Saturday, June 15, 2013

Fun and Games

We are in Miami after a week of Disney with the family!  We hit every park and packed in as many roller-coasters, ice cream treats and fireworks displays as possible.  We met characters, vied for air-conditioning, soaked up the merriment and played as hard as we could.  After eating breakfast with Grandma, Grandpa, Ellie, Annika, Deedra and David we headed to Legoland Florida.  We were all on theme-park overload but nothing could dampen Milo's excitement about a whole park dedicated to those lovely little bricks!


Milo said he wanted to see a Cheetah.  You you go, fella.

Mama ostrich did not want hard-boiled babies so she is laying beside her eggs instead of on top of them.   

Milo had to step up and push Odelia a few times.  That kid didn't complain about his feet, walking, pushing or the heat.  We bought him the goofy hat as a thank-you for being such a big kid.  

This picture is aptly placed after I just said he didn't complain.   While it looks like he's in full meltdown mode he was just in the middle of a cough.  Ha!

Odelia LOVED all the shows.  She soaked up the air-conditioning and spectacle.  Everyday she would tell me, "I want to see puppets today."  Ok, darlin'...we can make that happen!

Merriment in Magic Kingdom!


Disney Hollywood Studios:  Toy Story Mania ride.  So stinkin' fun!

Do you ever tire of pictures of the Holdhusens in 3-D glasses?  

I hope not!

3-D Glasses Picture #3:  Generational cross-over


So, we photo documented our experience before getting on the ride and then one of the workers asked us if we wanted a picture.  So we have DOUBLE the pictures of us in our glasses!  

Ready to ride!

Father-Son 3D glasses shot!  I'm telling you, we covered all possible combinations.  



Milo blogs:  i  bot    a lit savr

P&F

We went to a stunt show and look who showed up!  

Waiting for Fantasmic.

Milo said, "Whoa dad, you got a shot of Mickey with sparks flying out of his sword."  Easily impressed?  

Odelia was slack-jawed the whole show.  She couldn't get enough of the characters.


A hug from Mickey.

Character breakfast!  

Odelia was mesmerized by the characters.  

Just stinkin' cute, right?

Last pic before leaving Disney.  Odelia HATES good-byes and this departure was compounded:  bye to cousins, grandma and grandpa and Disney.  It was almost more than she could handle.  

Legoland Florida!  Hot as hell but no crowds.  

They named a restaurant after my husband.  

Odelia said, "Mom, where's my autograph book?"   Unfortunately this fella was without hands.  

He was perfectly content to build with Duplos.  

The Dragon roller coaster.

Pretending to be captured.

Milo poses in front of the White House.  He looks like a giant but really it's made of Legos.  

The Obamas do Legoland.

Odelia visits Vegas.  


This was a design studio that Milo could have camped out in for days.  


Watching his car compete...

He won!



We hit a gas station outside of Miami and found some treasures:  Milo found some candy named after himself and I found Inca Kola, a throwback from my days as an exchange student in Peru.  

Honestly, this rainbow was unbelievable.  It stretched on forever and  the colors looked like they were painted in the sky.  

Tuesday, June 11, 2013

Mickey Mousing Around

Ten Holdhusens descended on Disneyworld two days ago.  Mark, Milo, Odelia and I drove through the night to arrive Sunday morning at 10am.  As we stopped at our first red light on a month-long trip a woman pulled up beside us and knocked on her window and gave the universal sign that immediately resulted in me rolling down my window.  In the three seconds that I had to surmise what the problem was I convinced myself that I left a diet coke on the roof (not as exciting as a toaster flying off the roof but worthy of mentioning).  It turns out that I did not, in fact, leave the diet coke on the roof but we had a tail light out.  (And we still do.)  Thank you, kind lady in the late 90's coupe for spiraling my 24 hour drive into a modern day version of The Very Worried Walrus.   I conjured up a lot of dire situations due to that nasty taillight.
Day 1 of Disney involved all the merriment involved with complete and utter exhaustion related to a cross-country drive.  Lots of crying and whining from all of us but then a sufficient nap in our new digs at the Coronado Resort and we were ready for swimming with cousins, doting from Grandma and Grandpa and a trip to Downtown Disney for some shopping.  Yesterday we went to Magic Kingdom.  It was a big hit and we all have high hopes of returning for a few more rides soon.  Both of the kids loved the parade!  Today we hit Epcot.  Milo loved The Sum of All Thrills ride where he was able to help design a roller coaster.  Tonight we chilled at the hotel, ate dinner with the family and swam with cousins.  The rain slowed us down a bit today but we've got a fresh agenda for tomorrow!
We left Wausau at 7:30 am, forgot our toiletries and then returned at 7:35.  Our final departure was 7:40.  Kind taillight lady was shortly after 7:45.  The rain started at 7:46.  

At a park in Illinois.  

Hiding behind a tree.  Daddy will never find us.  Shhhhh.

