2 Days at Sea, and the return Home

The next two days were sea days, which was a really nice way to end our trip. Plenty of time to relax and pack, with no need to feel rushed. On the first sea day, we did a pool day. Geoff swam in his inflatable pool, and I enjoyed the warmth of the Caribbean while reading on a lounger. Grant went to the auction with Bobby, and Gary stopped by for a while, but mostly it was Mom, Bobby, Grant and I just relaxing.

 

Dinner was nice. This was our 2nd formal night. Geoff looked super snazzy in his little sweater vest. The show tonight was awesome. It was called "Ticket to Ride" and it featured all Beatles music. It was so good that we decided to watch the 2nd showing of it. It had great music and cool effects. This was one of the best shows we've seen at sea.

 

The next day, we slept in and started packing. Packing turned out to be rather tedious - there was not a lot of room in the cabin with Geoff's crib. I personally think I would prefer to not even get a crib in the future and to just let him sleep with us all night. I think the added space would be really helpful. Plus, Geoffrey had a short period of pain with his teethign, but again, the tylenol seemed to help pretty quickly.

 

Dinner was delicious, again, but rather emotional as we had to say goodbye to Niar and Mudi - who were awesome. Luckily, we exchanged email addresses, so who knows - we may keep in touch!

 

We skipped the show tonight as it was just the Carnival Legends and wasn't until 10:30. That gave us time to finish packing. Geoff and I went to sleep to get ready for the early morning, but Mom, Bobby, and Grant went to the casino!

 

Bright and early the next morning we docked in Ft. Lauderdale. Grant got off the ship with Mom and Bobby and Gary. Geoff and I went up to the Lido and had some breakfast and chatted with Pedro.

 

(If I told this story already I am sorry - Pedro is a waiter from India. We met him in the Lido buffet. One afternoon I was there feeding Geoffrey. After we were done, he asked what nationality we were and I said American. He was impressed becasue he doesn't know many AMericans who breastfeed past a few months. It made me feel quite proud. After that, he always came over to talk to us and the "big strong American boy." Very nice man!)

 

Heather and Donna came up and we sat there until Grant called. Grant, meanwhile, had dropped Mom and Bobby off at the airport and picked up the rental car. We were off the ship at around 11. We headed to Sawgrass Mall. We had lunch at Grand Luxe... mmmm... Asian Nachos.... and then walked around the mall. We left at 3 and headed back to the airport. Grant dropped us off and returned the rental car and then we checked in.

 

Our flight home  was fine. Geoff had his own seat, and he napped quite a bit. We got home at 9 - home sweet home!

 

 

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(¸.·´ (¸.·´*Bobbi Jo*
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Panama

Our excursion today was awesome. We did "Two Oceans by Train." The highlight of this tour was taking the Panam Canal Railroad from the Caribbean Sea to the Pacific Ocean. It was very cool getting to actually see Panama - and what a difference from Costa Rica!  
You could really tell that America had poured some bucks into the place - the standard of living was much higher and the buildings looked as though they were part of a normal American town. Not all of Panama was like this - in fact the Caribbean side where we docked was much shabbier - but still, you can tell that Panama is a very nice place to live.

 

It rained most of the day. The train was very nice - the cars had been found and refurbished in the last 10 years, and the seats were comfortable. They were arranged in booths around a table. Also, our group was the last to leave so our bus - and train car - were only about 1/3 full. Awesome! 

 

In Panama, we went to the visitor center at the Mira Flores locks and then drove around town. Since we were the only ship in town and there was so much rain, we got to take the train back, as well, instead of the bus. The train spent a lot of time along Lake Guton but the trip was only 1 hour by train. It was very nice to see Panama from this angle!

 

Back on the ship, we showered and sat on the balcony, watching the ship sail away. Geoff had another teething episode, by a little tylenol seemed to help pretty quickly. Dinner was yummy, as usual. We watched the show - and then Geoff and I went to bed - I was pretty tired!

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(¸.·´ (¸.·´*Bobbi Jo*
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Costa Rica

On Wednesday, we stopped in Costa Rica. We took a ship tour called "Costa Rica by bus, train, and boat." The tour was interesting. We did a bus tour through town and to a banana plantation where we got to see how bananas are grown, harvested and prepared for shipping. Then we took a short train ride where we were able to stop and see monkeys and sloths. Finally, we took a boat ride through a jugle where we were able to spot even more wildlife - birds, lizards, and another sloth. Our tour ended with a fruit buffet of pineapple, banana, coconut, and watermelon - all were delicious! Everyone did this tour except Donna, who relaxed on the ship.

 

The tour was ok - I love these kinds of tours to get a broad glimpse of the country (which you don't get when you, say, snorkel) but I would have preferred more time on the water and skipped the train.

 

We got back on board at 5:50 - It was really run upstairs, get changed, and run straight to dinner. The show tonight was a phyisical comedian - he was really good. He did this trick where he climbed a ladder without anyone holding it by rocking it back and forth. He also rode a unicycle with someone on his shoulders. Very funny!

 

We went right to bed after the show because we had an even EARLIER excursion the next day! 
 

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(¸.·´ (¸.·´*Bobbi Jo*
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Tuesday At Sea

Today was another relaxing day at sea. We spent some time wandering around the ship, and checking out some of the activites they had. We watched the Newlywed - Not-So-Newlywed Game and played Bingo, and just spent time together. This was one of the reasons that we chose this itinerary - because it had so many relaxing sea days!

 

We met in Donna, Gary, and Heather's room before dinner to chat for a while and then went up to see Niar and Mudi at dinner.

 

The show tonight was... eh. It was a singer, trained in opera. She started with Phantom and cracked badly on the last note - so it sort of started off badly. It did improve, but it wasn't great.

 

We made it an early night because we had an excursion planned for the next day.   

Cozumel

On Monday, we docked in Cozumel. Grant, Geoff, Mom, Bobby, and I took a taxi to Paradise beach, the same beach we went to last year. It was, again, lovely. The beach is so well kept, and the people were nice. We swam, napped, and ate delicious food.

 

At one point, though, poor Geoffrey started screaming, and took him quite some time to calm down. Poor guy - teething can be tough! I vowed from that point on to always carry tylenol just in case. He wouldn't eat, and just cried and cried. He finally fell asleep. When he woke up, he seemed to be feeling better. Poor guy!

 

We headed back to the ship at around 3, with plenty of time to take showers and relax before dinner. At dinner, we got to hear about Gary's adventures snorkeling and Donna and Heather's adventures in the submersible boat.

 

After dinner we watched the show - I think it was a sort of mini production show - dancing and singing but no sets - it was pretty good. Then Grant watched Geoffrey while Mom, Bobby, Donna, Heather and I went to the piano bar for the sing - a - long. The music was ok, but it was one of the bars that allows smoking, so I only lasted about an hour. It was still fun, though!

 

 

Sunday - Day at Sea!

