It's has started....

Wow, is anyone else in shock that it is actually November? Cause I totally am. And in case you didn't see my sidebar, I am again participating in NaBloPoMo, or more correctly, National Blog Posting Month where I post everyday for the month of November. And good luck to all who are participating, I know I will need it to keep everyone from being bored to tears....

Ashley did decide to be the Minnie Mouse Pumpkin costume. And it was very, very cute. (Pictures tomorrow, I promise...) We were out trick-or-treating by 6:00pm, and by 7:00pm, we were back on our porch handing out candy. Ashley and Audrey both had fun handing out candy, almost as much fun as trick-or-treating. At 7:45pm, we had run out of candy, to include giving back out some of the candy the girls received. Basically, if it had nuts, we handed it back out as I am the only one in the house right now that eats peanuts.

Our neighbor Tom decided to dress up as some sort of scary looking person, which terrified Ashley. She kept asking why a scary woman was in our neighbor's driveway. They had also transformed their garage into a scary walk-thru thing, but neither of my kids went through it.

Audrey did have fun though. This was her first Halloween to actually trick or treat since last year she wasn't even one year old yet. Her "treat" and "tank-oo's" were very cute and she was the best lady bug on the street.

I just got done reading my neighbor's post about Halloween, and I concur with what she said. We had many kids rifle through the bowl, picking out what they wanted. At one point, I was across the street from my house at my neighbor's house, and I had left a bowl on my porch. I noticed these kids spending a lot of time on my porch, so I snuck up behind them. They had pretty much dumped out my bowl and were sorting through it, all while the parents were standing right there. I said "boo" and scared the living daylights out of them, so that was fun.

Happy Halloween....

First off, anyone watch Dancing with the Stars out there besides me?? And if you do, who else is as pissed as I am that Sabrina got kicked off? Seriously, I am so not watching anymore...

Audrey is going to be a lady bug tonight, courtesy of my neighbor. And hopefully Ashley will be one of the costumes that my Mom bought her or I bought her tonight and won't decide to be something she has already. These are her two she has to chose from (or I will take all of her candy...)

And it is a really, really Happy Halloween for my boss at work. After 7 failed IVF cycles and no explanation for her infertility, my boss and her husband decided on adoption. They chose an agency that provided local babies to hopeful parents. After being on the wait list for only two months, they brought home Addison Grace yesterday....and she is beautiful. I got to hold her yesterday and to say she is a blessing is an understatement.

Have fun trick-or-treating or handing out candy tonight...

The Fall Y'all Bloggy Giveaway - Circle of Friends

You would think it was Christmas here with all the Giveaways...make sure you check out yesterday's post as well...

Shannon from Bloggy Giveaways is hosting a Blogging Giveaway Carnival. I was asked a few weeks ago to review products from Circle of Friends. These products are specially formulated for children's sensitive skin and are sodium lauryl/laureth sulfate free. With Audrey having eczema, we have to be extra careful with the products we use on her skin.

And these products are great. We have not had an flareups with her eczema since using the bubble bath and their special line for eczema, Little Docs body wash and cream. We also received the shampoo that has worked great on Ashley's thick hair and it smells great too.

And these would make great stocking stuffers.

And I am giving away the Abebi's Safari Detangler and the Susie Root Beer Round Up Shampoo.

So here is what you do:
- Head over to their site and look around. I really like the sudsy sponges.
- Leave a comment here letting me know you want to be entered.
- I will leave comments open until Sunday night, November 4th, at midnight, EST. I will draw a winner using Random.org and post the winner on Monday. I will ship anywhere.

Good luck and make sure you check Shannon's site for more giveaways!

BOB Giveaway!!

Most of my family, including my husband, will tell you I am a little bit psycho about TV and the amount of time my kids watch TV. Growing up, I didn't watch TV except for Saturday morning cartoons. I was either outside playing in the sandbox, torturing my brother, reading books, or playing in my room. My imagination was vivid. Luckily, Ashley has taken my imagination. She will play for HOURS with figurines and dollhouses and such. When we left Disney last Friday, I had spur of the moment bought her a little Minnie Mouse Polly Pocket thing. She literally played with that the ENTIRE drive home. Seriously.

So with TV, I don't want my kids to watch much of it. Ideally, I would like to regulate it to only an hour a day. They watch TV in the mornings prior to breakfast. I know Ray turns it off while they eat. On Saturday and Sundays, we are a little lax about it, but it doesn't stay on all morning.

