Where the Magic Begins!

My parents (okay, strike that, read: "my mom") has been dying to take us to Disneyland with the grandkids while we live just a few hours away in Vegas. When we found out their spring break dates we decided to plan a kind of whirlwind trip over Thursday (drive there), Friday, and Saturday (drive home). Now, unfortunately I wasn't kidding when I said Zachary regularly wakes up at 4:30 a.m. pounding on his door ready to get out and play. I was having hives picturing us all sharing one hotel room, Zachary pulling all-nighters and keeping everyone up, and then trying to drag him all day through long line after long line which just wasn't my idea of "fun." So after much debate, I asked my wonderful inlaws (who were spring-breaking in St. George) if they wouldn't mind coming down for 2 days and watching Zach for me. And they did! They showered him with attention and 4 a.m. love (which he certainly NEVER gets from me), and I was able to have the most relaxing toddler-free, one-on-one Disneyland trip ever with the Luce and my parents. We went HARD all three days-- staying out until 10:30 p.m. every night and waking up to be first at the park the next morning. (And not to worry, Grandma and Grandpa Cardon are taking us to Disneyland next month so Zach will get his turn too!)

Anyway, Thursday morning we left about 9 a.m. and made the 4 hour drive to Anaheim. We went straight to the park and started riding rides right away! But first Luce wanted a peek at Minnie Mouse.


And speaking of Lucy, she did brilliantly!! Despite the heat, long hours, and even longer lines she was such a great sport. Being another year older made a HUGE difference from last year's trip to Disney World-- she was willing to try just about every ride, and she didn't mind waiting in line knowing she was in charge of picking everything. I didn't even bring a stroller for her because I knew she could walk, and even when she started getting blisters she didn't complain because she was so stinkin' excited and in LOVE with the whole thing!

Enjoying the dolls on "It's a Small World" (one of her favorites).

Hanging around Tarzan's Treehouse while mom and Grandpa rode the Indiana Jones ride below.

Waiting for the fireworks to begin, and loving every Disney minute with Grandma and Grandpa!

Friday morning we woke up bright and early and headed back to Disneyland to check out Tomorrowland. Here's Lucy and Grandma riding the cars at Autopia.

Posing in front of the Matterhorn, which subsequently is a funny story. I kinda tricked Lucy into going on it with me thinking she'd like it, and from the first 10 seconds she SCREAMED bloody murder the entire ride. It was a D-I-S-A-S-T-E-R. No more tricking!

Meeting Cinderella at the Fantasy Fun Faire. Remember the days when she used to call her "'Rella"? They grow up so fast...


Posing with Sleeping Beauty. And I might add, Grandpa TomTom was a very good sport waiting patiently through these loooong lines to meet the princesses.:)

Waiting in line for Mr. Toad's Wild Ride (my personal fav when I was a kid).

Chowing down on Monte Cristo sandwiches for lunch at the Blue Bayou (the restaurant inside the Pirates of the Caribbean ride). So fun!

Surprisingly, Lucy's all-time favorite ride, the Haunted Mansion. And I almost didn't let her ride it because I worried it would freak her out!! Ha. We went twice and that still wasn't enough.

Posing in Pixie Hollow before heading back to the hotel.

Friday morning we decided to change things up and check out California Adventure. I'd never been and was a bit skeptical, but it was fun and the crowds weren't as bad there. Lucy got right up to meet the Mouse himself!

Riding the swings with Grandpa TomTom!

Hopping off one of the rides in Flik's Fun Fair.


Surprise! We turned a corner headed to lunch and found Mulan!! One of Lucy's favorites!

Ready with our 3D glasses for the "Bug's Life" movie.

Such a great trip!! We stayed and played until about 6 p.m. and then drove back to Vegas. And back to reality... Why do vacations have to end??

Grandma Joanie Visits Vegas!

My mom has come to visit us twice since we moved to Las vegas-- first when we had just moved here from Philly to help us unpack, and then at Thanksgiving with my Dad and brother Taylor. So this time, the-third-time's-a-charm, it was time to PLAY. And play we did!!

