Anheiser Busch owns Sea World or something like that) to take a family picture...Bry said he needed a before and after:) Back in March of 1999 we visited Sea World on spring break together (our first vacay together:) and he took a picture in front of this horse by himself (the before:)...now it was time for the after, complete with the wife and kiddos:) CUTE...Daddy's so funny:)
Than it was finally time for Isabella to ride the rollar coaster she been waiting so patiently for...Journey to Atlantis! Bry and I rode this ride on our vacay in '99 and have a hilarious pic of him laughing on it and me gritting my teeth with all my might while we down the biggest drop. So off we went, holding hands and boarded our coaster car...Bry and Isabella up front together, I behind them. We traveled through the various tunnels with different visual effects and decors depicting the world of Atlantis and than finally made our way up up up and outside to the big splash!!! In the immediate seconds afterwards, Isabella didn't want to go on it again, she was scared - not of the coaster part, but of some of the visual effects). But once we were actually off and she saw G'ma and V, Isabella went running over telling them all about it and wanted to go on again. So off the three of us went AGAIN:) We determined what seemed to have scared her most inside the tunnel and covered her eyes during it...problem solved:) G'ma and V saw us come down the big splash and Isabella determined that she wanted to go on it...AGAIN:) I took her on it again, Daddy went to go ride the super huge Kracken rollar coaster, and G'ma and V headed for Shamu's Happy Harbor play area. What a tremendous help G'ma was in moments like this...we both got to go on the coaster with Isabella, G'ma would entertain V with snacks or a more toddler friendly attraction...thank you G'ma!!!!!
As Isabella and I went to ride the Journey to Atlantis one last time, she gleefully called out to the attendant, "We're just going one more time, ok?" and we skipped on through. And I'll tell you a secret...I finally opened my eyes on the big drop the third time around:)
Isabella and I headed off to meet G'ma and V at Shamu's Happy Harbor and wow...we had thought our day would be coming to an end, but we'd just found a whole new set of adventures at this little kids amusement park (very similar to the park at the MOA). G'ma and V had already ridden the carousel, which has fish instead of horses and V's smile stretched from ear to ear! We headed to the Jammin Jellyfish ride, which is basically spinning tea cups that go up in the air. We did not realize that they went so high up in the air or that they spun around so fast...G'ma held her own very well while riding with V and I in their own car..."Don't look down" I yelled out:)
After that, Daddy joined up with us, a little quesy from his experience on the Kracken, but ready to ride a little spinning boat ride with the girls. It was in this moment that we witnessed Veronica become a full fledged ride nut like her sister. Daddy, Isabella, and Veronica loaded into their row with G'ma and I watching. There was V, smiling from ear to ear, giggling, calling out in her cute little baby voice, "G'ma...hi G'ma, hi G'ma" and waving joyfully, showing off for all of us:) Than the ride started and all you could hear was an endless stream of streaks and giggles and all you could see was this gigantic smile on a sweet little baby face.
V and I than headed to some spinning cups that stayed on the ground and didn't go quite so fast and it was evident that she was now 'beyond' those rides. So we headed off for the big test...the frog hopper!!! Oh boy. I was a little nervous, I would be right next to her, but we were strapped in flying up and down in the air and I wouldn't be able to just grab her if she got scared. But oh she giggled as we sat in the seat waiting, smiling away. The safety restraints lowered, and up we went! As we went up, V managed to catch sight of G'ma coming over to watch her..."G'ma, hi G'ma, looka me, hi G'ma"...hilarious! The more we bounced and the higher we jumped and the more she giggled and giggled and giggled!!!! Daddy and Isabella came over from the Shamu kid coaster right as she finished and decided to ride the frog hopper with Veronica again. This time I got to watch. Veronica looked SO LITTLE in those seats, so tiny. What a memory to watch our little baby, the one who's a bit timid, a bit weary of new experiences, takes time to warm up to things become a full fledged ride nut like her sister. I know she'll be on the big girl rides with her 'big sisty' as soon as her height allows!!!
Two special notes from the day...when Daddy arrived at Shamu Harbor, he had a surprise for Isabella. Daddy had gone and gotten a hilarious pic of the three of us on the Atlantis Coaster...Dad's hands are up in the air and he is smiling wildly. Isabella and I both have these very strained looks on our faces...it's hilarious!!! He'd had the pic put in a water globe for Isabella to have in her room, so she could remember our day together. This is kind of our 'thing' as a family. When we let the girls get things on adventures such as this or at the zoo for example, we tell them that we hope they will always remember our special day when they look at that thing. Throughout the rest of the day and the rest of the trip, Isabella would ask to see her water globe and would say things like, "I just love this so much" or "Why did Daddy get this for me again?" (she likes to hear the story about it capturing a special memory). She would just carry it around looking at it for the longest time.
Our second special note from the Sea World day is "SISTER BONDING"...wow!!! This was SO NEAT to watch!!! Isabella was really excited about Veronica being able to go on so many rides with her and she would always want to sit by Veronica. The older Veronica gets, the more they can do together and you can really see their bond growing through it...it is AWESOME!!! "Come sit by your big sisty, Veronica"!!!! Isabella was very proud of her little sis tackling some 'big girl' rides:)
What a day!!!! "Hi G'ma, hi G'ma"...I don't think I'll ever forget Veronica gleefully calling this out to Grandma from each ride showing off what a big girl she was!!!! FUN FUN FUN!!!
Our first visit was to the Sting Ray exhibit where we all petted the sting rays swimming by (with two fingers along the back:)...even Grandma petted one! Some of the sting rays got a little fiesty and would splash as they swam by...this was funny! Than Daddy got some food to feed the sting rays...this was an adventure! He had to hold the fish in between his pointer and middle finger and reach that hand all the way into the bottom of the pool. A sting ray's mouth is on the bottom of it's body so that is way he had to reach his hand all the way down and let the sting rays swim over top to get the food! We were swarmed with Sting Rays wanting food...it was FUN!!!
