This is going to be a long one - it's a whole week's worth of fun and novelties packed into one post - whew!
Saturday, I began my Spring Break. We decided to take a trip this year since we were all (knock-on-wood) healthy, but although the actual trip began on Sunday, Spring Break adventures really began on Saturday. Saturday morning, bright and early, we got our new washer and dryer delivered. We had gotten them about two weeks earlier since the ones we had (they came with the house when we bought it a bit over six years ago) were going bad. The afternoon before they were delivered, the water pipe in the garage broke. Poor Ia got drenched! Thank God she was there, though, because she was able to notify us immediately and get a neighbor to turn off the main water. It was a good thing that happened in the garage, too, because that limited the possibility of damage. The garage got wet but nothing major happened. So Sat morning, our brand spankin' new LG washer and dryer - in cherry red- with their pedestals were delivered. They were a little intimidating, but we got a couple loads in and were amazed at how little water they used. Overall, we are happy with them.
We ran a few errands, got the oil changed in our car, and then got ready, while L napped, for an afternoon with Thomas the Train! We went to the Railroad Museum where they were having Day Out with Thomas the Train. L had a wonderful time riding the train (Mami - I ride the train!) and he even played some miniature golf!
Sunday, we got up, did more laundry, packed, and Abui and Nana came over to play with L and have lunch with us before we left. We finally left around 2 PM, much later than we had anticipated, but it was okay.
Let me interject that L has been doing wonderfully with the whole potty training thing. He now hasn't had accidents for almost a month, even during nap time. At night, we put a pull-up on him, and even that is mostly dry in the morning. So, for the trip, he was fully on underwear! I'll blog on a separate post about the adventures in potty training.
Okay, so the drive up he slept mostly. He woke up right when we were switching to I95, so we pulled into a Shake 'n Bake for a potty, and food, break.
We got to Satellite Beach around 6:30 PM to our family's condo (we have them to thank for part of this vacation! Thank you L & F!), and we settled in, ate dinner, and packed for the next morning: Disney! We were only going for a day (initially), so we packed enough clothes for one and a half days, for all three of us, into a duffle bag and diaper bag. We splurged some, since we were only staying one day and we'd gotten a great deal, and we stayed at Disney's Contemporary Resort.
Monday morning we arrived at the Contemporary around noon. Our room was ready, and we were informed we'd been upgraded since we had requested a king-sized bed. We decided to ask for an extra day. Heaven! Our room was larger, a corner unit, and overlooked the bay and pool. The bed was heavenly, and the pull out sofa bed was a queen size. Guess who slept on that one - yep! L did! The resort had bed rails! We freshened up, grabbed some lunch, and headed to Hollywood Studios.
Hollywood Studios was great! It wasn't too busy. We got there and our first order of business was the Playhouse Disney show for L. He was tired (as he didn't sleep on the car ride up like we'd hoped), so he wasn't as active as he could've been, but he enjoyed it - especially the bubbles! Right before the show started, we met Mickey and saw the characters from the movie Up. After the show, we headed to Hollywood Vine to eat. The food was great and the atmosphere was fun! L ate plenty, as did we, and afterward, we walked L in the stroller so he'd take a nap. While he was trying to fall asleep, we got in a picture with McQueen and Mater, and then L was out. We walked (and walked). The park was close to closing now, but since we were staying at a Disney resort, we had magic hours. Those magic hours came with a hip dance party with the Disney Playhouse characters! As soon as L woke up, we headed there and got our groove on with Mickey, Minnie, Handy Manny, JoJo, Goofy, and I can't remember who else. And L got a really cool balloon sword, too! We ended the day by riding the bus back to our resort and L couldn't stop saying: "I ride the bus!"
The next morning, we got up, ate breakfast at the resort, and headed to the monorail stop inside our hotel to get to Epcot! SO COOL! Let me clarify that I've never stayed at the Contemporary before, so this experience was very neat. We hopped on the monorail, then another, and before we knew it, we were arriving at Epcot (and L was saying over and over again: I ride the train!).
Epcot was beyond full, which we thought was strange, but then we realized the Flower and Garden Festival had recently opened. That explained it. We bypassed most of the future world and headed straight for the World Showcase, hoping that we'd beat the crowds that way. Not so much. We started with Mexico, and by the USA, we were eating lunch and L was napping. Of course, my sciatica decided to act up, and that meant a pinched nerve in my back and my foot. Every couple steps I'd see stars and my leg would give way. That was not fun, but I kept on trukkin'; when L woke up, we did Figment, Nemo, Crush, and we were out.
During these two days, L was perfect with the potty. We had our portable potty ring in the bottom of the stroller, and we'd take potty breaks sporadically throughout the parks. He had zero accidents, even while sleeping he stayed dry! I was so proud of him. :) He also slept magnificently! We actually rested the first two nights there. It was awesome and much needed!
