Orlando - Mini Vacation - Part 2

We spent all day Saturday at SeaWorld.  In hindsight, I wish we would have come back to the hotel for naps and to get out of the heat for a few hours.  Then, we probably could have stayed and watched the fireworks and the special evening shows.  We didn't though, and left around 6:30. 

However, we still had a great day! 

Nicole took a picture of us.

We fed sea lions (the video shows us feeding them, but I can't post those on here).

We touched sting rays.



Nicole and Hannah "inside" a fish tank



 We went to a sea lion show and a dolphin/bird show.  Let me just say that the dolphin show took my breath away!  It was spectacular.  Every little girl's dream.  The trainers spent a lot of time in the water with the dolphins...even riding them on several occasions.  There is just something beautiful and amazing to see a person interact like that with an animal like a dolphin. 

We went back to the kid's area and rode more ride.  Daddy took Nicole and Hannah up in the giant nets/tree house.  These pictures are a little hard to see, but I wanted to share anyway.  Jeremy ended up carrying Hannah a lot, and Nicole got "lost" a few times. 

Carrying Hannah around the net course

Nicole loved this attraction

The kids played in the water area for a while too.  Jeremy gave Nate a water bottle to play with.  A few minutes later, a little boy took the water bottle from Nathan, filled it up, and then dumped it on Nate's head!  It was funny.

Little boy dumping water on Nate.

Nathan was a little timid at first, so his wonderful big sister took him around with her.

We ended our trip to Sea World the way we started it...sort of.  We went back to the Shamu show, however, this time we sat up high, beyond the soak zone and very much enjoyed watching these beasts swim through the water and fly through the air.

The trainers did not get into the water with the Killers Whales (about a year ago, a trainer was accidentally killed during a performance by a whale she was suppose to be riding).

Although people were not with them, they were still amazing to watch.

The can fly so high.

I don't know how they teach them all these tricks...it's amazing!

The girls got to pick something out from the souvenir store...they both picked out little Shamus (since then, Hannah has named hers "house".  So, she'll say, "mommy, will you bring my house to me?"  Kind of funny.)

I love these two.

We ended the night watching "Facing the Giants"

Watching a movie with daddy-o

and falling asleep on the couch with daddy.

Sleeping on daddy-0

That's what vacation is all about, right?

Orlando - Mini Vacation - Part 1

We just got home from a wonderful 4 day trip to Orlando.  Last July, I purchased a groupon deal for the Lake Buena Visita Village Resort and Spa.  We got three nights and a $50 spa gift card with the deal and have eagerly anticipated this time away.  It could not have come soon enough!

Hannah - ready to go

Nicole - ready to go too

Nate - ready to go (three)

Friday, we took off at our own leisure and made it to SeaWorld around 3:00pm.  The first place we went was to the Shamu "One World" show.  Jeremy thought the best way to show the girls SeaWorld was through first hand experience, so we sat in the second row....in the SOAK Zone!  All I have to say is that....our seats lived up to their name.  We were SOAKED  after only a couple of minutes.  Honestly, we did not see much of the show, because we were covering our eyes and covering the children from the salty water for most of the performance.  The water those "killer wales" disperse is Amazing!!!  It was unbelievable to be so close to these huge animals!  However....I don't believe Nicole had the same appreciation for these animals as I did.

This is the "best" frown I have ever seen!

Nicole did admit, after the show, that she would be ok getting wet if she had on her swim suit and goggles (somehow, I doubt that!).

Some entertainers we watched after the Shamu show.

After the show, we spent some time in the kids area of SeaWorld.  The girls and I rode rides together and Hannah tackled her very first rollercoaster (very bravely, I might add).  Nicole sat by herself...and said afterward that she was a little scared, but not that much.  Then, I got to feel her racing heart.

Oh, I was wrong...Jeremy played too...just not on the "spinning" rides

We then went on an Arctic adventure.  I'm pretty sure that I convinced Hannah we flew to the North Pole.  We saw a sleeping polar bear, giant walruses and a couple beluga wales.  Nicole found a place to explore, however, they made Nathan go first.  He was being very brave, until he came around a dark corner where his sisters happened to be (and mom with the camera) when we (accidentally, I promise!) scared him. 

Scared

After the shock of finding us, the kids enjoyed playing and exploring a little while longer.

We held out breath to compare ourselves to the other animals.  I forget which one, but one of them could hold their breath for 25 minutes!

Jeremy made it to one minute!

