At our house, the fun was only beginning on Christmas Day. We are enjoying the Christmas season all the way through this Saturday (January 3rd). Here are some of the highlights.

On the 26th, we went to Grandma and Papa Don's (my husband's parents) to celebrate with them and my sister-in-law's family. We ate a delicious brunch, and my kids enjoyed playing with their cousins. This is the annual Christmas photo on Grandma's couch.

We exchanged gifts, and there were a few surprises. We encouraged my Favorite Boy to ask for last year's versions of Xbox 360 games because they are so much cheaper. Grandma, however, was willing to go to Walmart at 5AM the day after Thanksgiving, so she surprised her grandson with Madden 09, which she purchased at half-price. He rarely shows his excitement, but it peeked through a little.

Grandma scored another deal and made her granddaughter happy with this Minnie costume. For those of you who have been reading my blog for a while, I am sure you aren't surprised to see my daughter enjoying another costume.

We had a few surprises up our sleeves as well. My husband and his sister conspired to get Grandma and Papa Don a new computer. We hope to have them connected to the internet soon!

On the 27th, we visited my aunt's house. My parents were there, and my brother and his family were able to come as well. We hadn't seen them since June, so we were so happy to see my niece and nephew. My nephew enjoyed my Oreo Delight dessert, and my niece loved laughing at her cousin (my Favorite Boy).

Another costume? Yes, my aunt earned this big hug with a new Sleeping Beauty costume.

We tried to take a picture of my parents, their kids, spouses and grandchildren. This was not an easy task.

We are having a wonderful week. More to come!

Labels: Christmas, Family and Friends, Fun

There have been several cute conversations at our house this week, but I wanted to share a couple of my Best Girl's comments. Because she helped me wrap presents, she knows what we are giving most of our family members. She has done well keeping the gifts a secret, but it has been very tough. This is the conversation we had about Grammy's gift (Grammy was in the room).

BG: Grammy really likes to read, right?

Me: Yes.

BG: Just like Belle.

Me: Yes, just like Belle.

BG: But we're not supposed to tell her what her present is, right?

I am sure Grammy will be shocked when she opens a box full of books tomorrow. :)


On Sunday, my Best Girl and Grammy were eating lunch together. They had a cute conversation.

BG: Grammy, can I marry Papa?

Grammy: Well, I already married Papa.

BG: Okay. Well, whoever finishes their lunch first gets to marry Papa.

I don't remember who finished first, but I thought it was hilarious that my Best Girl was challenging Grammy. They are both pretty slow eaters, so it was an interesting choice for a competition!

Edited to Add:

It's Tuesday morning, and Grammy is getting stockings ready for all of us. This is the conversation my Best Girl just had with her daddy.

BG: Dad, I am not going to tell you what's in your stocking, but there is a treat in there. But, I am not going to tell you.

Dad: Okay.

BG: Do we have any Whoppers? I mean, I'm not telling you what's in your stocking, but do we have any?

She just can't stand the suspense! :)

Labels: Family and Friends, My Best Girl, Small Talk

We are having a wonderful Christmas. Since the 25th, we have had festivities of some kind every day, and we aren't even finished! Tomorrow, we will celebrate with my parents and my brother's family.

On Christmas Eve, we set out cookies, but we deviated from our usual chocolate chip. I saw these cookies in Family Fun magazine; I am sure Rudolph appreciated them.

On Christmas morning, we did our stockings first. I took a picture of the kids with their favorite stocking stuffer. My Favorite Boy tried to fit several things in the picture, but he was most excited about his pedometer (that's what he is holding between his fingers). He has been asking for a pedometer for a while, and he has worn it every day since Christmas. My Best Girl appreciated her Reese's cups. She is a girl after my own heart.

After the stockings, we headed upstairs to the bonus room to discover what Santa left. The race up the stairs was filled with anticipation.

My Best Girl was thrilled to find a princess bike and a dollhouse.

My Favorite Boy loves his new Chris Johnson and LaDainian Tomlinson jerseys (they are NFL players), but the new Xbox game won top honors. I think you can tell by his face that he enjoys playing games on his Xbox.

On Christmas Day night, my husband's family came for dinner. There were between 30-40 people here, and we had a wonderful time. These are the great-grandkids.


