The Marathon

Sooo, if you’ve been around Facebook lately, you may have noticed that I ran a marathon two weekends ago. My first marathon to be exact. I promised to share the experience, so here it is.

First, a marathon was never on my radar screen when I began running.  I’m not sure that any particular distance was actually and in many respects if it wasn’t for Ted prodding and suggesting I’m not sure how many races I would run at all. I never considered myself a “runner” and it’s “runners” who run marathons, not me. Plus I’ve always been the person who enjoys the practice more than the event even if it’s the event that gets you to practice in the first place.

Last spring a friend and I were scheming to head down to Disney for a girl’s weekend and run the Wine and Dine Half Marathon in November. Halves are my jam. Good little challenge, doesn’t take too much time and you’re not beat for the rest of the day. But then on the day of registration her childcare plans fell through. There would be no run in the World.  Or so I thought…

A week or so later my husband suggested the idea of the Disney World Marathon. We had seen ads for it before in running magazines and it sounded fun.  But it was in January, right after the holidays. The kids would be back in school, we’d never be able to make it work. But it sounded like fun.

There was a catch – it was the full only. Ted wasn’t going to the House of Mouse to go halfway. Could I do it? I think my desire for the experience pushed me over the edge.  We signed up and began planning an adults only trip down to the World to run with Mickey. I had 9 months to train, which sounded like TONS of time.  I’ll save you all of the training details except to say there were highs and lows and that December was entirely too busy.  

Off we went on the Friday morning before the race, driving down most of the way so we could be at the expo on Saturday right when it opened.  We pulled in to ESPN Wide World of Sports 30 minutes early. At this point in our running journeys Ted and I have been to a few expos.  Usually beyond general directions you kind of need to find your way to park, locate the building and pick things up.  So I wasn’t surprised when Ted said:  “I may need your help navigating where I need to go and park.”

Instead we immediately realized this race would be different.  Why?  We were at Disney, the masters of crowd control.  We were greeted tons of cast members and volunteers steering you right in, there was no question where you needed to go and what you needed to do for the entire race weekend.  They guided you right into a parking spot, right to the expo, through packet pick up, the start line, the finish line, the whole bit.  And the other part of it?  They were so darn chipper the whole time.  It’s like someone sprinkled them with pixie dust or something.

Fast forward to race morning. The one thing about Disney races...they start ridiculously early.  The alarm went off at 2:30 am.  I had planned for this and thanks to an Advil PM at 7 the night before I was relatively well rested.  We had also laid everything out so there wasn’t much to think about at that ungodly hour of the morning except to get dressed, get a quick bit to eat, and head over to the Monorail (we stayed at the Contemporary).  Again, happy cast members ushering us onto transportation and over to Epcot. 

Once we arrived at Epcot we were ushered over to security (again smooth) and into the staging area.  If you’re a female there is probably one thing that is of upmost importance in a prerace area: the bathroom facilities.  At the majority of races, this means a porto-potty.  I’m happy to report there were porto-potties a plenty in the pre-race area.  Seriously, I’ve never seen so many in one spot.  Even once we walked out to the corrals there was a whole line of potties…I never waited more than a few minutes.  We won’t focus on exactly how many times I went but let’s just say I took advantage of the opportunities placed before me.  I was lots of things before the start of the race but needing to go was not one of them.

There was about 15 minute walk from the staging area out to the corrals. There were 16 corrals, we were in corral G based on our estimated finish time of 4 hours and 30 minutes (ha!).  It was very crowded and Ted and I both realized that this was the largest race we had ever run.  Including the Goofy (half and full) and Dopey (5K, 10K, half and full) Challenge Runners, there were over 26,000 participants. But as usual, Disney had it all under control.  Mickey and fireworks started off every corral.  That’s right.  Every runner from the first to the last got the same send off.  Some may not appreciate this but I thought it was a nice touch.

And as our corral inched closer and closer to the actual start, my anxiety got higher and higher.  You couldn’t tell by looking at me but inside my heart was racing.  I usually get a bit anxious right before the start of a race but this was a bit more than usual.  Maybe knowing what was in front of me and the hype and planning that went with this race.  Whatever the cause it took a while for it to go away.  It wasn’t until we were past the Magic Kingdom that the butterflies in my chest were gone.

