4:05am is what I just set my coffee pot to. Holy crap, friends, that is stagger-home-to-bed time to a college student, but in parenting years? That's about the time you finally begin REM sleep, for crying out loud! My coffee pot is nice and set for 4:05 so that my corpse of a body can schlep over to the already-ready-for-me java when my alarm rings at the very unkind time of 4:15am. One of the very, many reasons I am so excited to be moving to San Antonio in June is to finally, after three years, live closer than AN HOUR to an airport. This way I (hopefully) don't have to do such an early wake-up for a flight, simply to factor in driving time to get there, ever again.
A one hour drive at 'O-God-Thirty in the morning. Mega-coffee FTW!
I'm headed to Seattle to Nintendo's Headquarters (yes, THAT Nintendo). As I'm sure you're aware, Nintendo launched the new Nintendo 3DS this week, and it's a launch party with lots of friends, baby! Our itinerary is jam-packed, but I'll be sharing photos and updates on Twitter and Facebook. You can follow what we're up to using hashtag #NintendoEnthused on Twitter.
As much as I am looking forward to two solid days without poopie diapers, seeing Seattle and Nintendo's HQ as well as my friends, I am so not looking forward to 4:15, though.
Or traveling for the first time without Baby Dude.
Gulp.
Never miss a thing! Subscribe today for all kinds of crazy parenting fun!
March 31, 2011
Seattle-Bound, Baby(less)!
Follow This Blog
Free updates
Join My Blog Frog CommunityMarch 30, 2011
Raising a Mini-Me is Wicked Awesome
"Baby? Can you get me a diaper? Baby Dude pooped!"
"In a seeeeconnnnd!" Baby Sis responds, calling to me from what sounded like the bathroom.
"Baby? I need it now. I'm already wiping him."
"{Loud grumpy exhale} Fine!"
I hear the door squeak, footsteps, wrestling of plastic, more footsteps, and then an angry toddler hovering ahead, holding the diaper practically in my face, huffy and agitated. "Y'know, mommy, sometimes you haff to do some fings foy yoursewf, you know."
Holy hell, I'm raising a such a parent.
Never miss a thing! Subscribe today for all kinds of crazy parenting fun!
March 29, 2011
Partner-in-Grime™ Wanted
 |
| Photo Credit: bgottsab |
Need able-bodied person or persons to help sweep, mop, do dishes, laundry, and pick-up after six kids in a small(ish) five-bedroom Army base home. Must not mind boogers or poopie diapers, sibling rivalry, flying utensils, and be willing to scrub toilets and mop up pee. (Damn boys!)
Pay commensurate with experience and based upon cookie preference and other favorite home-baked goods. Bonuses available in hugs and admiration to infinity. Audition required and will include a full test of your abilities to simultaneously answer the phone, fold laundry, cook dinner, mop floor, pick up after small children and still remain sane. Hiring bonus if you start RIGHT NOW. Ahem.
Interested? Please respond with name, age, phone number, Facebook profile along with dessert preference.
Never miss a thing! Subscribe today for all kinds of crazy parenting fun!
March 28, 2011
Disney Social Media Moms Conference 2011 Recap - Day 3 #DisneySMMoms
Our day 3 started out by my decision to NOT run that morning (if you could call sleeping-in a "decision"). Ha! As much as I wanted to, all the walking and dancing and activity from the day before left me super-exhausted and, as a result, our entire family slept through breakfast, which was NOT good because we had big plans at 11:30 - our son and daughter were competing in the Magic of Healthy Living Games at Epcot! We had to get going!
We got up as quickly as we could, scurried off in search of the monorail to take us to Epcot in hopes of finding something semi-breakfasty for everyone before the kids had to compete. Complete and total fail of a morning on our part, but man oh man, did sleeping late feel good!
As we stopped at a danish/coffee station (YES!!), I spotted this huge Magic of Healthy Living group screaming down the walkways, chanting, beating their chests like Tarzan (okay, maybe not the last part), all wearing these fancy tee shirts, waving flags, headed right next to this area where we were purchasing our coffee, er, breakfast. It was only 11:15, and I was confused, because this was not at all what was on the agenda, and we still have fifteen minutes. I quickly ushered after someone, showing them our armbands for our children, to which I noticed Kim other bloggers as confused as I was, wondering if they, too, had been heading to the wrong place. I immediately phoned Katja to tell her of what we'd discovered, only to find she, too, was in a wrong place as well. After a few minutes, our children came out and we had someone in charge who was super-smart and told us that we were part of another event, and our itineraries were correct (but now we were running late). She then accompanied us to the right spot. (And had I have caught her name, I would publicly thank her by name here, she was a lifesaver!)
We arrived, thankfully on time, explaining to others the mix-up. We got settled, Katja and family, just in time to hear opening remarks from Darrell Green, Hall of Fame football player (who I must say was an absolute delight to meet and talk with at length later). He called the kids teams down one-by-one, who then split up to partake in their afternoon of competing! And albeit hot, they had an absolute blast.
