NH Mommy of 3

Epcot - Thursday

2011-04-28T16:12:00.000-04:00

Today we went to Epcot on our own. It was the first time that we visited a Disney park by ourselves and also the first time that Rich and the kids had been to Epcot. It was another unbearably hot day but we made the most of it.

Tinkerbelle is Kathryn’s favorite character. She has been obsessed with her since she was 2 (5 years and counting!). The girls informed me prior to the trip that they were too old to dress in Princess costumes this trip but Kathryn still wanted to look like Tinkerbelle. We found her a new shirt (she already has about 8 Tink shirts) and experimented until we figured out how to do ‘tink hair’.

We rode a few rides and then headed out to find Tink. It turns out that she is only available for meet and greets for a very short period of time. We got into line at 9:40 for an 11 meeting. After 2 more people got in line behind us they closed the line and said from that time, people could line up for the 1pm meet! They only allowed about 20 people in each line too! For any other character, I would have convinced the kids to skip it but knowing how special Tink is to Kath, we waited. I sent Rich, Lauren and Zack off to do something else and they came back about an hour later. It was hot in that line!

Kathryn was a great sport and soon it was our turn. It was well worth the wait because we got nearly 10 minutes one-on-one with Tinkerbelle! She talked about her fairy friends, and ‘Tinkered’ around the forest.

As we left that area, I pulled Kathryn aside and with tears in my eyes I asked her if she enjoyed her special time with Tinkerbelle. At this point big, fat happy tears started to fall. I went on to talk about how special Tink is to her and how exciting this moment was for me to watch blah, blah, blah. By now, I was really crying. I gave her a hug and asked her if this was the most special moment to date in her life. She shrugged and said “yeah, it was cool”. I can’t believe what a dork I was. LOL

Zack and I found a spot in the shade while Rich and the girls rode Test Track. He was quite entertained with the Pez that I had packed.

We cooled off in the sprinklers before heading to Mexico for lunch.

In Japan, Lauren did ‘pick a pearl’ and got a gorgeous gray pearl.

In Morocco we cooled off with a delicious slush.

In France, I treated myself to a Gran Marnier Lemonade Slush. It was FANTASTIC!

The kids loved Epcot and they can’t wait to go back and see more!

Magic Kingdom Wednesday

2011-04-27T15:29:00.000-04:00

Wednesday was another day at the Magic Kingdom. We were up early and arrived at the park about 10 minutes after rope drop. We had to wait for the rest of the family to arrive so we checked out the new Mickey and Minnie meet and greet at Exposition Hall. They offer fast passes but since it was so early there was only a 5 minute wait. The magic theme is awesome and we loves the special time that we got to spend with the Big Mouse!

From there we went back to the front and go in line to meet the Princesses. Once again, only a 5 minute wait! Zack loved Belle and didn’t want to stop hugging her.

From there we headed down Main St.

We came upon the Mayor of Main St. and we was a wonderfully kind man who talked with us for quite a while.

We met up with our family member at the castle and got a wonderful picture on our matching shirts.

I don’t think that I showed the shirts yet, did I? My family is not a matchy-matchy kind of group but I wanted special shirts for one day and they all agreed. I think that they came out great, what do you think? I had at least 6 people stop me that day and ask me where we got the shirts so that they could buy their own. My family joked that I should made handed out business cards. LOL

Here are close-ups of the front and backs.

We spent the morning riding rides. Despite being one of the busiest times of the year we really didn’t wait in many lines. We planned the days loosely with a touring plan, we arrived at the parks right when they opened and we relied heavily on fast passes. I think that the longest line all week was no more than 15 minutes!!!!

We left the park after the 3pm parade to get out of the heat. We swam in our pool for a few hours and then went back at night.We stayed until closing!

Lauren really wanted a hair wrap so she used her money to buy it for herself. Kathryn tried on more hats while we waited! LOL

We managed to get an amazing spot for the light show on the castle as well as the fireworks. We bought the kids each a Mickey ice cream bar but since it was still in the upper 90’s they melted faster than they could eat them. Thank goodness for baby wipes! LOL

We left the park at about 11:30. Lauren and Kathryn were both pooped and begged to ride in the stroller. They both promptly fell asleep. Notice their 3year old brother walking out while his big sisters slept!

Magic Kingdom – Tuesday Night

2011-04-26T23:10:00.000-04:00

After the performance we were all really hot. We spent a few hours in the pool and then we felt so much better. We had planned to head into the park that night but Zack and Kathryn were tired so they stayed at the house with the Keevers. It was a lot of fun to head into the park with just Lauren.

Riding the tram from the parking lot.

On the Monorail

Lauren can’t resist hula hoops

On Aladdin’s Magic Carpets with Grandpa

We climbed to the top of the Swiss Family Robinson Treehouse just as the sun was setting and we got the most amazing view of the castle.

We rode a few more rides before ending our day with the Electrical Parade.

Lauren was exhausted after a long day.

Lauren’s Dance

2011-04-26T14:46:00.001-04:00

I dropped Lauren off in her dance uniform and then I headed to the stage to get a front row spot.

Despite a temperature of 101 at performance time, these 8-9 year old girls did amazing!!!

Here is a video that I took of the performance. Lauren is the little one with the long dark ponytail.

Tuesday Morning at Magic Kingdom

2011-04-26T12:36:00.000-04:00

The whole reason for this trip to Disney was so that Lauren could perform with her dance studio. Tuesday was dance day so Lauren and I stayed at the house to get ready while everyone else spent the morning at Magic Kingdom.

It was Zack’s first time to a Disney park and he was so excited when he spotted the castle for the first time.

They went on a few rides before joining us at Downtown Disney for Lauren’s dance

Jungle Cruise

Splash Mountain

Haunted Mansion

Tom Sawyer Island

It’s A Small World

Monday Afternoon – Downtown Disney

2011-04-25T23:18:00.001-04:00

After a brief trip home to change we headed to Downtown Disney for the afternoon. Our first stop was at the newly reopened Lego store.   I am not sure who had more fun building a race car; the adults of the kids. lol



It was getting hot so we headed over to the sprinkler area so that the kids could cool off.

Ellie looked hot so I offered to bring her in too – I think that she loved it.

We poked around the shops for a bit and posed for lots of pictures.

We headed over to T-Rex for dinner. It was a very cool restaurant – similar to Rainforest Cafe (but with better food).


