The Happiest Place on Earth

It’s no shock that Disney is considered the happiest place on earth. While there, people are on vacation, constantly bombarded with food, entertainment, and a plethora of things to do to fit any age/preference. The resorts are beautiful, the shows are extravagant, and activities range from paddle boating and golfing to carriage rides, fireworks, and of course all sorts of amusement park rides. However, if you look around, you’ll see parents struggling with screaming toddlers, teenagers moping over well whatever it is teenagers mope about, and grandparents (well, that age anyway;) griping about “all these kids!!” (I had an unpleasant experience when Bianca enthusiastically ran into an older woman who frowned at her and then complained about how of course she got run into- never mind my profuse apologies or Bianca’s beaming smile and exclamation “hi hi hi”- which were ignored.)

Now,I’m not saying that this is a constant situation at Disney- there were tons of happy vacationers and we met so many friendly people who were happily engaged by Bianca’s enthusiastic greetings and Anya’s sweet shy little princess self. People were polite and helpful (someone gave up a seat on the bus for me and the girls and Jonathan and/or I were often helped with the stroller etc) more often than not. I’m just pointing out that the vacationers are NOT the reason it’s a happy place. 

The thing that came as the biggest surprise to me was not the food (overall it gets a solid C…maybe), or the lines (I was pretty much expecting hour waits for some rides but we never did wait that except to meet tinker bell and that was worth it), but the employees. I have never ever been somewhere that there were so many people who loved their jobs. And, let me tell you, I’m not talking about management or people who sit in plush offices. I’m talking about the woman who ushered us on to “Soarin” with an “I wish I was going on with you!” and a huge smile after several minutes of small talk. Our carriage ride driver who revealed that she’d been doing it for 10 or so years and her father had done it for 25+ years before her. And, the bus driver who admitted that he loved his job so much he’d been doing it for 20 years and was ready for more. These jobs are not what I’d pick as my ideal job- heck I don’t think this would even make the top 50 for most people. So, why are they so happy??? Heck if I know other than that they work at Disney World and who doesn’t want to go to Disney World every day?? Sure, there were some harried employees here or there (all photo pass photographers are not created equal, and for that matter neither are the disney princesses). But, overall, it was just shocking that everyone was just so NICE.

There was the waiter at Cinderella’s castle who brought out an extra meal for Bianca even though we hadn’t ordered one and she wasn’t on our meal plan. There was the person at Wolfgang Puck Express in downtown Disney who gave us an extra cookie just because. And, the mickey stickers. I have never been given so many stickers in my life (not that my girls actually wanted them but never mind that- it’s the thought that counts!), every employee stops to greet you and they’re all eager to pass on some stickers from a massive roll (maybe they could decrease prices if they stopped giving away so many darned stickers- think of the trees=)! 

Then, there were the princesses. Oh my Disney princesses. I guess it’s their job to be friendly but think of it- they must meet about 25-50 kids an hour, yet they’re all so darned cheerful! I loved watching their reactions to Anya and Bianca almost as much as I loved watching Anya and Bianca’s to them!

Tinker Bell nearly bounced across the room to greet them and a whole little tickle fest ensued. It was precious.

The girls got hugs from every single princess they met and even got kisses from Ariel (whom they met four times and each and every one of those Ariels was wonderful).

Even the characters in full costume were fun.

We had a great time dancing with Lilo, Stitch, Thumper, Miss Bunny, and Flick (from a Bug’s Life) at Animal Kingdom. Stitch was especially sweet with Bianca and Flick kept pulling Anya in to swing with him (or her- who knows who’s in those costumes!).

There were moments when our vacation was less than ideal and not every single second was “magical.” But, we had fun, and a large part of that was due to the great, happy employees who went out of their way to make sure we did!

Happy Birthday Mom!!!

70s??? 80s??

