12 Hours Straight of Theme Parks (+ Photo Dump)

Wednesday, we got up early again and headed to Animal Kingdom.  My best friend since childhood, Jennifer, joined us and we also met up with my Dad and our friend Ms. B (Basille).  Thomas, Jennifer, Jack and I headed straight to Everest, which I thought was amazing!  It was a very cool roller coaster that caught me by surprise with special effects and backward motion.  The adults all loved it!  Jack--not so much.

From there, we did the River Rapids.  Anna sat out with my Dad, but everyone else really enjoyed it.  Then, it was the safari, Lion King show, and lunch.  My Dad and Basille left after lunch and the rest of us headed to DinoLand.  For the kids this was the best part, in addition to rides there was also a dinosaur-themed playground area.  It had slides, climbing areas, and best of all--a dinosaur dig.  The kids could pretend they were excavating fossils.  They loved it!   Thomas watched the kids while Jennifer and I went on a ride (Dinosaur).  Then, I watched Anna and Kara while Thomas took Jack on Dinosaur.  Another ride that proved to be too scary.  I had read the warnings and was reluctant to have him go, in fact, Anna at one point said she wanted to try and we wouldn't let her.  Jack is generally very brave, and we had talked to him about how it was very dark and loud and told him about the realistic dinosaurs.  He still wanted to try it.  Unfortunately, it really scared him.  I have a picture coming on cd at some point that will illustrate this point.  The rest of us thought it was impressive.

After that, we had had enough of Animal Kingdom, but it was barely 2pm.  So, we headed to Epcot.  We did Spaceship Earth, which everyone liked.  We also road Soaring, which is a new ride and a pretty big headliner.  We all liked it, but I don't know that it lived up to our expectations.  I would say the favorite was Turtle Talk with Crush.  We didn't go into the World Showcase, but enjoyed the few attractions we did do in the Land and the Sea pavilions.

It was now dinner time and we still weren't ready to call it a day, so we took the monorail over to Magic Kingdom.  This time Anna rode Splash Mountain!  It was so fun to have all of us on it together.  When we got off, she said she liked it, but when I asked if she wanted to ride again, she said "no, I don't want to get sick of it."  She is so funny!  We did most of our favorites and were there until closing.  I couldn't believe we did 12-straight hours of parks.  We contemplated going out for ice cream and told the kids if they stayed awake we would go.  Thomas and I weren't ready for our fun day to end.  Unfortunately, Kara didn't even make it to the parking lot.  She slept on the ferry, stayed asleep when we got on the monorail to take us from Magic Kingdom to Epcot.  She almost woke up when we transferred her from the stroller to the car, but mostly stayed asleep.  The funny part was she woke up when we got close to the house and commented, "that was close, I almost fell asleep."  The kids were definitely tired, they didn't even protest when we said ice cream would have to wait for another day.

Our first two days at Disney were definitely a success.  I don't think I had ever before gotten to a park at opening and stayed until closing.  We definitely got our money's worth out of the park hopper option!

They loved the people mover.

Kara said the carousel was her favorite ride.  The kids all got along so well on this trip!

Kara in Dinosaur Dig at Animal Kingdom

Jack after riding Space Mountain.  He loved it, but admitted to closing his eyes. I didn't bother trying to reason with him on that one.

It's a Small World--and I am still singing the song.

Buzz Lightyear ride.  Thomas' score exceeded the rest of ours put together. Times ten.

Pirates of the Carribean.

Jack and Jennifer at Epcot.  Jennifer was a great sport during our lunacy of a 12-hour day at the parks.

I didn't get many pictures of my dad and Ms. B.  We loved spending time with them at the parks.

Disney World!!!

Tuesday was Magic Kingdom day and the most anticipated day of our vacation--at least by me.  Our plan was to visit the Magic Kingdom until about 3pm, return to our house for a break and then head to our 6:10pm character dinner reservation at the Grand Floridian.

