The Lowe Down

Double Digits

2014-12-08T20:43:00.000-08:00

Happy happy birthday to my beautiful, smart, strong, and ferocious big girl. I've loved you since the second we met.

I cannot believe it's been a decade since I first laid eyes on this little sweetie. Her little smile has been lighting up my life ever since.

She has an spirit that cannot be conquered and a thirst for life that is unequalled. She literally loves every second.

She's taught me about unconditional love, determination, and positivity.

She's the kindest pet owner, most compassionate friend, and best big sister I've ever had the pleasure to know.

She is who she is one hundred percent of the time without apologies. She's a true original. She knows what she likes and what she doesn't.

She's smart, confident, and beautiful on the inside and the outside.

She's diverse - she athletic, she's artistic, she loves to read. She has fun in any situation.

We've done some amazing things together - gone to football games, visited cool places like Destin, Disney, and New Orleans, ridden horses. Each and every experience was enriched by her presence!

Watching her grow over the past ten years has made me so happy. She's changed Ryan and I for the better and she was the start to our very special family.

Happiest of birthdays to the one and only Alli Lowe - We love you so much!

Alli's Tenth Birthday Party

2014-12-06T09:21:00.002-08:00

I think I need my head examined. I had the bright idea that Alli should have a sleepover for her tenth birthday party this weekend. And I let her invite ten people thinking at the most four would show. It is Christmas, after all - you never know how people are spending their holidays, Instead we had SIX RSVPs but I assured Ryan they were ten year old girls - what could be that hard?

Everyone got here around six on Friday night and started with a rowdy game of hide and seek. Like screaming, running hide and seek. Ryan actually asked me "What is that noise they are making?" Some kind of ungodly scream-yell-squeal that they all knew how to make. We finally corralled them to eat pizza and cake, but even that was an ordeal. Please don't topple the cake!

After that, I loaded them all up in the Pilot and drove them to Ozark Lanes to bowl. The sound continued in the car, along with some Christmas caroling. When the car was still, all of the movement inside actually propelled it forward. Yikes.

Bowling was a lot of fun once we got everyone's shoe size figured out. I stood at the counter with several girls while they tried on size after size to get the perfect fit. I apologized profusely to the bowling alley worker who had to deal with us. But we bowled a game, which took about an hour, and then brought them all back home. I warned them that Riley would be sleeping when we got back so they would need to hold it down, but my request was futile. There's just no quieting six pre-teen girls.

I put a movie on upstairs and brought them three bags of popcorn which they devoured. Even after strict instruction to not come downstairs unless there was an emergency I had to chase groups of them back upstairs until about 12AM. They finally got silent and I had the internal "Do I go check on them?" struggle. Riley got up a few times in the night too, so when the girls started sneaking downstairs at 6AM, Ryan and I were on fumes. We got out of bed at 7AM and started making pancakes and bacon, which was a huge hit. Then the hide and seek shriek started up again. With an hour to go before pickup time, Ryan put on Elf for them to watch and I managed to snap this pic.

Look at little Riley right in the middle of it all eating her popcorn - she loved chasing the girls around and yelling "Ah-Eeee" which translates to "Alli!!" and all of the girls were so sweet with her.

Thank goodness for Saturdays - little Alli is exhausted and so are we. Even the pets are worn out - the girls adored them and chased them all over the house until I let them find peace in the master bedroom. Now someone go get me a Starbucks, please!

Misty River Hounds - Opening Hunt

2014-11-22T11:53:00.000-08:00

A week after I did my first foxhunt with Harvard Hounds it was time for opening hunt at Misty River Hounds, the hunt that my barn is very involved with. We had a much larger group attending and my mom and brother decided to tag along and ride the tallyho wagon so that they could watch.

Hunt Master Dina on Moses with the hounds

After my intense experience at Harvard, I decided to ride third field at Misty River. If Harvard was supposed to be "tame" then what did Misty River have in store? Jabbar was wound up again, but a little stronger bit, a straighter saddle, and several more stirrup cups helped things a lot.

Unfortunately, the hounds pretty quickly took off across the river onto some land we weren't allowed on, so much of the hunt was spent looking for the hounds. That didn't keep anyone from having a a good time though!

In third field we did a lot of hilltopping, chatting, and trotting. It probably would have been a much better first hunt experience, but after a taste of the thrill at Harvard, I could see myself wanting to step it up to second field at Misty River. After the hunt there was a catered meal with a live band and a silent auction where I won myself a yellow vest!

Deer Creek Farm representing at Misty River Hounds

All in all, it was another awesome hunt with this boy that I got to share with my mom and brother. I was so excited to have them along. They were troopers on a very cold morning and a very long day. I think we're all hooked, though. Tallyho!

Foxhunting

2014-11-20T23:23:00.000-08:00

When I bought Jabbar, I knew that he was going to be very green in the arena. His previous owner didn't take lessons or do shows - he was a foxhunter. I've done my share of lessons, I've done some shows, and I've done plenty of trail rides, but I've never foxhunted. Most of the adult riders at my barn participate with the barn owner Diane and her assistant trainer Sally being very involved with Misty River Hounds, one of the local hunts. So I had plenty of opportunity to get involved if I wanted to, I just wasn't sure I wanted to.

It always sounded a little intimidating, barreling across pastures on a horse following a pack of hounds while they chase a scent. You never know what's around the next turn and you jump coops and logs rather than navigate around them, all at a rather quick pace. Control freaks like me prefer going in circles in the arena over a course of jumps working on form and precision, not galloping across the countryside. But since Jabbar was a very experienced foxhunter - he was a whip horse, meaning he was even more experienced than your average - I decided to give it a shot for him.

