Friday Foto Finish Fiesta 9-26-08

This week's version of my Fx4 Friday Flashback is one of me at Christmas! We were again at my Grandma's, and I am going to guess I was about 7. I can't even remember what the name of that toy is!!

I'm going to take a break from the Friday Flashbacks, but keep coming back to see if I surprise you with a pic once in a while!!

Countdown to Disney: 11 Weeks

My plans for December are finalized. My hotel reservations are for December 11 thru the 15th. So, every Thursday, I'll be posting my favorite Disney pics from the last 4 years, from when we started taking Big Sis. This will be my weekly therapy to count down the weeks. Starting December 1, I'll start counting down daily. But that's a ways away.

So, here's my first pic:



This pic was taken at Goofy's Kitchen. This was Big Sis' second vacation to Disneyland. It was Little Sis' first trip, but she was only 4 months old, and I sadly realize that I have no pics of her at Disneyland from that trip. Big Sis and Little Sis both want to go back to Goofy's Kitchen when we go back in December.

Where to Stay?

In my opinion, the biggest decision when making plans for a Disneyland vacation, whether for one night or ten, is where to stay.

As someone who has had an annual pass, I'm in the midset that I am willing to stay off property and either walk to the park or park in the Mickey and Friends Parking Structure to save a little money. Staying at the Disneyland Resort Hotels (Disneyland Hotel, Paradise Pier, or the Grand Californian) is not cheap.

One hotel that I've been known to stay at repeatedly is Super 8 at 415 Katella Ave, about a mile from Disneyland. Walking isn't an issue, it only takes about 15-20 minutes. But since I tend to go with my girls, I drive to the parking structure and take the tram from there. The night time walk from the park isn't as challenging. As far as the rooms are concerned, they are clean and comfy, and the breakfast is decent, especially if you're taking it back to your room. The office staff is polite and helpful.

I've also been known to stay at Motel 6 off the I-91 at Valley View in Buena Park. Since it's right on the freeway, and the 91 and 5 interchanges are connected even at the Carpool Lane, it's a quick 5 minute drive. When you get off the freeway when you're going to Disneyland, you end up right in the parking structure. Very convenient. The rooms here are quiet, especially if you're on the inside courtyard. You can't even hear the freeway. They are clean and somewhat roomy, but I wouldn't have more than 4 people in your room. The office staff are helpful, but tend to let their frustration show if they're a bit frazzled.

This December, I'll be staying at Howard Johnson, right across the street from Disneyland on Harbor Blvd. Our room is a Park View room, which I tend to take advantage of to watch the Fireworks. I've heard nothing but great things about HoJos. Once I'm back from my trip, I will be sure to post a review of the resort.

If you have stayed at a Disneyland resort hotel, either on property or off, and would like to submit an honest hotel review, email me and I'll give you the information I would like on my blog.

Hi From the Webcam on the Laptop!

I'm sitting here at home, on the laptop I'm borrowing from work. It has a built in webcam. While I was browsing for info for WorkAbility, Little Sis became interested in the computer. So, I took a pic. It's a pretty nifty feature.

Almost-Wordless Wednesday

March 17, 2004. Big Sis and I still had a day on out 2-Fer for Disneyland, so I took her to DCA. Probably one of my more enjoyable trips. I love going with the kids by myself, although now, it's more difficult since Big Sis can ride bigger rides, like Indiana Jones, and Little Sis can't. She is tall enough now for Star Tours and Splash Mountain though!

Freedom of Speech? (Edited for clarity)

I don't do this often on my blog, but I have to get on my soapbox for a bit.

I was watching the news this morning. I heard about this story, where an 11 year old boy from Colorado has been suspended for wearing an anti-Obama shirt. I'm not going to get into my presidential preference, but I do have something to say about this. The shirt said "Obama is a terrorist's best friend."

**Edited to Add: I suppose I shouldn't say he was suspended for wearing the shirt. He wore the shirt, and was asked to change or turn it inside out. He refused, so technically, he was suspended for willful disobedience. But still. He can't say his first amendment rights were violated. He violated the rights of others by wearing the shirt.

The boy and his father say that their "First Amendment rights were violated." Do you want to know what I said? "You're ELEVEN!" Seriously, what is it with these kids, thinking they can do or say or wear anything in school, and when they get in trouble, they throw the First Amendment into the face of the school administration.

As far as I'm concerned, children do not have the right to disrupt a learning environment with something so blatantly controversial. This boy isn't even old enough to vote. I highly doubt he's watching the news channels to be lead to believe what he believes. I'm sure his father is behind this, 100%. A child does not have the right to say what he wants to be free from persecution. In fact, no one should be able to say "Obama is a terrorist's best friend;" isn't that some form of slander? Defamation of character? Isn't that illegal in itself?

