I can't remember a time I didn't want to be a mother. I waited to meet the man who would love me forever and be a father to my children. At 39, he hadn't arrived. I knew I was meant to be someone's mom, so my life plan changed. At 41, I got pregnant on my first try with home insemination! Nine months later, my beautiful boy, Tate arrived! We've been together now for over a year. I'm happy, exhausted and in love. I wouldn't have my life as a choice mom any other way!
We were off to the Happiest Place on Earth bright and thankfully not so early Tuesday morning!!! My parents dropped us off at the airport amongst kisses and hugs, and my little Mickey Mouse and I were off to sunny California!!!
We met the pilots and made sure they knew exactly where they were going...
Some coloring commenced...
Then after a lovely, uneventful flight we landed at LAX! We found our luggage, then traipsed from Terminal 7 to Terminal 1 having been told by the Disney transport people that Terminal 7 was the last stop on the pick-up line, so there was a chance the bus would be full by the time it got to us. So we made our way to Terminal 1 and found our cousins!!!!! Woo Hoo!! Now the vacation could begin!!! Even better the bus had a HUGE Lightning McQueen on the side of it! My little Cars/Lightning McQueen fanatic was over the moon (Have I mentioned how very much Tate LOVES Lightning McQueen? He is absolutely obsessed!!!)
Terrible picture, but you can see how very excited the kids were to see one another! They couldn't stop jumping up and down!!
Look at all that love!!!
We loaded up on the bus for the hour long drive to Anaheim!!
Tate and I arrived at our hotel...Disney's Paradise Pier Hotel. It was a great hotel...especially given that I don't need much more from a hotel than clean rooms and a safe environment. :) We got checked in, settled a bit and then I requested that Tate take a nap. I was worried that he wouldn't be able to from all the excitement, but I really needed him to. We had dinner reservations at The River Belle Terrace for that evening at 6:20pm which would seem 8:20pm to us. Included in our dinner reservation were fast passes to Fantasmic! which didn't start until 9pm (11pm to us!). I did my best to explain this to him, and lo and behold he fell asleep around 3:00 and I had to wake him up just after 5pm! He slept great! I had time to get us completely unpacked and rest a bit myself. Then we were off to ride the Monorail from Downtown Disney to Tomorrowland at Disneyland!!! On the way we even found someone to trade a pin with!
Here we are on the monorail!!!
We met Gail, Marcus, Korey and Kayla at the restaurant and had a lovely meal al fresco! The weather in California is absolutely amazing!!! The food was super yummy too!!!
As always, dinner took a while, well we had a 25 minute wait for our reservation, but it was still fabulous. So by then it was time to make our way over to the Fantasmic reserved viewing area!!! We got comfy and waited for the show to start!
Tate wanted different views of Lightning McQueen in several different photos with us :)
So happy to see our cousins!
Look at that joy! These boys LOVE each other!!!
Fantasmic was amazing!! We loved it! Just a few snippets..
And of course there was the requisite 'Frozen' spectacle complete with snow falling on our heads!! It really was quite spectacular!
After the fireworks were over I loaded Tate up into the stroller, having had him change into his pajamas between Fantasmic! and the fireworks :). I lowered him down to go to sleep. He didn't quite fall asleep, but at least he rested on the 10 minute walk back to our hotel. He climbed right into bed when we got there and went straight to sleep! It was past midnight to my sweet little guy (and me too!)
It was an absolutely lovely, magical evening. A fabulous way to start our little vacation at the Happiest Place on Earth!
Sunday morning we were up bright and early to take Aunt Lindsey to the airport ...she was off to watch the Women's World Cup in Canada!! She watched the US Women's team beat Nigeria that Tuesday evening!!
We piddled around most of the day, then met up with some new friends at a local splash park!! Super fun!!!
Monday morning started week 2 of creative writing camp complete with a theme for each day!! Monday's theme was Pirates and Pajamas...score for us because Tate has some super cute pirate pajamas :)
That night we decided to work on our shoe tying! And he did it!!! He was so very proud! So was I!!
All day Monday we Houstonians were on high alert about Tropical Storm Bill! Which became an absolute nightmare for all of us!! The flooding of the past few months had all of us on pins and needles, especially the weathermen. As such all camps and schools were preemptively closed for Tuesday. Meaning Tate's camp was closed, and I had no one to watch him as I couldn't begin to ask Nanny S to take chances to come to us, nor could I ask my parents to drive into what could feasibly be a dangerous weather situation. So I needed someone to take care of Tate on Tuesday, since I would have to be at work. As always my village came through, and my friend N offered to keep Tate for me all day without me even having to ask! So very grateful!!
Tuesday morning we planned a pajama party day for the kiddos...Tate was over the moon!
