Harry Potter World

For a little while in September, we were having trouble with Rea in the morning. She is not a morning person AT ALL. And she would cry, yell, scream, throw tantrums, and basically make it an exhausting affair to get her school uniform on and drop her off in her classroom.

So I solicited some advice and decided an incentive chart on our fridge would be good to try. We did this when we were potty training her to poop in the toilet. Rea is her own little woman; she likes to be in charge of as much as she can in her world.

So, I made a simple chart for the past two weeks. And she loved it. The past two weeks have been pretty easy.  It's simple: if she is sweet, good and there are no issues in the morning getting ready and actually going to school, she gets a smiley face on that day. If a problem occurs, then nothing happens for that day... I marked those with an "X" to show that we have moved past that calendar day. She had to get 5 smileys in a row in order to get her big prize: A trip to the Wizarding World of Harry Potter in Orlando.

Since yesterday happened to be a Jewish holiday and therefore, there was no school, it was the perfect opportunity to go! Even better, was that Steph has no classes on Thursdays and Jack was able to take the day off of work and join us! YAY!

Do you think she is excited? 

2 of the best Aunts! 

Hogwarts Express! (Ri would've loved this!)

Hogsmeade Village

Yum

Ugh. So many people.

Heading in to eat at the Three Broomsticks

Rea was so excited she would only eat 1/2 of her food. 

So glad you came Jack!

We are standing next to a screaming mandrake

See, there he is.

Looking in the window at Ollivanders.

Watching the bludgers bounce

Hogwarts Castle

In line at Hogwarts

Still in line at Howarts

More mandrakes... these weren't screaming.  

Slytherin is far behind in the House Points. 

The entrance to Dumbledore's office

Rea loved it

Coincidently, this is Rea's favorite spell... it was nice of them to have it up. 

The sorting hat

Well, that's where the pictures run out.

Rea was too short (by like 6 inches) to ride the castle ride... and thank goodness too. She would've freaked out on it! Rea and I left Hogwarts Castle and decided to ride the Hippogriff thing. Then Jack and Steph came out carrying a Nimbus 2011 and told Rea that they just saw Harry Potter and he felt bad about Rea not being able to ride the ride. He wanted her to have this new broomstick. I don't think I have to tell you how much she LOVES that Harry Potter himself gave her a gift! She literally talked about it the whole way home.

So we did ride the Hippogriff (sp?) roller-coaster. And after that we went to Ollivander's to pick out a wand. We waited in the ridiculous line (outside, no cover, in the FL heat). It was worth it though. Steph was "the chosen one" and she tested out wands: killed some flowers, set off some bells, and had the heavens open up.

We had a great day. I know Rea really loves that her aunts came to experience it with her. And it meant a lot to me too.

Dear God...

So lately Rea has made some pretty interesting prayers, prayer requests & references to God.

I thought I would share a few here.

[1] Dear God,
Thank you for Mom, Dad, me and Ri. Thank you for KiKi and Juav, and their boat.

[2] Dear God,
Thank you for Mom, Dad, me and Ri. Thank you for my poopies. And for making them come out. Now, pppplllllleeeeeaaaassssseeeee make my butt-hole stop hurting from all the poopies.

(she had had a stomach ache all day. It was really hard not to laugh during this prayer.)

[3] Dear God,
Thank you for Mom, Dad, me and Ri. [other thanks]
Please be with Dad tomorrow at work. Keep him safe so he can come home and we can get that plane with a potty, stairs and air conditioning.

[4] Rea: Mom, my hair is in my eyes.
Me: Do you want me to brush it and put it up?
Rea: NNNOOOO! This is how God made me. You can't change it.

[5] Rea: I have boogies.
Me: Blow your nose.
Rea: Nah, God told me that I can pick my nose.
Me: Really, God told you you can pick your nose? He didn't tell you that that is totally disgusting?
Rea: Nope. He told me yesterday that I can pick my nose. And I can't tell God no.

[6] Rea sneezed. I said "God bless you."
She said, "No. You don't bless me. God lets me bless me. That's how He made me."

Old pic, I know. But the Lion King is available for purchase next week! =)

Awesome Toddler Birthday Party

Yesterday we attended the first birthday party of the school year. It was awesome! The kids were all so adorable, but I really shouldn't have brought Ri... trying to do a nature walk with a 1 yr old is NOT fun or easy.

Rea trying to figure out how to look through that bug-eye thing. 

Ri jumped right in and played with the big kids. 

I don't think he knows he is at least 2 years younger than all the other kids.

Rea is working the bubbles while her 2 BFFs color with sidewalk chalk in front of her.

Out looking for bugs.

I love that all the kids lined up even though they were not told to... =)

She actually became a very proficient bubble blower.

Ri had a blast!

He is going after a ball.

And he's gonna take on 2 bigger kids to get it. He loses this battle. 

More bubbles

Time for cupcakes!

Rea and J 

Face painting time!

It was so fun to see all the little friends hang out and play together. =)

No Ri is not painting, he is putting it on his lips like it's lipstick. Oy. 

Someone looks BEAUTIFUL!

All the kiddies getting ready for the big group shot. 

CHEESE!