Almost Legal!

My son's 18th birthday is just days away--and then he will be a "legal adult." He will probably just spend time at Disney with his girlfriend and then have cake with his family. I have been preparing for this day for a long time--my job of raising my son is almost finished. I can hardly believe it! So...Happy Birthday son!! I remember the day you were born like it was yesterday--and I have had 18 wonderful years of being your mother--and now you are "fully grown" and my job is almost over--but I will ALWAYS be your mother! :) Happy Birthday! :)

Sweet Sixteen!

My daughter turned Sweet Sixteen this year!! :) We spent her birthday at Disney World, of course! Presents, cake, and fun at Disney--she was happy! No big party--she didn't want one! No car--she still isn't ready to drive yet! Just fun with friends and family--my daughter is easy to please! Happy Birthday, Baby Girl! No matter how old you are, you will always be MY "baby girl"! :)

Toy Story 3

Toy Story is a sentimental favorite in our family. It was the first movie my son ever saw in a theater. He collected toys and things from the movie: especially Buzz Lightyear! He saw Toy Story 2 when it came out, too--and collected more toys! In some ways, my son is a lot like Andy and is right about the same age: playing with the toys as Andy did in the first movie and beginning to play with them less as in the second one. And, in Toy Story 3, Andy is almost grown and is about to leave for college--and it is time for him to get rid of all of his childhood toys. I have to admit that I shed a few tears during some of the scenes that "hit home"! My son even seemed to enjoy it--he said it was "nostalgic" to watch it! Working for Disney definitely has its perks: all employees received a free Toy Story 3 DVD! Thanks, Disney! We loved it! :)

Microsoft Zune HD

My teens are very "pro-Microsoft" and "anti-Apple"--sorry, Apple, but being over-priced might have something to do with it. When it comes to Zune vs. I-Pod Touch, they chose Zune hands down. If for no other reason, a 16 GB Zune is less expensive than a 8GB I-Pod Touch! And I think they like the features on Zune better, too! SO...in our family, Zune wins! Both of my teens have one now! :)

Mickey's Not So Scary Halloween Party

We had a lot of fun at Disney World during October--especially at the Halloween Parties! The Boo to You Parade is the best! The fireworks and special castle shows are awesome, too! My teens enjoyed riding all of the rides--and we were eating leftover candy for weeks!! Halloween at Disney World is so much fun!! :)

Homecoming 2010

My teens both enjoyed Homecoming events this year--dressing up in themes during the week, going to pep rallies, going to the game and the dance...lots of fun! Since it was my son's LAST high school Homecoming Week, it was a bit more emotional...he really enjoyed fully participating in events that he had skipped in previous years. As Homecoming events and football season ended, he knew that things would never be the same...and so did I. Just one more "last time" to check off the list--and a little bit closer to a completely new and different kind of life. For now...both of my teens are enjoying every moment of high school as each day unfolds. Homecoming 2010 was full of lots of good memories!

Her Sophomore Year

My daughter began her Sophomore Year of high school this year. She is enjoying moving up the ranks--she's no longer a rookie freshman! It seems like just yesterday her brother was this age...and now he is about to graduate!...my daughter will be graduating in no time, too! Sometimes I just have to pinch myself to believe that we are really at this stage already! I am really enjoying every minute with my teenagers--I just can't imagine life after this stage!

His Senior Year!

My son began his Senior Year of high school this year! I am already getting emotional about it all--Senior Portraits, Class Rings, ordering things for Graduation...it all brings tears to my eyes! I hope he has a wonderful Senior Year--I just look at EVERYTHING as "his last time"--I just cannot believe it is here already!! In December he will turn 18 and be a legal adult, then a few months later and he will finish high school--then on to the rest of his life! I sure am trying to enjoying every last minute that he is here!

Disney Quest

My daughter also went to Disney Quest with her boyfriend and his family. They played lots of cool virtual reality games there. I haven't been yet, but I plan to go soon--it sounds like a lot of fun! I also want to go to the Disney Waterparks, the Disney Mini-Golf Parks, and other things like the Cirque du Soleil show at Downtown Disney. I love everything Disney! :)

Busch Gardens

Even though we are loyal Disney fans, we sometimes get opportunities to go to some of the "other parks" around here as well. This summer, my daughter went to Busch Gardens a few times with her boyfriend's family. They had annual passes for Sea World/Busch Gardens and were able to get her discounted tickets. She had a lot of fun and compared it to Disney's Animal Kingdom. She especially enjoyed riding the roller coasters(and sitting close together!) with her boyfriend! :)

First Traffic Ticket!

