SporTykes

Talmage had his last day of SporTykes on May 21. Of course, they had to make it during the last week of school so I had to miss Kennedy's and Payton's field days. At least I was able to make it to their class parties the next day. Anyway, Talmage has been taking this sports class for 2 years now. He started out when he was 2 (almost 3). Sportykes is a 9 week class that meets once a week for 45 minutes. The class does 3 weeks of basketball, 3 weeks of t-ball/baseball, and 3 weeks of soccer. He was able to take this class with his cousin Lorin. He had the same teacher, couch Laura for all 2 years. Couch Laura is so amazing with these kids. She really loves her job and spending time with them. On the last day of the 9 weeks the parents get to go in and watch them. They start the class by warming up and then they go into their game. At the end of class they all sit in a circle and she gives them a sticker (either a basketball, baseball, or soccerball), then they get a stamp (of a person playing whatever sport they are doing that week), and then they get a sucker. On the last class they get to choose whatever stamp they want and the kids usually want them all so both arms are covered with these stamps. Here are a few pictures of the last class.

Lorin, Coach Laura, and Talmage

Talmage, and Hayden being goalies, and Coach Laura

Talmage playing soccer

Talmage giving me a thumbs up

all the kids stamp and sticker time

Deal #2

My sister-in-law, Melanie had to go back to work after spring break (she works in an elementary school cafeteria). My mother-in-law was going to watch 6 week old Elizabeth while Melanie was at work. My mother-in-law had 2 weeks worth of vacation already planned from now until school got out. One week in the end of April beginning May and another one 2 weeks later. So with that being said Jon's mind started formulating a plan on how we could (rather I could after all I guess it is my turn since Jon redid most of my parents bathroom) watch their baby for some sort of trade.

THE BIG TRADE

This is what we came up with. I would watch Elizabeth for the 2 weeks Jon's parents would be out of town minus one Friday (so 9 days total). Thomas (Jon's brother and yes he goes by Thomas now) took off that Friday (He could do that easily since Jon is his boss.). Then on Friday (May 2ND my birthday), Thomas came over to our house with Elizabeth and watched our 2 kids, Talmage and Hayden who are not in school while Jon and I drove down to Disney World for a long weekend (Friday-Sunday). Thomas and Melanie and their kids would spend the weekend at our house watching our kids as well as theirs (10 in all). The best part is (well besides getting away from the kids for a few days) Jon's parents are Disney Vacation Club Members and they happened to be there that week. So we crashed in with them. We got there around 2:30 pm (about a 7 hour drive if there is no traffic) and basically threw our things in the hotel room (we stayed at the Old Key West Resort) and headed off to Epcot (and yes our year passes were still good they didn't expire for another 22 days). We went to Epcot with Jon's parents. Well, we started out with his parents but split up later. They went to Epcot in the morning while we were driving. Since we were staying on Disney property Epcot had the extra magic hours that evening so it was opened 3 hours later just for people staying on Disney property. So it closed at midnight for us. Most of the people I know are night owl. I am not, so staying awake till midnight was a tough one for me. I am lucky to still be awake at 10:30 pm during the week and 11:00 pm during the weekend. We were able to see and go on everything we wanted except for test track. When we got to Epcot (about 4 pm) all the fast passes to Test Track were already given out and the lines never went down enough for us to do that and Soarin. So we chose to do Soarin. This was the first time Jon and I have been able to do Soarin together (by the way this is Jon's favorite Disney ride). We usually have to baby swap it because Hayden is too short. I am proud to say I made it till the park closed (all thanks to the 45 min Universe of Energy ride we did at 10:30 pm Zzz!) The next morning we went with Jon's parents to Magic Kingdom. The last time they went to Magic Kingdom was when Jon and I went down with them 4 months after we were married in 1994. We did rides with his parents and had lunch and then they headed back to the hotel and Jon and I hopped on a bus to Animal Kingdom. We only did a few things there. We wanted to do Everest since we have only done it one time for me and 2 for Jon. The line was too long and the fast pass distribution times were for a time much later than we wanted to stay at Animal Kingdom. One of my favorite rides in Animal Kingdom is the Safari ride. They really do an amazing job at the way they keep the scary and dangerous animals (lions, cheetahs, elephants etc) looking like they could leap right on top of you if they wanted to, all the while there is a pit that is camouflaged. I saved the safari pictures for this post since I didn't take very many pictures of this trip.

After Animal Kingdom we hopped back to Magic Kingdom and did the rides we had gotten fast passes for that morning (Space Mountain, Buzz Lightyear) and a couple more rides by then the lines were way longer than we wanted to wait so we headed back to the hotel.


