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Disney Store Dreaming

Saturday, October 1st, 2011

Dear NHL & JSL,

Once upon a time, in a galaxy within our reach – there was a Disney Store at our local mall. Actually, before the two of you were born, we had two of them. Then they closed one to centralize everything. Just around the time JSL was born, the remaining one closed its doors for the last time. It was a place that we often went to. We were able to be with Disney and have a fun time. Now, the closest store is several hours away.

A week ago, Shannan and I went to to the Disney Store in NYC on one of our breaks during the SheStreams Conference. To say that I was in heaven would be an understatement.

There was so much to look at in every corner of the two levels of the store. The Phineas and Ferb area immediately got me to check everything out. I now wish I had bought you both something.

There were endless amounts of the Disney Princess items. Those areas of the store were gorgeous, but my attention went to places like the gigantic Toy Story section. So many possibilities that my head was just spinning.

I joked to Shannan that the two of you would not have known where to go next. I think the Marvel area would have kept you there for a while. Lots of Spiderman, Ironman, Captain America, Hulk, and friends. I will say, I am sad that I didn’t get you each one of these:

Back on the first floor, I found what I was looking for. There was a giant display of Vinylmations. I knew this was what I was going to bring both of you and Daddy. I bought each of you a Lion King box to open at home. Then, I saw the NYC Cab series that are only available in this store. I picked one of those tins for Daddy. Then, for the heck of it, I grabbed a Muppet Series 2 box.

Oh, I also stopped myself from picking up one of these for each of you:’

The reason I stopped, I want to head to NYC on a train with all of you for a fun day that includes a stop at the Disney Store.

When I got home and started to unpack, I had the bag from the Disney Store ready to go. The two of you were thrilled with the new Lion King packages. I do not think you were aware that they existed. Daddy was very happy with the two he got as well.

So now we just have to figure out a time to take the train to the city for a fun day together. There are a ton of places that we HAVE to go to and the Disney Store is just the first on a long list. Now if only we would get our Disney Store back here.

Love,

Mommy

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If you want to participate in Dear Kid Saturday, head on over to Cutest Kid Ever by clicking on the button below.

CowParade Las Vegas – 2002

Wednesday, August 10th, 2011

Quick note about this week’s Wordless Wednesday. Photos were taken in Las Vegas throughout the city during the 2002 CowParade exhibit. We had countless other photos on TechyDad’s digital camera. Unfortunately, that camera was stolen on our way home in the airport (right off my back). These were pictures that I took and scanned with my now dated film camera. Wandering and seeing all of the CowParade pieces was amazing in itself.

Time for Couples is Important Too

Monday, August 8th, 2011

Ever have one of those days where you wonder how you got to where you are? It seems to be hitting hard here over the last few months. Drama on many levels have left TechyDad and I quite stressed this year. When we celebrated our 10th anniversary with massive plumbing troubles and moving into my parent’s house for several days, it was a sign. Then, thanks to a little push from Amy (aka Resourceful Mommy), we decided to do it. Yes, we booked a kids free getaway. We tossed our senses away and decided that WE needed this. WE, as in the couple, were in great need of time to ourselves without worrying about the kids, stressing over the house, and bickering about this, that, and the other thing.

Since NHL was born, almost eight years ago, we had only gone away without the boys once. That was last summer to NYC for BlogHer. Although it was a wonderful trip, it was not exactly the romantic destination. There were many times that we were on opposite sides of the city at different events.

Could we really afford this trip? Probably not, but WE the couple could not afford to let this opportunity go. What I have learned over the last year is that you can not wish, hope, and wait for things to get better. You must be proactive and stand up for what you need and want. TechyDad and I need to be selfish for us. The kids will be fine with family, they will get to know their Bubbe and Grandpa a lot more, and we will get to be a couple again.

The last real hurrah for us was when we went to Las Vegas in December 2002. We had celebrated out 1st anniversary in June by going to Boston. Then, when some health concerns in the following months left us deciding to start our family, we booked a getaway. Thankfully, we learned from our honeymoon and took more photos of the two of us together. Check out how young and carefree we were:

Our time in Vegas was amazing and we saw so many beautiful items (more posts on that another day). Here are a few photos scanned for now:

When we arrived home, we found out that we were indeed expecting our first little Ewok. NHL was born the following summer and changed our lives. While NHL and JSL are two of the most amazing parts of lives, we, like so many other couples, have hardly had time to be ourselves – husband and wife. Our roles of B and J have morphed into Mom and Dad and rarely seem allow us to get off and remind ourselves of who we used to be.

