Disney time!

I would thank Lodi Unified School district for being so financially screwed up because thanks to them I took a pay cut this year and I now have furlough days. My first furlough day was Friday and what better way to celebrate a pay cut then by going on a vacation. Disneyland….here we come!

***Side note---this was the first time we had left Teddy for an extended amount of time. Before we left, I typed up two pages of information for my in-laws. I can GUARANTEE you that when the boys were babies and we left for vacation, the only information I left was the doctor’s name and number and a written permission letter for them to get medical care if needed. I’d say overall the two pages typed Teddy’s Helpful Hints were a bit much, but I certainly felt better.

Because I have so much to report on from our vacation, I will do this post in bullet points, because I love a good bulleted, just get to the good parts, list.

• As much as I LOVE the holiday season, I love it more at Disneyland. I love the huge tree at the end of Main Street. I love that they play Christmas music you can hear no matter where you are in the park. Everyone walking around in Santa Mickey ears, singing along to the music…it just screams Christmas. My only problem with this whole “love the holiday season” was that it was 80 degrees. It is REALLY hard to think of chestnuts roasting on a open fire when your in a tank top and wearing flip flops. Not cool.  I appreciated Disney’s efforts with the “snow” on Main Street after the fireworks, but I’m still in summer night clothes and eating an ice cream cone.

• Matthew turned seven a few days before the trip. Turning seven at Disneyland means solo rider pass on most young kid rides. So he dropped us like a bad habit anytime he could. Instead of two and two, it was one (Matt), two (Mom and Ryan), and one (Dad). The only time I got super nervous was when he was on Dumbo and I know I ruined a couple of people’s pleasant flights as I was yelling “HOLD ON!!!” and “SCOOT IN---YOUR TOO CLOSE TO THE OPENING!!!”

• Our camera was apparently not charged. I have issues with this because I then had to result to taking pictures with my phone the entire trip. I then looked like that person that I have previously made fun of a lot, for them wasting their time taking a picture from a phone that won’t even turn out. All of the pictures posted today were taken from my camera phone…deal with it!

• Ryan hit 40 inches. This is good news for him and better news for us! The first ride we took him on was Soaring over California. I have been impatiently waiting to take him on this for a couple of years now and I was so excited when the four of us lined up together. The first twenty seconds of the ride were our “Uh-oh”, because Ryan turned his head and looked down and away from the hundred foot screen. Because we're idiots, we forgot to think as a three year old and imagine what was going through his mind. He told us later….he was afraid he was going to fall off!!!  Which now, thinking back, is heartbreaking to hear because the boy must have been terrified.  He then rebounded and told us his favorite parts and then he agreed to ride on it the next day again. The other ride we took him onto “celebrate” his 40 inch big boy status was Thunder Mountain. We really had no business doing this to him. We told him it was fast train ride—Parents of the Year, right? The entire time we were in line I kept saying, “Is this a good idea? Is this a good idea?” He of course got no help from his brother because Matthew was continuing his solo riding status and wanted nothing to do with sitting with Rich and Ryan to ease the fear. After it was over he was very quiet and then asked to call his cousins, Mason and Mikayla, to tell them how brave he was.

• Friday ended up being the first day that the park went completely Christmas with all the decorations and so on. It was also the busiest day I have ever experienced. There were times we didn’t move because there was simply no where to go. We were stand still in the middle of the street and it was crazy.  I hated it.  Had I known it would have been that busy, we maybe could have done something else in LA that day.  INSANE BUSY!

• My favorite times in the park are usually the first hour when it opens and the last hour before it closes. Yes, it is the time with the least amount of people, but it is also the most peaceful. I love the mornings because everyone is happy, well rested and taking their time going from place to place. The last hour of the night is fantastic because that’s when the strong are still at it and there are no long lines and screaming kids. It is priceless. The last night we were there we rode a ton of rides in that last hour. In fact we were in line for Small World at 11:55pm and by the time we actually got on the ride it was 12:10am. The coolest part was walking from the back of the park to the front of the park with only a few people around and the park was silent. 

• The great thing about modern technology is now waiting in line for 45 minutes goes by quicker if you have something to play with…like a phone or an ipod. This will come as not shock to anyone who knows me that my phone was on and in my face during most wait times. And since I since I didn’t want my children to feel left out or ignored, we charger the ipod for them to play games while in line too. We looked like one big happy family with our heads down not speaking to each other. Did we get stares? Sure. Were they filled with disgusted looks? Maybe. But were our kids screaming and crying and complaining about the lines….NOPE!!!! The only heated times were the ones that Matthew and Ryan were begging their father to give back the ipod because his time was WAY past fair and he was hogging the game at times.

