Saturday Surprises

Once Zoe decided this morning that she was going to attend Devin & Dana's wedding with me, she was determined to get all "fancied up". Not only did I have to put her hair up & curl it, but she insisted on wearing the little crown comb that she wore when she was the flower girl in a wedding earlier this summer. It didn't end there though, she had to have lipstick, glitter gloss, etc. Needless to say, she looked very cute. Of course, I took some pictures. See what you think....

The wedding was absolutely gorgeous. Dana & Devin are such a cute couple. Everything turned out perfect just like Dana was hoping. I must tell you that I have never heard such a wonderful voice sing at a wedding. The soloist, who I did not know, was amazing. In fact, I have got to find out from Dana about her. She sang two of the most beautiful songs I have ever heard, "Feels Like Home" by Linda Ronstadt and "How Beautiful" by Twila Paris. I would definitely recommend both songs for a wedding. (Janelle, take note for when you get married!) FYI: I have loaded "Feels Like Home" on this website. Just scroll down to my Playlist, click on it, & enjoy!

After the wedding Zoe & I decided to surprise Brandy, our neighbor girl, who was home from college & working at a local restaurant/bar. She was very surprised to see us & Zoe was thrilled to see her. We talk to "Sissy" (that's what Zoe calls her) about 2 or 3 times a day, but it's just not the same as seeing her every day. We're thrilled she loves college & we hope to get up there one of these days to visit her.

Zoe got a surprise herself today. Her friend Kaidyn from pre-school called to see if Zoe could come to her house to play for a few hours &/or even spend the night. Well, Zoe was excited about the playing together, but she wanted no part of spending the night. No big deal. When I dropped Zoe off at Kaidyn's the two girls were playing house within a matter of seconds. I picked Zoe up about 3 hours later. She had a blast playing house, pageant, bathtime, etc.

When I was taking pictures yesterday of Zoe she had me take some of her & Maggie so here they are:

This cracks me up! I love how Zoe is being pulled off of her feet!

Oh, I want to share with you what I saw Friday on the Catholic Church marquee.............

God grades on the cross. Not on a curve.

You know, I've been going by this church's marquee for 9 years now. I have never once noticed how clever it is. I wonder if I've just not paid attention & haven't noticed or if there is someone new putting the message on the marquee. Huh......

It's Finally Friday....

This week went by soooo slow. I am looking forward to the weekend. However, I have a lot that needs my attention - laundry, housework, dishes, toilets, etc. Plus, I brought home about a 4 inch stack of papers that I need to grade. Thankfully there is no school on Monday so I could possibly get everything completed.

This evening I took Zoe to get fitted in her flower girl dress for the late September wedding she is in. The dress is absolutely gorgeous & looks fantastic on her. There are a couple of alterations that have to be done & then Zoe has to be fitted again. The ladies at the dress shop were laughing at Zoe because she kept twirling around with the dress on & she was really hesitant about taking it off. She thought she was going to get to wear it home.

Tomorrow Zoe & I are attending the wedding of a former co-worker. Then, we hope to have a quiet, peaceful, relaxing evening at home. (If there is such a thing!!!) Not too much on the agenda besides the usual chores. I do plan on getting some packages together for my neighborhood college kids.

Speaking of packages, Erin from The Preppy Pink Whale posted a wonderful shout out to my care package business, Packaged with Care, on August 26th. Pretty cool, huh?!

Our Little Gymnast....

Another day, another dollar. School was good today. A little odd, but good. I had one student transported to the ER because he was having a severe asthma attack & then another student ended up getting suspended for punching a classmate. It's unusual for two odd situations to happen in the same day. Needless to say, by the time I left school, I was starting to get a headache.

Zoe had her second day of pre-school today. When I picked her up she told me that she loved it. She was excited because had gotten to be snack helper. She made the cutest little spider out of construction paper. The entire way home she explained to me how she made it & told me that she would love to teach me how to make it. Perhaps this weekend she can do just that.

Gymnastics was great tonight. Right before Zoe's class started, in walked Miss Sarah Beth, Zoe's former teacher who we have not seen in several months. (In fact, I assumed she no longer worked there.) Zoe was so excited. Miss Sarah Beth was too. She was filling in for another teacher tonight so she was with Zoe's class the entire time. Once again, Zoe's class started out in the little gym & then moved to the big gym. I was very impressed with Zoe's performance. She is such a natural. I hope she continues to enjoy gymnastics/tumbling because she's so strong at it. I remembered the camera so here are a few pictures:

Before Class Started - In the Little Gym

Miss Emily Helping Zoe Strut Her Stuff!

