A Belated Valentine

Valentines Day came and went around here without much fanfare. I was sick (I caught a nasty virus in Disneyland, it was truly awful) and the kids just weren't into it. As you know from last year's post, Steve and I don't really do Valentines, so the day was a bust. Oh, well. I hope you had a nice holiday, or at least some quality chocolate.

Since the holiday is over I'm not really motivated to write about it, so I'm going to refer back to last year's list of things I love. There are two additions to the list this year; Gwen and my Kindle.

Go USA?

It seems like everyone I know has caught the Olympic fever and is busy sharing a moment with the world.

There is no fever or moment sharing in our house, we haven't watched one second of the Olympics. It has been pointed out to me that not watching the games is decidedly un-patriotic. Basically, not being interested in Curling and Ice Dancing is a sign of disloyalty. I had no idea that my American-ness hinged on watching sporting events.

What about you? Are you watching the Olympics, or are you a subversive, like me?

Happiest Memories On Earth

During our week at the House of Mouse -

We Saw Some Old Friends

Chatted Up Some Princesses

Ate Yummy Food

Rode All The Rides

Got Really, Really Wet

Acted Completely Silly

...and made lots of magical memories.

I loved every minute of hanging out with Dane, this was the perfect time for us to take this trip together. At this moment I'm still "the woman" in his life but that won't be true for much longer. Dane and I are two of kind, we like the same things and it's so easy to have fun together. He was patient about my need to take pictures of everything, and I endured his constant need for a churro. We made a pretty good team.

Disneyland in February is virtually empty, no crowds, no waiting in line, (especially the day it rained. Best day in Dland ever, once we bought some rain ponchos. We ran around the park and walked on every ride. It felt like we were the only people there, it was awesome.) there was no rush to do anything. We rode on every ride and went in every shop in both parks. I enjoyed the lack of stress, it's truly a vacation when the biggest decisions you have to make all day are where to eat and what ride to go on next.

....and now a thank-you to our sponsor.

Steve is the man behind the curtain who makes all the fun possible.

Fine Art

Just got home (a full run-down of the Disney escapades is coming) and was pleasantly surprised to see what my friend Sheila was up to while I was gone. She is such a talented artist and I love that she took the time to paint a picture of my favorite puppy.

It's amazing, isn't it? You can see the actual post on her blog.

A Date With The Mouse

Dane and I are on our way to the Happiest Place on Earth

Sadly, these two will not be joining us.

It will be tough, but we'll try to enjoy ourselves without them.

Consider the blog on hiatus while we bask in the magic of Disney. If you're

interested in our exploits you can follow us via my Twitter link in the sidebar

my all-time favorite picture of Dane at Disneyland

Magical Mystery Tour

160 rooms, 2,000 doors, 10,000 windows, 47 stairways,

47 fireplaces, 13 bathrooms, and 6 kitchens

All that and a whole lot of other bizarre stuff is what we saw at the Winchester Mystery House. By the end of our tour we'd walked almost two miles and seen some really beautiful things (parquet flooring, Tiffany glass) and heard lots of interesting stories. The tour guide wasn't kidding when he said to stay with the group or you would get lost, maze-like doesn't even begin to cover it. I think everyone leaves that house saying that it's the strangest place they've ever been.

*they wouldn't let me take pictures inside so I only have outdoor shots. I didn't even begin to capture the immensity of the place.

The Wait Is Never Over

So far this week I have taken the kids to the dentist, spent a lovely afternoon at the DMV, and been to the vet with Gavin where they did things to him that I don't want to think about. That is in addition to all the normal weekly trips to play practice, dance class, piano lessons, etc... Sometimes this mom life is all about the driving and the waiting.

Things That Occupy My Waiting Hours

• writing lists
• playing games on the iPhone
• reading my Kindle
• making phone calls and setting up appointments for more things that I can drive someone to and then wait for them

Stupid Groundhog

Already?

Happy Blogiversary To Me

A year ago my sister Sabrina told me she was starting a blog and asked if I'd start one too. She thought it would be a good way to keep in touch and be part of eachother's lives. That's exactly what happened, and oh, what a fun year it's been.