snack time

bananas anyone?

Creativity

These pictures were taken over a month ago but the kids pulled out the train table drawers and made a fort. Griffin was content to hang out under the table and Sydney kept adding more stuff to the collection. I am so glad my kids play well together (most of the time) and that they are creative!

Trip

Here are the last photos from the trip.

Fun flower arrangement, do you see Mickey?

Val being silly, buried under our heavy binder

Me being silly, so heavy I can hardly lift


sunrise-view off our balcony

pretty view- peaceful

Val on the phone and carrying a scan tron and test around Downtown Disney

Mickey at our resort

conference room where we spent all our time

me sitting in lecture

Val

We did have a great week despite all the work. My goal is to read through my binder one time before taking the exam, hopefully in March.

We did go to Cirque Du Soleil, La Nouba one night and it was amazing. I had no idea what to expect but I think I sat for 1.5 hours with my mouth open in awe. Check it out here.

Citrico's

A section of the Grand Floridian

so different from our resort, very ornate and elegant

Citrico's in one of the restaurants on the property

Val and I shared an appetizer- shrimp with feta and tomatoes and then the Braised Veal Shank - With carrot-potato puree, toasted citrus gremolada and roasted veggies- yummy! I do believe it is the first time I have ever had veal.



Val's dessert


My tiramasu

very delicious and rewarding after a long day of lectures

Bill and the kids were still doing very well. I talked to Sydney each day at least once and she was happy as a bug-being spoiled by daddy. Bill would put the phone to Griffin and he said he was mesmerized but he did not talk back to me. I missed them terribly but was so busy that I really never had a moment to be sad.

Valentine's Day

Monday was Valentine's Day. We got up at 5:45 each day to get to the conference center each day and grab fruit, bagel and coffee before lectures started at 7. This week was INTENSE to put it lightly. A few days ended at 5:30 but some went until 6:05. We had a two hour test to complete each night on a scan tron sheet! I have not filled in those little bubbles on a scan tron in forever. So picture this Val and I riding Disney buses and the monarail reading our tests and filling in bubbles with number 2 pencils! It is true and I have pictures to prove it. Most nights as soon as we got out of class we checked in with our families and then started our test until it was time to head to our dinner reservation and then we worked on the test until the food came and then did more of the test riding back to the hotel! We would crash into bed at 11 sometimes 12 which is way later than we ever go to bed at home. We were mentally exhausted. We ate out every night except for one and we did the best to enjoy a few moments over our food.

I love food and cooking so I kept track of things- also I wanted to write everything down in the restaurant journal Bill and I keep.

Kouzzina Spreads - Harissa Yogurt, Kalamata Fig, Chickpea Hummus, eggplant spread...I cannot recall the others- very fun and yummy! Val ordered a pork dish and we shared and it was delicious!




I ordered the Pastitsio - Greek Styled Lasagna with Bucatini Pasta, Cinnamon-stewed Meat sauce and Bechamel - it was good but had a bit of sweetness to the sauce.

Since it was Valentine's and I love chocolate I ordered a molten cake!



Kouzzina is owned by Cat Cora who is on Food Network!

First Night

This is the Spa at the Grand Floridian

Val and I both got an amazing 1 hour massage and then enjoyed the sauna and hot tub. We drank hot tea and relaxed.
In hindsight we should have scheduled our massage on the last afternoon and stayed an extra day but as it was Sunday was the only relaxing evening we were able to enjoy.

Dinner at Narcoossee's! Actually this was drinks after dinner

Val being funny over her dinner

we both had surf and turf with potatoes and broccolini



Yummy! Since we rarely go out to eat I am always shocked by prices and think it is insane but food is paid by our CME money so we enjoyed! I cannot recall the last time I had lobster. We also shared a delicious brie appetizer. The restaurant was circular and all windows looking out over the water. Disney does fireworks every night at 8? It was beautiful.
The end to a long day of traveling and the beginning of an even longer week of class.

Home

I'm Home! So I will take your through my week over the coarse of this week.

Isn't this sign fun? It was hanging outside our hotel, the Disney Contemporary Resort!

Sydney pulling my suitcase for me. It only weighed 38 lbs.


Daddy with a sick boy. Griffin of course came home from daycare on Friday with a bad cold. Him being sick made it hard to leave. At the last minute I had to go over extra stuff with Bill, for instance a refresher course on taking a rectal temp, tylenol and motrin dosage ecetra.

Escalator Fun!

We did better at saying goodbye than I thought we would. There were no tears, I didn't think the kids would cry but I thought I would since I was tearing up all week just thinking of being away.

This is the view over the balcony from our room in the Contemporary-the gift shop.

bathroom

tv area

desk

beds

Our hotel from across the water at the Grand Floridian

Once we arrived in Orlando we had to ride a Disney bus to the resort and get checked in. Val and I grabbed a quick sandwich and hopped on the monorail and rode over to the Grand Floridian and literally ran to our spa appointment.

more to come.....

Sydney's Art

Everyday when I pick Sydney up from daycare she has a folder full of papers. Sydney loves to draw, color, cut and craft. These are three of her pictures from this past week. I think they are beautiful. We always have artwork all over the house and I just love it. I save a lot of her work but man oh man the file is going to be thick because she makes so many beautiful pictures. I love her creative side and her imagination.

lip licking good

Griffin loves pudding and must lick the cover like his sister. So cute.

reading

Happy Valentine's Day

Kiss someone you love!

Valentines

I love homemade Valentines. Sydney made these and several more for the kids in her class. She loves to use my stamps and punches. So sweet