Sunday was a Day at Sea. After breakfast at the buffet, we walked a bit around the ship. We found a great spot on the aft, port side of the ship, near camp carnival, that was in the shade. We went down to get our bathing suits and then came back up and settled in. We brought a small inflatable pool for Geoffrey since he can't use Carnival pools. The spot we picked turned out to be perfect because it was near the sink for Camp Carnival's water balloon games. It was really easy to fill up Geoff's pool. SO MANY people walked by and commented on how great an idea it was for us to bring the pool for him. Geoff - in fact - gets LOTS of attention! So many people have come by and said how cute and sweet he is, and have stopped to talk with him. The crew LOVES him. He is doing so well. Especially since…. Drum roll….. Geoffrey cut his first tooth! We sort of thought maybe one was coming up - he was particularly fussy in the car on the way to Ft. Lauderdale - not that crying on long car trips is particularly unusual for Mr. Geofferson, but we also thought that maybe we felt something… so this morning, (Sunday, Aug. 30th) I put my finger in and there it was - I could feel it and see it. Wow. My baby boy has a tooth. Back to the pool deck. So Geoffrey played in his pool, napped with Grandma Patty, and played some more. Gary, Donna, and Heather came by and hung out for a while. Grant and I did the waterslide a few times and played. It was a beautiful, relaxing afternoon. Tonight was our first elegant night. Geoffrey looked very snazzy in a collared shirt, pin striped pants and vest, and a cute blue tie. So handsome! Dinner was, of course, delicious. (Lobster night!) After dinner was the production show, "The Big Easy," and it was REALLY good - much better then I expected after the luke warm Welcome Aboard show. We also found a section we liked to sit in - towards the back of the main level of the theater. This has become our meeting place for shows - it is really nice because the seats are comfy, it is near the exit if Geoff decides to have a nice loud conversation, and it isn't super crowded so it is easy for me to nurse. That night, Mom, Bobby, and Grant went to the adult midnight comedy show while Geoff and I played and went to bed early. Tomorrow…. Cozumel!!!!

Saturday - Cruising

Onboard the Carnival Freedom, we went to the Lido deck for lunch in the buffet. We saw Donna and Heather on the way - they had just finished eating, and we found Gary in the buffet. After we ate, we went by our cabins to drop off our stuff - our cabin wasn't quite finished yet but Mom and Bobby's was. Mom and Bobby's cabin was right next door to ours - the cabin steward was able to unlock the divider between our balconies so we could go back and forth via the balcony as well as the hall. We could also open the divider and have one big balcony - but the divider has to cover one of our doors because of the way our cabins are configured. You'll also note that I haven't mentioned my cabin stewards name - that's because I don't know what it is. Although he does his job fine - anything we ask for (via notes) is taken care of, he never really introduced himself, and I don't think I would recognize him if I passed him in the hallway. First time for me to have that happen! We swung by our dining room to see where our table was - we were happy to see we had a table for 8 for just our group. Then we went up to see Donna, Gary, and Heather's suite on the 7th deck. There cabin was very nice - large, with a big bathroom. They had plenty of room for the three of them. Our muster drill was quick and easy - Geoff got a camp carnival muster bracelet on his ankle, and we set sail! We watched the sail away from our balconies and then unpacked as our suitcases were delivered. Our dinner was at 6:00 in the Chic dining room - the smaller of the two - on the 2nd floor. Our wait staff, Niar and Mudi, (both shortened versions of their longer names) are both awesome. They are from Indonesia. They think Geoffrey is awesome and they LOVE talking to him. Niar, especially. She was so happy when I let her hold Geoffrey. They have been super sweet. Once you order something, they have it ready to go each night - for example, our Arnold Palmers. Niar remembers are names. They are very welcoming. Whenever they see us on the ship they are so sweet - but if they see one of us without Geoffrey they always say, "Where's the baby? Where is Geoffrey?" Niar even asked if she could get a picture with Geoffrey. Heather is in heaven because she is getting the warm chocolate melting cake almost every night. The food is delicious here on Carnival. One night, I got all of the appetizers and no entrée. So good!. After dinner, we went back to our cabin to finish unpacking - there was only one "Welcome Aboard Show," which was ok but not great. Our cruise director is Wee Jimmy, the same director that we had on the Carnival Glory in 2007. When we got back to our cabin, Geoffrey's crib was delivered, which was good because I was tired… *´¨) ¸.·´¸.·*´¨) ¸.·*¨) (¸.·´ (¸.·´*Bobbi Jo* ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Friday - Ft. Lauderdale

We checked in to our hotel in Ft. Lauderdale on Thursday night. We had dinner at Hooters and then relaxed until Donna, Gary and Heather arrived at about 11:00 PM. Mom was getting a chest cold / infection. She got a prescription from her doctor and the pharmacist downstairs was super helpful. Mom took it easy and rested at the hotel while Bobby, Grant, Geoff, and I ran to Target to get some odds and ends. We had eaten lunch already - but imagine my surprise when we found a Skyline Chili! Man - I wish I would have known! Anyways - back at our hotel, we went down to the beach - literally right across the street - steps from our elevator. It was a really nice location. The water was nice and warm - probably 92 degrees, and very calm and clear. Geoff liked it. Gary came out and swam with us, and Mom and Bobby came out for a little bit, too. For dinner, we all went to Tom Jenkins BBQ place Grant had read about. It was delicious! Then we went back to the hotel to finish laundry and pack. Saturday morning, we woke up and checked out. Mom, Bobby, Grant, Geoff, and I swung by Target to get some shirts for Bobby (he had accidentally washed his with chap stick and it was not coming out!). Then we met Gary at the cruise terminal. Gary and Grant took back their rental cars and we were ready to check in! Carnival Freedom, here we come!

Sunday - Wednesday WDW

Sunday - Animal Kingdom and EPCOT

On Sunday,  Mom (Patty), Bobby, Geoff, Grant, and I went to the Animal Kingdom. We ate lunch at the Dinosaur restaurant, and then took turns riding Dinosaur and staying with Mr. Jefferson.

Although we wold have preferred to do Kilimanjaro Safari later in the day, we were sort of on time schedule due to shows and dinner resies, so we did it next. Fortunately, there were lucky and able to see lots of animals - in fact, it was the best view of the lions Grant, Geoff and I had seen the whole trip! After our Safari, we crossed the park again to watch Finding Nemo, the musical. Merciful air conditioning. Then Patty, Grant and I rode Expedition Everest while Bobby and Geoff took a walk.  We finished our afternoon by seeing The Legend of the Lion King - such an awesome show!

We drove over to EPCOT and hiked back to Japan to eat at Tepan Edo - a Tepan dining experience. Our chef was awesome - he came out all serious  but ended up having a great sense of humor. Our waitress was sweet - she wrote Geoffrey's name in Japanese for him, and made us a pair of "kid" chop sticks - you know, with the rubber band and the chopstick wrapper. When we asked for a clean set to take with us so we could learn how to make those chopsticks ourself, she brought a bag out of like 8 premade sets! Cool! Geoff did pretty well at this diner because I kept him in my carrier - so he did well.

After dinner, we  walked back to Future World. Patty, Grant and I rode Mission Space (Patty loved it!). Then Bobby, Patty, and Grant rode Test Track while I fed Geoffers. We left just as Innoventions was finishing! A very good day!

Monday - EPCOT & Magic Kingdom

This morning, I went online to see if I could change our Boma Reservations to a later time. Our current reservation was for Tuesday at 5:15 . Our plan was to go to Typhoon Lagoon that day - but a 5:15 reservation meant we would have needed to leave Typhoon Lagoon at, like 3 ish - however, as we learned with Blizzard Beach, the afternoon is the best time to be at the parks! I had tried several times to change it, but wasn't holding out much hope with it being free dining and all. However, I checked today and someone must have canceled because I got  a 7:40 dining time - PERFECT because Typhoon Lagoon closed at 6! We were set for Tuesday!

We started out at EPCOT. Eating lunch at The Land. After lunch, we went to the Universe of Energy to watch Ellen's Energy Adventure - love that attraction! After Ellen, we rode Mission Space again while Bobby and Geoff looked at the GM exhibit at the exit to Test Track.

We stopped at Club Cool to taste sodas from around the world - I still love China's watermelon soda and Mexico's apple manzinata.  Then we rode Journey into the Imagination so that Geoff could see Figment again - he LOVES Figment. We spend some time in the Imagination lab - walking on the musical squares and conducting Figment in the digital orchestra.

