If you look close, you can see that we sealed our driveway this weekend. Brian powerwashed it on Saturday and I rolled the sealant on on Sunday. We've never had an aggregate driveway before (we're used to concrete). The majority of homes have them around here but I'm not a fan. They really hurt to walk on barefoot and seem to require more maintenance. And you can't use chalk on them - luckily we have a concrete sidewalk in front of the house!
Monday, April 30, 2012
Balance Bike
Carter loves the new balance bike that he got for Easter. He's getting better and better and gaining his confidence on it.
If you look close, you can see that we sealed our driveway this weekend. Brian powerwashed it on Saturday and I rolled the sealant on on Sunday. We've never had an aggregate driveway before (we're used to concrete). The majority of homes have them around here but I'm not a fan. They really hurt to walk on barefoot and seem to require more maintenance. And you can't use chalk on them - luckily we have a concrete sidewalk in front of the house!
If you look close, you can see that we sealed our driveway this weekend. Brian powerwashed it on Saturday and I rolled the sealant on on Sunday. We've never had an aggregate driveway before (we're used to concrete). The majority of homes have them around here but I'm not a fan. They really hurt to walk on barefoot and seem to require more maintenance. And you can't use chalk on them - luckily we have a concrete sidewalk in front of the house!
Sunday, April 29, 2012
Saturday, April 28, 2012
Disney 2012 - Day 4
Wednesday started off much better than Tuesday (we didn't have anything stolen so it had to be better)! However, the boys were getting up earlier and earlier - 5:30 am this time. We were easily out of the hotel by 8 am and on our way to Hollywood Studios (or MGM as it was called the last time I was there as a kid).
We got to the park gate around 8:30 am and they were letting people in already (though nothing opened until 9 am).
We had read that the most popular ride is Toy Story Midway Mania so we went straight there to get a Fast Pass. Even though it was only 8:45 am, our Fast Pass time was for 10 - 11 am. We read that the Fast Passes usually run out by lunch time (which was true).
Our first activity was the Studio Backlot Tour since it was next to the Toy Story ride. The explosions and tons of water scared Rylan a little but he did fine. As the week went on, Rylan became more and more accepting of us forcing him to go on rides and sit through shows.
Next we did the Honey, I Shrunk the Kids Movie Set Adventure. This is a really cool playground built so that you appear tiny like the characters in the movie. It is one of the couple of things I remember about this Disney park from when I was younger. I'm glad we did this early because it was empty and the kids had a blast. Brian and I had fun too.
Our next stop was the Toy Story Midway Mania ride. I totally understand why this ride is so popular! It was so much fun! You where 3-D glasses and get to play electronic midway type games (like pop balloons with darts, ring toss, and breaking plates). Rylan sat with me (as usual). He never fired his gun but was pretty content just watching what was going on. I got to play though and had fun.
Next up was Disney Junior - Live on Stage! The show was about to begin as we were walking by so we went on in. The only cartoons the boys watch are on Disney Junior so they were both in awe watching their favorite characters in front of them.
There was Mickey Mouse Clubhouse ...
Handy Manny ...
The Little Einsteins ...
and Jake and the Neverland Pirates ...
The boys did awesome watching the show. Rylan danced around and Carter just stared in amazement. I'm not sure what he thought about what he was seeing. I didn't get it out of him if he thought they were real or the same as a cartoon.
After the show, we walked over to the Rock 'n' Roller Coaster to get Fast Passes for Brian and me. Rylan fell asleep on our walk - these cheap umbrella strollers were no where near as comfortable as our Maclaren ...
We got lunch at ABC Commissary while Rylan slept. He woke up happy and ate quickly while we were finishing up.
Next up was the Great Movie Ride. It was okay but there were a few parts that were a little scary for the boys (like the scene from Alien and some of the gun fighting). After that Brian and I took turns of the Rock 'n' Roller Coaster. It's a little like Space Mountain because it's inside and in the dark, but it's a lot newer and a lot better. We both thought it was really good.
After the ride, we got Fast Passes for Star Tours and then did the Indiana Jones Epic Stunt Spectacular. Rylan was good for a couple of minutes ...
but then kept trying to get away from me because he wanted to leave. Carter was pretty into the show though. Both boys must of thought the acting was a little poor because they separately laughed at some of the fight scenes.
