Christmas (4.9 years old and 3.25 years)

Somehow I didn't write a Christmas post!  We must have been so busy I totally forgot or it somehow got lost.  Picture of our elf, Kristoff and the kid's gingerbread house.

Christmas Eve we went to Mass.  Austin and Sydney fell asleep on us.  They no longer nap and were getting use to it.  They ended up sleeping during the last part.  After mass, we went to McDonalds for dinner.  We did that last year and it worked out for us.  Then we came home, set up milk and cookies for Santa and off to bed.

Christmas was a lot of fun!  Santa was very good to Austin and Sydney.  Sydney wanted a doll house which she wanted.  Austin wanted a compass.  They got both.  Austin got some walkie talkies and dress up clothes.  Sydney got baby dolls.

My parents came over in the morning to watch the kids open their gifts.  Austin and Sydney were very excited when they came downstairs and saw what Santa had brought them.  It took us about an hour to open everything. They played while opening gifts.   After we opened gifts, I made breakfast.  That is something Brian's grandma always did and I have continued to do it.  After breakfast, my parents went home.  We went up to Cleveland to visit Brian's side of the family.  It was nice to see them.  Then we went to my parents house to have dinner and the kids opened gifts there.

It was a great Christmas!  A few days after Christmas, we drove to Sesame Place for a day.  We drove the same day we went to the park since it did not open until 1pm.  Then we got a hotel and drove home the next morning.  Sesame Place was fun.  We went on the rides, train ride and enjoyed the parade.  It was a fun little adventure.

Austin's Surgery

Right before Christmas, Austin needed to get ear tubes again.  He has had hearing tests every 3 months.  His last one wasn't good.  He had a cold which did not help. It was decided it was best to get tubes again. This was his third set.  There was a chance they were going to take out his adnoids out.  The doctor was going to explore once he was in surgery to determine their size.  If large, they would need to come out.  I really thought they would but it was determined it was not needed. That was great because the recovery is not long at all.

I was originally upset when I found out he surgery was not until 11:45 am.  Austin loves breakfast and thought there was no way he could do it.  We decided to keep Austin up late on Sunday night.  He let him eat anything he wanted.  It was a great night for Austin.  Sydney went to bed by 8:30pm and he had Mommy and Daddy all to himself.  He loved it.  We played his game Trouble.  It was so fun!  Austin and I kept landing on Daddy and he kept having to go home.  We have never laughed so hard.  Austin got to eat all the snacks he wanted.  Around 11pm, we put Austin to bed.  We were hoping he would sleep in.  He got up around 7:30am which was good.  Sydney was up too and we got her ready to go to school.  I was going to have Sydney eat breakfast at school so it didn't bother Austin but he was insistent that she could eat Lucky Charms in front of him.  He really did not care.

Austin and I took Sydney to school.  Then I decided to take him to park to play and walk a trail.  However I did not look at the weather and it started to rain.  We still had fun though.  We laughed and then came home.  Once at home, Austin wanted to do a Kiwi Crate.  He loves those things!  We let him do that.  After it was done, it was time for us to leave for the hospital.

Once at the hospital, Austin got to play a video game  in the waiting room.  He loves it!  Then they called us back.  Austin did not like wearing a hospital gown without underwear.  We distracted him enough.  He got to put stickers on his gas mask and pick a flavor chap stick to put in the mask to smell.  Austin wanted Daddy to go back with him so he did.

In the waiting room, Brian and I worked on our computers.  Before I knew it, it was time to go back to see Austin.  I knew at that point they did not do his adenoids.  After surgery all Austin wanted was his IV out.  After his IV was out, his ears hurt and the nurse had to get an order for Tylenol.  Once he received his Tylenol, we were on our way home.  When we got home, I thought we would have a relaxing afternoon.  When we asked Austin if he wanted to lay on the couch and watch was movie, he cried.  He said no I want to play.  So I played with him all afternoon.  Brian really needed to get some work down.

Austin decided that afternoon he wanted to write all the words to jingle bells.  I told the letters that made the words and he did it.  He is so good a writing now.  It's amazing because about 6 months ago he would complain everyday I made him practice his letters.  Now he loves to write.  We played some games and then I went to pick up Sydney.  Then they jumped on couch cushions.  There was no relaxing for him.

We really hope this is his last set of ear tubes!

Start of Holiday Seaston

We started the holiday activities at Mr Kringles Inventionasium.  That was one of our favorites last year.  This year it was a little different but still cool.  The kids meet Mrs. K at the beginning.  Austin wanted Daddy's camera so he told a picture of us with Mrs. K.  It was really cool.  During the hour tour they got to build and imagine different things. They played with putty to mold something.   They made puppets and named them.  They also built some toys.  They made some snow too.

We went in to see Mr. Kringle that is really the best Santa Claus.  It's great because we were in there for about 5 minutes with him.  Brian got some good pictures.  Sydney told him that she wants a doll house and a baby doll.  Austin wants a compass so he can go camping.  At the end, Mr Kringle let the kids pick out something to bring home.  They each got a bucket of snow to make at home.  We knew what to expect this year but nevertheless it was a very cool experience.

The next activity we did was Santa's workshop at Lake Farm park.  They offered breakfast with Santa this year. We decided to try it.  We had a pancake buffet breakfast and then Santa and Mrs. Claus came around to each table and gave the kids a little toy.  The picture Brian took was awesome and it even became our Christmas card this year.  While there, we took more pictures with Santa.  Mrs. Claus made special snowflakes for the kids.  Austin and Sydney really liked it and placed them on our tree when we got home.

Then we went to our favorite part of Lake Farm Park which is Santa's workshop.  The kids get to build a toy.  They have over 20 different toys to select from.  This year Sydney picked flying princess and Austin got flying superman.  It's fun to watch them make the toy with the elf.  They love to paint it and of course put glitter on it.

After we were done, we decided to leave so we could go to my mommy's group holiday party.  We got there and the kids made a craft.  Then they saw Santa again.  We had some lunch.  We talked to some of our friends we know that we don't see too often.  Then there was a story time with milk and cookies.  It was a fun time.