Off we went, from the Epcot parking lot up to the Magic Kingdom. Our corral started somewhere around 5:45, so it was still dark out.  And wow, was it humid, it didn’t quit until the sun came up after mile 6.  It felt like I was running in July.  Luckily the course is relatively flat, any hills are manmade.  Through the magic kingdom parking lot, the Ticket and Transportation Center, past the Contemporary and on to the Magic Kingdom.  This was one of the highlights of the course.  They took you through a backstage area and onto Main Street.  They had left all of the Christmas decorations up and everything was lit up.  The view as you rounded the corner and saw the castle for the first time was incredible.  Really gave you a burst of energy.  This is where I attempted to take a picture and realized that any further picture taking would be 1. A huge waste of time and 2. Increase the odds of me dropping and breaking my brand new iPhone.  It stayed safely tucked away the rest of the race.  Trust me I was in the minority here, people were pulling out their phones all over the course.

Onward!  Through Tomorrowland, Fantasyland and then the castle!  This was another highlight as the castle was all lit up in the Frozen lights and as you entered it from the back there were Elsa, Anna, and Kristof up on the balcony.  Else even made it snow!  From there we ran through Liberty Square and Frontierland, past Splash Mountain, over the railroad tracks and out the service gate.

If you’re interested in seeing backstage areas, this is a great race to run as you see a ton of backstage stuff.  Then again, if you want to keep Disney magical you may want to avoid the races…cause you really see inner workings of the parks.  It ain’t all pretty and clean on the other side boys and girls.  But it was interesting.

Beyond the Magic Kingdom you ran down past the Grand Floridian and then turned to head down to Animal Kingdom.  Many reviews I read described this as a boring part of the course but I didn’t mind it.  Ted and I are used to running on country roads.  The only difference here was that the runner crowd never seemed to dissipate.

Animal Kingdom was cool but seemed to be a quick run in the park part itself and more backstage areas.  I almost missed the Tree of Life if it weren’t for people stopping for pictures.  Just outside the gates is where we hit the halfway mark.  My calves were starting to act up so I made use of the medical tents handing out the Biofreeze.  I swear this is what saved me during the race because my calves got tighter and tighter as we went.  It was also at this point that we started walking just a bit.  Ted was a great coach and had us walk for a tenth of mile and then run to the next mile marker.  Then walk two tenths of a mile and run…you get the pattern.  This strategy got me to mile 20.  After Animal Kingdom was EPSN Wide World of Sports.  I swear you ran more in here than you did in any of the parks.  Overall I didn’t mind it because it was nice and flat and there seemed to be a breeze.  But it did seem to go on FOREVER.  I was thrilled when we turned out and started heading toward Hollywood Studios. Only about 5-6 miles to go!  However, this is when I also started feeling really rough.  My calves were tight and my stomach started to tell me that it had consumed enough energy gels.  There were quite a few points where I just had to stop and walk. Again Ted came through as a great coach.  He let me take the lead on when we would run and when we would walk.  His only rule when I was walking: stand up straight, hold your head high, and think positive thoughts.  He reminded me of this every time we stopped to walk.

Hollywood Studios was probably the least interesting.  Lots of backstage and I couldn’t really get a sense of where I was in the park.  I think this is because of the all of the impending construction and renovation there; it won’t be like this in years to come.  Once we were out of the park through, I enjoyed the path from there over to Epcot.  

The last mile in Epcot is bar none, probably the best experience I have had or will ever have at the end of the race.  You came into the park itself through a backstage area in the UK area of World Showcase. And the minute you arrived “on stage” it was epic.  The park music was turned way up, the only way I can describe it was movie soundtrack, super hero on his charge type of music.  There was a crowd cheering you on all along both sides of the route.  Everything was lit up, Ted even said they had all of the torches from Illuminations going in the lagoon…I was focused on finishing and missed this.  I ran much more than I thought I would and I know it was because of the scene set by Disney.  This was your moment and they wanted to make sure you knew it. Through World Showcase and Future World and out through a backstage area past Spaceship Earth, where we were met with gospel choir singing their hearts out.  It propelled you though that last little bit to the finish line.

Finish time 5 hours and 21 minutes.  Wahoo!

Pros and Cons from the course:

Pros:

• The course was flat.  Technically you could PR easily here because the terrain is not challenging at all.  However the crowds might prevent that.  This is really a Race for the Common Man so if you’re an elite type of runner I wouldn’t recommend it.
• Water and PowerAde every two miles.  Bananas twice along the course, same with gels.  Wet sponges at mile 17.  Frequent medical tents.  Disney kept you well taken care of.
• Porto potties a plenty.  Not just in the prerace areas, along the course as well.  And there was even access to park restrooms, although I didn’t know where all of them were.
• Disney handling of logistics.  Not much more to say there…they are the experts
• Entertainment along the route.  Not as much as I thought but still plenty.  There was usually something to look at along the way.  And if you’re into characters, they pulled out some really obsure ones for photo ops all along the route.  Ted’s favorite was the Green Army Men from Toy Story yelling to get you up the overpass boot camp style.  I liked seeing Cogsworth from Beauty and Beast. But there were tons of others.  I’m really given this the short end of the stick here, you won’t find this at any other race.
• That last mile in Epcot. Incredible.
• I was surprised by the crowd cheering runners on.  I’d read a lot of race reviews and many people mentioned sparse crowds because there were only a handful of places that people could go to watch.  I didn’t find this to be the case at all.  Yes there were blank spots but there was a decent amount of people all along the route.  

