When you wish upon a star....

So here it is, a little recap of our Disney Day. Tom and I went back and forth quite a bit before our trip to FL deciding if Disney was right for us. We both have been a few times and know that it is something we would like our kids to experience, but we just didn't know if 3 years old was the right age. We were very torn. Jack loves The Disney Channel and knows almost all of the Pixar movies by heart. He is constantly turning episodes and scenes from Mickey Mouse Clubhouse, The Octonauts and most of the Pixar movies into adventures of his own. I recently saw that a friend of mine, with a daughter that is 2, made a day trip to Disney while on a similar type vacation in FL. I contacted her and got the details-Did it work? Did you have fun? Was it enough time? Did she have fun and like it? Was it worth it? The answers to all of these were-YES! We started some preliminary planning. This is what we decided.

1. Will would stay back in Port St. Lucie for the day with my parents. No need to torture a now constantly moving boy with being strapped into a car seat and stroller. This turned into the best decision of the day!

2. We would get up early, drive up to Disney and head back around dinner time. Jack is not into fireworks, so there was no need to stay to see them.

3. We would see what we could and not get stressed or try to pack too much into the day. Low expectations!

"I'm SO excited!"

Once we arrived in FL, we looked at the forecast for the week and juggled it with the golf schedules. Wednesday would be our day. We decided to get up at our regular time and head out after breakfast. Our GPS made our ride up to Disney a little longer than expected by dropping us off at the Kissimee Airport, claiming that it was Walt Disney World. OOOOoops! We were only slightly off course and made it to the park in about 2 hours instead of 1 1/2. As we drove under the first signs stating we had arrived in at Walt Disney World, Jack started yelling- "I'M SO EXCITED." Tom and I both chuckled, knowing he hadn't even seen anything 'cool' yet. We started getting more and more excited for his interpretation of the day and to see him take in all the wonder that accompanies a trip like this. We parked in the heroes lot: Peter Pan, row 60, boarded the tram and started off towards the park. Under advisement from my friend Julie, we bought our tickets at a vending machine and avoided standing in line.

Riding the monorail into the park.

This is how Jack 'rode' around the park most of the day.

We decided that our first "ride" of the day would be the monorail (one of Tom's favorite parts of Disney as a child). Jack loved it! We zoomed off towards the castle. After standing in a couple more lines (one to have my bag of goodies checked and one to process our tickets and attach a fingerprint to each one) we were INSIDE. It turned out to be VERY hot-at least 88 degrees, if not 90 and VERY crowded. March is a very busy month with the Florida school vacations, college spring breaks and other state's school vacations. We were greeted by a massive sea of people. Jack held tight to Tom's hand and was very quiet. My sensitive, inquisitive boy, taking it all in. We headed up Main Street and stopped to have our picture taken with Cinderella's Castle in the background. As we navigated the park, we remarked over and over, how glad we were that Will was at home. It was too hot and the stroller would have just gotten aggravating to maneuver in the crowds. We started in Fantasyland.

Our first ride was The Many Adventures of Winnie-the-Pooh. The best part was that while you wait there is a lot for the kids to do to pass the time. While in line we got the low down on how to work a Fast Pass and headed straight to the Buzz Lightyear ride to acquire one.

Hiding in Rabbit's Cabbage crates. 

Waiting in line for Winnie-the-Pooh

We ended up spending a majority of our time in Tomorrowland riding on the Speedway, The People Mover, seeing the Carousel of Progress and then returning to The Buzz Lightyear's Space Ranger Spin (Jack's favorite ride). We missed getting to have our picture taken with Buzz Lightyear, but decided that since we were only there for the day, our time was better spent on rides and seeing more of the park.

Jack telling me-"GO FASTER, so we can beat Daddy"

The People Mover

The best part of the day-"Shooting lasers at Zurg"

We headed to Adventureland where Tom and Jack rode on the Aladdin Magic Carpet ride while I got an ice cream. We had planned to take our time, not rush and have a nice lunch for a break while we were in the park. I think we both got caught up in the fact that there were so many people there and we really wanted to make the most of our time so we just kept moving. I packed lots of snacks and fruit and drinks for Jack, so we kept feeding him while we were in line waiting. Tom and I drank the water I brought but really didn't eat anything. By three o'clock, we could see Jack fading. The heat was getting to him, he was overwhelmed by the masses of people and generally sick of standing in line. He never complained, but was asking to be held a lot. (Looking back-maybe his ears were starting to bother him since he started with the ear infection the next day). We decided to start to wrap things up. We sat down inside for Mickey's Philharmonic show in 3D. A nice, cool break inside and then made our way to the Walt Disney Railroad for a train ride back to the entrance of the park.

