Florida, Day 4

Today is our last full day of vacation, and we spent our time at Universal Studios, where we got to explore The Wizarding World of Harry Potter.  It was a dream come true for the girls!

Highlights of the day:

-JULIA: Being here makes me want to watch Harry Potter again.  And think about how GREAT it is.

-Madeleine bought a Pygmy Puff, and the entire store was brought to a hush during her naming ceremony.  It was then announced to the entire store that Madeleine had adopted a Pygmy Puff, and named it Cutie- Wootie.

-After we rode the Hogwarts Express to Hogsmeade, Madeleine exclaimed, "I've never been to Hogsmeade before!!"

-After riding the upside-down roller coaster, Julia was all excited to ride the Dr. Seuss carousel in Seuss Landing.  I guess a ride is a rude, no matter how simple.

-Madeleine, after using one of Universal's automated flush toilets, cried, "Mama!  Even the toilets are magical!!"

It has been a blast, readers!  We are all milking our last night of vacation fun before we head back to reality!

Florida, Day 3

Today we kept things low-key and hung out at our hotel.  We visited the arcade to start:

Afterwards, we strolled along the lakeside path around the hotel grounds.  We got to see Pumbaa and Timon up close and personal:

On previous days, we had seen them only through the window of our hotel halls.  Or, if you're Madeleine, you didn't actually see them.

ME: Girls, look out the window!

JULIA: (gasping in delight)
MADELEINE: What?  The palm tree??

We spent a few hours this afternoon at the hotel pool:

After our swimming adventures, we had some down time back in our hotel room before heading back to the pool area for dinner.  While we sat eating, Madeleine opined on a wonderful day.

MADELEINE: I wish every day could be like today.
ME: What do you mean?  Because it was so relaxing?
MADELEINE: Yeah.  Today was the most relaxing day of my LIFE.

Madeleine also took the time, during dinner, to inform her family of her favorite words.

MADELEINE: Julia is one of my favorite words!  My favorite words are "Julia," "Yay," "Ethan," and "Courtney."

I wonder what "yay" did to rank up there with the names of Madeleine's beloved Rowe household members.

As bedtime draws near, the girls are busy putting on a fashion show for Ethan, which is exactly the right way to cap off a relaxing day.  Good night from Florida!

Florida, Day 2

Day 2 in Orlando!  Here are some highlights:

-As we stood in line to board the cars on The Haunted Mansion ride, the attendant repeatedly sang, Gregorian Chant Requiem-style: "Watch your step.  Please want your step".
MADELEINE: Mmm.  Some nice Greek music!

-When we were in the boat at the start of the It's A Small World ride, I pointed and gestured repeatedly at what I thought was a mechanically operated puppet man:
ME: Girls, girls, look!  That guy is wiping his nose!  Look!  Look up there!   Wait.  (Watching him switch to waving.). Is he real?
ETHAN: Yeah, he's real.  That's the attendant.

-During the Pirates of the Caribbean ride, Madeleine shouted out to the Johnny Depp puppet, "Hi, Captain Jack Sparrow!  You're my favorite!!"

-During lunch in Fronteirland, Julia became sentimental over the Western fiddle music playing over the loudspeakers.
JULIA: Mommy?  This music is making me feel sad that we have to leave Monday, like I wish we could just STAY here in Florida!

-Upon leaving the Magic Kingdom this evening, Madeleine announced that so far, the first day was her favorite, but not all the plane parts, just the part where she discovered her Lion King bed.  Yes, that's right, despite the long, boring hours of traveling, day 1 is her face, because the bed trumps 2 days at Magic Kingdom.

Pictures of our day:

Florida!

The Rowe family is down south in Orlando, Florida for a family vacation!

Some highlights from our trip so far:

-Upon hearing an announcement in Spanish at the Orlando airport, Madeleine asked, "Mama?  What language do they speak in Florida?"

-Last night, while eating her gelato dessert, Madeleine dribbled some on the table, then started licking it up off the table.  Yes.  She seriously committed that act of grossness.

-Julia was freaking out about trying to drink her kids' milk from the carton without a straw this morning at breakfast, so while she went inside to search for a straw, a bird flew over to our outdoor dining table and ate Julia's scrambled eggs.

-Madeleine realized, after breakfast, that she had forgotten to brush her teeth this morning, because she was too busy "being excited."

-During our ride on Thunder Mountain, Madeleine gleefully exclaimed, "This is AWESOME!  They made this ride SO AWESOME!!