After the show, Brian went on Star Tours while the boys and I chilled on a bench. I realized that we were on the parade route then and it was starting soon. We made sure to stay on that bench and ended up with a very relaxing, front row seat for the Pixar Pals Countdown to Fun! parade. Brian got back about 5 minutes before the parade began so it all worked out perfect.
This parade was cool because the boys recognized almost all the characters from the Pixar movies we own (or used to own).
Up next was Muppet Vision 3D. Rylan was now a pro at wearing 3-D glasses (Carter was great from the start). He got less freaked out by things coming at him and seemed to enjoy it.
After that show, we went back to the Honey, I Shrunk the Kids Movie Set Adventure but didn't stay too long because it was super crowded. It was 4:45 pm and we decided to head out then because everyone was getting tired. We got a picture of ourselves though before leaving.
Rylan fell asleep walking to the car and Carter did on the way to the hotel. We got the boys into the hotel where they were both super grumpy (that's why we didn't go straight to dinner). Rylan ended up falling back asleep on me and Carter's mood improved eventually.
Once Rylan woke up, we went to dinner at Panera and stopped by Target to get some new DVD players and a movie for our drive home (we were pretty sure we wouldn't survive the trip with no entertainment for the boys). Somehow we still had Toy Story (either the thieves dropped it or it doesn't resell well) and we bought Rio - I don't want to see either of those movies for awhile now.
We got back to the hotel a little late but still managed to get in baths and showers for everyone. The boys were so exhausted that they fell asleep super quick. Brian and I (again) weren't too far behind.
We got to the park gate around 8:30 am and they were letting people in already (though nothing opened until 9 am).
We had read that the most popular ride is Toy Story Midway Mania so we went straight there to get a Fast Pass. Even though it was only 8:45 am, our Fast Pass time was for 10 - 11 am. We read that the Fast Passes usually run out by lunch time (which was true).
Our first activity was the Studio Backlot Tour since it was next to the Toy Story ride. The explosions and tons of water scared Rylan a little but he did fine. As the week went on, Rylan became more and more accepting of us forcing him to go on rides and sit through shows.
Next we did the Honey, I Shrunk the Kids Movie Set Adventure. This is a really cool playground built so that you appear tiny like the characters in the movie. It is one of the couple of things I remember about this Disney park from when I was younger. I'm glad we did this early because it was empty and the kids had a blast. Brian and I had fun too.
Our next stop was the Toy Story Midway Mania ride. I totally understand why this ride is so popular! It was so much fun! You where 3-D glasses and get to play electronic midway type games (like pop balloons with darts, ring toss, and breaking plates). Rylan sat with me (as usual). He never fired his gun but was pretty content just watching what was going on. I got to play though and had fun.
Next up was Disney Junior - Live on Stage! The show was about to begin as we were walking by so we went on in. The only cartoons the boys watch are on Disney Junior so they were both in awe watching their favorite characters in front of them.
There was Mickey Mouse Clubhouse ...
Handy Manny ...
The Little Einsteins ...
and Jake and the Neverland Pirates ...
After the show, we walked over to the Rock 'n' Roller Coaster to get Fast Passes for Brian and me. Rylan fell asleep on our walk - these cheap umbrella strollers were no where near as comfortable as our Maclaren ...
We got lunch at ABC Commissary while Rylan slept. He woke up happy and ate quickly while we were finishing up.
Next up was the Great Movie Ride. It was okay but there were a few parts that were a little scary for the boys (like the scene from Alien and some of the gun fighting). After that Brian and I took turns of the Rock 'n' Roller Coaster. It's a little like Space Mountain because it's inside and in the dark, but it's a lot newer and a lot better. We both thought it was really good.
After the ride, we got Fast Passes for Star Tours and then did the Indiana Jones Epic Stunt Spectacular. Rylan was good for a couple of minutes ...
but then kept trying to get away from me because he wanted to leave. Carter was pretty into the show though. Both boys must of thought the acting was a little poor because they separately laughed at some of the fight scenes.