• After four fun filled days, I was glad to head home. I have listened to Toy Story 3 four times now as it seemed to play on a loop in the back seat of the car. I tear up at the exact time every time it’s on and really compose myself enough to not burst out into full on crying. On the way home I drove for a while so Rich could rest. I enjoy driving while the kids have the movie going and Rich is asleep because I get control back over my radio and I can play whatever I want. Yesterday I chose Garth Brooks first album because we will be seeing him in concert next week. I needed to freshen up on the old stuff and I thought what a perfect time to do so. The pained look in Rich’s eye was I’m sure just a preview of what he is going to look like at the concert. I then took pity on him and switched over to my mixed CD that had a collection of songs that I find very enjoyable. Some of them include Whitesnake, Bee Gees, Guns N’ Roses, Wham, Dixie Chicks, Bon Jovi, and other classics from the 80’s and 90’s. When Rich offered to drive, I knew he had hit his limit of my song selection and wanted me back in the passenger seat reading my book quietly. I told him that I was fine, in a groove and then I proceeded to turn up the volume and sing louder.  I then pointed out to him that most of my selection was really from his "era" and he should embrace the fact that I have a variety of music.  Whoever says they don't like "Wake Me Up Before You Go Go" is just flat out lying....LYING!  I find it enjoyable.

Here are the pictures from the trip.  Again, I didn't have my camera so the pictures aren't that clear.
No trip is complete without a Toy Story Mania picture.

Main Street decorations

Ryan right before Soaring over California!!!  40 inches baby!!!!!!

Desperately tired!

Ryan's treat

Matthew's treat

Daddy's treat

 Mommy's treat

Main Street at night

Small World cruise

Some of my favorite parts of Small World during Christmas

The boys in line for Thunder Mountain

Daddy and Ryan right before getting on Thunder Mountain

This is so sad...he has no idea what his parents just tricked him into doing and he looks excited.

Solo rider

REINDEER!!!!  I LOVE the reindeer!!!!

Pluto hanging out with the reindeer.

 Doesn't everyone come to Disneyland to sit and color?  We had a hard time getting them to leave this place.

Small World at night

Our one and only Mickey picture.  Pathetic quality!

Last shot of the trip.  These guys are never out and we caught them on the last day as we were leaving!

Sweet 7th Heaven

On Sunday Matthew turned SEVEN!!!  Still has all of his teeth, but good news is he can start drinking soda now...so I am predicting they will start falling out soon.

That's our deal.  He had to be five to chew gum.  The next goal was seven, and that means he can have soda.  Luckily the next three aren't for many more years to come.  18--Drive a car.  21--Casinos with Dad.  35--Tattoo/Body Piercing.  I threw the last one in there because he asked one day when he was in preschool when does he get to get his ears pierced because a little girl in his class had hers pierced.  I told him boys don't get their ears pierced, but men do and they have to be 35.  So, we'll see how long that sticks!

The "LIST"--A couple of weeks ago when we asked him what he wanted for his birthday, he was VERY specific.  He wanted (take a deep breath) Lime Green Vans, Pink Quicksilver shirt, Skinny Jeans, skateboard, and Wipeout Wii. 

I'm not going to lie...when he said this I started laughing and said, "Who is he?"  Matt said, "What do you mean?" And I said, "Who is the boy you are trying to look like?"  Matt's response, "His name is Zane.  He's in the third grade.  He has a skateboard too.  He dresses really cool!"  I wanted to start laughing again but I couldn't.  Because when I was close his age, Adrienne Guiness had  light denim Guess Jean overalls that I wanted with every fiber of my being.  And when my mom took me shopping for school clothes and I had $100 to spend and the Guess Jean overalls were $79.99 (85.00 with tax) I bought them and one shirt.  My mom was trying to make it VERY clear that she was not giving me any more money and if I spent all that money on these two items, then I was crazy.  I turned out to be crazy AND cutely dressed on the first day of school.

Maybe the funniest part of all of this was my mother and mother-in-law calling me saying "Where in the world do I find skinny jeans????" 

Sunday we met the Lockes' and Guido's at The Chuck for some morning fun!  Kirsten turns seven on Wednesday and it was the perfect way to celebrate without the party and all!!!

Let us in!!!  Rainy Sunday and The Chuck's not open yet!

I only put this in because Kelly did her hair just in case I posted a pic of her on the blog!  What up Kel!

Baby Leah!

Game face on.  I don't ever "let" me kids win..they have to earn it!  He knows this and he is all business!

Love this picture!

Colson riding the Barney train.

Matthew and Camden playing.

This is the look of sweet success.  Yep, he beat me!

The loot.

Kirsten, Matthew, and Kelly.

The seven year olds!

Camden---how do you not love that face!

After Chuck E Cheese, we took the boys to lunch before going bowling.  When we got to the bowling alley, they were not going to fit us in for hours so we had to go to plan B....John's Incredible Pizza...AKA--chuck E. Cheese's older brother!

So glad this was for the "kids".

Story of his life right now.  A day late and a few inches short.

