The Henderson Family: 2008

Monday, December 22, 2008

Merry Christmas to Delaney and Katie from Mom and Dad

For the girls' Christmas present this year, we decided to redo their bedroom. Delaney, being 5, is kind of outgrowing her toddler bed. We got the girls new furniture-white bunkbeds and white dressers, painted the walls pink, with a blue window inlet, and Disney Princess theme. The only thing missing still is the Cinderella fathead-which can't go on until the paint is about 30 days old. So-I'll add that picture next month! :) Thanks for Pete and Joe's extremely hard work to get the room done in about 48 hours! WELL DONE! The girls LOVE their room!!!

Disney...Friday

Friday was our last day. We slept in, got breakfast at the hotel, packed up, checked out, got tattoos, and played in the arcade. This was a GREAT vacation...and we want to thank Grammy and Poppy for all they did for us to make it possible. We all had a blast. The girls were filled magic and fun, and although they are young, I'm sure they'll carry some memories with them as they get older. Pete and I really appreciated the trip. We had a great time, and loved every minute of it...even when the girls were throwing fits or fighting!! XOXO

Disney...Thursday

On Thursday we had a fun suprise for the girls. We had breakfast in the hotel and then headed to Magic Kingdom. The girls got to meet Pinnochino, Daisy, and Snow White. After that, Grammy and I took them to the Bippidi, Boppodi Boutique for Delaney's birthday party/celebration/present. Here they were able to pick out their own princess dress, shoes, and crown/wand. The girls got in their new dresses after their "fairy godmother" came. Then they were taken to the salon part, where they had their hair, makeup, and nails done. Kate sat SOOO well, and was so quiet! Delaney was wonderful in the chair. Everytime she knew her picture was being taken, though, she'd throw in a silly pose. After that, they had professional pictures taken. Then, since they were all "princess," it was time to head to Cinderella's Royal Palace for lunch. Here they met Cinderella, Aurora, Jasmine, Belle, and Snow White. Delaney even got a cake and we sang "Happy Birthday" to her. After lunch we went on some rides in Mickey's Toon Town. Katie really liked Goofy's roller coaster. Then the grandparents, Mommy, and Kate went back to Fantasyland to ride on Peter Pan and It's a Small World, while Delaney and Daddy went to the Speedway and the TeaCup ride. After that, Poppy and Delaney as well as Daddy and Katie went on the Speedway. Then Pete and I left, while Poppy took the girls on the TeaCup ride. We went to Epcot to shop and have dinner in "Japan." The grandparents took the girls to one last character meal at Goofy's Liberty Tree/Tavern. There they met Pluto, Goofy, Minnie, and Dale (from Chip and Dale).

Disney...Wednesday

On Wednesday we went to Hollywood Studios. We walked through for a while, then headed to the Pixar section. Sadly the line for the Woody ride was over 2 hours, and the FastPass wasn't until after 8pm! So-the girls and I stood in line to meet Woody and Buzz, then we all went to the Narnia attraction. After that we went to lunch at the 50's Prime Time Cafe. The girls loved "Uncle Tom," especially Kate. She kept laughing at all of his jokes (like him being Goofy's brother, Silly). After lunch, Delaney made a wish by throwing a penny in the water...and she wished for a baby brother. Then Poppy, Daddy, and Delaney went on the Star Wars ride, while Grammy, Mommy, and Katie went to the Muppets 3-D show. After that we all went to the "Honey, I Shrunk the Kids" playground. The girls played in there for a good hour, then we headed back to...MAGIC KINGDOM (while Grammy and Poppy headed to the hotel). At Magic Kingdom we met Rafiki, Jasmine, and the Genie. Then we went on Pirates of the Carribean ride, followed by Pete taking Delaney on Splash Mountain. Kate and I--both who can't ride that one, ate our popsicles then played at a playground. After that, we headed back to Fantasyland, where we went on It's a Small World again. By this time, the parade was due to start really soon. Pete took Katie on Snow White, while Delaney and I found a good spot to check out the parade. The girls LOVED the parade, as well as watching the lighting of the castle. After that, we headed back to the hotel...as the girls had a BIG suprise awaiting them on Thursday.

