Bella's 1st swim

Here are a few pics from the hotel's kids pool. Bella really liked it. Since it was in the sun all day and is shallow, it was very warm- much like bath water. I guess I shouldn't be surprised she liked it. Afterall, she was born into a tub of water!

Dressed and ready to go! Her suit is a bit big but it did the job!

The Accident plus more

I know you've been waiting with bated breath for this post right?

We had just left DHS to head back to the hotel for the day. Dh was unloading the stroller and I believe Ian was still sitting in it. I had Bella and was about to put her in her carseat (I was still holding her but had already opened the door) and Logan was standing next to me. All of a sudden I heard a bump and the truck moved. I thought it went into gear somehow or dh threw the stroller in or something. Someone hitting us never occurred to me.

I looked back at dh to ask him what he was doing and he was walking around the truck towards the car and told me we had gotten hit. I was still confused- I never even noticed the car backing into the space in front of us. (FTR, all spaces run one way and he was obviously going the wrong way if he was able to back into a space. I'm not sure how he even got past a CM to do it.) So dh is yelling at the guy and the guy hits us again!! Now dh is flipping out and I think he may just clock the guy. LOL Dh is yelling about me(not at me) standing there with the baby. The guy gets out and is apologizing up and down to us. He said his foot slipped off the brake the first time and then everyone in his car was yelling at him so he got nervous and did it again. No damage was done to my truck thankfully and it looked like he may have had a minor scratch on his car. He and dh shook hands and he continued to apologize. Even his passenger got out and was apologizing to us. Talk about an adrenaline rush (although not a good one).

Of course, Logan being the little know-it-all was scolding dh for yelling at the guy. Haha!! He kept saying it wasn't very nice and you shouldn't yell at people. He didn't understand why dh was yelling but at least he gets that it wasn't nice.

After that, we were hot and hungry. We were driving back to the hotel and decided to stop at a shopping plaza nearby. I ran into this grocery store called Goody's. Do not shop there if you are a bargain shopper or on any kind of budget. Good heavens! You know they sell to the tourists! Some things seemed to be normally priced. Then there were things like a package of Oreos for $6.09 that made me go bug eyed! How about a 12pack of SS Nabisco cookies for over $8. Holy cow! I did not buy those! Dinner ended up consisting of subs from Quiznos for us (their $5 sub specials) and McD's for the kids plus some normal priced chips from the store (at least Frito Lay had those price fixed).

Next up....swimming! Bella's first actual swimming pool experience included!

Punctuation and Capitalization Vent

I know it's the internet and we like our 'net shorthand. I don't have a problem with abbreviations or emoticons whatsoever. I use them all the time. I do however hate when I'm trying to read a message on a board and the writer uses no capital letters and few punctuation marks! Not to mention, there are no breaks in the paragraph so it all sort of runs together. If you want to get your message across, please use some of what you learned in school. Capital letters are your friend!

I don't want to even get into spelling or the correct use of words right now. Ugh. Loose and Lose are not the same thing! You do not loose something, you lose it. You do not sale something, you sell it. Oh wait, I guess I did get into it a bit. Sorry.

Toy Story Mania (what are we on- part 4?)

TSM is the newest ride at WDW. It is based on the old carnival games where you shoot targets or throw a ring. To get on this ride you HAVE to get a FastPass or you will be forced to wait upwards of 40min or more(early morning). I've seen the line at 90min and more!

We got the DHS just after 9am and went straight there to grab a FP. There were lines to even get a FP but thankfully those are quick lines. When we came back at our FP time, dh and Ian went on first (Bella can't go on it and there are only 2 seats) and we grabbed a Baby Swap pass from the Castmember at the front. This would get Logan and I on without having an official FP or having to wait in the stand by line when dh and Ian got off. We went to find some shade so I could nurse Bella and wait. When it was our turn, Logan and I went in. Wow! It's so cool in there. My only complaint is that the FP line doesn't get to see all the decor the people in standby do. When you are in line, you are one of the toys in Andy's room. Everything is giant size- there are giant crayons, dominos, cards and more. There's also a talking Mr Potato Head that entertains you in line. You can find videos on You Tube of the ride and MPH.

