It's hard to believe we've been here 4 days already - time is flying by. We are getting tan in spite of SPF 50 sunscreen applied numerous times a day, but we are spending most of the hottest hours in the sun, too. With Ben golfing in the mornings, we end up spending the afternoon at the beach, then the pool.
Today was actually pretty cool - the coolest day I think we've ever experienced here. The high was still around 92, but very low humidity and a great breeze - I was even cold in the ocean when the wind blew. Ben and Darrell golfed this morning, and the kids went to Kamp Kiawah - today was "Yippie, Hippie, Skippie" - mainly tie-dying, swimming, and scavenger hunt. Rita and I went on a long bike ride while they were gone - rode for over an hour. The rest of the morning I spent relaxing on our screened in porch with my Kindle. After lunch, when everyone was back, Ben and I took the kids to the beach, then to the pool. Today we let them play with the rented huge inflatables and they had a blast. Sam and Ben did the craft - concrete garden stones (Maria and I are going to make beach bags tomorrow) - and then back to the condo to get cleaned up for dinner. Tonight Ben and I went out on our own - our belated anniversary dinner - and Rita and Darrell took the kids out. Back at the condo now, after an unsuccessful attempt to get some Starbucks - both coffee places here are closed by 8:30, as we found out the hard way!
Tomorrow is a break from golf, but I'm sure there will be more beach, pool, and biking. I hope I'm burning enough calories with those activities, because even though there is a gym a short drive away, I never feel like running on the treadmill here. After all, I'm on vacation!
Quote of the day:
Sam: Dad, can we take the alligator with us? (Rented 7 foot long inflatable alligator the kids played with at the pool)
Ben: No - it belongs to the club.
Sam: Maybe they won't notice.
Tuesday, June 30, 2009
Monday, June 29, 2009
Kiawah Day 3
This morning Ben and Darrell golfed, and Rita had a golf clinic as well. I was going to take the kids to the pool this morning, but they didn't even get out of bed until 10:30, and we had to have lunch by 12:00 so Sam could get to his "Build It!" Kiawah Kamp by 1:00. So the three of us hung around the condo - Sam watched Spongebob and played inside while Maria and I read on one of our screened in balconies, listening to the ocean (and sweating).
In the afternoon, Sam went to his camp, and while I was dropping him off, Ben took Maria for a bike ride on the beach (something that she had really wanted to do). Then the three of us went shopping and had some ice cream, followed by a quick swim in the pool. After Rita and Darrell picked Sam up from kamp, the four of us went to the ocean for a little while - the kids really love using their boogie boards to ride the waves. Then back to the condo to clean up, drop Maria at her Kids Night Out, and the five of us went on to dinner at the King Street Grill. After dinner we took Sam shopping, and then attended Maria's production (her camp activity was writing and performing a play). So we sat through the 3 minute presentation of "When Pirates Meet Models," which was good, especially when you consider the entire thing was written, props and wardrobes chosen, and rehearsed in 3 hours, with a dinner break. Now we're back at the condo, relaxing until bedtime. It rained most of the evening, during Maria's camp and our dinner, but didn't bother us much since we were all inside.
In the afternoon, Sam went to his camp, and while I was dropping him off, Ben took Maria for a bike ride on the beach (something that she had really wanted to do). Then the three of us went shopping and had some ice cream, followed by a quick swim in the pool. After Rita and Darrell picked Sam up from kamp, the four of us went to the ocean for a little while - the kids really love using their boogie boards to ride the waves. Then back to the condo to clean up, drop Maria at her Kids Night Out, and the five of us went on to dinner at the King Street Grill. After dinner we took Sam shopping, and then attended Maria's production (her camp activity was writing and performing a play). So we sat through the 3 minute presentation of "When Pirates Meet Models," which was good, especially when you consider the entire thing was written, props and wardrobes chosen, and rehearsed in 3 hours, with a dinner break. Now we're back at the condo, relaxing until bedtime. It rained most of the evening, during Maria's camp and our dinner, but didn't bother us much since we were all inside.
Sunday, June 28, 2009
Kiawah Day 2
Today we rode about 4 miles on bikes this morning, played in the ocean, swam at the pool, and went to the Kazoobie Kazoo show tonight, then walked on the beach in the dark to see the stars.
