November Thanks Day 25 - The City I'm in Love With

In 2008 I made a move to a city that showed me what community truly is. Having lived in various areas of Tacoma for over 6 years, now, I can honestly say it is one of my favorite areas to be and has everything anyone could want (minus the country life, which I do enjoy as well). The schools are fantastic, my former neighbors (there will be a post about them later) were kind hearted and observant, and the culture was fun.

The Tacoma Dome

Tacoma has allowed my family to enjoy so many outings at the affordable price of free (or pretty near it). Starting with the incredible museums - every third Thursday of the month the whole community is allowed to come and enjoy everything these places have to offer. There is also a children's museum that runs on donations. Kids can enjoy hours and hours of educational, safe fun and beg to go back as they are leaving.

Kids and Neighbors outside Union Station

Looking at glass scultpures

Glass by Dave Chihuly

More glass by Dave Chihuly

Fun inside the art museum

Union Station

Glass by Dave Chihuly

Family in front of Chihuly glass at Union Station

There is also an awesome baseball team (the Rainiers) who are the farm team for our  major leagues. Games are fun, active, yet laid back. And, biggest bonus are the free summer movies the stadium hosts for families. Bring a blanket, and lay out under the gorgeous sky and watch the summer favorites. Do like some families do, and bring a glove and ball to play catch away from the crowds, gives the kids the experience of playing where some of the greats started and is an opportunity most of us have never had!

Also, downtown, there is Ruston Way - a whole area for people to walk/jog/play that is right on the water. It is beautiful, and has a view of Vashon Island (another beautiful gem in this area of Washington State), and Mount Rainier. You can go, watch people scuba dive, watch parasailing, go fishing, play in the water, or eat at some top notch restaurants.

View from the trails on Ruston

More from the docks of Ruston

The parks in Tacoma are incredible, as well. Wright Park is one of our favorites. Not only does it have the Seymour Conservatory (pictures from there will come in December), but has pretty statues, a cute duck pond, and a romantic winding trail with stately trees lining it. Wright Park used to be a dark, dangerous sort of place, over the last decade it has been made into the local family hang out. It has a water park addition for the summer (free to use, and hours of fun), along with cute playground. In addition, many community events take place there, like the star walk where locals create stars that light up, and frame the trees of the park. There is an annual Dickens Festival complete with carriage rides and a Run Like the Dickens event.

Kids and I looking at statues at Wright Park

Photo courtesy of www.en.wikipedia.org
Conservatory at the park

Photo courtesy of Pinterest.com

So there you have it. I love Tacoma, I love all it has given me and my family (many reasons I have not written about here), and am so thankful we decided to make the move here so many years ago.

November Thanks Day 24 - Holiday Fun

Yesterday the kids, my dad, and I kicked off the holidays by doing a walk through at our local park. Every year they will the entire park with pretty lights and displays, and the Sunday prior to it opening, they open it up to the public to walk, instead of drive, through. The last time I had been was on a date with my husband almost 8 years ago. We drove through, were disappointed, and vowed not to go back as the park charged to see a lit up sign placed maybe every 10 or so feet, nothing fancy or impressive. Last year, my parents took the kids and ooh'ed and awed about it for the entire month of December. I decided that it was time to give the walk through a try.

 For a while, because of how sick my son was, it looked like we may not be able to do it, plus the weather is usually really yucky in Washington State every fall/winter. Scarily, yesterday morning we woke up to a monsoon going on outside, and reports that it would probably rain that evening. By noon, though, the sun was out and the ground began to dry. That evening was perfect, no rain, very little wind, and warm enough that with brisk walking my daughter took her jacket off.

Area sponsored by Clover Park Tech

The lights were pretty, the music was fun, and all of the volunteers were cheery. The kids, my dad, and I had a wonderful time staring at the lights, looking at the different sponsors (his employer had a sponsor/set up there), and being able to spend some quality time together while being mesmerized by everything around us. Don't get me wrong, driving through would be pretty spectacular too, but being able to slowly walk made it feel like we were enveloped in a winter wonderland.