Cons:

• The crowd.  If you want space when you run this is not the race for you.  At times the course narrowed and you were doing a lot of people dodging.  Again, if you were after a PR things might get a bit tough at times.
• Post race food.  There’s only so much you can do with 26,000 runners.  Instead of a spread, they handed out a bottle of water, and a prepackaged box of food.  I happened to not care for what was in the box.
• Logistics.  As smooth as Disney runs it this is not a race you can breeze in and out of.  Not to mention the travel planning and overall cost of the race.

Two questions arise from this experience:

1. Will I run a marathon again?

I’ve often heard that running a marathon is a life changing experience and that as soon as you finish, the pain of running is forgotten and you’re ready to sign up for another one (kind of like childbirth).  Yeah, not so much.  For right now I think I’ll stick to halves and the goals I have with my time there.

2. Would we run a Disney race again?

We talked about this very question on the walk back over to the monorail. Honestly, I don’t think we’d run the Disney Marathon again.  There’s just too many logistics around it with travel and cost.  It was great to experience once but that is enough.  Plus it was really crowded that weekend with participants from 4 different races and their families.  In the future I think I’d try some of the other Disney races.

Recovery is a completely different story.  We’ll just say I was feeling rough for the next couple of days and I’m very glad we planned our park time for after the race so I could take my time and recoup.  It was a full body recovery.  I plan on taking a quite a few weeks off from running and starting up in earnest again when the weather starts to warm up. I think I’ve earned it.

Christmas Recap and Happy 2016!

Happy New Year!

We're in a weird in between week around these parts so the new year and all those resolutions haven't been priority for me.  Yes, winter break is over and the kiddos are back in school.  All the holiday decorations are packed up for another year.  Elfie (our Elf on the Shelf) has flown up to the North Pole for a good rest with Santa and the gang.  However, Ted and I are getting ready to jet off this Friday to run my first marathon.  Nine months of planning and training are coming to what will hopefully be a happy ending.  More on that trip after we return but I will say that training and preparations for it have prevented me from focusing on the fact that a new year is upon us.  I can't focus on anything I want to accomplish in 2016 until this big milestone is out of the way. I do have some general goals in my mind that I want to work on over the course of the year but nothing earth shattering at this point.

So until we return with the good, the bad, and the ugly (cause I am sure there will be ugly) of my first marathon, let's recap all of the family fun we had over the Christmas break, shall we?  We headed North this year with a brief stop in Virginia to celebrate.  It was tons of family, food, and fun. Someone even got to put the Christmas Bee up on the tree.

Ahhh, to be a five year old again the week before Christmas.

Unfortunately there was no snow to be had this year, at least while Ted and I were up in the 413. Am I the only one who thought the weather was positively weird?  Yes, the warm temps were enjoyable but as it got closer to Christmas Eve and Day I wanted a little bit of a nip.  Instead, Ted and I went for a run after opening presents in short sleeve shirts and shorts.  Not normal for Massachusetts in December.  But I digress. We got some great family shots Christmas Eve.

Christmas morning dawned early but not as early as I expected.  Kids weren't up until 6:30.  Still, I think we were done with opening presents and on to assembling but the time was peeking in at 7.

Katherine has been super camera shy as of late, hiding when you try to take a picture.  So I had to get a bit stealthy on her shots.  Still, one of my most favorite shots of her came on Christmas morning.  She's opening up a collection of sheet music for the flute of Disney songs.  "Let It Go" will soon be heard 24/7 on the flute in our house.

Teddy's favorite gift is probably a tie between his Hot Wheels garage and the Despicable Me Fart Blaster. 

The kids stayed for an extra week up in Massachusetts, which allowed them to catch at least a little bit of icy snow.  Enough for some good sledding, so all was well.  Ted and I had to barrel it down the highway first thing on the 26th to get back to work for Monday.  Again, to be a kid at Christmas again.

Here's to a great 2016!

Disney August 2014

Round 2 in Disney posts for this blog. I may be well over a year late but here is the run down of our first family trip to Disney last August. Seems appropriate since we are ONE WEEK away from booking dining for our second trip this upcoming June. Also, not to worry for those of you looking for a post on my family's second trip to The World when I was young...it will be coming just as soon as I can scan in some more pictures.