Waiting our turn for the train

"Let me just see that map for a second"

A long and wonderful day!

Jack's little souvenir

The day went by so fast. We saw a lot, but certainly didn't see everything. Most of you will be disappointed to hear that we never made it on Pirates of the Caribbean (but Jack doesn't know that). We kept to our plan of seeing what we could and not getting stressed or worried if we didn't see everything. We pushed Jack as far as he could go, but saw when he had reached our limit and headed to the car. We took the ferry boat back to the parking area (another ride in my book). Tom and I both thought that Jack would pass out as soon as his head hit the car seat back-but the opposite happened. He started talking and talking. The "wow" moment we had been waiting for while we were at the park had happened, just on the inside. He started telling us all about the rides we went on and what his favorite part was. He stayed awake the whole ride home. As we pulled onto Greenbrier Circle, we spotted Kay Kay and Bampa taking Will on a walk. Jack was so excited to see them. He ran up to the stroller and gave Will a big hug. He then started talking a mile a minute to update Kay Kay and Bampa on what we saw and the rides we went on.

SUCCESS! 

Overall, I think we had a great day. Jack saw a little piece of the magic of Disney, but we left a lot to see for next time. Tom and I had the chance to relive a part of our childhood through Jack. My camera's battery started dying at the mid point in our day, so I stopped taking pictures to be sure to save it for the rest of the day and the rest of our trip (I forgot the charger). 

The Sunshine State

What a long and wonderful week it has been....

Last Saturday morning we finished packing up the car, buckled the kids in and started a very long journey south to Port St. Lucie to see my parents. This is the first vacation we have really taken in a long time. There was definitely some excitement buzzing about the car as we started down the road. Seeing Kay Kay and Bampa, meeting Mickey Mouse, swimming and playing some golf were all on the horizon. The ride was long, but the boys did well. We stopped a few times to let them stretch their legs and get some fresh air. We made good time and pulled into Greenbrier Circle after about 11 hours of driving.

Halfway to FL. We are all getting a little silly. 

The week is kind of a blur since all good things seem to go by so fast. It was a perfect mix of planned and busy days with slow paced relaxing days. We swam at the pool at The Island Club and at my Aunt Kathy and Uncle Russ's pool (just across the pond in our backyard).

Practicing our backstroke.

Snoozing poolside

Splash, Splash, Splash!

We headed to the beach in Fort Pierce for the morning and played in the waves and the sand. We were there just long enough for Jack to get knocked over by some waves but get up laughing and Will to eat enough sand for 3 "sandwiches". We ended the day with another day at the pool.

Fearless in the water-good thing it was warm.

Sand baby

A lucky feather

Yum...a sandy shovel!

Tom dusted off his clubs and played a few rounds of golf. More importantly his blackberry was OFF and he was really able to unwind from a busy few weeks at work.

We took many walks around Greenbrier Circle, seeing neighbors and friends, meeting new dogs and collecting pine cones. The weather was perfect. 70's-80's, sunny with big, fluffy clouds that gave you a little relief from the hot sun-just when it seemed needed.

The house we stayed in sat on the edge of a little pond. On the other side of the pond was the back of Kathy and Russ's house. It had a large slider that opened up to a small lanai. A perfect spot for a morning cup of coffee or to relax after dinner. The lanai allowed us to have the large slider open all day, let the breeze through the house and keep the bugs out. Since there was a small ceiling overhead it stayed nice and shaded during the day and was the perfect place for the boys to play with their toy cars. Will mastered climbing up and down the small step that was the threshold between the house and the lanai.

Up and down the step.

Will and Kay Kay

3 Little monkeys

Will and Bampa

We grilled out (on a charcoal grill that had it's own challenges attached ;)), we ordered out, we sat and watched some tv at night with all the windows open and a gentle breeze keeping us cool, but not cold. Kay Kay and Bampa passed out many kisses and hugs. Jack and Bampa were reunited for many adventures-taking Annie for walks ("Come on, girl" Jack would call to her as he tapped his leg, just like Bampa.), chasing geckos, playing with bubbles on the driveway, playing cars on the Lanai, taking on underwater "Octonaut" adventures in the pool. Kay Kay helped me to navigate the pool and the beach with the two little ones. I certainly couldn't have done it without her! We quickly realized how much work it is to get down and  onto the beach and then how short the life of a beach day has become. Once Will was too sandy and the sun was getting too hot or a nap was on the horizon we had to pack back up and head home.

I escaped for a little pedicure touch up and even got my hair colored and cut one day. I felt like I was cheating on my favorite RI hair dresser, Nicole, but I knew this was a perfect opportunity to take a chance on someone else (with a personal recommendation-the hair dresser is my Aunt's). I am happy with the results and I know Kay Kay enjoyed her one on one time with Jack while Will took his nap.