We had dinner at Le Cellier in Canada, eating delicious cheddar cheese soup and yummy steaks. Geoff slept at the beginning and then was pretty antsy for  the rest of it - luckily, though there were 4 of us to pass him too, so that helped a lot!

After dinner, we showed our appreciation to Canada by watching the circle vision O Canada!. On our way out of the park, we rode Mission Space - Bobby and Grant were in moods and made ridiculous faces into the camera - and Bobby selected Portuguese as their language, so Mom was stuck  listening to a Portuguese narration and trying to do the end survey in another language. Nice.

We hopped over to the Magic Kingdom next. We rode the Haunted Mansion, and Pirates of the Caribbean. Next, I fed Geoffers while everyone else rode The Jungle Cruise. I had fun watching people "drive" the mini Jungle Cruise boats at the exit to the attraction. Next we had Dole Whip floats - Yum!

We rode it's a small world next, followed by Winnie the Pooh. We finished the night watching Mickey's Philharmagic. Since everyone was exiting the park at once, we swung by the bakery to get some pastries with our snack credits from our dining plan. We still had, like, 25 snacks left and we were leaving in two days! We swung by Pop Century on the way home to make our room look used and then headed back to our town home.

Tuesday - Typhoon Lagoon.

Typhoon Lagoon is my favorite water park. I wished I had remembered that from last time. I am glad Grant and I got to see both water parks, but let it be said here - Typhoon Lagoon  - absolutely my favorite of the two. It has my favorite type of rides - curvy body slides, and tube slides, and a beautiful setting.

After a quick lunch we parked our stuff and took off with a float around Castaway Creek - the Lazy River. Next, Mom, Bobby, and Grant did the inner tube slides while I fed Geoffrey. Then Bobby and Grant took Geoff to the wave pool while Mom and I did the tube slides. We met the boys in the wave pool and Grant, Patty, and I swam out and rode a couple of the big waves (one broke my sunglasses!)

We headed over to Crush 'n Gusher, the water coaster, and we each did that ride twice - first Patty, Grant and I did a triple tube, then Bobby, Patty and I did a triple tube, and then Bobby and Grant did a double tube while I fed Geoff. Crush 'n Gusher is sort of off to the side, but it had a nice little wading pool attached for people to wait in if other family members are on the ride (it has a height limit,)

Next, Mom, Bobby, and Grant did the snorkeling - I sat that one out with Geoff - although fun, I didn't particularly have a desire to get in 75 degree salt water. Then we went over to the body slides and took turns riding them and waiting with Geoffers. The lines were short at this point so it was pretty easy - Grant waited first while the other three of us went, then Bobby waited, then I waited, then Patty waited - perfect.

We went back over to where the tube slides were because they have a family slide there with a long wait earlier in the day. Also, Grant saw another family go on with a baby so we thought we'd try. Yes - Geoff was allowed! So we took him on twice - he went once with me and Grant and once with grandma and grandpa! What fun to be able to take him on a tame, fun water slide! We spent the last 40 minutes floating in the lazy river and just relaxing!!!

We got to our car just in time because a HUGE thunder storm hit us right overhead. We made a mad dash into our town home. The rain wasn't as heavy as I'd seen it in the past, but the lightning was really close! We took showers and changed our clothes. By the time we were ready to head to dinner, the thunder had mostly passed, but there was still a steady rain. We arrived at the Animal Kingdom Lodge at about 7:40 and checked in for dinner. They didn't call us until 8:30 - they were BUSY! But - oh - how I love Boma. The food was delicious! I didn't have any main dishes - I just filled up on sides - corn and spinach pudding, humus, cous cous, salads, chicken chowder, butternut squash soup…yum yum yum!!!!  I LOVE Boma.

Wednesday - EPCOT

This is our last day in the parks. Boo hoo!!!! Our original plan was to hop to Magic Kingdom in the evening, but we changed our minds because we still had to pack - so we ended up doing EPCOT all day. We started out in World Showcase with an international lunch. Chicken and lamb from Morocco, Fish and Chips from the UK, and Sushi from Japan that we all shared. After lunch, we watched The American Adventure.

We headed back towards Future World. After a stop in Club Cool for soda, we rode Spaceship Earth - this time, Mom rode with Geoff and I so that Grant and Bobbi could be goofy without bugging us!
We went to Innoventions West next to take advantage of our Visa Magical Rewards perk - we waited in a short line (about 10 minutes - way better then the 45 minute line for the character stop!) and got to spend a good 5 minutes in a private room with Minnie Mouse and Goofy! It was so nice - just us and the photographers. Minnie was awesome - she was so attentive to everyone! Goofy came straight up to the baby, so Minnie went over to greet Mom and Bobby and Grant. Then she came over and spent like 5 minutes dancing and tickeling Geoffrey. So much fun! She let him suck on her nose and really spent time with him! The photographers took photo pass pictures and pictures with our cameras. It was REALLY special and I am so glad that we were able to do it!

After our special character encounter, we went over to The Living Seas to ride Finding Nemo and Friends and visit the aquariums. Then it was time for dinner in Mexico. This is a restaurant that we wanted to try - one that we probably wouldn't pay for , because Grant is not a Mexican food fan, but the setting was beautiful - inside next to the volcano on the Grand Fiesta boat ride. Before dinner, we rode the boat ride, and then had dinner.

After dinner, we went to Norway and rode Maelstrom.  Then we stopped in the bakery to use some of our snack credits on pastries to take with us. We continued on through the World Showcase, stopping to see the Wonders of China Circle vision. They had an awesome exhibit on the terra cotta soldiers, too. We continues around the showcase to Paris to get a few more pastries to go.

We finished our evening with a ride on Spaceship Earth. We got off the ride just as Illuminations was starting - which was perfect. We slipped into the photo store to get our free 5x7 photo of the earlier character visit (thanks again, Disney Rewards!) while there was no line, and we were able to exit the park just as Illuminations was ending.

We headed over to Pop Century to clean out our room and check the folio so we could use the express check out.. Mom bought some post cards and I had more food. (A yummy Mediterranean flat bread.) We were back to our town home by 10:30 and we got mostly packed before bed!

Thursday - Ft. Lauderdale

This morning, we checked out of our town home. We stopped at Downtown Disney for lunch - we ate at Wolfgang Puck Express  - delicious and an excellent use of our counter service credits.  Then I fed Geoff while everyone else looked around the stores. Sitting there feeding Geoff I felt like Snow White - all these animals just came out of the bushes and got up really close to me - birds, lizards, squirrels… and the music playing was classic Disney music - I loved it! (Although the squirrel got a little closer then I would have liked!)

We stopped at Goofy's Candy Company to use our remaining snack credits on chocolate covered pretzels, fudge, etc. We also had 2 remaining counter service credits, so Grant and Bobby went back to Wolfgang Puck's and bought two meals for a family. Saved them $40! Fun! Then we got in the car to head to Ft. Lauderdale.

Saturday!

Today, we picked up Mom and Bobby from the airport! We switched out rental cars to get a mini van. Then we headed over to Pop Century for lunch. After lunch, we came back to the town home and went swimming. That evening, We went to the Polynesian to see the Spirit of Aloha dinner show. The food was delicious - and the show was very entertaining. We also had a great table, in the back of the middle section, but over to the side. It was nice because we had our own table and we could walk over to the side if Geoff got fussy - but I brought my carrier and he did well!

After the show, we swung by Walmart and then headed home!

Friday - Animal Kingdom and EPCOT

On Friday, we began our day at Animal Kingdom - and guess what? It rained! (Surprised?) However, it didn't rain until later in the afternoon and it didn't rain hard, so it was actually a pretty enjoyable day!

