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.

Eva Marie Winters

Here are 2 pictures of Eva--or Evie as her Mommy calls her. She is so cute!! She was wide awake shortly before these pictures, but she had a snack and fell right back to sleep.

IT'S A GIRL!!!!!

No, we are not expecting---yet.
I just wanted to post that my best friend, Shannon Winters and her husband Harry, welcomed Eva Marie Winters into the world Sat April 28 at 15:37. Eva weighed in at 8 pounds 13.2 ounces and was 20 1/2 inches long. Mom and baby are doing well. They should be coming home Monday. I will post pics as soon as they are available, but Shannon says Eva looks exactly like her Daddy.

WDW Day #3--Tuesday April 17th

Today was started off at Epcot. It was awfully warm and sunny this day and I got burnt like a lobster on the neck, nose, and arms. Jason and Bryce did much better though, as I had made sure that they were covered in sunscreen. We strolled through Epcot and then made our way over to the World Showcase. We picked up a quick lunch in Mexico at the San Angel Cantina, strolled on over to Norway and rode a viking ship after getting our picture taken with a troll, and then made our way to Germany to see the outdoor train exhibit. Later that night, we went back once again to Magic Kingdom.
We ate dinner that night at the Coral Reef restaurant. They have huge windows into an aquarium where you can watch the fish and divers swim around. Our dining experience was ruined though by a mid 50s couple who obviously never had children. Bryce was acting ok, but was really excited by the fish and talking loudly. They kept shooting us dirty looks, and I could just tell they were complaining about being seated near our table to the waiter. HELLO---you are at WDW--did you not expect children to be present???? Anyway the food was great and the view was awesome, so I highly recommend this restaurant if you get down Disney way!
Bryce goofing around on the little dalmatian Lucky they had on the way to our room
Bryce playing drums at one of the pavilions in the World Showcase
Here's Bryce in the Canada pavilion after he decided that his chocolate round circles made good sunglasses---I did mention the heat that day didn't I?? ie: melted chocolate sunglasses!!
Bryce staying cool and playing in the water. Each hole would randomly sprout up water--he had fun trying to avoid getting hit with the initial blast of cool water.
Fountains are Bryce's thing---we had to visit every one that we saw on vacation. Here he is posing w/one of his favorites.

Here's another topiary. This one is a ship with Peter Pan at the front, and Captain Hook in the back
The huge Norwegian troll
We got to meet Snow White that day also and she signed Bryce's autograph book

WDW Day #2--Monday April 16th

Monday started us off at MGM-Studios. It was kind of a let down though---when we tried to get Bryce on to Star Tours we learned that he was 1/2 an inch too short to ride. That also then meant that he was too short to ride Splash Mountain and the Big Thunder Mtn at Magic Kingdom. BUT we had fun anyway. We went to Toy Story Pizza planet and had pizza for lunch. We then went and saw Lights, Action, Motors.... a new stunt show brought over from Paris WDW last year. To say the least, it was AWESOME. Bryce was a little scared of the bangs, motors, and fire but he liked most of the show. He'll tell you when there was a big fire and explosion at the end, he hid under the bleacher seat!!!!
We ate dinner that night at the 50's Prime Time cafe and everyone did great. We ate all our vegetables and the waitress didn't have to play airplane w/anyone at our table to eat more of their dinners.
After that we headed over to Magic Kingdom once again for Bryce to ride the Indy cars, carousel, and a few others.

Since Bryce was too small to ride Splash Mountain, Jason and I took turns waiting in line(actually it was 10pm and you could just walk right onto the ride) and riding. They had a small play area for the kids. This is Bryce's "cave" as he calls it!!

Bryce and Jason meeting Sorcerer Mickey at MGM

Bryce at the back of Mater from the Cars movie

Bryce is getting to know Herbie the Love Bug outside of the entrance for Lights, Action, Motors stunt show.

