Day One: Magic Kingdom

 Finally!!  It was here!  Time to make the magic happen!  The above photo trips me out.  So typical of both boys.  Too cool.

 I was not sure what the boys would think when we walked in.  I think they were tired from the night before (read: first hotel room) and overwhelmed.  They were absolutely thrilled and excited though!

 We made our way to Fantasyland first and rode some classic rides as well as some new ones.  It's amazing how much is the same and improved at the same time.  The boys enjoyed all the rides and then we started to make our way to lunch and stopped at the parade where tons of characters were dancing in the street.  See Sutton amazed??

 Our first meal was at the Crystal Palace which is a Winnie the Pooh themed character buffet.  Now, my kids have a vague idea about Pooh, Tigger, Piglet, etc., but oh my word, they were THRILLED to meet them.  Sutton could not hug them enough.  And Moses was just flat out excited.  Disney does a great job at these meals with rotating the characters through to the different tables.  Also, the food was great.  I'm currently doing a weight loss challenge and I had no problem finding healthy things.

 We continued on to Frontierland and enjoyed a few more rides and activities before we began to make our way back to the entrance.  But first.....

 We met Mickey Mouse!!  With the Disney and Touring Plans app we could see that there was no wait to meet Mickey.  Nowadays, the characters are in specific locations so you can plan to meet most of them.  When I was little, I only saw the mouse from a distance.

 This was way better!!!  Also, you got plenty of time with him!  PS, the next day they introduced "talking Micky."  Oh well!

 As you can see, we needed a nap after the morning of fun.  We had checked in that morning, but our room was not ready.  When we arrived at the hotel for "rest time" it still was not available.  We knew this could be the case, and lucked out because Sutton slept for nearly three hours in the stroller.  Praise!

The real magic happened later that night.  We took the boys to the Buzz Lightyear ride and when we walked out, there was Buzz!!!  If you don't know, Sutton is OBSESSED with Buzz.  Seriously, it's insane.  We stood in line to meet him and Sutton stood behind the rope yelling, "Hi Buzz!!!" over and over again.  Stop.it.  Sooo sweet.  They were both excited to see this guy.  It was the best way to wrap up day one!

Disney: The Drive

At first, I really wanted to fly to Orlando for our trip.  After looking at the cost of flights, that dream was dead in the water.  So, we moved on to plan b, driving.  The thought of it gave me nightmares.  I spent a lot of time collecting items for the boys for our trip.  Crafts, portable dvd players, special ear phones, toys, books, stickers, and snacks.  Ready or not, here we go.

 After a Bojangles breakfast of champions, we left for Disney before dawn.  We were pumped!  Those DVD players came out before we even left the neighborhood.  The head phones came with stickers to decorate them with (special kiddie low sound head phones).  That gave me the idea to let them put other stickers on the players.  Best.activity.ever.  Sutton actually took a quick morning catnap!

 Honestly, the trip was a breeze.  It was tight quarters in the way back where mom and I were, but it was doable.  We had extra storage up top, but my double stroller took up a lot of space.  Stopping to actually sit down and eat lunch was a great idea.  No wonder Cracker Barrel is always bumping.

I was SO proud of these two.  They never once asked when we would get there or complained.  No emergency potty breaks or meltdowns.  We made it to Orlando around 5pm, plenty of time to eat and get to bed so we could get to Mickey in the morning!

How I Planned for Disney

I have a lot of blog catching up to do!  However, we JUST got back from Disney World!!  I have had a lot of friends ask me lots of questions about our trip and planning so I am really going to break it down for you.  I'm going to go from planning, traveling, park by park, and recovering.

First thing you need to know is Disney is not a vacation, it is a TRIP.  For most families, it is not a trip you take several times.  It is a special once or twice a childhood event.  It is exhausting and rewarding.  For this reason, I wanted to time the ages of my boys.  I wanted them to be able to enjoy as well as handle the traveling and the parks.  Moses at 2.5 would not have worked.  Sutton at that age was perfect.  Both boys were young enough to be amazed and old enough to appreciate all that went on.

The next thing I considered was the time of year.  Summer in Florida is miserably hot and also a lot of our family's busy work time.  Quickly ruled out.  I then checked the calendar and numerous Disney websites to check slower times of year.  We picked mid-October and it worked really well for us.

After figuring out our time, and checking lots of websites I was overwhelmed.  I had a Mickey migraine.  I had heard of Disney Vacation Planners from a few friends and a blog I frequent.  Enter Ginger McKinney from TMC Travel.  I have no idea how people go to Disney without Ginger.  I could call her whenever and ask her anything.  She gave me pros and cons of everything, but left the decision up to me.  Oh, and did I mention her services are FREE.  She is paid by Disney.

Here comes my first mistake.  We should have planned sooner.  There was only about a three or four month gap between us booking and our actual vacation.  With Disney, you can begin booking dining reservations six months out and the favorites book QUICKLY.  We were really lucky and got some amazing reservations with a lot of rechecking so never give up hope!

