New Swing Set

Today we finished enough of the kid's swing set for them to finally get to play with it. I think they really enjoyed it. I started work on finishing the set morning. After a bit Alyce came out to help me. She drove in a few screws and served up some pretend cookie dough ice cream. After a while Alyce said she was getting hot and needed some "cold ice water". She left me to go inside and a few minutes later she came back with bottle of ice water for herself and one for me. Never had water tasted so good.

The rock wall still needs to be attached and until I do that we'll have to hold it for them as they climb up. Later, Papa helped me get the swings installed. Immediately after the kids ran out to make use. Alyce didn't have any trouble getting on the swings, however, she was having a lot of trouble keeping her flip flops on. We didn't mind that she wasn't wearing them but she certainly did.

Strabismus Update

Before our trip to Disney World Alyce had her annual eye checkup. As mentioned earlier Alyce was diagnosed with Strabismus at an early age and had surgeries to correct it. Now every year we take her in for a checkup. I'm not worried about her eyes no longer aligning but the checkup also consists of a vision test so we know that Alyce's vision is tested annually by an expert in the field.

This year's visit wasn't without some excitement. Turning onto the road leading to Children's Hospital our car with Mom and Alyce in it was hit broadside by a driver that had run a red light. To see it in text makes it seem worse that it really was. Both Mom and Alyce had no injuries and 2 weeks without our car and $6,000 later (paid by his insurance) we were made whole again.

The worst part about these appointments is that you are always waiting. Waiting for the initial test. Waiting to get eyes dilated. Waiting for the dilation solution to work. Waiting to see the head doctor. It's all very frustrating. The whole thing took the better part of 3 hours and we were probably face to face with a care provider a grand total of 15 minutes.

Pushing all of that to the side Alyce's eyes are doing great. Her vision (focus) is fine and in the doctor's words "Alyce is the text book example of a successful eye muscle surgery". We were really pleased to hear that.

Alyce will always have a few hitches when it comes to her vision though. If she puts her head to one side or the other her eyes can go misaligned and it looks kind of weird. The doctors told us in the past there isn't anything they can do to correct that without affecting her normal heads up vision. You take what you can get I guess.

Alyce Helping With Her Swing Set

For the past few weekends I've been working on building Alyce and Luke a swing set. We purchased the set some time ago but were waiting on some concrete work to be done before it was to be assembled.  Now that Alyce is getting older and wants to be a builder I thought it would be fun to share the experience with her and she'd learn how to use some tools in the process.

The first few steps in construction I completed with my friend Josh's help.  The pieces were large, required some lifting, and we were under some time constraints so we kept Alyce away. Now that I'm nearing the end I wanted to include Alyce.

One night this week after dinner Alyce came out to help me.  The goal for the evening was to assemble and install the two seats for the club house and to assemble the rock climbing wall necessary to get up to the second floor of the clubhouse.  The first thing we did was to go over the instructions for this step and for me to show her what parts we needed. Alyce helped locate the tubes for the seats and helped get them in the right locations. While I was holding the pieces, she would run bolts through the holes, and I would tighten the nut on the other end.  Alyce got her first experience with a crescent wrench and its ability to adjust its size with swipe of a thumb. Getting the seats on the tubes was a little difficult. So much so that Alyce couldn't even turn the screw driver. She was a bit disappointed with that but after some encouragement she moved on.

Next we assembled the rock wall. This required lots of pieces of wood, some measuring, and driving of lots of screws. Alyce was a lot of help for me on this one. Together, working off the instructions we were able to get all of our wood lined up. I drove in a few screws to get everything lined up and after that Alyce and I shared the work. Alyce would hand me a screw for when it was time to drive in screws on my side and when it was her turn I'd start the screw and she'd use my cordless drill to drive it in the rest of the way. She didn't hold the drill correctly but I didn't mind. I also taught her the basics of reading a tape measure. I showed her how to count inches to see how far apart something was. I left fractional inches as a lesson for another day. When the wall was assembled Alyce found the rocks in the big pile of materials all by her self. By this point she was getting antsy to try out her new ladder so I rushed ahead and installed the rocks myself.

When finished I took the pieces and her out back to the assembled structure. I need to do some modifications before I can permanently affix the wall to the club house but it was still usable enough for Alyce to climb up top. She seemed very pleased with herself, however, without the slide being attached she didn't know what to do up there and wanted to get down after a minute or two. I need to hurry up and get that slide installed.

I'm really enjoying spending time with her. Sure it slows down progress but sometimes the journey is as important as the destination. I doubt she'll remember this instant but the next time Alyce sees a tape measure and knows how to use it it'll be because I've left a piece of myself with her.