Practicing Her Hand Stand!

Miss Sarah Beth & Zoe - What a Pair!

Tomorrow is a early out day for me - 11:30 AM. Sounds good, but I have to stay a full day for teacher meetings. I will then be rushing back to town to pick Zoe up from daycare& take her to get fitted for the wedding that she is in at the end of September. I'm looking forward to seeing how the dress looks on her because it is cream with chocolate trim. I'm guessing it's gonna look great with her gorgeous skin. We bought her new shoes tonight to wear with the dress. Nothing fancy, but she loves them & they are chocolate in color. Tried finding a cream color pair, but that was impossible. After the fitting we are then going to watch my nephew Blake's baseball game. He just happens to be playing in the same town where we have to go to the fitting so that works out very nice.

Before I sign off of here I want to share something I read on a Catholic Church's marquee today while I was driving home from work:

Don't stress. Even Moses was once a basket case!

I cracked up. Does anyone else think that is hilarious, or am I just dumb? (Okay, really, you don't have to answer that!) Have a fabulous Friday & a wonderful weekend!!

An Incentive is in Place.......

I received an e-mail from Tony, a high school classmate, saying that he wants to meet with me about organizing our 20 year class reunion for next summer. (The two of us were major organizers for our 10 year reunion.) What does that mean for me? Time to lose some weight!!!! I was talking to Scott, a co-worker, today about how the incentive to lose weight has now been put in place. He questioned why I would start dieting now when the reunion will be about a year away. I told him that it just might take me that long to get to where I would like to be. He agreed that I should approach the diet thing with a long-term goal in mind! (I guess after talking to me he did indeed realize it probably WILL take me that long to lose weight!!!!) Anyway, the incentive is there. I just have to get my butt in gear & GET 'ER DONE!

Zoe enjoyed another day of daycare. She is really getting to be friends with a little girl named Avery. Zoe has been talking about her non-stop. I knew who Avery was, but wasn't sure if she & Zoe would be in the same class in school. Sure enough - they will both be starting kindergarten next school year. Another friend to add to her list....Tomorrow evening Zoe has gymnastics. This time I get to go along. I plan on taking the camera to get some updated pictures. Of course, I will post any pictures that I get. (Gives you something to look forward to!)

Finally, a Night at Home!

How wonderful it was to actually have a home-cooked meal that we all ate together! No one had meetings tonight so it's been nice catching up with each other & enjoying each other's company. Last night both Paul & I each had meetings. Paul had village board & I had open house at school. Neither one of us got home real late, but late enough that it seemed we said hi, gave Zoe a bath, & then did the nightly chores (letting Zoe pick her clothes out for the next day, setting the dishwasher on delay so it would run in the middle of the night, etc.) before heading to bed. Sometimes I feel that I'm a robot - about the time I'm ready to sit down & relax it's time to go to bed so I can get up the next morning & do the same thing over & over. Do you ever feel like that?

Yesterday I took half a sick day because Zoe had a dentist appointment to get two cavities filled. Paul was supposed to take her but he had to make arrangements with a family so it was left to me to go or reschedule for the FOURTH time. After discussing it, Paul & I decided I better just go ahead & take her. I was very proud of Zoe as was Dr. Kevin. She did wonderful. (Good thing because she has to have one more cavity filled in a couple of weeks. However, it might not be as easy next time because Dr. Kevin might have to numb the area with a shot because of where the cavity is.) I questioned Dr. Kevin about Zoe's teeth because the next filling will equal a total of 4 in her mouth. I was worried that we were not doing everything we should - we brush, floss (Zoe's favorite - Can you imagine?!), & swish with anticavity fluoride rinse. He explained to me that he thinks our approach with her teeth is great; she might just be prone to cavities because of not having fluoride nor vitamins her first 15 months while living in the Chinese orphanage. His suggestion is that when her permanent teeth starting coming in we have sealants put in one by one instead of waiting for all of them to come in.

Today was Zoe's first day of four-year old pre-school. When I picked her up she told me that she had a good day. She was very excited about reuniting with some of her friends, but also about making new friends. I didn't get to take her this morning, but Paul said that she looked so grown up partly because she had her backpack over her shoulders just like a little school girl. Makes me smile, but also kind of makes me sad. My little girl is growing up too fast. It seems like yesterday we received our referral from the FedEx driver & looked at her picture for the very first time. I must admit, it WAS love at first site.

