Disney World Planning Time!

My in-laws are taking us to Disney World for 4 days next December, and we paid for an added 3 days so we can have a small family trip with just the 4 of us.

So if it is next December why oh why are you planning it now you ask? Well it is simple, #1 I am a planner it is what it is, I feel better when everything is planned, and #2 and the real reason is that in 30 days I will be on the phone with Disney World making reservations for our dining while we are there. This is serious business, I will call at 9AM when they open and still will not get all my first choices for dining. This is not something that can wait until the last minute, if it does we would never get the meals we want. So in order to make reservations I have to figure out what parks we are going to on what days so they match, traveling for a meal is a huge waste of time (we are talking like 1.5 hours of wasted time), getting around Disney is never a quick trip. I also have a HUGE surprise in store for Emma, it will be her birthday present from her Dad and I but I can't wait.

So anyway I am knee deep in Disney World plans for those of you reading this if you have any suggestions above the typical character meals (we are doing TONS of these) please let me know!

Family Update

It has been a while since I updated. Things are going well but busy busy busy. Andrew and I got back from a week in Jamaica last Sunday (more about that one later). Andrew left Wednesday to go out of town, but luckily was able to come back Friday so that was nice. He might leave again next week, unfortunately with his new position comes more traveling so we take the good with the bad. The kids are older now, and so involved in things with a great support group so honestly although we miss him it is not that bad when he does travel.

Andrew is doing well, loving his media room and car. His job is going well I think the happy hour once a week with his co-workers helps:)

I am doing well too. To be honest with church, Emma's PTA and Jacks school stuff I totally overextended myself this year. Whatever time Emma's PTA stuff does not take up, church does (i teach both Sunday and Wednesday). My two kid-free days per week are spent doing stuff for E's school and such, and I am done. I will be a room mom for one of them next year but that is it. I am glad to be finished with her school, Wednesday nights end in three weeks and then it is on to Sunday school and preschool director of VBS ( i will never learn!). Looking forward to a girls weekend in San Antonio in a couple of weeks, and going to Houston to see my family (it has been over 2 months since I have seen my sister and her family). I am trying to plan a mini-vacay for our family, no idea where or what. Then we will go to Great Wolf Lodge with my parents and sister at the end of July, then the lake in August. I am counting the days until the pool opens and can't wait to be spending all out time there! I have met several Mom's in our new neighborhood and it will be nice to spend more time with them and their kids this summer. Oh and my good friend Micah is getting married on July 9th and as a bridesmaid there is tons to be done (showers and such) so that will keep me busy too!

Emma is doing well. She will go to Kindergarten next year, she is more than ready and really looking forward to it. I am not so ready, but it helps that it is a fake kinder year for her:) She seems to be reading quite well, and has taken more of an interest in it in the past week, in fact she read at school yesterday which was a first. Her teacher said she holds her own socially and is ahead academically so I think our choice for kinder next year is a good one, all the people that work with Emma support it 100%. NONE of them support two years of kinder for her, but this is a choice that Andrew and I have made and feel confident in it. T-ball is going well, she has 3 more games, and swimming has 3 more weeks also. She will have summer school, a week of creative arts at the local GT school, zoo camp and summer dance camp this summer. We are planning on a trip to Atlanta, spending time in Houston, and having several friends coming to visit (YAY!!). I just signed her up for dance for next year, she has been begging since about February to get into it, but you can't join mid year. She will do a Tap/Jazz/Ballet combo then probably a 45 minute hip/hop class on top of that. She will also do swimming one day and have school 5 days a week! If this becomes too much we will drop a dance class or swimming.

Jack is also doing well and just loving life. His school is going well. He had his first program last week and it was about what you would expect from a 1 year old (lots of standing around staring at the audience), although he did clap for himself in the end:) He loves school and his teachers say he is the class clown, and popular one (that could be trouble). He is doing well in swimming and really likes it. This summer he will also go to summer school with Emma they will finally be at the same school!!! Next year he will go to Emma's school three days a week. He will also do swimming, and little gym.

I think that is about it for our family update, hope this post finds everyone doing well.

Prayer for a Daughter

I love this!!

Prayer for a Daughter
Tina Fey

First, Lord: No tattoos. May neither Chinese symbol for truth nor Winnie-the-Pooh holding the FSU logo stain her tender haunches.

May she be Beautiful but not Damaged, for it’s the Damage that draws the creepy soccer coach’s eye, not the Beauty.

