Disney Dreams for 2013

May 5, 2013 by 1 Comment

The sun is out!   Two days of it and the kids are already complaining that they are too hot.  My lot better toughen up soon, because the countdown is on.  In two weeks we are jetting down to Disneyland to check out all the incredible things that are happening there.

It is going to be a packed few days.   Like our Victoria Day long weekend the week before, the Memorial Day weekend is the big kick off for all things summer and vacation and fun down in the US of A.

We haven’t been back to Disneyland since Caitlyn was the same age that Tara is now.

princesscaityThe very first day there back in 2008, Caity went and met many of her favourite princesses and then had her hair and make up done too.   She was in heaven.     She kept that hair do almost the entire time we were there.   For a girl who barely lets me brush her hair….this was and still is HUGE.  At age 8 she perhaps feels that she is too cool for the princess scene now, but I am sure she will be curious to see what Tara makes of it all now at the new Fantasy Faire.

Part of the newly expanded and revamped Fantasy Faire is the Fantasy Theatre.  Starting May 25th, this will be the home to  “Mickey and the Magical Map.”  “Mickey and the Magical Map” presents Mickey in his timeless role as the sorcerer’s apprentice. Wise sorcerer Yen Sid directs his Mapmakers, a singing-dancing ensemble cast that paints a wondrous map – capable of taking dreamers to any place imaginable and so large it spans the entire stage of the outdoor Fantasyland Theatre.

I am thrilled to hear about this and more live shows at Disneyland.  Disney is always about more than rides. It should be about magic and entertainment of all kinds.

Bringing the magic to life is what Disney does best.  I will never forget Adam meeting the Jedi and facing down Darth Vader and Darth Maul.   He was so serious about his job.  He took it all in.

Young JediHe will certainly get the chance to take it all in and see if he can last thanks to this.  Disneyland Park and Disney California Adventure Park  will stay open from 6 a.m., May 24 to 6 a.m., May 25, 2013, to mark the beginning of a summer of fun inspired by the upcoming Disney•Pixar comedy adventure Monsters University.    Who can’t wait for THAT movie to come out! :)

The Crunchy crew are thrilled to have the opportunity to share with you all the fun that is happening this summer season at Disneyland.  I cannot wait to share the experiences with you.    It will be a very different trip for us with older kids this time around, but will certainly enjoy seeing it through Tara’s eyes…..our newb at all things Disneyland.

Check out the links and start planning your next visit there!!!!

 

 

 

 

 

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Wreck-It Ralph

October 26, 2012 by Leave a Comment

My kids have been very excited to see Wreck-It Ralph due to it being set in a video game world.  This world is not an X-Box though, but the local arcade, where when the kids go home, the denizens of the games get to relax a bit until being called on for their next quests.   The cute pixelated characters mix and mingle with the various game characters at Game Central, a large concourse found within a power bar.

Ralph, who has been the ‘bad guy’ on a very successful game is just not feeling it any more  as he tells his ‘bad guy support’ group.  When he is left out of the games anniversary celebrations, things come to a boil and our wannabe hero find himself on a search for the respect he feels he deserves and the chance to prove himself as more than just a bad guy.   You can only imagine, this path will not be an easy one, and Ralph meets many characters who are not necessarily supportive of his quest.   In fear of their game being switched off, his game ‘good guy’ Fix-It Felix heads out after him, and is joined by a Halo like heroine when they realize that  the fate of not only his game is in jeopardy, but the whole arcade.

Wreck-It Ralph is made fun by the great cast behind the voices.  John S. Reilly is Ralph, Jack McBrayer is Felix, Sarah Silverman is the precocious Vanellope and Jane Lynch kills it as our armoured heroine Sargeant Calhoun.   There is lots of nostalgia gamer humour in the movie.  The kids liked the fact that Q-Bert was homeless, and they enjoyed spotting many other characters they new scattered about.  However, the film also tries to pull on the heart strings, and the kids noted that the film sometimes made them feel sad.  For my older kids, that is fine, but some younger one’s might be upset a bit.    I love John C. Reilly as he plays the sympathetic underdog so perfectly and it was weird not hearing Sarah Silverman swearing.

I will happily recommend this movie as fun for the whole family.

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THE PERRY FILES

June 1, 2012 by 7 Comments

There are 104 days of Summer Vacation – at least for those in the Tri-state area.  :) Which means there is plenty of time to watch DVD’s….so what a perfect giveaway is this……THE PERRY FILES!

