Miracles Upon Miracles

It's time to introduce you to a friend of mine. This is Janine, holding Kendra:

Notice that they're wearing matching outfits. That was comPLETEly unplanned. (Notice also my Dad and Tracy in the background. Also not planned, but not quite as cute, either. But oh, well.) I think Janine and the rest of her family have been a part of our family since I was five. Janine is my honorary back-up auxiliary mom. It's a role that she has always taken very seriously and she has also excelled at it. I have the emails to prove it. If I have ever once managed to give you good advice, I probably got that advice from Janine.

I'm going to share one more picture, from the same event:

That's Janine with her own daughter, Juliana. Yes, Juliana is the bride here, and yes, she is very pretty. (Kendra is trying to ruin the picture by wanting her mommy back, but even that can't really spoil it.)

Anyway, I'm going to be fairly brief for once and not go into all the details. But suffice it to say that this week Janine has been producing miracle after miracle for us. She has gone from being on life support to being able to breathe on her own and I could not be happier about it.

And it's also her birthday. So happy birthday, Janine. Keep hanging in there. Keep knowing that our prayers are with you. Keep fighting. Keep remembering how much we love you. And keep giving us miracles-- we can't get enough of them.

Shinanaidene. Anato no kao o ai shite imasu.*



*Ask Luke for a translation if you're not sure. Tell him to lie and say I said it perfectly, even I screwed it up. Which I probably did.

Pictures

My sister, Tracy, visited us over President's Day weekend, which was awesome! It was great to have the company, great to have the babysitting, and great to enjoy a Weekend of Gluttony, which included polishing off the last of the Chocolate Delight, making bark, AND making sugar cookies!* Wow. I think I gained five pounds. But if that's what it will take to survive this winter, then so be it.

Anyway, Tracy took some pictures while she was here that I'm going to post. Unfortunately, Tracy took all the pictures, which means that she is not actually IN any of them. A definite oversight on my part. Next time she comes, I'll try to do better. (I think I say that every time we have visitors.) But here's what she got:

Kendra didn't want to smile for the camera, so this is her serious face.
Her hair is getting so shaggy, but it's still kind of thin to make a very good ponytail...

Proof that I read to my children!
Apparently Bentley can multi-task, since he's reading a different book to himself while I read to him.

Love those eyes.

The only picture where Bentley is smiling. He'd been hiding in the couch, one of his favorite pastimes.

The best way to get Kendra to smile is to have her yell, "Kendra Lee!"
She's also pleased with herself because she's sitting in The Forbidden Highchair, which is actually Bentley's.

Thanks for coming to see us, Tracy! We love having you here!!! Come back soon!



*After this I resolved to be way more careful about what I eat and cut all the junk food out of my diet. But then my little sister Natalie came to visit and I realized that she had never tried bark (gasp!) so I had to make more for her, too. And then it was Kendra's birthday, so I had to make a cake for her. And now I'm remembering that I have absolutely NO WILL POWER WHATSOEVER. Oh, dear...

Almost Live

If we've ever had a conversation that lasted longer than twenty minutes, there's a decent chance that I've brought up a TV show called "Almost Live." It was just a local show in Seattle that specialized in making fun of Seattle. And it was hilarious.

I had the brilliant epiphany today to look it up on YouTube, and lo and behold, I could finally watch it again! So I had to share it with you. This is mostly for my sisters, fellow Seattle-ites, and all the people who have had to listen to me talk about this show. That should be all of you. Now you can experience it for yourself.

It must be your lucky day!

So this first video is my personal favorite, The Ballard Driving School. The thing you have to understand is that Ballard is a small Norwegian town filled with old people, who drive like old people. 'Nuff said.




And then there's East Side Story, which for some reason wouldn't let me embed the video on my blog. If you've ever watched West Side Story and know anything about grunge culture, this is worth checking out!

And don't forget The High-Five'n White Guys (All Right!) here.




And The Lame List. I'm pretty sure that those are members of Pearl Jam in there. Awesome.




This is another one that wouldn't embed, so I'm only giving you the link. This was a whole series, and included Kent and Mercer Island. Unfortunately, I couldn't find the Mercer Island video, which was probably the best one. But this one, Cops in Leavenworth, is pretty dang funny, too.

