We built a fort and saw a neat airplane!

Daddy and I decided to be a little bit silly this morning, and built a fort out of our sofa mattresses.  We thought we were being pretty sneaky playing inside, but Mommy found us anyway!

For dinner, Daddy and I flew up to a local airport where they have a restaurant on the field.  Mommy still isn't feeling very well, so we let her rest at home.  The restaurant also makes pies, so we brought home a big slice of coconut cream pie for Mommy (and Daddy to share).  When we got back to our airport, a really neat airplane landed right after us.  Both Daddy and I wanted to go take a look!  I asked nicely, and they let me go inside and take a look (Daddy too).  He loves when I'm with him at the airport - what pilot could resist giving a 4-year-old girl named Piper a tour of an airplane?

It's time to fly home

It sure has been a fun vacation, but now it's time to go home.  It was sad to say goodbye to Aunt Charlie, but she plans on staying in Florida for a long time, so we'll get to come back and visit again. 

Daddy bought a new shirt a few days ago, and we knew what we were wearing on the airplane!

Look at the back!

When we arrived back in Ohio, guess what - it was raining!  Welcome home!

Fun at Auntie Charlie's house

The next few days we spent at Auntie Charlie's house.  I loved spending time with her and had a lot of fun at her house.  We had originally planned to take Aunt Charlie back to Blizzard Beach with us, but unfortunately Mommy started feeling pretty sick (later diagnosed as strep throat).  In addition, we had been doing so much this past week, we were pretty worn out, and it was nice to just take it easy for a while.

Aunt Charlie loves puzzles, and has a lot of them!  Each day we did a puzzle - all of them 300 pieces!  I really stayed focused on them for a long while, and learned all about finding the edge pieces first.  I think Mommy and Daddy are going to have to get some puzzles for back home during the winter! 

Mommy and Daddy had no idea I would be so fascinated by the hermit crabs - but I was!  Any time we came back in the house, or first thing in the morning, the first thing I wanted to do was take a crab or two out and let them crawl around.  If the grown-ups were doing something else, I'd just lay there on the floor and watch them crawl around their cage.  It was better than TV!  I gradually got braver too - at first I just wanted to look at them.  But then I progressed to picking them up by the shell (Aunt Charlie showed me how).

And later, I even let them crawl on my hand.  It felt funny!

One day we went down to a walkway around a local lake.  Daddy said he wanted to see an alligator.  But I was happy enough seeing these big birds, called "cranes".  We brought bread to feed them!

Aunt Charlie's cat Pitch, who we watched while she was deployed, likes to go out into the screened-in patio.  But Aunt Charlie had just been leaving the door open a little for him to slip through.  We thought it would be a great idea to say "thank you" bygetting her a little "kittie door" that fits into her sliding glass door.  So we surprised her with it and I helped Daddy install it.  it works great, and now Pitch can come and go whenever he wants.

On our last afternoon there, Daddy, Aunt Charlie and I went to the beach (Mommy stayed home to rest).  I needed to at least dip my toes in the Atlantic Ocean.  Daddy and I did much more than that - it was pretty rough!  I gradually got braver and went in a little more each time, as long as Daddy was right there.

It's a good thing he was!

At Auntie Charlie's house

Last night we arrived at Auntie Charlie's house.  I fell asleep in the car for about the last 40 minutes.  So I was rested and ready to go when we got there!  Today we had a relaxing day just being with Charlie and seeing some of the local area around Patrick AFB, just south of Cape Canaveral, Florida.

I found out she has four pet hermit crabs!  I got to watch as she cleaned their cage and gave them a "bath".  It was pretty interesting, Daddy was watching too.  I even got to hold one!

Daddy even let one crawl in his hand.  I wasn't ready for that yet!

Before bedtime, it was "salon night" with us three girls.  We all got our nails done by each other.  Mommy did my toenails and Auntie Charlie did my fingernails!

Did I mention it was right before bedtime?  I fell fast asleep while letting my nails dry.  But notice they are still not touching anything!

Animal Kingdom

For our last day of the main Disney parks, we went to the Animal Kingdom.  Right as we were entering, they were about to start a showing of the "Lion King".  So we went to see it, and I loved it!

We were in the "lion" section, so I let out a big roar!

I also wanted to cheer along with the elephant section!

And the giraffe section too!

We then went around to see the rest of the park.  They had a super big aquarium  that even had a manatee in it!  See the large "rock" just below the surface in the upper left of the picture? 

