How did an entire school year go by so quickly? It seems like just yesterday that I teared up watching her walk in to preschool for the first time. Her little 3 year old hand holding tightly in mine, nervous but excited to walk through those doors. Now she is a bubbly, laughing 4 year old skipping and dancing her way out the door.
I cannot believe how much she has grown this year! Even looking at her Fall and Spring school photos, there is such a difference. My baby looks so grown up!
Bailey’s class picture
Bailey’s last day of preschool was today and we had a lot of fun celebrating with her. She danced her way into class with some of her favorite teachers and aides. Then we came up to greet her at the end of her day and she passed out cookies to all her friends, teachers and staff! She loved sharing her treats with everyone and giving hugs to all her friends. They played outside all day with chalk, bubbles and even had popsicles! Best day ever!
So proud of my baby girl!
We are so proud of our girl and were so fortunate to have an amazing teacher, Miss Courtney. It was her first year teaching and we couldn’t have asked for anyone better to teach Bailey. Bailey loves to tell us that Miss Courtney is her bestie, besides Juna. Plus her TA’s Miss Marie and Miss Joanne were her favorite teachers too. She is definitely going to miss everyone this summer, but we are already making plans for play dates soon!
We love Miss Courtney!
We wanted to look back at some of our favorite moments this past semester and share!
Heartland Preschool Party
Right after we came back from Disney the school had a Family Fun Night and both girls were excited to go! We had pizza, played in the bounce house obstacle course, went fishing, played in sensory bins, won free books, played carnival games and got tattoos and faces painted! Sienna thought she ruled the school and we all enjoyed playing around with friends and teachers.
Morning Muffins
I love how welcoming Bailey’s school was and all of the different activities they had planned throughout the year. Bailey had a Donuts with Dad morning and then we all got to join in for Muffins in the Morning.
Field Trip
Our fall field trip to the pumpkin patch was rained out twice so we weren’t able to reschedule before the holidays. Luckily, they planned a trip to the new high school, Olathe West to see some animals. I was able to go and loved watching all the kids interact with the high school students and check out the animals. Bailey was super brave and interacted with everyone and everything. Her favorites were the gecko, iguana, snake and the alligator! Plus we got to check out the new high school and it was gorgeous!
Valentine’s Day Party
Valentine’s Day has always been my favorite day and we tend to jam it full of fun activities. This was our first Valentine’s School Party and Bailey loved passing out Valentines to all her friends, making sugar cookies and going into detail of her and Elijah’s wedding (poor kid). I loved hanging out and playing with all her besties!
Preschool Fashion
One of Bailey’s favorite parts of getting ready for school was picking out her outfits. We only had to reign her in a few times, but I loved watching her sense of style grow. She is definitely full of sass and loves to show off. Here are some of our favorites:
Sweet Bailey girl, how quickly this year has passed. You have gained so much confidence and personality. We love watching you grow and learn and play. I know you’ll miss seeing your friends this summer, but Mama is sure going to enjoy having you home!
After a magical morning at the Magic Kingdom and a quick dip in the pool, we decided to clean up and venture to Animal Kingdom for the evening. None of us had been to that park before so we didn’t know what to expect and we were looking forward to it.
Animal Kingdom Tree of Life
The most recognizable landmark at Animal Kingdom is the Tree of Life. It is huge and beautiful. No matter what angle or time of day, there is so much to see and experience. The girls were fascinated with the tree when we first got into the park but really loved the animation in showed at night.
Sienna was more interested in chewing on a stick
In all it’s glory
Meeting Mickey and Minnie
It wasn’t until we were in Animal Kingdom that we realized the girls hadn’t met Mickey or Minnie yet. We’d seen them perform but we wanted the girls to get a little more one on one time with the OGs. When we saw their meet & greet at the Animal Kingdom we made sure to hop in line.
At first glance of Mickey, the girls’ eyes lit up and they both got the biggest smile on their faces. As soon as it was our turn, Bailey all but dove into Mickey’s arms. The pure joy was everything a parent could hope for. We also got to spend quite a bit of time with them. When we were done they couldn’t wait to run out and tell Pop Pop all about it!
She hugged him with all she could
Evening Safari
Since we didn’t get to the park until the evening, we had to decide the best ride/experience for everyone. The Avatar rides are supposed to be the coolest, but the lines were so long and not everyone could ride them. We decided to head back and get in line for the Kilimanjaro Safari. The line was longest we waited the entire trip but since we were one of the last buses out, it was definitely worth the wait!