Than we went to feed dolphins and pet them!!!! WOW...fun!!! We each had a tray of little fish to drop in for the dolphins and were able to pet their heads!
Off to the dolphin show we went and WOW...it was UNBELIEVABLE! When Bry and I were at Sea World 10 years ago the dolphin show was more education based and showed of their skills...now it's this huge show involving several human performers doing acrobatics, diving, and water tricks with the dolphins and birds flying in randomly throughout the arena...one flew right over G'ma and mine's head...we were pretty surprised!! THIS SHOW WAS FANTASTIC!!! WOW!!! I think my mouth was wide open the whole time and my head moving all over the place trying to catch everything! It was beautiful!!!! Bryan and Isabella sat down in the soak zone while V, G'ma, and I sat a little farther up! Isabella enjoyed the little splashes she got when the dolphins jumped close by her. Veronica sat transfixed by the show eating one Dorito after another:)
Than it was the big SHAMU show...BELIEVE!!! Again, a hit!!! Again, Daddy and Isabella in the soak zone(very close this time) and V, G'ma, and I up top. Daddy and Isabella got SOAKED by the many big splashes Shamu and friends made with their big tails!!! She loved it and proudly showed us how soaked she was after the show! The whole theme behind the show is to believe in your dreams and to work hard for them. There is video of young children telling their different dreams and one of them was to be a dolphin trainer. Not surprisingly this prompted Isabella to turn to Daddy and ask, "Can I be a dolphin trainer when I grow up?":) Daddy said it was one of his favorite memories because he told her of course she could be and they than had one of those father/daughter talks about following your dreams and that you might have to work hard to achieve them, but to never give up....ahhhh Daddy:)
As for Veronica, she was in love with both the dolphin and whale shows. She sat completely still on the bench, except for the movement of her hand bringing endless doritos to her mouth (side note...snacks are an essential during the DW experience...fill your backpack with many so you don't have to drop a huge chunk of change on park snacks:). Any time the whales or dolphins would disappear and the 'humans' would take over to give them a break, Veronica would strain her neck looking all around and asking in earnest, "Where Whale?", "Where Dolphin?"...she loved watching them jump and splash and do their tricks!!! It is fun wathing her so young and little on this vacation finding the things she enjoys!!!!
We of course had to stop by the Clydsdale horse (Anheiser Busch owns Sea World or something like that) to take a family picture...Bry said he needed a before and after:) Back in March of 1999 we visited Sea World on spring break together (our first vacay together:) and he took a picture in front of this horse by himself (the before:)...now it was time for the after, complete with the wife and kiddos:) CUTE...Daddy's so funny:)
Than it was finally time for Isabella to ride the rollar coaster she been waiting so patiently for...Journey to Atlantis! Bry and I rode this ride on our vacay in '99 and have a hilarious pic of him laughing on it and me gritting my teeth with all my might while we down the biggest drop. So off we went, holding hands and boarded our coaster car...Bry and Isabella up front together, I behind them. We traveled through the various tunnels with different visual effects and decors depicting the world of Atlantis and than finally made our way up up up and outside to the big splash!!! In the immediate seconds afterwards, Isabella didn't want to go on it again, she was scared - not of the coaster part, but of some of the visual effects). But once we were actually off and she saw G'ma and V, Isabella went running over telling them all about it and wanted to go on again. So off the three of us went AGAIN:) We determined what seemed to have scared her most inside the tunnel and covered her eyes during it...problem solved:) G'ma and V saw us come down the big splash and Isabella determined that she wanted to go on it...AGAIN:) I took her on it again, Daddy went to go ride the super huge Kracken rollar coaster, and G'ma and V headed for Shamu's Happy Harbor play area. What a tremendous help G'ma was in moments like this...we both got to go on the coaster with Isabella, G'ma would entertain V with snacks or a more toddler friendly attraction...thank you G'ma!!!!!
As Isabella and I went to ride the Journey to Atlantis one last time, she gleefully called out to the attendant, "We're just going one more time, ok?" and we skipped on through. And I'll tell you a secret...I finally opened my eyes on the big drop the third time around:)
Isabella and I headed off to meet G'ma and V at Shamu's Happy Harbor and wow...we had thought our day would be coming to an end, but we'd just found a whole new set of adventures at this little kids amusement park (very similar to the park at the MOA). G'ma and V had already ridden the carousel, which has fish instead of horses and V's smile stretched from ear to ear! We headed to the Jammin Jellyfish ride, which is basically spinning tea cups that go up in the air. We did not realize that they went so high up in the air or that they spun around so fast...G'ma held her own very well while riding with V and I in their own car..."Don't look down" I yelled out:)
After that, Daddy joined up with us, a little quesy from his experience on the Kracken, but ready to ride a little spinning boat ride with the girls. It was in this moment that we witnessed Veronica become a full fledged ride nut like her sister. Daddy, Isabella, and Veronica loaded into their row with G'ma and I watching. There was V, smiling from ear to ear, giggling, calling out in her cute little baby voice, "G'ma...hi G'ma, hi G'ma" and waving joyfully, showing off for all of us:) Than the ride started and all you could hear was an endless stream of streaks and giggles and all you could see was this gigantic smile on a sweet little baby face.