So, have you ever been just a little selfish in the name of your marriage? Please share tips, thoughts, or anything else in the comments below.

Sushi Style Birthday Dinner

Thursday, August 4th, 2011

For our birthday celebrations, we try to go to a restaurant that the person likes for lunch or dinner on their special day. For the boys, this usually happens on their day since the weather is typically nice in May and August. I am the lone winter birthday in our immediate family and often get snowed out.

Yesterday, was TechyDad’s birthday. The boys were not really interested in going out, so they went to have pizza with Nana and Papa. This meant that the birthday boy could really pick the location he liked. He decided to go back to Mr. Fuji’s. We went there on our 10th anniversary the night of our plumbing fiasco. The meal was delicious, so I was all for it.

We ordered our meals. I went vegetarian so I could share with TechyDad since I was not too hungry. First, our Miso Soup and salad arrived. It was quite good.

We decided to have one of our favorite sushi rolls from our previous trip there. Here is our avocado and peanut roll. This was just as delicious as the first time we had it. I could have stopped right here.

As I mentioned, we ordered vegetarian so we could try two items and share. TechyDad has the vegetable sushi meal. It was really a beautiful presentation.

I opted to have the Teriyaki Tofu. It was served with some white rice and under the lightly fried tofu were amazing onions in the tangy sauce.

We normally would not have ordered anything after our meal, but TechyDad had received a really amazing birthday coupon via e-mail from Mr. Fuji. It included a discount and free Tempura Ice Cream.

There are no words to describe the ice cream properly. It seriously should be illegal and makes me really curious about their tempura cheesecake (imagine me drooling).

Then, it was time to head back to the boys who wanted to use TechyDad as a boat. Apparently, the little guy is talking about cruises lately. Hmmm…. maybe he dreams of a trip on the Disney Dream as well.

I tried to get a good photo of the kids with the birthday boy, but they were acting too silly. This was the best of the batch.

And then it was time for birthday cake. TechyDad had requested a cookie cake, so the boys and I went to purchase one earlier in the day. It was quite colorful.

Here is the birthday boy making a wish – possibly for some quiet time.

I do hope that TechyDad enjoyed his birthday meal out in quiet, and had fun with the colorful birthday cake in the end. More about that coming on his blog.

Birthday Wishes for TechyDad – 2011

Wednesday, August 3rd, 2011

Today, I am breaking away from being completely wordless to wish my amazing husband, TechyDad, a happy birthday. For ten years, we have celebrated your big day as husband and wife. Eight years ago, we sat wondering on your special day when our first child would be born. Of course, that would be just two short weeks later.

Thank you for being the most amazing husband who gets my love for all things Disney and is now a proud NDD at The Disney Driven Life.

I love Tweeting to you and texting sweet nothings so the kids can not spell them while in the room. Wow, how things have changed in a few short years. I can not wait to sit and relax together on our belated 10th Anniversary trip without the kiddos.

At least then you can sit by a slightly larger pool and not worry about getting hit in the head with a water toy by the boys.

The boys are so lucky to have you as their father. It isn’t every parent that would go running into the splash area at the park.

Thank you for being the man of my dreams and riding this adventure of a life with me. I love with with all of my heart and hope to have many more amazing years together.

Love,

Your Angel Forever

Previous Birthday Posts to TechyDad:

Destination Romantic Disney Dreaming

Monday, July 18th, 2011

I have a bad case of the Disney blues. You see, ten years ago in June, we had our amazing honeymoon at Walt Disney World. TechyDad and I were spoiled rotten and had the most magical experience on that trip. We stayed at the Beach Club Resort for 10 magical days.

We decided to go all out and stayed at a deluxe resort. We wanted to be near Epcot so we could dine around the world and at the Boardwalk. They upgraded our room when they heard we were on our honeymoon. Check out the view from our balcony:

We had a deluxe dining plan and also had the ability to do tours with our package. We did several behind the scene tours, ate at Spoodles, Le Cellier (several times with same day reservations – *gasp*), Chef Mickey, Crystal Palace, and saw Cirque du Soleil’s La Nouba.