Harvard Hounds is another local hunt that our barn is friendly with, so when a small group elected to go to their opening hunt at the end of October, I decided it would be a good place to start. Sally assured me that this hunt was pretty slow paced so it would be a good opportunity to get my feet wet without overwhelming me. I was game. When we showed up and began to tack the horses, the atmosphere was amazing. We were at a pretty homestead with a misty fog, and they even had someone playing bagpipes. The hounds were baying and as we mounted up, a priest came out to do a blessing. Someone handed me a cup of port wine and called it a stirrup cup. Thank you, may I have another?

Jabbar came alive. He couldn't stand still and I had to circle him over and over. Typically in fox hunting, there are several "fields" or groups of riders. First field is the fastest paced with lots of galloping and jumping. Second field doesn't jump but does gallop. And if there's a third field, it's mostly walking and trotting. This hunt was small enough that there was only a first and second field. When first field took off, I had to remind Jabbar that while he was experienced, I was totally not. We hung back in second field.

The hounds caught scent immediately, and there went our idea of a low key hunt. We tore up and down hills, we cantered through open fields, and we even hopped over a few logs. Jabbar was in a really soft snaffle bit so I had a lot of trouble holding him back. And my saddle slipped about halfway through, so I spent the entire second half of the hunt trying to straighten it out. Thank goodness for my flask - it really eased my nerves.

I was lucky enough to have a great friend Kerstin going along with me. She's hunted a few times so she could help me understand what was going on. A big part of the hunt is watching the hounds work a scent and we got a firsthand view of that. Honestly, the whole process was the most terrifying and exhilarating thing I've ever done. Jabbar loved it and I vowed to get a little stronger bit before the next time. But the scenery was amazing, the horses was beautiful, the hounds were impressive, and I survived. What an experience!

More fun with Jabbar

2014-11-18T23:00:00.000-08:00

Not long after Jabbar was officially ours, John Patrick and Nini ventured up to the Hill to meet him. First we brought him up to the barn for some grooming.

Then I put him through his paces (aka wore him out).

After that, I let John Patrick get on him for a little ride around the arena.

After that it was time to take Jabbar up to the barn for a hose down because it was HOT - remember heat? And he got to meet Nini face to face. Welcome to the family, Jabbar boy!

Lucky Seventeen

2014-11-16T10:15:00.002-08:00

What a challenging year to be a Hog fan. We started with a close then not so close game in Auburn and then a few solid victories over non-SEC schools. Riley got to witness her first full Razorback game!

Then we headed to the Big D for the resurrection of one of my favorite Razorback traditions - the Southwest Classic. What's not to love about a game in Cowboys Stadium complete with a Cowboyrita or three?

Riley also got to meet Jerry Jones - way cool.

(PICS TO COME...As soon as Mom texts them to me.)

But a little piece of me died during that overtime loss, and losing to Alabama 14-13 the next game did nothing to help my spirits. With two close games against ranked opponents we went into the Georgia game with optimism.

Turns out Georgia is much better than we are, and I spent a whole quarter and half time looking for a changing table in War Memorial. Not cool. We won homecoming and marched into Starkville to play #1 Mississippi State with a 16 game SEC losing streak and a chip on our shoulder. But yet again things didn't go our way and we lost by a touchdown. After a week off, my least favorite team in all of sports - that's right, more than the Philadelphia Eagles - Lousiana State University came to Fayetteville. We're in the middle of a cold snap and kickoff was 7PM, so it took some real troopers to attend this game. Fortunately, I know a few.

A crowd of over 70,000 people stayed until 10:30PM in 30 degree weather to see our Arkansas Razorbacks beat #17 LSU to snap a 17 game SEC losing streak by a score of 17-0. The team charged across the field as time ran out to seize the Golden Boot trophy and the crowd stormed the field to celebrate.

If I had to wait 17 SEC games to see the Hogs win, I am extremely happy that it happened in Fayetteville against a ranked LSU - couldn't be sweeter. Here's hoping we win out and head back to and Eddie Money concert...I mean the Liberty Bowl! Go Hogs!

Destin In Pictures

2014-11-10T19:31:00.001-08:00

Apparently I took some time off from blogging this fall and summer and I completely didn't give you the day by day account of Destin! We went the third week of July this year which is about two weeks later than usual. I thought I was going to die of anticipation, but turns out I made it. The Destin trip is really the highlight of the summer and going two weeks later prolonged the season in a good way.

We made an overnight stop in Ruston to see our family and these two got along famously.

The next morning we were beach bound early, and I snapped a picture of one of my favorite sights on the trip:

Alli always rides with her Tata and Diddy, so I love getting pictures of her from the road.

When we finally arrived, everyone ran out to the ocean.

We spent our mornings trying to spot dolphins off the balcony and drinking coffee.

We spent our days on the beach riding the waves, sunning, chatting, snoozing, and sipping.

We spent our evenings dining at our favorite spots, playing cards at the condo, and hanging out on the beach playing football and paddleball.

We found a sea turtle nest, rode on a pirate ship, and watched fireworks over the Destin Harbor.

And then we took our Destin pictures using John Patrick's new tripod, camera, and remote. It wasn't glitch-free...

But in the end, we perfected it and got some wonderful shots.

I'm so grateful for fantastic memories with these wonderful people and I can't wait to go back!

Surprise!

2014-11-09T09:10:00.001-08:00

So this summer, Ryan and I did something a little crazy. It really all started early in the summer when Ryan decided to take up cycling. He'd been thinking about it for a while and decided in May to take the plunge and buy a hybrid bike. Then it spiraled into a family of bikes for us and a trailer for Riley and even my parents getting in on the action. Within a few months, Ryan was full-fledged obsessed. He and my dad planned long rides, spent hours on message boards, and reading their endless magazine subscriptions. Ryan was happier, skinnier, and really feeling great. That led him to encouraging me to get a hobby. I knew immediately there was only one hobby for me.

