Disney-bound

Barring any major alarm malfunctions or Home Alone style disasters, Zach, Hartley, Emmersyn and I should be on our way to Columbus to catch our flight!

You know we'll have a ton for you when we get back, but until then adieu!

"See" you soon!

Next: Hello from WDW!

Disney Family Day #15 (a,b,c & d)

Yeah, we got a bit carried away on the final Disney Family "Day".  We wanted to do a general parks send-off, but just had too many things to choose from!  As it is, we were only able to nix a handful... so a 4-part DFD was born.

Thursday's "Animal Kingdom Party"

Friday's "Epcot Party"

Sunday's "Studios Party"

Tonight's "Magic Kingdom Party"

No real activities to photograph, just park-specific music and a park DVD each night.... and we're all just about as excited as we can be for our early departure tomorrow.  Here's hoping any (or all!) of us sleep! ;)

Next: Disney Bound

Disney Family Day #14 - Finding Nemo

Our second-to-last Disney Family Day was one I had been looking forward to for a while but, of course, had to separate from our Little Mermaid party for potentially obvious similarities.  Yes, I put that much thought into scheduling these things.  Yes, I know I'm a giant nerd.

SO.... the day finally arrived this past weekend, and we had our "Nemo Party".  Hartley and Emmersyn were quite excited, and we had a really fun afternoon.

First, we made paper plate jellyfish.  

Next we watched the movie, which the girls thoroughly enjoyed (minus the (several) parts we skipped, because wow there are some scary ones!).  After the movie, while I finished dinner, Emmersyn, Hartley and Zach made their "Tank Gang Treats".  Don't worry, I got to make mine earlier - so I didn't miss out on the fun! 

Finally it was time for dinner (yeah... I seriously couldn't come up with anything better than fish sticks, despite how wrong that is.  Don't worry, there is a worse one coming up in one of the final DFDs....).

By the way, we leave for WDW in one week!  We've certainly had fun thus far with our new "countdown"!

Next: Disney Family Day #15 (a,b,c &d)

Disney Family Day #13 - Tinkerbell

After a late-season lineup change (including having to unwrap and switch out movies from the Christmas stash), our thirteenth Disney Family Day was Tinker Bell themed!

I was going to let the girls dress up in their Tink costumes, but didn't have the energy.  Don't worry, they would get to the following day - and you'll get to see them in the following post.  But for this day, it was Fairies shirts and Tinker Bell socks.  They were happy enough with that. :)

First, because in Pixie Hollow Tink and her friends are responsible for nature and the changing of the seasons on "the mainland", what better materials to work with for an art project than that which is pretty much the symbol of our current season - leaves!  We did leaf prints, and Emmersyn and Hartley thought they were so cool.  I think these might hang on the window for quite a while!

Dinner was good enough, but you have to use your imagination on some of the abstract connections.... ;)

Disney Family Day #12 - The Incredibles

Next on the list was our "Incredibles Party"!

First up, as you might have guessed by now (you smarty pants!), was coloring pages.  Let's be fair now though, we haven't done them every DFD.  And besides, the Emmersyn and Hartley practically live to color.  Am I justifying this to anyone but myself, anyway? :)

Then we watched one of Zach's favorite movies, The Incredibles.  I'd like it much more if it weren't literally more than 2 hours long.  It's just really hard to not push the limit with a 2-hour animated movie.  During dinner, Zach and I figured out exactly which scenes/stories/details/characters should have been cut in order to reduce it just ~15 minutes but improve the overall film by probably at least 27.924%, but that's boring.  Unless you're Zach and me.

Dinner was simple but effective (if you asked me, which you did by coming here ;)), and we had a good time introducing the girls to characters they really knew very little about before the "party".

Next: Disney Family Day #13 - Tinkerbell

Disney Family Day #11 - Aladdin

I'm so far behind and have to "catch up on my charting" (as Zach aptly related) before vacation, so at least they'll be done.  You're probably tired of reading my picture-less rambling anyway, right?

So way back on October 9th, we had our 11th Disney Family Day.  11 of 15, if you were keeping track, and we've done more since (and have one today).  What does this mean?  We are REALLY freaking close to vacation.  Just so you know.

But on October 9th, the theme was Aladdin - and the girls fell in love with the story and the characters even more than they previously were.  And why not?  It's a great movie!

We had all had a very busy day before, so this was another low-on-activities sort of party.  The girls colored beautiful pictures of Aladdin and Jasmine on which they worked very hard (I can't tell you the number of times we heard, "I'm still coloring!"), then we watched the movie and ate dinner.

Dinner included Brochette of Chicken, a recipe from Restaurant Marrakesh at which we have reservations in a few weeks - so of course we'll be trying it!  It was delicious if I do say so myself, but I'm really interested to see what it was really supposed to be like! ;)  I was too busy    lazy    scared to make Baklava, so instead we had Abu's Monkey Bread - a stretch, I know.  Still, fun night!

Next: Disney Family Day #12 - The Incredibles

"See you after the papers are all gone!"

This one will get it's own entry, even if just picture now that I've told the story prematurely.  Yesterday, we started a paper chain countdown for our trip to Disney World (in 35 days!).  We went to Columbus over the weekend and had to distinguish the "Little, Columbus hotel" from the hotels we've been talking about for weeks that will be our home in WDW.  In over a month.  Which is an eternity to 2-year-olds (and their mama).

It took 1 explanation for Emmersyn and Hartley to understand the chain.  Every morning we take down a piece of paper, and when they're all gone we go to Disney World.

This morning, 930834 times and counting, they have called various characters including, but not limited to: Cinderella, Aurora, Belle, Chip, Mickey, Minnie and Goofy.  In each conversation, they say, "Hello? [Cinderella]?  Yep.  See you in Disney World.  See you after the papers are gone.  Bye!".  And no fewer than 4 times already has Hartley gone up to see that, in fact, the papers are still there.  After which she proceeds to tell me, "Emmersyn, Hartley, Mommy, and Daddy go to Disney World when papers are all gone.  On lots and lots of different days after sleeping.".  Hmm.... I think that means she understands.  Time will tell.

Next: Disney Family Day #11 - Aladdin