Big Girl Bed!

We got Katie a twin bed when she turned 4.  It was a birthday gift, and she was truly surprised, as I think she would've otherwise stayed in her toddler bed forever.

Not Natalie.  But then, don't they say the second child often does things sooner/faster?  We'd talked about getting her a twin bed before her 4th birthday, but never really decided if we wanted to or not.  Ever since our vacation, though, Natalie has been campaigning hard for that big-girl bed.  Colin and I bought some accessories for it last weekend, not sure when we would actually buy the bed.  He surprised even me when he brought it home and set it up earlier this week!

Hooray!

I'd ordered the Barbie comforter online...  it came 2 days after the bed.

Natalie loves the new blanket!

Sorry the pictures are a little blurry, but I think they show well enough how excited she is to have her big-girl bed!!!  Hooray, Natalie!!!

Fashion Show

One of our friends recently (finally?!) cleaned out their college-age daughter's closet and gifted us with several years' worth of dance recital outfits and Halloween costumes.  She told me that if it occupied the girls for even an hour, she will feel happy that the items went to good use.  I think that's an understatement.  Here's a sampling of outfits:

Thank you, Marianne and family, for your kindness!  With a giant tub of sequins, ruffles, sparkles, feathers, and fur, the girls have already put on many fashion shows and look forward to many more!

Girl Power

When I run on Sunday mornings, I often see people out and about, even though I leave the house around 6:30.  You would think that's too early to be running, but you have to go out then if you want to beat the heat!  I'm glad others have the same idea.  As I ran today, I decided to keep a tally of the other people I saw out running, walking, or biking.

12 total.

8 women, 4 men.

GO GIRLS!!!!!!!

It kind of makes sense when I remember back to an article I read recently talking about the decline in the number of men entering local races.  The female entrants have been increasing, with males staying steady or decreasing.  I think that's awesome.  I think it's wonderful that other women are finding enjoyment in something I have liked for so long.  I'm glad we're out there being fit and fabulous.  I'm glad we're setting good examples for our children by being active parents.

(Now I'll have to count every week and see how the numbers work out.)

Disney Weekend - Day 3

On our final day, we visited Animal Kingdom.  We were there right when it opened, and I know the crowds were lighter than they were at Magic Kingdom. 

Our first destination was Kali River Rapids.  I was thrilled that Natalie was tall enough to ride it!  So was she.  This may have been our favorite ride of the whole weekend.  We all got wet, but that was OK.  I almost wish we could've gone back later in the day to get wet and cooled off again!

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Tigers!?

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Tigers!!

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Katie met Pocahontas while Natalie was at the petting zoo

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Jiminey Cricket!

Katie and I went to the educational area while Natalie and Colin were at the petting zoo to see her beloved goats.  We had lunch and waited as some suspicious clouds passed.  Then it was back out to play in Dinoland USA.  We played for too long (oops) and missed the starting times of 2 shows we were interested in, and ended up not staying long enough for them to come around again.  After too much fun, a snack, and more shopping, the girls were worn out.  It was mid-afternoon when we left.

The attractions we tackled the third day were:  Kali River Rapids, Maharajah Jungle Trek, Wildlife Express Train, Conservation Station, Affection Section, Boneyard, Triceratop Spin, and Kids Discovery Clubs.  Again, we brought in our own snacks and ate lunch in the park.  That system really worked well for us.

We went back to the hotel, and since the weather was nice, we swam in the big pool that has the water slides.  We had a GREAT time!!!  We swam until we got too hungry, then cleaned up quickly and went out to eat off-campus.  We hit the hotel gift shop after dinner, then watched movies in our room until it was bedtime. 

Since we just had 3-day passes for the park, we slept that last night in the hotel, slept in a bit in the morning, then had breakfast and checked out for our return trip home.  We had so much fun, but there is still much left to explore on future vacations!

And that was part of it...  We had a twofold mission for the trip:  to have fun, and to learn tips to enhance our fun for next time when we are planning a larger group trip in 2012.  Missions accomplished!!!