Me on Freedom - March 2012

Pre-Riley, I started taking lessons at our barn again on sweet Freedom pony, and I was hooked. But once we got pregnant with Riley, I made the decision to stop and that dream ended up on hold for almost two years.

Ryan was very supportive of my riding and really pushed me to get back into it. I warned him that this time I wasn't quitting and that it would eventually lead to us owning a horse. Riding lesson ponies is wonderful, but I put my time in when I was little. I've owned my own horse before and I know that I prefer that over not knowing who I'm riding week to week. Ryan nodded, completely in support of me starting back on lessons and then us horse shopping "in a few years."

I took matters into my own hands a few weeks later and emailed Alli's trainer. I just wanted an idea of what to expect cost-wise with the purchase and upkeep of a horse "one day." We exchanged a few emails and all along I stressed that this was a long term plan. A week later, she approached me at the barn. "I know you aren't ready yet, but I do know of this really great horse. Can I just send you his info?" Never one to turn down pictures of a horse, I agreed. Later that day I got two emails on Jabbar filled with pictures of he and his owner, a fourteen year old boy, swimming, fox hunting, and jumping. He was a beautiful little bay with a stripe and a sock. I am such a sucker for a bay.

So for three weeks, I chewed on the possibility. Ryan was understandably very hesitant - I wasn't even back in the saddle yet and I was horse shopping. This had been a long term plan. What was I thinking? And though I agreed with him, I just could not get Jabbar out of my head. Finally when we were in Destin, Ryan said "Why don't you just bring him in for a trial?" I don't know if it was the booze or the ocean breeze talking, but I went with it and a week later Jabbar was in for a visit.

On our first meeting, he was nervous and I was even more nervous! What was I doing? I hadn't ridden in two years and I was just going to hop on my maybe-future horse?? Jabbar was a first field fox hunter and a whip horse - he wasn't used to the ring so he was pretty spooked the first several lessons we had. I wasn't sure he'd ever be quiet enough for Alli or even for me, but I was totally hooked on him. I could go for a ride whenever I wanted!

After a two week trial, I said yes. I had to! I was head over heels and Ryan said that if Jabbar made me this happy, he was worth it. And slowly over the course of two and half months, we've built a partnership. He doesn't run the opposite direction when I walk out to the pasture and he doesn't spook at everything anymore. He's learned really quickly in the ring and he's even taught me out at the hunt country going on two foxhunts (more on that later).

And I'm happy, happy, happy. He's a special boy that came along at the perfect time for me and my family.

Alli even gets to ride him some!

I firmly believe that I've been good for him, but I know he's been even better for me.

Disney Vacation Day 5: Universal Studios

2014-11-03T20:26:00.000-08:00

Since we'd already spent half a day enjoying everything The Wizarding World of Harry Potter had to offer, we started the next day Universal hitting up the roller coasters - including the truly scary Rip Ride Rockit where you pick your own personal music that plays for you during pretty much the most terrifying roller coaster ride of your life. Which Alli made us ride three times.

Then it was on to Minion Mayhem, which much like several of the other rides is a 3D simulator that's about as intense as a roller coaster!

Please note that little Ginny Weasley is still wearing her Gryffindor robes. We also wandered through the super hero section of the park to see if the Hulk roller coaster was open, and it wasn't (for now) so we decided it'd be a great idea to ride Dudley Do Right's Ripsaw Falls. A word to the wise - if it's 70 degrees and breezy, don't do the log ride. Otherwise you'll be spending $5 in the heaters they have just at the ride exit. BRRRR!!!!

We went back to Hogsmeade to ride the dueling dragons roller coaster (we did blue the day before and had to try red of course). We caught some shows and then wandered back through the park and met some characters on the way.

The Hulk roller coaster was finally open and it was everything Alli thought it would be, but I'll be honest. This is the point where the entire trip caught up with me. I was nauseated, I was worn out, and I was done riding rides. So when Alli and Ryan hit up the thrill rides one more time across the park, I sipped a Butterbeer and stocked up on souvenirs from Diagon Alley. We left the park well before closing because we were just beat. In fact, I think a month later I am still recovering! But we truly had a magical time with zero regrets and a lifetime of memories.

Disney Vacation Day 4: Universal Studios & Epcot

2014-11-01T19:57:00.000-07:00

So a little less than a month later, I am finishing the Disney recap. Listen, y'all. Fall is so hectic that I. can't. breathe. I am sorry for the delay, but better late than never right?

We had initially planned to spend an entire day at Epcot, but on the bus to Hollywood Studios we met a family who went on and on and on about The Wizarding World of Harry Potter in Universal Studios. As major Harry Potter fans and the parents of a daredevil looking for roller coasters, we decided to drop half a day of educational fun and hit up Universal. We read that it was important to go to Olivander's to get a wand straight off, so we headed to Diagon Alley first.

Kids, if you are a Harry Potter fan, you owe it to yourself to get to the Wizarding World. It's amazing.

The wandkeeper at Olivander's selects one child to fit a wand to and guess who he chose? Not Alli. So there was a really cool demonstration where the girl he chose tried several wands until one worked for her. Then we were emptied out into the store, but not before the wand keeper stopped us, pulled us back into the room, and fit Alli with a wand. Talk about special! She got a ivy wand with a unicorn hair core. We immediately went across the street to Madam Malkins to get Alli her Gryffindor robes so she was truly a wizard.

We rode the brand new Escape From Gringotts ride and then hopped on the Hogwarts Express through Platform 9 3/4 to see Hogwarts and Hogsmeade.

We rode all of the rides in Hogsmeade and then hopped back over to Diagon Alley for lunch, where Ryan and I finally got a Butterbeer.

