Adventures in babysitting #1

Last summer I spent it babysitting for a cousins daughter. She is the same age as Eve so I knew it would work out. We had a great summer and I basically got paid to have a friend over every day to spend time with Eve.

Well, that girls mom quit her job so I figured we would have a kid free summer. I guessed wrong. A friend wanted me to watch his girls when he needed help. I figured what the heck, might as well.

Today was the first day that he called on my services. 

After waking at 5:45 a.m. (ghak) the girls arrived at 6:10. I assumed they would go back to sleep (like our routine last year). Well you know what they say when you assume, it makes an a** out of you and me. The girls were up and stayed up. I took an hour nap on the couch. They woke me up because they were so hyped up from the donuts that they brought with them. All were well behaved but just hyper. We went to our free school lunch at noon and then headed to the park on the golf cart. We played from 1-3pm. 

At one point it was just the 3 girls and a little boy, approximately 3-4 years old. We didn't know this boy or his family but the girls were somewhat playing with him. They included him when they could but some times still played without him. I don't blame the girls, they were not at the park to be free entertainment for someone else's kid. While playing with him, the girls overheard the grandmother on her cell phone telling her friend that there were "3 girls at the park being rude," and "they won't even play with him."  Really? She was sitting her booty on the park bench while her grandkid followed 3 older girls around and screamed at them. At one point when they were going down the tall slide he proceeded to jump up and down and throw a fit. So, when did it become my kids' responsibility to play with someone else's kid when they are too lazy to do it themselves? Am I being wrong here? The girls were not rude to him but they were doing age appropriate things and I didn't think they needed to take it down to his level.

Girls going down the slide. Notice the little boy being bossy!

We basically had the park to ourselves!

So, what did I do while the girls played? I read my Nook, of course, and had peanut butter M&M's. I started The Silver Linings Playbook. 

The steering wheel on the golf cart makes a great Nook holder :)

All in all it was a great day. They were very well behaved and I earned some Disney spending money :)

What can I say?

I haven't posted in a few days because I really don't have anything to say.

It's summer and we really don't do much of anything. I have been enjoying my days with no school and watching Friends every day :)

Emmett, here, will model what we like to do over the summer:

The temps have been pretty low here (low 70's) so swimming has been out of the question. I've only wore shorts 1 day this summer. We did get to swim on Wednesday. Here is a cute shot of my mom's puppy by the pool.

Tomorrow I will be babysitting a friends 2 daughters (ages 10 and 5). Not too excited about it but it's money for my Disney fund, so I am willing.  It won't be warm enough for swimming tomorrow either so I guess I will have to take some long golf cart rides to entertain the girls. Maybe ride to the park, they can play and I can read.

One of the things that we do every day all summer, every summer is eat lunch at school. This may sound a bit crazy but our school is running a program funded by the government where kids ages 1-18 can eat for free, Monday-Friday. The lunches usually include a fresh vegetable and fresh fruit. My kids like it because a lot of kids eat there and they can usually see their friends. I think our high school has free breakfast but we aren't adventurous enough to get up early during summer break to get free breakfast. 

Summer reading list

I have decided to make myself a summer reading list.

I am sure I will read more than 9 books this summer but this gives me a starting point.

1, 2, 3 The Witch and Wizard series(Witch and Wizard, The Gift, The Fire) by James Patterson. I have read these but it has been a year and a half ago. I want to read them so I can remember what's going on while reading the new addition to the series number 4: The Kiss.

5.  The Silver Linings Playbook. I have heard great things about this movie so I thought I should read the book before watching the movie.

6.  Life of Pi. I also heard great things about this movie and book so why not make it a good summer read.

7 & 8 The Vincent Boys and The Vincent Brothers. I found these on Goodreads. I Googled "summer 2013 reading list" and found this fun series on the Goodreads list. Once I found it I figured, what the heck it's summer!!

9.  Finally is The Hobbit. I LOVE The Lord of the Rings movies and tried reading the book but lost interest. I have heard that this doesn't jump around as much so I thought I would give it a try.

