Returning back to the real world...

And, just like that, it was our last day at Disney. 

We had moved our schedule around so we found ourselves with no park plans on Friday. Which was nice, because as we were waiting for a bus to Port Orleans, a MONSOON came. And we were drenched.

Glad we fixed our hair...out came the curls!

Still smiling through the storm!

We dried up quick and had a yummy lunch at Port Orleans.

Maddie and I spent the afternoon at the pool (little sissy napped...girlfriend was Disney-tired!)

We said our goodbyes to tia, got packed up and got ready to head back home the next morning.

Let's just say Disney WORE our kiddos out.

Maddie fell asleep in my lap at a restaurant.

While, at the same time, Syd was knocked out on grandma flying home.

We had a wonderful week at Disney and can't wait to go back!

We rested a bit and got back to our usual tricks.

Like, another doctor's visit because Mads woke up with pink eye.

This was the best it looked. By mid-afternoon it was goopy and bloodshot. EEE.

We hung out with Hudson.

We hung out with Lizzy and Brooke.

Adelyn turned 6 and had a Rapunzel party. It was so fun!

Rapunzel's hair hanging out of her window.

Maddie in Rapunzel's tower.

We got some snow!

I had a fun time with my girls!

 

And Maddie returned to Lego-mania. She is into Legos, all the time. 

Looking forward to a fun weekend!

Day 5: Animal Kingdom (with a quick ER visit!)

So, because my children love Emergency Rooms, Sydney woke up Thursday morning with croup. She sounded terrible. 

I knew she had croup. (Because, exhibit A from last year. And then, exhibit B from last year.) Sydney gets croup differently from other kids. No fever, no miserable-ness. Just that nasty nasty cough. Croup is common in children who were born premature, and I'm asked every hospital visit if Syd was born early. Sydney was more than 2 weeks early but I don't really consider her premature, as she didn't have any complications or a NICU visit. But, who knows, maybe this is why she gets it and Maddie never did.

So, we found the closest ER and stopped in for a breathing treatment. While we waited, my parents and sister headed to Animal Kingdom with Madeline.

We had a breathing treatment and an oral steroid and Sydney was just like new. I mean she literally had no cough and kept saying, "I wanna go to a park. I wanna go to a park now." It doesn't take long for kids to learn Disney-speak.

Chris and I debated but ultimately decided to meet my family at Animal Kingdom since Sydney was in great spirits. And we had a fun afternoon!

Syd desperately wanted to meet Goody and Pluto....until she did. And then she wasn't into it. 

Maddie was. Maddie LOVED the characters this time. She wanted to meet every one she saw.

The adults switched off and rode Dinosaur (my parents and sis in back row)

Chris and I in back row.

While we let the kids play in the Boneyard, an enormous playground with slides, and a digging pit. One of my children went down this slide, the other refused.

Yep, Sydney went down. She thumped all the way down and somehow turned from a feet-first position to flying out face-first. And she was screaming. Maddie heard her bumping around, turned around and said, "I don't think I want to do it anymore." HAHA.

It should be noted I was not present at this time. When my mom and sister told me Sydney went down the slide, my response was, "WHO PUTS A 2 YEAR OLD ON THAT?!" But, Syd has no fear and insisted, evidently.

Anyways...

We took some pictures in front of the Tree of Life.

My dad, Chris and I rode Everest. This is one of my favorites!

Side note: Sydney saw this thing thunder by with everyone screaming. She got angry we wouldn't let her on it. I think she is going to be a roller coaster junkie!

Triceratops Spin

We rode the safari and had a great ride!

Syd and I snuggled up to see some animals.

We got up close and personal to some rhinos.

And could literally reach out and touch this giraffe. (but we didn't!)

We stopped for more characters - Dug and Russell from UP.

We had a yummy dinner at a new favorite, Cape May Cafe. All you can eat crab legs, mussels, clams....YES, PLEASE!

Chris, STILL under the weather, took Sydney back to the hotel for bed and we did the last of our souvenir shopping at Disney Springs. 

We stopped and recreated the Frozen picture.

If it looks familiar, it's because in January 2015, we did the same shenanigans.

What a fun day!