V and I than headed to some spinning cups that stayed on the ground and didn't go quite so fast and it was evident that she was now 'beyond' those rides. So we headed off for the big test...the frog hopper!!! Oh boy. I was a little nervous, I would be right next to her, but we were strapped in flying up and down in the air and I wouldn't be able to just grab her if she got scared. But oh she giggled as we sat in the seat waiting, smiling away. The safety restraints lowered, and up we went! As we went up, V managed to catch sight of G'ma coming over to watch her..."G'ma, hi G'ma, looka me, hi G'ma"...hilarious! The more we bounced and the higher we jumped and the more she giggled and giggled and giggled!!!! Daddy and Isabella came over from the Shamu kid coaster right as she finished and decided to ride the frog hopper with Veronica again. This time I got to watch. Veronica looked SO LITTLE in those seats, so tiny. What a memory to watch our little baby, the one who's a bit timid, a bit weary of new experiences, takes time to warm up to things become a full fledged ride nut like her sister. I know she'll be on the big girl rides with her 'big sisty' as soon as her height allows!!!
Two special notes from the day...when Daddy arrived at Shamu Harbor, he had a surprise for Isabella. Daddy had gone and gotten a hilarious pic of the three of us on the Atlantis Coaster...Dad's hands are up in the air and he is smiling wildly. Isabella and I both have these very strained looks on our faces...it's hilarious!!! He'd had the pic put in a water globe for Isabella to have in her room, so she could remember our day together. This is kind of our 'thing' as a family. When we let the girls get things on adventures such as this or at the zoo for example, we tell them that we hope they will always remember our special day when they look at that thing. Throughout the rest of the day and the rest of the trip, Isabella would ask to see her water globe and would say things like, "I just love this so much" or "Why did Daddy get this for me again?" (she likes to hear the story about it capturing a special memory). She would just carry it around looking at it for the longest time.
Our second special note from the Sea World day is "SISTER BONDING"...wow!!! This was SO NEAT to watch!!! Isabella was really excited about Veronica being able to go on so many rides with her and she would always want to sit by Veronica. The older Veronica gets, the more they can do together and you can really see their bond growing through it...it is AWESOME!!! "Come sit by your big sisty, Veronica"!!!! Isabella was very proud of her little sis tackling some 'big girl' rides:)
What a day!!!! "Hi G'ma, hi G'ma"...I don't think I'll ever forget Veronica gleefully calling this out to Grandma from each ride showing off what a big girl she was!!!! FUN FUN FUN!!!
Thursday, October 16, 2008
Breakfeast with the Princesses...MAGIC!!!
So I'll start at the end (and than backtrack) because it sums up the whole experience.
We'd just finished meeting 5 Disney Princesses, one on one, face to face, hugs, pictures, conversations...unbelievable. The final princess was Mulan...big surprise. I had forewarned Isabella that she would probably not meet Mulan. There isn't a lot of Mulan paraphanalia/souvenirs/etc...around and we hadn't heard of others meeting her. Than she burst through the door and it was MAGIC!!!! After she had left, I exclaimed to Isabella, "What a wonderful surprise, wasn't that wonderful to see Mulan? We didn't think we'd meet her! WAs that exciting?"
Isabella said something softly (she'd been speaking very softly through the whole breakfeast and reminding us too...just like a princess). I didn't hear her...I asked her to say it again.
Very softly my beautiful daughter with her face shining said, "Someday I will bring my babies here".
I started crying. Grandma Grace started crying. Daddy started crying. We were all crying, we couldn't contain it. I reached across the table and asked Isabella for her hand, she extended it, I squeezed it told her how much I loved her and she told me she loved me too.
I have so much welling up in me reflecting on that moment. Perhaps you won't ever be able to grasp the innocense, the beauty, the joy of the moment, or understand that it was a very special way in which Isabella was telling us thank you for the experience with such profound maturity and gratitude. It was a moment where you go, ok I am doing something right here. It was a moment of perfection. IT WAS MAGIC...I don't think that the three of us (mom, me, and Bry) will ever be able to forget it. It's a story we'll tell when she gets married, when she's pregnant, and someday a story I will tell my grandchildren as we embark on a Disney adventure together. That moment was the stuff that life is made of and is meant to be about.
So let me start at the beginning. I hope you'll take the time to read this, especially if you're a Disney cynic, or if you plan on traveling there someday, or just if you're a parent who treasures magic moments with your children.
I was so excited for this breakfeast with the princesses that I did not fall asleep until 2:30 a.m. last night (my alarm went off at 6:20 a.m. this morning). My mind was racing - is the camera charged, which princess will be there, will the girls like their princess dresses Grandma got them, will we be on time, will it be everything I'm expecting or a disappointment.
Up I got and started getting ready and than getting the girls ready...curlers in the hair for both of our princesses. Than into Grandma's room we went for them to receive their very special princess dresses that Grandma had got for them to wear! Isabella was excited, Veronica proclaimed 'NO WAY' when we asked her if she was going to wear it and went giggling out of the room:)
Isabella had Grandma and Daddy close their eyes while she got her Cinderella dress and crown on and entered the room! She was so beautiful. I always wondered what she would look like as a Cinderella...it was PERFECT!!! With a ponytail of curls on top of her head and her long, lean body...she was an enchanting Cinderella.
Veronica became quite excited seeing her sister in her dress and got hers on with the help of Daddy and Grandma...and oh my! I always knew that little girl would make the most adorable Snow White out there and was I ever right! SHE WAS ADORABLE! The little red hair bow and the little pink cape attached to the back of her costume made it perfect...CUTENESS TO THE MAX!!!
We arrived at Epcot plenty early, got a great parking spot and enjoyed a leisurely, beautiful walk over to the Norway pavillion. I checked us in and we waited outside taking pictures and taking in all of the other little princesses arriving! From the moment we got to the Norway pavillion, Isabella became extremely quiet and calm and I could tell what she was doing...she was going into 'princess mode'...emboding all the little things she has heard about princesses and their manners...it was very darn cute.
As I checked us in, I could see through the doorway that it was Belle in her beautiful yellow ballgown that would be greeting us once we entered!!! Oh boy, exciting!!! I told Isabella there was a princess inside waiting to meet us and did she want to know who it was or did she want it to be a surprise. Very softly she whispered with her eyes twinkling, "I want it to be a surprise".
