Happy Birthday To Me

Today I turned the big 30! It was much harder for my mom than me. I guess I don't think of it as old.??

Matt made the kids & I pancakes for breakfast. I got a nice watch & a new Mickey Mouse diamond necklace. Then we went shopping at Dillards. Matt was one of a handful of lucky Chase Bank employees to earn an all expense paid trip to the Boca Raton Resort and they are paying for the wives to come along too. They are having an awards dinner one evening so Matt took me shopping for a new cocktail dress. I think I tried on 2 dozen or so but found 2 that worked. So we bought them both! :) Then we had lunch at the food court. Not my first pick for a birthday meal but the kids love the Chinese food place in there and ate a ton of fried rice & Lo Mein noodles.

Later, Sydney & Matt went to play basketball while Andrew & I cleaned the house for playgroup tomorrow. He did a great job following me around the house with his lawnmower while I vacuumed.

The day ended on a sweet note when Sydney surprised me with a DQ ice cream cake. There was no doubt she picked it out, it was pink and decorated with Disney Princesses.

Family Weekend

What a busy weekend! On Tuesday we held a small memorial service for Grandma Lisic. Despite the terrible weather, the entire family was able to make it. Since almost everyone lives out of state we arranged a weekend full of events to keep everyone entertained. We visited the London’s Chocolate Factory, went ice skating, sledding & bowling. Sydney loved having Cousin Sydnee to play with.

Explaining Death

The subject of death was not a topic I was looking forward to discussing with my 4 year old. We sat her down and Matt explained how sometimes when people get very old and sick like great grandma was they go to live in heaven where they will not hurt anymore. She just sat there with a confused look on her face. I didn't want to use the "D" word but with that look of confusion it might be the only way she would clearly understand what we were saying. I said "Honey, Great Grandma died". She burst into tears. It was a terrible sight but there was also some sense of relief that she understood what we were trying to say. That was until she said "I don't want to get old" , "I don't want to live in heaven". Poor thing! She hasn't really developed a sense of time. She doesn't understand turning 5 years old is much different than turning 90. After trying to explain we decided to let things settle for a few days.

Today Sydney asked to go visit Mary (great grandma's roommate in the nursing home). I surprised but pleased, she understood that great grandma no longer lived there. I told her that she and Grandma Franny are going to bake cookies and take them to Mary very soon. She replied "Maybe we can mail some to Great Grandma". :) Trying to think quickly I said "I don't think we can". "Why" she asked. "Well, I don't think they have a post office in heaven". She was content with that answer, what a sweetheart!

Quick trip to Florida

Since Matt was heading to Vegas on business, I packed up the kids and headed to Florida for a few days. We only got as far as the Orlando Airport when Angie called telling us of Grandma Lisic's death. Grandma was 90 years old and recently fell and broke her hip & arm for the 2nd time. The doctors didn't feel she was strong enough for surgery so they put her on bedrest and ordered comfort care. She had her good days and bad but, only ate a few bites of food at each meal so we knew it was only a matter of time.
Since our family is spread across the US, Mom & her brothers decided to set up a service in early February so everyone could attend.
With Sydney being so close with great grandma I knew she would not take the news very well. Since Matt was not with us I decided to wait until we returned home to tell her. But, I am glad we were able to spend time with my mom during this difficult time.
During our stay we ventured over to Sea World Orlando where we met Grandma Pam. I miss having Sea World up here in Ohio. My mom always took us and I hoped do the same with Sydney. Oh Well!!! We all had a great time.

In Memory

In memory of Anne J. Lisic who passed away on January 24, 2007 at age 90. We love you grandma!

Sleeping

One of the few quiet moments!

Disney On Ice

Andrew had a fun afternoon with Grandpa Greg & Grandma Liz today while we took Sydney out for a special day. Disney on Ice, Princess Wishes! Needless to say she was very excited, wish I could say the same for Matt! But our seats made up for it. Right down on the ice!


The costumes & scenery were spectacular. But, the most memorable part of the evening was Sydney's "light bulb" moment. She was watching the Little Mermaid portion of the show when Flounder skates by. For those who don't know Flounder is a fish. In the show the skater is wearing a large cosutme in perfect likeness to the real Flounder except for the fact that his legs are sticking out the bottom to allow him to skate. I took a picture but you cannot see the legs too clearly. Anyway, Sydney looks at Flounder and turns to me and says "Flounder doesn't have legs!" Not sure what to say, I reply "he has to have legs to skate". Sydney says "you mean there's a people in there?". I felt sorry for her as a little of the magic faded away.

OSU

We all dressed up in our red & grey last night. A player on Matt's 30+ soccer league threw a big OSU Party! Matt would have won the best dressed award for his Jim Tressel costume. Too bad our excitiment was quickly dashed by the chomping Gators! R.I.P. Our beloved OSU Buckeyes!

