Disney World & Other New News

Since we had sooo many pictures from our recent trip to Florida, I decided to make the most of them and include a few more in this post.

The view from our room at the
Boardwalk Villas.

While this was Sydney’s third Disney trip in her life, there is still much she has yet to experience.  While some of that is due to her age, most of it is actually do to her vertical 'limitedness.'  Unfortunately, she does not meet the 40 inch requirement that may rides require.  So while she is able to go on the coasters built for smaller people, there truly is a whole new world for her to experience…and the Aladdin pun was not intended…FYI.

So, while Sydney was restricted from participating in certain thrill-seeking attractions, the same was actually true for Karen as well.  This had nothing to do with her age (even though she can also act three at times), and it was not due to her height (safe above 40 inches), but had more to do with her width.  That’s not intended as anything mean, but is merely saying that in her ‘condition’ she can't ride anything that jostles, bumps, spins, whizzes, or is otherwise turbulent.  If those weren’t big enough clues for those who do not yet know, Karen is pregnant.

Who wants a turkey leg???

Even though I was on a trip with two girls that were restricted to certain rides, it was a great time.  In fact, it’s actually kind of entertaining seeing how a pregnant lady navigates Disney World.  For two days straight, Karen kept saying, “I just gotta get one of those jumbo turkey leg.”  Every time we passed a turkey leg stand, and even often when we didn’t, she kept insisting she needed to get one.  I’ve heard of many cravings, but never “I need a jumbo Disney turkey leg.”  It gave me flashes back to the show ‘When Animals Attack,’ or ‘When Good Pets Go Bad.'  Cravings should be taken seriously, and desires of pregnant women should not be taken lightly.  There’s no warning, and the wake of destruction from unheeded requests can be similar to that of a hurricane.  I made sure to keep all of my fingers at least two feet from the devouring of carnage.  Lesson of the story, don’t get in the way of a prego lady and her turkey, or deprive her of it.  You might not be able to tell from the picture, but this thing could actually feed a family of five.

We are expecting the (now size of a bell pepper) kiddo to come in late October.  We have no idea of gender, but we’re going to wait until it comes out to know what it is.  Haha…I’m only kidding.  If you know us, you know there’s no chance of that.  We’ll actually find out next week.  Well, that’s it for now.

Replica of Doge's Palace (Venice)
at night.

 

I hope everyone has a fun and safe holiday weekend!!!

Land to World!

What could be bigger and better than Disneyland?  Well, the answer to that question just might be Disney World.  Forty-six square miles of unbridled fun, entertainment, and food that would satisfy any palette.

All in all, this Disney trip represents Sydney's third trip in her young three years (two to Disneyland and now one to Disney World). With an average trip of one per year...she is already a tamer of the Tea Cups, a connoisseur of the Carousel, and a master of the Main St. Electrical Parade.  She exhibits a mastery of the 'fast pass', and keen intellect of which line to get in (the left one is usually best).

Nana from Montana joined this jaunt to the most south-eastern part of the country.  Donna, being the trooper she is, battled through the Aerosmith Ride.  With one full inversion and two cork-screw turns, she took it like a theme-park champion.  Joe couldn't in good faith encourage her onto the 'Tower of Terror' after that.  She did enjoy other attractions, but she'll have to return to enjoy some of the attractions she couldn't fully appreciate in her flu-induced state.



Hello Bruce!

Karen got to hit some of the great rides, such as Soar'n Over California, but she had to be careful about some of the real 'thrill rides.'  I'll leave you to determine why.  But I'll just give a hint by saying that it's to protect a fetus that is due in October, but that is only a small hint that I'll give.

As for the trip itself, we saw parades, fireworks, theatrical plays (The Lion King), and more than the average human will experience in a lifetime.  It was a great seven days, but it could have easily been doubled to fourteen days.  We could only hope for that many days to experience the wonders, but that will have to wait for another time.  Until then, please enjoy the few pictures that we have to share.

The Castle at night.

We enjoyed EPCOT, and we enjoyed the Magic Kingdom.  We experienced Animal Kingdom, and put our energy into Hollywood Studios.  They were all great in their own ways.

