Sunday, November 1, 2009
Picture overload-Part 1
Hazel's first day of preschool.
And then we went to Orlando.
Oops, this is on the airport tram and is before we met the pink princess statue, but whatever.
At the water park, which was truly a highlight of Orlando. They had all ranges of slides, from itty-bitty for Hazel to crazy tall for Geoff. Videos in the next post.
It was a chore to get Hazel to try the tube ride but once she did it she was hooked (again, video in the next post).
And then she progressed to the even bigger slide.
Family shot.
As we were going through pictures, Hazel said, "Remember when you stuck my hand in Fritos and made me go to sleep?" Yeah, that is what happened. Really, she was tuckered out from the water park. My conference gave us sack lunches at the end and it was perfect for eating after the park, on our way to Tampa.
Fireworks on the cruise.
Disney's island with Captain Jack Sparrow.
Family with Donald Duck. Hazel said, "He is the captain of the yacht." Yacht?!?! How does she even know what a yacht is??
Geoff snorkeling.
He took this picture himself. You can barely see Minnie Mouse.
Family shot in the ocean. We only got one shot and then the batteries died. Doh.
This was at the REI, Hazel was exhausted and fell asleep in the cart. I think she wasn't feeling good.
More to come. But now I must go and enjoy the beautiful fall day.Labels: florida, Geoff, hazel, meadow, vacation
Monday, October 19, 2009
GFA, Part Three
Remember how I was going to bed? Me neither...
But, since I am parked at the computer, I decided to continue uploading pictures from Florida (but also keep reading past Florida to see the doll dress Hazel made).
These are from September 18, Day two of our cruise. Over a month ago. Man, I am a procrastinator.
We woke up bright and early Friday morning to see The Princesses. Backing up a bit, let me tell you about Disneyland. We went to Disneyland in June and waited in line approximately 14 hours to see princesses, and that was after cutting in line with Zoe and April... Herein lies the beauty of the Disney cruise. It may be $$$ but, no lines. Or, really, minimal lines. We probably took 30-45 minutes to see all four princesses (one line for all of them) and that included plenty of talking to each of them.
First up, Snow White.
Hugs for everyone.
Then we saw Belle (or "the yellow one" as we like to call her). She was oddly tan. I know she works on a cruise ship but, come on. She needs a little sunscreen.
I don't know if Belle got a hug. Maybe Hazel was afraid of the tan...
Pink princess. She was nuts. Do you see the massive quantities of make-up? Of course you do because, holy cow, that lady had a heavy hand with the eye shadow and lips and everything. Hazel didn't mind.
Next up, the blue one, Cinderella. Hazel repeatedly told her that she had the same dress at home.
Cinderella was cute and nice. And even though her dress is not pink, Hazel loved her best. And will be her for Halloween, if she can have a headband and necklace. Easy-peasy.
And, then we were in the Bahamas. Yee-haw.
Hazel was not a fan. We went through the Straw Market (meh) and bought some random-y souvenirs and then we went back to the ship and hung out at the pool. Much better...
Huh, this should be sooner because this is right after we got off the boat. Alas, I am not rearranging, just explaining. I love this shot of the two of them. And it is a nice shot of our boat. Look, that's our room!
It was Pirate's In the Caribbean night and we dressed like pirates. Barely.
And we got to meet Jack Sparrow. Hazel and Jack did not care for one another.
And then Hazel went to kid-land and dressed up. Because that is what she does.
Whilst at Kidlandia she obtained booty in the form of pirate head scarfs. Matey. Oh, and we won a pirate trivia game and got medals. Because we are winners. We win.
It is a big production, pirate night. They have dancing pirates and singing pirates and then Mickey Mouse comes in to save the day and then fireworks. (I have pictures of the fireworks on the mysterious "other camera" that I claim to own but never upload from. Because I am lame.)
I wish I had a better shot of the three of us. But Hazel was more impressed with all the characters and music and dancing and whatnot.
I promise to update with Part Four (I believe the final part) at some point in the near-ish future. Labels: Geoff, GFA, hazel, meadow, vacation
Monday, September 28, 2009
The Grand Floridian Adventure Part 2
As you may remember, when I last left off on the Grand Floridian Adventure it was September 13th (on the GFA, not posting). Now we are jumping ahead to September 17, because I have ZERO pictures from those between days. We did stuff but either (a) I don't have pictures or (b) they are on the other camera. Anyway, quick summary:
Monday, September 14: Meadow went to meetings all day, Geoff and Hazel swam in the pool and played with ponies. I think they also rode the bus to the Animal Kingdom Lodge to see animals. But that could have been Tuesday (I think there are pictures of this on the other camera). Monday night we went out to dinner at the fancy-schmancy restaurant in the hotel, it was a conference thing. Hazel did not have a great time. Then we went swimming afterward and to the boardwalk. Or maybe that was Sunday. Man, my days are confused. Probably both days. We swam a lot. Oh, we also walked around Downtown Disney this day too. And had an extremely mediocre lunch at some restaurant that really should have been more delicious.
Tuesday, September 15: Meadow=meetings. Geoff and Hazel=stuff. We had dinner with the conference this night too and then we all went to Cirque du Soleil. It was pretty good, but I am glad I didn't have to pay for the tickets. The 7 bucks for popcorn was plenty and I got reimbursed for that.* Geoff and I went to the show that came through Utah at the E Center, but this was Hazel's first time. I think enjoyed watching her more than the show.**
Wednesday, September 16: Meetings and packing in the morning. Then a lady gave us tickets to the water park and we went in the afternoon. It was awesome and a lot of fun. I would have even paid. I KNOW! Paid! They had a great kid zone that had a multitude of slides in vary degrees of scariness and Hazel increased her bravery bit by bit. I know we have pictures of this on the other camera, cause it is waterproof. And then we drove to Tampa. Which was a long drive but totally worth it to see Geoff's cousin and her family. We went to dinner, and spent the night with them on Wednesday which brings us to Thursday and I have pictures.
Whew.
They live on this great pond with a bird.
And an alligator. Possibly a stick, except it really is an alligator and we saw it swim and yawn. They also have a swimming pool at their house. Lucky.
