Our First Trip to Disney World!

We just got back from our first family trip to Disney World. We had a wonderful time and the twins were really good. I learned that Disney World teaches patience to children with all the lines we had to stand in, but also teaches patience to the parents for dealing with annoying people! Ashley's favorite ride was the tea cups, and Luke's was the race cars. They both LOVED Goofy's Roller coaster. I think we rode that about 10 times in a row. They also thought sleeping in bunk beds was "the best". We will definitely buy one for Luke when he moves into his own room. They laughed the whole time even though it was 95 degrees out. At dinner one night, Ashley had a laughing fit because she kept giving me wet willies on my arm. Everyone in the restaurant was laughing with her. Her giggle is so contagious, I even recorded it for my ring tone on my phone. It was a quick 3 day trip, but long enough for two 3 year olds. We were ready to get home. Looking forward to next time though! Here are some pictures.

Waiting on the bus to take us to Disney World!

Our first bus ride!
Ready to ride some rides! So excited!!

The teacup, Ashley's favorite.
Goofy's Roller Coaster
Carousel
Carousel
Safari
Petting zoo
Tired of waiting in lines.

I am thankful my children had the opportunity to experience Disney World. So many people, have never gone.

Children's Museum

How much fun is the children's museum??! They have a kids' sized grocery store, veterinarian's office, body shop, construction sight complete with an architect's room, and an old antique fire station plus many more rooms. Lot's of fun. I cracked up watching Luke and Ashley grocery shop. Luke ran around like he was on a shopping spree throwing as much in his cart as fast as he could. At one point he was running around the store with a rotisserie chicken under his arm like a football. Ashley just kind of hung out by the produce checking it out and watching other kids. Hilarious. She jumped right in at the veterinarians office though. taking a cat's temperature and even got in the pet cage! Luke liked the x-rays. I encourage anyone with small children to find a children's museum near you and check it out. The only "bad" part about it, is the parent's have to clean up the mess before you leave. I never knew Luke liked lamb chops so much..... He had way too many in his grocery cart, and I couldn't figure out where he found them to put them back!!



I am thankful to have such fun places to go nearby.

Homemade Fruit Roll-ups

I happened to post a picture of us making fruit roll-ups on facebook and got such a huge response for the recipe, that I thought I would share it here. It is a very easy recipe. However, they take a LONG time to bake. Luke and Ashley love to cook with me and this is a fun one because we use a blender! They only tried to start it one time with the lid off. Can you imagine the mess if I didn't stop them in time? OH! and beware of sticky little hands!



STRAWBERRY FRUIT ROLL-UPS:

4lbs. strawberries

2 cups unsweetened applesauce

Juice of 1/2 lemon

3/4 cup of sugar (optional)

Blend strawberries in blender until smooth. Add to a heavy saucepan and add sugar
if desired. Bring to a boil while stirring constantly. Reduce heat and skim
foam from top with a spoon. Simmer over low/medium heat for 30 to 45 minutes,
stirring frequently; continue simmering/stirring until mixture has properly reduced to
the consistency of thick applesauce (running a rubber spatula across the bottom of the
pan the mixture should stay separated/pan should still be visible once you reach the
other side). ----This is the most important step, make sure you reduce it enough, it may take longer than 45 minutes.---- Pour mixture onto a parchment on a cookie sheet, spread evenly and bake at 145 for 8 to 10 hours. Can take longer depending on how much you reduced the strawberries. Cut into strips and roll up with parchment paper…

Here are some more pictures of the twins making the fruit roll-ups. They had a blast!

I am thankful my children love healthy foods! (and junk too....)

Running... Running... Running...

Climbing...
Running...
Running...
Learning how to stand still and observe a bumble bee...
Running back to the car in the rain...

We had so much fun this morning at Jonathan Dickinson State Park. We drove by an observation deck that looks out over the park and the water. The twins said they wanted to go up there, so we did. They just enjoyed the beautiful weather by running all the way up to the deck. It wasn't easy. The deck was kind of far and there were lots of stairs, but it was a blast, until it started raining on us and we had to run back to the car! The only embarrassing part was Ashley asking me, "What did that man just say?" talking about the female park ranger. haha! Oh well.