Ring in the New Year

This year we rang in the New Year with our friends The Pester's & Eshler's. We had the kids take a long nap in the afternoon so they would be pleasant by midnight. The party started around 7:00 PM with lots of drinks & snacks. The kids kept busy with hide & go seek and wrestling with Kamrin. Sydney was thrilled to be invited out to the barn to feed the horses. She is a real farm girl at heart. Soon it was midnight and we all toasted with champane and a kiss. HAPPY NEW YEAR EVERYONE!

Holiday Season

The tree is gone and the lights & ornaments are stashed away. Boy, the holiday passed just as quickly as it came.

We stayed at my parents house on Christmas Eve and had the traditional appetizer dinner. Around 7:00 AM Christmas morning Sydney scurried from bedroom to bedroom waking everyone. Then flew down the stairs with mommy on her heels trying to catch her initial reaction. Now days, I would say that has to be my favorite part of Christmas. She didn't fail to come up with a great reaction. "Holy The Smokes" she exclaimed "Nuts and Berries look at all those presents". Who knows where she learned those phrases but it was priceless none the less.

The kids are overwhelmed by all their new toys. Andrew finally has some "boy" toys to play with. I asked Sydney what her favorite gift was, she replied "all of them". How diplomatic of her! FYI Santa did follow through with the scooter and Genevieve doll she requested. Andrew is currently favoring the train table and pirate ship.

A Call From Santa

Matt called Sydney last night posing as Santa. She was timid at first but quickly got into the conversation. Santa asked what she wanted for Christmas; she replied with a Genevieve Doll, Scooter and a Hippopotamus (she loves that song "I want a Hippopotamus For Christmas"). With a big belly laugh Santa said he would see what he could do. Sydney mentioned seeing him at the mall, and reminded him she was sleeping at her grandma's house in Canton, Ohio so he should come there. After talking about what the reindeer like to eat, Santa had to go and wished her a Merry Christmas and she replied, and a Happy New Year?

First Gift of Christmas

Christmas is rapidly approaching and we are trying to finish up our shopping. Last Friday we celebrated with our playgroup friends. The kids had a gift exchange and Andrew received his very first Christmas present. As far as we know Andrew did not celebrate Christmas in Korea so we cherished this moment. He wasn't really sure what to do at first but Sydney was right there to help. It was a Little Tykes snowplow truck, thank you Wirick Family!

Officially Ours

Today was a big day for our family. Andrew's adoption was finalized, he was granted US Citizenship and got his name officially changed to Andrew David Min Lavelle!!!!! What a day!

Our appointed time was 1:30 PM, Nap Time! I was afraid Andrew was going to be either really crabby or sound asleep. But, to my surprise he pleasantly appeared, all dressed up in his tie in front of Magistrate Diana Stevenson of Summit County Probate Court. She verified our name spellings and date of births, then turned to Sydney to speak on behalf of our family. AHHHH! I had a feeling that was going to happen. She asked if Sydney liked being a big sister, did she she help mommy & daddy take care of him and if she wanted him to stay with us forever. Thank goodness she answered yes to all of the questions! Cuz, on the car ride there she told me she didn't want Andrew anymore because he hits. :) The magistrate then let us come behind the bench and Sydney got to stamp the offical court seal on Andrew's adoption papers. HOORAY!!! Andrew gave the magistrate five and blew her a kiss and we were done.

I saw this quiz online and found it very interesting. Its a portion of the US Citizen test. Andrew was too young to take it but I'm glad I didnt have to, because I failed. If your interested in trying your luck, here is the link.....

http://reference.aol.com/quizzes/citizenship

School Concert

Tonight was the Rivertree Preschool Christmas Concert. After last year's performance we wernt sure what we were going to see. I guess anything would be better than standing on stage with her hands down her pants again.

This year she marched out on the stage and to our delight she actually sang. And for icing on the cake, she did all the arm motions too! But, all good things must come to an end. At the end of the second song the girl in front of her had to go to the bathroom. Of course, when one goes they all have to go. Sydney and 6 other girls headed off to the bathroom for the remainder of the show.

Letter to Santa

Jackson Township has set up a mailbox for letters to the North Pole. So, Sydney and I sat down and wrote Santa a letter. Below is her dictation.......


Dear Santa,

My name is Sydney and I want you to come play with me. I’ve been good this year but, I did hit my brother, Mommy put me in time out.

I want you to send a pirate ship for my brother so he can sleep in it when he gets big.

I want a scooter, Barbie car, and Genevieve.


We wish you a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year.



From,

Sydney Lavelle

First Visit With Santa

Andrew met Santa for the first time today. To my relief he had no fear. Although he was not able to tell Santa what he wanted for Christmas, Sydney happily told him she wanted a scooter. That was news to us, of the dozens of requests she had made that was the first time we heard about the scooter.

Disney Cruise Photo Slideshow

Thanks for your patience. Here is the photo slide show of our Disney Cruise. Make sure you turn up the volume on your computer first.

You may need to cut & paste this link....

http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=-3025494879690857836&hl=en

Disney Cruise

WOW! What more can I say about the Disney Cruise Line. Working in the travel industry & this being my 10th cruise I had very high expectations, which they met and many ways exceeded.

