"We conqured the "Happiest Place on Earth (part 1)

Yup!  We have returned home from Lily's 3rd, MJ's 2nd trip to Disney World.  The kids do a phenomenal job traveling.  We left early Saturday morning (October 12th).  Dane and Dad drove Dane's Charger, while Kyle, Lily, MJ, Pam and myself piled in the van.  We stopped in Ocala for the evening. The next morning, we drove to see Kyle's Uncle Jamie and Aunt Cissy.  The kids had fun playing at Cissy and Jamie's house.  They looked for lizards, admired Cissy's flowers and walked to the playground/lake.  Cissy fixed a delicious corn bread covered chili.  In the meantime, Dane and Dad went to Downtown Disney.  Dane said it as crowded, which we soon found out when we met up with them.  Crowded and hot!
We checked in at the Art of Animation.  The concierge was able to get Lily into the Bibbidi Bobbidi Boutique in Cinderella's castle...and a reservation for the 8 of us for Chef Mickey's.  I've only been trying to get reservations for those two places since about the beginning of our commitment to go down to Disney. (Rewind...) While at Downtown Disney, we made reservations for a restaurant on the lake.  We ate outside, and it was so wonderful.  The weather was perfect and the sun was setting.  We returned to our resort to conquer Day 1.
Day 1-Animal Kingdom
We chose Animal Kingdom to visit on Monday because their extra magic hours were early in the morning, allowing us priority to the park and an opportunity to get on the safari ride to see the animals.  We have noticed, thanks to Dane...but Kyle says it was him...not sure exactly who it was now..., that the animals are more active in the morning.  The best part of the safari was seeing the baby giraffe run the plains.  He had a special path he took, running laps around the safari jeeps.  We got to see Nemo the musical with puppets.  That was the second time we've seen it, this time MJ was awake!  He was completely enthralled with the show.  We also went to see the Lion King production. There were four sections within the auditorium, each responsible for an animal sound.  Our animal sounds was the elephant.  The kids had fun making the elephant noises and singing along with the Lion King music.  We also rode Expedition Everest.  Kyle and I had Pam ride in the front.  She was hilarious.  When we reached the top of the track and went in reverse she yelled at Kyle "This goes backwards, you didn't tell me this goes backwards!"  Before we left Animal Kingdom Lily and I rode the Dinosaur ride with Pam and Kyle.  Lily and Pam worked on their roars to roar back at the scary dinosaur, which they did.  Lily did ok.  I did cover her eyes when the big dinosaur came out.  I am still completely blown away that my sweet baby girl has such a deep, ferocious growl that could come out of her!  
We left Animal Kingdom to take naps and prepare for our first ever Mickey's Not So Scary Halloween! (To be continued)
....while on this trip, I noticed MJ started saying "yeah, but..." "i love your kisses, but...."  Almost everything that came out of his mouth was something followed by "but" and I absolutely love the way he says but!

New Adventures

Wow!  Almost a year since my last blog.  As usual, so much has changed.  MJ is 2, Lily turned 3 and we moved to Indianapolis.  I also finished my Master's degree.  I doubled up during the summer (during our Disney trip, what was I thinking!?!) and finished 8 weeks early, in November.  I'm so glad I did, because December was extremely busy.  I decided to look for another position because what I was doing was not something I could do another year.  Unfortunately, I didn't have much seniority, so I had to branch out, and branch out and branch out.  I ended up getting an interview in Indy. I was offered the job and accepted it.  I started right away, which meant I had no place to live. I had a good friend who opened her home to be for the week and every weekend I traveled back home.  It was the hardest thing to do, leave my babies for a week at a time.  Throughout the week, I had to look for houses on my own.  When I found something that might be the house for us, Kyle would come up.  We finally found a house about 5 minutes from work.  We moved in the weekend before Halloween.  It was a bittersweet move.  I hate that my kids have no family up here; however, we have a house big enough for all of us and we have new adventures.  Since we've moved, MJ comes home almost every day we leave, enters the house, approaches "Buker" (AKA Cooper, our dog) and tells him of the events as we were out.  He squats down and leans in to make sure Buker hears everything.  December, MJ was old enough to begin Puggles, an AWANA program ran through Faith Baptist Church.  He finally got to go to AWANA.  Lily started Cubbies as soon as we moved up here in October.  I was so surprised when MJ's Puggles teacher informed me that he sat the entire night (hour and a half) and did not eat snack.  Of course MJ cried when I first dropped him off, but I thought for sure he would play, if nothing else, EAT!  Slowly, throughout the rest of the year, little by little, he began to participate.  The first thing he did was in the middle of story time, the teacher asked something like who plays baseball.  MJ ran up, out of his chair, to the teacher and told her in her ear, "I play ball."  In late February, early March, the teacher told me MJ might have pooped.  The teachers thought they smelled something.  They asked, "Who pooped?" MJ raised his hand and said, "I did".  They checked him but he was clean. A few minutes later the teacher said, "Who stinks?" at which point all the kids pointed at him and said "He does!"  (So embarassing!)  Lily looked forward to Cubbies and seeing all her friends.  She finished the AWANA year passing her book, which means she memorized verses every week.  Kyle and I are so very proud of her.  Many things have happened since we've moved but most recently, just last week, Lily and MJ got in the fridge (before we got up) and ate several pieces of cheese.  Lily is pretty sneaky these days. She's too smart to only be 3 years old.
I will have more to write to update, but for now this will be it. 

