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Falling in Love with Disney

Posted on February 13, 2012 12:00 am by TheAngelForever

My first real memory of a trip to Walt Disney World was when I was in kindergarten. Of course, I had actually been there several times before that. My parents have a cool 1970’s style photo album that they turned into a scrapbook of my adventures there. There are photos of me running around the Contemporary Resort kiddie pool, taking a big sister only trip with my parents, and more. Still, my memories are of a family trip with another family. I remember going to Chef Mickey in what would eventually become Downtown Disney.

Epcot had just opened and I fell madly in love with Dreamfinder and a cute purple dragon named Figment.

My love for Figment held on during that trip when it was time to pick something special out. The figment I am holding below was the special friend I picked out from a bribe my father made with me for going on Space Mountain.

Growing up at Walt Disney World, I watched as it went from one park to four over the years. The Contemporary Resort and Polynesian Resort soon had more and more resorts cropping up throughout the sprawling land that Walt Disney had purchased in Florida. Going to Orlando and spending time at Walt Disney World with my mother, father, and brother was priceless. It was a place where we were carefree, all kids at heart, and my father and mother laughed, smiled, and were relaxed. Memories of my father leaving his lens cap on during the Hoop-De-Do Review always make us laugh. Then there was soaring high over the Seven Seas Lagoon with my brother as we went parasailing for the first time. Classic times that were even more magical at Disney.

It’s no wonder that TechyDad and I picked Walt Disney World as our honeymoon destination. He had never been and I wanted to share my passion for this special place. I do not think it took a day and he was hooked. We even had a special tenth anniversary trip planned there in September. Unfortunately, that trip was canceled thanks to Hurricane Irene.

Now we both have watched as our two boys have caught the Disney bug. We have watched NHL and JSL meet characters, grow big enough to try out new rides, and many other items with us.

There are other places that we could go on family vacations, but each time is unique and provides us with special moments. Disney World is like a home away from home where we can forget about our troubles and enjoy time together.

So now it is your turn. What made you fall in love with Disney? Feel free to share a story, link up to a funny memory, or anything else in the comments.

P.S. A huge thank you to Mariana from The Domestic Buzz for creating this magical Blog Hop!

Categories:
Blog Hop Disney DisneySMMoms family jsl looking back me moments nhl photos TechyDad travel vacation

Super Hero Squad Building Fun

Posted on January 21, 2012 12:00 am by TheAngelForever

Dear NHL and JSL,

Monday, Daddy had to go to work, but the two of you had the day off of school for Martin Luther King Jr. Day. Since Nana and Papa were back from the weekend at a family wedding, we decided to spend some time with them. We showed them a great new to them place for breakfast. Then, we went shopping at Target. They finally had more of the Super Hero Squad figures that had been out of stock since before Chanukah.

After shopping, we went back to play at Nana and Papa’s house. I told the two of you that it would be fun to make some buildings or castles. I thought the giant wooden block sets would be perfect to create places for your four new Super Hero Squad members. We sat on the floor together, with both sets of blocks, and made some structures together.

We had a lot of fun. It was nice to see you both laugh, play, and have no worries. I do hope we will share many more of these moments together because they are so very special.

Love,

Mommy

Categories:
Dear Kid Saturday family fun holidays jsl nhl photos play time

Tuesday Tales – Time for a Hug

Posted on January 17, 2012 12:00 am by TheAngelForever

Everyone knows that Valentine’s Day is coming in a little under a month. During that time, we often think about the ones that we love to hug. There will be lots of hearts, hugs, kisses, special notes to those that we love, and more.

Did you know that this Saturday, Jan 21, is National Hug Day? It is and it seemed like a great time to share a new book that I reviewed by Phillis Gershator and her mother Mim Green called Time for a Hug. Once I started to read and they saw the illustrations from David Walker, they were hooked.

Too often, we forget about the simple things in life and never stop even for a brief second to enjoy them with our children. Before we know it, they grow up before our eyes. In Time for a Hug, we are reminded that there is never a wrong time to pause for a bit and enjoy a hug with someone special. In this tale, we go from sunrise to sunset with Little Bunny. As we watch Little Bunny get dresses, eat meals, play, and go about the day – there is always time to stop for a special hug no matter the hour.

Toddlers and preschoolers will appreciate the activities that Little Bunny does throughout the day. My youngest caught onto the rhythmic nature of the book and quickly jumped in every time I asked “What time is it?” within the story.

The beautiful illustrations from David Walker just melt your heart with the touching story from Phillis Gershator and Mim Green.