Our Christmas Day was filled with family and fun. I hope yours was as well!

Labels: Christmas, Family and Friends, Fun

On our sixth day at WDW, we woke up ready to head back to Magic Kingdom. Can you guess who was there to greet us? I love the opening ceremonies at Magic Kingdom; I am smiling just thinking about it.

We rode a few rides together and then decided to divide and conquer. My Favorite Boy and his daddy spent some time on Space Mountain and Buzz Lightyear's Space Ranger Spin; my Best Girl and I headed to the new Fairies meet-n-greet in Toontown. Tinkerbell has never been available in the parks, but she is now! When the new Tinkerbell movie came out in October, Disney World opened a Pixie Hollow meeting spot where you can meet Tink and two of her friends. When we visited, Tink's friends Iridessa and Rosetta were there with her. As we neared the Fairies' room, we went through a shrinking area. Grass and flowers sure do seem big when you are the size of a fairy!

We met back up with the boys and enjoyed a few more attractions together. After lunch, we stopped for a visit with Captain Hook and Mr. Smee. They were quite friendly, but Captain Hook was shaking in his shoes when my Best Girl told him that she had seen the crocodile trying to eat him on the Peter Pan ride!

Dad and my Best Girl returned to the hotel for a nap. My Favorite Boy and I went back for a rest as well, but we managed to squeeze in another ride on Splash Mountain and Big Thunder Mountain before returning. We even ran into Goofy on our way.

We all returned in the evening to enjoy the Spectromagic parade and the fireworks. On our way into the park, we stopped for this picture. It's one of my favorites from the trip (and it is on our Christmas card).

While waiting for the parade, the kids enjoyed the hula hoops and the jump ropes set out by the cast members. Disney even makes waiting fun. Although we have been to Disney World many times, we had never seen the Spectromagic parade. The kids loved it! It was one of their favorite events of the week. (My pictures of the parades and fireworks do not do justice to what we really saw.)

After the parade passed, we scooted over to the other side of the park to watch the Wishes fireworks show. My Best Girl and I stopped to pose next to the castle. The icicle lights are absolutely beautiful. Seeing the fireworks behind the decorated castle was the perfect way to end the day!



Up next...our visit to the World Showcase at Epcot!

Labels: Disney

Do you ever try to do it all? Realistically, I know I can't, but sometimes I try!

After being sick for almost 4 weeks, I accepted some help this weekend. My mother-in-law came up on Saturday to help get my house into shape for the 30-40 people who will be eating here on Christmas Day. I am excited that they are all coming, but I was getting a little overwhelmed with all the things I haven't felt up to doing.

Grandma came and cleaned cabinets, mirrors, doors, walls, windows, etc... Very little of that would have been done without her help. I know I could have let many of those things go; with 40 people in the house, no one will see much anyway. However, I feel so much better having those jobs checked off my list, and I truly appreciate her willingness to step in and help.

Thank you Grandma!

Labels: Family and Friends

On our fifth day of vacation, we took a break from the major theme parks. This was also the day we switched from the All-Star Sports resort to the Doubletree Guest Suites in Downtown Disney (my hubby had earned six free nights there). I will say that I love staying in Disney-owned resorts, but I didn't mind the move at all when I found out that we were upgraded to a two-bedroom suite! We went from 260 sq. ft. of shared space to two bedrooms, two bathrooms, and a family room/dining area. It was wonderful!

My Best Girl had experienced the Bibbidy Bobbidy Boutique earlier in the week, so my Favorite Boy got a special outing as well. He and his dad spent most of the day at Disney Quest, a five-story wonderland for video game lovers. My Favorite Boy had a ball! My Best Girl and I walked around Downtown Disney for a little while, played at the Lego Store (check out the Lego sea monster below), and took a nap.

We met around 4 and headed to the Contemporary resort for dinner at Chef Mickey's. We were so excited when we realized that we would be dining with Mickey and friends on Mickey and Minnie's 80th birthday. We let Mickey know that he looks really good for 80, and he appreciated the compliment.


I am sure you can't imagine that there might be more to say about our Disney trip, but there is! Please remember that I am only writing this to help me remember the details; feel free to skip these posts. Next up...another day at Magic Kingdom!

