Life at the Beach

After our few days at Disney World our vacation took a slower turn. Our friends invited us to the family timeshare in Vero Beach. A small island on the coast of Florida it was a truly relaxing place to visit. We had a wonderful room and after figuring out the sleeping arrangements we settled in for a relaxing week visiting with old friends and making new ones. The beach was beautiful and the girls went to the pool every single day. Greg and Gabriella made the trek to see a Cardinal's preseason baseball game and while they were gone Miss Julia learned to pull herself up on the couch. Gabriella loved playing with her friends and spent a lot of time with them in the pool and on the playground. The adults spent time catching up and playing games. We had quite a few shared dinners which were all delicious. It was a wonderfully relaxing week but like all vacations it went to quickly. As we hugged our friends goodbye all I could think of was planning next years vacation. Maybe a cruise??

Stu Stu Studio

The last stop on our whirlwind resort tour was Disney Studios. It has changed a bit since we went on our honeymoon, it's more kid friendly and there were plenty of characters to visit. Julia and Genevieve couldn't get enough of Woody and Buzz. The kids loved playing on the Honey I Shrunk the Kids play area where they could relive the adventures of a movie they've never seen. The highlight of the day was probably the Toy Story Mania ride, we all had a great time trying to beat each other's score. My favorite moment of the day was riding the Rock and Roll Roller coaster with Rachel. I don't know if her bangs will ever be the same, just kidding they looked great. The end of the day came too quickly and as we left the Disney property I couldn't help but give our family a huge star for an amazing vacation. Going to theme parks are hard, going with infants and a 5 year old is challenging, but we met those challenges with grace and an amazing sense of flexibility. The first half of our trip was a great success and we were looking forward to Vero Beach.

Hats Off

There is nothing better on a vacation than meeting missed friends. Our dear friends from Okinawa met us in Orlando for a couple of days at Disney World before heading together to Vero Beach. We anxiously awaited their arrival as we toured through the Magic Kingdom. We had a great time on our own but we were anxiously to see our friends. Gabriella saw her friends and her eyes lit up and she broke out into a run. The months of separation and distance evaporated with each step. I think she, Mallory and Zach talked nonstop the rest of the day. We played until everyone was asleep on their feet and the park had been closed for an hour. As we rode the bus back to the hotel Gabriella sleepily asked if we would see them again or if she should have given them more hugs. When I told her we'd meet them again in the morning she dutifully went to bed without another word.

Around the World in a Day

Epcot center is really an amazing park. It has a little of everything, E-ticket rides, educational exhibits and a bunch of cool countries to explore. Again we got there early, in time to get a few fast passes before the park got too crowded. First stop was test track, a high speed car ride. Next was a trip into space where Greg and Gabriella got to help command a shuttle mission. I sat out with the babies and when Greg got off the ride he advised me not to go because even his steel coated stomach was feeling a bit queasy. We rode the Finding Nemo ride and looked at all the cool fish and even went to see Turtle Talk with Crush. Then we started on the countries. Epcot has changed a bit since we visited for our honeymoon or maybe it just seemed different going with little kids. Each country had characters from movies set there. Alice and Mary Poppins in England, Marie, Belle and the Beast in Paris and Mulan in China. It was really wonderful for Gabriella to see some of the rarer characters and learn where they were from. For example, I didn't know Snow White was set in Germany. The day ended with a firework and water show and a slow march through the park. If there is one thing to say about Epcot it's that you feel like you've walked around the world when you go there.

It's a Jungle in There

Our first theme park stop was Animal Kingdom. It was a crisp morning and we bundled up in light sweaters and pants and headed out to the early entry bus, along with everyone else at our hotel. Each day a different theme park opens an hour early or stays open an hour later for park guests. We struggled to get all five of us and a stroller on the bus and then unloaded at the theme park, but we managed. Once the tickets were purchased and everyone was settled in their respective spots we headed into the park. Our first ride of the day was the Safari, it's a tour through the animal enclosures in the guise of taking a real safari in Africa. We saw a lot of cool animals and since it was still cool they were actually moving around. The hippos were huge and the herd of elephants even featured a few babies.

Next stop was the Himalayan train ride. I would say it was a cross between Thunder Mountain railroad and the Matterhorn. The Yeti is chasing us and the train goes forward and backwards. Greg took Gabriella on first and we gave her the option to go with me again or wait with the babies. She came off the ride looking windblown and a little apprehensive, but she agreed to take me on it. I asked her what happened and she insisted it should be a surprise. We had a great time and there is nothing more fun than riding a rollercoaster with a happily screaming 5 year old. She and Greg braved the rapids ride and they both required an outfit change afterwards. One of the best parts of the Animal Kingdom were the amount of unique and not often seen characters around the park giving autographs. Balou and King Louie were on hand to say hello to the girls as well as Pocahontas, Lilo and Stitch and Terk from Tarzan. Gabriella had almost filled up her autograph book by the time we were ready to go back to the hotel. The park was beautiful and the animals were fun to look at. There were plenty of shady spots to sit and some fairly tasty food to eat. Greg also sat through the Finding Nemo musical which he counts as his arts event for the year.

Vacation

The Woo says it all. We just got back from our amazing vacation to Florida. There is something so magical about Disney, at least to me. It's been a part of my life since I was young. I remember going with my Aunt Sylvia, I remember working there, I remember the look on Gabriella's face when she first saw Sleeping Beauty's castle and just a few weeks ago I saw her see Cinderella's. I can't say enough about the magic of Disney World. There are so many theme parks and so much to see. In the coming days I'll attempt to summarize our trip. This was my third trip to Disney World, Greg's second and our children's first.

Our flight to Florida was great, the little girls did as well as could be expected. Genevieve is certainly not a huge fan of flying, she cried a bit but eventually just settled down and slept. Gabriella fell asleep from the start of the flight until we landed, I think Julia and Greg did too. Everyone was well rested when we arrived in Orlando. Disney of course had a great bus to get us to our resort. We got in early and had to wait a few hours for our room to be ready, but we were entertained by the Disney Channel. More to follow.

Sticking to it

As a child when things get hard we are always told to stick with it and it will get better, like sports or math. It can also be true for illnesses, stick with these antibiotics and you will get better. But like antibiotics if you fail to take the whole dose what you could get is a nasty drug resistant strain of disease. The same can be true for parenting, if you don't stick with your rules then you are prone to raise a child that doesn't respect them. Yesterday a rule was broken in our house which has a pretty strict penalty. I could go through it blow by blow but in respect to the rule breaker who could read this later in life I will decline. I will relate the important bits. The rule in our house is that if you throw something in anger it gets thrown out. Yesterday a very special pair of light up shoes was thrown and because of that action the shoes were thrown in the trash. I would definitely rank this as one of my most difficult parenting moments. There are times in life when you almost think the battle isn't worth the war. Yesterday I found myself snapping in response to the breaking of the rule, however the fallout was intense. I find sometimes that parenting is difficult but by sticking to rules it will make both my children and myself stronger. The realization that actions cause reactions is not only handy for physics but also for real life. I think I impressed a friend yesterday by sicking to our consequence but I impressed myself by believing this is an effective way to parent. This morning I received an unsolicited apology, I also got one last night, and a request to buy new shoes with a gift card on vacation. In that moment I felt I made the right decision. It is our job as parents to raise the best kids we can, yesterday I suppose was the hard part of doing just that.