Time for a Hug – Written by Phillis Gershator and Mim Green – Illustrated by David Walker – Sterling Children’s Books – January 2012 – ISBN 9781402778629 – $9.95 – Ages 3-5

With older children, I could see making crafts like a hug around the clock. For really crafty people, it could even be in a mobile form. Perhaps stopping each hour while your child is awake to have a hug and mark down on a heart what you are doing during that time (breakfast, taking a walk, building with Legos, or something else). Of course, you could also make a hug picture book and take photos of you and your little one each hour to make a special scrap book for Valentine’s Day or just because. The possibilities are out there and so many great extensions of this book could be created with your own family.

What have you read recently? Please be sure to link up to your Book Posts in the comments below. Include something you read on your own, with a child or someone else. Tuesday Tales are all about spreading the love for books.

Disclosure: I received this book complimentary of Sterling Children’s Books in order to facilitate this review. No other compensation was given. The opinions expressed in the review are my own. An Amazon Affiliate link is included where I will receive a percentage of money for the sale should you opt to buy the book mentioned.

Categories:
books Educational family holidays photos Product review Tuesday Tales

Putting My Family First Can Hurt

Posted on January 10, 2012 12:00 am by TheAngelForever

Guilt, sometimes it hits like a big freight train. This weekend, my extended family will all be together for a special reason and I will not be there. My first cousin is getting married and I am going to be home instead of doing the Horah in celebration.

Why, you ask?

I am putting my family first. For multiple reasons, going would not be a good choice for the four of us. No need to go into that here, those have been explained, discussed, and debated countless times over the last year. There is no doubt that I am hurting feelings, and I feel quite guilty about that. Still, I do hope that family members will forgive me and realize that I am being an adult and doing what is best for my children.

On the night of the wedding, I will sit and remember babysitting my cousin when he was little, going to his hockey games, and joking with him as he helped to paint our house. So many memories of watching him grow up into the man that he has become. Perhaps we will get some donuts to celebrate the event – I know Cousin A will get that reference. I wish both A and A a wonderful life ahead of them and much happiness in their new life as husband and wife. Although we will not be there in person, we will be with you in our hearts.

With that, I leave you with a song that seems fitting right now. The song is My Family by The Laurie Berkner Band. The song really hits home and seemed appropriate at this moment

When you’re in my heart, you’re in my family,
When I’m in your heart, I’m in your family.
When you’re in my heart, you’re in my family,
When I’m in your heart, I’m in your family!
Fathers, mothers, sisters, brothers,
Cousins, friends, sons and daughters,
Uncles, aunts, and grandparents
I’m so glad you’re my family!

Have you ever had to put your family first and miss a big family event like a wedding? I would love to hear from you and share in the comments below.

P.S. Many tears were shed in the typing of this post, but I still know it was the right decision for my family.

Categories:
cousins decisions family looking back me moments photos video

The Year that was 2011

Posted on January 2, 2012 12:00 am by TheAngelForever

It is hard to believe that 2012 is here. Once again, the year went by with a lot of fun, photos, and memories. Here are just some of the highlights from the year that was 2011.

January:

Mother Nature started her tricks with a lot of snow that came our way. We had fun making memories with the sled in our own yard.
I started writing Education posts at The Disney Driven Life and introduced it to everyone. Thank you to J.L. for the amazing opportunity. I look forward to getting back on track in 2012.
NHL lost three more teeth during the first three months of the year. Much relief as they came out without dental assistance.

February 2011:

The Snowpacalypse welcomed the month of February threatening 18-30 inches of snow. It left lots of the white stuff and tons of ice damage. Our neighbors probably had a laugh with knee-highs on our roof.
With all of the freezing cold, even the little guy was trying to ride Tony Pony to Disney World to escape. Of course, we were gearing up for Disney Social Media Moms Celebration 2011 in March.
We continued to take the boys to introduce them to hockey. They had a blast checking out all of the extras between the on ice action.

March 2011:

Mother Nature teased us with warmth to melt snow mountains early in the month, only to knock us down with an ice storm to remember. Crackling trees and ice pelting the house is hard to listen to in the dark.
A magical trip to Walt Disney World for the Disney Social Media Moms Celebration allowed me to see amazing friends, learn, and have fun with my family. Lots of items from that trip were shared throughout the months ahead.
Of course, the reality world hit hard once we got back from our magical adventure. Tough decisions were ahead and left my head spinning. All of this made me remember the wise words of Rene Syler – The Good Enough Mother.

April 2011:

Passover preparations were dominant this month. Making lists, shopping, and getting the house ready. Of course, we also captured memories of the holiday itself.
Lots of moments where I wished I was not the adult who had to make decision. Thank goodness, JSL helped to keep me smiling along the way.
A routine visit to the dentist for NHL revealed the need to see an orthodontist. We made the appointment for several months later in June, but knew the missing adult tooth was going to be something to contend with.