How Bryce looked at the end of most of our fun filled days

WDW--Day #1 Sunday April 15th

Please before I begin, I set the date incorrectly on my camera and just now realized it. Add a day to all the dates you see on the pictures!!
We had to get up at 0300--3:00 AM-- in order to be at the airport on time for our 6:00 am flight. It was a struggle, but we were all so excited we didn't mind it. What we did mind, was the torrential down pours we encountered on our way driving to the airport. I'm glad I know my way to HIA because it was soooo hard to read all the exit signs on the turnpike and then on 322.
We did everything we had to do, and then boarded the airplane. The pilot was expecting a "VERY BUMPY RIDE" but it turned out to be a smooth flight once we were able to get above the storm clouds. It was actually sunny way up there!!! Bryce loved the airplane ride and we had no problems.
We arrived in Orlando and then with the Disney Magical Express(the best service in the world---they transport your checked luggage right to your hotel room and you skip baggage claim), we were transported to our resort--All-Star Movies. It was also raining in Florida, but after we checked in and fought for a table to eat lunch at--everyone was inside b/c of the rain, the sun came out. Our room wasn't yet ready, so we ventured to Epcot for the afternoon. YES, we were all tired and I was most cranky, but we had fun.
Here's Bryce and I outside of his first ride at WDW--Finding Nemo: The Sea and Friends. We rode clam mobiles through the attraction!!
Jason and Bryce are sitting on the other side of the attraction where they have all the fish hiding in a seascape.

After we rode/looked at a few more things, we went back to our room and napped. We ate at Ohana that night. It was a Hawaiian inspired family style dinner at the Polynesian. The food was excellent and you could see the huge pit where they were grilling all of the meats in front of you. After we ate, we rode the monorail to Magic Kingdom--they had extra PM magic hours and it was open until 2 AM.

Here's Bryce with his first ride on Cinderella's Carousel--he rode it a total of 5 times during our trip.
Here is Jason and Bryce on the Indy car speedway. He also rode this ride 5 times during our stay. He got to drive 2 times, but Mom had to help.


Finally, here is a great example of a topiary; WDW is famous for them. It is of Cinderella and her prince dancing, and it rotated in circles. We saw it at Epcot that afternoon.

WDW #1

Hello all!!
We are home and had a WONDERFUL time at WDW. We did so many things, and once I wade throught the 200+ photos I took, I will post more and describe a little of what we did each day. I am still trying to unpack, do laundry, and just get settled. Bryce also started back to preschool today, so our lives are much busier.

P.S. Andy and Andrea, you must visit WDW. They have a create your own STAR WARS light saber set-up!! You can choose the color, handle grip etc...

Happy Easter--belatedly

We had a great easter this year. I was supposed to work 3 twelve hour shifts, but they discharged A LOT of patients, so I got off Saturday into Sunday. Hence, I was able to participate in the easter activities. Jason went fishing early in the AM while Bryce and I were still sleeping. Then Bryce groggily woke up, and went to see what the easter bunny had brought him and to find the eggs he hid for Bryce. He was really excited about his new Cars flashlight--he broke the other one and it had to be thrown away. He also liked his tumbling Curious George.
Then, it was off to my parents. We had a DELICIOUS dinner, my mom and Jason got along the entire day, and to top it all off, Bryce got to hunt eggs in their back yard. These eggs, however, had cold hard cash in them--for Bryce to spend at WDW. What a great Easter Bunny!!! Bryce learned through 2 previous egg hunts this season, that the plastic ones are hard to open, so below is a picture of how he manages this problem--He just stomps them open!!

Yes, it was freezing that day---notice Bryce wearing his winter jacket, not his spring one.

Bryce visits the Easter Bunny

It only took 4 years, but Bryce was not afraid to sit on Easter Bunny's lap. We even got a real smile out of him---not this cheesy camera smile that he has developed as of late!