Random observations:
1. Both kids love to be in the lead whenever we go anywhere, whether we are biking, walking, even swimming. The constant jockeying to be in the front is very annoying. Ben gives them turns to be in the lead during part of our bike rides, but that is not enough to satisfy them. Almost every conflict today was about who was in front.
2. Being in the water in the middle of the day shows every little place that may have been missed with sunscreen. We didn't reapply enough and both kids have pink cheeks. Ben and I have odd spots of where the sunscreen didn't quite reach. We'll do better tomorrow.
3. It seems like it is not as crowded here as in previous years. The pool was pretty empty for the middle of Sunday afternoon. I hope that continues to be the case - we got chairs in the shade today - we used to be lucky to get any chair at all.
4. Apparently no matter how physically exhausted Sam gets, he will not be able to sit and recharge - he must run around like crazy and then show his exhaustion by being grumpy and whiny when he doesn't get his way. Maria does better at sitting and reading while we're in the condo.
5. Practice helps to be creative in a kitchen that does not have any potholders, dish towels, and extremely mismatched pots and pans. But we have cooked two meals for 6 people and getting better at winging it.
6. This salt air does something weird to my hair - much worse this year for some reason, even though the heat and humidity have been tolerable so far. My natural curl (which has always had a mind of its own) has pretty much turned into a white girl Afro. Please be kind and ignore it when we finally get around to posting pictures.
7. After 10:00 on Sunday evening, you can't find a kids show on either Nickelodeon or ABC Family (our only options here). After the day we had, I can't understand how the kids aren't asleep - I almost am!
Tomorrow is the first day of golf for the other adults, and the kids each have separate Kamp Kiawah activities - Sam in the afternoon, Maria in the evening. (We let them picked based on which activities they wanted to do, so the times don't match up.)
Random observations:
1. Both kids love to be in the lead whenever we go anywhere, whether we are biking, walking, even swimming. The constant jockeying to be in the front is very annoying. Ben gives them turns to be in the lead during part of our bike rides, but that is not enough to satisfy them. Almost every conflict today was about who was in front.
2. Being in the water in the middle of the day shows every little place that may have been missed with sunscreen. We didn't reapply enough and both kids have pink cheeks. Ben and I have odd spots of where the sunscreen didn't quite reach. We'll do better tomorrow.
3. It seems like it is not as crowded here as in previous years. The pool was pretty empty for the middle of Sunday afternoon. I hope that continues to be the case - we got chairs in the shade today - we used to be lucky to get any chair at all.
4. Apparently no matter how physically exhausted Sam gets, he will not be able to sit and recharge - he must run around like crazy and then show his exhaustion by being grumpy and whiny when he doesn't get his way. Maria does better at sitting and reading while we're in the condo.
5. Practice helps to be creative in a kitchen that does not have any potholders, dish towels, and extremely mismatched pots and pans. But we have cooked two meals for 6 people and getting better at winging it.
6. This salt air does something weird to my hair - much worse this year for some reason, even though the heat and humidity have been tolerable so far. My natural curl (which has always had a mind of its own) has pretty much turned into a white girl Afro. Please be kind and ignore it when we finally get around to posting pictures.
7. After 10:00 on Sunday evening, you can't find a kids show on either Nickelodeon or ABC Family (our only options here). After the day we had, I can't understand how the kids aren't asleep - I almost am!
Tomorrow is the first day of golf for the other adults, and the kids each have separate Kamp Kiawah activities - Sam in the afternoon, Maria in the evening. (We let them picked based on which activities they wanted to do, so the times don't match up.)
Saturday, June 27, 2009
Kiawah Day 1
We finally arrived at Kiawah Island around 3:30 this afternoon. We had a fairly easy morning of traveling, with only a minor traffic jam today (after two large hang-ups yesterday afternoon). Our condo wasn't ready yet, so the van dropped the kids and I off at the pool so they could swim, then Rita, Darrell, and Ben went to rent the bikes and then were able to pick up the keys to the condo. Then Ben and Darrell dropped Rita off at the pool, and the two of us and the kids rode the bikes back to the condo to unpack. Meanwhile, Ben and Darrell did the gorcery shopping. Rita took the kids on a short beack walk while I helpd unload groceries. Then Ben and I cooked spaghetti for dinner, and there was still enough time for Ben to play with the kids in the ocean for 20 minutes or so before we started to see lightning in the distance. Sound confusing? Try planning it.
