{Wordless Wednesday}

{#DisneySide}

Open the windows!

Ahhh...the blog.  That place of good intentions.  That place where you plan to share about your day-to-day life, to save the memories for yourself, to share with family across the country.

That place you forget about for almost a year and return to, only to find cobwebs and dust.

So, here's to opening the windows and sweeping out the cobwebs (that's a little Anne of Green Gables reference right there!) and dusting off the old blog.

Because, after all, tomorrow is always fresh, with no mistakes in it. (that's another LM Montgomery reference right there...)

A Year - in Recap

Wow!  A year to the day since my last post!

Poor neglected blog. 

In my defence, it's been a busy year. Shortly after my last post, we learned that DH's company was going to shut down their Ontario office. We had two choices - he could find something else and we would stay in Ontario...or, we could pack up the family and relocate to Edmonton, Alberta, where they'd offered him a position. 

We thought about it.  We pondered.  We stressed.  We worried. We took a trip out to Edmonton at the beginning of the year because I'd never been. 

And in the end, we decided that it was a good move. For us. For his career. For our kids, who now get a stay at home mom. 

The spring was a whirlwind - showings, preparations, house hunting on the web, a house hunting trip in April. We saw 40 houses in 3 days and it was the very last one in a town I didn't even want to go to that we choose. We bout a former show home, which is gorgeous. But what we liked is that everything was done - deck, fence, landscaping, window treatments. It gave us the opportunity to take the time to explore our new home and not worry about getting the sod down, etc...

We closed our home in Ontario at the end of June. Then we took the kids on a birthday trip of a lifetime - they both spent their actual birthday down at Walt Disney World. 

Monkey got the Jake treatment on his birthday and had dinner with Chef Mickey:

Lovebug got the full Princess treatment on her birthday and had dinner at Cinderella's castle (naturally...)

After an amazing trip, it was back to Ontario for a week packed full of last minute appointments and goodbyes, and then we were off - on the road to Alberta:

After 4 days in the car, some beautiful scenery and a stop at the Mall of America, we were home:

Since July, it's been a matter of getting settled into a new routine. Monkey started Grade 1:

Lovebug started Preschool:

And we fill our days with a myriad of other things - martial arts, hockey, ballet, swim lessons, etc etc. 

And that's the last year. In a quick blog post. And a promise to make this blogging thing a more regular occurrence. After all...I should have all this free time on my hands now that I'm a stay at home mom. LOL!

Disney Love! (Or, "Honey, we've brainwashed the children")

So, I've been single-parenting this week.  DH has been out in Edmonton since Monday and it's just been me and the kids.

Which has been perfect...blissful, quiet, happy children...always.

Or, ya know...not.  Because it hasn't been entirely blissful, or entirely quiet.  But we've muddled through it.  The house is still standing, and is relatively clean.  The kids have been fed, mostly nutritious meals.  And the TV hasn't been on that much...surprisingly!  We've watched Wild Kratts each night after dinner.  And they've played, with minimal fighting.

And this morning?  My heart just about burst when I overheard Monkey and Lovebug playing in the family room before we left for school and daycare.

They were playing "Disney Trip".  They were getting on the bus.  They had plans to go to Animal Kingdom and then Epcot.  Monkey asked Lovebug if she thought the baby would be able to stay up for the nighttime show at Epcot.  She thought it was okay.

He even called his "boss" to ask for more vacation days -- the baby was so excited about her first trip to Disney and he didn't want to come home yet.

Now, I know not every child gets to go to Disney.  Heck, Monkey is 5 and has been 9 times already.  Lovebug, at the tender age of 2, has been 4 times.  Admittedly, we spoil our kids.  But, we spoil ourselves too.  Both DH and I love Disney.  We love that you get there, and you know exactly what kind of service (stellar) we'll get.  We love that no matter what age, there's going to be something for the kids to enjoy.  This past trip, Lovebug was way into the Princesses and had a magical moment with Princess Aurora during some downtime at the Magic Kingdom. Monkey was into Star Wars and did his first Jedi training (my heart bursted with pride for that one!). 

But mostly?  I love that they love Disney just as much as we do.  And that they pretend to take Disney trips together when they're at home playing, using their imaginations (admit it, you just sung that a la "Journey into the Imagination"!), and remembering special moments from our trips.

(And that the brainwashing has worked...mission completion! We're raising Disney addicts!)

{Wordless Wednesday}

last weekend brought a trip to Children's Place to get the kids all set for winter (yuck!).  Sometimes, they'll agree to a cute hug together!

Five Question Friday



Perhaps the world is about to end...2 posts in one week?? Oh my! Here goes this week's 5QF! 

 

 

1. Do you prefer to drive to your vacation spot or fly?
Omigosh....please, please let it be flying.  We generally vacation at Walt Disney World.  That's like a 24 hour drive...or a 2 1/2 flight.  Hmmm....that's a tough decision.  Or, ya know....NOT. 
 
DH loves to drive, but I would rather fly.  After all, if he's driving, then I'm dealing with the kids, and the fighting over movies, and the crying, and the general crazy that comes with being in a car, the four of us, for 24 hours.  I'd rather deal with all that on a shorter flight and be done with it sooner. 

2. If you could live any where in the world, where would you go and why?
Eastern Canada - Prince Edward Island, to be precise.  I've been obsessed with PEI since the day I first read Anne of Green Gables.  Or, Florida.  Because it's warm.  And there's no snow.  (And I realize that choice #1 is snowy in the winter.)

3. Should grown women wear leggings?
Ohhh....this particular woman should NOT.  But on the right body, with the right top and accessories, sure...why not?

4. If you could change your name to any other name, would you? And what would it be?
Nope.  I kind of like it.  Nothing too fancy, nothing too weird.  And after 30-some years, it just kind of suits, ya know?  But don't get me wrong...through school, surrounded by Melissas and Sarahs, I wished for something a little more mainstream.  Perspective changes though, the older (gasp) you get. 
 
5. What magazines to you have subscriptions to?
Oh goodness...what magazines DON'T I have subscriptions to?  Martha Stewart Living, FamilyFun, Today's Parent and Canadian Living are the big ones.  DH gets his D23 magazine with his membership and The Beer Connoiseur.  Monkey gets Chirp. 
 
It may change - Monkey just came home yesterday with his school magazine fundraiser, so I'm sure I'll get roped into renewals at least, if not new magazines, in his quest to get the prizes. 

{Wordless Wednesday}

Happiest little face in all the World.  Riding on "Rel-la-la's" horsie.

What's not to love about that happy little face, so excited for her first ride as a big girl on the carousel at the Magic Kingdom?