I'm getting too old for this!!!

Well, last night a group of us went to see the Boss himself. The concert was supposed to start at 7:30 PM but actually started about 8:45 PM. Once he started playing, he didn't stop. The show, which ended up about 12:15 AM, was pretty good. I wish he would have played more of his own songs, but hey....it's his show. Since we had a suite which featured a fridge, ice maker, & our own bathroom it made the show even that much better. None of us had to leave the suite to get something to eat, drink, etc. A suite is the way to go. Glad that I have a contact now to reserve one for concerts, sporting events, etc. It's like the best kept secret!!

After leaving the concert we all headed to a local bar. I was the DD so I was wide awake from all of the Pepsi & Mt. Dew that I had taken in all night. We played some music on the jukebox, played pool, danced, sang, & visited with each other. Before we knew it, the clock said 3 AM which meant it was time to go home. Overall, the night was a good time. It was fun being together as a group & enjoying each other's company with good music in the background. However, getting to bed at 4 AM! This is the second weekend in a row that I have been out late. I'm too old for this. I can't handle it like I used to during college!

When I arrived to pick Zoe up at my parents' house this morning she was busy playing with two of her cousins, Bethanie & Megan. She had a great time at her Nana & Paw Paw's. She is so lucky to have grandparents, aunts, uncles, & cousins that love her & shower her with attention.

Not too much else happened today, just the usual - laundry, picking up, dishes, etc. The everyday household chores! Paul did mention something about getting a cleaning lady since I'm back to school. I'm not sure if he meant it or was just saying it out loud unsure of himself. Either way, I am all for it. So, I will just let the idea ride out for a few days & then bring it up again later in the week. What do ya think? Will he say he meant it or not?

Our Little Artist

I actually got home last night from my meeting before Paul & Zoe did from gymnastics. When I asked Zoe how class was she replied that it was terrific. I was thrilled & a little surprised because Paul called me right after the class started & told me that they were starting out in the little gym, but then going to move to the big gym. (That's what Zoe had such a problem with this summer.) Anyway, Paul called me again later & told me that Zoe was doing wonderful & that she was having a great time. So, all is well. And, she told me that she can't wait to go again next week so she can see her new teacher, Miss Emily!!!!

Apparently after gymnastics Paul needed (????) to do a few errands. I'm not so sure going to the Golf Store is really a need, but they went anyway. From there they went to one of our entire family's favorite places - Borders. Paul ended up buying Zoe an art set that teaches one how to draw the Disney Princesses. By the time they got home last night it was too late for Zoe to start on them so as soon as she walked in the door from daycare today she went right to the dining room table & got down to business. I must admit that she's pretty talented for a 4 year old. Heck, she's more artistically talented than me. Anyway, she brought these to me a little while ago & I was so impressed that I had to share.

Snow White

Cinderella

Ariel

Jasmine

Tinkerbell

Aurora (Sleeping Beauty)

Belle

Pretty darn good, huh?! I was quite impressed! So was her daddy. In fact, he thought she did so well that he asked her to teach him how to draw the Princesses. So, here's a couple of pictures of the two of them working at the table. He's being a great student while Zoe instructs him. I asked her if she would like to be a teacher like mommy & she replied - "No, I'm gonna be a cheerleader!" (Sorry, Janelle, you're gonna have to do a little more convincing it seems.)

Working hard at learning how to draw the Princesses.

Taking time our for smiles!

After drawing all of the princesses, Zoe had to get one of her Princess costumes on. She came out of her room announcing that our little princess had arrived.

She melts hearts!

Zoe had a good day at daycare. However, when I picked her up several of the teachers were laughing because her little jean skort was falling down. Every time she would run on the playground, she would have to hold up her skort. (Reminds me of some of my students, but they wear there trousers like that on purpose.) Come to find out her dad had not adjusted the waist in her skort. Imagine that. So, the poor girl went all day having to hold up her skort. And to top it all off, she accidentally spilled grape juice on her shirt at morning snack. Not just a little either - all over the front. With all that has been going on this week, we forgot to pack a bag with an extra change of clothes in it to keep in her cubby just in case she ever has an accident. So, I guess you could say that is my fault. I promised Zoe that Mommy & Daddy would get it together this next week & be a little more organized. (She didn't seem to mind either way.)

Tomorrow Paul & I are headed to the Springsteen concert with friends. Zoe's anxious to get to Nana & Paw Paw's for the night. Her cousin Caleb has a football game so she might get to watch that. I'm not sure what my parents have planned for the night, but she will have a blast & enjoy every one's company.