I am very thankful that we were able to go, that the weather held up, that my son was doing alright enough to make the trek, and that I decided to just do it instead of backing out at the last minute. It was fun, and we will definitely be doing it again (although, big regret of the evening is that I left my good camera at home, and had the poor one on my Kindle for the picture perfect moments).

November Thanks Day 23 - My Son

I know I have already done a post about my kids, so this may seem a little redundant; however, please understand that my baby boy has been very sick for a over a week. At first we thought it was the flu, then maybe a bad cold, then bronchitis, only to find out he had the croup and another nasty virus attached. We went through breathing treatments, loss of work, and a lot of worry over how this little guy was doing.

At the dr's office

Then, yesterday, he randomly felt up to playing outside. We let him under the orders to take it easy (any action of any sort would leave him coughing so hard he would physically choke and start throwing up). After an hour, he was running like normal and not coughing at all. We were able to proceed as normal with his play practice this morning, and Sunday school. He seemed a little wiped out, rested on the couch a bit, and then headed out with us to a Christmas lights walk through. I had the inhaler with me, and a plan, in case he needed to stop and the last day and a half of his doing well went away. This kid went through everything like a champ. Walked two miles, laughed, acted like a normal kid and coughed maybe three times.

After play practice.

In line with his sister

Happy with the pretty lights!

Why is this blog worthy? For a mom, it's always a relief when the babies are getting their health back. I am very, very grateful that this is passing, and that we do not have to make an emergency trip that we were told to monitor for. God is good :)

The Best Mickey Waffles Ever

Every Saturday and Sunday I try to make the family breakfast from scratch. During the week, our routine is so crazy and time constrained that the kids eat at breakfast, my husband skips it, and I eat at work. The weekend is the time to make up for it all, and give the family a morning treat. It's hard, though, since everyone in this family likes something different, and the dislikes have a weird range and are very strong (like my daughter's massive aversion to anything with syrup, or eggs).

Last Christmas I received a Mickey Mouse waffle maker, and finally struck on a recipe that everyone in the family loves, and gets excited for. The basics of the recipe can be found on other sites, but I have added an extra ingredient that makes the flavor have a tiny bit of uniqueness to it. Also, these waffles can be tailor created to any holiday by simply sprinkling colored sugar on top for a festive look.

Christmas Mickey waffles

Ingredients:

2 cups of flour
2 eggs
1 3/4 cups of milk
1/2 cup vegetable oil
1 tablespoon white sugar
4 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon of salt
1/2 teaspoon of almond extract

Beat the eggs until they are mixed well, then add the milk and oil. Stir together until they are mixed well. In a different bowl, stir together the flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt. Add in with the liquids and mix well. Lastly, pour in the almond extract. Most recipes call for vanilla, but this adds a little extra to the waffle, and makes it special. Use a minimum of a 1/2 teaspoon, but can use more if you would like a stronger flavor.

Next, pour onto waffle iron. I use my Mickey shaped one that was gotten for me at a local store, but any will work. These waffles are done in approximately 3 minutes. Enjoy!

November Thanks Day 22 - The Hubby

Normally, in our house, we do not go over for the mushy stuff. We love each other, we know that, and outward displays (minus the occasional Facebook post) feels like trying too hard. I cannot, though, go through the entire month of November and not recognize my husband.


Ken and Biscuit the Squirrel (formerly, and
better named, Rocky)

We have our differences, and are completely opposite from one another. I am also in constant awe at how so many conflicting thoughts can fit inside one person politically. An avid lover of Ron Paul, yet one who will defend the president's decisions to the death on immigration make no sense to me, but that is who you are, and it makes life interesting. I also value our many interesting arguments on Obama-Care, Charles Manson's love life, and the death penalty. Our kids will never be able to grow up saying they don't know what is happening in the world on both sides of the spectrum - something that will be a great value whenever anyone tries to tell them how closed minded they are.

Which brings me to what a great dad you are. Just like me, you have things to work on, but no one is perfect. The kids will always know you will be there for them no matter what, and that you will do the best you can to make sure they are well mannered, intelligent human beings who value others above themselves. And it's great for me to see how much the kids love you, and how many times a day they bring up different things they want to do for their dad, to show him how special he is to them.

