I'm over the Disney posts. They are starting to annoy me so I can't imagine how everyone else must feel.

So, we had several more days at Disney World.  Yada, yada, yada...it was fabulous.

Now on to more current events:
Mia was a reindeer in a school Christmas program.  I pretty much couldn't understand a single word of it but something about trouble on candy cane lane and, I know this will be quite a shocker but, Santa saved the day.
Unfortunately my very nice camera was acting all funky so this is really all I have to show for it.

 A big thank-you to Yaya for cranking out a a reindeer costume while we were away in that-place-I-am -no-longer-blogging-about-so-as-to-not-cross-too-far-over-the-obnoxious-line.

My camera fails me at my daughter's first Christmas program but is all corporative when it comes to feet and...

...psychotic Bode faces (because we don't have enough of them).

Hopefully the Canon will be back in full force for Mia's over-the-top school party tomorrow.  We shall see.

Hollywood Studios

Mia loves maps and she enjoyed plotting out our plan of attack each morning.  

I swear she and Andy share the same brain.  It's creepy.

 And then there's Bode.

 Hollywood Studios has the ride to ride if your kids like Toy Story.  It is so popular that the Fast Passes run out for the entire day in the first hour that the park is open.

 But not to fear.  Andy, the Disney Nazi, had a plan.  It was called run over small children, knock over expectant mothers, and do not give the handicapped the right-of-way.

 We like to lead our children by example.  

If you want something you have to fight for it.

 And it worked.

 Bode and I enjoyed watching the Mickey Mouse Clubhouse and Little Einstein's Live show while the rest of the family attempted to defy death on a thrill ride.

 Mark this off of Bode's bucket list.

 And this.

 This was an awesome Honey I Shrunk The Kids themed playground.  Everything was ginormous.  

 We love this park.  A lot.

Animal Kingdom

Sometimes this is as good as it gets.

Mia loved this park because she loves to explore and discover new things (That is code for learning.  My kid loves to learn, there I said it).

 These two are all about the thrill rides.  The more it rattles your brain and makes you feel like you might plummet to a horrific, painful death the better.

 Some things never change, no matter how far you might travel.  

Meeting in a park and talking in half sentences while yelling at your kid to quit hitting that other kid that you don't know is one of them.

 This is the year I refused to get wet on rides.  

I happily basked in the warm sun while sneaking my kids fruit snacks until they returned.

Magical Sunshine and Dreamy Happiness

The Magic Kingdom oozes happiness.  

Who doesn't need some fairy dust sprinkled on their heads every once in a while?

 Bode and my huge, white arm.

 The only thing better than being in the Magic Kingdom is meeting your best friend for lunch in the Magic Kingdom.

 Recounting the mornings events

 And don't worry, Bode was armed the entire time.

Experimental Prototype Community Of Tomorrow

Epcot is the red-headed stepchild of Disney World.  It has taken us three trips to Disney to make it to this park and it may just be my favorite.  Think science museum on 'roids.

 Now he knows what it feels like to have to sit in the back of the bus.  

 This team of two is unstoppable.  They spent 13 straight hours going strong in this park.

 This may have been the trip where Mia started to realize that the princesses aren't "real."  She played along for Bode's (and my) sake but I think she got it.

 A little glimpse into Bode's psychotic side.

Bode's first plane ride.

 Mia's an old pro.  These two brainiacs never looked up from their books the entire flight.  

Day one was all about this little man

 and his dream coming true.

 We could have packed up and gone home after this.

But of course, we aren't stupid.

Am I more excited about the trip to Disney or the quick side trip to 5 Guys?

I'll never tell.

 Andy's sweet cousin, Laura, met us in Dallas to have a burger.  

 Bode took the instruction to "hold your cup up" quite literally. 

I would say that this will be my last post about cheeseburgers but that would be a lie.  

I feel no shame.

We just returned from the happiest place on earth...

I plan to blog incessantly about this trip for the next 5 months so go ahead and unbookmark me now.  It's going to get nauseating.

You may have to prop your eyelids open for this post.

It's just your run-of-the-mill family stuff that I want to document.  I am sure I will forget to even go to Bode's first Thanksgiving meal at school but the first-born gets an entire album of it.  

That's just how I roll.

Mia's lovely school provided a lovely family feast for all the lovely Oakdale families. 

Mia literally hopped all over the place she was so excited to have us there.

I had do redeem myself after committing the mortal sin of missing the Halloween party.

I thought I had a valid excuse, what with the vampire baby and all.

But according to Mia, "Everyone's mommies were there.  Please don't ever do that to me again."

After I removed the dagger from my heart, I silently cursed every mother that ever attended a school Halloween party vowed to never miss another school event, no matter how insignificant.
If Mia is the dad-gum line leader I will be there, camera in hand.

And then Andy called me a Psycho-Mom.
And I snapped back in to reality and agreed to leave the line-leader thing alone.
For now.