-Julia was jealous that I bought Madeleine sunglasses, even though Madeleine had forgotten to pack her sunglasses for the trip.  To compensate, I bought Julia Minnie Mouse ears.  Then Madeleine left her sunglasses on Space Mountain so she yet again has no sunglasses, while Julia has sunglasses AND Minnie ears.

-Madeleine did a ginormous burp while we were in line for Splash Mountain, and spewed regurgitated chunks of food all over her arm.  As if licking the table wasn't gross enough.

All joking aside, the girls are having a ball.  Some picture highlights:

Madeleine's Latest Artwork

This picture is not creepy at all:

Neither is this one:

Little Donkey, Close Your Eyes

Last week at Media, Madeleine took out a book called "Little Donkey, Close  Your Eyes," or, as she called it, "Close Your Eyes, Donkey."  She was SO excited about this book for some reason.  From the moment she was dismissed from school she was talking about it.

MADELEINE: Mama!  Just WAIT 'til you see what book I have in my backpack from media!!
ME: (peeking into her bag) Ooooh!
MADELEINE: It's called "Close Your Eyes, Donkey."
ME: It looks great!
MADELEINE: It is.  It's SO great.


Since Media is on Thursdays, I usually get to hear Madeleine read her newest book to me at bedtime, but this past Thursday was an unusual one.  On what is normally a free evening, Ethan and I had a make-up rehearsal with our vocal quartet, so Aunties Shannon and Caitlyn were in charge of bedtime.  The girls were in bed but still awake when Ethan and I returned home, so I went in to both their rooms to say good-night. 

MADELEINE: (reaching out her arm to me and making a sad face)
ME: Good night, honey, I love you.
MADELEINE: (whimpering)
ME: What's the matter?  Were you missing me?
MADELEINE: (pathetically) "Close Your Eyyyyes, Donkey"
ME: You wanted to read it to me?
MADELEINE: (nodding with her lip curled down)
ME: How about tomorrow night?
MADELEINE: (dolorously) Oookaaay.

Tomorrow "night" turned out to be 6am the following morning.  Madeleine joined me in bed and read the book to me.  And by read, I mean sang, since she apparently decided the book's text needs to be set to melody.  I have been such a fan of her musical setting of this book that I asked her to re-sing it to me this evening so that I could capture it on video. 

Here it is, the premiere recording of "Close Your Eyes Donkey"  "Little Donkey, Close Your Eyes":





What a sweet little lullaby.  It definitely gets me ready to close MY eyes!  (Especially when sung to me at 6 in the morning...)

Greek Easter

It's Greek Orthodox Easter!

The girls were up shortly after 6am begging to begin their household search for their hidden Easter baskets.

I had taken great pains to hide Julia's basket in a sneaky spot, inside the play-room fireplace behind the piles of cardboard box houses/schools that the girls kept stacked there.  Unfortunately, Madeleine spied the basket first.

MADELEINE: (inching closer and closer to the fireplace)
ME: Madeleine.  Come here.  Madeleine.  Come here.
MADELEINE: Oh! I found Julia's!!

Way to be subtle, Madeleine.

I then directed Madeleine into the downstairs bathroom.

ME: Madeleine, you'll find yours somewhere in the bathroom here, so look around carefully.
MADELEINE: Okay! (turning back to look at me) Uh, Mama, I hope you didn't put it in the TOILET.

Rats.  She figured me out.  The toilet is exactly the kind of place I would hide an Easter basket.

Once the girls had both found their baskets, they settled in on the rug to peruse their loot:

Both kids were excited to get new books, especially since they'll be missing media at school this week while we go on a Disney vacation.

ME: See, Julia, I told you that you'd get some books for Easter that you can take on our Florida trip.
JULIA: But wait, Mom.  I don't get it.  Does one of the books take place in Florida or something?
ME: I don't think so.  Why?
JULIA: Because you told me you guaranteed that I'd get a book to bring to Florida in my Easter basket.

Apparently that means the book must be Florida-themed, right?  Not just that she would be getting some new books that she could look forward to reading?

I then explained why I had bought them new Barbie dolls, as well, despite the multitude of Barbies we already own.

ME: I also thought you could bring your Barbies on the trip to play with.
JULIA: We're gonna bring ALL our Barbies?  How are we gonna fit them?

Sheesh, kids.  For two pretty smart girls, they can certainly take awhile to clue into the program.  Good thing Madeleine found her Easter basket in the toilet, Julia got her Florida-themed book, and the girls know they need to pack the entire Barbie houseful of dolls for our upcoming trip.

Happy Easter to all Orthodox celebrants!