Lunch was served there, and we were able to partake in some lovely healthy food choices and (bonus!) stay in the shade while we ate (it was a hot one!). We drank something incredibly lovely called Energizing Spa tea or something (Laura, I need that recipe, girl) which had berries floating in it, and I drank eleventy-thousand glasses of it, it was too good!
 |
| Hubs and Darrell Green |
After their festivities were done, they were able to see how each player and team stacked up against the other by how many steps they took while playing with a cute little device hooked up to their shoes to track their footsteps. Very interesting stuff! (You can check out what more Disney has to offer at Disney.com/healthyfun and Disney.com/healthymagic or clicking the button to the right.)Once we thanked everyone for putting on such an awesome event, we re-checked back into Epcot and set sail to spend the afternoon taking pictures, visiting the different countries, and for the guys, sampling each country's beer they had to offer. I think this was the single best time I've had in a while, and one of the bestest parts of this trip, honestly. Despite the sun roasting us to a crisp (particularly poor fair-skinned Katja), we mingled, moseyed, snapped pictures, truly grazed and lovingly lingered over every inch of everything there was to look at, instead of the Hurry! Rush! Got to get to this place! This character! This ride! It was so nice, chatting, laughing, seeing our collective children getting along like long lost BFFs. Makes my heart ache our families don't live closer so we can do this more often.
 |
| We loved every ounce of Epcot! |
We had only a little time before our actual "dinner" event, so we stopped off in China for a little bit. And, if you follow me on Twitter, you may or may not have saw me discussing what we lovingly referred to the Mystery Old Lady Drink of Doom™. During our Epcot Adventure, we decided to share with Katja and her husband our favorite drink - what used to be called the Green Tea Bao Bing is now called the Green Tea Plum Slush over at China's tea stand Joy of Tea. The Green Tea Plum Slush is Chinese Plum Wine mixed with green tea, and juice. While we waited, an old couple accosted us, saying they felt their Canto Loupy drink was the best, and said we should all try it.
- Reason #1 this was a bad idea - We did not ask them WHY it was their favorite.
- Reason #2 this was a bad idea - Because it was basically straight vodka with a wee bit of cantaloupe slush! Whoops! (Unfortunately for us, this was discovered after we'd already ordered one for each couple!) (I may be exaggerating about whether it's, in fact, all vodka, but I can tell you, it sure tasted like it.)
Poor Danielle and husband, Sandy, Zippy, April, all fellow table-mates at the Magic of Healthy Living dinner that night. (And I know, what type of people are we to bring that hot mess to our healthy dinner, but seriously, what were we supposed to do with it? Heh.) Sandy actually thought it wasn't too bad, as did Danielle's husband. The rest of us winced and coughed. Danielle likened it to fire-breathing (I have to agree). Needless to say, we had a great time laughing and giggling while watching our children all frolic together at dinner.
Unfortunately, I wish I could say they had been frolicking over their dinner, too. None of my children would even try eating the appetizers set out, and they only ended up eating the carrot and chicken from dinner (I could partially attest this to their having already eaten at Italy, though). Personally, I thought dinner was actually pretty tasty, myself, but I think the menu downright scared our children with it's too-grown-up descriptions (see above). I think the dinner would have really hit the mark kids-wise if they'd have taken children's favorites and converted it somehow into healthier options to show the kids it can be just as tasty, or at least offered a children's meal and given this just to adults.
 |
| That chicken and Mickey-stamped Polenta were delicious. I also had a small bite of the fish. I talked way too much to try anything else, unfortunately. I was looking forward to the greens grown right there at Disney. |
After dinner, to cheer my dude up (and we were at Disney, it wasn't hard), we decided to skip the Illuminations/special dessert after-dinner shindig to go to Spaceship Earth instead. I waited outside with two sleeping toddlers and watched the fireworks while the everyone else rode the ride. Fireworks at Disney are magical, and honestly, sitting on that brick wall next to the gorgeous smelling flowers, practically underneath the Epcot ball with the fireworks illuminating off of it? Freakin' MA-GIC! It's bits and pieces like that I will keep tucked away in my heart, forever.
We fought with the monorail a bit to get home (we weren't sure where the special bus was to take us back to the hotel). Exhausted on the monorail, we reflected on our magical day at Epcot, despite some of the 'bad', the kids were in awesome spirits, and ready for more! Contemplating the pool or the 24-hour arcade at Gasparilla Grill and Games back at the hotel, they chose option number two as the kids were getting a little rumbly in their tumblies and I stayed in the room with the sleepyheads.
I can tell you, I feel absolutely foolish for not realizing Gasparilla Grill and Games was open 24-hours sooner. Their food was excellent, and they truly had everything you could want at a moment's notice! Why didn't we know about this that morning when we almost had to skip breakfast! Argh! The kids played video games and ate, and when they were done, my husband brought me back a chicken salad with walnuts and green apple slices. It was delicious and a perfect way to end our day!
Unfortunately, tomorrow was the day we had to say goodbye to everyone....
Never miss a thing! Subscribe today for all kinds of crazy parenting fun!
March 27, 2011
Leaking Orifices and the Laundry Pile of Doom™
I love nature, being outside (despite my ding-dang allergies), breathing fresh air, wind, and all that other crunchy-granola-hippie-type of crap. But every-so-often, sometimes nature's a friggin' bitch, man.
You remember my mentioning how we were welcomed home by PukeGate2011 revisited, right? Not but two days later, Baby Dude starts, too. Which made no sense to me because, how could he catch food poisoning, which is what we were sure they had, because their illnesses happened simultaneously? How could Baby Dude possibly get this two days later?
Annnd then it gets worse.
