Well I actually do not have a travel update right now. We are still in limbo. I called Expedia this morning to just postpone our trip a couple weeks, but they said that in order to avoid a fee for changing my itinerary I need to wait for my flight to actually be cancelled. Seriously? So this morning I was just figuring I would wait until might flight was officially cancelled and then call back. But then this afternoon, London reopened along with British airspace. I was thinking oh crap we might actually go. I was just slackin' this afternoon not even thinking we would be going on our trip. I was bummed, but I had accepted. But if our flight is not cancelled then I guess we are going. So then I was running around trying to pack. Oh man, if our flight is cancelled--I am not going to be happy about unpacking for a trip that didn't even happen! But now I kinda would like to wait on the trip because the airports are going to be crazy and I don't want to end up stranded somewhere either. Better to be stranded at home than somewhere else. I just want to know--are we going or not?!
Mary said, "I wish that volcano would stop squirting llamas!" That is the best visual ever! I can't help but laugh thinking about llamas squirting out of a volcano.
Tuesday, April 20, 2010
Monday, April 19, 2010
Iceland Volcanic Ash BE GONE!!!
Mary and I are supposed to be leaving for Vienna, Austria. Who would have thought that our trip to Austria could be disrupted by a volcano!? Long before Mary was even born I was dreaming of the day when I would bring my own little girl to my favorite city in the whole world! In 1999 I spent a semester in Vienna and loved just about every minute of it. Mary's middle name, Verena comes from my time spent in Vienna. I tutored the cutest little girl and her name was Verena. So there you go.
Okay back to 2010. I have been wanting to take Mary to Vienna for so long--to eat only the best gelato ever at Zanoni and Zanoni, to stroll down Kartnerstrasse, and to drink a Wiener Melange. Yummy. But I was afraid to take a small child on such a big trip all by myself. The fear only made me want to take Mary more, to prove to myself that I could do it. Heck I have had to learn to do a lot of things by myself in the last few years. So after a lot of time spent searching prices online--I finally booked our trip to Vienna. Sometimes just thinking about it would give me anxiety. What if Mary doesn't sleep on the plane? What if she keeps kicking the seat in front of her? What if she throws a huge tantrum and makes a giant scene? What if she spills her juice everywhere? What if, what if, what if? Being confined in a plane for seven or eight hours with a three year old is my biggest fear! Sounds pretty justified.
However in the last couple weeks I started rereading my guidebooks and planning out our itinerary. I planned so many things that I hadn't done before. AND I started to get really excited and getting Mary excited too. Almost every night we would read through her German dictionary. She would ask me to name all the food we are gonna eat in German. I even taught her to say Gruss Gott, ich heisse Mary, and ich bin drei jahre alt. She is so stinking cute when she says it! She began to tell everyone she knows and even strangers that we meet that she is going to Austria.
So what now? I don't know! Will my flight be cancelled? I don't know! I am lucky that I can be flexible with my travel plans, but I am all anxious and disappointed and yet trying to stay optimistic. But seriously, why couldn't my first big international mother daughter vacation go smoothly? I mean I was expecting some tantrums, whining, and break downs, but not a volcano spewing ash over Europe and disrupting all my plans! Hmmm... now who's whining? Ah well I am sure that no matter what happens Mary and I will have a blast together. I will keep you all posted.
Okay back to 2010. I have been wanting to take Mary to Vienna for so long--to eat only the best gelato ever at Zanoni and Zanoni, to stroll down Kartnerstrasse, and to drink a Wiener Melange. Yummy. But I was afraid to take a small child on such a big trip all by myself. The fear only made me want to take Mary more, to prove to myself that I could do it. Heck I have had to learn to do a lot of things by myself in the last few years. So after a lot of time spent searching prices online--I finally booked our trip to Vienna. Sometimes just thinking about it would give me anxiety. What if Mary doesn't sleep on the plane? What if she keeps kicking the seat in front of her? What if she throws a huge tantrum and makes a giant scene? What if she spills her juice everywhere? What if, what if, what if? Being confined in a plane for seven or eight hours with a three year old is my biggest fear! Sounds pretty justified.
However in the last couple weeks I started rereading my guidebooks and planning out our itinerary. I planned so many things that I hadn't done before. AND I started to get really excited and getting Mary excited too. Almost every night we would read through her German dictionary. She would ask me to name all the food we are gonna eat in German. I even taught her to say Gruss Gott, ich heisse Mary, and ich bin drei jahre alt. She is so stinking cute when she says it! She began to tell everyone she knows and even strangers that we meet that she is going to Austria.