It's a long one, so settle in! I wrote this right after the trip so it really is a full report.  In fact this is just a few of the more than 400 plus pictures we have from the trip...not including Memory Maker photos.  I had a hard time choosing, a Shutterfly album may be in order.

The drive down was thankfully uneventful.  Took about 9 ½ hours total.  We decided to break up the trip on the way down because we had some logistical things to take care of at Downtown Disney when we first got there and dinner reservations that evening at O'hana.  Breaking it up meant we arrived at lunchtime at Downtown Disney feeling pretty good, not drained from hauling down I-95.  It really is a straight shot from our house…a 9 and a 1/2 hour straight shot but still.  Although I could deal without South Carolina and Georgia…flat, straight and boring.  We were lucky to not hit any traffic on the way down or the way back.  On the way down we say two multi mile back ups on 95 North and immediately realized that that could very easily be us.

We arrived at Downtown Disney just before lunch on Sunday.  It was a bit of a hurried stop because we needed to get the logistical stuff done and grab lunch. While we waited for Papa and Gram Coberly to arrive we took the kids through the World of Disney for a look-see and by some Act of God walked out of there having only purchased ponchos.  I told them to look for ideas and that gift shops were everywhere so let’s not spend all of our money in the first hour.  They went along with the idea…even in front of the Frozen merchandise (which were very hot items that summer).  Should I mention that it was hot and crowded?  Are you surprised?  Once Papa and Gram arrived we got our ticket vouchers changed, Memory Maker activated, and grabbed lunch.

Off to the hotel! Port Orleans French Quarter was great.  I think it depends on what you are looking for in a hotel but it fit our needs.  It doesn’t have a full service restaurant and probably is missing some of the features of other hotels but the fact that it was compact was a plus for us. Walking to the pool, the bus stop, or the food court was easy. Our room was on the first floor facing the parking lot although it didn’t feel like we were on top of the parking lot.  Some people might not like this but when you have to haul in the assorted belongings of two small children and repack those belongings at the end of the week, parking 50 feet from your hotel room is a plus.  And a first floor room is a MUST with small kids and a stroller.  The room connected with my in-laws and my parents were two doors down.  This was great for the Tuesday that Ted and I went to dinner at Epcot as the grandparents put the kids to bed and the broke open the wine in the connecting room.   The room was comfortable and it had a fridge.  We brought groceries from home and had breakfast in the room each morning.  Much easier and convenient with little ones, who are used to having the same meal for breakfast every morning.

The kids loved the pool, it has a dragon slide and a waterfall.  They spent most of the time on the slide when we were at the pool.  I didn’t take pictures of them at the pool because I had a brand new iPhone and I didn’t want to risk it. Enjoy this stock photos from the Internet:

Photo from AllEars.net

Food court was good and usually not that crowded.  We ended up eating dinner there most nights and some lunches because it was quicker and easier that trying to find a place to eat at the park with 9 people, two of them little.  I never tried the famous beignets but everything else I had was delicious.  Which brings up the dining plan for those of you in the throes of planning a trip.  I was unsure about the dining plan but since we got it at a discount and everyone else was getting it we did too.  I’m still not sure if it was full price it would economically make sense.  It was a lot of food.  We skipped almost all of the desserts or grabbed to go fruit when it was available.  We ended up with two unused kids quick service meals.  We used all of our snacks only because we loaded up on snacks for the car ride home.  Here's the big HOWEVER… it was convenient. You didn’t have to think about how much each meal was.  And what was really convenient was the refillable mugs that came with the plan.  We could walk over in the morning and grab coffee and cocoa free.  Lemonade and soda when we were at the pool.  And you can use them in the parks although we chose not to (we had enough to carry).  What we may do next time is just purchase the mugs and forgo the rest of the plan and put aside the money we would have spent on the plan for food.

The one thing we didn’t do at the hotel that I wanted to do was take the riverboat ride down to Downtown Disney.  My parents did once but it was just too hot while we were there, plus we really didn’t have time.  I took the kids with my parents to downtown Disney one morning and they offered to take them back on the boat while I drove the car back but the kids weren’t interested.  They wanted to get right to swimming.

Alrighty…onward!

The first evening was dinner at O’Hana in the Polynesian Resort.  It scored high with all of us.  Especially the men in the party because…hello…a constant parade of grilled meat at your table.  And look at the table we scored, I don’t know how we did, it was really one of the best seats in the house.  I attribute to the Disney Magic that seem to be sprinkled over us for this trip.

Up bright and early the next morning for the premier reservation of our trip...breakfast in Cinderella’s Castle! What a way to kick things off! Everything about it was wonderful and totally worth it.  I loved that they made the boys feels just as included as the girls by giving them swords and referring to them as Princes.  Teddy was thrilled.  The food was delicious too!  I honestly expected pancakes and eggs to be slapped down in front of me while we were rushed through the entire experience.  Instead there was a lot of tasty choices and even a delicious healthy choice.  I didn’t feel rushed at all even though they do get you in and out in an hour.  

