We're Home

Hi everyone! We got home late last night from Disneyland and we're working on unpacking and and resting up after our fun week. I'm going to post something from each day of our trip so you can see a little bit of what we did. Isabelle had a terrific time all week and even triumphed over the dreaded turnstiles by the last day! Enjoy our pictures!

Having a Great Time!

We made it to Disneyland by noon yesterday (ahead of schedule) and immediately had to change our plans a bit because our room wasn't quite ready to take a nap in. Luckily Isabelle slept a little on the plane and was a great trooper at the park until bedtime. We have some great pictures already but I'm afraid the camera Jason borrowed from work needs a docking station in order to upload pictures. I'll just have to post a lot when we get home.
We rode the Disneyland Railroad first and since we all of a sudden had a whole afternoon on our hands we went to ride Winnie-the-Pooh and then on to Fantasyland. I was very nervous as to whether or not Isabelle would even set foot on a ride but she is doing amazing! The lines were so short yesterday we rode Pooh twice in 10 minutes! We also had less than 10 minute waits on all the Fantasyland rides. She even got on Dumbo and flew that thing like crazy!
Last night we had great seats for the Parade of Dreams and Isabelle was jumping up and down she was so excited to see all the characters. It was a really spectacular parade.
This morning we had breakfast with Minnie and a bunch of other characters which was a little overwhelming at first but we did get a great picture with Minnie at the end. While Isabelle did not want to touch the characters she was delighted when they signed her autograph book.

A few stats on our Disney trip so far:

Biggest Fear: The turnstiles at the beginning of each ride. Apparently these are quite daunting for Isabelle but that is easily remedied by picking her up and carrying her over. If this is the biggest challenge of the trip we'll be doing okay.

Number of times on Winnie-the-Pooh in the past 24 hours: 4, yes Isabelle and I rode two more times today while Jason was on Indiana Jones.

Best item we brought with us: The stroller. We debated the pros and cons of having it for weeks as Isabelle hasn't ridden in it for a year. However, it has been a lifesaver, especially when we're trying to get somewhere quickly or we have to walk a long distance.

After Isabelle's nap this afternoon we're heading to Tomorrowland to ride the Finding Nemo ride. Sorry again that I can't post pictures. I probably won't write again until we get home.

We're On Our Way!

We woke up this morning and Isabelle was excited to pull off the last number on our countdown to Disneyland. We've been busy packing all weekend, and when I say "we" I really mean "me" as Jason finished his packing in roughly ten minutes. I do however feel that it was probably not the most thorough of jobs as Jason stated, "I guess I'll find out what I packed when we get there." I will entertain bets as to which crucial item did not make it into his suitcase.
I have also been working hard on putting loose daily schedules together so we can make sure we make it to all our early entry days, preferred seating shows and character meals. I've also scheduled plenty of time for naps and rest. It's not a very regimented schedule but we do generally know which area of the parks we'll explore on which day. With our handy Disney guidebook I also added notes about where to sit to have the best view of parades and where to escape the crowds during mealtimes. I think we're definitely ready!

Only one day left!

A whole week planned

Getting Ready for Disneyland

With our trip to Disneyland only three days away we are really starting to put things together. One of the things I've been most concerned about is the number of people and the plan if Isabelle is separated from us. She is very good about holding our hands and staying close but we want to be prepared just in case. So, I made laminated ID bracelets with Isabelle's name, our names and phone numbers and the hotel where we're staying. While she can rattle off this information to us with no problem I think she would clam up if a stranger were to ask. Each bracelet has a different Disney character on it and they'll be tied with pretty ribbons around Isabelle's wrist everyday. She was very excited to help cut them out as cutting is her latest passion!

Soccer

We were up bright and early this morning for our second soccer practice. This is definitely Isabelle's favorite summer activity so far. It does have an unfair advantage though because I get to play with her. During swimming and dance I can only watch. I have to say that she does have some skills and she's definitely learning the rules of the game. She didn't touch the ball with her hands once today! Her favorite part of practice is "goal time" at the end. Each child gets a turn to shoot a goal in front of the class. Isabelle was one of the few kids who kicked hers in as opposed to picking it up and throwing it into the net. Very impressive!

First kick of the day

Dribbling

I'm comin' for you!

Taking a break and listening to the coach

Score!

Adoption News

Our big news today is that we've moved up on the waiting list for our little girl from Ethiopia. When I spoke to our case manager for our monthly call this morning I was expecting to be told we are number 18 on the list. You can imagine my surprise when I was told we are actually number 11! So, for any of you keeping track, in less than two months we've moved up the list by 14 spots. Who knows what will happen next!

Swimming

Isabelle had her third swimming lesson this afternoon and did a really good job staying in the water and following directions. I was impressed by this because her class did not have its regular instructor and they were moved all around the pool because the staff was so disorganized. When they were finally settled the first ten minutes went great! That is until the teacher neglected to hold onto her in the water and she got thoroughly dunked. At that point she was done with the water for the day. I don't blame her for not trusting the teacher and getting back into the water. Needless to say I was pretty livid. We'll hope things will be back to normal for her next lesson. In the meantime enjoy these videos of Isabelle prior to her water disaster.