Disney Trip Day 5: Tuesday, 12/18

Tuesday was MGM. First stop was the Beauty and the Beast show, then a Playhouse Disney show. Katerina really loves the live performances. We had lunch at the Brown Derby; inside because again it was too chilly to sit outside.

Beauty & the Beast show

Relaxing on Hollywood & Vine

Little Einsteins is one of her favorite TV shows and she was delighted to meet Leo, Annie, Quincy, and June. June being her favorite; coincidentally she is Asian, dances ballet and wears purple. You'll see in one of the pictures below that June is actually signing the foot of Katerina's June doll.

Sign

Pose

Hug

And another fun parade

Disney Trip Day 4: Monday, 12/17

Next up..Animal Kingdom. It was freezing that morning. Overnight it had dropped to 39 degrees. We brought our winter coats, hats, and gloves. As soon as we entered the park, Katerina fell asleep in the stroller. Since it was almost noon, Mom, Constantin and I took her into the Rainforest Cafe to have lunch and let her sleep. I forgot how noisy that restaurant is, but she slept right through it. John and Sue went on a couple of the more adult rides and we all met up again once Katerina woke up an hour and a half later. (It's not the first time I said thank goodness for cell phones!)





We went on the safari ride and saw lots of animals. I don't know if it's because it was a cold day but they were all out and about.





A little face painting next. She picked out the design she wanted which was like a rainbow and sat down to have it done. She certainly didn't enjoy the process, but she suffered through it for the end result.

Katerina's favorite was the parade. And I would have to say that the parades were her favorite in general. We actually saw 5 different parades while we were there. 3 at the Magic Kingdom, 1 at the Animal Kingdom and 1 at MGM.

Sun began to set and it was time to bundle up again. John and Sue left before the parade and it was sad to see them go. We had such a good time. We can't wait until they have their little girl from China and we can all go to Disney World together. I pray that the wait for referrals speed up after the Olympics as some people predict.

When we got home, the first thing Katerina wanted to do was to have a parade. So she took out every stuffed animal/doll she had brought with her or that we had purchased so far at the parks and made a parade.

Disney Trip Day 3: Sunday, 12/16

We went to Epcot the next morning. Katerina was tired from the night before and was a bit cranky. We met John and Sue in Mexico and had lunch. She did enjoy the children's craft table in Mexico and made a mask.

We went on Journey to Imagination and she fell in love with Figment. The ride leaves you off inside an interactive hands-on exhibit and there were several things she enjoyed, such as walking on different tiles which would light up &/or make noise. Naturally, there were also many ways to spend money in the Pavillion. We saw a photography station where they would take your picture and insert it into a Disney scene background. Katerina chose a scene with all the Disney princesses and they had her stand in front of a green wall. I have no idea what possessed her but she decided to squat and struck the pose below. The final picture came out so cute and we had it made into a poster.

Next stop.....Finding Nemo at the Living Seas.

And then, nap time.

That evening we had tickets to Mickey's Very Merry Christmas Party which was very special; special shows, parade, fireworks and it was even snowing on Main Street. There were Christmas carolers and free hot chocolate and cookies. It was a great time. We took Katerina on It's a Small World again and she loved it, even more, the 2nd time. We went on Peter Pan which I think she enjoyed more in retrospect than while we were actually on it. Also went through Winnie the Poo's ride which I think we all found a bit boring.

Another late night home; exhausted but content.

Disney Trip Day 2: Saturday, 12/15

When we got to Orlando we checked into our unit which was very nice. Two bedrooms, two bathrooms, living room and kitchen. There were Cranes on the patio which Katerina loved. At night, a family of Raccoons came to visit. It was almost like being in Animal Kingdom. Brother John, Sue and Mom drove up from Southern Florida and arrived shortly after we did. Mom was staying with us and John and Sue took off to check into the Boardwalk hotel. We met for a late lunch at the Boardwalk and then took the bus to the Magic Kingdom.

The cranes must have been sent from Central Casting

The tree in the Boardwalk lobby

Posing on the Boardwalk

The first thing we did when we reached the Magic Kingdom was to go on It's a Small World. Katerina was so in awe as you can see by the picture below.

Next up was meeting the princesses. As we were standing in line, we realized we didn't have an autograph book for her. I was inclined to give her a piece of paper but my mother and Sue insisted on looking for a bona fide autograph book. I'm so glad they did.

They would let 5 or 6 families in the princess room at a time. When it was our turn, we walked into the room it reminded me of a bordello; or rather what I imagined a bordello might look like. Each of the 3 princesses had a boudoir area and the children went from one to the next. When she walked up to Aurora it was with such a quiet excitement, shyness, and awe. But she walked up to her all by herself. And there was a routine; autograph, hug, take a picture and another hug. By the 3rd princess, she had it down.

Aurora

Cinderella was next

And last, Belle

Remnants of a princess' kiss

And then it was on to the Mouse himself. We waited in line for him as well and when Katerina met him she was so disappointed he didn't talk. She said he was a pretend Mickey. We told her he had to save his voice for the shows and parades.

Family time with The Mouse

We saw a the Spectromagic parade before leaving which was outstanding. It was definitely a great first day at the parks.

Disney Trip Day 1: Friday, 12/14

The first day of our Disney trip was driving to Lorton Virginia and getting on the Auto Train. Katerina loved the train. We got on at 4pm and off at 8:30am the next morning. All the way down to Lorton, she kept saying she wanted to sleep on top like Caillou. Apparently, there was an episode where Caillou and his family took the train and he got to sleep in the top bunk with his Daddy. Well up she went but after a few minutes, she decided she wanted to sleep with Mommy on the bottom bunk.

Watching Beauty and the Beast DVD

In the dining car

OK, ready for bed

YIPEE. This is fun.

Look at me

Up we go

FCC Holiday Party - 12/8

We had a Families with Children from China holiday party which was so much fun for the kids. Lots of crafts, good food, and a Mandarin storyteller.

Mommy I Look Silly

I guess Katerina is starting to have a sense of self/identity in her clothes. When I dressed her in this one piece sweater outfit of all different colors and patterns, which was too short, she walked over to the mirror and said "Mommy, I look silly." And you know what? She did. So we took it off and put it in the give away pile