There I am, same day, suddenly feeling worse for wear, needing to nap with the kids, waking up feeling God-awful and finding myself paying a visit to the porcelain-god myself.
As if that isn't the awesomest of the awesome news, a day later, both my oldest children confess to me their burps "taste funny" - which, in parent-speak, is not only fantastically gross, but also means they've got some funk going on themselves, too.
What the crap, yo?
End of the soccer season parties and games all happening this weekend as well as other post-trip type busy-ness, and here I am at home with kids who can't shake whatever this is 100%, kids with leaking orifices and the Laundry Pile of Doom™.
God help me.
Never miss a thing! Subscribe today for all kinds of crazy parenting fun!
March 23, 2011
Confession Time
On Tuesday the 15th, I swore to my husband I was going to have everyone packed and ready to go so we could leave bright and early Wednesday morning. Everyone's piles were neatly stacked, laundry was being done and so 'official packing' would wait a bit longer. I snuck upstairs to play "dress-up" to decide what to bring with me. It was then that it happened.
My clothes. They wouldn't fit.
I had purchased designer jeans off eBay to wear for Blogher last year. Mind you, they were a little snug when I wore 'em, I had secretly told myself that all these size 27 and 28 jeans would be my "goal jeans" - I'd work my ass off (literally) and slim down as much as I could, trimming fat left and right, and they'd magically fit, harps and violins would play, butterflies would flutter around my head, and all would be well in the world.
Except, I haven't worn those jeans since, and now, they won't even come close to buttoning.
I began running regularly after Blogher, fed up with not getting anywhere in my battle of the plateau I was experiencing. I thought for sure that running would trim me up. Only, I only noted a couple pound weight gain and not weight loss. Figuring it was just muscle gain which was beefing up myself and my numbers simultaneously, I soldiered on.
In November, I swore off the scale, vowed to keep running constantly, and see where one month without a scale would put me. And? I hadn't lost a single pound. And I was okay with that, actually. Maybe, truthfully, a little disappointed, but I just figured I was getting somewhere, and that surely I'd see a change in the right direction soon. I continued to lay off the scale, until I dared set foot onto it in January, after the holidays and food and travel and crazy and oh! Hello, more weight I don't want, how are you?
Sigh. Not good.
It hasn't gotten any better since, either. January and the beginning of February were awful times for fitness with it being so cold, kids being sick, and hubby being away. I finally had him home first week of February and immediately wanted to take off running, and just as I did, I, myself, finally got sick. For almost a week.
Fourth day into the plague (as I lovingly referred to it), I said "screw it" and took off, ran anyway, and ran myself back to health, not stopping. And I've continued ever since - running (or trying to run) every other day this past month (running everyday bothers my shins). It's been glorious, I've felt wonderful, powerful, strong. Surely, I must be doing something right.
As you can imagine, I was horrified to see not only that I'd put more weight on when I weighed myself, but that none of my jeans fit me at all before Disney Social Media Moms. In fact, half my outfits I swore would be 'just fine" ended up not looking good on me.
What the hell?
I thought I looked pretty good. I love wearing yoga pants and fitness capris with tank tops, I sincerely had no idea that I wasn't fitting into my clothes anymore. I do measure, too. But for whatever reason, this just isn't working. Something is wrong, I'm obviously doing something very, very wrong, here. All my hard work is being undone, and I'm feeling very defeated right now.
I busted out my Blogher '09 clothes, back when I weighed in the high 140's low 150's (size 8). I was shocked, the pants that were way too baggy for Blogher '10 suddenly fit like a glove, like they did when I purchased them the year prior.
No, defeated isn't even the word that can describe how I'm feeling.
I remarked to Pauline on Twitter how I loved her shirt, and how I want to go shopping with her and Danielle. But honestly? How can I? What size would I buy for - the size I am now (!!) or the size I thought I was, the size I want to be, no, the size I was trying to get out of to get down to my goal! Argh!
{Tears!}
In order to help me get back on some semblance of a track (some how, some way), I've created a weight loss accountability page. You can find the link in my sidebar regularly, with a recent picture of me and the scale with my now-weight. (By the way, that was my weight before the conference. Guaranteed with all the conference food, despite my many attempts to eat healthy, with lack-of-running and working-out time, that I weight more. Again.)
I don't know how having this page will help me just yet, but just having it there gives you all (and me) an idea of where I'm at and what I'm doing. Maybe you can offer some encouragement, too, perhaps?? I could use all the help I can get.
In the meantime, does anyone have any ideas for me? Because honestly? I'm feeling particularly craptastic right now.
Never miss a thing! Subscribe today for all kinds of crazy parenting fun!
Disney Social Media Moms Conference 2011 Recap - Day 2 #DisneySMMoms
The night before, I had found a fellow conference-goer who wanted to run at Disney World. Her name is Krista (@kristalswan on Twitter) and, after connecting on Twitter about meeting for a run before the conference, we met at the registration desk downstairs at O-dark-thirty (6:30am) Friday morning. The air felt a bit cool (being it was still dark outside!), but once we got going, we were just fine in more ways than one.
It was marvelous.