I do believe that this country's getting a little carried away in censorship, but this boy went way to far. The school was right to be suspended. He should be made to wear a uniform for the rest of his childhood.

I'll be grumbling about this for the rest of the day. First Amendment rights violated. Whatever.

All I Want for Christmas...

is my two front teeth!!

Big Sis pulled out the other top tooth yesterday!! She was eating popcorn, and it aggravated it, so she just pulled it out. It was already hanging by a thread...


When I see her wiggling her teeth and playing with them, it totally grosses me out. I thought I had girls!
Here are my two girly girls this morning! It's not even 70° outside -- HEAVEN! -- but Big Sis managed to spill milk on her jacket. I wasn't going to pull another out of the bottom bin in my closet, so she's going to have to suffer. Well, not really. It's still supposed to be 90°+ today.

Friday Foto Finish Fiesta 9-19-08

Well, this week, you are in for a TREAT! You get TWO pics!

Today happens to be my baby sister's 23rd birthday! So, my pics for today are to celebrate this wonderful day!

Here's my baby sister, Kimberly, as, well, a baby! Wasn't she ADORABLE?????? Well, now, even as a beautiful young woman, on the verge of marriage, she is still adorable! I love how she interacts with my girls, and she and I can bust a gut when we feel the urge. Sadly, she's moved to Colorado to be with her fiance, so my girls and I miss her terribly! I just wish she'd CALL ME more (*hint hint*)


Here is Kimberly and me last year at Disneyland in October. We were celebrating MANY birthdays that day at the Happiest Birthdays on Earth at the Plaza Inn! While her birthday was almost a month before, the girls, my friends, and I had a great time including her in the festivities!

♥♥♥ HAPPY BIRTHDAY, KIMMY!!!! ♥♥♥

Chosen?

So, this morning, I was watching an old episode of "Beverly Hills 90210." It's the one where Steve's mom is trying to get Steve's childhood rival and her TV son to do a reunion show. Steve and Chuck get into a fight, and Chuck then makes a big deal about Steve being adopted. So, Steve decides to go find his birth mom in New Mexico. During the show, Steve's mom tells him he was "chosen."

Big Sis then asked me if she was chosen. What do you say to a 6 year old who asks that?

My answer? "No, baby. You chose me with help from God." She asked me how that was possible.

I told her that when a woman has a baby, the baby chooses the parents in heaven before he or she is born.

That was probably one of my better "Mommy Answers."

Now, don't ask me what I'll say when she's older and asks the real "where do babies come from" question.

Wordfilled Wednesday!

So, last Thursday was one to remember. Both for the events that happened 7 years ago, but because it was a very exciting day here!

Big Sis came home with her hand over her mouth. She FINALLY lost the top tooth! She was super excited, so I had to put in a call to the Tooth Fairy!

And since I was taking pics of Big Sis, Little Sis and "Big Fat Baby" had to get in the pic, too! That baby doll wears 6-9 month clothes! In this pic, its wearing a bathing suit I found at the 99-cents Only Store.

One of Little Sis and "Big Fat Baby."

So, we were all sitting in the living room, and I was helping Big Sis with her homework. All of a sudden, at exactly 4:00pm, the power went out. No biggie-- in this small town, it happens all the time. It came back on about 30 seconds later, and then went back out again. This time, it stayed off. We looked outside, and it was WINDY! I mean, I was thinking tornadoes (product of the mid-west). So windy, that the field in front of the house was a blur of wind and dust. I went outside and took a video, but I'm having problems uploading it to Blogger. I'll work on that later.
After the dust died down, we opened all the windows and the front door, because it was so nice outside! We didn't even need the a/c (good thing, because it wasn't going to run without power anyway). Since we live on a corner, all the kids started walking by. I had the playroom open and the girls were out with their jump ropes and hula hoops.

After all the threatening weather -- wind, thunder, and lightning -- it only drizzled for about TWO MINUTES! I felt so cheated! But, again, the weather was so nice and cool. We BBQ'd for dinner, and while we could have ate outside, we chose not to. The power finally came back on at 7:15, right as it started getting pitch black inside the house.

Overall, it was a pretty exciting evening!

Harry Potter -- 10th Anniversary!

As most of you know, I am a huge Harry Potter fan. I have all the books in both paperback and hardcover. I was at the book store at midnight when they were released. I'm at the theater on opening weekend when the movies come out. I'm highly disappointed that the 6th movie is coming out in July instead of November.

Let me tell you how I came to know Harry Potter. It'll be short, I promise.

I was living with my grandparents, and my grandma's coworker had given her a box of books. I looked through them, and one of the books was called "Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone." I'd never heard of it, but it looked pretty interesting. So, I read it. In one night. Inside the front cover was information about a second book. So, the next day, I went to Target, and there it was: "Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets." I was hooked.