So what now? I don't know! Will my flight be cancelled? I don't know! I am lucky that I can be flexible with my travel plans, but I am all anxious and disappointed and yet trying to stay optimistic. But seriously, why couldn't my first big international mother daughter vacation go smoothly? I mean I was expecting some tantrums, whining, and break downs, but not a volcano spewing ash over Europe and disrupting all my plans! Hmmm... now who's whining? Ah well I am sure that no matter what happens Mary and I will have a blast together. I will keep you all posted.
Friday, April 9, 2010
Easter!
Easter Eve we did the usual dying eggs. Uncle Skyler, Grandma Kathy, and Grandpa Joe were here to join in the fun! Woohoo! I think all of our eggs ended up cracked from being dropped in the dye. (Side note: I just read in a magazine to put the eggs in the middle of one of those wire whisks so the eggs don't drop and crack. Doh--wish I read that before). So does anyone actually eat all of their hard boiled eggs? I feel so guilty boiling eggs to dye only to throw them away after a couple days of no one showing any interest in eating them. I wonder if Mary would like an egg salad sandwich? Hmmm... I loved them as a child--key words as a child. I will have to whip some up for her. After dying the eggs I sent Mary to bed so the Easter bunny would come visit.
Easter morning, Mary woke up and said to her grandma Kathy, "I wonder if that rabbit is still here." She went downstairs and was super excited to see all the goodies in her Easter basket. I totally didn't charge the battery in my camera so this is the only picture I got before my camera died completely.
Then with a little help she found all the eggs. Right away she wanted to watch one of her new movies, "Cloudy With A Chance of Meatballs." That was good because we had to get going to make it to church. But of course we were late anyway--my fault.
After church we visited with Amy for a bit and then headed to Stacey and Cory's for an excellent Easter dinner. As soon as dinner was over Mary and I packed up and drove to Baltimore with my mom and Joe. We dropped Joe off at the Hope Lodge where they are staying while Joe undergoes radiation, then we drove down to DC to spend the night.
Monday we woke up and walked to the White House for the 2010 White House Easter Egg Roll! A big thank you to TAPS for the tickets. I wore my TAPS shirt and Mary wore her daddy shirt. We had to wait in the longest line. We had to be there an hour before our appointed time, which was 11:45am. We went through security and then waited for over an hour. It was so stinking hot! Better than rain so I won't complain. Luckily they provided water, juice, and granola bars. Finally we started moving towards the White House. I had told Mary that Yo Gabba Gabba was going to be there so then she kept asking where he is. Unfortunately he started performing before we made it into the south lawn. We saw him and his "friends" leaving the stage. Oh I think he is so creepy! Mary said, "he's not creepy mom, he's a nice guy!" There were a ton of characters from Nickelodeon and PBS, like Dora, Super Why, Sid the Science Kid, Curious George, and even Clifford the Big Red Dog. I think Mary would have been content to wait in line all afternoon just to see her favorite characters. You get two hours on the lawn and there are a ton of things to do, so you have to decide what you want to do first because there is a line for everything. Right off the bat she had to have her picture taken with a penguin from Madagascar. Then we went to the Easter Egg Roll. I was determined that we should do this since it is the tradition. As we were waiting in line for the roll, we saw Michelle Obama and the girls. Even though I am not a fan, she looked great and it was exciting to see them.
On with the roll. We made it to the starting line. I videotaped the whole thing it was so hilarious. Mary was having a hard time getting the egg even in the direction of the finish line. All the other kids finished and Mary was still going. Even though she was the last one to finish, she told me she won. She is so cute!
After the roll I let her wait in the line to meet Dora. Dora was huge--and she is supposed to be a little girl. The whole character thing is so bizarre when they are supposed to be humans, yet not. Mary of course wanted to get her face painted, so we waited in that line. Next she decorated her own crown with health food option stickers. Although we did see a few cake and french fry stickers in with all the fruits and vegetables. Whoever is in charge of the stickers will probably be fired--oh wait it was all volunteer.
By the end of the crown decorating I think Mary and I were done. We were hot, tired, hungry, thirsty, and sunburned--oh wait I was the only one who was sunburned. Big surprise there. Mary planted some pumpkin seeds and then we left and waited in yet another line to receive our souvenir wooden egg signed by the Obamas. And it is hot pink--how cool is that?