Watching the sunrise over Disney World and the castle against the pink sky! Oh my gosh!! Seeing the sights, everything was so quiet, except for our conversation, the music you hear in the distance (at Magic Kingdom, no less!), as well as the whooshing water sounds coming from all the sprinklers busy watering the well-manicured grounds around us (we had to duck a few times!). We ran to the Polynesian resort, around it, and back again - 2.25 miles. Ma-gic-al! Thank you, Krista, for making my first time running at Disney World such a wonderful experience! It was wonderful to meet you!
I returned to cool off, rehydrate, clean up and get ready for the day. My family was going to be traveling to Animal Kingdom without me while I enjoyed breakfast, lunch, and conference time with my friends, listening to speakers, and connecting with fellow bloggers. Little did I know how wonderful and different it was going to be!
I joined Toni, Andrea, Briana, Crystal, Amy, and Sami at our prompt 8am breakfast at Citricos. Toni is such an inspiring person, folks. Let me tell you, she took a bite, looked at me, and asked me, "So what's next for you, Lisa? For you and your blog?"
And I clammed up.
It was crazy. I had no idea how to respond to that. I mean, I did, but she really gave me pause. I'm really excited by the prospects before me, and things going on, but there was something so centering, so focused, so career-minded about her pointed question. We had a great talk, her and I. She centered me in a way I hadn't realized I'd needed centering. (And, she tweeted about our talk at breakfast together, too.) I am grateful for her, and my friends. (More on that soon.)
We gathered at the conference hall where I hooked up with Katja, my good friend and comrade-in-arms all weekend, and we made way to a table almost in the corner and sat comfortably with cups of coffee in hand and bags of Truvia on the table. We're die-hard fans, folks. I tweeted our little Truvia party, too.
Our introduction to the conference portion of the event was made by Meg Crofton, President of Walt Disney Resorts. She had some wonderful insight into the enormity of Disney World. A great recap of her speech can be found here, by Vanessa.
First up to speak, Matt Jacobson, Facebook's eighth original employee and Head of Market Development. A great recap of his full speech can be found here. My favorite part, other than being blown away by bloggers asking him questions they'd never considered before (Ha! Go bloggers!), was when he wowed us with some amazing stories they're now collecting via stories.facebook.com. Here's one of them (video) - the 93 Dollar Club (their Facebook page). Watch the video!
 |
| Andrea asking him about monetization for bloggers using Facebook - yeah baby! |
 |
| I need more Rene in my life. Think she'll mind if we move next door? |
 |
| Fairy Godmother giving away magic! |
Hugs and picture time with the lovely MJ Tam!
 |
| MJ, Katja and I. Aren't we cute? |
I arrived late back to the conference, as Chris Brogan was already on stage speaking. After awkwardly crossing the room mid-speech (Hi, Chris! Yes, that was me!), fumbling to get my phone jacked in, and attempts to get my bearings after quite a filling and sleep-inducing lunch, Katja caught me up a bit just as he began talking about his C.R.A.P. acronym he uses for blogging success. I felt a little lost and out of sorts around this time, to be honest. I tweeted about the Duffy bears we were given upon return, how comfy they looked. Little did I know, I had a massive headache brewing, and this was my body's way of forewarning me. Uh oh!
 |
| Chris Brogan talking C.R.A.P. on stage. Ha! |
Which didn't make our next speakers the easiest to enjoy. Georgia Stitt and Susan Egan, both famous for their roles in the music and Broadway industry, came on stage to delight conference goers in singing us many songs they co-wrote while speaking to us in between. It was unfortunate that my headache grew to an unspeakable level right at this moment in time, and their singing felt excruciating to my brain. (No offense to their talents, migraines are just a misery.) It didn't help matters any that the volume in the conference room wasn't dialed down while they sang, either, to compensate for their obviously powerful voices in no need of amplification to such a degree. I tweeted an SOS for pain relief. Thankfully, Briana had a bottle of ibuprofen at the table next to me, my hero! I don't think I could've endured walking across the room to Colleen, Stacie's or anyone else's offers. (Stacie, that stinker, wanted me to funky dance for her in return for her Tylenol. I'll get her for that one!)
One of the highlights of Susan and Georgia's performance was Susan singing to the Hercules scene in which the character she lent her voice to, Meg, sang in the movie. It was a great live performance while we watched the movie play on screen.
Susan then showed us a video montage of her time spent as Belle from Beauty and the Beast on Broadway. Fascinating to see the behind the scenes stuff - she's so gorgeous! Georgia and Susan then capped off their time on stage with their version of "The Mom Song" - hilarious! You must watch (video captured by Vanessa)!
The conference portion ended here, and it was now "free-time" to spend as we wish for a couple hours before we would rejoin everyone for dinner at Hollywood Studios at 7pm. Unfortunately, I was still feeling the effects of my headache, and ended up going back to my room for a bit, trying my damnedest to see if they had any appointments available for a massage. Unfortunately, after about almost ten minutes of waiting for someone at the spa to answer (was on hold listening to a recording), I hung up and decided to make way to the Grand Floridian main building and hit that spa shop, Basin White instead. I purchased many goodies with which to help me, to include this lovely foot massager I feel might double to massage my aching calves after running, too. (I must mention, with all the walking we did all weekend, this foot massager was the best thing EVER to come back to the room and use!)
