Wow what a great weekend! It was busy as usual, but so worth it. It's one of those times El and I wish we were still near family. My dad, sister Cherilyn and nephew Gabriel came down for a long weekend here. It was their first time to meet Nicholas and so it made the trip extra special.
Things have been very busy and stressful at work lately so I was chomping at the bit for some downtime to hang out with the family for the Halloween weekend. Unfortunately, Rachel had to work most of the time, but was able to meet up here and there.
Monday, November 10, 2008
i had been raving about how Halloween was such a big deal in Orlando and basically sold her on the idea of coming down for it. I tried to get as many people down to partake in the festivities, but in the end it proved to be too difficult to meet everyone's schedule. Screw it. Make it if you can make it, if not...oh well. I went ahead and bought tickets for a Thursday night visit to Disney's Not-So-SCary-Halloween Party for Cher, Gabriel, Isa and myself. I know El wanted to go, but she declined to watch Nicholas. It didn't matter since my dad wanted to spend time with him anyways.
This year I decided to rehash the Addams Family theme which worked out great. Cher filled in for Morticia, while Gabriel made a great Puglsey (complete with sticks of dynamite). I, of course, dressed as Gomez and Isa made for a very cute Wednesday (with axe in hand). We were able to piece together our costumes from previous years and with the help of eBay.
There were some great costumes out there and we got our fair share of nice compliments from other revelers. Despite it lasting until midnight (we didn't get home til after 1am) the kids lasted all night long. I think it was all the candy we let them eat as they trick-or-treated. Hey you're only a kid once, right?
The next day, Halloween, we had a quick lunch at Cracker Barrel and again got the kids dressed for trick-or-treating - this time at Downtown Disney. Initially I thought we'd spend a couple of hours there and then head to Celebration for more, but after seeing what Disney did for the kids there I decided it would've been overkill to go anywhere else.
After a couple of hours of that the place got too crowded and I decided to take the family out for dinner. Luckily, we got there early enough before the traffic rolled in and split before things got out of hand. Too tired to wait in line for a table somewhere we met up with Rachel at the house for dinner. Pizza and wings! Woot!
Saturday afternoon was reserved as Isa's day. Technically her birthday is November 11th, but since we can't travel with Nico Boy yet El and I decided to have small party for her while family was in town. I just wanted to keep it simple with a small cake (Nemo her favorite cartoon) and some presents from the family.
Dad had cooked Kare Kare previously and I decided to make my Mussels in white wine and El threw some really tasty marinated chicken thighs on the grill. Earlier in the day I ran out of the house as quick as I could to pick up her birthday cake, balloons and other birthday essentials. By the time I got home El told me Isa was napping. PERFECT.
Nothing says filipino like an assload of food.
Nothing says filipino like an assload of food.
Sunday rolled in and I had to go back to work early. I just wanted the weekend to last one more day to spend time with everyone, although I was able to put together the kitchen playset for Isabella before I left so she and Gabriel could have just a few more hours of playtime together. Before long it was time to say goodbye to everyone. Great weekend! Happy Birthday Isa!
Saturday, November 01, 2008
T-Rex at Downtown Disney
To ease my guilty conscience for letting Isabella get hurt at Target I decided to take the family to the new Downtown Disney restaurant, T-Rex. Just kidding. Erected by the same company that built Rainforest Cafe it boasted fire roasted meat that was served amongst cool animatronic dinos in elaborate dining hall setups.
The Cons:
Slo-o-o-ow service. Be ready for your server to take 15 minutes before returning with a drink refill or the correct sides or plates or...
Cool animatronics cause even the most squirrely child to become so preoccupied he/she forgets about the $30 ribs that get eventually get cold.
I could never sit in the cool "Ice Age" dining room before needing to take an Aleve.
The prices of entrees
Slo-o-o-ow service. Be ready for your server to take 15 minutes before returning with a drink refill or the correct sides or plates or...
Cool animatronics cause even the most squirrely child to become so preoccupied he/she forgets about the $30 ribs that get eventually get cold.
I could never sit in the cool "Ice Age" dining room before needing to take an Aleve.
The prices of entrees
Overall it was a neat experience and the place was designed beautifully. It was pretty obvious the company that built it spent massive amounts of money. Because it IS a themed restaurant I wasn't surprised by the various pro/cons of the dining experience. Either way it was worth it the first time around. The second time around I expect the machine to fall apart and just become another overrated, overpriced Disney restaurant.
Red-Headed Step Child.
Remember this clown from days past? No not Isa. Bailey makes a rare appearance on the blog.
Despite having taken a backseat to Isa (and now Nico) Bailey still finds some cuddle time with the person responsible for the loss of his beloved place at the foot of the bed. Even after numerous kicks to the butt and hair pulling he's proven himself trustworthy enough to never nip at the children.
We love you, Bailey. We know it's tough being third string. Now back to your hole.
Despite having taken a backseat to Isa (and now Nico) Bailey still finds some cuddle time with the person responsible for the loss of his beloved place at the foot of the bed. Even after numerous kicks to the butt and hair pulling he's proven himself trustworthy enough to never nip at the children.
We love you, Bailey. We know it's tough being third string. Now back to your hole.
Same Difference.
"Hands Are Full"
Both hands are currently holding or filled with an object. Slang. Kept busy at the moment.
Both hands are currently holding or filled with an object. Slang. Kept busy at the moment.
Hey Thanks!
Hey thanks Uncle Ray and Auntie Jamie for the sweet Crayons! Dad check out what I can do now! Oh was I supposed to keep this on the down low, mom? Oops. Never mind, dad.
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