The Streetwalking Lawyers of Aurora Avenue. In these trying economic times, it's never been more prescient. (Notice Bill Nye the Science Guy in the group, before he went on to National Television and all its fame and glory!)




And finally, Speedwalker. If we have ever even once talked about Bill Nye the Science Guy, I can guarantee that I have tried to describe the hilarity of him as Speedwalker. Here's the real deal:




This will never get old for me.

And if it wasn't enough for you, try looking up "Uncle Fran's Musical Forest."

Happy viewing!

Maybe Next Year...

Among the many items of junk mail that I was just sorting through (and ripping up) was this ad: Valentine's Day Special (this came today, February 18th, mind you) at Precious Metals Liquidators. Yup. Nothing says "Romance" like "Let's sell your ring for cash, dear!"

And to think, all Craig and I did was dinner and a movie!

Play

A couple months ago, someone offered Geo-Trax train tracks on FreeCycle. We already had a few sets made by GeoTrax, so I couldn't resist the chance to get more. Craig thought I was being silly, since they do take up a lot of room, but I was delighted when I picked up my treasure and discovered that it included not only some track, but also a bunch of buildings that we didn't already have: a clock tower, a suspension bridge that lights up, and a large city building, all with working batteries still inside!

While still half-objecting to me taking this at all, Craig did have to note (with a hint of awe in his voice) that I'd probably collected hundreds of dollars in GeoTrax toys.

Craig got right down to building a wicked-cool train track out of it all:

If you follow the loops, you'll see that this is a system that works-- you can access any part of the track.
Craig planned it out well.

Craig was especially proud of his double-tall bridge here, being demonstrated by Mater.

Bentley likes having lots of remote controls.

I'm not sure what I like about this the most: the fact that it was free, the fact that it's been so fun for Bentley, or the fact that it's been even more fun for Craig! Whatever the case, it was definitely a good move.

Thanks once again, FreeCycle!

Re-Run

My blog on princesses was posted on the apron stage today! I was their guest blogger! I know you already read it, but feel free to check out the comments anyway!

Chocolate Thoughts

I just made this for enrichment tonight:

And enrichment was just canceled. Craig is pretty happy about that.

I also made two little ones for our neighbors who keep helping us shovel snow out of our driveway and off our cars. I feel better about myself knowing I'm not a complete glutton.


And while we're thinking about chocolate, I have to tell you about the other day. I was sitting at the computer table eating goldfish crackers and chocolate chips (the best snack combination EVER) and Kendra was playing under the table. As toddlers are prone to do, she stood up too quickly and bonked her head on the table. Crying ensued, so I comforted her for a bit, and once she was calmed down, I gave her a chocolate chip. A minute later, she wanted to sit on my lap so I picked her up and she immediately pointed at the bag of chocolate chips and asked, "What's this?" I told her. Her next question was, "This makes me feel better?"

Smart girl, Kendra. I've taught you well.

Her grandmothers were pretty proud, too.

Angoraphobia

If you know me at all, then you know that I like clothes that are comfortable and soft and easy. I've always been this way. I don't think I wore jeans all throughout middle school because I found them too uncomfortable. If memory serves, I wore leggings instead, which is just one of the many reasons why I was never terribly popular. (The skipping instead of walking was probably another big reason.) Being a stay-at-home mom has not helped me in this sense at all. There are times when I seriously wonder why anyone bothers with jeans at all when there are such great pajama pants in stores. Really, I'm just a t-shirt and flip-flops kind of girl.

This manner of dressing is problematic in the winter. It took Craig pointing out to me that the reason I was so cold all the time was because my definition of "dressing warmly" was to put a large coat on over my t-shirt. If it was snowing, I'd add a scarf. "You know, most people would wear a sweater also," he said. But I hate sweaters. They're itchy and they make my hair get so full of static that it sticks to my face. I remember talking to Utah girls at BYU who would gush that they loved winter because they had so many cute sweaters to wear and I would just look at them with blank incomprehension. How could a sweater be cute?

I finally found out.

