Opening the Disney Store...

Finally, there was a free day in school that was not a vacation for everyone and I saw it as a chance to get Kimi for a small fun adventure… 

I decided to let her experience being the Disney's special key holder for the day. We bought some breakfast and camped out a bit outside the Disney Store to make sure we were the first one out there.

* Key fit for the BIG lock

* If the Key fits...

* A Special Souvenir

* Photo Opportunity

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DISNEY STORE

Metropolis at Metrotown

Burnaby, B.C.

Cars Land 2013

Last time we came here in Disneyland, the Cars Land was still under construction and Kenzo was left home because he got sick a day before the flight. This time was perfect for Kenzo as he is a bit bigger and his favourite, Disney Cars, is now open.

* Banners that made Kenzo stop and stare ;)

We decided to do Disney only for this vacation and secure ourselves with a 4 Day One Park Per Day Ticket which turned out cheaper than the 3 Day Park Hopper. We got them through West Jet wherein we got a package together with the flight and hotel. We divided our 5 days stay to 1 day solely for spending time with our friends, 2 days for Disneyland and 2 days for California Adventure.

Travelling with kids means there will always be things that will happen that is out of the plan. Such as the case on this trip. Kenzo was not himself when we went to Cars Land and we knew that something was amiss. We decided to get a hotel doctor to see him which cost more than his whole trip's total :(. It was effective though and he was okay by next day and the culprit was his ear got congested during the plane's take off and his cold aggravated the situation which resulted to a fever as well. We are still keeping our fingers crossed that one of our travel insurance will cover a part or if we are lucky, the whole cost of it.

Kenzo was not himself the first day of our California Adventure but he still managed to go closer for a peek at some his favourite cars...

* Little Fan getting starstruck

* This is a replica of a scene background in Cars Movie :)

* Must take a picture here... Poor Kenzo looks ready to sleep

... the medicine finally got to him and he slept while we explored more of the Cars Land and more with Kimi...

* Getting Goofy with the Cones...

As for the last day, Kenzo was himself again and we were back to running after him as we went back to California Adventure for our second to the last day in L.A.

Since our little guy is in tiptop shape (almost), we decided to go for the rides and took our time to fall in line and get our pictures taken with the Cars...

We did the magic morning this time and go for the Tow Mater Ride... Mater's Junkyard Jamboree. It spins like the tea cup ride but way cooler with your own Tow Mater. Kenzo was so happy and screaming gleefully throughout the ride, so did Kimi. It was well worth the wait...

* Mater's Junkyard Jamboree

* Kimi and me as partners for the Tow Ride

We used up the time taking pictures all the way to the front of the line...

* Kimi and Kenzo

* Kenzo with Kimi

After the ride, it was Tow Mater doing pictorial near the Cozy Cone Motel...

* More pictures while in line

* Tow Mater :)

* Kimi was Here...

* ... so was Kenzo :-)

... there was a commotion and sirens which meant that RED was nearby!

* Here we go again...

* A picture near RED which I saw from Cars Movie

* and more pictures

One of the popular ride was the Luigi's Flying Tire which was really looooooong... We got there early so we started lining up

* A picture outside

* Cars Memorabilia inside the Luigi's Flying Tire 

which also serves as a line up guide

There was a mock up Flying Tire for pictorial purposes near the line going into the real ride...

* Family Cheese!

* Kimi and Hubby :)

* * * * *

CALIFORNIA ADVENTURE

Anaheim, California

June 2013

Disney on Ice: Dare to Dream

It was a show for the little princesses...

Disney on Ice's, Dare to Dream

Hubby and Kenzo dropped us off at PNE for our Girl date.

* Kimi and Kenzo bonding at the backseat

We had time to kill and decided to go around and look at all the stuffs that are selling from food and drinks to Disney Merchandise related to the show.

* Dare to Dream Poster

Soon, the others came and Kimi gets more excited as she sees familiar faces coming in, she didn't know that a lot of her friends are going to be her seatmate that night.

* Little Audience

As soon as the lights closed, the kids was silent and watching intently. There was the occasional burst of excitement with each transition between princesses and some sang their hearts out as soon as they heard the familiar tune but overall, these is the best behavior I've seen the kids in together. (lol!)

* Intent on the show

* A Spectacle- Must See!

* * * * *

DISNEY ON ICE: DARE TO DREAM

November 25, 2012

Pacific National Exhibition

Vancouver, B.C.

Disney Cars for Justin's 3rd

Eventually, a little guy will either be interested in Cars, Thomas or both...

Justin's time has come and he is interested in Cars this year, which prompted him to Mommy G for a Disney Cars Party. Of course, kids his age has more energy so it was more than fitting to celebrate the birthday with gymnastic session in between meals. 

* Justin's (Cup)Cake made especially by Roselle

First part of the party was spent in the Gym... The kids had the time of their lives getting a personal gymnastic session with two personnel from Phoenix Gymnastic.

I got my ever-reliable handy camera to take a snapshots of the party...