Our family was announced and invited in and as we came into the entryway, Isabella caught site of the yellow ball gown and knew it was Belle! Right before the girls were to go up for their meeting and picture with Belle, Veronica started to get a bit nervous and cling to Daddy's leg. Belle came right up to Isabella and hugged her and grabbed her hand and I grabbed Veronica's hand and walked her up to Belle and she was fine...happy in fact:) My little girls held Belle's hand...Veronica staring up in wonder, Isabella so quiet and calm. She twirled them around and danced wiht them and they all smiled for a beautiful picture and off we were to our table.
Per the advice of our good friend Stacy Nelson I had asked a worker to point out the entrance the princesses would be entering from during the meal. The lady pointed it out and so we knew what side of the table we wanted Isabella on. As the hostess walked us to our table, I could have fallen over. We were at the table right next to the door, meaning we would be the first to meet the princesses and that our girls would see them the second they dashed through the door. I could have cried. So we sat down and I didn't quite know what to do. We didn't know when the princesses would be coming. Our server took our drink order and told us he would be bringing us a hot plate of food and to help ourselves to the buffet table of pastries and fruit. I pushed my luck and dashed to the buffet, leaving the rest of the crew behind and loaded up a plate with fruit and pastries and got back. A moment later our server brought our plate of hot food, we were settling in, starting to eat a little, when...
Ok, break moment, I'm getting teary remembering this as I type it:)
...Woosh, the door flew open and out came Aurora (Sleeping Beauty). It was so unexpected and I happened to see Isabella's face perfectly. She literally was in complete awe, kind of numb...just totally awestruck...no smile, just super HUGE eyes. Aurora floated right over to her and started talking and Isabella couldn't even speak and we told her to go ahead and stand up and Isabella quickly stood up on her chair and as she stood up, I could see through her dress that she was holding her tummy so tight I don't think she was breathing. As this all is happening, we're so excited and overwhelmed by Isabella's reaction that I'm crying, G'ma Grace is crying, Daddy forgot to videotape, Veronica is staring with a wide open mouth while holding a piece of bacon, and I'm fumbling with the camera. I'm supposed to be the parent, but I felt like I was the kid I was so darn excited!!!
Off Aurora dashed to the next table and Isabella started to breath again and this huge smile swept over her face and she was in full princess mode, reminding all of us to talk quiet and to chew with her mouth closed.
Veronica sat and munched on a piece of bacon without making a peep and her eyes never left any of the princesses as they moved through the room. She as well was truly awestruck and SO QUIET. We all marveled at what a wonderful meal it was - the kids were deafeningly quiet and actually ate.
We'd barely recovered from Aurora when the door flew open and there was Jasmine before our eyes! Beautiful, so adorable in her outfit!
Than the door flew open and it was SNOW WHITE!!! Very exciting as we had our own little Snow White at the table!!!:) Snow White took some extra time doting after Veronica since they were twins.
At this point, I had gotten up from our table and station myself by the 'magic door'. I figured there was one more princess left. When that door flew open and Mulan walked through, I can't even describe. Isabella is into Mulan, but I just never imagined we'd see her based on what I had heard from others. In the world of being a parent, it was a dream come true!
We told Mulan we didn't think we'd see her and we were so excited and she was so nice and sweet to the girls. As she was preparing to leave, I told Isabella why don't you give her one more hug and say thank you, and Isabella turned and hugged me and said, "Thank you Mommy"...again...I was about to cry:)
Isabella was SO incredibly well mannered and respectful with these princesses. She hugged them so softly as not to ruin their hair:) She took her picture very quickly with them and had her 'moment' with them so they could move on. She was such a good girl and so well-mannered.
I don't think I have ever seen Isabella so quiet and in awe of something...she was just mesmerized. AFter each princess would leave, she would sit back down and the shocked face would break into the purest, happiest smile around.
Veronica was absolutely adorable too. The princesses would bend down to talk to her and she would just STARE at them with those big brown eyes! Once they left our table, her eyes never left them. After her visit from Snow White, she asked a short time later, "Where Snow White, Where Snow White". She loved it as much as her big sister...it was fun to see our little baby in the midst of the magic!!!
We'd just finished meeting 5 Disney Princesses, one on one, face to face, hugs, pictures, conversations...unbelievable. The final princess was Mulan...big surprise. I had forewarned Isabella that she would probably not meet Mulan. There isn't a lot of Mulan paraphanalia/souvenirs/etc...around and we hadn't heard of others meeting her. Than she burst through the door and it was MAGIC!!!! After she had left, I exclaimed to Isabella, "What a wonderful surprise, wasn't that wonderful to see Mulan? We didn't think we'd meet her! WAs that exciting?"
Isabella said something softly (she'd been speaking very softly through the whole breakfeast and reminding us too...just like a princess). I didn't hear her...I asked her to say it again.
Very softly my beautiful daughter with her face shining said, "Someday I will bring my babies here".
I started crying. Grandma Grace started crying. Daddy started crying. We were all crying, we couldn't contain it. I reached across the table and asked Isabella for her hand, she extended it, I squeezed it told her how much I loved her and she told me she loved me too.
I have so much welling up in me reflecting on that moment. Perhaps you won't ever be able to grasp the innocense, the beauty, the joy of the moment, or understand that it was a very special way in which Isabella was telling us thank you for the experience with such profound maturity and gratitude. It was a moment where you go, ok I am doing something right here. It was a moment of perfection. IT WAS MAGIC...I don't think that the three of us (mom, me, and Bry) will ever be able to forget it. It's a story we'll tell when she gets married, when she's pregnant, and someday a story I will tell my grandchildren as we embark on a Disney adventure together. That moment was the stuff that life is made of and is meant to be about.
