Disney Vacation: Day 9

The only family photo from Disney Vacation 2011.

Luckily we had a late enough flight back to Minneapolis that we were able to sleep in on our last day in Orlando. The kids slept until 9:00 am! We went down for breakfast, finished packing, and checked out of the hotel by 11:00am. Overall, it felt like a smooth exit. We got to the hotel and made it through security in good time. Our flight was slightly delayed so we got some snacks and beverages in the Delta Sky Lounge (which had a very nice Southern hospitality motif going for it).

The airplane was only half full, at best, so we were able to spread out across 6 seats which was nice. Sofia sat quietly and watched a movie then took a nap. Ethan, on the other hand, single-handedly tried to RUIN the ENTIRE vacation in the last hour of the flight. I was THAT parent with THAT horrible unruly child. He kicked. He screamed. He blubbered. He refused to wear his seatbelt during the descent so I was literally sitting on him while he kicked, screamed, and blubbered. I seriously contemplated tossing him out the emergency exit door. It was embarrassing. As soon as we were at the gate, Ethan crawled on to my lap, lay his head on my shoulder and instantly fell asleep. It still took awhile for me forgive him. We were on better terms over the weekend then he pulled the evil 3 year old personality out of his back pocket again today, but that's another story for another post (I'll just say that he missed 1/2 day of school today because he refused to get dressed!).

I walked away from this vacation with a much greater knowledge of Disney World but know there is a lot more to learn before our next trip. We definitely need to plan a little more and may also need to expand our horizons (Harry Potter World at Universal Studios!). But I did start my Disney Pin collection so I can start trading as soon as land!

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Disney Vacation: Day 8

Day 8 of our Disney Vacation was day 7 of our 7 day park pass. We spent this day at Hollywood Studios again to ensure we saw everything we needed to and because I really wanted to see Fantasmic, a water and laser light show that came highly recommended.

We started the day with face painting. Sofia had been asking to have her face painted for the past 3 days and I had promised we would do it before we came home. As the kids picked out their make-up design Kevin tried to grab some fast passes for the Toy Story ride, but there were none left for the rest of the day and the wait was anywhere from 90-120 minutes all day long! Anyway, the kids got their faces painted and Ethan and I each sacrificed our shirts that day due to a hot sweaty day leading to running face paint and disaster when a tired boy kept hiding his face in my shirt during the Beauty and the Beast show we saw later in the day...


Flutterfly Sofia


Superhero Ethan

We hit up several attractions including an Indiana Jones stunt show; Honey, I Shrunk the Kids playground (where both children again went MIA--we knew they hadn't left because I stood in front of the exit the entire time, but it still took two of us working as a team to find them both!); the great movie ride; Beauty and the Beast; and 3D muppets.


Honey, I Shrunk the Kids

We left the park for dinner hoping that Ethan would fall asleep in the car so that he could get at least a short nap--he did not. He was a bit contrary during the majority of the day since, as you may recall, we were at Magic Kingdom and didn't get back to the hotel until after midnight! Anyway, we went back to the park and we saw Fantasmic which I thought was awesome and the kids enjoyed it, too, despite the wait for it. It was a great combination of water, colored lights, laser, and fireworks. I highly recommend it!

After two days I definitely feel like we conquered Hollywood Studios... If you're heading to the parks and have limited time, this is the park I would skip, but I'm definitely glad we were able to check it out and see all the good (and some not-so-good) attractions.

We had another late night and didn't get back to the hotel until 10:30. The kids were really wound up so we took them swimming until the pool closed at 11pm and started to prepare for our trip home the next day. At least we had a later flight and the kids actually slept in until 9 am the next day! I'll include a post about our "fun" trip home and some of the keys things I learned on this, my first trip to Disney World.

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Disney Vacation: Day 7

We asked Sofia where she wanted to go today and she decided on the park with Cinderella's castle (aka Magic Kingdom). We got out the door late, but aided by a three hour nap in the stroller (Ethan), we managed to get our full $91 out of the day and didn't get back to the hotel until after midnight (which we paid for the next day by Ethan's generally contrary attitude...)!





We started our day in Adventureland where we obtained our fast passes for Jungle Safari--definitely not worth the wait without a fast pass; debatable if it was worth even the short we had with our fast passes--the animals and natives were fake and the jokes and puns were nauseating. While we were passing the time waiting for our "reserved" cruise time we sailed the Spanish moors with Captain Jack Sparrow, climbed into the Swiss Family Robinson's tree house, flew over the streets of Agrabah on our magic carpets, and were spat upon by the resident camels.





