A Vacation

We are going back to Walt Disney World! We're going in the fall for 9 days. It'll have been two years since we were there. I know many of you don't understand why we keep going back. I'll try to explain. There's a certain level of entertainment that few places have mastered quite the way Disney has. It's service unmatched, imagination that has become reality, and memories that last a lifetime. There's something so special about seeing your child's reaction when they see their favorite characters in person. Children feel like they know these characters personally because they've seen them in books or movies and to actually see and touch them is magical to them. The princesses in particular are especially amazing to meet. Katie had lip prints on her cheek after a meeting with Cinderella when she was three and she just beamed the whole rest of the day. Rebecca saw Pooh and proceeded to go to the front of the line waiting to meet him. I caught her but the people who were to go next insisted she have her turn. She was one and she ran up to him and hugged him. It was so sweet. The couple who let her go ahead of them were from Korea, I think, and had no children with them, and they video taped Becky hugging her Pooh. They were smiling and laughing, just like Ed and I, at her reaction to her favorite character. Somewhere in Asia Rebecca is in a home movie! I can't wait to go with Allison this time now that she knows all the princesses and especially loves Cinderella.

The pictures in this post are from our Oct. '04 trip. The weather is still Summer then and the fall decorations are beautiful. We also go to Mickey's Not So Scary Halloween Party where the kids dress in costume and go trick or treating in the Magic Kingdom. There's a special parade and fireworks and all the rides are open with no lines. It was really fun and we're looking forward to going again.

We're going to try Universal Orlando this time. We've not been there. Katie is definitely into the thrill rides and Becky does whatever she's tall enough to do so I think they'll really enjoy it. Our neighbors were just there last week and said it was awesome. It's good to mix in the new things with the stuff we always enjoy.

We're staying at an off-site hotel for the first time. The Caribe Royale Resort is an all suite hotel just minutes away from WDW with complimentary shuttle service to the parks. Mousesavers.com gave it great reviews. Unfortunately there aren't affordable resort options for a family of five on-site. It'll be great to have the extra space! And the pool looks fantastic! The girls are excited about the slide.

It's still raining...I hope those of you outside of New England are enjoying some dry weather! Send some our way, would ya!

Have a great day!

Site Work

The man was here yesterday to do the site work yesterday. How come all projects start out looking really bad? This one looks really bad. Especially today since it's been raining non stop. Now I have a huge mud pit in my backyard!!


Allison enjoyed watching the "man in the little red truck". It kept her entertained most of the afternoon. It was cloudy all day but warm so we enjoyed being on the back deck. There were trucks all over the neighborhood that day doing one thing or another so it was a bit loud.

I love this picture of the back wheels OFF the ground. Very interesting. I sure hope this looks nice after it's all done. The man who actually puts the pool up called to say he is delayed because of the rain but we are the next ones he'll do. So as soon as things dry out some we should see him. Now, will the weather warm up? Good grief, I hope so.

Katie is going to visit her new Middle School today with the other 5th graders. They'll stay through lunch time which I think is a fine idea. I hope she has a good experience today and will be excited to go there. It's a nice school, brand new, and a great floor plan. Ed & I will go to a parent orientation next week. I'm looking forward to that.

I'm glad the school year is winding down. I'm looking forward to a break in the rountine, some lazy mornings, and spending time with my girls. It'll be fun to spend some time in Maine with friends and family. Our family is anxiously waiting for the arrival of our newest member. She's due mid June so we'll be up to see her. Allison is about to be dethroned as the baby of the Cook family, lucky for her she'll keep her baby status on my side! It'll be interesting to see how she likes the baby. Yesterday at the Bible study I went to, one of the younger children was crying for her mother. She's about 18 months old. Allison started crying too and then she hollered, "BE QUIET BABY!" I found it quite funny! Must be my weird sense of humor. The child just cracks me up, even now as I'm typing this I'm laughing out loud!