Jon and Gretta on Buzz light year ride Yeah Yeah I know I cheated and took of a picture of the picture they want you to spend $15.00 for!!



Once back at the hotel we took a boat from our hotel to Downtown Disney. I wanted to eat a big Ghiradeli sundae for dinner. When we got there, the ice cream parlor part of Ghiradeli was closed for refurbishing. They candy shop was open (so I grabbed a couple free samples and left). We had to settle for some other ice cream place (I think it was Hagen Daz not too sure). It wasn't the same the sundae wasn't meal size so we had to get some other food to tied us over.
Sunday morning we finished packing up our things and loaded the car up. Jon's parents took us out to breakfast at Fort Wilderness. We drove to Fort Wilderness and from there took a bus to the restaurant. While an the bus we passed by the camp grounds, cabins, horses for horse back riding, and the night show Hoop De Doo Revue. A little further is the Fort Wilderness Resort Hotel and Suites (for those of us who like the wilderness feeling but love a good nights rest that would be me). I would love to stay in one of those cute little cabins. The buffet was excellent. Love the Mickey Mouse waffles. They are too cute. Then it was time for the drive home. Traffic wasn't bad since it wasn't a holiday. So we made it home in about 7 hours. I felt very refreshed and was happy to see my kids again. We had a wonderful time with Jon's parents. This was the last time we used our Disney passes for real this time. I know I said that after Spring Break. Until next time Disney. We love you.

Two weeks later I was on baby duty again. Which by the way was the last week of school. So that was kind of crazy. Thanks to Jon who helped out a bit with watching the kids so I could go to Payton and Kennedy's end of the year parties (it worked out great they were on the same day back to back). Brenton had his party at someones subdivision pool after school.

Talmage feeding Elizabeth

Well that is it for our deals. We are always on the look out for deal #3. Any takers?? We may have a couple in the works.

School Carnival

Every mid April, our kids elementary school has a carnival. It is one of the big PTA fundraisers (beats trying to sell wrapping paper). They do it outside in the fields. They sell tickets for the games, pony rides, petting farm, face painting, nail polishing and inflatable jumping/slides. They also sell wrist bands to go on the jumping/slides all you want rather than use many tickets. They also have a raffle of donated items. You buy raffle tickets and put your ticket in a box of the thing you might want and if they pick your ticket you win. Some of the teachers also do raffle. So if your in their class you can put a ticket in their bag and you could win whatever they are offering (like no homework pass, eat lunch with your teacher, movie night, etc). Payton won her teachers raffle. It was for 6 free Popsicles from the cafeteria. She was able to get one a week till the end of school. They also have lunch catered. This year it was Slopes B-B-Q. They had hot dogs, shredded pork or chicken sandwiches, with chips, and lemon aid. I brought my camera, but didn't take any pictures (probably the kids were going every which way) except for at the animal petting area. I think the kids liked this the best. It was a fun afternoon and the weather was great as you could see we were all in shorts.

Talmage feeding the goats

Kennedy feeding the goats

Hayden with the animals

Our Year of a Million Dreams

For Spring Break we went to Disney World. Last May 2007, after much calculation and Jon's famous charts he loves to make on the computer we decided to buy a year pass to Disney World. Last May we wanted to go to Disney World right when school got out. Actually, we pulled the kids out 3 days early (from previous years we have found out they turn all their books in the Friday before school gets out so the last week is filled with field days, movies, games, and parties). We wanted to go to Disney before the summer heat and crowds hit. Our first thought was to buy a 10 day pass (the more days you buy the cheaper the price is per day). But then we were thinking we wanted to go back right after Christmas and with those two vacations it was cheaper for us to buy a year pass. With that in mind we decided it would be cheaper if we did all of our vacationing in Disney World (and boy did we do all of our vacationing in Disney World). We have really gotten our moneys worth with these tickets. We went in May 2007, Jon and I went for a long weekend just the 2 of us in August, we went for a week during Thanksgiving, after Christmas, and for Spring Break. I think all in all we spent 30 days at Disney parks this past year (Jon and I a few days more).