We arrived on schedule and were there for the opening of the gates ceremony at 9.  Then, we raced to Dumbo, via the teacups.  We rode lots and lots of rides.  Jack and Kara enjoyed Splash Mountain, but Anna wouldn't ride.  We also took Jack and Kara on Big Thunder, which Kara hated.  I felt bad for telling her it wasn't scary--I certainly remembered that one wrong (well, not that it was scary, but it was a lot more intense than I recalled, I wasn't thinking from a 3-year old's perspective and she was terrified)!  The morning flew by and I would be hard-pressed to choose a favorite ride.  I really love Splash Mountain and I enjoyed the upgrades on the Haunted Mansion, the special effects are just amazing.  Thomas really liked Pirates of the Carribean.  The kids were happiest with the simpler rides, like the Carousel and Dumbo. 

Jack opted to go on the race cars with Daddy.  He rode Dumbo the next day.

We had lunch at Pecos Bill's Cafe and were surprised by how good the food was.

Pecos Bill's.  Thomas loved this place, they had a toppings bar for the burgers. We were pleasantly surprised by the food all week.

Then, we did some more rides and shows. My favorite was probably Monsters Inc.  It was somewhat interactive and they did close-ups of some of the people in the audience to correspond with characters in the movie.  I was thrilled when Kara's picture flashed on the screen as "Boo".  She looked adorable and the audience gave a collective "aawwwnnn."  It was already a fun show, but that was the icing on the cake.We were behind schedule and didn't leave until 4, which gave us just enough time to give the kids baths and rest for about 30 minutes before leaving for our dinner.

For the dinner, we choose the Cinderella Dinner at 1900 Park Fare in the Grand Floridian.  We gave the kids the option of dressing up, which of course they wanted to do.  Since I needed time to work on costumes, they had to make the decision months ago.  Anna wanted to be Cinderella and Kara chose her wicked stepsister, Drizella.  We told her she could be Cinderella too, but she wasn't interested.  I was certain that Kara would change her mind, but she never wavered.  I started her costume, but it proved  too complex for me.  Fortunately, my sister volunteered to finish it for Kara.  Lesson learned, I ordered Anna one off Etsy.  Jack initally was going to wear his Buzz Lightyear Costume, then decided he would like to be Prince Charming, which meant another Etsy purchase.

They were adorable!  We got them dressed and then they ran around calling each other by their character names and fretting that we were "going to be late to the ball."  We were a little put-off when we didn't get seated until 30 minutes after our reservation time, but the annoyance quickly left when we sat down.  The food was great, the characters were wonderful and we had a fantastic time.  When I made the reservation, I made a note that Jack was allergic to peanuts.  They had the information and sent the Chef to our table so he could tell us what Jack could eat.  He also said when it was time for dessert, he would bring something out for Jack.  Jack was really disappointed when the girls started eating their desserts.  Then, the Chef came to our table, set down a monstrous dessert in front of Jack and then drizzled chocolate syrup over the whole thing.  It made him feel very special.  It was nice for him to have the girls be jealous of something he got to eat for once!

My sister did a brilliant job with the costume--we got so many compliments! Thanks Kim!!

THE dessert.  Also, note the kiss marks on his cheek from Cinderella .

Originally, we were going to go back to the park after dinner, but it was around 7:30 and raining, so we  decided to call it a night.

Florida Vacation--It's a Loooonnngg Drive

I have been planning our Disney vacation for months.  So, you can imagine how excited I was when the day of departure finally arrived.  Actually, it was a morning of departure.  We decided to give 3AM another try.  The last time we left at 0300 was two years ago and it was a disaster!  The kids never really fell back asleep and were tired and cranky the entire drive.  But, they are a little older now, so we decided to try and drive straight through and start early.

The night before, we put the kids in their comfiest clothes.  They knew we were leaving in the middle of the night and were anxious to start the vacation.  In fact, when I went and checked in on Jack around 8:30pm, he asked me if it was time to go.  Eventually, we all fell asleep.  Thomas' alarm went off at 0215.  We showered, finished packing the car and then went to get the kids.  I woke up Anna first.  I tapped her shoulder, and said it was time to leave for Florida.  She literally jumped out of bed, grabbed the bag she had prepared for the drive and ran out of the room.  All 3 kids woke up very easily, went to the bathroom and threw on their flip-flops.  We left by 0315.  At 0324, Kara commented that Daddy was right, "it is a long drive."  We were afraid for what was in store.