Like I said, this won't hold me all summer, if you have any reading suggestions please let me know. I am pretty open to different writing styles and not easily offended. 

First day of my summer

Today is the first day of my summer!!

I am beyond excited.

I am not saying I didn't have an excellent year, because I did. My students were awesome this year.

My year didn't end too well, though. We will have a new principal next year, when the current one was doing a great job. The discipline was better and our test scores were going up under her supervision. Another sad thing was that I found out that I will no longer be working with the teacher I work with. I have been with her since I started at the school, the 2008-2009 school year. It is so great to work with someone that is pretty similar to you. She will be going back to a classroom (from doing intervention) and we will have a new intervention teacher. I don't mind change but I am leery about if I will get along so well with a new teacher. I am more upset about the fact that our students are doing such a great job with the lessons we are teaching, what will happen when we have someone else?

I'm sure that with the speed at which my school system works I will be waiting until August to hear who I will be working with. I guess I will have to just not let it bother me until I hear something.

My mom's pool isn't even going to be open until tomorrow, which by the time the chemicals are balanced out it might be Monday before we can swim. Luckily I have lots to do to keep us busy.

Besides my summer fun list, I have some household goals.

Finish the bathroom

Paint my dining room china cabinet

Revamp the front porch

Find/make living room curtains

Starting today, I can watch my long missed programs. I'm pretty sure they missed me too. Kathie Lee and Hoda, Today Show, Good Morning America, Live with Kelly and Michael have all been missed. I think I will spend this morning on the couch to watch, it's supposed to rain today so I'm sure I won't miss out on any outdoor activities. 

Finally, yesterday Eve and I stopped at our local fancy donut shop for a breakfast treat on the way to school. She got Oreo, I got Reese Cup. Here she is taking her first big bite.

What can make the first day of summer even better? New Kids on the Block is performing on the Today Show right now!!

ABC's of Walt Disney World

My little list of Disney A-Z tips.

Autographs

Kids love getting them and the Disney character experience is unmatched. You can use autograph books (bought or made), pillow cases, picture mattings, t-shirts, etc. for the characters to sign. Fat, retractable markers are best for the characters big hands.

We made autograph books, with the help of a friends Cricut.

Mickey's autograph on Mickey paper.

Backpacks 

EVERYONE carries a backpack. This helps avoid "mom will carry this for me." I started this at about age 10. The kids carry the lightweight kind that have strings as the straps (ours are Nike and Adidas).

I realize we are at IOA but you can see both of them wearing their backpacks.

Character Meals

Worth every dime, especially when you get free dining :) This helps get character autographs without waiting in long lines at the parks. We have waited 2 hours before to see Minnie Mouse, the next year we had breakfast with her (at Beach Club), had all of her attention, and didn't wait in line.

Xander and Tigger at Crystal Palace MK (2005).

Disney Dining Plan 

Worth the money if you book table service meals 180 days in advance. I saved my receipts one trip (in 2011) and added up everything we used the dining plan for (meals and snacks). We saved about 30% by booking the meal plan. 

Epcot 

Make it an all day park. Between Future World and World Showcase, there is lots to do and lots to learn. My kids can't get enough of this park, even when they were little.

Food 

Order groceries from Garden Grocer. Bottled water is expensive in the parks and water fountains taste gross. The company is great, they deliver right to your Disney resort.

Gum

Bring your own, its not sold in the parks. Not kidding!! I usually pack 2-3 packs per person in my suitcase.

Hidden Mickeys

We love looking for Hidden Mickeys. There are books you can buy that tells you where to look but what fun is that? We like to use our imagination and search for them without instructions. 

Internet

My favorite sites for Disney vacation planning: AllEars, TheMouseForLess, PassPorter 

July-September
IT IS SOOOO FREAKIN' HOT! If you absolutely must go during these months, be prepared. Take lots of sunscreen, drink lots of water, take swimming breaks, relax in shows with air conditioning, and wear good, protective clothing. The last thing you want on a Disney vacation is to be dehydrated and/or have a sunburn. 