And, Hazel favorite part. A BABY! Yeah, for baby Aysia! Hazel was in baby heaven. She got to hold the baby and feed the baby and pat (burp) the baby. She wanted to sleep in the baby's room so she could "help her in the night" we put the kibosh on that. It was great seeing them and we would love to go visit them for more than a quick overnight trip.
And then we made the trek to Cape Canaveral. Unbeknown to me, Geoff had the GPS set to avoid toll roads. Which made for a very, very, very long drive across Florida. He claimed it was "scenic" but Hazel and I just watched cartoons in the backseat and waited to see our boat. Or ship. Whatever.When we finally spied it, we were very excited.
Very, very excited.
Even Geoff got in on the excitement action.
And then Hazel lost it for a bit. She absolutely did not want her backpack to be tagged and sent to our room. Because, she is nuts. Does she not realize that it is better to have someone else take care of the luggage?!? Obviously not. So, Geoff went to park the car and Hazel and I went in to the terminal to start the check-in process and just as we were finishing who should show up but THE mouse herself. NOTE: In our house, the only mouse that matters in Minnie. See that mouse silhouette on the ship model in the background? Minnie. The pasta she would get at dinner? Minnie. The ice cream bars? Minnie. You get it. Everything is Minnie. Mickey is not even discussed. Hazel was very excited and perked right up at seeing Minnie and kept up the pleasantness for the rest of the cruise. (or at least that is how I am going to remember it. I cannot think of any other freak outs so I am going to remember the awesomeness of our cruise. It is my cruise. And my blog. I can do what I want.)
Geoff showed up just in time to get a family shot.***
We toured the kid land and it was awesome. I could do an entire post on the awesomeness that is kid land. But, I am not going to. Let me just add it in here: Awesome.
Very, very excited.
Even Geoff got in on the excitement action.
And then Hazel lost it for a bit. She absolutely did not want her backpack to be tagged and sent to our room. Because, she is nuts. Does she not realize that it is better to have someone else take care of the luggage?!? Obviously not. So, Geoff went to park the car and Hazel and I went in to the terminal to start the check-in process and just as we were finishing who should show up but THE mouse herself. NOTE: In our house, the only mouse that matters in Minnie. See that mouse silhouette on the ship model in the background? Minnie. The pasta she would get at dinner? Minnie. The ice cream bars? Minnie. You get it. Everything is Minnie. Mickey is not even discussed. Hazel was very excited and perked right up at seeing Minnie and kept up the pleasantness for the rest of the cruise. (or at least that is how I am going to remember it. I cannot think of any other freak outs so I am going to remember the awesomeness of our cruise. It is my cruise. And my blog. I can do what I want.)
Geoff showed up just in time to get a family shot.***
We toured the kid land and it was awesome. I could do an entire post on the awesomeness that is kid land. But, I am not going to. Let me just add it in here: Awesome.Oh, you want more? Okay, so Hazel is 3 which means she was in with the 3- to 4-year-olds. See how that is only a two year span? Awesome#1. Every single one of the counselors that I met was perky and friendly beyond belief. Awesome#2. The kid land was huge. They had a playground-thing with stuff to climb on and a little slide and then a little TV area with shell chairs. Then there was a huge open space and a stage. They had tables where they served them meals and snacks (They fed them, I could have completely neglected my child all cruise. Awesome#4. (because I am still working on #3)) and then a GIANT tree house thing with a steering wheel (see below) and a slide and other such awesomeness. Plus, a computer room and dress-up area. Awesome#3 And, Hazel favorite part of all, tiny toilets. Awesome#5. Seriously, the kid loves tiny toilets. She wants a tiny toilet in her new bathroom. Except by the time we get done with bathrooms she will be like 15 and who wants a tiny toilet then?!? Moving on. The best part of all: We had late seating for dinner (8:15pm) and our server would take the kids' orders (we were seated with another couple who had a 4-year-old girl) and then rush their food out and then, magically, at 9pm the kid land folks would show up at the restaurant and whisk the kids away to kid land. Awesome#6-10. Disney is a giant marketing machine and I feel guilty about buying Hazel the Disney-crap but I will tell you what. They know how to take care of kids, and more so the parents. The end.
At lunch we met the captain and the first mate. Hazel was very happy with "the dog what walks on two legs".
Our cruise ship had a big old sports area. We played some soccer.
Later, we met Minnie Mouse again. (1) I don't know what is up with the kid and her crazy hands. I assume she is pledging a gang****
We also got Hazel to lay in the windows. She wasn't really amused.
But, dang, look how cute she is in her little mouse ears and adorable dress!
I promise to finish updating the remaining parts at some point in the future.*I am a cheapskate.
**I am also a sucker for my kid.
*** How short are the people in the costumes?!?! because we are taller than Minnie and her head is H-U-G-E!
****Do you pledge gangs? How does that work? When will she stop with the weird hands?
Labels: Geoff, GFA, hazel, meadow, vacation
Tuesday, September 22, 2009
The Grand Floridian Adventure Part 1
We recently returned from 8 days in, or around, Florida. Meadow had a conference at Disney World for 4 nights, then we spent a lovely night with Geoff's cousins in Tampa and then 3 nights on a Disney cruise. It was great but, holy cow, Florida is h-o-t. And muggy. Oh, the muggy, muggy Florida air.
We stayed at the Swan. It was nice but not as nice as some of the other hotels the conference has been held at. But, on the other hand, nicer than where I would stay if I had to pay. Hmm... this is kind of a crappy picture of it. But, all I could find.
More proof that everything is Minnie Mouse. Hazel was uber-cute in this dress. She told someone, "My mom made the dress but we had to borrow the sash." As if borrowing something was the worst thing ever. I am proud of this dress. I think it looks great and even though I deviated from the pattern and had to do a few things repeatedly (see collar and sleeves) it turned out great. The marketing ladies from my conference found Hazel adorable and bought her matching Minnie ears which she LOVES and wore everywhere.
We went to a character breakfast our first morning in WDW and had a great time. I think Hazel ate about 2 bites but she loved the characters. This picture does not show the true amount of love she had for Donald. I think he was the first character and she was still a bit nervous at this point. By the end of the meal she had warmed up to everyone.
Loved Goofy.
Loved, loved, loved Minnie Mouse. HOWEVER! Not once did we see Minnie in the "traditional" i.e. matching dress. Bummer.