My family, all this time, had been visiting Animal Kingdom, and were on their way back to meet with me. Once arrived, they got dressed, and we set off to meet up with everyone and catch a bus to Hollywood Studios for our private Disney Junior DJ Dance Party and Dinner on the set of Lights, Motors, Action! Freakin' cool!
 |
| The dance floor stage set up - how awesome! |
 |
| The gorgeously decorated and colorful tables |
 |
| Baby Dude and three of my other children gettin' jiggy with it! |
 |
| Secret Agent Ojo liked my older daughters. They Do-Si-Do'ed a lot. |
My three youngest were given some cool Disney Junior gift bags as we left. We made it back to the hotel in time for my older ones to hit the pools with hubs for some night swimming while I stayed behind while my younger ones colored and fell asleep (yay dance party, thank you!). I was still plotting to join the live DisneySMMoms Twitter Party on MomTV going on that night, and drink some blue drinks with Maria, Shellie, Amy, Shannon and crew, but I wasn't sure where everyone was, and ended up deciding to stay in the room and getting some much-needed sleep after such a busy day. I mean, can ya blame me? Those comfy Grand Floridian beds were a-callin' me!
Besides, we had a REALLY big day ahead tomorrow....
Never miss a thing! Subscribe today for all kinds of crazy parenting fun!
March 22, 2011
Disney Social Media Moms Conference 2011 Recap - Day 1 #DisneySMMoms
Nothing says "We're home!" like kids and husbands puking. (We've got skillz, friends.) Needless to say, all are on the mend, but damn, was that ever a not-so-happy end to the wonderful time we had this weekend.
Won.der.ful. Oh my gosh!
First things most importantly first - I want to thank Amy, Susan and Janice, Jennifer, Laura, Leanne and Maria and everyone who made this weekend happen. Thank you all for creating a wonderful conference and blessing me and my family with the ability to attend this amazing event. After choosing not to try to attend last year, and seeing all we missed out on, I vowed to try to make it happen this year for my family, and feel so very lucky and grateful to have been given the opportunity to do so! It was an experience we won't ever forget, ever!
My plan, here, is to write about everything we did and experienced: the good, the bad, the gorgeous, the ugly, and the sickly! (Yes, unfortunately, the sickly, too!)
To properly set the stage for all of this, I must confess that, while this was still a surprise trip, it was unlike my family's First Disney trip (our first trip was a surprise that announced itself as we turned the corner at Walt Disney World). This surprise was a Christmas gift I gave my entire family (yes, husband included) that was their last present to "open" on Christmas morning. Inside the box I gave them was their Mickey Ears from last time, a photo album, and a note that said "SURPRISE! We're going to Disney World March 2011!!" (I love sneaky surprises, don't you? Heh.)
This was a two-in-one gift, actually. This conference was being held March 17th-20th, and March 20th is my husband's birthday! His 33rd, in fact. (Odd fact for you: we both spent our 33rd birthdays either on our way to or coming back from Disney. Strange how that worked out, huh?) And yes, I made my husband wear a birthday pin. He was accosted by each cast member who wanted to wish him a happy birthday, and given a chocolate mousse cake at Brown Derby that night, too. Happy Birthday, Husband-type Person! :)
Our trip to get there spanned two days - we left Wednesday, doing the bulk of our driving that day, staying in Clermont, FL, aching and sore from such a long trip. We had anticipated getting up, eating the hotel's continental breakfast and getting to Disney in time to check-in and pick up our conference tickets to hit the parks early. That didn't necessarily work out. Once we got there (and I hugged Sarah who I spotted in the parking area), we found out firsthand parking also was super-booked, with the self-parking lot being full. After about fifteen minutes of desperately wanting out and to have fun, we opted for valet parking at $12 a day (which ended up being the absolute perfect option - we had access to our car whenever we wanted, and it was closer to the hotel, too). Another thing that worked out perfectly? Running into Katja and family at conference check-in! We introduced our families and decided to eat lunch together at the Grand Floridian Cafe before hitting the parks. We were all famished!
After waiting only a few minutes for them to set up tables for thirteen people, we noticed several bloggers and their families were already there, like Stacie, Christine, and Andrea. It was so wonderful to see and hug them all again! Katja's family, along with ours, were split between three tables (my oldest got to sit all by her teenagery-self and people watch). Our collective (younger) children sat around an adorable circle table and got along famously well, while we adults rocked a four-top table by the window, and got chatty over drinks. We were awestruck at how the kids hung out and spoke to one another like they'd known each other forever - like peas and carrots. We got remarks at how well-behaved they all were, too! (Always does a parent's heart proud to hear that!)
 |
| Our kidlet crews together |
 |
| Grand Floridian Burger: Angus Chuck Burger, Lobster, Asparagus, and Horseradish-Chive Hollandaise served with Tomato Salad |
The hotel handled themselves as beyond professionally. They accompanied me while giving me access to my bags at the bellhop station, so that I could get my families swimsuits so they could partake in the pool while I waited for the computer situation to be straightened out. Also, I desperately needed my phone charger, as it was already dead! Every person on staff was wonderful, smiling, helpful, eager to please. I appreciated that in what could have been a stressful situation. In that time I waited, I put Baby Dude down for a nap, propped him up comfortably in his high chair, and proceeded to tweet (once I had enough of a charge) that I'd most likely be late or miss the wedding event, since I had no room just yet. As soon as my kids came back bathing-suited-up, it was just like that, BAM, that the computers were back up, we were back in business and we had our room!