This was when I made TechyDad a believer. He quickly saw the magic of a Walt Disney World vacation. He was able to see that it is not simply for families with children. It is a place where you can be with your spouse and have plenty of romantic moments. It is a location to wine and dine, be a kid, and enjoy magical memories together. It is a destination that you can visit over and over and still not see everything. So many people do not understand and I am ok with this. I am just lucky TechyDad gets it and so do friends like Amy. She just got back from a 10th anniversary trip to Walt Disney World with her husband. Before leaving, she wrote a post about romantic Disney with quotes from me included.

So why am I writing about this? Well, you see TechyDad and I are toying with doing something that is unlike us. We are talking about putting us first and getting away without the boys. Yes, we are debating a 10th anniversary trip to Walt Disney World. Sure, we have been since our honeymoon, but not just the two of us. In fact, the only time we have been away without the boys was to BlogHer last year in NYC. This would be a trip for us, not in the name of Social Media (imagine that).

We won’t be staying at the Beach Club Resort this time, but it will still be a magical vacation for just the two of us. Now, we just have to check a few more items and figure out child care. The boys can probably stay with TechyDad’s parents, but they have never done that without us before. A lot of things are on my mind, but dreaming and making this into a reality is making me smile.

If you have any suggestions on romantic meals or other places to visit as a couple at Disney World, I would love to hear about it. A lot has changed in ten years.

So, please excuse me for a little while. I need to dream a little more about the possibility of a romantic getaway to the most magical place with my amazing husband. We need this for us and our family.

Wedding Day – 10 Years Ago

Friday, June 24th, 2011

Wow. Ten years ago today I married JL. Way back in the day, he was not TechyDad. The Angel Forever was getting ready to become the Mrs to her Long Island Love.

At that point in our lives we knew that one day we would be parents, but were young, naïve, and focused on our wedding day. The stresses leading up to our magical day all melted away on that beautiful Sunday morning. Before we knew it, our ketubah was signed and we were standing under the chuppah in front of all of our family and friends.

Most of the actual wedding day events are a blur to me. I hardly recall eating, drinking, or much. Thank goodness we have photos. Here is a rare moment when we sat down at our wedding table. Note that even Mickey and Minnie were invited to celebrate before we went to visit them on our honeymoon.

The next morning we left early for our long awaited Disney World honeymoon. This was JL’s first time there and I was determined to make him as crazy about Disney. I do believe it worked.

We had a magical ten days at Disney dining, exploring, relaxing, and romancing. I think JL saw that Disney World is not just for kids. We went to see Cirque du Soleil La Nouba, and did several behind the scene tours and were spoiled as newlyweds. Yes, we were Disneyfied!

Since we stayed at The Beach Club Resort, we walked from our resort into Epcot a lot to dine. We would enter the park via France in World Showcase. Almost ten years later, we stopped for a rare photo together while visiting France

My letter to TechyDad from last year still holds true. I am beyond lucky to have an amazing husband and best friend. It has been quite an adventure the last 10 years, and I look forward to many more magical moments together. I love you with all of my heart and look forward to the rest of our lives together.

So my question to everyone today:

Where did you go on your honeymoon and have you ever been back? If you are waiting for the honeymoon of your dreams, where would you like to go?

For more wedding photos and memories:

Pssst . . . be sure to stop by my Cars 2 giveaway to enter for a chance to win some great items.

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Thanks to Kailani at An Island Life for starting this fun for Friday. Please be sure to head over to her blog to say hello and sign the linky there if you are participating.

Aloha #157

Golf, Food, Family, and Fun

Monday, June 20th, 2011

Mother’s Day and Father’s Day around here are typically days that we try to do something fun and different with the kids to enjoy a day together. This year was no different. We opted not to go strawberry picking and took the boys to a local miniature golf location. They have the traditional outdoor one, but also a fun glow in the dark indoor one. Since it was beautiful outside, we did the outdoor one. For Father’s Day they were doing a pay for 18 holes and play all 36. It seemed like a good plan.

I opted not to play, instead I took photos, walked, helped the little guy (his first time playing), and whined. Yes, I was in a cranky mood. The boys were not listening, heat, and rough condition of the greens were making me wish we had gone to get strawberries. After a bit, I calmed down some and we muddled our way past 26 of the 36 holes. It was getting late and I knew the boys were getting antsy.