After the show, Brian went on Star Tours while the boys and I chilled on a bench. I realized that we were on the parade route then and it was starting soon. We made sure to stay on that bench and ended up with a very relaxing, front row seat for the Pixar Pals Countdown to Fun! parade. Brian got back about 5 minutes before the parade began so it all worked out perfect.
This parade was cool because the boys recognized almost all the characters from the Pixar movies we own (or used to own).
Up next was Muppet Vision 3D. Rylan was now a pro at wearing 3-D glasses (Carter was great from the start). He got less freaked out by things coming at him and seemed to enjoy it.
After that show, we went back to the Honey, I Shrunk the Kids Movie Set Adventure but didn't stay too long because it was super crowded. It was 4:45 pm and we decided to head out then because everyone was getting tired. We got a picture of ourselves though before leaving.
Rylan fell asleep walking to the car and Carter did on the way to the hotel. We got the boys into the hotel where they were both super grumpy (that's why we didn't go straight to dinner). Rylan ended up falling back asleep on me and Carter's mood improved eventually.
Once Rylan woke up, we went to dinner at Panera and stopped by Target to get some new DVD players and a movie for our drive home (we were pretty sure we wouldn't survive the trip with no entertainment for the boys). Somehow we still had Toy Story (either the thieves dropped it or it doesn't resell well) and we bought Rio - I don't want to see either of those movies for awhile now.
We got back to the hotel a little late but still managed to get in baths and showers for everyone. The boys were so exhausted that they fell asleep super quick. Brian and I (again) weren't too far behind.
Thursday, April 26, 2012
Random Pictures
I still have lots and lots of pictures to post from our trip, but I wanted to go ahead and do a quick post with some of our other activities from the last few weeks.
On the Thursday before we left, Rylan and I met Kelly and Charlie at BounceU. We had met Missy at Monkey Joe's the day before but I figured Rylan still had some jumping left in him.
This was the first time Charlie had been to a bounce place and he did great. It only took a few minutes for him to get used to the soft floor and he took off.
Rylan decided to be pouty for our first five minutes there. He laid on his stomach with his head down whimpering. We ignored him and eventually he just snapped out of it and started running around having a blast. I need to do a separate post on this boys temperament - he is so, so different than Carter!
One of the boys' favorite things was this baseball set up. They loved trying to hit and catch the floating ball.
On the Saturday before we left, I left like I was pretty much packed and ready so we took the boys to Lowe's to do the Build and Grow workshop.
Watch out for this boy! He's pretty good at hammering but misses a lot still and gets my fingers!
Carter hammered in 100% of his nails for probably the first time ever. I think we'll soon try to get him to "read" the instructions (they are all pictures) and figure out what connects to what.
Even though I did the majority of the work on Rylan's, he really liked what we made.
Which was a little game like Plinko from The Price is Right.
On Monday after gymnastics, we went to Monkey's Treehouse with a bunch of our friends from gymnastics. We've only been there for a birthday party so the place is still new to the boys. I had gotten some discount passes from Plum District so I didn't mind spending the money to play with a lot of the same toys that we already have (other than the giant treehouse, of course).
Carter went right back to the store area and got himself all dressed up ...
Rylan had to copy his brother and made me put these goggles on him. They were WAY TOO TIGHT and left very deep impressions on his face for a long time after he finally took them off.
Carter and Rylan really love Luke. They are SO SWEET to him. Carter loves to give hims toys, pat him softly, and give him the sweetest smiles.
While Carter had speech after Monkey's Treehouse, Rylan and I just hung out in the car and played. He was very excited to get to wear Carter's sunglasses.
The first part of this week has been pretty entertaining at our house. The drainage area in the middle of our cul-de-sac was completely excavated and refilled. I have no idea what was wrong with it. I'm guessing it wasn't draining properly. Anyway, we had three days of dump trucks, a cool excavator, and surveyors to watch out the front windows.
Yesterday we met Missy and her kids at Granny White Park. It was beautiful outside - it finally felt like spring (not too hot and not too cold). I got one picture of the boys (minus Luke). Carter is of course crossing his eyes (one of his favorite things to do right now) and I think Will thinks he's crazy!
