Adventure Is Out There! Part 1

I'm back.

Mostly.

We're home but it's been a crazy week and a half and I have a ton to do to catch up so don't expect to see me online much over the next few days. Just thought I'd drop a line to show off some pics and tell you what we've been up to...or at least start to...

It started with the boy's birthday Saturday the 23rd. We spent the day kind of low key just as a family doing basically whatever the boy wanted. We had popsicles for breakfast, flew some kites and saw Brave in the local theater. It was a great day. Sunday was the big bowling birthday party day. There were lots of friends and family there but the most important thing to us was that our little man had a great time.

(SO EXCITED!)

(it helped the ball to go faster if you yelled "GO BALL GO!)

(you have no idea how much coercion it took to get this picture...he's 4 now, pictures are a waste of time in his mind when there's so many other things he could be doing)

(the boy and one of his favorite friends...he will do ANYTHING she tells him to)

(the party was over).

As soon as the party ended, the kids loaded up in my parent's truck and Joshua and I took off for a date night. It was great. We went out to eat, did some shopping and made it home in time to get to bed early because the next morning we were up HOURS before the crack of dawn to hit the road and visit our best friends in El Paso (you might recognize JG from Me and My SoldierMan). It was a blast! They're the kind of friends you can do just about anything or even nothing with and still have a great time. We didn't have a lot of time but the time we spent there was great. We went out to eat a few times. We hit the gun range...

(Joshua shooting his buddy's rifle)

(JG shooting her husband's rifle)

(me shooting SoldierMan's .22...LOVED IT!)

(me and my favorite gun...it's the .40 Joshua bought me for Valentine's Day a couple years ago...nothin' says love like a semi-automatic Smith & Wesson)

(Joshua and SoldierMan...I only wish we all lived closer)

Going to the range...regardless of what state we're in, is just something we love to do and going with friends like JG and SoldierMan make it that much more fun. We did more fun things in El Paso, came home and continued the adventure but I'll write about the rest tomorrow...this post is getting too long and my to do list is threatening to yell at me howler-style.

Friday Fun

This week has been crazy but it's been a good crazy (well, except for the emergency run to the doctor yesterday for the boy but that's another story for another day-he's good and today we're focusing on the fun ahead).

Tomorrow is the boy's 4th birthday! I can't believe how big he is already. It's gone too fast. This week he helped me make Reese's Peanut Butter Bars. It was a blast having him help me with the recipe I found on pinterest. Although Joshua and the boy LOVE them, I'm just "in like" with them. I think it needs some sort of chocolate graham cracker crust.

Tomorrow we'll have a family day...going to see Brave and do basically whatever the boy wants. We'll have his "friend" party with extended family on Sunday at a bowling alley...thus the new shirt I made for the boy...

After the party, the kids are going to my parents' and Joshua and I are going to visit our best friends in El Paso. To say I'm excited would be a massive understatement. Joshua hasn't seen them in over a year and a half and the four of us haven't all been together without children since we had a weekend away in Tulsa and were able to see the Broadway show Wicked (highly recommended btw).

Hope you all have a great week and I'll be back in the blogging world in about a week.

Disney Pin Trading

(photo credit: disney.wikia.com)

Disney Pin Trading is a great "extra" to add to your next Disney vacation. It's a fun option for younger children who aren't big enough or brave enough to ride the bigger attractions. It's also great for the older children who are too cool to get into all the characters. Pin Trading is done at Disneyland and at all four theme parks of Disney World but is most popular in Epcot...which is great especially when you need something to entertain the kids while Mom and Dad eat and drink their way around the world (one of our absolute favorite things to do at Disney!).

It's pretty simple. You buy a Disney pin. You see a cast member (or even another guest...it's a fun conversation starter in line) with a pin you want more and you ask to trade. Cast members CANNOT refuse you...unless their pins are on a green lanyard (teal at Disneyland and some lanyards are hip lanyards rather than the traditional neck lanyard one seen below). Those cast members will ONLY trade with children which for pin trading purposes means 3-12 years old...although if you have a two year old, they won't deny the child-so long as he or she is the one looking to trade and you're not just using the kid to get a pin you want.

