Labor Day Party

Just wanted to let you all know---not sure exactly which family/friends read this site frequently---but you are all invited to our yearly Labor Day cookout. It will be held Sunday Sept 2nd this year. All are invited and more details are to come, but just wanted to get the date out there so we could be penciled into calendars!!

WDW Day #7--Saturday April 21st

Today was bitter sweet. I was ready for the stress of vacation to end, but I always hate leaving WDW. Most of all, I hate the stress of the airports. We did get a full day at the Magic Kingdom in before we had to leave though. We started off the day by having brunch at the Crystal Palace with Pooh, Tigger, Eeyore, and Piglet. Bryce loved it, and by then he was used to seeing larger than life characters. We got a few really nice pictures of him with the characters--see below. This was my favorite meal, and the food was FANTASTIC.




Bryce's final birthday celebration (cupcake) at WDW

After that, we again rode Peter Pan. Then we did the Jungle Cruise--my first time as well--and it was really cute. Afterwards, I got a pineapple float at the stand nearby and it was the best float I have ever had. I WILL DEFINITELY STOP THERE AGAIN!!!! We had some pictures taken in front of the castle, and Bryce got to hold Tinkerbell---check out the photos below. It is really her.


We took a train ride around the whole park, did a few more rides, bought a few more things, and then headed back to the hotel to get the Disney Magical Express bus back to the airport. Our flight left at 2100 and we got back to HIA around 2305. It was a great flight, and great vacation, but I was glad to be home.
Now Bryce just asks, "Mom, when are we going back to WDW?"
My reply, "Soon, Bryce, soon!"

WDW Day #6--Friday April 20th

Today, Bryce and I slept in and Jason went to Epcot to ride all the adult rides. He had a blast on Test Track, Mission Space, Soarin', and what ever else he did---probably accosted several cast members to see their pins to decide if he wanted to trade with them or not....... Bryce and I rode the ferry to the Wilderness Lodge and met Jason there to feed the fish some popcorn.
The view from the boat of the landing dock at the Wilderness Lodge

We checked out the lobby, and then headed over to Epcot. We had dinner at the Garden Grill. This is a really cool restaurant because it slowly rotates and you get to see different parts of the Living Land pavilion. Bryce also met Chip, Dale, Pluto, and Mickey in farmer attire.
Bryce and I with farmer Mickey

He also received a special birthday cake because he was still wearing his button.
Bryce was sitting so nicely during dinner and being a well behaved gentleman. THEN Pluto comes along and gets him all revved up. Pluto was a lot of fun, but Bryce was hard to get to sit still after Pluto went on his merry way!!

The infamous Pluto
The only family shot I have on my own camera--we did get a few professional ones.

After dinner, we went to Mouse gear--a huge store in Epcot--and got the remainder of the souvenirs we wanted. Then we trudged back to the hotel to call it a night. Bryce and I went for a little swim again, but his teeth were chattering and turning blue within 10 minutes, so that was cut short!!

WDW Day # 5--Thursday April 19th

This am we shopped until we dropped--Bryce literally fell asleep in his stroller after only being awake a few hours.

We got on the bus and traveled to Downtown Disney. They have so many cool little shops there. I missed out on the Candy Cauldron, but it was so far away by the time I realized it was in the opposite direction, I gave up!! I'll save it for next time I go to WDW. I did, however, get to go to the Christmas Store. I have some great new ornaments for my tree this year.

After shopping, we went back to the hotel and took a nap. We then ventured over to our dinner reservtions.
We ate dinner tonight at the Concourse Steak House inside the Contemporary. They seated us with a great view of the monorail coming into the building. Bryce loved it. It was really cool to look up and see the monorails moving above you.


Bryce enjoys his birthday sundae.

Afterwards, we went to the Magic Kingdom. SURPRISE??!! I finally talked Bryce into riding Peter Pan and he loved it. We ended up riding it 3 times before we left for the week. He still talks about it too. He also rode Snow White Adventures.

WDW Day #4--Wed April 18th--BRYCE'S 4th B-DAY

This day we celebrated Bryce's 4th birthday. We went to MGM studios and had brunch at Hollywood and Vine--PLAY N DINE. Bryce met Jojo & Goliath(from Jojo's Circus), & June and Leo (from The Little Einsteins). He'll tell you he didn't like Leo or Jojo--Bryce hid under the table. He loved Goliath though.
Here's Bryce enjoying a hashbrown at the Hollywood and Vine

Bryce, Me, and Goliath the Lion

We called a few days in advance and had ordered a birthday cake for Bryce. It was delicious, but because we couldn't take it with us--we were going to the Animal Kingdom--we shared the rest of it with the family sitting behind us. They sang "Happy Birthday" to Bryce. It was a really special meal.
Here's the birthday cake

We went to Animal Kingdom, and even though we had fun, I was disappointed. We did not get a chance to do the safari. The stand-by line was like 60 minutes long and all the fast passes were sold out. The same was true for the Kali River Rapids and Expedition Everest. There were soooo many people here, it was hard to maneuver. We did do Rafiki's planet trek and Bryce got to see some spider and snakes. He also petted some goats.
It was a hot day at the Animal Kingdom, so I let Bryce get a squirt bottle with a fan attached. He's shooting the camera in this picture
Bryce digging for dinosaur bones in the dino section at Animal Kingdom

We called it a day, went back to the hotel, and Bryce and I went swimming for a short time. We ordered pizza to the room, and just took a middle of the week break!! Bryce choose some birthday presents at the hotel shop, so he was having a great time playing with those.

I've been a bad blogger.....

Sorry for those of you that are waiting patiently for the remainder of our WDW adventure. This past week has been busy to say the least.
First, Bryce had a major meltdown in preschool so I decided to take him out and start fresh in the fall. The other kids in his class are 5 months ahead and he just couldn't seem to adjust back to going to school. I am working with him at home doing letters and numbers. It is a struggle---he is not always a prize pupil and my patience is definitely lacking at times---but we are muddling through. I started a REWARD chart so that seems to be working a little better. I also signed him up for a gymnastics/tumbling class that is for 1 hour once a week. I really think that he will like it. I also want to sign him up for a swim class this summer---for fun and to have him around other children.

Next, I got a tattoo. YES, you read correctly, a tattoo. If interested, let me know and I will describe it. It hurt NO WHERE NEAR as much as I thought it would, and 2 days later it doesn't really hurt at all. Just a little itchy now and again--as yes, it is in a place that I can show anyone--above my left ankle.

Now, Bryce and I have this cold that we can't seem to shake. It started as a head cold and has now migrated to our chests. My allergies were AWFUL this week, so I am hoping that this cold resolves quickly!!!!

So needless to say, with all of these happenings, WDW was put on the back burner. Once I get some free time next week, I will post our final days at WDW. It will most likely be a all encompassing post.