We had lunch at Pizzafari, and I went to the baby care center to feed Geoff while Grant did a couple of spins on Expedition Everest. Then we watched "The Legend of the Lion King" which Geoff enjoyed until he fell asleep. Next, we tried to use our DInosaur fast passes, but Dinosaur broke down, so I rode Everest and then we went on the Safari. We had dinner at Yak and Yeti and it was DELICIOUS! I had a miso skirt steak and fried shrimp and Grant had a breaded mahi mahi with plum sauce. We shared a dim sum basket, and then had creme cheese wontons with vanilla sauce, pineapple, and strawberries for dessert.

Next we headed over to EPCOT. We rode Spaceship Earth and Test Track, and then watched Illuminations. We ended the evening over at Pop Century, eating a late dinner and then swimming before heading home.
 

Thursday

We started our day at the very very hot Disney Studios. We had lunch at pizza planet, and then took turns riding Tower of Terror. We saw the American Idol experience - which was lound, thank goodness, because Geoff was in his pre-nap scream-fussy stage and I almost had to get up and leave! I really liked the American Idol experience - I thought they did a good job, although the judges were kind of cheesy.

Next, we rode the Great Movie Ride, before heading out.

Geoff did not fall asleep on the way to dinner, but we tried the carrier again anyway. It wasn't the easiest meal, but way better then previous nights. I don't think he is quite comfortable enough for the high chair and the stroller is so low, so when possible, carrier it will be! He did ok, playing with toys, etc. I did great, enjoying a whole maine lobster!!! YUMMY! Grant had filet, and we went halvsies on dessert - chocolate cake with orange sauce and (surprise) key lime creme brulee.

We went back to EPCOT for the evening - Grant ride Test Track, and then we all rode Finding Nemo and looked at the fishies in the Living Seas. Grant took Geoff on Journey into Imagination while I rode Mission Space. Grant said that Geoff really reacted to the ride, even laughing out loud at Figment during one part of the ride!

It was extra magic hours, so we walked over to France for our late night snack instead of going to pop century. I had a quiche and a creme brulee (can't get enough!) and Grant had a ham and cheese croissant and a creme brulee. On the way out, we rode Journey into the Imagination again, and then bought Geoffrey a Figment doll - his first WDW toy - to celebrate his 6- month "birthday!"

EPCOT & Magic Kingdom

On Wednesday we started our day at EPCOT. We arrived in time for lunch and headed back towards the Japan pavilion. I had sushi and Grant had beef and chicken with rice. I loves the sushi but Grant was not crazy about his. Next we went to France and got a chocolate croissant and a creme brulee. This made Grant feel better! Next, we watched Impressions of France, and then wandered through Morocco. We watched The American Adventure and then headed back to Future World. We rode Spaceship Earth before leaving.

We had dinner at Citricos at the Grand Floridian. SO far, this has been one of our easiest meals. Geoffrey fell asleep, so we brought him in the carseat/carrier, and he slept through most of dinner. The waiter was very helpful, too, because he had our whole meal - appetizer (goatcheese and pear salad and tuna carpachio) entree (lamb shank for both) and dessert (tropical fruit creme brulee and tiramisu) and the check out to us within an hour. He actually LISTENED when we requested a fast meal. He was very nice and understanding. Geoffrey woke up around dessert and was content to plat with a toy while we finished. Huzzah!

We went to The Magic Kingdom for the evening. We rode Carousel of Progress, and then Grant and I switched off, taking Geoff on Buzz Lightyear while the other of us went on Stitch's Great Escape. Trying to make it an early night, we left Magic Kingdom and headed over to Pop Century, messed up our room so it looked used, picked up a shirt Grant had bought me at Animal Kingdom that we had delivered here, and then had nachos and ice cream in their food court.

Back at the town home we took a short swim before heading to bed!

Tuesday Animal Kingdom / Magic Kingdom

The first park we went to today was Animal Kingdom, so of course, it rained. We ate lunch at Flame Tree BBQ, and then headed towards Expedition Everest. At Animal Kingdom, they have a central fast pass distribution center, where there are fast pass machines for all the rides in one place - we went ahead and got fast passes for Kilimanjaro Safari. Grant rode Expedition Everest and then Kali River Rapids, while Geoff and I walked through one of the jungle walks. Then I rode Expedition Everest, although I did not ride Kali River Rapids - heavy drenching did not sound appealing to me.

Next, we watched Finding Nemo, the musical, before heading over to the Safari. Our Safari ride was really cool - we saw lots of animals this time, including the lions!

After our safari, we did the other forest walk and then went to the new Tusker House buffet. Geoff was again Mr. fuss budget during dinner, but it was a buffet, so it was easier to alternate, plus it was really loud. They had some good food - an apple walnut blue cheese salad, cous cous, salmon... and really yummy desserts!!!!

After dinner we went to the Magic Kingdom - apparently it was crowded because they extended the closing from 10 to 11. We rode the Magic Carpets of Agrabah. We were going to watch the Hall of Presidents, but the next show was 17 minutes later, and I was able to feed Geoffrey in the lobby before the show started. We instead went out and watched Spectromagic and ate Dole Whips. Then we rode Jungle Cruise, Haunted Mansion, Winnie the Pooh, Snow White, and Mickey's Philharmagic before heading home!

We were pretty sleepy - even Mommy fell asleep on the drive home!

Monday - EPCOT

On Monday, we went to EPCOT. We started in The Land for lunch in the Sunshine food court. Then we rode Finding Nemo and Friends and Spaceship Earth.

We decided to take a break so we headed over to Pop Century for a swim in the pool.

Back at EPCOT, we headed to World Showcase and spent some time in Mexico, riding the revamped boat ride featuring the Three Cabelleros, and in Norway, eating pastries and riding Maelstrom.

For dinner, we made our way to the 15th floor of the Contemporary Resort to eat at the California Grill. We timed it so that we could watch the Magic Kingdom's fireworks from the rooftop observation deck.

Dinner was delicious - blt flatbread, summer salad, filet of beef for both of us, and banana chocolate creme brulee and melting chocolate cake with cherry ice cream,

Tomorrow.... Animal Kingdom!

Sunday - Pop Check in and Disney Studios

Today, we checked in to the Pop Century Hotel. We're not actually staying there, but we did bring bathing suits over so that we can swim mid day if we want. We booked the hotel so that we could get the dining plan that comes with it.

After we checked in we had lunch at Pop Century, using our dining plan. I'm excited because they have lots of good things you can use for snack credits and those I am the most concerned about using up.

Then we swam for a little bit before heading over to the Animal Kingdom Lodge for dinner. We ate dinner at Jiko - an Africa restaurant. We shared: an ostrich with yogurt curry sauce appetizer, a summer peach salad, spicy crusted tuna with a cucumber tomato salad, filet mignon with macaroni and cheese, a pistachio/chocolate creme brulee, and fresh doughnuts with coffee ice cream. Everything was included on the dining plan except for the appetizer and summer salad. SO DELICIOUS! Geoff was SOOOOO tired, but he just wanted to see everything that was going on! Which meant that he was pretty fussy. However, he did finally fall asleep when dessert was brought out. Luckily, he wasn't loud at all, just antsy, and it wasn't too busy at that point.

After dinner we went over to Disney Studios. Grant rode Tower of Terror while I fed Geoff at the baby care center (not my favorite - small and messy and smelly). He also tried to ride Midway Mania, but apparently they don't have single rider there anymore - boo! We met up and rode The Great Movie Ride and then saw Voyage of the Little Mermaid.

After we left, we went back to Animal Kingdom to share another counter service meal as part of our dining plan at there quick service location, Mara.

Saturday - Magic Kingdom

Yesterday we went to the Magic Kingdom. We arrived in the early afternoon. We parked at the Polynesian and took the monorail so that we wouldn't have to deal with the Ticket and Transportation Center.