It was such a great experience. It was really awesome to be part of the Easter tradition at the White House--and being at the White House on the lawn. To see the First Lady and the girls was pretty cool too. I am really thankful that we were able to do it. AND Mary had a blast, although she did ask, "Why the White House didn't have any rides?" I guess she thinks at the end of every line there should be a ride. I wonder why she would think that? Haha. She was so good all day! We walked all the way to the White House with a quick stop at Starbucks. Then she walked all the way back to the hotel. She was cracking me up when she walked on the metro vents and it blew air up her skirt. Then she just sat down at the bus stop and said she was too tired to walk any more and would wait for the next bus. I had to carry her for a bit after that.
As soon as we got in the car, Mary fell asleep. We drove back to Baltimore and picked up Joe for dinner at our favorite little Irish pub, The James Joyce. What do ya know? Our server, Petra is from Ireland. She was so kind. She asked Mary if that was her daddy on her shirt. Mary said yes and told her his name. Then she asked where he is. Mary said, "he's in heaven." At this point most people stop and don't know what to say or look to me to see if she knows what she is saying. Petra just said something like, you can talk to him whenever you like and say prayers to him and he will hear you and be with you all the time. You are never alone. It was so sweet. They were best friends after that and Mary opened up to her about her whole entire life. Petra let Mary help her serve our drinks. I was a little embarrassed when Mary upon returning from the restroom with grandma Kathy announced to the restaurant, "Mommy, I have just a little bit of diarrhea!" Oh man did she really just shout that? When do kids stop blurting things out? It's amusing and horrifying at the same time. After dinner Mary and I drove home to New Jersey. It was such a great day!
Easter morning, Mary woke up and said to her grandma Kathy, "I wonder if that rabbit is still here." She went downstairs and was super excited to see all the goodies in her Easter basket. I totally didn't charge the battery in my camera so this is the only picture I got before my camera died completely.
Then with a little help she found all the eggs. Right away she wanted to watch one of her new movies, "Cloudy With A Chance of Meatballs." That was good because we had to get going to make it to church. But of course we were late anyway--my fault.
After church we visited with Amy for a bit and then headed to Stacey and Cory's for an excellent Easter dinner. As soon as dinner was over Mary and I packed up and drove to Baltimore with my mom and Joe. We dropped Joe off at the Hope Lodge where they are staying while Joe undergoes radiation, then we drove down to DC to spend the night.
Monday we woke up and walked to the White House for the 2010 White House Easter Egg Roll! A big thank you to TAPS for the tickets. I wore my TAPS shirt and Mary wore her daddy shirt. We had to wait in the longest line. We had to be there an hour before our appointed time, which was 11:45am. We went through security and then waited for over an hour. It was so stinking hot! Better than rain so I won't complain. Luckily they provided water, juice, and granola bars. Finally we started moving towards the White House. I had told Mary that Yo Gabba Gabba was going to be there so then she kept asking where he is. Unfortunately he started performing before we made it into the south lawn. We saw him and his "friends" leaving the stage. Oh I think he is so creepy! Mary said, "he's not creepy mom, he's a nice guy!" There were a ton of characters from Nickelodeon and PBS, like Dora, Super Why, Sid the Science Kid, Curious George, and even Clifford the Big Red Dog. I think Mary would have been content to wait in line all afternoon just to see her favorite characters. You get two hours on the lawn and there are a ton of things to do, so you have to decide what you want to do first because there is a line for everything. Right off the bat she had to have her picture taken with a penguin from Madagascar. Then we went to the Easter Egg Roll. I was determined that we should do this since it is the tradition. As we were waiting in line for the roll, we saw Michelle Obama and the girls. Even though I am not a fan, she looked great and it was exciting to see them.
On with the roll. We made it to the starting line. I videotaped the whole thing it was so hilarious. Mary was having a hard time getting the egg even in the direction of the finish line. All the other kids finished and Mary was still going. Even though she was the last one to finish, she told me she won. She is so cute!
After the roll I let her wait in the line to meet Dora. Dora was huge--and she is supposed to be a little girl. The whole character thing is so bizarre when they are supposed to be humans, yet not. Mary of course wanted to get her face painted, so we waited in that line. Next she decorated her own crown with health food option stickers. Although we did see a few cake and french fry stickers in with all the fruits and vegetables. Whoever is in charge of the stickers will probably be fired--oh wait it was all volunteer.
By the end of the crown decorating I think Mary and I were done. We were hot, tired, hungry, thirsty, and sunburned--oh wait I was the only one who was sunburned. Big surprise there. Mary planted some pumpkin seeds and then we left and waited in yet another line to receive our souvenir wooden egg signed by the Obamas. And it is hot pink--how cool is that?