And she got earrings. So, all around Florida was a win for Hazel.
They are clip-on earrings (which had never occurred to me before) and she loves them. She has wanted earrings for quite some time now and I think this is filling the need. They are pink butterflies and, surprisingly, they both made it home.
We made a trip to Downtown Disney before my meetings on Sunday and it was awesome. They have My Little Pony thing where you get a pony and all the outfits you can stuff in a box for $20. Best 20 bucks we spent on the trip. We were able to get all of the outfits (princesses and Minnie) plus extra shoes and other fiddly things. Hazel loves it and it ate up plenty of hours and kept her entertained at dinners.
Daisy. Angry Hazel. Angry Donald. Angry Geoff.
We have quite a few photos with Hazel on or near something.
She was fascinated with the "stick" Tigger is sitting on and was convinced it was poop. From our angle, it kind of did look like poop.
Not a fan.
I had to go to meetings (you know, the reason my work shells out the cash for me to go places). Geoff and Hazel headed back to the room. Hazel put on her princess dress and fell asleep. (Long aside: We were looking for another princess dress for Hazel. She got a blue one at Disneyland and wears it constantly. She sold Popsicles on the 24th of July to buy a dress and I told her she could have another one in Florida. She really wanted the mermaid outfit but it looked cheap (but, was NOT cheap) but she would settle for the mermaid ball gown. And then they were out of her size. And so we tried Snow White. Same story, not in her size. So, we had the guy call around and NONE in her size. We tried quite a few princesses before they found ONE in her size. The blue one. Ack. We went to the princess factory (or so it seemed) and they rummaged around and same story, nothing in her size. WTH!?!?! Come on Disney! 3-year-olds need princess dresses. Finally, they found ONE pink one in her size and Hazel proclaimed it was "her favorite". Fabulous, because that is the only one they have. End) It is a cute dress, however, and off the shoulder like she loves.
Then we went to the cocktail reception (Geoff and Hazel came to and Hazel was fabulous and well behaved and cute and everyone fawned over her) and swimming and THEN to the ESPN Zone for food. Hazel zonked out at the ESPN Zone even though it was incredibly loud and loud and sporty and loud. It was a long day.
Anyway, we had a great time and here is my story.
Geoff ordered a snorkeling outfit from his Delta points. I am not really sure how this program works, I just know he got free snorkeling stuff. And Hazel modeled them. In a princess dress.
Remember how I have two cameras? Well, I can apparently only update with one of them at a time. So, this post is from the big camera. My point? None.
Remember how I have two cameras? Well, I can apparently only update with one of them at a time. So, this post is from the big camera. My point? None. Disney World is enormous. I guessed about 600 square miles. But, turns out is is like 36 square miles or 25,000 acres (which sounds far more impressive). My point is this: They are a powerful marketing machine. This was the coolest thing I saw on the compound. Minnie (everything in our world is Minnie, not Mickey) Mouse electrical poles. Awesome.
We stayed at the Swan. It was nice but not as nice as some of the other hotels the conference has been held at. But, on the other hand, nicer than where I would stay if I had to pay. Hmm... this is kind of a crappy picture of it. But, all I could find.
More proof that everything is Minnie Mouse. Hazel was uber-cute in this dress. She told someone, "My mom made the dress but we had to borrow the sash." As if borrowing something was the worst thing ever. I am proud of this dress. I think it looks great and even though I deviated from the pattern and had to do a few things repeatedly (see collar and sleeves) it turned out great. The marketing ladies from my conference found Hazel adorable and bought her matching Minnie ears which she LOVES and wore everywhere.
We went to a character breakfast our first morning in WDW and had a great time. I think Hazel ate about 2 bites but she loved the characters. This picture does not show the true amount of love she had for Donald. I think he was the first character and she was still a bit nervous at this point. By the end of the meal she had warmed up to everyone.
Loved Goofy.
Loved, loved, loved Minnie Mouse. HOWEVER! Not once did we see Minnie in the "traditional" i.e. matching dress. Bummer.
And she got earrings. So, all around Florida was a win for Hazel.
They are clip-on earrings (which had never occurred to me before) and she loves them. She has wanted earrings for quite some time now and I think this is filling the need. They are pink butterflies and, surprisingly, they both made it home.
We made a trip to Downtown Disney before my meetings on Sunday and it was awesome. They have My Little Pony thing where you get a pony and all the outfits you can stuff in a box for $20. Best 20 bucks we spent on the trip. We were able to get all of the outfits (princesses and Minnie) plus extra shoes and other fiddly things. Hazel loves it and it ate up plenty of hours and kept her entertained at dinners.
Daisy. Angry Hazel. Angry Donald. Angry Geoff.
We have quite a few photos with Hazel on or near something.
She was fascinated with the "stick" Tigger is sitting on and was convinced it was poop. From our angle, it kind of did look like poop.
Not a fan.
I had to go to meetings (you know, the reason my work shells out the cash for me to go places). Geoff and Hazel headed back to the room. Hazel put on her princess dress and fell asleep. (Long aside: We were looking for another princess dress for Hazel. She got a blue one at Disneyland and wears it constantly. She sold Popsicles on the 24th of July to buy a dress and I told her she could have another one in Florida. She really wanted the mermaid outfit but it looked cheap (but, was NOT cheap) but she would settle for the mermaid ball gown. And then they were out of her size. And so we tried Snow White. Same story, not in her size. So, we had the guy call around and NONE in her size. We tried quite a few princesses before they found ONE in her size. The blue one. Ack. We went to the princess factory (or so it seemed) and they rummaged around and same story, nothing in her size. WTH!?!?! Come on Disney! 3-year-olds need princess dresses. Finally, they found ONE pink one in her size and Hazel proclaimed it was "her favorite". Fabulous, because that is the only one they have. End) It is a cute dress, however, and off the shoulder like she loves.
Then we went to the cocktail reception (Geoff and Hazel came to and Hazel was fabulous and well behaved and cute and everyone fawned over her) and swimming and THEN to the ESPN Zone for food. Hazel zonked out at the ESPN Zone even though it was incredibly loud and loud and sporty and loud. It was a long day.And then I have no pictures (on this camera) until September 17th.
More tomorrow, or another day.
