Disney On Ice 2011

Sunday was our annual girls' Disney on Ice trip.  We went with Theresa & Abby (from next door) and Jecca just like last year!  This year the show focused on 4 movies: Lion King, The Little Mermaid, Lilo and Stitch and Peter Pan.  We aren't familiar with Lilo and Stitch but Kaelin and Hailey loved the rest.  Kaelin said her favorite part was The Little Mermaid.  Hailey's favorite part was Lion King, Hook and Tinkerbell...oh and Arial's fish (Flounder) :).   I tried to plan ahead by bringing along special treats - ring pops, candy necklaces, m & m's etc....though we did buy popcorn and cotton candy.  We also brought our light up wand from home (from a circus trip a few years back).  That wand has seen the inside of the Covelli Center now at least 4 times :). 

Here are some pictures from the evening:

Kaelin and Abby

 Jecca and Hailey

 The cotton candy came with tulip hats :)

 mmmm.  Hailey LOVES cotton candy.

 Then the tulip hat turned into Kaelin's popcorn bowl.

 Hailey loves her blue wand. 

This was our 3rd year at Disney on Ice (2nd for Hailey).  We had a wonderful time and I love this tradition with our girls!

Randomness from the past 2-3 weeks

Here is a bunch of random pictures from the past few weeks.

haha  Logan was very comfy in the girls' Princess chair while I changed sheets and made beds last week.

 Kaelin stayed on green (good behavior) at school all during the month of November!  The principal then draws one student from each grade (K-3) that has stayed on green to be a part of the Fantastic Four.  K was chosen.  She received a certificate, school shirt, and had the opportunity to have her picture posted for the month and eat a special lunch on the stage of the lunch room with a friend of her choice (Hayden - we hear his name a lot!)

K is the falcon on the left.

 Hailey and Dominic riding the train at the mall.  We have ridden this train every year.  

This year they finally went by themselves!  YEA!  

 Logan, pondering great things in his sleep.

 Gotta LOVE those cheeks!!

 One of Hailey's favorite things to do: build Lego Tower's!  Thanks Grandma Donna and Papa Bob - with our extra set we can build REALLY tall towers!

Crafts and Cookies!!!

This morning we had a busy morning! The girls made 3 kinds of ornaments (baked 'cookie dough', sun catchers and Disney art).  There were paints, glitter glue, crayons, and markers everywhere :).  We followed that with a lunch break and then sugar cookie decorating!  I am hoping the snow that is falling starts to stick so after naps we can head outside :)!

Baked Cookie Ornaments:

I love that Kaelin's are all rainbow colors.

 Shockingly, Hailey's were all some variation of blue. :)

 Aunti Brenda's Disney Ornaments:

 Grandma Donna's Sun Catchers:

Sugar Cookies mmmm:

K really likes sprinkles!

 Daddy's 1 cookie masterpiece

 She made that very sprinkley cookie just for him. hehe

 And everyone is done....time for Mommy clean up :).  Some of the cookies may not have made it through the clean up process.

Gingerbread Houses 2011

Last night we built our Gingerbread House Village.  Its fun to see how the girls decorate...Kaelin is Very meticulous.  They both had fun and Bandit LOVED the candy that fell to the floor!  Here are pics:

How many man does it take to build a Gingerbread House?

Hailey - Step 1: The Frosting

 Hailey - Step 2: Placing the Candy

 Hailey - Step 3: Full of Joy!

 Hailey's Helper Uncle Ray

 Finished Houses

Goofy Faces

Tea with Santa

On December 4, Grandma Barb and Aunti Amy took Kaelin and Hailey to Picadilly Parlour's Tea with Santa.  Kaelin has gone with Grandma the last 3 years, but this was Hailey's first year.  We LOVE Picadilly Parlour and try to go at least once a summer as well. It is a neat Victorian tea room where the girls can dress up and act like grown ladies having a tea or lunch.  They really enjoy it.  The Santa that arrives each year is amazing! Weird thing is, Hailey usually does great with Santa, but not at tea apparently.  She wanted nothing to do with him. 

A Christmastime Excursion

Today we went on a family day trip.  We took the Cuyahoga Valley Scenic Railroad's "A Christmastime Excursion".  The trip started by traveling by train from Rockside to Akron (a little over an hour).  They were very excited to ride a train, and then get to walk through the cars to the snack car and buy popcorn!

  

A conductor also came through the train and showed the girls some animal pelts from Cuyahoga Forest (which the railroad rides through) -- a beaver and a fox.  Hailey wouldn't touch them. 

We passed a small local ski hill (Boston Mill), where they were making snow.  Both girls thought that was neat. During our trip we met Mr. Jingeling  - he is Santa's Key Keeper.  His most important key is to the Toy Warehouse!  He gave the girls paper keys to keep.  Then we stopped in Akron and took a trolley to the Lock 3 area - a small German Village with crafts was set up, along with ice skating and sledding.  We walked downtown and got a bite to eat at Prima Deli's - really more like a Pub than a deli but very good! (for our GCC friends: I think it's Akron University's Rachel's, only bigger!)  After we ate we wandered some craft booths for a bit and the kids made a gingerbread craft ornament.  Then Justin and Ray took the girls sledding on an astroturf sledding hill several times- it was very cool and the girls LOVED it. (especially since we still have no real snow to sled on!) 

They both also want to learn to ice skate, but I think we will try a local rink first with a kids' time before we try a crowded outdoor rink.  We then took the trolley back to the train station and rode back to Rockside.  During our trip back Santa stopped by and passed out candy canes.  Haha and then it happened, Kaelin said, "That Santa is wearing a wig! He has brown hair!".  So Kaelin and I had a little chat about Santa being very busy and needing helpers this time of year, kind of like substitute teachers at school.  

Side note: She recently she learned the difference between fiction and non fiction (I do not remember learning that at 5!).  She has stated several times that Rudolph is fiction...but she hasn't put together the Santa link and that he is fiction too. I have a feeling there will not be many more Santa Christmas' for Kaelin and of course due to her nature, :) Hailey will not be far behind. I don't mind at all, because he isn't the center of our Christmas, Christ is. However, they do receive stockings and one or two gifts for Santa....when the belief is gone I think I will miss simple fun of it.  

Excited for Santa's arrival

 Trying to be patient

 Success! 

 Such a good boy. Logan slept most of the trip, woke to eat and play a bit, but was very content!

 Almost to our final stop.  Getting a little antsy, so the girls started wrestling a bit. 

Uncle Ray joined in by flicking Hailey.

 Pure Fun

 Picture with one of the conductors

 On the platform

The Railway also runs a Polar Express trip (you wear your pjs and get hot cocoa), however the tickets were double the cost for only 2 hours of fun (compared to our 6). We may splurge next year, as our kids just learned the story and watched the movie this week and LOVED it....however this year I just wanted to see how a train ride would go.  We did however take a picture by the HUGE Polar Express poster.

The day was a bit chilly - High of 37.  I did plan ahead though, and everyone was wearing 2-3 layers! Poor Logan was probably sweating in his layers :).  

Overall it was a wonderful day. I am so glad we planned for this added Christmas excursion this year! The joy on the kids' faces and the time spend relaxed and together as a family was priceless.  I wish all days could be like this one.