Ken and Reyna

Ken and Bubba



First family picture in 2006

Ken and the kids on
Mount Rainier

As for how you are with me... We have made 11 years together, over a decade. In that time, we have learned how to make this family run well together. Not many families have both people working, while trying to finish school, volunteer, have outside hobbies, and raise kids at the same time. We do, and without you I would not be able to finish school. I know that you will be there for me no matter what. And that you will be patient with me as overanalyze and stress out. You have a lot to deal with, and work very hard. I love you, and I'm grateful for your company in life.

Right before I went to Disney World, June 2005

Our wedding day in 2007

Thank you, again, for taking this crazy life journey with me. I love you very much.

November Thanks Day 21 - Internet Radio Days

My thanks today is for a hobby that covered a two year span in my life. From 2010-2012 I was fortunate to be part of two very successful internet radio teams who covered all things Disney. Prior to 2010, I was simply a fan who would chat on forums about Disney, planning Disney trips, talking about how to keep the magic alive at home (yes, I am a Disney nerd. It's okay), among many other things. After a few years of being a normal commenter, I moved on to write a few articles for them about my experience in the Disney College Program. Then, I became a moderator and officially joined the team. We all kept things from exploding between other members, and kept all chat rated PG.

Soon after I became a moderator, I was laid off from my actual job (something I talked about here), and after talking to some of the other staff, it was suggested I would be a guest on some of the radio shows they had. Let me just say, at first it was absolutely terrifying knowing that thousands and thousands of people would hear me talk, hear what I had to say, and hear if I made a complete idiot of myself. I decided to just go with it, though, and not look back. After a few months, I ended up being the voice to one of their commercials, and my daughter lent her voice as well in saying the stations name. Next up, being on a show with one of my best friends. She had, had a show of her own for a while, guested on other shows, and was now looking for a new approach to things where we would discuss our time together in the college program. We had a lot of fun, made lots of connections, and learned a lot.

My partner, Krystal, as we played around
with making some Kitchen Sinks

After a year or so, an opportunity presented itself to make a healthier move to a brand new station, be part of the team to get it running before the actual first web banner had been made. It was exciting to see and learn how to generate interest in something so new, and turn it into a station that actually won an award on Live365. We continued our show about our lives with Disney, and also branched off, blogging on our own about our own specialties. Mine led me to Disney baking with my own blog that was called Bibbidi Bobbidi Bake with Mia (I did well enough to get a shout out from the Jazz Kitchen!), and hers led her to use Partners Behind the Mouse and blog about crafts, work, children, savings, and more all related to Disney. We also combined with another team member to blog about cooking a Disney meal from the parks, magazines, anything from Disney actually, and explaining how to do it. We were doing so well, in fact, that another blog asked us to guest write for them a few times a month. It was a blast! Our team was strong, solid, and very passionate about what we were doing. The only problem was that I had started working again, and between work, kids, husband, and trying to pursue school, there really wasn't time anymore to be part of this venture.  In late 2012, I bowed out completely to pursue my other activities as the team went on to do great things, and be incredibly successful in their own rights (my old partner, Krystal, has quite the blog and YouTube channel, and is doing amazing things with it).

Chocolate dipped Mickey's

D23 Sugar Cookies

Ralph Brennan Jazz Kitchen Beignets

I have been very thankful for that venture in my life. I learned so much, made many mistakes along the way (like botching Hootsuite for our twitter account that I was in charge of for the entire station), and got to meet some people who are the image that comes to mind whenever the words persistence, passion, and drive come up.

Must See Family Christmas Movies

Though I have been trying to ignore it (where did this year go, after all?), the Christmas season has arrived. With it comes cuddling up to seasonal movies with hot chocolate, and sharing with our kids what some of our favorites were as children (or adults, have to admit some of the new ones have been good, too). Here is a list of the top ten movies that your children must see during the holiday season!