I'm dragging!

Oh, I did not want to get up this morning when the alarm went off at 5:30 AM. Yikes! It seemed like I had just plopped my head down on the pillow. I guess I have just been going 90 miles an hour all week that everything finally caught up with me. (Plus it was storming outside.)I'm sure my students could tell that I wasn't my happy-go-lucky self. I had to fight all day just to keep awake!

Zoe has her first gymnastics class tonight for the newly created advanced class for her age. Unfortunately I have a school board meeting & will not be able to attend. Paul will be taking her. I hope she likes this class much better than the one over the summer. I just think she was overwhelmed by the number of kids in the gym & how big they were. (She was the youngest at 4 & the oldest gymnast was probably 17.) I can't wait to get home tonight to see what she thinks of her new class with Miss Emily.

Another Day Closer to Summer Vacation!

I know, I know, I just went back to work & I am already talking about summer vacation! I just can't help myself. I had such a good summer with Zoe that I am looking forward to next June, July, & part of August! Paul & I have already decided we will be going to the beach - Gulf Shores or Dauphin Island, Alabama - for vacation. We love it there & it is sooooooo relaxing!

School was good today. It was my first full day with students. Today was pretty light so tomorrow we will start getting down to business. As many of you know, I am the union president for the teachers at my school. I am happy to report that we ratified our new contract for the next three years by voting unanimously! Our school board ratified it also so we are excited. I am proud to report that we will be getting a 4.5% raise the first year & a 4% raise the second & third years. Pretty darn good. (especially since in the 9 years I have been in the district we have only gotten a raise 1 time!!!!)

Zoe had a good day at daycare. When I picked her up she had to show me a headband that Miss Amanda (one of her daycare teachers) had made for her to wear in Miss Amanda's wedding in September. It looks so cute on. Miss Amanda's wedding is going to be outside & she is having fall colors. Zoe is the flower girl & her dress is a cream color outlined in chocolate. It looks gorgeous on Zoe. She is so excited to be in Miss Amanda's wedding. In fact, Zoe has told Paul & I several times that she is very lucky to be in the wedding because Miss Amanda could have picked anyone from her class, but Miss Amanda picked her!!!! Pretty cool, huh?

Well, most of my college neighborhood kids have gone back to school. I have two more leaving this weekend. Not sure what I am going to do. We are so used to having a couple of them over 3 or 4 times a week. Paul says it's gonna be quiet. He's probably right. With them being gone, it just means that I have to start sending more care packages. I have had a few customers inquire about sending care packages to their college students through my business - Packaged with Care. Today I received an e-mail from one of my former students who is presently serving in Iraq with the Army & who I have sent a few packages to. He was wondering if I would consider sending a package to some of the people in his platoon that never receives any kind of mail. So, me, being the softy that I am, said of course. Can you imagine being stationed in Iraq, fighting for our country, & never receiving a thing? How heartbreaking! So, this weekend will be spent getting some packages together. Hopefully they will put smiles on those far away from home & will spread some cheer among those fighting for our freedom. (I figure it's the least I can do!)

Back to Work & Day Care

Well, yesterday it was back to work for me & back to daycare for Zoe. Not exactly what either one of really wanted to do, but sometimes things are a must! Anyway, I had a full day of orientation at school. It was nice to see all of my co-workers & get caught up on every one's summer. However, just thinking of the school year starting & summer vacation so far away brings sad thoughts to my head. This was the first summer since having Zoe that she did not attend daycare two days a week. And, I must admit, I absolutely LOVED every minute of every day with her. We had such a great summer. We really didn't do a whole lot, but it was just fun hanging out with her. I will definitely be keeping her home with me in the summer. (Better enjoy it now because there might be a time when it's not "cool" to hang with mom!)

Since Zoe hadn't been to daycare in a few months I was a little worried about her reaction when her daddy dropped her off yesterday morning. I talked to him about mid-morning & he said that she was a little overwhelmed because all of the kids were yelling her name & running to her as soon as she walked in the door. By the time I picked her up in the afternoon things had calmed down & she was playing outside with one of her good friends - Carson. She told me that she had a good day but she would have rather stayed home with me!!!

Last night Zoe & Paul attended an informational meeting at the school where Zoe will be starting 4-year old pre-school next week. Because there are so many kids signed up for the class, the school has decided to split the class. So, Zoe will once again have Miss Cheri as a teacher & will be in class with some of her girlfriends - Reagan, Gracie, & Kaedyn.

