Saying Goodbye

I've put off writing about this because it has just been a little too raw. We found out in May that the Bagleys were going to move. Everyone was devastated. It has been a very hard transition. Months later Livi will still break down and cry about missing Carter. Ella seems a little lost with out Maddi in her classroom. They had been in every single class together since preschool. We don't have people to invite over for birthdays, or Thanksgiving. I don't make friends easily and very rarely share my deep emotions with those outside my family and I lost the one person I had here. There are wholes in our hearts, and we are still trying to heal.

Before they left we made sure we got together and spent some quality time playing:

 

Pretty Pretty Princesses or Why Can't We All Keep The Magic Of Childhood?

It has been really fun to go to Disneyland so much, not only for the obvious reasons, but also because you don't feel so much like you have to hit the big, well known attractions.  You can explore, try some of the smaller rides, or try experiences that you wouldn't if it was your only time to go.  I feel a little stupid even writing things like this because most people don't ever get to go to Disneyland, let alone multiple times per year.  I feel pretentious and obnoxious, but since this goes in our photo album I should write about it.

I don't know why, but one of the things we have never done is the Bippity-Boppity-Boutique.  Ok, I do know why, it is expensive and takes a LOT of time out of the day, but with two absolute princesses it seems odd we have never done it.  One of Dad's employees mentioned how much her granddaughters enjoyed it and showed us pictures so we decided to give it a try.

This is definitely NOT an every time type of activity for Disneyland, but it was amazing and, of course, I cried.  To start off with you have to have an appointment ahead of time so when you get there you wait until you are called, and they make you wait, of course, in a princess shop full of the most fun costumes.  I still desperately wish they sold adult princess costumes at Disneyland (thanks for lying Big Bang Theory), but I can live vicariously through my girls, that's totally healthy, right?

When the girls get called, "Princess Olivia" (I was the "Queen", making Mom "The Queen Mother" I guess) they are walked back to a beauty station and their very own "Fairy God Mother In Training."  They get to pick out one of three looks (at least with our package) and then the magic begins.

I have never had Livi sit so well for me when I do her hair,

Every time they sprayed detangler, hair spray (lots and lots and lots of hairspray) or glitter they have the girls put up these shields.  As an Ophthalmologist's daughter I thought it was a smart touch.

I think having her hair so gently played with for such a long time was relaxing for Livi, she kept closing her eyes.

Ella has so much hair it took twice as long as Livi just to get it in a slick ponytail.  I had a few people ask if the girls hair was real, or if we had extensions put in there (yeah, cause I am totally the type of Mom who puts extensions in her 4 year old's hair).

When their hair is mostly done they have a helper (I guess a Fairy God Mother In Training- In Training) come over and paint their nails.  They also get real makeup put on, face stickers to choose from and accessories that go in their hair.  Any of the choices they didn't choose goes in their goodie-bags and they take it ALL home.

Ella getting the final touch (gallon) of glitter

Livi ended first so she came over to admire Ella and "help" her pick which face jewels to wear.

The final results:

 I asked Ethan if he wished he had gotten the boy makeover (they do have one) and he responded with this:

Now this is the part that made me cry.  I feel stupid I cried, but there is something about the magic of Disney, helping to maintain the innocence of childhood, combined with the look on the girls' faces that show they believe totally that magic could exist in this world, that just hits me so hard at moments like this:

The Magic

This...this is why I love Disney. Not because of the well made products, fun stories, or ability to transport you to someplace magical. It is because of the people. I saw this story on Epbot and wanted to continue sharing it with everyone I could. The story has 6 parts, but is well worth reading. Make sure you have a few tissues! Ben's Story

Pinewood Derby, or It's Not Funny Anymore!

Me, the only adult in a scout shirt, obviously trying to NOT scream at some of the people.

My group of scouts, obviously having more fun than me. Thank goodness!

WARNING: This post is mostly me venting. Feel free to scroll down to the pictures and ignore my rantings.