We finished the day with a swim in the pool. If you look close you can see Lauren in mid-air doing a cannonball.

Breakfast With Chef Mickey

2011-04-25T12:27:00.000-04:00

From all of my planning, I knew that Easter and the days before and after are some of the busiest days all year at Disney. In order to avoid the crowds we decided not to hit the parks until later in the week.

We spent our first full day with a late breakfast at Chef Mickey’s at the Contemporary Resort.

There is just something so magical about seeing this sign for the first time.

Actually, it never got old. I got goosebumps every time I drove under it all week.

Modeling their custom made t-shirts, sandals and hair bows.

Being silly at the gift shop

Posing with the cousins.

Breakfast

Ellie loved the Mickey Mouse waffles – I think that she had about 4!

After breakfast, we walked around the Contemporary.

It was starting to get hot so we decided to head home for a few minutes before heading over to Downtown Disney for the afternoon.

Lauren was like a little mother hen heading the boys to the parking lot.

The Surprise

2011-04-24T22:43:00.010-04:00

While we were driving down to Kissimmee, my sister and brother in law were surprising their kids with a trip to Disney. They got on the plane just a few hours after the surprise. There is a video clip on my facebook page but i can't seem to link it here.

The girls had overheard a few of my phone conversations with my sister over the past few weeks and they were suspicious. Lauren had even asked me point blank if they were coming on vacation with us on 2 different occasions. I was able to quickly change the subject both times.
By the time we arrived in Florida they had all but forgotten what they had overheard.
We were all hanging out by the pool when my father left to go pick up my brother and his fiancée from the airport. The kids heard the car pull into the driveway when they returned and they ran out to greet my brother. I hadn’t made it to the front door yet but Lauren poked her head back in the front door and said “I think that I see Uncle Chris in the car”. I said “No silly, Grampa went to pick up Uncle John”. Watch the video to see their reaction.

We went back in the pool for another swim and had a nice BBQ before getting the kids into bed.

Our Arrival

2011-04-24T10:09:00.000-04:00

It was about 12:00 on Easter Sunday when we arrived in Kissimmee. We went through a drive through to grab lunch for the kids so that they would give us a few minutes to unpack in peace. We decided to try something different this trip and we rented a house instead of staying in hotel rooms.

We pulled into the driveway and saw our home for the next week. My kids loved that the house was pink.

We were the first ones to arrive. We had already decided that we wouldn’t lay claim to any of the bedrooms until everyone arrived that evening. That was all fine until we entered the house and found a door that said:

We opened the door and they squealed, ran in the room and claimed beds. So much for waiting for everyone else to arrive. lol

Then we went across the hall to “The Pirate Room”.

The dining room

The Living Room

My bedroom

My sisters room

The Master Suite

We had just started to bring our stuff in when the doorbell rang. The kids flew to the door and were so excited to see their Grandparents.

We went through the kitchen and out the back door. The kids were thrilled at what they found

The tour ended in what used to be a 2 car garage – it had been converted to a game room.

We spent the afternoon swimming, relaxing and unpacking. My kids had no idea what surprise we had in store for them……

Easter Sunday – The Rest Of The Trip Down

2011-04-24T06:36:00.000-04:00

Predictably, I was the first one awake the next morning. Ugh, I hate never being able to sleep. The kids woke up just after I did and they were so excited to see that the Easter Bunny had in fact tracked them down despite not being at home.

That smart Easter Bunny brought them things that they could use on our trip like flip flops, sunglasses, new movies for the ride home and light up Disney necklaces. Is that a smart bunny or what?

We didn’t stick around long and we cleaned up, packed up, ate up and hit the road before 8:30AM.

The 3.5 hours to Orlando flew by. We stopped once for coffee and another time for gas but otherwise it was a straight shot down 95.

Just as we passed this sign:

Lauren piped up from the backseat. She said “from now on, when we go to Florida, can we drive EVERY time because it is so much more interesting to drive then it is to fly”. I have lost track of how many times I have told this story since we have returned home but I give myself a little pat on the back every time I tell it. This made all of the hours that I spent planning the drive worth it.

The Stats: (we started on a near empty tank)

Location	Amount of Gas	Cost
Derry NH	18.5 gallons	$70.00
New Jersey	17 gallons	$63.00
VA	13.5 gallons	$50.00
South Carolina	19.99 gallons	$72.75
Florida	18.5 gallons	$70.00

19 hours of driving on Saturday

3.5 hours of driving on Sunday

1300 miles total

Hit The Road Zack…..(and Lauren and Kathryn too) Day 1 of our Disney Adventure

2011-04-23T10:05:00.000-04:00

You have to look REALLY close but if you squint you can make out the time in this picture. It read 3:15.

3:15AM that is.

This is the time that we got on the highway after stopping to gas up and get coffee.

The plan was for everyone in the house to go to bed when the kids did at 7:30 so that we could hit the road in the middle of the night. It took me a bit longer to fall asleep but I was out before 9:30. The alarm clock went off at 2:30AM and Rich and I showered and got dressed. At 3 we planned to carry the sleeping kids into the car where they would continue to sleep until a respectable hour like 8AM. well, apparently we forgot to let the kids in on that part of the plan. They woke up when we entered their rooms and all 3 were wide awake and excited for the trip ahead.

Kathryn and Zack sat in the middle row of the van as Lauren had requested to sit in the back by herself. When the kids got into the car I surprised them with travel pillows for their necks and snuggies to keep them warm during the ride. At this point they still didn’t know about the surprises in the tote bags. They all stayed awake for a good 45 minutes or so until Zack and Lauren drifted back to sleep. This was right around the same time that rich got really sleepy so I took over the driving and he went to sleep too. Kathryn stayed awake with me, in fact she was awake the entire day.

Kathryn and Zack as we pulled out of the driveway

We made great time since it was the middle of the night and we hit no traffic despite being the day before Easter. Rich and I lived in Northern VA for a few years around the time that we got married and we still have family there. We have done the trip from New England to VA so many times that we knew that we wanted to avoid Rte 95. We planned out an alternate route that added a bit of time to the trip but it eliminated nearly all of the tolls, gave us much better scenery and ensured that we wouldn’t hit any traffic.