Labels: Disney

I have needed a day like today for quite a while! The prednisone is kicking in, and I am starting to feel better. Since I managed my Favorite Boy's Christmas party at school today, it was helpful that I wasn't coughing every other breath. (I have no pictures from the party because I forgot my camera, but a fun time was had by all.)

When we left school, we couldn't believe our eyes. The sun was shining! I got in my car and remembered that I lost my sunglasses at Disney World. Because I hadn't used them in so long, I had forgotten that I needed new ones. Not only was it sunny, but it was also 70 degrees. The kids have spent all afternoon playing outside. Since they haven't been able to do this in more than two weeks, this was a much needed playtime.

I think tomorrow will be back to cloudy and cool, but we sure appreciated the reprieve!

Labels: Family and Friends, Fun

I just thought I would post an update of what has been happening in our home. I am still sick (it's been 3 weeks), but I started a prednisone dose pack today that I hope will help. It may cause me to be jittery, but I hope to use the excess energy to clean up my house!

My Best Girl had her Christmas program at preschool this week. Her class did songs about snow, and it was very cute. This is my Best Girl with her teacher Mrs. J.

Over the weekend, we made our second annual gingerbread house. This year's house turned out much better than last year's because I was more liberal with the frosting and it held together better. I think I learned a few more things while making this one, so next year's house should be the bomb. :) My Favorite Boy decorated the left side of the roof, my Best Girl did the right side.

I stole this idea from one of my friends, and I thought I would share. My friend displays her Christmas cards by paper clipping them to ribbon on her doors. I was putting mine in a snowman basket, but we rarely looked through them. I love this idea because we can enjoy them easily throughout the season.

My Favorite Boy has one more full day of school and then a half-day and party. I can't believe that Christmas is almost here. Of course, my kids think it will never arrive!

Labels: Family and Friends, Fun, Hodgepodge

On day four of our Disney trip, we headed to Epcot. Because we planned to visit Epcot twice, this day was spent primarily in the Future World section (Epcot is divided into two large areas: Future World and World Showcase).

While my Favorite Boy and his Dad rode Mission Space, my Best Girl and I grabbed some Fastpasses for Soarin' and went to the Seas pavilion. The Nemo ride was one of her favorite rides during the week. And yes, her hairdo from the Bibbidy Bobbidy Boutique remained intact after sleeping on it. Those Fairy Godmothers-in-Training know how to give you your money's worth.


After a few rides, we enjoyed a late breakfast with the princesses at Akershus Royal Banquet Hall. Belle greeted us in the lobby; Snow White, Mulan, Jasmine, and Aurora visited with us while we ate.

After eating, we headed to Test Track, which was a favorite for everyone in the family. We rode it several times during our trip. Also, we went to a special meet-n-greet for Disney Visa cardholders and got to hang out with Goofy, Minnie, and Mickey for a few minutes.

While my Best Girl and her dad went back to the hotel for a nap, my Favorite Boy and I explored the Innoventions areas. He especially enjoyed an interactive exhibit about recycling, and he spent some time playing the PS3s that they have. He's always ready for a chance to play video games!

My Favorite Boy and I returned to the hotel for a short rest and dinner. Then, we all went back to Epcot for a few more rides and the fireworks. The Christmas tree was lit, and the kids enjoyed munching on popcorn while waiting for the show to start. Even though we were in Florida, it was chilly, so the warm snack helped ease the discomfort a bit. I didn't have my tripod with me, so the pictures I took aren't great; but, the fireworks were wonderful, and they were a great way to end a fun day. (My Best Girl thought they looked pretty, but she was not fond of the noise.)



Keeping It Real

When we arrived at Disney World, I went to the hotel gift shop to purchase pens for the characters to use when signing the kids' autograph books. I bought a blue Mickey and friends pen for my Favorite Boy and a pink princess pen for my Best Girl. I had no idea that this would cause a problem! Most of the time, the characters would pick up one pen and use it on both books to save time. Of course, my Favorite Boy didn't want the ink from a princess pen in his book. Once he voiced his opinion, my Best Girl didn't want the ink from a blue pen on her book. We had to have several "discussions" about this. Mulan, however, went with the flow. When she noticed that my Best Girl was not happy about her using the blue pen, she added something extra using the pink one. I thought that was nice of her, but we still had to work on our attitudes. Isn't it funny how something that seems so silly can seem SO important to kids!