We saw alligators, hippos, hyenas and more but our favorites were the giraffes and the lions. Since it was so dark we couldn’t get a lot of good pictures but the view was incredible. We never realized how fast giraffes were until we saw them sprinting in front of us. Watching the lions wake up and start their night was exciting for all of us.
Festival of Lights
There was so much more to see and do at Animal Kingdom, I wish we would have had a little more time. But I am so glad we decided to go and look forward to our return.
It was late after we got done with the safari but perfect timing to catch a seat for the Rivers of Light show. The weather was perfect and show was fantastic. The girls were in awe with the all the lights and sounds.
We closed down the park and the girls almost made it to the bus before crashing. It was a packed bus ride home and we were sure the girls would wake by the time we got back to the hotel. But thanks to the sleepy dust in both our Tulas, this is how the rest of our night looked.
Tula for the win!
A Little More Pop
The next morning we woke with plenty of time before brunch. The girls were in a great mood so we went to explore our resort. The girls loved looking at all the characters and enjoyed the fragrant gardenia trees all over the resort. We even found the playground on site and made a few friends before we had to leave.
We would definitely stay at Pop Century again…the pools were great, it was an easy walk over to the Art of Animation and the beds were super comfy!
Such a sweet girl
O’hana Means Family
It seemed the perfect ending to the Disney leg of our trip, brunch at O’hana. We drove over to the Polynesian and headed up to O’hana where Pluto was waiting to greet us! Sienna wasn’t the biggest fan so she stayed with Daddy while Bailey and Gigi hugged and played with Pluto.
Our table was ready and no sooner than we sat down were we greeted by Stitch! The girls thought he was hilarious and loved making silly faces with him!
The pineapple bread they served when we sat down was delicious and then they brought out the family style brunch. Sienna’s eyes popped when she was all the ham, bacon, eggs and sausage on the platter. Bailey loved the Mickey and Stitch waffles!
We were about midway through breakfast when another visitor stopped by the table…Lilo! Bailey loved her dress and that she had a lei just like they did.
Sienna wasn’t as interested in Lilo but she did grab Dad and did a little dance for everyone in the restaurant. After filling up on brunch, she was in full sass mode. And that was before they brought out the cupcakes for their birthdays!
She definitely feels the rhythm
Our other little Fancy Nancy
We were just about to leave when the girls got one more big surprise…Mickey! Dressed in his finest Hawaiian shirt, he definitely sent us out the door with big smiles on our faces.
A little more play time at the Polynesian
I can’t believe the our Disney vacation has already come to an end. It took a lot of planning on the front end, but it was worth every bit. I am so happy we were able to spend this time together as a family with my parents. Disney was every bit of a whirlwind but one I will cherish for a long time. Watching the girls meet their heroes and seeing the magic through their eyes will be memories forever etched in my heart. I want to thank my parents again for putting up with us and for helping us make our girl’s dreams come true. We love you!
On to Clearwater
We made one quick stop at the Disney Outlet store before hitting the road to Clearwater Beach for the next leg of our vacation. Beach house here we come!
This was it…the moment we’ve all been waiting for: Disney’s Magic Kingdom. Since we announced the trip to the girl’s they have been talking about meeting all the princesses and riding the rides everyday. We’ve seen the Disney World commercials everyday and have endured several excited screams of anticipation. Would it live up to the hype? Would the girls be able to handle the excitement of the day? Had Hollywood Studios and Epcot been too much fun? It was time to find out.
The girls have been obsessed with fairies for a long time now. So when we saw Tinkerbell’s area was pretty open we knew we had to see her. The girls were still a little tired from the day before so there was a little crankiness, but we thought Tinkerbell would be the ticket to turning that around. We were definitely wrong.
As we got closer to her, their combined moods worsened and both didn’t even want to look at Tink. Needless to say, the pics didn’t turn out that well so all we have is one. It wasn’t exactly the magical start we were hoping for. Luckily it turned around after that.