The treat bag.

However, the fear was unfounded.  It was possibly the greatest drive ever.  Well, maybe not the greatest drive ever, but it was far better than I had anticipated.  We drove for 5-straight hours before stopping.  That made the day go by quickly.  We watched 2-movies, listened to lots of kids cd's, and periodically handed out surprises from a treat bag.  We had figured the drive would take about 16 hours, we did it in about 14:30, which included a nice picnic lunch at the "Welcome to Florida" rest-stop.

We drove straight to my Dad's house and then we all (my Dad, his friend Maggie, and the 5 of us) went out to a pizza buffet for dinner.  It was hard to get the kids back in the car, but I was excited to see the changes in my hometown--namely the addition of Legoland.  After that we stopped off at my brother's house to say hello.  He has a really friendly dog (Shadow) that all the kids loved.  When we got back to my dad's house, one of my best friends stopped by with her husband and son--neither of whom I had had the chance to meet yet.  It was an incredibly full day, but so much fun!

The next morning, I called my sister to see if her family wanted to go out to breakfast.  Her kids heard the message, so there was no way for her to say no.  After breakfast, we hung out at my sister's house and she finished Kara's Drizella costume.  Then, it was back to my Dad's for a family clamboil.  After the delicious dinner, we headed to our rental house in Orlando.  Originally, we were going to stay at Art of Animation, but after our very successful trip to Lancaster, we decided a house was the way to go.

The house is huge and beautiful!  It has 6-bedrooms, so my sister, brother-in-law, niece and nephew came up to spend the weekend with us. The girls took over the princess room (complete with carriage beds) and the boys slept in the pirate themed room.   (No one wanted the room with the Mickey Mouse mural.)   It was so much fun!  Kim (my sister) and Dave (brother-in-law) had a date night Saturday and the kids all played so well together.  They really enjoyed the game room and pool.   Sunday, we went to the Orlando Science Center.  We didn't realize it was $5 Walmart day and the place was packed!  But, it was still a lot of fun.  Sunday night, Thomas and I had our date night.  We went to Colorado Fondue.  We had gone there during our weekend stay in Orlando following our wedding.  We even got to sit in the same booth we did almost 9 years ago.  It was a wonderful night.

Swimming with their cousins in the calm before the storm.

Sunday night, Tropical Storm Isaac started his long passage over us.  Despite being way out in the Gulf, we got a ton of rain that last all Sunday night and well into Monday.  The kids enjoyed playing together, and the grown-ups even got to play a game.  My sister's family left shortly after lunch on Monday (we were sorry to see them go, but they had school and work to get back to).   The kids were finally forced into naptime.  Then, another of my good friends came to see us.  Our vacation was off to a great start.

Thomas entertaining the 5 kids.

The house has a game room with pool, air hockey, foosball, and toys.  Made waiting out the storm much more fun.

Summertime, and the living is easy!

In reality, there isn't much difference in our house between the seasons.  The kids aren't in school yet, so while the temperatures change, our schedule is pretty static year-round.  You will be pleased to know that Kara has stopped swearing (and hitting).  She isn't quite her former sunny self, but overall has been much more pleasant.  Jack has taken over her role as "the difficult one."  (Personally, I think it is okay to label children, so long as: 1) they don't know about it and 2) you are willing to change/modify labels as necessary.)  We have been doing a lot of activities with the local Mom's Club.  Jack has managed to embarrass me at several of these.