When you get thru the line, you get your 3D glasses and get in your ride vehicle and off you go. It spins you from wall to wall where you play the carnival games. There are also a few 3D/4D effects. You have to pull on a string on your shooter and man, your arm gets tired after a while!! It is soooo much fun though!! I can't wait to get to go on it again!

I forgot to bring my camera inside but here are some outside shots. You'll notice one of them at the top of my blog.

That's P.M. folks- and that was at around 12:45/1pm in the afternoon!

Since we're talking Star Wars

You have to check out this hilarious video. We didn't get to see this while we were there but I would have loved to!

The Main Event (part 3)

Star Wars Weekend(s) is why we went to DHS in the first place. My boys love SW. They can both name characters I don't know. Logan even corrected dh on the correct name of one of them yesterday (dh said Sand People which is correct but I guess technically they are Tusken Raiders).

At SWW there are actors you can get autographs for if you get in line early enough like Warwick Davis who played Wicket (also Willow in the movie Willow and also in Harry Potter). We saw them in the parade but didn't care about autographs so we walked around the park looking for other characters. I'm not a big SW junkie but it was neat to see all the characters walking around. The boys were taking it all in. Ian wasn't so gungho about going up to them though like Logan was. He's fine with giant ducks and mice, but forget StormTroopers and Jawas. ;)

At one point we saw Chewbacca. We pointed him out to Logan and got a few pics with other people in them knowing we wouldn't get thru the line. Next thing I know, Logan is gone! He apparently line jumped just to stand next to one of his fave SW characters! Chewwy didn't even know he was there. LOL We did get a few pics though before scolding him about walking away from us and line jumping. Poor Logan. I know he was just super excited.

I can see us doing this again next year (heck I'd go again this month). It was fun!
Can you imagine how HOT these costumes are??

Chewbacca

Jawa

And a few parade pics. What's neat is that you can sign your kids up to be in the parade as Jedi Trainees.

Tusken Raider aka Sand People (if you look in the crowd you'll see someone dressed in Jedi garb- there are regular people who dress for this event)



Warwick Davis



Boba Fett (I had to ask Logan LOL)

If you don't want to cry

then do not read THIS blog but I really hope you will. It's a beautiful blog although the story is heartwrenching. If you decide to open it, please have tissues handy.

Wanna win?

A really cute necklace? Go check out this blog and her new Etsy page!

OMG Is it me?

Or are THESE horrendous? Do we really need our infants to look like little women now? As if the older kids' clothing lines aren't bad enough what with Juicy on the butt or showing all their goods? Now we need high heels for infants??? Come on! I think they are ugly to boot and would just look stupid on an infant.

ETA: I get playing dress up when you're a kid and want to be a little princess but these are not meant for walking- just for show.

Breakfast and a few characters (weekend part 2)

Did I mention how horrible the beds at the hotel were? After reading comments about the Nick Hotel (also a Holiday Inn) I don't think we'll be staying there...ever. The next hotel I pick will have "pillow top mattress" in the description of the rooms. Thank goodness for my bed last night!

So anyway... Saturday morning we got up bright and early to head to Disney's Hollywood Studios. We had reservations at Hollywood & Vine at 10:05am for breakfast so we fed the kids a light snack beforehand. We got to the park shortly after opening (like 9:05am) and after watching the StormTroopers a few minutes we went straight over to Toy Story Mania to grab a Fast Pass.




Fastpasses were already set for 11:45-12:45! I think the stand by wait was 70min at that time already. Wow. After that we wandered around a bit until it was time for our breakfast. I was wearing Bella that day and the CM (castmembers) were kind enough to let us bring in our double stroller so I wouldn't have to eat over her head.






She loved looking around and was staring at the characters. She didn't know what to make of them!

We also met up with Stitch!
I'm not sure what Ian's doing but it's not what it looks like! LOL

And we're back...Part 1

I think I'll give you a little bit each day this week so I have plenty of blogs to write and I can keep you all in such suspense as to how our trip went. I know it was only a 2 day trip but I have a lot to say! ;)

