THE MARINI FAMILY

WELCOME TO THE CRAZINESS OF OUR LIFE WITH TWO BOYS!

Thursday, October 31, 2013

The Making of a Minion

I have fully accepted the fact that Matthew is done with me making his costumes.  We had a good run with the Waste Management truck, the M & M, the Angry Bird and so on...  The homemade costume thing just isn't a 10 year old thing anymore.  Tear, tear, sniffle, sniffle...I will get over it because I am a big girl.  Besides...I have three more good years with Ryan to get my fix! :)

When Ryan said he wanted to be a Minion this year, I hesitated for a split second before I said yes.  In the past there have been immediate vetoes on some of their costume ideas, but for some reason I said, "Sure, I can do that!"  And off to Pintrest I went.

***Side note---Pintrest for teachers is like crack cocaine.  We can't get enough.  My class turned in a Solar System mobile project today that turned out great...no, amazing!!  I know for a fact (because some parents were gracious enough to pass this on) that I was not a popular teacher over the last week when the kids were working on them at home.  Any major standard in some type of art form is at your fingertips on that website.  Someone terminate my account now for the safety of my students.

The making of a Minion...


That is a playground ball, taped to a cardboard box, with plastic wrap on the top so that the paper mache did not stick to the ball.

The paper mache.  I will tell you, it was very tricky getting the ball out of the tube after it dried.  Not well thought out by me.

The first coat of paint. 

We got too eager and the top caved in.  Luckily I could push it back out and it stayed.

I went through many an eye for this to work.  I finally settled on tin foil for the goggles.

Arm cut outs on the side.  The mouth is screen and paper with black lines or teeth.  That's what he sees out of when walking.

Hair!!!  A hot glue-gun may be one of the greatest inventions of our time...

Finished!  Denim material for the overalls look. 

With all this done....I just need it to last a couple of hours.  And then it can fall apart!

Saturday, October 26, 2013

Friday Night Lights

Last Friday night Ryan and his flag football teammates joined their coaches...who happen to be varsity footballs players...for their homecoming game.  Listen, fun things happen when your best friend's dad is the head coach of a football team and wants to include his son in all things fun.  Ryan is certainly enjoying the perks!  Anyway, Ryan and his teammates were announced with the varsity players as they took the field for homecoming the other night.  It was pretty awesome.  He was super excited and thrilled to be out under the lights and on that huge field.

In between all those big boys are some little boys holding their coaches hands.  Again, they were ecstatic! 


Ryan and his coach.  (center)
 
 
I have to say, the funniest part of the introduction had nothing to do with Ryan.  Matthew, who almost didn't come because he wanted a "quiet night at home", was sucked in right away.  As the players took the field, and they crowd went wild and music starting playing he turned to me and said, "I want to play high school football."  I replied laughing..."I'm sure you do!"  The boy loves him a loud crowd and adoring fans.  We have known this about him for quite some time.  I'll remind you quickly about the conversation we had with him several years ago after one of his games where he went 2 for 9 in the three point range.  After the game Rich and I said, "Stop taking all outside shots.  If you aren't hitting them, you need to move in and attack the basket.  Why are you only shooting outside?"  His response was simple, "But that's how you get the crowd into the game."  He was six. 

The next day we headed to the Sharks game.  Super excited to head out to see the Sharks play and hang out with our good friends Brent and Sharon.  This is the third game we have gone to and I hope it is the third of a hundred. 




I'm only going to add these next two pictures for one purpose.  There isn't a striped blue polo Ralph Lauren has released that Brent doesn't own and he apparently saves them for Sharks games.  I know wearing one on Saturday night was a joke intended for me, but let's be honest, the fact he has enough of these shirts to carry on the joke is the real issue.  I feel a RL Spring Collection intervention coming on.


 



Thursday, October 10, 2013

MGC Disney Trip


Disclaimer---MCG stands for Mean Girls Club.  That nickname was given to us years ago and it stuck.  We don't care...we like it, we own it, deal with it.

This Disney trip has been in the making for a while.  It has been planned for a while and seemed like it would never get here. This was the Locke Family's first visit and we were so glad we were there to watch their kids get excited and enjoy this place as much as we do.  Lynn and Jason had always said if they go, they wanted us to take them so that we could show them around and such.  I hope we didn't disappoint.   We had so much fun.  Three families...four days...tons of craziness.

Nothing like a 1:30am wake up call.  Don't they look tired? 

Again, isn't this the most beautiful thing you have ever seen?  Best. Marriage. Ever.

First ride of the day! We had to send it to Auntie Noelle.  Toy Story Manier!

PARTY OF 15!!!!!!!!  Right after we all met up for the first time.  So exciting!!! 

Second ride together!!  (The first one was Goofy's Sky School and the only memory I took away from that was Lynn's mom Diana screaming at the top of her lungs the entire time and me laughing hysterically trying to watch her since they were behind us.)   

Diana and Kirsten!  So darling.  Diana was a trooper!  She just got back from a trip to Paris and she just went with the flow.  It was so great to have her on the trip.

Matt's first ride on California Screaming!  Jason too.  I cannot ride this ride anymore.  I don't know who I am kidding when I think I can ride this.  Every time I get off I say that I am never going do ride it again, and then I cave to peer pressure and not wanting to look like a wimp in front of my nine year old. 

View from our room...this never gets old.

First night in the park.  It's Halloween Time!!!  And it's time to test out my new phone's camera night settings.

Halloween Time!

 
Practicing the panoramic!  Work in progress, people.

Late night driving on Autopia! 

My driving partners.  Me, Colson and Ryan.  Love these two!

Night ride to the Haunter Mansion. 

The Haunted Mansion at Halloween makes the Haunted Mansion non-Halloween look like a joke.

Let me tell you how much the Locke's and Guido's were troopers that first day.  The Sunday that we got there was the only day the park was open late until midnight and we told them to pace themselves and rest well because we were shutting the place down.  It was the only night they would be able to see fireworks and Fantasmic.  


I'm not going to lie...kind of became obsessed with taking pictures at night.
 
 
New Starbucks on Main Street. 




The next day we started out early.  With the park only being open until 8:00pm, we had to make good use of our time.

Before we got on Radiator Springs.
 
The Three Amigos!

Freaks!  (Cute freaks)

I love this picture...Colson trying to make Vinnie smile.

Anthony and I swapping pics.


Bumper cars with Dad.
 
This is just funny.  She is just funny.

Mrs. Locke leading a game of Simon Says while we wait for our ride back.  A cast member asked if we were family and we answered no.  She said, I can tell because they are all getting along.

The kids....and Kelly.

Jedi training.  Dillon was picked and loved it, but unfortunately Camden and Colson were not.  Oh well, this is excuse enough for them to have to come back.

Getting better...
 
Dinner at the House of Blues on our last night. 

BFF's

Cars Land at night.



Alright, last one.  I think it turned out pretty good. 

This is my absolute favorite picture of the trip.  How do you not love this little love bug who is laying in his stroller periodically sticking out his tongue to lick his ice cream cone, while being pushed around.  This friends...is the life.
 
Last morning.  Nothing like being in line at 6:55am!!  Someone needs to break Rich's alarm clock.

Solo Screaming!  He went from being terrified to going on it to wanting to ride it alone...since neither Rich or I would go on it.

The boys and Leah on RS for the last time.


Last ride of the trip.  They all still love each other.

Five minutes after we got in the car to head home.  To be completely honest, I was out cold after taking this. 
 
So, there it is.  Hopefully the first of many MGC trips to the Mouse's House!  When we get back all of the group pics that we ordered, I will share those too.