I had breakfast packed so we enjoyed muffins, juice and fruit once everyone was up for the day. With the exception of bathroom breaks we didn’t stop until lunchtime. We stopped just south of Winchester VA just long enough to grab sandwiches for Rich and I am hit a drive though for happy meals for the kids. They changed out of their pj’s at this time too. The kids were doing so well in the car that we decided to eat lunch in the car so that we could continue driving. The next day was Easter and none of us wanted to spend the Easter in the car.

Zack fell asleep mid snack in the afternoon

We grabbed an equally fast dinner in South Carolina and kept driving. The kids were total rock stars the entire day. I purchased a new DVD player for the trip and they only watched 2 movies the entire day. The girls had their DSi’s but they never played them. The LOVED the contents of their tote bags and their binders. We listened to the Disney CD’s that I made so many times that I lost count and I enjoyed them as much as they did. Rich was a great sport about it too.

As I mentioned, electronics weren’t really needed on the way down. The biggest hit was the pipe cleaners which became hats, stick figures, swords and animals and the license plate game. Rich and I got really into playing the license plate game even when the kids were sleeping. By the time that we returned home we had found 47 out of 50 plates!!!! We couldn’t find Montana, North Dakota and Hawaii for what it’s worth.

At this point, Rich and I had a big decision to make. In planning I had made a hotel reservation for us for that evening and we had until 6:30 to cancel it. We had 3 choices, keep the reservation and continue driving until we made it to Georgia, stop before that time but have more driving to do the next day or really push ourselves and drive all the way to Kissimmee that night which would put us there around 1:15AM. We were feeling great at that point and we really felt like we would be ok to complete the trip but we wanted to be safe so we kept our reservation and stopped for the night. We arrived in Brunswick Georgia around 10pm and once again all 3 kids foiled my plans by being wide awake. We put them to bed while I took a shower (why is it that you always feel so dirty after a day of traveling???) and prayed that they would be asleep by the time that I was done.

Thankfully they were so that the Easter Bunny could pay a visit.

I finally fell asleep after a long 22 hour day. To be continued…..

Disney Music

2011-04-22T10:38:00.000-04:00

My kids are obsessed with music. They love to dance and they love to sing. The girls each have MP3 players and I took them and loaded them up with their favorite music. I am really excited about this last little thing that I prepared for the trip. I made them CD’s and songbooks with all of the lyrics to all of the classic Disney songs that they will hear around the parks and on rides. They know almost all of these songs already as we have several Disney CD’s but I put these on one CD so that they can either listen to it on the DVD/CD player or we can all listen to it as a family. They are going to be really excited about having the lyrics in front of them so that they can sing along. I also made ones for my nephews (who are joining us but sssshhhhhh, that’s a surprise too).

Here is the playlist:

A Whole New World
From "Aladdin"
Zip-A-Dee-Doo-Dah
From "Song of the South"
Heigh-Ho
From "Snow White and the seven dwarfs"
Be Our Guest
From "Beauty and the Beast"
Beauty and the Beast
From "Beauty and the Beast"
Bibidi-bobidi-boo
From "Cinderella"
The Bare Necessities
From "The Jungle Book"
I just can't wait to be King
From "The Lion King"
Hakuna Matata
From "The Lion King"
Under The Sea
From "The Little Mermaid"
Part of your world
From "The Little Mermaid"
Kiss the Girl
From "The Little Mermaid"
Poor Unfortunate Souls
From "The Little Mermaid"
Woody's Roundup
From "Toy Story 2"
You've Got a Friend in Me
From "Toy Story"
A Spoonful of Sugar
From "Mary Poppins"
Supercalifragilisticexpialdocious
From "Mary Poppins"
Let's Go Fly a Kite
From "Mary Poppins"
You Can Fly!
From "Peter Pan"
Following the Leader
From "Peter Pan"
I've got no Strings
From "Pinocchio"
When You Wish Upon a Star
From "Pinocchio"
Winnie the Pooh
It's a Pirates Life for Me (from Pirates of the Caribbean ride)
It's a Small World

Everybody's Got A laughing Place (from Splash Mountain ride)

Tiki Room

Mickey Mouse Clubhouse Song

Wish us luck, we leave at 3AM tomorrow morning!!!

Preparing for a LONG car trip

2011-04-21T10:16:00.000-04:00

Have I mentioned that we are driving to Disney? It is 22 hours each way. Now that we are in the final countdown I am starting to have nightmares about the drive. My kids have never been in the car for long than 10 hours and even that was rough. In an effort to make the trip as pleasant as possible I have spent a lot of time coming up with activities for the kids.

I made binders for the girls. Inside there is a travel activity book with puzzles, word games, coloring pages, the license plate game and more. There is also a travel journal with journal prompts for each day of the trip.

These binders will be in a tote bag that I have packed for each kid. In addition to the binders, the tote bags are packed with fun little trinkets. Some of the things in the bags, costume jewelry, plastic army men, word search books, coloring books, washable markers, pipe cleaners, color by number pictures, little flashlights, clipboards, dry erase boards (my kids LOVE these), stickers and little craft kits. I am also putting their DS’s in there (leapster for the little guy). We also have a DVD player for the car and a few new movies.

I have one other little ‘gift’ for the kids for the car ride that I made. Stayed tuned until tomorrow to see what it is.

Vacation Planner

2011-04-20T09:42:00.000-04:00

I admit it, I LOVE Disney. I also love vacation planning. I have been working on this trip for months already. Yep, I have issues. lol At least I know that I am in good company here.

Here is the Disney vacation planner that I made. I have been making lists, printing out planning guides, reading and making touring plans etc and placing them all in here.

End of an Era

2011-04-19T11:30:00.000-04:00

Rich said goodbye to his 2 trucks yesterday. It was time but still a sad day for 2 cars who have served him well.

More Disney Stuff

2011-04-18T09:34:00.000-04:00

Today I completed bags for the kids. I bought all of the supplies to make my own cinch backpacks but time has gotten away from me. Instead I put the kids names on store bought bags. The kids haven’t seen these yet, I plan to fill them with sunglasses, mist bottles and other stuff and surprise them with them on our first day to the parks.

Disney Dance Shirts

2011-04-17T09:17:00.000-04:00

I incorporated the Dance School logo into a Mickey mouse head for a really neat logo. Today I ironed them onto shirts for Lauren and her dance teacher.

