A Howlin' Good Time

It was our first trip to Great Wolf Lodge, in Grapevine, Texas. About a 5 hour drive from the house, which equates to 6 episodes of Spongebob, two scrapbook magazines and a leap into the third seat for a nice nap. This of course, is me, not my son. He watched movies on the DVD player, I watched Sponge on the iPod. My poor husband drove the entire route.

I had seen the commercials for GWL on TV, and really liked the catchy theme song 'Welcome to the Lodge, Great Wolf Lodge.." and kept singing it throughout the trip. Luckily for me, as you pull under the porte cochere the tune was in full swing, and replayed and replayed and replayed and...you get the idea...

I worked at a hotel where children reigned supreme, but this place puts my past to shame! Upon entering the lobby (above) I was met with some 500 kids waiting to check in and hit the water park...oh, did I mention that GWL operates some of the LARGEST indoor waterparks in the country???? The Web site touts it as "80 degrees year 'round" and right they were. Now that doesn't sound so bad, but once you are in the water area, it is steamy! Now, back to the kids. This place is quite possibly National Geographic's answer to Disney. All of the areas are woodland themed, the names of the food on the menus, the water areas everything! The rooms are also themed. We had a regular king room, but some of them are decked out like cabins, and have bunk beds!

Our son kept telling us over and over "This is the best vacation EVER!!" Forget New York, Maui, Kauai and Oahu and don't even think of the Disney Cruise or the many trips to various theme parks. The indoor water playground was the end all. Between the lazy river, slides, slides and more slides, he was exhausted every night. As was I!

I was quite impressed with the children's dining options. There was a Pizza Hut, and a snack bar, but the selections on the buffet were really great. "Ants on a Log" translation: celery sticks with peanut butter and raisins...fresh fruit, mac-n-cheese, chicken tenders, carrots and ranch dip and much more. Dessert was especially fun, we opted for the chocolate fondue, with marshmallows, graham crackers shaped like Nilla Wafers, and fresh fruit. Another table was enjoying the Campfire Sundae, large pretzel sticks dipped in chocolate, to form the fire wood, orange cotton candy atop the sticks to imitate fire and the "coals" were scoops of ice cream!!! So cute and very clever.

As a parent, safety and paranoia is first and foremost. The wave pool (above) was by far the most fun for me (yes, I did get in the water) the waves run for about 10 minutes, with a 5 minute gap between cycles. You can opt for an inner tube or just to "ride the wave." My son is 12 and an excellent swimmer, just getting his water safety merit badge, but not all kids are meant to be in the water. One parent decided to take her infant out in the wave pool, and placed the child on an inner tube, she lost her grip and the child fell under the water, luckily for her a lifeguard saw this horrible situation and jumped in and grabbed the baby before the mother could recover from the shock. The entire pool froze as he whistled and dove in.

In speaking to one of the managers, telling them how appreciative I was that they had such a well trained staff, he told me that each one of the lifeguards are highly trained, and were always on alert. He was telling the truth. Time and time again I noticed these young men and women watching and surveying the crowds in the water. I know many moms were thankful that day.

I was one of them.

Princess for a Day (actually 3)

Pixee (L) and Me!

I had not see her since our tip to Hawai'i, some 3 years ago, and when the opportunity arose for us to spend some valuable time together and go to Disney World, we couldn't refuse. Our sweet husbands offered to watch the boys for us, so all we had to do is pack and go!

With our husbands and children left at home, me and my best girlfriend, AKA PIXEE, and I set off for three fun-filled days and restful nights with no dishes to do, no beds to make and no schedule to meet.

Since we both have little boys, we seldom get to enjoy the girlie side of Disney, so this trip we dined with the princesses and had breakfast with Mary Poppins. She was in spit-spot form and was making sure all of the children-and most of the adults- were eating every bite on their plate! She even added a "spoonful of sugar" to my coffee!

We also went to the fabulous night of enchanted adventure at the Princess and Pirate Party at the Magic Kingdom. Cinderella's Enchanted Carriage float was beautiful, Jasmin arrived on horseback, Aurora and Ariel had their own floats...while I loved the glittery and sparkly girlie floats...

I really liked the Pirates best.....they were so un-Disney-like, but full of magic and wonder and every little boy squealed in delight...although many grown women squealed when they say the "look-alike" Johnny Depp as Captain Jack Sparrow!! After the parade the pirates do a "pirate academy" and teach the kids how to speak pirate " Aye," "Ahoy" and some other piratey words. According to one of the castmembers, the biggest demographic of those waiting in line are not kids, they are the MOMS!!

Finally Disney has added an attraction for those of us over 35!

