Walt Disney World - The Magic Kingdom

This morning John and I got up at 4:30 AM to get everything together and we got the kids up at 5. They were so excited they jumped right out of bed. Michael said, "Mom are we going to Disneyworld today? Really?" I don't think they really thought the day was ever going to come.

I had hoped the kids would sleep some on the plane. I even gave them Dramamine to prevent any air sickness, but they didn't sleep. The fight was just under two hours. Then we got straight on the the Disney Magic Express with no wait and we were on our way to WDW. By 10:30 we had checked in, although we had no access to our luggage which would be brought to out hotel room later. At least we had almost everything we needed.

We got on the bus and we were walking into the Magic Kingdom by 10:45. The first ride we went on was the Peter Pan ride. I had never been on that one, even though I have been to Disneyland multiple times. I must say it was pretty neat. When we went on It's a Small World, I tried to pick out when Russian was being sung, but I couldn't. Neither could Kristina. We spent most of the morning in Fantasyland literally and figurativly.

Cinderella, my favorite; Belle, Kristina's favorite

Ariel, Luba's favorite; me, John's favorite

Before dinner we met up with friends of ours who have adopted a girl and boy, Luba and Michael's age, we spent most of the rest of the trip with them. We ate an early buffet for dinner with Cinderella and family. Luckily I had packed Luba's dress in my carry-on bag and had it with me. The kids loved it.

Luba wore her Cinderella dress for the rest of the day. We were in the Magic Kingdom until it closed at 11PM. Needless to say we were all very tired. I don't know how the kids made it that long. At least we have the time change tonight.

tired, Mom x3

Halloween

Well, we just finished Trick-or-Treating. Kristina is Gabriella, Luba is Cinderella, and Michael is Tigger. Yes, Luba and Michael are in the same costumes as last year, but I didn't have much time to find new ones and they fit. They also didn't care, they were excited to dress up. We just went on our street this year. They got a lot of candy, and they still have some left over from last year.

They kids had been bouncing off the walls all evening since they got home. Michael was so excited he was going to get candy, he was literally jumping around the house. They were running from house to house.

Once we got home they spent a little bit of time looking at all the candy, then they had to go to bed. We fly out at 6:55 AM for Walt Disney World. I'm really not sure if they were bouncing off the walls because of Halloween or Disney. Maybe a little bit of both, but probably mostly Disney. I'm very excited too and I'm hoping it won't take me long to fall asleep.

Mom x3 :)

Carving pumpkins

Carving the pumpkins this year took two days. This was simply because I don't have much extra time anymore. Once we finish the huge amount of homework they all have, it is almost dinner time. What did I do with all the free time I had before I started working!! Of course we had to pick the windiest day, if we didn't have something setting on the newspaper it would blow away. Last year none of the kids liked putting their hands into the pumpkins to get the seeds out, this year they didn't have a problem. Kristina and Luba drew the faces they wanted and I tried the best I could to carve them. I cut Michael's myself, I was afraid of what sort of face he would draw. They are all so excited about going Trick-or-Treating since they know about all the candy they will be getting. Last year we tried to explain to them what would happen, but I don't think they really understood until they went up to the first door.

Please note all the 'new' black mulch. I put down 45 bags in the front yard, by myself, before I started back to work. I was very proud of myself.

Mom x3

UVA game

The kids school pictures.

Today we went to the UVA game against UNC. Unfortunately I didn't bring the camera so I have no pictures. We almost didn't make it to the game because Michael woke up with his jaw swollen like Luba's has been in the past. I called and took him to the doctor and was told he had a swollen lymph node. I told the doctor the last time I heard that and wasn't given antibiotics Luba ended up in the hospital for two nights, so at least, this time, I was given antibiotics. We raced home and left to head to the game by noon.

We arrived in Charlottesville 30 minutes before the game started so we had to walk as fast as we could to the stadium. The game was cold, but great! We won in overtime against UNC 16-13. All the fans who could ran onto the field. Luba and Michael enjoyed just yelling as loud as they could. When we got back to the truck we were able to tailgate eating our sandwiches. The kids thought it was great because we were eating outside and it was 8 at night. The kids and Cliff fell asleep in the truck on the way home.

Monday I start back to work. I will be working for Sentara as a Nurse Practitioner seeing patients in their Long Term Care facilities. I am excited to be going back to work although I know I will be tired and will have to run most of my errands on the weekends.

Mom x3

Taylor Farms

Today Michael's class went to Taylor Farms. I was able to go as a chaperone. He was so excited to be going to see animals and get a pumpkin. When we first arrived we had to wait for the hayride to take us to the pumpkin patch. While waiting all the kids got to climb on a pile of bales of hay and slide down. They thought it was great. Finally we were able to take the hayride to the pumpkin patch. The driver told the kids they were only supposed to get the small pumpkins, but if they could carry it they could have it. I sent Michael over to the big pumpkins and had him pick up as big of a pumpkin as he could find. He found a really big one and could carry it about 3 feet. Hey, they didn't say how far they had to carry it! At least I was there to carry it most of the way. There were other children who got bit ones, but Michael got the biggest.

After we put the pumpkins back on the bus the kids at lunch. Before going on a tour of the animals they were able to climb on the wood structures one of which was a boat.

During the tour Michael loved petting the animals.

Mom x3

Fall Festival

This evening was the Fall Festival at school. I took the girls while John stayed home with Michael since it was going to be way past his bedtime. (He still sleeps 12 hrs.) There weren't as many games as last time, but the girls still had fun. I say Kristina won the pie eating contest, but the boy at the end started 'mooing' first and he still had chocolate pudding on his plate. Kristina cleaned her plate. Luba won a cake from the cake walk. She was so excited. They did get some small candy bars from other games, but not nearly the amount of last year. Hey, we still have some left over from last year. All in all the girls had a great time.

Mom x3

UVA game

Today we went to the UVA game. We left at 7:15 in the morning so we could tailgate. The weather was beautiful. We had fun tailgaiting, the kids love to eat outside and watch everyone around eating, 'drinking', and playing games.

the all important cowbell

The kids are getting into the games more. Kristina generally knows where the ball is. John was trying to explain to her how the game is played. Michael spent a lot of time playing with an acorn he had found or playing with my 'calf' bell, (a small version of John's). Luba likes to watch to score board to see who is winning and she watches the clock count down to when we will be leaving.

We beat ECU!

Michael in cousin Kyle's band hat.

Mom x3

Luba get a Bible

Today in church all the first graders received Bibles. Luba was so excited to have her very own Bible with both the Old and New Testaments. She was a little scared to have to go up front, but she did great. She started trying to read it on the way home.

The big news is that yesterday, we finally told the kids we are going to Walt Disney World next month. We will be going the 1st-4th. We bought the tickets in August and I have been dying to tell them. They are so excited, since they went to Disneyland this past summer they know what it will be like. I think John and I are almost excited. We will be eating one meal with Cinderella and the stepsisters and another meal with Pooh, Tigger, Piglet, and Eeorye.

An excited mom x3