Disney World Weekend

After months and months of planning and anticipation, we finally had our trip to Florida where we celebrated Kaelia's birthday in Florida (and Disney World) with our good friends from high school, Adam and Michelle, and their two beautiful little girls.  It was a wonderful trip.  We started off by having a very small, low-key birthday party at Adam and Michelle's house followed by a trip to the beach.  Then we headed over to Orlando for Universal Studios and the Magic Kingdom.

Our first day in Orlando was spent at Universal Studios, and we had an amazing time.  We went straight to Harry Potter World to avoid long lines; it was definitely worth it.  We never waited for more than 10 minutes for any ride, and we took advantage of the Kid Swap room where Justin and I could take turns riding the rides while the girls sat in a little room and watched Harry Potter movies.  The rides were awesome, and the girls were even allowed to go on one of them.  It was the Hippogriff ride, and it was pretty intense for a 3 and 4 year-old.  The girls thought is was awesome, though.  Taelyn rode with Justin and screamed the entire team with pure joy while Kaelia rode with me and just giggled throughout the entire ride.  This was actually Kaelia first roller coaster ever, and it was quite a big one for her first experience.  Afterwards, we enjoyed some delicious Butter Beer and Pumpkin Juice and then headed over the Jurassic Park.  The rides were not quite as intense as Harry Potter World, but the theme was great, and the kids loved the hands-on dinosaur center.  We then ended the day in Dr. Seuss Land for the girls to play.

That night, we checked in to our Disney resort and went down to the pools to swim.  Unfortunately, the pools quickly closed due to thunder and lightning and we had to call it a night.

The next day, we went to the Magic Kingdom which was just as big and magical as we had dreamed. The girls were certainly dressed the part; Taelyn came as Princess Aurora, and Kaelia was Cinderella - both absolutely beautiful.  We decided to head to the back to the park to see Ariel first, so we walked through Cinderella's castle to get there.  Kaelia immediately fell in to character and talked about how we were going to her castle.  Then when we were inside, she showed me all of the paintings on the wall and said, "Look at my pictures.  I did them all by myself!"  It was adorable.  When we got to Ariel's grotto, we rode her ride and then got in line to meet the princess herself.  Taelyn was completely enamored because Ariel is her favorite princess.  Next, we rode a few rides including Dumbo and the teacups and then caught a dancing and singing show back at Cinderella's castle.  Here, the girls saw Aurora, Cinderella, and Snow White dancing with their princes.  This was actually the only time we saw these princesses because we turned down waiting in line for an hour later on to see them in person.  Instead, we saw a line to meet Merida from Brave, and it didn't look too long.  Little did we know, that this line continued on for a while once we got inside the gate, so we actually waited for 45 minutes.  Fortunately, there were tasks to keep the kids entertained: archery practice and Merida coloring pages.  The girls were great at archery and both hit the target.  Finally, when it was our turn to see Merida, the girls were quiet and cranky, and when we left, Kaelia was really mad and said, "Mom, that wasn't Merida.  That wasn't her face!"

To end our time at the Magic Kingdom, we went to a Pooh bear character breakfast where the girls got to hang out with Pooh, Tigger, Piglet, and Eeyore while they had their lunch.  They really like this experience - especially bouncing with Tigger.  Kaelia was so tired, though, that she ended up laying down on her chair and tried to get some rest.  We took that as our cue to head back to the resort.  Once we got there, though, the girls were wide awake again and went straight to the pools.  This time rain did not get in our way, and we spent four hours swimming and sliding down water slides.  Both girls worked their way up the bigger slides in the park, and eventually Taelyn even went down without arm floaties.  They were so happy and fun to swim with!

Our trip to Florida was everything we had hoped it would be and the perfect way to celebrate Kaelia's birthday and spent time together as a family.  Here are some highlights of the trip.

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Kaelia's Birthday

We celebrated Kaelia's birthday a few days after her actual birthday this year, so that she could have her birthday party in Florida.  We stayed with our good friends from high school, Adam and Michelle and their twin girls, Kaley and Ryley, where we got Kaelia a Cinderella birthday cake and opened a few presents.  We also spent the afternoon swimming in their pool.  All of this fun was a prelude for the weekend where we continued Kaelia's birhtday celebration at Disney World.