When we get home from work and school, if Ray isn't home already, I let them watch one 30 minute show while I get dinner ready. And then it's not on again, not even for Ray and I to watch the news. Ashley hears everything, and I really don't want her watching stuff she isn't ready to hear. Ray and I can catch the news after they go to bed.

When I got an email asking to review BOB, I was estatic. I had read other reviews about the product and knew what it did.

How BOB works:
- Plug it into anything that has a screen (TV, computer).
- You can manage up to six "users" on it.
- You set limits, either daily or weekly or hourly, and when the limit is reached, BOB shuts the TV or computer off.

It's really that easy. Will I be using this device? Absolutely. Great product, and guess what? You can win one right here....just leave a comment (I will leave comments open until Friday, November 2) and you will be entered into a drawing to receive a BOB device for free. Good for U.S. residents only, and I will use random.org to generate the winner. And if you mention this giveaway on your blog, that would be greatly appreciated!

And for those who don't win, BOB is offering $10 off and free shipping through 12/31/07. Just use FamilyStory as the code at checkout.

Parades, Baptisms, and leashes, oh my....

So we got back at 10:00pm on Friday night to our neighbor's adult only Halloween party. Which was fine for me as I could sleep through a rock concert, but Ray could not. And unfortunately, our bedroom is in the front of the house on the side of our neighbor's garage, and the party was in the garage. Eventually, Ray did get some sleep, and even though we had a weekend to recoup from vacation, our weekend was pretty crazy too.

Saturday Ashley had a birthday party and I had to find dresses for Ashley and Audrey as they were being baptized on Sunday. Nothing like waiting until the last minute.

And then Sunday we had the Baptism, and went out to lunch with our friends and their families to celebrate as their daughter was baptized as well.

Then our street had their annual Halloween parade. Of which after buying Ashley a Tinkerbell costume and a Minnie Mouse Pumpkin dress costume, she decided she wanted to be a soccer player. Which we already had as she played soccer this year.

So Sunday night, Ashley was in bed early. We were all wiped. And yes, I took pictures of all of it, and at some point will post some.

Onto a new discussion....kid leashes...
While in Disney, I saw many, many people with their kids on leashes. I also work with a guy who has five kids, the youngest being twins who are three, and he uses leashes for them. He says that they won't stay in a stroller, and one of them is a wanderer.

My personal take on them, and I don't want to make anyone mad who uses them, but I guess for me, that's what a stroller is for. If I am in an area where I am worried about losing my kids, I put them in the stroller. And if they must walk, I try and hold their hand. And I totally know this is easier said than done sometimes.

That being said, one thing we learned on vacation is that Audrey is FAST. She can run away from us in the blink of an eye, and it is scary. And that little stinker thinks it's funny.

So what do you think? Leashes okay or not?

The last days...

The Plan Yesterday: Magic Kingdom all day, dinner at Fort Wilderness for Mickey's Backyard BBQ.

What actually happened:
We were up and at Magic Kingdom by 9:30am. And we stayed until about 4:00pm. We pretty much just did whatever and let Ashley pick what rides she wanted to go on. We did catch the 3:00pm parade as around 2:30 we were in a prime spot to park the stroller with a front row seat to see the parade. Audrey was napping, so the rest of us had ice cream and funnel cake while we waited. As soon as the parade started, Audrey woke up. We happened to stand next to a couple that lives in Celebration, FL, the Disney Town. They retired to Orlando and she works at Disney, and they love it. They actually moved from Richmond, VA, so Ray asked them if they missed the seasons, and they said that it actually snows every night in the town square in Celebration.

We headed back to the hotel to rest for a few minutes and get the tickets for the show. We attempted to get a very tired Ashley to rest, but instead we just ended up leaving early and driving to Celebration so that Ashley could catch a little nap.

Dinner was at Fort Wilderness which is a camping and RV park, as well as cabins to rent. It was wild. People had decorated their RVs and campsites for Halloween. It was pretty cool.

Mickey's Backyard BBQ was kind of stressful. You sit at picnic tables, and the characters come out and dance to country music with the kids. It was kind of chaos on the dance floor, and Audrey did not understand that Mickey wasn't going to give her attention. In fact, Mickey was kind of pissy. Minnie did take Audrey's hand at one point, but I tried to get Mickey to just wave to Audrey and he wouldn't. We left the show a little early as the music was really loud and after however many days we had done already, it was too much. Definitely not something to do at the end of your trip.

