Disney - EPCOT

We made it!!  After flying in and getting settled into our resort, we didn't waste any time.  We were off to dinner at the Wilderness Lodge for the Hoop De Doo review show, one of a few dinner shows they offer.  It was cute and the novelty of being "at Disney" was still very fresh for the kids. 

 

Waiting for dinner -

 Showtime -

 

 Unbeknownst to us, the Wilderness Lodge is geographically undesirable to our resort area.  We managed to wind our way back home, not before posing with a nice topiary Mickey at the Contemporary.

 

We loved the topiaries so much, we decided to make EPCOT our first stop, seeing it was the last day for the garden festival and there were topiaries ALL OVER the part.  It really was beautiful. So easy to get to EPCOT from our hotel, short walk. 

 

First full day, so excited -

 

Posing with the topiaries -

 

We loved Turtle Talk, a interactive animated big screen with Crush from Nemo.  Crush talked to Luke first which was very cute. 

 

 

Luke LOVED the fountains, our water guy -

We had to go in the big golf ball!



 

Lunch in Mexico, which was a very cool space with an inside ride and a volcano -

 

Still in Mexico, passing time as a storm passed -

 

Took this one for Grandpa.  The Terracotta Warriors in China.  Luke really liked it and was asking all kinds of questions.  I told him that Grandpa and Grandma have been and will take him there!

 

We knew Paige had enough when she wouldn't get out of the stroller to see Belle and the Beast topiary...it was time to head home -

Yep, crashed out!

 Nothing a little sugar couldn't cure, back at the resort -

 

The back of our resort was beautiful, a nice lake and a view of the boardwalk -

 

Everyone got their second wind after dinner so we headed back to EPCOT to see the Illuminations show w/fireworks.  Paige, of course, was putting on her own show for the people as we waited, dancing around to the music.

Happy Mother's Day!

Paige's school had the Mother's Day brunch again this year.  We are usually away, this is only the second time I've been able to go, first time was when Luke went there.  Mimi made the trip down to join us.  Paige was very cute practicing her songs all week long.  She loves it. 

 

 

Makin' the....money?

Monday morning, Paige woke up and was asking for Mommy.  I was at work, like I am every Monday morning.  That did not go over real well and she started crying that she wanted Mommy and she wanted to snuggle with Mommy.  Jay tried to explain to her that I was at work and that we all have to go to work sometimes to make the money.  Paige adamantly disagreed that Jay knew anything what he was talking about.  She kept saying, “NO, I want Mommy!  Mommy doesn’t work to make the money” He assured her many times that I was at work, I would be home later and that we all go to work to make the money.  She said, “Mommy doesn’t make money at work, she makes radios!”

Paige was not ready to go to bed the other night. As many nights, Luke is fast asleep and she is still riffling around her room or coming out to ask us very important questions that cannot wait until the next day, like “Mommy, are there more than one queen bee in a hive?”

Jay and I thought she was long gone to bed but when we went up to bed later that night, found this. Apparently someone fell asleep mid-escape.

Tennis...Hockey...Baseball..Oh, My!!!

All of our spring sports are in full swing.  Luke is taking tennis on Tuesday's after school at St Phils.  He has hockey on Thursday nights and baseball just started last weekend.  Baseball is the biggest of the commitments, 3 days a week through the summer.  Lucky for Paige, there is a nice big playground where he practices so she is all set. 

Here is he, looking the part.

Santa....Milk....Bees....

This morning, I asked Paige if she wanted milk or OJ with her muffin.  She responded, "Milk is for Santa Clause, I will have OJ"  OK Paige...whatever you say.

 

 

Paige continues to wear the bumble bee costume pretty much daily.  She sneaks away to her room and comes down sometime later looking like this.  She went to play outside yesterday and said in a serious tone, "I hope the bees don't think I'm their mommy bee?" 

 

 

Gymnastics -

Adding to her obsession for dancing and music and wearing a tutu, Paige has been taking a creative movement class at the local gymnastics place.  As you can imagine, she loves it.  She also loves wearing her fashion forward outfits, as this place is not at all strict when it comes to dress code...as you can see.

 

 

Anne's Wedding!!

Finally, the day is here.  After all that planning and waiting, Anne's wedding day!  Paige was over the moon to be included in the wedding.  As she told anyone that would listen (flight attendants, hotel staff, etc..) SHE was a flower girl and her brother was "just watching".  Luke didn't seem to mind much, as long as he was on par with daddy, he was OK.

So excited in the morning to open her gift from Anne, a purse, mirror from Paris and a headband to match her dress! 

For the bridesmaids, hair in the morning and back to Mr. and Mrs. Westrich's house for makeup and lunch.

Then the flower girls showed up for their photo shoot.  Paige quickly latched right up with Anne's niece Rachel.  Paige was a little shy at the rehearsal and Rachel quickly won Paige over.  They paired up and walked down the aisle together.

Here they are comparing goodies -



 

Anne and her dad, his first glimpse of the bride -

Ride to church -

Too cute -

 First dance -

To eat cake or dance?  Such a dilemma for a party girl, she settled on both, dancing and coming back in-between songs to grab a bite -

The handsome men -

Paige fell in love at the wedding!  Who can blame her, wedding are a great place to meet your life partner!!  So the story goes: Al was the best man and whom I obviously walked down the aisle with.  Paige marched right up to Al at the reception and said, "Why were you holding my mommy's arm?!"  Al said he got a little nervous and said, "Here" and handed Paige his boutonniere rose, and asked her to dance.  From that point on, if you wanted to find Paige, just look for Al.  She was glued to this poor guys side the rest of the night.  His wife and 1 year old son were back in Austin, TX so he played along nicely.  She was a trip, out on the dance floor with the groomsmen dancing until midnight.

This was the scene when we got back to the hotel, it is like having a college kid. The next morning, after peeling her out of bed to make the flight she kept saying, "Where is Al?  When will I see Al again?"

She started out sweetly dancing with the other little kids -

Then quickly moved on to the wedding party - 

Cincy -

When in the Nati, take advantage of all it has to offer.  We sure did...well the rest of the family did, mom was busy with the wedding much of the weekend.

Fountain Square -

 Daddy took the kids to the Cincinnati Zoo with Grandma, Grandpa and Uncle Dave.  Everyone was VERY excited to see the cheetahs.  You know how we feel about cheetahs in this family but unfortunately, they were inside resting :(  But it is a great zoo with lots of other fun animals.

We did not forget to take advantage of all the great food Cincy has to offer.  We had LaRosa's pizza at the Zoo, Graters Ice Cream (complete with a Red's hat cup) on the square -

And of course Skyline!!!



Big Sister Marley -

What clever caption can I attach to these pictures....there are too many to choose.  Our poor mild mannered Marley.  The worst part about it all was that it was dinner time for him and he wasn't even being held there against his will.  He just waited for the abuse to end and when she took everything off him, happily went back downstairs to get his dinner.