The Angel Forever

Lego mania at Disney World

Posted on September 24, 2009 9:29 am by TheAngelForever

It is hard for me to believe that it has been almost four months since our family vacation to Disney World in May. To say that I would jump at a chance to go back is an understatement. Sad to also admit that I never finished blogging about our Disney vacation. Something today made me think of the trip.

Both of our boys love to build. We have lots of Lego items in our house and at Nana and Papa’s. We started with quatro blocks, moved up to duplo sets and NHL received a set of regular legos for his birthday over a year ago. NHL is intrigued with building bigger and more recognizable items now. I think some of this has to do with our visit to Disney World.

When we went to Downtown Disney on JSL’s birthday we wanted to get each of the boys their own stuffed friend. A trip to Disney World, especially their first, would not be complete without this. Here are the boys with the friends that they picked.

NHL wanted Dumbo since he was enchanted by the ride at the Magic Kingdom.

Meanwhile JSL fell head over heels for Pluto, or as he calls him "Pup-pup" on this trip.

Both of the boys were happy and excited to hug their new friends on the way out of the Disney store.

After this we decided to go to the next store over which is all Lego products. It is absolutely amazing. Here are the boys outside with some of the Lego statues. JSL had to do a double take because he was not sure about the dogs. Eventually they both checked everything out.

Once we were able to pull the boys away from the Lego people and dogs, we went into the store. They both immediately ran to the first display they saw. Here it is:

We looked around at everything for a little while. Then we spotted an area outside where the boys would build with Legos and go on a nice sized playground. Looked like the perfect place for them to get some energy out before going to lunch.

While the boys played here I went to look at another store to see something. When I came back I saw that our now two year old was quite the daredevil – Oy! He kept doing this over and over again.

Soon it was time to find a place for lunch. As we wandered back toward a few places we stopped to check out more of the Lego creations. First up were the underwater creatures.

Check out this intimidating looking guy:

Next up is the dinosaur that was a big favorite of our boys.

And last, but certainly not least was the sea creature that is in the Lagoon. We have photos of this one from our honeymoon as well. Love this one as a sentimental favorite from my many trips to Disney World over the years.

It was a beautiful day for JSL’s 2nd birthday and we enjoyed strolling around Downtown Disney before swimming at Pop Century and going to the Magic Kingdom for dinner at the Crystal Palace.

So, let me ask you. . . .

IF you had unlimited Lego opportunities (no cost) and the time, what would you build with them?

I know I can not wait to see all that our boys will make as they grow older and learn to love Legos even more!

Categories:
birthday Disney fun jsl nhl photos play time vacation

Sippy cup dreams

Posted on September 23, 2009 12:00 am by TheAngelForever

Categories:
jsl sleep Wordless Wednesday

Challah, apples and lots of honey – Rosh Hashana 2009/5770

Posted on September 22, 2009 10:32 am by TheAngelForever

The boys and I went to my parents house for dinner Saturday evening to celebrate Rosh Hashana together. Shhh. . . don’t tell anyone that I took photos, but I did.

Before we sat down the eat, the boys played for a little while. They had fun running around. The little guy was not as thanks to a nap after his meltdown at temple. NHL and JSL had a lot of jump tackling Daddy on the ground.

Soon it was time to sit down at the table to eat. Here is a look at everything that we had from start to finish:

1. Almost ready to eat, 2. Round challah with raisins, 3. Delicious chicken, 4. Green beans, 5. Corn and couscous, 6. Apple turnover Not pictured are the rainbow cookies that I splurged and bought. They were eaten rather quickly.

The boys both had fun dipping their apples in honey. JSL was a little confused about the sticky "dip-dip" as he calls it.

NHL was enjoying his honey so much, that he opted to have some challah with the sweetness on top as well.

We all enjoyed our meal, dessert and then it was time to head home. Nana requested a photo of the two boys with the shorts that they had given them. Do you think the boys were willing subjects? Here are two photos to answer this question.

Exhibit 1:

Exhibit 2:

Did you really expect anything different?! Oh well, we tried.

Next up is Yom Kippur on Monday. We will have to see whether the little guy and I head to services. These long days in temple are tough for him with nap time and not being able to settle there.

Categories:
family food glorious food holidays jl jsl nhl photos weekend yummy

Hidden termite control

Posted on September 21, 2009 12:46 pm by TheAngelForever

This morning I wrote a rather large check to the exterminator. As much as it hurt me to write that number on the line, I realized that we were lucky. Two weeks ago we called two exterminators to come and look at something. While they were here they found termites in our basement.

This began a huge roller coaster of emotions over the last two weeks. I was disgusted by the larvae that was causing us trouble upstairs, but glad that they made us catch the termites in the basement. It may seem silly, but I likely would not have noticed these mud tubes on my walls and let the termites gain more control and do further damage.

