The Disney Blog Contest

Ok, so I'm kind of a Disney nut (mostly by association of my daughter), so I'm trying to win a fabulous prize from The Disney Blog. So, regular readers (are there any out there?), please bear with me while I answer the following questions. And if you're planning a trip to visit the Mouse any time soon (or if you just like reading about all things Disney), check out The Disney Blog at http://www.thedisneyblog.com/.


1. Have you ever celebrated your birthday at a Disney theme park? If so, tell us about it.
Well, sort of. Our last visit to Disney was about a week before my birthday in 2005. We took our oldest daughter, Reagan, for the first time and we came home with a little souvenir--we were pregnant with our second child!

2. What is your favorite or most useful tip for guests of Disney's theme parks?
I always encourage people to take their own snacks into the park--especially if you have small children. Another neat thing we did with our two-year-old is print up a label with both my husband's and my cell phone numbers on it. We put the label on Reagan's back, so that if she were to get separated from us, anyone could quickly locate us. (A little paranoid and overprotective? Perhaps.)

3. What is your favorite Disney theme park attraction or show and why?
I'm a sucker for nostalgia, so I still love "It's a Small World." But, among the newer (well, at least in the last 10 years) attractions, we love the "Beauty and the Beast" show. It's like a mini Broadway musical!

I'll update everyone if I do, in fact, win anything!

Sleeping Beauty

Reagan was playing quietly in her room--a little too quietly. When I went to check on her, this is how I found her. I guess playing dress-up can be exhausting.

Reagan's Barbie Birthday

This picture was taken just moments before guests arrived to Reagan's 4th birthday party. The party was in full Barbie theme, from the Barbie doll cake (made by Mama) to the pin-the-earrings-on-Barbie game we played. Even many of the gifts had a Barbie theme. All things considered, the party was a success. However, it was not without its drama.

Just after gifts were opened and hugs were given, as we were preparing to sing "Happy Birthday" and watch Reagan blow out her candles, the birthday girl started projectile vomiting in the kitchen...all over her cute Barbie ensemble that Mama had ordered online especially for the occasion. (And also all over the hardwood floors, not that it matters...much.) Daddy had to whisk Reagan upstairs and change her clothes (and his) while Mama ushered curious kids from the kitchen and helped Uncle Jason who had started cleaning up the mess--and, boy, was it a big one!

Believe it or not, the birthday girl emerged minutes later looking pretty well. We went ahead with the cake cutting (which hurt Mama's feelings a little, since she had spent so much time on the cake!), but Reagan just had a little ice cream. Afterward, everyone played outside in the "bouncy room" and seemed to be none the worse for the day's events.

Reagan did get sick a couple of more times after everyone left, so we now know it wasn't just nerves but rather a stomach bug. She still wasn't eating much on Sunday, but today (Monday) she woke up and asked for pancakes, and she seems to be just fine.

Her *real* birthday is tomorrow, and we have a fun day planned. We'll visit Nashville Shores, and when Daddy gets home we'll go to Chuck E. Cheese's. Finally, we'll go to the pet store where Reagan gets to pick out two fish for her new aquarium.

My Masterpiece

Ok, so it's not a work of art or anything, but this just may be the best cake I've ever done. This one actually hurt a little when I cut into it. It was for Reagan's 4th birthday party on Saturday. The Barbie-themed party was quite eventful (you can read about it on Reagan's blog at http://www.reagangibbs.blogspot.com/). Let's just say that we're praying that no one contracted the stomach bug that we now know Reagan has.

Little Fishy

Reagan has been in swimming lessons for the last two weeks. She is in an introductory class that focuses on getting children over their fears and teaches basic skills like kicking, blowing bubbles, and floating on your back. The class is for kids under four, so Reagan is the oldest kid in the class (missing the four-year-old class by only a week or so); thus, she is the star pupil. Showing absolutely no fear, Reagan completes every task Mr. David asks of her without question.

Last week, the kids were jumping in from the side of the pool one by one. Mr. David held their hands and kept them from going underwater, so they could get used to the idea of jumping in slowly. I didn't see what happened, but I think Reagan must have slipped while getting back out of the water, because she ended up going under. After class, she came rushing back to me and proudly proclaimed, "I was so brave! I went under the water!"

All Is Well, Finally

We've had another one of those months where the girls take turns being sick. For some reason they always seem to come after a well-visit to the doctor. Coincidence? Or, are my children picking up little germies at the office? Guess we'll never know.

It turns out that Presley had an enterovirus, which is basically just a general catagory of viruses that can have any number of symptoms. Hers happened to be a persistent rash after a few days of fever. By the time the rash appears, the patient has already spread it to all her friends and family.

Then, the night after her big performance for Shirley Temple camp (read all about it at http://www.reagangibbs.blogspot.com/), Reagan started breaking out in hives. I gave her Benadryl and sent her to bed. But in the morning, they were even worse. After a call to a triage nurse (because it was the weekend), we were giving her Benadryl every four hours and adopting the "wait and see" approach. In the mean time, she attended a rehearsal for church, an outdoor picnic, her cousin's dance recital, and even sang in church Sunday morning, all with red splotches covering her body. It's now Monday morning, and they are almost gone. There are still a few stubborn spots hanging on, but I would consider her "well"--more or less.

