Disney World!

We promised the girls a couple years ago that, when they turned 5, we would take them to Disney World for their birthday. January will be here in no time at all so I've started thinking about the trip and what we hope to do there. We will be driving and staying off site at a condo in Kissimmee.

Mike and I have been to Disney World several times over the years, both together and separately. The things that I love to see and do as an adult are not the same as the kids' wishes and desires. I know that they are going to love it and being able to share this experience with them will be a treasure. The question is, what are some special things for us to do with the girls while we are down there?

We are planning on visiting the Magic Kingdom, Animal Kingdom and Epcot. We are taking one day off for relaxation (geocaching) and another day to do Sea World. There are obvious kid favorites like It's a Small World, The Enchanted Tiki Room, Kilimanjaro Safari, Fireworks, Character Encounters, etc. but is there anything in particular that we should be sure not to miss with the kiddos?

We are also planning on 2 Character Meals...maybe a breakfast and a dinner. We have never done anything like that before and we need to make our reservations. There is a lot of information out there on the web and it takes awhile to scan through it all. If anyone has any suggestions, it would be much appreciated! I know that the time will be special without any added fuss, but they are my only ones and they only turn 5 once. I want it to be a wonderful time for the whole family, and not going into it blindly will be a big help!

Bad Momma

I was having a pretty good morning today, girls were dressed, fed, had their backpacks ready for school, etc. Mike calls and we decide that I will meet him with the girls for lunch and then take them on to preschool afterward. Just as I am pulling out of the driveway, I think to myself, "Hmmm, what's the date today?", and I conclude it's the 10th. The 10th.....the 10th....it seems like something was happening today but what?

Oh, crap! It's picture day at school today! This is not good.....

I hit the brakes, drive back up to the house, dash inside and find, amongst the 2 paper towers on the counter, the 2 picture order forms. Now, where is the checkbook? Any checkbook! Here, checky-checky! Momma needs money... I finally locate one and then stand in the kitchen thinking, "Wait...what are the girls even wearing?". Nothing special but the shirts are new and their hair is clean and they seem happy enough, so...........I guess we're going to go with it!

At lunch, Mike and I frantically try to decide which package to purchase, which pose, which background and blah, blah, blah. I know that this process had to have been easier when I was a kid. As I am filling out the "separate" checks for each child, Mike says, "Uh-oh.". This is not good either......

On the form, which I obviously didn't read carefully enough,  it says that kids should be wearing nothing with GREEN on it because they now use Green Screen technology and it will affect the pictures. Tara is fine in her Orange, but of course, Lauren is wearing the coordinating shirt in...you guessed it, green. Now what am I going to do? I don't have time to make it back home, pick out new clothes, get them re-dressed, and back out to school in time. Oh, heavens....

In the end, I leave the teachers in charge. I explain the error of my ways and ask that if the green shirt is going to be a problem, to take their shirts off (they are wearing nice, white, long-sleeved shirts underneath) and put their brown vests on over the top. Certainly not the ideal situation. Hopefully their cute smiles will trump whatever they are, or aren't, wearing.

Bad Momma.........

Falling Showers

 The Set-Up

The Shower

The Finale

The Fun!

Me & My Hunny

On September 18th, Mike and I celebrated 16 years of togetherness. Which means, I have been with Mike for over half of my life! Crazy, huh?

We were reminiscing the other evening about our lives back then (1993) and how much we have grown, changed, and become since those teenage years. To put it in perspective, I was 16, a Junior in High School (an emotional basketcase) and working at Chuck E. Cheese after school and on the weekends. Mike was 18, a College Freshman at GRCC, working part time for ProComp at a kiosk in Woodland Mall.

I was into marching band and chorale, hanging out with my friends, playing card games and Friday night's at Pizza Hut. I liked to babysit and loved to sing. Mike was into 60's & 70's Music, computers (shocking), gaming, camping and showing me the world. We had an instant connection, and with the exception of few bad judgment calls on my part during the first few months of our relationship, we've been one solid unit ever since.

I can vividly remember our first date, our first kiss, our first trip out-of-State. I can also vividly remember getting in trouble for all three!  My parents weren't as easy going back then....let me tell ya! Thinking about it is making me laugh right now...ha ha ha. If I had to do it all over again, I seriously wouldn't change a thing, other than asking Mike out sooner. He's such a great guy, and he's all mine!


How lucky am I?