Things I learned on Day 3:

1. They charge $9.95/day for internet at Disney resorts.  So, if you can stand being without email for that long (which was hard for me!), give it a whirl.  Otherwise, it will cost you.
2. Animal Kingdom has a LOT more shade than Magic Kingdom.  The landscaping is designed to give you the feel of being in the rain forest.  It's helpful when it's so hot out.  However, don't forget to hydrate!
3. Being a newer park, Animal Kingdom also seemed to have better accessibility for those guests in wheelchairs and scooters.
4. Be mindful of the times that shows are starting, if you are interested in watching one.  The Lion King show is very popular and filled up fast.  We weren't watching the clock and missed the early-afternoon viewing of both shows we were interested in.
5. Wear sunscreen!
6. Bring plastic bags inside your backpack to keep your important things wet on the water rides.  Good thing we'd done that, because we got soaked!

See ya real soon, Disney World!!!

Disney Weekend - Day 2

Our second day was again spent at the Magic Kingdom.  We ate breakfast at the hotel and goofed off a little, so we weren't there *right* when it opened this time.  That's OK, we still did pretty well.

The first thing I wanted to do was ride Splash Mountain.  We ran into these two on the way there and had to stop and say hello.


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Natalie really loved the attention from Aladdin

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Katie, Jasmine, Natalie, and Aladdin

But we did make it to Splash Mountain.  As I feared, Natalie was too short to be able to ride, so she and Colin went off to play while Katie and I waited in line to get wet.  We loved it!!!


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Going to the Fort on Tom Sawyer's Island

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Barrel Bridge!

The attractions we tackled the second day were:  Splash Mountain, Tom Sawyer's Island, and the Haunted Mansion.  Again, we brought in our own snacks and ate lunch in the park.  We didn't do as much because the girls really ran out of gas early.  After lunch, we did a little shopping and then went back to the hotel.

Our intention was to nap, swim, eat dinner, and return to the park for the evening parade.  Due to a big thunderstorm that afternoon, it didn't work out that way.  We napped, we swam a little (before the thunder), we ate out, and then, since it was still pouring outside, we decided not to return to the park.  We watched movies in our room instead until it was bedtime.  So, we didn't get to see the night parade or the evening fireworks, but that just gives us another reason to go back later!

Things I learned on Day 2:

1. Even breakfast is expensive at the Happiest Place on Earth.  If you are in a "moderate" resort, as we were, you'll have a mini-fridge.  Stock it with more than water so you can save money by eating breakfast in your room.
2. If your kids are interested in meeting the characters, buy an autograph book.  They sell them everywhere, parks and hotels.  This did not occur to me until too late in the trip.  We have lots of photos of the girls with characters, but they'd like the autographs, too.
3. There is some benefit to having your own vehicle.  We were able to go to/from the park without having to wait on the shuttle bus, and we were able to eat supper off-campus when we were bored of park food.

Disney Weekend - Day 1

We just got back from a long weekend at Disney World.  Woohoo!  We stayed over there for 3 nights and spent 3 days going through the parks.  We all had a fabulous time.  Here are some pictures of things we did.

We spent Day 1 at the Magic Kingdom, arriving right when the gates opened.  Being there early has its benefits!

The girls wanted to ride Dumbo first!

After a few rides, I got to meet up with this chap.

Colin with his princesses near Cinderella's Castle

Katie couldn't wait to ride the teacups!

Ice cream is always a good treat in the sweaty Florida weather

The attractions we tackled the first day were:  Dumbo, Snow White, Prince Charming's Carousel, Aladdin's Flying Carpets, Swiss Family Robinson Treehouse, Pooh, Teacups, PeopleMover, and Carousel of Progress.  We brought in our own snacks and ate lunch in the park. 

Then we checked into our room at the Carribean Beach Resort.  I was thrilled to get us a Pirate Room!

Our hotel room

We cleaned up and got ready for our Happily Ever After Buffet at 1900 Park Fare, located at the Grand Floridian Resort.  Colin and I wanted one splurge on a character dining experience, and this was a good one.  The buffet has lots of choices, including lots of kid-friendly items.  The food is good, and Cinderella and Prince Charming, as well as the stepmother and stepsisters, come right to every table to visit.