Here's an example, on Tuesday we were at a friend's house swimming.  Everyone was sitting around eating lunch, when Jack approached the hostess and asked her "why do you have a big tummy?"  I politely tried to shoo him away, but he would not be deterred.  Instead, he said loudly, "Mommy, I can't go play,  I have to ask her something... Ms. Jane, is there a baby in your tummy?"  Of course, there is no baby in her tummy.  In his defense, it has been baby central around here lately, with several friends being pregnant, and Jack really likes babies.  And, it did provide us with a good conversation on the way home (appropriate versus inappropriate conversation, which did not go so well.  Hopefully, they at least learned not to ask people if there are babies in their tummies.)  Jack was a roll that day, we had to leave early because he refused to follow the playground rules, which consisted of "don't climb the slide."  

The next day, we went to the Fire Department.  The kids loved it!  They got to climb on the fire equipment and learned some good safety information. There was one temper tantrum when I tried to move Jack in the group picture, but we all enjoyed the experience. When we got home, they spent the day pretending to be firemen, which was very cute.  There were some minor squabbles.  At one point, I went in to check on them and asked Jack what was going on, he ran up to me and slapped my arm.  Hard; it left a red mark.  So, it became nap time and he was off to his room.  I often wonder why the kids are never good at the same time.  There is always one (or two) who are "going through a stage."  They are like Siths, there is a master (worst behaved), an apprentice (middle), and a Jedi trying to maintain high standards amid the chaos.  They seem to rotate through these roles.  I am glad they are never all Masters, but I would like some time with just Jedis.

Okay, I am digressing.  Other fun stuff--the kids all got haircuts.  I took them all to the Hair Cuttery (same place we went after last year's hair-cutting incident).  We got there shortly after opening and the place was empty.  One woman took Anna, the other Kara.  I asked them to cut their hair to shoulder-length.  That meant two different things to the two different people, but it's okay.  We also went back to the Natural History Museum to visit the dinosaurs (again).   On the way home, I had another fun conversation with Jack after Thomas noticed that he and Jack were dressed alike in jean shorts and gray baseball shirts:

Me: Jack, you and Daddy are twins today!

Jack:  No!  Anna is my twin.

Me:  But, Anna's a girl

Jack: Yes, but we are both 4

Me:  Daddy's not 4?

Jack <laughing>: No!

Me: How old is Daddy?

Jack: I don't know.  Daddy, how old are you?

Me: Is he as old as the dinosaurs?

Jack: Nooo!  <pause> But, grandpa is.

On a positive note, the kids have been playing really nicely together lately.  They have been very good about including everyone and have found games they can all enjoy.  It has been a lot of fun for me to see their imaginations at work.  They love to build stuff and can be very creative.  I also love that they are developing more sophisticated senses of humor.  It is so fun to hear them try and make up jokes and to make each other (and Thomas and me) laugh.  Sometimes, I just look at them and can't believe how big they are.  It is certainly a fun ride we are on!

Haircuts!  Hard to see here, but Anna's is much shorter than Kara's.

Fire truck fun.

We all enjoy the insect exhibit at Natural History.

Thomas' favorite exhibit.  Apparently, people used these before cell phones were invented.

Babies Out, Big Kids In

There are no more babies in the Wilson house.  Until last week, Anna and Kara were still sleeping in cribs.  Granted, the cribs had been turned into "toddler beds," but they were still basically the same beds they've had since birth.  Anna especially was getting too big for her little crib mattress, so it was time to upgrade.  Now, they are in their "big kid" beds and loving it.

Newly assembled beds.

First night in the new beds.

It felt like a right of passage and was a little sad for me.  We had to make the decision whether or not to keep Kara's crib and our changing table.  Anna's had been recalled, so we knew we had to trash it.  It was one of the dreaded drop-sides, which didn't actually matter for the toddler bed conversion, since the drop side was removed.  But, that meant we couldn't sell it and we didn't feel comfortable giving it away.  Kara's bed was still in relatively good shape.  It definitely looked the best of the cribs.  And, we had the instructions and all the hardware, something that couldn't be said for the other two.  Ultimately, both the crib and the changing table found their way to a nice home and we both feel good about that decision.