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Join Perry the Platypus–a.k.a. Agent P.–on his most exciting adventures as he thwarts his nemesis, Dr. Doofenshmirtz, at every turn. With groovy gadgets, mad skills and his trademark brown fedora, this semi-aquatic, egg-layin’ mammal of action is unstoppable! Experience the hilarious havoc as he defends the Tristate Area against Doof’s “inators,” battles rogue agent “Dennis the Bunny,” and much more. When it comes to secret agents, Perry’s not only the real deal, he’s real teal!

I have THREE copies of The Perry Files for you to check out!!!

For ONE entry, tell me your favourite character from Phineas & Ferb.  For TWO entries, tell me the name of the secret agent that lives with Isabella (her pet!).

Deadline for entries is June 8th (Friday).

This contest is only available in Canada except Quebec (sorry)

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Shake It Up – Disney Style

February 13, 2012 by Leave a Comment

I little while ago, I received a press release that caught my eye.   Mainly because it had the the words ‘Lululemon,’ ‘Disney,’ and ‘Girls’ in the description.    The big words were about Shake It Up the hit Disney Channel series featuring the adventures of Cece Jones and Rocky Blue.  I knew this would pique the interest of my seven year old daughter, Caitlyn who loves all things Disney Channel.

Ivivva athletica is Lululemon’s dance apparel brand for girls. Ivivva products are designed for athletic pursuits such as dance and gymnastics, as well as for all-day versatility for the younger set.   The set that watches and loves shows like Disney’s Shake It Up.

“Shake It Up and its main characters served as the perfect inspiration for our new clothing line,” said Jennie Lam, lead designer for ivivva athletica. “So many girls dream of becoming professional dancers and are inspired by Cece and Rocky. We are so excited to have a line of dancewear that incorporates their passion for dance and the vibrancy of their personalities. The ‘Shake It Up’ line strikes the right balance between functionality and spirit and meets the needs and desires of girls who want to dance and move in style.”

We had to see this for ourselves, so they kindly sent us an outfit for Caitlyn to check out.

Caity was quite thrilled by the ‘Dancing Heart Collection’ she is sporting here.

This outift consists of the ‘Shrug It Up Shrug,’  the ‘Tumblin Tank II,’ and the ‘Rythmic Crop II.’  Caity is a tall seven year old and these in size 10 just fit her, so the sizes do run for those girls who are built like dances and gymnasts.

The Ivivva lines are great for those young ladies who are serious about their dance and sport.  The Shake It Up line makes it all a bit more fun and fashionable.  Caity’s classmates were very impressed by the ‘Shake It Up’ label on the clothing.

You can see more of the line in their fashion show here:

These clothes are not just made with fashion in mind…these are good quality dance and athletic clothing for girls.  The tank fabric is light and breathable with a Coolmax liner to wick away moisture.  The crop pants have wide smooth waistbands to stop them rubbing or digging in and the stretch any gymnast or dancer would need. Caity loved the thumbholes in the shrug.

If you have the next Cece or Rocky in your family, these are the clothes for them.  Check  them out.

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Phineas and Ferb: LIVE

January 23, 2012 by Leave a Comment

We love Phineas and Ferb.  It is one of those cartoons that is clever enough for adults, yet safe and entertaining for kids.  The dry humor and crazy song lyrics make for laugh out loud episodes for young and old. Needless to say, we were VERY curious to hear more about a touring LIVE show.     They arrive in Vancouver on January  27th, for five shows. However, WE got to see the show down in Everett, Washington so we could tell you all about it.

We got the VIP treatment and were very fortunate to meet some of the cast from the show including Phineas and Perry themselves.  The cast were charming and chatted away with the kids and we really enjoyed hearing about what it was like doing such a fun show.  They seemed to be really into it.   Our family was already basking in our epic knowledge about the show and WINNING the trivia contest.

After that we headed down to the arena to see the show itself.

I really had know idea what to expect when you turn a cartoon into a LIVE show….will it be cheesy, will it have the same vibe as the cartoon?  Well, it does.  The writing feels as slick as the TV show.   Of course, a live Phineas and Ferb show is nothing without all the amazing music.    The show includes some of our favorites like ‘Busted’, ‘Backyard Beach,’ Gitchee Gitchee Goo,’ and our favorite ‘Squirrels in My Pants.’