Remember when you went to Disney as a kid and you just kind of wandered around and did stuff?  Nope, not anymore.  You need to plan, plan, plan your every waking moment before you even dream about leaving.  Picking your park days using touringplans.com or other Disney blogs and then planning dining accordingly will save you a mountain of trouble.  Then, you can visit sites (I will list below) and plan your day and route.  It saves a huge amount of time and you will leave feeling like you didn't miss much.

One of the best things I did before I left was hit up Target and the Dollar Tree.  After July 4th, glow sticks and other fun things go on sale big time.  I also searched the dollar spot at Target for Disney items.  The next place I checked out was the Dollar Tree.  Best.Decison.Ever.  I found Toy Story tissues, Cars themed ziplock bags, great travel sized items, ponchos, Disney coloring books, and small toys, and even more random awesome things.  On the bus ride home one night, we were handing out glow sticks to kids right and left.  Waiting in line one day bubbles saved us and a few other families from major meltdowns.  We were majorly popular while we were there.

When I started packing, I went day by day and put each outfit in a bag for the boys.  This really helped me not to overpack.  I have a chronic problem with this but I think I did really well this time.  I even minimized my own packing by not bringing any jewelry besides my rings and one pair of stud earrings.  It just made life SO much easier.

Next post will be how we decided to travel and how we survived it!  Below are my favorite websites that helped me tremendously.

www.wdwprepschool.com
www.disneyfoodblog.com
www.allears.net
www.mousesavers.com
www.themouseconnection.net

First Days of School!

The day we had been waiting for has arrived!  School is back!  The crayons are unbroken, the markers are fresh, and all is right with the world.  This year, Moses is once again going five days a week and Sutton is now going three.  Due to the holiday weekend, they started on different days.  First a little comparison photos.

 Can you handle the cuteness?  I cannot!  Moses was an old pro.  I am in LOVE with his teacher and the structure she brings to the classroom.  It's just what he needs to get ready for Kindergarten.  It makes me feel very confident that we have made the right decision in delaying "big" school for a year.

 Moses had a great first day.  Sutton and I missed him, but they got along SO much better when he got home.  I love how excited they are to see each other after only a few hours apart.

I don't have as many photos of Sutton's first day because he would not crack even the smallest smile.  He sat and posed, but kept his too cool for school expression.  He did great at drop off as well.  His teacher told me he engaged well and verbalized with her all day.  I picked up Moses first, and he went in to get Sutton.  They hugged for a long time and all the moms and teachers were ooohing and ahhing about how precious they were.  Then Moses broke off and announced, "Ok, that's enough."

It was so sweet to watch the boys walk hand in had into preschool together.  Their classrooms are next door to each other so they are close by all day long but just far enough away to miss each other.  I think it will be a great year!

Zoo Escape

It has possibly been the weirdest Summer weather wise that I can possibly remember.  It's been really wet and cool (compared to 100+) and pretty bearable compared to what if could be.  One Sunday night, I checked the weather and saw it was expected to be cool and overcast  Immediately thought of our zoological society membership and thought it would be a great zoo day.

 It was!  We only toured the Africa side so we could see our favorite animals.  Both the baby gorillas were celebrating their first birthdays around that date.  They are SO cute.  One of the zoo volunteers arrived, walked up and banged on the window.  The baby ran up and banged his fist too to say, "Hello!"  We walked around a little more and saw the big animals.  Perfect weather and small crowds made it a perfect experiment for me to see how the boys would do in a "theme park" type of environment.

Aaaaaand it was....ok.  Not perfect, but I know what to do to help make things better.  Thank goodness we are not doing it alone!

End of Summer Impressions

 Recently, theres been a trend about "mommies complaining too much" whether it be on facebook or blogs or in person.  I understand.  Kids don't want to feel unloved.  Kids are a blessing.  We don't want to hear your complaining.  I get it.  Totally.

 However, I do feel compassion for these folks.  It's tough here in the trenches.  From sun up to down I have two little ones with me.  Their needs come before mine.  I work on their schedule.  They have no filter.  Their emotions are floodgates that explode with out a moments notice over the mere presence of the other.  We have no cleaning lady.  We have no family close by to pop in and watch our kids for a few hours to give mom and/or dad a break.  It's all family all the time.  And it can be hard.

 As you've read, we started summer off with a bang.  It will be our last "true" summer for a long time.  All of our assigned schools are year round.  After 12 weeks of non stop togetherness I think that will be a great thing.  I have loved waking up and not having to be somewhere by a certain time, packing lunch, making sure everyone is in the car and then getting in the carpool line.  We play, we talk, we watch a show or movie (GASP), we play outside, eat PB&Js, take naps, etc, etc.  But, Moses and Sutton are starting to tire of each other....and me.  Annoyed party of three no one wants to see.