Wed morning we woke up and started packing. We headed to Chef Mickey's for breakfast. It was wonderful. All the classic characters - the fab 5 they call them - were there: Mickey, Minnie, Pluto, Goofy, Donald. Breakfast was good, although L didn't eat much. After breakfast, we went for a walk around the property and it was so relaxing and wonderful that we decided to stay another night (of course, we had some encouragement from a wonderful friend who ended up giving us the last night for free!). This time, though, our room wasn't available, so we were moved next door to a smaller room. It wasn't bad; it had two queen beds and a pull-out sofa bed, only the bed was a twin. Still, we put the bed rail on and L napped in the room for a good two hours (he'd only slept an hour each day at the parks), and I did laundry (remember, we only had clothes for one-and-a-half days!) and graded papers. It was relaxing!
When L woke up, we hopped on the monorail and headed to Magic Kingdom for the afternoon, where we saw the fireworks, rode Buzz Lightyear, and walked around.
That night wasn't too good. There was a lot of noise and L woke up crying. It kinda sucked, actually, but still, the beds were comfy (except the pillows- those were awful! They're too high and I think that's what triggered my sciatica) and we were relaxing in the Contemporary.
Thursday morning, we had a quick breakfast, and did a quick ride on the monorail to the Grand Floridian. Then, it was time to say good bye. But before we did, we got suckered into checking out the Disney Vacation Villas. That wasn't a smart thing to do right before lunch time when we had a cranky toddler/preschooler on our hands. But we survived, got lunch, and headed back to Satellite Beach in pouring rain. Until then, the weather had been fabulous: not hot, not cold, just perfect. The sun had been out, and there had been a cool breeze. Thursday, though, the storms, from a new front, started and lasted throughout our ride to Satellite Beach (Thurs) and the next day (Fri). It was miserable.
We got back safely, though, and kept L dry as we scurried inside. We stayed in, made mac n cheese, and went to bed amidst a roaring sea outside. L slept on his own air mattress (queen sized) and he slept fairly well, with the exception of falling off once. The next day, we ventured to Starbucks for breakfast then Walmart and then back to the condo for lunch and nap time. L ended up sleeping like three hours, and I graded, and J relaxed. That night we went to this phenomenal Italian restaurant: Pistilli's Pizza. Talk about amazing food! The atmosphere was quaint, with dim lighting. The menus boasted about Jersey-style pizza. Tia L had told us about their spectacular Penne a la Vodka that was unlike any other. So we ordered: I had the Penne a la Vodka, L got a kid's sized hand-crafted pizza (since the first thing he said when the waitress came over was: "I want pizza please"), and J had their Chicken Marsala. He was afraid because until then, no one had ever topped his favorite version of that dish: the Cheesecake Factory version. Until then, that is. All three of us were very pleased with our meals, and we had left-over of my and L's meals for lunch the following day.
Sat morning came with sunshine and calm seas. We went out to the sand for a while, with our kite, and we walked, feeling the cool sand on our feet and the wind caressing our skin. It was nice. It was a calm day. While L napped, I went to Starbucks and graded some more. Then, we got ready and when L woke up, we headed to Texas Roadhouse where we ended up waiting an hour to get seated! But the music was fun, the peanuts were good, and I was really craving some steak!
Sunday we packed up, cleaned up, washed up, and headed back home amidst beautiful weather. L only slept an hour, but he was otherwise pretty good with the drive. He had an accident (pee) in the car, but I guess I can't blame him. He'd done so well! My big boy really is a big boy. He'll be 31 months tomorrow, and this trip proved just how big he's gotten. It was the first time where we really had to keep up with him at the parks and everywhere. I can't believe how big and how independent he is.
The best part is now he started really saying "I love you" - it sounds "I wub you." And he'll say it deliberately. He'll stop, pause what he's doing, look at me with those big, twinkling brown eyes and say, "I wub you mommy." I melt.
And just like that, spring break was over.
Monday morning we arrived at the Contemporary around noon. Our room was ready, and we were informed we'd been upgraded since we had requested a king-sized bed. We decided to ask for an extra day. Heaven! Our room was larger, a corner unit, and overlooked the bay and pool. The bed was heavenly, and the pull out sofa bed was a queen size. Guess who slept on that one - yep! L did! The resort had bed rails! We freshened up, grabbed some lunch, and headed to Hollywood Studios.
Hollywood Studios was great! It wasn't too busy. We got there and our first order of business was the Playhouse Disney show for L. He was tired (as he didn't sleep on the car ride up like we'd hoped), so he wasn't as active as he could've been, but he enjoyed it - especially the bubbles! Right before the show started, we met Mickey and saw the characters from the movie Up. After the show, we headed to Hollywood Vine to eat. The food was great and the atmosphere was fun! L ate plenty, as did we, and afterward, we walked L in the stroller so he'd take a nap. While he was trying to fall asleep, we got in a picture with McQueen and Mater, and then L was out. We walked (and walked). The park was close to closing now, but since we were staying at a Disney resort, we had magic hours. Those magic hours came with a hip dance party with the Disney Playhouse characters! As soon as L woke up, we headed there and got our groove on with Mickey, Minnie, Handy Manny, JoJo, Goofy, and I can't remember who else. And L got a really cool balloon sword, too! We ended the day by riding the bus back to our resort and L couldn't stop saying: "I ride the bus!"
