30 Days of Disney (Minus 29)

One of the trippiest aspects of the COVID pandemic, for me, has been the fact that Disneyland is closed. Forgive me for not being eloquent with my words here, but it's just... weird. 

Sometimes I lay in bed in the mornings and think, "I live in a world where Disneyland can't be open." 

WHAT?!?

Because I miss the good old days when Disneyland was a thing, today I'm doing a writing prompt I found on Pinterest called "30 Days of Disney" (but in one day because I'm rebellious like that!) 

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Favorite Villain: 

I don't know what the criteria should be for a favorite villain. I've never put much thought into it, so I'm just going to go with the obvious choice... Mr. Smee.

Favorite Princess: 

Belle. Chalk it up to my dream of gliding along a library wall via rolling ladder. 

Favorite Prince: 

I don't know who counts as an official prince and who doesn't, but Kristoff has really grown on me. If we're talking classic Disney princes, I could definitely be swayed by Prince Eric's blue eyes, and Prince Phillip has a certain je ne sais quoi. Maybe it's the feather hat giving him a bit of a Robin Hood flair. 

Favorite Animal character: 

There are so many great animals in Disney movies. How does one choose? I can't make this definitive, but I really enjoy Heimlich from A Bug's Life. 

Favorite Couple: 

Roger and Anita from 101 Dalmations. 

Favorite Song Sang by a Villain: 

“Be Prepared” by Scar in The Lion King (the original film, of course. I was disappointed to the changes to the song in the live action version) and "Mine, Mine, Mine" by John Ratcliffe in Pocahontas. 

When I was a kid, I choreographed a dance in my room to "Mine, Mine, Mine." There were shovels. It was excellent. Also, I'm a sucker for a "hey nonny, nonny."

Favorite Song Sang by a Princess: 

As a child, it definitely would have been "Part of Your World," by Ariel. As an adult, I don't really have a favorite, but I rather enjoy the songs that Giselle sings in Enchanted.  

Favorite Song Sang by a Couple: 

“I See the Light,” from Tangled and "A Whole New World," from Aladdin. "A Whole New World," stirs something nostalgic in me. It makes me miss something - childhood, maybe? When I hear it, I get all emotional, and I don't know what's happening.

Most Romantic Moment: 

When in the midst of a sword fight, Robin Hood leans over to Maid Marian and says, “Marian, my love, will you marry me?”

Favorite Overall Song: 

“Hakuna Matata” and “Trashing the Camp.”

Favorite Animal Sidekick: 

Sven. When Kristoff does the voice... it slays me. Maybe reindeers really are better than people. 

Favorite Non-Animal Sidekick: 

Genie. He's funny, and he promotes honesty. 

Plus... Robin Williams. I mean, c'mon!

Favorite Disney Pixar Movie: 

Monsters Inc and Cars

Favorite Underrated Movie: 

Meet the Robinsons

Favorite Heroine: 

Moana

Favorite Hero: 

Robin Hood

Favorite Dance Scene: 

“Step in Time” from Mary Poppins

Favorite Magical Moment: 

In Moana when Te Fiti remembers who she is and forgives Maui. Then she lays down to rest.  

Saddest Death: 

Mufasa

Sequel: 

I don't care much for sequels, but Frozen II was pretty good. 

Favorite Kiss: 

I had to really think about this one. I even watched YouTube collaborations for proper research. There are some decent Disney kisses. I have to go with Lady and the Tramp, though. Mostly because Tramp's face afterward is priceless, but also because Tramp then gives Lady the last meatball, and that right there's what love it all about!

Runner's up would be Tarzan and Jane - Jane runs to Tarzan through the water, jumps on him, and kisses him, rendering him completely shocked. Then Tarzan is like, "Hey, I like this!" And Aladdin and Jasmine - gotta love that backwards dive off the balcony. Too bad he was lying about who he was. 

Favorite Disney Theme Park: 

Disneyland and Disney's California Adventure (also known as: the only Disney theme parks I've ever been to)

Favorite Park Attraction: 

Guardians of the Galaxy. I thought I'd never forgive Disney for changing the Tower of Terror, but Guardians has won me over completely. It's an absolute blast, and I love that it's common for everyone to dance and cheer throughout the ride. Pure joy! 

Pure. Joy. 