After leaving Cindy’s we hit up Fantasyland and rode an amazing amout of rides: carosel, Small World, Haunted Mansion, Peter Pan, Little Mermaid. The only potential disaster that wasn’t was the haunted mansion with Teddy.  Everyone wanted to go on it and there was no wait.  He did ok but declared he didn’t want to go on it ever again.  The over to Dumbo, the Barnstormer, Tomorrowland speedway, and the Teacups.  All before lunch. Again…magical.

But wow, was it HOT!  Luckily we had a Camelbak hydration backpack with us...it was needed!! After lunch in Tomorrowland we had to make a beeline for the hotel (via the monorail ride to Epcot) and cool off.  Those breaks really saved our sanity all week.  Back at the park for the evening where we went on Pirates of the Caribbean, Magic Carpets, the Tree House, and Buzz Lightyear.  I snagged an unused fastpass from the morning during our afternoon break (and surprisingly even though Teddy didn’t the Haunted Mansion, he LOVED pirates).  The kids were not thrilled about staying and waiting for the Electric Parade at first (and a few of the adults too) but they all perked up once it started and saw our awesome view up high away from the crowds.  And our ability to make a quick exit.  Right to the bus line and right on a bus!

Tuesday was AK.  Teddy loved it, Katherine was mixed.  I was OK with it but zoos are not really my thing and it borders on a zoo type environment.  We headed right to the Safari and didn’t need to use our fastpass.  Then Rafiki, which Teddy LOVED and on to Tusker House for lunch.  I will make an exception to my OKness here, Tusker was great. Mickey, Donald, Goofy and Daisy were there and the whole family loved that it was a buffet.  Everyone got their fill. 

After lunch we went to DinoLand for Primeval Whirl and Triceratop Spin and lasted about 5 minutes after those things because it was way too hot.  So we headed over to Kali River Rapids.  We were way (40 minutes) early for our fastpass but we were too hot to walk around anymore so we grabbed some shade and watched the Gibbons.  In retrospect we probably could have jumped in the normal standby line but oh well.  Everyone but Ted got wet on Kali and our only complaint was that the ride was way too short.  After Kali the kids had their first Mickey Bars and we made a beeline for the bus to get to the pool as quickly as possible.  

Tuesday night was dinner at Biergarten in Germany (Epcot) for Ted and I…  Get a load of the size of this beer...to say I got a buzz, well that would be an understatement! 



Food was ok for me but Ted loved it and I knew he would.  I’m not a fan of schnitzel and sauerkraut.  After that we strolled along World Showcase, the weather seemed to cool down a bit, poked our heads in a few places and then found our viewing spot about 30 minutes before Illuminations.  I think the show was very similar but not exactly the same as when I was young.  I remember there being more lazers…it was 1989.  Got right back to the hotel (overall we were VERY lucky with the bus service the entire trip) and found the grandparents drinking wine in one room while the kids slept at the other.  They had spent the evening at the pool and then the arcade.

We ended up taking Wednesday morning easy and I think that was a great decision.  Since we had done most of what I planned for Magic Kingdom on Monday, I moved fastpasses to right around our Anna and Elsa time…meaning we didn’t head to the park until after lunch.  The four of us slept in and then I headed to Downtown Disney with my parents where the kids bought their chosen souvenirs. Then lunch, more swimming and we headed back to Magic Kingdom as individual groups and met up eventually by the Barnstormer.  For Ted, the kids and I…we stopped by Tom Sawyer’s island and then rode the Magic Carpets one more time.  I got my first Dole Whip…was not impressed but I think it was because the Pineapple Juice was warm.  I realized while in Adventure and Frontierland that while the kids had fun on those attractions they have no idea who Huck Finn or the Swiss Family Robinson are.  We tried to explain but really that’s old Disney.

Magic Kingdom was by far the hottest park for me, others would disagree and that afternoon did not disappoint.  Plus it was crowded.  I had hoped to watch the Festival of Fantasy Parade but all of the open viewing spots were in the sun and the kids want to keep moving rather than stand there.  Can’t blame them…they had seen the parade online…that was enough.  We punted and headed to the Barnstormer with a stop by the Little Mermaid to cool off in the AC.  Teddy rode the Barnstormer for the 3^rd and 4^th time.  We have found our coaster child…he was so disappointed that we didn’t ride the Seven Dwarfs mine train…I thought he was too short.  Turns out he just made the requirement but I do think he needs to be a bit bigger for that one (I'm in for it this June). The Barnstormer tossed his little body around enough.  Both the kids got soaked in the sprinklers near Dumbo.  

