Happiness Archives - Page 39 of 70

Amanda Poppins

August 6, 2011/0 Comments/in Happiness, Lucy, Photos, Tate /by Megan

Summer is almost officially over here at Crazybananas Headquarters. The first of the summer-ending activities was yesterday, when we had to say goodbye to our summer nanny, Amanda. Otherwise known as, “The Person Who Made My Life More Lovely Than Anyone Else Ever (Minus My Kids and Husband…I Guess).” Amanda joined our crazy little family in May, as she was home in Kansas City for the summer after her sophomore year in college. Everyone warned me that having a nanny was a bad idea. It seemed like every mom I talked to had a nanny horror story. But we felt it was the best option, to keep Tate away from daycare longer and letting him get a bit older before we threw him back in the germ filled daycare pit, and for Lucy to finally have a real summer of her own. One where she could sleep late and stay up to catch fireflies and go to the pool every day and do everything else she’s never been able to since she’s pretty much always been in daycare.

And oh god, it was worth it.

Not only did Amanda take wonderful care of the children, doing activities with them, taking them places, but she also was a godsend for me. She emptied the dishwasher…did you hear that? SOMEONE ELSE BESIDES ME EMPTIED MY DISHWASHER! I know! And she did the kids laundry, kept the house picked up, sprinkled magic fairy dust everywhere and had a flying umbrella. Okay, maybe I’m exaggerating. But actually, I’m not. She was incredible.

Today she sent me a sweet email along with a bunch of photos she had taken on her iPhone throughout the summer. And I love them. I love that when I was unable to be there, my kids were having fun, loving life. I love how happy they look. I love that she thought to take photos and I love that she sent them to me.

Damn, I miss Amanda already. Someone come wash my dishes. Wah.

Get the flash player here: http://www.adobe.com/flashplayer

Stardust

August 4, 2011/0 Comments/in Happiness, Lucy, Nerd Herd, Space Camp /by Megan

It was late, hours after we put her to bed. I snuck into her room and shook her quietly. “Get up.” She rubbed her eyes and looked fairly confused, but smiled and put her arms up to be lifted out of her blankets. I took her out on the deck, where we had set up the telescope to gaze at the stars above. She pointed at planets and satellites and constellations. We oooh’d and ahhh’d at how many of those bright balls of gas you could actually see, away from the city lights, by the quiet of the lake. Then she said to me, “I’m ready to go back to bed now.” And off she went, hopefully with a memory she’ll dream about when she’d old enough to remember her crazy nerd mother, who woke her up in the middle of the night to stare at the sky.

*Photos of the stars at Council Grove Lake, in Council Grove, Kansas. I was amazed when I saw the color in them…it’s incredible what the naked eye can’t see.*

Disney World Part 3 – Dinner at the Castle

June 27, 2011/0 Comments/in Family, Fun, Happiness, Lucy, Photos /by Megan

{You can read the earlier parts of the Disney World story here and here}

After a VERY long day in the 95+ degree heat, we would have been thrilled to head home from this sugary sweet fantasyland, but since it was Lucy’s birthday, we had scheduled dinner at Cinderella’s Castle. Now, this sort of thing really didn’t exist when I was a kid visiting the most magical place on Earth, but apparently “Character Dining” is all the rage amongst the Disney World set. And honestly, it’s the way to go if your kid wants to meet any of the characters he or she thinks could be found at Disney. Unless you schedule a meal at one of the places that hosts these specialized dining experiences, you’ll find yourself waiting in line for hours to get a glimpse of Ariel or Rapunzel or the dad from the Incredibles. Since I was warned about these lines ahead of time, and as it was a special day for Lulu, we decided to attempt to schedule a meal at the best character dining location on site: Cinderella’s Royal Table. But it seems that more people plan ahead for this stuff, because when we called (one month ahead of time) the only opening was for dinner at 9:30 at night. Of course this wasn’t ideal, as it’s an hour and a half past our kids bedtimes, but we went ahead and booked it, thinking it was probably the best we were going to get. Plus, we rationalized that it was really only 8:30 central time, and that’s not too late…right?!

During one of our many breaks for air conditioning during the day, we found ourselves in the Royal Dress Shop, where Lucy searched for her birthday gift from Trent and I, a new dress to wear to her special dinner. Of course, the one dress she wanted (Rapunzel) wasn’t available in her size, so after MUCH prodding and deliberating, she decided on Sleeping Beauty. She was Princess Aurora for Halloween last year, but this dress was way fancier and much more comfortable than the Target version she wore in October. With a sprinkle of Pixie Dust from one of the dress shop employees and some accessorizing, she was ready for her big night.