Favorite Theme Park Show: 

I'm not a big fan of the shows in the parks because I don't like navigating the crowds and fighting for a spot. The shows where you have to stand (like World of Color) are completely miserable to me. Everyone puts their kids on their shoulders (what choice do you have?) and no one can see, and then there's all the pushing and the shoving... I'm about to have a panic attack just thinking about it. However, if I could choose one theme park show to watch from a nice, reserved bench, I would love to watch the Paint the Night Parade followed by the fireworks. 

Favorite Castle: 

I'm not sure if this was meant to be a theme park castle or a castle from a movie, but I'm going to go with Rapunzel’s castle from Tangled (which I just learned is named Corona Castle. WHAT?!?). It reminds me of Mont Saint-Michel in France. A runner-up would be the Beast's castle in Beauty and the Beast. But I also like the Arendelle castle in Frozen. 

Favorite Disney Parents: 

Tiana’s parents in The Princess and the Frog and Pongo and Perdy from 101 Dalmations 

Saddest moment:

When Scar tells Simba that it's his fault Mufasa died. I just can't.

Favorite Outfit: 

Anna's coronation gown from the first Frozen. LOVE!

Favorite Best Friends: 

Timon and Pumbaa

Favorite Happy Ending: 

When Ray appears as a star with Evangeline in The Princess and the Frog.

Carpet Weekend

I'm writing this post from my 75% finished basement on our new couch (that's been in boxes in our garage since February) while watching Princess and the Frog. My kids are playing with Magic Tracks on the new carpet that was just installed on Friday!

A couple of weeks ago we picked out our carpet and got the installation scheduled for August 10th. We were hoping for something sooner, but they were over a month out on installations. They added us to the cancellation list, though, so on Thursday of last week, we got a call early in the morning asking us if we would like our carpet installed at 8:00 a.m. on Friday. We said yes! And then we worked really hard for the next 24 hours to get everything ready. We had to lay tile in the basement, move lots of furniture, and remove old flooring. In addition to the basement, we got carpet on all of our stairs (three sets), in our bedroom, in Zoe and Eva's bedroom, and on the landings. Thus, our house quickly turned into this:

Our kitchen and living room were overtaken with bedroom furniture with no space to spare. Several people offered to help us, but Scotty's not into the whole "receiving help" thing (and I'm not too big on it, myself) so we were like, "No, we've got this." But then at 7:00 that night, Scotty agreed to let his dad and brother come help us, and thank heavens he did. They saved us hours of work. 

(If you ever get new flooring, just pay the dang money to have the old stuff removed and hauled away! Have a yard sale. Donate plasma. Get a second job. Sell your soul. Whatever you need to do).

We worked late into the night. We had an interesting sleeping arrangement for the evening. We had to put the washer, dryer, and Scotty's desk in Nicky's room, so Nicky had to climb over it all to get to his bed. Daisy's room was untouched - we left it alone so the girls would have somewhere to play, so Daisy had her normal sleeping arrangement. Every other room, even the bathrooms, was affected. Eva slept on the tiny piece of couch in the living room that wasn't covered with stuff. Scotty, Zoe, and I slept on our bedroom floor on a memory foam mattress topper. Then we woke up really early and finished cleaning up carpet staples and getting everything vacuumed. 

Fortunately, Scotty's mom called us that morning and asked if the kids wanted to come to her house. I didn't think it would be a big deal to have them at home while it was being carpeted, but I hadn't realized that we wouldn't have anywhere to sit. The bathrooms were inaccessible, and the TV was blocked with furniture, and it was 100 degrees outside, and the installer didn't want us to have any air conditioning on because the heat helps the carpet stretch better. Additionally, the job took much longer than anyone expected. I didn't know it until the installer told me, but I picked complicated carpet, plus we had lots of stairs and doorways to work around. So Scotty's mom rescued us by taking the kids! I would have probably ended up hanging out at my mom's house all day, which would have been fine except that my mom had surgery that morning, so I didn't want to be in her space if it could be avoided. 

The good news is that the job got done! We have carpet! And what a treat it is! The forest green berber that has been in our house since the 90's is finally gone! 

The installers finished around 4:00 on Friday, and then we worked on getting things put back. I went to my Book Club that night (socially distanced in the host's backyard), and while I was gone, Nicky and Scotty got the couch and TV moved to the basement. Then we spent most of Saturday finishing getting everything put back in order. It was an exhausting three days. 

