First I went to Epcot. The first ride we went on was a ride called Spaceship Earth. It was cool. I got to see some of my inventors. I saw the printing press and the Morse code. I saw Leonardo da Vinci painting the ceiling. Next we went on a ride called Soarin’. We let our feet hang and we went up and saw a cute Polar bear and a whale and then we went down.
Next we went to have lunch with the Princesses. Then we went to a gift shop and I got a zipper charm and I got clip on earrings.
Then we went on a ride called Test Track. I got to design my own car but I did not get to ride in the car that I designed.
This is actually Magic Kingdom but we didn’t get a picture from Test Track
The next day we went to Magic Kingdom. First we saw Cinderella’s castle. And then we went on a Jasmine ride. Then we went on a ride called Splash Mountain. (note from parents – we did about 6 hours of other stuff in there before leaving for dinner – Maddy just got tired of writing) Then we went back to the hotel and then we went back to Magic Kingdom to watch the fireworks. We saw Tinkerbell and Cinderella’s Castle all lit up and Tinkerbell was on a zip line.
The next day we went to Animal Kingdom. The first ride we went on was a water ride. Next we went on a safari ride. We saw a lot of animals. We saw giraffes and giraffes have dark purple tongues. We also saw rhinos. Then me and my dad went on a roller coaster.
The next day we went to Hollywood Studios. First we went on a Star Wars ride. Next we went to a 1950s restaurant. We saw Indiana Jones stunts. I thought they were cool. The next day we went back to Epcot and repeated some rides and we did some different things. I got to meet Elsa and Anna. Olaf really wanted a girlfriend. Molly and I got to pick two names for his snow girls. I was so happy to meet Elsa and Anna.
While we were visiting my great Aunt and Uncle we found out the boat repairs were going to take longer than we thought so we decided to go to Disney World. We drove 6 hours and arrived between 2 and 3 pm. We got checked in and went to our room. We walked over to the quick service restaurant and picked up our Disney refillable cups. Then we went to the pool and Maddy and I swam. There were two water slides. One was in the dark and one smaller one was not dark. For dinner we went back to the quick service restaurant in our swimming suits. After we ate dinner we went back to our room and went to bed.
The next morning we woke up, ate breakfast, got in the car and drove to Epcot. There was a giant golf ball that has a ride inside the ball. That was the first ride we did. It is called Spaceship Earth. You ride in a car around the inside of the golf ball and get to see the starts and the earth. Then your car turns around and goes down a hill backwards and you get to design your tomorrow world. At the end of the ride we got to see the world we designed. The next ride we went on was called Soarin’. You go up ten feet from the ground and watched a movie on a projector. It’s called Soarin’ because the projector makes you feel like you are soaring through the air. We soared over polar bears in the water, Paris, Italy, an airplane fly right past us and many other things. Next we did Test Track. We had to design our own car. After designing the cars we got in a ride car (not the car we designed). The ride tested handling, efficiency, weather conditions. On screens after each section it showed which car of the ones designed was the best for that test. The last part of the ride took us outside and whipped us on our side really fast. It bothered my and Mommy’s tummies a little. We did a few more rides in Future World we went to the World Showcase side of Epcot to see some of the countries. We walked a lot. When we got to America we stopped in gift shop and I bought a Hidden Mickeys book. The book is a guide to finding hidden Mickeys hidden all over the parks. We spotted them while waiting in lines for rides, in the rides, carved into rocks, on signs, in the sidewalks. We use the book in every park during our trip and found lots of Mickeys. We looked for Mickeys in the paintings around the American Hall while waiting for an American History movie to start. After we saw the movie we went back and found a spot to watch the fireworks. After the fireworks we went back to the hotel. It was around 11 PM and we all went to bed.
Day 2 we went to Magic Kingdom. We did some rides including Splash Mountain. We had a Fast Pass. We got pretty wet and Mommy did not like it when she got wet. She got pretty wet. We went into a shop and found Disney World magnets and figurines and Maddy got a snow globe. We also got a Mickey puzzle. Then we drove to the Grand Floridian hotel. We ate dinner here and left our car there. We took the monorail back to Magic Kingdom and found a spot to watch the fireworks. We saw Cinderella’s castle all lit up and saw Tinkerbell fly through the air. It was very late when we got back to the hotel.
