The Davis' go to Disney - Part 1

Ok, so this is going to be a multi-part post for several reasons -
#1. I haven't finished editing my PhotoPass pictures yet, so I don't have my CD.
#2. My camera broke on day 4, and we rushed to WalMart to get a new one. Unfortunately, the impulse buy of the Kodak really sucked, so I returned it this weekend. Of course, the new Canon I got won't recognize the photos from the Kodak. GRRRR. I will have to get creative.
#3. I have tons of pictures and video to edit and not much free time.
#4. It's winter, so our lives are fairly boring. I'm gonna have to get lots of mileage out of the Disney trip to continue blogging.

So, as you all know we went to Disney World 14-20 December. We decided to drive this time - yipee, 900 miles! Here are the kids in the car, happy to be on the way to Disney! Yes, Taylor always poses when she sees the camera, and Yes, those are Taylor's sunglasses that Trace is sporting!




We took off on the evening of the 12th, and made it as far as Columbia, SC, which was the plan. We met up with The Brooks family Saturday morning for breakfast - it was so nice to meet up with them again! Mary Elizabeth is so adorable and it was fun to see how much she has "grown" since we met them in August. Unfortunately, I completely forget to get any pictures, and didn't even realize it until we were in the car - that's what breakfast with three kids and good conversation does to you, I guess. We drove the rest of the way to Orlando on Saturday, but we couldn't check into the Movies resort until Sunday, so we just crashed at the Royal Plaza at Downtown Disney.

Sunday morning we were up and went to check into the Movies resort. It is a Disney Value resort, so not really any bells and whistles, but my kids absolutely love the larger than life movie themes and I absolutely love the price! We were in the Dalmations building this trip, so we had huge dalmation statues in the courtyard. Here are some shots at the resort!






So for day 1, we went over to Disney Hollywood Studios. We had lunch at the Play and Dine at Hollywood and Vine, where characters from JoJo's Circus and Little Einsteins visit the kids while you are eating. Trace decided he was going to be shy this trip and not really visit with characters - every time a character appeared, this is what I heard "Mommy, I scared. I scared." Total bummer, especially since the same kid was absolutely in love with the characters on our last trip. Taylor also likes to pretend to be shy, which she thinks is cute, and I think is obnoxious.






After lunch, we met up with the Mazur family! It was so great to meet Danielle, Keith, and the girls! Our blogging community is great, it feels like we already know each other. We took the kids to Playhouse Disney Live on Stage and then to the Honey I Shrunk the Kids Movie Set playground. Taylor had a great time playing with Laynie and Riley, and Trace and Peyton warmed up to each other, as is evident by these pictures! He even shared one of his beloved tractors with her!















After the playground, we caught the Block Party Bash Parade, and the Mazur's headed for home. It was really fun to visit with them and hope to get the chance to visit again soon! We played at the park a little bit longer, then headed for the hotel to get situated in our room. I'll leave you with some pictures from the parking lot trams, which the kids though were great, go figure!

Trace Update For Non-Facebook Addicts!

So, I didn't mean to totally say that Trace was having surgery and just leave everyone hanging, so sorry! Remember the *slight* Facebook addiction that I have acknowledged? I kept Facebook updated (yay Facebook mobile) with Trace updates, but completely forgot that there are still some people who are not on Facebook (so, get on Facebook and "Friend Me" already).



Trace was really cool with the getting up early and going to Grandma's. My mom works at the hospital, so Trace and I rode up with her so that John could get Taylor to school before he came up to the hospital. When we went back to start getting ready for surgery, Trace got the "VIP" treatment, as everyone there already "knows" him through stories from Grandma! Lots of stickers and a coloring book and a wagon to ride around in! He got a stuffed puppy dog and a cool fleece blanket - he was living large! The Christ Church United Methodist Women's Society donates blankets to the day surgery center at Ruby for children having surgery - I think it's great that they help children feel more comfortable when faced with all the scary things about surgery.





John showed up right after they gave Trace the Versed and he was starting to get kinda loopy. Trace wanted to have "blue hair" like the OR staff, he thought it was hilarious!



Trace's surgery went great, Dr. Ramadan said that both ears were filled with fluid and the left ear was starting to get infected - yuck! He also said that Trace's adnoids were 60-70% enlarged, so getting them out should definitely help both the mild apnea and the fluid in the ears. Back in the recovery room, Trace woke up seriously pissed at the world. Luckily, John got him to sleep and he woke up much happier! We went home a few hours later, and Trace was running around the living room playing that evening! Thank you Dr. Ramadan and the Same Day Surgery team for taking such great care of our little boy!