Tippy Toes

Wednesday, June 19 Kyle drove to Evansville so we (Grandma Pam, Grandpa Matt, Lily, MJ and myself) could go to Holiday World together.  It was the perfect day to go.  Weather was beautiful, not too hot and a nice steady breeze throughout the day.  The park was not very crowded and we had little to no wait for lines.  As we entered, the kids immediately went to the kiddie rides.  After the kiddie rides, we headed towards the waterpark, stopping at the log ride first.  We measured Matthew, a good 2 inches from being able to ride, and decided to go ahead and have him wait with us in line, knowing Grandpa would step out and wait with him while we rode.  As we approached the front of the line, Kyle talked to MJ about how to stand real tall...and step back on Kyle's toes.  This is the same thing I remember my dad telling me to do when I was just shy of meeting the height requirement.  We were at the front of the line.  The guy measured a couple times and let MJ ride.  We quickly got in boats before he could remeasure.  MJ really enjoyed the ride.  Kyle told him to raise his arms as we plumeted to the bottom of the hill.  Kyle said he could feel MJ tense up.  At the bottom MJ, covered with water, said "Hey, that got me wet!"  Our next stop was the Raging Rapids ride.  Again, MJ was still too short.  We got to the front of the line and told the ride operator "6".  Apparently MJ was hidden between Kyle and Grandma, because the operator counted the guy behind us in our group.  We quickly got on this ride, too.  But then I thought, when we were in Disney World Lily was barely tall enough for this same type of ride and they had to make her wear a special harness.  Then I thought, maybe MJ should have been measured.  But all was well, Kyle and Grandpa held each side of MJ.  Next, the water park!  The water was a bit cold, but that didn't stop the kids from having a blast.  They love going down the kiddie water slides.  After awhile in the park, we went to a different play area, where the ground was like a splash pad.  The "jungle gym" of ladders and slides were monitored by Holiday World staff.  I guess because when the kids go down the slide they land in what looks like a bathtub full of water, there is a height requirement on those slides.  MJ became very comfortable with one slide.  He'd walk up the steps, get on the slide and slide down.  Then he got brave.  The boy in front of him slide down feet first on his belly.  Next thing I know, here comes MJ flying down feet first.  Not a huge deal, just wasn't expecting it.  A few more times down on his stomache and then he came out head first!  I quicky scooped him out (because he was head first in 1 1/2-2 ft of water) and he coughed a little bit.  I laughed and he started to fake cry.  I told him that was the worse part.  He turned and looked at the slide, then ran off to go do the slide again.  I was very ready this time to grab him just in case he went head first.  Apparently he learned his lesson.  He came down sitting up. 
We had a lot of fun in the water park.  After lunch we went to another kiddie section.  The kids wanted to ride the Holidog roller coaster.  (Which is all the kids can talk about...riding roller coasters-their hiccups are making them grow so they can be tall enough to ride the Tower of Terror in Disney when we go in October).  So MJ is an ol' pro at standing on an adult's toes to meet the height requirements, but this time the rider operator didn't even measure him.  Lily was such a big girl and rode the kiddie roller coaster in a seat all by herself.  MJ loved the roller coaster.  He gave the ride operator a thumbs up when he asked who wanted to go again.  Two times around the track and then we had to get off.  MJ went back on a second time after riding some other rides.  We ended our day adventure with blue ice cream and a visit with Santa.  What a fun day!