Well, I've had a couple days to recover, so maybe I can talk about it without shuddering. This Saturday, in addition to being Eric's birthday, was our pack's Pinewood Derby. I am only the bear leader, but our cub master has a lot going on so I offered to help out with awards and games for the kids.

In past years the Derby has been a VERY long, drawn out process, so I decided to make it a little more fun than just sitting around watching one race every 5 minutes (no joke). I made the certificates, bought little medals the winners could wear on their uniforms, made 4 games ALL the kids could do while the waited (it being a given that it wouldn't start on time) and got candy for prizes for the games. None of this was expensive, and since I did it on my own I ate the cost of it, but I really wanted it to be more fun for the kids.

At the weigh-in I was a little chagrined when I looked at the other cars and my kids' stuck out like a sore thumb. One of the older brothers of a cub even said some not very nice things about Ella and Livi's. Fearing for their, especially Ella's, sensitive little natures I let the boys know that rude comments would not be tolerated, which was followed by the dad of a different scout saying something along the line of "what happened here" pointing at the girls' cars. I was about in tears knowing the hard work they put in, and that if I had just stepped in and done it for them they wouldn't be facing the rude comments. Not to mention they are Church members and I just kind of expect better.

The next day was the Derby and I got all my stuff together and we headed over. The cubs were really cute and all the younger siblings were adorable, looking for the road signs I hid around the room, unscrambling words, taking a "drivers test, " etc. The older siblings were another matter. They saw my candy bowl and thought it was a free for all. One of the cub master's older boys stuffed his pockets with candy and when I told him to put it back he laughed and left the room. The older boys kept coming over and stealing the candy by the handful and I ended up having to either carry it with me or putting my purse on top of it, on the stage, behind the curtain, or they would have eaten it all. It's not like there wasn't a treat planned, the candy was just an extra. I ended up having to yell at 3 of the boys because even after I told them repeatedly they couldn't have more candy they were climbing on the stage trying to move my purse.

Speaking of yelling, there was so much yelling by a certain man at his wife and kids that it gave me the beginnings of a migraine. He was putting information in to the computer about who won each race, and anytime ANY kid got too close or tried to talk to him he chewed them out. What a great example that was to his own kids, let alone the other 20 kids that were there.

Last vent. Looking at the rules it is very clear that the cars entered into the race are suppose to be made "in the year that the derby is held" meaning that you are not suppose to reuse cars. Well, one family did just that and boasted about it. As Melissa pointed out, they aren't going to use the slow cars from previous years, so they go in knowing they have fast cars. And guess what? Their boy won!!! I'm not mean enough to call them on it, but the Type A, rule follower in me had a fit

Ok, onto the important part. My kids each made a car. When I say they made it I mean they made it. The drew out the design, Eric cut it with a jigsaw, and then the kids made decorations and painted them. It was hard to watch, knowing they wouldn't look as professional, or be as fast, as the kids who had more... parental involvement, but I really wanted them to have the pride that comes with making something themselves. Kind of the same reason we have lots of homemade pictures on the walls and kid made Christmas tree decorations. I'm not sure if this is a good thing as a parent, if it would be better to step in more, but this is the way I like it so my kids can get mad at me for it when they grow up.

Here are their cars: Ethan's, with a motor he sculpted out of clay based on a Chevy engine he found a picture of online. Ella made clay hearts and a flower to glue on an to her custom paint job. Livi wanted to have a "little Livi" driving her car. I debated Lego or playmobil figures, but none looked right so I decided to mold one for her (I guess I did do that part for her so I am a lier). It was an interesting experience. It started out looking like Genghis Khan, then I painted it and it looked like Livi Khan, and then after extensive rhinoplasty it ended up looking more like a very old Livi with botched plastic surgery. Oh well, she seemed happy with her, so on she went.

The Results: Ethan's car was wonderful to look at, and more unique than the shallow wedge shape favored by half the group, but alas, it was not the fastest. Caleb Bagley did great and he ended up getting 2nd or 3rd, I can't remember. It was an awesome car that after the race he had a real working engine he hooked up to it and made the car just fly down the track!