Interesting fact: Diagon Alley is built on top of where the old Jaws ride used to be. And if you know me at all, you know how much I love Jaws. I'm sad the ride is gone, but I still got to pay homage.

After half a day in Universal, we headed to Epcot for a few hours. We used our Fast Passes, spotted some dolphins, had a little Turtle Talk with Crush, and then made it to our dinner reservation at the underwater restaurant.

And so concluded another fantastic day in Disney World - only one day left to blog about!

Happy Halloween!!

2014-10-31T19:13:00.000-07:00

From all of your favorite Nintendo characters! And just in case you need a primer - -

Lindsey = Pikachu
Ryan = Luigi
Alli = Toad
Diddy = Donkey Kong
Riley = Mario
Tata = Video game nerd
Buddy = Video game nerd
Me = Princess Peach (of course)

I hope you had a wonderful Halloween and got lots of candy.

Disney Vacation Day 3: Hollywood Studios

2014-10-04T18:26:00.002-07:00

I don't need to tell you why I was so excited about heading to Hollywood Studios, but here's a reminder:

Um, there's only a roller coaster featuring the bad boys of Boston! And as a tremendous Aerosmith fan...um, I love it.

I'm probably the most annoying person in line because I sing the songs and dance the entire time. And then I scream when they show Steven Tyler in the pre-ride video. And then I sing along with the music that plays with the ride. But I so don't care. When we rode the Rockin' Roller Coaster for the first time, Alli and I got front row seats (not shown in the picture above). I told Alli it was because I was with the band...

But our day didn't start with the Rockin' Roller Coaster - it started with using the 8AM Extra Magic Hour to get in line to sign Alli up for the Jedi Training Academy later that day. They only take 12 kids per show so it fills up really quickly. We were successful, and then we ran to Toy Story Mania because we couldn't get a Fast Pass for it and we knew it would fill up quickly. It was a great ride really similar to Buzz Lightyear in Magic Kingdom, but newer. We also ran into some friends in the Pixar section.

After that it was the Rockin' Roller Coaster followed by the Tower of Terror.

Then we went to a few other attractions like the Star Tours motion simulator and the Honey I Shrunk the Kids playground. We also happened upon Lightning McQueen and Mater.

We ate dinner at the Sci Fi Dine-In Theater, and then we hit up a few more rides and shows including The Little Mermaid and Indiana Jones. Then it was time for Alli to train to become a Jedi. She was presented with a robe and a practice lightsaber and did some training with a Jedi Master on stage.

It was all fun and games until training was interrupted...

Fortunately Alli's training paid off and she and her fellow trainees dueled Darth Vader until he fled.

Once Alli graduated from the Jedi Training Academy, we went to Tatooine to build a light saber and then we went on the Muppets 3D ride, met Phineas and Ferb, and did a second (or third) round of the Star Tours, Rockin' Roller Coaster, and Tower of Terror rides.

And so concludes yet another magical day in Walt Disney World! Alli's favorite ride and park changes with each new park we go to, but I am happy to report the Rockin' Roller Coaster is tied with Expedition Everest for now.

Disney Vacation Day 2: Animal Kingdom

2014-10-03T20:21:00.001-07:00

After getting settled into bed around 12:45AM, the next morning came a little too quickly. But when you're only in Disney World for a week, sometimes you have to just power through. So we were all a little groggy and bleary-eyed for Animal Kingdom but we soldiered on.

When I first went to Animal Kingdom in the fall of 1998 (around six months after it opened), I was less than impressed. I love animals, so I appreciated the safari ride, the stress on conservation, and the animals but there wasn't a lot to do and it seemed like a huge empty park. I assumed that in the sixteen years since I had last attended that this would have changed dramatically.

I was wrong. It's still huge. It still has a great focus on animals and the environment. And there's still not much to do. When we got into the park, we immediately went to the Bug's Life show, which is a 3D interactive show. I wasn't sure how Alli would do with the stingers and slime and 3D glasses, but she handled it okay. After that we pretty quickly hit up the park's major thrill ride Expedition Everest...

...three times in a row. I love a roller coaster as much as the next girl, but after three straight rides on this thing with zero waiting, I had to wave the white flag and find some water and a place to sit down. However, this roller coaster is awesome. It's definitely intense, and you're running from a yeti the whole time. Alli loved it, though I am pretty sure she never saw the huge animatronic Yeti at the end of the ride since she mostly was in the position shown above. Otherwise she never would have ridden it, because that dude was scary.

We went over to Dinoland to ride the Dinosaur ride, which was great. We rode it a second time as well. I think I screamed twice as loud as Alli! We grabbed a quick pizza lunch and then went on a safari where we saw giraffes, rhinos, and elephants.

Then I made Alli walk around a little while to see the animals. We spent a lot of time with one of my favorite zoo animals, the lowland gorilla.

Then we rode a train over to Rafiki's island where we met Rafiki himself and got to pet some goats, see the vet center for the animals of Animal Kingdom, and see a vulture.

While we were there, Alli spotted one of the famous Hidden Mickeys in a painting around the entry to the vet center. This kid has a gift.

After we went to see some tigers and walk through an aviary (gulp), we rode Expedition Everest two more times for a total of five times today for those of you keeping count. The park closed at six, so we went to our dinner reservations at the Rainforest Cafe right outside of the park. It was a really cool place, and Alli was most impressed. So suffice to say, Animal Kingdom lacked the magic of Magic Kingdom, but we still had a super day!!

And when we walked into our hotel room exhausted and ready to sleep at 7:30, we came in to a little surprise.

I kid you not when I say this place is magic. We are having an amazing time!