Disney...Tuesday

Tuesday we spent the whole day at Epcot. We started with a breakfast in "Norway" with several princesses. The girls got to meet Belle, Aurora, Jasmine, Mary Poppins, and Mulan. Delaney showed Mary Poppins the drawing she made of her while waiting at the airport early Sunday morning. Katie told Mary Poppins that Mario Party is her favorite game. The food was delicious and the company was great. After that we went back to the front of Epcot to check out "The Sea." There we went on the Nemo ride, walked through the aquarium part, and played in the shark's mouth. After that, the World Showcase was open, so we went to Mexico and back to Norway to go on those two rides. Realizing the long walk and the possible boredom of the girls, we headed out of the World Showcase, and to a splash pad. That could've kept the girls entertained for hours! They had a blast there. After that we went to the "United Kingdom" to look for some Henderson Plaid stuff. We didn't find much. Walking around helped the girls dry off a little bit. We then went to "The Land" and Poppy, Daddy, and Delaney went on "Soarin'" while Grammy, Mommy, and Kate went on "Living with the Land." Afterwards, Pete tried to get Delaney on a few bigger rides, but she was too short. We went to Imagination, and the girls got new (Epcot) shirts. We went shopping and relaxed for a bit, then it was time for dinner at Coral Reef. After dinner, we all headed back to the hotel and Pete took the girls swimming in the pool.

Sunday, December 21, 2008

Disney...Monday

On Monday we ventured to Animal Kingdom. We met a ton of characters, the girls went on a safari with Daddy and Poppy, we had some lunch, had fun in Dinoland, and saw "It's Tough to be a Bug." Then we went to Magic Kingdom...had dinner with Pooh, Tigger, Eeyore, and Piglet at the Crystal Palace, watched some fireworks, then went back on Peter Pan, Snow White and the Carousel...then tried the Winnie the Pooh ride. It was a fun, busy day! Girls were ready to pass out soon after getting back to the hotel!

Delaney is eight and she is starting to really grow up on us. She is smart and caring, sensitive and competitive. She is great with her siblings; such a wondeful big sister. She loves school and reading, but not as much as playing video games and running around outside. She is in ballet for the 5th year and she is hoping to start baseball this spring.

She hate scary movies and noises and is afraid of the dark. She loves nature and all things animals. I'm surprised she hasn't asked to not eat meat. She likes jokes and tries her hardest to fit in. She knows how to push people's buttons, but also knows how to really be there for someone who is hurting. She is amazing at video games, but gets frustrated with them too.

She does well in school-both with behavior and academics. She loves Brownies and has many friends. She has the desire and determination to learn and try everything--academic, sports, etc. Just not all tv and movies.

Katie is now six and starting first grade. She is quite the young lady. She is funny and smart and sassy and determined. She can be so supportive and nice and helpful, yet also stubborn and angry. She knows what she wants and how she wants it, and is not always willing to have it any other way. She loves to cuddle and be around others. She enjoys books, tv, and Barbies. Her favorite show is Glee and she often plays Glee (pretend, that is). She loves scary things like Harry Potter and roller coasters and very kid-friendly things like Pokemon and Blue's Clues.

She is all girl...with her skirts and dresses, playing dress up, loving the color pink, and Barbies. However, don't be surprised if you find her climbing a tree or wrestling with the neighbor. Her vocabulary is amazing, but not as much as her imagination. Her favorite foods are nutella and jelly sandwiches, butter noodles, yogurt, and apples. What is she most looking forward to this year? Learning how to read.

Rowena is three and is getting so mature! Her language, vocabulary, and speech is amazing, and it's almost like it developed over night! She asks questions and will tell you how it is. She is funny and she cracks us up. She loves to watch TV and movies and it is surprising the various genres she will pay attention to for long periods of time. She loves to "play toys" and it is fun to watch her play pretend and make the toys talk and walk. She's getting very good at video games--Mario Party on GameCube is her favorite right now. She also loves to cook and bake.

She's excited to start school in the fall. She knows her alphabet and can identify some letters with words. She can count to 14 and then skips to 17. She can also recognize her numbers too. She loves to play games; some of her favorites are Candyland, Go Fish, and SkipBo. She loves crafts, going for walks, and playing at the park. She loves her friends, and even more-her siblings. She wants to do everything her sisters do, and help Charlie whenever possible. She can be very sweet and loving yet fiesty and determined.

Charlie is one. Can you believe it? We can't either! He's walking and climbing and loves to get into things. He loves cords, and drapes them around his neck like a scarf. He likes to climb onto the table and then just smiles at you. He knows when things are off-limits and will wait until you are watching before he starts, just to hear you say, "no, no, Charlie" then he'll smile and walk away. He loves to tease and play tag. He lovs swings and slides, and being outside. He laughs and cries and that's about all you hear from him.

The boy loves to eat and enjoys his milk or juice. He's tiny and quiet, but he is ever so sweet and fun. We love our Little Charlie Boo-Boo.