5/31/2008
A Night on the Town Green
We went to the Town Green last night to listen to some Caribbean music. Before we went, I managed to get a picture of both kids looking at the camera at the same time.
And one of Pierce:
Madelyn dancing with a new friend:
And one of Pierce:
Madelyn dancing with a new friend:
5/29/2008
Madelyn's First (Somewhat) Distinguishable Piece of Artwork
Can you tell who/what this is supposed to be?
If you guessed Barney, you are correct. If you didn't, we aren't offended. However, I was impressed with her efforts. She did almost everything herself. She asked me how to draw Barney. All I told her was to draw two circles, a big one and a little one on top of it. I did ask her a few prompting questions like, "What else does Barney need?" and "What other color could you use?" Other than that, it was all her. I'm glad I got a picture, though, because within seconds of my snapping the shots, there was a huge hole in Barney's belly due to the massive amount of green paint being used.
If you guessed Barney, you are correct. If you didn't, we aren't offended. However, I was impressed with her efforts. She did almost everything herself. She asked me how to draw Barney. All I told her was to draw two circles, a big one and a little one on top of it. I did ask her a few prompting questions like, "What else does Barney need?" and "What other color could you use?" Other than that, it was all her. I'm glad I got a picture, though, because within seconds of my snapping the shots, there was a huge hole in Barney's belly due to the massive amount of green paint being used.
5/28/2008
Brown Bear, Brown Bear, What Do You See?
Are you familiar with this book?
It is Pierce's favorite. It's actually Madelyn's book, but when he walks into her room, he starts saying, "Buh, buh", which I figured out means "brown bear." The great thing about the book is that it is so repetitive.
"Brown bear, brown bear, what do you see? I see a a red bird looking at me."
(turn page)
"Red bird, red bird, what do you see? I see a yellow duck looking at me."
(turn page)
"Yellow duck, yellow duck, what do you see? I see a blue horse looking at me."
(And so on, and so on...)
Today, I walked into Madelyn's room. She and Pierce were sitting on her bed, and she was "reading" the book to him. I didn't have my camera with me, but it was a cute, sweet moment.
It is Pierce's favorite. It's actually Madelyn's book, but when he walks into her room, he starts saying, "Buh, buh", which I figured out means "brown bear." The great thing about the book is that it is so repetitive.
"Brown bear, brown bear, what do you see? I see a a red bird looking at me."
(turn page)
"Red bird, red bird, what do you see? I see a yellow duck looking at me."
(turn page)
"Yellow duck, yellow duck, what do you see? I see a blue horse looking at me."
(And so on, and so on...)
Today, I walked into Madelyn's room. She and Pierce were sitting on her bed, and she was "reading" the book to him. I didn't have my camera with me, but it was a cute, sweet moment.
5/26/2008
Memorial Day
I know military folks peruse this blog from time to time, so I just wanted to say thank you to you and your families for all you are doing to keep us safe. You are appreciated!
Viva Vienna!
Our town has a Memorial Day Festival every year. We ventured over for a little while yesterday. Madelyn wanted to ride carnival rides, but we decided that at $3 a ride, one would be enough. She chose to ride the swings:
Unfortunately, I couldn't get her to look at the camera for long enough to get a shot of her face.
Pierce got plenty of enjoyment from the french fries with ketchup:
At the end of it, he really looked like he'd been through a battle. (Shawna, if you're reading this, I've Oxycleaned the shirt. I think the ketchup will come out.)
How much would you pay?
JD and I had been exploring the idea of a double jog stroller. We have a double stoller, and I really like it, but it isn't the easiest to navigate if I want to go on a vigorous walk. Our neighborhood had a yard sale last weekend, and we saw a double jog stroller at the first booth. We decided to buy it. How much would you pay for this?
Well, we paid a whopping $2 for it. JD did some touch up work, so for a grand total of $19, we have a pretty good looking jog stroller. We were looking on Craigslist for a stroller...so thankful we didn't buy one off of there.
5/22/2008
When all is quiet...
be afraid! Or at the very least, concerned. I was cleaning the kitchen this evening when my parents called. After talking with them for a few minutes, I noticed that my children were very quiet. I went down the stairs a bit and heard Madelyn and Pierce talking very sweetly to one another. So, I went back upstairs to finish what I was working on. I got off the phone with my parents and decided to join my sweet children downstairs.
Madelyn: Mommy, these are good.
Me: What are you eating?
Madelyn: They're green and red and have sparkles.