Off to Buzz for the second time and then Anna and Elsa!   Then we kind of hung around, waiting for our Splash Mountain fastpass…the kids rode the carousel again but it was just too crowded to do anything else.  The kids loved Splash Mountain.  Then back to the hotel, no need to stay for the parade a second time.  And as the week wore on the kids needed the early nights and breaks.  The heat slowed us all down.

Thursday!  Epcot!  I stacked our fastpasses and even moved the Spaceship Earth one earlier.  My goal was to take the kids on that, the Seas, Soarin', and Imagination and then leave before it got too hot.    Honestly, it was lovely but I did feel rushed.  But luck was on our side yet again.  We were in line for rope drop (streamers feel right on top of us), walked right onto Spaceship Earth, then FP for Soarin’.  Kids LOVED it and were disappointed that we couldn’t go on again right away.

Imagination next, walked right on, and then the Seas.  We spent a while at the Seas, kids loved it. 

Actually they liked Epcot a whole lot more than I expected them to based on reviews from others.  Maybe because it was short and sweet and we got right on all of the rides.  I had thought about switching the unused FP for Maelstrom that evening but then totally forgot until we were on our way to our dinner reservation which was too late.  So that was a missed opportunity…which I partly blamed the app because I couldn’t do it right when I thought of it.  And of course, right after we get back they announce that the ride is closing to make room for Frozen.  So really a missed opportunity there!

Grandparents split to do a few more things and lunch at Epcot and we got the kids back for lunch and a swim at the hotel (can you tell how much time we spent in the pool?).  Back on the buses at 5, headed to Norway.  And the second princess meal did not disappoint!  Cindy’s was better but this one was good too. And Belle was there!  Teddy realllllyyy loved up some Princesses, Ariel was his favorite.  In fact there was a parade for the kids through the restaurant and they were told to find their favorite princess.  He sought her out, butted to the front of the line and grabbed her hand as if to say…she’s taken peeps.



It was Katherine's 8th birthday and I ordered a birthday cake to be delivered to the table which just topped things off perfectly right at the end.  We then walked as fast as we could back to the buses to get ahead of an approaching storm and made it back to the hotel just as the skies opened up.

Out the door at 5am the next morning and hauled it back up to NC, arrived home at 2:30.  Ted and I were exhausted and had to switch drivers everyone couple of hours, something we usually NEVER do on long drives…Ted prefers to drive as much as possible.  In my master packing I even managed to get the kid's Mickey balloons home…they lasted a good two weeks!

All in all, it was a magical trip.  Four days was perfect based on the heat, the kid’s ages and number of family members that were there.  French Quarter was a great choice that suited our needs… The convenience will be worth it.  And fastpasses were a lifesaver!  We literally saved hours. 

My only complaint…and this is my one general Disney complaint about our trip…was the construction.  There was literally construction going everywhere we went, ALL of the parks AND at Downtown Disney.  I realized that they need to constantly change things and I'm excited to see all of the improvements this June but still. Disney seems less magical with all those temporary walls up.  You couldn’t get near the Tree of Life at Animal Kingdom.  I thought Epcot would be construction free and I took a look at the pictures I took from the monorail and realized there was a bulldozer in it, construction near World of Motion.  Maybe it was just me. I know the kids didn’t notice it one bit.

Even over a year later, I look at this report and am amazed at how everything came together.  It truly was a magical first trip for the kids.  The key to the success was really a lot of advanced planning.  No other way around it.  Ok, maybe you don't need a detail Excel spreadsheet (don't judge) but I think it's important to have a gameplan for each day and then be a bit flexible as the day unfolds.  Fastpasses and Advanced Dining reservations are critical, especially for this must do experiences.

So, what's in store for this June?  Not exactly sure yet, I think it some ways it will be a slower pace as we did the critical princess meals last time.  But we're already all very excited to visit The Mouse again...only 189 days away!

Gratitude

Every November people start issuing challenges on Facebook to post something that they are thankful for each day.  I've been challenged to do this before and you can guess how well that turned out.  I'll save you the suspense...it didn't happen. The posts are usually very predictable.  People start out with a need to post the obvious things expressed in very flowery and well thought out prose: "I'm thankful for my two lovely children who are my pride and joy",  "I'm thankful for my caring and supportive spouse who loves me beyond measure.", etc... As if it wouldn't be true if they didn't mention them right off the bat.  By the end of the month their groping at straws and you get: "I'm so thankful my coffee machine turned on this morning because it's going to be one heck of a day."  Maybe the point is to get people past the big things to focus on the small things in life that we should all be thankful for.  But does it take a month of daily posts to do that?  Therefore, instead of a full month of posting I'm going write one blog post.  And instead of writing about the obvious things I'm going to cut right to the chase and post about a handful of little things that I'm grateful for. And maybe a big thing or two.  Considering how often I get around to posting, that should cover me for a while. 

