Dozeman Vacation Day 7

Dozeman Vacation Day 7

Today we went to Legoland! The big boys were the most excited because they are big fans of Lego. We had a bit of a drive so the kids played on their electronics. Anna insisted on wearing her hoodie while cuddling her new Minnie doll and also enjoying a snack and drinking her milk. I had to admire her multi-tasking. 

We weren’t sure what to expect from Legoland. Overall, we were less than impressed with the rides and the general entertainment, but the atmosphere was great and they had a lot for the kids to do. We, on the other hand, were not the ones to impress. The kids thought the place was great. They enjoyed seeing all their favorite characters and the fact that so many things were made of Lego was an added bonus for them. The joy for them made it worth the trip. I think we were maybe one year too soon for the twins but overall it was a fun day.

The highlight of the trip, for the big boys, was winning these ridiculously large Pokemon stuffed animals in a game of skill. They begged Mike to play and I admit, I let them beg him thinking there was no way they would win. Now we have two giant stuffed animals we have to cart home. But hey, they're happy, right? 

There’s not much else to say about the rest of our day. We went home and I made spaghetti. Then the kids went swimming. The water seemed colder today so I didn’t get in. Mike did. No matter what the temperature, the kids always get in. We ate, swam and then it was time for bed. Tomorrow is our last full day or vacation. We may take it easy and hang around the resort and see what there is to do. I think they have a bigger pool and play area. We may check that out. 

Dozeman Vacation Day 6

Dozeman Vacation Day 6

The Griswold’s left this morning around 10 a.m. It was a sad morning when we had to say good bye. They had fun and they were excellent partners in this crazy vacation life. We will miss them.

After they left, we were kind of lost for a bit trying to figure out what we wanted to do. We thought about Gatorland, but decided against it because there isn’t much to do besides see gators and I’ve seen enough of those to last me a lifetime. The kids might enjoy it, but not enough for the money. We then decided to try and check out a Petting Zoo. It had great reviews and it sounded like a good place.

We had lunch at Olive Garden first, which took forever, but then we made our way to the Petting Zoo. We arrived a short 15 minutes later and decided against going in. We’re not sure what the reviews were talking about. The place looked creepy. It was also completely empty. The website made it look like a hopping place but in reality, it was kind of run down and looked dead. For $20-$25 per person, we decided it wasn’t worth the money. We headed to Disney Springs instead.

About a half hour later, we arrived in Disney Springs. We wandered around the area and looked in the stores and had a nice time looking around. Anna found a Minnie stuffed animal she fell in love with. Andrew picked a Mickey toy that wasn’t stuffed but was more like a mini action figure. Henry bought a Star Wars Porg (it looks like an Owl but Henry says its name is Fluffy) stuffed animal. Gabe decided to go with a Minecraft Lego set from the Lego store. Everyone had something they were happy with.

We decided to have a round of ice cream before we left and enjoyed a few large sundaes together. The kids are not thrilled with sharing sundaes but they’re starting to get used to it. With so many of them and just the two of us, it’s impossible to get individual ice creams and divvy them out like we usually do. We don’t have enough hands. Instead we’ve been getting larger sundaes and splitting them. It’s been working but the kids are adjusting to the idea. We may have spoiled them a bit =)

Anyways, after ice cream, we headed back to the house and went swimming! It was nice to go back in the pool after a long day of running around. We were just getting in the pool when we heard the wonderful news that Steve and Carmen are getting MARRIED! We received a call and we couldn’t be more excited for them. May 2018, we’re going to a wedding!

The rest of the evening was pretty low key. We ordered pizza for dinner and got the kids to bed at a decent hour for once. Mike and I will watch movies and go to bed on time. Tomorrow we plan to visit Legoland. Wish us luck. We’re hoping it’s nothing like Disney World, crowd wise!

Dozeman/Griswold Vacation Day 5

Dozeman/Griswold Vacation Day 5

Today we took it easy and slept in. After a crazy day at Disney, we were exhausted. Everyone enjoyed a few extra hours of sleep. After we were well rested, we decided to head to the beach. 

Aimee has never been and of course, we have to go to the beach so she can see if first hand!

We chose Daytona Beach and the day was about the best we could hope for under the circumstances. It was super windy and chilly, but the water was swimmable. Maybe 68 degrees or so. Not freezing, but not exactly warm either. The kids just jumped in, but the adults were a little more cautious. I was no thrilled to go in at all. Cold water is not my cup of tea.

