Friday, March 9, 2012

....Orlando delivered......

.....I have always found that the blog posts to recap trips where family is involved are very overwhelming......it is difficult to even know where to begin, as sorting though the pictures brings back a flood of emotions......

.....perhaps I should start here?.....


.....quite possibly this was one of the most magical days of our girls' lives.....and honestly, Stefan looks great carrying a princess purse......



......not to say that Brody didn't also have a ball, he just wasn't as interested in the princesses......



....it's somewhat humorous because originally we planned this vacation with the intent of only lounging in our villa or basking at one of the five pools the resort offered....but I started to have a change of heart when I heard my friends talk about the interactions the little girls could have with the princesses at Magic Kingdom.....and that was truly appealing to me because the ladies in this house are definitely into princesses.....

....so with many days of discussion with Stefan, we decided to make it happen.....my Mom and I made plans, scoped out the must do's with 3 and 4 year old girls and on the eve of this big adventure, Cinderalla, aka yours truly, called and invited us to visit her castle.....and we fluctuated between totally ecstatic and very serious about this invitation......luckily, we were prepared with our princess gowns and tiaras......


....it has been years since I went to Disney and I had forgotten how incredibly entertaining and mind blowing the park is.....there is something for everyone......our girls love rides, so keeping them distracted from meeting princesses lasted all morning until Elsie started to press us on why we had not had any interaction.....Disney, in its ever changing and innovative ideas, does not have the princesses aimlessly wander the park like they did when I visited as a child.....today, their appearances are scheduled.....the celebrity sightings are listed on a map and you can gain access to a Fastpass for the event.....Fastpass, another new term that we quickly came to know well, allowed us to avoid big lines......genius.....

.....so as Elsie pressed and started to become impatient by lunchtime, Stefan and Coleman not only scored a Fastpass for our princess meetings; but they also landed us a front row spot for the parade that carried these beauties throughout a crowd of bewhildered little girls.....


....Snow White, upon spotting Elsie in the crowd, not only acknowledged they had on the same gown; but also blew my girl a kiss.....Elsie immediately reciprocated and it was an exchange between two princesses I will never forget.....I couldn't take my eyes off the exchange as it was happening, but I was able to wipe my tears just quickly enough to snap her seconds afterwards.....she was so moved by the whole experience of really thinking she was in the wonderland of the castle where these princesses actually live....the imagination and the awe is so real for them.....


.....and when it was time for the meet and greet, our girls were given cherished moments of un-rushed, exclusive conversation with their favorite wonders......Cinderella taught them how to twirl their dresses and how to curtsey.....


....Sleeping Beauty demonstrated how to share her feather pen and why it is important to sit with good posture.....


.....and Belle taught them how to pose like ladies, with hands folded and placed nicely on their laps.....


....and quite honestly, we could have gone home after that amazing experience....the girls were speechless and giddy with eyes wide and smiles beaming from ear to ear.....I am so thankful that we made the decision to tackle the intimidating thought of Disney with three kids age four and below.....I'm not sure when the lure of princesses wears off, but we hit it at the peak in our household.....however, we could not have done the day without Mom and Coleman, so thank you both for not only treating us to the special occasion, but for jumping in to assist with everything......






....having the two of you to share the experience with us made it even more magical.....


....we hit every ride in the park where we passed the height requirement, but we skipped the slow rides because we don't do slow in this house.....






.....and after 10 hours at Disney, we called it a wrap and took two exhausted girls home to dream of princesses, parades, animated boat rides, fairy dust and Daphne Duck.....


.....Stefan and I needed a day to recover....it was physically exhausting, but more so; we were emotionally zapped since we had run on adrenaline for the entire day.....we can not wait to go back when Brody can experience the awe and fascination of such a sensational place.....

....however, my home state is dear to me for many reasons......one of them being that when you need to kick back and relax, Florida delivers......the sun, the palm trees, the water, the sky, the smell of the humid air......I love it.....









....I appreciate the splendor of Florida so much more now that it's been 13 years since I moved away....I savor all of it when I am there.....and then you add the fact most of my family shows up too and it might make it the next best thing to paradise.....


...and over the last two years, especially, the girls have become fish.....they are so motivated to swim independently.....luckily, Callie's swim lessons last winter taught her to respect the water, so she isn't as much of a loose cannon as she was when she would nose dive into pools fully dressed......

......and Brody revealed his true colors.....he was slow to ease into it, but by the end of the week, he became the newest tadpole of the house.....






....his sisters kept vigilant watch over him at all times.....


.....and it won't be long until he is racing behind them in their quest for fun.....











.....I am enjoying every small detail of watching their sisterhood unfold and develop now that Callie has entered the ripe age of three.....their conversations are deeper, their thoughtfulness of one another is more encompassing and they are true playmates.....















....not to say there weren't a few scraps we had to break up....


.....but between visits with parents, best friends and some exclusive party of five time, we were showered with countless sweet, celebratory and happy moments.....









....there were many goofy and mindless moments that caused the kind of laughter that brings a smile out of anyone who hears the hearty, belly driven laughter that is ever so pure.....









.....goodbyes are never fun, but they are necessary.....





.....they rekindle our connections......

.....they leave us longing for more.....rehashing scenes spent together, day dreaming during normal life about the next time we can break away and share more of those sacred memories.....

.....good byes make the hellos for the next time that much sweeter....


.....so until next time.....

.....Mom, Dad, Colman, Dawn, Allison and your three boys.....we loved it....you all made it one of our most cherished times away from home.....we appreciate and love you.....