It was a week of two's. Will took his first steps alone. Two here, Two there, while many smiling faces looked on cheering for him and egging him on to do more. He cut two teeth (the 2 front top ones to be exact).

Even though there were a few bumps along the way, we truly enjoyed our trip. The sunshine state delivered! We hope that we brought our own kind of sunshine to FL too. The kind that is made out of little baby giggles and belly laughs, active imaginations and finding the simplest things to be amazing (Jack turned a dried piece of palm into a rope and a tail and a sword. He took a very long pine needle that had 2 parts and called it his bug catcher). We know that there are some people we visited that needed that kind of sunshine to shine down on them.

As we pulled out of the PGA Village one last time on Saturday, I had such a sad feeling in my heart. I guess that means it was a good week. I know that we couldn't have stayed forever. I know that it is good to get back home, sleep in your own bed and get back to your own routine. I think that leaving just made me realize HOW much I miss my mom and being with her everyday-chatting, going on adventures with the kids, having many, many laughs. This trip was the last one on my list for now. It had been one of the dates on the calendar that we were counting down to. As of now, we don't have another trip planned to see any of our parents and I think that is where the sadness in my heart comes from. I know we will see them soon and it will be wonderful and at the end I will be sad again. This is all still part of us moving away. I am still adjusting.

Last night in FL. Jack didn't feel up to joining in. 

So last night, we pulled into our driveway, took out two kids who were antsy and tired and sick of being strapped in. We unloaded the car and started getting settled back into our life here in SC. In the week since we left, the weather has really started changing and the low for the week is supposed to be 75! The grass in our backyard is growing like crazy and we are buying a lawn mower this week to tackle it.

So that is a quick overview of our trip....


I left out one part-we took Jack on a special day trip to Disney. I will write about that separately.

Have a good week! 

Gramma and Poppa Come to Town

This past weekend we were greeted with some very special visitors. Gramma and Poppa flew in on Saturday for a long weekend with us. We were all very excited for their arrival! A tornado on Friday night threatened our fun! SC was fine, but Charlotte got hit and Tom was on call. A phone call at 4:45am told us that he was going to be working for most of Saturday and that the following week could get increasingly more busy. We prepared for the worst and hoped for the best. The first order of business was juggling the airport pick up with Jack's swim lessons. In the end, Tom was in the area just when we needed him and was able to pick up Gramma and Poppa and welcome them to our new home. I took Jack to his swim lesson with Will in tow. Jack saw Miss Ana and was instantly at ease. He was in the water like a pro (well, more like an improved version from last week-excited to be there and participate). We met Gramma and Poppa back at the house and enjoyed a day of playing together. Jack took Gramma outside in the "quick sand" by the sandbox and brought both Gramma and Poppa to his "restaurant", where he served them some "tea" (all taking place at the playground down the street). In the afternoon, Poppa and Tom took Jack on a special outing to get his own set of golf clubs and show him how to hit a few balls in the backyard. They are adorable! Will impressed everyone with how well he can pull himself up to standing and cruise along the furniture. Unfortunately his top two front teeth are trying to make an appearance and it has left him a little more cranky than usual. 

On Sunday, we enjoyed a big breakfast and headed out to the Greenville Zoo. It was a beautiful day-clear blue skies, but windy and a little chilly with temperatures only in the 50's. We bundled up and still had a great time.

At the Zoo with Gramma

Will and the Giraffes

We saw lots of animals and heard lots of crazy noises. The monkeys were going wild! The zoo was very clean and all the exhibits had little benches for smaller kids to climb up and stand on to get a better look. Jack loved it. Just outside the zoo is a huge playground and picnic area called Cleveland Park. We, of course, had to make a stop here. Jack ran and jumped and climbed. Will enjoyed the swings and a bouncy tractor. We set up camp at a picnic table for a quick and windy lunch for the boys before heading back to our house.

 

Tom and I had planned to have a date night on Sunday night-taking full advantage of our babysitters. In the end, we decided to have a special afternoon with Jack and took him to see The Lorax in 3D. He wore his special glasses for the whole show (although he had to tip his head back a bit to keep them in place) and had a great time. It was a nice treat for us all. 

On Monday, Tom had to return to work. I took Jack for a follow up 3 year visit at our new pediatricians office. He did great and they confirmed everything we learned at the last visit. He is fine. His weight is more than fine. His eating will get better. He is just a 3 year old. I left with a few new tricks to try-primarily getting rid of graham crackers-yikes! I am not ready just yet for that! HA It will be a project to start in a few weeks. I decided that I would take Gramma and Poppa back to downtown Greenville to show them Falls Park and grab some lunch. It was again beautiful, but windy out. We had a nice lunch and headed to The Falls before getting ready to go to the airport. 