Day 3 we went to Animal Kingdom. We started the day with a water ride and Mommy got soaked again and then we got to see some animals. We got to see bats and feel their fur. We got to go on a Safari ride and learn about the animals. We also did a learning activity called Wilderness Explorers. We would find rangers at each station to learn about different topics. After Animal Kingdom we went to Disney Springs. I got a Mickey scarf and Maddy was tired and threw her only fit of the trip. We got dinner from Wolfgang Puck and brought it back to the hotel.
Day 4 we took the morning off and swam and then we went to Hollywood Studios. We saw stunts from the Indian Jones movies. I thought that was really cool and enjoyed it. For lunch we went to a 1950s diner. We thought it was a cool and the food was good. The desserts were really big. We did some more rides and saw the 3D Muppets movie. We had a lot of fun there.
We stayed one extra day and went back to Epcot. We repeated some of our favorite rides and saw a few more of the countries. We did a whole imagination center. We saw a movie about France. We had so much fun at Disney World and also learned a lot about the Disney history. We were sad to leave but had a great time.
We went to a Frank Lloyd Wright house with my grandparents. This one was called The Rosenbaum House. It was in Florence, AL. When you walk in the door of the house you could walk straight and left and left again and get into the bathroom. Or if you just turn right there would be a big book shelf with books and some sculptures. Then you turn left into the living room and there is a big grand piano that had a picture of the family that lived in the house and the grandparents. There were four chairs next to the piano. There were a couple where there were two back legs and one front legs. Then if you kept walking there was a little office.
If you turn around and walk through the living room you will be in the kitchen. There is a table with a plate, a knife and a fork. The knives are like not sharp at all. Then if you turn left you are in the kitchen where you make food. It is like a little box. This was the original kitchen in the house. Then when you leave the kitchen turn left to get into the bathroom. If you turn right you can go straight and there will be all the bedrooms. The master bedroom has clothes in it and a bathroom attached. All of the bedrooms have desks. The bedrooms were really tiny.
Now turn around and right, then right again to go to the basement. There is a pantry and a closet. Then you turn let into an office with a bathroom. Then turn around and go back to the regular level. When you turn right you enter the new addition to the house with the newer, bigger kitchen. There is an oven right when you walk in to the left. If you turn right there will be the boys’ bedroom. The Rosenbaums had four boys. Their room had bunk beds. They each had their own toy chest.
Frank Lloyd Wright likes to make everything from nature. All of the doors were very tiny because he wanted everything to line up so the doorways lined up with the tiles on the floor. They did not use fires to keep warm, they used them to socialize. Last there was basically a door in every room because the windows open outside like doors. I really enjoyed this house. Here are a couple of pictures of the outside of the house. We were not allowed to take pictures inside.
Right now we are in Mobile Bay. Tomorrow we are going to see our second cousins in Santa Rosa Beach, FL and will be there for Halloween. I’m dressing up as a black cat and Maddy is dressing up as a mermaid.
Saturday my grandparents came. Sunday we went to the US Space and Rocket museum. The first little exhibit was about a scientist named Archimedes.
Daddy and I learning about leverage
Then we went to actually see stuff about space. Next we went to see a movie about living in space. You sleep in a box and brush your teeth upside down. Then we played a game where you try to land a space ship. Then we went to a presentation on the International Space Station and got to go see a model of the International Space Station. We got to see their dried up food. Then we had lunch.
Daddy and Maddy trying to land the space ship. They crashed.
Next we went to look at all the rocket ships outside. All the rocket ships were as big as a football field. Then there was this little play area with a ride. Maddy and I went on it twice. You sit in a seat and hold on to a bar that protects you from coming out. Then you fly up in the air tos how you how it feels when you go up in a rocket ship.
Feeling of weightlessness
Next we went into a different building. Above our heads there was a giant rocket ship hanging that was bigger than a football field. In that building we saw a little science experiment. We also got to lay in the top of a space shuttle, look how they went to the bathroom and we got to see a real rock from the moon.
Control Center in the spaceship
Outside there was a smaller model of a real rocket ship and then there was another one on top of a big orange sculpture.
That rocket is HUGE!