I love the parades, the shows and watching all of the children as they meet their favorite character. I guess I am kinda like Peter Pan, I refuse to grow up and miss out on this kind of fun.

I really like this shot of Cinderella Castle, with the skull & crossbones, this is the scene at the close of the party, when the pirates take over the castle!

Pixee and I went from Land to Land throughout the party, each area had a scavenger hunt station, which gave out all sorts of treasures, mardi gras beads and faux gems aplenty!

Many people do not realize how much shopping one can do at Disney World. aside from the prerequisite Disney T-shirts, there are tons of other things. Mouse ears, icon Mickey-shaped Rice Krispy treats, Mickey-shaped pretzels, not to mention the icon Mickey bobble headbands! Disney themed jewelry...see the wonderful bracelet Pixee bought me as a keepsake?? !!

All in all it was a wonderful way to reconnect, my best girlfriend, my best scrapbooking buddy and my favorite place to visit.

So now we have to decide when we can go back again.....I have a suitcase of Disney-themed everything waiting to board Southwest to Orlando!

Life is a scrapbook. Start filling in the pages.

Make a Smilebox scrapbook

Paper, Scissors ROCK!!

So, some of you may not be aware that I am a HUGE scrapbook fan. I love every tiny spec related to the subject.

I covet magazines...Memory Makers, Simple Scrapbooks and my personal favorite Creating Keepsakes. I read them cover to cover. I even take great joy in perusing the ads in the back. I have found some fabulous treasures this way.

I love and collect paper, whether they fit into our lifestyle or not, I like it, I buy it. I know some of you buy as you go, page by page, but that system never worked for me. I never "plan" to scrap, I just do it when the time presents itself, like at 2am. I have all the supplies I could ever need here in my scraproom/office/exist to the backyard/place for my son and his friends to play, which suits me just fine.

One of the things I have discovered, thanks to Christine (more about her next paragraph) is chipboard and grungeboard. While it may sound like things you would never touch, yet alone place into a scrapbook, these heavy cardboard items are now gracing every page.

One of the most fun things I have recently discovered is this fabulously creative woman who lives in Canada (yes, Virginia, there are scrapbookers in Canada!). Christine hosts her won podcast several times a week. Each episode showcases some new tool, fabulous new line of paper or technique she has learned. I love her for doing this. It helps to educate so many of us who do not have time to spend at a scrapbook store, or to watch those crafting shows on TV. She does not get paid to do this, she does not even own a retail store to sell the items she promotes. She is simply a mother who loves to scrap and enjoys sharing the craft with cyberspace. My local scrapbook store may not really like her as I am always asking them to order things for me, but in the end, I am spending a whole lot more scrapping cash since Christine came into my life!

You can download each minutes-long episode, now more than 200 onto your iPod or you can simply logon to her site and watch, or download to your computer.

http://www.scraptime.ca/blogpage/

After you watch a few, please send her an e-mail and let her know how much you appreciate her time and talent. Tell her Melody sent you.

BACK TO SCRAPBOOKING:

Although I love the elaborate and fancy layouts (scrapbook term for pages) I seldom do them for my own books, as I look at all of my zillions of completed pages, I see a common thread...simple, with lots of journaling detail.

I scrapbook because I enjoy reminding myself of the various trips, activities and happenings of our family, but I also do it to help my son remember all that we have done in his short life of 11 years. I take great joy as he looks at the pages and suddenly remembers something that was once lost in the background of school and skateboarding. I love it when he says "I had a great time there" or "I want to go back there." Somehow I feel as if I am doing my job as a mom, giving him memories for a lifetime.

Supporting Cast

It is amazing how far modern medicine has progressed since I was a child. When I broke my wrist during a Friday night of doing the "Hustle" and slow dancing to "Stairway to Heaven, " the ER doc promptly placed my arm in a cast.

A plaster cast, like the kind you use for art projects, with a reminder " not to stick a coat hanger into the cast, even if you are dying to scratch an itch (hadn't even considered that until the doc told me not too! )"

So we move forward to some 30 years later when my 11-year-old son, while at school, broke his arm under some mysterious circumstances. He swore he was not goofing off, running sideways was the way ALL the guys were running!!

So the ER doc, did x-rays and said " Yep, it's broken. Clean thru." So I am, of course, expecting the big bucket O'plaster to come out. Much to my surprise, the doc splinted the arm and referred us to a pediatric orthopedic. Which of course we could not see until the next day at the earliest! Do you know that from the moment a bone is broken, the body immediately begins to mend the area?? Well I did. This sent me into an absolute panic that his arm was going to heal overnight and he would have a deformed arm, or worse-the doc would have to re-break it to fix it.