After our cruise we meandered into Frontierland planning on lunch, but instead found ourselves in prime front row seating for the upcoming parade. The kids and I set up camp (Ethan was sleeping in his stroller after all) while Kevin grabbed fast passes for Splash Mountain just in case Sofia decided to brave the 5 story plunge... (our fast pass could not be used for 6 hours! And, ultimately, Sofia chickened out just in time for us to take in the oohs and ahhs of the Electric Light Parade.). Sofia loved the parade though she complained about the heat yet again...





After lunch we went back to Fantasyland and took a spin on the carrousel and meandered through Cinderella's castle where we found the Bibbidy Bobbidy Boutique, a salon where girls can be made up to look like princesses for the mere price range of $50-240 ($240! Really?!?! That seems insane!). Of course Sofia wanted a make over, but since we'd already agreed on getting her face painted I filled her mind with empty promises that we'd make an appointment the next time we're in Disney World and she's a little older... Don't judge-it allowed us to walk away from the salon with no tears shed. We saw Rapunzel from a distance (Sofia thought the cast members were quite mean for cutting off the line and not letting her in since (in a New York accent), "this is the place where dreams come true." Ultimately, we made our way back to Tomorrowland, rode the peoplemover not once, but twice and used our fast passes for Toy Story.





Sofia on the Peoplemover

By this time in the day, we were only about an hour from using our Splash Mountain fast passes do we decided to wait it out. We had dinner and Sofia decided she wanted me to go on the tide with her. We walked over to the entrance and got in the fast pass lane, we made our way up the long and windy path past 100s of people that were still waiting 90 minutes for this ride, we elected to sit in the back of the log, and... Sofia literally FREAKED OUT! I mean there was kicking and screaming and clawing and crying. An all out break down. So we got to take the bridge over to the exit sign and we left the ride. Oh well, maybe next time.

Her freak out allowed us to see the entire Electrical Parade, which next the Tomorrowland's Peoplemover was Sofia's "bestest" part of the day. By the time the parade was over at 9:30 it only made sense to stay and watch the fireworks, right? Well, we did and the fireworks show at Magic Kingdom was awesome (dare I say better than Epcot's?)! Of course, the kids wanted to go on more rides so we made another run through some of the rides in Fantasyland and finally started to head back to the car after 11pm!





Needless to say we were all dealing with sensory overload and both kids were asleep in their strollers before we even hit the parking lot. But we had a GREAT day!

With only one day left in the place where dreams come true, the plan was to finish up at Hollywood Studios with the secret hope that the kids would sleep in the next morning... They didn't.

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Disney Vacation: Day 6

So we used our seven day "Make your own Magic" pass today and went back to Animal Kingdom for round two. We asked Sofia which park she wanted to go to today and she picked the park with the water ride (i.e. Kali River Rapids). She hadn't forgotten that she wanted to go on that ride again... I don't know if it was because it was our second visit to this park and, therefore we knew the lay of the land a little better, but I felt like we were more productive with today's visit than we were on Friday. Or maybe it was because Ethan fell asleep in the stroller so we were able to take our time, thereby allowing him an almost two hour nap which made him a little more manageable towards the end if the day. Regardless, I feel like we've seen and done Disney's Animal Kingdom (at least taking into considerations the kids' ages and heights right now).

We went to this park today (Sofia noted today that it's not so much a Disney park, rather it's a Disney zoo...) with the purpose of going on the "getting wet ride" so we went straight there for our fast passes (and thank goodness we did because there was a 50-60 minute wait and we visited some good attractions in the interim). We hit up It's a Bug's Life 3D movie -- this was, by far, my favorite attraction today complete with the stink of a stink bug, getting stung by a bee in the back, and having termites and cockroaches crawling under my butt -- it was awesome! Then we took in the Birds of Wonder bird show which was also very well put together with some pretty cool tricks and songs sung by the avian cast. The parrot that sang for us knows the lyrics to seven different songs!








Here we are before the show in an anthill--we were made honorary bugs for the duration of the show. (i.e. We got to wear 3D glasses).