Labels: Disney

We are having a snow day today. We have enough snow for the kids to enjoy. My Best Girl headed out as soon as I let her. Much to her daddy's dismay, her favorite thing about the snow is eating it.

My Favorite Boy went out a little later. He rushed out before I could take a picture. I stayed in because I have not fully recovered from my incessant coughing.

After playing for a little while with our neighbors, the kids are back inside to warm up. I am sure they will head back out as long as the sun doesn't completely melt all the snow the next hour or so!

Labels: Family and Friends, Fun, My Best Girl

We don't often get big, fluffy snowflakes, but we have them tonight! Although our forecast called for no accumulation, there is at least an inch on the ground already. Since our schools are cancelled at the thought of snow, I am sure my Favorite Boy will be out tomorrow.

Sadly, my Best Girl's Christmas program at her preschool was supposed to be tonight. I am disappointed that they had to cancel. However, it doesn't seem to be bothering her too much. She's outside throwing snowballs with her dad!

Perhaps I will have a picture of the snow to share tomorrow!

Labels: Family and Friends, Fun

On Day 3 of our Disney trip, we headed to the Magic Kingdom. I will admit right now that I love the Magic Kingdom as much as my children do. Walking through the turnstiles and looking up at the Main Street Train Station just makes me happy. As we arrived, we were so excited to see everything decked out for the holidays.

Of course, walking up Main Street toward Cinderella's Castle is wonderful too. My Best Girl took advantage of the opportunity to pose next to the castle with her daddy. He is her Prince Charming (at least for a few more years).

We spent the day riding our favorites: Peter Pan, Pooh, Splash Mountain, Big Thunder Mountain, etc... My Favorite Boy rode Space Mountain for the first time, and it quickly became his favorite ride in Magic Kingdom (I rank Splash Mountain as my number one). Last year, It's a Small World was my Best Girl's favorite, but Peter Pan claimed the top spot for her on this trip. She probably rode it 8+ times. As we were exiting Peter Pan on our first ride, one of the cast members gave her a play sword. Later, my Best Girl told me that when she grows up, she is going to work at the Peter Pan ride and give swords to little girls. That made me smile!

Receiving the sword was special, but the highlight of the day for my Best Girl was her visit to the Bibbidy Bobbidy Boutique in Cinderella's Castle. It is basically a spa for princesses. She was pampered by two Fairy Godmothers-in-Training who fixed her hair, put on her makeup, and painted her nails. She loved it! At the end, Fairy Godmother Allison sprinkled pixie dust in my Best Girl's hair. Unfortunately, Dad made the mistake of complimenting her glitter. He was quickly corrected by my Best Girl who said, "Dad, it is NOT glitter! It is pixie dust!"


After the Boutique experience, we had just enough time to meet Buzz and Stitch in Tommorowland before heading to dinner.


As we headed out of the park, we stopped for a family photo in front of the castle.

For dinner, we headed to Cinderella's Gala Feast at the Grand Floridian. To get there, we rode the monorail, and we were able to ride in the front with the operator. The kids both got co-pilot licenses and enjoyed the view, especially as the monorail cruised through the Contemporary resort.

When we entered the lobby of the Grand Floridian, we saw the gingerbread house. It is large enough to contain a store where you can buy cookies, drinks, etc...

We enjoyed dinner with Cinderella, Prince Charming, Lady Tremaine, Anastasia, and Drizella. The stepmother and stepsisters were very funny, and we got to see Cinderella dance with Prince Charming.






Keeping It Real

We had a great day, but it was not without problems. One of the biggest mistakes was on the very first ride. As we approached Dumbo, my hubby mentioned that he needed a bathroom break. He headed to the restroom, and I took the kids on the ride. I don't know what I was thinking, but we all got in the same Dumbo. Unfortunately, there is only one control stick to make Dumbo go up and down. So, I spent the entire ride counting to ten. The kids took turns operating Dumbo while I counted. This solution didn't make either of them happy. In between counting, I was telling them to quit acting so ugly at the happiest place on earth! For the rest of the trip, we made sure the kids didn't ride together whenever some kind of controller was involved!