The next morning, we got up, ate breakfast at the resort, and headed to the monorail stop inside our hotel to get to Epcot! SO COOL! Let me clarify that I've never stayed at the Contemporary before, so this experience was very neat. We hopped on the monorail, then another, and before we knew it, we were arriving at Epcot (and L was saying over and over again: I ride the train!).
Epcot was beyond full, which we thought was strange, but then we realized the Flower and Garden Festival had recently opened. That explained it. We bypassed most of the future world and headed straight for the World Showcase, hoping that we'd beat the crowds that way. Not so much. We started with Mexico, and by the USA, we were eating lunch and L was napping. Of course, my sciatica decided to act up, and that meant a pinched nerve in my back and my foot. Every couple steps I'd see stars and my leg would give way. That was not fun, but I kept on trukkin'; when L woke up, we did Figment, Nemo, Crush, and we were out.
During these two days, L was perfect with the potty. We had our portable potty ring in the bottom of the stroller, and we'd take potty breaks sporadically throughout the parks. He had zero accidents, even while sleeping he stayed dry! I was so proud of him. :) He also slept magnificently! We actually rested the first two nights there. It was awesome and much needed!
Wed morning we woke up and started packing. We headed to Chef Mickey's for breakfast. It was wonderful. All the classic characters - the fab 5 they call them - were there: Mickey, Minnie, Pluto, Goofy, Donald. Breakfast was good, although L didn't eat much. After breakfast, we went for a walk around the property and it was so relaxing and wonderful that we decided to stay another night (of course, we had some encouragement from a wonderful friend who ended up giving us the last night for free!). This time, though, our room wasn't available, so we were moved next door to a smaller room. It wasn't bad; it had two queen beds and a pull-out sofa bed, only the bed was a twin. Still, we put the bed rail on and L napped in the room for a good two hours (he'd only slept an hour each day at the parks), and I did laundry (remember, we only had clothes for one-and-a-half days!) and graded papers. It was relaxing!
When L woke up, we hopped on the monorail and headed to Magic Kingdom for the afternoon, where we saw the fireworks, rode Buzz Lightyear, and walked around.
That night wasn't too good. There was a lot of noise and L woke up crying. It kinda sucked, actually, but still, the beds were comfy (except the pillows- those were awful! They're too high and I think that's what triggered my sciatica) and we were relaxing in the Contemporary.
Thursday morning, we had a quick breakfast, and did a quick ride on the monorail to the Grand Floridian. Then, it was time to say good bye. But before we did, we got suckered into checking out the Disney Vacation Villas. That wasn't a smart thing to do right before lunch time when we had a cranky toddler/preschooler on our hands. But we survived, got lunch, and headed back to Satellite Beach in pouring rain. Until then, the weather had been fabulous: not hot, not cold, just perfect. The sun had been out, and there had been a cool breeze. Thursday, though, the storms, from a new front, started and lasted throughout our ride to Satellite Beach (Thurs) and the next day (Fri). It was miserable.
We got back safely, though, and kept L dry as we scurried inside. We stayed in, made mac n cheese, and went to bed amidst a roaring sea outside. L slept on his own air mattress (queen sized) and he slept fairly well, with the exception of falling off once. The next day, we ventured to Starbucks for breakfast then Walmart and then back to the condo for lunch and nap time. L ended up sleeping like three hours, and I graded, and J relaxed. That night we went to this phenomenal Italian restaurant: Pistilli's Pizza. Talk about amazing food! The atmosphere was quaint, with dim lighting. The menus boasted about Jersey-style pizza. Tia L had told us about their spectacular Penne a la Vodka that was unlike any other. So we ordered: I had the Penne a la Vodka, L got a kid's sized hand-crafted pizza (since the first thing he said when the waitress came over was: "I want pizza please"), and J had their Chicken Marsala. He was afraid because until then, no one had ever topped his favorite version of that dish: the Cheesecake Factory version. Until then, that is. All three of us were very pleased with our meals, and we had left-over of my and L's meals for lunch the following day.
Sat morning came with sunshine and calm seas. We went out to the sand for a while, with our kite, and we walked, feeling the cool sand on our feet and the wind caressing our skin. It was nice. It was a calm day. While L napped, I went to Starbucks and graded some more. Then, we got ready and when L woke up, we headed to Texas Roadhouse where we ended up waiting an hour to get seated! But the music was fun, the peanuts were good, and I was really craving some steak!
Sunday we packed up, cleaned up, washed up, and headed back home amidst beautiful weather. L only slept an hour, but he was otherwise pretty good with the drive. He had an accident (pee) in the car, but I guess I can't blame him. He'd done so well! My big boy really is a big boy. He'll be 31 months tomorrow, and this trip proved just how big he's gotten. It was the first time where we really had to keep up with him at the parks and everywhere. I can't believe how big and how independent he is.
The best part is now he started really saying "I love you" - it sounds "I wub you." And he'll say it deliberately. He'll stop, pause what he's doing, look at me with those big, twinkling brown eyes and say, "I wub you mommy." I melt.
And just like that, spring break was over.
No comments:
Post a Comment