Skating Princess

2011-04-16T11:06:00.000-04:00

Kathryn attended a birthday party at a roller skating rink today. She had never been on roller skates before and had a tough time at first. She wanted me to skate with her but all I could think of was me trying to drive to Florida next week in a full body cast. By the end of the party she was doing great!

Glitter Shirts

2011-04-15T10:43:00.000-04:00

Here is one of the shirts that I have been working on. This was still in process but I don’t want to show the final results until the girls are wearing them.

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I can post a tutorial on how to make the glitter stencil shirts if anyone is interested.

Sneak Peak

2011-04-14T09:00:00.000-04:00

Today I worked on shirts for Disney. Here is a sneak peak of the still unfinished shirt that I am working on for the girls. I made a template by cutting out a Mickey head with my cricut and then I used it as a stencil. Watch for the finished product!

Disney Hair Bows

2011-04-13T09:15:00.000-04:00

Ok, we weren’t quite done with hair bows. I have plans to make matching shirts for the girls to wear on our Disney trip. Today I made them all matching hair bows.

Got Hair Bows?

2011-04-12T09:12:00.000-04:00

I mentioned that Kathryn and I have been making a ton of hair bows and clips, we are still at it. I went through their summer clothes and made some that will match the clothes we are bringing to FL.

Tinkerbell inspired flower complete with glitter (didn’t photograph great but it’s there)

Here are the flowers that we put together before attaching them to clips and barrettes.

These have been a lot of fun but we are done with hair bows now. These should last us a good long time (even if my girls are always losing them)

First Bike Ride of The Season

2011-04-10T10:54:00.000-04:00

We hit the local bike trail today for our first bike ride of the season. The bike trail is an old railroad track and the parking lot is an old train depot. My kids love to play on the caboose that they left here.

More Disney prep

2011-04-03T10:58:00.001-04:00

The girls and I are busy crafting for our Disney trip at the end of the month. We saw these beads at the craft store and Lauren thinks that they look like Mickey heads – what do you think? We made bracelets for the 3 of us.

Say It Aint Snow!

2011-04-01T10:17:00.000-04:00

I’m was hoping that the forecast was just an April Fool’s Day joke but the joke was on us. Thankfully it melted the same day.

2011-03-25T08:45:00.000-04:00

My goal this year was to take at least 1 photo a day, every day of 2011. I made it until today. The winter is just dragging on and I am loosing steam. I am going to continue with this challenge of capturing the year in photos as often as possible.

Will It Ever Melt?

2011-03-24T10:50:00.000-04:00

We have had some nice, warm days lately but not warm enough to melt what was a huge pile of snow in the backyard. Zack doesn’t mind though – he is the one person in New Hampshire who isn’t sick of shoveling snow.

A Rare Lazy Morning

2011-03-23T10:21:00.000-04:00

Zack has a new favorite show.

Jake and The Never Land Pirates started a few weeks ago on The Disney channel. He is already obsessed. He is not alone from what I have heard from parents of other kids his age.

Sandbox Fun

2011-03-22T10:25:00.000-04:00

With the ground finally thawed Zack has returned to the sand box. He loves digging in the sand and 90% of the time he is on the school playground he is playing in the sand.

He was so proud of his latest creation.

2011-03-21T10:14:00.000-04:00

Kathryn and I have been busy making new barrettes for her hair. We went through my scrapbooking supplies and found some pretty flowers. A few minutes with the hot glue gun and we had dozens of new barrettes and clips. Here are just a few of the ones we made:

Maple Syrup Weekend

2011-03-20T09:58:00.000-04:00

I love that living in new England allows us to have 4 distinct seasons. I can honestly say that I love each one. Yup, I even love winter. I love winter until late February/Early March. By that time I am done. The beautiful winter snow has turned to a nasty icy brown mixture. The one great thing about this time of year though is that it makes the sap start flowing out of the maples trees which means maple syrup! We have attended Maple Syrup weekend events for the past few years. This year we found the cutest little place to go.

Rich and the girls are very interested in the process. Zack was most interested in the free samples. lol

Friends

2011-03-19T10:10:00.000-04:00

Lauren has a wonderful group of friends. She has known these sweet girls since they were 3 years old. They no longer attend the same schools but they still are all in the same dance class. The best part of their friendship is that these girls have WONDEFUL Moms and I really enjoy their company. One of Lauren’s close friends had her birthday party at the dance studio – we LOVE dance parties!

Monkey Bread

2011-03-18T09:47:00.000-04:00

I wanted to make a yummy treat for the girls as an afterschool snack. If you are a couponer like I am, you likely have a lot of (free!) cans of biscuits in your fridge. I timed it just right so that they came out of the oven about 10 minutes before the girls got off the bus. The house smelled incredible when we walked in from the bus stop.

Monkey Bread

Ingredients:

1/2 cup granulated sugar

1 teaspoon cinnamon

2 cans (16.3 oz each) refrigerated buttermilk biscuits or 4 mini cans of biscuits

1 cup diced apple, if desired (i made mine with apples but no nuts or raisins)

1/2 cup chopped walnuts, if desired

1/2 cup raisins, if desired

1 cup firmly packed brown sugar

3/4 cup butter or margarine, melted

Directions:

Heat oven to 350°F. Lightly grease 12-cup fluted tube pan with shortening or cooking spray. In large -storage plastic food bag, mix granulated sugar and cinnamon.
Separate dough into 16 biscuits; cut each into quarters. Shake in bag to coat. Arrange in pan, adding apples or walnuts and raisins among the biscuit pieces if desired.
In small bowl, mix brown sugar and melted butter; pour over biscuit pieces.
Bake 28 to 32 minutes or until golden brown and no longer doughy in center. Cool in pan 10 minutes. Turn upside down onto serving plate; pull apart to serve. Serve warm.

Within 10 minutes of them being home they had already but a big dent in it. They begged for a bit more after dinner.

Happy Saint Patrick’s Day!

2011-03-17T21:50:00.000-04:00

Record Rain? No problem

2011-03-16T21:36:00.000-04:00

I don’t have any photos of the girls today. The ‘dressed their best’ today and looked adorable as always.

Zack and I went on a short but very wet walk to the library for story time. Like a typical boy, he loves a chance to put on his rain boots and stomp around in puddles.

Zack

Blast From The Past

2011-03-15T21:30:00.000-04:00

Today was dress from the past. Can you guess which decades the girls choose?