At least Gigi and Daddy look happy
Cinderella’s Castle
There is one thing that I can remember vividly from my first trip to Disney and it was Cinderella’s Castle. It’s an icon and brings all the feels from childhood. Watching the girl’s first see the castle definitely brought a smile my face, and fortunately theirs too. We even got to walk through it and found Costume Couture just outside to see Sleeping Beauty’s dress change colors. And we got sprinkled with Pixie Dust (and for the record, yes we all STILL have Pixie Dust ingrained in our scalps). The girls were finally up to pictures and we even got Pop Pop in one – thank you Memory Maker!
So happy now!
Disney Rides
When you go to the Magic Kingdom, there are a few rides that you just can’t miss. For us it was the Tea Cups and Dumbo. Since we got to the Magic Kingdom at rope drop, we headed right over to those rides and lucked out because there was hardly a line. When we made our way back over by them again we were glad we got there early because the lines were wrapped around. Bailey loved Dumbo and Sienna had a blast on the Tea Cups!
On her favorite ride
First Tea Cup Ride in the books
We had to ride Dumbo!
Under the Sea with Ariel
One of our other favorite rides was Under the Sea – Journey of the Little Mermaid. The line offered a lot to see and interact with plus it was in the shade, so everyone enjoyed it. The girls giggled through it, pointing out all their favorite characters.
But the ride paled in comparison to meeting their favorite mermaid, Ariel. When you are obsessed with mermaids, have multiple mermaid toys and are in a Mermaid Party competitive dance group, meeting a real mermaid is the ultimate. Plus Daddy’s school boy crush had him ready for a solo shot with his favorite red head too!
Sienna’s face is the picture
Dreams do come true
Getting Tangled with Rapunzel
Tangled isn’t their favorite Disney movie but you can believe that Rapunzel is one of our favorite princesses. Not only is her dress one of their favorite colors – but have you seen her hair? Super hair envy!
Rapunzel at Magic Kingdom definitely did not disappoint. The girls were in complete awe and they loved showing off their matching dresses! Rapunzel took her time with each girl, showering them with Birthday love and giving extra hugs. They were so awestruck that they almost walked into a table on their way to meet another Princess. Thanks Rapunzel, for making our Disney vacation magical!
Sienna went right in for that hugSienna’s in loveThey didn’t want to let go
Enchanted by Sleeping Beauty
When we got in time to meet Rapunzel we thought we would also be meeting Tiana. We love The Prince and the Frog so the girls were excited to sing “Almost There” with her. But when we walked in the room and saw Aurora sitting there, they were even more excited!
They were torn between wearing their Sleeping Beauty dresses and Rapunzel and they made sure to let her know that. Not quite as dazzling as Rapunzel, Sleeping Beauty was still a magical experience and one of the best surprises of the day!
Too much excitement not to share
Cinderella
Much like her castle, meeting Cinderella leaves a lasting impression. For Bailey, this was her magical moment. Sienna started showing signs of exhaustion in line and didn’t make it past one pic before she was done. Bailey did not mind one bit and she soaked up all the Cinderella magic.
They talked dresses, jewelry, hair and more. The hugs were enough to melt your heart. Thank you Cinderella, for making Bailey’s day even brighter.
She’s just beaming
Twirling with Elena
Elena was the least known of the princesses that we met, but she was one of our favorites. Her dress was the coolest and Bailey has been asking for one just like it since we left. She had a lot of energy and twirled a lot, so Bailey loved it! Sienna was almost asleep so we didn’t get any pics with her.
Standing Strong with Merida
After a slew of Princess meet and greets we decided to get out and walk around until our next fast pass started. Before we could even sneak past the castle we ran right into Merida. You couldn’t miss all that red hair! The girls were super excited to meet her and she had so much fun with them. Since she was a little off the main path, we got to spend extra time with her and the girls loved to pose with her.
If you are going to the Magic Kingdom anytime soon, make sure you seek her out. You won’t be disappointed! Sienna’s favorite book is Merida’s right now and she will show you her archery pose anytime you ask!
Peter Pan , Rapunzel’s Tower and Haunted Mansion
After Merida, Sienna started to get a little sleepy again and climbed up on my back. Within minutes she was out. We headed over to the Peter Pan ride we had a FastPass for and tried to revive to no avail. She slept soundly throughout the entire ride. The rest of us enjoyed it!
Passed out for the entire Peter Pan ride
We still had a lot of time to kill before our next fast pass so we made the most of our time and took in the sights. Bailey was excited to see Rapunzel’s tower and watch all the little princesses walk around. We even got to check out the Haunted Mansion. Both girls thought it was pretty cool and only a little but creepy.