I couldn't attend the pre-school meeting because I had a school board meeting which ended up being very long. We were interviewing architectural firms & then discussed our feelings about them afterwards. Needless to say, I got home about midnight. (I wasn't very happy when the alarm went off at 5:30 this morning!)

Today was my first day with students. It wasn't too bad because they were only in attendance from 8 AM-10 AM. Tomorrow will be a full day so I will have the opportunity to meet all 150 of my students.

On my way home from school today I finally had the opportunity to talk to a high school friend. He & I had been playing phone tag for about 4 days. Jimmy currently lives in Houston, TX & seems to be doing quite well. It has been years since we have seen or spoken to each other. Not a big deal though. We picked up right where we left off. It was as if we talk to each other all of the time. Anyway, Jimmy was inquiring if I knew if our class was going to have a 20 year reunion next year. (YIKES! 20 years already! Boy, I'm getting old!) Told him I would do some checking but I expected him to stay in touch!

Tonight I started to fix dinner & had turned on the stove to pre-heat. Well, the next thing I know, the oven sparked & there was a small fire. No big deal though. Paul called a friend of ours who is a fireman & he said that it was just the heating element going out in our electric oven. He told Paul to make sure the oven door was closed & locked & then had Paul shut off the circuit breaker. It wasn't long & the fire had put itself out. Paul called the local appliance store & they will order the needed part first thing in the morning. So, I got out of cooking tonight. I wonder how long it will be before the oven is fixed!!!!!!!!

Looking forward to this weekend. Paul & I are going to see The Boss - Bruce Springsteen - with several other couples. Zoe will be spending the night with my parents. She's looking forward to that because she always enjoys playing with her cousins.

Parties - Parties - Parties

What a crazy weekend! Fun, but crazy! Friday night we hosted a Parrot Head pool party that we had donated at a silent auction fundraiser. 6 couples bought it for over $500. We had a great time listening to Jimmy Buffet music & eating cheeseburgers, french fried potatoes, & several variates of shrimp! Needless to say, not one person got in the swimming pool. It was a little cold so I can't really blame them.

Yesterday Paul had a funeral so Zoe & I just hung around the house. Janelle, our college neighbor girl, hosted a surprised 25th wedding anniversary last night for her parents, Mark & Lisa, at the golf course. Paul & I were part of the planning committee, not only for the party, but also for getting the couple to the party. Everything turned out just as planned & everyone had a blast. I'm not really sure if Lisa & Mark were surprised, but the party was a lot of fun. Great job, Janelle! And what wonderful parents you have!

Throughout the party, Janelle kept announcing that the party was going to continue at our house after the golf course closed. Well, sure enough, everything closed down about 1 AM & about 25 people continued the celebration in our backyard. Zoe had stayed home with two neighbor girls, Abbie & Madalyn. Was I surprised when I walked in the door & Zoe was still wide awake! She ended up coming outside with everyone & entertained a few friends! Overall, everyone was very well behaved & none of the neighbors called the police. So all was well. The last couple left around 2:30. By the time Paul & I picked things up & got Zoe in bed, it was around 3 AM or so.

This morning Janelle called around 9 AM & invited Paul, Zoe, & I over for breakfast which Lisa had made. It was delicious! Even though I was extremely tired, I still managed to make a "happy plate" (as Zoe calls it!).

Today is my dad's birthday! Happy Birthday, Dad! Hope you have a great day! We love you!

Art Work

Yesterday while I was cleaning, unpacking, doing laundry, etc. Zoe did some art projects. She has always loved to color, draw, cut, use glue, etc. She did so good that I thought I would take some pictures & show you her masterpieces!

She drew & labeled this for some neighbor kids away at college!

Catching Up....

Since we've been home from vacation it seems like the laundry has been never ending. We have enjoyed ourselves the last couple of days. Haven't really done a lot, just piddled around the house. Except for Sunday evening & all day yesterday, Zoe & I have been trying to put things away & catch up on household duties!!!


Sunday evening we had a few people over to swim & eat. Zoe always enjoys playing with the big kids. She especially had a blast swimming with Jess. She asked me while we were eating outside if she could just jump in & I said okay. So, she jumped in & swam for a little while in her clothes. Then, she got tired of that & put on her swimsuit. Here's a few pictures from Jess's & Zoe's pool time:

Clothes still on.........

Using her shirt as a tissue!

Every time I would try to take their picture together, Zoe would turn around!