Disney Vacation Day 1: Magic Kingdom

2014-10-03T19:46:00.000-07:00

I called our arrival day in Orlando Day 0 because technically that day was a travel day and we still got four hours in the Magic Kingdom. When Day 1 rolled around, we already had the lay of the land and an idea of what we wanted to do. Alli is such a little thrill seeker, but she loves getting autographs from the characters too, so we tried to make sure we balanced out what we did and spent our time wisely.

We purchased the Memory Maker package, which means every picture we take in the resort automatically goes to our Disney account and I can download them each night. It even finds us on rides, which is more than a little freaky. But it's all so convenient because I don't have to use my phone or carry about my big camera. And the photographers are positioned at the perfect spots for pictures. So every single time we see one, Ryan stops up to make sure we get our money's worth.

We immediately headed to Princess Fairytale Castle to see what Princesses we could meet. We got there when the park opened, and I kid you not the line to see Anna and Elsa from Frozen was already 75 minutes long, so we decided to wait 20 minutes to meet Cinderella and Rapunzel.

Cinderella was sweet, but Rapunzel was awesome! She chattered the entire time and Alli really liked her. After our meet and greet with Disney royalty, we made the mistake of taking Alli on the Haunted Mansion ride. She was freaked out and crying - never again. To lighten the mood, we headed to Frontierland to ride the Runaway Mine Train and Splash Mountain. On our way we collected another set of autographs - Chip and Dale!

We also stopped in the Country Bear Jamboree, which I made us attend because it's a classic and show was starting as we passed. And then it was on to Splash Mountain!

I didn't really think through the fact that I had lunch plans with Cinderella and I was going to get soaked on Splash Mountain...

When we walked off the ride and spotted Jessie and Woody, so we paused for more autographs and photos.

Afterwards we went to Big Thunder Mountain, which Alli throughly enjoyed. After that, we went to Adventureland to check on Pirates of the Caribbean, but it was down so we walked through Agrabah where Ryan waited in line to hold our place to meet Aladdin and Jasmine. Alli and I wandered around and happened on a parade where we saw Genie, the Incredibles, and Lumiere. Ryan called me when he was close in line and we dashed over to see Jasmine & Aladdin.

Then we booked it over to Cinderella's castle to dine at Cinderella's Royal Table for lunch. While Ryan waited to check in, I talked Alli into riding the carousel and checking the Anna and Elsa line, which was up to 90 minutes.

Ryan called again when it was our turn for Cinderella, and off went went to dine with the princesses. I finally got to go inside the castle, and it's everything I thought it would be!

First we met with Cinderella for a second round of pictures and autographs. I wanted to tell her to move over because I was coming for her castle, but Ryan seemed to think that would be a bad idea. Then we were whisked up a red carpeted spiral staircase for lunch where several of Cinderella's friends came by...

Of course we filled up the autograph book with them. Alli got a wishing star and a magic wand too. It was a really great experience, and the food was good too. Plus it was nice to take a midday break for an hour and to see the inside of the castle overlooking Fantasyland. After lunch we went back into Fantasyland for rides 2 & 3 on Under the Sea, which I think I mentioned yesterday is a really great animatronic ride that tells the story of The Little Mermaid. For such a roller coaster loving kid, Alli sure does love this easy, slow ride. We took a picture outside Eric's castle as well. The new Fantasyland area has some great new construction - Rapunzel's tower, the Beast's castle, Eric's castle. It's really fantastic. After Under the Sea, Alli was ready for a little more thrill, but I talked her into going on Enchanted Tales with Belle so we could see the last major Disney princess. On this attraction, we interacted with characters from Beauty and the Beast like Lumiere and Madam Wardrobe. Each kid on the ride was assigned a part from the story to act out, and my kiddo was selected the be The Beast on the basis of her ferocious roar. Unbeknownst to us, that meant she was going to get to dance with Belle herself - how wonderful is that?

After all of this, someone was a little princessed-out (hint: it wasn't me), and so we headed to ride Pirates of the Caribbean where Alli hid her face the entire time. But afterwards she was pretty gung ho about being made into a pirate for Mickey's Not So Scary Halloween Party, a special event that we had tickets for later that same night.

After she got all dolled up to party, we went to Alli's favorite land Tomorrowland to give Space Mountain another shot. The last time we rode, I mentioned it broke down and Alli said she was "so excited to see how the rest of the ride went!" So we rode it a few times in row just to make sure we got the full effect. We also did a few more rounds on Buzz Lightyear's Space Ranger Spin just so Ryan could improve his score. When we walked out, we ran right into Buzz himself!!

We watched another parade and then made our way over to meet Merida. While we were in line, Ryan decided to go over to see how long the wait was for Anna and Elsa. The park was closing for a special event that we had tickets for, and we were hoping that would help the line die down. Meanwhile, Alli and I met Merida who had a wonderful Scottish brogue and absolutely adored Alli - she even told her she'd rather ride horses and swordfight than be a princess which made Alli's face light up. Then she called Alli her hair twin and said they had a secret club with Ariel, which Alli loved even more. So cute.

After Merida, we went to find Ryan waiting in line for Anna and Elsa. I assumed that he would still be in the back with another hour to go, but low and behold he was next! So Alli &I walked up and right in to meet the Beyonces of Disney princesses - the It Girls, the ones people wait in line hours to see...and Ryan waited no more than thirty minutes.

After meeting the princesses, we walked back towards Tomorrowland and met Lotso the bear on the way. We had a dance party with Mike & Sully from Monsters Inc., and then we rode Space Mountain at least twice.

We went back to the front of the castle for a Villains show featuring Maleficent, and then we stayed for a light and fireworks show. After that, we hit up ride after ride because we had the park until midnight for the party. There were so many awesome costumes that Ryan and I were feeling a little left out! I spotted Gaston from Beauty & the Beast and made Alli go meet him. Shes asked me to come too. He was so hilarious and he asked me when we left if I wanted some "man candy" and gave us chocolates. I was kind of swooning.