We went home to relax a bit before it was time to go to dinner with Santa at the rec center.  They had a pasta dinner with crafts.  Santa arrives via fire truck which is the coolest part.  After pictures with Santa are done Santa leaves on the fire truck.  Not many people watch him leave.  Austin, Sydney and Kaitlyn were out there waving good bye.

Once we got home, we celebrated my birthday.  My dad had made a cake.  The kids made me over 30 cards.  Austin requested I get him a new bundle of construction paper which i did so he could make all of these cards.  It was sweet.  Our day was crazy busy but it was fun to say the kids had breakfast, lunch and dinner with Santa that day.

The next day we had gingerbread tea at a local theater.  I didn't know what to expect but it was really cool.  We had cake and apple juice before the play.  Then there was about 30 minute play where they sang a lot of Christmas carols.  At one point the kids could even go on stage.  We were pleasantly surprised that Austin and Sydney went right up there.  They sang 2 songs.  Then after the show, we went on stage and the kids got there picture with Rudolph and Santa Claus.  And outside they got their picture with the snowman.  The weather was so nice, we let the kids walk over to the playground and play for a few minutes before heading home.


Lock 3 in Akron had Santa and crafts on Thursday nights in December.  We decided to check it out.  The crafts were not that great for kids.  They used so much glue and it was a gluey mess.  However Santa was nice.  Kids enjoyed decorating a cookie with icing too.  They also had putt putt golf.  Austin has asked about doing that since we left Myrtle Beach and unfortunately we haven't had time to take them.  So they had a lot of fun doing that.  Then Austin asked if they could go ice skating.  We said yes.  They had an area for beginning skating that parents could still wear their shoes.  We rented skates for the kids.  Austin was so grateful we allowed them to do that.  He isn't always the best at saying thank you but he did for this because he was so surprised we said yes.  They did very well with it.  They had a lot of fun too.

Our school offers parents night out once in a while.  We don't do it often but December seemed like a good month to do it.  The kids go and play and watch a movie.  We went shopping.  It was nice to shop without kids for once.  We got some dinner and came home and at it while watching TV.  That is what we used to do before kids.  Now our TV rarely comes on.  The kids had fun but wanted us to pick them up sooner.

Another fun activity we did was the polar express.  I really enjoy this holiday tradition.  It is expensive but they are only young once and it's a fun night.  The weather has been warm however I had winter pajamas for the kids. Our train car was extremely hot.  In fact some families were taking the pajamas off their kids it was so hot.  The kids still had a great time.  We sang songs and the kids listened to the story.  The kids even got up and danced in the aisle when it was requested.  They are no longer as shy and reserved.  They are willing to go and do things with us not being right there.  At the north pole, they saw all the elves dancing around.  And Santa came on board.  We didn't get a family picture because Santa was rushed since we on the last train car.

One activity I wanted to do however it did not work out was to visit Stan Hywet and see Christmas lights.  We have been extremely busy and running the kids all around and they decided (verbal and behavior) they wanted to stay home.  It was 70 degrees outside and it's December.  We stayed home and the kids collected firewood.  Brian started a campfire and he set up the movie stuff for the kids to watch Curious George's Christmas.  Austin and Sydney really enjoyed that.  It was nice to stay home for once too.

Austin and Sydney had their last swim class for this session.  This was the first time they were together and I always assumed it would be the last for awhile again.  However Sydney has impressed all of us.  She can swim.  She can do some things better than Austin like treading water.  But Austin is better on his back and can get his arms out of the water better.  With that being said, I strongly felt they can continue to be in the same class.  Austin was technically advanced to the next class and I just enrolled her in the same class.  Their friend Kaitlyn will be in there too so it should work out.

My mommy club was looking for a crib and we decided to donate Sydney's crib.  Sydney did not sleep in it much.  She loves her new bunk bed.  I love it because I no longer sleep on the floor when she needs someone to lay with her.  It was emotional for me to get rid of her crib.  Again I am totally happy with her new bed but I know I will never have a crib again.  I love the age the kids are now but there is something about not having a baby anymore that is emotional.  The kids did a great job helping donate the crib.  They would carry pieces from my van to the man who was delivering the crib.

Our community offers Santa coming in a fire truck to your house.  This year again the weather was great and the kids were outside riding their bikes waiting for Santa to come.  Our neighbors came over too and watched.  Austin and Sydney were so excited.  We saw Santa in the ambulance on the next street over and they waited so patiently for him to come to their house.  Finally Santa arrived to our house.  The kids got a gift, coloring book, and candy cane.  We got a family picture too.  Once inside Austin and Sydney opened their gift.  Austin got a fish game and Sydney got Jegna.  They both loved it!  They are getting into playing games and having fun with it.

We had opportunity to see Rudolph the Red Nose reindeer musical.  I got the tickets but it was other rushed night after work to get down there to see it.  It was a cute show and we liked it.  It was a good experience but I am not sure we will see it again.  The gingerbread was better for our kid's age.  It also maybe that we have done so much this year we were all a little maxed out.

The kids had their annual Christmas party as school.  This year while I was shopping with Austin, I ran into a box of 6 puzzles for $5.  I couldn't believe it.  It was a great deal that I got for gifts for all of their classmates (which was 45 total).  Austin decided all of his friends at school needed Christmas cards by him.  He saw me doing Christmas cards and he wanted to do his own.  I took him to the store and he picked out his own cards.  He wrote his name inside of them and his friend's name on the outside of the envelope.  It's a so cute!  We were so proud of him especially it was all his idea!

This year the kids basically stayed in their own rooms at the Christmas party.  In years past Sydney would usually come into Austin's room.  With their class sizes being so big and each having own friends they like their own room.  Santa came into Austin's room first.  Austin went right up to Santa when it was his turn.  He told him he would like a compass.  Austin and Sydney have no fear of Santa.  When Santa came into Sydney's room, she was so excited too.  She couldn't wait to go see him and let him know she would like a doll house and a baby doll.  The kids enjoyed their party.

We also checked out Glow at the Botanical Gardens.  They had some cool gingerbread houses to see.  The kids did a craft.  They watched a train.  They couldn't ride the train because of weather.  We walked around the inside of the Botanical Gardens.  Honestly we were a little disappointment in it.  Next year if we do it, I would want to try at night to see if the lights make it cooler.