Key to the World cards

These cards are very important, don't lose them. I put ours in our photo album each year as a souvenir. 

Lines

You are going to wait in line for rides and food, get over it. It will be all worth it in the end. If you are not in a line that has lots of entertainment (The Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh line is excellent), then you can make waiting for kids fun by letting them bring their ipod or play with your phone.

Moderate resort

A lot more amenities than "Value" without paying twice the price for "Deluxe."

Norway

This country in Epcot has the BEST princess meal at Akershus Royal Banquet Hall. There are lots of princesses, It is beautiful inside, the food is excellent (not cheeseburgers), you get a picture with Belle when you enter, and they announce your daughters name when you enter (when we went they said "announcing Princess Eve" when our table was ready).

Eve and Belle at Akershus Royal Banquet Hall

Options

Explore your options. There is so much to do, go in informed. Go to as many websites as possible, read as many Disney books as you can, and get the Disney app for smartphones.

Planning, planning, planning

Plan ahead!! Know when you are going to go to which park. This helps plan for park tickets and dining reservations. You don't have to go all crazy and plan when you will ride certain rides, this will only create disappointment, but at least know what days you will be at each park! (Bonus tip: it has been said that Thursday is the least busy day for MK)

Quit stressing

and have fun with the planning and the doing!!

Reservations

Make dining reservations 180 days in advance. I had to settle for a later dinner this time around because I booked 1 day late. It sounds crazy now to plan where you want to eat 6 months in advance but it saves disappointment later. I always research menus at allears.net to narrow down my choices. 

Shoes

YOU MUST WEAR GOOD, COMFY SHOES!!

Transportation

Utilize as much Disney transportation as possible, it's free. These range from, Magical Express to monorails to busses to boats. We like to hop on boats to use as free entertainment and/or to find different and interesting ways to get from one place to another.

Umbrella/ponchos

IT WILL RAIN IN FLORIDA AT LEAST ONCE DAILY!! We buy ponchos at Dollar Tree and bring them with us to avoid paying for the expensive Disney ones but I have seen people carry umbrellas. 

Vegetarian, allergies, dietary restrictions

Make these known right away. Ask a lot of questions about what is in the meals you are considering. Sometimes the chef will come out and talk to you personally. Some restaurants prefer advance notice with dietary restrictions, you can notate these when booking online or over the phone. Disney is extremely accommodating!

Wipes

I always carry baby wipes for sticky fingers. 

eXtra magic hours

We love the morning ones. The park isn't that busy from 8-9am. Nothing like being allowed in a park an hour before anyone else. (you must be a resort guest to take advantage of these)

You

Remember this vacation is all about you and your family, don't let other guests get you down. 

Zebras, Zyrtec, and zinnias
"Z" words are awfully hard to come up with. Zebras: ride the safari at Animal Kingdom first thing in the morning, the animals are usually out and the lines are shorter. Zyrtec: Make sure you remember to pack ALL of your medications. You don't want to arrive at Disney and need a medication you hardly every use but you left it at home. Zinnias: Stop and smell the roses, enjoy what you are doing, don't rush through everything.

Liebster Award

This weekend I was nominated for a Liebster Award by soju+ravioli.

What is a Liebster Award? It is a way for bloggers with less than 200 followers to get their blogs out there. I am excited to be nominated and to show some love for other small blogs by nominating them. Although, I can't nominate the person that nominated me (that's the rule).

Here's what cha gotta do:

1.  Highlight the person who nominated you (soju+ravioli) to help spread the word about their blog as well.

2.  Tell 11 facts about yourself.

3.  Answer the questions from soju+ravioli.

4. List 11 blogs with less than 200 followers.

5.  Post 11 questions for those blogs to answer.

6.  Notify the blogs you nominate via email.

11 Facts about Mendy the Crazy Daisy

I love Walt Disney World.

I hate getting my hands dirty.

I love curling up on the couch with a good book.

I love ice cream but I am lactose intolerant.

I panic every day when I leave home that I forgot to unplug the straightener.

I treat my dog like a 3rd child.

I hate doing dishes.