As predicted the kids were totally surprised and thrilled. We woke them up around 5:00 am to leave for the airport so they were pretty groggy and didn't really question where we were going until we arrived in Orlando. Once we collected our baggage and headed for the Disney Cruise Line desk Sydney recognized the cruise line logo, looked at me and said "We're going on a Disney Cruise"!

As passengers boarded, the cruise staff introduced each family over the PA system. "The Disney Magic now welcomes aboard the Lavelle Family"!!!!! That was a nice warm welcome. The first night we dined in the Animator's Palate restaurant. The room is black and white and as the dinner progresses the room and character animations slowly gain color. Throughout the week we rotated between 3 dining rooms while our waiter and table mates remained the same. Compared to other cruise lines this was a nice change. Andrew & Sydney loved the buffet line especially for kids. Pizza, chicken nuggets and Mickey mac & cheese 24/7.

We are sending a shout out to Elena, Jose & Carla, our tablemates from Puerto Rico! Sydney & Carla became friends and had a great time digging in the sand together even though they didnt speak the same language.

One of our ports was Cozumel, Mexico where Sydney & I took the dolphin encounter excursion. We spent about 35 minutes in the water playing, kissing and dancing with a 9 year old bottle nose dolphin named Romulo. Sydney was very nervous & cried during most of our swim but finally warmed up to the sweet playful charm dolphins exude. She did give him a goodbye kiss and now says that was her favorite part of the trip.

Andrew had many favorites; riding the elevator, dancing with the characters, running on the track, flirting with the ladies,and saying "AAAARRRRRR" like a pirate to anyone within shouting distance.

The children's programs are much more extensive than others I have seen. DCL has dedicated an entire deck to children's programming; we had to force Sydney to come out of there. She enjoyed the pajama parties, character tea parties, story time, Mouseketeer training, dress up fun, water slide, beach digs, and pirate face painting, just to name a few. They also have a movie screen above the pool so everyone can enjoy all the classic Disney movies while swimming or having a snack.

Of course they had plenty of non Disney things for the adults too. Matt loved anything sports related. I enjoyed the dessert & cooking class, towel & napkins folding demonstration and reading a book on our balcony. AHHH!!! I wish I could go back.

This was the cleanest ship I have ever seen, at times their attention to sanitation was almost insane. As some of you know, cruise liners are sensitive to highly contagious gastrointestinal bug called Norwalk Virus. Not a pretty thing! And with a high ratio of children on board it can spread like wildfire. Therefor, Disney Cruise Line pulled out all the stops. The housekeeping staff kept the ship immaculate and crew members were stationed everywhere handing out antibacterial wipes. Every time we entered & exited the ship, kids club, restroom, and dining area someone was there. And, it works. As far as I know, no one fell ill on our sailing. :)

For the first time we enjoyed fireworks on board a cruise. After many years Disney obtained permission and became the first cruiseline to launch a small firework display during their Pirate Deck Party. Very cool!

We made two stops at Disney's private island, Castaway Cay. Where Andrew got to experience the ocean & sand for the very first time. He was not thrilled! :) But we had a great time anyway. The characters even joined us in their beachwear. This was our last port and I wish I would have had my video camera out on deck when we cast off. The island's full time staff stood at attention as the ships horn blared a final "When You Wish Upon a Star". Saluted, then dawned their Mickey gloves and waved us goodbye. It brought a tear to my eye. I am a sucker for attention to detail!

As you can tell, we had a great time! I cannot say enough about the cruise & it's crew. As always we are putting together a photo slide show and hope to have it posted soon. Here are a few pics in the mean time.

Surprise SHHH!!!!

A great travel agent rate passed over my desk last week. It was an opportunity to cruise aboard the Disney Magic, and we couldn't pass it up. We leave on Saturday for 7 nights in the Caribbean sun. Seeing it already snowed several times here, we could use the sunshine. Best part is... the kids have no idea, we decided to surprise them. Sydney asks us on a daily basis to take her back to Disney World. She still has no concept of distance or money, but I love her passion & spirit. She has told me countless times that she doesn't want to live in Ohio anymore, she wants to live at Disney World.

Even though we will not be visiting DisneyWorld this trip I think she will be just as happy. Ever since she could walk & talk she has been pulling the Disney Cruise Line brochures off my office shelves, so she is well aware of what it is. I cannot wait to see her face when she realizes where we are going. We have been packing in a spare bedroom so hopefully we can make it to the airport before her questioning begins.

Please, if we see any of you in the next few days..... SHHHHHH!!!! Don't spoil the surprise!

Trick or Treat

Tonight we took the kids trick or treating at Great Grandma's nursing home. All the residents sat in their doorways passing out candy to all the little ghosts & goblins. In our case a lady bug & shark.

Andrew had a shakey start but once he figured out to put the candy in the bucket rather than hold it all in his hands he did much better. By the end of the night he was taking the candy they handed him, then quickly reaching in their basket and grabbing a few more.