We took the kids to my parent's club Christmas party.  It was different than years past.  It was downstairs.  They had lunch but we had eaten before since they never had that before.  There were not that many kids there.  Santa arrived.  Austin got a Trouble Minion game.  He loves it!  Sydney got a paw patrol game.  They like it.  They played it at the table for a while and another boy came over to play too.  It was a fun afternoon.

The last Christmas activity we did was at a local police station.  I thought it was going to be a party but actually the kids just went inside to meet Santa Claus.  The setup and background was fabulous.  We had about 5 minutes with Santa.  Then the kids got a goody bag with coloring book, crayons, and a cookie.

We had an extremely fun and busy holiday season.

Thanksgiving

Brian decided this year he was going to put up our Christmas light display.  We have taken a few years off since it was difficult to put up with the kids being so small.  This year, Austin and Brian basically put up the lights.  Austin was Daddy’s helper and wanted to help whenever possible.  Austin even decided to put the lights on his swing set.  Brian bought new lights so the old ones were placed on the swing set by Austin.  This has kept Brian very busy.

I worked Thanksgiving.  After I got home, we went to my parents.  We had a nice Thanksgiving dinner.  The kids even ate turkey.  Austin liked the sweet potatoes.  Sydney would not even try them.  They both really enjoyed the rolls and the pumpkin pie. 

I also had to work on Friday after Thanksgiving.  Brian was home with the kids.  He took them to the science center.  They all had a great time.  They went to a class and made a playdoh like substance.  Austin packed the lunch before they left.   Brian didn’t even know what was packed and I guess Austin remembered everything.  They were there all day long.  Everyone had a great time. 

On Saturday, we went to Home Depot for the kid’s project.  We haven’t been going as much as usual just because we have been so busy.  The kids really enjoyed doing the project.  Austin can use a hammer better than I can. If a nail needs to change directions or come out, Austin can do it. 

Then we went to a city light up event.  It was the first time we did that.  We watched them light up city hall.  Then the elf that lit up the city got back on his truck and the crowd followed him down to the square.  There were treat stations along the way too.  They wore their lights from Disney necklace which was neat.  Then we had some hot chocolate and ended the night watching fireworks.  It was a fun night. 

On Sunday, we went to pick out our Christmas tree.  Last year was our first year getting a real tree.  We loved the experience and wanted to do it again.  The weather has been fantastic (highs in the 50’s).  It was nice going and not being too cold.  We walked around the tree farm for at least an hour looking at trees and taking pictures and videos.  We finally found our perfect tree. 

Austin and Sydney loved watching them shake the trees and loading them on to the cars.  We did that for at least 15 minutes.  After our tree was loaded, we had some hot chocolate.  We drove home and Brian took a funny picture of the kids on the roof.  We put up our tree in our living room.  We have to take the kids little table downstairs to fit our Christmas tree in our living room.  This year tree is absolutely perfect.  It looks like an artificial tree but smells and feels like a real one. 

Austin was really excited to decorate the tree. He even dug out the Christmas decorations from downstairs.  We have white and colored lights on our tree this year.  We were considering using our Christmas tree for our Christmas card but decided not to.  When we first got married, we had a tree with glass icicles.  So we didn't have many kid friendly ornaments, so we have slowly accumulated them.  This ornaments mean more because there is a story behind them.  We have several hand made ornaments now too.  Sydney likes to get princess ornaments and this year Austin got a ninja turtle one.  That is the kind of birthday party he wants.  They also got a mickey and princess ornament with a picture from Disney.  We love our Disney trip each year.  Tutta got them a robot and dinosaur ornament to remember their Halloween costumes.  They are very cute!

Also Thanksgiving weekend, our Elf Kristoff came back.  Austin and Sydney loved Kristoff.  They were always so excited to see what Kristoff was up to in the morning.  This is the first year they really got into it  Kristoff did some crazy things this year like take a tire off Daddy's car to use it like a Christmas card because Austin had used all the Christmas cards.  He also played with the kids toys and had fun in the gingerbread house.

Kids Growing Up

After nearing 5 years, naps are almost all gone.  It’s bittersweet for me.  I worked hard to make sure Austin and Sydney would nap at the same time. It was a nice needed break. It allowed us the most time to do things together.  Sydney has always been difficult to nap.  It would take me like an hour to get her to nap for maybe an hour or two. Finally I decided it was not worth it.  Since Austin is starting kindergarten soon, he needed to give up his naps anyways. 

I have them have rest periods when I am home with them alone for 30 to 60 minutes.  Sydney calls it rest experiment.  They don’t really like it but I need a break and they need a break from each other. 

Austin has started challenging authority.  He has been very difficult at times. There are days he has 5 or more time outs.  He goes to his room and has to wait until his clock turns yellow.  He does much better if we give him the attention he needs.  I try really hard but sometimes it just not possible with his and Sydney’s needs.  He also has started talking back.  He will tell him to do something and he will just say NO.  It’s frustrating.  I even got a book at the library to help me find ways to make this period easier.  It’s hard. 

Austin now weighs 42 pounds.  He is hard for me to pick up.  I get really mad when he is to go to time out and he refuses.  I can’t carry him when he is being difficult. 

Sydney finally got her bunk bed set up.  It’s just like Austin’s except hers is white.  She loves it!  She now finally sleeps in her bed.  Once she was in a toddler bed she did not sleep in it much. She preferred the floor.  She has princess Sofia sheets and bed spread.  She likes making her bed (not every day though).  She is proud to be in a big girl bed.

Sydney is a very grateful girl.  She almost always says thank you even for little things.  She will say “thank you mommy very much”.  It is so sweet.  We need to work on getting Austin a little more appreciative of things. 

Sydney can now buckle her own car seat.  It’s good and bad.  It’s great she can do it but it takes much longer.  She will not allow us to do it either.  She can’t unbuckle yet though.  Austin sometimes unbuckles her for us. 

I went and got Sydney's hair cut.  They probably took off 4-5 inches.  I was nervous to do it but she does not allow me to brush her hair.  It drives me crazy.  So we got it cut.  I was sad but she looks very cute.  She likes her new hair cut!