Prince Charming!

Cinderella!

The girls loved meeting all the characters, and I felt that the stepsisters were the funniest of all.  Somewhat bossy and very talkative, they can easily steal the show.  We had a great evening out, and I would definitely recommend this dinner to families with young daughters that are visiting Disney.

Things I learned on Day 1:

1. Get there as soon as the park opens.  It seems that the biggest influx of people happens in the 10am to 11am hour, so it's nice to beat the rush.
2. Go to the park with a focused plan of the top 2-3 things you want to do that day.  If you can get them done while the crowds are light, it's so much easier on everyone.
3. Pack in your own snacks and water to save money.  You'll have to buy more water as the day goes on, but you will have saved some.
4. If your kids are old enough, try to do it without a stroller.  Yes, it's a lot of walking for little legs, but having to park a stroller and load/unload everyone at every stop can be a drag.  We managed to make it all 3 days with no stroller.
5. Know your limits.  This is a no-brainer for parents, but know when your kids are tired and when you need to duck out of there.  You may not see everything you wanted to on your list, but you can keep everyone happier if you stop when the kids need to stop.
6. This was a new one to me:  check into your hotel FIRST when you arrive, even if it's so early in the day that your room isn't ready.  You'll get a parking pass good for the entire property for the length of your stay, so you won't have to pay to park when you get to one of the theme parks.  I didn't know this, so we'd already paid $14 to park at the Magic Kingdom, when a 15-minute detour past our hotel to get the parking pass would've saved us that.

Stay tuned for posts about Days 2 and 3!

Jump Rope

Today at the fitness center, all the treadmills were occupied.  Rather than wait for one (or run outside in the ridiculous noontime heat and humidity), I biked for a while, then went to the vacant group exercise room to do something I haven't done in a while.

Jump rope!

I alternated between jumping rope and doing other types of exercises to get my blood pumping.  I did 1-minute sets of jumping, and was very impressed with myself when I didn't trip up once.  It's been years since I jumped rope.  I was quite surprised with myself.  :)

So, no running today, but I was happy I was able to improvise and find something else to do.  I'm sure it was good for my calves, too!

Sunday Run

Today I did another 4-mile run before church.  When I left the house at 6:30, it was 80 degrees and 85% humidity.  Yikes!  So this is what I looked like when I returned:

Like that outfit?  Natalie picked out the combo for me.

I was drenched.  And that's why it's hard to run outside here this time of year.

In other running-related news, I gave away our jogging stroller last week.  It was kind of sad for me.  I'm afraid I'll miss it.  Katie loved riding in it, all the way up until she got way too tall.  She'd probably still ride in it if I could find a way to make her legs fit.  Natalie never liked it all that much, so even though she technically still fits, I haven't used it in months.  I knew it was time to find it a new home.  I found a taker in my co-worker John.  He and his wife are expecting their first baby shortly, and they both like to run, so he said he'd take it now and hold it until the baby is able to ride in it in a few months.  Take good care of my stroller, John!  I hope it serves you and your family well.

Long Weekend Pics

I had the best intentions of posting these with the details from the weekend...  Oops!

Cutest cornshuckers ever!

Ready for some croquet!

Natalie wins...  her way!

Ready to wrap it up for the day

So there are the illustrations of how we spent our 4th.  :)

Long Weekend Wrap-Up

Our holiday weekend wasn't all that eventful, but that's a GOOD thing!  Here are a few more details on how we relaxed.


Saturday


The girls had their swimming lessons, then we went to the Y so I could work out.  Due to a big project, Colin ended up being at work most of the day.  It turned out OK with just us girls.  After the workout, we watched Tangled, had lunch, took naps, did laundry, did our Target shopping, and prepared supper.  Colin came home as we were starting dinner, and the rest of our evening went on pretty much like normal, playing out in the yard for a while before the girls had to get ready for bed.


