Naughty or Nice?

We have survived another Christmas. With minimal whining and griping. Though our presents were opened by 7 AM. The kids didn't have a lot on their list this year, except for Legos, and Gavin wanted a boat race. Whatever that is. And Santa does not make it. But they enjoyed their gifts. Favorites included a toy helicopter that really flies for Gavin (or for Ryan. It's not entirely clear who plays with it more) and some plastic "princess shoes" for Annah. Complete with heels. That was Ryan's least favorite gift. She is perfecting he heel walk as I write. She also got a barking poodle. The heels and the poodle go really well together.

The kids both got videos from Santa. Gavin got a "nice" video. Annah was a toss up. She did work hard however and the tide did turn. Santa sent her a second video that assured her of nice status. I knew she was up to the challenge. But that was a close one. Here she is watching Santa.

We went on our annual Polar Express trip. Gavin is starting to catch on to some things. When Santa boarded, he yelled "That's not Santa!" Due to the beard length discrepancy from a previously visited Santa this season. Parental advice and guidance in this area is welcomed.

I am particularly fond of this pic. I think it captures the moment well.

Madam Sunshine however was happy as a clam the whole ride.

We did manage to clean out the playroom before the holidays. Ryan took a whole carful of stuff to the goodwill. Always a cleansing experience. The kids seem to want to play down there more now, which is nice.

They are enjoying school break with Ryan home. Gavin has been doing great in karate as well. He is going to go for his yellow belt coming right up. It's very fun to watch him learn and grow in the class. He is starting to develop a little more coordination as well.

Annah is Annah. I took her to see the Disney movie Frozen, which was great by the way, and I am not just saying that because I'm still madly in love with Disney. It was good. We ended up going again with all 4 of us. There is a Princess Anna, pronounced the same way as Annah, but her favorite character is Queen Elsa. Not sure if that is because she can spray ice with her hands or because she's blonde. Maybe a mix of both. She is constantly singing songs, including ones that I had no idea she knew (the 2013 country music hit "Cruise", which I can assure you she did not hear in our house). She also loves telling stories. She spent about 10 minutes the other day telling me about the purple skunk who was her best friend in the magical garden.

So here is to a happy and healthy 2014. I resolve to do better with blogging, but until then, see you next year!

Disney!

Last week we went on our first Disney vacation. I have to admit, before we left I was dreading it slightly. The crowds were supposed to be terrible, and I had visions of massive crowds all week. But it turned out to be a fantastic vacation. We stayed at the resort, got a suite with a kitchenette, rented a minivan and asked Moe Moe and BaBa to come with us to help out, got out Fastpass bands and scheduled big rides so we didn't have to wait in line, and ordered groceries and a double stroller ahead of time, all of which helped contribute to a phenomenal vacation with very few breakdowns and everyone having a great time.

This is Jake. Of the Neverland Pirate variety. Being 5, Gavin has decided that smiling is no longer cool. However, he couldn't help himself when he saw Jake. Thanks for that one, Jake!

This was taken at our hotel. We stayed in one of the Animal Kingdom lodges - Kidani Village. There was plenty of evening entertainment. Gavin is a newfound fan of the drums.

Annah had a great time meeting a slew of princesses. The only one who really eluded her was Snow White, who's session ended just as we got there. Fortunately there were other characters to charm and entertain her.

This is what happens when you pour a whole 3 oz of body wash into a Jacuzzi tub. Fortunately we caught it before our children were drowned in bubbles.

Overall, it was a great trip. In fact, I can't wait to go back. Gavin and I did have a negotiation. I told him it would be 3 years. He stated 1 year, despite the fact that he thought there was "no real magic." It will probably be somewhere in between.