We had invited Lu’s cousin Greta to come with us at the last minute and Lucy was so worried that she didn’t have anything to wear. So my mother-in-law, being the saint she is, took Greta and Lu back to the dress shop as the sun went down and let her pick out a new outfit as well. She decided on Princess Jasmine, and looked totally adorable in her getup. I was worried she’d find the whole thing too babyish, but she seemed to really enjoy getting all fancy. My mother-in-law got them both ready and said the minute Lucy put on her dress, she automatically started acting the part, walking daintily and using big gestures when she was speaking. She also got very independent, repeatedly refusing to hold hands with anyone or be led around. It was pretty hilarious.

Just like the parade that morning, where we were in the right place at the right time, we ended up in the perfect spot for the evenings activities. The castle was roped off for the upcoming fireworks display, but as we had a reservation to eat, we were allowed in. And again, while the rest of the park patrons had to watch the evening Electric Parade smashed up against each other, we watched comfortably from the castle balcony. We are so VIP.

The castle is lit up in different colors all night long, so the girls had a blast watching the lights and guessing which would come next. The whole thing was totally surreal.

After the parade, we went inside the castle for our reservation. Right when you walk in, you get in line to meet and get a picture taken with Cinderella. Lucy and Greta both seemed a little nervous, but waited patiently for their turn. By this point it was already around 9:45 or 10:00, as they were running behind at ye olde castle, but our tired girls were awesome despite the time. Lucy went first since it was her birthday, and she looked so sweet and little next to a “real life” princess. The best part about the people that play the Disney personalities, is they totally stay in character the entire time. Cinderella was graceful and kind, and as the girls walked off after their picture, she called after them “Be sure to help each other with the chores!” The girls got such a kick out of that, and Lucy has told everyone that story since the trip.

After the photo, we were sent to some benches to wait for our name to be called for dinner with a few other exhausted looking families. By this point it was at least 10:15 and we had been at the park since 9 a.m. so we were having trouble staying awake. Not to mention we were STARVING. We were just sitting there when all of a sudden, Cinderella swept past us, leaned down to the girls and said “Would you like to follow me, please?” The girls hopped up and followed her out the door while all the parents looked at each other like, “Do you know what is going on?” One by one, we followed them out the door, where we found Cinderella on the ground outside the castle, surrounded by the girls, watching the nightly fireworks display. And yes, I started to tear up. Sue me, it was adorable. And I was very tired.

As you can see from the photo, Lucy still has a bit of an issue with loud noises, so the fireworks were a bit much for her. But she sat there almost the whole time with her little clan of princesses, ooohing and aaahing over the lit up sky. Cinderella stayed in perfect character, pointing at each explosion and putting her hands over her heart while exclaiming, “Isn’t it beautiful!”

This was another example of us being in the right place at the right time. If we would’ve been scheduled for an earlier (and more appropriate) dinner time, we wouldn’t have been able to watch the fireworks from the castle with Cinderella herself. So even though we were about to eat our own arms by this point, and even though my poor in-laws were doing their best to calm my adorable and very exhausted baby who did not appreciate the thundering fireworks at 10:30 at night, we felt very lucky.

After the fireworks, we were FINALLY called to our dinner by a man in a footman’s outfit who rang a bell and yelled, “Princess Lucy and Family, your dinner awaits!” We sat down in a super-fancy room, with princesses of every kind wandering about. Over a meal of chicken nuggets, a cheese plate and juice, the girls met with many of their favorites. Again, each of the princesses was perfectly in character. My favorite had to be Ariel, who called Greta “Jazzy” (as she was dressed up as Jasmine) and then asked me to take a picture of them with my “doo-hicky.” Lucy’s favorite with Aurora, who walked up to her and said “Oh goodness, it’s me!”

Near the end of the meal, the princess asked the girls to stand up and they presented them with magic wands. They then all said some special magic words, and the whole room started sparkling with twinkle lights. They were each given a wishing star and told to make a special wish. Lu wouldn’t tell me what hers was. Smart girl, that one.

After we’d finished eating (the grown up food was amazing, and we were so hungry we practically inhaled it) our waiter brought out dessert for the girls, ice cream with toppings to make their own sundaes.

But that wasn’t all! Oh no, Lucy also got a special birthday treat, a white chocolate slipper with a birthday candle. Everyone in the room sang Happy Birthday and she blew the candle out with one big huff.

And thus, at midnight, our day at the Magic Kingdom ended. We met up with the in-laws and our poor, crabby baby and headed back to the hotel. Lu was talking non-stop in the car, and then it was silent. When I looked in the backseat, I saw why….

