Leaving on a Jet Plane

We're leaving tonight to head to North and South Carolina for the next couple of weeks! I'll try to keep blogging while we are gone... that is if I'm not too busy soaking up the sun, relaxing in the surf, eating my favorite Southern foods, or just being plain lazy!

Tiffany's Top Twelve Travel Tips For Disneyland

It just dawned on me that as I am preparing to go to North and South Carolina for our summer vacation, I never created a post that I meant to create back in April after we returned home from Disneyland. Many of you have asked questions about the package that we chose and how we managed the trip, so I have created my TOP TWELVE Disneyland tips for you here!

1. Make your husband wear cargo shorts with lots of large pockets to carry all of your items in. This way, you will have no bags to be searched when you enter the park, which means you can bypass that line! Also, men's cargo shorts are far more fashionable than a fanny pack! Ryan held all our tickets and passes, park maps, 3 ponchos just in case, 2 autograph books and some sunscreen.
2. We discovered that there were less lines earlier in the day and that the parks became noticeably busier on the weekend. If you are able to get your hands on an early park entrance pass, take full advantage of it!
3. If you do have to wait in a longer line for a particular ride, have one person stand in line and the other go ride a "short wait" ride with your kids. Reagan and I would ride the carousel, Mickey's train around park, or the monorail while Ryan would stand in line for her to meet the princesses each day. Also, the princess rotate every day throughout the day, so it is beneficial to make repeat stops to this attraction if you have little girls!
4. Bring your own dress up princess dresses for little girls rather than purchasing them once you are there. We bought our Disney princess dresses at Toys R Us for a fourth of the price of what they were selling for in the parks. No one could tell the difference either... I had one lady stop and ask me which of the boutiques did I find Reagan's Cinderella dress in!
5. Get the autograph book and pen for character signings. Do this the first chance you get at the first store you come to. The authentic Disney autograph books are great because they have a photo page beside each page that the character signs so that you can put a precious picture of your little one with that character in the book!
6. Purchase one of the dining plans. You can plan your meals in advance and make your reservations for each meal 60 days ahead of your arrival. I suggest that you book as many character meals as possible. Reagan absolutely loved knowing that she was going to have breakfast each morning with her favorite characters before we went into the parks. Make a note that restaurants in the Downtown Disney District do NOT accept the meal vouchers... only the restaurants located INSIDE the parks will take these golden tickets!
7. You don't have to stay at a hotel IN the parks to still be a part of the action. Many of the "Good Neighbor" hotels to Disney offer some of the same special amenities as the official Disney hotels. A little research about the hotels within short walking distance to the entrance to the parks can save you quite a bit of money! We stayed at the Anabella, and it was very nice. There were more kid friendly hotels to choose from, but we figured that Reagan was getting all the "kid friendly" she needed at the parks, so Mommy and Daddy got to have the nicer hotel for us!
8. Wear comfortable shoes that have good grip on the soles. I wore my most favorite, comfortable pair of flip flops the entire time I was there. The only problem is that they had/have hardly any tread left on the bottom because I wear them all the time, and I found that I was slipping and sliding in areas where the roads and sidewalks are super smooth, especially if my shoes were a little wet from any of the water rides.
9. Plan your flights around the kids sleep times if at all possible. Otherwise, you will just have overly excited children on your hands on the plane that ask you every 2-3 minutes, "Are we there yet?"
10. For us, there was no need to rent a car. We purchased shuttle passes for very little cost, and took the shuttle from the airport to the hotel. We also used the shuttle bus to go from Disneyland to Sea World, and we loved the trip. Our shuttle driver was super amazing, and made the drive lots of fun for both the adults and the kids. We also made use of the local transit buses a couple of evenings to get back to our hotel instead of walking. All of these shuttle and transit passes cost us far less than it would have cost to rent a car for the week.
11. If you are celebrating an event (birthday, anniversary, etc...) let Disney know. They will give you a button to wear for everyone to know, and free desserts at every meal... even breakfast! Reagan wore her birthday button everyday, and literally 100's of people were wishing her happy birthday everywhere we went. It just made it all the more special for her!
12. Plan to have fun fun fun while you are there, but also plan for PVD when you return... Post Vacation Depression!