Love, Molly
The Space Center (by Madelyn)
My family and I went to the space center. My grandparents came with us. We saw a gigantic rocket ship. Outside I saw a lot of rocket ships. The rocket ship is bigger than a football field.
My family under the rocket ship that was bigger than a football field!
Our best friends came. With our best friends Livia, Claudia and Sabina we went to the mountains together. We went on a railroad incline to get to the mountains. We got to see what the people in the Civil War ate an look in their tents. We got hear a cannon that they used in the war go off. When we went on the railroad incline it is on a slant when you go up and when you go down. I saw lots of trees outside the railroad windows. My mom was terrified. I felt excited and happy.
Riding the incline
After the railroad incline we went to get ice cream. We played in this cold fountain. It was a staircase that you could climb up and down and at the bottom there is a little shallow pool. There was a stone spider in the middle. The spider was metal and the stone was concrete. Me and my best friends played in it a lot. Also my sister. Me and my best friends and Molly slid down a big hill of grass on pieces of cardboard.
We went out to swim for my mom’s birthday. Me, Molly and my best friends went on a carousel. We went to a restaurant on a boat. It had an elevator in it.
We also went fishing in Goose Pond and Claudia and I caught a fish. They stayed for 8 nights and had 10.5 hours to drive home. They got to stay for an extra day.
Claudia caught the first fish!
*****Molly’s Fun in Chattanooga*****
Our friends came last Tuesday. Their names are Livia, Claudia and Sabina. They and their mom drove to Goose Pond. They came on the boat with us to Chattanooga. On the first day in Chattanooga, we went across another pedestrian bridge to the other side of the river to Coolidge Park. We went into a little shop and went on a carousel. Then we went back and played in a fountain. On the second day we went to the Chattanooga Choo Choo and learned about what the trains carried. We walked around and saw some things. The train cars are now hotel rooms and we got to look in one. We walked all the way back to the boat and saw some shops. Jack, their dad, came late that night but we didn’t see him until the next morning.
On the third day we took the incline one mile up the side of Lookout Mountain. We saw a 3D movie about the Civil War Battles of Chattanooga. The Battles of Chattanooga were when the south started to lose the war and the north started to win. Then we went to Point Park and looked at all of the old cannons and a tent and what they used to eat. We also got to look over the edge down at the river. Last on that day we got to see (and hear!) a real cannon go off and then took the incline down and got ice cream.
Cover your ears – cannon is LOUD!
The next day was Mommy’s birthday. We took the boat out onto Chickamauga Lake and swam with our friends. Then we got a babysitter and the parents went out to eat for Mommy’s birthday. We had so much fun with the babysitter. Their dad left early the next morning at 5 AM. That morning we went magnet shopping and then left Chattanooga. We went through one lock and then thought we were pulling into Goose Pond. It turned out we were still 20 miles away from Goose Pond and we ended up anchoring overnight.
The next morning we went the last 20 miles to Goose Pond. When our friends were getting packed up to leave we really wanted them to stay another night. The grownups talked about it and their mom said yes because she didn’t want to drive in the dark. They had a 10.5 hour drive and it was already 1 pm. So we did some school work, played, fished, took a dinghy ride and then went out to dinner. This morning we had to say goodbye to them.
We went to see the Unclaimed Baggage store. Maddy and I both got a new pair of tennis shoes and we also got to pairs of pants, some new books. My dad got an iPad. This afternoon we’ve been working on school work and housework.
This week at Green Turtle Bay Mike from Trawler Life taught us how to fish! We had a really fun time fishing. I caught four fish, one was a baby big mouth bass. Maddy caught three fish. Then Mommy had us write books about what we learned.
Molly – How to Fish
First step you put the bobber on the fishing line. Then you put the hook on the fishing line. Next you put on your bait. Make sure you are very careful because you do not want to poke yourself. For bait we use fake worms. Then you cast your fishing line. You know when you have a fish when you see your bobber getting pulled or going under water. Then move it around a little, reel it in a little. Next if it is still attached reel it in all the way. If the fish is stuck on the hook you need pliers to take it out. Then wipe your hands off on an old rag or towel.