Hopefully we can stay out of the doctor's office for a while, at least until Presley's 15-month well visit!

Curly Top

Reagan just completed a week-long Shirley Temple song & dance camp. The culmination of the week was a performance at Brighton Gardens, an assisted living facility. Nine girls, ages 3 to 5, presented a thirty-minute show of nine choreographed songs, along with some basic tumbling. Each number had its own costumes and props. We were amazed that Ms. Donna, the teacher, could pull together such a show in less than five days!

Reagan is now obsessed with having the perfect Shirley Temple curls, and would wear rollers in her hair every night if Mama would agree. She also breaks into song (usually "Good Ship Lollipop" or "Baby, Take a Bow") on a regular basis. She starts swimming lessons in a few weeks, so she'll likely move on to a new obsession then.

Presley Turns 1!

The baby girl had her first birthday last week! She paraded around like the queen in her castle, but she was surprisingly uninterested in her birthday cake. She did, however, seem to enjoy bossing her sister and cousin around as they cleaned up the wrapping paper and trash as she opened her gifts. As her personality emerges, we are realizing that we certainly won't have to worry about her holding her own against the big girls.

Today, however, she's not feeling well. Two nights ago, she woke us up at around 2 a.m. and stayed awake until after 5. I should have seen it coming, since that seems to be her illness pattern: a sleepless night means a fever the next day. She seemed fine most of yesterday, but last night her temperature was 101.5. Today it's a little lower (just over 100), but she's definitely not her happy, active self. We'll give it a day or so, but we might be making another visit to Dr. Lee's office.

For the record, at her 1-year well visit, Presley weighed 21 lbs. 5.5 oz. (not as big as we thought), and was 30.25 in. tall. She's in the 85th percentile of height and around the 55th in weight.

Talking Like a Grown-Up

Reagan is starting to expand her vocabulary. Every now and then, I catch her trying to use a new word that she either hasn't fully grasped the meaning of or doesn't quite know how to pronounce. The result is pretty humorous, and I wish I could remember a good example to share here!

New phrases are also making their way into Reagan's vocabulary. This week, her favorite is "ya know." For example, she might say, "I'm playing dress-up, ya know," or "I just need to sit down, ya know." And yesterday at lunch, when I offered her some grapes, she said, "I'm not a big fan of grapes." Yep, that one was totally me. I say that a lot.

The final example, I'm ashamed to admit, is also from me. See, I get frustrated when Presley falls asleep in the car when we are only going to be in it for a few minutes. (She falls asleep and then wakes back up as I'm taking her out of the car seat--postponing the nap I was hoping she would take.) A week or so ago, we drove about five minutes away to our library. When we arrived, Reagan said, "Ugh...Presley is asleep. Crap!" Only, she still doesn't say her Rs very well, so it came out like, "cwap!" I had to explain to her that it's not a very nice word and we really shouldn't say it. Of course, she has said it about half a dozen more times since then. (I don't think it helps that I have recounted the story to several people while she was within earshot. It just fuels the fire.)

Still, despite the bumps in the road, it's exciting to hear Reagan experimenting with language. Maybe she'll decide to be a writer someday--or, better yet, a public speaker!

Already the Boys Are Calling!

Reagan got her first phone call from a boy today. Seriously. Her little boyfriend from church and preschool, Curry, called and asked for her. Sadly, she was away at her Nana and Gran's house, but we returned the call this afternoon.

A conversation with 3- and 4-year olds is pretty entertaining. They don't have much to say, so they just sit there and giggle a lot. (Well, at least that's what it sounded like from our end. Maybe boys don't giggle as much as girls.) And then when they say good-bye, you're never quite sure if the other parent is going to get on the line to talk or not. Dena did, and we had a brief exchange of "Aren't they cute?" and "Let's plan a playdate" and the like.

I'm glad that Reagan has a sweet friend like Curry. I'm glad...for now. Ask me again when she's 13.

10 Things I've Learned Since Becoming a Mom...in no particular order

1. There is no such thing as an"extra" napkin.
2. Knock-knock jokes don't have to make sense to be funny.
3. When a 3-year-old says she "hid" something, it doesn't imply that she knows where.
4. After listening to you and your spouse talk for thirty minutes on the ride to Grandma's, your preschooler will remember the one questionable thing either of you said and repeat it--out of context--to Grandma upon arrival.
5. The laundry basket is never empty.
6. The dishwasher is always full.
7. A toddler will eat anything not meant for human consumption, but she will, without fail, spit the pureed peaches back at you.
8. Stuffed animals multiply in the night.
9. A preschooler who cannot remember her own phone number can easily recall all the words to "Tequila Makes Her Clothes Fall Off." And she will sing it to her Sunday school teacher.