TechyDad picked a new place to try to lunch. We went to Saati Deli and Catering and had an absolutely delicious meal. The people were super friendly, the menu huge, and food amazing. TechyDad and I decided to split a big grilled cheese sandwich for the boys and get them a small french fry (they rarely have them). Then we split two sandwiches to try. I selected the Grilled Vegetable, Fresh Mozzarella, Pesto and Balsamic Glaze. TechyDad opted for the Feta Cheese, Fried Eggplant, Pesto, Lettuce and Tomato. Yum, yum, yum – we all loved the food we had. There is no doubt that we will be going back here again.

From here we splurged and went back to the ice cream place that Nana and Papa had taken us to a week ago. Since I was not a huge fan of the kind I had last time, I tried something new. OMG – I was in heaven. Seriously, check this bad boy out:

This has to be one of the best ice cream flavors I have ever had. It was Peanut Butter Caramel Cookie Dough. What is not to love about what combination?

We went to do a little shopping and then went home to grab some items to take to Nana and Papa’s house. While there the boys played, TechyDad took a nap, and I prepared the Asian Salad that my father requested. Here is a sneak peak of what was in that:

We had a wonderful dinner with my parents, fantastic new-to-me watermelon, and then came home to get the boys into bed. No, it may not have been exactly the day we planned, but it was a great day with our family.

What did you do to celebrate Father’s Day this year?

Father’s Day Wishes and Memories – 2011

Sunday, June 19th, 2011

I still remember the first Father’s Day that we had for TechyDad. It was a day spent with family, watching our ten month old NHL grow up before our eyes.

We went for part of the day to the nursing home to visit with my Poppy S. NHL loved sitting in his arms and just watching his face. He always grabbed his baseball hat and liked to snuggle with him in his room.

Of course, later on, Poppy S and NHL bonded over ice cream bars, Dunkin Donuts that we brought him, and clucking like a chicken. Those are memories that we will always cherish.

Last year, TechyDad decided he wanted to take the boys bowling for part of the day. We went and the boys laughed, smiled, and had a wonderful time.

Father’s Day this year may include strawberry picking, lunch out, or something completely different. It is up in the air. We will be doing fun things with TechyDad. No doubt the boys will love every minute with their amazing father.

This is TechyDad’s seventh Father’s Day as a dad. I knew from the day we started going out that he was going to be a fantastic father. He has gone above and beyond over the years. He loves to play and be a kid with the boys. Now that they are older, he spends time passing on traditions and fun things that he loves with them including Anamaniacs, super heroes, Gargoyles, photography, and the list goes on. Thank you for being such an amazing father to our boys. I love you.

I want to wish all of the men in my life a very Happy Father’s Day. This includes my father, brother, uncles, cousins, and the list goes on. Of course, I have to share a special photo of my Dad and little me. We were curled up with our cockatiel Pretty Boy likely watching cartoons in my parent’s super cool Miss Piggy and Kermit The Frog sheets.

Thank you Dad for all that you do for us – we love you!

How will you be spending Father’s Day with the important men in your life?

My Bridal Shower Memories

Monday, June 13th, 2011

Just shy of ten years ago right now, I was busy getting ready for my wedding day. All of the months of preparations, stresses, and dreams were about to result in our magical day. I was going to marry my Long Island Love. That was the nickname that I had for TechyDad before we were married and long before we had our boys.

In April, I had a bridal shower that my aunts had for me. It was a day of laughing, smiling, fun games, and great food with family and friends.

The beautiful hat I was wearing above was the traditional craft made by the Jersey Girls. They did an amazing job and I know where that hat is to this day. Some friends and family were not able to be there that day. They were saving time to come to our wedding just a few months later. Of course, I have photos with my friends that were there with me.

It was also a day of family. I was sad because several grandparents were no longer able to be with us. Now, ten years later my Papa S and TechyDad’s Grandma (far right), are loved ones we have lost. Here are our grandparents on that special day.

It is so hard to believe that it has been ten years. Ten years since I became a teacher, was getting ready to become a wife, looking forward to a honeymoon in Walt Disney World, and making memories like the ones above that make me smile to this day.

Thank you to everyone that was there for the wonderful day that put me at ease during a stressful pre-wedding time. I love you all.

P.S. There were a lot of other photos taken, but some were not digital and the scans were not the best. If any family wants to see them, just let me know.

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