So let me start at the beginning. I hope you'll take the time to read this, especially if you're a Disney cynic, or if you plan on traveling there someday, or just if you're a parent who treasures magic moments with your children.
I was so excited for this breakfeast with the princesses that I did not fall asleep until 2:30 a.m. last night (my alarm went off at 6:20 a.m. this morning). My mind was racing - is the camera charged, which princess will be there, will the girls like their princess dresses Grandma got them, will we be on time, will it be everything I'm expecting or a disappointment.
Up I got and started getting ready and than getting the girls ready...curlers in the hair for both of our princesses. Than into Grandma's room we went for them to receive their very special princess dresses that Grandma had got for them to wear! Isabella was excited, Veronica proclaimed 'NO WAY' when we asked her if she was going to wear it and went giggling out of the room:)
Isabella had Grandma and Daddy close their eyes while she got her Cinderella dress and crown on and entered the room! She was so beautiful. I always wondered what she would look like as a Cinderella...it was PERFECT!!! With a ponytail of curls on top of her head and her long, lean body...she was an enchanting Cinderella.
Veronica became quite excited seeing her sister in her dress and got hers on with the help of Daddy and Grandma...and oh my! I always knew that little girl would make the most adorable Snow White out there and was I ever right! SHE WAS ADORABLE! The little red hair bow and the little pink cape attached to the back of her costume made it perfect...CUTENESS TO THE MAX!!!
We arrived at Epcot plenty early, got a great parking spot and enjoyed a leisurely, beautiful walk over to the Norway pavillion. I checked us in and we waited outside taking pictures and taking in all of the other little princesses arriving! From the moment we got to the Norway pavillion, Isabella became extremely quiet and calm and I could tell what she was doing...she was going into 'princess mode'...emboding all the little things she has heard about princesses and their manners...it was very darn cute.
As I checked us in, I could see through the doorway that it was Belle in her beautiful yellow ballgown that would be greeting us once we entered!!! Oh boy, exciting!!! I told Isabella there was a princess inside waiting to meet us and did she want to know who it was or did she want it to be a surprise. Very softly she whispered with her eyes twinkling, "I want it to be a surprise".
Our family was announced and invited in and as we came into the entryway, Isabella caught site of the yellow ball gown and knew it was Belle! Right before the girls were to go up for their meeting and picture with Belle, Veronica started to get a bit nervous and cling to Daddy's leg. Belle came right up to Isabella and hugged her and grabbed her hand and I grabbed Veronica's hand and walked her up to Belle and she was fine...happy in fact:) My little girls held Belle's hand...Veronica staring up in wonder, Isabella so quiet and calm. She twirled them around and danced wiht them and they all smiled for a beautiful picture and off we were to our table.
Per the advice of our good friend Stacy Nelson I had asked a worker to point out the entrance the princesses would be entering from during the meal. The lady pointed it out and so we knew what side of the table we wanted Isabella on. As the hostess walked us to our table, I could have fallen over. We were at the table right next to the door, meaning we would be the first to meet the princesses and that our girls would see them the second they dashed through the door. I could have cried. So we sat down and I didn't quite know what to do. We didn't know when the princesses would be coming. Our server took our drink order and told us he would be bringing us a hot plate of food and to help ourselves to the buffet table of pastries and fruit. I pushed my luck and dashed to the buffet, leaving the rest of the crew behind and loaded up a plate with fruit and pastries and got back. A moment later our server brought our plate of hot food, we were settling in, starting to eat a little, when...
Ok, break moment, I'm getting teary remembering this as I type it:)
...Woosh, the door flew open and out came Aurora (Sleeping Beauty). It was so unexpected and I happened to see Isabella's face perfectly. She literally was in complete awe, kind of numb...just totally awestruck...no smile, just super HUGE eyes. Aurora floated right over to her and started talking and Isabella couldn't even speak and we told her to go ahead and stand up and Isabella quickly stood up on her chair and as she stood up, I could see through her dress that she was holding her tummy so tight I don't think she was breathing. As this all is happening, we're so excited and overwhelmed by Isabella's reaction that I'm crying, G'ma Grace is crying, Daddy forgot to videotape, Veronica is staring with a wide open mouth while holding a piece of bacon, and I'm fumbling with the camera. I'm supposed to be the parent, but I felt like I was the kid I was so darn excited!!!
Off Aurora dashed to the next table and Isabella started to breath again and this huge smile swept over her face and she was in full princess mode, reminding all of us to talk quiet and to chew with her mouth closed.
Veronica sat and munched on a piece of bacon without making a peep and her eyes never left any of the princesses as they moved through the room. She as well was truly awestruck and SO QUIET. We all marveled at what a wonderful meal it was - the kids were deafeningly quiet and actually ate.
We'd barely recovered from Aurora when the door flew open and there was Jasmine before our eyes! Beautiful, so adorable in her outfit!
Than the door flew open and it was SNOW WHITE!!! Very exciting as we had our own little Snow White at the table!!!:) Snow White took some extra time doting after Veronica since they were twins.
At this point, I had gotten up from our table and station myself by the 'magic door'. I figured there was one more princess left. When that door flew open and Mulan walked through, I can't even describe. Isabella is into Mulan, but I just never imagined we'd see her based on what I had heard from others. In the world of being a parent, it was a dream come true!
We told Mulan we didn't think we'd see her and we were so excited and she was so nice and sweet to the girls. As she was preparing to leave, I told Isabella why don't you give her one more hug and say thank you, and Isabella turned and hugged me and said, "Thank you Mommy"...again...I was about to cry:)
Isabella was SO incredibly well mannered and respectful with these princesses. She hugged them so softly as not to ruin their hair:) She took her picture very quickly with them and had her 'moment' with them so they could move on. She was such a good girl and so well-mannered.
