Catch up

We have been having SO MUCH FUN lately (hooray for fun!) that I've had very little time to blog about it. I've spent the past few nights playing catch up. So, pretty much I have 5 new posts backdated close to their original dates. Enjoy!

Duckmaster Luke

Have you ever heard of The Peabody Hotel? Well, I hadn't. So, I also hadn't heard about their famous MARCHING DUCKS!

The daily march of the world-famous Peabody Ducks is a time-honored tradition, begun in 1933 and attended by countless visitors. Aunt Kelli had heard about this and since Orlando has one of the only hotels in the country, she wanted to be sure and see it. When I looked into it, I found out that one guest at each march is chosen as "Honorary Duckmaster."
Lucky for us, they had a slot available for Luke!

I have NEVER seen Luke so serious about anything in his life. He listened very attentively to the Duckmaster as he gave him instructions. He took the responsibility to heart and was extremely focused and attentive and calm. Wow!

He was so cute!

With the marching music blasting through the hotel, the ducks began their famous march . . .

. . . and Luke began to follow.
The Duckmaster told Luke as we marched that he must be really strong to be able to hold up that heavy brass cane all by himself. Luke's face lit up! He is ALWAYS saying he wants to be "big and strong" like Daddy and our friend Rob. Ironically, I had just used that tactic to get him to finish eating his well-balanced lunch. The Duckmaster's comment couldn't have been more perfect!
(Thanks, Duckmaster! I'll pay you later!)

The ducks have an elevator reserved just for them! We got the special privilege of riding with them.

Marching down the hall . . .

. . . and into their penthouse for the night.

Here is part of their home.

Miles really enjoyed watching the ducks too.

Duckmaster Brooks presented Luke with a certificate and a duck with the Peabody logo on it at the end.

Finally a smile! He was so serious the whole time. I know he really had fun though, because he talked about it for days afterwards!
QUACK! QUACK!

Disney World

My aunt Kelli decided to fly down and visit us this month. (Hooray! She was our one and only visitor this summer!) She planned her trip around her birthday, because Disney has a deal this year that you get in FREE on your special day. I found out about a deal where you go and listen to this presentation about some resort time share and you get a five dollar ticket to Disney. (That's right. I said $5.oo!) So, Kelli was nice enough to do the dumb tour for me (You have to be 30 yrs old to qualify. Seriously, what is that about? Am I not an adult yet because I'm only 29? Whatever. I was happy to not have to sit through it!)

We have arrived! Yippee!
Oh, did I mention that I had NO children with me?
Yeah. It sounds like cruel and unusual deprivation to NOT take my kids with me to Disney World, HOWEVER - I only felt bad for the first three hours. After that, I was so grateful to not be dragging my baby around in the ridiculous heat, standing with them in lines, trying to nurse and do nap time for Miles, feeling like I had to keep them there till midnight to make sure we got our money's worth, etc. Someday, boys! Someday! Instead, they got a fun day alone with Daddy!

(Please excuse my athletic attire. Remember how I mentioned the RIDICULOUS heat? Yeah. Since we discovered my allergy to heat when I was younger, I try not to take chances when I can help it. Am I joking? No. I really am "allergic" to heat! I get a horrible heat rash - and sometimes worse side effects than that - because my body doesn't cool itself properly. Yay for me.)

Our fist stop was the Monsters Inc. Laugh Floor. Love Roz!

Next was Buzz Lightyear's Space Adventure.
(Yeah, I felt bad that Luke wasn't with me on this one. He would have LOVED it!)

Kelli jamming on the Motor Speedway.

Our two favorite rides of the day? Naturally, Splash Mountain and Big Thunder Mountain Railroad. (We did these twice with Fast Pass! Our new best friend!) Sadly, Space Mountain was being renovated this summer! Boo! (Yeah, that's a picture of the photo screen after the ride. Like I was going to buy the picture! NO.)

I LOVED the new Tiki Room! Not the boring old show it used to be. Iago and Zazu made some fabulous improvements with their "new management" of the place.

This was also updated and Captain Jack Sparrow TOTALLY looked like Johnny Depp! Cool!

Pirate Kami's treasure chest!

Cannot miss the Jungle Boat Tour. Our tour guide was hilarious.

Another new addition to the Magic Kingdom was Mickey's Toontown Fair. An entire section devoted to all the classic characters we all know and love - and geared towards little kids. (Luke, sniff!) We loved touring Minnie's house (above) and Mickey's place.

AT LAST! We got to see Mickey & Minnie! The day would not be compelte otherwise!

A stop at Liberty Square after the Haunted Mansion. I'm holding up a five for my $5.00 ticket and Kelli and zero for her free one! We were a little bit stoked about our DEAL of a day!

Cinderella's Castle at night. Man I love this place!


I also LOVE the mosaic artwork inside the castle!
An AWESOME day!

Tarpon Springs

Aunt Kelli loves lighthouses, so we tried to find one. It didn't work out, but in our hunt we stumbled upon Tarpon Springs. A little town just north of Clearwater Beach, near Tampa. It's like a mini Greece. Everything there is Greek - food, music, clothes, language, etc. It was such a fun find that we stayed most of the day!

Luke saw this "lighthouse" and thought we had found what we were looking for!

Along with being a little bit like Greece, Tarpon Springs is a town completely devoted to finding and selling natural SPONGES from the ocean. Here are some guys coming back with their haul. They go out for 22 days at a time!

SPONGES GALORE!


Luke was a little worried about me playing around in the shark's mouth.

Evidently, so was Miles!

All along the streets there were piles of sponges. All shapes and sizes.

"What? I'm just checking it out - okay, Mom?"

We ate yummy, authentic BAKLAVA! Possibly my favorite dessert on the planet.

Luke and Kelli discovered that if they put the crusts from Luke's sandwich on this post - the birds would come and get them! And, boy, did they come!
Luke LOVED getting up close and personal with them!

What a cutie!

We all decided that this was such a fun, spontaneous day - it was better than if we'd planned it!

Kelli's Visits to Sea World

Aunt Kelli's week visiting us was packed with FUN!

Of course, a visit with us wouldn't be complete without a trip (or THREE) to Sea World!
We always intended on going two days, but the third became necessary after our first day's adventures.

We got to Sea World in the scorching, HIGH humidity heat of the afternoon. I pulled the stroller out of the trunk and opened it. I was about to put Miles in it, but decided at the last minute to shake the baby blanket that had been left in there from the day before at the pool. GOOD THING I DID! When I moved the blanket, I found literally HUNDREDS of tiny spiders swarming underneath!!!! Eeeeeeewwwwwww!!!!! I H-A-T-E spiders!
They were NOT there the day before, because I had just put that blanket in there. I don't know if a spiders nest fell in there at the pool or what, but I was screaming. Oh yeah.
SO! We spent the next 40 min taking apart the stroller and trying to get rid of the spiders that were running all over the stroller by this point. Sick. All this on the black pavement in 100 degree weather. We were SO HOT before our day even began.

Not only that - but after about an hour and a half in the park, the scorching day turned into the BIGGEST DOWNPOUR I have ever been in! We stood, drenched, for an entire hour under a tiny cover while lightening and thunder crashed around us. It was SO close it even scared me a little!

My personal favorites were the dolphins. So playful and fun!

Luke loved them too! I mean, what other animal loves basketball as much as he does?

Shamu! Shamu!

I had to include this picture, because it's the first time we've caught on camera Miles' OBSESSION: Biting any bit of skin he can! I know he's teething, but it's a little crazy how all he wants to "teethe" on is skin - usually mine! Ouch!!!