So we came back, got cleaned up and in jammies, and now (9:00) we are watching The Incredibles on T.V, while it is thunderstorming outside. Ben drove to the fitness center to get in his run for the day. Tomorrow will be a lazy day before the golfing starts on Monday.
So we came back, got cleaned up and in jammies, and now (9:00) we are watching The Incredibles on T.V, while it is thunderstorming outside. Ben drove to the fitness center to get in his run for the day. Tomorrow will be a lazy day before the golfing starts on Monday.
Thursday, June 25, 2009
Sam's Roller Coaster
Sam spent several hours putting it together all by himself (using the directions), and when he was done there was just one problem with the car getting back to the start all on it's own. He finally accepted Ben's help, and together they got it all figured out. He's very proud of it, and wanted us to post it for you to see.
Wednesday, June 24, 2009
Camp
Monday we dropped Maria off at 4-H camp. Although this is her second year in 4-H, this is the first year she has attended camp (last year there was a date conflict with golf camp). I was a little concerned about her first year at camp, but felt much better when the mailings from the extension office started arriving. Seeing the workshops she was going to be able to participate in all looked like a lot of fun, I almost wished I could go (except I don't think sleeping in those cabins would be worth it). And there are so many people from Fairbanks going - she is in a cabin with several people from her class or 4-H club, and her cabin counselor is Ellen, who used to babysit for us when she was younger - so I knew she would be comfortable with them. Also, Maria is a pretty independent girl, and I think it's time for her to start to do things on her own. And its good for me to see that she can take care of herself.
But before we dropped her off, first we had to pack. This took quite a while - she started on Sunday, apparently got bored with it, and so we finished together Monday morning. Each outfit had to be analyzed if it would be right for that particular day's activities, if it was not too nice (since it is camp and things may get messy, dirty, etc), if they tops and shorts matched, and on and on. In addition, we had to decide outfits that she wanted to take to Kiawah island (where we are headed after we pick her up on Friday), but not to camp, so that I could pack those things for her tomorrow. We finally got it all taken care of, and I was happy she just needed a suitcase, pillow, sleeping bag, and container of essentials to keep under her bed.
When we dropped her off, I thought it was a nice set-up they have there, with cabins, restrooms, dining hall, all fairly close together and mostly shaded. Then we walked into the cabin, which was tiny, hot, and filled with bunk bed that weren't quite level. In fact, the beds looked like a high school carpentry project that maybe were worth a "C." But Maria chose a top bunk (all the bottom ones were taken), unrolled her sleeping bag, and got her bed set up. Since she was on the top bunk, there was no place to put her suitcase (goes under the bed), or her box of essentials. The older girl on the bottom bunk had taken up all the room underneath their bunk. There were other suitcases in the middle of the floor as well - Ellen said they would get it sorted out when everyone got there. So I let it go. Maria quickly changed into her swimsuit to get her swimming test out of the way - it was what the other girls were doing. When we left her, she was taking her test - swimming across the pool.
I thought I would be upset leaving her, but I really just wanted to get out of the hot cabin and back to the air conditioned car. She was happy, and had things to do, so we got out of there fairly quickly. The hardest part has been not talking to her to make sure she is doing OK. I do miss her - especially in the mornings since Ben and Sam sleep in and she always gets up first - but I know she's having fun. And I have to confess, walking by her room where the floor continues to be clean is nice.
Sam seems to be doing fine too. I was worried he would be lonely, and he does say he misses her, but still just goes about his business. We've been trying to do more with him. Monday we went to mini-golf and to dinner with Rita and Darrell after dropping off Maria, since they live fairly close to Yellow Springs. Yesterday we went to the library in the morning, Ben took him to the pool in the afternoon, and his last T-ball game was last night. This afternoon he and I are going to the book store and then mini-golfing (while Ben goes to driving range to use his new driver), and tonight we are having a campfire and Ben and Sam are sleeping in the tent. Tomorrow most of our day will be spent preparing for leaving for Kiawah Island on Friday morning, so he may get bored then. But he'll have to survive, because we have a lot to do!
But before we dropped her off, first we had to pack. This took quite a while - she started on Sunday, apparently got bored with it, and so we finished together Monday morning. Each outfit had to be analyzed if it would be right for that particular day's activities, if it was not too nice (since it is camp and things may get messy, dirty, etc), if they tops and shorts matched, and on and on. In addition, we had to decide outfits that she wanted to take to Kiawah island (where we are headed after we pick her up on Friday), but not to camp, so that I could pack those things for her tomorrow. We finally got it all taken care of, and I was happy she just needed a suitcase, pillow, sleeping bag, and container of essentials to keep under her bed.
