Happy (Spooky) Halloween!

Since it is wonderfully nasty outside, pouring and wind howling and all, I am not too excited just yet about it being Halloween. Although we have candy for trick or treaters, and I was all for taking the 2 little ones to a few houses around ours for a bit, I'm feeling more like this right now:

If the weather dudes are right, the rain should be slacking off about 6, and I hope they are...Landon is too excited about trick or treating, but we will still have to deal with some wind. I can do that. Now that Landon is to the age where he starts to actually remember things more than a few days after they happen, I'm more and more wanting things to be super special. Yeah, Isaac isn't going to remember pooh. So, knowing that D can always get me out of a grumpy mood, I'm going to put on some music while cleaning today and realize we are going to have fun tonight, even if I have to hide our own candy around the house for them to find to make it special! And please let me not have to fish patio furniture out of the pool...PLEASE. CJ is even getting into the spirit. Love that dog. She's in there mooing. That's right, like a cow. MOOOOOOO. ;)

As I was going through Halloween pics to post on here, I realized I was having a super hard time finding just one. Then it hit me, and I got a song stuck in my head...and couldn't resist...so just who is your favorite Disney villain?

 

Are you ready?!?!?!?!

Happy Halloween everybody! Hope it's fabulous as ever!

 

 





Disney's Photopass Service, Yes or No?

As we get closer to the trip, something that we have never done is purchase the Disney Photopass CD/Package. Sure, we took some pics here and there with their photopass people, but we never bought any of the pics or anything. Here's the deal, you pay $169 and get a CD or immediate download of all of the pics that the photopass people took. Now, like I mentioned we only took a few with their photographers. From what I'm reading there are these pic takers all over the parks, some at popular character meet and greets, some character dining spots, and at front entrances of parks. You get a card, they scan it, and all your pics are in one place. The cards are free and pic taking is too. You have 14 days to look at your pics once the vacay is over and can decide to order CD/download, or can order individual pics at what I think are ridiculous prices. From what I'm also reading from other websites is that if you preorder, it's $169, but once vacay is over the price goes to $199? I can't confirm that quite yet. Either way...as a fam of 6, with 2 squirmy kids...is it worth it? To get us all in a pic, with one of our cameras, we would have to get the pic takers to take pic or two with their stuff, then ask for them to take one with our camera...are the odds in my favor that we'll be good for 2, 3, or maybe 4 clicks? And the CD will hold as many as we take. I'm not sure if my favorite Disney expert, April, has ever done this. I think she mentioned that Brandy did it once, but I've never asked her. Might be sending her a msg soon. But, all things considered....is it a good enough value? We'd still take cameras for parade pic taking and random pics. But would it be worth it just to not have to dig the camera out for every "magical moment" pic? I think D would say no, but as the person who is always out of the pic, I might be leaning more towards yes. As I look back on the trip from 2 years ago, out of the almost 300 pics, I believe I am in 4. Only 2 with the rest of the family, and 2 with D. Maybe there is a few more, maybe not. I'm not going back to counting. I hate Dennis's computer. Let me know what you think! I'm virtually on the fence on this one! And here's another pic just to make me giggle! Most of these photos I have borrowed from disneyparkblog.com. One of my fav reads lately!

Planning and Countdown to Disney

Our official countdown in 42 days. Whoo hoo! 42 days!! D and I have been planning this Disney trip officially since late January. The little kids aren't quite sure what that means, and Landon knows we are going to go see Mickey at his house, but is otherwise clueless. We told the big kids a few weeks back. We were trying to keep it a super secret and not tell them until the day we left: have them open a Christmas present early, have it be something Disney, then tell them to go pack their stuff we were leaving in about 2 hours. Well, it just got to the point where too many people knew, and some slip ups were made by myself, so we told them. Jess is super excited! I have been planning and planning and planning. I have been taught by the best, thank you April, and after our last Disney trip have tweaked this trip to try to catch anything we may have missed the first time. I mean planned. The day I could make dining reservations, they were done. Of course when free dining came out and I had to switch a few days, I had to switch a few reservations. For the most part, everything is still holding up well. Three days figuring out what parks which days, 2 hours on the phone with Disney changing reservation days for free dining, 2 hours on the computer figuring out where to stay the 2 days before that kicks in (couldn't change our Very Merry Christmas Party ticket days), 10 plus hours sitting on my bed (almost straight) doing fastpass plus magic band fast pass times on 2 separate computer while using the map on the ipad, and hours and hours more digging on the rides and height limits and quick service menus and locations. I think I might have driven D nuts a few times! What parks have what parades, did we set the Candlelight thing..yes ok, great! What time are the parades, which princess is where and what time, Oh my...the Dwarfs are only there for the VMCP?! Well, we have to get those in! I've got extra built in time in each set of 2 hours,but for the most part we have each day planned out by hour and halves. We'll be close to here so we'll eat here so we don't have to trek to the other side of the park... I know (logically) that some people don't like to plan out there trips to the extreme like this. I, however, feel alot better. When it's six people, two of them who are picky on food and two who have nap times I feel like this might be best for us. Hit some of the big rides they can't go on when they'll be passed out in the middle of the day in the stroller, stuff like that. As the days get closer I'll probably blog more about stuff we didn't get to do the first time around ( I feel like looking back I was totally unprepared for that trip) and who's excited about what. For my sanity, I might just post our schedule somewhat in a blog. (Did one last time that just had what park we were going to and what days...and totally left it at home) At least if it's on here (which no one but mom really reads) I can look it up if I forget the written one!! Eight park days, One down day (Downtown Disney, swimming, and all around lounging), and One still driving Mickey's Very Merry Christmas Party day. Then the drive home. So about 11 days total, guess 11 1/2 days since we are leaving on the 9th and coming home on the 20th. 42 Days. FORTY-TWO DAYS. And then we leave to go see this...