Me: Are you eating chalk?
Madelyn: Nope, these. (And she holds up a watermelon gummy. JD gave me some watermelon gummies for our anniversary. I love them.)
Madelyn had divided them up so nicely. She was eating some from a plastic cup and Pierce had some neatly laid out on the floor. I quickly rescued what was left of my delicious gummies and briefly sulked about most of my gummies being in the bellies of my babies.
Madelyn: Mommy, these are good.
Me: What are you eating?
Madelyn: They're green and red and have sparkles.
Me: Are you eating chalk?
Madelyn: Nope, these. (And she holds up a watermelon gummy. JD gave me some watermelon gummies for our anniversary. I love them.)
Madelyn had divided them up so nicely. She was eating some from a plastic cup and Pierce had some neatly laid out on the floor. I quickly rescued what was left of my delicious gummies and briefly sulked about most of my gummies being in the bellies of my babies.
5/21/2008
Chuck E Cheese
One of Madelyn's friends, Miles, had a birthday party at Chuck E Cheese. What a hit! I think Madelyn was as excited about being there as she was about Disney World. Getting the kids to stop and eat was quite a challenge, but once Pierce settled in, he wolfed down about three slices. 
The Barney ride was quite popular:
The after pizza shot:
This is Madelyn's new pouty face. She's gotten pretty good at it:
Pierce just having fun:
5/20/2008
Happy Anniversary!
May is such a busy month for us. Yesterday, JD and I celebrated our 7th anniversary. We've had seven great years together, and I can't wait to find out what's in store for us in the years to come. Since we broke the bank at Ruth's Chris on Saturday, we settled for Chipotle and another trip to Cold Stone. Poor JD, so many dates to remember in May (his birthday, Mother's day, my birthday, and our anniversary.) He probably takes a big sigh of relief after May 19--nothing else until Christmas. Oh, and no anniversary picture, either. I actually forgot to take one, but then again, we didn't change much in two days.
5/18/2008
I was told today that
30 was the new 25--I like it. I turned 30 yesterday. As mentioned in my last post, Madelyn spent the weekend with her cousins, and JD and I got to spend some two-on-one time with Pierce. I just realized that he had never been with both of us while Madelyn wasn't with us, too.
I had a great day! JD gave me a Sonicare toothbrush. Not the most romantic thing, but it had been on my wish list for nearly a year, so I was very excited to get it. Man, my teeth feel soooo clean.
Last night, JD's Aunt Cindy babysat for us, and Philip, JD's brother, came by to help out. We went to Ruth's Chris Steakhouse for dinner. Everything was delicious. We, then, decided to skip dessert there and get ice cream from Cold Stone Creamery. I don't usually like to pay for ice cream from an ice cream shop when I can get ice cream at home. I make a few exceptions to that rule, and one of those is for Cold Stone. That stuff can't be beat.
So, here I am at 30:
And, here we are at Ruth's Chris Steakhouse:
I had a great day! JD gave me a Sonicare toothbrush. Not the most romantic thing, but it had been on my wish list for nearly a year, so I was very excited to get it. Man, my teeth feel soooo clean.
Last night, JD's Aunt Cindy babysat for us, and Philip, JD's brother, came by to help out. We went to Ruth's Chris Steakhouse for dinner. Everything was delicious. We, then, decided to skip dessert there and get ice cream from Cold Stone Creamery. I don't usually like to pay for ice cream from an ice cream shop when I can get ice cream at home. I make a few exceptions to that rule, and one of those is for Cold Stone. That stuff can't be beat.
So, here I am at 30:
And, here we are at Ruth's Chris Steakhouse:
5/17/2008
Life with only one child
was pretty easy. JD's brother and sister-in-law are keeping Madelyn for the weekend, so she can play with her cousins and I can have a break for my birthday. I miss her and am looking forward to seeing her tomorrow, but the last day and a half have been sooooo easy. Pierce is only 14 months old; it hasn't been that long since we only had one child. It's interesting how quickly you adjust to life with a new family member and how quickly you forget what life was like before the new one came along.
5/16/2008
Cinderella's Castle?
We were in the car today and Madelyn exclaims, "Look, it's Cinderella's Castle!" I look to my left, and I see this:
Well, it is blue and silver...
Well, it is blue and silver...