Having our room, though, did not mean getting my clothes instantly. The lovely bellhop did his best, though. That computer did a number on his ability to make deliveries, too. We thanked him when he finally showed as we tipped him, and I got started on getting ready for my event while my children went to splash around in the lovely pool below us (and I won't lie, I was totally jealous. That pool looked wickedly inviting). Here was the view of our wonderful room on the fourth floor of building eight:
Finally dressed, hair done, make up applied and ready to walk out the door at 5:45pm (not to mention highly late for our wedding event/welcome reception), my children walked in from the pool, soaking wet, eager to get to dinner with rumbling tummies. I chose to stay to help my husband dress my little critters in their Sunday, uh, Thursday best (and who am I kidding, I'd never make the event in heels 11 minutes away, anyway). As we headed to our beachside party, greeted by lovely cast members decked out in old-fashioned attire, we were welcomed by the amazing smells of the food, beckoning us to come and sit and enjoy.
I hugged many (Kim, Sandy, Toni, Andrea, Amanda, Danielle, Maria, Shellie...), smiled and waved at many more, and reacquainted myself with friends old and new, while meeting everyone's families and enjoying the beautiful atmosphere and delicious food. Characters kept making their way into our celebration, and Baby Dude had to go hang out with them constantly. Kids built sand-castles while adults enjoyed almost kid-free time. So far, Disney was proving to be quite magical.
After our scrumptious dinner and copious amount of grown-up time with friends, we made way over to Magic Kingdom for the evening fireworks. We got there superfast with the monorail stop right at our hotel, arriving just in time to see the fireworks go off. Last time we came, Baby Dude was scared. This time? He loved every second! Between his amazement, and hearing the classic Disney song "When You Wish Upon a Star" with perfectly timed fireworks, with Tinkerbell flying through the air, I tweeted that I was crying, and I totally was! What can I say, Disney can move me to tears.
Because we missed out the first time we visited Disney as a family, the kids (and hubs) rode Space Mountain and the Tomorrowland Speedway while I waited with the littles, but Super M wasn't feeling to well. His asthma was really flaring up, and he was in need of another machine treatment, despite getting one before we ventured to Magic Kingdom. Florida's pollen, it seems, was too much for my little dude's body to handle. Little did we know what was in store for us next...
Day 2 all aboard!
Cinnamon Roll Cake for Breakfast - Quick and Easy
Forget individual cinnamon rolls - what if you took two or three cans, rolled them together to make a cinnamon ring cake? Sounds a lot like the famous quick-recipe for a Louisiana "King Cake" doesn't it? However, the difference is, this isn't decorated with crazy colors with a baby somewhere stuck inside for good fortune. No, this cake is as easy as can be to get together, and lasts a few days, making breakfast mornings bearable!
My version can be made a few ways:
- You can pick up two or three packages of all-natural mixes from your local store, and instead of making them into individual rolls, keep it together to form a ring. (Not too time consuming)
- Make the cinnamon roll mix from scratch, doubled or tripled, again, keeping the final product together instead of separating into individual rolls, forming it into the ring shape. (More time consuming)
- OR, the simplest way (but not necessarily the all-natural way): Use three cans of cinnamon rolls (from the refrigerator section), kept all together, squished to remove the seams (as much as possible). Massage each can together in the pan until it looked as solid as it could be. (Hardly time consuming)
See?
Does that NOT look INCREDIBLE? Way better than regular cinnamon rolls - it feels like a celebration for breakfast, doesn't it? Can you imagine bringing this to a get-together?
This bakes pretty fantastically easy at night, allowing you to cut into it quite quickly for fast-paced mornings. Neat, huh?
Never miss a thing! Subscribe today for all kinds of crazy parenting fun!
March 19, 2011
Sausage Pancake Sandwiches - Quick and Easy Breakfast
I have a new obsession - my sandwich maker. I'm constantly cranking out new ways to create old favorites. "Want a turkey sandwich, kids? How about a hot one, pressed into a pocket?"
It's a sickness, I tell ya. But (!!!) because it's so fun, I've created a way to stockpile new things for breakfast that my kids LOVE - sausage in a pancake pocket called "Pigs in a Blanket" for breakfast. Using pancake batter and sausage, yo!
Look!
Fry up some sausage. Whip up your favorite pancake batter, pour some into the sandwich maker of your choice. (Don't forge to spray with cooking spray first!) Lay a sausage link in the middle, and drizzle some pancake batter lightly overtop, 90% covering the link, then close the sandwich maker. Wa-la! Insta-breakfast!
The kids have a lot of fun dipping these into syrup. And who doesn't love pancakes, sausage, and syrup! Yum!
These freeze really well, and heat up pretty fantastically in a toaster oven in the morning for the Hurry! Quick! Rush! Time for school, kids! mornings. What do you think?
Never miss a thing! Subscribe today for all kinds of crazy parenting fun!
March 16, 2011
Death by Ass-Numbness - Road Trip Take 2 #DisneySMMoms
Currently, I'm in our minivan, where I've been for three plus hours now, exhausted from being up really late packing eleventy-billion kids' things, ass already getting numb to an insane level (with several more hours of driving ahead of us, too), but we're on our way to Disney World for the Disney Social Media Moms Celebration! I cannot wait to see good friends and witness Disney magic, with all our families together with us!