So the marathon that I was planning to run is this weekend. A few weeks ago I decided that it would be crazy to try to run it. I had to take a few weeks off when I fell down our steps and hurt my back. And then I was still so sore that I wasn't able to run as much or as long as I needed to. Then I got really sick about a month ago - sick enough that I had to get an IV when I went to the doctor. So that set me back even further. Knowing that I was going to be taking a week off when we were in Florida, I decided that I might kill myself if I tried to run the marathon. And my running partner (Missy) wasn't going to run anymore either because of arthritis in her hip that limited her training too much. I'm really disappointed that I'm not running it but it's probably the smart decision (I usually don't make smart decisions when it comes to racing - I usually push myself too much). Anyway, I think Brian and I might do the Insanity training program now. Hopefully we can find the time (and energy) to fit it into our schedule.
And one other random thing ... I mentioned before that the wild turkeys were getting closer and closer to our house. On Sunday when we got home from Florida, we saw a turkey in our front yard. Luckily it was only one and not a few dozen like down the road!
On the Thursday before we left, Rylan and I met Kelly and Charlie at BounceU. We had met Missy at Monkey Joe's the day before but I figured Rylan still had some jumping left in him.
This was the first time Charlie had been to a bounce place and he did great. It only took a few minutes for him to get used to the soft floor and he took off.
Rylan decided to be pouty for our first five minutes there. He laid on his stomach with his head down whimpering. We ignored him and eventually he just snapped out of it and started running around having a blast. I need to do a separate post on this boys temperament - he is so, so different than Carter!
One of the boys' favorite things was this baseball set up. They loved trying to hit and catch the floating ball.
On the Saturday before we left, I left like I was pretty much packed and ready so we took the boys to Lowe's to do the Build and Grow workshop.
Watch out for this boy! He's pretty good at hammering but misses a lot still and gets my fingers!
Carter hammered in 100% of his nails for probably the first time ever. I think we'll soon try to get him to "read" the instructions (they are all pictures) and figure out what connects to what.
Even though I did the majority of the work on Rylan's, he really liked what we made.
Which was a little game like Plinko from The Price is Right.
On Monday after gymnastics, we went to Monkey's Treehouse with a bunch of our friends from gymnastics. We've only been there for a birthday party so the place is still new to the boys. I had gotten some discount passes from Plum District so I didn't mind spending the money to play with a lot of the same toys that we already have (other than the giant treehouse, of course).
Carter went right back to the store area and got himself all dressed up ...
Rylan had to copy his brother and made me put these goggles on him. They were WAY TOO TIGHT and left very deep impressions on his face for a long time after he finally took them off.
Carter and Rylan really love Luke. They are SO SWEET to him. Carter loves to give hims toys, pat him softly, and give him the sweetest smiles.
While Carter had speech after Monkey's Treehouse, Rylan and I just hung out in the car and played. He was very excited to get to wear Carter's sunglasses.
The first part of this week has been pretty entertaining at our house. The drainage area in the middle of our cul-de-sac was completely excavated and refilled. I have no idea what was wrong with it. I'm guessing it wasn't draining properly. Anyway, we had three days of dump trucks, a cool excavator, and surveyors to watch out the front windows.
Yesterday we met Missy and her kids at Granny White Park. It was beautiful outside - it finally felt like spring (not too hot and not too cold). I got one picture of the boys (minus Luke). Carter is of course crossing his eyes (one of his favorite things to do right now) and I think Will thinks he's crazy!
So the marathon that I was planning to run is this weekend. A few weeks ago I decided that it would be crazy to try to run it. I had to take a few weeks off when I fell down our steps and hurt my back. And then I was still so sore that I wasn't able to run as much or as long as I needed to. Then I got really sick about a month ago - sick enough that I had to get an IV when I went to the doctor. So that set me back even further. Knowing that I was going to be taking a week off when we were in Florida, I decided that I might kill myself if I tried to run the marathon. And my running partner (Missy) wasn't going to run anymore either because of arthritis in her hip that limited her training too much. I'm really disappointed that I'm not running it but it's probably the smart decision (I usually don't make smart decisions when it comes to racing - I usually push myself too much). Anyway, I think Brian and I might do the Insanity training program now. Hopefully we can find the time (and energy) to fit it into our schedule.
And one other random thing ... I mentioned before that the wild turkeys were getting closer and closer to our house. On Sunday when we got home from Florida, we saw a turkey in our front yard. Luckily it was only one and not a few dozen like down the road!