Imagine my surprise and excitement when I opened the weather report and saw that it was 64 today and into the 70s and 80s over the next week. Now, considering I had just been outside for a walk in the chilly wind I should have realized there was something wrong with that picture but it took a second for my hopes to be dashed when I realized it was the weather for Orlando. Sigh. Our weather? 40s and below and possibly snow on the horizon. Talk about disappointment!

We just got back from a walk around the neighborhood. It’s interesting how much windier it is at the bottom of the hill versus the mild wind at the top of the neighborhood. Brrr! But this brings me to my key thought as I pushed almost 60 lbs of kids in my 10ish pound double stroller up two steep hills, I sure hope Disney world is pretty flat! I was winded by the top of the big hill and had to stop a couple times around the first cul de sac, which has a pretty steep dip but is, at least, short. This walk has been a couple weeks coming but between the frigid temperatures and one sickness after the other, the Fullers have been mostly housebound. Now, to get out a couple times a week to “train” for all the walking coming up on our vacation- they say you can walk about 50 miles in a week at Disney…not sure I believe that number but I’m sure there will be enough that a little bit of prep wouldn’t hurt!

But, I really hope it warms up soon because that was a chilly walk ending with a couple of little icyc-kiddos. We ended the outing with some hot chocolate and Nilla wafers. Now back to hibernating for the rest of the day!

Crunches or Cranes?

Jonathan is putting shelves in one of our closets. In the process of cleaning it out, Bianca discovered my cane from when I had knee surgery. Soon there were shrieks and bumps from sibling squabbling over it. Luckily, Bianca lost interest quickly and Anya came thumping into the room. I asked her what she was doing to which she replied “Is this a crunch or a crane??” Ah to be four.

In other news she just announced to Jonathan: “I’m going to keep my eye on you in case you cheat!!” We’re getting ready to play wildlife bingo- I’m sure daddy has been highly discouraged from his plans of cheating…

Simpossible?

I was talking to Anya earlier and she would love to have an Ariel dress 

Well, since I’m in need of a new project I want to take it on. But, no one pattern is really perfect except this simplicity one (third dress down on left): but uh…I hate simplicity..okay I only tried one pattern so maybe it’s time to try again?

My other options are: this Kwik Sew dress. Or a combo of that dress or the simplicity dress (the top) and this Vogue skirt bottom. I’m not sure how successful I’d be at combining dresses. What to do? What to do?

Any more experienced sewers have suggestions/in put? In other news I finished a Briar Rose dress for Anya…it’s still a little big on the top but ah what can you do- for future reference- little A is still a size 4 in dresses even if the tall one has moved into 5s in length for a lot of things!

Excuse the messy hair and the iphone photo- this was the day after a brush with a stomach bug =)

Fun-due redo

Today started out ordinarily enough with an eighteen month old (tomorrow- it’s gone by too fast) flopping onto my belly and me scooping her in for a snuggle. We did ordinary things- Jonathan picked up our raw milk (Bianca has been on it for months now and it’s fattening her up nicely and even Anya enjoys the occasional glass of “cow’s milk”). Anya and I made a D- dolphin for her ABC scrapbook. Bianca ran around being cute- what else is new?

Around lunch time we decided we’d check out a local animal reserve. And this is where our plans for the day started to go downhill. We piled into the car, made a quick stop for subway, and headed out to the nearest “city.” Thirty-five-ish minutes later we arrived at our destination. Despite their website emphatically claiming they’re open for the season, they most certainly were not. The lack of any sort of sign identifying the location and the desolate appearance of the property in general makes me wonder if they’re just not in fact open for the season or if they’re closed for all seasons henceforth? I hope it’s the former since I’d love to go back (they did have donkeys and sheep in a side pasture which gives me hope for a future visit!). Disappointment rippled through our car- even the little one let out a disgruntled exclamation of “boogldy bogley bugedy blah!” Not to despair, Jonathan and I decided we’d redirect the outing with a trip to dinosaur land. At this point, I probably should have checked before driving the 25 minutes back the way we came but, I didn’t. The disgruntled “oh no”s were slightly louder as we read the sign that said open March 1st- December. Seeing as march 1st is less than a week away, this was just incredibly bad luck. We tossed around some other ideas before settling on the park (mostly because everything is closed right now!!). Luckily, it was not closed. In fact it was dripping with other sun deprived locals out enjoying the day (but not uncomfortably crowded since we are in the middle of nowhere).