When we dropped her off, I thought it was a nice set-up they have there, with cabins, restrooms, dining hall, all fairly close together and mostly shaded. Then we walked into the cabin, which was tiny, hot, and filled with bunk bed that weren't quite level. In fact, the beds looked like a high school carpentry project that maybe were worth a "C." But Maria chose a top bunk (all the bottom ones were taken), unrolled her sleeping bag, and got her bed set up. Since she was on the top bunk, there was no place to put her suitcase (goes under the bed), or her box of essentials. The older girl on the bottom bunk had taken up all the room underneath their bunk. There were other suitcases in the middle of the floor as well - Ellen said they would get it sorted out when everyone got there. So I let it go. Maria quickly changed into her swimsuit to get her swimming test out of the way - it was what the other girls were doing. When we left her, she was taking her test - swimming across the pool.
I thought I would be upset leaving her, but I really just wanted to get out of the hot cabin and back to the air conditioned car. She was happy, and had things to do, so we got out of there fairly quickly. The hardest part has been not talking to her to make sure she is doing OK. I do miss her - especially in the mornings since Ben and Sam sleep in and she always gets up first - but I know she's having fun. And I have to confess, walking by her room where the floor continues to be clean is nice.
Sam seems to be doing fine too. I was worried he would be lonely, and he does say he misses her, but still just goes about his business. We've been trying to do more with him. Monday we went to mini-golf and to dinner with Rita and Darrell after dropping off Maria, since they live fairly close to Yellow Springs. Yesterday we went to the library in the morning, Ben took him to the pool in the afternoon, and his last T-ball game was last night. This afternoon he and I are going to the book store and then mini-golfing (while Ben goes to driving range to use his new driver), and tonight we are having a campfire and Ben and Sam are sleeping in the tent. Tomorrow most of our day will be spent preparing for leaving for Kiawah Island on Friday morning, so he may get bored then. But he'll have to survive, because we have a lot to do!
Tuesday, June 23, 2009
Monday, June 22, 2009
Miami Alumni Weekend
It was nice that we were able to make it to Alumni weekend this year - the last few years we have been traveling and not able to attend. We made it a priority this year, since it's the 200 year anniversary, and then later learned about the "Miami Merger Moment." The university wanted to beat the current Guinness Book of World Record for largest number of couples renewing their wedding vows in one place at one time. Friday Ben and I celebrate 15 years of marriage, and since we got married on campus, it seemed like a cool way to celebrate. Unofficially, there were 1087 couples there, and the current record was 624, so I think it's safe to say we beat the record.
We also had band duties that day, and then attended the BBQ that evening. Earlier in the day the band had a lunch picnic and Ben played broom ball in the morning too. The kids had a good time - even though they had to stand around and wait while we played in the band, they had friends to play with while they did so. At the BBQ, there was a "Kid Zone" with inflatables to play on, so we all just brought chairs over to that area and hung out where we could watch the kids. After dark, we returned to the dorm where we all stayed (free for Alumni Band members), put the kids in their pajamas, and then headed to the basement where all the kids watched TV and the adults were able to hang out. We went to bed at midnight, then visited the Res for a toasted roll for breakfast before heading home. A great weekend, and the weather was perfect, but we were all pretty tired yesterday. Hoping the kids sleep late today to catch up - we drop Maria off at camp this afternoon.
Father's Day
Even though yesterday was officially Father's Day, the kids were so excited about their gifts for Ben, and knew we'd be out of town for the weekend, so we decided to go ahead and let him open the gifts Friday evening. We had done some painting at Color Me Mine - Sam made him a shark to put on his desk, Maria painted a coffee mug (yellow) and I painted a travel coffee mug. I think he was kind of surprised, even though Sam let it slip the day we went to paint and told Ben where we had been - at least he didn't know what we had made!
Then yesterday, after we returned form Oxford, I told Ben he could watch the U.S. Open all afternoon, or nap, or whatever. The kids played on their own, so it wasn't like it was difficult for me (I was able to sneak in a nap too). Then for dinner, Ben's choice was Chipotle, so three of us had that (Sam had McDonald's), and we had a picnic at Glacier Ridge Park in Dublin. It's a really nice park, and the kids were able to play on a different playground, since we had never been there before.