Although there were some big storms moving through Florida, they mostly missed us, and we had a warm, mostly dry day!

First, we got fast passes for Peter Pan - which weren't available to use until 7 PM - almost 5 hours later! That is always one long line - Geoff hasn't even ridden it at home yet! We rode its a small world, which Geoff loved, of course, despite the fact that he was getting hungry. We then watched the Hall of Presidents, a wonderful, dark, air conditioned, 25 minute presentation. Perfect! Geoffrey happily ate while we happily enjoyed the new show (which now concludes with a brand new audio-animatronic Barack Obama.)

Next, we rode The Haunted Mansion, which has a cool new winding staircase room that reminds me a bit of Hogwarts. Next, we saw Donald Duck taking pictures so we swung in to get our photopass started.  Photopass is honestly one of the greatest recent inventions Disney came up with for park operations - that and fast pass.

We thought Country Bear Jamboree would be a nice break, which it was, although not as cool (AC) as we would have liked. Geoff fell asleep during the show and took a nice little nap. While he napped, Grant rode Splash Mountain. I was going to ride Big Thunder next, but the ride was closed for a bit. We got fast passes for each, though, for later.

Geoff was awake again and getting hungry, so we went to Pirates, our old stand by. The only problem is that WDW's Pirated is woefully short - 7 minutes - less then half the length of ours at home. So Geoff got a snack. We went to Cosmic Rays to share the BBQ combo plate for dinner (our meal plan doesn't come into effect until today). I tried to feed Geoff there, but he would not focus, so I gave up and took him to the baby care center. It sprinkled a little bit on the way there. At the baby care center, they have a very nice nursing room, with four rockers. It was dimly lit and peaceful, although Geoff was fascinated by the Victorian lamp next to us. However, he finally did hunker down and get a nice feeding. The rockers here form a sort of circle, so it was nice to be able to chat quietly with some of the other nursing mommies.

We met Grant outside and went back to use our fast passes - I rode Splash and Big Thunder, and then he rode Big Thunder. While he rode, Geoff and I found the perfect spot to watch Spectromagic, right in front of Country Bear. I probably should have kept Geoff in his stroller, but I didn't want to block anyone's view so I held him on my lap - it was pretty warm for that and he got kind of fussy between each float. But when the floats were in front of us, he was mesmerized. We also got attention from a lot of the characters (Smee, a butterfly) who came up to say hello to Geoff (he is a people-stopper - people always comment on how cute he is!).   We were also close to some cast members who knew people in the parade, which often caused parade characters to interact with them and each other in funny ways - for example, the two ostriches that had a bird-fight. So funny!

After the parade, we used our Peter Pan fastpass. While we were on the ride, we had one of those Florida 30 second down pours. We stayed dry on the ride. Our stroller, however, did not. Luckily, I had brought the carrier, so Geoff hung out on the carrier with me. We exited the ride at 10, which is when the fireworks were supposed to start - however due to the storm, they were delayed until about 10:15, which gave us a chance to get Geoff in the carrier, grab our stuff, and find a place to watch Wishes.

After the fireworks (Geoff did pretty well - they were loud and he got a bit fussy towards the end - not sure if the sound bothered him or my attempt to cover his ears did) we went to watch Mickey's Philharmagic. We talked to the cast members and they let us stay for two shows in a row (since it was not crowded at this point and it was the last two shows of there evening) so I could nurse Geoff during the shows. We left the park at about 11:15, taking the monorail back to our car at the Polynesian and heading home.

Fun fun fun!!!!

Friday, Aug. 14th - Blizzard Beach

Today, we went to Blizzard Beach. We got there around 1:30, hoping that the afternoon would bering thinning crowds but also that we'd get a few hours before any storms came in.

After finding a spot for our stuff, We hopped in the lazy river for two rotations - The river is long and each complete circuit takes about 30 minutes! They have these cool "baby" innertubs that don't have holes in the middle - just plastic - so little ones can't fall through. It was perfect for Geoffrey!

Next, I fed Geoffrey while Grant went and rode a slide. Then, while Geoff napped, we went to ride more slides. Blizzard Beach is nice because it was quite east to navigate his stroller to the bottom of the slides, so we could switch off watching him and riding. Some of the lines weren't very long, so we got to ride those slides a few times. Geoff didn't nap for very long, but he played happily in his stroller.

After a while, we headed to the wave pool. Here, Geoff wore a life jacket. He LOVED floating on his back in the waves, and he also loved when Grant or I bounced him up and down in the water! Then Geoff and I got out so I could feed him again, and then Grant and I did a few more slides. We finished off our wonderful day with a few more revolutions in the now - pretty much empty - lazy river!

We stayed until park close at 7:30. The crowds really thinned out, the weather was overcast and not too warm (78 when we left) and no lightning forcing us out of the water. We were VERY lucky and had a fantastic time!

Now, Geoff is napping, and Grant is picking up pizza for dinner. Yummy!

Dowtown Disney

Last night, we went to Downtown Disney. The pouring rain stopped, so a lot of people came back out - it was pretty crowded. First I went to guest relations to add the water parks fun and more option to our tickets. Then, we saw that on the stage by the World of Disney, there was going to be a Yo-Yo show starting in 5 minutes! That was fun to watch.

We had dinner at Fulton's Crab House - I got dungeness crab and Grant had mahi mahi. After dinner, we did some browsing in the stores and then headed for home. Geoff had another good sleeping night!

Aug. 12 and 13th

On Wednesday, we started our day with a quick swim in the pool. Then we ran some errands. We find a lady selling baby stuff on Craig's List, and bought an exersaucer and a play mat/gym for Geoff for $30. So glad we did as he has used them both lots already! We went to Costco, Verizon (my phone crapped out), and Target as well. Back at our town home, we rested (Geoff did not sleep well last night) and washed his new toys before heading out to dinner at Texas Road House - Way yummy!

Our plan for Thursday was to go to the community pool in the afternoon, and Downtown DIsney in the evening. We went to lunch at Five Brothers Burgers, which was really good, but sort of pricier then we expected. On the way back, this huge storm started up - we sat in our car in the driveway for 20 minutes while buckets poured down (you know we're not afraid of rain, and yes, the door was maybe 10 steps away - but it was POURING and the lightning was right over head!) Now we're inside,   listening to the storm. According to the weather channel, 4 inches fell in the last hour, as well as 11,000 lightning strikes. And it looks like it is going to be the worse right here over Kissimmee for the next 2 hours. I guess we'll put off our pool plans... Stay Tuned....

Orlando/Kissimmee - Arrival Tuesday, Aug. 11th

On Tuesday, Aug. 11, we left for Florida. We took Jet Blue out of Long Beach. On this flight, the plane seats are 2 and 2, and the flight was expensive, so we only bought 2 tickets, and took Geoffrey as a lap baby.

The first leg of the flight   (Long Beach to Austin) was pretty full. We gate checked Geoff's stroller and car seat, as well as one of our carry-on suitcases (the plans is small, so the larger carryons can't fit.)

I nursed Geoff on the way up to prevent ear problems, and he fell asleep. He slept for the first 45 minutes of the flight. When he woke up, he played quietly for awhile and then got a little antsy. Grant walked with him to the front of the plane and Geoff was happy up there for about 20 minutes. He fell asleep again, and slept and nursed for most of the descent into Austin.

Our plane only stopped in Austin for about 40 minutes, so those of us continuing on to Orlando were asked to stay on. Geoffrey was happy watching people get off and then laying on the seats while Grant stood and stretched. The flight to Orlando was only half full, with many empty rows in the back. Although we planned to move back, conveniently, the row directly across from us was empty, so Grant moved there and we each had our own row. Geoff followed a similar schedule of napping on the way up, playing in the air (this time, I walked him to the back, and he and I talked with a nice flight attendant), and then napping just before we landed. All in all, he did very well on the flights - no crying at all, and just a little bit of antsy fussing!

