Revealing the News-We’re going on a Disney Cruise!
8/10/2012 09:00:00 AM Posted by mommy2twincesses
In case you haven’t heard me shouting from the roof tops-WE’RE GOING ON A DISNEY CRUISE! Whew, I feel better now! I just HAD to tell someone since I can’t tell my girls until Christmas!
Yes, I’m forcing myself-and everyone else-to keep this monumental surprise so that the fat man himself can “bring the tickets” for Christmas morning!
My friend has a giant blow up Mickey Mouse that I plan to set in front of the tree and have him “holding” a poster with pictures describing all the fun that is to come! I’m doing pictures instead of something rhyming (which I’ll still probably do anyway because I’m a dork like that) to help it sink in for my 3 year olds what is going to happen.
They’ll probably initially think that the Mickey itself is the gift and my brain can NOT process the madness that will ensue when we get them to understand that we are actually going on a huge ship, to the beach, to meet all the Disney characters! My mind is blown already!
Okay, so how will we survive the 11 days from Christmas morning to trip day? Easy! A “Countdown to Disney” celebration of course!
If you’re family has been to Disney how have you shared the news with your kiddos? I’d LOVE to see pictures and can’t wait to be able to add my own!
A Disney Cruise is Perfect for Us
8/09/2012 12:38:00 PM Posted by mommy2twincesses
After much thought and consideration to different vacation options, we’ve decided 100% that a Disney Cruise is perfect for our family of 4! If you’re considering vacation options and want the low-down on a Disney Cruise, read on, because I’m sharing all I know!
We mulled over vacation options for what felt like forever before actually booking our Disney Cruise. I always get nervous when making a big decision, but this time, I’m 100% we’ve made the right choice!
The booking process was really simple and only took a few short minutes by phone. (Yes, I could have done it alone online, but I had several questions I wanted clarified, so I decided to call.)
Our first and most important reason for choosing a Disney Cruise is of course, our 3 year old identical twin girls! They are in the age of princesses and fairies and never miss an opportunity to ask when we can “go to Disneyland”. Although we’ve decided against the actual theme park, for now, I’m certain they won’t be disappointed ;)
To date, they’ve still not been to the ocean/beach so that was also a big factor in choosing the perfect vacation spot. On a Disney Cruise we’ll get to experience the characters and wonder of the traditional Disney experience AND get to spend time on amazing beaches! (Nassau, Bahamas and Castaway Cay-Disney’s private island-to be exact) 2 birds killed with one stone as the old saying goes.
Also, at 3 years old, the girls aren’t tall enough for most of the rides, are honestly too impatient to stand in all those lines, and just not up to all the walking. If given the choice of hours in the sand with Mickey and friends playing around you or standing in line just waiting to “meet” a character or ride a ride, I’m positive most would choose the option A!
For one very reasonable price we are visiting 2 different islands, eating until our hearts (and stomachs) are content, meeting and hanging out with some of our favorite characters, seeing countless onboard shows, enjoying all the fun activities and deck parties on the ship, and so much more!
One of the things that I’m most excited about is the Oceaneers Club! At first the thought of dropping my kids off with total strangers on a cruise ship scared the bejeebers out of me, but after doing my homework, I’m ecstatic.
The children enrolled in the Oceaneers Club (which is free BTW) are all fitted with “Mickey Bands”, which are identification bracelets complete with GPS tracking devices. My kids will be blips on a screen somewhere AT ALL TIMES, whether they’re actually with us or not! The staff that entertains the children while in the lab are highly trained, well ratioed, and simply pros at what they do. The club is open from around 9am-midnight and your kids are free to come and go as they please, so long as they’re with a parent with a matching bracelet AND can supply their own secret password. Do you know what this screams to me?! ADULT ONLY ANNIVERSARY DINNER!!!!!!!!!!!!! (without hiring a sitter or paying for a nanny to tag along on the trip!!!!!!!!!!!!) Woo to the HOO! Oh, and one more perk of a Disney Cruise that you can’t get with any other line……..you’re welcome to BYOB! (“A glass of wine with your dinner ‘me lady?” “Yes, please!”-since it’s not going to cost me a small fortune)
I’ve talked to several different families of different sizes and with children of different ages and I’ve not heard a single negative comment yet!
