Why is my son wearing an Easter bonnet and a tutu? Sorry. I got distracted. The life of being the younger brother. Ironic since this is a post about our Disney World Bippity Boppity Boutique, they slip you crack, experience.

So back in May when we took the family to Disney World we considered all of our ‘extra’ options. What character dining meals to purchase, what events to attend, what park to go to each day… What we didn’t consider was that no amount of pre-planning can prepare you for all that Disney throws at you.

We got there and were immediately immersed in the culture, wearing our mouse-ears and singing It’s a Small World. I even considered purchasing Mickey Mouse head shaped plates. Because, you know, you need a plate like that to separate all of the food. Crack. I guess I forgot to check my sanity at the entrance gates because upon entering the Magic Kingdom I immediately felt that Makena would be missing out on a major part of the ‘Disney experience’ if she did not get to do the Bippity Boppity Boutique. One quick phone call later, a last minute cancellation answered my prayers to the Disney Gods. We were booked for a Boutique experience.

Want to see what we got ourselves into?

A little bit of this.

And a little bit of that.

And even more of this.

Just add water and you too can have your very own princess.

To make matters worse when Makena met The Fairy Godmother, she said “why you look just like Cinderella in a Snow White dress.” Then I guess at Disney training the worker mice are instructed to address every little girl who had the boutique experience as ‘princess.’ So for the rest of the day, it was ‘well, hello princess.’ All. Day. Long.

I’m still picking the glitter out of her clothes from that day. And wondering how on earth they suck you in and spit you out.

Note: Please don’t let any of this Disney banter fool you or discourage you from the experience. Like a good addict, we will return to get another fix. Probably sooner rather than later. Peace out.

In a world of consumerism and mega shopping centers there is still evidence of a bygone era. You can witness it every day, if you look for it. There won’t be ads screaming “Hey, look at me!” But there will be a level of sincerity and true appreciation. For simply taking the time to notice. For going that extra mile to find it.

There is such a place at a little farm outside of Austin. We pass by on our way to and from San Antonio. There it is, tucked in the hills. With it’s bright blue barn and wildflowers growing abundantly. It’s not on a major highway. Rather, if you blink, or drive by too fast, you just might miss it.

On weekends, locals and travelers alike stop by. Some picking up flowers, others picking up fresh veggies. My little ones run straight to the flower bucket. They put together sweet bouquets to hand out to the kids. Then encourage the kids to go and pet the goats, who like to eat the flowers. It is quite comical.

If you stop by on a weekday, chances are that you’ll be the only ones there. Where a self serve sign greets you and a little money box inside the barn where the honesty system still reigns supreme.

The words aren’t flowing today. I’ve sat here for the past 10 minutes staring at this screen. I’m just having one of those days. I spent the first half of the day with Makena at her first dentist appointment. As wonderful as the dentist was, nothing could have prepared me for the horrific cries of a three year old. Come on now, it was only a teeth cleaning. She kept telling me “mommy, I’m a little bit shy.” She must have shy confused with scared to death. I’m sure she was petrified because of the finger incident. That had to have traumatized her. After 30 minutes of persuasion, she finally let me hold her in the chair while the dentist cleaned her teeth. I wonder if I can bring someone along to my next dental appointment to hold me.

The remainder of the day was spent in the closets. More closet cleaning out. But since that’s not very exciting I will show you some pictures from this weekends trip to San Antonio. Keegan came down with a double ear infection on Thursday so that really put a halt to the planned activities, which ended up being a wonderful thing… just to slow down. It’s hard for me. A continual work in progress. To just be. I would love some advice in this field because I struggle immensely with slowing down.

We spent Saturday afternoon at the river. Huge cypress trees line the river where the occasional tuber passes by. Tubing is a HUGE thing in the Hill Country. You rent a tube for yourself and one for your cooler. Sometimes, you might even rent a tube for your dog if you bring him along. While we didn’t tube, for the safety of everyone involved, we did slow down and relax by the river.

While the older kids explored.

The little one sat in his own pool. And I was able to just sit. And be. I need more of that.

Thank you all so much for your comments on the last post. It was great getting to know you all better. Sometimes I just feel like a little fish in this big ocean. Simply a screen name. Very nice to meet you all!

Summertime means vacation time! I know, I know we just got back from Disney World but it’s summer. It’s time to hit the road. If only gas prices weren’t over $4 a gallon. Maybe it’s the teacher in me. When school’s out, I’m ready to go. I spent about six years traveling overseas in the summertime with students and I feel that itch every summer. Each and every summer. I want to go. Anywhere.

We are blessed that we spent the early years of our marriage living in San Antonio. And even more blessed that most of Miles’ family still lives there. So, what’s a travelin’ minded girl to do when she feels the urge to go? Go home.

This summer you’ll see quite a few posts about San Antonio. It’s home.

The culture.

The food. The margaritas.

The Alamo.

Sea World.

We spent Saturday at El Mercado (the market) in downtown San Antonio. I was on a quest to find those Mexican dresses. I found several, just not at a rate I’m willing to pay. Looks like I’m going to have to head to the border to track some down. This will be a journey I’ll be sure to include you all on. Fingers crossed, we won’t have to go to the border.

El Mercado reminds you of being in a marketplace in Mexico. The music. The food. The margaritas. The shop owners selling their wares. Like these Mexican wrestling masks. Lovely eh?

We then made our way to the Alamo to have a walk around. Then down to the River Walk to hope and pray that one of our children would not fall in. Fortunately, we made it out okay.

Sunday was reserved for Sea World. This year since the kids are getting older we are able to do more. Last year, we spent a great deal of time watching shows. This year it was onto the water park. To experience the wave pool, lazy river and even a few fun slides.  I think we might be spending a lot of time at the water park this summer.  Crowds and all.

We’re back and I can’t say that we are well rested from our week long vacation. If anything, we need another vacation to just relax and sit around. And I can’t seem the get the “It’s a Small World” song out of my head. Aaaaaahhhhh!

Disney World is a place unto itself. There is just so much to see. I’m working on uploading the 500 pictures I took (serious) and am now trying to get back into the groove of being at home by the lake. It’s quiet here. Very quiet. I like that.

I will share my stories of Disney in my next post. It by far exceeded my expectations and I found myself running around like a child.

For now though, I’ve added a few more items to my shop. I’ve been picking up these great vintage Acapulco straw tote bags. Perfect for summertime by the pool, lake or beach.