I hope this helps with any planning that you are doing. If you have any other specific questions, feel free to comment or send me an email. I will do my best to be your "unofficial" tour guide!

Southern Cravings

School's out for summer for Reagan, so it's time for a family summer vacation! It has been 339 days (literally, I counted) since we were last at our family beach house on the waterway in NC, so this trip feels like it is LONG overdue for us! Only 6 more sleeps and we will be there, relaxing on the end of this pier. Of course, if "Pregnant Tiff" can't handle the heat and the humidity, then it will be 6 more sleeps until I am relaxing inside by the air conditioner!
I'm so very ready to see my parents... they missed seeing me in all of my pregnant glory when we were expecting Reagan, so I am excited to get to spend almost three weeks with them right smack dab during the middle of this pregnancy. (I also plan for them to be up here in Canada with us a week or so before the baby is due so that they can help out during those first few hectic days after baby is born!)

But it is not just the waterway and my parents that I miss... I miss me some good 'ole Southern food! Here's just a few items that are on my "must have" list for while we are visiting down South...

Cracker Barrel Biscuits...

I am hoping that this item can be marked off of the list almost immediately after landing in NC. Anna & I have already hatched a plan to somehow hijack the car or re-program the navigation system so that it leads straight to the nearest Cracker Barrel from the airport. We're thinking that convincing our folks to stop for breakfast shouldn't be too hard of a task since we do land bright and early in the morning that day!

Provision Company Chili Cheese Burger...

The Yacht Basin Provision Company, just called Provision by regulars such as my parents, was established in 1993. This restaurant may look like a little hole in the wall, but they have the BEST food around, and it is served in a wonderful beachfront atmosphere while literally sitting over the water. The views of the Southport Yacht Basin, the Intracoastal Waterway and the mouth of the Cape Fear river are incredible, and the sunsets are magnificent. It is rare that I don't order the Chili Cheeseburger with onion rings and a crab cake, but I have also been known to order their blackened tuna with the best potato salad in this world!

Boiled Peanuts...

This is an item that is more on Anna's list than mine, but I can't wait to get my hands on some of this salty goodness as well!

Shrimp 'n Grits...

I love grits. And I love shrimp. So it's only natural that I would love shrimp 'n grits! This recipe is best when the grits are really cheesy, and the shrimp are really spicy. I am hoping that I can convince my parents to babysit Reagan for us (shouldn't be too hard to do) so that Ryan and I can go out for dinner on our anniversary while we are on vacation. Rumor has it that the restaurant that is owned by a former boss of mine has the best shrimp 'n grits in all of North Carolina, so I think I may just need to see if that rumor is really true!

Shuler's BBQ...

Located only about 10 minutes from where I grew up, this place has the best BBQ, the best homemade sweet potato casserole, the best liver hash, the best macaroni and cheese, and the best banana pudding that you will ever put in your mouth! The fact that it is owned by a family that is near and dear to my heart, my former Junior Miss coordinators, makes it even more special of a place for me. (Wait, I've never told you that I was South Carolina's Junior Miss in 1994... yep, I was! I'll tell that story another time... promise!)

Chic Fil A Chicken Sandwich and Waffle Fries...

Oh man, this is my fast-food lunch of choice while back at home in the South. I've tried other chicken sandwiches, but nobody can do it quite like Chic Fil A! Add in the side of yummy waffle fries and a tall glass of sweet tea, and you've got one very happy Tiffany!

Sweet Tea...

There is nothing quite like a glass of iced cold sweet tea on a super hot summer day. (Well, maybe an iced cold beer, but I'm pregnant this summer, so there will be none of that!) I will never forget the first time my husband tasted sweet tea... he spit it out instantly all over the dashboard of my car. "It's cold!" he exclaimed. "And it's sweet!" Yes my dear, that is how we drink it in the South... iced cold and super sweet! (For some reason, it tastes even better when you drink it out of a mason jar)

Chicken Bog...

I'm not 100% sure of where I am going to find this item while we are visiting as it is usually prepared for fund raisers and sporting events. I am hoping that there will be a booth somewhere at the NC 4th of July Festival in Southport that will fulfill this craving for me. It's a meal that may not be much to look at, but yummy chicken and sausage mixed with all the right spices and rice makes for a delicious one pot meal for me!

Fried Oysters & Hush Puppies...