And, here’s the point of this whole post…at this moment it seems that today was just a give up and hope for a redo tomorrow. Enter the best idea anyone had all day: fondue. We headed to the grocery store for some ingredients, swung by target for a family friendly game, and home to rest whilst the husband whipped up some Melting Pot sauces. I have to say- if you don’t have a special family fix anything, make any day brighter meal- get one. That’s fondue for the Fullers. Bianca gobbled down every bite as soon as it left the fondue fork. Anya practically bounced in her seat the entire meal whilst asking for more mushrooms and shrimp (perhaps not the best thing to do around boiling oil), and mommy and daddy got to share their favorite meal with their two favorite people. We have some sort of fondue at least once a month (usually cheese). And, it’s always met with excitement and finished with deliciousness.

Even Bianca got in on the cupcake game fun!

We ended the evening with cupcake matching and red velvet cake for an Anya and chocolate peanut butter Boston cream cake for the rest of us- yuuuum! It’s funny how a day that needs a do over can end up being one of my favorite days this month.

Anya playing her Princess cupcake “game” (which isn’t really a game since everyone just plays together and there’s no way to lose but she likes it and that’s all that matters!)

Mmmmm- Bianca had a few bites of the Red Velvet cake and then shared mama’s peanut butter chocolate one- I can’t say I blame her choice- it was almost as good as the fondue (nothing tops fondue =)!

 

 

 

I Could go…

running
And racing
And dancing
And chasing
And leaping
And bounding
Hair flying
Heart pounding
And splashing
And reeling
And finally feeling…

At least that’s what I think of when I see these pictures of my two little twirlers.

They were pretty funny tonight. We decided to go to the movies. This was definitely a gamble with an 18 month old but we needed to get out of the house and do something…calm. Gosh, am I the only one sick of the cold? Anyway, Anya was glued to the movie but Bianca had a grand old time. She ate popcorn two at a time (keeping mom on the edge of her seat thinking the heimlich maneuver was going to be needed at any moment- popcorn scares me but I give in on occasion because Bianca has an affinity bordering on obsession for the stuff), spun in the aisle in front of mama and dadd, giggled at all the wrong places, and broke out in full “yayaya” elmo song glory in the middle of the tensest parts. Ah, it was splendid- I’m sure the people who walked in at the last minute and thought sitting next to us was a good idea were regretting that decision by the “yayaya-ing”…Oh what can I say- at one point Bianca came over and said hello to the lady next to us…no one can resist a Bianca and even in the middle of mass I hear the people around us waving and smiling at her. She’s like a little flower- always soaking up the rays! You’d never know she missed being a Leo by two days. 

It was a nice winter outing and all told, the girls were good and shared their candies with each other- when Anya shares her sour watermelons, you know that’s sister love <3

Learning- Stitch by Stitch

I’ve been thinking a lot about sewing lately (obviously) and thought I’d post a blog about how I started sewing and what my first projects were.

First, while you tube has definitely changed the game- the easiest way to learn anything is still to be shown in person and thenpractice, practice, practice. I signed up to have a one hour session with a sewing instructor- she turned out to be a sweet little 18 or 19 year old Mennonite (I’m guessing I didn’t ask) girl at a quilting and repair shop near my parent’s house. It was so inexpensive- maybe $20 an hour or less. But, compared to the sewing classes offered by joann’s or hobby lobby, it was a real steal since I was paying less or the same per class for one on one attention and I only ended up using two sessions. Now, you could eliminate this cost by getting a lesson or two from your favorite sewer in your life. But, I’d been saying I was going to do the latter for years and never had. In fact, as my first session approached I considered canceling as it was- I mean really- who has time for a hobby whenyou have an almost 1 and almost 4 year old? But, I went. The first session she showed me how to use my machine. Once you learn to thread it- you can officially sew something. I started with burp cloths. Four straight lines, some ironing, and some top stitching and you’re done (I make these with flannel and chenille fabric- softest burp cloths ever). 

