TAIL OF THE DRAGON

Grandma & Grandpa riding on Sunday.

 There are now 3 or 4 different companies taking professional pics, at different locations on The Tail of the Dragon. It's awesome! 

 Dad and I on Monday.

 I love how you can actually see me smiling through my helmet! 

 I've been following my Daddy's tail light, on one vehicle or another, since I was 4 years old! 

DEAL'S GAP

Did you know that North Carolina/Tennessee is located conveniently between Florida and Ohio?

That means its on the way to Grandma Higgins house!

The week before Memorial Day was the best week for Grandma & Grandpa to miss work, with schools slowing down, so that is when we drove up to visit Grandma & Grandpa Higgins. When you take 75 instead of 77, that puts you very close to The Tail of the Dragon. The best road in the world!

That required buying a a new light weight, all aluminum motorcycle trailer, light enough to be pulled behind the mini van, so we could have a pair of motorcycles to go buzzing around the mountain roads!

 Grandma rented us a lovely cabin near the Cheerohala Skyway, overlooking a stream.

 That was Grandma's first time on The Tail of the Dragon.

 Joey and Sam and I waited at Deal's Gap for them to do their run. 

Then we got rained out, so my turn is tomorrow!

Monday morning and it's my turn for the Dragon! (Grandma watched the kids at the cabin.)

 The roads leading to the Dragon are even prettier. 

MOTHER'S DAY ART

Daddy helped Sam make me a painting for Mother's day. 

Now I have matching artwork from my babies when they were 9 months old. (Joey gave me a birthday painting her first year.)

 I don't know which came out prettier, the painting or Sam herself!

JOEY'S 1ST HUMONGOUS HAIRCUT!

These are the before pictures.

Joey has always known that Mommy had two other brothers besides Uncle Chris. And that one of them, Uncle Jimmy, died of brain cancer when he was a teenager. She knows that kids,  little girls just like her, get cancer and that the medicine they have to take makes them lose their hair. Uncle Jimmy lost his hair. But he was a boy. For girls, it is pretty hard to lose your hair. So by us giving them our hair, to make a wig, it can help them to feel pretty again. 

Yes, Joey wanted to donate her hair to "the sick kids." I've raised her knowing she was growing out her hair to do this, but it was still her decision, and she wanted to help.

She freaked out a little, when it was actually cut off, but was very happy with her "tinker bell" short hair cut when we were done.

After picture.

 Sam was not going to sit on the sidelines during all this. 

Sam got her 1st hair cut at the same time!

 We only trimmed her bangs, but she has so much, and fast growing hair, that it will be no time before she is donating her hair! Maybe she'll have enough for Mommy's 6th and Joey's 2nd time around! 

THE MOST MAGICAL PLACE ON EARTH

A little bit of Disney Magic can make a squirming pissy baby look like she's smiling happy!

 Sam's 1st time on Dumbo. (Even though this is her 3rd visit, she's been asleep the other times.)

Joey LOVES roller coasters! This is us, in the front seat, of Goofy's Barnstormer. 

I also snuck her on Big Thunder Mountain too!

 Joey LOVES to take pictures!

 Spring is in the air! 

EPCOT may have the flower and garden festival, but they don't have the monopoly on flowers!

 This is what a good day at Disney looks like.  

CHIP AND DALE CAMPFIRE SING A LONG

 We came back early from Hollywood Studios so we could enjoy an afternoon at Ft. Wilderness and do the Chip & Dale Campfire sing-a-long!

The first thing we did when we got back was a little rough housing on the beds.

Then Joey and I went to pick up dinner from the Trails End restaurant. 

(While waiting, this was Joey's idea of playing with the hoola hoops.)

Joey and I have mastered Grandpa's technique of roasting marshmallows. Even parents began copying Joey's technique, after burning a few marshmallows in the fire.

Meanwhile, Sam made friends with the first person with food she saw.

 Not surprisingly, Sam liked Marshmallows too.

  Sam actually did the hockey pokey. She clapped her hands and bounced up and down and threw her arms in the air. She thought she was doing something!

JUST ANOTHER DAY IN PARADISE

We spent the third day back at Hollywood Studios doing all the fun things we missed the first day because we had focused on the special Star Wars stuff and had gotten there late.

 So after breakfast at the Trails End (Gosh we love that place!) we headed on over.

The first thing we did was the Toy Story Mania ride which Joey loved. It is similar to the Buzz light year ride in Tomorrowland, but way cooler. It is 3D, and you spin and shoot and stuff with a pull string gun.

 Then we waited to meet Buzz and Woody.

 I think it is a very good idea how they have picture ops from the movies built into the line for Buzz and Woody.

 That felt like one of the most happy, quick and productive 1/2 hour Disney lines I've ever stood in.

 Sam was mesmerized. 

 The whole Pixar lane was neat.

 Lunch and some more playing in the Honey I Shrunk the Kids playground while Sammy napped.

 Joey and I went on the Backlot tour also while Sammy napped.  

 All children love the special effects parts, but Joey loved seeing all the stuff that was in real movies too.

 Of course, there were still Star wars picture opportunities all over the place. 

They had a nice exhibit about the history of Walt Disney himself. 

It was a great place to let Sam down for some supervised wandering. 

She melted everyone's heart when she kept pointing out and saying "Mickey" to ALL the Mickey's she found.

Pointing out and saying "Dog" for AlL the dogs in the picture!

 Joey and Sam loved the Disney Jr. show. Joey caught some gold doubloons!

 We called it an early day so we get home and get ready for the Camp fire sing-a-long with Chip and Dale!