This is the only one where Jack was looking relatively normal. 

It was a great weekend, but of course, went by too quick. We hope that Gramma and Poppa enjoyed seeing our home and our town/city. It was fun to show them around and have them really see the boys in action. We look forward to our Skype dates and another visit soon! 

My bucket is full

Back when we were moving, I spent a whole day sitting around our condo while the packers packed up all of our stuff. It was awkward and weird. I couldn't do anything to help and I didn't really want to hover over them all day while they packed our stuff, but at the same time, I didn't think I should just leave them alone. Like I said, awkward and weird. I happened upon a book on Tom's bedside table; "How Full is Your Bucket?" by Tom Rath. It was given to Tom at work. I read it cover to cover (it is very short, sweet and to the point) while I sat with the packers. Tom and I still make reference to it in our day to day conversation. The premise of the book centers around everyone having a 'bucket' and every interaction we have with another person is an opportunity for us to dip or fill that bucket. The book talks about how being more conscious of whether you are "dipping or filling a bucket" helps you to lead a more positive life. I really like the metaphor the book creates and I do try and "fill buckets" and not "dip" from them to fill my own. Where am I going with all this you are probably wondering?.....

My bucket has been filled. The kind of filling that can only be done by the arrival of a new baby, close friends, uninterrupted long chats, pedicures, cupcakes with too much frosting and a pregnant belly. I had the best weekend. It started on almost 2 weeks ago now on Friday afternoon with the welcoming of a new baby girl into the lives of 2 of our close friends. Welcome to the world Braxton Carolina Beatty! We can't wait to meet you in person. I am sure you are stealing hearts everywhere! Saturday brought Jack's best swim lesson and then I headed out, on my own to  Concord, NC to meet up with 2 of my closest friends.

Since moving down to SC, I have made it a mission to try and make more get togethers with my close girl friends. I know we all still live quite a ways from one an other and we all lead very busy lives, but I need them. I need to see them. I need to chat live and in person with them. It is just so much better than on the phone. A few months ago, the girls that live in NC and I decided to just pick a date and set it up. We chose Concord as an equidistant location for each of us (as best as we could). We kissed our babies good bye, gave the dads all the instructions they would need and met up by 4pm on Saturday. It was a quick trip. We were all home by 12 on Sunday.

It was exactly what I needed. 

I didn't realize until the short and very sweet trip was over how much my bucket needed to be filled by them. Our lives have gotten so crazy since we found out we were moving, since we moved and now since we have started trying to put a life together here in SC. I love being home everyday with Jack and Will. I am trying to cherish every day-crazy or mundane because I know they are coming to an end. I will be returning to work eventually. At the same time, I have come to realize how important time for myself is in order to maintain my sanity and be the best mom that I can for both of our boys. I have been trying to be better about taking time for myself. As I have mentioned in other posts, I am trying to get out a few mornings a week to the Y to workout and let my racing mind have a rest and think-but it is only in 45 minute increments. This weekend was about 3 amazing friends and moms taking the time for themselves to  recharge their batteries and fill up one an other's buckets. We laughed and talked and shared parenting tips and tricks. We got pedicures. We uncovered that pregnant belly from the jacket it was hiding under while waiting at the bar for a table for dinner in order to use it to our advantage and score some prime seats and eat.

 (This involved Camilla shedding her jacket as we stood at the bar. A pair of nice gentlemen that were eating at the bar shared this exchange:
First guy: (while hitting the second guy on the leg) "That girl is pregnant, we have to get up."
Second guy: (Nods, Finishes up his dinner quickly, asks for the check, and pays while standing up) "Here, you can have these 2 seats. It will be a start".
Insert our smiles from ear to ear. :)

Lauren and I held a small little party to shower Camilla and Baby G with some little gifts and a large heaping of frosting topped cupcakes! Delicious. Baby G was dancing and doing back flips after that.

Like everything else with good friends, it went all too fast. We enjoyed a quick, complimentary breakfast at the hotel in the morning and headed on our separate ways. Buckets overflowing.

To the dads for taking on all the kids this weekend, Thank you.
To my two wonderful friends, Lauren and Camilla, thank you for taking time from your busy lives to get together. We need to start planning another get together soon-but with ALL the girls.



"Friendship isn't about who you have known the longest... it is about who came, and never left your side."

So this is a REALLY old picture, but the only one I have of the three of us and it is one of my favorites. 

Have a good weekend!