18 months and 3 years

I realized it had been awhile since I've last updated the blog.  Matthew is growing so fast!  His vocabulary is also growing.  He asks "Where's Day (Dane), Where's ba-ba (Grandma/grandpa)".  Lily is potty training, which is going well.  Lily will announce that she has to go potty and before she can say the word potty, I see the back of MJ running to the bathroom to sit on the little potty.  Of course, Lily is so dramatic and she immediately cries because MJ is on her potty.  Matthew is obsessed with shoes.  I bought him new shoes to where this summer, especially for the beach.  When I brought them home, he brought them to me to put on him.  I had to take off the shoes he was wearing to wear the new shoes. MJ is also learning to say "Ok" when Kyle or I tell him to do something.  Instead of ok, he says otay.  He usually says otay about three times, each time gradually getting louder, with the third otay at a full scream.  Up to today, I have caught him twice playing in the toilet, too.  It's so disgusting.  The first time, he did it out of spite, looking at me and smiling the entire time I was telling him no.  The second time, the toilet was running after not being flushed correctly, so he was all in the toilet playing in the "fountain" that was coming down from the inside of the toilet.  Sometimes, I'll sing the Mickey Mouse Clubhouse song.  Unfortunately, MJ does not approve.  He sticks his little finger in the air, waves it back and forth, purses his lips, lowers his eyebrows while saying, "no, no, no, no".  He is the cutest blonde headed little boy!  He's 18 months and growing.
Just a few days ago, I had Lily's pictures taken by my good friend, James Stirk.  We went to the boyscout spot off of the Lloyd.  She did such a wonderful job, doing everything we requested.  The pictures are amazning.  Lily and MJ have been going to VBS at Northwoods this week.  MJ got in their water-time pool, shoes and all.  Lily has come home saying, "Ms. Trina said, 'God can do anything and Jesus is everywhere'".  I love that she's so young and learning about God.  Tonight, she came out of her bedroom after being "asleep" for about a half an hour, so I decided to let her sit outside in my hammock with me.  She brought out her "noculars", which she made to look at animals while at VBS today.  It was the most precious time with her.  She'd use her noculars to look for stars and planes in the sky. 
We are planning a family vacation to Disney World at the end of July.  Dane has everything set upt for us and mom and dad.  We have been talking about it a lot, so MJ knows "be-be", Mickey.  I hear Lily almost every morning tell MJ "no whining in Disney" as they play in their bedroom as Kyle and I try to get just a couple more minutes of sleep.  The kids are getting up between 6 and 6:30 every morning. 

Disney on Ice

Uncle Gary was given two free tickets to have  luncheon with Minnie and Mickey.  Only 50 firefighters and 50 police officers were given the tickets.  We thought Lily was too young and wouldn't do well going with Gary by herself.  Luckily, Gary forgot to cancel the tickets.  He decided to try to take Lily.  We knew this about two weeks before the actually lunch.  I was so excited that I told Lily that day.  We talked about it a lot.  That evening, when we went to Grandma and Grandpa Shoptaugh's house, as we turned from the Lloyd onto St. Joe, Lily started crying.  She said, "No Mommy, not Grandma Pookie's, Uncle Gary's".  Kyle and I had to explain that she couldn't see Minnie and Mickey just yet.  I didn't talk anymore about it, for that reason.  Yesterday was the big day.  I got Lily's dress, shoes, turtle neck, tights and crown together so Kyle could take it to Mother's Day out, which is where Gary was going to pick up Lily.  Aunt Sally helped Lily get ready for the lunch.  Uncle Gary said Lily had so much fun and ate a lot!  He said the Mayor asked all the 3 year olds to raise their hands, then all the four year olds, etc.  Gary said Lily was the youngest one there, but no one asked how old she was.  The mayor also asked about the years of service.  Uncle Gary was the most senior firefighter at the luncheon.  Apparently, Lily was talking to some of the ladies that worked with Disney and asked them "Where's Donald?  Where's Goofy?"  Gary informed me the ladies told him they wished Lily could have been their spokesperson!  Lily had so much fun at lunch.  She even had her picture taken with Uncle Gary, Minnie and Mickey, with her new gold Mickey ears. 

Last night, all four of us attended Disney on Ice at the Ford Center.  I do believe I was excited more than anyone else in the family.  Lily was so adorable in her Princess Cinderlla dress.  She was so excited, that she wore it while napping the day before.  Lily really did enjoy the show; however, at intermission Lily's eyes were watering so bad because of lack of sleep and blinking.  I wiped her eye.  She stared into space and said, "Mommy, I'm finished".  She decided she wanted to stay.  Matthew sat almost the entire show.  He squirmed a little, only because he was fighting going to sleep.  He eventually feel asleep on my lap.  At the end of the show, all the characters came out for one last routine.  The ushers allowed the children to go all the way down to the front row. Kyle quickly realized what was going on and took Lily. 