Kathryn just loves an excuse to ‘strike a pose’. lol She did think that it was crazy when I cuffed her pants though.

Train Time

2011-03-14T21:28:00.000-04:00

Stop the presses – 2 posts in one day! lol

Monday has become ‘boy day’ here over the past few weeks. I am watching 2 other 2 year olds. It is so much fun to watch Zack interact with his friends. More often than not, they make my living room into one big train track.

I love to just sit back and fold laundry while I watch (and listen) to them play.

Sports Day

2011-03-14T21:21:00.000-04:00

Today kicked off Read America week at the elementary school. Each day there is a different theme. Today is Sports Day and the girls were so excited to support their favorite team.

Crème Puffs

2011-03-13T21:19:00.000-04:00

We celebrated my mother’s birthday with dinner tonight. I wanted to do something different for dessert so I pulled out a recipe that I found years ago for Crème Puffs. They were great. I’ll post the recipe at the bottom of this post.

Coming out of the oven.

After filling with homemade custard.

Some chocolate ganache for the top. I was out of dark chocolate so milk chocolate had to do.

The final product. We placed sliced strawberries on top right before serving them.

Custard Crème Puffs

Ingredients:
1 c. water
1 stick butter
1 c. flour
4 eggs

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
Heat water and butter to a rolling boil in a pan. Reduce heat to low. Stir
in flour over low heat until mixture forms a ball. Remove from heat.
Beat in eggs, one at a time, until smooth. Drop by tablespoon onto an
un-greased cookie sheet about 2 inches apart. Bake 35-40 minutes until
puffed and golden brown. Let cool slowly away from drafts. Cut off tops,
scoop out center and fill. Replace tops and dust with powdered sugar. Cover
and refrigerate until serving.

Custard for Cream Puffs

1/2 cup sugar
3 heaping tablespoons cornstarch or 5 or 6 tablespoons flour
1/4 teaspoon salt
2 cups milk
1 tablespoon butter, melted
2 eggs, separated
1 teaspoon vanilla

Mix sugar, cornstarch and salt in a bowl. Using a whisk, add the milk,
melted butter. Place the bowl in the microwave and cook till custard is
thick, stirring every couple minutes.
Temper eggs into cooked custard by adding about ½ cup of cooked custard to
the beaten egg yolks in a separate bowl. Stir and add eggs to the rest of the
custard mixture. Microwave again for a minute or so. Add vanilla.
With your mixer, beat the egg whites till fairly stiff. When custard is
cooked, fold beaten egg whites into the custard while still warm.

Cool custard and fill puffs. I dusted cooled puffs with powdered sugar and some with chocolate ganache.

Sleepover

2011-03-12T21:04:00.000-05:00

The kids had their best friends sleep over tonight. Lauren and Kathryn had their friend Reagan sleep over and Zack had Carter sleep over.

Carter and Zack drinking root beer floats

The boys wanted to sleep on the floor of Zack’s room. Here they are sleeping with their pillowpets.

Old Photos

2011-03-11T08:55:00.000-05:00

These photos weren’t taken today but I did find them today. : )

We were looking through our scrapbooks from our last two Disney vacations when I came across a picture that looked really familiar. I ran to the shelf and took down my grandmother’s photo album from a 1982 visit to Disney when they took my sister and I.

Do these 2 pictures of my sister on the Jungle Cruise look similar?

2007 – Laura and her son Will

1982 –Laura age 3

Aren’t these great?

I also came across these great oldies:

Margaritaville?

2011-03-10T20:43:00.000-05:00

It might still be months before summer is here but we broke out the margarita glasses tonight to try to break free from the winter doldrums. It worked (for a few minutes anyway)!

Gymnastics

2011-03-09T16:41:00.000-05:00

These aren’t great shots of Lauren doing gymnastics but the place is so huge, it is really hard to get good shots.

Lauren just started gymnastics this year and she loves it.

Girl Scout Cookies are In!

2011-03-08T08:18:00.000-05:00

Girl Scout cookies arrived yesterday! These are just Lauren’s cookies – Kathryn sold just as many. Today we have to sort and deliver!

M-I-C-K-E-Y C-A-T……

2011-03-02T19:27:00.000-05:00

I mentioned recently that we are a bit Disney obsessed here right now. Zack decided to get the cat in on it.

As you can see, Shadow was less than amused.

Beautiful Kathryn

2011-03-01T19:26:00.000-05:00

This is my beautiful daughter Kathryn.

Kathryn is a really funny kid

She loves to entertain the rest of us with her funny faces.

This is a face only a mother could love.

365: day 58

2011-02-28T19:22:00.000-05:00

I swear, in the past 6 months we have kept that tooth fairy in business.

This time it was Kathryn’s turn again. She finally lost the front tooth that has been hanging on for weeks.

Ice Skating 365 day 57

2011-02-27T18:48:00.001-05:00

Lauren and Kathryn got ice skates for Christmas. They have been begging me to take them ever since then. We finally got our chance today when we went with friends.
I insisted that we rent a walker for Kathryn. She was furious with me when we got it, insisting that she didn’t need it. I didn’t take her long to thank me for renting it for her. Despite terrible blisters from the skates rubbing, we had a great time. We can’t wait to go again!

Sleepover!

2011-02-26T18:47:00.000-05:00

Lauren is having a friend sleepover tonight. Her friend is also performing at Disney with Lauren in April so we made Disney inspired flip flops. The girls made these all by themselves – pretty cool, huh?

We even painted their nails with Disney in mind.

Guess What?

2011-02-25T22:39:00.000-05:00

Yep, it’s snowing again. SNOW is really becoming a 4 letter word around here if you know what I mean. Once again we have lots and lots of snow coming down. It does look beautiful though, doesn’t it?

The Countdown Is On

2011-02-24T22:27:00.001-05:00

We are in big countdown mode here for our big trip. Lauren is dancing at Disney in 8 weeks. Since Zack asks me every single day if it is time to leave for Disney I though that it would be good to give him a visual. The girls and I made a countdown chain. As excited as they are, I might be even more excited for this trip!

Supercalifragilisticexpialidocious!

2011-02-23T22:17:00.000-05:00

My friend Jen and I took our girls to see Mary Poppins in Boston. The tickers were purchased months ago but we didn’t tell the girls about it until a few days ago.

We started with a great dinner/

the show was fantastic and I am still singing all of the songs in my head.