Bryce's first fish

Yesterday, Jason took Bryce fishing for the first time. He loved every minute of it. He really caught his first fish all by himself---ok Jason had to help him bait the line and cast, but Bryce reeled him in and did the rest himself.
Jason took some really great photos, and the camcorder is even better. I'll have to invest in a digital camcorder soon so that everyone can watch Bryce. His laugh and excitement on the recorder makes me laugh too. He caught one trout and he wanted to bring it home--which they did. I, however, won't let him eat it because who knows what is in the stream.

Look what I caught


It's slimy!


My FIRST fish--WOW

Dad says he's a big one for my first catch. I did great!!

Easter Egg Hunt

Sunday April 1st Bryce went Easter Egg HUNTING!! It was a gray and dreary day, but he was more than ready to go. As we left the house, it started to drizzle, but they had the egg hunt anyway. He was in the 3-4 year old division--there were a total of 5 age divisions. Each division had 2000 eggs to pick up. It sounds like a lot, but when the 50+ kids ran out onto the field, the eggs literally disappeared within 2 minutes flat. They all had a ball. I only have one picture of Bryce because I used the camcorder to record the hunt, and it was over so fast I never got a still shot. He had on an orange jacket and was carrying a bright green bucket. My mom and dad saw him on the 11 o'clock ABC news. They recognized the little orange jacket and green bucket running ahead of the other kids. He did a great job and loved the candy in the eggs!!!

We love Chocolate World

Last Tuesday it was such a nice day, Bryce and I went to Chocolate World in Hershey. He "worked" hard that day. He donned his hard hat and filled the family a bucket full of chocolate. He even got a lunch box to bring home. In these pics, he was ready for bed, but just couldn't leave work at the factory that night!!
Later that day we went to play at the park--good thing too since 3 days later we had 8+ inches on snow fall. That snow is mostly gone now, so maybe we will get to the park again this week.

30 days....and counting

Today officially marks 30 days until we leave for Disney World. We are ALL SO EXCITED. I keep telling Bryce how much fun we are going to have and he is getting so excited. We bought a new Birnbaum book and he looks through what pictures there are and tells me what he wants to ride. We have been planning this for over a year, so poor Bryce probably thinks he is NEVER going.
He is 39 inches tall and most of the "adult/big kid" rides require 40 inches, but I measured him with his sneakers on the other day and he makes the measure!!!!
Well, I am off to order kid ID online so that we can keep him safe while we are there. They have these cool little plates you can place on the shoestrings in case---HEAVEN FORBID--you get separated. The person helping to find the parents has all the info on there they would need IE cell number, parents name etc...

Johnny Gymnast

Bryce has turned into a tumbling/jumping champion during the long winter. He gets excellent distance from his strong leg muscles. See below
Sorry the video is so grainy---we need to invest in a real CD video recorder instead of the one added to my digital camera.

I do believe he is getting a strong, little athletic body from his constant motion. Also, you can barely see his scar in these 2 pictures.


P.S. You can occassionally find him clothed!!!!
He must go through 3 outfits a day on a normal basis. He must get so tired of hearing me say, "Bryce, put your clothes back on!"

Big pants to fill

Bryce decided that he was going to wear Jason's pants the other night. I got a few pictures for posterity.

As you can see, Bryce has a loooooong way to go before he can fill these.

Not much to do but play inside

We haven't really been up to much since the start of the new year. January is usually a pretty quiet month for us. Bryce continues to play with his newest gifts. His favorite as you can see is still the trains. He loves his cool steam Thomas the train set. More accurately he loves to make a mess filling the water tower with WATER!!




We are all waiting "patiently" for our trip to Walt Disney World in April. I began a daily countdown calendar for Bryce. He was getting up every day asking if we were going to WDW today. I found a clip art Sourcer's Apprentice Mickey picture
and copied it over and over to make the total # of days until our trip--as of today it is 89. He X's off one Mickey each day, and he really looks forward to doing that. He knows just how long it is now until we go.

Packing peanuts are great!!

For Christmas, I received the beautiful clock I asked for from my parents. It was shipped from South Carolina, and the box had packing peanuts in it to protect the delicate clock.
Bryce found them and had a BLAST--all over my parent's carpet.