* Kimi by the bars...

* Carmi and Kenzo enjoying the cube foam pit

* Daredevil Kenzo going heads first down the slide

...by 6 pm, the kids were ushered in to have their meal, BUT, the traditional birthday song first!

* Birthday Boy right in the center...

* Kiddos ready to sing the traditional song

* If Papa Warren and Mama Glenda are Car characters... 

...and the nice loots we get to take home, complete with personalized tags made lovingly by Papa Warren

* Kenzo's Car Box

* Kimi's Kitty Box

...clean up session, the two kids were having a bonding among themselves

* Mac and Kenzo

...thanks to Charlie for doing a great video to remember the event by...

* Charlie's Video

...and a picture of the mommies who are there for one another through Good and Bad times...

Cheers to the best mommy friends in Vancouver, Canada! :)

* (L-R) Sarah, Joy, Glenda, Mel and Jo

* * * * *

Vancouver Phoenix Gymnastics
4588 Clancy Loranger Way  Vancouver, BC V5Y 4B6

* * * * *

HAPPY 3rd BIRTHDAY 

JUSTIN

Thanks Warren and Glenda

for a great get together :)

Finally Tangled... Birthday- the Montessori School Way

Ever since Kimi watched Tangled, she had decided upon herself that her birthday will be Tangled and proceeded to tell anyone who'd listen that she is going to have a Tangled party.

My dilemma is that both kid's birthday fall on the same month and is just two weeks apart. The combined party was finally scheduled for Kimi's exact birth date but the theme we agreed upon was unisex because it was only fair to Kenzo since it was technically his birthday too. Fortunately, Kimi agreed and it was settled. 

I was a bit guilty about trying to change the theme that Kimi has wanted months before so I decided to throw her a simple party in school just so she can have her own birthday to speak of. I told her teacher this week that I planned to bring in some foods and some gift bags for the kids in school.

Burnaby Montessori prides itself in being a sugar-free and peanut-free school. There goes the cupcakes and anything sweet to make the kids "sugar-happy" and I had to think of something easy for little hands to hold and something sweet but is sugar-free and looks good in the platter to make it appetizing for the kids. Knowing how handy I am in the kitchen, I decided to make my life easier and just stayed away from cooking and prepared something that is easy and requires cutting only.

* Birthday celebrant all ready for school

* Meatball courtesy of my mother in law

Easy to put inside the mouth and not messy at all :) PERFECT!

* Bejeweled Pick

I tried to put in some details of the Tangled element in this simple party with a jeweled pick for the platters

* Fruit and Sausage in Pastry Platter courtesy of Daddy and Mommy

I didn't realize that the Montessori has it's way of celebrating a birthday. I left the food and my camera for the teachers to take a picture of the event. I was surprised to get a picture with Kimi carrying a globe.  What was that all about. It looks weird and Kimi came home telling me snippets from the celebration which I was not able to puzzle together, so I went to research what tradition it was for birthday celebration to carry a globe. I found out that birthdays in Montessori Schools has their way of celebrating.

* Carrying globe and circling the candle

* still going around

* Almost there...

Montessori Way also varies a bit but basically the candle was placed at the center of the room. I was curious as to why there is a candle at the center and Kimi was going around it so I looked it up and found out that the candle signifies the sun and the reason why the celebrant was holding a globe going around is to signify the month of the years, a complete circle signify a year and she stops. 

According to Kimi, the class sings a song which according to her is "The Earth goes around the sun, the earth goes around the sun, the earth goes around the suuuuun..." , 1 clap for each age. Then the teacher will say, ...and Kimi turns 1. 

She was required to share her milestone for age 1 which she told me was "she was crawling that time..."

...and goes another trip around the candle for age 2 "I play with my shoti..." which the teacher thought was "Charlie".... I told Kimi to tell the teacher that shoti is a Chinese term for "Little Brother"

....and the last, age 3, "I started pre-school."

* SnackTime

I love the tradition wherein there is a bit of learning and sentiment incorporated into it.

I just wished I searched upon their way before and prepared some pictures and whatever is needed to make the Montessori way of celebrating really complete. I was completely caught off guard that there was another way to celebrate a birthday (toink!).  I guess I was not that prepared to do a school party and this was all fast planning but I was glad though to let Kimi experience the "Birthday- Montessori Way". Next year, I will try to ask the teacher if I can do the whole thing and witness it firsthand. My only regret is that I didn't leave my video camera which was tucked in my bag that time I left the goodies. I would have LOVE to see the event in person just so I can tell it as it really is and not relying from the recollection of Little Kimi.

* All in the class

I hoped the teachers was also included in the pictures... :)

As for the loot bag, I decided to go for Paper bag as a way to imitate the paper lantern in the Tangled movie and some personalized labels to make each bag much more special.

* Loot for the Boys

* Loot for the Girls

* * * * *

KIMIs 4TH BIRTHDAY

Burnaby Montessori

Nelson Branch, Burnaby

Canada