Why We Love Disney

We love Disney. It's pretty obvious to anyone who knows us for any amount of time that it's our favorite vacation destination. Most of our friends accept it, many even share our Disney obsession joy but still from time to time we're asked why we go to Disney World...or rather why do we go repeatedly. Our answer is always a little lost on those who have never been or those who have only gone in the middle of summer with little to no planning. The answer is simple...it's the atmosphere. We love the Disney bubble. 

I could go into the nerdy details about the park's architectural engineering and how Disney has made it almost impossible to see the outside world while in their bubble but it's more than geographic. Where else in the world can kids dress up every day as pirates and princesses? Where else do grown men wear R2D2 ears with pride?

But it's even more than that. It's the culture. It's the customer service. And it goes beyond the parks. While at Disney World last week with his grandparents, our son lost his Woody doll (from Toy Story). It was a BIG deal. It's been his favorite toy for quite some time and when they realized it was gone, after landing at the airport near Grandma's house, he teared up. He's not the kind of kid to cry easily or be attached to his stuff. In fact, we usually have to convince him NOT to give away his things but Woody is different and when Grandma tried to comfort him by suggesting they go straight to the Disney Store, his heart and the dam holding back his tears broke. He didn't want a new Woody. He wanted HIS Woody. So Grandma called her local Disney Store and told them what had happened. The cast member (Disney's word for employee) told her not to worry, he would call Mickey and they would have the Disney Resort housekeepers (called Mousekeepers) find Woody and send him to their store immediately. When they got to the store, not only was there a Woody waiting behind the counter for our son (tags off) but he was wrapped up in a box with tape and "RUSH DELIVERY/PRIORITY MAIL" written all over it. Inside a note from Mickey himself that told our son Woody had been accidentally caught up in the sheets and had been cleaned professionally. 

That is why we love Disney. They go above and beyond and magical things happen.

Becoming a Big Girl

I've had a great time the last week and half with the Princess while the boy's been on vacation with his grandparents. One of my favorite outings with the Princess was when we went to the Botanical Gardens for some pictures with her new kitty cat fascinator (we found it at Claire's) and her Marie dress.

She's a fun one but don't let the cuteness fool you, she's a handful. We've made some big steps to getting her ready to be a big sister. Some of those big steps have come with growing pains. Potty training was attempted and abandoned-we'll try again in a couple months. Her big girl bed has been set up and she's accepted it...for the most part. Every once in a while she'll still try to insist on sleeping in the crib but buying her new Minnie Mouse bedding went a long way to convincing her that the big bed is the way to go. Lastly, time outs are now a regular thing...it probably sounds odd to throw that in with potty training and a real bed but in our house, discipline is viewed as a good thing. She's old enough to be corrected, to be held accountable and to grow as a person. It's not easy or fun for any of us...today a two minute time out for putting clothes from the hamper into the toilet turned into a 20 minute time out because until she sat on the step for two minutes without getting up or playing, her time kept resarting. But in the end, she did it and more importantly, she apologized. The icing on the cake was when I asked if she would make good choices, her answer was a loud "yes, ma'am" instead of the quiet mouthing of the words she's tried to get away with in the past. She's independent and bold and I wouldn't change that for anything but she's also going to be respectful and kind even if it takes us 20 minutes to do a two minute time out. Meanwhile, I'm hoping the blue dye we have in the toilet water comes out of the clothes she dumped.

I'm Back...again.

I'm probably the worst blogger ever when it comes to unexplained blogging sabbaticals. I haven't written since JULY! How crazy is that?! Here's the thing, stuff happened. I probably won't go into great detail on all the "stuff" but I'm back and here's a quick run down of what we've been up to...

*Most importantly, I'm still pregnant. We had a couple complications  (given my history, no real surprises there) but everything is going well now and I'm already huge which is good...mostly. 

