Eating, Drinking and Dancing--Day 5

Hannah aka Snow White striking a pose. This seemed to be the "pose of the day"...check out the video below.

Snow White and her Prince Charming

Lunch at the Prime Time Cafe

Hannah enjoying her macaroni and cheese
Monsters, Inc.

Hannah and Cora: Toby and I went in a shop and when I came out Snow White was hugging Belle. Stacy said they had been dancing and twirling and hugging for quite a while. I guess they don't run in to other princesses their own size too often.

Lightening and Mater

Hannah jamming at Playhouse Disney

Hannah's dessert at the Prime Time Cafe was a "build your own sundae." So naturally....Hannah ate the cup of M&M's, drank the cup chocolate syrup, and then ate the sprinkles. She never did eat the ice cream!

Bibbidi Bobbidi Boo--Day 4

We started the day back at Epcot to go on the big rides with missed the day before and then ventured to China for Chinese food for lunch. Toby had already taken Hannah on a boat ride in Mexico while Stacy and I went around the race track and to Mars and they met Mulan and Meshu in China.

We arrived at Magic Kingdom just in time for the parade and watched Hannah play with bubbles and dance from our front row seats before the parade began. This is the day Hannah and I became actually princesses with the help of our "fairy godmothers in training" at the Bibbidi Bobbidi Boutique at Magic Kingdom. It's in Cinderella's castle and it was a really special time for Hannah and me. She was soooooo excited that she ran right into the salon and into a chair before they even called her name. She got the princess up do and got to pick her crown (with Cinderella blue crystals), her make-up (she chose purple and green eye shadow), and her nail polish (Cinderella blue). She just loved it and they treated her like the princess she is. I had surprised her with a new Cinderella dress I brought from home ($9 at Walmart.com v. $60 at Disney) and she wore it all day in the park.

I got the "Disney diva" style with hair attachments. We both received a generous dusting with pixie dust. Toby, who went shopping while we were getting pampered showed up just as our fair godmother in training was sprinkling Stacy with pixie dust so Toby got dusted too. He didn't have much choice, but the men will do just about anything for Hannah. Then we went to Tony's (the Italian restaurant from Lady and the Tramp) for dinner and more attractions and fireworks afterwards. A very fun day!

Epcot--Day 3

Tuesday we headed to Epcot. Unfortunately, this is the day Stacy became sick (bad, bad cold that we are all still fighting off) and only made it half the day. We spent the day in future world and had our picture taken with Mickey and Pluto. One of the perks of having a Disney Visa card is that they have a secluded private meet and greet with a character and you get a free 5x7. It was really cool because only one family at a time is allowed in the room and they let you spend as much time as you need to get whatever photos you want. We waited quite a while and I was a bit concerned that we wouldn't get a cool character (they don't tell you who the character is and I was afraid it would be Chip & Dale or Lilo & Stitch, which Hannah either doesn't know or doesn't care about). To our great surprise it was Mickey and Pluto! Stacy hung in until after the photo and headed back to the hotel. Toby and I took Hannah on a couple of her favorite attractions (we had to wait an hour and a half for our photo) and we joined Stacy back at the hotel for nap time. Then we ordered pizza and stayed in our room and watched movies....Disney movies.

Family Photo

Disney has added several neat things to Epcot for kids, I guess because Epcot is considered by many to be the least kid friendly of the parks. In future world, they give kids a tag and have tables in the Land and the Sea pavilions where cast members add tags that the kiddos can color with markers. Hannah seemed to like it and hey...free souvenir. In World Showcase, the kids can color a mask in each country. Very cool. We only stopped in two countries and only did a mask in one, but Hannah did a great job on it.

We wore her out again!! (and it's still daylight)

For some number of years, Disney had a "Leave a Legacy" promotion. You could commemorate your trip by having your picture taken that was added to metal plates and placed on granite columns at the entrance to Epcot. Part of our "romance package" when Stacy and I went to Disney for our 10th anniversary in 2003 included a leave a legacy photo. So we found it (with the help of their computer). Ain't we cute? [Note: it actually looks better in person, but doesn't photograph very well).

Disney--Day 2

We started off the day bright and early with a 7am character breakfast at Chef Mickey's at the Contemporary Resort. Hannah had a blast with all the music and dancing and meeting her favorite characters. Then we went off to Animal Kingdom were we saw fabulous shows starring Nemo and Simba and took a safari adventure. Then us big kids climbed Mount Everest in Disney's newest ride (hum....attraction....Disney doesn't have rides it has attractions).