The open class, where anyone could make a car and enter, had 18 cars so it took FOREVER. Last year Ella had a hard time when her car never beat anyone, so I decided I should make a car too. One that all the kids would be guaranteed to beat. I needed something with form over function, and there was no better design I could think of...A SHOE!!! (I made it a peep-toe to be as poorly aerodynamic as possible).

I needn't have worried. Ella's car was smoking. At first it seemed like she had a shot at getting an award, but it soon became clear she was unbeatable. And indeed she won 1st place in the open class, even beating the cub scout that won the Derby (I was not so secretly thrilled)! I was glad I made the shoe, though, as some of the others (Livi) needed someone to beat. Ethan's truck and my shoe going head to head.

I had a lot of fun designing it and being able to see the smiles on the faces of the little people who's cars crushed it during the race!

Can't you just tell how much this means to Livi? I think she watched all of 1 race the whole time!

In addition to 1st, 2nd, and 3rd I made sure everyone got a "special" award for their designs. I didn't pick any of them, we had a panel of judges, so it was kind of fun for me too, to see what the kids got. Ethan got "Most Futuristic," which made his day. Ella got "Coolest Design" because she had the words "cool, cool" on her windshield. Livi got "Best Female Driver" for her figure. I got "Fanciest Car" which made me laugh. Caleb got "Most Realistic" (I think), Maddi got "Most Heartfelt"(it had hearts cut out in it), and Carter got "Looks Most Like A Futuristic Space Weapon" (it was a lightsaber). Really it was a lot of fun, it's just hard to feel responsible for something, but not be completely in charge so it can go how you want it too! At least we have another year before I have to think about it again!

Reason 2,568,997 I LOVE Disneyland, or Ariel Rocks!

Oh Disneyland, how do I love thee, let me count the ways...one one thousand, two one thousand....
One of the things that made this trip awesome was that it was the torrential rain and so nobody was in the park. We were able to walk on most rides and were able to go on everything that we wanted, lots of them more than once! We did have to plan ahead and buy rain gear before we got to Down Town Disney (or we would have spent twice as much) but for the most part we stayed nice and dry, just a little bulky.

This was such a fun trip to Disneyland because we tried so many new things. It was just our little family and my mom so we were able to do things for the kids and not worry that we were boring 7 other adults. We found some new gems that I hope we continue to do every time!
Just a note: They have "cast members" (employees) that have special pins on their jackets that show they are character experts. I learned that the Beast's real name is Adam. Go figure.

We ate lunch in the Golden Horse Shoe, which we had never done. The food was fried, but the entertainment they put on was very funny. The inside is beautifully done as a theatre, and we got prime seats in the balcony.
While the brave 3, Mom, Eric, and Ella, went on Splash Mountain.... (like we needed to have more water poured on us) Ethan, Livi and I explored the candy shop right at the exit. We tried their mini cupcakes and (take note Jes) they have the most amazing dipped marshmallows. I got the kind dipped in caramel, and then dipped in chocolate. Delicious.

While the big kids went with Eric on Matterhorn we took Livi to Toontown to meet "Mihee Mouse." She is just in love with Mickey Mouse so we thought it would be fun. Normally the line to meet him in his house takes FOREVER, but because no one was there we were able to walk through the house, meet Goofy and Minnie too, and then go right up and meet the big mouse himself. Livi was in heaven and still gets excited when she sees the pictures.

Also new for us, in Frontier land they had turned an area into Santa's Home. They had all 8 reindeer, and a keeper we could ask questions to. Santa had the cutest decorated little cottage and Ella waited in a short line to tell him what she wanted for Christmas. He was the best Santa I have ever seen in person.