1. I'm grateful every morning when we pull out of the driveway.  We have successfully made it through another morning wake up.  We are ready to start our day.  I actually enjoy the commute into work even if there's traffic.  It's quiet and it gives me the chance to collect my thoughts for the day. Pulling groggy children out of bed in the morning is no fun and my GOD would you remember anything if I didn't put it in the backpack for you?  
2. I'm grateful every evening when I crawl into bed. It's a feeling of relief. Yes, we have made it through another evening, successfully completed another bedtime.  It's no small secret that I have loathed bedtime with every bit of my being ever since the kids were babes.  Not ashamed to admit that it has never been my favorite time of day.  After the child is successfully asleep?  Yes. The 2 hour period before that happens?  Nope.  Always something that you need to be doing and it's not what you're doing.  And getting little ones to settle down and tuck in for the night is not something I'm good at.  Please for the love of all things holy, just go to sleep. Sticking to a bedtime routine is easy in theory but tough in execution. In case you haven't guessed by now our morning and evening routines can be kind of hectic.  As in too much to do and not enough times to do it. As in you stop to smell the roses even for a second and you're behind. This is the "in the trenches" parenting stuff that they don't tell you about before you leave the hospital. And it doesn't get any less hurried as you move from the baby years to the school age years. These moments are two times of the day when I pick my head up and look around and go...ahhhh, maybe we are getting somewhere.
3. My planner.  Does that sound silly to you?  I don't care.  It's where I organize the crazy life that goes on in #s 1 and 2. I've tried the electronic planner route, no good. I need it written down on paper, open in front of me as often as possible.  If it's not written in there, even the smallest detail, chances are good it's not going to happen.  I'm also the type of person who's brain is always running, sometimes too fast.  Writing something down helps be calm down my brain.
4. My office.  Let's face it, not too many people can say they have a space all their own at work, with four real honest to goodness walls, a door and TWO windows.  I am thrilled that I have my own little space to call my own, that I'm able to decorate and hang pictures and make it a happy little place.  After all I spend 40 hours of every week in this space, I might as well make it a place that feels good.
5. Our home. Here's the big, but not too big thing. In fact, just like Goldilocks, it's just right for us.  We've had the thought over the years of moving into something bigger, something closer to work, something not close to 20 years of age that is not facing some upcoming major repairs (lookin' right at ya master bathroom and roof!) but always seem to settle back where we are.  Staying put allows us to have the flexibility to do other things and have a little fun.
6. Finally, I'm grateful that I've reached that point in my life where I'm comfortable with who I am and who I am not.  That I do not care what you think about me (most of the time). Man, the time we waste in our younger years obsessing about this!!!!  I hear that as you get older the feeling gets better...little birdies have told me that there is something magic about turning 50. Not that I'm in a hurry to get old AT ALL but it is something to look forward as the inevitable happens. In the meantime I'll just keep on keepin' on.

I'm sure there's a bunch more.  Trouble is, because it's the small things I'm concerned with here I don't think of them until that moment.  "Ah ha!  This is what is making life easier!"  I think appreciating them when they happen and saying thank you to those around you at that moment is more important than remembering them for a Facebook or blog post later.  That's being really grateful.

Ramblings

I have a few posts sitting in my draft folder, one in particular that I really want to post next. However, it requires some video for the full effect and let's just say my subject hasn't provided me with the right material yet.

In the meantime, here's some random pictures I've collected over the past few days.

On Friday I attended the NC I/O Psychologists fall meeting at Red Hat in downtown Raleigh.  Ted and I usually carpool to work so that day we parked the car in his spot and I walked down to the Red Hat offices.  Since I was early and had a WHOLE HOUR TO MYSELF and I wandered over to the Starbucks in the Raleigh Marriott City Center.  Swanky!  I sat and sipped and people watched.  The vibrant colors in this carpet caught my eye:

I need to increase my water intake as part of my marathon training.  So I picked up this cup to have at work to add a little bling to my day to day. As I always say, it's the small things people.

There was the usual housework that needed to be done Saturday morning.  And for once I said, screw it...I'm going shopping!  Off I went. If you're on Facebook you know this little number found its way home with me. Now I'm cursing that no cleaning got done but at least I can look down at my pretty new purse!

There was also plenty of window shopping to be done too. Check out this cute Christmas pillow at Pier One (not purchased...yet).