Labels: Geoff, GFA, hazel, meadow, vacation
Sunday, June 28, 2009
Meltdown of a princess
This is just a teaser post while I work on the giant post of pictures from California.
After lunch on Friday (our second day at Disneyland), Hazel wanted to ride King Triton's Carousel. Something set her off (I don't recall exactly what it was) and the following took place. Within about 45 seconds.
This one is my favorite with the overly dramatic hand to the mouth.
And then the ride started and all was forgotten.
Labels: Disneyland, hazel, vacation
California Über Alles
We went to California on Wednesday and came back (incredibly early) on Saturday morning.* It was a fabulous time and while I am exhausted (not quite as exhausted as Hazel and Geoff who both fell asleep a couple of hours ago) I am glad we went and hope to be back to full power by tomorrow when I have to be at work. :(
This is Hazel's standard airplane pose. She loves reading the safety guide almost as much as she loves picking her nose. It was not a bad flight and my mom, Bernie and Jenni were just a couple rows ahead so Hazel could go visit them.
Anyway, when we got to California on Wednesday we drove around crazily, hit the Trader Joe's, got some lunch**, and then went to La Brea Tar Pits. It was pretty cool. Hazel was very concerned about the daddy elephant that got stuck in the tar and was terrified of the moving mammoth.
I was only scared of the skeleton.
Ben and Zoe and clan were there and the cousins (mostly) played nice.
And then we went to the beach. I cannot even begin to quantify how much my child loves the beach. We could have spent four days at the beach and she would have been happy. Note to self: Must go to Hawaii this winter.
Ben and Zoe and clan were there and the cousins (mostly) played nice.
Then we went to Roscoe's Chicken and Waffles (per Snoop Dogg's suggestion) and it was delicious. If you ever get the chance, I highly recommend RC&W. We went to the Long Beach location. Hazel had a drumstick.
The family at Disneyland. Look how non-plussed my kid is. Does she not know this is the happiest place on Earth? HAPPIEST!
These were the first characters she met. I am thinking this could be our family group costume this year...
The first ride we took Hazel on was the Pirates of the Caribbean. In case you don't remember this ride, it is dark, loud and has a couple of drops right at the beginning. She had a death-grip on my arm the entire time. Based on this (and the fact that we are dopes) we took her on the Haunted Mansion next***. She was on sensory overload.
We then wised up and took her on Winnie the Pooh's kid-friendly ride. She got off and said that she loved it and "none scary parts."She also enjoyed Buzz Lightyear's shoot-em up ride (how could she not love a ride with guns?).
And we got to ride in the front of the monorail. She would have happily ridden this all day.
We also met more characters.
She loved this phone and had to be physically dragged away from it. Someone talked on it, Mickey or something, I don't know. But she loved it. I love her casual stance.
Of course we met Mickey Mouse. I think the Mickey line is the best of the bunch. You wander through his house (which is really part of the "line") and then you get to watch movies while you wait and it went really fast.****
All day she asked for the Dumbo ride, but the lines were crazy and so we kept putting it off. Finally, the line was down to about 30 minutes and we went on it. She had a great time and again, "none scary parts." Apparently a three-year-old likes the little kid rides. Who knew.
At some point during the day we tried to have naps (ha!) and then stayed up late to watch the fireworks and Fantasmic. Geoff was far more tired than Hazel was.
But, after Fantasmic (and a quick trip to the Tiki Room), she passed out and was gone for the night.
We got up super-early the Friday (or so it felt after being up past midnight on Thursday) so we could ride Nemo's submarine ride.
Then we went on the Jungle Cruise. Obviously, we planned a little better on Friday with regards to kid-friendly rides.
And then we saw the princesses. They were great. Three princesses rotate throughout the day and you wait in one (giant) line for them. They spent time with each little girl (and boys, probably) and made each one feel special. I was glad we did it. But, I wish there was a fastpass.
And we got to ride in the front of the monorail. She would have happily ridden this all day.
We also met more characters.
She loved this phone and had to be physically dragged away from it. Someone talked on it, Mickey or something, I don't know. But she loved it. I love her casual stance.
Of course we met Mickey Mouse. I think the Mickey line is the best of the bunch. You wander through his house (which is really part of the "line") and then you get to watch movies while you wait and it went really fast.****
All day she asked for the Dumbo ride, but the lines were crazy and so we kept putting it off. Finally, the line was down to about 30 minutes and we went on it. She had a great time and again, "none scary parts." Apparently a three-year-old likes the little kid rides. Who knew.
At some point during the day we tried to have naps (ha!) and then stayed up late to watch the fireworks and Fantasmic. Geoff was far more tired than Hazel was.
But, after Fantasmic (and a quick trip to the Tiki Room), she passed out and was gone for the night.
We got up super-early the Friday (or so it felt after being up past midnight on Thursday) so we could ride Nemo's submarine ride.
Then we went on the Jungle Cruise. Obviously, we planned a little better on Friday with regards to kid-friendly rides.
And then we saw the princesses. They were great. Three princesses rotate throughout the day and you wait in one (giant) line for them. They spent time with each little girl (and boys, probably) and made each one feel special. I was glad we did it. But, I wish there was a fastpass.Mulan and Hazel showed off their muscles.
Sleeping Beauty was Hazel's favorite, because of the pink, I think.
Snow White tried to get the kids to pose "like a princess".
This is my favorite picture.
Princess hands again.
And then, Hazel needed her own princess dress.
It leaves glitter everywhere. It makes everything "fancy". Me, Geoff, the stroller, the car seat, everything she touches. Seriously, it is glitterific.
And even more awesome with bug glasses.
We rode the bumper cars and then the ride broke or something so we just had to sit there forever.
And we went on the Bug's Life caterpillar's chew-chew train. Jenni was terrified. This was, by far, the lamest ride ever. It is like 20 feet of ride. I think Hazel has more train track in her box o' trains. Seriously, it was short.
Hazel swore she didn't need a nap and wouldn't take one but, man, she needed one. I think we wore the toes out of her shoes dragging her around.
Outside the Monsters Inc ride.
On the Monsters Inc ride. This was the only ride that Hazel wanted to go on again. We got off and she wanted to immediately get back on it. We distracted her with the photo op stuff outside the ride (see above, there was also a cab you could play in).
