Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas

This was our first Christmas on our new house so there was much to celebrate!!!

We started off the month with a trip to see Santa. In true fashion, the children were less than thrilled to see Santa. And the background at the Bass Pro Shop paints an even funnier picture in the card. Christmas in Texas! Seriously, I think this picture could make Ellen it's so funny.

There were many other fun Texas things to experience in the store...

 

The kids had a holiday party at their school. Owen wouldn't even go near Frosty but did sing a song about him. Maddi took a picture but only because she was sitting on Brett. I think there might be something wrong with our children...

One night we got on our PJs and loaded the kids into the car to drive around and look at lights. There were some really great ones in the neighborhood!

Santa and our family and friends were very good to us year and we all had so much to be thankful for.

Maddi's first Barbie from Aunt Jen:) 

Best wishes for a safe and prosperous New Year!

First Trip to Disney World for the Kids!

Part 1 (Sunday)

This past we took the children to Disney World for their first visit. I grew up going there so this was about my 14^th time but it was so much more magical bringing my kids. Seeing them light up and seeing their face filled with excitement was just priceless. We went with my Dad and Stepmom so it was fun to share the experience with them.

We arrived Sunday in the early afternoon. We stayed at the Hampton Inn just outside of the park. If your kids are young (where they won’t really appreciate or remember the themed hotels on property), I would definitely recommend considering staying there. It was extremely affordable, a short drive to the parks (there was a shuttle too) and includes free breakfast. Which hey, when going to Disney you get gouged every time you turn around so anything free is just short of a miracle.

After arriving we went to Downtown Disney to grab some lunch. We went to T-Rex to see the Dinosaurs. It was so much fun and Owen was in awe. He loved seeing the dinos roar and checking out all the scenes. Maddi was a little scared at first (Owen was a bit too,) but warmed up and enjoyed it as well.

Not so sure about the dinos...

In the evening, we went to the Magic Kingdom for a special event called Mickey's Very Merry Christmas. I have never been to the parks during the Christmas holiday so this was a treat for me too. And it did not disappoint. There was snow on Main Street, a special parade, fireworks, hot chocolate and cookies and of course the rides. But the most magical thing of all was seeing the castle decked out in ice. It was SO beautiful, I could hardly believe it.

 

There were almost no waits at all of the rides so we were able to power through a ton in a short amount of time.

Ariel's Grotto

Carousel Ride

It's a Small World

Peter Pan

Then we went and checked out the fireworks which were so amazing up against the castle with the ice on it. Just amazing.

We ended the night with the special Mickey and Minnie holiday parade. The kids made it to Midnight and a great time was had by all. It was a great start to the trip.

Part 2 (Monday)

On Monday we got up and did it all over again. Back to the Magic Kingdom for more fun!

Main Street Parade

We of course went on lots of rides which the kids loved. And it’s always fun to go back on old favorites and try some new ones too. (Although I’m still sad they got rid of Mr. Toad’s wild ride. I loved that one.)

Dumbo

Roller Coasting

Teacups with Daddy

Maybe too much fun:)

Something new that I had never done was the Hall of Princesses. Maddi is getting into princesses now so we thought she would enjoy it but she was not real keen on the idea of going up and taking pictures with strangers. For some reason my kids have an extreme aversion of anyone dressed as a character or in a costumer. I guess if you think about it they are strangers and often look creepy, but it’s still weird for them not to want to interact with them at all I think. Anyway, we still got some cute pics and maybe next time we go back she will be more into meeting them.

One of the main highlights of the day though was Owen getting to join the Pirate League. My Stepmom had done some research and learned about this awesome experience where kids can get dressed up as pirates for the day and be part of a Pirate Parade. Owen is really into pirates so this was such a treat. He decided he wanted to be Jake (from Jake and the Never Land Pirates on Disney Junior.)

Outside the Pirate League

Waiting for his Transformation

 Getting ready to spin the wheel and take the oath

 Being turned into Jake!

 Receiving his sword and instructions

 

After getting all dressed up, the kids then marched in a Pirate Parade and participated in a show with the Pirates. It was so much fun and we all had a blast. A definite must if you have a pirate-loving kid (there is one for girls tooJ)

The night ended with the old time favorite, the Laser Light Parade. It was really special to me to be able to share in this with my kids as I have loved it since I was one. And it’s fun to see the same old characters they have had for decades.

More shots of the beautiful castle at night.

Another great day and the kids made it all the way until the park closed at 10. Real troopers!

Part 3 (Tuesday)

Knowing the first two days were going to take a lot out of the kids, we planned Tuesday as a down day for them to relax, recoup and just have some fun around Downtown Disney, etc.

My Stepmom (Barbara) and I decided it would be fun to hop on over to Universal Studios so we could check out the Harry Potter world that we had been talking about going to see since it first opened. It was really fabulous and so much fun to be in that world.

First we stopped at the Three Broomsticks Café for some lunch and Butter Beer (YUM!)

Then we just walked around Hogsmeade and checked out all of the different shops and sights.

 Hogwart's Express

 Honeyduke's Candy Shop

We then took part in the Olivander’s Wand Shop demo where they chose a child from the group and acted out him getting chosen for a wand. It was lots of fun.

There were also a few rides. I went on the Hippogriff roller coaster which was cute, but definitely made for little kids. But the ultimate experience was in Hogwarts where you go on a ride that takes you through a bunch of scenes from the movies. It was really exciting and a must-do if you go there.