Coming up next...Day Four at Epcot!

Labels: Disney

Last year, I came home from an ornament exchange with this.

I admit that I left the ornament exchange a little disappointed because the ornament I really wanted was "stolen" from me. And, although I am sure this ornament would look wonderful on someone's tree, it doesn't really fit with mine. However, when my Best Girl saw the ornament, she thought it was the most beautiful thing she had ever seen. I happily handed it to her for her to use on the little tree in her room.

On Friday, my Best Girl accompanied me to Hobby Lobby. I told her that she could select an ornament for her tree. From the hundreds of choices, she picked this.

Not only does it feature a large, red crystal-like jewel, it also has a flower made out of crystal-like jewels and feathers. Who wouldn't choose this? I can't wait to see what she adds to her tree next year!

Labels: My Best Girl

Animal Kingdom

After getting settled at the All-Star Sports Resort, we woke up bright and early on Day Two. We almost always arrive at the parks before they open so we can take advantage of the lighter crowds in the morning. As we walked toward the turnstiles, we stopped to admire the Animal Kingdom Christmas tree. It was beautifully decorated with animal ornaments and had an African feel to it. My Favorite Boy stopped to pose for a picture. Because we were in Florida, he decided to do the "Gator Chomp" in many pictures on the first day. Thankfully, that wore off quickly.

Before entering the park, we were greeted by some cast members who asked if we would like to help open the park for the day. We excitedly followed the cast members to an area where the kids were given vests to wear. They also got a brief tutorial about some bugs/animals (one was a scorpion), and then we walked out to welcome the arriving guests. As guests entered the park, we greeted them and answered questions. Afterwards, my Favorite Boy and Best Girl were given "Magical Moment" certificates and buttons that said they were honorary presenters. It was an exciting way to start the day!

Before long, we had another magical moment! As we were entering the It's Tough To Be a Bug 3-D show, we were met by the Dream Team and given Dream Fastpasses. These Fastpasses are given out randomly and include all the Fastpass rides at the park for that day. Although the park wasn't too crowded, it was fun to win, and we were able to bypass several lines.

One of our favorite parts of Disney World is the character meals. At Animal Kingdom, we enjoyed Donald's Safari Breakfast. We ate a late breakfast (which served as our lunch) with Donald, Daisy, Goofy, and Mickey. As we ate, the characters came by to visit and sign our autograph books, and the kids got to parade around the room with Goofy as well. We left the restaurant full and happy!




One of the rides my kids enjoy at Animal Kingdom is the Kali River Rapids. Last year, this ride was one of my Best Girl's favorites. However, things do change! This year, she decided that she didn't want to get wet on any rides. So, we covered her with a trash bag to keep her dry. After riding once, she decided to call it quits, but my Favorite Boy and his dad went for another spin. It worked out well that we went to Animal Kingdom first. It was 80+ on this day; the highs were in the 60s the rest of the week. My Favorite Boy would not have enjoyed being so wet in colder temperatures!


Keeping It Real

While I did put a lot of effort into making this a wonderful trip, I certainly don't want to give the impression that our family is perfect. (For example, I did not include in my last post that at the end of a day full of surprises and travelling my Best Girl had a meltdown in the hotel.) So, from now on I will be including a "Keeping It Real" section in my Disney posts. I hope you will enjoy reading about our not-so-magical moments as well. :)

When we were asked to help open Animal Kingdom, we were all excited...except my Favorite Boy. Other than a surprise trip to Disney World, he doesn't do well with unexpected events. He also dislikes the feeling that lots of people are looking at him. He did not want to participate in opening the park at all. Because we wanted him to be thankful for the opportunity, we explained to him that it was an honor to be chosen, and we made him wear the vest. We did not, however, force him to interact with anyone. Instead, he stood behind his dad and sulked.

As unhappy as he was, he still enjoyed the Magical Moments certificate and the button. Of course, I had to remind myself that the cast members see thousands of children each day, and my child was not the first to reject the opportunity to do something special.

Overall, we had a great day at Animal Kingdom. We spend less time there than at the other parks, so we returned to the hotel in the afternoon to relax (it was the only day warm enough for the kids to swim, so this worked well).

