Disneyworld with 3!

This last week we've been at Disneyworld.  With all 3 kids.  I'm going to go over the trip in detail and share photos over this week and try to figure out how to tag my posts so others interested in going can read my experience and what worked and what didn't.  The ages of the kids are 5 1/2, 23 months & 3 months. We purchased 3 plane tickets/park tickets.  Valerie is breastfeeding, so we didn't have to do bottles or formula for her. We also met family there.  Paul's parents and sisters came with their families, so once we got there, we had others with us.

Let's start with the plane ride.  The kids did awesome.  We flew from Seattle to Denver (Carter sat next to a 16 year old and after finding out she was too young to have kids of her own chatted with her about Bakugan the entire flight) , changed planes (about 2.5 hour layover) and then on to Orlando.  We flew Southwest and going there went through Denver and coming home went through Nashville (Carter sat next to a woman who taught him how to do Sudoku and he ended up helping her with a couple of puzzles)-as close as direct as you can get.  We used the double stroller (in line, not side by side) for this trip.  As painful as it is to get a double stroller through security- we had to take the front snack tray off to get it through the x-ray machine and all kids had to come out of it-I'd definitely take it again. We also took the Ergo front pack.  Val fits in the Bjorn better at this size, but I can wear the Ergo loose and breastfeed in it and having the front pack for when we had to fold up the stroller during our trip meant I had two hands free for the other kids.  The only downside is that Valerie's neck flopped around a lot in it.

We brought lots of snacks for the plane (yes!) sippy cup for Henri and Southwest will put lids and straws on the drinks they bring you (yes!) We brought too many distractions/toys.  Carter was delighted with 3 new Bakugan and Henri was happy with some other little thing.  Just bring a new or favorite things next time.  I had a backpack stuffed with toys.  But then, again, my kids have longer than normal attention spans.  I also put the diapering stuff in a smaller bag so I could just grab that to the bathroom for diaper changes.  That worked out well.  I had am extra change of clothes for each. I'd use the toy room for having two changes of clothes.  Valerie had a blowout on the way home and Henri spilled his lunch chocolate milk all over him at the airport.

We got there about 6pm and headed on the Disney Magical Express to our resort, the Port Orleans-Riverside on Disney property.  I'd put their yellow luggage tags on our luggage so it would go straight to the resort, no need to pick it up at the airport.  BIG mistake.  We finally got two bags at 11:30 the third at midnight.  3 kids with no pajamas and exhausted parents from traveling all day. 

But the kids woke up Monday morning happy and ready to go...

Monday morning we slept in, then started off at Magic Kingdom around 10 or 11.  Since this is Henri & Valerie's first time, we figured we start with regular Disney.  Carter wanted to start off at Tomorrow land, so we went in the park and headed to the right.  We started at the speedway.  Since Valerie can't go on, we did baby swap. 

A little about baby swap.  If you have a child or children that are not big enough to go on certain rides, you all go up and you get basically a fastpass for the other parent.  The first parent and any kids big enough go on first and wait in the regular line, then the other parent goes on through the fast pass lane and any kids big enough to go when the first parent gets off the ride and can wait with the kids so basically you don't have to wait in line twice.  this means, the kids can go two times in a row, only waiting once.

A fast pass is a special ticket that gets you in a faster line for popular rides.  You use your park ticket to get them and you can only hold one fast pass at any time.  We have found if you go in the way off season as we have done the last three times (first week of December, second week in November, this, last week of October) that you really don't need the fast passes.  Also note that fast passes go, well, fast, so because we were heading to parks later to sleep in, the past passes were usually gone before we got to the park.

So Paul took the boys on the speedway.  Henri wasn't really into it, so Erin took Carter on with the swap pass. 

We then headed over to Toon Town thinking maybe Henri would enjoy the characters since so far he wasn't into the rides.  This is nervewracking, because, I don't know if anyone besides parents know, but children between the ages of say, 1 and 3 either love large, characters or hate them and run screaming.  We had no idea how Henri would react.  We'd been having him watch as much Mickey Mouse Clubhouse as we could to at least introduce him to the characters before we left.  Luckily, he LOVED them!  He ran up to each character and gave them big hugs and high-fives and fist bumps and we actually had to pull him away to leave (though he didn't cry, just waved to them).  In fact, by Wednesday he'd figured out there were people in the costumes and he'd crouch down to look in their mouths to see the people inside.