I swear they enjoyed it!
Belle’s Enchanted Tales
Our last FastPass at Magic Kingdom was Enchanted Tales with Belle. I hadn’t done much research on it, just saw that Belle was in it and booked it. But I am so glad we did! You know it’s going to be fun when you meet your Birthday twin waiting in line. They were having so much fun they almost didn’t want to go in.
Birthday Besties
Once we got inside we were separated from the kids. They got to stay in front and join in on the performance. Both girls were more than happy to jump right in and play along. They were the cutest salt and pepper shakers! They were definitely enchanted by Belle and we all got a laugh when they were called up to meet her and didn’t let go of each other’s hands.
Leaving the Magic
After Belle we were all a little tired and hungry so we decided to head back to the resort for some food and pool time. As we were walking out we stumbled onto one of the shows with our favorite characters and the girls enjoyed singing and dancing along!
It was definitely a morning to remember and the girl’s declared it the Best Day Ever as we were boarding the bus back home. We were tired but definitely happy and still speaking to each other so I declare it a win! Sienna enjoyed flirting with an older boy on the bus back and we reminisced about the fun we just had. We had a quick lunch and then headed to the pool.
Best Day Ever!
Our Little Mermaids ready for the pool
We may not have seen everything or ridden all the rides in the park, but we definitely made the most out of the girl’s first trip to the Magic Kingdom. Watching their faces light up with each Princess that they met will forever be etched in our minds. Will they remember this years from now? Maybe, maybe not. But we will hold these memories in our hearts and will look back fondly. We definitely enjoyed the Disney magic!
After soaking up some sun and cooling off at the pool we decided to head over to Disney’s Animal Kingdom. We’ll be sharing photos from that park soon!
After our afternoon at Disney’s Hollywood Studios we took a boat to Epcot to experience all the world had to offer. We were a little exhausted and warm so we paced ourselves at Epcot. Bailey got to see her Eiffel Tower and Sienna got to explore the gardens. We were lucky to be there during the Epcot International Flower and Garden Festival. The grounds were beautiful and the girls loved the tea garden in England and the Bambi sculptures.
With Gigi’s favorite…Thumper
The penguins made with recyclable materials were my favorites
Finding Nemo and Coral Reef
We spent most of our time at Epcot near the Finding Nemo area. The girls loved the Seas with Nemo and Friends ride and since Sienna slept through the first round, we went back and rode it again. We spent a lot of time in the aquarium area looking at all of the crabs, shrimp and starfish. Watching the manatees float gracefully around in their tank was so peaceful. Plus Bailey got to see her sharks!
We had a reservation at Coral Reef Restaurant and it came at a perfect time since everyone was starving and needed a rest off their feet. This restaurant was definitely worth using one of our table service meals. It is huge and you are seated in front of an aquarium full of sharks, rays and sea turtles. The girls loved looking for their favorite sea creature and kept them entertained while the food came. The adults enjoyed the adult beverages and the giant lobsters they served!
Obligatory food post
We would highly recommend this restaurant for any sea lovers. The food was great and the atmosphere was even better. We even got a show from some of the divers doing flips and dancing in the tanks that had the girls cracking up. The entire Nemo area was fun for our family, so this is a must see!
Winding Down at Epcot
Since our day started so early (2:30am), we thought the girls would be as exhausted as we all were. Unfortunately the food and the sharks gave them an extra boost of energy so they were raring to go again. Luckily Epcot offers a lot of things to look at and the girls really loved the big ball.
Checking out the sunset at Epcot
She did not want to share her water
They even got to get a free slushy since it was their Birthday so they were extra happy and hopped up on sugar. So we had to run them around a little more so they would settle down for the bus ride back. We even invented a new game – Stop Picking the Flowers. The girls would try grabbing a flower out of one of the gorgeous gardens and we would have to block them. Let’s just say we really upped our steps game that day.
I wish we would have gotten to spend a little more time at Epcot to see more of the world, but we enjoyed everything we did see. And we left all in one piece and happy, albeit exhausted, so I would say it was a great day! Here are a few more of our favorite photos from Epcot:
They love their Gigi
Sienna making her escape to try and snag a flower
Waiting for the bus – this is why Pop Pop is her favorite
Our first Disney day ended with some pool time. We may have been dead on our feet, but the pool felt amazing! It was a nice refresher before bed and everyone slept throughout the night – a first for us in a long time.
