WDW Trip #2

My Peter Pan who will always be a little boy at heart.


We waited in line forever to see Ariel, but it was worth it. Look how happy Bryce is!!


Bryce with Cinderella.


Me, my Mom, and Bryce with Mickey Mouse at the Breakfastosaurus.


Bryce loved the kiss from Aurora--aka Sleeping Beauty!!

Well, we had another successful WDW trip last week. Bryce, my Mom, and I only went down from Monday August 27th through Thursday August 30th, but we had a fabulous time. We went to the Pirate and Princess Party and had a blast. There were more people there than I thought, but the ride lines were little to no wait at all. Bryce went as Peter Pan and he looked absolutely adorable in his costume.

We ate breakfast with Donald Duck at Donald's Breakfastosaurus. Goofy, Mickey, and Pluto were also there. Then we ate at Cinderella's Gala Feast, and Bryce really liked that too. He is such a ham for the princesses. When Prince Charming came around, he didn't even smile for the picture. However, when the princesses were there, Bryce was ALL smiles!

Bryce the Chef

WOW--I just looked and this is our 60th post. I never thought I would use it this much, but it is a great way to stay in touch with friends and family who live near and far!!
Bryce helped me with dinner today. He worked the buttons on the blender to mix up the tomatoes and then helped me fill the peppers. He did a GREAT job. Maybe he'll be a chef when he grows up!

The Next Peter Pan

When we visit WDW the end of this month, we are going to one of their special events--The Pirate and Princess Party. I decided that Bryce should dress up, so I asked him what he wanted to be--the pirate or the Peter Pan costume I saw. He choose Peter Pan with his dagger. Bryce looks so cute with the costume on and it fits great on him. We just have to take in the belt a bit, but otherwise it's like the costume was created with him in mind.

Staying Cool

Up until this point we have had a relatively mild summer. This past week though, the mercury has risen above the 95 degree mark and the humidity is along for the ride. Thankfully we have the pool to keep us cool!!
Yesterday, Jason and Bryce were staying cool while I took a few pictures.

Jason thought it would be funny to try and shoot me with the water cannon while I was taking pictures. I was not amused!!

Bryce is still learning to swim, but he loves to jump into his "red raft" and float around the pool.

Bryce shooting Jason with his Spiderman water cannon.
You can see our rubber ducky thermometer(bryce's pick) floating in the background.

Pittsburgh Children's Museum

Bryce loved it here when we went on Tuesday. This museum is huge and has 3 floors. The second flood is totally dedicated to toddlers and moms with small babies. We skipped that floor but did the 1st and 3rd floors. It was hard to get Bryce to leave; Especially since the last floor we visited was a water area. I didn't take my camera out because kids were playing with water everywhere. There were make your own fountain areas, fog machines, and Bryce's favorite was the huge water table where boats were tested and you could make them sink by creating whirlpools.

Bryce wouldn't stand by Clifford himself, so my brother Adam went with him to have his picture taken. This was the highlight of our trip for Bryce.

In the art room, my mom and Bryce pose in front of an exhibit that was made completely out of recycled materials. The kids could go in the back and make the penguins flippers flap, and there were microphones they could use to make the polar bear roar.
This is the huge real-life sized Clifford they had in his exhibit area. Bryce was so excited to be there that he wouldn't sit still for the picture.

Bryce sitting on the swing outside of the Mr Roger's neighborhood exhibit. Mr Roger's neighborhood was filmed in Pittsburgh, and the museum had all his puppets and Trolley on display.

Bryce climbing through an enclosed maze they had on display. Once he got 2 rows from the top, he was too short to climb any higher. He was disappointed, but I told him that next time he will be big enough.

We did go to an ice cream parlor that has existed since 1922 after the museum and it was really cool--a total transport through time. I forgot to take my camera in with us though.
If anyone is in need of ideas for a family fun time, I highly recommend the Children's Museum and zoo. We had a GREAT TIME!!!