Friday night we checked into the Holiday Inn SunSpree. It was an okay hotel. It had some nice features but a Disney hotel it was not. Dh commented on how dirty it was (I never noticed) and how there were people smoking everywhere (did notice that). It had a kid's movie theatre, arcade, kid's pool and regular pool, and "basketball court" (maybe a quarter size one- out in the parking lot). It also had a kid's check in desk where they could get goodie bags although all I saw were some coloring pages and single crayons. The rooms were called "Kid Suites". They were a slightly larger than average hotel room with half of the room partitioned off into the Kid's Suite. Our KS had bunkbeds, a toddler bed, and a TV and desk/dresser area with 2 kid size chairs. #1 problem- it was dark in there but we could live with that. #2 and major issue- the bunk bed ladder was loose as was the top protective railing! We had Logan sleep in the bottom bunk and Ian in the toddler bed. We brought Bella's pack n play so she had her own familiar bed. There was also a small kitchenette in the room. We had a king size bed that was no lie- ROCK HARD. We would have slept better on the floor. Both dh and I are complaining about back pain from sleeping there. We did nothing but toss and turn. Horrible. Dh says never again will we go stay somewhere that's not Disney. I say we'll just find a better hotel or a condo. Here are some pics of the room...

There were 2 chairs and a small table as well as the tv stand/dresser across from the bed.


The TV and desk are off to the right


Kitchenette. The safe was under the counter.


Decent size bathroom- the whole right side was mirrors. The sink is behind that wall.


Bella hanging out on the king size (and royally hard!) bed.


Part 2 tomorrow...

Blogging from Orlando

Just popping in to blog a bit about our day. Wouldn't want Melodie to win our contest. ;) We went to Disney's Hollywood Studios this morning. We didn't get there exactly at opening despite being ready but we made it there shortly after (drove the wrong way out of the hotel). The StormTroopers were very cool up on top of the turnstile area. They were all over the park today too. We got to see Chewbacca (Logan line jumped- oops!), Jawas and more. I'll post pics when we get back. Man it was HOT out! We also got to ride the new Toy Story Mania. Awesome!!!!! So much fun!!!

We walked back out to our car and as I went to put Bella in her seat the guy parking in front of us (going the wrong way!) backed into my car, not once, but TWICE!! I thought dh was going to flip out on the guy. He apologized up and down and no damage was done thankfully. I'll blog more about it later though. We're off to go swimming!

Busy little bee...

That's me! Well obviously not at the moment but I need to get a blog in before we leave. I've been non-stop since this morning packing and double checking that we have everything for our mini vacation. I've got nearly everything into one big suitcase so that's good! I packed up our pack n play and the stroller is in the car. I've got batteries for the Squeeze Breeze fans and stroller fans, rain cover for the stroller and ponchos for us (a must for those FL thunderstorms!), cameras and diapers....I hope it's everything! Now I just have to do a few chores like dishes (blah!) before I'm done. Think I can fit a nap in somewhere??

Shower time

And this is how you take a shower in the summer...and get the car washed! :-p

Over or under packer?

Which are you?

I tend to be an overpacker. I want to make sure I have everything I need just in case.

You know, Bella is a breastfed baby thus we have a lot of blowouts so I need 5 extra sets of clothes and 20 diapers. We may forget to change Ian and we need an extra pair of shorts. I can't decide what to wear so I bring an extra outfit. Or maybe we'll come back to the hotel hot and sweaty and want to go out later, so of course I need another outfit. ;) I think it may drive dh a bit nuts but I just can't help myself. It's the way I'm wired.

I know some people who are minimalists. They bring just what they need and that's that. I don't want to have to do more work on my vacation like laundry so doing a bit more leg work beforehand just works!

How do you pack?

**Free Lotion!!

Don't forget to leave me comments on my Cancer Anyone? post! Manufacturers need our help- let them know how you feel about their products!

**Free lotion is to local people only. Sorry!

Is it time to go??

We're taking the boys to Star Wars Weekend at Disney's Hollywood Studios (formerly MGM) on Saturday. We're going to go up Friday night so we can be there at opening and see the StormTroopers' skit they do. I am just as excited as the boys. I should have kept my mouth shut though. All I've heard the past 2 days is "Is it time to go? I want to see Darth Vader, I want to see the Ewoks". Oh and this is all coming from the little one, Ian. He's so excited to go. He and Logan love Star Wars. Logan plays the Star Wars Lego game on the PS3 all the time. They have SW legos too. And you can't forget the movies. They've seen them all. I think their eyes are going to light up when they see all the characters this weeked!

Ack!

Someone egged dh's car last night! He didn't notice until this afternoon. Thankfully it's fine. Freakin' kids!