But the thing that TRULY made this my favorite trip to Disneyland was going to see the princesses. We have never done this because the line is normally 2 hours long, but this time it was only an hour, so we braved it because Ella really wanted to meet them. It was finally our turn and she was so excited she ran over to Ariel, slipped on the wet stones, and fell hard on the ground. Ariel picked up her dress and RAN over to Ella, hugging her and soothing her, all in character. My favorite line was "I slip all the time while I have my human legs."
She spent 10 minutes just talking to Ella and making sure she was ok, the whole while keeping everyone in line waiting, just for my little girl. She wrote a long note to Ella in her autograph book, asked about what she wanted for Christmas and then they did a special princess handshake to promise to be best friends forever. I cried. It was so sweet that she would take so much notice and care to be sure that Ella had a good experience. Thank you Disney for employing such wonderful princesses.
I just included this picture because I like the look on Ethan's face. It's like he is expecting the horse to break and come crashing down at any minute!

My Reading Rainbow

It's no surprise that I love reading, but some people are shocked when they find out how much I love reading. I am always reading a book. Always. I have to read at night before going to sleep, I love to read in the tub, and sometimes, if I don't feel like shaving my legs, I read in the shower while waiting for my conditioner to set (much to Eric's chagrin). I have a back up book in my car, in case I get stuck at a train crossing, or backed up traffic, or even red light! I have multiple books on my ipod. I have 5 bookcases full of books that I constantly reread. I would not survive without the escape that reading provides.
I was lucky to have parents that really cared about reading. My parents bought us books constantly, we went to the library, and we always had books at night time. My mom would read with the best voices that made the stories come alive. My dad would read the stories wonky so "Lizzie Bruin" from the Berenstain Bears became "Lizzie Borden" who gave her friends 40 whacks. His books always ended "And they all died, the end." Reading is a pleasure, an escape from my life into something more interesting. I LOVE READING.
With reading being so special to me, I have tried very hard to instill this same love in my kids. We have read to them every day since they were born. They always get books at nap time, and when they are older and don't want me to sing to them at night we do books instead. If I need quiet I ask the kids to go read books. Ethan and Ella both beg to read books for about 30 minutes after we have read to them (Ella just looks at pictures and tells herself the story in her own words, but we are are working well on actual reading).
It was heartwarming to walk into Ella's room the other day and find the girls curled up on her bed reading books together. Ella was saying the words from memory to her book and Livi was babbling along like she knew her book. It didn't matter that her book was upside down!
I teared up, just a little, when I saw this. I guess all 3 will be awesome readers and will enjoy that experience as much as I do!

Ethan's Best Day Ever

I love these days, where one of your kids just has a bunch of great things happen for them, and they are ecstatic. Ethan had one of those days on Monday. When we showed up at school there were a group of boys by the fence where Ethan comes in. When he walked through they surounded him, gave him hugs and said "Yeah, Ethan is here." His friends had waited for him to arrive, and when he did they all ran off to play together. For those of you who don't know we have had a few issues with some of these boys being the type of hot/cold friends, but it seems that things have been really good lately. He was so happy the smile on his face almost made me cry. (I took the pictures the next day when it happened again!)
While I was in the shower I got a phone call from Ethan's teacher. I was so worried it was about him throwing up at school, or getting hurt (it never crossed my mind he was in trouble, though, he's not that type) so imagine my surprise when the call was to get permission to put Ethan up into second grade for all English and reading. He is the only first grader they are doing this for, and it seems as though he will spend about 3 hours a day, four days a week up in second grade. His teacher explained how excited Ethan was, which made me happy, since he can be so shy at school.
When Ethan got home he wanted to tell me all about it, then he wanted to make sure his Grandmas and Grandpas knew about it. Since it was such a big accomplishment I told him he could pick whatever he wanted for dinner as a celebration. He picked pizza, but not just any pizza, Pizza Hut (it's his favorite type, but since it is so expensive we don't get it very often). He was just so happy and proud of himself, as well he should be.
I'm so glad Ethan had a great day. I'm so glad he feels proud of his accomplishments, and I'm so glad he was blessed with such a great mind.