While we are on the subject of beds, sometimes Jack feels a little lonely that he is the only person in our family who doesn't have a friend in his room (his words).  I am sure when he is older he will see this for the huge benefit it is, but in his 4-year-old mind, it is currently just sad.  When we were assembling Anna and Kara's beds he was hoping something would break so that they would have to sleep in his room.  Of course, the beds didn't break.  Jack then asked Thomas if he would have a sleepover with him.  Thomas gave him a vague answer and assumed Jack would forget about it.  That night, we put them to bed at their usual time (around 8).  Thomas was surprised when Jack asked when he would be coming to bed.  Thomas said that if Jack was still awake when he went to bed that maybe he would sleep in his room with him.

We both assumed that Jack would fall asleep and watched the Red Box movie we had rented.  When the movie ended, Thomas went to check on Jack and he was still awake!  He had laid in bed for almost 2 hours, just waiting.  He was so quiet, we had no idea he was awake.  Both Thomas and I felt terrible!  After that, there was no way that Thomas could say no.  So, he put on his pajamas, got his pillow, and went to Jack's room for the night.  Fortunately, Jack has a bunk bed, so there was plenty of room for Thomas to sleep (he took the bottom bunk, Jack took the top).  Jack was so excited, he talked nonstop for about 20 minutes.  Then, they decided to watch the Lego Star Wars cartoon, just to make it an extra special night.  Of course, Anna and Kara had been asleep for hours by this time.

After that, I went to bed.  Thomas said it was close to midnight before Jack finally fell asleep.  He loved having his Dad in there with him.  He just talked and talked.  When my sister's family was here for Christmas, my nephew, JD, slept in the room with Jack.  He lamented that Jack talked too much and JD didn't care for the sleeping arrangements.  After their night together, Thomas can certainly relate!  For all the nights he lays there quietly with no one to talk to, I think it just all builds up.  Regardless, it was very sweet and Thomas did spend the entire night in Jack's room.  Unfortunately, I did not get a picture of the two of them that night.

I hate you...DAMN IT!

This may come as a shock, but things aren't always rosy at the Wilson house.  Let me give you a minute to recover...

Sad but true.  Lately we have been experiencing a lot of bad attitudes, particularly from our temperamental 3-year old.  And, her big sister is seeing all of the (negative) attention garnered from these attitudes and has decided to throw her hat in the ring for title of, "most unpleasant child ever."  Right now, it's a tight race.

Actually, we might be on an upswing.  It's been about a month of misery, but (knock on wood) the behavior seems to be improving.  At least a little.  Before it is a thing of the past, I wanted to share a few of my favorite gems:

Scene, the library.  Lots of people reading, on computers, and generally just enjoying the air-conditioned solace of a quiet place.
Me:  Okay, guys it's time to go.  Finish what you're doing and we'll check out.
Anna: I don't want to go.  YOU'RE THE WORST MOM EVER.  WHEN WE GET HOME, I'M GOING TO HIT YOU.  <takes off her necklace and throws it, necklace lands behind the bookshelves. Lots of crying.  Sucker mom removes necklace, bruising arm in the process.>

Discussion on consequences.

Kara: <now that Anna has calmed down, Kara decides she wants the book Anna has, asks>:  Anna, can we trade?
Anna: No.
Kara:  Will you share with me?
Anna: No.
Kara: <shrieks.  Continues to shriek while we check out books.  Shrieks loudly for the entire drive home.>

That was a good one, because I didn't see it coming.  I also liked it because just about everyone stopped to stare.  Not that I blame them, I would have stared too.  [Also, for the record, I have NEVER said to any of my children that I am going to hit them when we get home.  I am a believer in immediate consequences, if I'm going to hit you, it's happening now!  Shoot, who knows who might read this-- so, in all seriousness, we rarely spank our children.  I can't say never, but I can say I don't remember the last time Thomas or I spanked any of them, despite the current challenges.]

