My trip to Orlando

I left for Orlando thursday afternoon around 3 PM and I was SOOOO nervous to travel by myself with aiden. I have never done that before and he hates to sit still and I was just ready for it to be a horrible experience. It was actually not that bad. The hardest part turned out to be getting through security when I had to fold up his stroller and walk him through security and they took his bottle away and "tested" it for explosives. That was just a bit of a circus and I was full on sweating by the time we got through. Then we sat down at the little food court where I got aiden a happy meal until boarding time and then once we were on the plane he entertained all the ladies around him with his cuteness. He took some ladies pretzel snacks from across the aisle. I guess we will be needing a lesson on "don't take food from strangers" later on. Since aiden is still under 2 he gets to fly for free if he sits on my lap (which is what we did) so when I initially got to my seat I was very very nervous because I knew no one would want to be the person sitting next to us. I got to my row and just my luck, we are next to a man ( NO LIE!) wearing a skull and cross bones black t-shirt. With tattoos all up and down his arms, a long braid down his back and a goatee. Seriously one of the scariest people I've seen and not exactly who I would have chosen to sit next to us. Like I couldn't get a mom or a grandma or even a nice old man?? I had to be next to Mr. Harley Davidson. I thought "this is going to be awful, if aiden misbehaves the whole time this guy might kill me. "So I decided to just go ahead and vocalize what we were both thinking and I said "I'm sure you're thinking you drew the short end of the stick having to sit next to us." and he mock laughed and said "yea I don't really like kids." Already then, neat! At last we were both being honest. So I said "Well I am going to do my best to keep him happy and quiet" and turned away from him and talked to the ladies across the aisle from us, who thought aiden was adorable and precious! Right after take off Aiden FELL ASLEEP!!!! He slept pretty much the WHOLE flight and woke up only when they were announcing we were descending into Orlando! YES! I turned to the guy next to me and said "see that wasn't so bad" and he said "yeah if I did want kids I would want one like that who is quiet and sleeps a lot"...Yeah ok GOOD LUCK with that!

So all day friday was a CRAZY day for me trying to get everything planned, prepared, decorated, cooked for the shower on saturday. I was so stressed and overwhelmed. Trying to plan a shower from 1500 miles away is pretty difficult. But I pulled it all off and I thought the shower went REALLY well on saturday. Everyone complimented me on all the food I made and the games I had planned. I thought it was good. Here are some pictures from the shower.

Leah opening some of her gifts

The spread of food which I made ALL of! There were sausage balls, white chocolate peanut, pretzel cluster things, mini quiches, spinach dip with pita chips, fruit salad, a cheese and cracker tray, and chocolate covered strawberries.

The cake, which I did not make. The theme was "rubber ducky".

Such a happy little boy with blue icing from the cake.

This is kind of the theme of us as a foursome. Me always trying to hold aiden still but him always being super happy. Leah always HAVING to hold ethan cause he is sad and wants to be held.

Leah with her mom, mother in law, and grandmothers.

Me and Leah.

Aiden LOVED playing with the balloons after the shower was over.

So saturday night Ryan (Leah's husband) watched the boys for a couple of hours so we could go have dinner. We just went to Chili's cause we were both pretty exhausted from the day and we were home in our pajamas by 9 but here's a pic.Sunday was a big day. Leah's father in law works for disney and got us FREE passes to take the boys out there so we took them to the magic kingdom. Aiden went with ben and I once before we moved when he was about 2 months old and he had pretty much all the same expressions this time as well. Shock and awe. I think he needs to be a little bit older to start really having fun. Ethan is 2 and a half and he loved it.

Leah and Ethan on Main street watching the parade.

Aiden and I watching the parade on main street.

The boys.

Goofy

We were on ??? Ride and I was trying to take a picture of us. Love aiden's expression. Shock and awe!

More shock and awe on the buzz light year ride

Really not sure about this carousel

Etahn and leah enjoying the carousel

Us on the flying dumbo

Trying to pose the boys in flying dumbo...

See ya real soon! Carved in pumpkins!

Loved all the fall decorating

After a long day at the magic kingdom, waiting on the monorail to take us back to the parking lot. So sunday night we stayed in and played with the boys and relaxed. Monday we took some of leah's shower gifts back to babies r us and did some exchanging/ shopping at target. I got us all packed up and ready to come home last night. Here's wo more pics of the boys.

Sitting at a little table at babies r us.

I loved this. Leah and I were both trying to carry stuff to the car and ethan doesn't run off and away like aiden does so ethan held aiden's hand to walk him to the car. Pretty cute! Yesterday we got to the airport about an hour early and going through security was a bit better because I was practiced. The plane ride I sat next to a woman who never once spoke or even looked in our direction other than when she had to get up to go to the restroom. Again aiden fell asleep as soon as take off and slept the WHOLE TIME. He woke up with about 15 minutes left to landing and that was enough to give me a taste of how horrible it would have been if he hadn't slept at all because he did NOT like having to stay still and sit in my lap and not being able to get down and those 15 minutes were pretty miserable so I feel INCREDIBLY lucky that he slept on both flights! It could not have been better.

The trip was great and it was good to see my old friends from Orlando but I am very glad to be home also. It made me realize how grateful I am that I have ben who is such an awesome daddy and such a help to me because being a single parent even for 4 days was hard work! It wasn't exactly the relaxing kind of vacation with everything to do with the shower, and taking the kids to disney. I have said it once and I will say it again you REALLY love your kids if you take them to theme parks because that is some seriously hard work, seriously tiring being at the happiest place on earth but everybody there seems to be exhausted and grumpy! HAHA