I found out they have a great roller coaster there, the "Expedition Everest", and I am now just tall enough to ride it, so we went on it twice!  It's pretty scary but I loved it each time and wanted to do it again.  It even goes backwards for a while!  The first time I rode with Mommy so she wouldn't be scared.

Then I went with Daddy!

I definitely wanted to go on the "dinosaur" ride.  Mommy and Daddy got to sit in the back seat and smooch while I flew all by myself.

At lunch, another bird came over to say hi just like a few days ago.  Word must have gone around!

We also saw a parade and went to the live action "Finding Nemo" musical.  It was a great show!

After leaving the park and getting dinner, we headed back on the road to Auntie Charlie's house, where we'll stay for the next few days and spend time with her.  I can't wait to see her and her cat Pitch again!

Blizzard Beach

Back to Blizzard Beach again today! We have so much fun there that we’ve chosen to use our four “Water Parks and More” all at Blizzard Beach. So we got to do a lot of the same rides as before, and had a great time. I liked going in the wave pool. Every time we did, I’d tell Daddy that I was Ariel the Little Mermaid and he was King Triton. I’d insist that he talk in the deep King Triton voice. When Mommy was with us she would usually just be Queen Mommy, since Ariel doesn’t have a mommy in the movie. I also really like taking the “ski lift” up to the top of the hill where we go to the family raft ride. I would excitedly point out all the lost flip-flops, badges, and hair scrunchies that people had dropped along the way.

I was brave and asked Mommy if I could try out a new thing today, crossing the icebergs using the nets. I saw a lot of other kids doing it, and wanted to try too. I did great and made it to the other side with only a little bit of help when the icebergs started to float away. Daddy got a good action shot!

I was very proud of myself!

Once again, we closed the place down, staying until the park closed at 5:00.

Magic Kindgom

We went back to the Magic Kingdom today, and got to do just about everything we wanted with very little waiting because it was a very slow day at the park!  I don’t think we waited in line more than just a few minutes on any ride.  Right when we arrived, we caught the end of one of the parades, and I was very excited about that!

Family picture in front of the castle!

Daddy and I rode the rocketship ride.  I took the rocket all the way up as high as it would go.  Daddy asked if I was going to fly down and back up at all, but I said no, I just wanted to stay way up high the whole time.  So we did!

We rode Space Mountain again, and did the Buzz Lightyear Space Ranger Spin several times.  I love that ride (especially when there is no line).  When we went to the Monsters Inc. “Laugh Floor”, an interactive “monster comedy” show, a two-headed monster standup comic used Daddy and I as part of its routine!  It said it chose us because we were a two-headed human (I was sitting on Daddy’s lap at the time).  I got to speak on the microphone they brought over to our seat!  It was silly and a lot of fun.

We went over to Tom Sawyer’s Island for our picnic lunch.  A local bird decided to join us, and actually ate out of Daddy’s hand!  He was very nice but sometimes had bad aim and got Daddy’s finger by mistake.  Oops!

After lunch we rode two of my favorite roller coasters, Splash Mountain and Thunder Mountain.  Mommy got soaked on Splash Mountain!  And I love screaming on Thunder Mountain.

Mommy and I really wanted to go on the recently refurbished “Small World” ride.  Daddy didn’t want to go, but Mommy and I asked him nicely and he agreed to go with us.  I really liked all the singing and dolls.  Daddy, look at that!

We almost forgot to go on Dumbo!  But fortunately I saw it after we went on the carousel and knew I didn’t want to pass it up.

As we left the park, I kept waving and saying “Goodbye, Magic Kingdom!”  I don’t know when I’ll be back next, but I bet it won’t be too long!

Blizzard Beach again

We went back to Blizzard Beach again today, and that was just fine with me.  In a first-ever occasion for our family, we were there before it opened and stayed there until it closed (it’s open 10-5 this time of year)!  I got to go on all the same slides as on Monday, and had a great time.  I had fun no matter where I was, as long as I was splashing and getting wet.  In fact, after going on all the “big” slides, toward the end of the day I went back to the kids’ area and had just as much fun there.  Since Mommy and Daddy didn’t go in the water, they got to take some pictures!

I had fun playing on this silly girl alligator.

And I went down this slide over and over again, carrying my own tube back up to the top each time.  It wasn’t as big as the other slides I went on today, but I loved it anyway!

A little before closing time, Mommy and Daddy told me I could go on one last slide, and asked me which one I’d like.  The one I wanted was the only one where we could all go together in the same raft.  They liked that idea!  Before we left, near the entrance I wanted a picture with the melting snowmen.  Look at that pose!