And, finally...
10. There's nothing better than a toothless grin, a sloppy wet kiss, or a sincere, "I wuv you, Mama!"

The Cutest Place on Earth Last Night...

...had to be the sanctuary of New Hope Community Church in Brentwood, Tennessee--where Reagan's first Kinderdance recital was being held. As you can see, eight tiny dancers took the floor in their pink tutus and sparkling tiaras to prance around and show off the skills they've acquired this year.

Mama was more anxious than Reagan, who performed her routines without missing a beat. (Well, she might have missed a few beats...but it was still great!) Each dancer received a Kinderdance trophy, but the most thrilling moment for Reagan was receiving TWO DOZEN pink and orange roses after her performance! She is truly a girl, through and through.

My Little Doolittle Fans

I took the girls to see Melinda Doolittle on Friday at Belmont University. We had a surprisingly easy time parking and getting into the area where she would perform. But, as is common with televised performances, things didn't get started until about an hour after they were supposed to, and my little angels got hot and cranky. We stayed long enough to see a little of the festivities, and we heard Melinda sing one song, and then had to make our exit. But we're still glad we got to be there and say, "We saw her perform, way back when..."

On an entirely different note, I saw the funniest sign a few days ago. I am a very strong supporter of any anti-smoking legislation. And I simply detest being seating in a non-smoking section at a restaurant where I can still smell smoke throughout my entire meal. (I'm nearly at the point of boycotting restaurants that allow smoking.) Anyhow, the sign was a little crass, but very true and funny: "Isn't having a smoking section in a restaurant a little like having a peeing section in a pool?" My point exactly!

Cubbie Awards

Last night we went to the Awana Awards program at church. Reagan is a Cubbie and received her first year Cubbie Award. I wasn't actually sure she would get anything, since we started in the middle of the year and she didn't finish her book, but I guess they give everyone an award for participating.

The kids were cute and sang a couple of songs, including the Cubbies theme song. Reagan got to hold up a sign during their second song, and she followed directions very well. Presley was VERY excited to see her big sister, and couldn't contain her squeals of delight.

First Tooth

Last night, while sitting in church for Reagan's Cubbie awards program, I reached into Presley's mouth to quiet her (she was squealing with glee at seeing her big sister!). But to my surprise, I was bitten by the tiniest little breakthrough of her first tooth! It is one of her front, middle teeth on the top. I've been checking her every morning, so it must have broken through sometime during the day. If her gums are any indication, that lone tooth will have lots of companions before long.

Baby Girl Is Walking

It's official: we no longer have a baby; we have a toddler. My heart has a moment of mourning at this thought, knowing that Presley is our last child and that some of those precious baby moments are now behind us. But I'm also excited for the changes that her toddling brings. Mostly, I'm glad that she'll no longer be picking up (and eating) every tiny piece of fuzz or hair that might be on the floor. I'm thrilled that I no longer have to vacuum constantly too. (Although, quite frankly, we weren't as good about this as we should have been.) And I'm excited that soon I won't be carrying her everywhere we go!

Presley can now get across the room without holding on to anything and without falling. She still crawls when she's in a hurry--and, wow, is she fast!--but she chooses to pull herself up and try walking much of the time. She's quite proud of her new accomplishments and enjoys the attention it garners.

Now, if I could just teach her to vacuum...

She's Got It All Figured Out

This morning I reminded Reagan that Curry would be coming over before preschool. (Curry is Reagan's "boyfriend" from church; he rides to preschool with us every Wednesday.) Reagan was excited as usual and began talking about Curry's recent birthday. Then, she spelled out her life plan:

"When I get big and Curry gets big, he's going to marry me--because he's my best friend!"

Well, there you have it. Decided.

The Twins Are Here!

My dear friend Jenny just delivered twins--Chance and Grace. The healthy boy and girl were around six pounds each and arrived via C-section. If you know petite Jenny, the thought of her carrying over 12 pounds of baby, along with all the extra weight it requires to sustain them, is ridiculous! But what's more amazing is the miracle that these babies are. After several years of trying the old-fashioned way, then various fertility tests/treatments, and finally two rounds of IVF, these were the "little embryos that could"--and they did! Considered a high-risk pregnancy, the fact that Jenny carried the babies until her 39th week is also astounding. Lots of people were praying for these little ones, and God certainly hears the prayers of his people!

Congratulations, Jenny and Eric! Can't wait to meet your precious miracles!

First Steps

The baby girl took her first steps last night! They were a bit tentative, and for some of them she was actually in the process of falling. But there were a few legitimate, actual steps in there. My prediction is that she'll be taking multiple, balanced steps by her 10-month birthday (April 11).

The Funny Things She Says

I forgot to add to my last post the few funny mispronunciations that Reagan is still holding on to. It will be a sad day when she finally learns how to say these words correctly:

breakfixt (breakfast)
gorilla bar (granola bar)
Weagan, Pwesley (Reagan, Presley; this pretty much applies to any "r" word)