At night, Austin likes his back rubbed to go to sleep.  He has always liked that.  Sydney prefers to hold her hand.  Sydney likes to have someone sleeping with her at all times though.  That is difficult because I get woken up several times to go back into her room.  Austin usually wakes up around 6am and wants his diaper changed.  Once his diaper is changed, I lay with him.  Recently he won’t go back to sleep.  Sydney doesn’t wear diapers at night and has never had an accident.  Austin still needs to wear a diaper every night.  I’m not stressing about it.  He’ll get it when he is ready.  I have stressed too much over potty training already although it seems like a very long time ago that we were dealing with that.  

Disney (4.75 year old and 3.25 year old)

We wanted to excite the kids about Disney. That is part of the fun watching them be excited for it.   I used my Cricut machine and made Mickey heads and the kids put numbers on them. Then they were taped on our front door so we had a countdown.  We started with 20 days left. They got even more excited when there were just a few days left.  Finally it was Saturday morning and there were no more Mickey’s left on the door.  It was time to go to Disney!  Austin remembers Disney from last year. However Sydney does not.  This should be a lot of fun for both of them. 

For the first time, we didn’t have an early flight. Our flight wasn’t until noon. So we got up like normal. I did not allow them to watch their Kindles just because I knew they would watch them a lot on the plane.  They helped me get ready to leave.  Austin even took out the large suitcases to the van.  He was really excited to go!

We arrived to the airport with plenty of time. I packed us lunch and we ate it there. We like to save money on food when we can. Once we boarded the plane, we found out the plane did not have enough fuel. They were having issues getting in touch with the fuel truck.  We ended up being an hour late.  Luckily the kids are seasoned travelers.  They did great on the plane. They only had their leapster game, Kindles, and coloring books.  They did them all but mostly used the Kindles. Sydney actually fell asleep for about an hour. 

Once we landed in Orlando, we went on the Magical Express to Disney. Once we arrived to our hotel, we checked in.  Since our vacation package did not start until Sunday we were on our own for dinner on Saturday. Luckily I knew there was a McDonald’s nearby. I really didn’t want to pay extra money for our hotel meals when I knew we would eat them a lot starting on Sunday.  We walked to McDonald's’ and had dinner. 

Once we got back to the hotel, we went swimming.  The kids loved it!  They even swam with us without life jackets for a while. They are getting really good at swimming.  They had fun with it. We enjoyed watching them swim alone to the wall and jumping to us.  They are doing really great!

After swimming, Brian took the kids around the hotel to see things while I unpacked. I appreciated that. I like to unpack and get organized, especially since we are here for a week.  Once they got back we got ready for bed.

Unfortunately Austin can’t sleep in.  He was up at 6:30am.  He will lay down for a bit longer but never goes back to sleep.  He kept talking and it woke up Sydney too.  We got ready and went to breakfast and the front desk to check in and check out.  After breakfast, we went to Hollywood Studios. 

I finally got a fast pass for Toy Story.  This is the first year we rode it. Sydney was a little scared because she didn’t know what to expect.  She went with Daddy.  She always does better with Daddy when she is scared.  Brian is better at distraction techniques.  Austin and I rode together.  Austin loved the ride. He enjoyed the ride/game.  He was sad it ended so soon.  He wanted to do it again but that wasn’t an option because of the long waits. 

We went and saw Mickey Mouse.  There was no wait which was amazing!  The kids enjoy getting character autographs.  They run up to them and hand them their books.  Then they pose for a picture.  It’s so fun to watch them be so excited about the characters.  They also got a picture with Santa Goofy. 

The next fast pass I had was Frozen sing along.  The kids were tired at this point.  I think I enjoyed it more than them but they still liked it.  After it was over, we decided to go back to the hotel. 

Once back at the hotel, we all took a nap. It felt amazing to take a nap.  Austin woke up first and went out and about with his Daddy.  Once Sydney woke up, we went back to the park.  There were characters at the entrance so we checked that out before going in. 

Then we went to the Disney Jr Characters.  Sydney got to see Sofia the First. Austin got to see Jake. Then we went to Disney Jr Show.  After the show, we checked out Doc McStuffin.  While Brian was at Doc McStuffin with the kids, I went a got dinner.  We were pushed for time because Brian wanted to see Indian Jones and the last show was 30 minutes away. 

We managed to eat dinner and get to Indian Jones.  Austin loved the Indiana Jones show.  Sydney was scared and said she never wanted to see that again.  Then we went and meet up with Melissa and Jonathan.  We took them to see Lighting McQueen and Mater.  Camden loved that. 

Then we walked around the Osborne Family Lights.  This is the last year of them. We are lucky we get to see them one last time.  It was neat to see.  Then we saw the Little Mermaid Show.  Sydney was excited to see Flounder but was scared of Ursula. 

After the saw, we went back to the hotel. We decided not to stay for the firework show.  The kids watch a little bit out the outdoor movie at our hotel. Then we took them swimming again.  They loved our pool.

On Monday was a first day at Magic Kingdom.  We got there and Brian’s family was already there.  We tried to meet up with them.  Brian took the kid on the tea cup ride.  Then we had a fast pass to see Mickey Mouse.  This Mickey Mouse actually talks and it is really cool!  Austin and Sydney loved it. 

We finally met up with Brian’s family.  We rode the Barnstormer with Melissa and Camden.  Austin and Camden liked it.  Sydney did not!  She told us she never wanted to do that again.  Then we all had fast passes for the Jungle Cruise.  That was cool with everyone. 

We went to lunch together.  It’s great for us because Austin and Sydney feed themselves and are so much more independent than years past.  We have to make sure a drink or something doesn’t fall but they mostly do it all.  After lunch, Melissa and the boys went back to their hotel. 

Nana and Grandpa stayed with us for a bit.  We had a fast pass for the Mine Train.  It was great because Sydney stayed with Grandpa (she wasn’t tall enough and even if she was she wouldn’t want to ride it).  And I got to ride with Brian while Austin rode with Nana.  It was fun.  It’s probably my favorite ride at Magic Kingdom.  Austin loves roller coasters so one of his favorites too!  Then we went up the Swiss Family Robinson house.  We all walked up it. 