It only happened because a friend of mine gave me no less than 8 garbage bags full of clothes. And that included a lot of sweaters. I vowed that I would try on each article of clothing before deciding whether or not I liked it, since sometimes things can surprise you once you're wearing them. (I learned that lesson wedding-dress shopping and it was a Utah girl who explained it to me. She was right-- the dress I bought hadn't even appealed that much on the hanger, but once I had it on, I fell in love with it. Thanks again for that, Laresa!) It took me two months to find the energy to try on that much clothing, but eventually I got through it all, and when I was done, I had enough new clothes that it will still be a long time before I do any shopping for myself. (Hallelujah!) And, surprisingly enough, a lot of the clothes I liked were indeed sweaters. I have about ten now that I wear on a surprisingly regular basis (and they do keep me from getting quite so cold-- wonder of wonders!), and most of them aren't itchy at all. (Two of them are itchy, but are cute enough to make it worth it, at least for an hour or two.)

This got me wondering why in the world I'd never been able to find sweaters that I liked before? Was this friend just an amazing shopper that she could find the best sweaters? Where were these wonderfully useful and practical and cute sweaters hiding?

I finally realized that the problem was me. Set me loose in a department store, and I will walk away with some of the cutest t-shirts and pajama pants imaginable. If I really need a particular article of clothing-- say, a skirt-- I might find one of those, too. Even if you tell me to buy something warm, I'll probably just invest in another coat. I won't even see the sweaters, let alone bother trying them on. I know that they're not "me" even before I've come near them. It's the t-shirts that call to me.

But now I know that some sweaters are, apparently, "me." I really like some of them, and I suspect that they like me, too. (I also suspect that my next shopping trip will be taking me a whole lot longer, but I'll deal with that when the time comes.)

I think this is the beginning of a beautiful friendship.

Snow Pictures

In case you don't believe the reports that the DC area got a lot of snow, I present this evidence:

That's what you can see of the Saturn.
It's even less visible from the other side, where the snow has been plowed up against it.

Now we see where the idea for those Russian hats came from...

I like that our picnic table looks like a cake. But it does make me hungry.

Craig took this picture at 11:00pm to show how light it was outside.

I like it when the snow is still in the tree branches. So pretty!

So that's our snowstorm. And I'm discovering-- the best thing about church being canceled (two weeks in a row) is that we won't have to make it up in the summer! Huzzah!

Saturday

This morning Craig was explaining to me his plans to tear down one of the walls in the rec room. This prompted me to begin quoting Ronald Reagan (I still can't hear that speech without starting to cry) and eventually it led to me chanting, "Tear down the wall! Tear down the wall!" Craig didn't know this reference so I had to explain to him all about Pink Floyd's "The Wall" concert in Berlin where they built a giant wall across the stage, performing part of the concert behind the wall, and then eventually knocked the whole thing down into a pile of rubble.

Craig, enjoying theatrics as much as he does, was finally intrigued enough that he looked it up on YouTube and we spent a good hour watching the concert, which really is pretty cool. I was delighted to see how much of it I had remembered, since I saw the video in my English class in high school (thank you, Mr. McAllister; probably the most worthwhile thing we did in that class). It really does have some great music, too, even if angsty music isn't usually my thing these days.

I like that Craig and I are happy totally wasting a morning this way. But honestly, can you think of a better way to spend a morning when there are least two feet of snow on the ground?

Also, I think I might be in love with Roger Waters now.

Failed Anatomy Lessons

I've got two for you:

#1
A few weeks ago I had a day where I felt all gung-ho about potty training. Unfortunately it only lasted that day, and I have yet to feel it again. One of these days it will happen. But on this particular day, I decided to see if Kendra was ready to be potty trained also. Two birds with one stone, right? So I sat her on the toilet. She, remembering my instructions to Bentley to make sure that he was "pointing down," immediately began patting herself, trying to make sure she was aiming properly. I explained to her that she didn't have anything to aim, at which point Bentley (who was standing watching) took note.

"Why she not have that?" he asked, pointing.

"Well, girls don't have that," I answered simply. No need to make this any more complicated than it needed to be, right?

Bentley wasn't buying it. He countered with, "I think some girls have that, Mommy."

Nothing I could say would convince him otherwise. We'll just hope that he figures this one out without too much emotional damage later on...


#2
I've been babysitting for my friend Emily while she goes to her pre-natal check-ups. (Her son, incidentally, is also named Bentley. This sometimes makes it confusing when I'm trying to yell at my own son, and her son will look quite startled about it all.) (And don't get any ideas about what a nice person I am to babysit for my friend; she's paying me.) Whenever I tell my kids that we'll be watching other Bentley and they ask why, I say that his mommy has to go to the doctor because there's a baby in her tummy.