We still have a lot of work to do in the basement, but we have a usable family room - or glorified laundry room, as I like to think of it, since the washer and dryer are in there. We decided not to close off a laundry room because it would make everything smaller. There really isn't an ideal way to build a laundry room in our basement. We now need to finish some closets. One of the unfortunate aspects of our home is that there are no storage closets, so we made sure to fit a nice, big closet in the basement. We started working on our basement nearly five years ago, and in doing so, we made our former family room into a bedroom for Daisy and a storage room. So between the storage room (on level 3) and the closet in the basement (level 4), we will have some efficient organizing capabilities. 

It's so exciting to have a little more space in our home! And new carpet is a fancy luxury I've not yet known! Though, after how much work it was, I'm now stating that this is the carpet we will die with. 

I know you won't forgive me if I don't include some 

sort of photo. This is the best I've got for now. 

Things the Kids Say: Episode 10

“Did John Legend used to be in the Beatles?”

-Nicky

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“Would you rather be depressed or just ressed?” 

- Daisy

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Daisy telling me about a movie:

“There’s this really old lady, and she’s like 29...”

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Eva: My owie hurts

Me: What do you want me to do about it?

Eva: Carry me and be my butler!

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After I told Eva we are going camping:

Eva: If we find a real live elephant at our camp site can we keep it?

Me: Sure

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Me: Nicky, do you need a time out?

Nicky (in Batman voice): Nicky doesn’t go to time out!

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“I’m hungry and my pinkie is tired.” 

-Zoe

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“I don’t understand anything Judge Judy talks about.” 

-Nicky

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“Am I supposed to clench?” 

-Scotty while using the bidet for the first time

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Eva: Once upon a time there was a... Hey dad, what’s your favorite animal?

Scotty: Um... a weasel?

Eva: Ok. Once upon a time there was a wiener...

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Listening to “Hungry Eyes:”

Me: This was my favorite song when I was five

Nicky: Yeah, I can tell it’s from the fifties.

My New Friend, the Queen

I have a hobby that I can't decide what to call. You might say I have a bit of an obsessive personality, but I'm not sure if that's the most accurate way to describe it. I get really interested and curious about a topic and study it fanatically for a while. Then I move on. What would you call that?

For the sake of having a way to describe it, I'm going to refer to it as having a case of the "want-to-learn-abouts." It might qualify as obsession, but it's always temporary. I learn about something to the point of wanting to write an essay. Then I get curious about something new. 

Unfortunately, my retention isn't great, and that's one of the reasons I have to blog about my current "want-to-learn-about:"

Queen Victoria

(I feel like there should be royal fanfare here or an introductory chorus of "Gloriana, Alleluia").

I mentioned in my recent "currently" post (how's that for weird grammar?) that I have been watching Victoria. 

When Victoria started on Masterpiece Theater, I wanted to watch it but never did. Now it has three complete seasons available, and I'm glad I waited because the timing of this show has been perfect for me. I know I would have enjoyed it years ago, but watching it right now is a saving grace with everything going on in the world. Not only is the show an amiable escape, it also reminds that so much of what we are going through currently has happened before, and somehow that makes me feel like we'll pull through. 

Victoria reigned for 63 years - the longest ruling monarch of the United Kingdom until Queen Elizabeth passed her up in 2017 (high fives to the ladies), and in that time there were pandemics, political upheaval, protests, and riots. I had to laugh when, during a recently-viewed episode, there was a cholera outbreak, and three professionals stood before Queen Victoria butting heads over how cholera is spread and what should be done about it while Victoria tries to discern the truth and asks, "Do I need to quarantine in the palace?" History repeats itself. Cliche, but true. 

The show has so many great dramatic and human elements, and the writer, Daisy Goodwin, has done an excellent job being true to history (in my non-expert opinion). Of course, no television production is going to be 100% accurate, and this one has its creative liberties, but Victoria is full of great historical nuggets that fuel my "want-to-learn-abouts" in the finest way. I've been staying up extra late every night for the past three weeks reading articles about ALL THE THINGS - not just Queen Victoria herself, but everyone in her court and all of the historical figures and events that appear in the show. King Louis, Jenny Lind, Florence Nightingale, John Snow... Various works of art including the etchings completed by Victoria and Prince Albert as well as paintings of the royal family by commissioned artists, Victorian fashion and furniture... Cholera, hemophilia, miasma theory, venereal disease... It takes me days to finish an episode because I have to pause and google, and sometimes I can't make it back to the show until the following night. 