The next ride was the Aladdin carpets.  It was about a 15 minute wait which is kind of crazy but it was just crowded there.  The heat did not help.  Brian and I were getting tired and cranky too.  After the ride we tried going to Tomorrowland but the lines were way too long and it was just too hot. 

We went back to the hotel and went swimming.  The kids played pool games for about an hour.  Austin participated in them.  Sydney and Austin did the balloon toss together.  Then Sydney decided she was done and went swimming.  Austin played with a stranger and did great!  He’s come a long way with his shyness.  They had some dancing at the pool that Austin did a lot of.  He was so cute doing that.  Then there was a parade around the pool both Austin and Sydney did.  They had a great time doing it.  Part of us feels bad, for hanging out at the pool so much while at Disney but they enjoyed it.  It was too hot for the park during the day. 

Then we went back to Magic Kingdom for the evening.  Sydney fell asleep on the bus.  We let her sleep in the stroller for a little bit once we arrived back at the Magic Kingdom.  Austin rode the Barnstormer and Dumbo.  Then we woke Sydney up.

We went to the speedway ride and drove the cars.  Austin drove me and Sydney drove Brian.  Sydney’s car was broken so she got to go again.  Then we went across the way to dinner.  After dinner, the kids got an autograph and picture with Buzz Lightyear.  Then we rode the Astro Orbiter.  Brian really likes that ride.  The kids do too. 

We decided we were not going to make the 10pm fireworks.  There really wasn’t a nap and they were exhausted.  We took the bus back to the hotel and went to sleep. 

On Tuesday, we went to Hollywood and Vine for breakfast.  I tried getting breakfast reservations for everyone but I could not.  Luckily about a week before we left for Disney, I found reservations for this date for 4 of us.  I took the reservations.  I wanted to go because the kids are young and not sure how much longer they are going to like Disney Jr. 

At the restaurant, it was very nice because they explained to us how the characters were going to come.  It was so nice to know what to expect.  The first character was Jake.  He came right as we were going to get food but since they told us we rushed back to our seats.  We also saw Handy Manny, Princess Sofia and Doc McStuffins.  During the breakfast, there were opportunities for the kids to go out and interact and dance with the characters.  Sydney was all about doing it.  Austin was more interested in eating sometimes but he did go out there sometimes. Austin loves his breakfast.  He eats the most in the mornings.  They both joined in on a parade around the restaurant though.  It was fun!

After breakfast, we took a bus to Epcot.  We had a fast pass for meeting Mickey and friends.  After the character meeting, we went to the around the world part of Epcot.  We decided to buy the kids passports and have them go around the world and have them stamped.  We started in Mexico.  After there, it was time for our fast pass at Test Track.  Sydney was not tall enough to ride Test Track.  I waited outside with Sydney.  She played in the water sprayers for a while.  Then we looked at princesses she could see.  Then Brian and Austin were done.  It took a while for them to ride it.

Austin really wanted to go again so I took him and Brian took Sydney to find some princesses.  I am glad I rode it with Austin.  He showed exactly what to do.  He was proud that he had done it before.  Sydney got to see one princess.  Then we met up again so we could go around the world together to get their passports stamped.  It was cool because at each country the person stamping the passports was really from that country.  They wrote a message inside the passport too.  They also enjoyed coloring the bears at each location too but that got to be a little time consuming just coloring. 

We stopped and had an ice cream break for lunch.  It was so hot out but we were having fun so we decided not to go back to the hotel for break or nap.  After, ice cream we finished up all the countries.  We decided to eat dinner in China which was good. 

After dinner, we went to rode on Figment ride but it was closed.  I was bummed about that.  I wished I knew it was going to close so we would have made it there sooner.  We met up with Brian’s family and went on the Nemo ride together.  Then Brian and I took the kids to see Crush.  Austin and Sydney sat up front with the other kids.  We were once again impressed with their independence. 

Brian found the perfect place to watch the fireworks.  We got there about 45 minutes before the show started so we could have a good spot.  The kids were good waiting.  They had fun showing everyone their passports.  The fireworks were great!  We will definitely watch from there again!  The kids fell asleep in the stroller right after the fireworks.  We made Austin wake up to get on the bus.  On the bus they both slept on me.  Once at our hotel, Brian had to come back on the bus to help me with the kids to move them to the stroller.  They didn’t even wake up. 

On Wednesday, we met Melissa and Jonathan for fast pass Pirates of Caribbean first thing in the morning.   It’s a cool ride.  Sydney wasn’t as scared as last year.  Then Brian and Austin went and rode Splash Mountain.  I took Sydney to see Tinker Bell.  Unfortunately the wait was too long and we didn’t get to see her. 

Then we all had a fast pass for see Ariel.  They got her autograph and a picture with her.   Then we stood in line for about 30 minutes for Under the Sea ride.  That was cool.  Sydney really likes Flounder.  She has a stuffed Flounder from when I was a child.  She calls him fishy since she has never seen The Little Mermaid movie.  After the ride, we went to Belle’s Castle.  Luckily we had a fast pass for that too.  Austin and Sydney even participated in the show.  All kids are able too but I was worried they wouldn’t because of shyness.  However this year, they have become more outgoing and separate from us to do things on their own.  It was a fun little show and Sydney and Austin got her picture with Belle. 

By this time, it was really hot and crowded.  We went back to the hotel.  I had to do a load of laundry. We ate lunch at our hotel.  We all had pizza.  It’s ridiculous the amount of food you get with the meal plan.  We were all so full.  Then Brian and the kids went swimming in the pool while I finished up laundry.  We even got the kids to take a nap. 

After nap, we went back to the Magic Kingdom.  We rode the Astro Orbiter with everyone. Brian and Melissa rode it together and it was so funny!  I rode with Austin and Nana rode with Sydney.  Then we went on Buzz Lightyear ride.  Austin really enjoyed that along with Toy Story at Hollywood. 

We stayed for fireworks at the Magic Kingdom that night.  Before the fireworks, we all had some ice cream.  Then when it was time for the firework show we sat under where Tinker Bell slides down from the castle.  That was cool watching that.  Kids got popcorn to eat while watching the show.  They loved it. 