We then proceeded back to the Kali River Rapids. Ethan was the only one of the four of us to get super wet today, which he thought was pretty great! Then it was on to Camp Minnie-Mickey for the Festival of the Lion King, a cirque de soleil type of show that was pretty impressive, a dance party with Thumper, Chip, and Dale, and a meet-n-greet with Donald Duck. We chose Donald because he was Ethan's first choice, then the little twerp proceeded to hide his face again for any of the pictures! I give up--we will no longer attempt any character meetings or photo opps--the wait is too long with no rewards at the end thanks to two uncooperative children.

About this time, Ethan took a nap in his stroller while Kevin, Sofia and I followed a walking trail in Africa and were able to see hippos, gorillas, and colobos monkeys; take in the afternoon parade; and Kevin and Sofia went on another African safari. We finished the day up again in Dinoland USA digging for fossils and riding the Triceratops Spin, perfect for the whole family.

















A couple of things we have learned thus far
1. Fast Passes-seriously, if you ever come to Disney World, utilize the fast passes that are available!
2. The kids can share one kid's meal for lunch ($5 each) and there is usually still some left over.
3. Two pairs of extra clothes for Ethan does not seem to be enough.
4. If your child begs and pleads for the battery-operated misting fan, buy it at Walmart. The cost for a Disney World misting fan is $17; however, you can get the same device without Disney World printed on it for $7! It was $7 well spent because Sofia did not whine every time she saw someone with one yet she was not holding one in her own grubby paws.








Tomorrow we are letting the kids' wake up time determine which park we go back to. Therefore, it's still a mystery and I'm sure you're sitting on the edge of your seat waiting to find out. Well, stay tuned for more...

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Location:International Dr,Orlando,United States

Disney Vacation: Day 5

We spent the fourth day of our Disney vacation tooling around Hollywood Studios.





We got there as the park was opening and went straight back to Toy Story Midway Mania to obtain our fast passes. Mission accomplished but we couldn't use our passes until 3:00 pm! Popular attraction. So needless to say we had some time to fill in--some 4-5 hours...

We first went to The Voyage of the Little Mermaid, a musical and puppet rendition of the storyline with some fun special effects. When that show was over we moved directly into the next theater for a Disney Junior Live show with Minnie, Mickey, Donald, Daisy, Goofy, Handy Manny, The Little Einsteins, and the Pirates. The kids got to get up and move around some and had a good time.

As we were heading to our next attraction, an extreme stunt show, Ethan saw Buzz and Woody and wanted to go in and see them. It was a 45 minute wait to meet the stars of Toy Story! There were several photo opps along the way and we finally got to the front of the line and neither child would even look at Buzz or Woody (Ethan included!). So Kevin and I each had our photo taken with the kids hiding their faces in our shoulders. Awesome.





Ethan deciding he no longer wants to meet any of his favorite characters.





Sofia assuming her usual position.

We went on a behind the scenes type backlot tour which was OK and Lights, Motor, Action extreme stunt show which was pretty cool (though Sofia wasn't a fan of it's volume or fire-induced heat). As we were heading back towards Toy Story Midway Mania we stopped and spent some time in the Honey, I Shrunk the Kids play area (another place in which Ethan became misplaced, but was found again without external assistance).

















It was finally our turn to go into Toy Story Midway Mania! We got in with a minimal wait and the ride was fun, but not worth the 90 minute wait that the non-fast pass users had to stand in before their turn shooting targets with the laser guns. Seriously, why doesn't everyone know about and use the fast pass?!?! It just blows my mind!

Anyway, we left late afternoon with plans to go back in the evening on a different day to see the Fantasmic laser show which comes highly recommended. We have also promised Sofia a trip to the face-painter, though she has asked that I join her and have my face painted as well. We'll see...

Tomorrow we head back to Animal Kingdom for round 2.

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Location:International Dr,Orlando,United States

Disney Vacation: Day 4

We spent the day today at Disney's Animal Kingdom. Today has been the warmest day this trip and Sofia managed to reinforce that she is a Minnesota girl at heart. She's just simply not a fan of heat, sun, or sweating. But she again spent the day warming up to the camera as well and, again, I was able to obtain proof that she is in Disney World with the family.

