Planning for this Halloween began way back in January when the kids fell in love with Star Wars. At the time, I wondered if all three would still agree once October rolled around, but they were 100 percent locked in. This made my job super easy and although I am obviously biased, I think they make a pretty cute Star Wars crew.
Our Halloween fun festivities began last Sunday with the annual Good Guy Carnival at church. It's so fun to see everyone all dressed up in their costumes and the kids enjoy the games.Tonight, some friends came over and we had a nice chili dinner and then went Trick-or-Treating. After a dreary October, it certainly went out with a bang and blessed us with a beautiful mild evening. We hit a couple of Trunk-or-Treats and then headed to a neighborhood that typically goes all out for Halloween. Once again, they had a garage haunted house. The kids remembered it from last year and were pretty psyched to go again. Of course as we approached, they almost changed their minds, but with a firm grip on our hands, we made our way through. This year, I can say they really enjoyed it.
Baylor seemed a little sluggish all evening, but I thought he was just being Baylor. However, towards the end of the evening, he began to complain that he wanted to go home because his head hurt. As soon as I began taking him out of his costume, I realized he was really warm and sure enough he had a 101 temperature. Ahhh....
We ended our fall baseball season today with victory, but more importantly it seemed that everyone had grown throughout the season. Our fall season consisted of Sunday afternoon games and a few practices. The games were more like scrimmages, in that the coaches were really able to take the kids aside and teach them when a moment presented itself. I have to admit that it will be nice to have our Sunday afternoons back, but I was a little sad today as I knew this would be the last time they would all three play together.
Delaney has inherited Rick's competitive genes. Her skills are improving each game, but more importantly the girl always gives 100%. She loves being in a position to make plays and takes direction very well. In fact she is so determined that half the time she tags a kid who is already safe. Somehow she always manages to entertain the crowd.
Jax is gaining confidence and he really wants to be a good ball player. His fear of the ball sometimes gets the best of him and he struggles to keep his eyes open as he hits. When he does get a hit, it is very entertaining to watch him run from base to base. He runs with great determination, just moving his little legs as fast as he can and pumping his arms. It's a very unique style, but it works for him.
Hitting the ball for Baylor comes quite easy and natural... when he's motivated. Motivation seems to be the key and as we all know, only Baylor motivates Baylor! It's pretty easy to tell when he's going to get a hit, just by the way he walks up to the plate. When he's in his zone, he has a great batting stance and can look like a pro.
I absolutely love fall and the month of October. However, this year mother nature has given us a big dose of cold, rainy, gloomy weather. Visiting the pumpkin patch is one of our favorite yearly traditions and I was beginning to think we may not make it this year. The clouds finally parted and the sun began to peek out, so on Saturday we made a trip to a near by pumpkin patch. As luck would have it, about the time we arrived the clouds moved in and it was a little chilly but the kids managed to have a wonderful time. For whatever reason, my camera did not like the lighting and my pictures turned out horrible.
The kids chose some rather large pumpkins this year. I always forget how difficult it is to manage all three kids with their pumpkins.
This year the kids fall break and mine did not coincide. I was a little bummed at first but it actually worked out great. I was able to take them to school and pick them up each day, not to mention actually get a few major tasks accomplished. While we weren't able to spend fall break doing our typical fall traditions, we managed to enjoy each day with simple things. It was nice to do the ordinary little things with them that I don't always get to do when I am working. I even went to their school one day and had lunch with them. It was nice to concentrate on just being a mom.
One evening the kids decided to put on a concert. Typically they dance to music but this was all about singing their new favorite song, "Livin' on a Prayer," with a few added rock star moves. Sometimes moments like these are simply the best.
This year, Delaney joined Miss Tirita's Dance Studio, where her older cousin Brookelyn has been dancing for the past few years. Delaney takes one hour of ballet each week, followed by an hour of Jazz, which is a special performance class. This is an invitation only class, and Delaney is one of three new girls to join the Dancing Diva group, not to mention one of the youngest. She is absolutely loving it and has worked really hard to learn this routine in less than a month.
Today they performed at the Soap Box Derby festival in Sand Springs. It was a very chilly morning, but she didn't complain. They are only performing this routine with these costumes a few more times, so we had to make do with a costume from a girl who dropped out last year. However, even with some alterations it was still quite big. We are going to have to work on it a little more. Delaney did very well and we are very proud of her.
The girls have already started learning two Christmas routines, which they will be performing in November and December at various Tulsa locations. We will also travel to Branson in November, where she will open up for a show and perform at Silver Dollar City. Our little Dancing Diva is going to keep us busy.
I am way behind in making this post. A couple of Fridays ago the kids took a field trip to a Rodeo. This was the week of our return from vacation and we had so much going on that I really didn't have time to think about their field trip and wasn't even sure if they would get to attend. It worked out that they could go for a bit in the morning. The kids insisted on dressing the part. They pulled out their t-shirts and found their cowboy hats from VBS. That morning I was throwing together their outfit and trying to find some jeans which they hadn't out grown. We made a quick trip to Wal-Mart that morning to purchase some bandannas. I guess you can say we made do.