Thank you!

I just want to say thank you to all my friends both IRL and online for the support. Yesterday was so hard. At one point, dh started crying again which made me cry again. Logan asked me why I was crying (he doesn't understand she isn't coming back no matter how I try to explain it) and then said "Please don't cry momma." and gave me a hug. Awww. He's such a sweet boy.

We ended up taking the baby gate down that was keeping the dogs in the kitchen area and let Trouble roam. I think she's so used to staying in there though that she's a bit weird about coming out. It's like she thinks she'll be in trouble. She'll come when we call her but then return after a few minutes. I'm sure she'll get used to it eventually. For my friends who come over, I'll put the gate back up when you/your kids are here.

Rainbow Bridge

My dear pup has gone onto the Rainbow Bridge. I'll see her again one day. I know she's in a better place and she's happier. I wish I could have been there when she left this world but she'll always be in my heart. I hope she knew she was loved and didn't think we abandoned her there. I miss her so much already. It's just not the same without her here.

Upbeat post

Since my last 2 posts have been downright depressing, I thought I'd post a more upbeat one. I lost another pound this week! (WI was Friday actually). I've been working out on my Wii Fit 2-3x a week for about 30min.

20lbs to go until my pre-pg weight.

And for some laughs... Jeff Dunham and Peanut (warning- foul language)

More dog drama

Dh decided to shave Bandit this morning. It's just easier to clean her up if she has an accident (which she did at 5:30am). So he brought her back in after shaving her and called me over. She has what looks and feels like a HUGE cyst/lump/tumor on the inside hip area of the leg that's working the worst. She also has a sore on her side which may be from her chewing on herself or worse. I'd love if it was treatable but at this point she's so old and I think the damage is so far gone, I don't think it will be. I'm not sure where we'd find the money to treat her either unless we borrowed it. Ugh.

Sad Day

Dh and I have come to the conclusion that we will more than likely be putting one of our dogs down. Our poor baby has been having some hip problems and in the past few days it's gotten bad, today being the worst. She can't stand up at all, she's whining because she needs to go out and can't. She's soiling herself. It's heartbreaking to see her like that. She's the sweetest dog ever and I don't want her to live like that. She's still eating and drinking but what kind of life is it when you can't move. I can't physically pick her up, she's just too heavy. She really doesn't even wag her tail very much anymore. So please pray for us because this is one of the hardest things to do. Unless the vet has a shred of hope, I think this is the last weekend we'll have her. We'll miss her greatly. I've had her since she was born. Her sister will miss her too. They are lifelong friends. I know she'll be in a better place though.

Right now we have her outside in the shade. Dh has to rinse her off out there since she keeps having accidents. There is a beautiful yellow/black butterfly that landed on her and has stuck around- until we brought her back in and it left. When we put her out the second time, it came back. I think it's God's way of letting us know she'll be okay- whatever we do. Dh took pics of it. I'll upload them later.

The butterfly-

Tracking numbers

A post on the NBBC reminded me of this. Someone was talking about how they love tracking numbers. I could have written her post. I heart tracking numbers. I love tracking my packages across the country and on the day it's supposed to be here, being anxious to get it so I can open and explore whatever I've bought. I know my package from Amazon (a gift for dh for Father's Day) will be here on Monday. I checked on it yesterday but I also checked it this morning for kicks. I want to know where it is right NOW (it's in Jacksonville and will probably say in transit to Tampa by tonight). UPS rocks for tracking.

Now, if you're sending something by USPS, don't even bother with a T.N. They are so worthless. It could have been shipped days ago and their computer won't be updated. The package could be here before they update it. Ugh.

I will give them props for one package(although tracking still sucked). It was sent from CA on Monday morning priority mail and I had it in hand by Wed. That's the quickest I've ever seen them move!

Redneck Carnival Ride

Argh

I finally got Bella's birth certificates in the mail and her name is spelled wrong!! Dh was in charge of looking over the BC paperwork and he swears it was right which means the state screwed up and I'll be out $40 + postage after it's all said and done. Plus the time to fill out the amendment form and then I have to go to the SS office so I can get her SS card fixed too. What a pain!

Yum!

It took a little fiddling around (it called for 1 cup of flour initially but I had to add more) but these came out yummy!

