EuroDisney - the good, the bad, and the princesses!

Okay, first the good parts:
EuroDisney is REALLY big. Much bigger than I had anticipated!

A really good thing that we brought with us is the Mothercare Urban Detour. It can be a backpack-style childcarrier,

or a pushchair.

Either way, it's a really good thing to have.

The weather was good!

If you stay in a hotel affiliated to the park, you get to go in two hours early at 8:00am, so you can go on the busier rides when there's no queue.

Our cabin had two bedrooms, so we could keep normal bedtime routines.
And it had a fridge, kettle, and hob, so we could eat in the cabin when we wanted - tired children in restaurants are NO fun!

There was a lovely swimming pool with whirlpool, spa, slide, etc. just next to our cabin.

Okay, the bad bits:
EuroDisney is REALLY big. Much bigger than I had anticipated!

The food on the park is AWFUL! The food in the rest of France is superb, but not in Disneyland Paris. It's as though the French feel that seeing as fast food is going to be pretty horrible anyway, there's just no point making an effort!

The queues for a lot of things were REALLY long! You learn a whole new level of patience queueing with a four year old for almost an hour to meet a princess, only to find as you get near the front of the queue, there's a shift change and a princess whose picture and autograph you got yesterday, steps on to the stage!

There are still A LOT of people who smoke around children. Because it's outside there's no reason why they shouldn't (y'know, except the usual) but because there are so many people so closely packed together you can't get away from it. I don't like coming home with my clothes (and my children's clothes) smelling of smoke when we've been walking around outside all day!

The 8:00am pass was great, but it did mean no lie-ins for anyone!

Anyway, here are some pix;

A short trip back to my own childhood!

I've just found this on YouTube. Isn't it great?

A trip to the Zoo!

On Friday we went to the zoo!
We watched the Meercats,
And the otters,

And some very strange birds!
Then we went to the playground!
We did lots of climbing!
And tractor driving,
And sliding!

Then we went to the nicest (and most expensive!) garden centre on the way back home.
How can you not love a garden centre that has a children's cinema?
And lets you swing on the garden furniture!
It looks comfy, doesn't it?

Then, we picked Daddy up and went for sushi!
Phoebe likes to dissect her sushi. I don't know why. We've offered her sashimi, which she turns down. She likes her sushi, she just likes it separated!
Guy and Daddy drinking miso soup!

It's Phoebe's job to get the dishes we request off the conveyor belt for us.
She takes it very seriously!

Loving this song!

This says a lot about growing up!

What we do when the sun's shining!

We like to have a picnic-style dinner in the garden. The children have been playing in the sprinkler which is why they're in their swimming cossies.


I often come back to the laundry that I had left drying on the line, only to find it's been made into a camp!

And, best of all, we grew some butterflies from caterpillars and released them.



Nothing quite as up-lifting as watching butterflies fly free!

A graduation!

This week was Phoebe's graduation from Nursery.
I'll confess, I always thought these sorts of ceremonies were a bit unnecessary.
But we went along because it would be Phoebe's last chance to say goodbye to her friends, and the various and assorted nursery staff who have looked after her since she was 11 months old.

The people who I trusted to teach and entertain her, to care for her and control her, to feed her and change her nappy, to comfort her and cuddle her, and provide for all her needs for two mornings a week for three and a half years! And the children who have been her peers and whose social interaction has helped to shape the person she is now.

And suddenly, there was a lump in my throat.
Most of the children seemed caught up in the excitement of moving on to "big school".
This is N, Phoebe's best friend at Nursery, who is wise way beyond her years. She seemed to be the only child who realised what was being left behind, and burst into tears when it was her turn to collect her certificate.

However, certificates were duly distributed. Photographs were taken. Sandwiches and juice were consumed. Parents chatted. Children ran amok. And all ended happily.


Recently we went to a Mamma Mia themed engagement party. Captain Black looked like this:


I looked something like this; except with silver platform boots and three months pregnant!


Anyway, we won a Mamma Mia soundtrack CD for our costumes.
When we got back into the car after Phoebe's graduation this(it's at the top on the left of the page) was what started playing:


And I bawled!

Park pictures and some pregnancy questions

The weather here has been pretty horrible recently, heavy rain and surprisingly cold winds - welcome to another British summer!
But when the weather clears, out we go:-






I have some questions about this pregnancy;
Why am I so exhausted all the time? Is it just trying to entertain two small people, while growing a third? I'm taking vitamins and supplements, and although I'm a vegetarian, I have started eating more fish.

Why am I still getting so emotional/sick/insomniac even though I've passed the twelve week mark? Anyone out there have any advice for women who've previously had caesareans, but who want a minimum of medical involvement?

Okay, enough questions for now!
These were the only clothes I managed to find to wear to my friend's hen night on Saturday:


And for comedy value:
You may not be able to see Ken's golf ball stuck in this tree, but you can probably see the golf club he threw up to try and get it down -



It didn't work!