I'm attempting to blog from my phone, which is quite a challenge (as if traveling thirteen hours with six kids wasn't tough enough)! But, no, here I am, enjoying the gorgeous sun streaming in through the window, kids all freaking in the back seats, with this impossible little keyboard under my thumbs, with impossibly small text (that only seems to get smaller the older I get). Ahem.
Be prepared for some crazy, sleep-deprived, text-inspired Disney posts for the next six days a la Droid. And maybe my computer, if I can sit long enough.
Thank goodness for coffee. Word.
Never miss a thing! Subscribe today for all kinds of crazy parenting fun!
March 14, 2011
Breakfast Pie - Quick and Easy Breakfast
Mornings totally suck sometimes. And when you have six kids (four of which in school), when alarms don't go off, or kids are extra cranky, things aren't going smoothly, and time is not on your side, breakfast has to be as fast as possible. Unfortunately, sometimes that means compromising having a good breakfast for convenience. But because I'm a planner, planning for the unexpected and the mega-sucktitude that mornings can sometimes bring, I don't mind convenience, I just want it my kind of convenience - hot breakfasts, homemade, ready to go.
I stockpile homemade pancakes and waffles. I batch-cook many kinds of muffins, potato pancakes, pumpkin bread, and french toast, too. All the excess gets frozen and reheated the day of. Forget the boxed breakfasts chock-filled with chemicals and additives, like I said, I want it my way. Some mornings, quick even means an super-fast egg sandwich. But tonight, I created a masterPIEce. I made a breakfast pie. Eggs, bacon, hashbrowns, all in a pie shell with cheese on top. PERFECT!
Breakfast Pie
- 1 pie crust, already prepared in a dish
- 4 eggs, raw, whipped to a pre-scramble in a bowl
- 1/2 cup milk
- 4 slices of bacon, cooked, coursely chopped or crumbled (I use turkey bacon)
- 1.5 - 2 cups of frozen hash browns or chopped potatoes
- 1/2 cup of shredded cheese
- season to taste
Cook bacon; let cool. Crumble or chop and place in bottom of pie crust.
Saute hash browns or potatoes until heated through and beginning to brown on all sides, but not cooked thoroughly. Season and add to the pie dish.
Whisk eggs and milk together in a bowl, add to the pie plate.
Using your spatula, mash down the potatoes into the egg mixture, so that the top is even.
Bake at 350 until egg is cooked through and knife inserted into the center comes out clean. Will vary by oven - mine cooked in about 30+ minutes. Once cooked, sprinkle crumbled cheddar on top, and place back in the oven until cheese begins to brown slightly. You can choose to add it into the egg mixture, instead, or in addition to sprinkling on top. Here's my finished masterPIEce:
Can't wait for my kids to be able to cut into this tomorrow morning for breakfast. See? By pre-making it the night before, you have a fast, easy, nutritional hot breakfast for the Mornings 'o Suck. Wouldn't you agree?
Never miss a thing! Subscribe today for all kinds of crazy parenting fun!
March 11, 2011
Tsunami Thoughts
I'm a preparer. I'm the bag-packer. The snack-bringer. The list-maker. The bandaid-carrier. I'm the 'just-in-case' mom. I have bags and bags of stuff I bring, even for short trips, because that's what I do, I'm a planner.
But how do you plan for things like this Tsunami?
There aren't enough Ziploc bag and storage totes in the world to protect you and your family, your belongings, your home. It's my worst fear - mother nature wreaking havoc - and having the unplannable, the unpreparable, the worst imaginable things happen, and everything and everyone you love gone in an instant.
Thankfully, all US military in Japan are accounted for and safe. I wish I could say the same for the rest of Japan.
My heart hurts today with this news. My prayers are with everyone in this Earthquake/Tsunami's path. As a fellow parent, may you, your spouse and children find safety. As a fellow human, may the prayers and well wishes I speak today echo through the thousands of miles between us, and be heard.
If you're looking to help the people affected today (as I just was), Google has set up a Tsunami Relief page with lots of resources. They've also set up a Person Finder app to help concerned people find their loved ones, too (I thought this might be useful for some).
Also, you can text "REDCROSS" to 90999 to make a $10 donation. The charge will appear on your next mobile phone bill. Or, visit www.redcross.org to give a donation via the web.
Be safe, everyone.
Never miss a thing! Subscribe today for all kinds of crazy parenting fun!
March 8, 2011
Baby Dude's First Big Boy Hair Cut
"Mama, I pit ewe fwowaz!" (Baby Dude speak for "I picked you flowers.")
And then, as if on cue, he says "Cheese!"
He goes to give them to me, "Here, mama!"
But then kneels, holding onto his precious gifts for me a while longer.
That's okay. I kept snapping the camera, as I watched his teeny hands playing with my dandelions. It became all too apparent to me, while I did, that he was in desperate need of a hair cut. See?
He must've sensed what I was thinking, because at that moment, he looked up, proving to me just how badly he needed a hair cut.
"Hey Dude, do you want a hair cut?"
The look on his face was all the answer I needed. Looks something along the lines of, you wanna do... WHAT!?!!
Oh gosh, my heart!! This is my new favorite picture. Not only because of that smile, but because it now immortalizes his hair the way it was "before" ...
And for the "after" picture??
He's still my baby with those dreamy eyes. He's just got considerably less "party" goin' on in the back end. Proof...