At the airport, Grant got the bags and rented the car while Geoff and I sat with the bags. We were directed to take any car in the midsize row... so we walked all the way down to the end and found a Kia Rondo - woohoo! Plenty of room!

We swung by the rental office and got our welcome packet and then came to our townhome. Our town home is at Windsor Hills in Kissimmee - this is the closest off-property place to WDW I've ever stayed! The town home is nice - it has a driveway right out front, steps from the door. On the first floor is a bedroom with a queen bed, a bathroom with a shower, a big kitchen, and a big family room. Beyond that is a screened in lanai with a small (12 x 12) pool that has one corner that is about 5 feet deep. Upstairs is a washer/drier, a bedroom with two twin beds and bathroom with a tub/shower combo, and a master bedroom with a king bed and bathrom with a shower/tub combo. The town home is awesome - we'd stay here again. The bedrooms are a little small, but otherwise, the place is great!

We went to walmart to get some needed supplies and then headed back for the night!

 

Camping

We just returned from a camping trip at Lake Edison.

On Sunday, Angie, Andrew, Cori, and Andrew's friend AJ, and Grant, Geoffrey, and I drove to Fresno. We ate at John's Incredible Pizza, and then spent the night at a Marriott Residence Inn. The next day, we drove up to the campground. The last 18 miles heads up over the Kaiser Pass on a one lane road that I thought was pretty scary. It took an hour and a half to travel those last 18 miles. Poor Geoffrey's ears hurt!

The campground was beautiful. They had two sites reserved for us (Gary and Belle drove up on Monday and met us at the Marriott.) The sites were both in a small valley, so it was like we had one big campsite.

We spent our days walking around, playing, and relaxing. We found two geocaches - one at our camp site and one across the lake. We went swimming in the lake (which we estimated to be high 50s/low 60s). Angie brought a telescope and we went down to the lake to stargaze.

Geoff did very well - as Grandpa Gary said, he was a happy camper! He slept in his pack n play for most of the night, but once the sun came up, he slept with mommy and daddy under the sleeping bag. He loved being in the carrier and walking around!

Of course - there was the bear visit! A bear broke the window on our van and got away with some of our dry food goods! I didn't hear it, but poor Angie did - didn't exactly make for a good night's sleep!

Camping dinners are, of course, yummy. We had hamburgers and hotdogs, beef stew, chicken and dumplings, and pot roast. We also had campfire pie, finally, which everyone agreed was a hit! (We used apples and blueberries.)

We camped for five nights, and drove home on Saturday. We followed eachother down the mountain, and then separated. Grant and I had to stop a few times to adjust the tarp that was covering the back broken window, and to feed Geoffrey. We ate at The Elephant Bar - so yummy! I would LOVE if they opened one closer to us!

All in all, we had a great vacation! I love summer! I love Grant! I love Geoff! I love Belle!

Las Vegas Friday/Sasturday - Heading Home.

This morning we mostly focused on moving. Mom and Bobby went early to check in to the MGM Signature. Grant and I called the bell men and we were assured that they were able to deliver our bags to the Signature for us. (We were checking out of MGM because our deal was over, and the room would be $300 if we wanted to stay one more night.)

Once we checked out, we drove over to Mandalay Bay to try their new buffet - which was really good. They had a diverse offering, and the setting was very tropical. After lunch, we took turns playing in the casino a bit and sitting with Geoffrey in the shopping area.  Then we headed up to Lush where we bought incredibly expensive bath bombs to use in the jacuzzi tub that night.

Back at the Signature, we checked in and headed up to our room to await the arrival of our luggage so we could go swimming one more time. Unfortunately, our luggage arrived 3 hours later, and we were unable to swim. Oh well. It was nice just relaxing and spending time with Mom and Bobby. While watching tv, we saw an add for Outback Steakhouse and decided to go there for dinner - we found one off the strip so it wasn't crowded.

Back at the hotel, we said goodnight. Grant, Geoff, and I took a bath in our huge jacuzzi bath tub using one of the bath bombs. Geoffrey LOVES the water, so he enjoyed it!

The next morning, Grant and I checked our stuff with the bellmen and packed up Mom and Bobby's stuff. We went to breakfast at IHOP. As we were pulling in I noticed that if you presented a receipt from the outlet mall across the parking lot from that day, you would get 20% off of the bill. So we sent Grant and Bobby to Carter's to get a $4 clearance onesie for Mr. Geofferson which ended up getting us $8 off our bill.  

After breakfast, we went back over to Carter's and did a little more shopping. Then we drove Mom and Bobby to the airport and said goodbye :o(

Grant, Geoff, and I went back to the hotel and got our stuff and headed home. Geoffrey did well for the first two hours, but then he started wailing. I got in the back wit him and fed him a bottle. Between that and me playing with him, he was pretty much fine for the rest of the trip home. We made it back in four hours (only stopping once at a rest stop and once for me to get in the back) and we returned the rental car with time to spare. Mom and Bobby got home at almost the same time we did!

Our first vacation with Geoffrey was awesome! Things I learned:

1) Vegas is not exactly baby friendly. Not all restrooms had changing tables and it was hard to find places to nurse. However, it can be done, and I would do it again.

2) Help is always wonderful!

Las Vegas - Thursday

Finally! A break from the MGM buffet. Today, we went to eat at Le Village Buffet at Paris. When we arrived, I tried to find a bathroom with a changing table (the one next to the lobby) while Mom, Bobby, and Grant paid. I got back just as we were seated.

Wile we were eating, Grant got the text that Michael Jackson had had a heart attack, and then that he died. I couldn't believe it! I was really in shock. Poor MJ. All the money in the world and he couldn't get the help he needed. Sounds like so many celebrities I know of...

After lunch, we headed back to the hotel, enjoying a stroll down the strip. It wasn't too hot most of the time. Back at the hotel, we watched some of the Michael Jackson footage, and Mom and Bobby got ready to see Ka. While they were at the show, we did some packing. We met them down in the casino after their show was over and we walked to Fat Burger for dinner, enjoying a nice evening on the strip, and taking some pictures. It was a pretty relaxing day.

Las Vegas - Wed. June 24

Wednesday June 24

Today, Grant and I woke up in time to get breakfast at the buffet. Hee hee. Mom and Bobby had already gone, so they spent the morning with a very happy Geoffrey while Grant and I had breakfast, and then drove over to the Venetian to exchange vouchers for their Phantom tickets.

After that, Mom and Bobby went to do the TV research thing they have at MGM. They watched an episode of CSI and then rated it. Mom. Because of her age, got asked to participate in a further study – which took her an extra hour and earned her $50! In the mean time, Grant and I hung out with Geoffrey and watched the wind and rain outside our windows, and then met Bobby to play slots. When it was my turn (while Grant walked around with Geoffers) I got a straight flush on one of the poker machines! Fun! I ended up walking away $10 richer. Hey big spender!

When Mom was finished, we had lunch before heading upstairs to get ready for the show.

While I was changing Geoffrey's diaper, I did a raspberry on his tummy and he started LAUGHING! It was so cute! I had given him raspberries before and he didn't really react, so this time it was adorable! So fun!

Geoffrey and I had a fun evening playing together. He even took a nap long enough for me to get a majority of this blogging finished! Meanwhile, Grant, Mom, and Bobby thoroughly enjoyed seeing Phantom of the Opera. It happened to be the 3 year anniversary of the show, so the guy who played the Phantom came out and spoke, and there was a big cake for the cast! This makes Phantom the longest running Las Vegas musical. They had great seats - 3^rd row center or the mezzanine.

