The Wonderful World of Disney #TBTStories

I am sharing a Disney post today for Throwback Thursday Stories, hosted by Jessica of The Mom Creative.

Our first and only trip to Disney was in November 1993 when we drove the big green van to Florida for 2 days at the beach and 2 days at Disney World. We shared Thanksgiving dinner with my friend Ann and her family, who were living in Florida at the time.

I think I have mentioned before that I am a planner of trips. For this one, I checked out all the Disney tour books from the library and studied them cover to cover to learn every trick and time saver for the best way to visit WDW.

As we approached the parking lot, in that looonng line of cars eager to enter the Magic Kingdom, I was frantically reviewing the books since they would be too heavy to carry with me into the park. It was like I was doing my last minute cramming for a big test.

As the books advised, as soon as we entered the park, Jim took the four older kids straight to Space Mountain, while Adam and I went to the castle to make a lunch reservation. There was no such thing as an 'online reservation.' It had to be done in person. After they rode Space Mountain, we would meet up in the line to see Mickey Mouse. We didn't have cell phones, either.

It all worked perfectly, and the requisite visit with Mickey was completed, reservation made, and Space Mountain ridden (by those who were tall enough to ride) all in our first hour inside the Magic Kingdom.

We were able to see Minnie Moo the cow, with the mouse head on her side. As was our tradition, we all wore matching outfits everywhere most places we went, so of course we matched at Disney World. It did make it easier to keep track of everyone in a crowd. Sometimes, we even tallied up the 'Where's Waldo' comments.

They enjoyed imagining a home in the Swiss Family Robinson Treehouse.

When I said we all wore matching outfits, I meant we ALL wore matching outfits. It's one way to stand out in a crowd. :)

We had a fun lunch in the castle, where they mistakenly addressed Adam as 'princess' instead of 'prince.' I guess it was the haircut. And that cute wittle face. Lol.

We spent our second day at Disney MGM, where Mickey was all dressed for Hollywood. And yes, I painted their sweatshirts. All part of the trip preparation. We saw the 'Star Wars Thrill Ride', which was more like a stage show, and ate our lunch in a cute little place that was made to look like Mom's 1950's kitchen.

Our kids were always good travelers, whether by car or by air, and this trip was no different. We had activity books and games in the car, and we sometimes listened to books on tape (also from the library) or played travel games to pass the time on the road. Anyone see a 'J'?
We had a good time, and learned that a Disney vacation is hard work, what with the pressure to do and see every thing (and all that studying, lol). I guess that's why we spent most of our subsequent vacations on our favorite beach!

Linking up with Throwback Thursday Stories #TBTStories at themomcreative.com.

Look Up from the Hodgepodge

It's Wednesday again, and I want to get this posted before two little girls come to spend the morning with Granny. Because as you'll see in my random thought #8, I need to remember that looking in their eyes is way better than looking at my iPhone.
Thanks to Joyce for hosting, and be sure to click over to pay her a visit.

1. Share something you appreciate (or something you appreciated as you were growing up) about your mother.

My mother is clever and creative. Question #2 below asks about the quote "Necessity is the mother of invention", and this was surely true for her. Whether sewing or sawing, when I was a child, I believed there was nothing she couldn't do. A puppet theater, a playhouse, bed canopies, costumes, a treehouse, birthday cakes, birthday parties, poetry, and everything in between. And she still wields a mean magic marker. 'Tis true. :) I once called her a 'genuine genius.' And she is.

2.  A quote most commonly ascribed to Plato reads "Necessity is the mother of invention." When did this last play out in your own experience?

Most recently, it happened when I needed to figure out a way to use the Belle doll for the centerpiece for Ella's birthday. After unsuccessfully trying to sit her on a wine glass, I managed to make it work by stuffing her legs into a vase. She was able to stay upright for the entire party.

In a slightly more complicated example, I recently decided to revamp two lamps that we moved out of Jim's parents' house. Granted, I could have purchased two lamps, but these lamps are well made, in working order, and available, and after reading a couple of tutorials here and here, I decided to try it myself.

I wanted the look of silver mercury glass instead of the antique brass, so I purchased some Krylon Looking Glass Paint and got ready to spray. I covered and taped the parts of the lamps that I didn't want to spray, and moved outside to do the painting.