So today at dinner, I told Kendra that I'd made an appointment for her to see the doctor for her two-year-check-up. She immediately began patting her stomach and said, "Because there's a baby in my tummy!" She seemed very proud of herself, but Craig looked a bit ill about the whole thing.

Yeah, let's hope not, huh?

See what I mean?!?!

After reading this, I'm now ashamed of my previous post.

And one of these days I'm going to take a break from the Apron Stage and actually clean my house/wash the dishes/fold that laundry/vacuum those floors/do something a tad more meaningful with my life. Really soon, now. I promise...

Tag-a-lag-a-ding-dong!

I've been tagged. So here goes:


Your Cell Phone? Red. I think the cell phone was what started it, because everything else seems to be turning that color, too, now... (The pillows, one wall, the curtains, all my favorite shirts...)
Your Hair? Natural blonde. And yes, I am proud of that fact. And yes, I also like blonde jokes (when I get them...)
Your Mother? Perfect.
Your Father? Too much like me to be perfect, but I sure like him anyways!
Your Favorite Food? Anything chocolate, and especially if I have goldfish crackers, too!
Your Dream Last Night? Some freaky horror dream where some old lady was cooking a guy in a pressure cooker (I don't even know what a pressure cooker looks like!) and then had his jaw and was scraping off the meat and pulling off the teeth so no one would know it was human. I'm still disturbed by this when I think of it.
Your Favorite Drink? A good, thick chocolate milk shake. If this is unavailable, chocolate milk will do in a pinch. (The thing I miss most about Provo is the Creamery chocolate milk.)
Your Dream/Goal? So many, but the ones that come to mind immediately are: raise awesome kids; become a doula (this is a fairly new goal, but I like how it feels); work to save whales and dolphins (not sure how that one is going to fit in to my life, but I can't give it up just yet); some day write a novel; keep my sanity for now, and always.
What Room Are You In? The kitchen, the life of the house.
Your Hobby? Talking and reading. And eating. And singing and dancing.
Your Fear? Failure and being alone for too long
Where Do You See Yourself In Six Years? Older. But hopefully not any more mature.
Where Were You Last Night? Reading in bed next to Craig. It was great.
Something That You Aren't? Humble.
Muffins? Chocolate-Chocolate chip. Is there any other kind?
Wish List Item? I'm going to copy Delilas and say a new kitchen. Maybe in my lifetime....
Where Did You Grow Up? Seattle, which is heaven on earth (Bainbridge Island, to be specific, which is the actual location of Paradise)
Last Thing You Did? Watched Craig pull down more wood paneling. Before that, I had a meeting (wild and crazy, that's me).
What Are You Wearing? My favorite warm pajama pants that are covered in chairs. I don't know who thinks to decorate clothing with furniture, but I sure like them.
Your TV? Got it for free from the Scoresbys. Boo-yah!
Your Pets? None at the moment. Maybe some day I'll let the kids "convince" me to get a dog, but only if it stays outside.
Friends? Too many to list here! If you're reading this, then you're probably one of them.
Your Life? Better than I ever could have hoped for.
Your Mood? Calm and content
Missing Someone? Anyone who doesn't live within a twenty mile radius of here. Come visit me!
Vehicle? Mini-van, and I love it. Everyone should have one.
Something You Aren't Wearing? Jewelry (except my wedding ring)
Your Favorite Store? The Gap. I STILL can't believe the Manassas Mall doesn't have one. I didn't think it was possible to build a mall without the Gap!
Your Favorite Color? Purple; I've even got tanzanite in my wedding ring because I love it so much (and because Tanzania ROCKS!!!)
When Was The Last Time You Laughed? Two minutes ago? I was looking at this amazing blog: awkward family photos. Check it out!
Last Time You Cried? Cried because I was actually sad, or cried because my emotions were being manipulated by some dumb TV show? Because those are VERY different cries. But the answer is last night, reading a friend's heart-wrenching blog post.
Your Best Friend? Craig, and then my four sisters, and then all the rest of you.
One Place You Go To Over And Over Again? Chipotle! And Target and Costco (lame, I know). And the library. Oh, wait-- they asked for one, huh?
Facebook? Not much, no... I did finally join, but I just can't get into it.
Favorite Place To Eat? Hmmm... Depends on if I'm paying or not! But it's probably a toss-up between The Melting Pot and Maggiano's, with the Cheesecake Factory coming in a very close third.

