travel | James & Jax

Wordless Wednesday: Disneyworld Pics

27. March 2013 · 3 comments · Categories: Travels, wordless · Tags: boyhood, Happiness, just for fun, toddlerhood, travel, wordless

Perhaps because I’m lazy, although I like to reframe this as busy, I’m going to opt out of writing another Disneyworld-with-a-toddler recap post and simply share some of my favorite vacation photos today.

How cute is Jax?!

We had a princess dinner in Epcot’s Norway, and Jax spent most of it under the table, cowering from the princesses. I think he was intimidated by their beauty!

This is what happens to me in Epcot’s Italy, with all its good food & wine!

At the end of a long day, we were all vying for a spot in the stroller. Somehow, I had the energy to push them.

I swear, crabs at Joe’s were the only crabs I got during my vacation–and ever, TYVM.

Me & Mom in the Magic Kingdom, first day

Mean muggin in the Magic Kingdom

I told Jax this was the Easter Bunny. Just kidding. He loves Alice in Wonderland. He knew who it was.

It’s a small world, afterall… (Mom, me, Ian)

Jax & the Lorax at Universal Studios. The Dr. Suess section is super awesome! We spent hours there!

My brother, Danny, and Jax, not afraid of Tic Toc Croc even one bit! (at Epcot)

Which is your favorite photo?

Pre-Disneyworld Worries

25. March 2013 · 4 comments · Categories: Potty training, the parenting club, Toddlerhood, Travels · Tags: fears, potty training, toddlerhood, travel

Jax, enthralled by the Disney Jr show at Hollywood Studios

This time last week, I was at Disneyworld’s Hollywood Studios with my parents, my siblings, Jax, and my husband. The sun was shining and warming up my cold, pale New Jersey skin–but not really tanning it, thanks to my overvigilant sunscreen applications. Oops.

Now I’m at work, eating a frozen entree from a plastic container, trying to pretend it isn’t snowing/sleeting outside and that the pile of work on my desk doesn’t need my urgent attention.

I think I’ll dwell in last week’s world for a bit longer, thankyouverymuch. Pass the vitamin D, wouldja?

I was nervous about a few things before heading to Disneyworld, particularly with a toddler. Jax has never flown before this trip, and although he loves all kinds of transportation in theory, I was worried he’d be that child on the plane who screams for 2.5 hours and I’d be the mom endlessly apologizing to those seated nearby. But he was great, if not slightly bored at times. In hindsight, I’d have packed better for the flight. I tried to help him pass the time with my iPad–showing him various toddler-friendly games he loves to play, movies, and tv shows–but I stupidly forgot to bring headphones that fit his little ears. My earbuds weren’t cutting it.

I also worried that I’d forget to pack something crucial to my son’s well-being. You know, a certain toy or a favorite pair of jammies–the kinds of things that if forgotten can induce a stage 5 meltdown even at The Happiest Place on Earth. On the drive to the airport, I realized what I’d forgotten to pack: his Pillow Pet. It turned out that he didn’t ask for it at all, probably too tired at the end of our long days in the parks to even notice it wasn’t on the bed. He asked for his footie Spider-Man jammies one night, but I explained that I didn’t pack them because it’s too warm in Florida for footie jammies, and thankfully he agreed! He did make me buy him Spider-Man slippers, though.

I worried about his aversion to using public restrooms. I’ve been privvy to many a tantrum in public when it came time to check potty. My mom had read a blog post (I wish I knew which one so I could credit it here) about a toddler in Disneyworld whose genius mother used stickers and Pixie dust to help her child use the public restroom. She applied a sticker to the sensor of the automatic-flushing toilet and then sprinkled glitter (Pixie dust) over the bowl to keep it from flushing on her toddler. We did purchase plenty of stickers and glitter before heading to our vacation, but we used only the stickers because, in all honesty, I simply didn’t feel like cleaning up spilled glitter all week.

The stickers did the trick. They were the smartest thing I did all week–and possibly EVER! I’m certain they prevented a handful of epic meltdowns daily. I urge anyone with a toddler who doesn’t love using a public restroom to stock up on stickers. They’ll be a permanent fixture in my purse from now on, believe me. And yes, in case you’re wondering, I did peel off each and every sticker after we were done using them.

So those were my primary worries about heading to Disneyworld with Jax, who is 3.5 years old now. He was a rockstar, though. So I guess in typical momma fashion, I did a lot of worrying for no good reason. This kid always surprises me (for the best).

Got any travel advice for toddler parents? Please share it here!

Florida-bound

15. March 2013 · 5 comments · Categories: Family, Play!, Travels · Tags: holidays, playtime, self-care, travel

Guess where my family is headed this weekend? Here’s a hint:

Ignore the messy hair, please, and focus on the ears!

My parents bought my family, my siblings, and themselves trips to Disneyworld for Christmas 2012. Back then, March felt forever away, but here we are, on the day before our departure–and me with a bazillion things left to do before I can get into a vacation mindset. Isn’t that always how it goes?!

