Florida: Part II.....Part II

On your marks, get set..

As important as Princess for a Day was, I can't forget the event that brought us to Disney World in the first place: The Disney Princess 1/2 Marathon.  I wanted the girls to see that being a Princess isn't just pretty dresses and cute hair; it's also working hard and kicking butt.  So Aunt Marianne and I signed up, trained hard, and ran like royalty.  

Sofia the First is very popular with both my girls right now. 
I couldn't pass up a chance for a quick pic during the race.

But we didn't just want to lead by example; we wanted the girls to experience the thrill of a major race themselves.  So we signed them up for the kids races (yup, Lila too.  She learned to walk just in time.)  Ava was so excited she talked about it for weeks.  Not only was she going to race, she was going to win.  The night before the race, they even got to attend their very first expo to pick up their race bibs and t-shirts.

The next morning, we pinned on their bibs, took part in some pre-race games and stretching, and lined up for the biggest kids race I've ever seen. 

 

Multiple waves, hundreds of kids, and grandstands full of cheering family members made for an amazing spectacle.  A spectacle that was pretty darn intimidating for a couple of sweet little girls. 
By the time it was their turn to run, neither one of them had any interest in fighting their way to any finish line.  So as good parents should, Andy and I made sure they made it across and got their medals.  Cuz that's the best part anyway. 

Being carried across a finish line sounds pretty royal to me. 

Florida: Part II....Part I

"Cinderella believed in dreams all right, but she also believed in doing something about them.  When Prince Charming didn't come along, she went over to the palace and got him."

-Walt Disney

Princess for a Day

I've been driving myself crazy trying to figure out how to start writing about our trip to Disney World.  But I have to start somewhere, so I thought I'd kick it off with The Princess Experience. 

We decided early on in our vacation planning that our princess-loving diva had to be treated to two things: a full princess makeover (for Ava; unfortunately I was too old) at the Bibbidi Bobbidi Boutique, and breakfast in Cinderella's castle.  I have to admit that I may have been more excited about this than anyone.  I booked Ava's royal transformation 6 months in advance, only because they wouldn't let me do it any sooner.  And it was totally worth it. 

Our appointment was at the same time the park opened, so we had to get moving pretty early.  The girls did a little dancing with Dad on the boat over to the Magic Kingdom to pass the time.

And then it was time to enter The Castle.  It was beautiful inside.  A small sea of little girls hung out in a charming little waiting area, before being assigned their own personal "Fairy Godmother in Training".  We struck gold with ours.  She was a grandmother and retired hairdresser that spends her days at Cinderella's castle just because she loves doing it.  She calmly offered up all of Ava's hair and makeup choices, then waited patiently for her to make up her mind.  And as always, my girl knew exactly what she wanted. 

She was adamant that since she was dressed as Belle, she should look like Belle.  This meant a long, curly ponytail.  But the package with the hair extensions didn't include a crown, so she insisted that we add that on. 

Mirror Mirror on the wall, who's the cutest of them all?

The children are kept facing away from the mirror until the transformation is complete.  Then, the big reveal...

"Yup. I was meant to look like this all along."

Lila was absolutely enchanted with Ava's new look.  She couldn't stop hugging the new, more regal version of her big sister.

 



Then it was time to break a little bread with the one, the only........Cinderella.  The experience begins with a photo op.

After which we were formally invited to join a bevy of Disney princesses in the upstairs dining room for some surprisingly good food. 

The entire dining room was treated to their own personal magic wand, then invited to join in on a chorus of  "Bibbity Bobbity Boo!" Lila used this little catchphrase about a thousand times over the next few days.

 Aurora (Sleeping Beauty, for those not quite as "in the know" as we are) was the first to make it to our table.

 

To my girls' delight, we next got up close and personal with Snow White.  She was so lovely, and the little extra effort she put in to make them feel special was the icing on an already pretty perfect cake.

 

Jasmine was an absolute must-see for Ava.  I think she was actually a little nervous here.

 

And last, but most certainly not least, was The Little Mermaid herself (minus the tail, of course).

 

The whole experiene was truly magical, and one I abloutely cannot wait to have with both girls together in a few years.  Cuz yeah, we're totally doing this again.

Florida: Part I

Florida is a nostalgic place for me.  I spent many warm, happy summers there, swimming, visiting the beach, riding horses, and taking more trips down the chutes of the local water slides than I can begin to count.  So it's pretty special for me to get the opportunity to share that trip with my family now that I'm all grown up. 

Grandpa George had done his homework.  It's been a while since he's had any little ones around, so he talked to a neighbor in the know and found some cool, kid-friendly options for the girls.  First up, Playmobil Funpark.  A giant room with table after table of tiny houses, castles, zoos, and even a hotel full of miniature sunburned tourists.  They loved it.

Next, the playground.  Now, if you've never been to Florida, allow me to let you in on a little secret: it's really stinkin' hot.  Add in 1000% humidity, and being outdoors can be a bit intimidating if you're not used to it.  So I was pretty thrilled to see the giant canopy over the play structures, protecting my pale little winter-babies from the sun. 

 

That's not to say we avoided the sun altogether.  We took the girls outside and let them run around the same backyard I played in as a kid.  The background was pretty different back then.

 



We spent an evening enjoying fresh air and pizza at a local outdoor mall.  We made wishes in a fountain, rode a carousel, and tooled around in a tiny train driven by a guy that was pretty skilled in avoiding running over the oblivious masses.  Unfortunately I didn't get any pictures of that part. 

And of course, there was the beach.  Still - to me, anyway - the most peaceful place in the world.

I have much more to show them, but watching them walk in just some of my old footsteps was wonderful.  Thank you to Grandma Raili and Grandpa George for working so hard to make our trip so special.  See you soon.