OLD FRIENDS

Once upon a time, A and I had a group of local friends (my former colleagues) whom we'd go out for drinks or dinner with on a routine basis.  And then we had JP.  And next came Beckett.  Then AA, Lily, Aiden, Britta, Eli, Baby J, and Gavin.

 And just like that there were nine.

 Our little clan of four couples has turned into a large gathering with NINE kids.

 NINE kids under six.

 NINE kids who play so well together.

 Indeed, our get together are much less frequent these days.

 But still filled with fun!

DISNEY WORLD: DAY 5

Homeward Bound!

I guess I didn't take any photos of our last day!  We left our hotel around 10 AM and flew out around 1 PM.  The guys flew standby on a different flight while Ms. E and I tackled all five kids.  It wasn't pretty!  Everyone was so tired!  (This probably explains why I didn't grab my camera).

All in all, this was a wonderful trip.  I'm not sure if the kids will be able to remember these days in the years to come … but I know I will!  

DISNEY WORLD: DAY 4

Animal Kingdom Day!

AA awoke looking the exact same as she had the night before!  Today we went to Animal Kingdom.  This was a much smaller park than Magic Kingdom- but every experience was really good. A took the kids to It's Tough to be a Bug while I stayed out with a sleeping Baby J (only a little scary, I'm told!)  We had a FastPass for the Kilimanjaro Safari - we rode an open air vehicle for about twenty minutes through the lush African savanna and saw elephants, lions, tigers up close.

We rode the Wildlife Express Train to the Affection Section 

We met Chip N' Dale and collected another autograph.

Mr. A and A took the Big Kids on Kali River Rapids- a river raft ride where they all were soaked!  (much needed though - another HOT afternoon).  We walked around DinoLand and ate lunch.  We cooled off by watching Finding Nemo- The Musical.  Baby J made it through most of the show before A took him out.  He took a long nap.  He was soon joined by his brother and sister!

A and I walked around the park and looked through many animal exhibits while we hauled all three sleeping kids. It was a good break for all of us!  We woke up the kids (wasn't pretty!) just in time to see the last attraction: the Festival of the Lion King.  Amazing!  Even Baby J was mesmerized by this Broadway like show!

We spent about seven hours total at Animal Kingdom - but we really did cover most of the park.  We had dinner back near our hotel at the ESPN restaurant and then headed back for our last night's sleep in one hotel room!

DISNEY WORLD: DAY 3

Princess and Knight Day!

Mickey brought AA a Cinderella gown and the boys a Knight T-Shirt with a message about their upcoming makeover.  Ms. E and I took the Big Kids to the Bippity-Boppity Boutique and watched the boys be transformed into "Sirs" and AA into a Princess.  

The Boutique is mainly geared for girls, but there is also a Knight package for the boys. 

JP had his hair spiked and

 sprinkled with Magic Pixie-Dust.

He closed his eyes and made a special wish

and received a sword and shield.

Finally, he underwent an official Knight ceremony by his personal Fairy Godmother.

Presenting: Sir Jackson!  

AA had her own personal Fairy Godmother too.  The two chatted for the entire 45 minute Princess makeover.  Without any input from me, AA chose the classic Princess look.  

Her hair was slicked up into a tight bun (which lasted FIVE days!) 

held tight with a tiny crown 

she chose the color of eye shadow, blush, and lip gloss (again- I was impressed by her modest choices!)  

her nails were polished with sparkles- which turned into Pixie Dust when it dried. 

Finally, she made her own special wish and she was transformed into a real Princess. 

AA was asked for her autograph!

The Boutique was definitely one of my favorite parts of the trip.  I actually had tears in my eyes watching JP and AA … they were the perfect age for this experience.  We probably won't get back to Disney for several years- and I really do not think they will believe in magic the way they do know.  These really are the special moments I will give anything to relive in the years to come.  I tried to soak it in today. 

After visiting the Lego Store at DownTown Disney (I still can't believe we escaped without a purchase!), we took the bus to The Grand Floridian Resort and Spa to have character dining at 1900 Park Fare.  We made these reservations back in February!  The meal itself was a bit overpriced (although the buffet style food was amazing) - but the experience was well worth it!  

We were first greeted by the handsome Prince Charming:

 followed by the lovely Cinderella (AA was starstruck!) 

and then Lady Tremaine (the evil StepMother) made her debut.  She was hilarious!  AA had been freaked of all the "bad guys" since seeing Captain Hook during Peter Pan's flight yesterday.  Lady Tremaine first saw AA while we were walking to the buffet station.  She looked at AA's Cinderella costume with disgust and shouted "Casual!" AA just kept walking and when she was out of sight from the StepMother whispered to me, "Mamma, is 'Casual' a bad word?"

Later when Lady Tremaine came to our table, AA immediately shouted, "I am NOT the Cinderella you are looking for!"  Surprisingly, she agreed to pose with the boys.  Lady Tremaine had instructed the kids to NOT smile and to make a stinky smell face.  (They'll need to work on that one!) 

 Next the Stepsisters appeared.  Anastasia danced with the Big Kids while

 Drizella joked around.  She definitely had it in for JP ...

 his first kiss! Rather than being embarrassed, he exclaimed "I'm in love!" like a thirteen year old boy. 

Our Friday evening was relaxing; we were finished with dinner around 6 PM.  We spent the rest of the evening finding alternative ways back to our hotel (tram, bus, ferry).  We were able to see the entrances to Epcot and Hollywood Studios.  The Big Kids had a great time in costume.  

 While walking back to our hotel (AA and Brayden are just the cutest friends!), we learned that there was a bonfire and movie on the beach!  

Really, why not roast marshmallows in your Cinderella costume?! 

The rain started around 9 PM - just in time to call it a night!  Another fun day!