It was such a great experience. It was really awesome to be part of the Easter tradition at the White House--and being at the White House on the lawn. To see the First Lady and the girls was pretty cool too. I am really thankful that we were able to do it. AND Mary had a blast, although she did ask, "Why the White House didn't have any rides?" I guess she thinks at the end of every line there should be a ride. I wonder why she would think that? Haha. She was so good all day! We walked all the way to the White House with a quick stop at Starbucks. Then she walked all the way back to the hotel. She was cracking me up when she walked on the metro vents and it blew air up her skirt. Then she just sat down at the bus stop and said she was too tired to walk any more and would wait for the next bus. I had to carry her for a bit after that.
As soon as we got in the car, Mary fell asleep. We drove back to Baltimore and picked up Joe for dinner at our favorite little Irish pub, The James Joyce. What do ya know? Our server, Petra is from Ireland. She was so kind. She asked Mary if that was her daddy on her shirt. Mary said yes and told her his name. Then she asked where he is. Mary said, "he's in heaven." At this point most people stop and don't know what to say or look to me to see if she knows what she is saying. Petra just said something like, you can talk to him whenever you like and say prayers to him and he will hear you and be with you all the time. You are never alone. It was so sweet. They were best friends after that and Mary opened up to her about her whole entire life. Petra let Mary help her serve our drinks. I was a little embarrassed when Mary upon returning from the restroom with grandma Kathy announced to the restaurant, "Mommy, I have just a little bit of diarrhea!" Oh man did she really just shout that? When do kids stop blurting things out? It's amusing and horrifying at the same time. After dinner Mary and I drove home to New Jersey. It was such a great day!
Sunday, December 20, 2009
Happy Birthday Chris--Yay Snow!
Friday was Chris' Birthday, so Mary and I decided to make him a cake. Mary was super excited about it. She even told her teachers that we were making her daddy a cake. I think they were a little baffled because they asked me about it. I'm like, yeah I know he's in heaven, but we are still making him a cake and celebrating his birthday. We made chocolate because that's what Chris would have wanted and what Mary would want. Mary took care of the sprinkles--they were kind of all piled on the center of the cake. Mary wanted Jackson to come over to have cake with her, so Rachel, Jackson, Luke, and Amy joined us for cake. So here is Mary with her daddy's cake (Jackson and I don't like frosting so I left some off). It was delicious!
I was thinking back on his birthdays. The first three years of our marriage, the Lord of the Rings movies came out each year the week of Chris' birthday. So it sort of became a tradition that we would go to the movies for his birthday. The last year we were together for his birthday was 2005 and we went to King Kong with Skyler and Andrea also. Even though it was a good movie I fell asleep some way through it for a bit. I later found out I was pregnant. No wonder I fell asleep haha. The next year Chris was in Iraq.
It seems fitting then that Mary and I went to see The Princess and the Frog on Saturday for little Louise's birthday. It was a very cute movie and now Mary says, "remember the two shows? The Princess and the Frog show and the Christmas Patacular show." Chris and I always loved going to the movies and we went to a lot--I know because I still have almost all of our ticket stubs! I think we would have fun taking Mary together. Who knows he was probably sitting next to us in the theater.
Saturday morning it started snowing and I'm not sure not sure when it stopped. Sometime Sunday morning. When Mary looked out the window on Sunday morning she said, "It's so magical mom!" Of course Mary and Max wanted to go out and play.
Poor Mary. The snow was so deep she could hardly walk. But she had lots of fun. Max pranced around the back yard. He was pretty excited. He always makes himself a little nest in the snow and lays in it.
Today after school she was ready for another round in the snow. I didn't go out with her because it was cold! She was super cute. Just walking around in the snow and singing to herself.
I was thinking back on his birthdays. The first three years of our marriage, the Lord of the Rings movies came out each year the week of Chris' birthday. So it sort of became a tradition that we would go to the movies for his birthday. The last year we were together for his birthday was 2005 and we went to King Kong with Skyler and Andrea also. Even though it was a good movie I fell asleep some way through it for a bit. I later found out I was pregnant. No wonder I fell asleep haha. The next year Chris was in Iraq.
It seems fitting then that Mary and I went to see The Princess and the Frog on Saturday for little Louise's birthday. It was a very cute movie and now Mary says, "remember the two shows? The Princess and the Frog show and the Christmas Patacular show." Chris and I always loved going to the movies and we went to a lot--I know because I still have almost all of our ticket stubs! I think we would have fun taking Mary together. Who knows he was probably sitting next to us in the theater.
Saturday morning it started snowing and I'm not sure not sure when it stopped. Sometime Sunday morning. When Mary looked out the window on Sunday morning she said, "It's so magical mom!" Of course Mary and Max wanted to go out and play.