365: Day 52

2011-02-22T22:08:00.000-05:00

Kathryn is my crafty-girl. She loves anything and everything crafty. Today she was busy making jewelry.

Cousins! (365 day 51)

2011-02-21T22:02:00.000-05:00

Today was the first day of February vacation. Grandpa and the Dad’s took the kids to Disney on Ice. I spent a blissful 21 hours in the house all alone! I have not spent that much time alone since becoming a Mom over 8 years ago.

Cool Dude

2011-02-20T21:50:00.000-05:00

Zack is obsessed with sunglasses these days. He wears them inside and out.

365: Ice Cream Party! (day 48)

2011-02-19T21:34:00.000-05:00

Saturday nights are a great reason for an ice cream party, don’t you think?

365: Goodnight Moon (day 48)

2011-02-18T21:33:00.000-05:00

There was the most amazing moon out tonight. Here is the view from our front porch.

The pictures don’t really do it justice so you’ll just have to trust me about how big and bright it was. : )

365: A Beautiful Day for a Walk

2011-02-17T21:17:00.001-05:00

One of my part time jobs is at a local preschool. As a young child, all I ever wanted to be when I grew up was a teacher. Once I started applying to college I changed my goals but I love that I am able to revisit that long ago desire. I have lunch and spend the afternoon with 3-5 year olds 2 days a week. The best part is that Zack comes with me. He is going to be a pro there next year when he is finally a student. Behind the school is a wonderful and very old cemetery that is just perfect for a nice winter walk.

365: Breakfast Casserole

2011-02-16T20:51:00.000-05:00

I made this and brought it to Lauren’s Valentine’s Breakfast at school. It was a huge hit and I was asked to email the recipe to several of her classmates parents. It is a great recipe to serve when entertaining because all of the work is done the night before.

Breakfast Casserole

1 pound breakfast sausage

6 eggs

2 cups milk

1/2 tsp salt

1 1/2 cups grated cheddar cheese

1 box croutons

Optional:

1 can sliced mushrooms

sautéed peppers and/or onions

Cook and drain sausage. Beat egg, milk and salt. Layer croutons on bottom of 9x13 pan sprayed with oil. Place crumbled sausages on croutons. Add vegetables and cheese. Pour egg mixture over top. Leave in refrigerator overnight. Bake 350 for 45 minutes.

365: Toes

2011-02-15T20:27:00.000-05:00

I couldn’t resist a photo of these cute lil’ wrinkly toes after a bath.

365: Day 44 Happy Valentine’s Day!

2011-02-14T20:23:00.000-05:00

Zack and I spent the morning in Lauren’s classroom. They had a Valentine's breakfast for all of the families. Don’t mind the expression on Zack’s face, he had a mouthful of food.

After we left the school as ran some errands including the drive-through at our bank. He kept asking if the teller was going to give him a lollipop. We haven't been given one in a while so I told him that I didn't think so. He kept asking why. Finally I said, that they save them for special occasions. He replied "but I AM a special occasion". He had a point so I took him out to lunch as my special Valentine date. ♥

He choose Applebee’s for our Valentine lunch.

I love this kid!

We made chocolate covered strawberries for dessert. YUM!

365: Day 43 – Keepin’ The Tooth Fairy in Business

2011-02-13T18:19:00.000-05:00

Lauren has had a loose tooth for ever. Like her Daddy, she is a bit squeamish about teeth so so doesn’t wiggle it often. As you can see, her adult teeth are much, much larger than her baby teeth and they are pushing their way in. I am dreading the impending Orthodontics for this child. This was tooth #6 for her.

Kathryn also has a loose tooth. She is much more impatient than her sister (gee, wonder where she got THAT from? ahem). Anyway, she can’t wait for tooth #3 to fall out. She begged me to yank it out for her. I finally agreed and we tied dental floss around the tooth. Then came the moment of truth, it was time to slam the door. I couldn’t bring myself to do it. Her sister ran and hid in her room. I had a moment of clarity and realized just what a bad idea this really was. I tried to talk Kathryn out of it but I couldn’t. She finally slammed the door herself. No, the tooth did not come flying out. Instead is it now crooked and out of place. I am hoping that it falls out soon.

365:day 42 and a Recipe: Valentine Kiss Cookies

2011-02-11T11:19:00.001-05:00

Lauren and I whipped up a batch of Valentine Kiss Cookies on Saturday – don’t they look great?

I posted this recipe 2 years ago yesterday but it is worth reposting. Not the most diet friendly cookies but Valentine’s Day only comes once a year.

Cherry Kisses Cookie
2 cups butter (1 pound)
2 cups powdered sugar
2 Tbsp maraschino cherry juice
1 tsp almond extract
6 drops red food coloring
1/2 tsp salt
5 cups unbleached white flour
1 cup maraschino cherries, drained and chopped
50-60 Hershey's chocolate kisses, unwrapped

Directions:
Cream butter and powdered sugar together, add cherry juice, almond extract, red food coloring and salt and beat well.
Add flour 1 cup at a time. Scrape bowl.
Add cherries and mix only enough to blend. Dough should be stiff.
Using a small cookie scoop, place dough on greased cookie sheets leaving a little room between them to spread.
Bake at 350F degrees for 12 minutes.
Remove from oven and immediately place an unwrapped Hershey's chocolate kiss on the top of each cookie, pressing down slightly, not too much.
Let cool completely before storing in an airtight container.
Makes 50 cookies.

365: Day 41

2011-02-10T10:54:00.000-05:00

In case your haven’t noticed, I love taking pictures. I have loved taking pictures since I got my first camera. In high school, one of my favorite classes was B&W photography. 5 years ago rich surprised me with a DSLR – I love it but it was starting to get a bit beat up after dragging it all over (did you see how dinged up my lens cap is?)

I used to have a pocket camera and I loved it. When I found an amazing Black Friday sale on this one I knew that it had to be mine. Having a camera always in my purse or back pocket has made this challenge of a photo(s) every day for a year a lot easier.

365: Day 40

2011-02-09T22:46:00.000-05:00

Are you sick of my snow pictures yet? Yes? Then stop reading because here come some more. Zack, C and I took a walk today and the snow banks on the sidewalk tower above these guys.

Snow piled up nearly to the railings on our back deck.