Our next stop was Magic Kingdom and we’ll be sharing those pics next. But first, I want to say thank you to my parents for putting up with us and all of the craziness we bring. They provided a much needed distraction and break when we needed it. We wouldn’t have survived this trip without them. We love you!
When it takes over three hours to download your vacation photos you know it’s been a good trip. Going to four Disney Parks in less than 2 days can really take a toll on your computer storage…and that’s not including 5 days on the beach. I was going to put everything together in one blog but decided to break our vacation out by location to avoid picture overload. So first stop – Hollywood Studios!
We left our house at 2:30 am to catch our flight to Orlando. Luckily it was a straight flight. We made it in smoothly with no meltdowns or big issues by 9 am Orlando time. We got our bags and rental car in record time and set off for our resort, Pop Century.
I highly recommend staying onsite at a Disney Resort because not only is it fun for the whole family, but the check in process is like a dream. We had magic bands and checked in before we left the airport so as we reached the hotel we recieved a text that our rooms were ready and our magic bands would let us right in – sweet! We changed the girls really quick, then went down to the main lobby and checked in with the concierge who set us up with our Memory Maker (worth it) and Birthday Pins / First Timer pins for the girls. If you are going to Disney the same month as your kids Birthday, ask for a pin. Everywhere we went we were greeted with Birthday wishes for both girls and got lots of free goodies and treats!
After we got everything squared away we hopped on a bus and headed to Hollywood Studios.
First Stop – Hollywood Studios So Excited to go with GiGi and PopPop
Toy Story Land
Once we got into Hollywood Studios we grabbed a map and made our way to Toy Story Land. Bailey and Sienna are obsessed with Toy Story right now and every time the commercial with the Slinky Dog ride comes on, they scream. So we planned on spending the majority of our time there. We were able to score a fast pass to Toy Story Mania but we were a little early so we decided to look around a bit.
In her happy place
It’s not everyday that you get to meet your heroes. So when we first walked into Toy Story Land and almost ran into Woody, Bailey was almost shaking with excitement. Then came Jesse and we realized we were right next to the meet and greet so we hopped in line. Watching the girls meet Woody, even after waiting in a long hot line, was worth the entire trip.
Dreams do come true
The girls were in total awe and we could have stayed there and hugged them all day. They were big hits with their Woody & Buzz dresses. We also got to see the Green Army Guys marching down the street and Sienna got her picture with Buzz.
We rode Toy Story Mania next and Sienna was laughing the entire time. Bailey, Grandpa and Dad got the high scores of our group. Luckily this ride combined with the Woody and Jesse sighting got us past the crazy long line for the Slinky Dog ride and we skipped it without any tears.
Ariel, Anna and Elsa
The next experience on our list was the Voyage of the Little Mermaid which offered a nice cool place to sit down and watch a show. The girls loved the songs and characters while the bubbles and rain fell. We stopped for a snack and Sienna entertained with a little dance.
Dancing in the streets
Next up was the experience Sienna had been waiting for – The Frozen sing along. As we started heading in that direction, Sienna’s eyes got droopy. I took her into the bathroom to see if I could get her to wake up by going potty but instead we learned a new trick – passed out peeing. It was probably the easiest for me since she wasn’t screaming or trying to touch everything in the public restroom. After getting her packed into the Tula we got in line for the experience and this is how she remained for most of the show:
Out like a light
She did wake up for some of the show but I don’t think she realized that we were in the same room with Anna and Elsa until we were already out the door. We really enjoyed the show. The two main narrators were really funny!
Donald and Daisy
It was getting pretty warm and we already hit most of our must-sees, so we went to catch a boat ride to Epcot and ran into Donald and Daisy. The girls were excited to meet them and we got some great pics.
The handler scared Sienna right before she got to meet Donald
Just before heading out Dad and Bailey caught the Storm Troopers marching down the street and caught a pic.
A random dog Bailey loved
Overall, we enjoyed Hollywood Studios. We loved Toy Story Land even though we didn’t see everything there because it was jam packed. Next time we may grab a couple more shows, but I am definitely glad we made it before they opened Galaxy’s Edge – that is a whole new level of crowd we don’t want to deal with right now. We left Hollywood Studios and hopped on a boat to Epcot. We’ll share our next adventures there as soon as we get through combing the pictures.