5/15/2008
I love everything about spring except...
the sun coming up before 6:00 am. This morning I awoke to a screaming rendition of "Jesus Loves Me" followed by a little ditty that Madelyn has learned from school (I open the Bible and what do I see? A story about Jesus. He loves you and me.) Sweet songs from a sweet little voice. Only problem--it was at 5:30 am! The clock system is still working--no visual sign of my little darling until 7:20.
5/11/2008
Pictures of Disney
are linked here:
http://picasaweb.google.com/cmtaliaferro/DisneyTrip2008
You can also click on the slide show at the top of the page to see larger versions of the pictures.
http://picasaweb.google.com/cmtaliaferro/DisneyTrip2008
You can also click on the slide show at the top of the page to see larger versions of the pictures.
5/10/2008
Our Vacation
I think the easiest thing to do is give you a day by day synopsis of the trip. Here goes!
Saturday, May 3
5:30 am--Wake up, get ready to head out the door, last minute packing
6:00 am--Wake up kids (Madelyn had been awake since 5:00- too excited to go back to sleep.)
6:15 am--Pack up the cab
7:10--Arrive at airport
8:00--board plane
8:15--We're off into the wild blue yonder! Madelyn is a little nervous at this point but recovers quickly.
10:15--arrive in Orlando
12:00--arrive at our rental house
1:00--kids down for nap
4:00--kids up from nap and Madelyn swims in the pool
6:00--dinner/birthday cake--Happy Birthday, JD!
7:30--kids in bed
Sunday May 4
We spent Sunday at the Magic Kingdom. We rode It's a Small World, Peter Pan's Flight, the Winnie the Pooh ride, the Dumbo ride and the kids roller coaster in Mickey's Toon Town. Madelyn was very excited to see Mickey and Minnie's houses (separate houses since they are not married). We stood in line to meet some of the princesses (Cinderella, Belle, and Aurora from Sleeping Beauty). I'm glad this was a short line because Madelyn became very nervous at the sight of the princesses and was barely willing to let us get pictures of her with them.
Tuesday, May 6
On Tuesday, we went to the Animal Kingdom. I think this is my favorite park, but there is a lot of walking and not a lot of riding. Madelyn kept saying, "What are we going to ride next?" We did the safari first, and we got to see so many animals. Both of the kids really got into this. We walked around a couple of trails to see more animals, and the adults took turns watching the kids and riding the coaster Expedition Everest. Pretty good roller coaster! Pierce and Madelyn did get to ride a dinosaur ride that was a carbon copy of the Aladdin and Dumbo rides. 
We left Animal Kingdom for lunch and siesta and then headed back to the Magic Kingdom during the evening. JD and I rode Space Mountain and Madelyn got to pick what she wanted to ride.
Wednesday, May 7
We took another off day. We spent the morning lying by the pool and swimming. That evening, we went to Downtown Disney and played at the Lego play area and huge Disney store.
Thursday, May 8
On Thursday, we went to Hollywood Studios first. I think Madelyn was disappointed that there weren't more rides. However, I did not want to skip Hollywood Studios because I wanted to ride Tower of Terror and the Rockin' Roller Coaster. So, the adults rode these rides and we also rode the Great Movie Ride. We saw the kid's show "Playhouse Disney", which is a somewhat interactive show with characters from Playhouse Disney. The characters are puppets, though, and not people dressed as the characters. Madelyn really liked it. We also saw the Beauty and the Beast show. It had lots of dancing and music that the kids really liked. Madelyn and Pierce got to meet Tow Mater from Cars. Interestingly, she wasn't at all nervous about meeting a rusty, old tow truck. We left a little earlier than we wanted because Pierce was crashing fast. This was the onset of his cold.
So, we headed back to the house and we all napped. That evening, we went to Epcot and rode Space Ship Earth. That's the ride in the big ball that kinda looks like a golf ball. As soon as we got out of the car, Pierce started pointing and yelling, "Ball, ball!" We also rode the Seas with Nemo and Friends, Journey to Imagination, and Gran Fiesta Tour. There was also a really neat playground in the theme of Peter Pan where the kids enjoyed playing.
Friday, May 9
Pierce was quite under the weather, so we laid low. We packed up our things, swam a bit, and tried to recuperate from a busy trip.
Saturday, May 10
4:20--Wake up, try to keep eyes open, pull on some clothes and pack up the van
4:55--Try to get the kids out of bed without disturbing them too much--didn't work
5:00--Start driving to the airport
5:25--Turn in rental car, head to the terminal
5:35--Wait and wait and wait for an elevator. Glad we had a little extra time
6:15--Clear security and get a bite for breakfast
6:45--board plane
7:10--Into the wild, blue yonder
7:15--Pierce crashes from shear exhaustion
8:15--Pierce wakes up thanks to the pilot's booming voice informing us that we have cleared the turbulence and are free to move about the cabin.