The landscape crew is supposed to come out next week so be on the lookout for before and after pictures. I'll be sure and post some of the pool when it's up too.

Finally after two bad haircuts since we've been here I got a decent one. The first place I tried was this little hole in the wall in small strip mall. I thought, "It won't be so bad inside." Wrong! Upon entering the salon I immediately noticed a couple of ladies under the dryer with their shampoo sets. I stayed calm. Then I noticed a couple more ladies with perm rods in their hair, tiny little blue perm rods. I also took note that all of the hairstylists were at least 60 years old. Now I was worried. Maybe this doesn't mean anything to someone who hasn't spent a great deal of time in a hair salon but for the former hairdresser in me it spelled BAD HAIRCUT! These ladies hadn't seen someone my age darken the door of that place in years! How could I expect them to understand what I wanted?! I sat down in the chair and thought "It's only hair, it'll be fine." My hairstylist began cutting...randomly...no rhyme or reason to her technique. She told me how she's been cutting hair for 40 years, that's right 40 years! I don't think she's current on latest trends and hairstyling tools but experience must count for something, I was still giving her the benefit of the doubt. When it was all said and done my hair was shorter, mostly, and I still managed to do something with it. Then there was the second place I tried, also in a strip mall but definitely more hip. My hairdresser was more my age as were other people there. The overall atmosphere wasn't very professional and it really was more of a Hair Cuts R Us type of place as opposed to a full service salon. The haircut itself was an improvement over the last place but not quite what I was hoping for. In Maine I had the best hairdresser! She was good at her job as well as fun to talk to. I looked forward to visiting with her each time I went in and the environment was very welcoming and professional. At my last MOPS meeting I met a woman who does hair at a nice salon in nearby Lenox. She looked like she'd do a good job ( you know what I mean ) so I made an appointment and went in. She did a nice job and she was fun to chat with. I will definitely go back to see her. Phew...the difficult parts of moving that we don't think about.

We went to the Boston Museum of Science with the Woodside 5th graders on Thursday. Fun. We got there a little after they did but we had no trouble finding Katie's friend Lily and her mom. The class was spread all over the museum so we ran into different people all day. We were with Lily and her mom just about the whole time. It felt like we'd never left. The kids were all so happy to see Katie and they were glad that she was there. That kind of thing always does a mother's heart good. At one point I had an "I can't believe I live in Massachusetts" moment. Being with the Woodside group felt comfortable and familiar. I know it'll feel that way here someday too, sometimes it actually does. The day ended much too soon but we had a great time and I'm glad we went.

Last night we had a pizza party for Becky's friends. There were 10 little girls here! All the girls in her class were invited and all of them came. I was really pleased about the turnout. It was a little loud and crazy here for a couple of hours but it was worth it to meet the girls Becky plays with and some of their parents. I think they had a good time and I know it meant a lot to Becky. She was the perfect hostess, taking care of her guests' needs and trying to make them feel at home. It was a nice evening.

It's raining...It has been raining for a couple of days. We watched Katie's soccer game this afternoon in the rain. Let me say that I enjoy watching her games, I just enjoy them more when it's nice out. I also feel bad for the girls on the field. They're soaked through and they get all dirty. I know, I know, but I don't like it when they're dirty.

We also went to see "Over the Hedge". It was really cute and funny. I'd definitely recommend it for kids of all ages.

Just Pictures

For whatever reason I couldn't post these pictures with my Mount Greylock entry so I'm giving them their own post. This top photo is Ed and Ally and Katie meandering up the path to the summit. Below that is the view from the road on the way up the mountain. As you can see it wasn't exactly a clear day but it was warm and the view was still impressive. The last picture is of the beautiful war memorial which sits at the summit. Doesn't it remind you of a lighthouse? You'd almost expect the ocean to be just beyond the monument. We also noticed that the leaves aren't yet in full bloom at that elevation. Interesting.