Sunday


This was exciting for 2 reasons:  we were back together as an orchestra playing patriotic music for church, AND it was the first Sunday for our new pastor!  Our flute player Craig is also a band director, so since we are currently without a music director at church, he led us in Liberty Bell March (yay, Sousa!), God Bless America, and My Country 'Tis of Thee.  He then went on to lead the choir in America the Beautiful and The Battle Hymn of the Republic.  Gotta love the music!  What a great way to celebrate America's birthday.  It was interesting to have our first Sunday with Pastor Brent, too.  He seems very likeable, and we'll get used to each other as a group.  I know we will.


The rest of Sunday was pretty relaxed.  I baked cookies, the girls went to hang out with Colin's parents for a while, and we had a good evening.  Colin and I decided to watch True Grit after the girls went to sleep.  We both enjoyed it, even though I dozed off a little before the end.  Whoops!

Monday

I got up to have a 4-mile run, but since I felt pretty good, I ended up doing 5.  I hadn't run 5 miles since March, so I was pretty excited with myself about that.  After I cleaned up, the girls and I shucked corn and did other dinner prep in the morning.  We went to the mall when it opened, did a little shopping, played on the play area, ate at the food court, and headed back home.

Later in the afternoon, Colin's parents came over for a holiday cookout.  We played croquet, had some delicious food, and topped it all off with ice cream!  Yum! 

A good, relaxing weekend.  You can't beat that!

Still Looking Good at 235

I was wondering what I should write about for the 4th of July, and then it landed in my inbox.  I'm on the mailing list for many of my legislators, and I received this from Sen. Bill Nelson.  Here is an excerpt:

"Some 235 years ago this weekend, John Adams proclaimed that July 2 would mark the most memorable epoch in the history of America. It was on that day the Continental Congress declared the 13 colonies free and independent of Great Britain’s crown. It was two days after that when Thomas Jefferson’s Declaration of Independence was adopted. 

And when did Americans first celebrate their independence?

Philadelphia is said to have thrown a big party on July 8, 1776, including a parade and the firing of guns. George Washington, then camped near New York City, heard the news on July 9 and celebrated then. But in 1781, Massachusetts became the first state to recognize July 4 as a state celebration. Ten years later, the young nation’s celebration was dubbed Independence Day.

This Independence Day, I hope every American will stop and think for just a minute about our freedoms – and just how much we owe those who came here long before us and mutually pledged to each other their lives, their fortunes, and their sacred honor. And let us also remember the young men and women who have died in defense of those freedoms.

We traditionally observe the Fourth with fireworks and fanfare, pomp and parade. But today we remain engaged in far-away struggles to promote and protect the rights of others who, like us, value freedom and independence. Many of our soldiers, sailors, airmen, Marines and Coast Guardsmen are spending their Fourth in Iraq and Afghanistan and other parts of world.

I recently was reminded of the commitment and selfless sacrifice demonstrated by one of America’s World War II veterans, who lives in my state of Florida.

U.S. Army Staff Sgt. Robert Rickel, of Boca Raton, served as a waist gunner on a B-17 Flying Fortress. Sgt. Rickel survived the daring bombing campaign of Schweinfurt, Germany in October 1943, and was awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross for his heroism or extraordinary achievement.

Sgt. Rickel and all the military members and all their families knew the risks and sacrifices they were making were worth it. As President Reagan once said, “Some things are worth dying for ... democracy is worth dying for, because it's the most deeply honorable form of government ever devised by man.”

Indeed, our democracy is something to celebrate."

Our democracy IS something to celebrate!  Thank you, Sen. Nelson, for the message.

Happy Birthday, America!!!

Mid-Year Mileage

I know a lot of runners set mileage goals for the year...  I never have.  But I would like to.  So, before I go there, I figured I need to know where I'm at now before I can set a goal for future performance (like any good engineer, right?). 

I started tracking my miles on www.dailymile.com at the beginning of January.  This graphic is for me through the end of June:  260 miles.  I don't know if the second half of the year will be quite as high since I don't really train for any races in the fall, but we'll see where it goes!  This has been very interesting, and I'm glad I've started putting in the extra effort to track the miles since I'm already putting in the effort to run them.