After the fireworks, we went and saw Monster Inc show.  We knew the buses were going to crazy busy so we decided to stay even later.  The nice part was the lines where not as long too.  Austin enjoyed the Monsters Inc show.  Sydney was pretty tired and wasn’t as interested.  Then we thought it was time to head back to the hotel.  The electrical parade was going on and we stopped and watched it per the kid’s request.  They both really liked that.  We made it back to our hotel around midnight. 

On Thursday we spent the day at Animal Kingdom.  We got there when it opened and rushed to Kilimanjaro Safari ride.  The wait was about 30 minutes but the line continued to move so it went by fast.  The safari ride was cool.  They seemed to like looking at the animals. 

Since we rushed to Animal Kingdom, we didn’t have breakfast at our hotel.  So we had breakfast at Animal Kingdom quickly.  We had breakfast sandwiches and kids had pastries.   Austin was sad he didn’t get pancakes.  Austin really likes big breakfasts with pancakes and eggs. 

After breakfast, Brian and Austin went and rode on the dinosaur ride.  I took Sydney on the dinosaur ride like Dumbo.  Sydney would not have liked the bigger scarier dinosaur ride.  Then we met everyone to see the show Finding Nemo. 

After finding Nemo, kids played in the dinosaur area.  That place is scary since the kids easily get lost.  Brian is calmer about it but it freaks me out.  Then we moved over to the sand area.  Kids love digging up dinosaur bones.  After playing in there we went to our fast pass to meet Mickey and Minnie.  The kids got an autograph and picture.  Then we headed back to the hotel after getting a Mickey pretzel for a snack. 

Thursday night we had reservations at Mickey’s Backyard BBQ.  We had to take a bus to Magic Kingdom then a boat to the campground where Mickey’s Backyard BBQ is at.  It was a cool setup.  We sat a picnic tables and had dinner. 

Mickey, Minnie, Chip and Dale, and Goofy were there.  They were out on the dance floor and the kids went and danced with them.  Sydney really enjoyed dancing with the characters. In fact she would chase them around to dance with them.  She got to dance with them a few times.  They got their picture taken with the characters too!  It was a fun night.  We were one of the last people to leave.  We even let the kids have an extra ice cream bar and we ate it outside the pavilion.  It was a fun night. 

Austin remembers last year at Pop Century hotel.  He really liked that hotel.  We told him we would go visit it.  We took a bus from the magic kingdom to Art of Animation.  While at the Art of Animation the kids got pictures taken with all the Cars.  They also saw the treasure chest from The Little Mermaid.  Then we walked to Pop Century.  We found the bike tricycle that Austin really likes.  They got their picture with it.  Then we took a bus to Downtown Disney (Disney Springs it is now called).  There we got on a bus back to All Star Sports.  It was pretty late by the time we got back.  It was a cool night though. 

Even though we got back late, we knew that Friday was our last day there.  We woke up early at 6:30am to get breakfast at our hotel.  Austin really wanted the pancakes.  Then we got to the Magic Kingdom at 8am.  Sydney wanted to see Ana and Elsa but the wait times are crazy for them.  Unfortunately I was not able to get a fast pass for them even though I tried at midnight when they became available to us.  Brian said he would make sure Sydney could see them.  So Brian took Sydney and ran to them as soon as he got in.  I had Austin with the stroller.  Austin and I went to Mine Train and Splash Mountain.  Disney was filming a commercial that morning so there were a lot of things closed with a lot of people watching the filming of the commercial.  Austin and I rode the mine train with no wait then he took me to splash mountain.  I was nervous about splash mountain.  That hill is big but I couldn’t let Austin know I was scared.  Splash mountain is actually very cool with lots of scenery to see during the ride.  I really enjoyed it.  That special time with Austin was awesome.  I am so happy that Brian did that for Sydney and I could spend time with Austin.

Sydney got to see Ana and Elsa with about a 30 minute wait which isn’t bad at all.  Brian kept calling her Anna and Sydney got very mad at him trying to tell him that her name is Ana.  Finally Brian understood.  Brian got some pictures and videos with Sydney and her favorite princesses. 

While meeting up with us, Sydney got to see some of the parade for the commercial.  Kristoff even came up to Sydney since she was the only one there.  After we met back up, Brian had our picture taken with the castle in the background.  I made Austin mad by telling Brian we needed to ride It’s a small World.  Austin wanted to tell him and I did so that made him really mad so the picture didn’t turn out that well.  But we tried.

We went to ride on Winnie the Pooh ride.  The great part about that ride is the line to wait in there are so many things to the kids to play with while waiting.  I love that!  After that ride, we went to Small World ride.  The kids remembered the song from the ride.  That is a cool ride with little kids.  Sydney likes that they are her size. 

We headed back to Tomorrowland and we rode the people mover.  The kids absolutely loved that ride.  In fact, we had to ride it twice per their request.  Luckily it did not have any wait.  Brian and I were shocked how much they loved that ride.  Austin requested that go to the Incredibles dance party.  Austin and Sydney did a great job there.  They danced with them for about 15 minutes.  They had so much fun doing it!

We had a fast pass for Peter Pan ride.   It was shut down for a little bit so the fast pass line wasn’t that short.  We had to wait about 20 minutes but much better than 90 minutes.  The kids had fun riding it.  Austin thought it was too short though.  After Peter Pan, we went next door to the Mickey’s Philimagic movie.  It was a 3D movie.  We all liked it.  This was the first time they remember seeing a 3 D movie.  It was so funny watching them try to get things in front of them.  They really thought they were there. 

We had lunch next to the small world ride.  I really like that place.  It was so busy though. Finally I found a table with the kids.  Austin requested that he ride the Goofy roller coaster one last time.  Brian and Austin rode that while I let Sydney ride Dumbo one last time.  Sydney played in the 

Dumbo play area while we waited to ride it. 

Unfortunately when Brian had Sydney to see Ana and Elsa they left her autograph book in the bathroom.  They went back to find it but it was gone. I even checked lost and found but he wasn’t there.  Luckily Sydney wasn’t too upset about it.  We went back to the hotel for a nap. 