Hollywood Studios

What a day at Disney’s Hollywood Studios!  I got to see lots of characters I know.

Chip and Dale

Mike and Sully

And of course, Mickey!

I also got to see a lot of different shows.  My favorite place to sit is still on Daddy's lap.  Lets me see better!

One of my highlights was the “Honey I Shrunk the Kids” play area, which I loved last year, and loved even more this year!  I went up and down the “spider web” many, many times and even found some new friends to play with.  We got a family photo by the Play-doh jar.

 

Do you see this mischievous look on my face?  I’m standing next to a "leaf" with water coming down it.  This same leaf was the reason I was all wet later in the day! 

We saw a parade, and I danced upside down to the music hanging from Daddy’s shoulders! 

Like yesterday, I was very brave today and went on a new ride – the Tower of Terror!  You ride in an “elevator” that has some problems and bounces up and down 13 stories.  It was pretty dark and scary on the way up, as there were “storms” and lots of loud lightning crashes.  But after that, I really liked the bouncing up and down part.  Mommy went with us the first time, but then I wanted to do it again!  Only Daddy went with me the second time.  It was a lot of fun, and I told Daddy how I’m going to tell all my friends how I rode the Tower of Terror!

Blizzard Beach

Today we went back to one of my favorite water parks, Blizzard Beach.  We were all very excited since I could now go on some more of the slides.  Not the super big fast ones, but just about all the rest.  And I couldn’t wait!

But first, I wanted to show Daddy how many “Pipers” there are in the bathtub in our room.  That’s a lot!

At the water park, I “warmed up” a little on the kids slides at first.

 

But then we were off to ride as many of the other slides as we could.  I had a new life vest so I didn’t need to worry about going under water.  I did really well and was very brave even on some of the scarier slides.  I wanted to go on them again and again, although on some there were a lot of stairs to get to the top!  We got to float in the “lazy river” for a long time too, and Daddy and I played a lot in the wave pool.  I wanted to be Ariel and him to be her daddy, King Triton!

At the end of the day I wanted to do something that even Mommy and Daddy thought might be a little much for me.  There was a “zip line” where you hold onto an overhead bar and slide down a line.  When it gets to the end the bar stops and you go falling into the water.  I did really well holding onto the bar on the way down.  In fact, I did too well!  I held onto the bar even after it stopped, causing me to swing forward, swing back, and the bar even backed up the zip line a little.  And I still held on, dangling a few feet above the water!  I was pretty scared at that point and needed help.  Daddy jumped into the water, swam under me, and I let go to fall into his arms.  Safe!  Of course, when I got out, I said “I want to do that again!” but Mommy and Daddy thought maybe we should try something else for a bit.  We did a few more slides but I scraped my knee on the pool floor exiting one of them.  So we decided to call it a day as it was getting late anyway.  We’re going to go back three more times, so I’ll have lots of chances to do all the slides again!

After dinner we came back to the hotel and I got to play on the same playground as last year.  When we got there, I pointed out that there weren’t any ants by the ladder where they were last year.  Daddy and Mommy don’t know why I remember these things, but I do!  And I always like to scare Mommy!

Magic Kingdom

We always like to start off at the Magic Kingdom.  And as soon as we got in the gates, they had a parade!  It was a great way to start off the day, seeing Minnie and all of the other characters.  I even got to dance with Baloo, and he gave me a kiss on the top of the head!

We spent a lot of time on the Buzz Lightyear ride trying to “zap” the Evil Zurg’s batteries.  We went three times – once all three of us where I steered and they shot, and then once with each of them where I got to shoot too! 

Daddy and I got stuck in jail with Zurg! 

Next we went to a new roller coaster I had never been on before because I wasn’t tall enough.  But I just made the cut this time for Space Mountain!  It was pretty dark and Mommy and Daddy thought it might be too scary, but no way!  I’m brave and loved every bit of it.  It was so fun, I told them I wanted to do it again, but the line was too long!

All my recent practice with golf carts really paid off on the racetrack. 

Of course I love the carousel.

I flew Mommy around on a magic carpet!

I also had a great time, like last year, riding Thunder Mountain.  Almost the whole day I asked “are we going to Thunder Mountain?”  Once we worked our way over there, we went on it twice! 

We also went on Splash Mountain and not only got wet from the ride, it started raining on us too!

It was a fun day, but it was time to head back.  On the return boat trip, we saw a rainbow and Daddy got a really neat picture of it.