My mom.

I decided that before I move on to more obsessing topics, I'd take a min to explore the wonderment that is my mom. As I was talking to her the other day on the phone, she is more than stuck in the sandwich generation. She didn't understand what that meant, and then I explained. I understand that for the most part it means you take care of (most of the time live with too) you, an older generation and a younger generation. Like a parent as well as your own children. Well, mom's got a huge sandwich going on! She takes care of her, has to take care of my dad, she takes care of me (alot more than she should), my kids (above and beyond normal grandma spoiling), and recently her aunt. We call her Aunt Margie, but she is technically my mom's aunt. Although we don't live with her, some days it might be more convenient for her if we did. NO MOM, we're not moving...don't panic. Although I have been begging her to help me learn how to sew lately...I really wish I knew how so I could sew her her own superhero pink sparkly cape! I think she totally deserves something fabulous and fitting to the status in my mind she has. And all the while doing it with issues of her own. She never tells me when she's truly not feeling bad, I have to listen to her voice when talking to her or it's when I'm dropping off a kid or picking one up I see how just in need of a rest she needs. Ok....so the woman needs a fabulous super hero name too...SUPER NANA?? Huh, I'll work on that... In the meantime, I will just be amazed at just how cool my mom is, dedicated, loving, super forgiving, and all around fabulous. No one can build a fort like her, cook like her (in my opinion), be silly dance and sing like her, organize some of the trickiest moments of life like her, or be patient when I would have long ago blown up. Although I wish I could be more like my mom, I know I never will be. My one of a kind mom is all heart, and she shows it all day every day. WONDER NANA??? Eh...maybe I'll see what Landon says about the super name. So, as she heads to Aunt Margie's today to clear out years, and years, of stuff and organizing, I wish her the best of luck. And for the love of everything HOLY, please please please don't overdo it. But I know you will anyway! Really...where's a super hero name app when you need it?! As a true child of a super hero I will leave with this...*My mom is better than your mom...Neener neener neener!! ;)

I have missed this!

Confession: I have really missed blogging. The only reason why I ended up stopping was my mom said they were too depressing. Well, guess that's how I was feeling at the time.

House update: We have done the bedroom in a green, that I am completely in love with. Love having all the guitars on the wall too. No joke. Love love love my bedroom. We also redid the kitchen walls too, oh and ceiling. No more wallpapered ceiling...in there anyway! It is now a great shade of red that I love. Not as much as the bedrooom, but it's a huge step up from where it was!

Family update: I am blessed that I will be an aunt again. My newest nephew is set to arrive in a few months and I can't wait! And...thanks to April (who is like family) I get to buy pink stuff for her girl coming not too far after my new nephew!

What prompted my wonderful and fabulous return to blogging was to vent (some, mom, just some) and not tire everyone (especially Dennis) out about this Disney trip we have coming up...in less than 45 days!!! So exciting!!!

Just this past week, we celebrated my youngest baby turning 2 (in Disney years he is still Guests of Mickey, awesome right?!?) and my only daughter turning 13. Yes, a teenager. And I am not freaked out. Like I told Mom and April I am ready for her to be driving. I am beyond ready for her to be able to drive to the store for milk, or that last min posterboard for a last min project they have to have done by tomorrow that they've known about for 2 weeks. Bring on the driving (and wine)!!!! We must have ordered a sh*tload of pizza too, we ended up having almost 6 leftover!! A few people didn't show...for reasons that thoroughly upset me. A stuffed cat that wasn't done?! And you'll see how you were getting around? Well, see you  made it the the wedding the next day just fine...and the bar. Priorities are what they are I guess, and it hurt my feelings. No one likes that. :( But Isaac loved having everyone sing to him, and Jess loved that fact that Justin dressed up as Finn for her Adventure Time party!

As Halloween approaches, I am feeling the need to get crafty. Yes, this crazy thing happens to me when I get close to fall and winter holidays. I want to make stuff. Craftsy, artsy fartsy stuff. So look out, people!! Ya never know what you'll get for Christmas this year!! And it seems that I am rubbing off on the awesome hubby. Oh yes... he is getting craftsy too! Cause we always need another guitar, am I right?!?!

Well, I have to go for now...Jess needs help with math homework. More on the Disney craziness tomorrow... 45 days...45 days.....