I've never really studied the royals, so it's been really fascinating for me. Here are some interesting things about Victoria (I don't have citations for these tidbits, so please forgive me. I've been all over the internets, and I am only sharing things that I have seen across multiple sources):

Victoria was not a known name at the time she became queen and was even thought of as silly and weak. She was advised not to go by Victoria (her name was Alexandrina Victoria). This seems so strange to me having grown up in the post-Victorian world where the name Victoria is well-known and associated with royalty..

Queen Victoria ascended to the throne just a few weeks after her 18th birthday. She succeeded her uncle William IV who was king for seven years. To me it's amazing that she would ever ascend to the throne, not only because she was female, but because she was the daughter of King George's fourth son, so a lot of men had to fail to produce heirs and then die for Victoria to become queen. For her predecessor to pass away just as she came of age to take the throne without a regency is nothing short of miraculous to me. I can't help but think that God had a hand in Victoria's path. 

Victoria was the first Queen to give birth while she reigned. She had nine children. NINE. You guys. The woman was practically pregnant for 17 years straight while she ruled an empire that consisted of nearly a quarter of the world's people. 

I can't even. 

And just for informational purposes, she married her first cousin, Albert. I know that was common throughout history, but it never ceases to weird me out. Apparently they had a very rich and passionate sex life. I'm not just saying that because they had nine kids. That's what's recorded historically. Rich, passionate, cousinly sex... which passed hemophilia down the royal line to the Romanovs.  

Although she had a lot of children, Victoria detested being pregnant and abhorred the idea of breastfeeding. She thought babies were ugly and looked like frogs (her character states this in the show, and the comment is based on a journal entry she wrote wherein she said babies were "frog-like"). Victoria wasn't a great nurturer, and some of the things she wrote about her kids in her journals were just downright awful. She may have suffered from post-partum depression after her pregnancies (ya think?) 

Victoria survived six assassination attempts. 

And finally, since Hamilton came to Disney+ over the weekend, I can't talk about Queen Victoria without giving a shout out to King George. The King George in Hamilton is King George III, Victoria's grandfather who supposedly went "mad" (possible explanations include a genetic disorder called porphyria, bipolar disorder, or arsenic poisoning from wearing too much make-up). Courtesy song lyrics from Hamilton: "When you're gone, I'll go mad, so don't throw away this thing we had!" 

In what I've read about Queen Victoria across various sources, she is depicted in every form - from revered mother and ruler to tantruming control freak. It's difficult to know what she was really like when we learn about her through the eyes of history. The only solution I can think of is to add her to the top of one of my dinner party guest lists. 

Victoria, you're in!

Some Things Never Change

I have a thirteen year old son who has a tendency to be very grumpy. Yeah, that's common with teenage boys, but Nicky's not grumpy about 13 year old boy stuff. He's grumpy about old man things. People have commented since he was a baby that he has an “old soul,” and I think it's true. He's a 113 year old man trapped in a 13 year old body (although, by the way his ankles creak, his body might not actually be so young).

Nicky often stomps around complaining about things like how messy the house is or how loud the girls or the neighbors are. He cleans the house simply because he wants it to be clean, and then he spends the rest of the day declaring, "I just cleaned this! Who made this mess?" He moans about people being on their cell phones too much and often recites lines followed by "kids these days." He is frugal and has much to say about what people spend money on. He's also highly opinionated about how we dispose of things. We can't be wasteful on his watch! Any time one of the girls asks me for something (to have a cookie, to have a friend over, to watch a show...) Nicky chimes in immediately with a firm “No!” I am forever reminding him that he is not the parent.

Nicky is a stickler for rules and is always saying things like, "What's the speed limit here?" The other day I put some garbage in my neighbor's trash can (this neighbor and I have agreed that we can put trash in each other's cans on garbage day) and Nicky lectured, "You can't just put garbage in other people's cans, Mom!" The next day we were trying to rescue an injured baby bird from the same neighbor's yard, and Nicky went ballistic because we walked on the neighbor's driveway without permission. He would not stop griping about it, so I texted the neighbor and got the official "okay." Then I had a long talk with Nicky about our relationship with the neighbor, and how he can calm down a little. 