It is really hard to capture our Disney vacation with words. Exciting, exhausting, enchanting are just a few that come to mind. For me it was a once in a life time opportunity and I am so grateful to have seen it through the eyes of my children. Seeing their eyes study everything with wonder and excitement, watching them smile, listening to laughter, and even their fright at times are memories which I will always cherish. With all that said, there were definitely plenty of not so magical moments. After all, they are kids and it felt at times as if we were putting them through boot camp. There was just so much walking, not only in the parks but everywhere. I felt I was always pushing at least one of them to keep up. If I had it to do over again, I would have brought a stroller. (There were plenty of kids older than they were who were enjoying the easy ride). I am certain I wouldn't have wanted them to have been any younger, but I am not sure I would have wanted them to be much older. At 5/6 they were still just in awe of all of the characters, even more than I had anticipated. Delaney was just down right giddy every time she hugged one of them. And spending their 6th birthday there was truly icing on the cake. Disney gave them special pens to wear each day and it was obvious that the staff had been trained to take note. They enjoyed some sort of birthday celebration at least four of our meals.
Day 1: Saturday
It was a crazy insane week leading up to our departure, but we actually hit the road to Dallas as planned. I managed to remember everything but my phone charger. Why is it that I always forget my stuff? Anyway, we stayed at a Park-n-Stay Embassy Suites. I have to admit this was a step above our typical traveling digs and the kids took note right away. They commented that they were staying at a rich place. It amazes me as to where they come up with this stuff, as I didn't even realize they had any concept of hotel classes or ratings. Being a loving wife, I took the kids to see a movie while Rick watched the OSU game. Afterwards, Jax said, "Wow, I never knew vacation would be this fun...and we're not even in Disney yet."
Day 2: Sunday
After a 4:45 a.m. wake-up call, we were off to the airport. This was the kids first experience flying. The kids and I headed through security, while Rick was printing off his boarding pass. I had prepped the kids by telling them how busy airports were and that they would need to listen, stay close, and follow directions. They did just as they were told and placed their shoes in the box and off they went through the conveyor belt. As their shoes came out the other side, Baylor looked at me and said, "Did they wash them?"
Meanwhile, Rick was a little behind us and Jax got terribly upset that Rick wasn't going to make the trip with us. I kept reassuring him, but he finally broke down in tears. This would not be shocking behavior of Baylor, but very much so of Jax.
All was well for their first plane ride. Jax was quite uncomfortable when we were at a high altitude. The pressure seemed to really bother his ears, even though he was chomping on gum like a mad man. We arrived in Disney around 11 and took the Magical Express to our Disney Resort, checked-in, and then decided to head to Downtown Disney. By then, it was mid-afternoon and the troops were definitely sluggish. We decided to eat at the T-Rex Cafe. While it was a bit pricey, the portions were generous, the food was great and of course the kids liked the atmosphere. Feeling much better, we decided to head back to the hotel for a quick swim before getting some shut eye. We wanted to get an early start the next day.
Day 2: Monday
This was the day the kids had been anticipating for so long. They were super excited to visit Disney Hollywood Studios. We ate breakfast at Hollywood Dine-n-Vine with the Playhouse Disney characters. They use to watch Jo Jo's Circus everyday when they were small, so it was exciting to meet all of the characters and we enjoyed a delicious breakfast buffet. We then of course headed straight to the Star Wars attraction. Jedi Training was scheduled within the next half hour and people were already beginning to gather. We decided not to take any chances, made the wait, and found a spot up front. They only choose about 14 kids per show out of the audience to participate in Jedi Training. I had spent some time reading up on how to increase our odds at being chosen, and knew they were looking for enthusiastic kids who somehow stood out. We were also prepared to come back to additional shows or even another day if need be. We decided to make signs to help increase our odds. Once they began the selection process, Delaney was one of the first kids chosen. I was excited for her but knew that it would be devastating to the boys to watch their sister go ahead of them. After choosing a few other kids, he came back around and chose Jax, which left Baylor. Once again, he chose a few other kids and then came back to Baylor. Whew! As a part of Jedi Training, they took an oath, learned some moves, and then each fought Darthvader one-on-one. Let me tell you Darthvader was one big guy, and Baylor almost opted out of fighting alone, but with a little encouragement and back up from Luke Skywalker, he decided to go to battle. I'm pretty sure it lived up to all that they had hoped.
After Jedi training, we rode the Star Wars attraction, which was a simulated adventure but thrilled Baylor into another galaxy. His response as the ride ended, "I want to do that AGAIN!". We also made our way to the American Idol Show, as well as the Indiana Stunt show, which made their jaws drop on more than one occasion. We waited 50 minutes for the Toy Story ride, but it lived up to the wait. One of our final rides for the day was the Tower of Terror. This was an elevator type ride that took you up and then dropped you 13 stories, repeating several times. Delaney LOVED it. The boys turned white and as the ride came to an end, Baylor yelled, "I am NEVER DOING THAT AGAIN!"