What to do when you have the fish: First you take the hook out of the fish’s mouth. Then if it is a fresh water fish put your thumb in its mouth. But if it is a salt water fish run your hand down its back and hold it by its fins. If you run your hand up the fish’s back it will poke you. And you do not want to hold a salt water fish by their mouth because they have teeth and you will get cut. When you throw it back, drop it from down low.
For good luck kiss your first fish!
Maddy – How to Fish
First you put the hook on the string. Next you put the bobber on your fishing pole. Then you put the bait on the hook. You should be careful when you are putting on the bait. Then you cast. When you cast, push the button. Last you catch the fish reel it in. You take it off the hook. If it is stuck you need to get pliers to get the hook out of the mouth. First you put your thumb into its mouth to hold the fish. Next you throw it back for a high dive. The end.
One thing I learned was Taylor Swift has a condo in Nashville. Another thing I learned was that people can stand on the street and perform songs that the wrote to try to get on stage to become a famous singer. We went on a trolley tour. We went to the farmer’s market. We saw a dog walking parade on the trolley. We also saw the big tour boat with the big wheel that makes it move. We saw it on the big bridge that leads to town because we were docked on the other side of town. Mommy was really scared of it. We saw a lot of horses. There was a Johnny Cash museum that we did not go to. We went to a bar and I got to play a cowbell. Also I danced a lot Then we left and we got magnets. Oh and I also got a guitar pick from the trolley guy. The trolleys are so tall that it broke off the tree branches. The store we went to to get the magnets had a big Elvis statue in front of it. I had so much fun in Nashville!
Madelyn
I learned that Taylor Swift has a condo in Nashville. I got to go on a gigantic bridge. Also my mommy was freaked about it. I got a magnet. It is a guitar. We got Goo Goo clusters as a treat. They are GOOD! We found a magnet spelled “Madelyn” how my name is spelled but I liked the pink guitar magnet better.
Friday night in the dark we came into Green Turtle Bay. We were in our last locks for the day and the sun was setting and the moon was not shining and there were no stars.
Saturday we basically swam all day. We swam in an outdoor pool with a slide and met 2 girls and played with them. Then we ate lunch, went on a dinghy ride. Then we went to rent a golf cart. Also went to the ship store in the marina. Then we swam in an indoor pool with a ping pong table.
Sunday we met some friends grandkids. We took out their boat and swam in Kentucky Lake. Then w came back here, saw their condo that they rented. Then we swam in the pool with them. Then we went back to the condo. They left. We went back to the boat.
I fed the turtles crackers. When I was feeding them there was a duck sitting on the dock it jumped in the water and ate some of the pieces. There were all of these things sticking out of the water witch were all turtle heads. Last I felt bad for the turtles that have to live in this nasty water with moss on there shells.
One day we took the boat out to an area where boats can anchor with painted rocks. There was a rope swing and I got to go on it. We will post pictures of that soon!
We also went mini golfing on our last day in Green Turtle Bay.
Talk to you soon! — Molly
Madelyn’s Update:
I got to feed the turtles. I saw a million heads. I saw fish also. They seem to like it. I fed them crackers. They ate all of them.
We took the boat to painted rock cove and I got to go on a rope swing into the water.
My Aunt Emily came to visit from Kansas City. We went to St. Louis with her. Daddy, me and Maddy and Aunt Emily went up in the arch. Mommy stayed down. The arch goes up 630 feet. The arch was built in memory for all the people who were traveling west. They used St. Louis as a trading place to buy and trade goods. St. Louis is where the Mississippi and Missouri river meet so that is why it was a good place to stop. And also why people traveling liked to stop there. In the arch when you looked out the window it was cool to see the things from up high and then on the ground. For example, to see the helicopter tours, helicopters land and see the horses. Also it was cool to see inside the Cardinals baseball field. Love, Molly
I learned that the arch was made as a memory. I saw a hot dog truck. I also saw a baseball field. Love, Maddy
today we are going 4 hours. The river is so flooded that we went right over the locks. Before we left we spent the morning with Grandma Cathy. Also we walked to the lighthouse. Then we left. I saw a lot of barges. There was this one that was so big that they had to bring half of it through the locks. Then they let some of us and other boats go through. Then they brought the other half through. I’ve also seen a lot of pelicans. Here is a picture of one.
Molly and Madelyn's Great Loop 