Our Own Magic Kingdom

Since I've never actually experienced the "what now?" that accompanies being all packed for a trip 2 hours and 45 minutes EARLY, I figure I might as well document the moment.  (And, surely I've managed to forget something that I'll be scrambling for as our ride to the airport pulls up....and, no, the dishes aren't done just yet.)  The girls and I are off to Disney World for the first time to join Adam's family (Adam will join us at the end of the week) and, well, you could say we're a tad excited.

Everyone we meet, including the poor Verizon tech that came to install our new internet service Saturday, suffers Abby's pelting of WAY too dramatic comments about what awaits us at "Disney" (as they say in the East) - including her favorite, "And guess what?!?! It's not Even BORING!!!!" I'm not sure if that's just a sad reflection of what, in her mind, freedom from home life offers.  But, to be sure, it won't be boring.  I just spent a while researching Kid GPS tracking devices as we can't seem to walk into Target without one of them bolting and being gone for minutes on end (both of them did this morning, in fact) but figure duct taping to them a pole with a neon flag atop would probably be more effective than GPS in Disney.  I guess I'll just have to brace myself for much excitement in kid-chasing.

Anyway, all this Disney talk can't override the fun times we had with Uncle Matt and Uncle Michael who came to visit before taking off on missions next month.  Aside from the requisite WNY stops (Niagara Falls, Palmyra, Wegmans, the Strong Museum etc.)and some intense game nights we pretty much just did what Buffalonians do well - EAT!  (And eat and eat and eat...)  Weggies lunch extravaganza, Dinosaur BBQ, Beef on Weck from Charlie the Butcher's, Bill Gray's,  and of course, the wing challenge - Anchor Bar vs. Duff's.  I can't even remember who won. 

Aside from Ellie spilling her beverage at every meal - and usually in Uncle Matt's direction - things were actually less chaotic than usual.  (Hmm.  Coincidence?)  Then, as if to jump-start our next week without them, Uncle Michael's wallet went missing (stolen? from the car the night I happened to leave the window rolled down?) as we were to take off to the airport.  Long story short, Uncle Matt made it on the plane by the skin of his teeth, Uncle Michael just missed the flight by the time they let him through security and then spent a few more hours with us filing a police report in order to get on another plane, making 4 trips in all back and forth to the airport.  But, we had so so much fun and can't wait to see them in two years!

As for our post-uncles pre-Disney week, things have been a tad crazy.  Ellie came in the day after M&M left with a white powder around her mouth.  I asked her what she'd been eating (cheese) but didn't happen upon where she'd been eating the pungent pecorino (in our closet atop Adam's suit jacket and ties, with drink) until a couple days later.  Cute.

Then, when Adam walked in from work a few nights ago, Abby informed him she and Ellie were having a "spilling tea party" - in the computer room (while I cooked dinner).  Apparently a spilling tea party is one where you spill a lot of water - while wearing swim attire.  The next morning Ellie decided to have a miniature tea party of her own.

 

And, of course, preparations to leave on vacation wouldn't be complete without Abby's artful creations springing up around the house.  Yesterday's (the collection of every random toy and chair in our home) is referred to, by Abby, as her "play-up set" (I think - or "play upset" - but I think it's the first.)

 

QFTD

Alert:  I haven't jotted down anything the girls have said in a couple of weeks, it seems.  Aside from Abby's quote from seconds ago, "Mom, you did not give us vitamins for days and days and days" I can only think of two since they've been repeated over and over for a while. (This is why I have to keep a daily tab.)

Abby's latest favorite question that pops up frequently and at total random:  "And then what did Satan do?"

Ellie's affirmative response: "Oh shoa shoa!" (Sure sure)

(Okay - I had to stop preparations - 30 min to departure.  Abby just made me stop blowing her hair dry and said: "Mom.  Look at my teeth. Remember when I had two cavities when I was a little kid in Mexico and didn't brush or flosst?")