We watched a lot of parades. Hazel got to play the drum head in this one.
I like that Jenni, Hazel and the Mad Hatter are all staring at something. The Mad Hatter looks horrified.
We also stayed for the Electric Light Parade. It started at 8:45pm, but on the opposite end of the park. Hazel was wide awake, but that crazy, manic, awake and running around and licking and causing all sorts of mayhem. And then the parade started. She lasted like two floats and then was out. If only she would have had a nap.
As we were leaving California Adventures, the fireworks at Disneyland were going off. This was cool but caused a crazy traffic jam at the exits.
Saturday morning we got up bright and early, drove to the OC and flew home. All in all, it was a great trip. But, I am glad to be home. And glad to be sleeping in my own bed.
*So, we fly standby which is free, but we are at the mercy of the airlines. So, when I checked flights on Friday night after a full day at the D-land I discovered out preferred noon-ish flight was dangerously full so we went for the 6:45am flight. Which meant leaving our hotel at like 5:15am. Which sucked. But, you know, free flights.
Sleeping Beauty was Hazel's favorite, because of the pink, I think.
Snow White tried to get the kids to pose "like a princess".
This is my favorite picture.
Princess hands again.
And then, Hazel needed her own princess dress.
It leaves glitter everywhere. It makes everything "fancy". Me, Geoff, the stroller, the car seat, everything she touches. Seriously, it is glitterific.
And even more awesome with bug glasses.
We rode the bumper cars and then the ride broke or something so we just had to sit there forever.
And we went on the Bug's Life caterpillar's chew-chew train. Jenni was terrified. This was, by far, the lamest ride ever. It is like 20 feet of ride. I think Hazel has more train track in her box o' trains. Seriously, it was short.
Hazel swore she didn't need a nap and wouldn't take one but, man, she needed one. I think we wore the toes out of her shoes dragging her around.
Outside the Monsters Inc ride.
On the Monsters Inc ride. This was the only ride that Hazel wanted to go on again. We got off and she wanted to immediately get back on it. We distracted her with the photo op stuff outside the ride (see above, there was also a cab you could play in).
We watched a lot of parades. Hazel got to play the drum head in this one.
I like that Jenni, Hazel and the Mad Hatter are all staring at something. The Mad Hatter looks horrified.
We also stayed for the Electric Light Parade. It started at 8:45pm, but on the opposite end of the park. Hazel was wide awake, but that crazy, manic, awake and running around and licking and causing all sorts of mayhem. And then the parade started. She lasted like two floats and then was out. If only she would have had a nap.
As we were leaving California Adventures, the fireworks at Disneyland were going off. This was cool but caused a crazy traffic jam at the exits.
Saturday morning we got up bright and early, drove to the OC and flew home. All in all, it was a great trip. But, I am glad to be home. And glad to be sleeping in my own bed.
*So, we fly standby which is free, but we are at the mercy of the airlines. So, when I checked flights on Friday night after a full day at the D-land I discovered out preferred noon-ish flight was dangerously full so we went for the 6:45am flight. Which meant leaving our hotel at like 5:15am. Which sucked. But, you know, free flights.**Genetically, the women in the family do not do well without food. This includes me, my sister, my mom and my kid. I am just saying, we MUST be fed. Logic fails, emotions run wild.
***In our defense, she loves ghosts and doesn't scare easily.
****The princesses, on the other hand, were horrible. We cut in line with April and Zoe (who had been in line for 45 minutes) and still waited for an hour-and-a-half. And it was boring, no movie, nothing. But, the princesses did a great job with each and every girl.
Labels: Disneyland, Geoff, hazel, meadow, vacation
Saturday, October 4, 2008
Belated San Diego Update
San Diego is but a hazy memory on this rainy, rainy Saturday but instead of cleaning the house I thought I would update with a couple of pictures (thanks, mom!).
Hazel's favorite part of any zoo is the petting zoo. Alas, we do not have a petting zoo at our Hogle Zoo. Luckily, both the Wild Animal Park and San Diego Zoo have a petting zoo.
San Diego Zoo:
Hazel's favorite part of any zoo is the petting zoo. Alas, we do not have a petting zoo at our Hogle Zoo. Luckily, both the Wild Animal Park and San Diego Zoo have a petting zoo.
San Diego Zoo:
She calls this "my goat". She also followed this little girl around. Or maybe the little girl was following her. It was hard to tell.
Wild Animal Park:
Hazel hated the animal sculptures everywhere we went. Normally she loves them. She really was not herself on this trip. Of course, the molars that are currently coming up probably didn't help. Anyway, this is about the best picture we got of Hazel on an animal.
Hazel wanted this one on her blog. (Like Sam's Blog!*)
*So our friend Candi has a blog. And then her little boys have blogs. One of these boys is Sam and his blog is about games. One of the games is called Fancy Pants or something. Hazel LOVES this game. Seriously. We have to play it a lot. And she refers to it (and most of the Internet) as "Sam's Blog". So, thanks Sam. Your blog is awesome.
Oh, she calls www.poissonrouge.com Frere Jacque. So that get's a name. If you have a kid, you should go to Poisson Rouge. It is almost as awesome as Sam's Blog.
Okay, I really better clean before Geoff gets home.
Labels: hazel, San Diego, vacation, zoo
Tuesday, September 9, 2008
Costa Rica - The Final Chapter
More of Geoff's nature photography. Hazel and I "caught" this crab in the pool. It was actually already dead when we got to it. We later got one out that was still alive. But, it didn't hold nearly as still for pictures.
Family portrait on the beach. This was our last day to play at Playa Flamingo.
Hazel and Geoff dug a really deep hole.
Then we had to go and get cleaned up for the wedding. It was perfect weather for a beach wedding.
Hazel ran away.
I chased after her.
And then I chased her some more.
They had little cones of flowers to throw, instead of rice. Hazel thought this was awesome. She wore the cones as little armbands, but I don't have a good picture of it.
The wedding was very nice. But my favorite part was the looky-loos. Notice the couple between Jim and the right-hand post. And the dude bobbing in the ocean.
There were appetizers and cocktails on the beach while Jim and T had pictures. Hazel took the time to dance.
And then a guy came by with horses. This is actually a very excited face. Like so excited she could barely breath.