We left for the park with a game plan in mind--we would head straight to the back of the park and go on the safari ride first. Problem we encountered today, though, was a later than usual start. So, Kevin went to get fast passes which ultimately left us with a little over an hour to kill. So we took a train (Rafiki's Planet Watch) to a small petting zoo that offered us the chance to pet some rare animals from around the world (you know, sheep and goats). A little underwhelming, all said and done, but Ethan did get to meet Rafiki and Pocahontas. After a minor Ethan-related bathroom emergency, we utilized our fast passes and went on a safari through an African jungle and savannah and saw some pretty cool animals in their "natural habitat" (you know, Orlando, FL) including giraffes, hippos (awesome!), black rhinos (only 4200 of these exist in the world!), white rhinos, cheetahs, and ostriches and their eggs (Ostrich eggs weigh 3# each!). We rode over rickety old bridges and saved a baby elephant from some poachers. A fun ride overall and the kids really enjoyed it.





Here Ethan found some African drums that distracted him from going to the bathroom in an appropriate location...

After our Safari, we walked over to Asia (they are only a hop, skip, and a jump away from each other, after all) where we saw a species of fruit bat with a wingspan of 6' and a fair number of tigers that were napping and sunbathing in the hot afternoon sun. We also had the chance to go white water rafting on the Kali River. Sofia was extremely hesitant at first, but ended up having a great time (she and Ethan got SOAKED!) and asked if we could do it before we even got off the ride!





We also watched Finding Nemo, the Musical and did some digging for fossils in Dinoland USA, which Ethan loved and did NOT want to leave. Our first lost child incident occurred here when Ethan pulled a fast one on Kevin (no worries, Gram. He never left the exhibit). Ethan ran ahead, ducked into a tunnel that Kevin did not realize had more than one opening, than back tracked back to the fossil dig site where I found him several minutes later climbing on some stegosaurus remains. I carried him away kicking and screaming uttering promises that we will return soon. Luckily we've got 7 day passes!





Finally, with two overtired children that we knew would crash and burn during the car ride back to the hotel, we had dinner at Sofia's favorite restaurant, Rainforest Cafe which was on the premise and said good by to Uncle Kyle and Auntie Jaime. Thanks for coming to see us! We had a great time!






Tomorrow we plan to go to the last of the four Disney theme parks with the hopes of meeting Lightning McQueen at Hollywood Studios.


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Location:Canada Ave,Orlando,United States

Disney Vacation: Day 3

Another successful outing to a Disney World park today--we enjoyed the day at Epcot and are actually heading back to see the fireworks this evening as they are supposed to be the most impressive of all the theme parks. They are not until 9:00 pm so we went back to the hotel for an afternoon siesta. And we've also gotten past the upper GI signs of Sofia's illness (please note I specified upper GI...), so no cooler bags had to be sacrificed today.





Today was a big day for Sofia. We had reservations to have a Storybook Princess lunch and got to meet Belle, Aurora, Snow White, Ariel, and Cinderella. We had a little warm up with two fairies in Pixie Hollow where Ethan flirted with the fairies and Sofia hid behind me... Ethan walked away with a lipstick kiss on his cheek and Sofia walked away with a little more courage. She was still pretty shy when we met Belle, but then became much more animated with the rest of the princesses.





Ethan with his fairy kiss.





Sofia's favorite princess.

Currently, Epcot is featuring the the Flower & Garden Festival. There are some very cool character topiaries around the park--and Sofia became a little poser and wanted her picture taken with many of them (Yea! Evidence that Sofia was actually in Disney World with rest of the family!). Ethan's favorite was Lightning McQueen, of course.












We did end the day back at the park for the fireworks which were impressive, though a shorter show than I was anticipating.






And, yes. We are those parents that allow our kids to dress up like Norwegian Vikings and have a sword fight in the gift store (but, hey, that's what you get for making us walk through the gift store at the exit of the ride!).












Uncle Kyle and Auntie Jaime arrived in Orlando from Jacksonville this evening. We look forward to going to Animal Kingdom with them tomorrow.

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Location:International Dr,Orlando,United States

Disney Vacation: Day 2

I'm sure your probably thinking, "hey, wait a minute. Isn't this supposed to be a weigh-in Wednesday post?" Yes, it is. But, seeing that we're on vacation, I didn't weigh in today. However, I did make healthy food choices (well, for the most part) and we did a lot of walking today. So I figure I'd regale you with the details of our first day in the parks. Also, I need to make a correction to my entry for Day 1, pointed out to me by Kevin. The baking vomit is actually in the back seat of a Chevy Malibu, not a Cavalier. Oops. Right make, wrong model. Now, onto our current day.

Despite a slow start this morning for all of us, we made it to our planned destination (Magic Kingdom) before 10:00 a.m.