Last night, around midnight. Best birthday ever! #disneyworld #sleepingbeauty

Disney World Part 2 – The Magical Kingdom

June 24, 2011/0 Comments/in Family, Fun, Happiness, Lucy, Photos, Tate /by Megan

Yes, I know it’s called the Magic Kingdom. Thank you, spellcheck police. But for us, it was just plain magical. Our trip to the Magic Kingdom (as previously mentioned) landed on Lucy’s 5th birthday, and I was a little afraid she would be overwhelmed with all the magic that was in store for her. This is a kid who cries when she’s happy, so I was prepared for a lot of tears. She rode over to the parks in a separate car from us, as she had some awesome little second (third?) cousins who were coming too and she couldn’t get close enough to them, so I have no idea what her reaction was as they drove in to the park (sad face here). I can tell you, however, that this was my face as we rode on the first of many rides of the day, the tram from the parking lot to the monorail:

{Holy f’ing craaaaaappppp!!!!!}

It was about 9:30 a.m. and already 90 degrees outside, so we were a bit afraid for what was in store. We got in our first line of the day to get on the monorail, the train that goes around all the parks and would take us to the Magic Kingdom. At this point, I finally got to sit with Lu, and she was super excited, but nervous. I think this picture says it all:

When we arrived at the entrance of the park, the first thing we did was go to Customer Service and get a birthday badge. They have these badges for free for all sorts of occasions (birthdays, anniversaries, first trips to the park, etc.) and a nice man with a sharpie will personalize it for you. Again, this is free. Did I mention that this is free? Because it’s probably the only thing in the park that is. Lucy wore her badge during the day, and every “cast member” (they don’t call them employees at Disney) that we encountered made sure to wish her a happy fifth birthday. She was floored. And it was an awesome little extra that lots of people don’t know about.

We also, of course, stopped to get some ears and an autograph book. Lucy picked the cheesiest, pinkest, sparkliest ears she could find…which was not what I wanted her to get (come on, a classic photo with the black Mickey ears would’ve been so neat), but it was her birthday, so I let her pick. The autograph book was a recommendation from other moms that said it was a must have. She carried it with her during the day and all the characters we met signed it. It has a space for pictures too, so we can make it into a photo keepsake if I ever get all these photos printed (hahahahahaaaa!).

We then headed down Main Street, following the masses to Cinderella’s Castle, which is in the middle of the park. On the way Lucy saw a guy with a huge thing of balloons and begged for one. Her dad, who is usually the voice of reason in these situations, pulled out his wallet right away and bought her a giant pink one. While it made for some cute pictures, it was a total pain to carry around all day, whacking me the face as it was tied to our stroller. I’d recommend getting one on the way out of the park instead. And prepping your kid by making sure they understand they can’t bring it home with them on the airplane. Because that melt down was no fun at all.

We had planned ahead that we would probably spend most of our time in Fantasyland, which is directly behind the castle. Most of the little kid-centered rides are there, and even though we would have loved to explore more of the park, we only had one day and wanted to make it as enjoyable for Lu as possible. As luck would have it, we ended up right at the base of the castle just as a parade came down Main Street. They rope off the streets for the parades (which happen several times per day) so we were roped into the circle at the end of the street, with only a couple other families. This was our first stroke of luck, as all the other park patrons were crowded against each other on Main Street, and we were literally just hanging out in front of the castle, where no one could get in. The parade came up the street and then circled us for about 20 minutes, performing an entire show with characters and dancers. At one point they asked if anyone was having a birthday, and invited us to come out and dance in the parade with them. Seriously. It was a dream for Lu. She has told everyone and anyone that Disney World had a special parade just for her birthday. She even got air kisses from Minnie Mouse. Such a wonderful way to start the day!

After the parade, we headed up to Fantasyland and did all the rides we could without waiting in line for hours. We hit up all the classics, It’s a Small World (Lucy’s favorite, by far), the flying Dumbo’s, Peter Pan’s Adventure and a 4-D Fantasia-like movie. Literally, that took all day. The long lines plus the need to be constantly stopping for water and to cool down ended up eating most of our time. But that was okay. Lulu had a great time, and I made a promise to myself that I wouldn’t stress about those kinds of things, and I didn’t, which made a huge difference in the happiness of everyone.

But let me tell you, it was HOT in Florida. Poor Grandpa Lee and Trent were pretty overwhelmed with all the PRINCESS and PINK and LOUD and HOT of it all…so when they started complaining we made them get in the stocks until they calmed down. Then we let them dork it out in the Hall of Presidents. It was air conditioned and historical, so I think they enjoyed it. That may have been the only thing they enjoyed, but they hid their scorn well. We love you guys!