Banana Chocolate Chip Pancakes

1- 1/2 cups whole wheat flour
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
1- 1/2 tsp baking powder
2 TBSP applesauce
1 TBSP sugar
1/4 tsp salt
1 cup milk, fat free
2 bananas, very ripe and mashed (I used ones from my freezer- defrosted)
1/2 cup chocolate chips, mini

Mix dry ingredients and add wet ingredients. Mix until just blended. If it's too thin, add a bit more flour. Use approx 1/4 cup for each pancake (I actually used an ice cream scoop). Makes 12 pancakes (2 per person).

Dry Drowning

I think this deserves a post today. What a tragic story. I'd never even heard of this before today and it scares the hell out of me but at least I know what to look for.

And another new fave...

Seriously? This blog cracks me up! I need to add both of these to my blog roll.
http://fillmysubscription.blogspot.com/

Random Blog Musings (meme if you will)

Took this from another blog...

maybe i should...do some housework
I love the smell of...coconut suntan lotion/shampoo/body wash
People would say I am...quiet, nice
I don't understand why...my kids have to talk to me the minute I'm on the phone.
When I wake up in the morning...I love to hear Good Morning mama.
I lost my willpower to try and change...the time I'm on the internet
Life is...beautiful! I feel blessed.
My Past...made me a smarter more confident person.
I get annoyed when...I get a stupid song stuck in my head! (ie: the Wonder Pets are on right now, guess what I have in my head)
Parties are...a great way to get some ME time and not worry about mom duty. OTOH, kid parties are just another stress.
Dogs...are great for scaring off salesman.
Cats...are nice to have curled up in your lap.
Tomorrow is...another beautiful day.
I have a low tolerance for...stupidity. (motorcyclists without helmets and school speed zone speeders come to mind)
I'm totally terrified of...something horrible happening to my family.
I wonder why...cats gravitate to people who hate them.
Never in my life have I...actively done drugs. (I've been in a room with them though)
High School was...fun but I wish I could do it over.
When I'm nervous I...stutter over what I'm trying to say.
One time at a family gathering...I don't have an answer for this one...
Take my advice...enjoy your little ones while they are little. They grow up so fast!
Making my bed happens...never
I'm almost always...checking my email or message board posts.
I'm addicted to...Starbucks Chai Frap Light (I've learned how to make my own cheaper though), Coach bags, the internet, tv
I want someone to...sell my husband a WINNING (as in jackpot) lotto ticket.

My new Fave blog

http://www.itsababynotbrainsurgery.blogspot.com/

Love it!!

ETA: There are a few posts I don't agree with and that's okay. Read the comments and you'll see I'm not the only one. It is a nurses' POV though. I think I'll stick to my birth assistants and midwives.

Cancer anyone?

No I didn't think so. I'm doing a Bzz for Aveeno Daily Moisturizing Lotion with SPF 15 that fights both UVA and UVB rays. Did you know many sunscreens only fight one of those?

Living in FL, you know how harsh the sun can be. Have you ever been to the beach and seen what looks like a super dark-tanned wrinkled old man running? Did you know he's only 30? Okay, just kidding, but the sun really does damage your skin even when it's cloudy out and will make you look older. Most of us don't even think about it every day. I know I don't which is why I love this Aveeno lotion with SPF. Since I tend to put lotion on after a shower anyway in the morning, this makes it easier in a one step process. It's fragrance free and hypoallergenic making it good for even sensitive skin.

Just a few facts:

• AVEENO® Daily Moisturizing Lotion with SPF 15 contains the brand's Active Photobarrier Complex technology, which was specifically engineered to deliver very high and very broad UVA and UVB protection.
• The Active Photobarrier Complex has also been clinically proven to be photostable, which means it doesn't lose its protective power in sunlight, like some sunscreens can.
• The lotion is formulated to feel more like a moisturizer and less like a heavy sunscreen, so it absorbs quickly and completely.
• The bottles are recyclable!
• Daily Moisturizing Lotion with SPF 15 retails for about $6.99 for an 8oz. tube and $9.49 for a 12oz. bottle.

So if you made it this far, thank you! Please leave some comments so I can report back to Bzz on your thoughts. AND for my dear friends who live near me, the first 5 to leave me their thoughts on the subject and the lotion (will you buy it? why/why not? etc) can get a free sample bottle and coupon!!