Poor Mary. The snow was so deep she could hardly walk. But she had lots of fun. Max pranced around the back yard. He was pretty excited. He always makes himself a little nest in the snow and lays in it.
Today after school she was ready for another round in the snow. I didn't go out with her because it was cold! She was super cute. Just walking around in the snow and singing to herself.
Monday, December 14, 2009
Pictures of Santa's Breakfast!
Good Morning! My friend Rayna has sent me some photos from yesterday's breakfast with Santa. These pictures are way way better than the one I posted.
Sunday, December 13, 2009
She DId It!
Okay so I haven't blogged in almost a whole year! I need to get back in the groove and get blogging! Well so today Mary finally sat on Santa's lap! She has been frightened of Santa (as most children are) since--well since I tried to put her on his lap when she was three months old. This year Mary "gets" the whole Christmas thing. Last year she was excited about decorating the tree and opening presents for a little while, but she had no concept of time and didn't really understand. I think this year she has learned a lot more about Christmas at her pre-school and from her friends there. She helped decorate the tree. It's so cute because all the non-breakable ornaments are all clumped together on the bottom half of the tree. My mom, Joe, Skyler and Christine, and Dustin were all here over Thanksgiving. We took Mary to see the Radio City Music Hall Christmas Spectacular. I was a little unsure that Mary would be able to sit for ninety minutes, but I think she was in awe and loved it! We went to a later show so I couldn't tell if she was tired or just super enthralled by it. However almost every day since we went she says, "Remember the patacular show?" It's so cute!
I have been trying to get Mary excited about sitting on Santa's lap. She told me she wants Santa to bring her a pink phone (where she came up with that, I have no idea). So I told her that she has to tell Santa what she wants. How else will he know that she wants a pink phone. So she has been psyching herself up all week. She says to me, "I am not gonna be scared of Santa" and "I am not gonna be shy anymore with Santa." Well this morning we joined the Eyerman's and the Joyce's for breakfast with Santa at the Little Silver Fire Hall. When Santa came in, Mary did shrink back a little and wanted me to hold her, especially the closer we got to Santa. Little Louise took Mary by the hand and took her up to see Santa. Louise helped Mary to be brave to see Santa. Santa asked Mary what she wanted for Christmas and Mary told him quietly a pink phone. Then she sat on his lap for the picture and for a candy cane. Here's the picture. It's not the best, but I think she was nervous. She also just drank a glass of red punch and so she has a lovely red mustache.
I have been trying to get Mary excited about sitting on Santa's lap. She told me she wants Santa to bring her a pink phone (where she came up with that, I have no idea). So I told her that she has to tell Santa what she wants. How else will he know that she wants a pink phone. So she has been psyching herself up all week. She says to me, "I am not gonna be scared of Santa" and "I am not gonna be shy anymore with Santa." Well this morning we joined the Eyerman's and the Joyce's for breakfast with Santa at the Little Silver Fire Hall. When Santa came in, Mary did shrink back a little and wanted me to hold her, especially the closer we got to Santa. Little Louise took Mary by the hand and took her up to see Santa. Louise helped Mary to be brave to see Santa. Santa asked Mary what she wanted for Christmas and Mary told him quietly a pink phone. Then she sat on his lap for the picture and for a candy cane. Here's the picture. It's not the best, but I think she was nervous. She also just drank a glass of red punch and so she has a lovely red mustache.
Sunday, December 21, 2008
Snowball Express 2008
Mary and I just spent the week doing Snowball Express 2008. Snowball is an organization that gives hope to children of America's fallen heroes. They are amazing!!! Please visit their website: http://www.snowballexpress.com/ It was such a fantastic experience. I am still in awe. It is not only awesome to get together with other families, but it is nice to see that there are still so many people in this country that care about us and the heroes we have lost. It is a time where the kids can get together and just have fun.
Day 1
On Tuesday, Mary and I had to catch our shuttle to JFK at 4:45 am! Those of you who know me know that I am not a morning person. I couldn't sleep at all because of the fear that I would oversleep and I had to get up at 3:30am anyway. Thank God for Stacey who drove us to the shuttle and helped me get ready. Hopefully she was able to get caught up on some sleep. When we got to the airport, American Airlines had a special check-in area just for Snowball passengers. Then a very nice soldier escorted us to security, and then from security to where the Snowball passengers were gathering. They had a little breakfast buffet and goody bags for kids and moms. The goody bags contained things that would be good for in-flight entertainment, such as coloring books and crayons for the little guys and puzzles for the moms. (I wish I hadn't packed so much entertaining stuff for Mary in our carry-ons, but I had no idea what to expect). Then we were escorted to our gate and onto the plane, which was only for Snowball families. We stopped at Dulles and again in Nashville to pick up more families. Did I mention that Andy the Bacheleor and Tony Orlando were on the plane with us?