Monday morning I made her run some of the "usual" errands with me, so we stopped by the public library for some new books. Then we got lunch at this really awesome Greek cafe in Summerlin. That night we left Jon with the kids and did some window shopping.



Tuesday morning Lucy's preschool class got cancelled, so we decided to take a picnic out to Red Rock. You'll be happy to know that March Picnic #2 was MUCH more successful than March Picnic (Disaster) #1! The weather was gorgeous, the food tasty, we actually got OUT of the car, and we even hiked a little trail with the kiddos.

We also stopped by my favorite frozen yogurt joint (U-Swirl) on the way home, which gave the overall picnic score about a gazillion bonus points.:)

Wednesday morning I convinced my mom we had to check out this new buffet called the "Wicked Spoon" at the Cosmopolitan which came highly recommended by my brother Devin and his wife Sarah, so I (somewhat guiltily) dropped my kids off at a babysitter's and we got to enjoy the amazing brunch kid-free.


The food was...wow. I can't even think of how to describe it. Super creative, really tasty, and really modern and classy. Red velvet pancakes with cream cheese syrup, individual eggs benedict with braised pork shoulder, bagels and smoked salmon, huevos rancheros, french pastries galore, crepes with date compote, honey yogurt parfaits with fresh berries, applewood smoked bacon and sausage, I could go on and on, but I digress.

It was gooood. And possibly the best part about it was I consumed my entire days' worth of calories in that one morning, because I literally had nothing else to eat the rest of the day I was so full. Gross.

Anyway, my Dad flew in that same afternoon so since he and I suffer from the same sick disease (we both sorta kinda like the Strip-- certainly not everything, but there's lots to do and see), we headed down to the Strip for round #2. We mostly walked around the new City Center area (where the Cosmopolitan is) and the Bellagio, which is my favorite hotel because of the gardens.

They were decked out for spring with flower butterflies and fountains and even a ferris wheel. So much fun! Once we'd had our fill (and ridden the tram in honor of Zachy's train obsession) we headed back home with Grandpa Tom-Tom and prepared for our trip to Disneyland the next morning!

Underwater Field Trip

This Tuesday Lucy's preschool class got to go on a field trip to the Mandalay Bay's "Shark Reef." She was sooooooo excited for many days beforehand since she'd already been and knew what was in store, thus Zach and I got to hear all about it (and I mean ALL about it). And when Miss Andrea asked for parent volunteers to help out, I decided, "What the heck?!?" and signed Zachy and myself up too!


Unfortunately my daughter is already in the "too cool for Mom" stage at the ripe ol' age of 4, because when I told her I would be going on the field trip I expected a super excited response, but instead she was like, "You're not staying, right?? You're just dropping me off." She sure LOVES being independent.

Zachary was in "wubba" HEAVEN. He LOVED the fishies, the sharks, the "wa-wa," and being a "big kid" like Lucy. I didnt' even bring his stroller because I knew he'd want to walk around with the rest!

Touching the stingrays!! Lucy was brave enough to stick her fingers out, but seriously, with no help from me. I'm too afraid they will bite me!

Zachary was terrified of touching the glass. He tried to stay as far away from it as possible-- while still trying to be as close as possible.:)

They got the High Roller's/VIP guided tour for preschoolers, and then were taken to a special classroom where they got to see some cool fish fossils and skeletons. Then they paraded around the room like various fish (this is Lucy being a shark).


Lucy and her preschool class (it includes morning and afternoon kids). I can't say it enough that she LOVES preschool-- and I am so grateful we were able to find such a great one while we are here!!

True Grit

March has been a month to determine which of us has True Grit. It's been one thing after another. March 5th was Jon's official "halfway point" for this residency, but instead of celebrating we both just kind of looked at each other-- not sure which was more depressing; the though of what we'd just been through for 6 months, or the fact that he has just that amount more to go? Then the FORECLOSURE posted on the door. Then the 1st LIST came out with ample availabilities in places like Minot, North Dakota. And now LIST #2 which is more official than List #1 comes out tomorrow. Then illness falls on all four of us at once.... That darn spring cold that just won't go away!! And now our beautiful spring weather is playing games. Plus let's face it, if I have to wake up one more time at 4:30 a.m. listening to Zachary crying to be let out to play, I might really do something stupid. Like go grocery shopping at WalMart, get through the check out line with a cart FULL of a $160 worth of groceries, and then realize I left my wallet at home. Oh wait! I just did that. Lack of sleep makes you do really, really stupid things...