 1. For me, Christmas is not complete until this movie has played at least once, and the songs from it listened to over and over again.  White Christmas is the ultimate family Christmas classic! Yes, it is an old movie, and yes young children (under the age of five) will probably not like it. That being said, both of my children sat down and watched it multiple times at the ages of 5 and 7, and have become obsessed with the movie, forcing all of their friends who came to visit to sit down and watch it. Between Bing Crosby's voice, Vera Ellen's dance moves, the hilarity of Danny Kaye, all of the songs, and the gorgeous Christmas scene at the end... I've had a hard time not watching this already. Give your kids a piece of the past, and have them watch this gem!

Photo courtesy of www.supertran.net

2. Who could let their children grow up without showing them A Charlie Brown Christmas? This is just one of those movies that is a right of passage - all must see it, and know of the sad, pathetic little Christmas tree that Charlie Brown got and couldn't even decorate on his own. Plus, Linus does a great job sharing the Christmas story!

Photo courtesy of www.blogs.phoenixnewtimes.com

3. You either love it, or you hate it, but at least give your kids a chance to decide what they think. Our second must see Christmas movie is A Christmas Story. Our family roars with laughter over the Red Rider BB Gun, and the dad's grief over his lost turkey (which my husband can empathize with, only substituting ham for the turkey).

Photo courtesy of www.achristmasstoryhouse.com

4. A Muppet Christmas Carol is another movie that you simply have to show your kids. It takes a classic, and puts it on a much more understandable and approachable level. Plus, as an adult, the Muppets are great at bringing back childhood memories! Besides, seeing Michael Cain, serious actor extraordinaire, interact with a bunch of Muppets if pretty priceless!

Photo courtesy of www.news.doddleme.com

5. The last on my list is a newer classic. Christmas with the Kranks was released a few years ago, and is absolutely hilarious. Jamie Lee Curtis and Tim Allen are a delight that will leave you, your spouse, and your kids snorting from laughter. And who can forget the cat! My own daughter refers to it as the cat movie, and is requiring I put a picture of said cat in this post. Watch it, you'll never look at Hickory Honeyed Ham the same way again, or Christmas Cruises, or umbrellas for that matter!



Photo courtesy of www.looplr.com

6. Frosty the Snowman is another must see. Adorable cartoon, magical story, and the voice of Jimmy Durante. It is important to note, though, that someone had the bad idea to make a new Frosty cartoon. Do not, I repeat, do not see that one. It is terrible, misleading, and not at all full of the joyous Christmas spirit that fills the original Frosty!

Photo courtesy of www.classicmedia.tv

7. This is a movie from my own childhood, which I used to love. No longer one of my own personal favorites, but it is great for kids. Not only does it cover the interest of two age ranges (a character who is second grade and one in 8th grade. Any kid likes watching another kid near their own age accomplishing something), but it has the elegant Lauren Bacall (who sings, by the way, and it is not to be missed), cute little mice, kids helping each other solve a family problem, an awesome Santa, and references to The Nutcracker.

Photo courtesy of www.opensubtitles.org

8. Two versions of this film, and both are great! Our personal favorite, though, is the Jim Carey version of The Grinch Who Stole Christmas. He is the epitome of what a Grinch should be, and all kids (no matter their age), will love watching him terrorize Whoville.

Photo courtesy of www.fanpop.com

9. Tim Allen makes the list again with his film, The Santa Clause. Technically, this is a series as there are parts 1-3, but I am a fan of the original. Scott Calvin (note, initials S.C.) has his son for Christmas Eve, and the two hear Santa fall of the roof. They find his business card, which says to put on the suite. After Scott Calvin does this, he becomes Santa. Permanently. This is a magical, happy movie, complete with some laughs (all I have to say is fire extinguisher and turkey).

Photo courtesy of www.films.mcvane.ge

10. The last movie on our list is a new one. Usually, I am not a fan of the newer Christmas movies (some are cute, don't get me wrong), but this one was watched on repeat after our first time seeing it. The fantastic new Christmas movie is Arthur Christmas. Santa has a son who is kind of clumsy, and not at all as polished as he needs to be to fit in with the family operation. What he does have, though, is heart and plenty of it. Watch the movie, you and your kids will love it!

Photo courtesy of www.aceshowbiz.com