In the afternoon we went back to our rooms at the All Star Movies resort (Mighty Ducks section) and took a nap. In the evening we headed to Hollywood Studios (no more MGM). We saw Ariel and the Muppets and rode Rock and Roll Roller coaster. One advantage of having three adults is no one rides alone. Disney allows groups with children that can't/won't ride the bigger attractions to get a rider swap ticket. So Toby and Stacy would go on a ride while Hannah and I did something else and when they got off Stacy and I would go on that ride with our rider swap ticket. So....with four people, we could get two fast passes for two different rides, use the rider swap ticket each time and accomplish a lot of rides without too much waiting.

I should mention the weather. You may have noticed in some of the pictures that we are bundled up. I had bought Hannah shorts and me some sandals thinking we are going to Florida. Luckily, I checked the weather before I finished packing. It didn't get out of the fifties the first 3 days we were there and the first couple of days were very windy.

Meeting the Mouse

The first of March we headed to Disney World in Florida: me, Stacy, Hannah and Toby. We figured it would take at least three adults to keep up with energetic Miss Hannah and we were right. We arrived Sunday afternoon and headed straight for the Magic Kingdom. After all, we were there to meet Mickey so that was the first stop on the agenda. Hannah was so excited when she got her first look at Cinderella's castle.

We did get sidelined on our way to Mickey's Toontown. I noticed a crowd gathering in a small area off the path. It was Fairytale Grotto and it was almost time for Belle to come out and read a story. Hannah and I grabbed the last actual seat near the stage and Toby and Stacy sat on a wall in the back. Just before Belle came out, one of her assistants took Hannah by the hand and asked her if she would be Belle's helper (of course, she called Hannah "princess"). It turns out that they ask children (and one man) from the audience to play the parts in the story of Beauty and the Beast as Belle reads the story. Hannah was "Chip" (you know.... the tea cup with a chip in it). I couldn't believe how well she did...followed directions (the two assistants led the kids where they needed to be) and didn't seemed scared at all. Maybe a star is born?

After the show we got Belle's autograph (for those of you that have not taken kids to Disney, the thing to do is to get an autograph book and when the kiddos meet the characters most will sign their book...a very neat keepsake) and continued our quest to find Mickey. Once we met the "big cheese" and Minnie, it was off to the rides, including Hannah's first roller coaster ride. That girl has no fear!

Ready to go!

Cinderella's Castle!

Hannah's first acting job as "Chip"

Taking their bows

Belle and the Bond's

Mickey's mailbox

Mickey, Minnie and Hannah

Toby & Hannah on Goofy's roller coaster

Daddy and his princess

Dumbo....Hannah's favorite ride at Disney

the castle at night

See.....we CAN wear her out!

Our beautiful valentine

Friends

Robyn and Irma...Love you both!

Make your own lettuce wraps

Toby, Stacy, Hannah and I went out for sushi. Hannah took her meal of teriyaki chicken and proceeded to make her own lettuce wraps Pei Wei style. Too cute.

First day at Tiny Tot's MDO

Hannah had a great first day. Ms. Michelle said it was like she had been there all year. Of course she knows Ms. Michelle and is familiar with the classroom from other activities so I'm sure that helped.

She ran right into my arms when I picked her up. Then see was looking at me very intently. She asked if I had gotten my hair cut. I said no but that I was going to in a couple of weeks. Then she was said, touching my hair, "Mommy it's at your shoulders (very slow and exact pronunciation of shoulders). And it's very messy, Mommy. Hannah go with you to get your hair cut?" I told her should couldn't go with me as she would be in school. "But Mommy, I help you. I go with you and help you. You need help." Thanks, Hannah...I love you, too! I can't wait to hear her critique when she's a teenager!!

Like father, like daughter

As I was at the computer (probably on Facebook) the other day, I looked up and Hannah was peering into the top rod of her dress-up rack. Stacy had made the rack for her dress-up clothes, and the top pipe is hollow in the center. She told me something was in there. She proceeded to take a hanger and poke around, trying to remove the object. She then leaves the room and comes back with the footstool from her bathroom so she can get a better look. She asks if I know where her flash light is (she actually has two: a cow and a horse) and I send her to look in her room. She comes back with her cow flashlight and proceeds to shine it into the hole, manipulating the hanger while standing on the stool. This kept her occupied for a long time until she finally decided to wait until Daddy gets home to see if he has a more appropriate tool. They tried to get it out to no avail. Stacy told me that whatever it is got caught in there when he was building it and it is now a permanent part of the apparatus.

I thought Hannah had accepted this fate, but as I'm typing this five days later I look over to she that her broom is now in the whole. She is a persistent little girl!

Chinese New Year

Since Stacy was taking off work Tuesday to work at church, he was uncertain how late he would get home. Plus, I have to admit I sometimes lose track of dates staying at home so Chinese New Year kinda snuck up on me. We made Chinese lantern and ate Pei Wei take-out. Hannah couldn't decide between her pink pants and the green dress, so we worn the pants during the day and the dress for dinner. The dress my also be making an appearance at church on Sunday so wish Hannah a Happy New Year if you see her.