{pretty, happy, funny, real} - Disney!

Linking up again with Like Mother, Like Daughter for {pretty, happy, funny, real}...

{pretty}

As the Christmas season officially came to a close, earlier this week I took a very quick trip to Disney with the kids. We had a family slumber party with my sister and her girls and continued Ander's birthday celebration. I am so sensitive about his day-after-Christmas birthday that, in the end, I tend to overdo it. It works out because Ander is the kind of kid who would never demand the extra attention but definitely appreciates it! After my last trip on my own with the kids at Disney, where I dropped and broke our two-week old DSLR camera, Joseph convinced me that I should leave it at home. Consequently, all the photos were taken with the camera on my new smartphone that I received for Christmas. We started our Disney adventure at Epcot where we ran into a very pretty Alice.    

Disney has generous specials for Florida residents, and we have annual weekday passes. When I received a recent mailer explaining that the lights on Cinderella's castle would go out on Friday, January 6, I seriously considered driving down so the kids (and I) could take in that beautiful sight! Then I reminded myself of the realities of our schedule and returned to life as planned. When my sister posed the idea of meeting her in Orlando, the timing worked out and guess what? The lights were still up! So was the Christmas tree and wreathes all down Main Street. I wondered what changed their minds. This isn't a company known for mistakes. 

{happy}

One of the things I have been struck by when observing my children is how different they are from each other, but also by some of the similarities that they share by gender. When we arrived at the Magic Kingdom, Miles & Ander were both mission-oriented. They immediately looked for the maps so they could instruct me on where to go so they could visit their new favorite rides. You see, for his birthday, Ander received a DVD of Jake & The Never Land Pirates. Since then, they have been obsessed with Peter Pan. They insisted we go to Peter Pan's Magic Flight straight away. We had a surprise stop on our way! Over the years, we have been to Walt Disney World plenty and seen many, many characters. Never have we seen the boy from Neverland. My boys were beside themselves! Miles was speechless as Peter Pan remarked about their similar red hair.

He was one of the most engaging characters that we've met. He tried to get the boys to pose in the arms-crossed pose. The whole Peter Pan experience made them happy!

{funny}

We stayed in a hotel room with my sister and her family. There was a little birthday celebration for Ander since his cousins couldn't make his party. When flipping through the few photos I took, I found it funny how Miles was obstructing his uncle's view of the football game. What a swell guy that I don't remember him saying a thing, but clearly I was oblivious!

The next morning we went swimming in the indoor pool, and I was tickled by this sight...

My little niece snug as a bug joining us by the whirlpool where we let the kids put their feet in. Remember, Charlotte, no diving!  :)

{real}

It was a quick, fun trip with almost no drama—our guardian angels must have been working triple-time! When I look back on these pictures, I feel a real loss over not having the DSLR camera. The carousel at night...

Waiting for PhilharMagic...

But daytime outdoor shots were fine. Another character meeting...

Do you love Disney too, or is it a Florida thing?

Be sure to visit the lovely ladies at Like Mother, Like Daughter to see more PHFR posts.