*Joshua has a new civi job...this one takes a little explanation. His old civi job fired him. Yup. Fired. He's never been fired before and despite the fact that they always gave him glowing reviews and he's never had a complaint, they fired him...basically, they were tired of having to work around his Guard schedule and responsibilities so when he came back from his two week AT, they let him go. I wasn't surprised because they've been anti-military since day one but I was angry and if I think about it too much now, I'm still angry...but I'm also grateful. He hated that place. They were HORRIBLE. Not everyone who worked there of course but yeah, horrible is the only word for it. Just to give you an idea of the atmosphere, before he deployed they were interviewing people for an open position and he overheard one of the managers say that there was "no chance in hell we're hiring that guy-he's another Guard guy and that's the last thing we need." Then, when Joshua returned from deployment, several of his co-workers thought it was funny to surprise him with loud noises just to see if they could make him jump. Classy, right?! Anyway, I say I'm grateful because his new job is better. I mean it's not hard to be better than his old job but it's WAY better. Like God did an awesome thing better. The hours are a little odd but we're good with odd and he enjoys the work.

*We've started with our new homeschool group and curriculum-Classical Conversations if you're interested. It couldn't be going better. I'm tutoring the 4/5 yr old class which has been a blast and the boy is amazing us with how much he's learning. Actually, our little 2 yr old princess is even trying to get in on the action sometimes.

(1st day of CC-our homeschool group which meets once a week and our 1st day of homeschool at home-yup, in pjs)

(our favorite project this semester...we created a multi-level eco-system...I plan to write a post with more details to come but if you want to build one yourself, you can find the step-by-step tutorial we followed here)

*I was asked to be a pattern tester for a new "ruffle top" which I loved making but unfortunately in the process my sewing machine died :( so now I'm at a bit of a standstill when it comes to sewing.

(here's the finished project...once the pattern is available for purchase, I'll post a link to it)

*The boy is, at this very moment, on vacation with his grandparents at Disney World. I'm jealous. I'm really jealous. But I'm also really pregnant and on travel restrictions...kinda going crazy with cabin fever. I have, however, enjoyed the one-on-one time with our princess. We switched some of the kids furniture around in preparation for Baby 3.0 so now the princess is in a big girl bed and loving it-still waiting to find out the gender but Joshua's trying to convince me not to wait so we'll see if that changes.

That's been us the last couple of months. I plan on spending the next week reading all the blogs I love and have been missing to get caught up on your lives!

PS>I just got a pic from Grandma of our little man and a couple of his cousins at Disney World's Pirate's League...so wish I was with him!

A Heart-Wrenching Good Day

Two years ago tomorrow I was in a hospital in Oklahoma with my mom while my husband skyped from Afghanistan for our daughter’s delivery.

It’s been on my mind a lot this week. In part, of course, because our baby girl is turning two but also because Joshua is once again-thanks to the Army, out of town. He’s not deployed-it’s just a short (anything less than a month is considered short in my book) training separation but he’s still gone. He’s going to miss her birthday and being pregnant again (read: super hormonal), I can’t help but remember the overwhelming feelings of that day two years ago.

I say overwhelming because even now, two years later, I don’t have any other words. I don’t know if there even is a word to describe that sort of emotion. When we first found out I was pregnant, we knew he was going to deploy “soon” but with the Army soon is relative. For a short time, we believed he would still be stateside and would be able to be home for the delivery. Then, the deployment dates changed-or at least our understanding of them changed. Lastly, we were told he would have the option, if we chose, to come home for his R&R during the delivery. It was an agonizing decision. If we had him come home, most of his time would be spent with me and our baby at the hospital and relatively little with our son. Plus, we’d see him for two weeks and not again for over nine months.

We made the “logical” decision. He missed the birth and met us two months later in Florida where our son would have fun even if Daddy was engulfed with the baby. It was the best thing for our son. Daddy didn’t come home and leave again. Daddy wasn’t spending all his time with the baby.

But the logical decision didn’t mean so much when I was alone in the hospital with a newborn. It was  hallow for the next two months as I thought about the worst case scenario…desperately hoping, even praying that if something was going to happen, let it be after R&R-let it be after they met. Morbid, maybe but it was my prayer.

Her birth was the most emotional day of my life. More than when Joshua returned. More than the day I got married. More than when our son was born and I became a mom.

It was a heart-wrenching, good day.

Surprise Announcement!

The reason for my frequent absence lately...

To say this pregnancy came as a surprise would be a MASSIVE understatement but after 12 weeks, 4 ultrasounds, 15 blood draws and a visit to the cardiologist (one I actually like-shocking in and of itself), looks like this one is in it for the long haul.