The next day we went to the orthopedic, and I was amazed at all of the broken bones in that place, which perhaps explains why the doctor asked my son to disrobe so he could look at his full arm and chest. These doctors see all types of injuries. Looking over the child's body is their way of making sure an accident is truly accidental and not continuation of danger. I applaud them for taking the time to look and care. Many child abuse cases go unreported, sometimes for years.

The tech came in and had my son choose from a plethora of colors and patterned fiberglass. He chose black, with the promise that I would buy him a silver Sharpie so his friends could sign his new attention-getting device.

I had no idea that the cast would go all the way up to his underarm! Neither did he. Then he got the speech. " Do not stick anything into your cast. No money (as if it were a wallet??) no food (what??) and no coat hangers ( they did give a sense of relief..) !! If something drops into your cast and you can't get it out, you must come back immediately as the skin can grow around an object (here is the point my poor son about passed out..) and off she went.

4 weeks later, he got a half-cast, this time he chose red, and begged to get back on his skateboard. Luckily for us the doc was the bad guy and insisted that he wait for another 6 weeks.

Now they have these fun things called CASTOOS!! You know, like a tattoo for your cast!!

The week the final cast came off he came down with pneumonia. 3 miserable weeks were spent with inhalers and nebulizers. After that a sinus infection. The week after that he fractured a bone in his foot ( i secretly think he was running sideways again..) and is still wearing a huge boot thing.

I could sit back and lament over all of the woes and injuries, but the reality is he is a boy and boys are going to get hurt. We are really lucky that he waited this long, as I am such a nervous mother had these happened when he was younger I might not have been able to take enough anxiety meds to survive each incident. The positive note is that he was able to meet the entire family insurance deductible within the first few months of the year.

Whew.

California Dreaming.......

Ever since I was in my early 20's I have dreamed of visiting the Hotel Del Coronado. I saw the grande dam in one of my favorite old movies, Some Like It Hot, starring Marilyn Monroe. The turrets seemed to beckon each time I dropped the movie into the VCR. I saw it as this fabulously glamorous retreat for the rich and famous, and longed for one glimpse into that illusive lifestyle...

Somehow life has a funny way of bringing things full circle...120 years after the Del opened her doors my current job allowed me the opportunity to visit the Del and to take my husband and son. I knew my son would love it, it was ocean-front, and he could not resist walking in the surf up to his knees (while wearing jeans!) and chasing the various sea birds that he would now be able to research and add to his "life list." We were given an ocean view room, with a verandah that overlooked the great lawn and the ocean. We sat in wicker rockers and gazed at the zillions of tourists who were also there for a glmpse into the past...

I was amazed at the history that is the Del. From the Crown Room (Coronado) which was built with such workmanship that it does not contain one single nail. Presidents and royalty, real ones, from England, as well as modern-day celebrities have stayed here, honeymooned here and celebrated here.

The guest register is a veritable "Who's Who". Charles Lindbergh was honored at The Del in 1927 after his successful trans-Atlantic flight. At this lavish banquet, a replica of Lindbergh's "Spirit of St. Louis" circled the enormous Crown Room ceiling.

Others were made famous just by their visit. Take Kate Morgan, who checked into the resort on November 25, 1892, and never checked out. Kate had been traveling to the Del with her husband, but on a brief stop, he got off the train leaving her alone. A few days later housemaids found her in a stairwell with a gun nearby. Most believed she had taken her own life, others wonder if perhaps her estranged husband paid her a surprise visit. Either way, Kate is an integral part of the history of the Del, and to this day many have reported seeing her throughout the hotel as if finally enjoying her visit.

The shopping is amazing, all sorts of upscale clothing, and Del-signature items, such as a silver charm th I plan to add to my collection, logoed robes, t-shirts and sweatshirts, and a variety of seashore-themed items. The dining devine. Sheerwater, their more casual restaurant, 1550 Ocean, an epicurean getaway featuring Southern coastal cuisine, and ENO, the ONLY place for wine, chocolate and cheese.....and don't forget to save room for Moo-time Creamery, hand mixed premium ice creams made right onsite!!

If you can, visit during the Christmas holidays, the decorations are amazing and are different each year. A collectable ornament is featured and they are sold out within weeks of issue. They offer ice skating by the seashore, which is incredible to see. (who know so many people knew how to ice skate?)

Check out their Web site for additional details, as the hotel is celebrating their 120 birthday this year, and have promised to have celebrations all year long.
http://www.hoteldel.com/

She's Baaaaaack....

I wish I could make up some sort of fabulous excuse for the long absence of blogs, but, alas, I cannot. Sometimes live -and living life- just gets in the way of remembering to do something you really enjoy. Like hearing yourself talk, or n this case, reading yourself as you write.