All in all, I think Ben had a pretty good day.
Friday, June 19, 2009
Maria's Golf
This year Maria is finally old enough for the Union County Junior Golf Academy and Tour (UCJGAT). It's a program run by the golf coach at our school and the pro at Darby Creek. It runs off and on throughout the summer, and consists of two clinics, in addition to playing 9 holes at each golf course in the county. Maria missed the first clinic Sunday (we were still at Disney), but played a round on Tuesday and Thursday. On Thursday Ben volunteered to be the parent who went with Maria's group (Tuesday he had to watch Sam since I had a teacher workshop at COSI).
And Maria is doing great. Tuesday she shot a 66, yesterday a 56. Ben was amazed at how well she's doing - she even had a drive that went 140 yards. She seems to enjoy it and it's nice that it doesn't take up a huge amount of time - they take off two weeks now, since 4-H camp is next week, the following week is Honda shut down and a lot of people travel. She'll miss the next clinic since we'll be coming home form Kiawah, but won't miss any rounds of golf.
I've included the results from yesterday for boys and girls in her age group, so you can see how she compares to others in her category. These are boys (top) and girls (bottom), ages 9-10.
(Academy Boys and Girls)
Todd Crowe II 43
Jack Berry 47
Reggie Poulin 48
Andrew Fisher 53
Ryan Skaggs 53
Trevor Gase 56
Owen Morse 56
Braydon Lewis 56
Aaron Sullivan 56
Jason Cook 61
Aubrey Morris 62
Christian Dewiggins 62
Nick Alterman 68
Brody Lewis 75
Maria Keller 56
Emily Parrish 66
Shelby Hoge 68
Emily Wilson 74
Galyn Mason 80
Elisabeth Mueller 83
And Maria is doing great. Tuesday she shot a 66, yesterday a 56. Ben was amazed at how well she's doing - she even had a drive that went 140 yards. She seems to enjoy it and it's nice that it doesn't take up a huge amount of time - they take off two weeks now, since 4-H camp is next week, the following week is Honda shut down and a lot of people travel. She'll miss the next clinic since we'll be coming home form Kiawah, but won't miss any rounds of golf.
I've included the results from yesterday for boys and girls in her age group, so you can see how she compares to others in her category. These are boys (top) and girls (bottom), ages 9-10.
(Academy Boys and Girls)
Todd Crowe II 43
Jack Berry 47
Reggie Poulin 48
Andrew Fisher 53
Ryan Skaggs 53
Trevor Gase 56
Owen Morse 56
Braydon Lewis 56
Aaron Sullivan 56
Jason Cook 61
Aubrey Morris 62
Christian Dewiggins 62
Nick Alterman 68
Brody Lewis 75
Maria Keller 56
Emily Parrish 66
Shelby Hoge 68
Emily Wilson 74
Galyn Mason 80
Elisabeth Mueller 83
Tuesday, June 16, 2009
Disney Day 5 and Pictures!
Yesterday was our last day at Disney, and we made the most of it. We slept in some, and after packing to leave later in the day, we decided to spend our last few hours at Hollywood Studios since Sam had really wanted to see the Indiana Jones show and we just ran out of time for it on Sunday. While we were there we also ate and played at Pizza Planet (from Toy Story movies), and met Sully and Mike from Monsters Inc. Then we headed back to the hotel to meet up with the Smiths and wait for the shuttle bus back to the airport.
We got to the airport in plenty of time, and didn't run into any trouble with the exception of security having to very thoroughly search Sam's backpack. It may have been the army guys, or all the Lego pieces, but probably the new light saber, that caused them suspicion. Anyway, after several minutes we were on our way. Our flight to Nashville was over a half hour late, and we were worried we would not make our connecting flight to Columbus. But we walked right off a plane and onto another, and since we had had an early dinner in Orlando airport, no one was too uncomfortable. We even landed 15 minutes early in Columbus. We arrived home about 11:15, and I was in bed by 12:30, to get up again at 5:30 today for a teacher workshop at COSI.
The kids were pretty disappointed to leave Disney - always a good time and they really had a blast going with the Smiths too. But we have plenty more to keep us busy in the next few weeks and they got back into the swing of things today - Maria even started her golf program and played 9 holes today.