With Toppings and Pepper

Though Easter has come and gone, Abby continues to insist that we're still celebrating it - we dyed eggs today and for dinner we celebrated by everyone using "silver" forks - vs. the usual plastic.  We had a most pleasant Easter morning with each other and a splendid afternoon with friends.

Abby constructed a trap for the Easter bunny Saturday by creating a corridor between her toy boxes and the wall into which he would be lured by various devices:

a mini teddy-bear and other various toys for his baby bunny, a mirror to look in, stickers to play with etc.  The trap, however, came in the form of a bowl full of Easter candy that would be eaten in its entirety, followed by a long drink of water - provided in the pink kidney bowl.  Then, naturally, the Easter bunny would be so tired and full that he would hop (slowly) over to the pillows upon which he would fall asleep and meet his demise.  Unfortunately for us all, the only thing that got lured into and caught in the trap was Ellie.  She was found at the candy bowl, eating m&ms with a spoon as though they were cereal.

Of course I didn't actually think to take pictures on Easter to capture our pleasant memories.  But I did have to snag a shot of Abby's first "recipe"/culinary creation thought up and executed entirely by her this morning - before I realized what was happening.

Egg Salad with Toppings and Pepper  

Given that I detest egg salad, I know I didn't give her the idea to peel and chop up half of the hard-boiled eggs we never got around to coloring yesterday.  Oh no - this is true Abby.  When she called me excitedly to come see and taste her new creation, I tried playing along by asking what the toppings were (yes, one is a Cinderella card) and noticing the pepper sprinkled on.  "Yes, that is pepper and, um, I just dropped it in the garbage, but it's okay - I just got it out."  I didn't want to know if she was referring to the "egg salad" in its entirety or just the pepper, given she had already insisted I try a bite - complete with egg white and m&m.  Not a flavor combo I ever care to experience again.

Totally not related to Easter, but worth mentioning: later on, I found Ellie had gotten ahold of my $1 rusty garden shears that I considered replacing last week, but am glad now I didn't.  Somehow those shears got ahold of and locked onto my jeans!

While Ellie took a nap, Abby insisted that she and I color eggs.  Of course she wanted all of them to be rainbow and so we did our best to get all sorts of colors from our pink, purple, blue and yellow dye cups. In true Abby fashion, they were all lined up post-dye job and then gathered into the carton with a bow tied 'round. 

First, she placed the carton as a peace offering/welcome on the floor in front of the back door for Uncle Matt and Uncle Michael to see when they come (in 48 hours), then (when they weren't coming fast enough) hauled it around the house to various stations.  At one point she examined each egg in the sunlight streaming into the living room, describing them as "tender" and "ravishing." I had to veto them going in her pants drawer and/or under her bed to be kept special for the night, as I had a hunch she and I would forget them...until they made us remember.

So, Easter celebrations continue for us.  And really, why shouldn't they?

QFTD

After finding Abby "teaching" Ellie how to spray the bug spray they found under the deck, I quickly confiscated the can.  A few minutes later I could hear Abby in the other room shaking liquid in some sort of container.  When she refused to answer my questions asking what she had, I went to see for myself.  Abby: "Mom, it's just adventure spray on my hands."  Luckily it was a water bottle.

Ellie and I walked in the door.  Abby, who had been stuffing Easter eggs with candy, came up to me: "Mommy, you have had good misbehavior.  You get a candy."

I heard curious spraying noises from the kitchen while taking the laundry upstairs.  I came down to find Abby with the aerosol hair spray, infusing the air over a dinner of pizza and lemonade with highly scented chemicals.  Abby, with eyes darting around the room: "Ellie...wanted...me to teach her how to...spray."

I asked Abby to gather the plastic eggs she had stuffed for the Easter egg hunt.  A: "I can't.  Ellie had them and they EXPLODED all over in the dress-ups."

Ellie, while playing Polly Pockets with Abby and in a weepy English accent: "I'm not going to come back to your house.  I'm going to play hockey."