(photo credit: themeparkinsider.com)

There are THOUSANDS of different pins with countless themes. My favorites are the Mickey head-shaped country flags and the pins for the attractions while Joshua's all about anything Donald Duck. Some are limited quantities...only 100 made. Some are limited release and were only sold on a certain day. There are hundreds of sets. Sets can be just three pins or much more like the alphabet set seen below.

(photo credit: yggmall.com)

The most popular pins to collect are probably the hidden Mickey pin sets which are pins not immediately available for sale in the parks but instead only offered via trade with cast members (or on ebay) and have, not surprisingly, a Hidden Mickey on them as seen here:

(photo credit: eventservices.disney.go.com)

As you can see, it has a not-so-hidden Hidden Mickey. This pin also happens to be one that my husband has and wears on the brim of his baseball hat while we're in the parks because pin trading isn't just for kids. There are lots of adults who enjoy it...some who are a little obsessed but it's another fun thing to do while you visit the mouse.

Now, for the important stuff...how to pin trade without spending insane amounts of money...

Most people who go to Disney for the first time don't know about pin trading until they're at their resort or even the parks and then you're options are limited. You can buy individual pins but even the cheapest of those will cost you at least $7 each with tax or you can buy a "starter kit" which can have themes like the four theme parks, the princesses or even Phineas and Ferb like this one:

(photo credit: adventuresatdisney.com)

Starter sets are a more economical option if you find yourself at Disney World wanting to pin trade but not wanting to buy individual pins. Each starter set comes with about 4-6 pins and a lanyard and will generally cost around $30-45.  Some sets also come with a card case which attaches at the bottom of the lanyard that can hold credit cards, park tickets or fast passes...or in the case of a child, you could make an "If I'm Lost Please Contact..." card.

The most frugal option is to plan ahead. Before you go to the parks, hop on ebay and order a "lot" of pins. They're sold in sets of 20 or more and can be purchased for as little as $1 per pin sometimes with free shipping. Be aware that there are "fake" pins. Pins generally made and sold from ebay sellers in China and if you should get one of these "fake" pins, you may not be able to trade it in the parks so be aware of who you're buying from.

Pin trading is like any other hobby. It can become a crazy obsession or it can be a passing fad all dependent on the individual. Personally, we all pin trade. My aunt is a little insane with it-she's determined to get as many as humanly possible. My husband has crazy sharp eyes and can spot the pin he wants from great distances away-it's a hunt for him. Our son likes a specific (very ordinary looking, not at all limited or special edition) turtle and in his short almost 4 years of life, he has managed to find and trade for at least two dozen of the same exact pin. Whatever kid. Me? I like pin trading because at the end of the day when we're sitting in the resort and everyone's come back to their rooms we can all share what we found. It's just another thing to share with my family and I'm all for that.

Happy trading and as always, if you have any questions, feel free to email me. I'm happy to help.

Deployment...the not-so-friendly ghost

Father's Day was officially three months since Joshua returned and although I'm thrilled/relieved/humbled to say that we've managed the reintegration better than I expected, there are moments when the deployment seems like a ghost in the corner invisible to all but us. Like last month when we went to the local arts festival and a balloon popped. Joshua jumped. Not a huge jump. Not really even out of fear. I was probably the only person who noticed but it threw me back to the nights when I didn't sleep and jumped when someone knocked at the door. Our little ghost is coming around less and less often and although I don't think we'll ever really be free of him, he has less of an impact. 


The thing that does still carry a punch is when I hear someone belittle my husband's service (or any other service member's sacrifice). Being a Guard family, we live in two worlds. It's sometimes a blessing and sometimes a burden. The benefits are obvious...we don't have to move, Joshua will (theoretically) deploy less often and we're not always inside the "Army bubble." Unfortunately, the biggest downside is that many people we live and work with don't understand our life. It's arguable whether that's because the can't understand it or they just won't but either way, it can hurt.


Yesterday, Joshua went to his civilian job with his multi-cam back pack (it's how he prefers to carry his laptop) and a woman he works with (whom I will refer to as L and who knows he's still in the Guard and scheduled to go active duty again soon) stopped him and asked "What's up with the camo bag?"