My sanity has been saved by the very people who are taking it.  Sutton insisting on eating any cake with a party hat on.  Moses, finally starting to get 12-20 right...and then counting higher.  Anytime they are sweet to each other or us.  It completely turns our day around.  I'm clinging to these moments as The last week of Summer begins.  Our Fall is jammed packed with activities, parties, weddings, volunteer work, traditions, football, and a big trip.  Shew.  Might want to get some rest while we can!

Mommy Goes to Football Camp

 You are reading and seeing this correctly.  I, Stella Barker, attended the NCSU Women's Football Clinic.  And you know what?  It was awesome!  My friend Lindsey's husband signed her up and begged someone to go with her.  I volunteered because I had been curious about going before and kind of wanted to see and meet our new coach. 

 I have to tell you I was really impressed.  The Athletic Director is Debbie Yow and she is super impressive.  I highly respect how she is thriving in a field dominated by men.  She knows her stuff!  She spoke briefly as did Coach D.  Then our group was left with a small panel of current players (pictured above).  These guys are the captains of the squad.  They were well spoken and SO nice.  Some of them have already gotten a degree, and are working on their masters in a specific field like Math or engineering.  The others are Seniors and are scheduled to graduate in December or the following semester.

Someone asked them what they wanted to do after college.  One answered he wanted to be a good husband (he is engaged) and one day good father.  Every.single.woman clapped.  Another player talked about his hopes for a professional football career.  He added his father always reminded him that the NFL stood for Not For Long.  Love that!

 After question and answer portion Coach D gave us a little power point presentation about  the xs and os.  Not going to lie, I spaced out a little and checked facebook on my phone.  I really do understand a lot about football, but I can only handle so much.  I did snap this photo of the clock that was counting down till the first game!

 We also toured the locker room and tried on some gear and practiced our Heisman pose.  Watch out world!  We also had demonstrations at the aquatic center and weight lifting room.  When they were going "best on best" in the weight room, the coach there asked up what happened when they continued to try to compete and beat each other.  The answer?  They got better.  I thought that was a great way to look at it and not be discouraged.  Why it's good to compete!

 After the tours they took us out on the field and got to run some plays with the players.  We ran into Jen who we went to school with.  She has done the camp before and showed us the ropes.  I loved it!  I have to say it again.  I was SO impressed with how nice and polite the players were.  They really made it so we all had a good time.

We decided to train for a year and come back so we can show the players and coaches how awesome we really are next time!  GO PACK!!

Brett's Birthday!

Brett's birthday was July 29.  I can so for sure that he really needed a nice relaxing day.  Brett's company, Cisco, has it's end of fiscal year in July.  Usually Brett's birthday falls on that day or within that week.  Luckily, this year it was after.  Even so, Brett was pretty worn out from having worked lots and lots of extra time to ensure everything closed out well.

We treated him to a round of golf.  The front nine were played all together.  It was not the relaxing experience that he had in mind, but I really enjoyed driving him and the boys in the cart.  We left him to finish up while we took naps and ate lunch.  Later that afternoon, Brett and I had a conference call with our Disney vacation planner and booked our trip for October!  All of our funds for big birthdays are going towards this trip!  I did however secretly contact our Sunday School advisors who were at the college world series where State was playing and asked them to bring Brett back a shirt.  He loved it!  Mission surprise accomplished!

There's nothing like having a daddy as wonderful as Brett.  He works hard and plays hard and loves all of us so much.  Family is so important to him and we feel so blessed by his love everyday.

A trip to Pullen Park

 A few Saturdays ago, we spent the morning at our favorite play place, Pullen Park.  The boys ran and played, road the train, boats, and carousel and generally had a grand time.  Anytime we take the boys somewhere like this, I feel like I have run a marathon.  Luckily, Brett was with me so it was more like 13.1.  They are so agile and strong and amaze me with how far along their motor skills are.

 The following day, we went to pick Sutton up from Sunday School and found him curled up taking a little nap.  I guess he was worn out too!

While Moses is Away, Sutton and Mommy Will Play!

 Back in July, Moses spent a week at Nana's house so he could go to golf camp in their neighborhood.  He had a great time and learned a lot!  He also got the chance to go swimming, meet a new friend, and go bowling for the first time.  That left me and Sutton Bug alone for five days!  Life is much slower and less interesting without him around!  However, Sutton had to fill his time (and space in the stroller) with other things besides his brother.

 It was exhausting work for the both of us.  We took walks and played more "toddler" geared games.  But it was so quiet!  We missed our favorite playmate!

 The one thing Sutton did enjoy the most was watching and trying to touch the butterflies that congregate in our landscaping.  He would squeal and run around the bushes for half an hour.  That is a very, VERY long time in a toddler day!

It was nice to have some time with this little boy.  He chose this opportunity to really start talking.  He hasn't stopped since!  Love hearing what he has to say!