C'mon y'all. You know I am from the South, and we love all things deep fried. (You've long known about my love for deep fried turkey!) Fried oysters are another of my favorite things. Don't get me wrong... I'll eat oysters in any form or fashion. But I love ordering a small seafood combination platter of fried oysters, fried shrimp, cold boiled shrimp, and hush puppies. What is a hush puppy you ask? Well it is a delightful little ball of goodness made from cornmeal and buttermilk that is fried up and served with butter. These little babies are so good that I could eat a dozen of them easily!

Daddy's Steak...

My Daddy cooks the best steak of anyone that I know. Well, other than me of course, but his are usually even better than mine! He always chooses ribeyes that are about 1 to 1 1/5 inches thick, and he seasons and grills them to perfection. DELICIOUS!

Daddy's Shrimp Boil...

Much like his steaks, Daddy can never go wrong when he serves up a Shrimp Boil. I posted the recipe for this super fun dinner last summer. For our family, the spicier the better!

So, who's hungry?

From the looks of things, I am going to be doing a LOT of eating while we are down South this visit. It's a good thing that I have managed to only gain about 15 pounds so far this pregnancy, because I may just be putting on another 15 pounds during our trip!

Application to Date My Daughter

In consideration of my previous post, I did some digging and found the old application that my dad used when I was first starting to date. I think Ryan and I will need to bring it back into effect for Miss Reagan one of these days...

OFFICIAL APPLICATION TO DATE MY DAUGHTER

*Please note this application will be rejected unless filled out in its entirety and accompanied by a photograph, complete financial statement, job history, lineage and complete medical statement.

• Name:
• Date of Birth:
• Home Address:
• Height:
• Weight:
• IQ:
• GPA:
• Social Security Number:
• Drivers License Number:
• Highest Boy Scout Rank and Badges Earned:
• Do you have one MALE parent and one FEMALE parent? If no, explain:
• Number of years your parents have been married? If less than your age, explain:
• Have you ever kissed a man?
• Have you ever kissed an animal?
• Have you ever kissed anything else? If yes, explain:
• Do you own a van?
• Do you own a truck with over-sized tires?
• Do you own a waterbed?
• Do you own a pick up with a mattress in the back?
• Do you have an ear ring or a nose ring?
• Do you have any body piercings? If yes, explain:
• Do you have a tattoo?
  

If the answer to any of the above questions was yes, discontinue this application and LEAVE IMMEDIATELY. Otherwise, continue below...

• In 10 words or less, what does the word "LATE" mean to you?
• In 10 words or less, what does "DO NOT TOUCH MY DAUGHTER" mean to you?
• What church do you attend?
• How often do you attend?
• When would be the best time to interview your father, mother, and pastor?
  

Answer the following questions by filling in the blanks. Please answer freely. Answers will be kept confidential.

• If I were shot, the last place I would want to be shot is:
• If I were beaten, the last bone I would want broken is:
• A woman's place is in the:
• The only thing I feel this application does not ask is:
• When I first meet a girl, the first thing I notice is her:

(Note: If the answer to the previous question begins with "T" or "A", discontinue this application and leave the premises immediately, keeping your head low and running in a serpentine fashion)

• What do you want to do when you grow up?
  

Please sign below after reading the following statement:

I swear that all information supplied above is true and correct to the best of my knowledge under the penalty of death, dismemberment, Native American ant torture, castration, Chinese water torture, electrocution, and red hot pokers.

Thank you for your interest. Please allow a minimum of six years for processing. And remember, don't ever call us... we will call you!

***For the record, to my knowledge, my Dad never actually used this application... he just always threatened me that he was going to!

Breaking Up is Hard to Do

After only a couple of months of preschool this past year, Reagan announced to us that she had a boyfriend.

GASP!

She was three at the time.

I nearly had a heart attack, yet I thought it was incredibly cute.

Ryan just nearly had a heart attack!

Reagan told us that her boyfriend's name was Vaughn, and we made sure to pay special attention at the next show day so that we would know just who this Vaughn was. He was pretty easy to pick out of the crowd... he was the one that was all over our daughter!
We had a good laugh with Vaughn's parents after show day that day... apparently Vaughn was doing a lot of talking about this little girl named Reagan at his house too!