While we were stopped at Dulles, one of the flight attendants asked Mary to come help her decorate the plane. So Mary taped up some garland along the wall of the airplane. Then she made friends with some little girls sitting near us. They found a hiding place behind a curtain near the galley. I think Mary was the boss--dictating who could come in and when.
While we were stopped at Nashville, a Ladies Auxilery and Mickey Mouse came on board to greet the children and bring more goody bags. As we backed away from the terminal the Patriot Guard lined up outside to see us off as well as several American Airlines employees. (All of the Flight Attendents and Pilots donated their own time to do this and the jet fuel was donated by BP). As we turned onto the runway, the firetrucks did a water salute.
This was the greatest flight I have ever been on! However Mary will probably never be a good flier again. The seatbelt rules went out the windows and the kids were up and down the ailes playing with eachother. Tony Orlando sang over the intercom and the kids danced and sang Christmas Carols. The children helped the flight attendants: walking down the ailes offering on their trays; candy, cookies, fruit, and cheese and crackers. The supply of food and beverages was never-ending.
We finally made it to LAX. As we walked into the terminal there were hundreds of people there to clap, cheer, and give us their support. It was amazing. I don't think there were too many dry eyes in the terminal--except the kids who were super excited. Even the TSA agents sang Amazing Grace.
The buses took us to Anaheim and thankfully Mary slept all the way. We checked in and headed straight to dinner at the Hilton across the street. Our dinner entertainment was Terry Factor, a ventriliquist. He was amazing! Most people can't sing that good with their lips moving! Mary thought he was hilarious. I am sure she will very much enjoy the Terry Factor DVD she received.
Day 2
Wednesday when we woke up, it was pouring down rain and it looked completely miserable. We boarded the buses to go to Universal Studios. When we arrived the Patriot Guard lined the entrance with their flags. Those guys are awesome. Even in the pouring rain, they stood at attention to support all of us. When we got off the bus they handed us much needed ponchos. I put one on Mary and I also put the rain cover on her stroller. We were all quite a sight.
They hearded us all down to the center of the Universal Walk. I found Eileen and Krista and their kids--Yay! There was a quick speech and then we went into the park. The first "ride" we did was Shrek 4D. I wasn't sure how Mary would do. I have heard some parents say that 3d can be really frightening for toddlers. Although Mary is always fascinated by what frightens her. I don't know if that is good or bad. But she sat through Shrek and I think she was just in awe. Either that or she was just so glad to be out of her stroller and out of the rain? Next we did the Studio Backlot tram ride. We were the last ones on the tram were the wettest seats. So needless to say, we got pretty wet. I don't think Mary was interested in the tram ride at all. Obviously she doesn't know the movies or tv shows and I think it was hard for her to see. I thought it was interesting. I thought the falling bridge and the Jaws bit were incredibly lame and I can't believe how much they frightened me when I was a child.
Next we headed to the tent set up for Snowball Express. The kids got their faces painted and some giant cookies to decorate. Then Eileen and I took the kids to lunch at the Hard Rock (which Mary slept through) and then we decided to just head back to the hotel. It was just too miserable and I think we were all exhausted after our travels from the day before. I thought Mary would fall asleep on the bus, but instead her an Jolie (Eileen's daughter) laughed and played the entire drive. They were really cute.
Mary and I took naps and then we went out to dinner with grandma Teresa and aunt Susan. We went to the Cheesecake Factory and had a great visit. I think Mary was very pleased with the Disney Princess things that her grandma brought her.
Day 3
Thursday was the day that I was most excited for--Disneyland!!! So Mary and I hopped on the bus to Disneyland. Luckily it was not raining, although it was a little chilly for southern California. After entering the park we saw Mickey and Pluto. Mary didn't want to see them close up and was content to watch from a distance--thankfully because there was a very long line to greet them. We headed to Fantasyland first and did the carasel--Mary's favorite. Then we rode every ride in Fantasyland except the teacups. It's a Small World was all decked out for Christmas and singing Jingle Bells. I couldn't believe there was actually a line for it. After that I saw that we were right by the Princess Village so I thought we could go see what was going on. We ate lunch there and saw Cinderella read the story of her life. How enchanting. Then Mary and I got our faces painted and I had Mary's hair done up like a princess. She looked so adorable!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I wish she would let me do her hair at home. The girl who did her hair was amazed when I told her that she usually throws a huge tantrum when I come near her hair because she sat so good for her.
