Big Changes in the Moore House!

Well, it is official ... we have a PRE-K big boy in our house! Andrew started Pre-K this Thursday and it went off without a hitch. In fact, we were hanging around after we kissed him goodbye and he said, "Mom, it's time to go!" He was so matter-of-fact about it and it was as if he had been at his new school his entire life! He is really excited and seems to love it and we are thrilled with the school.

To be honest, it was all a bit overwhelming for me as a working mom because there is ton of volunteer opportunities, lots of parent involvement - all things that I have wanted and one of the main reasons we enrolled him in this school - but it is going to take me a bit to learn the ropes!

Look at our big boy in his uniform!


In related news, Tyler will be starting a new school next week to be close to Andrew. He went for a visit last week and it went well, so we are hopeful that he will transition easily. We have also been working on saying goodbye to his pacifier this last week -- my little guy is getting so big too!

Home Sweet Home - Day 8

I woke up early on Saturday thinking that I might go for a swim to find that a storm was rolling in. The beach was deserted, it was raining and the waves were strong so I woke Doug up and told him about the storm. It was the easiest I have ever gotten Doug up early in the morning -- as soon as he heard about the storm, we quickly packed the car to start on our journey home. Again, we were lucky that the weather waited until we were leaving to roll in!

Before we left Florida, Andrew told Doug that he wanted to stay and grow up there --- awww, clearly Andrew loved vacation!

The ride home went a lot faster than the ride to Florida, mostly because we were on a no stopping plan until we hit a big accident just outside of Texas that held us up for nearly an hour. The boys were great and I spent the trip back alternating between napping, surfing the net on Doug's blackberry, and blogging. We made it home in time to have Pei Wei for dinner before calling it a night. We were happy to have Sunday to recoup, unpack, do laundry and relax before heading back to work and school on Monday.

Until next time ...

Battling the Jellies – Day 7

I woke up early Friday morning (although not that early!) to go for a run before hitting the beach with the boys. This time I decided to try my luck at running on the beach with my shoes on. I spent the run trying to avoid the waves with mixed results. My shoes got a little wet, as did my socks, so I switched my socks at the half-way point (to put my dry sock on the foot that was starting to blister). Overall, the run was tough, but my research from Runner’s World says that running on the beach is a great workout and burns 1.6x more calories than a regular run, so at least I had that going for me.

After my run, we had breakfast and then we all went to the beach for the morning. Sand castles, digging holes, swimming, oh my! We all took a break for lunch and then Andrew and I went back to the beach to take a walk, look for shells and do a little swimming while Tyler napped. It was during our walk that we discovered that jellyfish were starting to come ashore (there went my afternoon ocean swim!). Andrew was very interested in the jellies - in part because Marlin and Dory "battle the jellies" in Finding Nemo. We spent a lot of time studying the jellies and looking for jellies to safely catch with a net to get them off the beach.





Life's tough on the beach!






After more playing on the beach it was time to get ready for our family photos and then head to dinner at the Back Porch where we watched Michael Phelps beat the Serbian by .01 seconds in the butterfly. The crowd at the bar went crazy when he won, it was really cool. After a full day, we were all pretty tired, especially Andrew ...

On the Road Again – Again! – Day 6

We woke up Thursday morning to rain and were immediately thankful for our good fortune to have had such great weather both in Destin and Orlando (we missed the bad weather in both places). Apparently, it rained in Destin the whole time we were in Orlando! I let the boys sleep in while I went to the gym and when I got back Doug went to get breakfast while the boys and I showered and packed.

After breakfast and check out we started the trek back to Destin. This time we took I-75 and saved a bit of time. We arrived back in Destin in time to spend about an hour on the beach before dark. It was a great way for the boys to let off some energy they had built up in the car. While the boys and I cleaned up from the beach, Doug went to Fat Clemenza’s to pick up pizza for dinner. It was worth the wait! We watched a bit of the Olympics before calling it a night. Another sunny day (perfect timing!) was waiting for us.

Andrew liked to wear my fins in the car ... this is how I found him when we stopped for a potty break ...


Tyler playing in the sand and showing off his favorite feature - his tounge!






Best artistic photo I could muster without a tripod at night

Woody’s Cowboy Camp – Day 5

If you do any research about Disney before you go, one of the things that you will immediately stumble across is Character Dining. Basically, you go to a decent buffet and the characters come around to your table, sign autographs, take pictures, etc. We went to Goofy’s Kitchen for dinner when we went to Disneyland so I wanted the boys to have another character dining experience at Disney World. They are very popular (and costly) and when I called to make reservations for our stay they had one, yes one, spot left. 7:20 a.m. Against my better judgment, I took it.