You can find pictures on our family webpage at http://web.me.com/kellerclan/Site/Welcome.html Be sure to click on "Disney pics"
We got to the airport in plenty of time, and didn't run into any trouble with the exception of security having to very thoroughly search Sam's backpack. It may have been the army guys, or all the Lego pieces, but probably the new light saber, that caused them suspicion. Anyway, after several minutes we were on our way. Our flight to Nashville was over a half hour late, and we were worried we would not make our connecting flight to Columbus. But we walked right off a plane and onto another, and since we had had an early dinner in Orlando airport, no one was too uncomfortable. We even landed 15 minutes early in Columbus. We arrived home about 11:15, and I was in bed by 12:30, to get up again at 5:30 today for a teacher workshop at COSI.
The kids were pretty disappointed to leave Disney - always a good time and they really had a blast going with the Smiths too. But we have plenty more to keep us busy in the next few weeks and they got back into the swing of things today - Maria even started her golf program and played 9 holes today.
You can find pictures on our family webpage at http://web.me.com/kellerclan/Site/Welcome.html Be sure to click on "Disney pics"
Sunday, June 14, 2009
Disney Day 4
Today was difficult because everything revolved around the show schedules at Hollywood Studios, and the kids all wanted to do different things. Also, it was the last day of Star Wars weekends, and it was crowded! It was a crazy morning of trading tickets to get Fast Passes, different people going to different shows, and huge crowds. Ben and Andy were able to get right on the Aerosmith Rockin Roller Coaster since everyone at the park (including Lisa and I and all 4 kids) were in line to get Fast Passes for the brand new Toy Story Mania. But we got right into it a few hours later, and it really was very cool.
All 8 of us saw Muppet Vision in 3D, and Mason, Maria, Lisa and I rode Star Tours (Star Wars flight simulator). Ben and Sam did the Great Movie Ride while Andy and Lindsey saw Playhouse Disney. We rushed lunch (and cancelled a reservation) so that we could get to Jedi Training Academy in time, but the crowd was crazy and none of our kids were chosen to participate. And did I mention it was hot? So hot!
So we saw the cool Stunt show and then headed back to hotel for afternoon swimming. We had dinner at the Liberty Tree Tavern at Magic Kingdom, which was family style and so good, and all 8 of us got to sit togther for our last dinner. One last ride on Haunted Mansion and Sam, Ben and I returned to hotel. Maria stayed with Smiths to see parade and fireworks again. Ben and Sam swam and then we watched Magic Kingdom fireworks from our balcony.
Even though we're beat and sick of sunscreen, sweat, and crowds of people, we're a little sad to be heading home tomorrow night. It has been a really fun vacation. Not what I would call relaxing, though!
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All 8 of us saw Muppet Vision in 3D, and Mason, Maria, Lisa and I rode Star Tours (Star Wars flight simulator). Ben and Sam did the Great Movie Ride while Andy and Lindsey saw Playhouse Disney. We rushed lunch (and cancelled a reservation) so that we could get to Jedi Training Academy in time, but the crowd was crazy and none of our kids were chosen to participate. And did I mention it was hot? So hot!
So we saw the cool Stunt show and then headed back to hotel for afternoon swimming. We had dinner at the Liberty Tree Tavern at Magic Kingdom, which was family style and so good, and all 8 of us got to sit togther for our last dinner. One last ride on Haunted Mansion and Sam, Ben and I returned to hotel. Maria stayed with Smiths to see parade and fireworks again. Ben and Sam swam and then we watched Magic Kingdom fireworks from our balcony.
Even though we're beat and sick of sunscreen, sweat, and crowds of people, we're a little sad to be heading home tomorrow night. It has been a really fun vacation. Not what I would call relaxing, though!
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Toy Story Mania
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Disney Day 3
Yesterday was such a full day I didn't even get around to posting this until this morning.
We spent the morning at Magic Kingdom, doing the rides we missed on Thursday. Favorites were the new Monsters Inc Laugh-In, Splash Mountain, and Big Thunder Mountain Railroad. I think it was the hottest day so far, so we headed back to hotel in early afternoon for swimming. Dinner last night was at Hoop Dee Doo Revue, which was a musical theatre. Everyone had a great time, and the food was tasty (free wine and beer included), although one kid didn't eat a bite - I'm sure you can guess which one.
