Newman's News: September 2010

Sunday, September 26, 2010

Newman's Review...

What a week...

We finally have our kitchen complete and back together! Washing all the dust off all the stuff was not fun at all! But it so nice to have a kitchen again! I never realized how much I used my kitchen sink until I didn't have it anymore!
Scott is back on the road again... He has been home for 3 weeks. It is always hard to go back! I missed him this week, especially after we had a great time at Disneyland. We really had a great time!
Scott has been Seattle and is now on his way to Atlanta!
Emma's added some new words to her vocabulary... shoes, done, daddy, mommy, juice, and go...
Emma has been working on teeth 5 and 6 so she has been cranky, along with being sick with this lingering cough for the past few weeks. Maybe then she'll start sleeping better at night and allow me to get some rest!
Yes, I think it's official! I'm addicted to Diet Coke! I found myself so exhausted all the time and needed a boost and here I am needing one daily...
Emma continues to make me laugh! She loves to sit on things... she'll back up and sit in laps, on feet, on other objects laying around like pillows, brooms, toys, books.... you name it, she'll try to sit on it...
Emma also is trying to run... I love watching her try to chase Ethan around... She is getting pretty darn good at this walking thing. She is even starting to walk backwards!
Today I turned 33 years old! Where has time gone? And how did I get so old?!

Our final day... It was the busiest of the days! It was a Friday, plus, it was the first day of Halloween at Disneyland. It also the day we just laid back and took it as it came. We already did everything we wanted to do. We just wanted to let Ethan chose some of his favorite rides and make sure we made it to the night show and fireworks.

By this time, Emma was DONE with Disneyland and DONE with the stroller. So I hung back at the hotel while everyone headed to the park to get an early start.

A view of Tom Sawyer's Island.

Austin lovin' his sucker!

Waiting in line to the Haunted Mansion. I was surprised to hear that Ethan went on this ride. I didn't think he would like it, being too scary... I was right, but I'm glad Ethan was brave and gave it a try.

Waiting in line to one of his favorite rides, Peter Pan.

Us in front of Sleeping Beauty's Castle!

My little princess!

My little man!

Emma always trying to get down!

Scott loves this picture... This was very typical of Emma... Throwing one of her many tantrums!

You see what she did... She threw her cup into the bushes... what a little stinker :)

Scott took this while I went looking for a lost shoe... never found it! Every time we put Emma in her stroller the first thing she did was take off her shoes and this time instead of staying in the stroller she threw it somewhere to never be seen again!

No shoe, but here we are anyways!

Our final ride... the carousal! Our first and last ride at Disneyland!

Here Emma is at about 11:00... way past her bedtime and you can tell... She found Ethan's sucker and had a package of ketchup in the other hand. That was a LONG night!

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Thanks to my mom and dad who helped us out a lot. They took the kids many times to allow us grown ups have some alone time at the park. Also, thanks to Nathan and Rene for letting us tag along. It was so much fun and I can't wait to do it again... but not too soon... I'm still recovering!

More Disneyland

Now that Ethan spent a day at Disneyland he wanted nothing but got back and have more fun... We did take a break and went to visit Scott's grandmas... It was a nice visit and yes, we did go back to Disneyland that night so Ethan got his wish.

Scott standing guard...? We actually went to Target when we got to California and bought a cheap stroller. Our intention was to leave it behind so we didn't have to pack it, but we liked it so much we kept and packed it home.

I think this is the 2nd time on the carousal! Ethan loved it! Emma didn't like the waiting, but loved it once it got started!

Riding Casey Jr... A must for Ethan!

Tarzan's Tree house!

Met Winnie the Pooh!

Ethan was in heaven! WOODY! I think this made his day! Now he wants to be Woody for Halloween!

Rockin' out in Goofy's house!

Ethan met Goofy! We had a big cheek full of food... He wasn't allowed to play until he ate his whole sandwich, well, this is how he hurried and finished eating his food!