I guess it is kind of a "rite of passage," getting a traffic ticket...my son did not come to a complete stop at a neighborhood stop sign, and an undercover policeman gave him a ticket. He was NOT happy about having to use his own money from his summer job to pay it, but it seemed like the right thing to do--besides, I really couldn't afford to cover it for him anyway. Luckily, he was able to attend traffic school to get it expunged from his record--no points against him and no issues with car insurance. Still, no one likes to get a ticket! He definitely makes sure to come to a complete stop at each and every stop sign now, that's for sure!

Summer Jobs

My son was determined to get a job this summer--he applied for many things hoping at least one thing would work out. Finally, he ended up landing not one, but two, summer jobs! YAY! He worked weekdays with a landscaping business, and he worked at a restaurant on the weekends. He really enjoyed earning his own money! He framed his first dollar and bought a few things--then he began saving the rest. He had a nice nest-egg by the end of the summer! It really was nice to let him buy his own cell phone minutes and things like that--I LOVE the fact that he is becoming more independent and self-sufficient now! As the summer ended and the school year began, he decided not to juggle work and school since he was taking a full load of classes. I think his first summer of REALLY working and earning a paycheck was a big success! He developed a great work ethic and learned a lot about being in the working world. That will definitely serve him well in the future!

Summer Nightastic!

We really enjoyed spending time at Disney World during Summer Nightastic! Disney World is always a fun place to be, but the added features made it even better! A new parade, bigger and better fireworks, and other cool changes at all of the parks--it was amazing! My teens enjoyed bringing their friends and family with them many times during the summer. Summer at Disney World really was "Summer Night-tastic!"

My Daughter's New Glasses

My daughter recently wanted new glasses frames, and I was very surprised that she picked this style! To me, it reminds me of the glasses that people wore in the 60s and 70s--including my brother and myself! I was so relieved to get contact lenses when I was a teenager because I hated what was available when it came to glasses frames back then. Apparently, this retro look is back in style--I do see lots of young people wearing them now. So my daughter chose black-framed glasses--the kind I hated when I was a teenager!--and she loves them! She is a beautiful girl and would look beautiful in anything! :)

Prom Night 2010

My son and his girlfriend went to the prom together: his Junior prom/her Senior prom. They looked SO good all dressed up! They ate at Olive Garden beforehand, took beautiful prom portraits, and then enjoyed dancing the night away. They had a great time! If they are still dating when my son's Senior prom arrives, they will go together again--so far, graduating before him hasn't put a damper on their relationship. In fact, my son's girlfriend still enjoys hanging out at her alma mater--she still has friends there and considers some of the teachers to be her mentors. Prom 2010 was a night to remember, and Prom 2011 is sure to be one, too!

Spring Break 2010

My teens enjoyed Spring Break this year! They especially enjoyed sleeping late all week! They spent some time just hanging out at home, and they went to Disney World several times. They watched a space shuttle launch that week, too! They went swimming in the pool and even spent a day at the beach--being in Florida for Spring Break was great!

Teenage Love

This year has been a good one for both of my teenagers regarding their love lives. Both reached the one-year mark of dating the same people since we moved to Florida. On the one hand, they may be missing out on the fun of dating lots of people in high school to get to know what they really like in a person--a good learning experience for adult relationships, I think. But on the other hand, they are learning about being in committed relationships and weathering the ups and downs within that relationship--also a good learning experience for adulthood. Both couples say they LOVE each other, but who knows if these will be long-term relationships or not. I just worry about them getting too serious at too young of an age--there will be plenty of time for serious relationships in the future...why rush it? They occasionally go out on dates with their loved ones, but they usually just hang out together...and usually they hang out here(in supervised situations). All-in-all, both my son and daughter seem very happy--they are both glad that we moved to Florida and they are especially glad that they met their current love interests. Dealing with teenage love and dating has been okay lately--I've had the chance to get to know the people who love my teens ALMOST as much as I do! :)

2010--Our Family's Year of Disney!! :)

There is a reason that I have once again fallen behind on this blog: I now am a WORKING mother of two teenagers, and I work for the Walt Disney Company. Even though I am very busy balancing work and family these days, my family is thrilled about our new connection with Disney. Now we can go to Disney World for free--and we do go a lot! Our favorite ride: Rock 'n Roller Coaster. Our favorite park: Hollywood Studios. Our favorite fireworks show: Wishes at Magic Kingdom. When family and friends come to visit us, we take them to Disney World. We celebrated Easter, Mother's Day, Father's Day, Fourth of July, Halloween, and our birthdays at Disney World. We went to the Flower and Garden Festival, Star Wars Weekend, Summer Nightastic, Halloween Party, and Food and Wine Festival. We shop at Downtown Disney and eat at Disney restaurants and get discounts. We love being part of the Disney family! :)