91:366 - Nine

Woke up this morning (our last before moving from Wilderness Lodge to Animal Kingdom Lodge) to two very sleepy kiddos.  Hard to believe it, but for Zoe at the moment the excitement of Disney must have overshadowed the excitement of turning NINE! In the sleep-filled, grainy early hours of morning, I got a few quiet photos before the day began...

We took a break from Disney today and went orange picking at a nearby grove.  The kids chased and fed chickens, picked tangerines and grapefruit, and kept an eye out for baby alligators. 

And finally, we celebrated with our birthday girl with gifts smuggled in suitcases from home and a cake decorated just for her with Mickey Mouse ears and all.

90:366 - Say Mickey!

So, we decided today (day #2 at Magic Kingdom) that it was time to get a shot of all FOUR of us at the same time.  Not an easy task.... we finally got up the nerve to beg another family to snap a pic and none of the results were good.  However, here we are, all 4 in a photo, even with the goofy grins and smirking boy. 

We contined the "Say Mickey" theme through out the day and snapped a few fine pics of Zoe, decked out in full-on Disney birthday gear (the Happy Birthday pin, the stickers, etc), trading pins with a Cast Member whom had her same birthday!

And finally, not to be outdone, Beckett and I got a full-on cheesy grin photo of the two of us before the Astro Orbiter took off.  I did not feel so cheesy or grin-y when the ride was over! :(

89:366 - All smiles

How can you not be all smiles at Disney? Truthfully, it gets easier to anticipate the melt down triggers as the kids get older.  Our first day at Magic Kingdom was full of fun: the first glimpse of the castle, Beckett's first "real" roller coaster ride on Goofy's Barnstormer, Zoe simultaneously giggling and screaming in delight "I LOVE THIS!" at the top of her lungs as we raced down the track, Beckett's awe at seeing Mickey and Woody and Buzz up close and finally candy striped treats to make the ferry trip back to the hotel a little sweeter.  Yup, Disney might be the happiest place on earth.

88:366 - A tale of shrimp and marshmallows

The kids were up bright and early and the fishing poles were out before breakfast was even a thought.  It was sad to leave Grandma Jeannie's but it was offset by the ride to Disney. After an afternoon of swimming and playing in the pools, roasting marshmallows on the beach before dinner really took the cake!

87:366 - Ahhh, Siesta

Siesta Key.  A little bit of heaven.  The sugar white beaches and the pool at Gramma Jeannie's made all that stuff "up north" start to melt away....

86:366 - Siesta Key

Insanely early AM flight means fishing on grandpa and grandma's dock by noon. Both love catching the live shrimp from CB's out of the bait bucket, hooking them by themselves and pulling up mangrove snappers and sheepshead out of the intercoastal.

  

85:366 - Spring flowers

More signs of spring...

84:366 - Kite trike

In the midst of packing and preparations, we ran up to GH for the morning to scope out a new kite for Rodger.  Kids were entertained scoping out the kite trike - hope they don't give Rodger any ideas!!

83:366 - School and birthdays

Today was Zoe's last day at school before we leave for break. It was also the day that she got to celebrate her birthday with her class.  So, while this isn't a technically super shot, it shows our semi-embarrassed daughter as the center of attention as her class cheered for her and her birthday treats.

82:366 - Birthday decisions

Decisions, decisions! With Zoe's birthday rapidly approaching, it is time for her to decide what kind of treat she would like to take to school for her birthday. After considering cupcakes and cake bites, the final choice was carrot cake muffins with cream cheese filing. Time to get out the cookbook for this one.

81:366 - Flyboy in training

Rodger couldn't resist Beckett's request to let him fly his plane....I can immediately envision this same image, ten years from now, with each of my boys flying their own toy.

80:366 - Bubblicious

Oh, the signs of impending summer. Bikes on the drive, chalk covered hands, grass stained knees and empty bubble wands everywhere.