A bit of a smile. Not many two-year-old gringas can say they have ridden a horse, at sunset, on the beach, in Costa Rica.
The best family shot I could find.
Notice Geoff's crazy eyes? I think he was done at this point. Hazel was still happily eating chicken.
This shot may look blurry, but this is actually how everyone looked at this point. I thought it was super-late. Like midnight. It was actually like 8:30pm. The party starts early in Costa Rica.
Family portrait on the beach. This was our last day to play at Playa Flamingo.
Hazel and Geoff dug a really deep hole.
Then we had to go and get cleaned up for the wedding. It was perfect weather for a beach wedding.
Hazel ran away.
I chased after her.
And then I chased her some more.
They had little cones of flowers to throw, instead of rice. Hazel thought this was awesome. She wore the cones as little armbands, but I don't have a good picture of it.
The wedding was very nice. But my favorite part was the looky-loos. Notice the couple between Jim and the right-hand post. And the dude bobbing in the ocean.
There were appetizers and cocktails on the beach while Jim and T had pictures. Hazel took the time to dance.
And then a guy came by with horses. This is actually a very excited face. Like so excited she could barely breath.
A bit of a smile. Not many two-year-old gringas can say they have ridden a horse, at sunset, on the beach, in Costa Rica.
The best family shot I could find.
Notice Geoff's crazy eyes? I think he was done at this point. Hazel was still happily eating chicken.
This shot may look blurry, but this is actually how everyone looked at this point. I thought it was super-late. Like midnight. It was actually like 8:30pm. The party starts early in Costa Rica.
All in all, we had a fabulous time in Costa Rica. Hazel is still talking about it and would like to go back. Hazel and I (and Jenni and Grandma Marilyn) leave for San Diego on Saturday. We will see if the whirlwind of parks can compete with full days at the pool.
Labels: Costa Rica, Geoff, hazel, meadow, swimming, vacation, Wedding
Thursday, September 4, 2008
Costa Rica - Part 3
Thursday, August 28: Obviously, we swam. We also decided to go on a trip to Tamarindo. This is the most developed of the towns we saw in Costa Rica. We were going to do some shopping but just after we started out it started raining. Hard. Harder than we had seen all week. And we had seen some big rain. Geoff went to get the car and Hazel and I (and the camera) huddle under some shelter. Then we went to look in a store and Hazel, despite adamantly denying the need to use the potty, peed on the floor. In the bathroom, we were so close. And then started whine-crying. Which is the absolute worse. So, we left without getting anything, after my kid peed on their floor. Luckily, it was raining a lot so maybe they just thought it was rain. Or that we were jerks. And we walked around the Tamarindo mall and got some ice cream. Then we went back to the hotel.
This is the only good picture I have of the day. It does not even begin to show how much rain there was.
Friday, August 29: Swimming. Reading books. Naps. Swimming. Books. TV. Oh, let me discuss the television situation. Remember, I love TV. It is a staple in my life. Hazel also loves TV and only knows about TiVo. We always hit a point in our vacation where she asks for this show or that show and we have to explain that we can’t always make it appear. Anyway, no TiVo. But, we did get to watch awesome television either in Spanish (dubbed) or with Spanish subtitles. Personally, I liked to watch the subtitles. But, sometimes the subtitle readers get gypped. But, it is still a fun way to learn words in another language. Also, we were watching “Anti-trust” on TV and half-way through it just cut out and was “Law and Order” because, yeah, that show is not on enough. So, I missed my beloved TiVo. But, I still got to watch some TV and read 6 books, not just Friday, the whole trip. It was a beautiful thing.
By this point in the week, Hazel was exhausted. Finally.
These birds were everywhere. We fed them pancakes at breakfast. Which I am sure contributed to the being everywhere... Anyway, I love how angry this little guy looks. Loook at his little yellow eyes. Geoff does a great job at the nature photography.
Saturday, August 30: We went on a canopy tour with the wedding group. We met at the fabulous Paradisus Playa Conchal, which made our hotel look pathetic and small until we realized it was a crazy cart ride to go anywhere on the hotel grounds and they beach was more crowded and less wave-y? And then we once again loved our hotel. But, I digress. So, we rode a bus. Hazel loved it, I wanted to barf.
When we got to the starting point they strapped us in to harnesses and given the barest minimum of lessons on how to ride the zipline. Hazel had fun playing with the helmets, she especially liked this blue one.
She also enjoyed the gloves we had to wear to lessen the chance of zipline burn.
We asked if Hazel could actually go with us on the zipline and they said sure.* They got her all harnessed up (this was the worst part-only because she wanted to wear her beloved blue helmet and it was too big to be actually safe):
They did explain that someone would have to actually go with her. Because we were just going to push her really hard and hope for the best. It was great. And then it started raining. Which was less great, but we still had a great time. Hazel was super-brave.
This was our cute and shiny family in our helmets (and sunscreen and bug spray-thus the shiny), all ready to go in the canopy.
And we saw two monkeys in a tree, and then at the end we saw another monkey, right by the building, and he pooped and that was the highlight of Hazel’s zipline experience. This is the monkey who pooped. It is amazing to me to see monkey just out in the wild. It is not a normal thing for Utah.
Plus, in typical Hazel fashion, on the bus ride home she decided she didn't need to wear a shirt. A couple of Jim's friends weren't wearing shirts so she figured she didn't need to wear them either.
Then we went back to our hotel, went swimming, had a nap, the usual.
We went to the rehearsal dinner Saturday night. It was delicious and lovely and one of Jim’s friends was far more disruptive than Hazel, so I was pleased. And Hazel fell asleep and then we went back to our hotel. All in all, a great day in Costa Rica.
This is the only good picture I have of the day. It does not even begin to show how much rain there was.
Friday, August 29: Swimming. Reading books. Naps. Swimming. Books. TV. Oh, let me discuss the television situation. Remember, I love TV. It is a staple in my life. Hazel also loves TV and only knows about TiVo. We always hit a point in our vacation where she asks for this show or that show and we have to explain that we can’t always make it appear. Anyway, no TiVo. But, we did get to watch awesome television either in Spanish (dubbed) or with Spanish subtitles. Personally, I liked to watch the subtitles. But, sometimes the subtitle readers get gypped. But, it is still a fun way to learn words in another language. Also, we were watching “Anti-trust” on TV and half-way through it just cut out and was “Law and Order” because, yeah, that show is not on enough. So, I missed my beloved TiVo. But, I still got to watch some TV and read 6 books, not just Friday, the whole trip. It was a beautiful thing.