Kaelia had been waiting for this day for quite some time.  She knew that she would have a small party, and she couldn't wait until we went to Disney World for her birthday.  She had heard about this wonderful birthday for so long that when the weekend actually came, she couldn't believe it was finally her birthday.  After we picked up her birthday cake and told her it was time to sing, she looked at us and said, "Is it my birthday?  Is that my Cinderella cake?"  Then she started to singing happy birthday first while everyone else chimed in a little late.  She even sang "Happy birthday dear Kaelia" to herself during the song.

Next, Kaelia opened her presents.  She got some Disney clothing for Disney World, including a Cinderella nightgown and a beautiful Cinderella dress and crown to wear to the theme park.  She also got a couple of Cinderella carriages and figurines that she absolutely loved.  The day was a perfect start to a magical weekend.

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When in Rome

Before heading back to the US for the summer, we stopped by Italy for a trip to Rome and some smaller trips outside the city.  Quickly we learned that when in Rome…be ready to walk, stand in lines, and eat.  Huge props go to the girls who walked miles each day without every complaining.  There were true stars during the trip with just a little bribery with gelato!

Our 1st apartment was a solid find just 1 block from the Colosseum and Forum. From here we easily caught the metro or buses to all sites. A quaint place in a cute neighborhood, it had a dishwasher, washing machine, wifi, and all the space we needed. They even left us wine, bread, cookies, and other food! We immediately set out to Open Baldini, a burger joint with over 40 beers on tap. While the Belgian brews were delicious and the food tasty, the service was poor. When we got the bill we decided that sit-down meals might not be a daily occurrence when in Rome. On to the Pantheon and a free trip around the huge interior dome which includes the Tomb of Raphael. We then pushed on to Piazza Novona where three amazing fountains were seen. But not to be missed was the gigantic Trevi Fountain, which it is said it you throw a coin into you are certain to return. The girls enjoyed their first gelato while Justin battled with food poisoning and spent most of the night refunding lunch.

Day two required a trip to Vatican City. After a botched attempt to use the buses and trains, a pricey cab ride got us to St. Peter’s Square in time to see the Pope. He makes an appearance every Wednesday when he is in Rome for an address in the square. We stood with thousands as his motorcade paraded the area, then we headed in by guided tour to the Vatican Museums. This is Rome’s most popular attraction that sees nearly 20,000 visitors per day. Filled with more art than you could imagine owned by such a small city-state, they say if you spent 20 seconds looking at each item it would take you 5 years. Luckily, we were most interested in the ceiling of the Sistine Chapel. No pictures are allowed but it is a spectacular site. Luckily we had a guide who explained a lot about it first so we knew what to look at because it is dark, hard to see, and extremely crowded. You cannot talk. After exiting the chapel, we hooked in to St. Peter’s Basilica. The sheer size of this building was enough to humble Christian and non alike.

Not to abuse the location of our lodging, we started day 3 at the Colosseum. While much destroyed and rebuilt over time, it is still quite a sight to behold, and all the better when you arrive early in the morning and not only beat the crowds, but don’t have flocks of tourists in your pictures. The girls were fascinated by the fact that animals used to be housed there and haunted that they were forced to fight; this was by far their favorite site from the entire trip. We meandered across the street into the grounds of the Roman Forum (a ticket into one gets you entrance into the other). From here we saw many remains of the ancient seat of government, including the treasury, the steps where orators would preach, and the senate steps. Most notably, the temple dedicated to Julius Caesar on the site he was cremated.

After a rest, a quick train ride took us to the very busy Spanish Steps. While nice to look at, be prepared to be in the mix with a couple thousand of your not-so-closest friends, Italians and Roman’s alike. Keats is said to have died in his apartment overlooking the plaza. Taelyn had a great time playing on the steps while Kaelia was fast asleep in Justin's arms after another full day with no nap. Afterwardwe walked all the way back to the apartment, using gelato (and the Irish pub) as a motivation to make it. The girls are troopers.