We visited the Chuck in Paducah.  Man, that pizza SUCKS!  I clobbered Milo in skee-ball for the second year in a row.  

Milo asked for his picture to be taken next to the convertible, "since we're in Florida".

Cool dude, Odelia.  

Milo blogs:  We wet to chuck e... ches...we got a hat and we got a nec pilo.

This was the first sign we were at Disney World.  I told the family that I would give a quarter to the first person that saw a sign for Disney and I WON!  Me!

Milo after a 24-hour car ride and a hot shower.  

The Coronado Resort, Disney World.  That is not fog, it is our camera lens adjusting to the glorious Florida humidity.

We're all staying here together.  The cousins are soaking it up!  

First swim with the whole family.  Where's Milo?  

Gabba (Grandma) and O's, bonding.  

No joke.  We arrived at Magic Kingdom and Odelia immediately got pooped on by a bird.  Mark took an above shot to really capture the moment.  

I wasn't good at this game.  David killed me.  But I win for enthusiasm.  

Little Ms. Ellie.  

Odelia and Ellie LOVED "It's a Small World".  We went on it twice.  The simple pleasures, I tell ya!

The Hula Girls were a huge hit!

Odelia and I were back at the hotel napping when this merriment was taking place.  I can't really tell you anything other than I am certain he was in no danger.


Milo Blogs:  I love magic kingdom.


Cousins waiting for the Electrical Parade.  

No one was pelting you with cheap candy at this parade.  It was a refreshing digression!

Epcot 

Piggy bank game at Epcot.  




Test Track was a bust.  We "fast passed" it, waited in line for a while and then got in to the design area only to have them close the ride due to weather.  It was still fun to design our car.  The kids handled the disappointment amazingly well.  

Milo Blogs:  we went to test track... i made a car.

Here are the kiddos waiting for Test Track to re-open.  We eventually bailed on our pursuit after consulting the radar, but we had fun making the car and we peacefully hung out with family in line (free from rain and heat).  

Wednesday, July 4, 2012

WE MET JOHNNY DEPP!!!

Just kidding about meeting Johnny Depp.  We headed to Canyonlands National Park today to ring in the 4th.  We arrived at the park around 9am and it was deserted.  For the first few hours it felt like we had the whole place to ourselves.  It was overcast today during our hikes which made for a very jovial and active Odelia.  She frolicked and explored without a thought to the heat (yes, it was still hot).  Our first hike in Canyonlands took us up to an arch that overlooked a canyon.  Mark and Milo made it up there first with plenty of time for taking pictures and exploring.  Odelia and I meandered, backtracking to the potty and then really focusing on our Junior Ranger mission, which was finding litter on the trail.  We arrived at the arch and I immediately freaked about the drop off.  I couldn't let the kids get within 5 feet of the edge and I made sure one of us had a hand on Odelia at all times.  It wasn't a relaxing destination but certainly beautiful.  We hiked another short trail where the kids got to play and climb without fear of plummeting over a cliff.  Both kids earned their Junior Ranger pins at Canyonlands today.  They had to do a series of activities and then speak to a ranger.  It was serious business!  The ranger spent about 10 minutes with them going through their workbooks and talking to them about the park.  They were delighted to walk away with Junior Ranger badges.  We are leaving tomorrow at 4am for a LOOOOOOONG drive to Des Moines to visit my sister and Benjamin.  Big Trip 2012 is coming to an end and I notice my husband already has an excel spreadsheet started for Big Trip 2013.  It's like an addict looking for his next fix.  
Here is the beautiful arch with the gigantic canyon right below it.
Canyonlands National Park, UT

I was NOT here for this picture otherwise you would have seen my  hand death-gripping his ankle.
Canyonlands National Park, UT

Last family picture of Big Trip 2012
Canyonlands National Park, UT

She was a live wire today which didn't mix well with the very large canyon below us.  Mark had a firm grip on her.
Canyonlands National Park, UT

Jump!
Whale Rock Trail
Canyonlands National Park, UT

Mark does a handstand on top of a rock.
Canyonlands National Park, UT

At the top!
Canyonlands National Park, UT

Love this kid.
Canyonlands National Park, UT

Milo is doing the Corpse pose from yoga.  He says, "We should change the name of this pose to the peace pose."
Good thought, buddy.
Canyonlands National Park, UT

Yoga @ Canyonlands National Park, UT
A forest of Trees
Canyonlands National Park, UT

Climbing even higher.
Canyonlands National Park, UT

Odelia does the downward dog.
Canyonlands National Park, UT

Yoga@  Canyonlands National Park, UT
Odelia strikes a Tree.
Canyonlands National Park, UT

It wouldn't be a day of vacation without her stealing my sunglasses.
Canyonlands National Park, UT

Milo does more of his Peace (corpse) pose.
Canyonlands National Park, UT

Hamming it up!
Canyonlands National Park, UT

Finishing up the Junior Ranger packet so he can earn his badge.
Notice his little tongue sticking out.
Canyonlands National Park, UT