People I tag: Anni, Erin, Jen, Juliana, Laresa, Liza, & Natalie. And anyone else who wants to!

This 'n' That

A few random notes, none of which is long enough to deserve its own post:

-It's a little too ironic that the day after I post about how difficult it is to downsize your living space, we effectively shut down our entire downstairs. And now having the kids crammed into the living room and kitchen with me feels so crowded and tight that I'm already worried about how I'll survive this project (which gets more complicated with every piece of wood paneling that Craig pries from the walls; we're now talking about moving walls and doors and adding insulation all sorts of stuff that was not part of the original plan; the worst part is that I'm the one rooting for all of these changes, so I can't even complain about them).

-Okay, so this is really embarrassing, but I just saw the phrase "bros before hos" for the first time in print and realized that the word is "hos" and not "hose," which I always had thought referred to nylons and therefore was just a euphemism for women. I never fully realized just how completely naïve I am before. Wow.

-I just discovered a blog that I am in love with: The Apron Stage. It's written by four Mormon women, and unlike many of the Mormon women blogs I've found, where everyone seems to have major issues with the Church, these women seem to be well-adjusted and have testimonies and be really positive and interesting, all at the same time. It's a great read! Thanks to my sister Tracy for recommending it!

-Just now as I was changing Kendra's diaper, she insisted on holding onto her stuffed animal Winnie the Pooh. She held him at a strange angle and announced that he was watching. Watching what, I asked-- Bentley? the closet? No, he was watching her diaper be changed. Apparently Winnie the Pooh is something of a pervert.

-Also about Winnie the Pooh-- as I made mac'n'cheese for the kids for lunch, Kendra insisted on following me around with Winnie the Pooh held against my knee, making kissy noises for him to be giving me. The hilarious thing about this is that Kendra makes THE best kissing noises of anyone I know. I'm not sure how she does it, but they're irresistibly cute, sexy, tiny, and angelic all at the same time. They should probably be recorded and used in movies. I wish I could do it so well. In comparison, my own kissy noises sound dry and pretty lame.


More later!

That Time Again

I now have a couch in my kitchen. I'm not sure which is worse about this-- the fact that it's just plain weird to have a couch crammed into one's kitchen (and it really is crammed; I can't open the cupboards that it's pushed up against), or the fact that Craig thinks that's an awesome place to keep it. I think he's envisioning sacking out on the couch after work and watching me cook dinner for him. 'Cuz that's gonna happen...

Anyway, in case you didn't already guess, we have officially started working on the rec room.
Up to this point, this room has sported the darkest wood paneling imaginable, making it feel like a very dark cave, except less homey. Craig has removed a couple sections of this paneling and discovered lighter wood paneling underneath it, and then the cinder blocks. But no insulation. Hmmm.
Craig also pulled up one corner of the carpet, revealing linoleum underneath that is meant to look like dark wooden tiles. Apparently whoever chose the paneling and the linoleum never got that tree house they wanted so badly as a kid.

Craig also found some wiring that is being held together with electrical tape. So let's make that a tree house that you're secretly hoping to burn down, but on accident. Perhaps this was all meant to be an insurance scam?

In any case, I have the feeling that this couch is going to be in my kitchen for a while.

This will effectively cancel any plans of entertaining that I may have even been considering. Fortunately, I don't have parties very often, so this isn't much of a sacrifice. But if you do find yourself at my home for whatever reason, please try not to laugh too openly at the current state of things. It's really not my fault. Instead, try to be impressed with the fact that I helped Craig carry the couch up the stairs. What I lack in homemaking skills, I try to make up for with sheer grunt work!



P.S. to my fellow Manass-assassins: I hope someone out there is enjoying this snow. How worthless is it for it to snow on a Saturday?!?!

Things You Can't Live Without (Once You Have Them)

Have you noticed that there are certain things that, once you have them, it's impossible to get by without them? And once you're used to having them, you wonder how on earth you survived without them in the first place. How did they become so completely indispensable so quickly? It's kind of amazing, really.