A Gift From Alyce

While Mom and I were at the movies Grams brought Alyce with her to go see GiGi. While visiting Alyce made a gift for Mom and I. It was a cutout of a heart and folded into the card. On the front of the card it read "I love you!" and inside it was a family picture. From left to right it is Luke, Alyce, myself, and Mom. Alyce seemed very proud of herself and we were very happy to receive such a nice gift.

As always it pleases me to see that when she portrays us we are smiling.

Oh

Last night Alyce gave everyone a good laugh. Alyce and Luke were over at Gram's and Papa's house for quiet time so Mom and I could go see a movie. Following the movie and dinner it was time for us to go. As we were putting the kids in the car I lowered all the windows to vent out the hot air in the car. Alyce must have not noticed the windows being rolled down because she started yelling to Mom and I "I can't roll down my window"! As the last word was rolling off her lips she reached up to touch or hit the glass.  Much to her surprise her hand went right through where the window would have been and outside the car. Immediately after we hear Alyce say in a sheepish voice "oh".

Artwork

I just wanted to post a picture of some of Alyce's latest artwork. It is proudly displayed on the refrigerator. The fireworks picture is done with crayons and stickers. The other two are with paint. Enjoy!

Swimming Pool Breakthrough

This weekend we had a significant swimming pool breakthrough! Alyce went down the slide all by herself! Up to this point Alyce would have nothing to do with the slide and if she did manage to get to the top of the slide she would wait for us to hold her hand before she would go down. Luke her younger brother of 2 years already goes down the slide by himself but Alyce would have none of it.  All of that changed this weekend. I'm not sure if it was peer pressure or just the decision to do it but Alyce started going down the slide by herself.  When she did go down the first time both Mom and I cheered and clapped for her. I think Alyce was proud of herself too.

On top of the slide Alyce also started jumping into the pool without holding onto our hands too! Before then she would jump in but always had to maintain contact with Mom or I. She'd still only jump when we were nearby and she wanted us to catch her but separating ourselves just a few inches away is a major step.

One item that has been the most help in getting Alyce to do these things is a hat. How can something as simple as a hat do that? Well our slide area has lots of sprays and fountains which make the whole area act like it's raining. Alyce hates getting her face wet so avoids the whole thing. This weekend I gave her my baseball hat and even though it was too big for her head it kept the rain out of her face and she entered the rain without hesitation. Her floatie also deserves some credit. Her floatie is a combination water wings and life jacket. It goes on easy, doesn't inhibit movement, and provides a lot of stability so she doesn't bob in the water. Both Alyce and Luke have them and they love them.

Good job big girl both Mom and I are really proud of you.

Disney World Day: 6 Part 2

The second half of our last day at the park was just as good if not better than the first half of the day. Following naps and dinner we hopped on the bus heading back towards the Magical Kingdom. We were going there to see the Electric Parade and possibly the fireworks show if the kids were up for it.

While waiting for the bus it started to rain just a bit. We didn't mind a light sprinkle and continued on. The closer we got to the park the harder it started to rain. By the time we walked in the front door it was really coming down. We knew all of the rides would be closed so we took the stores for a bit of shopping hoping the rain would pass like everyone else in the park. Mom also wanted to get one final autograph, Minnie Mouse's so we got in line for that as well. While waiting for all of that to come to pass I kept the kids entertained by showing them episodes of the Roadrunner and Wil-E-Coyote; blasphemy in the House of Mouse!

After our visit with Minnie and Mickey the rain had stopped and we went out pick our spots for the Electric Parade. I asked a nearby worker where would be a good spot to sit for the parade. His response was disappointing; the parade had been cancelled. I guess since it rained so late into the night Disney was unable to get the parade ready by its scheduled time. Mom and I were saddened. Alyce on the other hand was devastated. She had fixated on this one item and to have it taken away brought on instant tears. To salvage the evening Mom and I were willing to do just about anything. We immediately fixated on the cart selling glowing toys. I found it hypocritical that Disney would cancel their parade yet still continue to push their overpriced crap on overtired kids and parents at the end of their rope. I however was glad they were there because we gave Alyce a choice of any toy and $15 later Alyce was the owner of a new light up Minnie Mouse toy and the parade was a distant memory. The best $15 dollars ever!

We took a trip over to the Adventure area of the park and took a nighttime ride on the Aladdin ride. The Aladdin ride was just like the Dumbo right but held twice as many people. We walked right on and had a great time.

After Aladdin we used up the last of our snacks on some Mickey Mouse ice cream sandwiches. In my opinion the Mickey Mouse ice cream sandwich is the best ice cream available at the parks. I highly recommend you try one if given the chance. I also recommend Disney's chocolate cake. It comes in a small cup with chocolate icing and Mickey Mouse sprinkles. It's divine.