I started with a coat of paint,

then sprayed on a vinegar and water mixture. It beads up and cuts through the paint, which creates the mercury glass look.

I repeated the process a couple of times, spraying paint, then vinegar and water. When I was satisfied with the coverage, I patted the lamps dry.

You can see the droplet finish of the lamp in this photo. Since the lamps are brass, and not glass, it doesn't look exactly like mercury glass, but I was pleased with the results.

A new shade from Home Goods, and it looks like a brand new lamp!

3. Share one of the earliest memories you have from childhood.

When I was four, my mom opened a nursery school in our home. She cleverly converted the garage into a school room, with two long tables, 20 little chairs, a playhouse, a record player, toy shelves, coat hooks, and cookies and kool-aid. I met my friend Ann there, and we've been friends ever since.
Most of the kids in this picture graduated from my high school, though some were a year behind me. That's me in the center back in the white shirt, and Ann beside me in the jumper. My little brother Ted is in the front row on the right in the overalls. He came to school even though he was technically too young, since he lived there. :) When my brother Michael came along, he started attending at 1 year old, and enjoyed 5 years of preschool! My mom gave hundreds of kids their start in school for over 30 years.

4. When did you last 'hit the mother lode'? What was it?

As I mentioned in #2 above, we have recently cleaned out Jim's parents' house, after his dad moved into an assisted living facility. Since I have a little lot of trouble getting rid of things, we ended up with quite a lot of stuff to bring to our house. Jim says that his parents moved all those things out 30 years ago, and now we're moving it all back. :) (We live in the house where Jim grew up.)

5. What is/was your favorite dish mom made? Do you make that dish for your family/friends now that you're all grown up?

My mom would be the first to admit that cooking is not her favorite. It's not mine either. More important than the actual cooking, though is the practice of hospitality. I am sure I have told this story before, but when I was newly married, a pastor gave a sermon on hospitality, that has stuck with me for all these years. He shared that when he and his wife were newlyweds, they would serve spaghetti the first time a guest visited, pancakes the second time, and the third time a guest came to their home, they would have the choice of spaghetti OR pancakes. It's like that around here, too. By your third meal with us, you have pretty much tasted my entire repertoire. :)

That being said, my mom taught me lots about the practice of hospitality. The actual meal isn't the main thing. Opening your home to welcome a friend is.

6. Mother May I? was at one time a popular children's game. It required no equipment or parts to play. What was your favorite childhood game where you could just turn up and play-no gear needed?

We used to play games of hide and seek just after dark with all the neighbors. It was great fun, and I loved the challenge of finding a perfect hiding spot and holding my breath when 'IT' came near so as not to be found. Do kids still play hide and seek?

7. Which TV mom (past or present) is your favorite, and why?

I thought about many famous TV moms before choosing Debra Barone. I had to. Raymond is one of my favorite shows. You see, I like a show that make me laugh. I know, there are hundreds of good dramas out there filled with suspense and conflict and smart detectives. But I don't want to sit down at the end of the day and see a dead body that appears after the ominous music 10 seconds into the opening scene. I just don't. I want to laugh. Debra makes me laugh.

She is strong, outspoken, frazzled, frustrated, over-worked and under-appreciated. She's just doing her best (albeit sitcom style) to love her husband, children, and crazy in-laws. She's not perfect, but she's real (well, TV real, at least). And she makes me laugh. 

8.  Insert your own random thought here.

This has been making the rounds on Facebook, and I want to share it here to remind us all to look up.

95th Cinco de Mayo

Jim's dad celebrated his 95th birthday today! That's a lot of birthdays!

My brother-in-law, Steve, parked this birthday wagon for all to see outside the assisted living home where John lives. Steve is the master of creative farm implement greetings.

Since his birthday falls on Cinco de Mayo, we thought he should celebrate at our favorite local Mexican restaurant. Most of us enjoyed our usual Mexican fare, while Grandpa had a cheeseburger.

After our meal, it was time to bring out the birthday sombrero and fried ice cream.

Flanked by three of his great-granddaughters, he was serenaded by the family and the restaurant staff.

Happy Birthday, dear Grandpa, Happy 95th Birthday to you!