Scene:  The car.  Driving home from a dance lesson, where they are all taking a summer class together.  The kids are talking about Dutch Wonderland.
Kara: Am I tall enough for all the rides now?
Me:  No, but when we go next year, you will be.
Kara: <throws shoe angrily>  DAMN IT.  I don't like that.  You're the worst mom ever!
Me: Why are you getting mad at me?  I didn't create the height requirements?
Kara: <skrieky voice> I'm going to take off my other shoe and throw it at you!
Me:  blah, blah, blah, make a good choice.

Fortunately, she did not throw the other shoe at me.  Although, if she had I am guessing I would be able to remember the last time someone was spanked.

Scene:  Fourth of July.  We are enjoying a nice concert with some friends.  It is almost time for the fireworks to start.  I have been holding Kara pretty much all night.

Me:  Actually, I have no idea what I said, but whatever it was really set her off.
Kara: You shut your mouth! <slaps me in the face.>

Poor Thomas bore the brunt on this one.  He took her off my lap and tried to talk with her.  We didn't want to deprive her of the fireworks, but she continued to kick me and hit him, so there was no choice.  Off to the car they want.  Actually, they ended up behind a tree where she was not able to view the fireworks.  Unfortunately, neither was he.  This one actually makes us laugh.  Not in front of her, of course.  But, it was also incredibly random.  And, can you just imagine what would happen if Thomas did that to me?  Or, me to him?  Or, either of us to one of the kids???  The things you can (sort of) get away with when you're three.

I will spare you (and myself) from all of the "I hate you" speech we are getting lately from Anna.  Also, Kara's new favorite thing to say is damn it.  Preferably, in a loud shriek.  Most often, uttered 10-15 times in a row.  Ahhh, the joys of parenthood!

Jack for the most part has been really good.  He did get mad at me this weekend.  I can't remember what I did, but he told me he was never going to hold my hand again and I was the worst mom ever (if you haven't noticed, that's something all 3 of them like to say).  Fortunately, his bad mood only lasted about 10 minutes.  Then, he said he was joking and he would always hold my hand.  I hope that's true.

On a positive note.  More often than hate, it is "I love you."  Sometimes, it is even "you're my best friend."

Lancaster Trip

After my trip to Newport, we had promised the kids we were going to take them on a vacation.  Thomas was supposed to be attending a course the week following mine and the plan was for us all to go up.  They were very excited about going out of town.  Unfortunately, we learned just a few days before we were supposed to leave that his orders had changed and the trip was cancelled.  But, the kids were still anxiously expecting to go somewhere.  We began a search of what new place we could visit that was 4 hours away or less.  We decided to spend a couple of nights in the Lancaster, PA area.

We drove up on Sunday morning and immediately went to Hershey's Chocolate World.  It was incredibly crowded.  So crowded that it was difficult to maneuver in the store area.  We did the ride, shared some chocolate creations in the food court and then watched the 3D movie.  It was really too crowded to do much else, so we did another round on the ride and then left.  Our next stop was the Turkey Hill experience--a definite junk-food-filled day!  It was a fun place to visit.  Kids 4 and under were free, which was all of our kids, so that was a huge plus.  I am not sure it would have been worth the price to pay for everyone.

After that, we went to our rental house in Lancaster.  Our family is now too big to stay in a regular hotel room, so our choice is to either find a suites hotel (none were available), rent two rooms (too expensive) or find a rental house.  It was a cute 3-bedroom house that overlooked a golf course and the kids loved it!  In fact, staying at the rental house inspired us to cancel our hotel reservation at Disney and find a house to rent there.  We did it once before, when coming to Maryland to househunt, and both experiences were really positive.

The rental house even had a few toys, which the kids loved!