As soon as the rest of the books came out, I was there. As soon as the movies were being shown, I was there. If it's "Harry Potter Weekend" on ABC Family, I'm watching (even though I own all 5 movies on DVD).

Now, here's the fun part!

The Harry Potter Series is turning 10 this year!!! To commemorate, a new version of "The Sorcerer's Stone" has been designed. Features include the following:

• New Jacket artwork by Mary GrandPre
• Additional four-color frontispiece artwork from Mary GrandPre
• Two pages of special content from J.K. Rowling
• Full cloth case with gold stamping

Over on MomDot, they are giving away amazing Harry Potter prizes worth $315!!! Grand prize is the COMPLETE box set of books #1-7, a copy of the 10th anniversary edition of "Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone," and a collectible gold Harry Potter pin.


Four runners-up will receive the 10th anniversary edition of the "Sorcerer's Stone" and the collectible pin.

For more information about the contest, head on over to MomDot's Harry Potter Contest Page! Then, head on over to the Scholastic website for more Harry Potter information, including wallpaper and screensaver downloads!

Wouldn't one of those prizes be an AMAZING Christmas present for the Harry Potter fan in your life?

Friday Foto Finish Fiesta 9-12-08

This week's Fx4 is another one of my "Flash Back Friday" Specials!! I would have to guess I was about 2, give or take. I KNOW this was taken at my Grandma's house. Apparently, I'm wearing her high heels! My girls do this now, by the way.

Disneyland...

So, I was supposed to be going to Disneyland on October 10 to celebrate the girls' birthdays.

Well, having just started a new job, funds are really tight right now.

However, I have planned FIVE glorious days for Disneyland in December! I have told the girls they can celebrate their birthdays then, too, along with mine on the 13th.

I love Disneyland at the holidays! The weather is gorgeous. The castle is lit up and is so beautiful. The giant Christmas tree on Main Street is a sight to see! Plus, there are all kinds of fun things to do: Woody's Reindeer Roundup, Haunted Mansion Holiday, and the Christmas Parade!



So, my countdown has been changed...90 days to go. *sigh*

7 Years Ago...

Seven years ago, I was 8.5 months pregnant with Big Sis.

Seven years ago, my outlook on life changed forever.

Seven years ago, the world changed.

Seven years ago, Americans realized that we are not invincible.

Seven years ago, 2,998 people lost their lives, and are viewed as heroes.

As we all know, today is the 7th anniversary of the attacks on the World Trade Center and the Pentagon. I remember waking up at 8am Pacific time. My (now) ex-husband was to start work at 9am, so the alarm went off at 8am. By that time, all hell had broken loose. I woke up immediately and went into the living room to watch the news. I was in shock. I was scared. I prayed the hardest I ever prayed: for the people who had already died, for those in immediate danger, for the new baby I was bringing into the world. Would she ever have a childhood as carefree as I did? Would she ever know a world free from War? Would she ever know a world free from Terrorism? The thought scares me, even today.

But, we cannot let our fear dictate our life. If we do that, then the goal of the terrorists has been achieved.

Today, let's remember those who lost their lives. Let's remember the heroes of the FDNY, NYPD, and all the civilians who may have sacrificed their lives to save those of others. Let's remember those who fought back on Flight 93.

Never forget.

Wordless Wednesday 9-10-08

Don't forget to enter my contest!

100th POST...and the CONTEST!

After my mini-blog-a-thon on Friday and Saturday, I've finally reached my *~*~*~100th post*~*~*~!!!

So, to honor the momentous occasion, I am going to use this post to start my FIRST EVER CONTEST!!!!

Now, this is not sponsored. I found this really cute and adorable Christmas Planner while I was unpacking (yes, I'm still unpacking).

Here's a little bit about the prize:

It's a small, 6-ring binder with dividers to keep all your Holiday Planning organized!

Dividers include:

• Holiday Calendar -- "My calendar of special holiday events. Pencil in parties, plays, and special shopping days." 10 blank months for you to plan. You can use it for 5 years filling in only November and December!
• Holiday Notes -- "A place for 'notes to self.' Jot down a note or two, write out a guest list, or plan a party." 10 double-sided pages!
• Holiday Card List -- "My list of family, friends, and special acquaintances. A card list for year-to-year card sending." The pages have a space for names and addresses, as well as a place to mark whether you've sent and/or received a card! The only drawback: These are dated from 2005-2009, but a little self-editing should take care of that!
• Shopping List -- "My plan for a great season of shopping. Remember family members, special friends, and gifts of appreciation." 25 double-sided pages to keep track of all the important people in your life!
• Gifts Received -- "My reminder of special gifts received...and appreciation." 3 double-sided pages to keep track of the gifts you've received and thank you notes sent!