Geoff and I met them for dinner at – you guessed it – the MGM buffet. Yum. Did I mention that I've been eating a lot of sushi? Oh... and sugar free desserts... hee hee.

Vegas - Tuesday June 23

Tuesday June 23

We all slept in this morning, so we went to lunch together at the buffet. Most of the food was pretty similar to the day before, and the lines were still long. After lunch, we strolled down to the half price ticket booth to get a discount coupon for the Village buffet at Paris as well as Mom, Bobby, and Grant's tickets for Phantom.

Mom and Bobby walked over to New York New York to check out the new casino, while Grant, Geoff and I went to the pool. Geoff had fallen asleep but woke up early and cranky. He wasn't as happy in the water – it wasn't that he disliked the water, but he was still sleepy. I put him on my shoulder and we walked around the river, and Geoff fell asleep. He slept on my shoulder for about a half an hour as Grant and I went 'round and 'round the pool! When he did wake up, he was in a better mood. We went around a few more times before I got out to feed him.

We headed up to our room and met up with Mom and Bobby. After dinner at – you guessed it, the buffet – we went out for a walk. Geoff was so tired from swimming, that he napped for three hours – from 9:00 – 12:00! We were afraid that he wouldn't sleep at night, but he did! He fell asleep while we were finishing dinner, and slept as we walked over to New York New York (we were very disappointed in the new casino – very plain – it lost must of its character,) on to the Bellagio where we watched the fountain show at 10:45 and 11:00, and then walked back to the hotel. He finally woke up as we approached the hotel, so we took a few minutes to look at the Rain forest Cafe. We visited the aquarium (although Geoff was more interested in the bubbles) and the alligator. Back at the room, he ate and then went right to bed! What a good boy!

 

Las Vegas Monday 6/22

Monday, June 22

This morning, Mom and Bobby woke up before we did, so they headed down the the MGM buffet for breakfast. Then they played in the casino a bit while Grant and I had lunch with Geoffrey. The buffet had good food, but had a very poor lay out. I've eaten SO MUCH sushi at this buffet!

After lunch, we went out to the pool. We found a shady spot near the lazy river and settled in. Geoff was sound asleep, so Mom (Grandma) held him while Grant and I took a lap in the river. Then, Bobby and Grant took a lap while I sat with Mom and Geoff. Once Geoff woke up, we all went in the lazy river. He loved it! We started out in the shallow pool so he could get used to the water, and then we went to the river. Mom and Bobby had found an inner tube, so we took turns riding it with Geoff sitting on our lap. He was fine going under the waterfalls and everything! People kept commenting on how cute he looked with his swimming trunks, swim shirt, hat, and sun glasses. Mr. Cool.

After a while, we got out, and I fed Geoffrey. This was the easiest place (other than the hotel rooms, of course) to feed Geoffrey. He's been pretty good about sleeping when he needs to. He is talking lots of little naps throughout the day – and sleeping from about 1AM to about 10 or 11 AM, with one night feeding. He's doing really well!

After our day in the pool, we went down to dinner at the buffet. We were a little bummed that the food at dinner was almost identical to the food at lunch, with a few small exceptions (crab legs and shrimp, for example.) The lines were horrendous.

After dinner, we went up to the room and realized that we had left our diaper bag at the buffet. Bobby called down and they located it and gave it to the cashier. Meanwhile, Grant and I were talking to a manager. The manager checked his office but it wasn't there (because it was with the cashier). We tried to explain that to the manager, and although he was very friendly and was trying to be helpful, he was severely overwhelmed by the long lines – the buffet was not set up to handle the crowds there promotions were bringing in (besides the deal we had – free buffets included with the rooms) they also had an all day pass anyone could buy for $30. IN any case, Grant left to drop off Mom and Bobby for he Blue Man Group while I waited around for the manager to call me back to tell me he had located the bag.

Once I got the bag, I went upstairs and waited for Grant. We had a nice evening with Geoffrey. We went to pick up Mom and Bobby from their show, and then went to Wal-mart for drinks and moleskin for blisters. They had some adorable Disney onesies that we got for Mr. Geofferson!

June 21 - Father's Day

Sunday, June 21^st.

Father's Day!

On Sunday, we packed up and moved to the MGM.

First, Geoff and I gave Grant his Father's day present – a picture frame with pictures of Grant and Geoff and a poem from Geoffrey. Then, Geoffrey wished Daddy a Happy Father's Day by spitting up all over Daddy's shorts. With only about 30 minuted left until check out, Grant decided to throw his shorts in the washer and at least get them washed – figuring they could hang dry at the MGM. Unfortunately, he forgot to take his iphone out of his pocket – so he washed his phone too! Of course, it was completely ruined – but at least he still had the accidental insurance, so he was able to get it replaced.

Bobby and Grant loaded the car up with all of our bags and drove over to the MGM, while Mom, Geoff, and I walked and met them there. There was no way we'd all fit in the car with all of our stuff!

We checked into the MGM – one room was ready, so we brought all of our bags in the room. Our room faced South-east, with a view of the airport and Hooters hotel. The room was large and very nice – It has a couch, table, and chair, and a king bed – the room is split into a sitting area and a sleeping area by a large wardrobe / TV chest. The room also has a fridge, a shower with a tub, and a separate shower. We really like it! Mom and Bobby's room is directly across the hall (11306 / 11305). There room faced south west – you could see New York, New York, Excalibur, Luxor, and Mandalay Bay from there room.

We had lunch to celebrate Grant's first Father's Day at Mon Ami Gabi, his favorite restaurant at the Paris hotel. We gave both Bobby and Grant Father's Day cards and enjoyed a lovely meal in the Atrium. Grant and I split the French Onion Soup and an Endive, Blue Cheese and melon salad, and we all split a Pate appetizer. For entrees, Mom had a Spinach salad with Salmon and blueberries, Grant and Bobby had steak and frittes, and I had a fried green tomato grilled cheese sandwich. Delicious!

After lunch, we walked back to MGM, stopping at the Half Price Ticket booth. They had Bette Middler tickets for $64! We didn't think we'd be able to get into the Colosseum for that price, so we decided to get tickets for Mom, Bobby, and me. Later in the week, Grant, Mom, and Bobby would be seeing Phantom, but we decided to get Bette tickets since we'd never seen them for such a reasonable price!

Once we got back to the hotel, Mom and Bobby's room was ready, so we took some time to unpack. Bobby and Grant went to exchange our vouchers for our Bette tickets at Ceasers Palace, and went to the Venetian to get Mom and Bobby's Blue Man Group tickets for Monday night (these are the tickets they got from Dr. Phil.) Then Grant went to replace his iphone.

That night, Daddy and Geoffrey got to spend the evening together, while Mom, Bobby, and I got to see the Divine Miss M in concert! What an amazing experience. Bette Middler! THE Bette Middler! The show was everything I expected – hilarious and beautiful, with great music, great dancing, and comedy in a beautiful theater.

The show started late, and didn't end until 9:30, so we couldn't make it back to our hotel in time for dinner at the buffet. Our package includes breakfast, lunch, and dinner at the MGM buffet. However, since the buffet closed at 10, we ended up going to The Burger Bar for dinner. Geoff, again, was great, sleeping through most of the meal. He got fussy at the end, because he was pretty hungry, so I left while they paid the bill and fed Geoffrey in the car.

(As a side note – that is the only really difficult part about having Geoff here – it is not a friendly place for nursing at all – hot outside, smoky inside with not a lot of quiet places to sit. Not a surprise, and easy enough to work around – just a comment.)