The Good:
Spending the day at Magic Kingdom, just taking our time.

The Bad:
The not so nice Mickey at dinner.

Today, the last day!!

The Plan:
Get up, check out, go to MGM to see Dan Zanes in concert, go to Downtown Disney, drive home.

What actually happened:
We kind all slept in as Audrey and Ashley were both up in the middle of the night. So it was a mad rush to get packed and at MGM by 9:00am so we could get tickets for the 10:00am show. Ray actually ended up dropping me and the kids off and then going back to finish packing. He met up with us right as the show was starting.

And Dan Zanes was AWESOME. Great show, I think I actually enjoyed it more than the kids. Ashley danced, Audrey got up with the kids to dance, but didn't actually dance, but she had fun. She did melt down at the end, so by the time we got to the car after the show, we decided to ditch Downtown Disney (that and Ray saw how much was charged to the room, hehe) and head home. We left Orlando about 11:15am, stopped at a Chick-fil-a for lunch, and just got done at a Ruby Tuesdays for dinner. It's about 7:00pm and we are going all the way home tonight. We are hoping to be there by 11:00pm....

Audrey has peed through every diaper we have put on her the last 5 times (yes, that means we need to go up in size, and she has had some pretty weird outfits on the past two days...). I have her in an overnight diaper right now, I dare her to pee through that one!

Happy Birthday to my good friend SJ...and of course the link thing isn't workng right now....but Happy Birthday!

I will catch up with everyone's blogs next week, I promise!

Day Number Whatever and Whatever Plus One

Every year we come, and every year we say we are going to do one day where we just go to the pool and hang out and relax. And then we don't do it. Remind us next year...

The Plan Yesterday: Ray's Birthday, Animal Kingdom in the morning, Japanese Steakhouse in EPCOT for Ray's birthday, Ashley and Ray to go to Mickey's Not So Scary Halloween Party

What Actually Happened: We got up and were at Animal Kingdom for the opening at 9:00am. Ray got his birthday pin to wear all day, and it was well worth it. We got free snacks (popcorn and ice cream from a stand) as well as free drinks that night for Ray at the Halloween party. But we only lasted at Animal Kingdom for 2 1/2 hours. The schedule and lack of sleep had caught up to Ashley. Ray and I did get to ride Expedition Everest, although I sat in the front and was scared and kept my eyes closed and didn't see the Yeti. Pretty pathetic, I know. We headed back to the room for lunch and naps. Ashley and Audrey are sleeping in the same room, and the only time we have had issues was this nap time. We actually got Ashley to sleep which was a miracle, and then we tried getting Audrey to nap. She finally got to sleep, and the about 45 minutes later, Ashley woke up crying and woke Audrey up. We got them both back to sleep and I ran down to the store in our hotel to get Ray a birthday cupcake, and by the time I got back Ashley was up and Audrey was up shortly after.

So off to EPCOT we went. We did the Living Seas and rode the Nemo ride and did Turtle Talk with Crush which was absolutely hilarious. We went into Innoventions and stood in line to see Mickey and Pluto. They had a special line set up for people who have the Disney credit card. And shocker, we have one. By then it was time to hike over to Japan for dinner. Dinner was great; we sat next to a family from Wisconsin who were really nice. They sang to Ray for his birthday and made him wear a hat, which he was totally thrilled about.

Right after dinner, we split up. Ray and Ashley headed over to the Magic Kingdom for a special event they have called Mickey's Not So Scary Halloween Party. I headed back to the room with Audrey. Ray and Ashley got home at midnight, and Ray said Ashley did great. They met up with our friends again and saw the parade and such. Ray wasn't too thrilled with the whole thing because he said it was super crowded, but it has been the highlight of Ashley's week. Ever since her friend Hayden went, she has been begging us to go. I got Audrey to bed at about 8:00pm and watched a scary movie on TV like a dumbass.

The Good:
Ashley having fun at Mickey's Not So Scary Halloween Party

The Bad:
I have seen way too many ass cracks here....

Onto today....
The Plan: EPCOT in the morning, I don't even remember what else for the rest of the day....

What actually happened: Audrey woke up at 6:00am because she is a pain in the ass and won't sleep in on vacation, so I got up and got dressed and her and I headed back out to Magic Kingdom. Today was another early opening for families of preschoolers, and it was great. We rode the carousel with Chip and Dale and Goofy. We weren't even trying to sit near Goofy because Audrey could really care less, but Goofy came and sat right next to Audrey. Then we played in a playground themed after Winnie the Pooh, and Pooh and Tigger were both there and played with Audrey.