9:15--land at Dulles with very gloomy weather...quite a shock going from 85 degrees to 55 degrees
10:05--in the cab heading home
10:30--home and put Pierce to bed
1:00--Put Madelyn to bed
2:00--Pierce wakes up
3:30--Pierce goes back to bed
4:15--Madelyn wakes up
5:20--Pierce still sleeping--should probably wake him up
We had a great time, but I wouldn't attempt Disney with two small children unless I had help. It was very nice to have 4 adults to manage the two kids, as it allowed us all to ride the "big" rides as well as the ones the kids could enjoy. Disney's Fast Pass is a brilliant idea. If I could go back, I would spend more time at Epcot. While older kids might think Epcot is a little boring, I think it's great for the little ones because they can ride almost everything, and there are quite a few rides. Also, we didn't have to wait for any of the rides there. I'm glad we took every other day to rest. I think that was really beneficial to Pierce, who ended up crashing by the end anyway. I think the ideal age to start visiting is 4 or 5 because they are young enough to still be amazed by everything but old enough to be able to ride almost everything. I'm still very glad we went. It was a great family vacation, and if we go back in the near future, I'll have a better strategy for touring all the parks.
Saturday, May 3
5:30 am--Wake up, get ready to head out the door, last minute packing
6:00 am--Wake up kids (Madelyn had been awake since 5:00- too excited to go back to sleep.)
6:15 am--Pack up the cab
7:10--Arrive at airport
8:00--board plane
8:15--We're off into the wild blue yonder! Madelyn is a little nervous at this point but recovers quickly.
10:15--arrive in Orlando
12:00--arrive at our rental house
1:00--kids down for nap
4:00--kids up from nap and Madelyn swims in the pool
6:00--dinner/birthday cake--Happy Birthday, JD!
7:30--kids in bed
Sunday May 4
We spent Sunday at the Magic Kingdom. We rode It's a Small World, Peter Pan's Flight, the Winnie the Pooh ride, the Dumbo ride and the kids roller coaster in Mickey's Toon Town. Madelyn was very excited to see Mickey and Minnie's houses (separate houses since they are not married). We stood in line to meet some of the princesses (Cinderella, Belle, and Aurora from Sleeping Beauty). I'm glad this was a short line because Madelyn became very nervous at the sight of the princesses and was barely willing to let us get pictures of her with them.
A rare Mickey sighting--at the show right before the park opened.
The fam in front of Cinderella's castle--notice that everyone is looking at the direction of the camera. Very impressive!
Madelyn, very timidly, standing with Cinderella
Pierce having no problem flirting with the pretty lady.
We took a siesta back at the house before heading back to the Magic Kingdom for the evening. When we went back, we rode "The Jungle Cruise", "Pirates of the Caribbean", and the Aladdin ride that is eerily similar to the Dumbo ride. It was a good day. Madelyn discovered her love for rides and Pierce sailed through without his morning nap.
Monday, May 5
We didn't go to Disney on Monday. The kids needed to rest from the busy days before, and I wanted to see one of my best friends in the world. She and her family moved to Orlando last summer, and it was so much fun to see them! Sarah and her son, Aiden, came for the whole day and Blair, Sarah's husband, came for dinner. The kids played really well together, and during naptime, JD, Sarah, and I hit the outlets. Mom and Dad held down the fort while we were gone.
Monday, May 5
We didn't go to Disney on Monday. The kids needed to rest from the busy days before, and I wanted to see one of my best friends in the world. She and her family moved to Orlando last summer, and it was so much fun to see them! Sarah and her son, Aiden, came for the whole day and Blair, Sarah's husband, came for dinner. The kids played really well together, and during naptime, JD, Sarah, and I hit the outlets. Mom and Dad held down the fort while we were gone.
Hangin' out in the hot tub with Sarah and Aiden
Tuesday, May 6
On Tuesday, we went to the Animal Kingdom. I think this is my favorite park, but there is a lot of walking and not a lot of riding. Madelyn kept saying, "What are we going to ride next?" We did the safari first, and we got to see so many animals. Both of the kids really got into this. We walked around a couple of trails to see more animals, and the adults took turns watching the kids and riding the coaster Expedition Everest. Pretty good roller coaster! Pierce and Madelyn did get to ride a dinosaur ride that was a carbon copy of the Aladdin and Dumbo rides.