There are two things I learned today, our first full day at an amusement park in the southern United States. First, I am very glad that we haven't uprooted our family and moved to Florida to avoid our long, harsh Minnesota winters. I lost count after only a couple of hours how many times Sofia whined about the heat, the sun, and the sweat--and it only reached 84 degrees today! Now granted she was still not feeling 100%, but she proved to me in less than one day that, like her mother, she is not a fan of the warm temperature extremes. Second, if and when I ever come to Disney World again, I will remember to utilize the Fast Pass. These are free of charge and allow you to bypass all the people standing in line for 30+ minutes. I do not understand why people would NOT use a Fast Pass?!?! You may not be able to go on the particular ride right now, but it makes sense to get your fast pass, hit up a couple of rides before your "reserved time" then head back and wave at everybody waiting in the long lines. Awesome!

Today we enjoyed the sites and rides in Fantasyland and Tomorrowland.

















While we were swimming back at the hotel this evening we reminisced about our favorite attractions from the day. Ethan's favorite ride was Buzz Lightyear Space Ranger Spin where we rode in small spaceships and helped Buzz destroy the evil Zurg with lasers. The kids could control how often and which direction the spaceship spun, of which Ethan took full advantage. Sofia's favorite ride was the TTA Peoplemover. She states this is because she liked to see the inside of Space Mountain, but I'm pretty sure the extended seating arrangement in the shade also played a role. I think Kevin and I agree that the best attraction we saw today was Mickey's PhilharMagic 3D movie. The show itself was awesome with things appearing as though they were flying right at you, but the added effects of water when Donald Duck was splashing and the wind as we flew on the magic carpet with Aladdin and Jasmine were excellent. And watching Ethan reach out and try to grab everything was really fun, too!

Although she was definitely not herself today, Sofia was definitely improved compared to our arrival in Orlando yesterday. She never complained about her ears and we made it almost back to the car with no vomiting. Yes, I said almost. We were on the monorail back to the Daisy parking lot and she tossed her cookies into the only bag I had at my disposal - the soft cooler we had for our juice and water. Luckily the cooler was a freebie from PetSmart and we had nearly emptied it during the course of the day, because the cooler and its contents had a one way ticket into the trash.

Hopefully her stomach is completely on the mend tomorrow because we've got a date to have lunch with some Disney princesses at Epcot. And we're also excited to be able to meet up with Uncle Kyle and Aunt Jaime tomorrow evening--they're coming from Jacksonville to spend the day with us on Friday.


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Location:W Sand Lake Rd,Orlando,United States

Disney Vacation: Day 1

As per my usual routine, I put off my packing until the VERY LAST minute and didn't get to sleep until after midnight last night so I knew I was going to be in for a long day. However that picture began to look even bleaker when Sofia was standing next to my bed at 2:45 this morning with vomit in her hair. It had happened. She picked up the GI virus that Ethan felt like sharing (God forbid he ever share any of his toys with his sister). So she and I changed her sheets and her jammies and got her tucked back into bed for the remainder of the night with only one additional episode about 7:00 this morning.

Around that same time, I woke Ethan up, only it wasn't Ethan that got out of bed, it was actually Satan's Little Helper. It was finally the threat (after stripping Sofia's bed for the second time in about as many hours) that I was going to leave him with the floor guys from Earl's (they're sanding and refinishing our wood floors while we're gone for 9 days), that he finally stopped screaming and got dressed. I suppose the promise of a sucker once his shoes were on also played a role...

We made it to the airport, got through security with no major issues (probably because we accidentally forgot the stroller at home...), and even had time for breakfast in Delta's sky lounge. We boarded the plane and the kids did GREAT the entire flight. This was, by far, the best airplane experience I've had with my kids. No major tantrums, followed all the rules, no diaper blow-outs; overall, a very good flight (I even received a compliment from an older woman regarding how well behaved my kids were during the flight! My kids!). They both fell asleep during descent and continued to sleep for the several minutes we had to wait on the Tarmac for our gate to be free.







But, then things took a turn for the worse. Sofia woke up complaining of ear pain and proceeded to vomit (into one the air sickness bags, bless her little heart). We made it to the rental car and were within feet of the hotel's driveway when she vomited all over herself, her car seat, and the back seat of the Cavalier we're driving this week (in the hot FL sun--nothing better than baked vomit).