Anyway, here are some of those things that I believe are like that, either from personal experience or from what I've heard from people lucky enough to have them:

Cell Phone: It was cell phones that got me started on this list, actually, when I realized that I don't feel safe driving without one anymore. I used to. I drove for probably ten years without a cell phone. But now suddenly it feels like a bad idea. And while I'm on the topic, how do you ever meet up with anyone in a public place without a cell phone? How did people do it back in the day? Did they just plan better? How?

Boppy Pillow: this is only if you're nursing, which I am not right now (thank goodness for that). When Kendra was born I didn't use the boppy for a while, and ended up giving myself a sore back. Once I figured out the reason, I used that thing religiously. It's a life (and back) saver.

Craig: I assume everyone feels this way about their spouse. At least, I hope so. But in my case, I have to point out that Craig is better than anyone else I know at keeping me both sane and happy. He has a gift for it, which I appreciate.

Bentley: for someone who didn't even exist a few years ago, it's sort of weird when I realize how much this kid means to me. Just now we were sitting and discussing the merit of having eyes on one's bottom. He's almost got me convinced that this would be a good idea... What did I do with myself before he came onto the scene?

Kendra: no, I certainly couldn't leave Kendra off this list, either. And I'm sorry if this just feels cheesy or clichéd to you or whatever, but it's really true about one's children. You get by just fine without them, and then as soon as they pop into your life, suddenly you have no concept of ever not having had them... It's completely weird, but in a perfect sort of way.

Internet: surviving without reliable internet for a couple years was near torture. But when I think back to the days not that many years ago when internet wasn't even a concept, it sort of blows my mind. How did people find restaurants or do research or get directions to places? It must have been such hard work...

Caller ID: it's also hard to remember what it must have been like to answer the phone with NO IDEA who was on the other end. Doesn't that almost sounds like the beginnings of a horror movie now? Like something bad that parents would warn their children against?

Call Waiting: what if talking on the phone too long just meant that you would miss anyone else who tried to call you? I can't even imagine that kind of pressure! It must have been horrible when you're in your prime dating years and your roommate is hogging the phone and you could potentially be missing calls from members of the opposite sex!

King-sized bed (probably): I survive with a queen, but I would imagine this is one of those things that is very hard to downsize from. It's hard to stop sprawling in your sleep once you've gotten used to it. And by the same token, I doubt Craig and I could squeeze onto a double or a full-sized mattress now...

HD TV (or so I've heard): the people I've talked to all say that once you get used to HD, regular TV just looks ugly. I guess that's reason #2 for me for why to not ever switch over in the first place-- heaven forbid I let myself become even snobbier than I already am!

Remote Controls for cars (clickers!): does anyone else think it takes FOREVER long to unlock a car with the key now? Who has that kind of time any more?!

Actually, remote controls for anything: seriously, getting up just to turn down the volume? What a drag.

Any square foot of living space you currently possess: each time Craig and I move, our first reaction to our new place is, "It's so much bigger!" And then usually within a matter of hours, we're wondering how we'll possibly fit here much longer. How does anyone ever survive a downsize?

Garbage Disposal: we didn't have one of these growing up and I never thought much about it. But since having one, it's like I don't know how to do dishes without knowing that any muck still left on the plates can just be eaten by the garbage disposal. Seriously, how did that used to work? I don't remember our kitchen sink getting clogged up, so I'm sure we got all the gunk out each day, but gross!


So those are my thoughts on the matter. Any to add of your own?

Postscript to The Princess Problem

Just now as we were watching Mulan, Kendra declared, "Bad guys! Fight them!" and proceeded to poke the Huns on the TV screen* with Bentley's plastic sword. I'm very proud.











*This is one of the many reasons why I don't think we'll be investing in an expensive HDTV for a very long time...

WDW, Part VI: Hollywood Studios

So after staying so late at the Magic Kingdom, I was a totally awesome sister and actually got up early the next morning so I could see my sister Leah (and her husband) one last time before they left. I wasn't that nice to Natalie, who'd had to leave the day before, but Natalie was leaving at some ridiculous hour-- 4:30am?-- and if I would have tried to go, I would have been grumpy enough that Natalie would have been wishing I weren't there. Promise.