We had a lot of fun looking for shells, dancing in the waves, playing in the sand and enjoying the weather for about an hour. That was all we could take of the cold water. Then we left and on our way out, we stopped for ice cream. The kids were so cold, they were actually shaking while they ate their ice cream! I would feel bad, but they wanted that ice cream bad enough they ate them like little addicts for sugar.

After ice cream, we headed back to the car and headed home. The drive home was slow going. So slow in fact it was almost frustrating. We hit rush hour traffic through Orlando and traffic jams throughout. It was almost twice as long to get home as to get there. Stop and go, stop and go. By the time we got home, we were all exhausted again.

Once the kids were in bed and settled down, Mike and I enjoyed the hot tub for awhile. It was nice to sit in a warm tub of water and just relax after a stressful few hours of driving! Aimee brought monitors so we can hear whether or not the kids are stirring and that helps a lot.

Rich and Aimee would have joined us in the hot tub but they had to pack and get ready to go home in the morning. They have to get back for Christmas and work. We’ve had so much fun with them we’re really going to be sad to see them go. It’s been a fun Dozeman/Griswold vacation! I’m not sure what we’re going to do when it’s just a Dozeman vacation =( 

Dozeman/Griswold Vacation Day 4

Dozeman/Griswold Vacation Day 4

Bright and early, we were ready to go to Disney World! We were out the door by 8:30 a.m. We began our long trek to get to the parks and we were excited. It’s always a journey to get to the Magic Kingdom. First, you have to drive to the parking lot. Then you park. Then you get on the parking tram that takes you to the transportation center. Then at the transportation center you board either a boat or the monorail to get to the Magic Kingdom. This morning, we chose the boat. Then you drive or float on over to the MK.

Oh, I forgot to mention security. They check your bags now and you have to go through a metal detector so that increases the amount of time you’re just standing in line waiting to get into the park. After your bags are checked and you are approved to go into the park, you can buy your tickets. That’s another long line. Then you buy your tickets, then you can go on the boat or the monorail. Phew.

Once your at the MK, you still need to use your ticket to get in. That was another long line. By the time we went from house to the actual entrance of the park, it was an hour and a half. Absolutely frustrating. But, we have apparently picked a day that’s busier than most and that’s just the way things are. We can’t let it ruin our day. And we don’t.

We make our way to Tomorrowland and ride the People Movers ride where we see that Buzz Lightyear is out. We are excited to meet him, so we wait in line after the ride to meet him. All the kids were excited to meet Buzz, but I think Andrew was the cutest about it. He was upset when we left because he wanted to take Buzz home. I tried to explain that Buzz belonged to Andy but Andrew was insistent that the big Buzz needed a home. There were a few tears and necessary tugs to get him to walk away. It was only the promise that maybe later we will buy a littler Buzz that got him to walk away.

Next we made our way to Ariel’s Grotto to ride that so Abi could see one of her heroines. There was a longer line for that so we waited awhile but the kids did great. The ride was fun and Anna especially liked the ride. She kept looking for Ariel on every other ride we went on after that point. I may need to let her watch The Little Mermaid again at some point.

After Ariel, it was getting to be lunchtime and the park was just crazy crowded. We decided we would head back to the house for awhile and see if the crowds would disperse later on in the evening. Plus, it would give the kids a break and everything. On our way out, the parade was just about to begin. We were lucky enough to get a really good viewing area towards the front of the park since we were on our way out. The kids all got to see their favorite characters go by and I think it was a highlight of the morning!

We made the hike back to the car. All the way back on the monorail, through the transportation center, through the tram and finally through the parking lot. Then we headed home. We had sandwiches and lunchables for lunch at home. The kids were able to take a nice swim while Aimee and I put lasagnas in the oven for dinner later. The swimming lasted awhile and I think the kids enjoyed it immensely. It’s been one of their favorite things about being here so far. Swimming, swimming, swimming. The weather is about perfect for it. Highs in the 80s and the heated pool make it just fine for we Michiganders.

After swimming and dinner of lasagna, we headed back to the park. We made the same ridiculous trek as before and it took just as long to get into the park. We were disappointed that the crowds hadn’t died down as much as we hoped, but the sun wasn’t as hot, and the lines were still less long than before. We would take it. We rode the Pirates of the Caribbean, the Haunted Mansion, It’s a Small World, and Buzz Lightyear’s ride. After that, we were pooped. We started our journey back home weary travelers. Poor Gabe almost fell asleep on the boat. It wasn’t quite the day we hoped for, but it was still fun with great company and we didn’t lose any children. Considering the crowds and how much was going on, that’s a feat in itself!