Monday, we visited the outlet malls--including a QVC store.  Who knew such a thing existed?  Our visit there was mainly a shout-out to Thomas' grandmother, who loves QVC.  I myself have spent many an hour viewing the Quacker Factory while visiting her, so it was fun to see the store.  We also went into a Gymboree outlet where they were having a great sale.  So, the shopping was fun.  From there, we went to the visitor's center.  I have never seen so many brochures (and, my hometown is just outside of Orlando).  We decided to have lunch at an Amish restaurant, The Good 'N Plenty.  For those wondering, named after the amount of food, and not the candy.  The place was huge!  We opted for the family dining style and not the menu.  Basically, we had no idea what were were doing.  But, that meant we shared a table with two other families and they just brought food out.  It was a massive amount of food.  It was also really expensive.  I think the kids were free and it was still like $60 (for lunch!).  The food was good (and plentiful).  I am not sure we would go back though.  I think it is probably the kind of place you go to once to say you've gone.  I wish I had taken a picture.  I think that dining room could seat thousands.  I just looked it up--4,000 to be exact.

From there, we took the kids to a Pirate-themed miniature golf experience.  The kids were a little young for that.  Or, a little tired.  Or, overwhelmed.  Whatever they were, it did not go well.  It will be another year or two before we try that again.  Anna broke her club, Jack went into the water more than once and Kara just had a bad attitude.  After that we decided to go back to the house for a break.  Another great thing about having a house, we put them each in a different room, closed the doors and they actually rested.  You can't do that in a hotel!

The highlight of the trip was Dutch Wonderland.  After driving by, we were not impressed.  It looked like part of a strip-mall.  When you buy a ticket, they allow you a 3-hour preview the night before.  After nap, we decided to check it out.  We attempted to have dinner at a Bob Evans' first, but after sitting for (literally) 20-minutes without our order being taken, we realized we were wasting previous time.  So, we left.  On to Dutch Wonderland!  Luckily, our first impression was way off.  The kids loved it;  we loved it;  it was fantastic!  The 3-hours flew by.  We went on almost every ride.  Jack was tall enough for everything and only needed to be accompanied on the big roller coaster and one other ride.  The girls were tall enough for most rides, but had to be with an adult.  One ride the girls could not ride was a giant swingset.  Anna mentioned multiple times how she wished she could ride.  So, the next day, we measured her and she just barely made the cut-off, putting her in the same height-bracket as Jack.  Lo and behold, who was actually afraid to get on and opted out?  You guessed it.  Seriously, there was a lot of heavy sighing and "I wish I could go on that.." until it was observed that she actually could.  The grass is always greener.

Me and Jack on the swings that Anna really (didn't) want to ride.

The next day, we were there at opening and stayed until about 6pm before making the 3-hour drive home.  Besides all the rides, they also had shows, we watched two diving ones that were pretty fun.  And, there was a big water area with slides, play equipment, and squirting fountains.  It was actually a little cold, so we didn't spend much time in the water, even though we had brought our bathing suits, which the kids insisted on changing into.


Overall, it was a big success and we really enjoyed our mini-vacation.  Jack's favorite ride was the spinning turtles.  He also went on the big-kid roller coaster.  I was the lucky parent who got to ride with him and it was awesome.  He threw his hands in the air and just laughed the whole ride.  Anna like a river-rapid flume ride.  That was probably my favorite too.  The five of us fit in one log and it had a nice drop.  Kara liked the wonder house. The walls around you move and it feels like you're going upside down in circles.  It made me feel incredibly sick.  I rode once and then Thomas had duty for the next 2-times they wanted to go on.  Just thinking about it makes me queasy!  Jack and Thomas both liked the Turtle-Whirl.  Thomas' favorite memory is riding the swinging ship with Jack and seeing how fearless he was.  That was his first ride and we thought he'd be scared.  How foolish we were!  Dutch Wonderland is perfect for the preschool set and we think we'll try and go back every year until they outgrow it.  Then, we'll move onto Hershey Park or Busch Gardens.  It was a very nice, relatively inexpensive, fun mini-vacation.  It was also good to see how they reacted to the rides, that is definitely helping me in planning out our big Disney vacation later this summer.

Thomas was a lot more nervous than Jack.

The infamous Turtle Whirl.  Jack was riding with me.

The kids loved the hand-cranked trains.  We won't see anything like that at Disney!

The world's slowest sky ride.  Next to the Wonder House, my least favorite ride.