Pittsburgh Zoo and PPG Aquarium

This past Monday we traveled to Pittsburgh so that we could take Bryce to see Clifford the Big Red Dog at the Children's Museum. The museum has meet Clifford on Tuesdays, so we went to the zoo and aquarium Monday. Bryce loved seeing all the animals. The elephants were his favorite, but we couldn't see them too well. We also went thorough the monkey house and it STANK. Bryce held his nose the entire time, but we did get some good monkey shots!!!
Here, a young zoo helper was recording information on the Komodo dragon. He was right at the glass, and Bryce was checking him out.

One of those good monkey shots!

An authentic polar bear trap that the zoo actually used. Bryce looks like a dwarf inside it---Bryce is 40 inches tall.

They have a petting section. The visitors stay on the trail and if the animals want to be touched they will come to you. This deer was a human touch hog!!!

You could also "pet" the kangaroos in the same setup as the deer. This particular day, the kangaroos wanted NOTHING to do with humans.

Knoebel's

Today was my work picnic at Knoebel's Amusement Park. It is about a 2 hour drive from our house, but it is a really nice and family friendly park. We went there several times when I was small. It is so odd to go and do these things with my child when at one time I was the child. Everything that was so big back then, seems so small now. Anyway, Jason didn't want to go, so my mom, dad, and I took Bryce. He had a blast. Here are a few photos of his favorites ride from today.


Bryce first rode these hand cars at Strasburg and he loved them. He rode them at least 8 times today.

Bryce was ecstatic when he found out that they had kiddie bumper cars. He has wanted to ride them all season long at Hershey Park, but he is too small. Here, he is just the right size.

He's testing out his crane operating abilities by lifting and scooping stones.

Riding the little boats

Isn't it time to go home yet??

Our latest addition

Well, we finally broke down and bought a pool. They came today and installed it. I LOVE IT! After the second water truck came and finished filling it, I went on in. It was a bit cool, but it felt good!! Bryce is on restrictions until tomorrow--because of his heart cath---but he got his feet wet.
Of course, it threatened to rain all day, and tonight it really let lose. At least the pool was up and full before it rained. However, we now have a moat of MUD! It is so disgusting. I told Jason that he needs to get that filled in ASAP!!! The pics were taken before it rained.

Bryce's Heart Cath

Bryce had his follow up heart cath yesterday. When they did his final surgery last May, they left a small hole (fenestration) in case the heart encountered some "high pressures". It was kind of like a built-in release valve. The cath was to check the hole and if it needed closing, to close it. Everything went GREAT. The hole was too small to close. It was so small that the doctor feels it will continue to close on it's own, and I couldn't be happier that he won't have something else foreign (there were going to patch it)in his body.
Here is a random picture of Bryce. I know most parents would cringe at this, but I swear they were only in for a minute--long enough to take a picture. He is a creative boy though!!!

Bryce learns to ride a bike

Yesterday, Jason, Bryce, my mom, dad, and I went to a local flea market. It used to be an old amusement park, and they sold it. The new owner will eventually restore some of the rides to working order, but for now it is only a flea market. They do have the full size train running though and of course we had to go for a ride on that. While there, we found a barely used bicycle with training wheels that was perfect for Bryce. He tried it out last night and didn't do to badly. He looks so darn cute on it. It is hard for me to believe that he is old enough to use a pedal bike, but he is 4. I am sure he will not need the training wheels in a short amount of time!! We'll see.......

The Circus

We went the end of May--I know I'm really far behind in my posts--to see the circus. Bryce loved it and I really like it. It has been a few years since I went, and I was very impressed by the acts and the performers
We went early, and you could walk around behind the Giant Center and see the animals up close--but not too personal.

Here's one of the elephants before the show

Bryce's huge smile. He LOVED the acrobats.

Here's Bryce wearing the hat that came with his cotton candy at home.

Labor Day Party Cancelled

Sorry to disappoint everyone, but we have decided to cancel our Labor Day party. Jason and I have made the final decision that we are not having any more children, so I am taking Bryce to WDW again this year. We are only going for a few days--we leave August 27 and come back August 30. Jason is not going, but my Mom agreed to go along with us on this trip. I am going to enjoy each age of Bryce and enjoy it to it's fullest!!! Bryce will make out on the deal, but I don't think he will care. Because we will be getting back so close to the party date, I won't have enough preparation time. SORRY EVERYONE!!

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.