The conversations of Vaughn continued in our house for quite some time, and then recently we began to notice that Reagan seemed to have removed the word "Vaughn" from her vocabulary. We finally asked Reagan one day if Vaughn was still her boyfriend, and all we got out of her was a flat sounding, "No" with a bit of a pouty face.

We didn't press the issue.

I am just going to assume that these two kids are very smart for their young age and that they realized that it would be difficult to keep up their "relationship" during the summer break from pre-school.

What advice did I give my sweet little girl? I could have told her a number of things...

• Breaking up is hard to do
• Sometimes love ain't enough
• The heart was made to be broken
• There's other fish in the sea
• You're better off without him

Instead, I chose not say much of anything at all. Other than the pouty face, she didn't seem bothered by any of it. Plus, I figure there will be plenty of times in the future that will be far more significant to her that I will have to worry about what I am supposed to say to help heal a broken heart!

Of course, if she is anything like her momma, she will be the one doing the breaking up... I found that it tends to hurt less that way!

Her First Dance Recital

Last weekend was awards day at Reagan's dance academy, and we were thrilled to find out that we needed to be in attendance to see Reagan accept her very first trophy. We weren't sure what the trophy was going to be for... we were expecting something along the lines of "Most Enthusiastic" for our little wild child! Surprise for us, Reagan was awarded the "Most Promising Preschooler" award out of all the other kids age 5 and under that dance at this studio!!! Her tap class also won a group award for "Most Outstanding Preschool Group". Needless to say, we were very proud parents... but no where near as proud as Reagan was for herself. We seriously thought that she was going to sleep with her trophy!
The end-of-year recital was this Saturday, a day that we have been anxiously awaiting in our household. We couldn't wait to see our little superstar perform on stage! There was a bit of a conflict in that her end-of-year gymnastics performance was the exact same day at the exact same time, so we had to choose which one that she would participate in. Being as that we had already forked out some big bucks for her dance costumes, and that we had already purchased tickets to attend the dance recital, the decision was fairly easy to make!

I was amazed at the transformation that occurred in my baby girl after I had done her hair and make up. (I must also say that I was pretty amazed with myself for being able to get the hair piece in and tied up into a bun that could then be taken down for a funky ponytail later! Yeah Mommy!) She didn't look like my baby anymore... suddenly she was a diva princess ballerina! She looked beautiful... and she knew it!
We arrived at the Bell Performing Arts Centre, and I suddenly remembered that I had left the tickets at home! I am blaming it on pregnancy brain... Reagan and Auntie Anna went inside for the short dress rehearsal, Ryan saved us a place up front in the line for admittance that was growing longer by the second, and I channeled my inner Dale Earnhardt and drove like a mad woman to race home for the tickets! Less than half an hour later, I was back with tickets in hand in time to help with getting Reagan dressed and to then wait in line with Ryan. WHEW!

Her first performance was for ballet, and she and all the other little ballerinas in her class looked simply adorable! Their dance was from the Cave of Wonders scene from Aladdin, and each of the girls represented one of the many gems in the cave.
Auntie Anna volunteered to run backstage after the ballet performance ended to get Reagan ready for her tap routine so that the pregnant lady wouldn't have to be running around. Thank you Anna! We were all very excited when the tappers took the stage to dance their Hot Hot Hot carnival themed routine! Sorry for the quality of the pictures... no flash photography allowed, and I've been having lots of issues with my camera lately.
Reagan was then able to come out into the audience with us to watch the rest of the performances (over three more hours worth) before she had to go backstage again to get ready for the big finale. I think she was most excited about the fact that I had to then take her hair down, and she had long locks to play with! (This was the same hair piece that her fairy godmother put into her hair when she transformed Reagan into Cinderella for her birthday at the Bibbidi Bobbidi Boutique in Disneyland)
We were so very proud of Reagan... she did an amazing job and danced her heart out! We took her out to eat for a fancy dinner after the recital had ended to celebrate her big accomplishments for the year!
We don't know yet what the plans are for next year... between three days of preschool and possibly up to 6 hours a week of gymnastics training, there may not be enough time for dance again next year. We've already asked Reagan what she wants to do, and she of course has said that she wants to do it ALL. Only time will tell, but something tells me that there will be more dance recitals in our future!

Happy Father's Day

Happy Father's Day!