This binder is cute inside and out! It's very appropriate for the holidays!!

So now, I bet you're wondering how you enter, right?

Well, here are the rules:

• First, leave a comment about why you NEED this, and tell me your favorite holiday memory.
• Second, blog about this contest, then come back and leave me a second comment.
• After you've blogged about it, you may come back and leave a comment on this post ONCE per DAY! That's a LOT of chances to win! (So, 2 entries the first day, then one per day until the 25th!)

This contest will end on Thursday, September 25 (3 months until Christmas!!!) at 8:00am. A winner will be pulled sometime Thursday afternoon. I will use Random.Org to pull the winner. Make sure that there is a way to contact you on your profile or blog, otherwise, I won't be able to contact you!!! You'll have until September 30 to get me your information, and it will be shipped out as soon as I get your information!!!

Happy (Early) Christmas!!!

I can't believe I forgot!

Wow..with the new job and everything, I missed the two year anniversary of my best friend's death!


Christina and I met in March 1993 (edited, since I goofed in the wee morning hours and put in 2003), after I had moved to San Pedro, CA during 7th grade. She and I became fast friends. She sat next to me on our Science Class' weekend camping trip. After that, we were inseparable until 9th grade. Christina joined Tall Flags (and at one point, even got to be in the Rose Parade!) and I started hanging out with other friends. We still talked and I still considered her my best friend.

In 10th grade, I moved to the Bay Area because my parents divorced. She and I kept in touch via snail mail (this was before email was the way to go), and would talk every once in a while on the phone. Both of us became busy with our on lives, and slowly, we drifted apart. But I still considered her one of my best friends.

In February 2006, I was on my way to Disneyland with my mom, sister, and my girls. On a whim, I called Christina and asked if she could meet us at Downtown Disney at the Rainforest Cafe for lunch. She happily did! It was so nice to meet up with her after so long and catch up. We talked about everything: her job, my marriage and divorce, people we went to school with. It was great.

Sadly, on September 2, 2006, she was in an accident and lost her life. I didn't find out until a few days later via her MySpace page. Unfortunately, her mom didn't have any contact info for me. I eventually got in touch with her mom, and gave her pictures of Christina and me from when we were kids, and when we had met that February.

I think about her a lot. I think about how sad it was that we didn't keep in touch better. I think about my other friends who I call only once in a blue moon. I think about friends I haven't seen since high school or longer. Life is something we tend to take for granted, but when I think about my friend, I remember that nothing is ever for certain. With the anniversary of 9-11 fast approaching, we all will be remembering that.

So, today, be sure to call your parents. Stop by a neighbor's house you haven't visited in a while. Write a letter (not an email!) to a friend who lives across the country...or even around the world! Let those you love know how you feel. Don't hold a grudge. And remember: for every minute you are angry, you lose 60 seconds of happiness.

Christina Jasmine Gandhi

August 10, 1980 - September 2, 2006

Just Watched: "The Other Boleyn Girl"

That was horrible.

It was NOTHING like the book. I'd hate to give it all away, and I NEVER say this, but WATCH THE MOVIE FIRST!!!

If you haven't seen the movie or read the book, seriously, watch the movie first. You won't be disappointed in the movie, then, when you read the book, you'll be even less disappointed.

Granted, if I had only watched the movie, I'm sure I would have enjoyed it. But I'm a "read-the-book-first" kind of gal! But at least the "Harry Potter" series didn't disappoint!

So, there you have it. My opinion on the movie "The Other Boleyn Girl" after having read the book first.

Friday Foto Finish Fiesta 9-5-08

I am combining my Fx4 with Flash Back Fridays for the next couple weeks! You can all thank my mom for that. She has added photos of my sister and me to her MySpace page, and I have downloaded them all to share with you! I have eight of them, so you'll be seeing Lil Me for several weeks!

This first one is when I was a baby. Don't you just love the Shag Carpet? Since I was born in December '79, this was taken sometime in early to mid 1980.

Wordless Wednesday

Big Sis, Disneyland, March 17, 2004

Just Finished: "The Five People You Meet in Heaven"

Wow, this book was very good! I actually finished it on Friday, too.

I really don't know what to say about the book, but I do know that it made me think about things. The most obvious, of course, was death, but it also made me think about how life works.

If you read it, you'll see what I mean. There were a few moments I teared up. I recommend it if you haven't read it!

(Kira: I think your dad would like it!!!!)

Next up: The Chronicles of Narnia. I decided to read this book now because I have a 7th grader who is dealing with reading comprehension issues. So, I asked her to read it. I told her I'd read it too, and we could "discuss" it. I also found some online resources for it, so I'm hoping it works! Then, maybe I can sponsor a movie night for my students!