Coming up next...Magic Kingdom!

Labels: Disney

I have been sick for 9-10 days with bronchitis. I am ready to be well. Typically, after 10 days of sickness, doctors will prescribe an antibiotic, so I spent over an hour with my Best Girl waiting to see a nurse practitioner this morning (fun, fun times).

Unfortunately for me, the nurse practitioner has joined the fight against antibiotic resistance, and she doesn't want to prescribe anything until I have been sick for 14 days. So, I now wait a few days, go back and sit in the waiting area again, and then pay her another $60 to tell me I have bronchitis and need an antibiotic.

In all honesty, I don't mind waiting a few days as much as I mind paying (again). I asked if I could just call, but she said no. She needs to see me (again) so she can tell me I have bronchitis and need an antibiotic.

I hope her instincts are correct, and I get well on my own. Unfortunately, I do not have a history of overcoming bronchial problems without medication. I guess I can consider myself a soldier in the fight against antibiotic resistance and remind myself that I am helping to improve our world. I just wish I didn't have to feel so yucky and cough so much while doing it.

Editor's Note: In the next installment of Baseballs and Bows, we will return to the magical land of Disney and leave the complaining behind.

Another Editor's Note: Does anyone else feel the world would be more equitable if fathers had to squeeze their legs together everytime they cough or sneeze?

Labels: General

Early in 2008, my hubby and I discussed a return trip to Disney World in December 2009. Because I have OCPD (Obsessive Compulsive Planning Disorder), I started working on a plan for the trip in April, a mere 20 months in advance. In the meantime, I enjoyed helping several of our friends plan their 2008 Disney vacations.

Then, one Wednesday in September, I read that Disney was planning to release a great discount for Disney Visa cardholders. Although I didn't really think he would go for the idea, I called my husband and told him about the deal. I was shocked when he came home from work a few hours later and mentioned that he had been looking at flights. We had 4 Southwest Rapid Rewards tickets, and he had found a good week for us to go. In a matter of hours, we booked flights, made dinner reservations for character meals, and booked the hotel. I was so excited I couldn't sleep!

A few weeks earlier, my son had mentioned that he wanted us to surprise him the next time we went to Disney. So, we decided to keep our plans a secret. However, my son had asked for the newest Walt Disney World Guide for Kids, so I bought it for him. He read the book several times in the weeks leading up to our trip, and even made lists of what he wanted to do (he takes after his mother). Of course, he thought he was planning for sometime in 2009. Because we discussed the book together, we had the opportunity to plan and look forward to the trip, but we had the element of surprise as well. It worked out wonderfully!

On November 14th, we went to my Favorite Boy's school after lunch to pick him up. When he came to the office, we said, "Dad took the rest of the day off. Why don't we do something fun?" At that point, I gave the kids a gift bag. Inside the bag were two "boarding passes" for both the kids that said we were going to Disney World. My Best Girl repeatedly said, "Today? We are going TODAY?". My Favorite Boy was simply in shock. I don't think they believed us until they saw the luggage in the car and we started driving to the airport.

As we arrived at the airport, My Favorite Boy asked, "Do we get to do that part where you have to take your shoes off?" When I told him that we would have to go through security, he said, "YES!" After we passed through, he said, "That was so fun, I almost forgot we are going to Disney World!" I just had to laugh at that. If only adults could look at the airport security measures with such enthusiasm!

On the plane, I shared some things with the kids that I had made for them ahead of time. Because they knew nothing of our plans, I made them a picture itinerary (I got this idea from a wonderful Disney message board). The itinerary included all the days of our trip with the main events listed in word and picture form. My Favorite Boy loves schedules, so this was right up his alley.

From another message board, I got the idea of making your own autograph books for the characters to sign. My kids were so excited to get their own books, and there were specific pages for many of the Disney characters. Many of the characters were excited that we had made special pages just for them, and this added to the fun for the kids as well. However, when my Best Girl mistakenly told Mary Poppins that the autograph books came from the store, I did have to jump in and take credit. :)

This was the beginning of our vacation, and it started off with a bang. I can't believe I kept the trip a secret, but I have a feeling it was a surprise that will be remembered for a long time!

Labels: Disney, My Best Girl, My Favorite Boy