365: Day 39

2011-02-08T10:38:00.000-05:00

This is what the driveway looks like now. Ugh The house blocks the sun from every hitting this part of the driveway so the snow and ice never seem to melt. One place that it has melted however is at the very end. The is just enough of a little drop for it all to pool at the end.

Swimming anyone?

365: Day 38 Quick, Fast, Cheap and Delicious – does it get any better?

2011-02-07T10:32:00.000-05:00

Pizza is our go-to takeout. It is quick, easy and cheap. We love ordering from Sal’s because the pizza’s are huge and delicious. As of last month we have become a 2 pizza family. 1 pizza is not enough to feed our family anymore even if it is a huge 19” 3lb pizza!!

365: Day 37 The Godfather

2011-02-06T12:52:00.000-05:00

Our niece Elizabeth (Ellie) Jean was Baptized today. Rich is thrilled to be her Godfather.

365: day 36 – The Weather Outside Is Frightful…..So Let’s Go Swimming?????

2011-02-05T12:22:00.000-05:00

Today we escaped yet another cold day by going swimming! Lauren’s BFF had her 8th birthday party at a local YMCA. The kids had a blast.

Lauren and R have been BFF’s since before their first birthdays.

365: Day 35

2011-02-04T12:13:00.000-05:00

Today was a milestone for Kathryn – she went to Disney Princesses on Ice with her Daisy Troop. This is the first time that she has ever done anything like this by herself. She had a blast!

365: Day 34 Running Out Of Snow Titles……. (lol)

2011-02-03T15:51:00.000-05:00

This is how much snow still on our patio set.

Lauren waiting for the school bus (Kathryn was home sick)

You can barely see the kids at the bus stop over the snow banks

Our Home Sweet Home (buried in snow)

The swings are now buried under the snow!!!

365: Day 33 – Going, Going…..

2011-02-02T15:49:00.000-05:00

Remember this snowman that we made on January 1st?

This is what he looks like on Feb 2 after several storms have hit us in a row without any days warm enough to melt any snow.

How much longer until he is totally buried?

365: Day 32 – SNOMG!

2011-02-01T15:01:00.000-05:00

This picture (I did not take it) made national news. This is exit 2 on 93N and is less than 10 miles from here. This was just one of many accidents today – the roads were a mess! Thankfully, nobody was hurt in the accident above.

365: Day 31 – What’s A Little Bit More?

2011-01-31T15:27:00.000-05:00

What is a little but more snow at this point, right? Check out our forecast for the next 2 days. We are just above Lawrence on the map. Of the 4 local channels this forecast it on the lower end for snow totals.

365: Day 30 – Cabin Fever Is Setting In

2011-01-30T22:24:00.000-05:00

The kids have been cooped up a lot this winter and have resorted to dressing up the cat. Doesn’t he look amused? lol

365: Day 29 – It’s Raining, It’s Pouring….inside! YIKES!

2011-01-29T15:15:00.000-05:00

I came downstairs this morning and found the kitchen counter wet. I didn’t think much of it, wiped it up and went about my morning. An hour later I walked by and once again it was wet. That was all that it took to get my attention. I took a ton of photos so that we can file a claim to our insurance.

Water was coming from around one on the lights. See that ‘bubble’ on the right? This is what it look like a few hours later:

You can’t see it very well but water was literally POURING out. UGH!

It went behind the kitchen cabinets and dripped out the bottom and from under the crown molding.

365: day 28 – Snow Much Fun!

2011-01-28T12:15:00.000-05:00

Zack was determined to play with her truck despite all of the snow on the ground.

365: Day 27 – Would you believe another snow day?

2011-01-27T11:58:00.000-05:00

This was the snow day that almost wasn’t. I was woken up at 5AM by a call from the school that reporting that there was a 90 minute delay. I fell back asleep only to be woken up at 6AM by another call from the school that “due to an unfortunate situation regarding snow removal” that school was now cancelled for the day. I love snow days but I would rather not be in school until the very end of June! Oh well.

We started the day with homemade waffles and strawberries. I forgot to buy strawberries, so we had to settle with frozen ones.

I don’t know how to operate the snow blower so I had to shovel the entire driveway by hand. Zack was a big help.

Kathryn tried swinging but it doesn’t really work when the snow is piled up to the swing.

Zack’s house and car were totally snowed in.

The kids threw themselves into the snow bank along the driveway. The bank is well over 6 feet on what is normally the flat, front lawn.

I love a lot of things about where I live but right now the sidewalk plow is one of my favorites! After every snowstorm, this fantastic little machine comes by and plows our sidewalks.

Here is Lauren standing in a snow bank in the front yard – she is nearly up to the top of the front light!

365: Day 26

2011-01-26T10:34:00.000-05:00

We may be late to the party but video games have finally found their way into our house. Here is Zack laying on the couch with his Leapster. I should also add that Zack has started not only dressing himself but picking out his own outfits. lol

In addition to the Leapster for Zack, Santa brought DSi's for Lauren and Kathryn. We got a Wii 2 years ago but the kids have just started playing it. I wonder what is next?

365: Day 25 – We Love Netflix!

2011-01-25T14:03:00.000-05:00

I love Netflix! We have had a subscription to Netflix for a few years now. While I love the idea we weren’t really getting our moneys worth. There were times that we had a DVD here for weeks before getting around to watching it. We were considering cancelling it when I signed up to get the disc to play DVDs through the Wii – for no additional cost! In the past month we have watched over a dozen movies!!! I love this option! The kids have been watching a ton of movies through the Wii on all of the snow days that we have had.

365: Day 24 Baby It’s Cold Outside

2011-01-24T14:02:00.000-05:00

This was the temperature right after I put the girls on the bus this morning. The temp was –9 with a ‘feels like’ temp of –24. I can’t remember temps this cold.

365: day 23

2011-01-23T14:30:00.000-05:00

Guess who has learned to blow bubbles with her bubblegum? She is so proud of herself.

365: Day 22

2011-01-22T21:25:00.000-05:00

Remember the snowman that the kids made on 1/1? Not only has it not melted in the past 3 weeks – it is now nearly buried in snow! I know that this is NH but I cannot remember a colder or snowier winter in recent memory.

King of the Mountain! Playing with the neighbors.

‘

365: Day 21 Happy Birthday to ME!

2011-01-21T15:23:00.000-05:00

I got a wonderful birthday gift today – a snow day! Even through I grew up in New England I cannot remember ever having a snow day on my birthday before. The snow came down so fast and so hard that even Rich took a snow day.