We finally rolled out of the Magic Kingdom when the clock struck midnight after getting there at 8AM! That's sixteen hours of Disney magic with no naps and no breaks. Needless to say, we promptly fell into bed.

Disney Vacation Day 0: Travel & Magic Kingdom

2014-10-01T21:09:00.001-07:00

Okay, I know it's been a while. And so much has happened since I last wrote and I most definitely owe you some updates. But before I get there (sometime next week), I am going to start fresh right now and tell you what's going on right this very minute because...

WE ARE IN DISNEY WORLD!!!!

That's right, the princess is back in her castle and I brought Alli & Ryan along with me. Alli got to experience her first airplane ride. I wish I could see the world through those eyes where everything is thrilling. She couldn't stop talking about how awesome it was that the ground looked like a patchwork quilt and that we were sailing through clouds.

Oh, and Mikey got his wings.

So we arrived in Orlando around lunch time after dropping Riley off in Little Rock with my parents. I miss that sweet baby girl desperately, but she is getting some grandparent time, and I am not having to lug her and all of her stuff across the Magic Kingdom to wait in line for two hours. It's really working out best for everyone.

But I digress. Have I mentioned how much I love this castle? Despite the fact that one of the bigger letdowns of my life was walking through it to realize it was pretty much just a giftshop sixteen years ago, I still love it.

After a walk around and a quick lunch, we used a Fast Pass+ and hopped on Space Mountain. It was all fun and games...

...until the ride broke down midway thorough, the lights came on, and Space Mountain was revealed to be not quite so pretty. Needless to say - what a buzzkill that our first ride in Disney ended in a mechanical issue.

But we soldiered on and used the Fast Pass from Space Mountain to go on the Buzz Lightyear ride. Essentially, you ride in a cart and shoot a lazer at targets to help Buzz Lightyear defeat the evil Emperor Zurg.

Alli and I didn't do half bad, but Ryan of course dominated all by himself.

After the Buzz Lightyear ride, we headed for Fantasyland to see Arial's ride called Under the Sea. Then we met Ariel in her grotto and my little tomboy absolutely adored her. Like got all shy and sweet and wanted to go back after we left. And Ariel got to be the first signature in Alli's autograph book - so much fun.

Ryan gave the ol' Sword in the Stone a try, and I am sorry to report he is not the king of England.

We did the Monsters, Inc. Laugh Floor which Alli thoroughly enjoyed, and then we waited in line for an hour for the Seven Dwarfs Mine Train. It was so much fun! Disney is meticulous about every last detail, so even waiting in the queue line was enjoyable with spinning barrels of jewels and fountains that changed colors when you touched them. Alli was so entertained that she only asked me "How much longer?" a dozen times. Progress, people. And Ryan made a buddy on his ride...

After the mine train, we decided it was time to head back to the resort for our dinner reservation at Chef Mickey's, which is in our hotel. Alli was not keen on leaving, but we reminded her that we still have all day tomorrow set aside for Magic Kingdom, so she agreed. She was glad she did, because dinner at Chef Mickey's means a ton of character autographs! The restaurant is buffet-style dining, but the major Mickey characters all actually stop at your table individually to interact with you.

We'd been up since 4:30AM between flying, driving, and Disney, so we were worn out after dinner and decided to head up to the room for some rest. But Disney wasn't done with us yet - we actually watched the Kiss Goodnight fireworks show from our balcony.

What an amazing way to end Day 0 in the Happiest Place on Earth!

Alli's Anecdotes

2014-08-17T12:00:00.001-07:00

We spent a part of today out at the barn playing beauty shop - Jabbar got the full works with a bath, hoof polish, and some ShowSheen. While he was drying, Alli and I even cleaned tack. She had a fabulous time.

On the way home, staring out the window, out of the blue she said "I'm so glad God made horses, Mom. Especially Jabbar."

Me too, Alli. Me too.

Date Night

2014-07-15T20:00:00.000-07:00

Don't be fooled by this title. I am not referring to my own personal date night. I haven't had one of those since my pre-Riley days, and even on that one I was 8.5 months pregnant so it's not like I really let loose or anything. My back was killing me, I couldn't sip wine (because we all know I am a wine-sipper), and I needed to be home to get in bed by 8PM.

What I'm referring to is my social media "friends" who have date nights and how envious I am. Ryan and I aren't big on leaving the kids with anyone besides family, and the one family member we have locally works two jobs - one in food service and one at a bar, so she might be able to give us "date early afternoon" but date night is pretty much out of the question.

Maybe my lack of date nightingness is my own fault, since I can't let go enough to let someone who doesn't spend Christmas morning with my kids watch them for a few hours, but that's a neurotic tic I've accepted about myself, kind of like the fact that I'm pretty sure if you took my blood pressure when there are dishes in the sink, I'd be having some kind of cardiac event.

Moreso than my parents friends who are date-nighting it up on the reg (power to you, know how lucky you are and how jealous I am), I would like to address my non-parent friends and point out to you that it's not date night for you.

I know the experts say that kids or no, married for forty years or two, you should always "date" your partner. But I have to pause and wonder for a minute if these experts have witnessed the miracle of birth, held their wife's hair while she violently threw up (let's just call that a stomach bug), or seen what happens to the female body after it carries a child for nine months. You can't date someone you've seen go to the bathroom. You can't date someone you've seen ugly cry. And you can't date someone who has made you blind with rage because they won't PUT AWAY THE CLOTHES YOU FOLDED FOR THEM. So I contend that these relationship experts don't have kids, always close the door when they go pee, and are already on anti-depressants or anti-anxiety medication. But I digress...