Well enough of that now back to Spring Break. This is the first year I think we have gone on vacation during Spring Break. We usually tend to stay home and go on vacation right when school gets out (1 1/2 months later). But with our Disney passes expiring the day school gets out we thought it's now or not for awhile. I voted for now. It took me a little bit of persuading Jon to go. With such a large family the only way we go to Disney now is by renting houses. It is much cheaper than getting 2 conjoining hotel rooms or a suite that fits 8. Their are many people from the UK who buy houses in Orlando to rent them out to vacationers. The houses are 15 minutes away from Disney. Many of the houses have there own screened in pool (we like to get the spa too), wireless Internet, free long distance phone calls (even some international since many people who rent these houses are from the UK), and they have converted there garage into a games room (pool table, air hockey, foos ball, etc). I wanted to go for a week Sat-Sat, but we ended up getting a great quote on a 5 bedroom house if we only went for 6 days (they were trying to fill in their 6 day gap) so of course I jumped on it. We tend to spend on average $130.00 a night for a 4 or 5 bedroom house (some houses are double that so we shop around for a while). This includes tax and pool/spa heat (which is a must in the winter).
Our Disney schedule begins before we leave for Orlando. Jon types down all the days the parks open an hour early and close later for people staying on Disney property and those are the days we avoid. So we get to the parks right when they open and go, go, go until either at lunch time or just after depending on how much we were able to get accomplished (we usually spend 2 days at Epcot and Magic Kingdom and sometimes MGM depending on how many days we have and 1 day at Animal Kingdom). Then we head back to our house and some nap while the others swim. Then after dinner, we either go back to the parks for a few more rides and a night show, go to Downtown Disney, or stay home and swim. Since only 3 of the parks have night shows we usually only go back at night 3 times with the whole family. Jon and I have been taking turns doing a big kids night. We usually take 2 or 3 of the older kids (no strollers) and go to the park of their choice and do a few things. This trip it was my turn and I took Brenton and Payton and we started off at Epcot and took the monorail to Magic Kingdom (I have always wanted to do this but don't think I ever have) we left right before the firework to beat the crowd and watched the fireworks on the monorail.
Our Spring Break is always the first full week of April. So with Easter being in March a lot of other schools either have their break either the week before Easter or the week after Easter. So the crowds weren't too bad.
Enough typing already on with the pictures.

Our first day was Animal Kingdom.

Connor, Talmage, and Brenton

Brenton and Kennedy digging for fossils

Brenton and Kennedy

Hayden

Hayden at Rain Forest Cafe. . . . . . .. . . . . . . . . . . . . Kennedy with Cha Cha

Kennedy at Rain Forest Cafe


Our second day was Hollywood Studios (formerly known as MGM).


the new Playhouse Disney show

Talmage in front of Lightning McQueen and Mater


Magic Kingdom was our third and fourth day

Hayden with a huge lollipop

Kennedy in front of Pirates of the Caribbean

Payton and Kennedy in front of Princess Minnie

Payton . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Hayden

















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Brenton and Connor. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. . . . . . . . . . . . . . Talmage, Jon, and Hayden

Our fifth and final day was at Epcot. They were having there flower and garden festival going on so I took lots of pictures by all of the cool character plants and flowers.

Sand sculpture

Payton and Kennedy at the butterfly garden. . . . . . . . . . . .Kennedy with plant and flower Minnie

The whole gang

Talmage in front of a robot. . .. . . . . .Talmage, Brenton, and Kennedy in front of beach Pluto

Butterfly garden. . . . . . . . . . . . .Brenton, Kennedy, and Talmage in front of the three Caballeros






















Brenton and Talmage Crocodile from Peter Pan. . . . . . .Talmage and Brenton with Captain Hook

.Hayden ringing a bell at the Peter Pan play ground





Connor with Peter Pan


Swimming in the pool

Talmage. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Kennedy

Hayden

Easter in March?

I can't believe Easter is in March this year. I know it has been in March before but never this early. It kind of threw me off a bit. A week before Easter we had our 3rd (or is it 4th don't remember) annual Easter egg hunt with the Bugees, Tadys, and Edwards. We all fill 10 eggs full of candy for each kid in our family (so I had to fill 60) and my mom fills 2 for each grandchild so they get to find 12 eggs. We have been doing it at the Tady's house the previous years in their backyard. This year it was raining so we had it indoors at my mom's

house. We hid the eggs in the spare bedroom. We did it by age group so we hid 36 eggs for the toddlers to find, then we went to the 4-5 year olds hidding them a little harder as the ages went up. The kids had a lot of fun.

Then of course the Saturday before Easter we dyed our eggs.

Every year we try and get a decent picture of the kids in their Easter clothes. Well, after about 10 pictures (Hayden crying in everyone) this is the best we could get (and this was the first picture I took).

Hayden, Talmage, Kennedy, Payton, Connor, Brenton