The last picture shows our new home away from home.  That's right, we are new DVC members.  The picture is from the 'Boardwalk Villas,' our new home when we're not in Washington State.  It was a great place to live in for a week.  We were lucky to experience live boardwalk games right outside of our room at night, and it was just a great atmosphere in general.  We'll miss this home, but we hope to return soon!!!  Until our next trip....

Supervising two kids in the airport
on the last day...

The Boardwalk Villas.

From Sydney to Sydney

A couple of years ago Karen had the opportunity to help our her Uncle Dennis by donating bone marrow.  She had gone through numerous tests to confirm she was a proper match.  Before we knew it, Karen and I were on a 14 hour flight with an 18 month old, destined for Australia.

While we were there we made several trips to the hospital for testing and for the actual procedure, but we did get to enjoy spending some time with Kris, Becca, and Dennis.  We also got to see some of the sights of Sydney. 

This April, Uncle Dennis made the jump over the big blue pond to make several stops in the U.S. This gave us a chance to catch up and visit while he was here.  So, he literally traveled from his wonderful Sydney to our wonderful Sydney.  I know, from Sydney to Sydney sounds like the sequel to another bad chick flick.  But, of course, Sydney was thoroughly excited to have company.  We managed to have some great conversation about tips for creating the best espresso, and also shared camera tricks for getting a great image.  All in all, a very fun day.  We hope he enjoyed his time in the states, and will look forward to the next time we get to see him.

In other news, Sydney completed her last swim class.  She'll take a little break before beginning whatever he next endeavor is.  Beyond that, we expect a busy busy summer with a trip to Florida, then a trip to Montana for a wedding, and then the arrival of our friends from Japan.  This will certainly be a very full schedule, but it's all fun stuff that we are looking forward to.

That's it for now, but we'll have some fun things to share soon! 

Have a great weekend!!!

Fury on Wheels!

What is pink, has two wheels, and cruises faster than the speed of light??? If you guessed Sydney’s new bike, then you were correct (actually, it’s four if you count the training wheels). It’s pink in color, but really all you see is a streak of pink light as she blazes past you. The shutter speed on my camera cannot even compensate for the velocity. Okay, that’s a little bit of an overstatement. She’s actually still in the process of learning how the pedaling works, let alone pedaling fast. She hasn’t been able to acquire mobility under her own power yet, but there is a handy handle that protrudes out the back of the bike, allowing me to push and also help steer. It also lets me help her rapidly accelerate at times, which she finds highly entertaining.

We had thought about getting her a tricycle, but then ultimately considered just moving straight to a bicycle that has training wheels. She’s been terribly excited about the whole thing. And, of course, safety is important. The acquisition of a new bike required obtaining a helmet to help protect her small, yet rapidly developing brain. As a result, she managed to get a ‘Tangled’ helmet (aka Rapunzel). A purple helmet and a pink bike…could it get any more girlie? That’s ok…she has fun and loves it, and that’s all a big manly daddy like myself could ask for.

In other news, Sydney will finish up her swim class in a couple of weeks. She’ll hopefully be able to put her new skills to the test when we go on vacation soon. Our resort has a pool slide, but she said she didn’t want to go down it. Perhaps she’ll change her mind once we’re there and she sees how much fun it is. She is a bit of a thrill seeker.  Until the next time, have a great weekend!!!

Sydney also wanted to wish her Great-Grandma Pagels a very

Happy Birthday!!!

Green Is My Favorite Color

Mo Mo...Avocado...Green Bird...she had many names, but Cosmo was always living life to the fullest.  She was 110 grams and a lean, green, squawking machine.   Unfortunately, she passed away recently due to health problems. It was a very tough loss, and the Fuller household is still adjusting.

While she had a knack for screeching loudly at times, was very protective of her pet frog, and was able to bite and draw blood a few times, she did have her shining moments.  She was a proud whistler.  While her tunes were limited to a few specific songs (Andy Griffith, etc), she loved to try and create her own melodies.  Let's just say she would not have won Quaker Idol.  Her latest project had been Jingle Bells.  What we thought might be a ten month project turned into a three year project.  And even with that, it was typically just the first few notes that she would get right.

