Disney Day 1: Arrival and Animal Kingdom

We left our house at 3:30 in the morning on Sunday the 27th. We drove to Moline, Il to catch our flight. We had uneventful flights and arrived in Orlando around 11:30 EST. We took the Disney Express to our resort and checked in and was in the Animal Kingdom by 1:30 that afternoon. The first ride we went on was Expedition Everest and in retrospect, probably not the best idea. Valynn and Mason were fine on the ride until it stopped and started going backwards in complete darkness. After this ride Mason was hesitant to do another one, but he did. The next ride we did was the Kali River Rapids, again, not the best one to take Mason on right away. It was raining outside and we then got soaked on the ride. We then did the Maharajah Jungle Trek and Kilimanjaro Safari ride. We then rode Dinosaur, TriceraTop Spin, and watched the show It's Tough to be a Bug. We also got the watch the Jungle Parade, in the rain. The kids loved the colorful and goofy floats. We went back to the resort when the park closed, tracked down our luggage, changed out of the wet clothes and ate supper at the resort.

We're back...

I have decided to break down our trip by the days and what we did. Part of the reason is because it might be a few years before I get the scrapbooks done and want to remember what we all did. First off I have to start with a brag.

Kyra and Kyleigh were wonderful for Grandma and Grandpa (at least that's what I was told). They ate out every day, went shopping, and spent time together. One day while shopping an older lady gave the girls books and puzzles for being so well behaved. Way to go girls!

Valynn and Mason were quite the troopers on the trip. They were up early and went to bed late every night. There were a few complaints about being tired and they caught a ride on dad's shoulders whenever they could but they did very well. They waited patiently in line, were very well behaved.

We want to thank Grandma and Grandpa for taking the time to come down here and babysitting for us. It was nice to spend time with Valynn and Mason and so nice to not have to deal with nap times, diapers, tantrums, and the juggling act of dealing with different age groups. Playing man to man defense was easier than playing zone defense especially with a crowd of people.

Here is the link to all of the pictures.

It's the final countdown!!

Two days and counting until we leave for Disney World. Grandma and Grandpa should be here in T- minus 10 hours, give or take since I don't know when they left Paige's. All presents that were ordered ahead of time have been delivered, and we will finish packing the bags after I get the laundry done. This was homecoming week so today is the parade. Valynn and Mason are both walking in it (Valynn- girl scouts; Mason JFL). Kyra will be collecting candy (I bet Grandma and Grandpa will be thanking us for that later). Mason has a football game tomorrow.

Quick updates on the kids:
Valynn started swim lessons last night. She is our fish, she was sad when it the lesson over. School is still going great for her.

Mason came home from school yesterday and said guess what I can do? He can now tie his shoes. He is liking school and having fun.

Kyra is doing good at school. Her teacher is the best, she said she'll make next week special for Kyra since she will be at home. Her teacher also said she is very talkative, really Kyra, lol? I don't think she ever stops talking.

Kyleigh- my prayer
Dear God,
Please let my one year old tornado keep her destruction to a minimum so that Grandma and Grandpa know that I at least attempted to have a clean house for their arrival.

Have a great weekend!

Exhausted

Here are some pictures from the Cubs vs Cardinals game in St. Louis last night. We dropped the kids off at the Johnson's and headed south. We met our friends Chris and Sharon at a restaurant for supper and then went to the game. It was a good game. After the game Mark and I spent the night at the Casino Queen. We got up at 5:30 and headed back north, picked the kids up at 9:15, went home, collected what we needed and left at 9:30.

Mason had another good football game. He ran the ball twice. The first run he ran 25 yards and his second run he scored a touchdown. That picture is of Mason's first run.


After the game we went to some friends for lunch. We had a great visit and the kids had fun playing. The kids were tired, as were we. Three of the kids were sleeping when we got home.

That's a wrap

for birthday parties until October at least. Mason had a football game on Friday. He had fun, he didn't carry the ball this week he played receiver and lineman instead. He almost got a couple of flags on defense. Mason had his birthday party on Sunday. He had a Power Rangers party. There were six boys here, I think they had fun. They played pin the tail on the horse, clothespin drop, and a pinata.

Kyra had another good day at school, and she stayed on the sidewalk. I was told today that her picture will be in the Chillicothe paper this week. I'll scan it when I get a copy. She was ready for school early today. Both her and Valynn were up at 6:00. Kyra was dressed and had her shoes and backpack on by 7:00. It was a long 1 1/2 hours of "is it time to go to school yet?".

Yesterday morning Kyleigh was sleeping in bed with us. I got up and was taking a shower when Kyleigh waddles into the bathroom. I start talking to her when I hear Mark ask where Kyleigh was. I seems she climbed off the bed herself. She is now climbing off the couch since we know she can do it, she tried hard to climb up but just isn't tall enough yet.

Valynn invited Aunt Bonnie and Uncle Jerald to her Grandparent's Day program on Friday. They all had a wonderful time. We are grateful to Bonnie and Jerald for taking the time to come down.

Kyra's first day of preschool

I can now officially say I have three kids in school. Wow, where has the time gone? Kyra had a great first day. She was so excited that after they let her out she ran across the grass to get to me instead of following the line of students on the sidewalk. She assures me that she'll stay on the sidewalk next time.

We've been busy here so I haven't had time to post about our weekend. We went to the Johnson's for supper on Friday night. We played bean bags and the kids ran around the house countless times. On Saturday we worked around the house, I cleaned up the kitchen after making spaghetti sauce, tomato sauce, and salsa on Friday. We took care of the potatoes and squash from the garden and Mark worked in the garage. We also went uptown for ice cream for the kids' birthdays with money from Grandma and Grandpa Rinkel. On Sunday we went to church and then for supper we met the Bowdoins at a local state park where they were camping for supper. We had grilled hamburgers, YUM, and the kids rode their bikes around the campground. Kyra learned how to ride her tricycle and she's so proud of herself. The kids also went toad hunting, but they didn't find any. On Labor Day we picked apples, sliced a few and froze them and then made applesauce out of the rest. Yesterday I canned 29 pints of applesauce in addition to the 8 quarts we froze.

Kyleigh is starting to talk. She can say hi and bye. The heart melter is when she says "ug" (hug). She'll say "ug" and then come up for a hug.

Birthday Boy!!

Mason is 6 today. He took Tanner's Apple Cider donuts to school today for his birthday treats. He's been waiting patiently/impatiently for his birthday. We are having his party next weekend. For his birthday supper tonight he requested cheddar hot dogs, mac and cheese, peas, and strawberries (I think I can handle it). He has three and a half weeks until he gets his birthday present, a trip to Disney World, just him and Valynn. Kyra and Kyleigh get to stay at home with Grandma Larson, they'll get their chance in about 5 years.

Kyleigh now has two teeth on the top. This might explain the fussiness and sleepless nights.

Have a good weel!