I don't think I have ever seen Isabella so quiet and in awe of something...she was just mesmerized. AFter each princess would leave, she would sit back down and the shocked face would break into the purest, happiest smile around.
Veronica was absolutely adorable too. The princesses would bend down to talk to her and she would just STARE at them with those big brown eyes! Once they left our table, her eyes never left them. After her visit from Snow White, she asked a short time later, "Where Snow White, Where Snow White". She loved it as much as her big sister...it was fun to see our little baby in the midst of the magic!!!
Wednesday, October 15, 2008
DAY ONE - Disney World...it really is the happiest place on Earth:)
7:56 a.m. - WE ARE ALL IN THE CAR...WOO HOO!!!! Disney World Disney World Disney World!!!! Bryan was a fantastic driver and we were parked and heading into Disney by 8:20 a.m.!!!! From the start it's magic...from the little Disney statue before you even get in the park to the 'Mickey Tree' (a bush that is in the shape of Mickey Mouse)...I think that got Mom and I bit teary right away. We navigated through our tickets and stroller rental with ease and we were inside just waiting for the gates to open. Ants started to get into the pants of our little ladies...but than along came Mickey's train and the opening song...what excitement!!!! I threw Isabella up on my shoulders and was honestly thankful I couldn't see her face, I already had tears just watching the Disney train roll in with Mickey and the crew...if I would have been watching her reactions, I think I would have been a complete mess. It's just a dream come true, there you are with your girls and your husband and their Grandma who is one of the biggest Disney nuts I know and you're about to experience it all...it's very emotionally overwhelming. And to top it off, 'Stitch' was one of the characters on the welcome train...Isabella is a big Lilo and Stitch fan right now!!!
And than we were in!!! While Bryan got the stroller, we were inches from Mickey as he was whisked away and fairly close to Snow White too!!!! Off we headed to Fantasyland and got on the spinning tea cups with no wait in line!!! Woo Hoo! Than to Dumbo, where yes, we did have to wait (but the wait was nothing compared to what it was for others later in the day), but some fruit snacks helped to pass the time!!! And G'ma made it on Dumbo!!!! Yeah G'ma!!! G'ma, V, and I were in one Dumbo, Daddy and Isabella in another! After Dumbo we boared Cinderella's Golden Carousel with no wait!!! Mommy even rode one of the horses!!!!
Daddy and Isabella than went on Snow White's Scary Adventure while G'ma, V, and I were going to stroll through a gift shop...but what before our wondering eyes appeared...the Fairy Godmother right outside of Cinderella's castle! She had just arrived with noone around her and we were able to stroll V right up and I explained to her that this was a Fairy Godmother, just like Auntie Monica is her Fairy Godmother. V seemed to like her...maybe even cracked a little smile at her!!! Even let G'ma hold her and stand right next to the Fairy Godmother! It was so wonderful!!!!
While we did this, Daddy and Isabella rode the Snow White ride TWICE...and despite the fact that she kept her head hidden in Daddy's side the second time, she bubbled over with excitement talking about it and begging G'ma and I to go on it!:)
Off to Pooh's adventure we went and to the Flight of Peter Pan and it's a Small World! Loved them!!! Particularly loved Peter Pan and was so proud of G'ma who was a bit surprised (as were we) that you were up in the air flying! So fun...all of them!!! Perfect for all in our family!
Veronica started some mini meltdowns during the above rides, so we braced ourselves and were able to keep her in check! Off we headed to the little Pinocchio restaurant which we loved (great food, good portions, reasonable prices, fast service). Funny memory note - Veronica holding on to her chair and yelling 'Shuffle Step' as she practiced her shuffle steps from dance class.
To Toon Town we headed and toured through Minnie and Mickey's houses - cute. Than into the line we went to meet one on one with Mickey...this is where things got a little hairy with Veronica. It got a little ugly, but we're used to that. Isabella got a little impatient as well, she was itching for some more rides. But finally, just as things could have gotten really really really bad...we were whisked in and I about fell over! Not only was Mickey in the room, BUT MINNIE TOO!!! Back when I visited Disney in 4th grade, I never met Minnie despite my Mom's many extra attempts...now here she was and I was so darn excited that I really have no idea what I was taking pictures of and didn't even really notice Veronica SCREAMING HER HEAD OFF or Minnie kissing Isabella and Isabella kissing Minnie back. Oh well, I SAW MINNIE:) And she was so cute...so cute, the way she stands, the way she holds her head...oh Minnie, how can you not love Minnie:) And the professional photographer got a good pic of all of us with her...YEAH:)
On a side note, prior to the trip, Veronica would talk endlessly about 'Mickey Mouse, Mickey Mouse, I huggie Mickey Mouse'...needless to say, we didn't really believe her on this one:)
At this point, we were at that fork in the road...V was getting tired...what to do what to do???? A little playground park outside Mickey's house spunked her up and she played on the slides while Daddy and Isabella went on Goofy's roller coaster (perhaps the shortest ride in history...but good enough for a rollar coaster fix for Isabella:). We all got a little rest while we rode the Disney train and we were ready to rock! We grabbed some ice cream at Mrs Potts' Ice Cream Shoppe and headed for the Magic Carpet Rides of Aladdin in ADVENTURELAND. Super fun ride!!! The girls loved it!
Than we headed to Frontierland where we thought we would quickly take Isabella on Splash Mountain while V and G'ma waited. God bless G'ma for her kindness and patience, because I think it was darn near an hour by the time we got through the line and on the ride. But of course Isabella loved it and did well in the line and we had some fun people in front of us to talk too. And as luck would have it, Splash Mountain was right near the start of the parade route, so V and G'ma got to inadvertantly see the parade. G'ma reported that V was particularly excited at the sight of Donald Duck!!!
