Peg Leg Pete

One of the things we're hoping to do at Disney World is take the boys to Mickey's Not-So-Scary Halloween Party. In true Kristin fashion, I have started WAY TOO EARLY asking the boys what they want to be for Halloween, because God forbid, I not have that nailed down five months before we leave for our mid-September trip. Jones has said he wants to be Catboy from "PJ Masks." He wants Freddie to be Gecko; he wants me to be Owlette, and he wants Jeremy to be Romeo. I was - and am! - totally on board with this. 

Freddie was, too, until he suddenly discovered he has a say in the matter. After a few days of going along with Jones's "Gecko" plan, the boy who, for most of last year wanted to be Zurg and who, given the choice of stickers featuring just about every good-natured Disney character chose the one with Captain Hook on it, said he wants to be Pete - the villain from the "Goof Troop" series and "Mickey Mouse Clubhouse."

I kind of love this about him. Of course, the jokes on me if my kid turns out to be a serial killer in twenty years, but for now, the fact that he's got a thing for the bad guys kind of cracks me up. Scratch that: I think it's AWESOME. EVERYBODY wants to be the good guys, right?

When we got back in from dinner tonite, Freddie got on his jammies. Jeremy noticed that they were Jones' and tried to get Freddie to change, but as soon as I saw them, I knew why Freddie'd picked them. He wanted to pull the waistband up to his nipples like Pete wears HIS pants. Not two seconds after I'd tipped Jeremy off that that's what he wanted to do, Freddie hitched up his britches and said, "I'm PETE!"

I then asked him to make a Pete face, and he came up with this - all on his own, I am SO proud.

Maybe Jones isn't the ONLY little actor in the house!

Dis-like for Disney on Ice

The best decision I've made all year was to take Lizzie Gray to see Disney on Ice with the boys and me yesterday.

She was phenomenal. The boys hadn't had a nap in two days and were a little weary from all the Thanksgiving celebrating, but she was able to keep them in check in a way that I don't think I'd have had the patience for if I'd been flying solo with them.

They actually did fine, not GREAT, but there were no fits or meltdowns or anything. We met Leslie and her family at the BiLo Center (don't you TRY to make me call it something else); Jones thought Stinky was in the show (where did he get THAT idea?!?); Freddie said, "I want Mickey to sit beside me," and but the show was DEFINITELY more princess-centric than pirates, and the boys QUICKLY lost interest.

Before the end of the first half, they were both saying, "Mama, I'm ready to go." They ultimately made it through the whole thing - but without the extra hands ... and sweet spirit ... of my favorite 13 year old, I'm not sure I'D have made it through.

Afterwards, we dropped Bess off, and Sissy and Camden came out to say, "Hey." Camden played "fist bump" with the boys ... which they definitely enjoyed more than they had at this year's "Dream Big" version of  Disney on Ice.

OH! And let me not forget this.

Jeremy had left the boys and I behind to see the show, while he went back to work, so Mom and Daddy were driving us home afterwards. The boys were in the way back, and I was in the second row of Mom's Suburban.

Around the time we got to the NC state line, Freddie looked at the six inches between his carseat and Jones's and said, "I fink you will fit right here, Mama."

I'll tell you this - I DIDN'T fit, but I wasn't about to turn down my baby's offer, so I squeezed in and made the most of it for the next forty five minutes.

#JonesandFreddiemeetMickey

This morning - and, believe it or not, with Jeremy's blessing - I paid the deposit for five days at the Grand Floridian next September. We were gonna go in January of 2017, but then we got the chance to go to Atlantis this November, so we pushed Disney back a little, which is probably not a bad thing, because the boys will be that much bigger and, thereby, capable of remembering that much more about ourlong-awaited trip.

In addition to paying the deposit,  I also customized our Magic Bands, in case I get busy in the next 438 days ... which, we all know, may be THE LONGEST OF MY LIFE.

Like Jessie Spano, "I'M SO EXCITED!"

Disney Live!

For the past few holidays and birthdays, Jeremy and I have been trying to give "experiences" instead of a lot of gifts. If you could see the current state of the playroom, you'd know why. The LAST thing Jones and Freddie need is more of ANYTHING. That's why Jeremy's primary Christmas gift was a weekend in Chapel Hill and why Mom and Daddy gave Freddie four tickets to Disney Live for his second birthday.

Yesterday was the big day.

We went to church and then drove to Greenville immediately after. The boys were telling us which characters they were going to see as we drove (among those on Freddie's list were "Scooby" and "Pete," neither of whom were there, of course). After their naps, we headed out ...

... but not before Pop played a little "Give me five / on the side / on the pinky / you're a stinky" with the boys.

As soon as Jones saw the Bi-Lo Center, he called it the "the Clubhouse." Thankfully, he wasn't at all disappointed - in fact, he didn't even seem to notice - when it was nothing AT ALL like "the Clubhouse." I'm also thankful that neither boy showed any interest whatsoever in the $12 half bags of popcorn or the $30 light up swords. We weren't planning to buy either, but the fact that they didn't ask meant that there was no reason to explain why their $2 Dollar Store foam swords would do just as well as that light-up one that won't work in a week, anyway.

All in all, the boys did really, REALLY well. Jones stayed in his seat, watching intently the entire time. Freddie popped out of his seat mid-way through the first act, but he just paced the concrete aisle in front of our four seats and wasn't disruptive at all. At one point, he slid out of his seat and into Jones's. "I sit JoJo seat," he told me once he'd parked his tiny hiney beside his brother's. It was PRECIOUS. Their cohabitation didn't last long, of course, before Freddie was back up, but it sure was sweet while it lasted.

Oh, and I brought the boys' mouse ears, just in case they wanted to wear them. Freddie put his on at Mom's before the show, but Jones didn't want his. Then, just after the show started, Jones said to me, "I need my Mickey hat!" Thank goodness I'd brought it into the arena! I love his sense of "needing" his Mickey hat.

After the show, we ate  at Atlanta Bread Company. The boys shared a "cheese sammy" and broccoli and cheese soup. As usual, one ate most all of one (Jones ate the sammy, Freddie the soup), while the other ate most all of the other. At one point, though, Freddie pointed to Jeremy's Cuban sandwich, so Jeremy gave him a bite. He then ended up eating half of that, too.

It was a wonderful family outing - and definitely confirmed our decision to pursue "experiences" as gifts rather than things (when we can).

love my three boys,
sitting here before the show

Lighting (and angles) made it really
hard to get a good shot,
but I love this one, anyway!

If you try, you can see Freddie
laughing and clapping here.

This is one of my favorite
pictures ever!

None of these of me and the boys are great of any of us.
Still, I'm so grateful Jeremy took them,
so Jones and Freddie will always know that I was there, too!

Those sideways ears kill me. I love them!