All in all it was a really fun time. We only went there to do that so it seemed kind of small and didn’t take up much time but if you are already going and looking to spend the day at that park then it is a good amount of time in one area I suppose.

On the way out we stopped by the Dinosaur section to snap a pic for Owen.

While we were off at Universal, my Dad and Brett took the kids to Downtown Disney to check out all of the Lego figures which are really great.

The day wouldn’t be complete without Maddi doing her cute antics.

And her Daddy, who posed as a creepy adult version of Jake.

So much fun. I know I will smile from these memories for a long time.

Part 4 (Wednesday)

Wednesday we were back at it again. This time we headed over to Animal Kingdom. Which believe it or not, I've never been to. So I was just as excited as the kids to check it out.

Having done some research, we made a bee line for the Safari first. If you go, you should hike your tail to the back of the park and do this first. There are less lines and the animals are out in the AM. Sometimes when you go in the afternoon you will not see them.

It was really, truly amazing to see those animals so up close and in a “natural” habitat. Really something. I thought Owen’s head was going to pop off he was so excited.

After the Safari, we took the train over to the kids’ area Conservation Station. There they participated in a scavenger hunt, checked out bugs and saw a bunch of other animals too (including a petting zoo with goats.) It was really fun and they of course loved being on the train.

 

Next we moved on to the Bird Area and had a lot of fun checking out the map and trying to find all the different species. I loved the fruit bats. They are fascinating.

Brett and I went on the Mt. Everest ride. It was incredible!!!! So much fun.

The kids really enjoyed all of the dinosaur areas including the Boneyard where they got to dig around and ride on some rides.

Last but not least is the Tree of Life. This tree is outstanding with all of the intricate animal carvings that are all over it. Just incredible. And inside the tree is a fun 4D film.

While this park is not as big as the others, it had plenty to entertain us and I’m really glad we went there.

Because it closed so early we went out to dinner afterwards. Here my Dad and Maddi got to be corn monsters together. So precious.

Part 5 (Thursday/Friday)

On our last park day, we went to Hollywood Studios. I wasn’t totally sure if the kids would like it since most of the activities tend to be a little older but they LOVED it.

We didn’t know about this ahead of time, but when we got there we found out that kids could sign up to be a Padawan and fight Darth Vader. So, we signed Owen up and got into the last session of the day due to a cancellation. So lucky!!!

After signing him up, we went over the Star Wars ride. It was lots of fun and while Owen was pretty scared, he was also excited and ended up doing it a second time with Brett since there was no line.

After the ride, he built his own droid in the Droid Factory.

And he got to sit on a speeder bike for a quick pic:)

We then headed to the Backlot Tour since that usually fills up fast. The most exciting part was my Dad and Stepmom getting picked to be in the show!!! And watching my Dad get water poured all over him (not to worry, he was covered.)

Owen loved Indiana Jones and Honey I Shrunk the Kids.

Neither kid liked the new Pirates of the Caribbean experience. They screamed their heads off because they were scared and we thought it was downright stupid. Disney will need to fix this new attraction if they want people to continue going to see it…

Both really enjoyed the Disney Junior show which showcased all the shows that they love to watch and the characters. They were singing and dancing right along to the shows and music. (Although in true form, they would not go anywhere near the characters during the autograph signings.)

Brett and I got to have some fun of our own while my Stepmom and Dad watched the kids and went on the Tower of Terror and Rock 'n Roll Hall of Fame. Love them both!

At night we went to see the Fantasma show. It was packed and honestly not worth it with little kids. They were scared the whole time and we would have been better off doing some of the rides that were busy while the majority of the people were watching the show. But the adults enjoyed it at least.

After the show, it was getting late and there were still two things left that we really wanted to do. One was the Star Wars show and the other was the 4D Toy Story ride which we heard was amazing and had a Fast Pass for. It didn’t look like Owen would get to do both, so we had him choose and he chose the ride. I was very proud of him for making a decision and not throwing a fit about it. And the ride was one of the most exciting things I’ve done in all of Disney.

After we got off the ride, he and Brett ran ahead to try and make the Star Wars experience. Because it was so close to the actual time and a while after he was supposed to get there we didn’t actually expect him to get in. But to our surprise when the rest of us arrived, they let him in!!! It was so exciting.

Now, Owen is a bit obsessed with Star Wars, so I knew that he was really into the idea of fighting Darth Vader. But, given his apprehension around characters, I didn’t think he would go through with it. But he did. And was mesmerized by it. I honestly think he thought it was real so that is why he did participate. And he did a wonderful job listening and then taking his turn. I’m so glad he got in to do this. It was a perfect end to a perfect trip.

First they took an oath and learned how to fight.

Darth and the Stormtroopers made their way in and Owen loved every second of it.

Time to use what they learned and battle!

Darth was defeated!!!!!

Good job young Padawans.

Friday morning we headed back to Houston. We chose not to go to Epcot since the kids were so young but we had an absolute blast at the other parks. And the first week in December was an absolute perfect time to go. There were virtually no lines and the weather was gorgeous. If you can swing this time period, I would highly suggest it.

All in all a wonderful week! Can’t wait to do it again:) And a special thanks to my Dad and Barbara for helping us plan it and making it so wonderful.