After nap, we went back to Hollywood Studios.  We saw the Muppets 3D movie.  Again the kids loved it and tried to get things in front of them.  Then we saw the Osborne’s family lights for one last time. Austin wanted the Christmas light necklace and Brian got them both one as their one gift from Disney.  Then we had dinner.  After dinner, we met up with Brian’s family for a bit.  Then we were hoping to go to Disney Springs but we didn’t make it.  I was sad we didn’t go but we just ran out of time.  However next year we will be able to do it. 

We had a great time in Disney.  It is busy and sometimes exhausting but it’s totally worth it.  I love Disney and so grateful we can take them yearly.  

Halloween Fun (4.75 years and 3.25 years)

October is one of our busiest months.  We love fall and all the fun activities that go with it.  We took the kids to Magical Whooloween for the first time this year.  We got to ride on a small train around the park.  There were pumpkins and Halloween decorations throughout the train ride.  After the train ride, we went on a animal walk.  We stopped at 5 stations and they went over the five senses related to a different animal. It was educational and Austin has done a great job asking appropriate questions.  We went inside a did a Halloween craft. Then we ended the evening on a night nature hike.  Again it was educational and the kids loved it.  It was a fun night out.

We also went down to Alliance with Brian's cousin and did fall evening fun activity at their Botanical Garden.  They had several crafts along with an animal show. The kids even got to pan for gold at one of the activity stations.  We ended the evening with a hayride.  It was fun and worth the long drive there.

We celebrated our 11 year wedding anniversary this month.  It's crazy to think we have been married for 11 years.  I planned a kids activity on our anniversary.  It wasn't ideal but just how it worked out.  So we took the kids to Lake Farm Parks hayride that evening.

Unfortunately the weather was not great.  In fact, right before we got on the hayride it began hailing and got the benches all wet, ice covered an cold.  During half of the ride, we had our umbrellas because it was raining and hailing so hard.  It was Sydney that insisted we bring the umbrellas.  It was a good thing we listened to her. Once we got done with the hayride, we took the kids into the first haunted house.  The staff were great and didn't really scare them however the house was scary.  Sydney and Austin didn't really like it too much.  Actually Sydney hated it.  Then we walked the glow stick dancers.  That was great.  The kids then played in the hay maze.  It was time to go home. We were wet and cold! (We don't have pictures of it since it was so wet and cold).

The same weekend, we went to pick apples  While we were picking the apples, it started to snow!  It was  funny because who picks apples in the snow?  We do!  We got 2 large bags of apples.  They were really good.  Austin loves using the apple peeler.  In fact, he taught me how to use it.  We have made several apple pies and some apple crisp.

Another fun activity we like to do is boo at the zoo.  This year we decided to try Akron zoo and loved it!  It's great for the little kids.  They had 12 different themed treat stations.  We even ran into a friend I went to nursing school with and we had lunch together.  We spent several hours there and had a great time even though it was cold.

We also went to another fun fest at Luther Farms for the kids school. It was a family fun outing.  The kids got to see several of their friends from school.  They played in the large corn pit and went down the big slide.  They went on a tractor ride too.

We also took a field trip to a local gymnastic studio.  Sydney likes gymnastics and I am trying to find a place that would work for us.  One issue is gymnastics are so expensive.  And I am not sure it's worth it yet because she is so young.  The kids had fun there but I don't think we will be signing up there.

Sydney got invited to her first school birthday party.  Austin has been to a handful of birthday parties but Sydney has not.  She was so excited to go.  She talked about it for a week.  Brian and I joked that maybe we won't go because she will forget about it.  Obviously she was not going to forget.  Brian took her.  She had a great time!  Austin was a little sad he wasn't going but I took him to a local garden store and they had trick or treating and pony rides.  It wasn't that great but I enjoyed the time with him.

Brian and Sydney then met us for trunk or treat near our house.  Some high school cheerleaders really liked Sydney so they took a picture with her.  Kids had fun going car to car.  It was cool seeing the different themed cars.

Dean drove in for the weekend.  It was great to see him.  He helped out at soccer and played with Austin during warm ups.  Austin warmed right up to him.  Sydney was a little hesitant but she allowed some interactions.  Dean would scare her in Texas and she still remembers a little bit of it.

For Halloween, Austin was a robot.  He decided that on his own.  He was insistent that he have a light up red nose that has a button on his arm to control it.  Luckily his daddy was able to make that happen for him.  Sydney decided that she wanted to be a dinosaur.  I thought she would want to be a princess but she said dinosaur.  Brian and I were thrilled about that just because she can be a princess any day.  It was fun to see her creativity of being a dinosaur.  She was really good at her dinosaur growl.

We went to our local fire station Halloween party.  It's always cool because we get to ride on a fire truck.  After that there is the Halloween costume contest.  This year, Austin won for his age group.  I am sure it was his nose that made him the winner.  It was cool.  He won a toy microphone that he absolutely loves.  Sydney was a little sad she didn't win but she is still enjoying the toy.  Because he won, the newspaper took his picture and decided to put it on the front page.  It was really cool.

We decided to have the kids trick or treat in my parent's neighborhood this year.  Unfortunately it was the same night as ours so we couldn't do both.  It worked out and the kids had a great time spending almost the 2 hours trick or treating everywhere.  They got tons a candy.  When we got home, Austin wanted to hand out candy so he did that with Brian for a little bit.  He would actually encourage kids to cross the street to home to his house to get candy.  He loved handing the candy out.  We had a great Halloween.

Auntie Melissa and Nana Visit

Auntie Melissa drove up to visit us for a a week.  It was great to see her and Camden and Graham.  On Sunday, we went to a pumpkin patch.  The kids had fun.  They really liked the corn pit and the hayride.  On Monday, she came over and hung out at our house.  The weather was great so we were able to play outside on the swing set.  On Tuesday, it was raining so we went to Cafe of Play.  Again the kids had a great time.  On Wednesday, our aunts from Cleveland came down and had a surprise birthday for all of the kids.  It was so sweet of them to do that.

I've had some pain and cysts on my left ovary.  It was decided it would be best to do surgery. This is was not ideal but needed to be done.  I did well after surgery.  I was tired, nauseous, and sore but I did fine.  Austin was great. When he got home from school on Thursday, he came up with a way to make a tray table by the couch.  The table was a bucket and he used a tray from his old booster seat.

My mother in law came into town on Friday.  She was very helpful.  She and the kids made lots of fun foods.  On Saturday, everyone hung out while I rested.