Ashley only slept in until 8:00am (why can't my kids sleep in??), so Ray and her met us at Magic Kingdom. We rode some rides, then headed over to EPCOT since we had lunch reservations at the Garden Grill. The Garden Grill is a character dining experience with Mickey, Pluto and Chip and Dale. The food was pretty good, and the kids got to decorate their own cupcakes for dessert.

Next we headed back to the room for naps, and I was off to the Grand Floridian spa for a massage. Ray booked me a massage for my birthday, and it was well worth it. I got there early and enjoyed the steam room, had my massage, and then Ray and the kids picked me up to head to Downtown Disney.

And this is where my kids became the spawn of Satan. Just kidding. Sort of.

They were just tired and wired and would not listen. Audrey has come alive this week, and now her favorite thing to say is "I do it." That and she chucked two golf balls in the Team Mickey store. Ashley was in her own little world singing and dancing, basically things she does to try and keep herself awake. We ate a great dinner at Wolfgang Puck's Express (Ray had macaroni and cheese since he is now 32 going on 4...but it really was good). We attempted to shop and didn't last long.

And now Audrey and Ashley are battling it out in their room to see who can outlast the other and who can be the loudest...I will let you know tomorrow who won.

The Good:
Magic Kingdom with Audrey this morning.

The Bad:
I think I actually might be sore tomorrow from my massage, is that a bad thing?

Day 4 of vacation - yes, I am late with this...

First off - HAPPY BIRTHDAY RAY!! Yes, our birthdays are really close together...

Day 4 of vacation (or what happened yesterday)
The Plan: MGM for breakfast, back in the room for naps, pool in the afternoon, dinner in the room, EPCOT for fireworks.

What actually happened:
We had breakfast reservations at Hollywood and Vine with The Little Einsteins and JoJo and Goliath from JoJo's Circus. We met up with friends who are here now with their four year old little boy. Breakfast was yummy, and Leo from Little Einsteins would not let Audrey go. He gave her the biggest, longest hug. Audrey loved it all.

After breakfast we headed out into the park. I convinced Ashley to do Tower of Terror with me, and she will tell you she liked it, but she will also tell you she won't ride it again.

Then we had a slight crisis. Ray and I did the swap on Rockin Rollercoaster. I rode first by myself, and I forgot I had my cell phone in my pocket. Well, when I got off the ride, it was not in my pocket anymore. And that roller coaster goes upside down in parts. To say Ray was mad was an understatement. Kind of like the camera I want, I bugged the shit out of him to get that phone. Ray and our friend Wendy went on it next, and Ray asked about my phone. Well, in perfect Disney style, they check all the cars after each ride, and the found my phone! Wahoo! Crisis averted.

A little while later, we actually ran into neighbors of friends of ours who live in Virginia. Crazy, small world.

We stayed at MGM through lunch, then headed back to the room so that Audrey could nap in her pack-n-play. And did she ever nap. She went down at 1:00pm and Ray woke her up a little before 5:00pm. While she napped, Ashley rested for awhile, and then her and I headed to the pool. The pool at our hotel is awesome, it has a sand bottom, but it's not real sand, kind of like crystals that look like sand, but don't stick to you. Plus, there are two water slides and a lazy river. Ray brought Audrey down when she was finally up, and we played for about an hour more. Then we headed back to the room to get changed and have dinner.

Our friends were at EPCOT, so we headed there to meet them. Another cool thing about our hotel is that is it within walking distance to EPCOT. We walked around with them for a little while, and then their son was getting tired and Wendy's knee was bothering her, so they gave us their fastpasses (passes that basically let you go to the front of the line) to Test Track. The time for the fastpasses were 8:30pm, which worked out great as Ray and I did the swap and got to ride with Ashley who loves that ride and then finished up just in time for the fireworks. By this time, the pool time and not napping had caught up to Ashley. She just sat in the stroller while Audrey enjoyed in the fireworks.

We got back to the room and Audrey was WIRED. she was up past 10:00pm. We are not letting her nap that long today!

The Good:
The characters giving Audrey lots of attention at breakfast.
Ashley having a blast at the pool and telling me all about school; it was nice to have some alone time with her.
It was 90 today, and yes that is good as I love the hot...
Getting my cell phone back.

The Bad:
Losing my cell phone, but hey, at least I got it back...