Wednesday, April 25, 2012
Disney 2012 - Day 3
On Tuesday the boys got up around 5:30 am (What!?!?! Aren't they supposed to be sleeping in since we changed time zones!). Carter woke up to Rylan screaming "Mama!" which switched to "Carter!" (he kept answering "Right here!"). So we had plenty of time to get ready and eat breakfast.
Unfortunately, we didn't get to the park early. When we got to our car to leave, we discovered it had been broken into overnight. Luckily there was no damage to the car. However, a lot of stuff was stolen. Including our double Maclaren stroller, all our nice raincoats, our light jackets, my running shoes, our DVD players, several DVDs, toys, books, and our phone chargers. We called the sheriff's department and luckily an officer showed up quickly so could do a police report.
We finally left the hotel around 9:30 am but then had to find a replacement stroller. We stopped by Target and Walmart but they didn't have anything that we liked so we went to Babies 'R Us when it opened at 10 am. We ended up with 2 cheap umbrella strollers for $20 each. We've always used Maclarens for this type of stroller and even though they are kind of expensive, they are worth every penny. We miss our stroller!
After getting strollers, we headed to Animal Kingdom. I'd never been there before so I was excited to see it. We got through the gates around 11 am and immediately got a Fast Pass for the Kilimanjaro Safari.
While we waited for the Fast Pass time, we walked through the Panjani Forest Exploration Trail (which is like a small zoo).
The coolest part was the underwater hippo viewing area. Behind all these fish are a couple of hippos.
Next we went ahead and ate lunch at Tamu Tamu Refreshments. Even though the park seemed really crowded, the outdoor eating area wasn't crowded at all. It was covered and cool with all the fans. It was very relaxing and what we needed after our stressful morning.
After lunch we did the Kilimanjaro Safari.
We saw lots of animals along the way.
A hippo ...
Crocodiles ...
An antelope? ...
Something with huge horns ...
Giraffes ...
Elephants (including a baby!) ...
Rhinos ...
Another antelope? ...
An ostrich ...
The boys really like the jeep tour. The only part Carter HATED was when the jeep almost got wet near the end. When we tried to get him to go on the tour again later in the day, this is what he seemed to remember and the reason he didn't want to do it again.
Our next stop was the Flights of Wonder bird show (it was just starting when we were walking by so we decided to watch it).
The boys were only somewhat interested in the birds. Rylan preferred to climb around on the bleachers.
When the show was over, we stopped to get our picture taken.
Then we got Fast Passes for Expedition Everest. While walking Rylan fell asleep and we headed over to the Dinoland area. Brian and Carter rode TriceraTop Spin (another ride just like Dumbo).
It was hot and we needed a break so we found a quiet spot on a little secluded trail. Rylan kept napping, Brian got us a drink, and then Carter and I went to stand in line to see Pluto. Brian and Rylan showed up right before our turn so Rylan joined us to meet Pluto.
Rylan decided he didn't like Pluto and tried to escape!
After meeting Pluto, we got a Fast Pass for Dinosaur and then took the kids to The Boneyard (a really neat play area). While the boys played, Brian rode Expedition Everest and then I did. It was a really cool roller coaster (one of the best I've ever been on).
While I was on the ride, Brian and the boys found the dig area. They were having so much fun that I sent Brian on Dinosaur while I stayed with them.
Even with the Fast Pass, it took Brian awhile to ride Dinosaur (and it wasn't that great) so we decided to move on after he returned. We were headed toward Discovery Island but ran into the parade along the way. We ended up sitting in a nice covered eating area and watched the parade from a distance while eating snacks.
Our next step was It's Tough to be a Bug! (a 3-D show based on the move A Bug's Life - which was Carter's favorite movie for a long time). To get to the show we had to walk around the giant carved tree in the center of the park - it was really, really neat.
I thought the show was really neat. And Carter FINALLY sat with me. I talked to Carter some about the 3-D images during the show and he started trying to grab them as they came at us. Both boys (as well as most of the other young children) got scared during the dark bad bug part. The fake stinger in the back got me and scared me too!
After the show we did the Express Train and did a quick walk through around Rafiki's Planet Watch. The boys do love trains!