It's not date night for you. You've never sat down for dinner at a restaurant, had the waiter bring you your plate, and had someone say "Mom, I need to go to the bathroom." Really, right now? We've been sitting here twenty minutes waiting for our food, and right now when the waiter brought me my nice hot plate, you have to go to the bathroom?

It's not date night for you. You've never had your meal interrupted by bending down to pick up a sippy cup literally one thousand times. You have intelligent, coherent, uninterrupted conversations about politics and travel (because you have plenty of time and money to invest in them), and your hobbies (which don't include 'going to youth soccer games' and 'Pokemon cards'). You can finish a thought without being interrupted by "MAMA!" and yourself saying "Don't crawl on the floor."

It's not date night for you. Every night of the week you can go out to dinner with your significant other. You don't have to plan it a month in advance and pray no one gets sick (because they always get sick at the worst times) and that you don't find yourself just too exhausted to go anywhere. You can wear whatever you want without being afraid the baby will pull your earring through your ear, pull down your shirt, or someone will think "She's a mom, why is she dressed like that?" Makeup and a nice dress aren't a break for you - you can wear them whenever you want because whenever you want you can go eat at places where they don't have crayons and paper menus and gross wooden high chairs.

Look, I get it. You're "dating" your partner. You're making it a special event so you don't get complacent in your relationship. I support you. And I wouldn't trade my rugrats for your child-free dinners (most of the time). Post your pics because you look hot in your LBD and your heels. Check in at Bordino's and make me jealous - don't have too many chocolate martinis. But can we just agree that it's "Saturday night" for you?

Date night!!!!

Oh wait, no. Just Saturday night!!!!!

Self-Esteem by Alli

2014-07-13T08:28:00.000-07:00

Alli Bree is full of wisdom, she looks at things plainly, and she's brutally honest. Case in point, this Friday night heading to our neighborhood pool:

Alli: "Mom, why don't you ever wear this swimsuit with the fringe?"

Me: "Oh, I don't know. I'm saving it for the beach," thinking to myself that it's a little Spring Break 2002 for the neighborhood pool. Plus I didn't consider how much Riley would like to pull on the fringe.

Alli: "Well if you aren't going to wear it, can I? I really like it!" She puts it on.

Me: "Oh, I don't know, Alli. I don't think it fits you." I'm trying to ignore her shimmying to make the fringe swing.

Alli: "Oh it fits, Mom. It fits perfectly. Well the top fits perfect. The bottoms are pretty big."

Alli's Third Grade Wrap-Up

2014-06-10T21:00:00.000-07:00

Alli finished third grade on Friday and will embark on her last year of elementary school next in August.

Here we were on the first day of school:

And now here we are on the last day of third grade:

From the Botanical Gardens field trip and hiking Devils Den...

To the Fall Festival...

To being on Green Team, Honor Choir, and having awesome class parties....

From making new best friends...

To getting the teacher she wanted and loving her every second.

We had trials like math struggles and being challenged with a model of Neptune, and we had victories like being second in the school-wide spelling bee and making the Principal's Honor Roll.

We also endured TEN SNOW DAYS.

She performed alone in the talent show in front of parents and peers, and danced her heart out at every single school dance. I am so so proud to be the mama of such a strong, happy girl who is confident in herself and knows what she likes, and loves her family above all.

Happy summer, Alli!! You've earned it!

Riley's First Birthday!

2014-06-08T10:47:00.001-07:00

Last week, our little Riley girl turned O-N-E! We decided to have a party at the house with family and friends - I didn't even send out invitations! I just texted everyone to let them know what time. I teased with one of my friends that the theme of the party was "Shut Up Pinterest." I didn't put together a big themed party with invites and decorations and so much expectation I couldn't live up to. I hung a banner, bought some balloons, ordered a cake, and made some dips. And I really couldn't be happier about how it all went. I was relaxed, I enjoyed, and I think everyone else did too. I'll delve into my feelings on mommy guilt and overdone birthdays in another post...on to the pictures!

Riley was a little unsure about the smash cake at first - she delicately put her finger into the icing after some prompting from her Nini.

Then she got the hang of it and realized how good Ricks cake is...

Then it was time for presents. Our little lady racked up books, toys, pool stuff, her first baby doll, the Little People Klip Klop Princess Stable - oh and some shades.

We are so fortunate to have such wonderful friends and family who want to be a part of Riley's life. Much love to you all, and happy first birthday to our sweet girl!

Pre-Mothers Day Recap

2014-05-13T18:45:00.000-07:00

So even though my Mother's Day was by far the best day of the weekend (or ever), a lot happened this weekend before my special day. First of all, I had to leave work early on Friday to pick up Riley. She had a 101.5 degree fever. Her fever finally broke today, and last night was one of my worst ever as a parent. Nothing could make her happy, and I didn't know a child could cry for two hours straight. But we survived, and how can you not love this face?

I didn't get to go, but Friday night Alli had her last school dance of the year where her dance club performed some Michael Jackson numbers. The girl has some moves! Saturday morning, Alli and I went on a bike ride together after Ryan went on his solo. Then we headed to the ballpark for Alli's scrimmage. She was 2 for 3 batting with two singles and two runs scored. She also played the pitcher position as well as catcher. She did awesome. I am so excited to get to spend evenings at the ballpark again. Alli is really enjoying playing, and many of the girls on her team go to school with her, so we get to interact with families who have kids Alli's age who live nearby.

After the game, we took Riley for the inaugural spin in her bike chariot, which she loved. Thank goodness, because when that girl isn't happy, no one is happy! It was a wonderful Mother's Day weekend all around, and I am just ecstatic that I got to spend it doing all of my favorite things (except having a sicko kiddo...).

