I don't either

Whenever you ask Rowan a question his stock answer is "I don't either", meaning "I don't know either." Very noncommittal on his part. I can't believe Buddy-boy turns two at the end of this month!

Disney 2010

Our family vacation is now over - very sad indeed. We took the kids on their first plane ride down to the Princess Mecca, Walt Disney World, this past week for an extended Memorial Day week - Wednesday through Sunday. The plane ride was memorable for sure. Maureen looked very cute with her carry-on, a pink princess backpack. Rowan was a squirmy ball of energy. We did not buy a seat for him because he just qualified by one month as an "infant" or under two years old. He sat on our laps for the two-hour trek both ways. On the way down, we hoped he would fall asleep to make the trip easier, and he did...just as we were landing in Orlando.

We stayed within the Disney complex, at the Port Orleans French Quarter. Our lives were made much easier as our room was situated in the building closest to the main lobby, the counter service restaurant and very close to the swimming pool. The resort was made to look as much like New Orleans French Quarter as possible, with the wrought iron adornments, a lazy horse drawn carriage encircling the grounds and a Mardi Gras theme in the restaurant. The pool was large and accommodating. We only used the pool one time, on Wednesday evening after our arrival.

We visited three of the parks at Disney: Magic Kingdom on Thursday; Epcot on Friday; and the Animal Kingdom on Saturday. The Magic Kingdom was by far the most crowded of the three parks. We did a lot in Fantasy Land - the Dumbo ride, Winnie the Pooh, Peter Pan, the Carousel and Small World. We stood in lines a big part of the week in order for Maureen to get her picture with a character and get their autograph. She really got into the autographs, and was proud of the Minnie Mouse notebook we bought special for her at the park. She was dutiful in finding a fresh page for each signing, and for having her pen at the ready. We had Lunch at the Crystal Palace in the Magic Kingdom where Winnie the Pooh, Tigger, Piglet and Eyore made their rounds to each table. Maureen was in Heaven - Rowan didn't care for the costumed creatures and cried in fear through most of the lunch.

The next morning, we had a breakfast appointment with Princesses at Epcot in the Norway section. The reservations were for 8:30am - a half hour before the park officially opened, so we had the opportunity to be one of the select few to see the park fresh and uncluttered by tourists. They really did a great job with the breakfast and we were able to see Belle, Cinderella, Snow White, Ariel and Aurora. Maureen was somewhere floating above Heaven - Rowan could care less. We pushed the kids a bit too much and stayed at Epcot a little later than we had originally planned. By the time our dinner came around at the Aquarium restaurant, we were beat like red-haired stepchildren.

The next day we had a great visit to the Animal Kingdom where we saw a spectacular stage show with a Lion King theme, complete with wild costumes, acrobats, singing and dancing. Rowan's highlight of that day was the safari - he enjoyed the animals and wanted to see more. We decided to take it easy on the kids and we cut the visit short and headed back to the room for a little R&R before heading out to our final themed meal at the Grand Floridian Hotel with the cast of Cinderella.

The one thing I can say about Disney is that they do a good job making young kids feel special, from Mickey Mouse to the person in charge of emptying the trash cans. The characters seem to be trained in the art of saying or doing the right thing. An example is when Maureen told Snow White that they have the same hair style, Snow White correctly responded "Why yes, we could be sisters!" Maureen beamed.

All in all, it was a wonderful family vacation. Though the kids were too young to enjoy many of the attractions offered, and Kristin and I were unable to leave the kids unattended to ride some of the more adventurous rides, there were plenty of activities and attractions to keep us busy the whole time. And we were happy to be in bed by 9pm each night. We managed to keep Memorial Day available for the post-vacation rest at home, but I find myself ill-prepared and a tad sad about going back to work today (more so than usual.) We're already thinking about where we can travel next!

Goofy

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More sports

Smooth Moves

Dancing at the Farmer's Market

Pop-a-shot

Our little athlete

Rowan is obsessed with sports. He has always been into balls since he was born - I think ball was one of the first words, if not THE first word, he's ever uttered. Within a week's time, he's gotten the hang of catching - and as of this past Sunday he is now drop kicking balls. He picked that up just by watching his 8-year-old cousin Gus.
If he sees a basketball goal anywhere within eyesight that's all he can think of. At a birthday party at Laser Tag this past Saturday, we had to pump about $10 into the pop-a-shot machine just so he could stand up on the platform and throw the balls over the plexiglass shield. He didn't come close to the hoop, but he didn't mind. As long as he could toss the basketballs. When it was another person's turn at the game, Rowan would wait patiently, for about three seconds until he started saying "My turn!" over and over again.
I have never seen such narrow-scoped dedication to sports in a 22 1/2 month old. And he seems really good at throwing, catching, and now drop kicking. It blows my mind.
I just need to figure out how to keep that fire burning in him; I was not the most athletic person, nor the most driven. He's still young - we'll see where it goes, but for right now - he is totally a sports guy.

Images from Easter 2010

At the zoo with Cousin Claire

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Hell on wheels

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Deja vu

Look at this photo, then click here - What a difference three years makes!
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Current peepee status

Nothing to report on the Potty Front. Rowan hasn't shown any interest since the first two times. We've laid off for a bit, though we have a bag of mini M&Ms with his name on it.

Other news: we are looking into doing a mini-Disney trip in late-spring/early summer. It may be really fun with the potential to be a pain in the ass. We just need to plan it out and not over do it. We know what our limitations are. It's all about the Princesses this year and we need to stay focused on that. I can't get over how pricey it is, but from all accounts, I hear it's worth it.

I've probably been to Disney World and surrounding parks about five or so times, counting early childhood and college spring break. I'm sure we're in for a totally different experience than what I've already been exposed to. We have a few months to fully plan -- but we want to take it easy and relax a bit.

I've already received great tips from friends on Facebook - there are some professional Disney'ers out there. There's almost a science to it, though we realize we are still going to pay through the nose. We just need to go for it, and make it a magical experience for everyone (especially Mo and Ro!)

How do you spell Rowan?

Houston, we have peepee

At 20 months plus change Rowan urinated in the potty today for the first time. He was properly awarded for his efforts (praise and a Sweetart)
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Future's so bright...

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Is it for show, or for blow?

We manage to sit down for dinner every night, though my boss would probably prefer that I stay at work a few more hours in the evening. I think it's an important time for us to sit together and talk about our days. Maureen is beginning to share with us and is able to tell at least one story about what happened at school. We manage to draw something out of Rowan through a series of questions, though we are never quite sure he is feeding us the facts.
One of my favorite parts of dinner is when I ask who needs a napkin. Everyone answers yes. I hand out the napkins, but hold Rowan's as the last. When I finally give one to Rowan, he holds it to his nose, makes a blowing sound with his mouth and then hands it back to me saying "Thank you." Then he waits for all of us to laugh. He knows he's funny.
We'll try to get this on video, though he usually clams up when we bring out the camera.

Ready or not, here we come.

We've been in a really fun habit as of late - playing hide and go seek after dinner with the kids. Both Maureen and Rowan get really excited, and Kristin and I are willing participants. Because of my cheating, we've restricted the hiding places to just the first floor. I think the fun thing for the kids is being found, not necessarily being successful hiders. Rowan will hide for a while, and then seek the seeker out if too much time has past. They both like to be seekers too, because of the counting involved. I like to make Kristin laugh with creative hiding places, like the time I had Maureen on my shoulders, standing in the middle of the our office/den, with only a blanket draped over us. It's fun to hear everyone giggle, and it's a great activity to have after I've been at work all day long.

Say cheese

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Fun with Mama's specs

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Lazy Saturday

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