Halloween Through the Years

I'm realizing a sad fact.

When I was busy teaching, my babies were not photographed.

That's because...
1- I was too busy being a good teacher, and not a good mom. (I'm ashamed.)

2 - I didn't have a nice phone with a camera I guess, so I didn't take pictures.

3 - My sugar was the stay-at-home daddy and he doesn't have a love for pictures like I do.

4 - I wasn't on Facebook or Instagram because I couldn't find the time to do anything other than being a mom when I got the chance, along with lesson planning, grading papers, and all that other teaching drama.

As I'm scrolling through pictures on my phone of past Halloween memories, I see none of Afton's first - an adorable butterfly - or second Halloween  - a sweet little ladybug.  That also means there are no pictures of Jack's first Halloween - the cutest little monkey you've ever seen - that I can find either. I'm sick to my stomach about it. Ugh.

So I'll hopefully always remember those cute first years, and enjoy all the pictures I actually do have from 2012, and the themes, up until now, 2016.

2012- Birds theme { Peacock & Owl }

2013 - Store bought theme because Mommy was on bed rest { Queen Afton & Captain America }

2014 - Maleficent theme { Crow, Sleeping Beauty - Aurora, Young Maleficent }

2015 - Lego Movie theme { Wild Style, Emmet, Unikitty, Batman, & Wonder Woman }

2016 - Break your mom's heart because you won't agree to a theme theme { Alice in Wonderland, Mad Hatter, & Luke Skywalker Episode 7 version }

Happy Halloween everyone!

Ummmmmm, do you know Rapunzel?

Disneyland.

They took my selfie stick at security.

They told us to go to one line because we were military, but this was inaccurate information. Instead we had to go to a different line, one that was longer.

The happy disneyland worker lady ran out of tickets right as we got to the front, so we had to wait for someone to come help her. All the while, every person around us, in every other line, is walking in with ease.

The lines inside the park were long, even though according to www.isitpacked.com forecasted it to be a, "Hey, it's alright," kind of day. 

We decided against standing in front of any of the classic Disneyland photo spots because there was, of course, a line.

Turns out you don't just to get be a part of the Jedi Training anymore if you're a kid in the audience. Your parents have to register you ahead of time. (Thanks a lot for that important information on the dumb Disneyland website, along with the 8 million "Do Disneyland Right - Tips and Tricks" websites I read! Ugh. I hope you can infer my sarcasm. Why the heck would they not post this?) So glad my boy was a good sport. "I'm a way better jedi than any of those kids mom. It's okay." He was just stoked he got to see Kylo Ren.

Even with a Fast Pass, you still have to wait in line. Space Mountain was 20 minutes. My big girl loved this! Indiana Jones still had a 35 minute wait, but my boy loved this ride the most. Thank goodness for the Rider Switch pass. 

But, this Disneyland visit was worth every minute of being in line to hear my sweet baby girl ask Snow White, Ariel, and Cinderella, "Ummm, do you know Rapunzel?" She also asked each one of them what their names were. Ha, can you tell we aren't a Disney family?The princesses looked shocked by these questions and it made me smile. I'm a bit unlike the 356 bazillion people who worship Disney. I would have waited in line 45 more minutes, just to hear her ask those questions again.

She got a kiss from Cinderella and she was pretty happy about that. 

But what made her the happiest was walking out from seeing all those lovely princesses, and hearing her favorite, Rapunzel on stage just a few feet away. She was mesmerized. "Mom, that's Rapunzel and Finn Wider."

So glad we bought them toys and treats, not from Disneyland, to tide them over. It's not like Jack didn't ask every 3.5 seconds if we could go buy him something. Oh wait, he did.

 

Ahhh, Disneyland memories. We'll go back again and again (3 day park hopper) because my babies loved it, even with all of the lines!

And we love our babies! 

Our Reasons Have Changed

When in Vegas, we never did anything, activity-wise, out at Nellis AFB for a few reasons.

1. It was too far away.
2. We were too busy with all of our holiday engagements, be it with school, church, family, or friends, to have time to get to any of them.
3. We never really knew about any of them because we were only out there for doctors appointments. (Which in theory, we were out there a lot, I suppose.)
4. I personally didn't feel like a real "military family" yet, so I know I would have felt awkward attending.

But now, all that has changed.

Last night, we attended the Halloween Jubilee out at Twentynine Palms Marine Corp Base.

It was a fun night for a few reasons.

1. It was not so far away.
2. We have no other school, family, or friend engagements to interfere. (Church Trunk-or-Treat is tonight.)
3. My Sugar knows all the events because he's on the base, being a real dentist, 5 days a week so he gets all the info!
4. We are officially a military family so I better embrace all that it has to offer, even if I still have no idea what any of this military life actually entails.

My babies loved it and I was shocked at how many fun things they had for our little family to enjoy. Oh, and did I mention it was all free!

Both my boy and girl won a cake at the cake walk. They played on 8 zillion different bounce houses & slides. All 3 smiled the whole night, which of course made us smile as well. 

I have 3 little reasons to embrace all the fun military life has to offer. 

#thanksobama