To finish up the night we ventured toward Tomorrow Land. We hadn't done a single ride in this section either so we tried to hit the ones with short rides that wouldn't scare the kids; we were mostly successful. The first ride we rode was the People Mover. This ride is as tame as they come. You ride a little cart throughout the tomorrow land area passing through different dioramas. I most we were traveling 5 mph. For about 30 seconds the ride rolls through a pitch black section and Alyce and Luke both flip out. Mom and I are like "what the heck" and tell the kids to pipe down having run out of patience for such things. Following that we rode on the Carousel of Progress. This ride had been there for ages and Mom and I have never rode on it. It was a pretty cool show that put how far technology has changed in the past 100 years. What I found funny was that a lot of things shown to be in the future are already here today. It's got a catchy song too.



Following Tomorrow land we caught the tail end of the fireworks display. After that we called it a night. When finally back to the room and the kids in bed the clock read 11:30. This night and the night before taught us the lesson we should have learned early on. It is better to keep the kids up late in the cool of the night than to force them through the hot of the day. Even though you'd be dealing with overtired kids it is better than hot kids. Too bad it took us so long to figure it out.

Disney World Day: 6 Part 1

For our 6th and final day at Disney World we wanted to jam as much into the day as we could. We knew we could burn the kids out as we didn't have to keep them fresh for another day at the park. With Luke this would turn out to burn us pretty good but that is for another day. This day was all about Alyce. This was her big day!

Since even before we booked our trip to Disney World we knew of and wanted Alyce to do the Bibbidi Bobbidi Boutique.  The boutique as I'll call it from now on is a special experience at Disney World. It is a place where little girls are made into princesses. For a price your little girl can get dressed up in one of many princess dresses, wear princess shoes, hair styled, makeup done, and fingernails painted. Getting dressed up was the first order of business. Our appointment was right at the park opening. So we got everyone up early, dressed and out the door earlier than we had at any point during the week. We were able to skip breakfast because following Alyce's transformation we had an appointment to have breakfast with the princesses.

The entire princessing of Alyce overwhelmed her a bit. She didn't cringe or hide from all that was being done. She sat there very focused and not moving a muscle. The stylists or Fairy Godmothers in Training attempted small talk and Alyce did answer their questions but she wasn't bouncing off of the walls. Alyce chose a Cinderella dress, shoes, crown, and scepter (big surprise). When it was all finished our little girl was a princess! There was one problem though. The night before Alyce got a bug bite on her forehead and in the morning her bangs were covering the red bump. Now that her bangs were whipped into an up do the bump was front and center. We didn't get to worked up about it since there wasn't much we could do. As part of the package we got a few pictures taken of Alyce in her outfit both by herself and with the senior Fairy Godmother.

We had a few minutes to spare before our breakfast appointment so Mom took the kids on It's a Small World and the carousel. I in the mean time got some Fast Passes for the Big Thunder Mountain Railroad for Mom and I rode on the Haunted Mansion ride. When that was all finished Mom checked us in early for breakfast and they let us in right then and there! We stood in line inside the Enchanted Castle to get our pictures taken with Cinderella.

Following pictures we went up the spiral staircase to have breakfast with princesses. Breakfast wasn't much to write home about as there wasn't much on the plate for the price you paid. However you weren't here for the food you were there for the entertainment. Throughout breakfast just about every Disney princess came out, greeted each table, gave autographs, and stood for pictures.

When breakfast was finished we pushed the kids around the park a bit and took yet another ride on It's a Small World. If you haven't figured it out yet that ride was the kid's favorite. I think they would have been content riding that ride over and over again all day. It is a good deal as far as rides are concerned. The line moves quickly, the ride takes forever, and the entire thing is air conditioned. The only downside is that you get that crazy song stuck in your head for the rest of the day.

Mom got a chance to ride the Thunder Mountain Railroad. While she was off doing that I was keeping the kids happy in the shade. Both kids were out of the stroller and that was when a great picture of Luke was taken. One neat feature that Disney is doing in their parks is a service called Photo Pass. The Photo Pass service consists of a lot of photographers hired by Disney to be staked out in some of the most photogenic places in the park. You hand them a card with a unique bar code on it and after the photographer take a few shots they scan the card and the pictures are linked to your account. They will also take pictures with your camera as well. We didn't do that too much and it did come back to bite us but that is for another post. While the kids were running around a Photo Pass Photographer came by and snapped a quick picture of Luke with his head between two handrails. It was a unique moment captured in time where Luke was showing his true colors. Of all the Photo Pass pictures taken that one was our favorite.

The second to last thing we did at the park that day was to ride the Liberty Square Riverboat around Tom Sawyer's Island. There was no line and I thought the kids would get a kick being on a boat watching the world go by. It was really starting to get hot at this point and Luke was showing signs of wear. Alyce on the other hand was a rock. I'm guessing it had something to do with the princessing but never once did she complain that she was hot or that her feet were bothering her. The shoes she was wearing didn't look comfortable and being clear plastic (glass slipper) her feet didn't have anyway to breath. I could see the moisture on the inside of her shoe. Mom and I were impressed with her endurance.