Frogs and Princesses

I'm so happy to be writing, telling you that MJ has a small vocabulary.  He says "Oh yeah, More, Momma, Dadda, Ball, Thank you".  He tries to say Cooper, but it's just a two syllable noise. lol  His personality is just budding!  He loves to climb, climb, climb.  He has all sorts of bumps and bruises.  I can't believe just by nature how "boy" he behaves.  Last Tuesday, he fell and hit his head on the corner of the rocking chair while he was at Mother's Day Out.  I felt like such a bad mom for not noticing it until I read the incident report.  It was then I looked at his forehead.  Sure enough, there was a knot and a bruise.  On the incident report marked "how waas it taken care of", they wrote "hugs and love".
Lily is so excited.  She gets to go with Uncle Gary to eat with the Disney characters when they come into town in a little over a week.  Friday night, we were going to my mom and dad's house.  As soon as we turned off of the Lloyd onto St. Joe Ave., Lily cried, "No Mommy, I don't want to go to Grandma Pookie's, I want Uncle Gary."  That night, I bought her a Cinderella dress.  She immediately put it on and twirled around, just like a princess.  We let her wear it to church on Sunday.  She ran down the stairs into the foyer.  No one noticed her, so she stood there staring waiting for someone to say something.  We had to refer to her as Princess Lily.  I can't wait to hear all about her lunch with Gary and the Disney characters!

We're Walking!

It has been quite busy these past few weeks.  I finished with my first group of students and am planning for my next new group of students.  Matthew turned 1! And we celebrated Christmas.  We celebrated MJ's birthday at Grandma and Grandpa Hirsch's house.  Many people showed up to celebrate with us.  Kyle made MJ's cake and I got to decorate it.  MJ received many toys, which Lily loves to play.  On Christmas Eve, we went to Grandma Delores' house with Uncle Jon and Aunt Angie along with Brendon and Abby.  We had such a wonderful time with one another.  Grandma Delores made her famous and most delicious ham! Next it was off to Aunt Sally and Uncle Gary's house.  This was the first year we had Christmas at Sally's instead of Grandma Shirley's house.  Finally, we ended our Chirstmas Eve celebration at Grandma Bonnie's (Ford) house. Lily and MJ came home with a trunk full of toys.  Luckily, I picked up a little bit and moved some toys downstairs out of the way.  We didn't get home until about midnight!  Chirstmas morning, Lily got up at 7.  ::Side note:: Lily has a big girl bed.  MJ and Lily share a room, so Lily has a mattress on the floor, while MJ has the baby crib.  They are now successfully sharing a room together.  At first, when Lily woke up she would scream "Daddy, Daddy, I'm awake."  Then it progressed to her knocking on our bedroom door and waiting to be welcomed in to the bedroom.  Now, she comes on in and tells me she needs cottage cheese.  I'm still trying to decide if she wakes MJ up on purpose or accidentally, but that doesn't matter because she's waking us all up consistently between 6 and 7 am.  Ok, so it was about 6:30 when Lily came in Christmas morning.  I could have cried that morning because I felt like everything fell apart.  I didn't realize until Christmas was over, but the battery died and we only caught about 5 minutes on film.  Kyle woke up sick.  I wanted to start the tradition of reading the Christmas story from the Bible before we opened gifts, but it took Kyle quite awhile to get in the living room to celebrate with us.  MJ didn't really care about opening gifts this year.  He did like watching Lily open her gifts.  Well, our Christmas was over, but we still had two more that day.  We packed the kids back in the car, but before we were out the door Lily said she didn't want to go.  I told her that was fine, but bubby would open all her gifts and keep them.  I instantly knew she was tired when she responded by saying that it was ok for bubby to open her gifts.  Of course Lily went with us and we were off to Grandma and Grandpa Shoptaugh's house.  Presents took over the living room and dining room.  Lily and MJ, again, received so many toys and clothes.  Lily opened a princess stroller and was finished.  She almost cried as we made her open her last present.  Nap time quickly approached us.  MJ slept in Grandma and Grandpa's room, Kyle slept in the jungle room and Lily and I slept in my bedroom.  When we woke up it was about 3 and we gathered our things.  Next, it was our final destination, Grandma and Grandpa Hirsch's house.  We all walked in and there stood a shiny red bicycle.  Lily sat and pushed while Matthew sat on the back and held on.  MJ's face was the most precious!  He was so continent letting Lily chaeffure him around the living room and kitchen.  We are so truly blessed to have such a wonderful, loving, Christian family.  God has been amazing to us and we try not to take it for granted.

Now to my most exciting and recent news.  MJ is walking!  Matthew has been taking a coupld steps without holding on.  Apparently, he wanted to wait until Kyle and I were celebrating our anniversary out of town to begin walking long stretches without holding on.  Kyle and I returned today from Louisville and Grandma and Grandpa Hirsch said he has been walking, and sure enough, Matthew let go and walked about the length of their living room.  I love watching him walk.  He's so unstable as he is learning to walk.  He is a little wobbly and walks sideways.  He reminds of a crab because of the way he balances himself with his arms hanging out to the side as he side steps.  But my favorite part today was getting him up from his nap after we returned from being out of town..  I sat down with him and he grabbed my face with his little hands and leaned all the way in resting his forehead on my forhead and I could see him smiling.  I think he missed me!