Reagan has been counting down the sleeps until Father's Day all week long. She couldn't wait to give her Daddy all of the surprises that she had been working on. Just as with Mother's Day, her preschool did not disappoint in their choices of crafts and gifts for the kids to make. Ryan received a basket full of hand-dipped chocolate pretzels, a card full of stickers, and a tribute card all about her Dad. The tribute card was his favorite...
I think that if you click on the picture, it should be big enough for you to read all the hilarious thoughts that she has about her Daddy!

She also purchased the "Father and Daughter" figurine from the Willow Tree Collection that it is the perfect replica of the two of them in that they are almost always sitting in the floor playing together. ... Reagan is finishing off her Father's Day surprises for Ryan with family passes to go see the new Toy Story 3 movie this afternoon. Needless to say, she has spoiled him rotten today... almost as much as he spoils her every other day of the year!

He deserves it because he is a FABULOUS Daddy! Reagan and the baby on the way are both very lucky to have him as a Father... just like I am very lucky to have my Daddy!

FUN or FACT?

For FUN last night, the family drove across the border to the States to have dinner at Sonic Drive-In, (mmmmm... chili cheese coney and cherry limeade) and for me to purchase this little item...I had discovered IntelliGender online, and HAD to go get a test for myself to see what the results would tell us. This test claims to be 90% accurate, so I knew before we even purchased it that I wasn't going to put 100% of faith into the results. Still, I decided it would be something FUN to do while we wait the two more weeks before we have our ultrasounds done to hopefully give us a definite answer as to the gender of this baby.

I got up this morning at 4:30 when Ryan got up to go to work to take my hokey little test. Anna even woke up to see the results! And the results said that this baby is a GIRL! Between this test, the 170 beats per minute heart rate, and the fact that everyone who knows me claims that I am carrying EXACTLY the same way as I did with Reagan, we are starting to think that maybe, just maybe, this baby is a girl. It will be interesting to see if that is actually the case! What do you think? Have any of you ever used this test... was it accurate?

What I do know for a FACT is that I am now 17 weeks pregnant. I've added a pregnancy calendar in my right side bar located just under the Paging Doctor Mommy button (do you have my button yet?!) so that you can easily keep track of our pregnancy progress.

I had an appointment with my OB last week, and I now know why I was having the feelings of "pressure" on my cervix and the occasional spotting. I had a polyp the size of a large cherry growing off of my cervix! No wonder I kept feeling like something was about to "fall out"! My OB was able to remove it during my appointment, and I am now feeling MUCH better. Don't get me wrong... it hurt like the devil when the procedure was being done... but I'm all good now! For me, finally knowing that I wasn't crazy for the way that I was feeling and knowing that there was a true legitimate reason for my feelings made all the difference in the world. Of course, knowing that it was all taken care of helped too!

I am already starting to have a little bit of swelling... I had to remove my wedding rings for fear that if I didn't we would have to cut them off in the very near future. I think it was the combination of the slight swelling, my cervix, and a slight raise in my blood pressure that had my OB and I already discussing when is going to be the best time for me to stop working in this pregnancy. As of right now, it looks like my end-of-work date will be August 20... the start of my third trimester. Of course, if I am still feeling well and I don't develop any more signs of preeclampsia, then I will be able to hopefully work longer. But we have a feeling that is not going to be the case! However, if I continue to feel as good as I do right now, I could see myself working right up until my due date. I don't know if it is from having the polyp removed or if it just the "high" of the 2nd trimester, but I am feeling great! I'm no where near as tired, I'm sleeping well again, I've been going for 2 mile walks on my lunch breaks... I feel great!

I also feel a lot more movements than I did a couple of weeks ago. I'm already starting to feel a daily pattern with the movements, and I know that it will only increase and become stronger in the next couple of weeks. I can't wait!

There is a big growth spurt happening for baby now... in the next two to three weeks, his or her weight will double! He or she now has one-of-a-kind fingerprints and his or her bones are beginning to harden. The first few layers of fat are also developing at this time. The ability to grasp has now developed, and the umbilical cord is probably now serving as a toy as well as life-line!

Baby is now the size of a turnip, or a large onion.
So... that's it for updates for now. Hopefully the next baby update that I give will include an OFFICIAL gender announcement!