Oops!...and my day

I nearly forgot to blog today. Oops! Sorry Melodie, I'm not out yet. ;)

Today was pretty much a do nothing day. It was the first day of summer vacation but I still had to haul my butt out of bed to get to a book club meeting with my friends. We read Escape by Carolyn Jessop which was about her growing up and getting out of a polygamist life. Very good read!! Our next book will be Swine Not by Jimmy Buffett. Probably not something I'd ever pick up and read on my own. That's why I'm in the club! I also borrowed this book from Amy to read while I wait for our bc book.

After that I stopped by the bank and was supposed to go to Costco only to realize I forgot my check book at home. So we headed home for lunch and vegged the rest of the day. Dh had to work late on a computer so I never did make it to Costco. Maybe I'll drag the kids with me tomorrow. Or...maybe not. We'll see!

Tonight I've been searching for a hotel to stay at for next weekend. We want to have a mini-vacation since business is slow and we don't have all the extra play money we had last year. I have a few options so now I just need to choose one. It's hard! Pisces(my sign) don't make decisions easily. You should see me with an extensive menu. LOL I could be there for 30min deciding and that's with me forcing myself to make a decision!

Super Cute Stuff!

Go check out THIS blog! I only wish I could be that creative!

A Hot, Whiny Day at the Park

Dh thought we should head over to Lettuce Lake Park this weekend. So we decided to go yesterday after lunch. Man it was hot- at least in the sun. The shaded areas were much better.

Anyway, we went out on the boardwalk to see some nature. Now, apparently when we said we were going to the park, the boys had a different idea of the "park". They wanted a sliding, swinging, climbing, run all day kind of park. Everytime I'd stop to take a picture I'd hear "Come on guys" from Logan. We made it up to the tower overlooking the "lake" which at this point in the season is ridiculously low. The boys and dh went up and almost immediately back down. Ugh...we thought they'd enjoy this. What were we thinking? While I was standing at the bottom of the tower with Bella, I overheard people talking about seeing a gator so I started searching the water for it. Lo and behold, there were 3! Two were clearly babies and the third was a bit bigger. I've been to this park many times but never at such a low water level and never have I seen a gator. So that was really neat! Logan watched for a bit and then starting whining he was hot and he was thirsty and he needed a rest and can we go home now??? (This coming from the child who can walk all day at Disney in the heat) So much for our relaxing day at the park! At least I got all these cool pics to share.

Mama Duck and her babies


Snail shells


I wish I had noticed the reflection when I was taking the pic. I would have gotten the whole thing.


I think this is a Spoonbill


Pretty swamp flower


What the hell you lookin at!? (Vultures)


The squirrels were too cute. They'd get so close looking for food.



Gator #2


Gator #1 (I got tons of pics of him above and under the water)


A bit bigger- Gator #3

Aloha

Game for you!

Okay fellow bloggers....

SCATTERGORIES. . .It's harder than it looks! Copy and paste into a new blog. When you are done, post a comment on my page.
Use the 1st letter of your name to answer each of the following... they have to be real places, names, things...nothing made up! Try to use different answers if the person in front of you had the same 1st initial. You CAN'T use your name for the boy/girl name question. -->-->-->
-->-->
-->-->
What is your name? ..........................................Karlise
4 Letter Word.....................................................Kite
Vehicle..................................................................Kia
City.......................................................................Kansas City
Boy Name............................................................Kurt
Girl Name............................................................Karen
Alcoholic Drink....................................................Kamikaze
Occupation...........................................................King
Something you wear...........................................Knickers
Celebrity...............................................................K-Fed
Food......................................................................Ketchup
Something found in a bathroom.......................Kotex
Reason for Being Late........................................Killer headache
Cartoon Character..............................................Kim Possible
Something You Shout........................................Knock it off
Animal.................................................................Koala
Body part............................................................Knee
Word to describe you........................................Kind

It's your turn....Julie, Jen, Holly, Scarlett, Melodie, Karen, Andrea, Heather, Kelly, Lindsay, Mandie, Keela, Kandee, Stacy and Amy

Babywearing contest!

Only one day left, so sign up quick! http://www.heavenlyhold.com/pages/contest.htm
I'm starting to think about wraps although I really don't have the funds to buy one so I'll enter any and all contests to win one!