As shocked as we were...still are...we're also very excited! The boy couldn't be happier and the girl has really no clue.

San Antonio Fun: SeaWorld & The Alamo

We're home from a long weekend/mini-vaca to San Antonio. It was a really good time but it's been a bit chaotic to get back into the swing of things.

Originally, we decided to go because SeaWorld is offering their one day free military passes-which we had used at the Orlando SeaWorld two years ago while we were at Disney. As summer got closer, it became more clear that we were going to run out of weekends so we had to start combining a couple things. Our boy turned FIVE last Sunday and he loved when we went to the Orlando SeaWorld so it was an obvious mash-up. 

We were SO thrilled that some of our son's favorite friends managed to make the trip with us. First, the L family...mom, dad (Air National Guard) and their three boys carpooled with us from Oklahoma. And then, just before the trip, my oldest friend and her family (her hubby and 2 yr old daughter) decided to drive up from Houston. 

We all had a blast at the hotel...swimming, pizza, cake...what could be better?!

(we hadn't even unpacked before they wanted to head to the pool)

The next morning we were up and ready to hit SeaWorld with the L family. We had a great time but if I were entirely honest, I would say we enjoyed SeaWorld in Orlando more. The Orlando park seemed cleaner more themed-but I'm sure having to compete with Universal and Disney have some influence on that.

We saw some shows...

Rode some rides...

Had a dolphin experience...

And got really wet!

(not all of us were thrilled about the getting wet part...this was our princess just after the Shamu show soaked her)

By the end of the day, we were all wiped out! Getting to the hotel, taking showers and getting to bed seemed at the time to be monumental tasks but we did it and we all slept really well that night.

The next morning, the boys went swimming again (our princess isn't much of a fan of the water) while I packed us up. We checked out and headed to our (sort of) last stop...The Alamo.

(on the door to the Shrine)

(a plaque on the ground in front of The Alamo Shrine)

Joshua and I are history nerds and had a great time. For the record, we absolutely recommend stopping by if you get the chance...The Alamo itself is free. You pay for parking and there are paid tour guides or audio tours available but we feel that we got just as much out of just talking to one of the employees (Amelia) than we could have with a tour...plus we had the freedom to move at our own pace...or rather our children's pace.

As I said, The Alamo was supposed to be our last stop but as we headed out of town back toward Oklahoma, we stumbled upon a Tanger Outlet Mall...two hours and more money than I should have spent later, we were officially on the road again. It was a great weekend, a memorable birthday and a fantastic time with good friends.

Our Minivan Weekend

Father's Day weekend brought an unexpected adventure. We had a minivan...more accurately we "tested out" a minivan. For a couple of months now, we've been discussing the possibility of selling my Suburban. For the record, I love my Suburban but it's big-possibly unnecessarily big. And more importantly, let's face it, minivans get better fuel economy than SUVs and saving money would be nice. So, with a little humility, we borrowed a minivan from the dealership in town and went about our regularly scheduled weekend.

The minivan itself was a Dodge Caravan...we have friends who own a Honda Odyssey and other friends who own a Nissan Quest. I'm a little crazy when it comes to researching things so it was kind of nice to get the various perspectives. Overall, our friends seem to get about 22 mpg (on average) and that was almost exactly what we were able to get with the Caravan (I think it ended up closer to 23 by the end of the weekend but still in the same range). 

To be honest, I wasn't impressed. The captains chairs in the middle row were nice-no bench to climb over, but I have the quad captains chairs in my Suburban too so that one's kind of a wash. The doors opening with the click of a button pretty much define awesome but that's sort of where the awesome ended for me. I usually average 18 mpg with my Suburan-which, I have learned, is a little high for a Suburban but my husband is always on top of it...fuel additives and oil changes and blah, blah, blah...I usually tune out after he says something mechanical and just wait to hear when he's taking it and I have to use his car. Also, my Suburban has TONS more storage room. I can tow more than just an itty bitty trailer with it. And, I can drive it in more difficult situations than a minivan could attempt (ie-out at the farm when we want to go fishing or shooting).

Although it would end up saving us some money in fuel costs, it's just not worth it to give up the space, towing and off-road capability (and general awesomeness) of my Suburban. By the end of the weekend...actually by Saturday night, Joshua had announced he was vetoing any further discussion of buying the "bloated car."