My girlfriend even has a bounce house for playdates!!!! We finished up with patients a tad early, so I was able to grab Tate and make our way home.
Oh and there was no flooding here, barely any rain...a huge non-event. Sigh.
Since Wednesday was Super Hero Day...you could dress up as a known super-hero or make up one of your own. We opted to make up one of our own with my very limited costume making capabilities. We had his knight cape from Disney World and a plain dark shirt. I asked him who he would like to be...he said Captain Snack! Woo Hoo!! I thought...how easy! I'll just cut out an 'S' and glue it on the shirt, put on the cape and he'll be ready! Then I thought...no no no! We can hot glue some of his felt food onto the shirt!! So we did!
Meet Captain Healthy Snack!
Since the food consisted of lettuce, onions, pickles, cheese and turkey slices we decided he had to be Captain HEALTHY Snack!! Doesn't he look like he could save the world from junk food???
That afternoon Nanny S took Tate to a Lego Robotics Playdate sponsored by a Houston's moms group. His friend Mr. P joined him! The boys were partners and built a cool robotic!
That evening I had my own playdate with some of the moms from Tate's kindergarten 1st grade class. We met at a yummy Mexican restaurant for dinner and drinks. There will be 4 new boys in the class next year; we are losing 3. And surprise, surprise there's going to be another Tate!! Seriously, what are the odds??? But we had a lovely time!!
On Thursday the kids in Tate's creative writing class put on a little play. Since it was in the middle of the morning I couldn't go, so my awesome parents went for me!! Goodness are they amazing! They took lots of pics and videos for me, but I don't have them yet. But here is one...Tate was a minion!
I told Tate a couple of times that I wasn't going to be able to make it to the play; I was so sad to have to miss it. Thankfully he was absolutely ok with it. When I reminded him as I drove to H's house that morning he told "It's ok Mommy! Grandmommy and Papa are coming! And they're really tall! Cause they're 73 and 75 years old! I can't wait to show my friends. I know you have to work."
Sweetest boy ever.
After the play was over at 11:30, my parents drove to my office, and we all went to lunch together..we even met Nanny S at the restaurant!
After lunch my parents headed home, and Nanny S took Tate to a playdate at an indoor bounce house place to meet one of his friends from school! The boys had an absolute blast!!!
Friday I was off, so I got to take Tate to camp and pick him up which I know he loves! It was Wacky Outfit Day! Tate was by far the wackiest dressed! :)
Christmas shirt, strangely plaid shorts, pajama bottoms, 2 different shoes and 2 different pairs of socks!
That afternoon one of my cousins came over to hang out with us. She is the daughter of one of my favorite uncles on my dad's side. However, I think I've met Rhonda 2 times in my whole life...the most recent briefly at my parents' anniversary party. She and my uncle were estranged for many years, yet thankfully reconnected before he passed away a few years ago. In any event, I think we're all realizing as we age how important family is, so we made the effort to meet up while she and her family were visiting her husband's relatives here in Houston. We had an absolutely lovely afternoon and evening. We hung out, played Uno and Monopoly, the kids played outside and as her husband said we were blessed to break bread together. Lindsey even made it over to say hello. It was just lovely. Family...there is nothing like it.
Tate reading a book to Rhonda, her husband and son! They were so sweet to indulge him!
Even Vinnie wanted part of family time!
Saturday Tate and I went to see the new movie Inside Out!! We absolutely loved it!! We both cried!! My favorite emotion was Disgust; Tate's was Joy :) Isn't he the sweetest little boy? Just a lovely movie. What I love most about this though is how amazingly emotional my boy is. How hugely he feels and how he shows it. I pray he doesn't ever forget how to feel, and not just feel, but to let his feelings out. I don't want him to be afraid to express how he feels. I so worry that as a boy he'll think he has to 'man up' and not cry. Don't get me wrong, I don't want him to be a whiny, crying type of little boy, just one not afraid to feel and feel strongly and share those feelings with those around him.
We just hung out the rest of the day!
Sunday found us at church in the morning. Tate got to help with the offering again!
After church we ran some errands then headed over to my parents' house for dinner since it was Father's Day!!! Per my dad's wishes we didn't take tons of pictures, ok we took none. He's so funny. We just hung out and enjoyed being there with everyone! Tate spent the night there, so I could head home to pack for DISNEYLAND!!! Yep we were off to Disneyland on Tuesday, so I didn't have any camp plans for him for Monday. My parents agreed to keep him for me then take him to swim lessons and return to my house to spend the night and take us to the airport on Tuesday!! They are simply the best!!!
So our third week of summer was pretty uneventful, yet fun!
But oh my goodness was our 4th week simply amazing!!!