Day 1
On Tuesday, Mary and I had to catch our shuttle to JFK at 4:45 am! Those of you who know me know that I am not a morning person. I couldn't sleep at all because of the fear that I would oversleep and I had to get up at 3:30am anyway. Thank God for Stacey who drove us to the shuttle and helped me get ready. Hopefully she was able to get caught up on some sleep. When we got to the airport, American Airlines had a special check-in area just for Snowball passengers. Then a very nice soldier escorted us to security, and then from security to where the Snowball passengers were gathering. They had a little breakfast buffet and goody bags for kids and moms. The goody bags contained things that would be good for in-flight entertainment, such as coloring books and crayons for the little guys and puzzles for the moms. (I wish I hadn't packed so much entertaining stuff for Mary in our carry-ons, but I had no idea what to expect). Then we were escorted to our gate and onto the plane, which was only for Snowball families. We stopped at Dulles and again in Nashville to pick up more families. Did I mention that Andy the Bacheleor and Tony Orlando were on the plane with us?
While we were stopped at Dulles, one of the flight attendants asked Mary to come help her decorate the plane. So Mary taped up some garland along the wall of the airplane. Then she made friends with some little girls sitting near us. They found a hiding place behind a curtain near the galley. I think Mary was the boss--dictating who could come in and when.
While we were stopped at Nashville, a Ladies Auxilery and Mickey Mouse came on board to greet the children and bring more goody bags. As we backed away from the terminal the Patriot Guard lined up outside to see us off as well as several American Airlines employees. (All of the Flight Attendents and Pilots donated their own time to do this and the jet fuel was donated by BP). As we turned onto the runway, the firetrucks did a water salute.
This was the greatest flight I have ever been on! However Mary will probably never be a good flier again. The seatbelt rules went out the windows and the kids were up and down the ailes playing with eachother. Tony Orlando sang over the intercom and the kids danced and sang Christmas Carols. The children helped the flight attendants: walking down the ailes offering on their trays; candy, cookies, fruit, and cheese and crackers. The supply of food and beverages was never-ending.
We finally made it to LAX. As we walked into the terminal there were hundreds of people there to clap, cheer, and give us their support. It was amazing. I don't think there were too many dry eyes in the terminal--except the kids who were super excited. Even the TSA agents sang Amazing Grace.
The buses took us to Anaheim and thankfully Mary slept all the way. We checked in and headed straight to dinner at the Hilton across the street. Our dinner entertainment was Terry Factor, a ventriliquist. He was amazing! Most people can't sing that good with their lips moving! Mary thought he was hilarious. I am sure she will very much enjoy the Terry Factor DVD she received.
Day 2
Wednesday when we woke up, it was pouring down rain and it looked completely miserable. We boarded the buses to go to Universal Studios. When we arrived the Patriot Guard lined the entrance with their flags. Those guys are awesome. Even in the pouring rain, they stood at attention to support all of us. When we got off the bus they handed us much needed ponchos. I put one on Mary and I also put the rain cover on her stroller. We were all quite a sight.
They hearded us all down to the center of the Universal Walk. I found Eileen and Krista and their kids--Yay! There was a quick speech and then we went into the park. The first "ride" we did was Shrek 4D. I wasn't sure how Mary would do. I have heard some parents say that 3d can be really frightening for toddlers. Although Mary is always fascinated by what frightens her. I don't know if that is good or bad. But she sat through Shrek and I think she was just in awe. Either that or she was just so glad to be out of her stroller and out of the rain? Next we did the Studio Backlot tram ride. We were the last ones on the tram were the wettest seats. So needless to say, we got pretty wet. I don't think Mary was interested in the tram ride at all. Obviously she doesn't know the movies or tv shows and I think it was hard for her to see. I thought it was interesting. I thought the falling bridge and the Jaws bit were incredibly lame and I can't believe how much they frightened me when I was a child.
Next we headed to the tent set up for Snowball Express. The kids got their faces painted and some giant cookies to decorate. Then Eileen and I took the kids to lunch at the Hard Rock (which Mary slept through) and then we decided to just head back to the hotel. It was just too miserable and I think we were all exhausted after our travels from the day before. I thought Mary would fall asleep on the bus, but instead her an Jolie (Eileen's daughter) laughed and played the entire drive. They were really cute.
Mary and I took naps and then we went out to dinner with grandma Teresa and aunt Susan. We went to the Cheesecake Factory and had a great visit. I think Mary was very pleased with the Disney Princess things that her grandma brought her.