I don't think Joshua totally understood the question or the reason for it and replied "It's what was issued and I like it." 


L: "But it's not like you're really in the military now."


The room got silent (which at his job is hard to do) and I'm thankful that someone else stepped up and corrected L so that Joshua didn't have to. I understand what she meant by it but it's the attitude behind it that stings. Sometimes, I wish people with that attitude could see our little ghost. Maybe then they'd understand.

Friday Fun

Well, today's fun isn't quite what I had in mind...I have a plan to get some really cute pics of the boy in town but unfortunately the weather just won't cooperate. So, instead, I thought I'd post some fun pics from yesterday's big adventure. The boy had his very first T-ball practice. He's one of the youngest but he hits really well (woohoo, proud Mommy). Unfortunately, he seems to have some trouble after hitting. Instead of running to 1st base, he wanted to run after the ball. It's something we're going to work on.

Crazy Cat Lady Strikes Again

0630.

That is what time our neighbor...the one RIGHT next to us decided to start mowing her lawn. 

I know we're kind of the odd balls out and I accept that most people go to bed and wake up earlier than us but still 0630...who mows the lawn at 0630?! If the weather was like last summer and it was hitting 110 or even 120 I could understand but yesterday didn't even get to 90. 

I'll tell you who mows at 0630...Crazy Cat Lady. I don't remember what her real name is and although she only has two or three cats (along with three or four soccer balls small dogs) Joshua dubbed her the Crazy Cat Lady when we moved in three years ago (holy buckets, it's been three years, woohoo, only two to go to have the equity we want...sorry, bunny trail). 

We had a husky/lab mix...Murray...

 Murray, like most huskies had amazing skills and a high prey instinct. We quickly learned that Murray could jump a six foot fence without a running start and desperately wanted to "chase" one of the neighbor's cats. He did. He didn't catch her. He didn't eat her. He didn't even bite her. He chased her under the neighbor's house. That's it.

She called the cops. The cop laughed. We put Murray on a running line in the back yard.

That was our introduction to Crazy Cat Lady.

Back to this morning. Anyone who really knows Joshua and I knows that he has a reputation for being an ass someone who speaks his mind. He's a me-and-my-four-and-no-more kind of guy and outside our immediate family, some close friends and select extended family members, he tolerates has to work harder to be loving and kind. What some people don't know is that he appears to be the mean one while I smile and hold him back but in reality I'm way more mean. In fact, this morning I released the beast encouraged Joshua to go and speak to the Crazy Cat Lady because if I had gone outside, there are people (the police) who might have considered my thoughts and actions to be unhelpful (premeditation).

So, he went outside and thankfully the opening line of expletives communication was drowned out by the insanely loud mower. She was shocked that he asked her to stop and replied with "Is it really that early?" To which he snapped, "well, you woke the whole house up so let's ask the baby...or maybe the three year old..." and walked away. She stopped mowing got in her car and drove away but the damage was done. We have a long day already planned and now I suspect extra doses of sugar and a little more grace will be needed with the children.

Vent over. Thank you. And if you are the sort of person who mows at 0630, I hope I didn't offend you but seriously 0630 is too early. Be nice to those of us who are not morning people.

Sleeping Princess, Pictures and Poison Ivy

Today started off later than expected because the girl decided to sleep for FOURTEEN hours. Yup. Fourteen. It was awesome. And, if I do say so myself, I earned it. This is the same child who up until about a month ago was still waking up at least once (usually twice) at night to nurse which meant for about 10 months straight I woke up every 3-4 hours. 

Anyway, thankfully the late start didn't affect our plans for the day-pictures of the girl...a couple of the boy too but today's outing was mostly for the girl. If the weather continues to cooperate, I have grand picture plans for the boy on Friday but we'll see. 

I think they turned out great! I'm slightly biased as I believe the subjects are perfect but here's some of the highlights...

Unfortunately, when we got home, I realized quickly that the boy and I had stumbled across some poison ivy. Thankfully, the girl seems to have avoided it but we're well stocked on anti-itch, anti-poison ivy creams for all of us.