Pictures of some of the animals from the safari:
We left Animal Kingdom for lunch and siesta and then headed back to the Magic Kingdom during the evening. JD and I rode Space Mountain and Madelyn got to pick what she wanted to ride.
Wednesday, May 7
We took another off day. We spent the morning lying by the pool and swimming. That evening, we went to Downtown Disney and played at the Lego play area and huge Disney store.
Thursday, May 8
On Thursday, we went to Hollywood Studios first. I think Madelyn was disappointed that there weren't more rides. However, I did not want to skip Hollywood Studios because I wanted to ride Tower of Terror and the Rockin' Roller Coaster. So, the adults rode these rides and we also rode the Great Movie Ride. We saw the kid's show "Playhouse Disney", which is a somewhat interactive show with characters from Playhouse Disney. The characters are puppets, though, and not people dressed as the characters. Madelyn really liked it. We also saw the Beauty and the Beast show. It had lots of dancing and music that the kids really liked. Madelyn and Pierce got to meet Tow Mater from Cars. Interestingly, she wasn't at all nervous about meeting a rusty, old tow truck. We left a little earlier than we wanted because Pierce was crashing fast. This was the onset of his cold.
Madelyn with Tow Mater
So, we headed back to the house and we all napped. That evening, we went to Epcot and rode Space Ship Earth. That's the ride in the big ball that kinda looks like a golf ball. As soon as we got out of the car, Pierce started pointing and yelling, "Ball, ball!" We also rode the Seas with Nemo and Friends, Journey to Imagination, and Gran Fiesta Tour. There was also a really neat playground in the theme of Peter Pan where the kids enjoyed playing.
Madelyn in Bruce's mouth
Friday, May 9
Pierce was quite under the weather, so we laid low. We packed up our things, swam a bit, and tried to recuperate from a busy trip.
Saturday, May 10
4:20--Wake up, try to keep eyes open, pull on some clothes and pack up the van
4:55--Try to get the kids out of bed without disturbing them too much--didn't work
5:00--Start driving to the airport
5:25--Turn in rental car, head to the terminal
5:35--Wait and wait and wait for an elevator. Glad we had a little extra time
6:15--Clear security and get a bite for breakfast
6:45--board plane
7:10--Into the wild, blue yonder
7:15--Pierce crashes from shear exhaustion
8:15--Pierce wakes up thanks to the pilot's booming voice informing us that we have cleared the turbulence and are free to move about the cabin.
9:15--land at Dulles with very gloomy weather...quite a shock going from 85 degrees to 55 degrees
10:05--in the cab heading home
10:30--home and put Pierce to bed
1:00--Put Madelyn to bed
2:00--Pierce wakes up
3:30--Pierce goes back to bed
4:15--Madelyn wakes up
5:20--Pierce still sleeping--should probably wake him up
We had a great time, but I wouldn't attempt Disney with two small children unless I had help. It was very nice to have 4 adults to manage the two kids, as it allowed us all to ride the "big" rides as well as the ones the kids could enjoy. Disney's Fast Pass is a brilliant idea. If I could go back, I would spend more time at Epcot. While older kids might think Epcot is a little boring, I think it's great for the little ones because they can ride almost everything, and there are quite a few rides. Also, we didn't have to wait for any of the rides there. I'm glad we took every other day to rest. I think that was really beneficial to Pierce, who ended up crashing by the end anyway. I think the ideal age to start visiting is 4 or 5 because they are young enough to still be amazed by everything but old enough to be able to ride almost everything. I'm still very glad we went. It was a great family vacation, and if we go back in the near future, I'll have a better strategy for touring all the parks.
We're Back!
This is just a quick post. We are back from our Disney World vacation, and we had a blast! Madelyn loved every minute--from the cab ride to the airport, to the plane ride, to the tram rides from the parking lots to the parks, to the actual rides. Everything was new to her and she soaked it all up. Pierce was fabulous and just enjoyed being along for the ride. I was very nervous about how everything would go, for various reasons, but it went off without a hitch. With the exception of Pierce picking up a little cold on our last day, everything went smoothly. I'll post a more in depth description of our trip, including pictures, once I get to the grocery store, the kids fed, both kids napping, pictures downloaded...hmmm, it might be a day or so.
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