Day 3
Thursday was the day that I was most excited for--Disneyland!!! So Mary and I hopped on the bus to Disneyland. Luckily it was not raining, although it was a little chilly for southern California. After entering the park we saw Mickey and Pluto. Mary didn't want to see them close up and was content to watch from a distance--thankfully because there was a very long line to greet them. We headed to Fantasyland first and did the carasel--Mary's favorite. Then we rode every ride in Fantasyland except the teacups. It's a Small World was all decked out for Christmas and singing Jingle Bells. I couldn't believe there was actually a line for it. After that I saw that we were right by the Princess Village so I thought we could go see what was going on. We ate lunch there and saw Cinderella read the story of her life. How enchanting. Then Mary and I got our faces painted and I had Mary's hair done up like a princess. She looked so adorable!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I wish she would let me do her hair at home. The girl who did her hair was amazed when I told her that she usually throws a huge tantrum when I come near her hair because she sat so good for her.
After our make overs we went to Tomorrowland. We did Autopia first and I let Mary drive. She was pretty excited but then we kept hitting the divider in the middle. That just made her laugh even more. Then we waited in line for the Nemo ride. It was actually pretty cool. I think Mary really liked it. Then I put her in her stroller and we strolled over to Adventureland. I was hoping she might fall asleep for a bit since it was way past naptime, but she was just way to excited about everything. There was no line at the Tiki Room and we went right in. Wouldn't you know it--she fell asleep. I thought I could just put her in the stroller and she would continue sleeping. Nope she was ready to go as soon as we got in the stroller. I even walked for a while to get her to sleep, but she wanted to go on another ride. We got in line for the Pirates of the Carribbean, one of my favorites. She was pretty thrilled with the drops. I thought that would scare her but she just giggled. Too bad she isn't tall enough for Splash Mountain! (It was way too cold to attempt that ride even if she was tall enough). After Pirates we got some dinner and then waited in line for the Haunted Mansion. The line was super long and I really hate when it has The Nightmare Before Christmas theme. I thought that might be the last ride for us since it was getting late, but I didn't want Mary to have this image of The Haunted Mansion/Nightmare Before Christmas running in head the rest of the night, so we went on the Winnie the Pooh ride, which is very sweet. As we walked by the Tarzan Treehouse (formerly the Swiss Family Robinson Treehouse) I asked Mary if she wanted to go up and check it out, but she said no. She was tuckered out and fell asleep right after that. I picked up some souviners and we went back to the hotel. It was such a fun day. Mary and I spent good quality time together because for the entire day she had my complete attention and we just had such a blast together.
Day 4
On Friday, Mary and I met up with Eileen and her kids again. Everyone lined up in front of our hotel for the "Walk of Gratitude." Hundreds of people came out to cheer for us as we walked to the Anaheim Convention Center. It was so amazing! People held signs that said things like, "Your daddy is my hero" and waved flags. The day at the convention center was sponsored by Oakley. There were so many things for the kids to do and lots of giveaways too. Also there to support the children was Stephen Spielberg, Jack Nicholson, Eric McCormack, and various actors from the Pirates of the Carribbean movies. Mary caught side of the bouncy houses and wanted to go bounce or "bouncth" as she says. Tina volunteered to take her over there so I could wait in line for some of the giveaways. There was so much to do even besides the bouncy houses: there was a giant bike/bmx half pipe, lots of face painting and makeup, the reptile people were there (I averted my eyes), an aquarium on wheels, live bands, a dj, balloon people, and other things we didn't even get to. The ghostbusters and Captain Jack Sparrow and his crew were there (not the real actors). It was just an awesome event. Mary also like all the therapy dogs that were there, but they were all little dogs and she was kind of treating them like big "Max" dogs. Mary had fun once again with Jolie and she especially liked the bouncy obstacle course. No one thought she would be able to do it because she is so little, but she really showed them. The only problem was she didn't want to wait in line. Finally we went back to the hotel so Mary could nap.
That evening there was a farewell dinner. Gary Sinise made an appearance and the entertainment was The Cactus Cuties. They were these cute girls from Texas who sang lots of Christmas songs. They were pretty good. Mary was enthralled by them and danced and clapped. (http://www.thecactuscuties.com/)
Then it was all over. It was so sad saying goodbye to all our friends because we don't get to see them too often. I love these girls because they are going through what we are going through. Our common experience of losing our husbands in war gives us a very special bond. As usual Mary wouldn't say goodbye. Neither of us wanted to say goodbye. It was such an amazing week and experience. I am so thankful for Snowball Express. I hope we will be able to do it again next year.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)