When it was time to leave neither kid voiced a complaint. Before we left we took one detour to ride the Monorail.  We didn't go anywhere as we just rode the loop from the park to the parking lot and back again. Following the Monorail ride we headed for the buses and back to the resort for a nap before we finished our final night at Disney World.

Disney World Day:5

Our 5th day at Disney World was our off day.  Up till now we were at a park just about every second we had available.  Today instead of going to EPCOT we decided to stick around the resort and enjoy the pool.  That being said we didn't ignore EPCOT.  I woke up early and went to that park for the open.  There is a ride there called Soarin that on average has a line of 100 minutes. This ride was on my to do list but I didn't want to subject the family to the line.  I got there when the park opened rode the ride and grabbed a Fast Pass so Mom could ride later during nap time. It was a neat ride and I'm glad I rode it but I don't think it is worth a 100 minute line.

Following my solo trip the family hit the big resort pool.  Like a few days before Luke rode the slide while Alyce hung out in the big pool.  After a bit I brought Luke over to Mom and Alyce and we hung out together.  We were having so much fun I wanted to record it and got a waterproof film camera at the the gift shop.  We haven't gotten those pictures developed yet but I think they will turn out great.  It's been years since I used a camera without a screen.  I had to reacquaint myself with a viewfinder. Hah!

We pulled the kids out of the pool to snag some lunch before naps and a return trip to the Animal Kingdom. This is where we had one of our nightmare moments of the trip. I'm guessing we had both kids in the pool too long and let their stomachs run empty. As we sat down to lunch both kids where crying. Maybe crying is being too kind, they were sobbing. Who knows what they were crying about but Mom and I knew if they would eat they'd be fine.  However, they wouldn't take a break to put any food in their mouth.  Then right when it couldn't get any worse Alyce accidentally dropped her food onto the floor. And just when you thought she couldn't get any louder Alyce kicked it up a notch. At that moment I don't know where this came from but I just started laughing. Laughing at how both our kids were crying at what was supposed to be the happiest place on earth.  Mom didn't share in my finding of humor. She confided in my later that she was about to cry at that moment. Luckily only a single chicken nugget was lost to the floor and the food falling on the floor kicked Alyce out of her funk and she started eating. Luke after drinking his milk regained composure enough to start and finish his lunch.  20 minutes after lunch was over both kids where laughing and having a good time. With kids you always ride the fine line between laughing and sobbing.

After naps and Mom's trip to EPCOT to ride Soarin we took the bus ride back to the Animal Kingdom. As written about earlier when we were there the first time we didn't get a chance to finish everything.  However, we almost didn't get a chance to hit the things we missed. On our way to the park some rain was moving into the area and all of the rides at Animal Kingdom were shut down. We weren't deterred, walked past all those leaving, and took the few free minutes to do a bit of shopping. While waiting Mom got a dress for Alyce and a shirt for Luke. I kept Luke occupied by rolling and bouncing back and forth. At one point the ball that hadn't been paid for rolled out of the store! I quickly retrieved and brought it back in but the employees were cool with it and even played with us for a few rotations.

Even though it was still raining we decided to look around to see what we could do from what was available. We ended up stumbling upon exactly what we came to the park to do. On the video we had at our house before we left for vacation it talked about how you could dig for dinosaurs at the park. Alyce fixated on that and repeatedly asked to do it. We knew that the dinosaur dig was accessed via a playground called the Boneyard which was closed. We walked passed an area that looked to be covered and protected from the rain; we decided to take a look.  Well it turned out it was the dinosaur dig and it was open! The slides and other parts of the Boneyard were closed but they let people in the back as long as they didn't climb on the steel structure.  Major win for us! We didn't even want the slides, just the dig, and we had it pretty much to ourselves.

The dig was as big of a hit as it was built up to be. Alyce and Luke both enjoyed themselves digging in the gravel unearthing the bones of a woolly mammoth. Really the bones were concrete copies of a mammoth's bones but Alyce didn't need to know that. Adults aren't supposed to help dig to leave room for others but it was so empty I joined in on the fun. It isn't every day you get to dig for bones. After a while the kids got kind of bored with the bones and we went off in search of a ride. We found one in the TriceraTop Spin.  The spin is a loose copy of the Dumbo ride in the Magic Kingdom however it doesn't carry near the attention as Dumbo. Throw in some light rain and we had the ride to ourselves.  After our first ride the workers told us we didn't have to get out and go around to the entrance. Instead we got to stay on the ride for another run. Alyce and Luke both thought this was awesome. I'd say this is the most fun they had on a ride up to that point. After a total of 3 turns on the spin we took our leave and headed for home. We had to get up early the next day as it was Alyce's big visit with the princesses.