Hug-A-Munk!

This past winter we were able to spend some time in Florida.
While we were gone, I created a private blog to share some of our experiences with family and friends. This is a post that I wrote about one of our adventures....

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Last Saturday, we were able to visit Epcot Centre.
It was our longest day yet. And the longest day we'll have.
Though it was long, the weather was nice and we had fun.

The biggest blessing, though, came through Sweet K and her sudden desire to hug a chipmunk!!

As I've mentioned, Sweet K just IS NOT into rides right now.
And she also is afraid of anything in a costume.
Pretty much sums up the "disney" experience :).

Anyway, Jon took Little M to some attractions while I went to go fetch my (forgotten) glasses from the van. I had the babies with me. When I got to the front gate, I realized that Jon still had my ticket, which meant walking ALLLLL the way across the park to fetch it before I could head out to the parking lot. We found Jon & Little M standing in line to say "hi" to Chip & Dale, those little disney chipmunks. Little M said "cheese," Jon took a picture, and voila. We were on our way.

Suddenly, I hear Sweet K talking.

Hug Munks. Peeease. Hug munk. Me. Hug Munk. HUUUUUGSS.

All this while she's squeezing her arms around herself as tight as possible.

She wanted to hug the chipmunks too!!

This was notable for a few reasons.

While her one-word vocabulary has been exploding since summer, we are waiting for her to start stringing two- and three-word combinations together (the next developmental step, typically seen around 18-24 months).

Here she was....

using her WORDS...

using them in PUBLIC....

using them in two and three word combos...

AND showing interest in doing something she DID NOT want to do before this.

My heart was full :).

To make a long story short, she repeated this over and over all the way to the van and back. When we returned to this spot, a staff person let us know that while C&D were still standing there, the line-up was closed. We could come back again tomorrow. Sweet K was disappointed and I was tempted to mow that lady over with my double stroller!! Don't mess with a Mama Bear!!

Well, this is as close as she got to hugging a "munk" that day. Thanks to Grandma & Grandpa, who were also moved by this story and in the park with us that day, Little M & Sweet K each got a little chipmunk to squeeze :).

A few days later we were able to visit Animal Kingdom.
Little M brought her travel journal and was able to collect a few autographs.

Sweet K wanted to hug Tigger.
But suddenly she wasn't sure it was such a good idea!



Sweet K was okay with Eeyore...



... as long as he didn't get too close!

By the time we found Winnie the Pooh, Sweet K was pretty much finished with
getting close to characters.
Enough was enough for one day.

Jon passed her to me here at the last minute.
You have no idea how NOT IMPRESSED she was that Goofy came
to stand beside her.
She was done. So was I.
No more costume characters for Sweet K that day!!

She is such a good sport about these things though.
When she's had enough, she'll say DONE DONE DONE DONE.
Okey dokey Sweet K.

 Any time Sweet K moves into a new developmental phase, I get so excited! It's quite the journey with her, though I know it could be far more challenging. We are grateful things are going so well. However, it makes these moments even sweeter.

Way to Hug-A-Munk, Sweet K!!