The Little Mermaid

We started swim lessons for Reagan last week, and it has been well worth it! SHE CAN SWIM!

We are lucky that we live only a few blocks from the outdoor pool, so it is an easy walk down the street for lessons. That is, unless it is raining...
Yep, the kids swim in the pool in the rain (they are already wet anyway, right?!) while the parents stand and watch under the cover of umbrellas. Or, if you are Ryan, you give up your umbrella for your sweet daughter and walk home in the rain regardless!

The first lesson was all about getting comfortable in the water. Reagan learned how to do an assisted float, she blew some bubbles, and worked on her kicking skills.
A few classes later, they had her "swimming" with the help of a noodle. We figured that was probably the most that we would get out of this first round of lessons...
Boy were we wrong! At the start of this week, Reagan shocked us all... even teacher Aly. She jumped in the water and literally started swimming! 80% of her class time is now spent underwater since she has turned into a mermaid right before our very eyes!
Teacher Aly decided that Reagan needed to skip the next level of classes, so that means that she will join the Sun Fish class starting on Monday next week. I swear I'm beginning to think I need to check behind her ears to make sure she hasn't grown a pair of gills!!!
Photo Sharing - Video Sharing - Photo Printing

Otter Lake Family Weekend

This past weekend was the third annual weekend getaway trip for the Knopp brothers and their cousin. Thankfully, they let the wives and children come along as well!

You may remember from my posts for each of the previous trips that these trips are not your normal "camping" trips. The first year we stayed at Roche Lake Resort and enjoyed the fun of lodging, and last year is when we discovered Otter Lake. Otter Lake has become our location of choice to say the least!

This was Anna's first trip to Otter Lake, and I think we may have confused her about the type of place that we were staying in. The 3.5 hour drive to Otter Lake is spent mainly along long winding roads in the middle of nowhere with no signs of modern civilization anywhere in sight. However, we did see plenty of wildlife along the way...
Even once you enter into the town of Tulameen, BC where the Cabins of Otter Lake are located, you can't help but feeling like you have slipped back a few decades in time. There is no grocery store... only the general trading post. There are no stop lights. The only place that you can even buy fresh bait is from an old man who sells it out of his trailer home, and that is only during the peak summer months of July and August.

It wasn't until we pulled up at our cabin that I heard Anna let out a sigh of relief, and she finally stopped humming the banjo song from "Deliverance"!

Otter Lake may be located in the middle of nowhere, but we had all the modern conveniences that we could ever need inside our cabin. Accommodations for 11 people, 3 washrooms, a full sized state of the art kitchen, satellite TV, Wi Fi and digital telephones. All of that located just a few steps away from the lake makes for a very beautiful and peaceful spot to go "camping" for the weekend!
We arrived late Thursday night, and Reagan was up shortly after sunrise on Friday morning. She was ready to explore and play! It was a bit chilly and overcast on Friday, but it didn't stop Ryan and Reagan from heading out onto the paddle boat for a trip across the lake.
Thankfully, by Saturday morning when every one was there, the weather had decided to cooperate and we spent most of the day playing outside on the water. I took a turn with Reagan on the paddle boat, and after only about 5 minutes of paddling she decided that she would rather lay back and work on her tan while Mommy did all of the work. Thanks Reagan!
The kids fished off of the dock, and they actually caught a few fish this year! Reagan was quite proud of her little fish... look closely just above Anna's right foot in the 3rd picture below to see the catch of the day!
I think all of the kids' most favorite part of the afternoon was when Cousin Gordie took them all out on his boat, the "S.S. Surefish", for a spin around the lake. Trust me when I tell you that the lake water was VERY VERY VERY cold, but it didn't seem to bother the kids. They were leaning over the edge of the boat sticking their entire arms into the lake, thus sending a stream of water shooting back up their arms into the boat to soak them completely. Thank goodness the Daddy's were holding on tight to all of that precious cargo!
The weekend passed by too quickly as always, and we all said our goodbyes on Sunday morning.

BUT, before sunset on Saturday, I had already spoken with the owner of the property and the caretaker of the cabin, and I had booked our weekend getaway for next summer! I even managed to get us the great deal of 4 nights for the price of 2, so next year the fun can last even longer!!! Look out Otter Lake... we'll be back again next year!