The plan was to see light parade and fireworks at Magic Kingdom last night, but it looked like rain and Lindsey was beat, so the Smiths stayed back and the four of us went. We had fun, and the only rain was a few sprinkles during the parade. But this morning I am so tired, and I hate to wake the kids - they'll be beat too. Today is Hollywood Studios, though, and if you don't get there at opening there is no chance of getting on new Toy Story Mania. So one more day of our crazy schedule, then maybe tomorrow morning we can sleep in a little before Animal Kingdom and evening plane ride home.
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We spent the morning at Magic Kingdom, doing the rides we missed on Thursday. Favorites were the new Monsters Inc Laugh-In, Splash Mountain, and Big Thunder Mountain Railroad. I think it was the hottest day so far, so we headed back to hotel in early afternoon for swimming. Dinner last night was at Hoop Dee Doo Revue, which was a musical theatre. Everyone had a great time, and the food was tasty (free wine and beer included), although one kid didn't eat a bite - I'm sure you can guess which one.
The plan was to see light parade and fireworks at Magic Kingdom last night, but it looked like rain and Lindsey was beat, so the Smiths stayed back and the four of us went. We had fun, and the only rain was a few sprinkles during the parade. But this morning I am so tired, and I hate to wake the kids - they'll be beat too. Today is Hollywood Studios, though, and if you don't get there at opening there is no chance of getting on new Toy Story Mania. So one more day of our crazy schedule, then maybe tomorrow morning we can sleep in a little before Animal Kingdom and evening plane ride home.
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Friday, June 12, 2009
Day 2 Disney Trip
Today was another good day. Five of us rode Soarin', the new thrill ride at Epcot that really feels like you're flying. The men (being prone to motion sickness) took Lindsey to see characters instead. We had to walk with a mob of people to get in line, but since we were there at park opening, we still only waited 10 minutes. Sam was a little scared when he was strapped in, but said it was the best ride ever afterwards. We all loved it.
Other high points:
*The character breakfast at Polynesian. The kids loved it although Sam did not eat one thing at the buffet breakfast.
*Turtle Talk with Crush - both Maria and Sam were 2 of about 5 kids who got to talk to Crush. Very cool but hard for Smith kids, and was the last straw for Lindsey who headed back to hotel for nap with Andy.
*Sam refused to do Test Track, so he and I did aquarium and shopped, then headed back. Ben, Lisa S, Maria and Mason stayed to ride Test Track and loved it, but admitted it would be too much for Sam.
*The families split for the evening, and we went to Downtown Disney, had dinner at Wolfgang Puck Express, and shopped for Legos (Sam) and hat and clothes (Maria). Then we watched the Magic Kingdom fireworks in our pajamas on our balcony, even though we're in rooms without a view!
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Other high points:
*The character breakfast at Polynesian. The kids loved it although Sam did not eat one thing at the buffet breakfast.
*Turtle Talk with Crush - both Maria and Sam were 2 of about 5 kids who got to talk to Crush. Very cool but hard for Smith kids, and was the last straw for Lindsey who headed back to hotel for nap with Andy.
*Sam refused to do Test Track, so he and I did aquarium and shopped, then headed back. Ben, Lisa S, Maria and Mason stayed to ride Test Track and loved it, but admitted it would be too much for Sam.
*The families split for the evening, and we went to Downtown Disney, had dinner at Wolfgang Puck Express, and shopped for Legos (Sam) and hat and clothes (Maria). Then we watched the Magic Kingdom fireworks in our pajamas on our balcony, even though we're in rooms without a view!
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Thursday, June 11, 2009
First Day at Disney
We had a pretty uneventful morning of traveling, with the exception of a few minutes a heavy turbulence on the way out of stormy Ohio. Checked into hotel around 11:30, then onto Magic Kingdom for some lunch and rides.
The heat was pretty stifling at first, but we got kind of used to it and there was a small breeze. We were expecting horrible crowds but were able to ride a few things, each wait being 15 minutes or less. Then back to the hotel, where the kids were thrilled to swim. Now we're getting ready to have a quick dinner then on to Hollywood Studios for the Fantasmic show.
Tomorrow is Epcot, breakfast with Lilo and Stitch, lunch at the Coral Reef, and more swimming.
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Wednesday, June 10, 2009
Sam's Big Hit
Sam hasn't had a T-ball game in over a week, which is odd since usually they have two, sometimes three per week. And he was excited about this game, because he wanted to have another "Greatest Hit Ever" so that Ben could see it this time - since he had to miss the last game due to 8th grade promotion night.