I am usually very sleepy every night by 10pm.

I am extremely shy until I get to know someone, then I won't shut up.

I love working with children.

I like to pretend I'm crafty, when I really have no idea what I'm doing.

Questions from soju+ravioli

1.  What's your favorite place that you've traveled to? Walt Disney World!

2.  Beach, mountains, or both? Beach, for sure!!

3.  Let's pretend all celebrities are single. Who would you marry? David Beckham

4.  If you could eat only one thing for the rest of your life, what would you eat? Chocolate. 

5.  What's the craziest thing you have ever eaten? I do not try different foods. I am a very picky eater, I like to joke that I have the palate of a 5 year old. 

6.  If you could live anywhere in the world, where would you live and why? I would chose an island somewhere or maybe Greece. I would want someplace where its not so hectic and materialistic. I would love for my job to be at a bar on the beach, where I can chat with people and the money didn't matter.

7.  What would your last meal be if you were on death row? Truck loads of bacon with some cheese fries and some chocolate cake with chocolate icing for dessert.

8.  What is the best book you have ever read? This is a hard one for me. I read all the time. I have already read 40+ books in 2013 alone but to pick a favorite I would say Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban.

9.  Based on your personality alone, what kind of animal would you be? Something from the feline species for sure. Probably a tiger.

10.  Star Wars or Star Trek? Why? I would have to say Star Wars. I like Star Trek but I have watched Star Wars a lot more and am more familiar of the story lines.

11.  Why did you decide to start a blog? I started this blog as a way to discuss a Disney trip. After the trip passed I decided it was a nice way to keep some memories online of the things happening in my life.

Questions for the newly nominated:

1.  What is your favorite dessert?

2.  In what state would you most want to live? Why?

3.  What 3 things would you want if you were stranded on a deserted island?

4.  What is your dream job?

5.  What is your favorite animal to see at the zoo?

6.  Dog or cat? Why?

7.  Would you rather live underwater or in space?

8.  Name 1 regret you have.

9.  What color best describes you?

10.  Night owl or early bird?

11.  Which do you always choose first, rock, paper, or scissors?

I nominate 

(I don't have 11 to nominate)

Downsizing

Love Our Disney

Gracefully Kensie

The Poppie

Adventures of a Misfit Librarian

Nerd Craft Librarian

B&B

School field day ideas

We had field day on Friday and it was the best one we have ever had, I even have the sunburn to prove it.

The kids had so much fun, even with the chilly temps (at 9am it was 45F). The day did warm up, we made it up to about 63F. 

The stations we had were:

Sidewalk chalk

Cornhole

Bubbles

Wiffleball/kickball

Tug-of-War

Bounce houses

Water station (water balloons, hoses)

Battleship (in the gym)

Due to the chilly temps we had to do a last minute change. We cancelled the water station and the kids used that time to play on the playground.

Each station was 40 minutes with lunch in classrooms half way through the day. The day went smoothly, even with 750+ students participating. 

My station was the sidewalk chalk and we decided to play some music on the ipad. We got the good speakers from the music teacher and the music was nice and loud, we could hear it all the way across the parking lot. We went to this website to find some school appropriate music. After looking at popular song titles I Googled the lyrics to double check for anything inappropriate for elementary aged kids. We think the kids loved the music more than the chalk. There were lots of times the kids were dancing more than drawing. Most of the teachers told us that we had the best station, which we knew we would because of the music. The kids liked the fact that we let them graffiti up the sides of the building!

As for my sunburn, my forehead, nose, and lips are peeling because I forgot to put on sunblock before I left for school. I'm sure it wouldn't have been effective any more by the time the sun came out after 12. 

This was far better than last year, when I was at the relay races station. The kids hated it, half of them wouldn't participate, and we hated it, thank goodness they listened to us and let us not include those races. Last year it was also very hot and sunny. I think it got up to 87F. 

I think next year I am going to suggest that we don't do the bubble station. I heard lots of complaints that the kids were too old for that station. Maybe we could make it a playground station. 

With all the madness, I had time to get a pic with Eve.