I am thankful to live where I do. The weather is almost always nice out which gives us the opportunity to spend a lot of time outside. Running.....

Easter Weekend 2010 (hit play below on the blogger bar for a video)

I am so thankful for all the sweet children in my family.

Griswald Family Christmas

WOW! Don't even know where to begin. I just don't have the time nor the space to be on the computer enough to write on this blog! So much has been going on since my last post, that I think the pictures will tell the stories best.

We had Thanksgiving in Thomasville, then Christmas with Brent's family here, then Christmas with my family.... Wait.... We didn't have Christmas with my family this year. Poor Bailey, she kept getting sick and we kept having to cancel our plans. We were supposed to go to Beth's house for a prime rib and lobster dinner, and we got a call at 9:00 Christmas morning saying, don't come, Bailey's been sick all morning. So we said, "not a problem we'll get together in a couple days since everyone's off work." The lobster tails were already thawed out and had to be eaten... So Beth sent back with Mom and Dad (who were already at her house) lobster tails. Mom and Dad stopped by here and dropped them off. Too bad all the stores were closed since it was Christmas and I had absolutely nothing in the refrigerator but brussels sprouts (Brent's new favorite vegetable) so Brent and I had lobster tails and brussels sprouts for our Christmas dinner that night. Nice huh? So, a few days later, all was clear to go back to Beth's again. We got dressed, gifts packed, appetizers that I made in the car and we set off. When we were pulling out of the neighborhood, my phone rang. Uh-oh.... "Bailey's sick again, turn around" But we have all these gourmet appetizers in the car! What are we going to do with them??? So, we met Mom and Dad in the Walmart parking lot and had appetizers. Yep, that's how we spent our Christmas with my family this year. Typical Griswald, right??? (Mom and Dad did get all of us the Moose Mugs this year too. funny)

Then it was the twins birthday! Luckily, Bailey got over her flu and was able to attend. We had it at an indoor play area/coffee house. I think all the kids had a great time. I know Luke and Ashley did. Food was good and Cakes were, well, custom. I had to go to a specialty bake shop to have Luke's "Hulk" cake made. He has been obsessed with the Hulk since October. He has his favorite Hulk shirt, and favorite Hulk underwear (which he wears backwards so he can "see" the Hulk). I have to wash his underwear and shirt by hand while he's sleeping or taking a bath. He has now worn the same outfit, including his "navy blue shorts" 92 days in a row. I am NOT making this up. Just recently, I have been able to bribe him, sometimes, into wearing a different shirt or shorts while we go out of the house, but the second we step back inside, he strips down and puts his favorite outfit back on. He's really funny about it. One day, he got so excited because there was blue toilet bowl cleaner in the toilet, and when he peed, he said, "Mama!!!!!! Look!!!!!! I peed GREEN like the Huuullk". He is one funny little man...

Ashley is still obsessed with her green dress. I only allow her to wear that in the house though, because it's a size 12 months and has holes in it. She also loves all the girly things, make up, jewelry and nail polish. She got her first mani./pedi. for her birthday! She is also very into the Disney princesses, especially Princess Belle, because she has beautiful brown hair like Ashley.

Oh! and I never did a post on potty training. I did this months ago. Let me just start by saying that potty training a boy and girl at the same time, is interesting. Ashley wanted to stand up and Luke wanted to sit down. Luke wanted to wear Ashley's panties and Ashley wanted to wear Luke's underwear. But in the end, it was simple. Took Luke one day, Ashley a little longer the only thing that worked for her was painting her nails. (Isn't the boy supposed to be harder?)

Speaking of potty training, on our way up to Brent's parents house, we had to take the turnpike which means no bathrooms for miles at a time. Brent was so proud to teach Luke how to pee in the grass on the side of the road. Luke was proud too. So proud, that he still sometimes refuses to use our indoor plumbing! Just the other day, I caught him peeing in our neighbors yard. And it's impossible to ride tricycles around the block without him having to stop and pee in the drain. UGH... So embarrassing. Why does my husband think this is really cool??

I know I am leaving something out. They do something funny every day. I will try and post quick blurbs here and there. In the meantime, here are some pictures taken November through January.

I am thankful for the health of my children over the past 3 years. Preschool is starting next fall, we'll see how often they get colds then!

Raindrops Keep Falling On My Head