On Sunday, we got free tickets to Cedar Point.  I knew it was going to be difficult to go for me but I really wanted to do it.  I knew I couldn't ride any rides but I could walk.  That is what we did.  We got there when it opened.  The kids loved it.  They rode lots of rides.  They had trick or treat stations too.  Then for lunch the Cavs provided us with a fantastic lunch.  Kids even got to meet Sir CC there.  After lunch, they rode more rides.  We made sure we were at the parade too.  Austin and Sydney love parades!  We all had a great day.  I'm so happy we went.  But at the end, I was exhausted!

On Monday, Nana, Austin, Sydney hung out all day.  I was able to relax and get some work down.  It was a great day.  The kids had swim class.  It was great for Nana to see the kids swim.  Austin is in preschool level 3 and Sydney is in preschool level 2.  The next session they will both be in preschool 3 together.  They love swimming.

Sydney and Austin love each other so much even though they fight a lot.  The other night when it was bed time. They were each going to their rooms and Austin said "wait I need to give Sydney 1 more hug".  It was so sweet.  It's interesting to listen to the conversations they have with each other.  Austin usually leads the conversations but allows Sydney ideas and usually the come up with good plans together.

Sydney can now spell her name.  She is working on writing it.  She is doing the same writing homework as Austin.  Since Austin gets homework at school, Sydney is jealous so she will do it too.  We think that is impressive. She needs a little more help but her writing is pretty good.  Austin can now spell his last name too.

We are working with Austin with reading.  He surprised me the other day and read the word "me" to me.  We get several books at the library each week.  There are books that are for beginning readers.  Austin likes me to read them but he will repeat it after me.  He gets mad if I try to get him just to read it.  Sydney loves books more than Austin.  Austin enjoys them but usually he doesn't mention reading unless I say that is what we are doing. He has his favorite books which right now are The Berenstain Bears Books.  Those books are fantastic.  They teach great life lessons.  Brian actually brought over 60 of those books because we love them so much!

A sad thing that has happened is the kids no longer take naps.  For the past 4.5 years our lives had naps in them.  Sydney has always not liked taking the naps.  It would take me over an hour to get her to nap. I would get angry but it was a waste of time.  Then bedtime would take about an hour to get them to sleep.  Finally I decided let's try this no nap thing.  It was rough in the beginning because they were tired but bedtime was so much easier and faster.  They have been going to sleep around 8pm and getting up around 7am.  They still call us in the middle of the night but for the most part they sleep all night.  They will sometimes sleep at school but for the most part they no longer nap.  It makes me very sad.  They are growing up.

Start of Fall Fun

Last fall we went to Idlewild, we had such a great time we went again this year.  We went a little later than last year because the weather didn't cooperate.  However the Sunday we went the weather was perfect.  It was not that crowded either. We started off at the roller coaster.  Surprisingly, Sydney rode it.  She would cry a bit in the beginning but then she would want to ride it again.  She rode it 4-5 times.  Austin absolutely loved it.  He was concerned that there were no seat belts.  Just a handlebar to hold on too.

Then we went to Daniel Tiger's Neighborhood.  Austin and Sydney both like Daniel Tiger.  I like him too.  It's a nice show for kids to watch.  We rode on his trolley which is new this year.  It was the longest wait for about 15 minutes.  Brian and I were not sure if it was going to be worth it, but it was! The kids used their imaginations and Daniel Tiger came aboard the trolley.  Then we made stops at all his friends and family to invite them to the party.  It was cool.

Next the kids road several kiddie rides.  They have lots of them and it's great for 3 and 4 year olds.  After riding rides, it was about time for Daniel Tiger to arrive for pictures.  We went there and luckily I got in line quickly so the kids could see him.

We went and had lunch that I packed from home.  We have learned that food in amusement parks are expensive so whenever possible I try and pack food.  We had lunch.  After lunch, we went though story book forest.  Brian got some neat pictures there as the kids ran though the forest.  We had to keep telling them to come back and not run ahead too far.  They were on a mission to run the entire path quickly.

The kids then played in the ball pit and rope course.  I was impressed because Austin and Sydney could climb the high rope course themselves.  I couldn't believe it.  We rode on a pull boat ride too.  Austin insisted that he pull the boat himself.  He basically did too.  He's strong.

We finished the evening riding some bigger kids rides like the Ferris wheel, air hot balloons, and scrambler.  Sydney loved the scrambler.  It went really fast and she liked it.  We were hoping to end the night with kiddie rides but they closed early.  The kids were sad about that but he did a few more bigger kid rides and then the park closed.  We stopped at Wendy's for dinner and drove home.  The kids fell asleep.

This fall the kids are playing soccer for one of my mommy groups.  Austin is very excited about playing soccer.  Unlike before, they are playing games instead of just doing drills.  Every Saturday morning, he eats breakfast and then gets his soccer things on.  He likes his cleats and shin guards.  He is good at soccer too.  Last week he even scored a goal!  Soccer is fun to watch.  Sydney enjoys playing too.  She is not a sure about what to do though.  Last week, Brian was her coach for the week, and she scored a goal too!

Austin and Sydney are back in swim class after taking the summer off.  Austin is in preschool 3 and Sydney is in preschool 2.  They both swim about at the same level though if you ask me.  They got a lot of practice swimming this summer at Wildwater.  Sydney enjoys swimming with her face in the water.  She is like a little fish.  Austin is getting more confident with swimming too.

We also went to Patterson's fall festival last week. They have so much for the little kids to do.  Austin and Sydney spent the entire afternoon playing on slides, corn mazes, riding cars, corn pit, and eating small apples.  I think Sydney ate 3-4 of them herself.  We stopped for lunch and then went apple picking.  The kids love to pick the apples.  We let the kids decide if they should go home or play more and they wanted to play more.  Brian and I separated for a bit because the kids wanted to do different things.  While we were separated, Austin met a friend.  It was a girl that was about 8 years old and given freedom from her parents.  They played for about a half hour while Brian just followed them around from a bit of a distance.  It made us a little sad because before we know it, the kids will be off with their friends and not with us.  We like playing with them!  I guess we should enjoy it while we can.