So this weekend, despite that I was feeling feverish and had a sinus headache that was near-blinding, I decided we needed a day out. Something blog-worthy, something to free us of these Ides of March, something I could FORCE us to have fun doing. So we drove out to Red Rock seeking some adventures.

But first, Lucy had to randomly puke all over herself. I figure it had been awhile since our last public puking (two weekends ago to be exact-- Zach randomly puked all over a Panda Express at dinner), so we were due for Public Humiliation #468. Actually it wasn't that public since we were just pulled over on the side of the highway, but still. I didn't let that stop us! No sir! Drive on! And notice how in this picture she's eating, so apparently she DID feel better after puking. Go figure. Just crossing my fingers she was car sick and didn't have stomach flu to pass on to us all...

We finally made it to our picnic destination only to discover that there were gale force winds and a temperature of 47 degrees. Refusing to give up we picnicked inside the car. Jonathan's favorite!! (If you know my husband, you know his one, undying beef is about keeping the car spotless until we pay it off). I'm not too sure he enjoyed our "inside" picnic.

Here I am! Forcing one and all to have FUN!! We only got out to use the porta-potty once, so according to my mom's picnicking scale, it ranked disastrously low. No points for scenery-- and definitely NO water to be found (waterfalls score bonus points), no points for gourmet food (Subway sandwiches don't count), no points for company since I was sick, Jon was half-asleep, and Lucy had just barfed, so I'd only give it a 2 out of 10.

What do you think? Would you have liked to attend our car picnic with Zachy banging his head against the windows trying to get out? Have we earned a reputation for True Grit with all the barf, colds, pre-dawn wake-up calls, breeches of rental contracts, and 47 Places-You-Don't-Want-To-Live lists this month? Sound off!!

Why I Love Tax Refunds

Since during the year of 2010 we were still students we fall into that lucky category of being on the receiving end of the government come April 15th, as opposed to my father-- the notorious "Paying-Taxes-Tom" who lives, eats, and breathes taxes. Be right there with you next year, Dad!:) This year most of our refund will obviously go to paying back loans, but a small chunk was allocated to me. Yes. ME!! I took that money and ran (literally) to begin replacing all of our IKEA furniture ASAP (tip: while I LOVE IKEA, the MDF board they us on almost everything doesn't weather a cross-country move too well). We started at the RC Willey Clearance Center where we found our leather couches when we first moved here.

We found this little beauty for a STEAL. There are a few little scratches around the table legs, and one broken foot rest on a chair (which is easily fixable with wood glue), but we basically got it for about 80% off the normal price. Plus, when I buy already dinged up merchandise, I don't go into a catatonic state when Zachary gouges his fork into the table top at dinner!

Then we went back and found this piece, which I really love. For some reason I've always wanted a nice hutch to store all of my dishes, and we found this for a great price too, so jumped on it!

And that's the good news. Now for the bad news: Our house we've been renting did ((finally)) get FORECLOSED on. It's been up in the air literally since we moved in back in July, so it's almost a relief just having some solid information. They posted all the paperwork on the front door (which was fun to come home to, er, read "heart attack") and served us with papers by certified mail, so the house will be up for public auction on March 23rd. Sooooo, we will know more then. We should then have 90 days to move out, but hopefully we will be able to finish out our lease and won't have to move twice in 3 months. But it'd make a great story, right?

And of course as with all of life's little ironies, it would be right after we've just bought all this new furniture. So now we don't have a house to put it in.:)

THE LIST!!

Okay Folks, hold onto your seats. Here's the preliminary list of possible Air Force Bases we could move to in August 2011. With over 50 locations you'd think we'd find one that's right, right?!? We have to submit our Top 5 by Friday, so let's hear your picks!!