Disneyland

Here we go, go, go on an adventure! It's finally here! We are off to Disneyland! We've been planning this for the last few months... We invited ourselves to tag along with Nathan and Rene and my mom and dad... but more the merrier, right? It has been awhile since I've been and even longer for Scott... I think it has been almost 20 years for Scott! This, of course, is Ethan and Emma's first time.

Ethan on the airplane... he doesn't know what Disneyland is, but he's excited to be on an airplane!

Emma... well, she didn't too bad...

Here we are... and what's the first thing we do... dad gets on the phone to try to locate Nay's family... This pretty much summarizes the whole vacation... a lot of coordinating and calling back and forth trying to find one another... I think my dad finally learned to use his cell phone!

First thing we see when we got into the park was Pluto... I think Ethan was still trying to figure out what this place was all about!

Walking down main street... This was a Tuesday morning.. come Friday, there was 3 times more people on this street... crazy!

Our first and last ride... the good and reliable carousal!

In line waiting for Dumbo!

We finally met up with Nathan and Rene's family...

My little princess... so far so good... not so good come Friday!

Nathan and Skyler!

The infamous Tea Cups... One I didn't mind passing up on...

A bit blurry... but Ethan finally got to meet Mickey!

Taking the train!

Waiting for the big parade!

Friday, September 17, 2010

Newman's Review

So here I am sitting in my hotel room here in California on my last day here at Disneyland... Everyone is at Disneyland as I wait for Emma to take a good nap. This week has had many ups and downs, especially when you travel with a group and travel with 2 young kids. Here are some highlights of our week!

After a busy weekend celebrating Ethan's birthday we left Monday morning to visit Disneyland. First trip for Ethan and Emma... and Scott returns after 20 years!
Austin and Skyler took their first plane ride!
Ethan met some of his favorite characters! Mickey, Pluto, Goofy, Winnie the Pooh, Eeyore, and Woody!
Ethan dancing his little heart out during dinner in Tomorrow Land!... So unlike him! He really let loose!
Ethan bonding with Grandma and Grandpa Riddle! He always wonders where they are when they aren't with him :)
Had a wonderful visit with Great Grandma Shehorn and Great Grandma Sparling!
Many fits from my little princess! Emma has a runny nose and cough again! What is up with California!
A LOT of sleepless nights!

So was this week worth it? The tired feet.... the sun burnt face... the endless lines...????

YES! Ethan has been enjoying himself! I think he is bummed that today is our last day. We are starting to see a brave side of Ethan. He'll try the rides... he tells us whether or not he likes them... He has his favorites, of course! Peter Pan and Buzz Lightyear to just name a couple!

Emma has been a pill! I knew she would be. I didn't expect anything different with her. She is too young for this stuff! She isn't happy staying put in the stroller and she wants to do everything her brother is doing. She can go on most of the kiddie rides and she has enjoyed herself some.

Overall, I have to say it has been a good week. I was able to get my mind off of things with the kitchen and house and I got to relax, kind of! Pictures will be coming soon!

Party Time!

Ethan didn't just get a birthday day... he got a whole weekend! We started early on Saturday with a party for his friends... I really don't know what I was thinking... 10 - 3 and 4 years olds. It was crazy but fun! All summer Ethan insisted on having a T-Rex birthday party. Well, I did it... and it was a blast!

T-Rex welcoming all Ethan's friends to the party!

All the kids playing!

Happy Birthday Ethan!

Game: Capturing the T-Rex!

Present time! Thanks for all the wonderful gifts! Ethan LOVES them all!

Yummy cupcakes!

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Birthday party #2... The Riddles side!

We invited my side of the family up for another birthday party at the house. Sorry the pics are a little dark... but they're still good!

Daddy got Ethan a baseball mitt...

The family! Thanks for coming out!

Happy birthday, buddy! Sorry I had to buy your cake... the counter tops and sink still weren't done so there wasn't a homemade cake like I was planning!