Home we went with V falling asleep on the drive. We enjoyed the pool and ate our spaghetti dinner poolside!:) What a great way to end the day! Two little girls did a little coloring and Veronica caught a little second wind cracking us up as she jabbered and jumped around the living room proclaiming with great enthusiasm things like, "I color Pony", "I color YELLOW, yellow G'ma, yellow". We just watched her and laughed...she was crazy!!! Jumping, galloping, and so darn happy! I was a bit sad to put her to bed, but everyone was ready for a good night's rest as we prepared for the next day's adventure with Shamu and friends at SeaWorld!!!
And just a note to any future DW travelers...I whole heartedly agree with all of the advice that if you only follow one piece of advice...GET THERE EARLY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
And than we were in!!! While Bryan got the stroller, we were inches from Mickey as he was whisked away and fairly close to Snow White too!!!! Off we headed to Fantasyland and got on the spinning tea cups with no wait in line!!! Woo Hoo! Than to Dumbo, where yes, we did have to wait (but the wait was nothing compared to what it was for others later in the day), but some fruit snacks helped to pass the time!!! And G'ma made it on Dumbo!!!! Yeah G'ma!!! G'ma, V, and I were in one Dumbo, Daddy and Isabella in another! After Dumbo we boared Cinderella's Golden Carousel with no wait!!! Mommy even rode one of the horses!!!!
Daddy and Isabella than went on Snow White's Scary Adventure while G'ma, V, and I were going to stroll through a gift shop...but what before our wondering eyes appeared...the Fairy Godmother right outside of Cinderella's castle! She had just arrived with noone around her and we were able to stroll V right up and I explained to her that this was a Fairy Godmother, just like Auntie Monica is her Fairy Godmother. V seemed to like her...maybe even cracked a little smile at her!!! Even let G'ma hold her and stand right next to the Fairy Godmother! It was so wonderful!!!!
While we did this, Daddy and Isabella rode the Snow White ride TWICE...and despite the fact that she kept her head hidden in Daddy's side the second time, she bubbled over with excitement talking about it and begging G'ma and I to go on it!:)
Off to Pooh's adventure we went and to the Flight of Peter Pan and it's a Small World! Loved them!!! Particularly loved Peter Pan and was so proud of G'ma who was a bit surprised (as were we) that you were up in the air flying! So fun...all of them!!! Perfect for all in our family!
Veronica started some mini meltdowns during the above rides, so we braced ourselves and were able to keep her in check! Off we headed to the little Pinocchio restaurant which we loved (great food, good portions, reasonable prices, fast service). Funny memory note - Veronica holding on to her chair and yelling 'Shuffle Step' as she practiced her shuffle steps from dance class.
To Toon Town we headed and toured through Minnie and Mickey's houses - cute. Than into the line we went to meet one on one with Mickey...this is where things got a little hairy with Veronica. It got a little ugly, but we're used to that. Isabella got a little impatient as well, she was itching for some more rides. But finally, just as things could have gotten really really really bad...we were whisked in and I about fell over! Not only was Mickey in the room, BUT MINNIE TOO!!! Back when I visited Disney in 4th grade, I never met Minnie despite my Mom's many extra attempts...now here she was and I was so darn excited that I really have no idea what I was taking pictures of and didn't even really notice Veronica SCREAMING HER HEAD OFF or Minnie kissing Isabella and Isabella kissing Minnie back. Oh well, I SAW MINNIE:) And she was so cute...so cute, the way she stands, the way she holds her head...oh Minnie, how can you not love Minnie:) And the professional photographer got a good pic of all of us with her...YEAH:)
On a side note, prior to the trip, Veronica would talk endlessly about 'Mickey Mouse, Mickey Mouse, I huggie Mickey Mouse'...needless to say, we didn't really believe her on this one:)
At this point, we were at that fork in the road...V was getting tired...what to do what to do???? A little playground park outside Mickey's house spunked her up and she played on the slides while Daddy and Isabella went on Goofy's roller coaster (perhaps the shortest ride in history...but good enough for a rollar coaster fix for Isabella:). We all got a little rest while we rode the Disney train and we were ready to rock! We grabbed some ice cream at Mrs Potts' Ice Cream Shoppe and headed for the Magic Carpet Rides of Aladdin in ADVENTURELAND. Super fun ride!!! The girls loved it!
Than we headed to Frontierland where we thought we would quickly take Isabella on Splash Mountain while V and G'ma waited. God bless G'ma for her kindness and patience, because I think it was darn near an hour by the time we got through the line and on the ride. But of course Isabella loved it and did well in the line and we had some fun people in front of us to talk too. And as luck would have it, Splash Mountain was right near the start of the parade route, so V and G'ma got to inadvertantly see the parade. G'ma reported that V was particularly excited at the sight of Donald Duck!!!
Home we went with V falling asleep on the drive. We enjoyed the pool and ate our spaghetti dinner poolside!:) What a great way to end the day! Two little girls did a little coloring and Veronica caught a little second wind cracking us up as she jabbered and jumped around the living room proclaiming with great enthusiasm things like, "I color Pony", "I color YELLOW, yellow G'ma, yellow". We just watched her and laughed...she was crazy!!! Jumping, galloping, and so darn happy! I was a bit sad to put her to bed, but everyone was ready for a good night's rest as we prepared for the next day's adventure with Shamu and friends at SeaWorld!!!
And just a note to any future DW travelers...I whole heartedly agree with all of the advice that if you only follow one piece of advice...GET THERE EARLY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Watch out Disney World...Here comes the Hanson Family...and GRANDMA GRACE:)
Monday, October 13th found the 5 of us off on a grand adventure that has been over a year in the works...a family vacation to Walt Disney World.