So much has happened, new job, working in a new city, all new people, all new streets and all new experiences.

Luckily my job includes some travel, this past fall we visited Los Angeles, San Diego and Rancho Mirage, near Palm Springs. Each location had its own charm and own sense of place, totally different from the other. We visited during the horrible forest fires, which displaced tens of thousands of people the week we were there.

Our favorite day trip was to the San Diego Zoo. I adore the Giant Pandas and was dying to take my son to see them, Sadly, seeing them was uneventful. They slept. In fact we watched for some time and not a hint of movement. We joked that the zoo had placed plush toys in the trees to fool the guests into paying the $30 admission!! We were there during the fires, and not many people were willing to risk the air quality, so we were alone in the exhibit. Usually guests wait 2-3 hours to catch a glimpse of these beautiful bears.

My favorite exhibit was the Lowland Gorillas. They are truely amazing. A couple next to us in the glass-front viewing area had a book full of gorilla pictures and a mirror. One of the baby gorillas came right up to the glass and began staring intently at the photos in the book. As each pasge was turned the baby was more and more interested. Suddenly, from across the habitat, a HUGE silverback male came bounding our way, the baby ran and the patriarch placed his back against the glass and sat down. He never once looked at us. Clearly he was not happy about what was going on, and evrey other primate knew it. HE was awe-imspiring and powerful. I was never so glad to have a 2" thick piece of glass in front of me in my life.

The last of the totally amazing animals we saw were the polar bears. Do you know they love Romaine lettuce? These gentle looking giants are slow and walk with their feet inverted, so they have a comical air to them, but supposedly they are really mean! No matter, We enjoyed watching them swim and play together. Their habitat is really super, lots of space and a wonderful viewing area, with a huge plate of glass where you can see them above and below the water.

Rancho Mirage, right in the middle of the desert. The Santa Ana winds were really blowing and sand was streaking across the highway with such force that many of the cars pulled over to the side of the road. We visited the Living Desert, where I fell in love with Meerkats. Those funny little animals that stand up to look around...they look so cute and friendly, I was hooked. The center has all sorts of exhibits of native animals, flowers, plants and a super aviary, featuring rehabilitated and rescued birds.

One of the unusual sights was the Coachella Valley Preserve, the home of 1100 palms. Literally an oasis on the cusp of the San Andreas Fault, in the middle of what seems to be miles and miles of sand, bright green palm trees erupt from the earth. The preserve is home to many endangered species, including the fringe-toed lizard. Fringe-toed lizards are among those that thrive on the dunes. They get their name from elongate scales on the toes of their hind feet that look like fringes. These fringes act like miniature snowshoes, giving the lizards extra traction to speed away from predators on the loose sand surface. The lizards' head is perfectly shaped to allow them to dive head first into the soft sand, actually "swimming" below the sand surface. This allows the lizards to disappear , leaving no trace behind and effectively evading all predators. The lizards' nose allows them to continue to breathe air, without bringing sand into their lungs.

We also made a pilgrimage to Disney Land and California Adventure, where we enjoyed the Finding Nemo ride and Mickey's Trick Or Treat party. Sadly, it was not the same for us, not as Magical as when we visit the World. This year has been the "Year of A Million Dreams" and the goal was to give away 1-million wishes/experiences. We had seen the castmembers in blue vests bestow all sorts of gifts and prizes to other people each of the three times we visited the Parks last year, I could not believe the odds of us not getting one gosh-darned thing. I mean, we go to the parks, I wear a crown or mouse ears EVERY day, we all dress in theme for the day (one day Pirates of the Caribbean, one day Mickey Mouse....and so on....) we are great tourists. Yet nothing. Not one little overnight in Cinderella Castle.....

Not one offer of lunch in Mickey's Penthouse....

But on our last hour at Disney's California Adventure a castmember came up to my sone and gave him a Year of a Million Dreams pin for his collection!!! FINALLY all of those THOUSANDS of dollars paid off. We were part of the few, the selected, the FOTM (friends of the mouse). The pin was a two-piece set. We kept one, and we had to find someone else to give the other pin to...but who would be worthy of such a prize? It had to be someone who needed some magic...we finally settled upon this young girl, 10-years-old. It was her first trip to Disney and she was a pin collector, her lanyard almost full. We went up to her and explained that we were a part of the Year of A Million Dreams program and we had selected her for this fabulous prize. She was so happy, she began to cry! Her mother was thrilled and began taking zillions of pictures of my son presenting her with the pin.

So now we will always remember being a real part of the Magic and Wonder of Disney.

I forgot to mention we stayed in some INCREDIBLE places. Rancho Las Palmas, in Rancho Mirage and the Hotel Del Coronado in San Diego.......but that is another post............