So I hung out with Leah and family for a while, and then eventually went back to my room to shower, wake up Craig and the kids, and get ready to go to Hollywood Studios for my very first time! The first thing we did there was to, of course, get fast passes for the Rock 'n' Roller Coaster and the Tower of Terror. Then we headed over to the Toy Story ride, which already had a surprisingly long ride for only being nine in the morning. It was while we were waiting in line that I absolutely fell in love. With this:


Can you see it in the background there? It's the Pixar light-- you know, the one that comes bouncing across the screen and starts jumping up and down on the letter "i" in Pixar until it flattens it? Yeah. They have that light outside of the Toy Story ride! It will randomly pop out of those doors and BEGIN DANCING! It was the greatest thing ever. Not only did it dance, but they played various types of music-- classical, disco, blues-- and the light did different dances each time AND they were always appropriate to the music. It was incredible. I could have stood and watched that light all day. Fortunately after about ten minutes of dancing it would bow and then hide back behind those doors again. Good thing or else I might have never left. But I did drag Tracy back and make her watch the entire sequence while the rest of the family rode Toy Story again later in the day.

I love that light.

The Toy Story ride was fun, but mostly because-- like the Buzz Lightyear ride in Magic Kingdom-- it involves shooting things and getting points and I totally beat Craig. That made me happy. And being the awesome parents that we are, we totally sat there shooting away and not even trying to show our kids how to play, so neither one of them got any points. But Bentley and Kendra didn't seem to mind. Craig did ride it again later, mostly so he could beat me, and he did beat my previous score his second time. I opted not to ride it a second time, so I'm still the clear winner in my mind.

We discovered my other favorite thing after leaving Toy Story-- the toy army men! I didn't get any pictures of these guys, so I'm just going to steal a picture off the internet:

Aren't they awesome? And they're even more fun in person-- they ran around shouting and yelling orders at people. We saw one jump into a stroller with kids in it and scoot along with his feet yelling for people to get out of the way. They were hysterical.

Eventually Craig managed to drag me away from all that, and we headed towards the stunt driving show. This was all set up to look like they were shooting a car chase scene in a movie, and we got to see how the stunts were done. Bentley loved watching the cars zoom all around, Craig enjoyed hearing tricks of the trade (or, noticing details that they weren't bothering to explain to us, is probably what interested him even more). And I just enjoyed getting new ideas for how to drive my mini-van and make it even cooler than it already is!

Next up was "meeting" Lightning McQueen and Mater. This turned out to be slightly anticlimactic. Given Bentley's obsession with the movie Cars, I thought he would be thrilled to meet these characters, but he was mostly confused by the whole thing. Once he got used to the idea, he really liked them, and we ended up going back several more times to see Lightning McQueen again. So it all worked out in the long run! (Pictures of this to follow-- I need to borrow some more from family members!)

I have to admit that the rest of the day is something of a blur. I know that we eventually made it to the Tower of Terror and the Rock 'n' Roller Coaster. Tracy and Rachael watched the kids while Craig and my Dad went on both rides, and I have to say, I loved them! I was slightly petrified at the same time, but in that delightful way that really is too fun. A random sidenote that I have only learned from scary rides like this: when I'm frightened, I smile really, really big. Who knew? My Dad, on the other hand, looked like he was taking a nap in the picture they flashed. Apparently he falls asleep under duress, which explains the many memories I have as a child of my father napping!

Thinking back on it all now, I'm still impressed by how fast the ride takes off for the Rock 'n' Roller Coaster. It goes from 0-60 in 2.8 seconds. And you can feel it. And it is awesome. And the Tower of Terror has taught me that I am definitely afraid of heights. Or at least, I'm afraid of falling from heights. But it's good to know these things about yourself, right? The other cool thing about these rides-- aside from the actual ride itself-- is the entire set-up. I love how both rides tell a story while they scare the pants off you; even while you're waiting in line, you're standing in a set that is part of the story. Such attention to detail is why I can't help but absolutely LOVE Disney.

After all that, we headed home fairly early (for us). We put the kids to bed, turned on the baby monitor, and let my Mom listen to the quiet static while Craig and I visited the hotel's hot tubs. A nice soak in hot water felt lovely after a long day of walking. Another good day!