We joked about what people must think of us walking through the casino at midnight with such a little baby! I am sure there were some that didn't approve. On the other hand, we did see other families out, too! How your perspective changes when you have kiddos of your own, huh?

Saturday, June 20

Saturday, June 20^th

Geoffrey slept well in his pack and play. He did wake up for a night feeding, but considering the heat and how dry it is here in Vegas, I am actually glad he's eating at night to stay hydrated.

We picked up Mom and Bobby from the airport. It was so fun to watch Geoffrey play with Grandma and Grandpa! We went to the Mirage and had lunch at Cravings before heading back to the Marriott.

That night, Geoffrey got to spend the evening with Grandma and Grandpa, while Grant and I went to Bellagio to see Cirque Du Soleil "O," which we had not seen yet. This show is so cool – a traditional Cirque but with an amazing water stage! There were lots of excellent acts, including some great diving acts! We both really enjoyed it!

Geoff had a good time with Grandma and Grandpa. He ate almost 12 ounces when they fed him! He slept well again – waking up for one feeding.

Las Vegas - Geoffrey's First Vacation!

SO - I am way behind on my vacation blogging - 5 days in and I haven't even started! I must say, though, that it is harder now with Geoffrey to find time to sit down and blog. Typically I like to do a big chunk all at once - but I may just have to adjust to blogging about small bits here and there.... Hee hee -

Away we go!

Friday June 19

We left on Friday morning to drive to Vegas. We rented a car from LB airport and were on our way by noon. There was a lot of traffic until we got on the 15, and then it was smooth sailing. We stopped at Barstow for lunch, as well as at a rest stop for some stretching. Geoffrey did well for most of the ride - but towards the end, he couldn't sleep any more and was ready for a change from the car seat and some social time.

We checked into the Marriott Grand Chateau at about 6:00 PM, and we all enjoyed some stretch out time. The room we stayed in was a one bedroom – but it had a very odd lay out and was not an effective use of space. However, we certainly enjoyed the washer and dryer in our room!

After we settled in, we headed back out to dinner. We ate at Grand Lux at the Venetian. Geoff was very good – he slept through most of dinner and was pretty happy when he woke up.

We swung by Wal-mart to get some snackins before heading back to our hotel for the night.

Our weekend in Vegas

We arrived in Vegas late on Friday night - pulling into the walmart by the airport at about 11:30 to get some snacks and then checking into our hotel at around 12:30. We are staying at the MGM Signature, this time in Tower 2, and our room is on a penthouse floor - floor 29!

Saturday:

We started our day on Saturday by heading to the 1/2 price ticket booth. I was surprised by the crowds and obnoxious behavior (yes, I know, this is Vegas, but it seemed excessive...). Later, I pointed this out to Grant, and he reminded me that we were here on a weekend, and the last few times we'd been here were mid week - duh!

Anywho, at the ticket booth, we tried to get Love tickets, but they were sold out, so we chose Phatom seats instead. Cool! In addition, we got a 1 hour gameworks discount card and a voucher for the Village buffet in Paris.

Next, we headed to Paris to eat at Mon Ami Gabi, the cute little French bistro on the front of the Paris casino. We've eaten here before and it is SO good! After lunch, we continued down the strip to the Venetian to exchange our vouchers. We got seats in the 5th or 6th row of the orchestra section, on the right side - sweet! We were also able to pick up our tickets for Blue Man Group for the following night - these tickets were free from when Mom and Bobby and Grant and Danny went to see Dr. Phil being taped.

We took the monorail back to the MGM (but were very dissapointed to find that they'd done away with the 10 ride ticket - now your only choices are one ride $5 a person, or 13$ day pass. Usually, we use the monorail 3 or 4 times a trip, so the ten ride ticket worked for us as it didn't expire. Now, we feel the prices are too excessive - a taxi would probably have been cheaper!  Don't know if we'll be using the monorail much anymore)

Anywho - we watched some tv and took it easy back at the hotel before heading out to see Phantom. The show was awesome, the cast rocked. After the show, we drove to Mandalay Bay to eat dinner at The Burger Bar. (Yes, today was a day of doing a lot of our regular favorite things!) I think, by the way, that I finally perfected my Burger Bar burger - blue cheese, bacon, and asparagus. Yum!

Sunday:

Today we had lunch at the buffet at Mirage - I totally ate too much! But it was SO GOOD! That is one of my all time favorite buffets. We went to Gameworks to use our one hour cards - that was fun - we played a lot of the racing games - and I even played Dance Dance Revolution a lot, which I am sure was hilarious to people watching - this big old pregnant chick bouncing around on a dance dance machine! Ha! Can you picture it? Well, Grant took pictures if you can't!

Anyway, when we had about 20 minutes left, some glitch in the system amde our cards innactive - so they gave us new 30 minute cards - which was perfect, because I really had to pee, so we could take a break without running down our time cards!

Back to the hotel we went to rest before heading out to see the 10:00 showing of Blue Man Group. We thought the show was - interesting. Some of the sequences were funny and really cool. Some were a bit odd and unneeded, and made the show feel long in parts. But all in all we enjoyed it - and it is a great show for kids - they'd love it! (Baby G, for his part, was a bit confused, I think by all the percussion - he seemed to be trying to tunnel his way deeper into my belly! Poor kid! (o: ) He definately enjoyed Phantom more - probably becasue he remembered the music.

After the show, we had dinner at Grand Luxe. I had been wanting their Asian Nachos all day long, but when we were seated - it was 12:05, and they were serving the late night menu, which didn't have Asian Nachos on it! I asked my server and they were able to make them for me anyway! Hurrah!

Monday:

Today, we'll pack and eat at the Village buffet before we take off for home. ALl in all, it was a fantastic time, and I am so glad we did it. Grant is so wonderful - we took things at a nice slow pace and did everything we wanted to do. He is the best husband ever!

Las Vegas

Last week, I asked Grant when his next days off were, and he said Friday, Saturday, Sunday and Monday. Sweet - because I have Monday off too for MLK day! (Hence the reason he had requested the block of days off) So on Tuesday, he sent me an email: "Found a good deal in Vegas - wanna go?"

Sigh - who knows how long it will be before we can take a sponataneous trip like this once Baby G arrives? Did I want to go to Vegas? Heck yeah! Thus - we had our babymoon.

Grant thinks that "babymoon" is a funny name. Originally, Babymoon referred to the period of time after a baby was born to allow for the parents and baby to bond. More recently, it has evolved (thank you, travel industry) into a word describing a last rip before the baby comes for the couple to be together as a couple before all those sleepless nights with a newborn!

So, anyway, Vegas it is - no flying involved - yummy food, good shows (we have free tickets for the Blue Man Group from when Mom and the boys went to see Dr. Phil) and a great place to stay.

Originally, we were booked at the Marriott Reniassance, but yesterday monring, Grant emailed a bunch o people who still had unrented rooms for the MGM Signature and offered them a final deal (A - would you rather rent us the room for this much or have it go empty?)- and a bunch of people accepted - so he picked the highest floor = penthouse - floor 29. I do believe the MGM Signature is Grant's favorite. I love the access to the MGM pool, although I doubt it will be warm enough to use - and I also love the huge spa tub and the mini kitchenette with fridge and microwave. Plus, although "attached" to MGM, there is no casino in the lobby so it is not very smoky.

Anywho - not much to say about the actual trip yet. We didn't levae home till 7:30 to avoid traffic, and we rolled into Vegas around 11:30 - I slpet for about half of the drive... hee hee... We sung by Walmart to get some snackins' and then checked in! Plans for this trip? Eat at our favorite places (We have 3 in mind) Probably get tickets for a show tonight, Blue Man group tomorrow, and relax and be together!

Have I mentioned how much I love Grant lately?