I was seriously regretting the breakfast reservation after the long day on Tuesday, but Doug and I decided to keep it and we got the boys up at 6:30 a.m. for breakfast. They both fell asleep on the car ride to breakfast. Breakfast itself at Chef Mickey’s wasn’t that great and while the characters did their mandatory stops, they were not as interactive as the characters at Goofy’s Kitchen. I was a little disappointed (especially since we were seated in a dark area which made it difficult to get any decent photos) but Andrew was happy and that is what really matters. Tyler liked to look at the characters from far away but he didn’t want to be next to them – at all. Pluto and Minnie both made an effort to try to get him to come over to see them and surprisingly he did go see Minnie and give her a hug, but he wanted nothing to do with Pluto. He did enjoy waving bye bye to the characters though, go figure!

After breakfast we went straight to the park to start our second day of magic. We conquered Fantasyland and Toontown on Tuesday and we planned on doing Frontierland, Adventureland, and Tomorrowland on Wednesday. When we got to the park the first thing we noticed was how much easier it was to move around – clearly getting there early has its advantages. Plus, apparently, Wednesdays are typically slower days. We headed off to Frontierland and the good luck of the day started.

Right as we were entering Frontierland, Woody’s Cowboy Camp was starting, which is a 15 minute interactive show put on by Woody and his round-up gang. Woody is a character from the movie Toy Story and it is one of Andrew’s favorite movies. Andrew got to participate in the show by riding a wooden horse and then dance along side one of the Cast Members to the Hokey Pokey. He was really excited about the whole thing, and to be honest, so were we! Doug and I have also seen the Toy Story movies more times than we care to count and we like Woody too. 

After the show, Woody and Jessie stop for a meet-and-greet next to Splash Mountain so that was our next stop. Woody ended up having to “check on Bullseye” (his horse) so he did not return for photos. So, Andrew hugged Jessie, got his photo taken and Woody’s handler told us when to come back to get our Woody photo.

Tuesday was a great day at the park, but everything really seemed to keep falling in line for us on Wednesday. After the photos we went to Big Thunder Mountain Railroad to get a Fast Pass. Fast Passes are the best thing ever at an amusement park! Basically, you get a pass that tells you what time to come back to the ride and you get to go through the Fast Pass line, which is usually much shorter than the Standby line.

While we were waiting for our Fast Pass time for Thunder Mountain we decided to go to Adventureland since we didn’t want to go on Splash Mountain (no desire to get wet). Right as we were walking into Adventureland we caught the end of a pirate show and Andrew was able to get his photo taken with Captain Hook and Mr. Smee. He loves the movie Peter Pan right now, so he was really excited. The handlers told us what time to come back to meet Peter and Wendy – perfect! We took a quick side detour back to Froniterland to meet Woody and take pictures and then it was back to Adventureland. We were right next to the Pirates of the Caribbean ride and the line was fairly short so we decided to give it a whirl. While Doug went to park the stroller I chatted with one of the Cast Members. She asked how many were in our party and I told her and she told me that she was going to take us to a special entrance. She took us around the back and straight to the front of the line! No waiting at all! It was awesome! Andrew said the nicest thank you (as did we), which I thought was so polite. The ride itself was a bit scary for the boys since it is so dark inside and a tad spooky, but they made it through.

After Pirates, we went to the Magic Carpets of Aladdin, which ended just in time for our date with Peter Pan and Wendy. Doug went to get a Fast Pass for the Jungle Cruise and I took Andrew the spot where Peter Pan’s handler said to go. Andrew was first in line and he was so excited when they walked up. His favorite part? Wearing Peter Pan’s hat – Peter was nice enough to put him on it and Wendy gave him a kiss. They were the nicest characters we met the whole time we were there. I think part of the reason for that is that they are really the only characters we met that were in costume without the big heads. Those characters don’t actually talk, they just gesture. Regardless, Peter and Wendy spent several minutes chatting with him and they made his day. Several hours later, Andrew whispered to me, “Mommy, I got to wear Peter’s hat!” It made quite an impression on him!

After our side adventures in Adventureland we went back to Frontierland (they are right next to each other) to ride Thunder Mountain. The Fast Pass came in handy because the line was 50 minutes long and we were on and off in less than 10 minutes! The best part – it is considered a mid-level coaster and Andrew loved it! When it was over he said, “That was so fun!” This ride (Goofy’s coaster and Stitch’s Great Escape) were a handful of the rides that had height requirements so Tyler could not ride. In cases like this, Disney offers something called a Parent Switch (or something like that) where one parent goes on the ride with the child that meets the height requirement and the other parent stays with the child that does not, and then they switch. It was great for Andrew because he got to ride the coaster twice with almost no wait. With that, we were finished with Frontierland and Adventureland and we were off to Tomorrowland. We saved our Fast Passes for the Jungle Cruise in Adventureland for later in the day (Disney gives you a one hour window on when to come back to use your Fast Pass, but they will let you come back late -- even hours late -- just not early. We learned this on Tuesday when we were late for Peter Pan because we couldn’t get there due to the Fireworks).