BARKSDALE, Northwest, Lousiana
BEALE, Sacramento, California
CANNON, Clovis, New Mexico
CHARLESTON, South Carolina
COLUMBUS, Mississippi
DAVIS-MONTHAN, Tucson, Arizona
DOVER, Delaware
DYESS, Abilene, Texas
EGLIN, Fort Walton Beach, Florida
ELLSWORTH, Rapid City, South Dakota
F E WARREN, Cheyenne, Wyoming
GOODFELLOW, San Angelo, Texas
GRAND FORKS, North Dakota
HANSCOM, Boston, Massachusetts
HICKAM, Honolulu, Hawaii
HILL, Roy, Utah
HOLLOMAN, Alamogorde, New Mexico
KADENA, JAPAN
KIRTLAND, Albequerque, New Mexico
KUNSAN, SOUTH KOREA
LACKLAND, San Antonio, Texas
LAJES, PORTUGAL
LAKENHEATH, ENGLAND
LANGLEY, Virginia
LITTLE ROCK, Arkansas
LUKE, Phoenix, Arizona
MACDILL, Tampa, Florida
MALMSTROM, Great Falls, Montana
MAXWELL, Montogmery, Alabama
MCCONNELL, Wichita, Kansas
MCGUIRE, New Jersey
MINOT, North Dakota
MISAWA, JAPAN
MOODY, Valdosta, Georgia
MOUNTAIN HOME, Idaho
OSAN, SOUTH KOREA
PETERSON, Colorado Springs, Colorado
POPE, Fayetville, North Carolina
RAMSTEIN, GERMANY
RANDOLPH, San Antonio, Texas
ROBINS, Macon, Georgia
SCOTT, Illinois
SEYMOUR JOHNSON, Goldsboro, North Carolina
SHAW, Sumter, South Carolina
SHEPPARD, Wichita Falls, Texas
SPANG-BITBURG, GERMANY
TINKER, Oklahoma City, Oklahoma
TYNDALL, Panama City, Florida
UPWOOD, ENGLAND
VANCE, Enid, Oklahoma
VANDENBERG, Santa Barbara, California
WHITEMAN, Kansas City, Missouri
WRIGHT PATTERSON, Dayton, Ohio
YOKOTA, JAPAN

Whew...

The Coffee Cup

If you've read this blog, you probably know by now that I'm kind of obsessed with trying new places to eat. And on the East Coast we could have tried a new restaurant every weekend and still not have tried them all-- sandwich shops, BBQ places, little Mom and Pop places, and pizza parlors are on every street corner. But here in Vegas, these unique one-of-a-kind places are much harder to find... "Foodie Experiences" basically boil down to 3 categories: You got your chain restaurants (Chilies, Olive Garden, Panda Express, etc.), your casino buffets, and your super expensive high roller restaurants inside the casinos, ie, NO KID ZONES (Wolfgang Puck).

But luckily "Diner's, Drive-In's, and Dives" has been to TWO, count 'em, two places in Las Vegas that we've been excited to check out. The first of these is "The Coffee Cup," which is actually out in Boulder City (about 30 min. off the strip) towards Hoover Dam.

So when Saturday morning dawned rainy (yes! rainy!) we nixed our usual hiking plans and headed out for breakfast. It was a little tiny diner only open for breakfast and lunch, but with TONS of character.

We got way more food than we could eat and everything was SO good, for super cheap. Gotta love that! Jon got the special which was the Pork Chili Verde Omelet (what Guy tried), which was to die for. Lucy got the chicken fingers and fries.

Zachary enjoyed a homemade cinnamon roll, and I got an egg and cheese sandwich and the buttermilk pancakes came as a "side." And they were HUGE.

We decided to check out a little of the area, which was really fun with lots of antique and souvenir shops, old-fashioned candy shops, and some really nice looking restaurants-- geared towards Hoover Dam tourists, I'm sure. Anyway, it was a really great way to spend our Saturday morning!