We met up with Paul's parents in Toon Town

We then headed to Fantasy Land.  All the guide books tell you to start at Dumbo with small children.  Well, Henri hated that too....

So, we tried It's a Small World.  It was slow and in a boat, both things we figured would appeal to Henri. Finally we had a winner...

So then we tried Peter Pan's flight because it's also in a boat!  After some lunch, we did Haunted Mansion with Carter with Nana stayed with the little ones; (Carter liked it) then headed back to the resort to go swimming & cool off.  Later that night.  Paul's parents took the smaller kids and we went back to Magic Kingdom with just Carter.  Another thing I was glad I'd brought.  A manual breastpump.  Portable, but useful.  Because it was hot, Valerie nursed way more than I'd expected (another must-have-nursing cover... keep it in easy reach at all times!) so it increased supply and since she's now mostly sleeping all night.  The pump was good for engorgement in the morning and also to have bottles for Paul's parents to take the little ones at night as the parks usually had extra hours in the evening for resort guests only.  We took Carter back for roller coasters. We hit Thunder Mountain Railroad (Carter liked it), and tried to do Space Mountain, but Carter was about 1/4 inch too short for it.  Plus, after seeing what he didn't like, we figured it was probably better he didn't ride it as it was probably too fast for him.  So we got a babyswap and Paul and I did Space Mountain.  They have a place to stay for waiting for the other adult near the photos from the ride.  We also got to see Goofy as well.

K, more tomorrow, but falling asleep now, gotta go.

Afternoon at Children's

Valerie's had a 1 cm bump over her right eye for about 6 weeks now.  I asked the pediatrician about it at her 2 month appointment and she referred us to Children's hospital to have her head examined (ha ha). 

So Valerie had a CT today, was a piece of cake, they just swaddled her up and put her head in a soft holder and it was over in about 3 minutes.  They had me hold a toy behind a protector so she'd stay staring forward.

The determination is that she has a dermoid cyst, which is soft tissue that should be removed, but  they want to wait until she's 9-12 months because of anesthesia.  It may get a little bigger by then, but that's it.  They talked about making a small incision in the crease

Pumpkin Patch!

That's right, it's that time of year when I drag my family to the local pumpkin patch and force them to sit for pictures before any fun is allowed to be had.  Here's the proof!

First, I dressed Valerie up in this adorable outfit and hat.  Nice, fall, colors!

OK, Mom, seriously, could you cut it out with the pictures, now.

Our 3 little pumpkins

Henri is ready to spread terror through the pumpkin patch.

Well, at least 2/3 are smiling.

Well, all three are looking at the camera, sort of.

Henri loves any excuse to be outside, esp in his boots.

Valerie still can't walk at 3 months, so Erin carried her.

Carter picked this one out for Valerie, since she obviously will not be picking her own out this year.

The boys take a break for a minute.

Paul helps Henri who stumbles several times.

Henri was determined to take these two pumpkins with him.  Frankly, we're not even sure where they came from... the patch or the part where they are all piled up at the front.  But he carried them and carried them.

He had to stop to rest periodicly, but he still won't put them down.

He's got his mom's perserverence.

Valerie finally decided she'd had enough.

Here's some videos of Henri and his carrying these little pumpkins.

Getting ready for Halloween

Carter's ready!

Then and Now

OK, so I realized this morning as I woke up with a splitting headache how different my life has become over the last 10-15 years.

Then:  A splitting headache would have been the result of a few glasses of wine (probably red since the tannin, you know...).  There's a girl next to me who woke me up with her crying and I stumble downtairs to find something in the fridge to eat and swallow a couple Excedrin and figure there must have been people over last night from the dirty dishes and crumbs everywhere.

Now: A splitting headache the result of being up once for the middle one's cough and once to feed the baby, who is that girl crying next to me and I stumble downstairs for some tea (I haven't had time to go shopping this week and get more coffee-could also explain some of the headache) and some Tylenol (since I've only got that in the house since I've been pregnant or breastfeeding for pretty much the last 2.5 years) and eat some oatmeal to increase milk supply and help my blood pressure and realize the crumbs and dirty dishes are from the two little boys downstairs.

Haircuts! And a grandparent visit!

First, a cute picture of Henri and Valerie:

 My grandparents came to visit yesterday...

 Haircuts today:

Gingerbread Houses

So my friend, Kristina came through and sent me photos of our Haunted house making over the weekend.  She made the awesome houses and I brought candy to decorate them.