Mama's Day 2014

2014-05-11T15:45:00.000-07:00

I've been a mama for nine Mother's Days now, and I've had some good ones. But let me tell you - this year is shaping up to be one of the best yet. Riley let me sleep in until 8:30am (she's had a fever all weekend, so we didn't go to church this morning). Then Ryan and Alli went to go get me donuts and Starbucks, the breakfast of champions! And since Riley seemed to be feeling all right, we decided to go on our first family bike ride. Ryan and I got bikes last weekend, and we've been antsy to try them out all together.

We did a 45 minute, 5 mile bike ride on the Mud Creek and Scull Creek trails. Riley adored her trailer, and Ryan and I enjoyed our bikes. Alli, however, did not enjoy much of anything. Her tires were almost flat, and the bike is way too small for her. Plus, she only has one gear. Her new bike with seven gears was ready later the same day, thank goodness. So this little trek represented the last hurrah for Alli's old bike.

After a good ride and throwing some rocks into the creek, we came home to drop Ryan & Riley off and Alli & I headed to the barn. I got to sit in the sun and watch Miss Thang ride Tater Tot. She even cantered over a jump!

Then we came home and left again to pick up Alli's bike. Afterwards we went for "lupper" - lunch/supper at my favorite Mexican place on the planet La Hacienda. Mama even had a marg.

Now Ryan is doing the grocery shopping while I lounge around the house. We're planning another bike ride later this evening so Alli can test our her new wheels. Then I was promised cookies and wine for dinner followed by watching the new episode of Game of Thrones when the kids are snoozing. I'm serious, this might be my perfect non-beach non-Thanksgiving day. Happy Mothers Day to all of the mamas out there. I hope your days are as wonderful as mine!

Slang by Alli

2014-05-08T19:58:00.000-07:00

A few nights ago I was getting Alli ready for school the next day by having her lay out her clothes. She said "You know, Mom, I really need some new clothes." "I know you do, Alli. I'll go get you some. What are you into these days? Jeans and t-shirts still okay, or do you want to change it up?"

"I think jeans and t-shirts. That's my swagga." This statement was followed by two hands in deuces thrown up in the air.

Radio silence. Then "Um, what did you say?"

"That's my swagga. The jeans and t-shirts." More deuces.

"What does that mean, exactly?"

"You know, like that's what makes me cool. It's my swagga."

I'm really not ready for this, people.

Riley {Eleven Month Update}

2014-05-06T19:52:00.003-07:00

I know I say this every month, but come on. Can you believe it's been eleven months since this little sweet thing joined our family?

Here are Riley's key words for the month:

Standing. Like tall. Like pulling up on any and everything she can find. She will pull up on cabinets, on the bench, on your legs, in the bathtub (horrors). Anything she can use to get her feet under her she'll do it. She transitions pretty easily from flat on her tummy to sitting down to her knees to standing. It's alarming.
Talking. We aren't truly communicating verbally yet, but a few distinct noises that definitely are intentional. When people walk in the room for the first time, she very cheerfully says "Hiiii!" When she ~~drops something~~ throws something down, she looks over her chair and says "Uh." One time I got her to say "Uh oh" but just the once.
Clapping. One day while singing patty cake to her, I noticed Riley rolling her hands together when I said "Roll 'em up," and then she followed that up with clapping. A few times, she's even thrown her arms for the grand "Throw 'em in the pan" finale.

See that standing baby? I am absolutely amazed at the changes that have happened in such a short time. A month ago we were celebrating the army crawl, and now we're quickly baby-proofing and chasing her all over the house. And telling her over and over again that she can't stand in the tub!

Our eleven month photoshoot didn't go as well as planned because someone woke up on the wrong side of the bed, and then she decided to have coffee talk with Lola rather than face the camera. But Mama didn't get her coffee that morning because someone leaned over and pushed it off the bench.

When Riley wants you to sing to her, she bobs her head back and forth and says "Mmmbop" which almost always makes me break into a Hanson solo. She loves any music with a good beat that she can dance to - she get it from her mama.

Can it really be her one year birthday next month? Where has the time gone? If she changes as much this month as she did last month, she'll be driving a car. Slow down time! Happy eleven months, Riley Roo!

Hoppy Easter!

2014-04-29T20:00:00.000-07:00

I've made it no secret that Easter is not one of my favorite holidays - one of the major reasons being that it's on a Sunday, so I always have to travel! This year my family did me the honor of letting me hostess Easter at my own house, so it made it just a little bit sweeter.

We spent Saturday at Alli's first ever softball practice where she demonstrated her mad (inherited) softball skills. Seriously, this kid is a natural. After practice, we went to Academy Sports where the men determined she needed a pitch back and some practice balls to work on hitting. We spent the entire beautiful afternoon on the patio playing ball. Alli couldn't get enough.

That evening we grilled burgers and dyed Easter eggs. Riley observed and Ryan did most of the work. And I made sure Alli didn't color every single egg like a Ninja Turtle.

Alli left carrots and Reese's eggs for the Easter Bunny. I have it on good authority that he enjoyed the eggs more than the carrots. And he wishes she'd leave wine instead of water, but it's totally fine either way.

The next morning, Alli awoke to 23 eggs hidden around the house and a basket full of goodies.

Because she wasn't familiar with all of the good hiding spots in this house, she needed all of the egg hunting help she could get.

I know you're not going to believe me, but after egg hunting and breakfast, we got this house full of people up and to church at 9:45AM! We even got there early, so we got good parking and good seats. The service was beautiful and we sang some of my favorite hymns. Riley made it to the sermon when Ryan took her in the narthex with the other daddy-baby combos to play until it was time to sing again. We had beautiful weather to come home and take pictures as well to document that we all got prettied up and went to church together.

After lunch of fried chicken and chocolate layer dessert, we kept softballin'. It was really a fantastic Easter. Maybe I'm starting to come around on this holiday...