May 2011:

Even moms need field trips. Yes, the weekend before Mother’s Day, Cutestkidever and I jumped into the car for a lunch date with Rene Syler.
JSL’s 4th birthday and new love for Jake and the Never Land Pirates required working on a theme for his party. Supplies were bought and cupcakes were made.
The sun coming back also provided an opportunity to test out our new grill, plant some veggies, and attempt to regrow our front lawn.

June 2011:

After taking NHL out of a school he had been in since kindergarten, TechyDad and I watched as our second grader started to flourish in a new school. Once again, we started to believe in the education system. This entire drama made it SO hard to bite my tongue and keep a lot of things to myself.
Father’s Day we spent a fun day together. We had lunch out, went mini-golfing, and had dinner with Nana and Papa. It reminded me of how special these moments together are.
The end of June marked a major milestone for TechyDad and me. We celebrated out 10th wedding anniversary. Memories of our special day, honeymoon at Walt Disney World, and everything over the ten years together came flooding back. Of course, the day of our actual anniversary was a house nightmare. A plumbing fix resulted in us moving out for several days.

July 2011:

The month started with a visit out to see my brother and his family for 4th of July. While there, we went cherry picking and beat our previous record. A day at Niagara Falls was also included in the fun adventures.
Both of the boys were home with me for the entire summer. We looked for fun activities to do. We often ended up at the library for learning and crafting.
We also spent a lot of time at Michaels crafting our way around the world. Yes, Michaels and Crayola teamed up to make a great passport of crafts for kids to do that were mostly free. The kids learned so much and we found some great new crafts to try later on.

August 2011:

At the end of July, we started to think about a magical getaway to celebrate our 10th anniversary. Shortly after this, we booked a fantastic trip to relive our honeymoon at Walt Disney World. Everything was planned from the hotel, dining, and place for the kids to stay over Labor Day.
NHL turned 8 in August and requested lion cupcakes. We documented the construction process and birthday celebration.
The end of the month was heart breaking. We watched as Hurricane Irene wrecked havoc up and down the east coast. Thanks to the fear of the kids being stuck with no power and our flight getting canceled, we postponed our big trip to Disney. Being responsible adults was tough.

September 2011:

The boys started back to school after Labor Day. NHL loved his new school and was settling into third grade. JSL thrived at his familiar nursery school and we had lots of fun going apple picking with his class.
As a Type-A personality, I am a planner. So it was very rare for me to pack up in just a few days notice to head to New York City for the first ever SheStreams Conference. It was an amazing time seeing friends, learning, and getting away for a weekend. A huge thank you to all of those that made it a magical and empowering weekend.

October 2011:

As a third grader, NHL started to take band in school. He picked percussion instruments and drum practice even got a Disney touch thanks to Nana and Papa.
During the month of October, two large packages arrived to host parties. The boys loved learning and playing with LeapFrog items during the Learn, Create, and Share Party. The LeapPad had been an amazing addition to our family learning electronics. HexBugs also invaded our house for some glow-in-the-dark holiday fun.
Halloween was a lot of fun thanks to everyone staying healthy. NHL was Darth Vader, JSL was Jedi Tigger, and even TechyDad dressed up. Of course, Snowtober threatened to make things more interesting just a day before heading out.

November 2011:

The start of the month meant going to a fun event for bloggers at Price Chopper, headquarters. The Price Chopper Holiday Cheer afternoon showcased endless holiday entertaining ideas. Of course, I wanted to highlight the Decadent Desserts line.
This was also the month that my entire family fell in love with Susan Egan. I had been lucky enough to see Susan at Disney Social Media Moms in March, but her new CD review was a hit in our house. My little guy even had a crush on her and certainly did care more than Nina.
The boys learned about what an aufruf is and spent a lot of time with family in November during Thanksgiving weekend.

December 2011:

The month began with full on Muppet madness in our house. The boys have always loved the Muppets, but the anticipation of the new movie brought it on even more. There was Muppets mania clothing style and lots of Muppet music playing in our house. Heck, I even tossed in some fun Muppets nail polish. Bringing things from our childhood back are so much fun.
Chanukah was more quiet this year as we focused on time with each other, festive music, watching the menorah glow, and less attention on presents.
A surprise trip to Build-A-Bear workshop introduced our family to Snowflake and Clumsy. Snowflake has been on a lot of adventures and even requested a beary special knitted scarf.

There were so many other things that made 2011 special and amazing. Thank goodness that is what archives are for. We can look back, laugh, cry, remember, and reflect.

What are some of your favorite part of the year that was 2011?