Orlando - Day 1

Happy Monday!  This week over at Magnolia Mamas I am going to be sharing about our trip to Orlando.  It was such a fun trip, but it has taken me over a week to finally feel caught up since being out of town.  I usually post different things on each blog, but this week is going to be pretty much a repeat on both because I want all of these pictures and stories on this blog so when I do my blog book I will have it all included!  Anyway, all of that just to say that you can read about our trip on either blog this week. :-)

A little over a week ago we surprised the kids with a trip to Orlando. It was hard keeping it a secret from them and the fact that leading up to our trip happened to be one of the busiest ever didn't help.  I was making up excuses as to why I needed them to try on summer clothes to see what would fit, researching Disney tips while they weren't looking, and packing their suitcases while they were at school.

We woke them up very early on Thursday morning and told them to get dressed because we had a surprise.  They didn't expect anything and they couldn't wait to find out what the surprise was.  As we got everyone in the car they saw the suitcases and knew something was up.  Their guesses were so funny and then finally we played the Mickey Mouse Clubhouse music to give them a clue and I kept thinking someone would get it, but they were still clueless!  I kept giving them hints and they finally guessed Disney World!  The girls were screaming with excitement and Hudson just looked confused because he had no clue what Disney World even was.  Then we shared the next big news...that we were taking an airplane there!  That is when he really got excited. :-)

The entire airport experiences was fun for them from pulling their suitcases, riding the train, and seeing the planes out the window at our gate.

The girls have flown before, but it has been almost 4 years since their last flight, so they didn't remember anything and this was Hudson's first flight.

When we arrived in sunny Florida it was hot, hot, hot and we all loved it.  This winter has felt so long and it was nice to finally have warm sunshine.

We at lunch, got changed into our swimsuits and made our way for the pool.  My kids were in heaven!  Seriously, we could have just gone to the pool the entire trip and they would have been happy.  They have missed swimming so much and love the water.

Our hotel had a lot of different sections to it and there were multiple restaurants, pool bars, a playground, putt-putt and multiple pools with lazy rivers and water slides.  As a guest at any of the sections you had access to all of the amenities and pools.

The week before we had left I texted Kathy and her know we would be down there for the weekend.  We had a very busy schedule, but we were going be there a day ahead of our scheduled events if they wanted to come over and meet us after their kids got out of school for dinner and to swim.  It worked out that they were going to be out of school on Friday for the beginning of their spring break so they got a room at the hotel stayed for the night, which was so much fun!

We were able to swim together and then ate dinner at one of the on-site restaurants.  It was so much fun! We stayed up way too late, but the kids were doing awesome and it as great for us to be able to catch up.  At one point, the fireworks at Disney began and the kids could see them from where we were eating so they all lined up and watched the show.

When we finally got back to our rooms we all crashed.  Our kids had been up for 18 hours (we got up at 5 AM to make our flight!) so everyone was fast asleep after such a fun and busy day.

Be sure to check back tomorrow to read about our fun the next day!  

It's soccer season!!!

Today marked the first game of soccer seasons for Harper.  I think I was more excited than she was.  She was a little nervous or timid and kind of seemed embarrassed when we were talking to her about her game and how excited we were to watch her. I was a little unsure how the game would go today.  The new age group she is in has girls in Kindergarten and First grade.  She sat on the bench for the first 5-10 minutes while the first group of girls played and then they switched and her was her turn.  Even though she seemed to be fidgeting with her hands while waiting on the ball to get into play, as soon as the whistle blew she was off. I don't know why I worried.  She was fast, she was aggressive and she rocked it out on the field.  She scored the first goal for her team and she was so excited!  I was so proud of her and I definitely feel confident that soccer is going to be her sport.

She's playing on the same team as her best friend from school and they were so cute congratulating each other after the game.

In other big news, Mimi and Dadaw are here for the weekend and we have loved seeing them.  They came to visit Trey and Stefanie's new baby, Will, who we are all in love with, but they are staying with us, so we have gotten lots of fun time visiting.  They were able to see Harper's game today and after that Hudson got Mimi playing a game of soccer.  Next season he'll be able to play on a team and I know he will love it, too!

And the most exciting news of the day is that we got swing-set today!  It came from family nearby that had children who had outgrown it and were happy to take it off of their hands.  Our kids are beyond thrilled and even though we need to replace  few things before it is complete, they have already gotten a lot of fun play out of it today.  My dad was here to help Robby get the area set up around the swing set and I know we'd still be working on it.

This evening we went over to Trey and Stefanie's which was so much fun.  We all got a chance to hold baby Will and the kids played for hours outside.  It was the best night and so much fun.

St. Patrick's Day

I had not planned to do a lot for St. Patrick's Day this year besides the shamrock sprinkle cookies I bought at the grocery store.  However, the girls had other plans.  They came home from school on Monday excited about building a leprechaun trap.  If you read my last post, you will understand why I didn't have the energy, so I just gave them a shoe box, sent them to the playroom, and let them do their thing.  They were in there for a solid hour working and gluing and making the sweetest little trap.  They wanted it to look like a rainbow so that it would attract the leprechauns. They were so proud of their work, and I was, too! 