Have you been on Disney Cruise? If so, please tell me about it!
Amazing Family Vacation in the Works
8/09/2012 10:19:00 AM Posted by mommy2twincesses
Nothing excites me more than seeing new places, especially when I get the chance to see them through my children’s eyes, so of course, I can hardly stand myself now that we’ve booked an amazing family vacation!
In exactly 149 days (yes, I’m counting already), we set sail on our first Disney Cruise on a ship named “Dream”! Our sailing vessel is so aptly named, as a Disney Cruise has been a long time dream of mine! And now that it’s becoming a reality…….well, just assume you’ve never seen an adult more excited ;)
I have become completely consumed with planning every single detail of how this will (hopefully) all play out and have decided that in case there is some other crazy lady out there like me, I’d save her some planning time, because so far I’ve just not found a plan that’s up to par! And because my level of dorkdom runs as deep as it does, I’ll share my “grand scheme” with you!
First for an overview-then details later :o)
We booked directly through Disney, though I’m waiting to hear back from a travel agent to ensure that there are no special deals available, a 4 night Bahamian cruise in early January, leaving from Port Canaveral, Florida.
Just FYI, if you book through Disney-which I would suggest you do as early as possible to ensure the room category you want, as not only do ships fill quickly, the price also rises the closer you get to sail date (what we booked went up $100 from ONE day to the next because the ship was almost full)-you have until 75 days prior to sail to pay the balance in full. And, as long as you have an outstanding balance, your trip may be transferred to a travel agent who can sometimes give special offers, discounts, and on-board credits-so it’s definitely worth at least checking into! (Psssstttt…….travel agents are free!)
After looking into what dates would work best for us and comparing the different room types, I was ready to make this happen! We decided on a Deluxe Oceanview Stateroom with Verandah, but when I called the booking specialist offered to upgrade us to a Deluxe Family Oceanview Stateroom with Verandah for less than $100 total, so I took her up on it. The “Family” option is slightly bigger and since DH and I have cruised once before and know firsthand how cramped living quarters are, I thought it sounded like a good deal. (I’ll let you know afterward if it was money well spent or not!)
We’ll stop in Nassau, Bahamas-where DH and I were married (we’ll be celebrating our 8th anniversary during the trip)-Castaway Cay, Disney’s privately owned island, and spend one “fun day” at sea. I’m STOKED!
But, we’ve agreed to keep this trip a secret until Christmas and let “Santa” bring the tickets! *wink wink* Keeping this a secret is going to be the hardest thing I’ve ever done! I’m dying to tell them, but at the same time, planning for this amazing surprise sure is fun!
We’re being secretive mainly because at 3 years old, our twin girls still don’t have a good grasp of time and if they knew about it, they’d be asking about it-and disappointed daily. So, we figure that the 11 days between Christmas morning and the day we leave is the perfect amount of time to spring the news and build the anticipation!
I’m FREAKING OUT and have been constantly planning and researching, so stay tuned for more on our upcoming amazing family vacation!
Becoming a Butterfly-Bring it on 30
7/29/2012 03:55:00 PM Posted by mommy2twincesses
As the milestone birthday of 30 years creeps closer and closer to becoming my reality, I’m strangely growing more and more comfortable with the idea! It wasn’t long ago that I was, quite honestly, in freak-out mode about leaving my 20’s behind.
I had made long to-do lists in my mind and for some strange reason felt like I should have everything lined out and perfect by what once felt like “dooms day”.
But now, with the big day less than a month away, I’m feeling much more at peace……and little even, *gulp*, (should I say it?!) excited!
I had plans of working out like a crazy person to reclaim the body that I had before bringing my precious daughters into the world. After chasing that fantasy half-heartedly at best, I actually saw a nutritionist who gave me a healthy and utterly satisfying dose of reality. Instead of the 20-30 pounds that I “thought” I needed to shed, she advised that 10 be an absolute maximum, if I lost any at all. She helped me see that at this stage in life, it should be more about being healthy and generally comfortable in my own skin, and not dependant on the scale’s read out.