Day 4 and a side trip. All girls and luggage hauled to Rome termini and the mess of trying to figure out how to find trains that don’t have platforms or the correct city on them (note: this was our train, not all trains!). We made it and took the short, beautiful ride to Tuscany and the city of Florence. Narrow, twisting, one-way cobblestone streets made for a pricey and difficult cab ride, compounded by the hordes of tourists. It was like these were walking malls/streets, yet a car would still come down them. We soon learned the lay of the land and ventured past the Duomo, an immaculate church spanning many city blocks, and on to the Accademia Gallery, the home of the great David statute. A hefty entrance fee and hour’s wait later, we stood at the base of the enormous carving, awed by its size (no pun intended). Everything else in the museum just wasn’t as cool. More gelato and a rest took us to a rainy afternoon and a walk past the Uffizi Galary and onto the medieval Ponte Vecchio bridge.

We were up early the next day and heading for the train station, this time on the walk. The train to Pisa was only 1 hour and we arrived, hopped the bus, and arrived at the leaning tower. The tower was pretty cool to see, listing as it does to the side. However, the tourist trap that it is was a turn off as more people were selling stupid shirts, crap items, and peddling watches and sunglasses here than in all of Rome together. We took the obligatory pictures and headed for lunch.

The return trip was hectic starting with a 2K walk back to the train station. It had started to get hot and the kids tired, and we took longer than needed to make it. A 1 hour train and a near miss of our connection in Florence as Justin had to grab the left luggage and Sarah took the girls to McDonalds for the bathroom. Another 1:30 train ride and back to Rome and a 10 min walk to the apartment. However, when we arrived at the address, nothing had the name of the confirmation on it. We waited, asked for help, and even talked to people coming out of the building – no one had heard of the name. Finally a woman we asked earlier came back and said, “That’s my apartment.” Oh. Ok. So in we went. Smaller and with none of the amenities of the last place, it was a bit of a letdown for a more expensive place, but close to Termini so transport wasn’t an issue.

Pasta and Pizza’ed out, we made our own dinner to cap day 5. Day 6 dawned with an early run in Villa Borghese park. Lined with many sculpture gardens, the girls enjoyed a playground and a turtle and duck-filled lake while the adults ran. Then it was off for an afternoon of travel. When you have had your fill of pasta in Italy, where is the best place for meatballs in Rome? Ikea. We followed this with German brews and pretzels at a Bavarian place before heading to the trendy neighborhood of Trastavere. After several hours of failure in getting there, we stumbled in destroyed from the walking. Yet we were met with a great beer join in Ma Che Siete Vente a Fa where world yummy beers are poured. After some street shopping in the maze of markets and avenues, we sat for organic pizza and Italian craftbrews at the Bir and Fud.

Day 7 was no shorter. Again a run, then off. We failed in our destination (a metro then train ride out to a town, long walk only to fine the site closed on Mondays). So we hustled back and made our way 30K out of Rome to Frascati. This cobblestone -filled town is famous for its fresh white wine so we enjoyed a carafe of it on the piazza with some antipasti and some Belgian beers. Done spending money and eating the same dishes, we hit the store to make dinner again. The last day we spend returning to Ostia Antiqua, a 4th century BC Roman city. The ruins were extravagant and vast. We ended with an Irish pub, pizzas on the street, and of course, gelato which we had at the oldest, largest, and cheapest (and best) parlor in the city at Giovanni Fassi just around the corner from our place.

Final impressions – Rome has much to offer and isn’t entirely difficult to get around to the major sites. Beware shortcuts and off the beaten path as roads twist and turn and are unmarked. The size of many of the buildings – especially when taking into account when they were built – make for some great sights, not to mention the history. The roads are a cobblestone mess, an artisan driveway that needed to be redone long ago. Its streets like ashtrays, full of butts and stinking of smoke from the every Roman citizen puffing away at all moments of the day. It is a dichotomy of old and new, 2000 year old views by horse-drawn carriages yet the drivers are on cell phones and charge $200. Florence is very small in comparison and a nice getaway, but lacks the grandiose appeal of Rome. Pisa is a must for the iconic tower but is otherwise forgettable and out of the way.