R-O-C-K-ETS - Rockets, Rockets, are the BEST!!!!

Ready - Jump!

Yesterday Zoe & I went to my school & worked on getting my classroom ready. It's hard to believe that I start school next Monday the 18th. I wish there were just a few more weeks left in the summer. It's been so much fun hanging out with Zoe. She will have a week of daycare before 4 year old pre-school starts. I think she's looking forward to seeing her friends & teachers.

Vacation - Vacation - Vacation

Okay, after looking at all of the posts I made about vacation, I realized I should have put the entries in reverse order. Sorry! However, I am NOT going back to re-do them. It just took way too long. Again , sorry. Hope you enjoy them anyway!

Arriving @ Disney World

We arrived at our resort at Disney World, the All-Star Sports, around 3:30 PM. After checking in we made our way to our room. Only to discover that another family was already booked in there! So, back to the desk we go. We were given another room in the same building & on the same floor. We unpacked our things & just took it easy for a little while. About 5:30 PM we decided to eat at the food court before making our way to the Magic Kingdom. Wouldn't you know it, but our food package that we had paid for in advance was not on our card. The cashier was very nice after I explained that we just had to get new keys (your room keys act as your admission tickets, meal tickets, etc.) because of the mix-up with the room. She let us take the food for free & just told us to make sure to go to the front desk after eating. So, that's what we did. Got new keys for the 3rd time & were assured that everything would be alright this time. Off to the Magic Kingdom. Well, we get there & our new keys (3rd time's a charm, right? WRONG!) wouldn't allow us in the park. So, we go over to Customer Service & tell a nice guy named Scott our story. He called our resort & explained that the problem needs to be resolved. Once off of the phone, he gave us passes to get into the park & 2 fastpasses for 2 rides, & a free certificate for a light-up toy for Zoe. Well, we enjoyed ourselves throughout the park. Zoe had a blast riding a roller coaster, playing in Minnie Mouse's house, & even meeting some of the characters. We were also able to see the lighted parade down Main Street. The park closed at 1 AM so before we left we tried getting Zoe her free light-up toy, but the vendor wouldn't take the slip because he said he had never seen one of them before. Well, at that point we were fuming! We found our bus & made our way back to the front desk of the resort. I asked to speak to the manager because I wanted to resolve the issue with our card. After about 25 minutes we were able to make our way to our room with the hope that our first full day would be better! Let me tell ya, for 2 adults that were basically first-timers at Disney World, neither one of us were speaking very highly of the Mouse & his complex!

Character pictures.........

Zoe & the Fairy Godmother

Zoe & the Genie!

Zoe & Sleeping Beauty!

Eeyore!

Zoe exploring at Minnie Mouse's house..........

Zoe & her daddy riding few rides at the Magic Kingdom....

Pictures from the Night Parade.........

Cinderella's Castle at night............

Monday @ Animal Kingdom & Downtown Disney

We stayed up way too late. The three of us did not want to get up this morning, but we had to. We already had breakfast reservations at Animal Kingdom with some of the characters. So, go to bed around 2 AM & get up at 7:30 AM! Wow! It was a short night! Anyway, we had breakfast & then we did a little wondering around the park. We rode a safari ride & also saw a Pocahontas show. Zoe sweet talked her daddy into getting her a Pocahontas outfit since she didn't have that particular princess dress-up at home. We left Animal Kingdom in the early afternoon & ended up taking about a 3 hour nap in our room back at the resort. Then, we boarded the Disney Resort bus & went to Downtown Disney. It is basically a lot of shops. Zoe was loving it because she was made over by her Fairy-Godmother-in-Training Chantel at the Bobbidi Bippidi Boutique. Zoe chose to be Belle. Once she was finished we walked around, bought some souvenirs, ate supper, etc. It wasn't a late night because as you can imagine, we were very tired from the night before!

This is the Tree of Life & what you see as soon as you walk into the park!

Breakfast with the characters at Animal Kingdom:

Safari Donald Duck giving Zoe a squeeze!

Mickey Mouse signing an autograph for Zoe!

Goofy always acting silly!

Our pictures from the safari ride............

Misc. pictures.....

From the Jungle Book!

Zoe pointed this out to us. Isn't this cool?

And here's the finished product!

The Pocahontas show..............

Our own little Pocahontas!!!!!!!!!!!

Zoe being made into Belle by her Fairy Godmother-in-Training Chantel at Downtown Disney....

Our Princess at the Harley Davidson store at Downtown Disney...........