They did not catch a leprechaun, but they did get some golden chocolate coins and were very excited about those the next morning.  Apparently, there had been a leprechaun going around their school leaving foot prints and making messes, so they had a great day at school on Tuesday, too.  

We love any excuse for theme wear so you better believe we were decked out in our green.  :-) 

I had a fun playdate with Jen and her kids earlier in the day and then we went to dance that afternoon where Hudson proceeded to have another tantrum...awesome way to end the day.  

Handley's Field Trip

What a week.  Or two or three.  These have been the busiest of times and I have felt overwhelmed, stressed, and running ragged.  Is it summer yet?!? Plus, I've been dealing with this: 

A very stubborn, very cranky 3-year old who has multiple tantrums and meltdowns a day. It is exhausting.  The good news is, I have had so many friends giving me support, understanding, and reassurances that it is a phase and will pass. Until then I will keep on keeping on.  I do have lots of fun things to document, but just haven't had the energy to do so, but trying to get a fresh start on things starting now before I get too far behind.

Last week I had the opportunity to be a chaperone for the 2nd grade field trip to the Atlanta History Center. I was just as excited as the 2nd graders because despite the fact that I have lived in Atlanta almost my entire life, I had never been.  

We did not get to see a lot of the museum, but I saw enough to know that I wanted to go back.  What the kids did take part in was a Civil Rights experience that put them in different scenarios that actually took place during those times.  It was informative, eye-opening, and memorable for all of us in attendance.  

Being Freedom Riders on a bus. 

Being freedom riders on a bus. 

At the last scenario, Handley got chose to be a waitress in the diner scene and she loved her role. :-)  

It was such a fun day with my biggest girl and her friends and I loved every moment of it! 

Playdate Fun

We have been trying to connect with a cute little guy from Hudson's class for a while now and yesterday was finally the day. Hudson calls him his "best buddy" and they both have a big love of super heroes and Ninja Turtles.  His mom and I were both cracking up when they showed up because they were both dressed exactly the same.  I said you know it's going to be a fun playdate when both friends show up wearing the same thing.  They ran around, check out all the toys and played games for over 2 hours.  When they left, Hudson was already talking about the next playdate!  

Later that day, Handley's BFF from school come over to play and showed up with the sweetest piece of artwork she had created. It made my heart smile to see what her friends think of her and definitely made me thankful for the sweet and caring friends my kids have.  

Two days ago it was 70 degrees and this morning it snowed.  Talk about crazy weather.  I know spring has to be on it's way though because these daffodils have bloomed. Our yard was bulldozed, dirt was moved around, concrete trucks drove all over and these beautiful flowers still popped up!  That has got to be a sign of Spring and new beginnings.

This afternoon we had some fun neighbors over to play after school and when Robby got home we walked up to the local burger place across from our neighborhood. It's so yummy and super fun to be able to walk to from our house!

After dinner we made a pit stop to let the kids pick out ice cream bars and then home to enjoy dessert before everyone hit the hay!  It was such a fun family night and we're all excited about the weekend ahead!

Weekend Fun

We had a fun and busy weekend.  Saturday morning started with Sophia's 2nd birthday party.  It was a Minnie Mouse theme and so cute!  The kids were really exited to celebrate with her and loved all of the fun activities at the party play place.  

Lots of our friends were in attendance, too, which made the party even more fun for the kids.  

It was hard to keep Hudson off the slide and Sophia was the same way.  They had the best time and Uncle Trey joined them every chance he got.

After the party we came home and quickly got Harper ready for her first soccer practice. This girl has been so excited for soccer to start back and couldn't wait to get back out on the field.  

Today was busy with church, some house projects, a little exercise, a playdate and getting ready for the week ahead.  The kids haven't been a full week in the past two weeks because of the snow and winter weather, so I have a feeling this week is going to feel like a long one.

Another Snow Day

After our snow on Tuesday we were all hyped up and ready for more snow on Wednesday.  Like so much was expected that they canceled school (again) in preparation for it. The Governor warned everyone to be home and off the roads after lunchtime so there wasn't a repeat of last year and our area was expected to get between 3-6 inches.  

Since I knew I had a little time in the morning to get a few things done I ran a few errands and stopped by the grocery store to pick up a few things in case we were indeed stuck at home for a few days.  That must have been the same idea of everyone else in Atlanta because when we got there we shocked to see there were NO carts!!!  We ended snagging one as someone was leaving, but it was a funny sight to see.  

In the afternoon our neighbors all got together so the kids could watch a movie and wait on the snow while the parents visited. The snow started pouring down big huge flakes and we were so excited about the possibility of a big covering.  In fact, we were already making plans for sledding the next morning.  The kids got bundled up and went outside to play in it and came back in totally soaked.  It was wet, sticky snow, but they didn't care.

After we got home the snow turned into sleet and then turned into rain and the rest of the evening that is all we got.  Cold rain, but no more snow. :-(  It was such a disappointment when we had expected so much, but it turns out the rain/snow line had moved a little further north than they had originally expected.  We still got the day off today though because of some icy conditions and because areas north of us in the county were still snowy.  It's been a fun few unexpected days off and I'm happy that we at least got some snow to play in.  I'm hoping that is the end of this cold and winter weather though because now we are ready for spring and sunshine!