Tophams on Parade: Disney Cruise!

Last day of school. What did we come home from school to do? Pack up and leave (that evening) for the McDougle Family Disney Cruise! Yay!

The girls were SO EXCITED!

Since we wouldn't be flying into Orlando until about 11pm, Maliya and Rachel opted to travel in their PJ's.

We have missed a flight, before, and -let's just say- we will never do that again! So, we rushed, rushed, rushed and got to the gate...LONG before ANYONE else! The kids were good about keeping a cheery attitude while they waited in the airport. They played a whole lot of "fetch" and "chase" games with Hayden.

Hayden also enjoyed using the stroller as a walker!

Here we go!

Katie had a bit of a cold, so the flight was pretty painful on her ears. This was during the 15 minutes she was asleep and NOT screaming!

The decks outside the rooms on the boat were separated by these partitions. The kids discovered they could just slide right under them!

We dared Melanie to try...she ALMOST made it!

Here is our room, at night, with all the beds pulled out and a pack and play put up for us! Also, the towel creature and a little chocolate for each of us.

Our server was thoughtful enough to tie a napkin on Katie to protect her from the chocolate coating on her Mickey Ice Cream Bar.

'Away from home' also means 'away from our normal time-out-spot.' Katie landed herself on time-out on the deck. She was screaming for a while. I'm sure the other guests, who were trying to relax on their decks, loved it.

Maliya and Rachel were fighting over something. Rachel thought she would hold on to it with her teeth. One big yank from Maliya, and out came Rachel's tooth! HER FIRST LOST TOOTH! All fighting stopped, and was replaced with great excitement!

See her tongue in the new window of her mouth!

Formal night! Look at our little princesses!

I wish there was a way to turn these pictures around the right way...

Brian and Maliya found a great little spot for photo's, on their way back from a bathroom break.

Dinner time just took soooo long, each night. Hayden was going, going....

GONE!

The kids almost always chose these Mickey Mouse Ice Creams, for their desserts.

Someone gave our sleeping prince a little hat...

There was one night, where everyone made a drawing, and then they turned everyone's drawing into an animation, with all the drawings marching/dancing by. It was pretty awesome. Here are our drawings:

Kim drew one for Hayden, so he wouldn't be left out. :)

The ship had some interactive paintings, that the kids could do a few different scavenger hunts, with. They had to hold this badge up to activate the paintings, and then they would get a clue.

Fun pictures with statue Mickey!

...And with statue Minnie!

And another cute spot for pictures!

The kids were doing great at swimming around in the Mickey shaped pool on deck.

There was a princess Meet and Greet. SO MAGICAL!

Tianna is Katie's favorite princess (besides Elsa, of course). She was totally star struck at this event!

After the princess meet and greet, we saw Sophia upstairs, but we were too late to get pictures with her. Instead, we got pictures with Princess Minnie.

But Katie wanted nothing to do with Minnie. She loves Mickey and Minnie, but giant animals walking around the boat made her feel like this:

Dad talked Katie into a picture with Donald, only because A) he shook his tail feathers for her, and B) Dad stayed with her.

One night, the girls stayed up late to sing "Let It Go" at Karaoke. They rocked at karaoke!

At Grand Cayman Island, the weather was very, very wet! We ventured off the boat, anyway. The ship provided us with ponchos, and then we rode a ferry to land.

Since there wasn't much to do, in the rainy, rainy weather, we took a bus tour. Uncle Cameron tickling the girls on both sides!

One of the stops was at a Dolphin Farm. I've never been so close to dolphins before! It was so awesome!

In Jamaica, we went to a beach!

Hayden was not a fan, and stayed put on the towels the whole time.

He was not happy when a wet Brian tried to pick him up!

Brian went out and played with the girls in the ocean. He took Maliya and Rachel out to that floating trampoline, and did tricks with Katie on his shoulders.

My girls would LIVE at the beach, if they could. They are total beach bums!

Pirate night! Another creature, and gold coin chocolates.

We rearranged things so that all the kids were at a table together (that's not asking for chaos at all, right?). One of the waiters taught the kids to draw all over their table cloth! Wow, such a master piece! The launders on the ship must have magical powers, I think.

And we got to meet Elsa!!!!

Hayden, playing with the phone in our room.

Katie had a turn passing out at dinner...

Castaway Cay: Disney's Private Owned Island.
Brian started the day off doing a 5K with Cameron and Melanie!!! So fun! We tried to be there for him at the finish line, but were about 5 minutes too late! :(

A beautiful beach! It was about a million degrees, so the water was very nice!

The kids wanted dad to take a picture of them swimming. Can you see!!!

We took a picture! With our feet of course!!!

Lunch was provided.

Kim showed us the way to where everyone else was hanging out. Maliya and Katie obediently followed the leader.

Rachel and Maliya got to experience snorkeling, for the first time, with their dad! So fun!

Hayden loved opening and slamming the cupboards in our room!

All tuckered out! He passed out in Cameron's arms after dinner. He was only allowing Cameron to hold him because it gave him a better view of what was going on downstairs. And his parents were just letting him get trampled on the ground....