Tomorrow will be Jackson’s first Disneyworld vacation (but probably not his only), as well as his first time on an airplane. We chose to fly with Southwest because of the great word-of-mouth they typically receive from bloggers who fly with their kids, in addition to the schedules and perks like bags checked free of charge and in-flight wifi.

I am slightly nervous about how Jax will do on the 2.5-hour flight from Philly to Orlando. But I am reminding myself today that he usually is very well behaved and pleasant, and I usually do a whole lot of worrying for no good reason. I’m also nervous that I’ll have forgotten to pack something essential, but of course everything is replaceable if you’ve got the cash or the cards. Note to self: Don’t forget the cash and cards!

After this past week with its cold-from-hell and a near-ER trip with Jax, I’ve never been more mentally ready for a week in the sunshine. The weather in Orlando is in the mid to high 80s currently. I’m thinking that will eradicate any remaining germs! I just hope Philly weather gets itself together while I’m away and I come home to spring!

The only downside to all the sunshine I’m going to bathe in? Freckles. Even with a good sunscreen, the freckles on my nose and cheeks will reach the hundreds after this coming week. Ugh. They’re cute on everyone else, in my opinion, but I hate ‘em on my own face. I’m curious whether Jax will get any new Floridian freckles!

By the way, I’ve lined up a special guest post for Monday, so please don’t you stay away while I’m away.

Have a fantastic weekend!

Yet Another Year-End Review Post (or Not)

31. December 2012 · 4 comments · Categories: Living better, Travels · Tags: goals, holidays, travel, values, work

Happy New Year It dawned on me this morning that I simply don’t feel like doing a year-in-review post. So I’m not going to! At least, not in the typical way. I have to admit, the primary reason is that I honestly can’t remember all the things I did this year! And I’m too ~~lazy~~ busy to review this year’s photos to figure it out!

But I will say about this year that I was impressed when WordPress shared my blog stats with me and I saw that I posted 142 times. That’s pretty good, with a post every 2.57 days, if I did the math correctly. I hope to keep that up in 2013, although I fear I’m running out of things to write about!

So you might get a few rambly posts (like this one) here & there. We’ll just call them “stream of consciousness” posts (because that sounds better).

In 2012, like many bloggers I follow I chose a word to inspire me throughout the year: “better.” I wanted to wake up each morning and do better than the day before. I wanted to strive to be better–a better mother, a better wife, a better employee, a better blogger, a better friend…you get the idea. I’m not sure I am sitting here this morning any better at any of those things than I was a year ago today. But the word kept me striving, so there’s that.

In 2013, my word will be “enough.” As in, I’m giving up the pursuit of (near-)perfection and aiming to be a good enough mom, a good enough friend, and so on. I put way too much pressure on myself to be good at everything. And we all know what happens when we pressure ourselves too much! So in 2013, I’m cutting myself some slack.

Enough, to me, also means knowing when enough is enough. Knowing when to back away from things like drama, overbooked schedules, and too many unfulfilling commitments. Hopefully this frees me up for more fun, relaxation, and energy! The twist is that saying no to things will probably help me be a better x, y, and z!

I’m looking forward to some big things in 2013. I’m traveling at least 4 times: Jax will visit Disneyworld for the first time in March, thanks to a super-generous Christmas gift from my mom (to the whole family). That also means his first flight, which has me a little nervous given that he’s already saying he doesn’t want to go in a plane! Then in June, I think I’m going to Las Vegas for a work trip. It’ll be a quick trip, like they always are, but I’ve never been there, so I’m getting excited about it. Who wants to join me? I sure as hell don’t want to wander around that city by myself. In July, my family rented a shore house, so there will be lots of relaxation in the sun and sand. And then in September, I’m traveling to Washington, DC, again for work. And I’ve been there a thousand times, so it’s nothing special at this point, but maybe I’ll take Jax and the husband with me and we’ll see some of the museums we didn’t hit last time.

There is most likely going to be a new car in my new year. (And hopefully a new salary to help out with that! Haha!)

Aside from the excitement of travel & new wheels, I’m sure 2013 has plenty of other goodies in store. I’m looking forward to the new year and seeing how it plays out. This year wasn’t bad to me, but it definitely had its twists–both good and bad. They all do.

Happy new year! Be safe tonight! And don’t feel bad if you’re sound asleep by 12. ;)

photo by: Sean Rogers1

Weekends Aren’t for Relaxing ‘Round Here

19. November 2012 · 2 comments · Categories: Play!, Toddlerhood, Working momma · Tags: birthday, just for fun, life, playtime, toddlerhood, travel, weekend, work

I envy people who chill out on the weekends, because that’s not how things play out for me. Sure, I’m a bit Type A, and yes, I do create lengthy to-do lists for myself, but only because I don’t want to miss out on anything! The price to be paid for that attitude, however, is a shortage of downtime.

The past two weekends have been gray hair producers. Thank goodness I color my hair! Just to give you a taste of what a typical–yes, TYPICAL–weekend is like for me, I’ll list it out for you (see? toldja I’m a lister).