As soon as we arrived in Tomorrowland we met Buzz Lightyear (Woody’s best friend) and another one of Andrew’s favorite characters. As soon as we met Woody, Andrew said he wanted to see Buzz. Our good luck continues! We got a Fast Pass for Stitch’s Great Escape and Buzz Lightyear’s Space Ranger Spin and then went to Monster’s, Inc Laugh Floor. After an ice cream break Doug took Andrew on Stitch’s Great Escape (it has a height requirement) and Andrew did not like it at all. Doug said he was sobbing but because they were strapped in individually he could not even hold him to comfort him. Andrew told Doug, “I don’t want to ride that again.” Clearly, we did not use our parent switch for that ride! We hit the Tomorrowland Transit Authority (a train ride on top of the area) and Buzz’s ride when Tyler finally fell asleep. He had only taken a quick cat nap earlier in the day. While Tyler was napping Doug and Andrew drove on the Indy Speedway race track while Tyler and I went on a stroll down Main Street. Everyone was getting pretty tired by this time, so after the race track we decided it was time for one last ride before calling it a night. We used our Fast Pass for the Jungle Cruise and then said goodbye to the Magic Kingdom and started our trek to the car. 1 hour later (literally) we were finally sitting in the Suburban and leaving the Magic Kingdom. We had a quick bite near our hotel and then called it a night. Our trek back to Destin was waiting for us in the morning.

Breakfast at Chef Mickey's






The surprise hug!







Woody saying hello to Tyler


Andrew at Cowboy Camp


Jessie the Yodoling Cowgirl


Andrew and His Round-up Gang


Aye! Captain Hook and Mr Smee






Andrew wearing Peter's Hat - Notice that Wendy is holding his hand!




To Infinity and Beyond!


Mommy and Tyler on the Tomorrowland Train


Our last photo at Disney!

Have a Magical Day! – Day 4

I woke up early Tuesday morning to hit the gym for an hour before getting the boys up. I needed to bike and the gym only had one, ancient recumbent bike so I made the best of it and read my free USA today while I was biking. I read a lot of Olympics coverage which was inspiring as I pedaled away. After my workout, I got the boys up and we all got ready for our first magical day at the Magic Kingdom. First stop – McDonalds for breakfast before hitting the park. First, let me extol the virtue of McDonalds yogurt parfait – it is awesome! Breakfast was pretty stressful because Tyler (who woke up in a perfectly happy mood) was being very difficult and he kept screaming and crying for no reason at breakfast. Nothing was making him happy and I was getting pretty frustrated, which was only exacerbated by the looks I was getting from other patrons. I have learned to never give “that look” when a child is having a tantrum or a baby is crying because now I am empathetic instead of irritated. Point of clarification – I still get very irritated when parents let their children run wild, but that is a different situation.

After breakfast we headed to the park. First you park and then either walk or take a tram to the ticket center. Then you take a ferry or the monorail to the actual entrance of the Magic Kingdom. Uggh. Could they have made it any more difficult? We clocked how long it took us to leave the park the next night and it was right at an hour.

When we finally got into the Magic Kingdom Andrew set his eyes on the train that crosses right at the entrance and he decided that he had to ride the train. Right then. Doug stopped for a second to adjust the stroller and Andrew was practically dragging me towards the train. So, we got on the train – yeah! And then Andrew said the words that parents hate to hear – “I have to potty!” Translation – I am about to pee in my pants because I have had to potty for the last 30 minutes and I am just now getting around to telling you about it so I need to go right NOW. Thankfully, Mommy was smart enough to bring a change of clothes for both boys. Andrew actually did a great job of holding it, minus a couple of dribbles.

With the train ride behind us, Andrew was a bit calmer and we set out for Fantasyland and Toontown. The day itself is really a blur … we didn’t leave until after 11 pm, a very full 12 hours later! Highlights of the first day included visiting Mickey Mouse and Minnie Mouse in Toontown, Andrew getting to ride his very first roller coaster, The Barnstormer at Goofy’s Wiseacre Farm, two spins in the teacups (the last one had no wait because it was 10:45 p.m. and we couldn’t resist), Peter Pan’s Flight, Cindarella’s Carousel, Dumbo the Flying Elephant, the Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh, a play stop at Pooh’s Playful Spot, watching “Dream Along with Mickey” stage show, the 9 pm parade and the fireworks display.