We headed out after this. We asked Carter if he wanted to do some other stuff but he said he was sleepy and wanted to leave. We got to the car around 6 pm and Carter had fallen asleep on our walk there. After our difficult dinner at Moe's the day before, we picked up dinner at Five Guys and headed back to the hotel.
That night the boys talked to each other a lot while in their playyards but eventually fell asleep. It was really cute listening to them!
Unfortunately, we didn't get to the park early. When we got to our car to leave, we discovered it had been broken into overnight. Luckily there was no damage to the car. However, a lot of stuff was stolen. Including our double Maclaren stroller, all our nice raincoats, our light jackets, my running shoes, our DVD players, several DVDs, toys, books, and our phone chargers. We called the sheriff's department and luckily an officer showed up quickly so could do a police report.
We finally left the hotel around 9:30 am but then had to find a replacement stroller. We stopped by Target and Walmart but they didn't have anything that we liked so we went to Babies 'R Us when it opened at 10 am. We ended up with 2 cheap umbrella strollers for $20 each. We've always used Maclarens for this type of stroller and even though they are kind of expensive, they are worth every penny. We miss our stroller!
After getting strollers, we headed to Animal Kingdom. I'd never been there before so I was excited to see it. We got through the gates around 11 am and immediately got a Fast Pass for the Kilimanjaro Safari.
While we waited for the Fast Pass time, we walked through the Panjani Forest Exploration Trail (which is like a small zoo).
The coolest part was the underwater hippo viewing area. Behind all these fish are a couple of hippos.
Next we went ahead and ate lunch at Tamu Tamu Refreshments. Even though the park seemed really crowded, the outdoor eating area wasn't crowded at all. It was covered and cool with all the fans. It was very relaxing and what we needed after our stressful morning.
After lunch we did the Kilimanjaro Safari.
We saw lots of animals along the way.
A hippo ...
Something with huge horns ...
Giraffes ...
Elephants (including a baby!) ...
Rhinos ...
Another antelope? ...
An ostrich ...
The boys really like the jeep tour. The only part Carter HATED was when the jeep almost got wet near the end. When we tried to get him to go on the tour again later in the day, this is what he seemed to remember and the reason he didn't want to do it again.
Our next stop was the Flights of Wonder bird show (it was just starting when we were walking by so we decided to watch it).
The boys were only somewhat interested in the birds. Rylan preferred to climb around on the bleachers.
When the show was over, we stopped to get our picture taken.
Then we got Fast Passes for Expedition Everest. While walking Rylan fell asleep and we headed over to the Dinoland area. Brian and Carter rode TriceraTop Spin (another ride just like Dumbo).
It was hot and we needed a break so we found a quiet spot on a little secluded trail. Rylan kept napping, Brian got us a drink, and then Carter and I went to stand in line to see Pluto. Brian and Rylan showed up right before our turn so Rylan joined us to meet Pluto.
Rylan decided he didn't like Pluto and tried to escape!
After meeting Pluto, we got a Fast Pass for Dinosaur and then took the kids to The Boneyard (a really neat play area). While the boys played, Brian rode Expedition Everest and then I did. It was a really cool roller coaster (one of the best I've ever been on).
While I was on the ride, Brian and the boys found the dig area. They were having so much fun that I sent Brian on Dinosaur while I stayed with them.
Even with the Fast Pass, it took Brian awhile to ride Dinosaur (and it wasn't that great) so we decided to move on after he returned. We were headed toward Discovery Island but ran into the parade along the way. We ended up sitting in a nice covered eating area and watched the parade from a distance while eating snacks.
Our next step was It's Tough to be a Bug! (a 3-D show based on the move A Bug's Life - which was Carter's favorite movie for a long time). To get to the show we had to walk around the giant carved tree in the center of the park - it was really, really neat.
I thought the show was really neat. And Carter FINALLY sat with me. I talked to Carter some about the 3-D images during the show and he started trying to grab them as they came at us. Both boys (as well as most of the other young children) got scared during the dark bad bug part. The fake stinger in the back got me and scared me too!
After the show we did the Express Train and did a quick walk through around Rafiki's Planet Watch. The boys do love trains!
That night the boys talked to each other a lot while in their playyards but eventually fell asleep. It was really cute listening to them!
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