One thing Nicky loves to do as a grumpy, old man is critique song lyrics and grammar. So this morning, as I was walking through the kitchen singing, "Some things never change, " Nicky started ranting about how things actually do change. Then he proceeded to list off all the things that have changed lately. School has changed. Shopping has changed. Eating out has changed. Disneyland has changed. And so on and so forth. 

Then I countered with, "Yes, things change. But the song says SOME THINGS never change. SOME. So chill, dude." 

Nicky has a point, though. A lot has changed in a small amount of time. I've been thinking a lot about change lately. I'm not sure what my relationship with change is. Sometimes I enjoy change and find it refreshing. Other times I hate it and resist it at all costs. I've experienced all of the above during recent events.   

Yesterday we came home from camping, and I noticed one of our sunflowers had bloomed. A few others were on the brink of blooming. 

Then this morning, when I got home from my walk, I found that another flower had bloomed, but it hadn't unfolded all the way. 

My kids and I planted the sunflowers during the early days of COVID, and here they are, alive, well, and blooming. I remember planting the seeds and reading on the package that they would flower in about 65 days. I wondered what the world would be like by the time we had flowers, and what I would be like.

I am a person who strives for growth and improvement. But at the same time, I feel like I have the same vices, temptations, and weaknesses I’ve always had. During this pandemic, I’ve hoped to change for the better. I can’t say whether I’ve experienced any positive change, but I’ve caught myself being patient in circumstances where I wouldn’t have been patient four months ago. And I’ve let go of some things that used to be priorities. I spend my time a little differently now. 

Growth requires change.

SOME THINGS never change. The sunflower grew and bloomed just like sunflowers always do. 

But some things do change. Like the sunflower itself. Yesterday it was a bud, today it's a flower. The change happened in a matter of hours. 

Maybe under the surface I am growing, and someday it will be perceptible like a blooming sunflower. And if I only bloom 75% like the sunflower that met me after my walk this morning, I’m good with that! I'll take it. 

Currently {July 2020 Edition}

Reading:

Listening to: the Trolls 2 soundtrack. Partially because my kids leave me no choice, but also because I secretly like it.

Buying: new tires for the truck. They were baaaaaad. I have a husband who waits far too long to replace the tires on his vehicles (he keeps up on mine, though).

Craving: sleep. I've been so tired lately. Every morning by 8:00 I feel like I need to take a nap. Right now it's 9:23, and I could lay down and pass out instantly if given the chance. My ideal nap right now would involve a cold rainstorm and my kids being off the premises.

Watching:

I have a post about Victoria running through my head. Maybe it will happen someday.

We love World of Dance at our house. We usually watch it when it airs, but last night we had some conflicts, so we're ready to catch up via Hulu today. Can't wait! 

Wearing: a Toy Story t-shirt and ugly shorts.

Finishing: painting the basement. Last night we did the ceiling and baseboards. Now we need to do a few touch-ups. We are getting closer to having the basement done. We need to lay some tile under the washer and dryer, put shelving in the closet, build two sets of closet doors, finish the electrical, and get carpet. It could be done in a couple of weeks... or a couple of years. We're unpredictable like that!

Drawing: 

I had dreams of doing an entire series of Mario drawings on our sidewalk this week, but it's been rainy.

Eating: pizza. One of our neighbors showed up at our door with four pizzas last night, we we are putting forth our best pizza-eating efforts! I'll be feeding 8 kids lunch today, so I think we'll manage.

Feeling: heartburn-y and emotional rollercoaster-y. 

Missing: being able to walk any direction I want down a grocery store aisle. I've always been an advocate for proper traffic flow in stores - stay to the right, don't park your cart in people's way, etc - but I am not a fan of one-way traffic. Especially when people won't obey. As much as I hate the arrows, I will give you the stink eye if you come tromping down my aisle in the wrong direction. If I obey the arrows, everyone else should, too. 

Beware my stink eye! It has power beyond measure!

Looking forward to: 

Two more days. But we probably won't watch for a few days due to weekend plans.

"I'm willing to wait for it." 

Grateful for: books, antidepressants, and slippers with rubber soles so I can pretend they are shoes.