E is 3

We celebrated Ella's birthday on Saturday evening, with a little Princess Belle and a little Kentucky Derby as the theme.

She was ready at the table, and asked me to turn centerpiece Belle around so she could look at her.

There's Belle watching the birthday girl.

Ella's mommy made awesome Belle cookies,

and Derby cookies celebrating that E is 3!

Her special cupcake.

A hug for Uncle Adam.

Ready to sing!

Happy Birthday, dear Ella,

Happy Birthday to you!

Blow out your candle.

Yay!

Her daddy helped with the paper...

and she knows how to eat it.

Yummy icing!

We turned Belle around to get a look at the other side of the room.

Haleigh helped her 'read' her cards.

An Audrey Bunny book for Ella, who has her own special bunny that sleeps with her. The book is written by one of our cruise 'friends', Angie Smith, who signed it for Ella.

And just because three-year-olds like to be silly, she tried out Baby Noah's exersaucer. Silly girl!

She's Three!

Happy Birthday to our sweet Ella Kate, 
who is three years old today!
May the 4th be with you!

Your Granny loves you! xoxo

Orangutango

I had the opportunity to visit the Indianapolis Zoo on Friday with Darci and the girls. Kirsten had given Darci passes to a 'Friends and Family' event, which included a visit to the brand new orangutan exhibit, that officially opens on May 24. The event didn't start until 1:00, so we had time to enjoy the other parts of the zoo first.

Ella liked looking at the elephants. We also saw giraffes, lions, rhinos and the rest of the plains animals, before making our way back to the carousel.

With our special wristbands, we got to ride the carousel for free.

There were happy smiles all around.

Even Aunt Betsy took a ride, side saddle, Mary Poppins style.

Happy Haleigh.

Ella chose to ride a tiger. ROAR!

Haleigh loved her 'dolphin-whale.'

The orangutan habitat is an impressive church-like structure, with lots of glass. There are also outdoor towers where the orangutans will be able to climb and swing, and visitors will ride ariel cable cars to watch the action. That part wasn't open yet, and the orangutans were all indoors for now.

Inside, Haleigh got to compare her hand to a model orangutan hand. They have long fingers, a short thumb, and fingernails just like ours.

It was hard to photograph through the glass, but they were so interesting to watch as they came right up to the window to interact with visitors.

There are 8 orangutans total, and there were six in the large enclosure yesterday. They range in age from 36 year old Azy to 9 year old Rocky, the 'little boy' of the group.

I learned from an online news article, that Rocky and his adoptive mother, Knobi, recently found their way out of the enclosure. They are clever ones. Thankfully, they didn't get far before they were discovered and returned to their home.

The kids were fascinated, and the orangutans seemed equally so. They must get a kick out of watching all the crazy humans on the other side of the glass.

Hellloooo Haleigh!

Rocky roamed all around the enclosure, and seemed to like showing off for the crowd. I read that he was raised by humans in the entertainment industry, and did not live with other orangutans until he was 3 1/2 years old. He loved to pose with his two hands and one foot hanging on above his head.

This one hugged himself, and the kids did it right back. I love the little girl's face.

They are shaggy and expressive, and I was so interested in watching them, that I didn't even take time to read the information on display in the exhibit area. Next time.

This is 36 year old Azy, who reminded me of Chewbacca. He didn't move around much, but he is said to be the peace-keeper of the group.

Haleigh posed in front of Azy.

It was such an interesting exhibit, and I know it will be a favorite attraction at the zoo.

After the orangutans, the girls were excited to have their faces painted.

They both chose (with a little direction) the princess mask.

Looks good, Hay!

Next, it's Ella's turn.

Great job holding still!

Pretty pretty princess.

With faces painted, we saw the tigers and the bears. When Haleigh asked if she could see the bats, her mom told her that she didn't like bats much. I told her that I thought they were creepy. She took my hand and said, "Granny, I will be right by your side." We went to see the bats. :)

We finished up in the waters building, where we saw the polar bear, then circled back around to see stingrays, penguins, and the sharks.

I don't think they actually touched the sharks, but they did watch them.

Here, sharky sharky.

We had a great day, with lions and tigers and orangutans, oh my! And two pretty princesses with their mommy.