Much better, don't you think? But still painful. My baby's growing up. First haircuts are hard, man. But thank you for my flowers, Baby Dude.
Never miss a thing! Subscribe today for all kinds of crazy parenting fun!
March 7, 2011
Addicted to Smoothie Recipes #mamavation
I thought that I'd share with you, as my first and introductory post to Mamavation and being the newest Mamavation Mentor/Cheerleader, my current addiction love of smoothies.
I'm one of those people who, if I love something, I balls-to-the-wall love something. Like, can't eat, can't sleep, can't stop talking about it, making my family and friends want to disown me because I love it so much. (Okay, so, maybe that doesn't happen.)
 |
| Photo from Kathy at Lunch Box Bunch |
Are ya seein' that thing? Yes, it is that purple. Yes, that thing is AMAZING. I blend that sucker in my Ninja and I hear angels descending to Earth singing operatic songs all around me.
Or maybe it's because I'm taking too long and my kids are all wailing at me their demands.
Whatevs.
Look. Looooooook!
 |
| Smoothie made of win! Made with love by me, nature, and the Ninja |
Chock-filled with ridiculous amounts of nature's awesome. It not only tastes good, but is SO good for you, too. I make it almost every day. Like I said, addicted. Not just addicted to the taste, but addicted to the way it makes me feel. Won-der-ful!
My recipe is tweaked a bit from Kathy's - I halve it, so I can drink it at once (it does NOT keep well after more than a couple hours in the fridge.. the ice melts, the banana turns.. it's not pretty). I also add Spirutein and vanilla extract (Spirutein for added protein, baby, and vanilla extract 'cuz that's how I roll).
Banana Berry Smoothie
Adapted and tweaked from Kathy's original recipe
1/2 cup frozen strawberries
1/4 cup frozen wild blueberries
1/2 frozen ripe banana
1/2 fresh ripe banana
1/2 cup fresh strawberries (Kathy recommends organic, if you can find them)
1 cup vanilla soymilk (Organic Valley, Silk, Westsoy, or Eden are all excellent brands)
1 Tbsp organic maple syrup (I religiously use Maple Grove)
1/2 tsp apple cider vinegar (I use Bragg*)
1/4 scoop Spirutein*
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
1 cup coconut water ice cubes (can substitute with regular ice cubes; I do)
Optional:
Tiny pinch of pink sea salt (Kathy says you can purchase this at Whole Foods)
Add 'em all together; blend them at least a minute or more, until blended well.
The recipe above makes enough for almost three eight-ounce glasses of smoothies. That might sound a lot, but if you're drinking a smoothie instead of a meal, I figure, that amount is perfect. It fills me up, fills me with energy, and I'm ready to GO! Great pre-running/work-out drink!
The soy milk and Spirutein together add just enough protein, coupled with the wonderful carbs from the fruits to get me PUMPED!
Do you drink smoothies, too? What do YOU like? Share your recipes with me!
March 4, 2011
Out of the Mouth of Babes Part 14 - The Baby Sis Edition
Baby Sis: I see a spider! Dere! On da wagon! He's got wong wegs!
Me: That's called a "Daddy Long Leg"
Baby Sis: Yeah! Tuz he's got wong wegs, just wike daddy does!
------------------------------------------------------
(At the red light, I make a right turn.)
Baby Sis: Mommy! You tan't do dat! Red means stop!
Me: I can make a right on red, baby sister.
Baby Sis: No you taaaaaan't!
(How the hell do I explain driving rules to a four-year-old!?!)
------------------------------------------------------
(Tales of inappropriate topics ala Toddler, at your service)
Baby Sis is walking around carrying a pink jewelry box with a heart on it. Baby Dude keeps grabbing at her and it, and in response, she keeps turning away swiftly, snarling at him. Finally she yells out, QUITE loudly, "Daddy!! Tell him to stop putting his hand in my love box!"
And then my husband responds, with a smile, "Honey, please PLEASE don't call it a 'love box,' okay!?" (Ha!)
------------------------------------------------------
(Baby Sis has had, for quite some time, a fascination for only playing with blue soccer balls, which makes it particularly hard to discuss this topic (without laughing like a teenager) when it comes to her inquiring about them. Inappropriately, of course.)
Baby Sis: "Where's my blue soccer ball, daddy?"
Husband: "I don't have it, Baby Sis. Coach Rick has 'em."
Baby Sis: "Oh. Coach Rick always has blue balls."
Coach Rick's response: "That just happened, huh?"
Annnnnnnnnnd I'm done.
------------------------------------------------------
Like these? Catch up on my other "Out of the Mouth of..." posts:
Out of the Mouth of Husbands
Out of the Mouth of Babes Part 13
Out of the Mouth of Babes Part 12
Out of the Mouth of Babes Part 11
Out of the Mouth of Babes Part 10
Out of the Mouth of Babes, Part 9
Out of the Mouth of Babes, Part 8
Out of the Mouth of Babes, Part 7, and other Kidlet Cuteness
Out of the Mouth of Babes, Part 6
Out of the Mouth of Babes, Part 5
Out of the Mouth of Babes, Part 4
Out of the Mouth of Babes, Part 3
Out of the Mouth of Babes, Part 2
Haha, Out of the Mouth of Babes
Never miss a thing! Subscribe today for all kinds of crazy parenting fun!
