Ally-gator Turns 4!

About a week ago the alligator walk finally re-opened (it's been closed since the hurricane because they had to repair a bunch of damage), so we went to find some gators. There weren't a ton out because it was kind of dry, but we saw a couple. This guy (above) is in the background of the photo below. We were probably about 7-8 feet away from him. He was just little, though.

We saw quite a few turtles.

We brought a stroller for Colby, but he thinks he's a big boy, so he kept wanting to walk with dad.

On Friday Ally turned 4! She's been waiting and waiting for her birthday, and she was so excited that it was finally here. She wanted to open her presents first thing in the morning.

She's been eyeballing these boots at Walmart since before Christmas, so she was super excited to finally get them for her birthday from Grandma Karen. She also got a pair of rainboots from Grandpa Rich and Grandma KD, and I'm pretty sure she'll switch between the two pairs from now until she can't squeeze her feet into them anymore. This girl LOVES boots, and wants to wear them all. the. time.

She wanted an Anna and Elsa cake, but let's face it: I can't do that! So I convinced her to go for Olaf instead. It's still Frozen, and he's way easier to make! I thought it turned out pretty good, and Ally loved it.

We invited some of her friends to come swim and have cake on Saturday at the pool, and she had a blast!

Disney World

Several months ago we planned to go to Disney World March 5-9 because we were planning to move over Spring Break the following week. However, when we made the switch to New Mexico and decided to build a house, we realized we wouldn't be able to move over Spring Break...but we'd already planned the trip to Disney World, so we went anyway. Kylee and Skyler were extra happy because that means they got out of school for TWO weeks!

Colby was finally tall enough to try the race cars. He didn't love it!

Skyler usually sleeps on the floor when we go places, but when we arrived at our hotel we realized that we had forgotten his sleeping bag (it was packed, but when we tried to leave our car battery was dead, so stuff had to get unpacked, and it apparently didn't get back in), so all three older kids had to sleep on one full size bed all week. They did great! Kylee and Ally slept on the pillows like normal, and we had Skyler lay across the bottom of the bed.

Everyone always loves brushing the goats at the Animal Kingdom petting zoo, and they loved the dinosaur play yard as well.

At Epcot they were doing their Spring topiary/flower exhibits, so there were some really cool bushes to look at.

The one below is a Buzz Lightyear bush. It was Skyler's favorite.

 While Andy I Kylee were on Space Mountain I discovered that you CAN cram 4 people into one Dumbo. Just in case anyone ever wondered about that...

Skyler and Kylee went on Tower of Terror with me. Skyler was terrified, but he knows he gets to choose a toy from the Dollar Store if he tries a new scary ride, so he was willing to do it once. And once was enough. He didn't want to go again!

Random Photos

Once every 3 months or so I finally get around to downloading the photos from my phone onto my computer. I always have a TON. I should really get a phone that has a good camera...but I'm too cheap to buy a new phone, so sorry these aren't great quality!

At Christmas our kids and some of their friends decided to put on a presentation of The Nutcracker. It took place at the neighbor's house, and the kids even work costumes. Ally was the sugar plum fairy, Kylee was Clara, and Skyler was a soldier. When he said he needed a soldier costume I was like, "Um...I don't know what that would look like." He put on his black pants and red shirt and told me I had to make yellow circly buttons out of paper. I made three. Then he was like, "Mom. You have to have 6. Cuz they have to go in two rows." Ah, got it! He always has this picture in his head of what things should look like, and he just has to explain it to me! Notice the other kid that was a soldier wore camo. I guess he had a different interpretation of "soldier" than Skyler did! :)

One day I asked Skyler to do something, and I told him I would pay him $1 if he did it. He did, but then I realized I didn't have a dollar. So I said, "You can either have a dollar or this little notebook I have in my purse." He chose the notebook, and then proceeded to draw this picture. "This is me combing your hair mom. Cuz that makes you happy." He is the sweetest kid!

When the kids are at school and Ally gets bored, she likes to "play dressup" with Colby...

Did I already post this one? Don't remember. When it got really cold in January (apparently the coldest January in 30 years!), we got creative with bedtime outfits!

One Friday in January we woke up super early and made a day-trip to DisneyWorld. The kids were surprised and excited!

People Movers is still a favorite ride for all the kids...

Ally will NEVER take a nap anymore. Never. Even if she is super tired and it's clear that she really needs one. But one day she was eating lunch and suddenly I realized she was really quiet. Yep. Asleep on her CHAIR. Cuz that's comfortable!

When we went to New Mexico this is the drink they gave me on the flight. Japanese Coke! I can see getting this on an international flight, but we were flying from Florida to Texas. Kind of weird, and cool!

In New Mexico Colby and Andy checked out the children's section of the library to make sure it was going to be a fun place to move to!

The kid museum here in Naples switched out their China exhibit, and it is now baseball. Ally became Rookie of the Year for...the ?Boston Redsocks?

Once the weather warmed up again (for a few days...then it got cold again...what a bummer for our last winter here!) Colby discovered that he loves the pool!

For Valentine's Day Skyler decided he wanted a lighthouse box. He was very particular about how I needed to make it, and sat with me the whole time, telling me what to do next. Kylee made a yellow submarine box all by herself, and I thought I had a picture of it, but I apparently do not. I know I took some because I remember getting both the front (with the person driving) and the back (with the propellor)...but where did they go....!?

We went to Free Zoo Day in February and there were a gazillion turtles in the pond, so we fed them.

Skyler and Ally did sidewalk chalk one day, and Colby wanted to "help".

He sat in the middle of the pictures and got super messy. But he thought it was sooo fun, and the other kids just laughed with him.

Around Valentine's Day the kids went to a treat/craft activity at the library, and made lots of yummy treats!

When my family was here, Connie and Sugi went to DisneyWorld for a couple of days and left their youngest kiddo with us. He's just a month older than Colby, so it was fun! He rode in our tiny wagon...

...and had fun at the kid museum.

Con, Tiff, and Me. Can and Rin missed out! Would've been fun to have everyone at the beach together!

One morning we went to the beach and my brother-in-law, Todd, caught this baby shark with his bare hands. Cool! And YUCK.

Skyler became Rookie of the Year for "The P Team". I don't have any idea what team this is, but he picked it because he likes the letter P, I guess?

Kylee was the All-Star for...whatever team this is?

More kid museum fun. Ally made a beanstalk with real magic beans...

...and wore humongous boots into the igloo.

That's about it. More random photos coming up in another 3-4 months!