By this point in the week, Hazel was exhausted. Finally.
These birds were everywhere. We fed them pancakes at breakfast. Which I am sure contributed to the being everywhere... Anyway, I love how angry this little guy looks. Loook at his little yellow eyes. Geoff does a great job at the nature photography.
Saturday, August 30: We went on a canopy tour with the wedding group. We met at the fabulous Paradisus Playa Conchal, which made our hotel look pathetic and small until we realized it was a crazy cart ride to go anywhere on the hotel grounds and they beach was more crowded and less wave-y? And then we once again loved our hotel. But, I digress. So, we rode a bus. Hazel loved it, I wanted to barf.
When we got to the starting point they strapped us in to harnesses and given the barest minimum of lessons on how to ride the zipline. Hazel had fun playing with the helmets, she especially liked this blue one.
She also enjoyed the gloves we had to wear to lessen the chance of zipline burn.
We asked if Hazel could actually go with us on the zipline and they said sure.* They got her all harnessed up (this was the worst part-only because she wanted to wear her beloved blue helmet and it was too big to be actually safe):
They did explain that someone would have to actually go with her. Because we were just going to push her really hard and hope for the best. It was great. And then it started raining. Which was less great, but we still had a great time. Hazel was super-brave. This was our cute and shiny family in our helmets (and sunscreen and bug spray-thus the shiny), all ready to go in the canopy.
This was the very first run and I didn't quite have a good method of holding the kid. Plus, I was a wee bit nervous taking my only child on the giant zipline in the middle of a freakin' jungle. I don't know if they have safety regulations there! And, I forgot to brake. Whoops.
Geoff also took Hazel on a couple of the lines. By this point we were a little less nervous about it, and Hazel had a better idea how to hang on.
Geoff also took Hazel on a couple of the lines. By this point we were a little less nervous about it, and Hazel had a better idea how to hang on.
If you click and look at the bigger picture of this shot you can see how wet and dirty Hazel got. The wire had grease or dirt or something and when I applied the brake (my hand) we would get a dusting of grease or dirt. But, she did not complain and was a trooper about anything. This was near the end when we were all pretty soaked.
And we saw two monkeys in a tree, and then at the end we saw another monkey, right by the building, and he pooped and that was the highlight of Hazel’s zipline experience. This is the monkey who pooped. It is amazing to me to see monkey just out in the wild. It is not a normal thing for Utah.
Plus, in typical Hazel fashion, on the bus ride home she decided she didn't need to wear a shirt. A couple of Jim's friends weren't wearing shirts so she figured she didn't need to wear them either.Then we went back to our hotel, went swimming, had a nap, the usual.
We went to the rehearsal dinner Saturday night. It was delicious and lovely and one of Jim’s friends was far more disruptive than Hazel, so I was pleased. And Hazel fell asleep and then we went back to our hotel. All in all, a great day in Costa Rica.
*At the top of the first platform I asked a guy if he had kids and he said one little girl. Then I asked if he would let her ride the zipline. He said, “No, way.” I was ready to get down and then he clarified that she was only two-months old. And then I felt a little better about taking my kid on the canopy tour.
Labels: Costa Rica, Geoff, hazel, meadow, vacation, zipline
Wednesday, September 3, 2008
Costa Rica - Part Dos
Tuesday, August 26: We swam a lot. And we went to dinner at the sub shop. Because, when I think “tropical vacation”, I think “sub sandwiches.” There were not a lot of food choices. And then more swimming. And playing in the sand. It rained really, really hard at night and our power kept going on and off and on and off and on and off. And so on. And so forth. And every time the power would come back on our air conditioner would beep and the light on our TV would flash and the pool lights would flash. It was less than ideal. I have no pictures of the annoying power surges. But here are Geoff and Hazel playing in the waves.
Hazel was constantly sandy. Seriously, I have no idea how she got so sandy. She would rub her face with her sandy hands and rub sand on her legs and anyway, she was sandy.
Wednesday, August 27: We went to the Monkey Park. Or as I like to call it “The Sad Zoo.” Not sad for me, as you can see. 
There were also monkeys (of course) and a bunch of different birds and a raccoon and some weird animal that kind of looked like a cross between a raccoon and an anteater. There were a bunch of these things and the babies could get out of (and back into) the cage. It just did not seem safe. Also, a crocodile and a dog (maybe a fancy kind of dog, but there were no signs), I don't think this is rainwater in his cage, I think it was all pee. Cause, man, it stunk. But notice the excellent "museum hands" on Hazel. Also, you have a good shot here of the lack of barriers between us and the animals. Sure, there were cages but you could reach right through/over them. We honestly could have touched every animal in the zoo. But, we did not.
Hazel was constantly sandy. Seriously, I have no idea how she got so sandy. She would rub her face with her sandy hands and rub sand on her legs and anyway, she was sandy.
Wednesday, August 27: We went to the Monkey Park. Or as I like to call it “The Sad Zoo.” Not sad for me, as you can see. 
I am sure the animals were well taken care of but it was not up to first-world standards. But we got to pet the friendliest Chacoan Peccary ever. He was adorable and had soft ears like Nacho. It had a pig nose and body but spikes like a porcupine. Weird little animal.
There were also monkeys (of course) and a bunch of different birds and a raccoon and some weird animal that kind of looked like a cross between a raccoon and an anteater. There were a bunch of these things and the babies could get out of (and back into) the cage. It just did not seem safe. Also, a crocodile and a dog (maybe a fancy kind of dog, but there were no signs), I don't think this is rainwater in his cage, I think it was all pee. Cause, man, it stunk. But notice the excellent "museum hands" on Hazel. Also, you have a good shot here of the lack of barriers between us and the animals. Sure, there were cages but you could reach right through/over them. We honestly could have touched every animal in the zoo. But, we did not.
And then there was an awesome butterfly house thing. This was the tunnel leading to it. It was very cool. Like a magical little tunnel to fairyland. Or butterflyland*.
And one of Geoff's fancy pictures of a butterfly.