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Kaelia - 3 Years Old

It is amazing how much Kaelia has grown in to her own little personality during this last year.  She is incredibly funny at times, sweet at others, and angry and sad in between.  To show off her sweet side, she loves to give hugs and kisses and will frequently say "I love you."  This is countered by her angry side where she crosses her arms and says things like, "You're naughty!" or "I'm not playing with you" when she's mad.  This usually happens when someone doesn't share.  When Kaelia gets sad, she usually does a very slow motion sad face until she is in tears with her head buried in her arms.  This typically occurs when she is told no or if she loses a game.  Kaelia can be rather literal and matter-of-fact as well.  Here are a few conversations we have had in the last few months:

Taelyn: It's morning time because the sun's out.
Kaelia: No the sun is in.  The sun is not out, so it is in.

Kaelia: Mommy, you make me laugh.
Me: Kaelia, you make me laugh all the time.
Kaelia: No I don't.  You're not laughing right now.

Kaelia is also full of wisdom from her 3 years of age.  She often tells us profound statements. In fact, there are times where I actually repeat what she says because it just makes sense during certain times in life.  One time, for example, Kaelia wasn't really talking and was acting pretty lethargic while we were all trying to play in the playroom.  Justin and I kept asking her what was wrong that day and why was she acting like that.  Finally, once everyone left the room except for me, she came over to me and whispered, “Mom, I’m just not feeling well today, and I want to be sad.”  It was so well-said and so understandable that I told her she had a great reason to be sad.  A week later, I also got sick and found myself saying the exact same thing.

One of the most dominant parts of Kaelia's personality this year has been her imagination.  She loves to play make believe with her sister as well as on her own.  When playing this Taelyn, they often act out the latest movie that they watched or will play some type of mother-baby scenario.  They take turns being the mother or the baby, and the baby will also cry while the mother will call her "honey" and try to get her to stop. Tangled is one of their favorite movies to re-enact because they are a mother and daughter in this situation too.  The mother will brush Rapunzel's hair while she asks if she can go outside.  Then the mother tells her that it is a very dangerous place and she must never leave the castle.  Again, they take turns in these roles, and they are adorable.  However, the biggest part of Kaelia's imaginary world has been the addition of her two imaginary friends, Jack Frost and Blue.  These two friends are from two different movies, but they have entered in to Kaelia's world, and she plays with them every day.  Jack Frost is often quite silly while Blue is mischevious.  Just this past week, Kaelia ran up to us and then fell to the ground.  When she got up, she said, "Whoa!  Jack Frost just hit me with a snowball!"  We managed to get her to re-enact that one on camera too.

Jack Frost hit Kaelia with a Snowball

To give a little example of Blue's personality, Kaelia was painting one of her arts and crafts when all of a sudden, she started to destroy the pattern that was painting.  Then she started screaming, "NO, Blue, stop!  Mom, Blue just ruined my picture!"  What we love most about Kaelia's interaction with her imaginary friends, though, is the voices that she makes up to go along with them.  Here is an example of a typical conversation with Jack Frost:

Kaelia: Oh hello, Blue.  You can't come in yet because the party is not ready.
Blue (Kaelia's deep voice): Ok, Kaelia.
Kaelia: Come in Blue.  The party's ready and Jack Frost is here!

Kaelia's Chalk Self-Portrait

Other things like Kaelia likes to do is play "dollies" (Barbies) - especially Cinderella and Rapunzel.  She also likes to play on playgrounds.  Her favorite playground equipment is the swings; she would swing all day if she could.

Aside from her imagination, Kaelia has also advanced with her academic learning.  She can count up to 20, knows her letters, and has been working on writing the alphabet.  She has also loves arts and crafts - especially coloring and painting with watercolor paint.  And she has been practicing cutting paper to use on her arts and crafts projects.

Kaelia is now 28.8 lbs. and 37.5 inches tall.  That puts her in the 29th and 50th percentiles respectively.  She is also fully potty trained except at night where she is usually dry but wears a pull-up just in case.

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