Disclaimer: Please don't take this post as an attack on minivans or anyone who drives them...they're just not for us but we know, love and respect many friends who love their minivans.

Emotional Rollercoaster

I've been absent from the blogging world this last week because it's been such an emotional time. I had every intention of writing a small but, at least to me, meaningful Memorial Day post but to be honest, I didn't have it in me. The men Joshua served with who died on his deployment and their families are never forgotten. They're always in my prayers and although I would have liked to pay homage to them again here, I just couldn't.

There's been so much pain. Good friends who are literally picking up the pieces of their lives after the Moore tornado. Also, a fellow former-nanny friend of mine found out the family she used to work for lost their son in an accident. So much overwhelming grief. Please keep them all in your prayers.

But there's also been joy. My step-brother (the one I like the most-shh, don't tell the others) got married on Saturday to a woman he loves with all his heart-what more could a sister (even just a step-sister) ask for?! And thankfully Joshua, whose Guard unit was called up to provide perimeter security for Moore (and in their "down time" chose instead of sleeping like they probably should have, to run supplies back and forth to the affected areas) was able to leave early to join us at the wedding.

(my step-brother Blain, his new bride and my new neices!-I can't wait to spoil them...'S'-the one on the right had to cover her sweet eyes for the kiss)

After the wedding on Saturday, Joshua and I came home and left the kiddos with Grandma and Grandpa. We picked up the kids yesterday and managed to hang out with family friends in town from Houston. It was just was what I needed to recharge. 

Pray for Oklahoma

By now, you've probably heard about the tragedy that hit Moore, OK. There are so many stories...uplifting and heartbreaking.

We're safe. Our home is fine. We live about an hour from Moore. 

Moore is strong city. I lived there in college and am in shock watching the video and pics coming through...it's unrecognizable. 

Everyone we love is safe and for that, we thank God! Many have damage. Some have lost everything.

Pray for Oklahoma. Pray for Moore. Pray for the families from Plaza Towers Elementary, the children and the teachers. Pray for my friend Emily.

How To: Grilling Corn on the Cob

This is a particular favorite in our house and people have asked a couple of times how we do it so here it is...

Start by washing and then soaking the corn for about 30-45 minutes...

Then, carefully peel the husk back but be sure to not accidentally pull the husk off. Remove all the little corn hairs...

Add butter and seasoning...we generally just throw a little salt and pepper but a dash of paprika can be yummy and a good complement to red meat...

Next, rewrap the husks...

Inevitably, while you were pulling the husks back in order to remove the corn hairs and season, one of the husks of at least one of the cobs, came off. Now is when you'll use that little rebel. Pull a thin strip of husk...quarter inch or so works great...and wrap it around the tip of the husk...

Double knot the strip of husk-it can be tricky but a single knot just won't keep the husk closed at all...

Grill for about 30 minutes, turning regularly...every ten minutes or so seems to work out well...

Don't panic if your knots come off toward the end of your grilling time. They do that. A lot. The trick is to keep them on as long as possible to keep the moisture in. Your husks will turn black and some of the corn may get scorch marks but they still taste great...

Enjoy.

Disney World Free Dining 2013

The announcement many were waiting for (and some thought might not happen) came this morning...the 2013 Free Dining offer at Disney World.

This year's offer is more limited than the past but will still help many take a trip of a lifetime they may not otherwise have been able to afford.

Dates:

September 2nd-25th

*so long as you have at least one overlapping date, you can get the free dining offer for your entire stay

Resorts:

All Disney owned and operated Resorts EXCEPT FT. WILDERNESS CAMPSITES, 3-BEDROOM VILLAS, and LITTLE MERMAID ROOMS AT ART OF ANIMATION.

Value Resort guests will receive the QUICK SERVICE PLAN which includes 2 quick service meals, 1 snack and a free refillable mug per person per room.

Moderate and Deluxe Resort guests will receive the BASIC DINING PLAN which includes 1 table service meal, 1 quick service meal, 1 snack and a free refillable mug per person per room.

*guests have the option to upgrade to either the basic or deluxe plans by simply paying the cost difference

For more information on exactly what the Dining Plans cover, visit our Disney Dining Plan page.