I settled into the hotel room with the kids while Kevin went to the nearest supercenter for some snacks and medications to keep Sofia comfortable. The pain in her ears continued to worsen, so after dinner in the hotel room we packed everyone back into the car and drove to the nearest Minute Clinic where it was confirmed that Sofia indeed has an ear infection. Unfortunately, the PA didn't want to prescribe medication for her ear infection until the vomiting was under control, so we were referred to an after hours pediatric clinic where we were able to catch the end of The Incredibles, most of the Lion King, and the beginning of Cars. One dose of Zofran and a grape Popsicle later we were discharged with a prescription for Amoxicillin.

Both kids are now sleeping soundly and despite his terrible attitude first thing this morning (I guess Ethan is NOT a morning person-Like Mother, Like Son), Ethan was a real trooper today!

And so begins our Disney vacation... Plans tomorrow include Magic Kingdom. We've got some princesses to meet, so please let that Amoxicillin start working so we can have a better second day!

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Location:Commodity Cir,Orlando,United States

Weigh-In Wednesday

Yes, I did it! I successfully followed the plan for over a week now (I even tracked that bag of Pretzel M & M's that I demolished) and I confidently went to my meeting (Prior Lake location today due to way too many things on my plate on the western side of the Cities today) and I lost 3.4#! That entitled me to a legitimate free weigh-in! Go me!

You may be asking, "what could she really have changed this week to lose 3.4#?" (Or maybe not, but it still amazes me what a HUGE difference LITTLE changes can make.)

1. I dropped my soda intake (Diet Coke is my preference) to one can a day and have incorporated 60-80 ounces of water back into my daily routine. This is not new news to me -- I have seen the success with water before, but Diet Coke is a very hard habit for me to break.
2. I actually started measuring my portions again. After a year on the program you think you can "eyeball" the appropriate portion size. I have learned that I canNOT. Especially if it is something I really enjoy (such as Pretzel M & M's). I have pulled out all of my WW measuring spoons and have measured everything that has gone into my mouth.
3. In conjunction with #2 above, I have also gone back to tracking everything I eat. After a year on the program you get comfortable with all of your go-to food choices and their point-plus vlaues, but it's hard to keep track of everything in your head. So I am back to the grindstone and everything that goes into my mouth goes into my tracker (which is actually very convenient for me since I have an app on my phone for this purpose and anyone who knows me knows that my phone is ALWAYS in hand).

Now I just got get my running shoes on and get outside -- the sun is shining and the dog needs exercise!

*Challenge for next week: Disney World... Wish me luck.

The Egg-Perfect Egg Timer

Sofia is a fan of painting eggs. We learned this last winter when Sofia informed Kevin and me one weekend that she wanted to paint Christmas Eggs. Needless to say, there was a lot of drama when we gently told her that we didn't have any egg-dying kits in the house since you can only buy those during the Easter season. So, Kevin thought he'd be sneaky and call Gram Malone so that he wouldn't have to be the bad guy. We were shocked and surprised to find out that Gram had planned ahead (or maybe just overstocked during the last Easter season) and had two egg-dying kits at home! Yea! Sofia was happy and had a date to go to Grams and Gramps house to color Christmas Eggs and all was right in the world.

Sofia was back at Grams and Gramps house in February painting Valentine's Eggs, too. :)

Well, last night Sofia again told Kevin and me that she wanted to paint eggs, so seeing that it is now the Easter season, I hopped in my car and drove to Walgreens and bought four egg-dying kits (and plan to go back and buy many more on Clearance after Easter to prevent another dramatic morning next winter).

Today was the day. While the kids were at the park with their dad, I started boiling the eggs. Now, if you know me at all, you know that I am by no means a master chef. I'm lucky that I can make macaroni and cheese, and quite honestly, that is really the extent of my knowledge in the kitchen. So I am always concerned when I boil eggs because how can you tell when they are done other than when the shells are cracking open in the pot of boiling water? Sad, I know. In comes that trusty Egg-Perfect Egg Timer that I bought on impulse at Crate & Barrel during one of my forays to the Galleria during the Holiday season. It's an awesome little toy that goes right in the pot of water with the eggs and changes from red to purple as the eggs harden in their shells. You know your eggs are hard boiled once the entire egg is purple (or just before the shells are cracking open in the pot of boiling water).

Now, don't get me wrong. I still ended up with two cracked eggs, but I can only blame myself for this one because I walked away from my pot of boiling water and became distracted from my project at hand. But, either way, the Egg-Perfect Egg Timer will always be in my pot of boiling water and next time I won't walk away from the eggs.