Here’s what we did last weekend:

Friday Nov 9

Worked until 2. Ran a few errands on the way home from work, including a stop for a bottle of wine for dinner. Picked up Jax from daycare at 3 to spend a little extra time with him before dropping him off at his Nana’s for a few hours so I could attend my brother’s birthday dinner. Husband got stuck at work really really late, so after I made dinner for Jax (which I helped him eat, of course), I had to drive Jax 20 minutes myself to my mom’s at 6. Left the house without the wine. Oops. After dropping off Jax, I had to hit the liquor store yet again (where I accidentally bought a bottle of white that wasn’t chilled, meaning warm white wine with dinner, ick). Got lost driving to dinner in a town many towns away. Was a half hour late to dinner–embarrassing! By this point, I was starving, as it was after 7:30 pm and I’d been driving 90 minutes all around southern New Jersey. Had a nice dinner, then got lost heading back to my mom’s, so I asked her to drop off Jax to my house because I’d coincidentally ended up on the highway right by my house. Thank goodness she agreed. Shaved off a good 45 minutes of drive time. Bed, exhausted, around 10.

Saturday Nov 10

Husband spent the entire day in Brooklyn with friends at an art show. So in his absence, I called a plumber to fix my slow-draining bath tub, which was grossing me out. This fascinated Jax–he kept referring to the plumber’s bag as his “doctor tools!” I scrubbed my stovetop for at least an hour (it was also grossing me out). Then proceeded to clean the entire downstairs and do many loads of laundry. Around 3:00, totally wiped out, drove Jax to my mom’s because I had tickets with his best friend’s mom to Gay Bingo in Philly. Jax was all set up for a fun sleepover with his Nana. I had to get over my guilt over dropping him off there 2 nights in a row, which was the first time I’d ever had back to back plans that didn’t include him since he was born! Came back from my mom’s, ate a cheese hoagie as fast as I could get it down, had a beer, then left for Gay Bingo at 5:30. Gay Bingo until 10. FUN FUN FUN. If you’ve never been and your closest big city offers it, you gotta check it out. Got home around 10 and was sick to my stomach–too many snacks? stress?–until about 2:00 am, when I finally fell asleep in Jackson’s bed!

Sunday Nov 11

Drove to my mom’s in the morning to get my kiddo. Came home and got him cleaned up and then went right back out for a playdate with his two besties at one of those toddler gym places. Got home just in time for dinner. Husband worked most of the day and walked in about 15 minutes after dinner was ready. Our friend had come over a few hours before dinner and we made a fantastic meal–complete with blaring fire alarms because I dropped a chunk of roasting red potato on the bottom of the oven. Many fire alarms in several different areas of the house. Good times. No, really, it actually was kind of fun and funny!

Jax at the bottom of the slide

This weekend:

Friday Nov 16

Worked frantically until just after lunch, then rushed to a hair appointment 20 minutes away. Ahhh, me time! Then broke a few speed limits rushing to Jax at daycare because he had a 3:30 doctor’s appointment for the cold that just won’t quit (& I have anxiety). Got home around 4:30 or so, got dinner on the table by 6–roasted salmon and veggies. Relatively easy night, if I remember it correctly. I may have even taken a hot bath!

Saturday Nov 17

Had a 10:00 am birthday party a few towns away, so we spent the morning wrapping the gift and getting ourselves ready. Partied til about 2–that was utterly exhausting but totally fun for the kids. Drove home, rested for a half hour, then headed back out the door for another party! Stopped on the way for a gift. Fortunately, this party was at my mom’s house, so I could sit back and relax with a glass of wine! The boys even took Jax outside to shoot some hoops for 20 minutes, which was effing fabulous because the girls got to have girl talk with our wine. On the way home from there, the 3 of us (me, Jax, and my husband) grabbed dinner at Moe’s because it had been such a frantic/busy week that I never even grocery shopped! Whoops! Then my husband and his friends went out to a bar (some UFC thing), and Jax and I snuggled up on the couch until bedtime.

Sunday Nov 18

I had therapy at 9:00 am, so I had to be out the door by 8:30. But first, I ran through the Dunkin Donuts drive-through with Jax (in his jammies) for breakfast I didn’t have to cook. Ate and fed the boys and managed to leave by 8:40. Therapy until 10, then I had a coffee date with my friend at 10:15, so I maybe broke another speed limit getting there…. We grabbed some coffee and then headed to the mall to try on makeup at Sephora! Very girly of us, but also pretty fun. I got this. When I got home, I felt the urge to clean my house, which I did, in addition to 3 loads of laundry. Then I grocery shopped. After this, it was close to dinnertime, so I whipped up a lasagna and got that in the oven by 5. While it baked, Jax and I made peppermint bark that was shaped like snowflakes and Christmas trees. He thinks he’s giving it out to his friends at daycare. Ha! Momma’s totally eating it up herself. It’s been another whirlwind weekend, and chocolate helps.

Enjoying the first cake of the day

So when I whine on social media about how tired I am, now you get it. And this post doesn’t even cover what I did all week! Thank goodness Jax can keep up with me. As for my husband, that’s another story!

What does your typical weekend look like?