The next session, she taught me how to read a pattern. I made my first finished product with a pattern. It was a little confusing and not perfect but I’ve found that most patterns by mccalls are pretty easy to follow and straightforward. I would like to place a warning here- DO NOT get simplicity. Whatever you do, avoid them like the plague. I have several patterns and they are just confusing, not well written but most of all- not cut well.

It’s been a lot of trial and error and I’m still learning every day but I have also now made two pillowcase dresses and one for Anya’s baby doll, two simple dresses for my girls for easter, and the ruffled Snow White dress I blogged about recently. I’m now working on a ruffle dress for Anya but I started making it in size 5 and it’s way too big so I’m having to redo the bodice (trial and error can sometimes mean a lot of stitch ripping and restitching!). I’ll blog about all those if I ever get around to it.

Happy stitching!

Sew Weird…

One of these days I’ll get around to posting some ramblings about my newest hobby but tonight is not that night. Instead, I’ll just share a totally random occurrence. I recently completed this dress for my little Snow White:

Now, I really should have shortened this dress by quite a bit and chopped a few inches (or feet?) off the sides but other than that I do indeed think it turned out pretty perfect for my search for the perfect princess pattern.

Anyway to make a short story long, I was looking at sewing blogs tonight (have yet to find one I’m really interested in subscribing to but I digress) and I stumbled across this: http://pinkfigdesign.blogspot.com/. Well, what do you know? It’s written by the same person who made my Snow White dress pattern. I really want to ask her what on earth possessed her to put two skirts on that dress- it weighs as much as Bianca does! I’ll probably keep thought thoughts to myself- I’m already considering some fun alterations to make it work for some of the other princesses. If you didn’t know- we’re going to Disney World in two months and I plan to have complete princess wardrobes for my little princesses by then.

A Fun Fishy Fourth Birthday

She may be a little fish lover now but she will always be a princess <3

Anya turned four back on August 5 and we had a fun birthday party to celebrate the day and I even blogged about it…and wordpress proceeded to die and eat my post (so much for the auto save feature!). Instead of throwing my computer out the window (I was seriously tempted) I abandoned my birthday posting for a while…and, finally, I’m ready to throw some pictures up (Well, I suppose I wasn’t since this post is from about 6 months ago and I’m only now getting around to posting it now- see abandoning facebook has multi-purpose- end of time suck and beginning of finally getting around to blogs I’ve been procrastinating=). It was actually a pretty involved event but in my rushing about to make all the food- I didn’t get anywhere near the number of photos I’d wanted (note to self- never make food again!!). But here’s a short recap.

We started off the summer with a princess piggy theme planned…until my little pink princess suddenly decided piggies were out and dolphins were in- blue is the new pink don’t you know? So, I kind of put off planning, put off planning, and decided to have a small fish themed party and ended up with this:

Welcome to fishtopia: the ocean hallway, the happy birthday corridor, and the table of yum…yeah I stayed up all night the night before (and so did J)

Our little fishy is FOUR (I can’t believe it! It’s gone by too fast!)!

Fun with friends and cousins.

We had a great turn out and a lot of fun with all our friends and family. After all this birthday fantasticness I’m still tired even thinking about it and it’s been 6 months!! Good thing I’ve got another six to think about it. I’m leaning toward a trip to the aquarium but my little fishy is already planning her fifth birthday- she’s talking mermaids- I’d better get working on that…