We even got a butterfly to sit on Hazel's head. And it was awesome. She would not hold one in her hand and was hesitant to have it on her head, but the butterfly was patient and we finally got a picture.
Oh, and we went swimming. And I read books in a beach chair in the shade.
And one of Geoff's fancy pictures of a butterfly.
We even got a butterfly to sit on Hazel's head. And it was awesome. She would not hold one in her hand and was hesitant to have it on her head, but the butterfly was patient and we finally got a picture.
Oh, and we went swimming. And I read books in a beach chair in the shade.
*Blogger thinks "fairyland" is a word, but not "butterflyland". Stupid Blogger. I don't think IT is a word!
Labels: animals, Costa Rica, Geoff, hazel, meadow, vacation, zoo
Tuesday, September 2, 2008
Costa Rica - Part 1
So, we are back from Costa Rica. It was fabulous. Our hotel was right on the beach. It was also the perfect Wilde family beach. Beach chairs in the shade for me, a long beach (with no pokies) perfect for sand castles for Hazel, and excellent body surfing waves for Geoff. He would have also liked to do some skim boarding but we didn’t take his board and we didn’t see any to purchase. In fact, we didn’t see much of anything to purchase. Costa Rica is pretty remote. Barely any restaurants, almost no stores, one paved road, that kind of thing. I hear other places are more built-up, but not where we were staying (Playa Flamingo). But, the beach was fabulous. Our hotel was fabulous and the pool was, what else, fabulous. The kiddie pool had a thatched roof over it, so even though Hazel spent every waking moment swimming, she didn’t get a sunburn.
Aaaah. The joys of Photoshop. But, I liked this picture and our faces were in the shadows. Now we just look crazy. But not shadowy.
The Costa Rican people (Ticos) were probably the nicest people I have ever met. Without exception everyone was friendly and helpful and nice to my baby. Which is all I ever want on a vacation.
Sunday night: We took the red-eye to Atlanta. Or as I like to say, “The Midnight Plane to Georgia.” The flight went from ‘no-problem’ to ‘our-we-going-to-get-on’ in hours. And it was nerve-wracking, and sucked. But, we made it on. The last three, not sitting together, seats. But, we made it. Hazel slept a little and kicked the lady next to us repeatedly (not so much kicking, just stretching out in her sleep).
Monday-Part 1: We arrived in Atlanta at around 6:00am Atlanta time and then had to hang out until our flight to Costa Rica at 10-ish. I don’t remember the actual time of anything… Hazel did NOT sleep in the airport. Geoff and I both took turns doing the head-bob. It was miserable. However, the Atlanta airport had these fascinating displays of contraband items. Like a polar bear rug, a snake in a bottle, a stool made out of an elephant foot, and, best of all, a narwhal horn. NARWHAL! Seriously, this was the best part of Atlanta. I guess we have never been in that concourse before because I don’t remember seeing the displays before. And then we ate some grits and then got on our plane. And it was blessedly empty. We all got some “sleep” on the plane. The only one who was really invigorated was Hazel. Because she is little and can sleep anywhere.
Monday-Part 2: I think these need separate sections because they are so vastly different. We left ATL and it is a giant airport, with a train. And air conditioning. And 3.5 hours later we arrived in Liberia, Costa Rica. LIR is little. With no air conditioning. We got to walk down the stairs from the plane, no jetway. Then we hit “customs”, there were two lines. The first one the dude just looked at us and stamped our passports. Then the second one, some guy grabbed my suitcases for me (I had two of the suitcases and Hazel) and then cut me in line, had the guy stamp something and then we were through. Seriously, we didn’t talk to anyone. **Remember this story when I get to the return trip in Atlanta** This was the first of many times people would be lovely and nice to us.
Then we got our rental car. We had a Kia Something. 4WD. Diesel! The guy showed Geoff how everything in the car worked. (not that he remembered) And then they gave us directions to our hotel (stay on the only road, basically) and directions to a delicious restaurant. (see picture with Hazel drinking her delicious blackberry smoothie) And we had food. And it was delicious. And we saw cows and a dog. So that was great. And then it started raining. Not a light drizzly but RAIN! Buckets and sheets and cats-and-dogs. And it rained almost until we got to our hotel. And then it let up. And we probably did something like swim or nap or whatever. But I don’t remember. I think it was nap. We were really tired.
I had to take a picture of Geoff's awesome volcano chicken. It was beautiful and delicious.
But now it is late and Hazel is still awake. She spent the evening with Aunt Jenni and Nova while Geoff and I helped move Auntie Michelle. And Geoff is grumpy. Which means I better get off the computer and help.
More later. Maybe tomorrow. We have a lot of pictures.
Labels: Costa Rica, food, Geoff, hazel, meadow, swimming, vacation
Sunday, July 29, 2007
Woo Hoo! Lots o' Pictures
Totally easier to upload pictures without trying to type in the code every time.
We went to Florida in July. Fort Lauderdale, to be exact. Natalie and Tim and Alex were there (they invited us). Hazel had her own little room.
We went to the beach and played in the sand.
Hazel got to drive a Ferrari.
And then someone cut her off. Man, was she angry!
Baby Alex! What is he doing driving a car!?! You should be at least 1 before driving.
In retaliation for cutting her off, Hazel tried to bite him. After magically transporting to his car.
But, the cousins made up and were friends again. 
Then we ate some ice cream and posed in the giant ice cream sign.
Hazel got into the South Beach spirit and looked fab in her matching sunglasses, necklace and PJs. 
Good times were had by all and Hazel loved Baby Alex.
Oh, and she played with a leaf.We went to Florida in July. Fort Lauderdale, to be exact. Natalie and Tim and Alex were there (they invited us). Hazel had her own little room.
We went to the beach and played in the sand.
Hazel got to drive a Ferrari.
And then someone cut her off. Man, was she angry!Baby Alex! What is he doing driving a car!?! You should be at least 1 before driving.In retaliation for cutting her off, Hazel tried to bite him. After magically transporting to his car.
But, the cousins made up and were friends again. Then we ate some ice cream and posed in the giant ice cream sign.
Hazel got into the South Beach spirit and looked fab in her matching sunglasses, necklace and PJs. Good times were had by all and Hazel loved Baby Alex.
Labels: alex, florida, hazel, vacation
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