Sam succeeded - had two big hits - one each inning. Ben got the first on video and the second as a still shot. A colleague of ours that has a son on the other team even stopped us after the game to comment on what a good batter Sam is, which was nice. We are also certain that he should be ready for the next league next year, which is quite a step up but we think he'll be able to handle it - he's had a really good season.
Unfortunately, he'll miss the next two games due to our Disney World vacation - we leave tomorrow morning. But he still has two or three more when we return, before the season ends the last week in June.
Saturday, June 6, 2009
Reflections
Now that the school year is over, I thought I would jot down some thoughts that I have about the year, and then I can start thinking about summer fun! So here we go:
From a teaching standpoint, a pretty good year. This freshmen class was overall very good, and even though all my classes were over 20 students (usually 25-27), the fact that they were good kids really helped me to enjoy it (most of the time). We did have a new superintendent, however, and he caused problems for some colleagues, including Ben, so I can't say the year was without concerns.
Sam is now done with kindergarten. He had a great year, too, and made some good friends. Waiting for him to start school until he was almost 6 was definitely the right choice, and he has matured so much in the past year.
This was out last year of paying for childcare. The last two years have been easier, since we were only paying for half days, but now we are done for good. After 10 years!
No more Letter Bag! I am happy about this - doing it for two years started to be quite the chore to agree on what item we were going to put in the bag each Thursday night. I do think it was a good learning experience for the kids, but since Sam spent two years in Kinderpaws (one during preschool and one during kindergarten) it was overkill for us.
Maria had another awesome year, which I discussed in the last post. I am relieved to put off the start of middle school for another year since they are moving the 5th grade to the new elementary next year. Plus she gets to enjoy the brand new school for a little longer.
Ben had a better year due to the lack of any lunch or recess duty. He also served as a mentor for the new music teacher and had a student teacher in the fall. And got a surprise raise a couple of weeks ago - the superintendent changed his 20 extended days to 25 extended days, without any request from Ben. It still doesn't begin to cover the extra hours Ben puts in, but any raise is certainly nice.
All in all, another good year we can feel grateful about. And it marks the end of year #16 for both of us, which means we might be able to retire in 14 more. But we really have no idea if that will actually happen or not!
From a teaching standpoint, a pretty good year. This freshmen class was overall very good, and even though all my classes were over 20 students (usually 25-27), the fact that they were good kids really helped me to enjoy it (most of the time). We did have a new superintendent, however, and he caused problems for some colleagues, including Ben, so I can't say the year was without concerns.
Sam is now done with kindergarten. He had a great year, too, and made some good friends. Waiting for him to start school until he was almost 6 was definitely the right choice, and he has matured so much in the past year.
This was out last year of paying for childcare. The last two years have been easier, since we were only paying for half days, but now we are done for good. After 10 years!
No more Letter Bag! I am happy about this - doing it for two years started to be quite the chore to agree on what item we were going to put in the bag each Thursday night. I do think it was a good learning experience for the kids, but since Sam spent two years in Kinderpaws (one during preschool and one during kindergarten) it was overkill for us.
Maria had another awesome year, which I discussed in the last post. I am relieved to put off the start of middle school for another year since they are moving the 5th grade to the new elementary next year. Plus she gets to enjoy the brand new school for a little longer.
Ben had a better year due to the lack of any lunch or recess duty. He also served as a mentor for the new music teacher and had a student teacher in the fall. And got a surprise raise a couple of weeks ago - the superintendent changed his 20 extended days to 25 extended days, without any request from Ben. It still doesn't begin to cover the extra hours Ben puts in, but any raise is certainly nice.
All in all, another good year we can feel grateful about. And it marks the end of year #16 for both of us, which means we might be able to retire in 14 more. But we really have no idea if that will actually happen or not!
Wednesday, June 3, 2009
Maria's Report Card
Here is Maria's last report card for 4th grade. We couldn't be more proud of her - another great year and a very enjoyable one for Maria as well. She loved all three of her teachers, and I'm pretty sure the feeling was mutual, at least as far as we can tell from their comments to us. This year was much more challenging academically, with changing classes for math, science, and social studies, and larger homework loads including some projects that had to be completed at home. But she worked hard, and rose to the challenge. I can't believe that she will be in 5th grade next year - the top class in the elementary. So at least we have one more year until middle school!
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