On a totally different note, this is a picture that my brother-in-law, Brian, took while we were at the Animal Kingdom. Just in case you didn't believe me about how close they got to the tigers:

How amazing and beautiful is this?

If you want to see some of Brian's other, very impressive photography, check out his website, www.maddenstudio.com.

Cheers!

Optimism

So has anyone else been excited about afternoon church solely for the purpose of utilizing your crock pot? Because that's the one big advantage that I can see to this day where my children don't get to nap...

This morning, I made minestrone soup, which is one of my favorite crock pot recipes. I'm already excited to come home from church this afternoon! I figured I would share this recipe with you. I hope you like it, too!


Forgotten Minestrone, makes 8 servings
1 lb. beef stewing meat
6 cups water
28-oz. can tomatoes, diced, undrained (I use petite diced)
1 beef bouillon cube
1 med. onion, chopped
2 Tbsp. minced dried parsley
1 1/2 tsp. salt
1 1/2 tsp. dried thyme
1/2 tsp. pepper
1 med. zucchini, thinly sliced
2 cups finely chopped cabbage (I always skip this-- I'm too lazy....)
16-oz. can garbanzo beans, drained
1 cup uncooked small elbow (I use small shells-- macaroni noodles seem so childish!)
1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese

1. Combine beef, water, tomatoes, bouillon, onion, parsley, salt, thyme, and pepper.
2. Cover. Cook on low 7-9 hours, or until meat is tender.
3. Stir in zucchini, cabbage, beans, and macaroni. Cover and cook on high 30-45 min., or until vegetables are tender.
4. Sprinkle individual servings with parmesan cheese.

I also like to get a couple loaves of Pillsbury dough French bread. I cook one for the first day, and save the other for the next day's leftovers.

So easy, and so yummy. And so "all the work is done now so when we come home dinner will be ready and I won't have to do a thing!" The best of all worlds.

The Princess Problem

It's not that I actually have a problem with the Disney princesses. I was just as enamored with The Little Mermaid as anyone else my age when that movie came out; I have fond memories of trying to swim like a mermaid whenever possible (and being thrilled that one of Ariel's sisters was named Alana!). And in all honesty, I think Beauty & the Beast's Belle is a fabulous role model for little girls. But despite that, there is something in me that cringes when I see the way princesses have been thrust upon young girls as the ultimate life goal. It was for this reason that I smugly purchased Mulan for Kendra this Christmas, rather than any of the other more princess-y movies that Disney has to offer. Mulan takes charge of her life, becomes a warrior, and saves China. This is the kind of role model I can fully approve of for my little girl.

Most of my ideas about this came from Marjorie Williams' essay about Princess Di's death, titled "The Princess Puzzle." Williams noted that "it is rare the little girl who wants to grow up to be queen. To wish to be a princess is not simply to aspire upward, to royalty; it is also to aspire to perpetual daughter-hood, to permanent shelter. To dependency." Williams explained more precisely than I could ever say the problems I had long felt about our obsession with princesses. I have seen this in friends who come home from visiting their families only to sink into a depression because "mom is no longer around to take care of me." And this has always perplexed me, because while I absolutely love spending time with my own parents, there is always a sense of relief when I return home and can be more fully in charge of my life once again. I worry for these friends who would rather be taken care of than take ownership of their own lives.

After mentioning the several bad romances that Di was involved in during her life, Williams states that "for all her fame and her thirty-six years and her accomplished motherhood and her millions, the life of a princess prepared her very poorly to look after herself." And Williams finally concludes that, "The moral of the story is that whether she's riding in a gilt carriage that bears her to St. Paul's Cathedral for the wedding of the century, or in a black Mercedes that bears her to her death, a passenger-- which is the most a princess can hope to be-- is never in charge."

I don't want that fate for myself, or for my daughter. I may call Kendra my Princess, and occasionally Principessa (thank you, Life Is Beautiful), but in reality I want a lot more for her. I want her to be strong and independent. I want her to aspire to be a queen some day. And while I am sure that she will one day discover and fall in love with all of the other Disney princesses (I know I can't keep her watching Mulan for forever), for me to encourage this would feel akin to pushing her to try to come in second in a competition. Why would I hope for her to win a silver medal when what she should be striving for is the gold?