Lest you think we are mean parents, we did stop along the way for snacks and an early dinner. Tyler napped twice on my back in the Ergo (best invention ever for children!) and Andrew rested (but did not nap) in the stroller when it got dark.

We had a great view for the parade because one of the Cast Members that I stopped to ask a quick question ended up giving us a choice spot, and then to top it off, played ball with Andrew while we waited for the parade (we watched from the spot where the parade ends). The fireworks display was awesome as well (note – don’t even bother trying to maneuver through the park when it is happening because people camp out to watch it and because it is dark it makes it nearly impossible to get around).

We also did our souvenir shopping and Andrew picked out a Mickey Mouse light saber / sword and a light up Buzz Lightyear toy. Tyler got a Mickey stuffed animal and I got them a hat/t-shirt combo. Plus, we got the boys Mickey ears, of course!

Andrew fell asleep in the car before we left our parking spot. He was snoring before we left the parking lot. Tyler fell asleep shortly after Andrew. It was the easiest I have ever gotten either of my boys to bed! Not taking a nap sure has a way of exhausting a little boy!

Andrew on his first ride of the day - the tea cups!


Ty sleeping while Andrew rode the tea cups


Andrew with Minnie Mouse


The Moores and the Mouses


Peek-a-boo ... playing in Pooh's Play Spot


Tyler showing his displeasure about having to leave Pooh's Play Spot


Andrew on the Carousel showing off his "cheese" smile


Drew with Dumbo the Flying Elephant


Andrew and Daddy riding Dumbo


Ty wearing 3D glasses, alas we didn't see the show because Andrew had to potty


Andrew running and playing in line (pretty much standard operating procedure)


The Parade



Sweaty Mommy (it was a long, hot day!) with her Boys


Andrew having a blast on the teacups ... no line!


What a day! The aftermath ...

On the Road Again – Day 3

I woke up early Monday morning to start packing and to go for a swim before getting in the car again for the 7 hour journey to Orlando. I started by doing laps in the hotel pool and I was disappointed in how out of breath I felt in the water. Michael Phelps, I am not. After warming up a bit, the swimming got easier and I decided to go for a swim in the ocean to see how it felt. I was pleasantly surprised at the buoyancy I felt in the salt water. My swim coach told me that it would feel easier, but I just didn’t believe it, I guess. I only swam in the Gulf for 5 minutes or so because I had to get back upstairs to shower and finish packing to make our 10:00 a.m. check out time.

After rushing to get everything packed in the car, we managed to check out on time (turned in the keys before actually leaving the room) and we ended up leaving the Condo property around 10:30 or so. It was a rainy morning after two beautiful days, so we didn’t mind leaving the beach.

Before leaving Destin we went to Fudpuckers (a local restaurant) to see their Gator exhibit. They have over 100 live alligators and you can feed them and even hold one and take a picture with it, which we did. It was a fun little side excursion that Andrew really enjoyed.

We hit the road for Orlando around Noon. Florida’s time zone changes from Central to Eastern around Tallahassee so we lost an hour on the way to Orlando … on top of the hour we lost because we followed the GPS directions instead of common sense and ended up taking a smaller country highway to Orlando instead of I-75 the whole way. We didn’t even realize the mistake right away until Doug noticed that we were one of the few vehicles on the road and he said, “We can’t be the only people driving to Orlando”. Oh well, it probably extended the trip (in time, not distance) but the boys were being good and Doug and I had a good laugh about it. Plus, I decided to pull out the laptop and start blogging, which has allowed me to stay on top of the posts!

We finally got to Orlando and checked into the Sheraton. I am proud to report that I got 3 free nights using my Starwood Points! After checking in we headed to Downtown Disney for dinner and to start getting Andrew excited about being at “Mickey’s House”. Parking was – get this – free. Side note: I was shocked that parking was free, but it is not the first time that Disney has surprised me. I am impressed that Disney doesn’t charge for children under 3 years old (I would have expected 2 years to be the cut off) and that they let you bring coolers to the park with drinks and food. After walking around Downtown Disney we decided on dinner at Earl of Sandwich, which we both really enjoyed. Then it was back to the hotel to get ready for a full day at the Magic Kingdom. This is when we realized that from now on we have either get a suite or a room with a bedroom and a sitting area (separated by a door) because it was tough to get Andrew to fall asleep while we were up getting things ready. He didn’t fall asleep until midnight (yikes!), which means that I was up far too late as well!

Andrew and Daddy holding an alligator


My boys


The gators


Trying to feed the gators


Road Trip - how awesome is this license plate?