The view from the outside...

So much fun!

Just pathetic!

Only him and his father have that look on their face when they are holding money.

The coolest shirt ever!!!  Thanks Mason and Mikayla!

Sooooo excited!

Laker Silly Bands!

The guitar for his "band".

Isn't this how all guitar players do it?

Rockin' out!

Crabby Patty Cake!

Matthew asked me to make a pineapple upside down cake.  I did it with pleasure...he hasn't had any yet!

HAPPY 7TH BIRTHDAY!!!!

I know the song choice is odd....but it's one of his favorites!  He's his father's son.

The Breaking Point

It's 4:50pm on Friday afternoon and I am waiting patiently for the authorities to either come and get me, or question me about the high-pitch screaming coming from my house.  Or more importantly the laundry room.

You see I have boys.  Boys play with trucks, cars, balls, or anything they can get their hands on that will turn into a vehicle of any type or more importantly a weapon.  Girls play with dolls and pretty things and they have trunks in their room filled with princess dresses and jelly high heels.  Girls are meant to play dress up.  We love it.  We live for it.  We actually, if given several chances for wardrobes changes, can play all day in this little world of make believe.  We're girls...this is what we do.  So why do my boys feel the need to do the same?

Now...don't freak out.  They don't have a trunk filled with princess dresses that they spend the afternoon trying on.  They have the bottom drawer of a dresser that is filled with every baseball, basketball, football, hockey shirt imaginable.  And they take turns, yes multiple wardrobe changes a day, playing each and every sport.  And of course when they switch sports, they must then go in and completely change into their new uniform because heaven forbid the next fourteen minutes of the made up hockey game in my living room would be played out in a soccer uniform!!!!

This is my breaking point.  The clothes hamper is my breaking point.  The thirteen piles of clothes on the couch is my breaking point.  The MULTIPLE wardrobe changes are my breaking point.

Did you know a seven minute basketball game warrants the need to wash an entire outfit?  I didn't know that.  I wasn't aware that wearing something for seven minutes meant it was dirty enough that it too belonged in the hamper along with the clothes that had been worn all day.  Did you know that?  No, you didn't?  Well, guess what...apparently it does.  Yes...everything that touches both Matthew and Ryan's body...if only for minutes at a time...goes right into the clothes hamper. 

Now, I know you think...Hello??!!  What is the matter with you, Heather?  You have successfully taught your kids to put their clothes in the hamper when they are done with them?  Yes.  Yes, I have.  But don't be fooled!!!!!  The hamper is round, tall, and in the corner of their bedroom which makes it the PERFECT BASKETBALL HOOP!!!!  They are simply carrying the game from the living room to the bedroom.

Because Mama hit her breaking point today, Matthew has been doing laundry all afternoon.  He screamed dragging the hamper down the hall.  He screamed while separating darks and lights.  He screamed when he put hangers on all his shirts and then hung them up.  And he screamed and screamed and screamed.  You didn't hear it?  Twenty bucks says my neighbors' did!!!

And before you send the hate mail...save it!  There were no children harmed during the process of teaching them how to do household chores.  They are fine.  Alive and kickin'.  And one day....in the VERY distant future...my daughter-in-laws will thank me for their husbands ability to sort, wash, fold and put away.

Halloween / Field Trip

So Halloween has come and gone again.  THANK GOD!  Why is this such a stressful holiday?  It really shouldn't be.  I give myself just a couple more years of making costumes, then I am done.  And this year really wasn't all that difficult, but there is the whole "I made it, so if it breaks thirty minutes before trick or treating, that's on me!" thing going on.

This year Matthew wanted to be a spy.  He wanted to wear this cool hat, dressed in all black, with all this spy gear tools and on and on and on.  When we finally started trying to piece the costume together, it was clear that I had no idea what he wanted, so I offered an alternative.  How about being a cat burglar?  Some would call it leading toward glamorizing a life or crime...I call it the easiest costume ever assembled.  Ever.  Black hat, black pants, black shirt, and a smudge or two of eyeliner.  Done!

Ryan has been asking to be a spider since last year.  There was really nothing I could do about this.  I had to make it.  And luckily it poured rain on Saturday afternoon and we bypassed the downtown trick-or-treating, because there was no way this costume was making it out for two separate trick-or-treats.  I wouldn't consider myself getting lazy in my old age, but the quality of work is DEFINITELY declining and I am totally okay with that.  So the spider is resting comfortably in the back of my car waiting for Ryan to forget it is there and then he will finally be at his resting place....the Waste Management plant on Turner Road.

 Had to get the devil ready too!

 WOW!!!  Isn't it amazing how much a spider and a cat burglar look alike????

 The only tree in our neighborhood that has turned.

 The boys in motion...all business!

Here are some pics from Ryan's first field trip.

Ryan...from his dad's point of view.

 First bus ride!