The exterminator was here with two other people. The three of them worked from about nine in the morning to a little past eleven. They did quick work cleaning/treating the word in the basement, drilling holes in the concrete for chemicals (and patching of course) and setting up the bait systems along the perimeter of our house.

When they were finished, the check handed over and contract signed, I went outside to look at the work with the exterminator. He had previously shown us what the bait systems would look like, but I did not realize what we would see once they were in the ground. Here is one of them in the grass along the side of the house:

I had seen these before at other houses, but I had not clue. I just assumed that were something else. Now of course I know their secret of termite control.

Of course, I will never judge someone over termites. We are powerless over where these critters decide to seek food for dinner. This time they selected my house, next time it could be yours. My suggestion to you, inspect your basements and know what to look for. . . then if you suspect something get a professional in to do a free inspection/estimate.

Now we just wait and see what happens. The exterminator will be back in November to look for activity at the bait stations all along our house. After that they will come back in the spring to check again. We will continue this 3-4 month routine for the next 2 years until we see nothing at the bait areas. In the back of my mind I keep chanting "Die termites die . . . that’s what you get for messing with us!"

Categories:
house looking back nasty things photos

Wendy’s High School Heisman Blog Tour & Giveaway

Posted on September 20, 2009 1:33 pm by TheAngelForever

One of the things that I like about Wendy’s is their commitment to the community. I was recently asked by Mom Central to help promote the Wendy’s High School Heisman program.

If you have a child that is a senior, or know of one, this is a great program to look into. Here is more information:

"With college admissions growing more and more selective, the Wendy’s High School Heisman program presents a great opportunity to help those students who have managed to balance so much, stand out. This award celebrates high school seniors who excel in academics, athletics, and community involvement; in essence, recognizing them for all of the things they already do. Colleges want to see well-rounded students who demonstrate dedication and commitment, making this program especially relevant and accessible.

High school seniors who have a 3.0 average or higher, participate in a school-sponsored sport and contribute to their community can apply at www.WendysHeisman.com, or a high school educator, guidance counselor, or coach can nominate them. As a little reward, the first 41,100 applicants will receive a free Wendy’s gift card in amounts ranging from $5 to $50. One male and one female from each high school will win the award and continue on in competition for state and national awards. Twelve national finalists will participate in Heisman Weekend festivities during an all-expenses-paid trip Dec. 11-13 to New York City. ESPN2 will feature all 12 national finalists during the Wendy’s High School Heisman Awards Ceremony, which airs Dec. 13. The Wendy’s High School Heisman website will display the names of all applicants and individual school winners on October 22, 2009."

As a parent and teacher, I love that this program encourages a well rounded student. Not only are they looking for teens that are good at sports, but they need to do well academically and help within the community. Frequently asked questions are also addressed on the Wendy’s High School Heisman website. This section helps to walk students and parents through the process of applying for these awards.

Giveaway:

Thanks to Wendy’s, I have a $20.00 gift card to give away to one randomly selected winner. Now you can have lunch or dinner out at Wendy’s for your family. Enjoy a burger, chili, fries, a frosty or something else that you select.

Rules for Giveaway:

MAIN RULE – Answer one of the following questions: What sport did you play in high school? OR Which sport do you wish you had played when you were in high school?
1 Bonus Entry – Subscribe to my RSS feed (or let me know if you already are) in a separate comment.
1 Bonus Entry – Follow me on Twitter @TheAngelForever
1 Bonus Entry per day – Tweet about the giveaway. Be sure to include @TheAngelForever and Wendy’s Gift Card along with a link to my giveaway. Please leave a direct link to your Tweet in a separate comment for each daily entry. Example Tweet (feel free to copy and paste): Learn about Wendy’s High School Heisman program for seniors. Win a $20 Wendy’s gift card from @TheAngelForever http://tinyurl.com/nxzylw
1 Bonus Entry – Add TheAngelForever to your blog roll and leave a separate comment.
1 Bonus Entry – Add me to your favorites on Technorati. Be sure to leave your user name for me to check in.
1 Bonus Entry – Look around my blog and leave me a comment on another post. Please let me know which post you went to here so you get the bonus entry.
1 Bonus Entry – Head over to my hubby’s blog TechyDad and leave him some comment love. Be sure to let me know which post on the comments here for your bonus entry.
3 Bonus Entries – Write a post on your blog linking to my blog about the Wanchai Ferry giveaway. Be sure to leave 3 comments about this to get credit for all of your extra entries

To enter, please follow the rules above within the comment section. The giveaway starts September 20, 2009 and ends at 10:59 EST on September 30, 2009. You do not have to be a blogger to enter, but must leave a valid e-mail address for me to contact you for mailing address once the giveaway is over. I will select the winner using random.org and contact you via e-mail. You will have 48 hours to claim the prize. If there is no response, another winner will be selected. Open to U.S. residents only.

Disclosure: I wrote this review while participating in a blog tour campaign by Mom Central on behalf of Wendy’s and received a gift certificate to giveaway and to thank me for taking the time to participate.