*Just as a disclaimer, we did not beat Jax. Sunday evening he had some sort of allergic reaction to something and had a swolen eye most of Monday.
Day 3: Tuesday
On this morning, we helped count down the opening of Magic Kingdom. Disney really knows how to make every detail count to add to the excitement and anticipation of each event. We had breakfast at the castle, where we met all the princesses. The food was just "okay" and even though the kids wanted their picture taken with every princess, the level of excitement wasn't nearly as intense. Speaking of houses though, the kids were enthralled with Mickey and Minnie's house. As we walked through them, they seemed to notice every detail and asked so many questions, even requesting to go back. They were all about Mickey, and friends.
While the park seemed busy, we were very fortunate in that we walked on to most rides with a very minimal wait. There were a few rides which we may have waited 20 minutes. We all rode Big Thunder Mountain, a mild roller coaster and loved it. We also enjoyed the famous Splash Mountain, but it wasn't an experience Jax wanted to repeat so I sat out a couple of times with him. We left the park mid-afternoon and headed back to the hotel for a few hours of rest ,and then went back for the fireworks show which was truly amazing. To quote Baylor, "Now, that was awesome."
Day 4: Wednesday
After a late evening, we were happy that we had planned a very light schedule for Wednesday. We spent the morning by the pool and didn't leave for Epcot until that afternoon. By this point the kids were pretty spent with all of the walking and as luck would have it, there seemed to be even more walking in this park. We tried to take it easy and let them move at their pace. Therefore, we didn't quite make it to all of the attractions, but we enjoyed a nice dinner at a Japanese Steakhouse. I would have really liked to have stayed for the laser light show, but the kids just weren't up for it.
Day 5: Thursday
The kids were feeling not so "happy" on their birthday morning. The weeks events were beginning to take a toll. We went back to the Magic Kingdom and rode more rides but the kids were really wearing down by noon. They each received a $68 Disney Gift Card from the park that morning for their birthday, which they were eager to spend. Since it was still early in the day, we traveled back to Disney Hollywood so we could go back to the Star Wars store. This seemed to perk them up a bit and they each built their own light saber. They were dying to get some Mickey ears, but in the end they decided on Mickey Pirate ears. After a very short rest at the hotel, we went to the Polynesian Resort for dinner, complete with shrimp and steak at O'Hana. The kids enjoyed yet another birthday celebration and we made our last visit to Magic Kingdom to finish a little shopping and catch the evening light parade. All in all, I think it turned out to be a great birthday.
Day 6: Friday
Chef Mickey's at the Contemporary Resort was our morning adventure, where we enjoyed yet again a nice breakfast buffet. The kids always ate well at the breakfast meals, which started our day out well, and they were super excited to meet Mickey and friends once again. It was nice to have breakfast with the characters, because they visited each table and you didn't have to wait in the long park lines. It seemed that everyones energy was restored, but once we made our way to our final park, Disney's Animal Kingdom, it wasn't long before we saw those tired looks, and request for shoulder rides. We finally broke down and paid the $31 dollar stroller rental fee, which I think was worth every penny. We were able to cover more ground. Surprisingly, this park had several unforgettable rides. There was one roller coaster which the boys took one look at and said, "NO WAY." But, my thrill seeking little girl was game,so her and I rode, leaving the boys with Rick. I loved it, but I think it was a little bit much for her even though she tried to act brave. However, after some hesitation she agreed to ride again with her Dad. It's pretty safe to say the boys would have freaked smooth out. Shortly afterwards it began to pour down rain. Once again, I was grateful for the stroller. We found shelter and then decided to make our way to a Safari ride. By the time we were finished the rain had stopped. We were able to enjoy a few more rides and The Lion King show before the park closed.
Day 7: Saturday
We woke up to a very rainy Florida day. We had to check-out of our room at 11:00, but we weren't scheduled to catch the shuttle to the airport until a little after 4:00. Our original plan was to kill time at one of the parks, but decided we would just be miserable. The kids spent some time in the hotel arcade and then the hotel actually broke out a Wii in the food court. Surprisingly our day wasn't as painful as I had anticipated. I credit this much to the Disney Hotel staff who constantly had entertainment for the kids.
This is one of my favorite pictures, but it was just to hard to choose which ones to post so I placed most in a slide show. Not all are even that great of quality and to the average person, I am sure watching our kids with one million characters is more than necessary, but I know this will be something they will enjoy watching over and over.
Our Halloween fun festivities began last Sunday with the annual Good Guy Carnival at church. It's so fun to see everyone all dressed up in their costumes and the kids enjoy the games.
Tonight, some friends came over and we had a nice chili dinner and then went Trick-or-Treating. After a dreary October, it certainly went out with a bang and blessed us with a beautiful mild evening. We hit a couple of Trunk-or-Treats and then headed to a neighborhood that typically goes all out for Halloween. Once again, they had a garage haunted house. The kids remembered it from last year and were pretty psyched to go again. Of course as we approached, they almost changed their minds, but with a firm grip on our hands, we made our way through. This year, I can say they really enjoyed it. 