On a comic note, this is our 5th Wedding Anniversary trip...complete with our two children and a Grandma in tow...and we've now been married for 6 years:)
Now take this into consideration...Grandma has not flown in 20 years (in fact 5 years ago she took the train to PA for Auntie Steffie's wedding so she wouldn't have to fly) and she rarely leaves the house for anything besides work, church, or Target:)
Well, Grandma and the girls did great on the plane ride! Two very busy granddaughters can be a wonderful distraction!:) Our trip to Florida was so smooth! V had a pretty loud meltdown for about 5-7 minutes on the flight to Atlanta, but that's par for the course with Veronica:) We got our luggage right away, rental car with no problems and found the house we were renting with ease and we're so excited with the house! It's perfect, complete with a pool and hot tub in the backyard!
I was wondering what Isabella would think about the house, if she would be disappointed it wasn't a hotel...but she LOVES it! After seeing her bedroom with it's two little twin beds, she exclaimed, "Look at my room...it has the 2 most perfect little beds"...and as she continued to look through the house..."This house is so much better than our house" and "This house is so much more amazing than our house". It was fun to find many little extras in the house - a blowdryer (poor G'ma didn't need to pack hers afterall:), a tub of toys (toys are always so exciting when they are new and someone elses), an endless supply of pool towels, a stroller in the garage.
Daddy and the girls hopped in the pool right away and I followed after quickly unpacking. Veronica's game is "1 2 3, jump"...over and over and over and over again she jumped into the pool. Isabella blew us away swimming all the way from one end of the pool to the other (3 feet to 6 feet) all on her own! She continues to be a strong little swimmer...I love watching her so confident and free in the water!!!
A gourmet dinner of mac n cheese and hot dogs was enjoyed by all, and than two very tired little girls watched a Scooby Doo before heading of into the land of sweet dreams.
I continued pouring over my Disney vacation books, stressing over and over again to Bry and Mom the importance of us being in the car at 7:55 a.m., to ensure that we will be at the TTC (ticket and transportation center) at Disney by 8:30 to guarantee a successful day and they delighted in making fun of me for this:) And off to bed we all went, very excited for the adventures awaiting us!!!
On a comic note, this is our 5th Wedding Anniversary trip...complete with our two children and a Grandma in tow...and we've now been married for 6 years:)
Now take this into consideration...Grandma has not flown in 20 years (in fact 5 years ago she took the train to PA for Auntie Steffie's wedding so she wouldn't have to fly) and she rarely leaves the house for anything besides work, church, or Target:)
Well, Grandma and the girls did great on the plane ride! Two very busy granddaughters can be a wonderful distraction!:) Our trip to Florida was so smooth! V had a pretty loud meltdown for about 5-7 minutes on the flight to Atlanta, but that's par for the course with Veronica:) We got our luggage right away, rental car with no problems and found the house we were renting with ease and we're so excited with the house! It's perfect, complete with a pool and hot tub in the backyard!
I was wondering what Isabella would think about the house, if she would be disappointed it wasn't a hotel...but she LOVES it! After seeing her bedroom with it's two little twin beds, she exclaimed, "Look at my room...it has the 2 most perfect little beds"...and as she continued to look through the house..."This house is so much better than our house" and "This house is so much more amazing than our house". It was fun to find many little extras in the house - a blowdryer (poor G'ma didn't need to pack hers afterall:), a tub of toys (toys are always so exciting when they are new and someone elses), an endless supply of pool towels, a stroller in the garage.
Daddy and the girls hopped in the pool right away and I followed after quickly unpacking. Veronica's game is "1 2 3, jump"...over and over and over and over again she jumped into the pool. Isabella blew us away swimming all the way from one end of the pool to the other (3 feet to 6 feet) all on her own! She continues to be a strong little swimmer...I love watching her so confident and free in the water!!!
A gourmet dinner of mac n cheese and hot dogs was enjoyed by all, and than two very tired little girls watched a Scooby Doo before heading of into the land of sweet dreams.
I continued pouring over my Disney vacation books, stressing over and over again to Bry and Mom the importance of us being in the car at 7:55 a.m., to ensure that we will be at the TTC (ticket and transportation center) at Disney by 8:30 to guarantee a successful day and they delighted in making fun of me for this:) And off to bed we all went, very excited for the adventures awaiting us!!!
Tuesday, October 7, 2008
Dancin' Machine
Veronica has been having a great time at dance class and thankfully all has been going well with me doubling up as teacher/parent for the class. Veronica does have times where she just wants to be held or is more snuggly, but over all it is going very well.
On Wednesay mornings when I walk into V's room and she sees me in my dance clothes she'll say, "Bella school, dance class". She knows the routine, we drop Isabella at school and than head to the dance studio.
There, Veronica helps me 'set up' for class. She enjoys laying out 10 hula hoops or more, instead of the 4 or 5 that are needed and she grooves to the music that I have on. Last week, as she was setting hula hoops up, I asked her if she wanted to come downstairs with me to get the class folders...Veronica responded with "No, I busy"...hilarious! I thought she had told me this before one time, but wasn't sure, this time there was no mistaking it:)
We also love sharing our dance class time with special buddies, Lily Goehring, Ava Knudson, and Jocelyn Dawes (whom Veronica is pictured with above). It is so fun to see these little babies growing up together!
At home, Veronica will randomly bust out with random activities for dance class. For instance, out of nowhere she'll yell, "PASSE" and she'll put her passe leg up and than "CURTSY" and she does her best attempt at a curtsy. The curtsy attempt is quite hilarious and just the way she says it is so darn cute! The other day as we were eating lunch, she randomly started swaying with her arms in high fifth and sing, "A, B, C, A, B, C" and smiling so proudly (we do a dance to the alphabet song).
Obviously it is fun for me to see her enjoy dance class and to see her learning new things and applying them. It's special and sweet. There will likely come a day when these two will rebel against me and hate everything about dance, so I plan to enjoy the moment:)
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