At this point (around 4 or 5 p.m.), we met back up with Trent’s cousins. Though we had all come to the park together, we decided early on to split up, as it’s way too hard to coordinate that many people in a place like Disney World. And since they have six kids…well, that wasn’t going to be easy. So around this time we met up with them at Frontierland, where Lucy rode her second favorite ride, Aladdin’s Magic Carpet (I was nursing Tater in the Disney Baby Center at the time, so there are no photos). Trent and his cousin then took the kids to the Swiss Family Robinson Treehouse, which was such a hit, they had to do it twice. Lucy fell in love with her cousin Greta and they spent the rest of the day together. Greta, who is the oldest of six, became a favorite of Tate’s as well.

At this point, we were all close to “MAJOR ENGINE SHUTDOWN” as Lucy was falling asleep standing up, the boys were hungry and tired and poor Tate was a ball of sweaty, teething unhappiness. Tate spent the entire day in his stroller or in the Disney Baby Center nursing, but he was a sweetheart the whole time. We bought a stupidly expensive Mickey Mouse fan to hook on to his stroller and a bottle with a fan that squirted water (the perfect weapon in a water fight), but it was still very, very hot. Tate was a trooper though, not surprising, as he is the best baby ever in the history of the world.

Soon after, we asked if Greta would like to join us for our fancy birthday dinner at the castle, and she decided to stay at the park with us while the rest of her family went home. I’m going to save the tale of our fantastic dinner for another post, as this is already way too long and if you’re still reading you deserve a medal. Or some Mickey ears…pink ones.

Next up – The most amazing birthday dinner a five year old could ask for….

Disney World Part 1 – How the Hell Did We Get Here?!

June 16, 2011/5 Comments/in Family, Fun, Happiness, Lucy /by Megan

About a year ago Lulu started asking us when we’d be going to Disney World. A few of her little preschool friends had gone over the summer, and she was so excited about going herself. Breaking the news to her that we just couldn’t afford a trip to Disney was too much for me to handle, so I broke out the tried and true parenting method we’ve all used one time or another. I lied.

I told her that Disney World actually had rules about who could visit and one of those rules was that the oldest kid in your family had to be seven. I know, right? But it was the only thing that came to mind that could explain why her friends V, C and A got to go and she didn’t. They all had older siblings, so that’s the first thing that came into my dumb brain. She believed me, as mommy never lies because lying is wrong (dear God), and seemed to move on, hoping that when she was older, she’d get to go. Me? I had no idea what I was going to do when she was seven, but I had dodged a bullet. For now at least.

Fast forward a few months and we have a new baby / crazy new life. I had just met, hired and scheduled a nanny for the summer and had recently returned to work from maternity leave. We had been refusing Easter trips and other long weekend vacations since I had used all of my vacation time during my maternity leave. I didn’t feel comfortable taking any time off for a while, especially since my work had been so awesome about my time with Tate. So when we got an email from Trent’s uncle telling us he was planning on renting a block of rooms at his Orlando timeshare so he could take his son and grandkids to Disney World, and did we want to come along, I immediately said no way, Jose. Free hotel rooms at Disney? Awesome, yes. But I just couldn’t take the time off. Also, the nanny we had just hired was going to have to take some time off for her sister’s wedding, so I was already going to have to take vacation for those days, and I just felt I couldn’t do both. So we politely told him “thanks, but no thanks” and didn’t mention it to Lu.

Two weeks later, our lovely nanny-to-be emailed me and apologetically informed me she had the dates wrong for her sister’s wedding. The days she would need off would actually be the same days that we had been offered the Disney trip. The stars began to align. I called Trent’s mom (who was planning on coming along for the trip if we did go) to discuss it further. We realized that the trip would fall on the weekend of Lucy’s 5th birthday and my mind started to race with possibilities. My amazing mother-in-law decided that she and her husband wanted to buy the tickets to the parks for Lucy’s birthday and they had a bunch of airline miles we could use for plane tickets.

How could we say no?

We couldn’t.

Then began the plan to tell Lucy, who had been asking what we were doing for her birthday for months. We decided to have her write a letter to Mickey Mouse, asking if he would mind making an exception to the “seven year old” rule for her, since she had done such a good job at quitting sucking her thumb and being an awesome big sister. Then we waited. Every day she’d check the mailbox, hoping for a response.

Two weeks before her birthday, we packed up a stuffed Mickey Mouse doll, a personalized DVD Disney had sent us and a letter from Mr. Mouse, himself. She found it on our front porch and totally lost her mind. It was one of my top five parenting moments, for sure (you can watch the video and see photos here). Less than 14 days later, we were on a plane headed to Florida for the best birthday a five year old could ask for. We are so, so lucky.

{Next up, our day at the Magic Kingdom…}

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