I went into World Market for the first time ever.  Don't think I'll be a regular there but I did find some cute ideas for chairs for the master and guest bedrooms.  I think this one would look really cute as part of a little reading nook in the guest bedroom:

And both of these are possibilities for the corner in the master bedroom.  I need a small chair to fit there.  Decisions, decisions...

I had to stop in my tracks and take a picture of this tree during my Saturday afternoon run.  There it was, bright yellow, surrounded by deep green pines.

Took the kids out for lunch and craft shopping on Sunday and I found new curtains for the guest room! The blue ones on the left there (what you see on top is a pillow sham...more on that in an upcoming update). On sale at Kirklands.  $64 for two pairs.  Of course I snatched them up.

Teddy took the playground by storm, Ninja Warrior style, Sunday afternoon.

What a difference a week makes!  All of a sudden the fall foliage is in full swing around here.  Bright, vibrant color everywhere. Today's lunchtime walk was really a sight.   This tree has always been a favorite of mine every fall. I like how you can see all of the colors from green, to orange, even a few peaks of red in there.  I wasn't the only one taking a picture.

I love how this tree is just starting to become bare with the leaves scattered on the grass just so.

Have a great week!

Summer's End

We’re at that in between time…Labor Day Weekend, the unofficial “end” of summer has come and gone but the official last day of summer, September 22, is still ahead of us.  All the kiddies have gone back to school but (at least around these parts) it’s still sunny, hot, and humid.  Every now and then you’ll see a ting of color in a tree, those early over achievers that want to be ahead of the foliage curve.  It’s still plenty warm enough to swim but the kids haven’t asked to go in the pool in over two weeks.  Far different from the spring when they are begging to take a dip in still ice cold water.  Us pumpkin lovers are eagerly awaiting the return of our favorite foods and I think we are all looking forward to the cooler days ahead.

I’ve said it before that this time of year has always seemed like a 2nd New Year’s to me. Growing up with two parents who worked in schools, my own many years of schooling, and now with both kids in school.  I can honestly say that I have never in my life not had to contend with a school calendar in some way, shape or form.  Someone in my life has always been operating on one.  That’s not going to change any time soon since Teddy is just starting Kindergarten.  Being a routine person and a planner by nature I love this time of year brings up back to a schedule.

So here’s to a “Happy New Year” for everyone. I’m looking forward to cooler, cozier days ahead.  I’m ready to wear long sleeves and sweaters, sip hot chocolate, and watch a warm glow from the fireplace.  Some of that is still a bit off…for now I’ll settle for a cool, crisp morning and a Starbucks Pumpkin Spice Latte in my hand.

Nine Years

In between settling in from a month in Massachusetts and starting school our girl turned nine.  It's seems unbelievable that she's reached the final year of single digits.  This was a low key birthday (especially compared to last year) which seemed ok with her.  She's gotten into cake decorating as of late and so her big want was to make a Minecraft themed cake for her birthday.  The Tuesday before I took her to Michael's and let her pick out some tools from the Wilton aisle.  She was like a kid in a candy store.  Not only that she seem to know exactly what she wanted and needed.

We baked the cake together on her actual birthday (the 21st) and she decorated and we had a belated mini-celebration the next day.  Our girl was so proud of her finished product:

I realize that with this birthday Katherine is slowly creeping towards those "tween" years.  Right now she is still very much a little girl.  She loves dress up and Barbies.  She spend a good hour last weekend playing with her Julie, her American Girl doll. She still believes with all her heart that Santa comes every Christmas to deliver presents and the Easter Bunny every spring.  The tooth fairy paid us a visit last night, leaving her a treat in the pocket of her tooth pillow, a reward for another lost tooth and being so brave at the dentist that day.   Then she will ask to turn up the radio in the car (she'll still innocently sing along on occasion, oblivious to the others in the car).  She thinks justice is one of the best stores around and she now has a definite opinion on what she wants to wear to school everyday.

As she heads into fourth grade, we have a girl that prefers math and science over reading and writing any day of the week.  Aunt Colleen got her a Tinker Crate subscription last Christmas and she loves it when the box arrives on the doorstep.  Most times she has the project built and working within an hour of it arriving.  Aunt Carrie got her a Roominate Studio for her birthday and she ran right to the kitchen table to start working on it as soon as it was opened.

While her and her brother have their squabbles at home, I have seen a protective Big Sister emerge when Teddy was a bit overwhelmed by his first day at kindergarten.  She's assured him that she will make sure he gets to his classroom safely each morning and she will sit with on the bus on the way back to daycare in the afternoons ("No matter how many people ask me!")...for the next two weeks (cause hey, even Big Sisters have their limits).

So I head into the next year of her life proud of the little girl she has become and looking forward to how she changes as the months creep closer to ten.

Happy Birthday Miss K!