She had a passion for food.  She loved fresh vegetables, bananas, cheese, and really anything that people would like.  She embodied the idea that she was merely a stomach with wings.  I don't know how she ever achieved flight.  Bath time was also a favorite of hers.  She loved getting in the water and walking around.  She also loved, and at times put up with, her best friend Blueberry.  But as much as she liked preening and spending time with Blueberry, Karen was always her special human.  We'll all miss her.  

In Sydney news...and since we're discussing birds, she recently got to go out and see the 'big birds,' as we call it.  The large macaws and cockatoos are loud and their biting power is immense.  For these reasons, Sydney has never been allowed to go see them before.  But, with careful selection of which birds she could see, she got some good snuggle time in with one of them.

In other news, Sydney has taken the plunge (literally) and is back in swim class.  Her gills are now fully formed, and her aquatic nature is similar to that of Daryl Hannah in Splash.  In fact, we have to we her fins at home every 30 minutes...ha ha!  Well, everything else seems to be going along just as busy as ever.  More to share later, but for now have a great weekend!!!

A picture I took last week in my driveway.  I like the
fact the tongue is sticking out.

Open Wide!

February 2012 marked a new first for Sydney...a visit to the dentist.  She only screamed five time, and only had to be restrained twice.  Ha ha, I'm only kidding.  They recommend getting her used to the dentist office at an early age, so her first visit was really about just seeing the office, becoming familiar with the chair and the tools of the trade, and basically expelling any bad mojo.  Ironically, when we opened the door to go inside, she said, "we can't go in there, there's monsters in there."  So, I'm not sure what the rumor mill is cook'n up at the old daycare, but all I know is she survived her first encounter with this type of doctor.

She got to ride up and down in the chair a few times, wear some cool sunglasses, and play with a bunch of toys.  At the conclusion of her tour and overall experience, she even got to go get a prize out of the machine.  How cool is that?  And amazingly, while we were there they decided to take some x-rays to make sure everything was good.  She took it like a champ.  Fortunately she did not experience the shot, the drill, and witnessing smoke pouring from her mouth.  She regularly brushes and takes her fluoride, so we expected she'd have a good check up. 

In other news, Sydney has found a new movie to burn a hole through...Lady and the Tramp.  She just loves the classics, and she often wants to see the 'puppy movie.'  It's good for us, as being able to recite her previous obsession gets a bit old.  I'm sure we'll know this one by heart before moving on to the next best thing.

Well, that's it for now.  Hope you are all doing well.  Until next post...

  

Have a great weekend!!!   

Snow, Flowers, and More...

The beginning of February has been just as busy as the end of January.  This is my, hopefully justified, excuse for not having an entry in the past couple of weeks.  But since our last post, we experienced a nice snow storm.  This amounted to about 2 feet at our house.  It was great fun to watch it come down, but less fun driving into town in it.  Sydney was able to use this new landscape at school to build snowman during outside play time.  And since Daddy always sees the importance of teaching valuable life-lessons, he was able to drive home one important rule this winter...."don't eat the yellow snow."  It is likely something that will stick with her over the years. 

Sydney continued her ballet.  Actually, she finished her last class today.  While she was the epitome of grace and elegance, she is ready to transition back to swim class next session.  OK...so perhaps grace and elegance is a stretch, and more likely attention-deficit and random off-rhythm movements were more accurate...but she still has a great time nonetheless, and it was fun to watch her.  

Sydney also got her chance to practice very important ‘flower girl’ skills this past weekend when her Grandpa Don got married to Linda.  Sydney took to the task very seriously, and when the request was made for her to create petals on the ground she violently shook the poor flowers until only the stems remained.  I'm sure she'll have time to refine her approach, but she made her debut role a sincere effort.  In June, she can tackle the role with the approach of a veteran. 

Over the next couple of weeks, Sydney will be going to different birthdays to help celebrate the passing of years among her young friends.  We'll certainly have more to share on that front, as well as other fun happenings. 

Until then, have a great weekend!!!