After letting the “10 pounds max” sink in, I’ve felt better about myself than I have in years! Screw the BMI charts! They’ve warped our minds! I’m almost 30, NOT 13! I have the body of a mother, one who amazingly created two humans at once, and yet it still functions just fine and leaves my hubby grinning like a school boy ;o) What more could I want?!
Bring it on 30! I’m ready for you! I’ve lived, I’ve learned, and I’m more beautiful and whole by the day! Every single time I belly laugh with my loved ones those fine lines may get a little deeper, but it’s just another stroke of good fortune in my opinion.
So here it is world! The fresh and proud face of (almost) 30!
Preschool Fine Motor Practice Pays Off
7/29/2012 03:15:00 PM Posted by mommy2twincesses
I've never been pushy with teaching them things, but with elementary education in my background, I've found that they learn so much through playing, so pretty much any time we're "playing", we're "learning" too. To get to this point we've done lots of coloring, drawing, letter name/recognition games, using the letters of their names in little made up songs and cheers, and of course tons of repetition and encouragement.
M isn't quite as good as K yet, but she's getting there! There is enough sibling rivalry between the two that neither one is going to be "out done" for long ;)
What kinds of things do you do with your little ones to jump start the reading/writing train?
Time Flies When You're Having Fun
7/29/2012 03:01:00 PM Posted by mommy2twincesses
I've been so caught up in staying cool and staying sane while it's too hot to be outside that I'm so far behind I feel like I'll never catch up.
Okay, to make a long story short, this summer we've been running like crazy! From trips to the lake, weekends with grandparents, learning to swim (without formal lessons), to just having fun here at home, we have been some crazy busy girls!
We recently saw The Wizard of Oz live! K loved meeting Dorothy and I loved that the production was by a local theatre group and we snagged tickets to a matinee viewing for only $5 per person!
We've been spending lots of time swimming and the girls are little fish! They are both swimming without floaties and M is especially good at retrieving dive rings from the bottom of the pool! Here she is showing a little sass and pride in her skills ;)
I'm in awe every single day at how big they are, how much they've grown, and what pure joy they've brought to our lives! I'm sure that this wild ride we're on is just starting to pick up steam too <3
Free Activity for Kids-Homemade Bird Feeders
6/27/2012 02:27:00 PM Posted by mommy2twincesses
The dog days of summer have just begun and we’re beginning to check things off our Summer Family Fun Plan. The intense heat have us trapped indoors the majority of the day so I’m really glad I have this crazy long list to find activities from-and even more so since most of them are free!
I found myself needing to busy the girls the other day so I could get some things done so I whipped out my list and randomly chose an activity. I didn’t want something to make a big mess and having everything I’d need was a must. After a few minutes of thought, I decided we’d make homemade bird feeders!
To make your own you’ll need:
A large plastic garbage bag
Empty toilet paper rolls
Peanut butter
Bird seed
Spoons
Plates
Hole punch
Yarn
This is basically self explanatory, but just in case I’ll walk you through what we did.
I started by gathering the supplies and then spreading the garbage bag over the table we were working at.
Next, I used the hole punch to make two holes in the end, on either side of the toilet paper rolls, to tie the yarn for hanging.
Using a spoon, I spread a thin layer of inexpensive peanut butter around the paper tube.
I then poured a small mound of bird seed on a plate and rolled the tube around in the seed until it was fully covered.
To finish off the feeder, I tied a piece of yarn to each of the previously punched holes.
After my brief demonstration, I left the girls at it to make their own bird feeders! It bought me between 30-45 minutes! YES! Score 1 for mommy!
When they finished smearing and rolling, I did the tying and out we went to hang our bird feeders in a tree! I used this opportunity to talk to them about how happy Jesus would be that we were feeding his animals because the Bible tells us that it’s our place to care for them. Their honest and pure enthusiasm made my heart sing and has led to further discussions of showing our love to animals-we even got pet Sea Monkeys to care for!
LOL, this was the best I could do since I’m so anti-pet :o)