I maxed out at 4 seconds!

Hannah girl...riding baby Shamu

Nicole, riding Shamu

The girls...posing for a picture by the lakeside

Hey...look!  I was there too!  A picture with my kidd-os.

I think that was it for the first day.  Stay tuned for day #2.

Family Dinner and Game Night

A few weekend ago, my mom had our family and my brother and his wife over for dinner.  We were going to spend a fun filled evening eating and playing games.  And then...a huge Florida afternoon storm hit.  Well, I can't even call it that. A real Florida afternoon storm is heavy rain, lots of lighting and thunder for about 20 minutes.  Then blue skies and humid air.  However, if my memory serves me right, this storm as extra violent and lasted a lot longer.

My parents were frying a turkey outside, and then it started raining.  I think it was almost done, so they left it.  I was worried the rain would cool the oil down, but it seemed to be fine.  By the way, if you have never fried a turkey...you ought to.  It cooks in about an hour, is not at all greasy and tastes extra juicy. 

Just before dinner, Jeremy was outside on the patio talking to his sister and wishing her a happy birthday.  We were inside setting the table and such when a Great bolt of lighting hit across the street, everything went dark and there was silence in the room (well, we were silent, the thunder was roaring).  A moment later we here Jeremy (outside) exclaim, "OH MY GOODNESS...DID YOU HEAR THAT TIFF?"   Then, the kids started crying and we all started talking at once.  Jeremy saw the lighting hit the tree just a couple hundred yards away from him.  Needless to say, he got off the phone. 

Dinner was ready, but it was dark and there was no fan...but the food was good!  So, we had a yummy dinner together. Near the end, complaints started to ring because it was getting warm with no AC or fans, and very little wind was blowing through.

We live just a few blocks away, so Jeremy went home and we found out that we had electricity. So, we packed everyone up and headed to our house.  The rest of the evening, we took pictures and played spoons.  We are all realizing that Nicole is our up and coming  "person to defeat" in games.  I think she beat us at least 2 times, all by herself while playing spoons.  Pretty amazing!

It was a fun night hanging out with my parents and my brother and Erica.  The kids of course enjoyed it, and memories were made.

Sisters and Brother

I am so blessed to have children that, for the most part, enjoy each other.  I mean...they each know how to get on one another's nerves and push each other's buttons....but, they also LOVE each other so much!

Nicole has been holding Nate a lot lately

First Nicole was sitting here, then Hannah came over next to her...then Nate sat down.  I was trying to get a cute picture, but it didn't turn out so cute.

This is how Nathan eats cupcakes.

Pretty clean actually.

A good question

"Daddy, How I going to eat dis big taco?"

Kindergarten, Weeks 1 & 2

We are not totally "in the swing of things" yet.  I really feel like my schooling is in limbo unti CC starts, which isn't until September.  Until then, we are limping our way through math, geography, phonics and writing.  I don't want to get really involved in something, only to drop it in a couple of weeks.  I will explain more how our days go later (because I've written 4 blogs today...they are just being published at different times, and I'm tired of sitting here). 

For our first couple of weeks, we did math almost ever day.  I am working through a math book that is for ages 5-8.  We started it a few months ago.  It's not really a curriculum, and I am ok with that for now.  It's just a really great workbooks that hits on lots of math topics.  We just finished skip counting and sequence and we have now moved onto geometry.

For Geography/History we using Road Trip USA. This is a curriculum written by a homeschooling mom.  I really like it so far.  We learn about a new state every 2 days (2 states a week for us).  This coincides well with CC...which is all about American History this year.  We also are reading through several books like "If you were there when they signed the consitution", "If you traveled west in a covered wagon", Revolutionary War Days, stories, crafts and recipes...and so forth.  This week have learned about Conneticut and Delaware.  Tonight we are making Conneticut Clam Chowder and Crab cakes...I've never made or eaten either!  I'm not sure how this will go.  We also have a Travel Log we will be keeping and updating as we "travel" from state to state.

Nicole has been working on her sewing.  She sewed a  ship  on paper this day.  It's mostly just practicing technique and getting used to the machine.

Nicole also has spelling words which we practice with for writting as well.  This was Day1.  I wrote the words, and then she re-wrote them on the white board.

Hannah has a few workbooks I use with her.  I can Draw and I can cut are the two most popular ones.  This one she is tracing a rainbow....in order to prepare her for more difficult pages in the near future.

I'm hoping I get better at being prepared and planning...we shall see....we shall see.