Even though the plow hadn’t hit our street in hours, we decided to go out to lunch. We bundled up and walked downtown. Thankfully for us it is only about 5 blocks away.

I love this shot of Rich and his little ducklings trudging through the snow.

Once there, we warmed up with yummy hot chocolate.

The girls ordered chocolate chip Mickey Mouse pancakes.

I got a fantastic turkey club.

We all LOVE Mary Ann’s Diner!

We spent a great afternoon as a family and then finished up the near perfect winter day with a cake.

365: Day 20

2011-01-20T15:21:00.000-05:00

365: Day 19 – On The Road Again…..

2011-01-19T15:09:00.000-05:00

Wednesday afternoons are crazy here. I pick the girls up from school and drive one town over to the dance studio. I bring the kids in and get them changed and send Kathryn into dance class. Then we get back in the car and drive Lauren down the road to her gymnastics class. Then I have 75 minutes to entertain Zack and C so we usually head home. Then we have to go pick Lauren up from gymnastics and then Kathryn from dance and back home.

This is my view all afternoon on Wednesdays back and forth down 28:

365: Day 18

2011-01-18T15:07:00.000-05:00

I have pictures of pictures for today. Even though the dance recital is still 5 months away, we got our first peak at the dance recital costumes today. It is always so much fun when the photos are posted on the bulletin board and they always look even better in person.

Kathryn jazz:

Lauren jazz

Kathryn ballet and tap (will take off the tutu for tap)

Lauren ballet (and tap minus the tutu)

365: Day 17

2011-01-17T15:00:00.000-05:00

I love that my kids are best friends. The girls fight as all sisters do, but they are all great friends. Here are Lauren and Zack snuggling on the couch watching a movie since there was no school for MLK day.

365: Day 16 – Sledding!

2011-01-16T16:14:00.000-05:00

We are so lucky to have an amazing sledding hill right around the corner from our house. It is a massive hill (400 feet long!) that used to have a rope tow for skiing. The kids have been begging me to take them for weeks but I wasn’t comfortable taking the 3 of them alone since it is such a huge hill. Just as we arrived, friends pulled in which made for even more fun.

Lauren flying down the hill backwards!

Kathryn’s turn!

Rich

Lauren

Kathryn and her friend

Even Zack went sledding (on the little hill)

We had a blast!!!

365: Day 15 – Birthday Celebration

2011-01-15T15:32:00.000-05:00

Even though my birthday is still a week away, Rich and I went out tonight to celebrate – got to take advantage of having the grandparents babysit! We headed into Boston in the late afternoon. We walked all around Faneuil Hall and stopped for drinks and appetizers at Zuma. Mmmmmm When we got back outside it had started to snow! They were big, fat, glittery snowflakes and simply magical.

We walked through Government Center and Downtown Crossing over to the State House. By now, it was REALLY snowing.

I was hoping that we could skate at the frog pond but I wasn’t willing to wait in the long line.

We continued our walking tour of the city walking through Chinatown before arriving in The Theater District. We finished the evening at PF Changs before walking back to Post Office Square where our car was packed. Rich and I both know the city really well but when we got home I put our route on a map to see where we had been.

Between the snow and the almost 3 miles of walking – I am glad that I changed into winter boots instead of the cute high heeled boots I was going to wear!

It was a fantastic night!

365: Day 14

2011-01-14T14:52:00.000-05:00

Zack and I spent the morning at the Mall of NH and we got some amazing deals. The best part of the day though was watching him on these. He had a blast.

He told me that he felt like Buzz Lightyear driving a spaceship.

365: Day 13

2011-01-13T14:47:00.000-05:00

Despite all of the snow yesterday today was business as usual. The only problem was that there was no place to wait for the bus. In addition to bringing their backpacks, the girls carry a bag with their snow stuff in it. They go out for recess in all kinds of weather.

Zack was more than happy to help me clean up the yard.

365: Day 12 – Snow Day!

2011-01-12T14:30:00.000-05:00

It worked!!! It started snowing at midnight and didn’t stop about about 7pm. We got a total of 18.3 inches. The best part of the day was that for the first time ever Rich took a snow day with us. They all spent hours outside clearing off the driveway and playing. I was happy to stay inside where it was warm and take photos.

9AM – the storm was just getting started

10:35AM we were in the thick of it. Rich went outside for sweep #1 of the driveway.

11AM – time to play in the snow!

Helping Daddy shovel

The kids made a snow fort under the big pine tree

After a few hours inside to warm up and watch movies they headed back outside again.

I had to MAKE the kids come in. They were soaked but they had so much fun.

365: 11 – dreaming of a snowday….

2011-01-11T14:16:00.000-05:00

The forecast was for a big storm to start overnight. The kids wanted to make sure that they had a snowday so they put their pj’s on inside out, placed ice cubes in the toilet (that was a new one for me) and slept with spoons under their pillows.

365: Day 9

2011-01-09T16:10:00.000-05:00

I tackled a huge (to me) project today – I organized the food pantry! I didn’t take any before pictures but these are the after pics.

365: Day 8 – Another day, another track

2011-01-08T08:06:00.000-05:00

Did I mention that the boy is obsessed? He got his sisters and Daddy to help out since they were all home.

365: Day 7

2011-01-07T14:03:00.000-05:00

Zack just loves playing outside. The fact that is was only 24F didn’t keep Zack from playing in the backyard. It has been so cold that the snowman is still standing from 1/1 too.

365: Day 6

2011-01-06T16:02:00.000-05:00

Zack and C were so proud of themselves and the fantastic track that they put together. Zack has liked trains for a while now but it is quickly becoming his favorite thing to play with.

365: Day 5

2011-01-05T14:00:00.000-05:00

It’s not the best picture but it is the only one that I could get of Lauren at gymnastics today. This is her first year of gymnastics and she loves it. She is one busy girl with activities nearly every day: CCD, dance (2x a week), gymnastics and girl scouts. She also plays soccer in the spring and fall and is hoping to add skiing to her schedule next winter. I totally understand feeling like a taxi driver.

365: Day 4

2011-01-04T23:57:00.000-05:00

(Please ignore the bins of Christmas stuff that were waiting to be brought to the basement. lol )

Zack had C sleep over tonight! They did great!