79:366 - Serious Preparation

With only days to go until we leave for Gramma Jeannie's and Disney, the kids are getting excited and starting their own version of planning.  The last time we went to Disney, we took the advice of seasoned Disney friends and got the kids involved in pin trading with the Cast Members.  It was a great way to keep the kids entertained in between all the rest of the excitement both at the parks and at the resorts.  Zoe and Beckett were very serious tonight as they weighed ther pin choices and decisions over which to take to trade.

78:366 - Captain Sundae on a Sunday

With the crazy warm weather, there is nothing better than starting our Captain Sundae outings earlier than normal.  And, the trip wouldn't be complete without sitting on the favorite turtle.  A round of twist cones for everyone!!

77:366 - Fields of Green

 St. Patrick's Day parade in our little Dutch town.  Everyone turned out in their green to watch (or march) in the parade.  The kids waited patiently and scrambled anxiously after the candy and beads being thrown at the crowds. Beckett held tight to his loot, and my hand, the whole walk home.

76:366 - The weekly batch

Chocolate chip cookies...the weekly batch...enhanced with dark chocolate M&Ms.  Really? Chocolate on chocolate. Does it get any better?

75:366 - Signs of Spring

There are a lot of things that signify the coming of Spring at our house -- getting bikes out, vacuuming out the months of grime (and snack remnants) from the cars, opening the windows -- but nothing says Springtime like the first chalk flowers.

74:366 - Roller boy

Back "in the day" (i.e. college), Rodger used to demo skate for Team Rollerblade.  He dusted off his 'blades and proved he's still got the moves!

73:366 - Roller girl

Another spring day, another set of wheels and another decent shot of my daughter! Life is good!

72:366 - Skater, dude Part II

The only time the ramps are quiet at the skate park is during the wee hours of the morning or during the school day.  We took advantage of the day and let the boy take a few rides, scooter-style!

71:366 - climbing wall

Bright sunny Spring day + play park + little dude = tons o' climbing fun.

70:366 - Boys and toys

My "boys" like things that go fast. Rodger is definitely no exception.  So, while this image is technically so-so and the motorcycle is blurry, it is a true-to-life shot of one of my boys playing with his toys.

69:366 - Skater, dude

Our new local skateboard park is quickly becoming exciting for the kids: Zoe wants to ride her bike up and down the ramps, Beckett wants to ride his scooter in the half pipe (NOT happening a 4 years old).  Rodger wants to head down there on his board and show off a few moves, and I am fascinated with the entire place from a purely social perspective. So THAT is what teenagers are like???

68:366 - Fruits of labor

Was making melon balls for lunch and found myself in love with the pattern....but when I looked closer, I found the rind and the bright green much more appealing.

67:366 - Wait List

For the past five years, each spring, we hope to get lucky in the local Montessori charter school lottery and for the past five years, each spring, we have not been lucky.  This year, sadly, was no different.  

66:366 - Pretty girl

Our sweet girl is at the age where, most of the time, I get a hand in front of the camera or a tongue sticking out at me when I try to snap a candid shot.  Rarely do I get a pretty smile but today she must have decided to give her mom a break...

65:366 - Stairs

I do love our old house and our old stairs.  I love the character and the beautiful wood.  They have been tripped over, fallen down, used as a slide and run up in a game of chase...It is sometimes hard to remember that 110 years of people have tromped up and down these steps.

64:366 - Our happy family

Our little dude came home from school today all smiles....and with a "present" for me.  After I unwrapped the envelope that had been all but duct taped shut, I found a sweet little picture of our happy family...

63:366 - A little bit o' heaven...in bar form

Rodger came back from his latest trip with some amazing goodies in his swag bag.  I would say that I must have drooled when he pulled these out of his bag for ME!  Oh where to start???

62:366 - Upside down dinner

In celebration of Dr. Seuss's birthday, we decide to have upside down / backwards dinner.  So, after school, we made a quick trip downtown for dessert before heading home for dinner.  The self-serve yogurt bar with a ton of pick-your-own toppings were a HIT!

61:366 - Thought for the day

Another grey Michigan day....until I found this staring me in the face at a stoplight on the way to school. Kids sang songs from the Lion King the rest of the day :)