The Magic of Disney

It has been ages since I have blogged. Not sure why I have neglected it. It sure isn't because nothing is going on around here. Au Contraire!!!! So, thanks to a little nudging by a friend, I am back. Some of you may be glad. Others may be saying, "Does she think we really care?" LOL If you fall into category two, then I say you must or you wouldn't be reading this right now!

Since my last writing, we took our first family trip (along with our good friends Evan and Cindy) to the wonderful land of Mickey! I was a little hesitant at taking a 3 year old and a 4 year old, but soon realized that they are the target audience for Disney!

Depending upon which child you ask, it was either the most wonderful trip ever (Evan) or the worst trip ever (Ian). It is funny how I have one glass half-full child and one glass half-empty.

Anyway, Evan was so awed by everything he saw. He loved the rides and the shows. The bigger the ride, the better for Evan. He is a little dare devil. He cried when we didn't get a chance to get back to ride Splash Mountain, but I think Big Thunder Railroad made up for it a little. If he had been big enough, he would have ridden Expedition Everest at Animal Kingdom! I think his absolute fave was the Test Track at Epcot. He giggled and squealed the whole time!!!

It really hit home with me and Kenneth the moment at Epcot when we first saw Daisy Duck. His face lit up and you could see that he had fallen in love for the first time (with many more to follow during the next few days). He wrapped his arms around her and hugged her and stood very proudly as we took her picture with him and got her autograph. This same scene unfolded many times during the trip with just a substitution of a different female Disney character. Evan was quiet the 'ladies man' with all the princesses and female characters. At the "A Dream Come True" Parade at Magic Kingdom, every princess blew Evan a kiss. Of course it didn't hurt his cute factor in the fact that he had insisted on wearing his Mickey T-shirt (it has Mickey's body, but Evan's head is the head for the body) and his Mickey Ears. One of the dancers in the parade came over and gave him her streamers and gave him a kiss on the check before she moved along the route. He was so excited. It was one of the cutest moments in his short 3 years. Then, that night at the "Spectromagic" Parade, he was thrilled when Cinderella blew him a kiss from her carriage on her float and then winked it him. As if that wasn't enough for our little Casanova, at the end of the parade Minnie Mouse noticed him standing (still in Mickey Ears, but now with the addition of giant Mickey Hands) there waving at her. She motioned to him that she loved his ears and also blew him a kiss. To him, he was the only one at that parade and every character was waving and communicating only with him. (Isn't Disney great at creating that feeling with everyone!) All Evan could talk about (and still talks about) from the trip is how Cinderella blew him kiss and winked at him and how Minnie loved his ears!

Ian was the opposite. He cried when we mentioned riding Splash Mountain. We made him ride Big Thunder (which he liked while riding but wouldn't admit to after the ride ended). He also says he hated the shows (I'll have to tell you about his experience at "It's Tough to be a Bug" with the black widows. Thanks, Cindy!!! LOL) and all the other rides EXCEPT the Buzz Lightyear Spin and the Peter Pan Ride. He is so funny. He didn't even like the characters at first. When we stood in line to meet Buzz and Woody (2 of his absolute favorites) he refused get close to them! It was crazy! He did warm up better after we met Rafiki and Jiminy Cricket. He finally decided he liked the characters when we saw Daisy at Epcot. His flirt factor came out when we ran into Mary Poppins and Alice in Wonderland. He hugged on them and was blushing so much as I made his picture. It was precious. When you ask him about the trip now, he still insists (publicly) that it was horrible and the worst experience of his life. (But privately, he asked when we are going back!)

All in all, it was the most wonderful trip we have taken as a family. I teared up as I looked back down Main Street at the castle after the fireworks as we were leaving on our last night there. I whispered to Kenneth as we fought the crowd toward the gate that I didn't want to leave. I personally can't wait to go back. I know now why people go back year after year. I know that each visit will be a new adventure as the boys grow older. I can't wait to experience through their eyes the wonder of it all again and again.

Thanks for sharing your dream with us, Walt!

Getting Started

Well, here goes nothing. I have been reading blogs for a while and think maybe it is time that I joined the blogger world. My life is like a circus sometimes with my 2 boys (3 actually--one just happens to be the one I am married to). I love being a mom and wife. I love my life as well. I hope that the events of my life may put a smile on some faces or at least a nod of knowing sympathy from those other moms of boys out there.

My boys are ages 4 and 3. We waited later in life to have our boys. More accurately, God waited until we were older to give us our boys. They are 14 months apart, so at times it is like having twins around here. I had 4 years of diapers (3 with 2 in diapers), I had two on bottles, two in cribs, two with pacifiers. You get the picture. It has been quite a tiring 4 years for me, but it is getting easier month by month. I shouldn't complain. At least my boys were sleepers and slept through the night most of the time. Usually the only time they would wake at night as babies was when they were sick. So, I count myself blessed.

My 4 year old is Ian. He is so much like me it isn't funny. (Or at least that is what my mom tells me) He is very interested in learning all he can about everything. He soaks up everything he hears like a sponge, especially about science and math. Here is an example of an exchange he and I had yesterday:

Ian: Mom, can you get me an inclined plane? I want to push my cars up on my bed.
Me: Sure, Ian. What is an inclined plane? (asking to see if he knows what he is talking about)
Ian: (looking at me as if I had just asked the dumbest question in the world) Mom, it is a simple machine. You know, like a board or a ramp.

Life with Ian is going to be very interesting as he gets older and learns more.

Now, Evan! What a child! Kenneth says that Evan is a lot like he was. The dear Lord must have given me Evan to teach me patience. I have recently learned to stop praying for patience. Instead, I pray for perseverance. That is what it is going to take to survive Evan. Let me describe him for you. He is very strong willed. He is the one who makes his big brother cry. He has a vein on the side of his neck that pops out when he is angry (he got that from his Papa Jerry who has one on his forehead). He likes to make himself heard and likes to have things his way. An example of Evan:

Me: Evan, stop writing on the wall!!! Give me that pen, NOW!!!
Evan: NO!!!!! (takes off running to the other room)
Me: You better stop right there, young man!!!
Evan: You are fired, Mom!

Now, for the gentle side, Evan is my precious angel. He is very sweet, when he wants to be. And is the first to say the kindest things to me. He gives the sweetest hugs and kisses and is such a blessing. He likes to play alone and is so much fun to sit and listen to when he doesn't know you are listening.

Life with Evan is always an adventure!

My 3rd boy is my husband Kenneth. He is the most amazing man I know. I am so blessed to share my life with him. We have been married almost 19 years. Although we have had the normal ups and downs of a marriage, our relationship is stronger than it has ever been. We actually like each other which is something that a lot of folks who have been married as long as we have can't say! He is an amazing father and I am so thankful that God put him in my life!