WHAT'S REQUIRED?

You must book a stay with at least 3-nights and 2-days park tickets.

HOW TO GET IT?

Just call 407-WDW-7675 and ask to book a Magic Your Way package which includes resort stay, park tickets (park hopping and water park upgrades available) and of course the free dining plan. A $200 deposit is required at the time of booking and the balance is due 45 days before you check-in. If you already have a trip planned, call the same number, have your reservation number available and simply ask to add the free dining offer to your vacation.

ALTERNATIVE OFFERS:

If you've decided that the dining plan doesn't work for your family for whatever reason, but are hoping to still save some money while staying on-property, Disney is also offering a 30% off room discount for most resorts. THE OFFERS CANNOT BE COMBINED. Depending on the number of people in your party and the cost of the resort you are staying, the 30% off may be a larger discount.

Spitting Image

I've been arrogant at times when it comes to parenting...breezing through with an easy-to-parent son and years and years of nanny experience...infants, teenagers, triplets-heck, even a family with ten kids. I was ready to take on the challenge of parenting head on and do it with ease until one little girl came into our lives and uprooted everything.

It's humbling to have a child who reminds you of all your most negative qualities. I have that and so much more in our little princess.  She's our "strong-willed" child and I celebrate it...most of the time...because I know it means she'll grow up to be a brave woman with conviction and determination.

But then, there are days like today when I wake up and my first thought is "oh no, what is she going to do today?!" It's exhausting. Not just having a strong-willed, loud, sneaky, demanding child...just about all nearly-two-year-olds are that way. It's the way she's strong-willed, loud, sneaky and demanding that's exhausting because it's a reminder of all the areas of my own character that are less than stellar.

It's not that she's stubborn, I'm stubborn. It's not that she's loud and abrasive, I'm loud and abrasive. It's not that she's manipulative, it's that I'm manipulative. I feel like a hypocrite trying desperately to teach her not to be these things when I know my heart betrays me. I'm all these things and I've lived long enough to know that they're not good things. They make life more difficult. They make relationships more difficult. 

I'm starting to realize that all I can do is parent the best I know how and let God do the rest. Which, if you've been paying attention, you know isn't easy for me because like my daughter, I want to control everything. But God wanted more. He gave me a child who is bringing me closer to Him. He's using her to show me that He wants better not just for her but from me and I'm listening.

Parisian/Marie Custom Disney Dress

Our daughter's favorite Disney character is Marie from Aristocats so it was without question that I would have to make her a Marie dress.

If you saw the Pirate Minnie Dress I made last month, you'll see that I used the same pattern with just a few modifications.

Once again, I made a 2T dress although our daughter really fits an 18mos dress better because...

A-I want her to be able to wear it to Disney World this fall

&

B-I always prefer too big to too small.

I spun the skirt around to put the ruffle panel in the back rather than the front.

I took out the loops in the back and made it a true halter top with an open back.

I elongated the bodice and took an equal length (about 3 inches) off the skirt so that I could fit a fuller-sized Marie on the bodice and give it an almost flapper-like low waist.

Because the skirt was shortened, the number of ruffle layers in the ruffle panel in the back was essentially cut in half.

If you want to make this dress yourself, you can find wonderful step-by-step directions with the pattern from Fairytale Pattern Designs on Craftsy and the embroidery design from Etsy.

If I had it to do over again, I might skit the ruffle panel altogether in the back and and take some of the extra fullness out of the skirt but that's just me being picky.

Mickey's Not-So-Scary Halloween Party

2013 SPECIFIC DATES, TIMES AND PRICES ARE LISTED AT THE BOTTOM

Mickey's Not-So-Scary Halloween Party (MNSSHP) is a family-friendly night of fun for trick-or-treaters of all ages. In addition to trick-or-treating and dance parties with the characters, the Boo To You Parade, the Villains Show and Hallo-Wishes delight visitors at this "hard-ticket" event get to dress up and play all night.

*a hard-ticket event is an event which requires a separate ticket...meaning you cannot get in with just a regular park or annual pass.

MNSSHP Highlights:

The Boo To You Parade is put on twice nightly (8:15 and 10:30 respectively with the second often being much less busy) but be sure to get a good spot early because the headless horseman will ride through about 10 minutes before the parade starts.

