Sunday, January 11, 2009
Nov 1-15, 2008 - More Disney World
My mother's favorite pose of Emma was with Mickey and Minnie with Emma dressed as Minnie Mouse in her little red polka dotted dress and mouse ears. Everyone standing around was oooohing and aaaahing over how Emma looked like Mickey and Minnie's baby!
This is a trip we'll never forget and those photos of Emma will probably be forever my favorites. Made even more special that we were able to share this with my parents and mother-in-law. I'm so grateful that they're still healthy and able to enjoy it with us. I'm really amazed that they were able to keep up with our breakneck pace taking around a toddler everywhere!
Nov 1-15, 2008 - Disney World and Epcot, Florida
We spent 2 wonderful magical weeks at Disney World in Orlando, Florida (Nov 1-15th). This is definitely the best time of year to go to Disney World. We spent all our time at the Magic Kingdom and Epcot. This is the only time of year that the weather is bearable in Florida. It's horribly humid during the summer and during the winter it usually rains constantly. We were really lucky because Nov can be rainy but it was perfect 70 degree weather the whole time and sunny. Some days were overcast (the best days) but didn't rain. I had many people tell me they didn't think Disney would be great for a 2-3 year old but I was thrilled to see that this was the perfect age to take Emma. I had a pretty good feeling that she'd like it when she officially hit the princess stag big time back in June. From 1-2 years old she was totally into Elmo and Sesame Street. After taking her to see Kung Fu Panda (her very first movie!) when she turned 2 on Jan 26, 2008, she was totally into Kung Fu Panda,, Shifu, Tai Long, Crane, Tigress and the bunch. She also became enthralled with Mickey and Minnie and Goofy and Pluto and Donald Duck about that time. We bought her Mickey and Minnie Mouse dolls which became her constant bed companion and they were in tow with her everywhere. But in June she got turned onto the Disney princesses and in a big way. It became princess this, princess that. She became only interested in things having to do with Cinderella, Sleeping Beauty, Snow White, and Belle. Later she also added Ariel Mermaid to the entourage. After the Disney trip she also got interested in Mulan, Pocahontas, Jasmine, and Tinker Bell. (However, I must say that she's decided she really doesn't like Tinker Bell because she's figured out Tinker Bell isn't a real princess and that she's a little thing so not that impressive to her).
Her favorite princess continues to be Cinderella. According to Emma there's only one true princess and that's Cinderella (Emma says it in a breathless way, "Cinder-ellllllaaaahhhh!" Everytime she saw a princess at Disney, she would say, "Oooooohhh! Snooooowwwww White!" or "Ooooooohhhh! Sleeeeping Beaaauuuuty!"
Many friends told me that 4-5 years old would be better to introduce your child to Disney. It definitely depends on the individual child. If the child does not want to have anything to do with the characters, it would be a waste to take them at that age. Since Emma could recognize all the characters, I knew that was a good sign. She got excited right away and knew who all the characters were and wasn't scared of them at all. I saw many 2,3 and even 4 and 5 year olds who cried whenever the characters got near them so it totally depends on the child.
Not only is the weather great in Florida in November but this is the time of year with the least crowds. We'd only have to wait about 20 minutes for most rides whereas during the summer the wait can be 2 or more hours for popular rides. I can't think of a worse thing to do than have to stand in line in humid sticky heat with a cranky 2 or 3 year old waiting in line 2-3 hours for a ride that only takes 5 minutes.
Emma had a total blast and that's why we had such a great time. We took my parents and mother-in-law and they all had a wonderful time seeing Disney through Emma's eyes. I dressed Emma up as a different princess everyday and also Minnie Mouse. We had breakfast and dinner every day with characters. These have to be reserved in advance and are worth every cent. The Cinderella Royal Table is as difficult to get in as everything you've heard. You have to make reservations 180 days in advance. The problem is you can't call even one day sooner and on the exact 180 days prior even if you call first thing in the morning eastern time, it's all booked up! The only reason we got a reservation was because there was one cancellation on a Wed night and we were able to snag it because we would be there for 2 weeks. It's harder to get a reservationi there than for most 5 star French restaurants!
This is the cutest age ever for Emma to dress up as a princess. It's also the most magical because she believes the characters are real. The older kids you can tell are not as thrilled because they start knowing that they're just dressed up in costumes. Also the kids themselves don't look so cute after a certain age dressing up.
Early November is also great because we were able to catch the tailend of Halloween--the day we arrived they still had all their Halloween decorations. Then over the next 2 weeks we saw the slow and magical transformation into Christmas and a winter wonderland. The Disney princess castle looks unbelievable for Christmas--it's all lit up like it's covered with crystal snow. We got to see the Christmas parade and they had fake snow falling everywhere without having to deal with the Christmas crowds.
When we got home, Emma kept asking, "Where's Disney princess castle? Where's fireworks?" We had to break to her the tough news that unlike Disney we don't have fireworks here at home everynight!
Wed, August 20, 2008 - Emma "Phelps"
OK, I know everyone parent has their moments when they think their child is going to be an Olympian...but the difference here is that Emma really is! (Sheesh, never knew I'd become one of "those" parents!) But how can I not beam with pride with all of the swim instructors telling us that Emma is "a natural" and they tell us at 2 1/2 that she's at the level of a 4 year old? And that she's the most advanced toddler they've ever seen?! She can dive into the pool, swim 10-12 feet underwater, and she can even pick up objects from the bottom of the pool. We have a really cool song that goes with this video but can't put it on YouTube (so try to imagine cool music in your mind!)
P.S. The date on the video, Oct 8 2008, was when we made the video. the date of filming was August 20, 2008.
P.S. The date on the video, Oct 8 2008, was when we made the video. the date of filming was August 20, 2008.
Sat, August 9, 2008 - Swim Party Reunion
Our travel groups 114, 119P and 120P got together for a swim party reunion in San Ramon. It was wonderful seeing everyone and seeing how well all the kids are doing. It's amazing how much they've all grown and their hair is all longer. It's really special that we all still make an effort to see one another. I feel a bond with all the other families and their children because of sharing the most special moment of my life with them and witnessing theirs. They were part of something that no one else could ever understand unless they went thru so these people will forever have a special place in my heart. I feel like we are each others' aunties and uncles.
Sat, March 2, 2008 - 1st Year Anniversary Reunion
(L to R, Back to Front): Ava Lu, Lily May, Emma, Ava, Avery, Bridgitte, Zoe, Eliana, Caitlyn, Grayson, Allison (we "adopted" her family from G121P who traveled after us because they have such a tiny group), Isabelle (the famous wanderer, a rare photo of her in the group--and as you can see, she's about to take off!), and Malia.
It was one year ago that Groups 114, 119P and 120P officially became parents to our adoptive children from China. Can't believe it's been an entire year! It feels really good that we've had Emma now longer than she's been without us. We had the reunion at Steve and Angel's church in Cupertino. It was potluck (we had great food!) and the kids had a load of fun getting reacquainted with each other and spending the afternoon playing while the parents got caught up. Of course we had the requisite group photos (never an easy task to get the kids to sit still! Isabelle is a notorious wanderer--I love all the photos I have of Cindy chasing her down). It was wonderful seeing everyone again! We all reminisced and relived the most incredible 2 weeks of our lives in China: Gotcha Day, Norman and the wonderful USAA team, sightseeing in China, the pizza party, the farewell banquet, and the continuing bonding process with our little ones. We compared notes on how our babies were adjusting over the last year and all felt so fortunate that our children were all healthy and doing so well. An absolutely amazing incredible journey and a monumental milestone.
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