When the Crystal Meth is offered, May she remember the parents who cut her grapes in half and stick with Beer.

Guide her, protect her:
When crossing the street, stepping onto boats, swimming in the ocean, swimming in pools, walking near pools, standing on the subway platform, crossing 86th Street, stepping off of boats, using mall restrooms, getting on and off escalators, driving on country roads while arguing, leaning on large windows, walking in parking lots, riding Ferris wheels, roller-coasters, log flumes, or anything called “Hell Drop,” “Tower of Torture,” or “The Death Spiral Rock ‘N Zero G Roll featuring Aerosmith,” and standing on any kind of balcony ever, anywhere, at any age.

Lead her away from Acting but not all the way to Finance. Something where she can make her own hours but still feel intellectually fulfilled and get outside sometimes. And not have to wear high heels.

What would that be, Lord? Architecture? Midwifery? Golf course design? I’m asking You, because if I knew, I’d be doing it, dammit.

May she play the Drums to the fiery rhythm of her Own Heart with the sinewy strength of her Own Arms, so she need Not Lie With Drummers.

Grant her a Rough Patch from twelve to seventeen. Let her draw horses and be interested in Barbies for much too long, For childhood is short – a Tiger Flower blooming Magenta for one day – And adulthood is long and dry-humping in cars will wait.

O Lord, break the Internet forever, That she may be spared the misspelled invective of her peers. And the online marketing campaign for Rape Hostel V: Girls Just Wanna Get Stabbed.

And when she one day turns on me and calls me a B!tch in front of Hollister, Give me the strength, Lord, to yank her directly into a cab in front of her friends, For I will not have that Sh!t. I will not have it.

And should she choose to be a Mother one day, be my eyes, Lord, that I may see her, lying on a blanket on the floor at 4:50 A.M., all-at-once exhausted, bored, and in love with the little creature whose poop is leaking up its back.

“My mother did this for me once,” she will realize as she cleans feces off her baby’s neck. “My mother did this for me.” And the delayed gratitude will wash over her as it does each generation and she will make a Mental Note to call me. And she will forget. But I’ll know, because I peeped it with Your God eyes.

Amen.

Animal Man

Jack had a petting zoo come to his school the other day, he loved it no so sure how much the animals liked it!

Never Fully Dressed Without a Hat

Jack is obsessed with his pirate hat, no other hat will do. Eating breakfast, taking a nap, going to school, the hat has to be on.

Lego Land!

Outdoor Sport Store Fun!

So Andrew was working late, it was 4:30 and both the kids were basket cases from too short or no nap at all, how in the world would I make it until bedtime at 7:30? Cabelas that is how! This is a store that as a family we will never have any use for, we are not the outdoor, fishing, hunting type. I will say that it is an amazing store for kids, they are totally kid friendly and encourage the kids to play and run everything is hands on and a great learning place. They have animals to look at, fish to feed, toys to play with. We had a great time and spent 2 hours there, nothing like a free activity to keep the kids and Mom happy.

Emma napping with a bear towel and fish pillow

Jack loved the elephant

Emma liked all the other animals

Just call him Davy

He was so excited to find a Mommy and Baby dog

This one is bigger than me!

How fun is a gigantic moose?

Go Lugnuts!

Emma started t-ball a couple of weeks ago and seems to really love it. She plays first base and bats first each inning. She plays hard, and loves spending time with Andrew. I think the real reason she likes it is the undivided attention she gets from her Dad, it is their thing (he is an assistant coach). I don't care why she loves it, she is learning basic sports skills, team work, sportsmanship, gross and fine motor skills, hand eye coordination, and getting physical activity while she is at it. For whatever reason she likes it I don't care, I am just glad she does!

One of her favorite parts-Go Lugnuts!

Guess who picked out the batting helmet?

Won't be passing this one on to Jack

And what does Jack do while Emma plays T-ball?

Why climb everything he can of course!

Build-a-Bear

We took a fun just because trip to build-a-bear last week, it was Jack's first time and they both loved it. It is so fun to do something special just because it is Friday, we are so blessed.

Glitter Eggs

We decided to do a fun Easter Activity with Easter Eggs. The kids really enjoyed it and it was so easy to do they needed no help. We did it outside so there was very little mess. There is a tutorial here. All you do is blow some eggs out, put glue dots on them, and roll them in glitter.