The parade route starts in Magic Kingdom's Frontierland, goes through Liberty Square, circles in front of Cinderella's Castle and ends down Main St near Harmony Barber Shop.

*there is an official area for wheelchair viewing located across from the Riverboat and Hall of Presidents in Liberty Square but be sure to arrive early to get a good spot

The Villains Show takes place on the stage in front of Cinderella's Castle four times a night: 7:45, 8:50, 10:05 and 11:15. The show is spectacular and immediately after, guests get a unique opportunity to meet and greet some of the greatest Disney Villains.

*some of the more rare Disney characters-at least in terms of how often their seen in the parks, are available to meet and greet (example: all seven Dwarfs can be found in Frontierland)

Two separate Dance Parties keep kids partying all night long. Rock-It-Out in Tomorrowland has Chip, Dale, Stitch, Pluto and Goofy.  Woody's Happy Harvest Roundup at the Diamond Horseshoe in Liberty Square has Woody, Jesse and Bullseye.

Upon entering the Magic Kingdom, guests are given a treat bag-although you're welcome to bring your own if your little Pirate or Princess has a favorite. Candy stations are scattered throughout the park so be sure to check your MNSSHP maps. If you have a medical or dietary restriction and need sugar-free or treats without nuts, simply collect the amount of candy you want and take it to City Hall on Main St and exchange it.

*as fun as trick-or-treating in the Magic Kingdom can be (and the candy is usually pretty good), the lines can be long so you may want to limit the number of candy stations you visit

Hallo-Wishes is fantastic! A special, MNSSHP-only version of Magic Kingdom's Wishes, Hallo-Wishes dazzles. The show starts at 9:30 nightly and for the best viewing, get a seat in front of the Castle on Main St.

Children and adults alike are encouraged to come to the party dressed up. There are some dress code standards (remember, Disney World is a children's theme park-no naughty nurses!). Weaponry (swords and the like) is not permitted to be sharp or too realistic and those dressed in Disney costumes are not allowed to sign character autographs.

Dressing up and going to MNSSHP can be the highlight of a vacation. Just remember September and October can still get quite hot on some day so plan accordingly. And have a blast. We sure did.

*Don't forget to look into booking your little one at either the Bibbidy Bobbidy Boutique or Pirate's League the day of the party and have your little one all dressed and ready to go.

2013 SPECIFIC DATES, TIMES AND PRICES

The official time for the party is 7pm to midnight but ticket holders are permitted into the park as early as 4pm. Regular park attendees who do not have the MNSSHP tickets will be asked to leave at 7pm.  

September 10, 13, 17, 20, 24 & 27th

Advanced purchase tickets: 

Adult: $59 Child: $54

Same day tickets:

Adult: $65 Child: $60

Passholder/DVC discount (advanced purchase) tickets:

Adult: $56 Child $51

Military Discount tickets:

Adult: $41.30 Child: $31.80

September 29th

Advanced purchase tickets:

Adult: $62 Child: $57

Same day tickets:

Adult: $67 Child: $62

Passholder/DVC discount (advanced purchase) tickets:

Adult: $58 Child: $53

October 3, 6, 10, 14, 17, 20, 22 & 24th

Advanced purchase tickets:

Adult: $62 Child: $57

Same day tickets:

Adult: $67 Child: $62

Passholder/DVC discount (advanced purchase) tickets:

Adult: $58 Child: $53

October 4, 11, 18, 25, 27 & 29th

Advanced purchase tickets:

Adult: $62 Child: $57

Same day tickets:

Adult: $67 Child: $62

October 31st

Adult: $73 Child: $68

*chances are good that tickets will sell out long before the 31st so be sure to order as soon as you can if you wish to go on Halloween

November 1st

Advanced purchase tickets:

Adult: $62 Child: $57

Same day tickets:

Adult: $67 Child: $62

*all prices are before tax

Order your tickets by calling 407-WDisney or online. You can pay to have the tickets mailed to you directly or you can pick them up at the Ticket and Transportation Center (or TTC-where you park to get onto the monorail if you are not staying at a Disney Monorail Resort). At the TTC, you will need to present a valid photo ID, your confirmation number and the credit card with which you originally purchased the tickets). 

Tickets are non-refundable and often sell out early.