Orlando

As you probably already know, the second part of our Orlando trip was not fun.  Our fourth night there Hannah, Samuel and I came down with a terrible stomach bug.  Bobby kept the kids on the pull out bed in the living room and was up with them all night long.  The poor babies couldn't even keep water down.  I was in our bedroom feeling so miserable from being sick and not being able to take care of Hannah & Samuel.  Praise the Lord that Amos slept through the entire night - which included Sammy vomiting in our bed and housekeeping coming to change the sheets & clean.  

The next day (Wednesday) we were keeping fluids down but still tired and blah.  Our housekeeping lady, Jag, was such a blessing to us!!  She cleaned our room like it was her favorite thing in the world to do.  She gently carried Sam back to bed after she put fresh sheets on and then made swans out of (new fresh) towels to entertain the kids.  And let me tell you, with three people sick we used ALL the towels and the kids didn't always make it to the bathroom/trashcan.  I loved her.

The day we left she hugged the kids goodbye.  I filled out the survey card for her and plan to write a letter on her behalf.  

We still struggled over the next few days.  Hannah was sick a couple of times Thursday morning but was better by the afternoon.  I was worried b/c we had planned to meet Bobby's aunt and cousins for supper that evening.  We made it though.  Sammy was sick a couple of times Friday morning but thankfully recovered so we could finish Universal and head home.  We only stopped once on the way home because we still didn't have appetites and were still exhausted from being sick.

We survived though.  I was humbled by not being able to be in control and giving that job over to Bobby.  Who was amazing by the way!  He has always been the best husband/father ever but that night was just more evidence of this.  

Here are pics of our supper with Aunt Patti, Mike, Sean and Mary as well as our last day at Universal...

Beautiful

I have so many blog posts in my mind...I need to write about our last day at Universal Studios, our trip to Durham to visit Dave & the twins and what we've been doing with home school lately.  We're finally getting settled down now that Upward is over and we're home until May.  I've been spring cleaning and organizing like crazy but our house definitely needed some TLC after months of neglect.

Today was such a sweet day.  We didn't do a lot but I feel like I got so much accomplished.  I sat in the floor with the kids and played what they wanted to play.  We worked on mini greenhouses (made from empty rotisserie chicken boxes) for school.  I'll post pictures soon.

This afternoon, as supper was cooking in the stove, I gave Amos a bath in the kitchen sink.  He splashed happily and "chatted."  From where I was standing I could see Hannah & Samuel, dressed in their new cowboy/cowgirl outfits, jumping on the trampoline. 

It's these small moments that encourage me as a mother.  Bathing my plump little baby and smelling his hair as we snuggle.  Watching my two older children playing happily and laughing together.  I know I'm probably not making a lot of sense.  It's just hard to put into words that feeling that catches you by surprise as you go about your day.  That feeling that, even though it is so hard sometimes - and there are times I want to just walk out the door - this job of being a mother is fun and crazy and full of adventure.  It's sweet and wonderful and I don't want to be anywhere else or doing anything else.  Soon enough they'll be grown and all I'll have are these pictures and memories. 

Islands of Adventure

 Yesterday was the first day of Bobby's training so I took the kids to Islands of Adventure solo.  I felt like Supermom by the end of the day...we managed to time potty breaks, lunch, and snacks with Amos' nursing and diaper changing schedule.  That made things a lot easier.  Since we had a map I was able to plan our day the night before so I knew where all the snack shops, restaurants and bathrooms were located.  Plus I mapped out how we would tour the park.

First thing we did when we got to the park was head straight for Marvel Super Hero Island so Sammy could have his picture taken with Spiderman.  We got there 30 minutes before Spidey was scheduled to begin pics but he was already there (bless your sweet heart Spiderman!)  This made for a really short line.  

I have to say that whoever that guy was, he was awesome.  He talked and joked with the kids several minutes before posing for the picture.  He stopped and showed Sam had to make his webs and stopped them before they left so he could give them an autograph.  

Then we headed for Seuss Landing where we spent the first part of our day.  This was hands down my favorite part of Islands of Adventure.  It was so bright and colorful and fun.  Plus I just love Dr. Seuss books so that might have had something to do with it.  We got there right in time for a meet & greet with the Seuss characters - Sam-I-Am, the Grinch, Thing 1 & Thing 2, the Cat in the Hat and the Lorax.  Poor Grinch, Amos kept pinching his arm during the picture!

After that we quickly rode One Fish, Two Fish, Red Fish, Blue Fish where Hannah got us sprayed with water.  We caught a show of the Lorax where the Grinch chose Hannah to dance with.  Then we headed for lunch at the Circus McGurkus Cafe Stoo-pendus.  We finished Seuss Landing by riding the Caro-Seuss-el and the kids didn't even fight over which character they were going to ride.

We sped through the Lost Island and Hogworts (which was entirely too crowded with people drinking Butterbeer.  It would have been neat to try some but I would have probably had to given over all three children as well as any future offspring.  We didn't dare to go into Honeydukes either.)

There was barely anyone in Jurassic Park, which was nice since this the kids were really excited to visit the dino nursery.  We got there just in time to see a "velociraptor" being "hatched".  It was a girl named Penelope.  Then we spent some time scanning eggs in an ultrasound machine to determine what kind of dino they were.  We played in the Jurassic Park play land and checked out some neat dinosaur bones.  

We quickly moved through Toon Town and finished in Marvel Super Hero Island.  We got there just int time for some superheros to zoom down the street and then spread out for some photo ops.  We immediately followed Wolverine (Sam's first choice) and was third in line for a picture with him.  Then we waited a few minutes to meet Captain America.  After that both kids wanted to meet Storm and Rogue.  Once we got there, Sammy became shy and didn't want his picture taken.  So Hannah went up and was chatting with Rogue.  While they were talking, Storm came over and started talking to Amos - which I thought was so sweet.  When Hannah was done with pictures we were about to walk off when Storm walked up to Sammy, gently took him by the hand and led him over for a picture.  She knelt down, talked to him for a few minutes and then they posed for a picture.  I'm sure the people behind us wished we would hurry up.  But I really liked & appreciated Storm (and Spiderman too) since it seems like she really loves kids.  You can tell people who like children from people who don't.  

We were finally ready to head back to the hotel.  The kids were tired and hot and thirsty.  We spent the rest of the evening eating and swimming in the pool.  Oh I love this warm weather!