The dancing is slick and contemporary.   The cast of characters are helped along by a great troupe of dancers which help them come up with a wacky mash up (from their mash-up machines) of songs and dances when they realize they are performing in front of a live audience.

If you don’t know the show, it was created by by Emmy Award-winning Dan Povenmire (“Family Guy”) and Jeff “Swampy” Marsh (“The Simpsons” and “Rocko’s Modern Life”), this stand-out comedy series follows Phineas Flynn and his stepbrother, Ferb Fletcher, as they set out to optimize every day of their 104-day summer vacation, dreaming the impossible dream — and then doing it, including building a rollercoaster or a beach in their own backyard.  Unbeknownst to them, their pet platypus Perry has a double life as suave secret Agent P, deftly battling the evil Dr. Doofenshmirtz to save the world.  Meanwhile, older sister Candace is aghast at her brothers’ antics and makes it her life’s work to tattle on them to Mom and Dad, though somehow she can never seem to catch them red-handed.

The show is a lot of fun.  Tara loved dancing to the songs and Caity and Adam had a good chuckle.   It really does suit all ages. There is lots of audience interaction which pulls the kids in and makes it for a fast paced and fun event.

Tickets are available through Ticketmaster.

 

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Beluga Enounters

June 7, 2011 by 1 Comment

Adam’s birthday was on the last weekend in May.   The big thing he wanted to do was either Whale Watching or the Beluga Encounter at the Vancouver Aquarium.   Despite the fact that we couldn’t get him in there for his actual birthday, we went down to the aquarium the following weekend for this amazing experience.

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Adam had been the lucky one on our Disney Cruise to Alaska who saw the Humpbacks jumping and what he said looked like their feeding patterns.  I only saw spouts and tails from a great distance.

He LOVES all things about Marine Animals.  Well ALL animals really…but the oceans seem to fascinate him.  We finally got a membership at the Aquarium too as they kids could spend every single day there. They love it.

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Eight is the age limit for the encounters and they have to be accompanied by an adult.  Adam chose me, so this left Patrick with the two girls for two hours.  Insert evil chuckle here.

We were with another couple and it too was a birthday gift for the woman and they were as excited as Adam.  The first 45 minutes are all about education and awareness.  We discussed all the characteristics, habits and geography of the Beluga.  For Adam is was like FUN school.  Then we donned water boots, washed hands and went through much disinfectant to the kitchens where we could see their and other resident marine mammals daily menus.

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4pm was the next show for all the Belugas and so we brought out the food for them all – the females anyway..the big male is ‘on loan’ to another aquarium right now.   It was up to the trainers who we would meet and who would be in the show.    So we were delighted to meet Aurora up close and personal while,  Kavna, Qila and Tiqa headed out to entertain the masses.

All I can say is it was amazing.   I felt honored to be so close and to touch such a wonderful creature.  I realize that people are uncomfortable with any sort of marine mammals and especially whales being in captivity, and I truly understand and share those concerns.

I do however, feel that education and awareness is crucial to making sure humans put more efforts into being wards of the planet and protecting it for the creatures we share it with.

People tend to be oblivious to the consequences of their very existence here and what energy is required to maintain our lifestyles. Making sure that people and children have a chance to understand WHO we share our world with is crucial.

I support our aquarium with their efforts to educate over entertain.

And this was  truly a wonderful way to learn.   Adam LOVED it…though was overwhelmed by her size when so close.  I just wanted to hug her.

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Expanding Worlds

May 17, 2011 by 2 Comments

As your kids hit school age, you start to really see them for the people they are and who they will be.  You also fret a lot.  You worry about them making friends, fitting in, doing well at school, the list goes on.

When the kids get through kindergarten their world starts to separate more and more from your world and you have to start ASKING what is going on instead of being the one controlling it.

I have to admit, I do enjoy watching their little worlds expand and their confidence in themselves with it.  The two of them marched in the house the other day and announced that they had both joined the ‘Walking Club.’

Apparently the first rule of walking club is to not talk about the walking club since when I asked about what that entails, all I got was “we walk.”

Nuff said.

However, coming from a girl AND boy who complain if they have to walk ANYWHERE about sore legs…this is all a bit surprising.

What was even MORE surprising is our gamer/emo/slacker boy joined the track team and seems to LOVE it.   We headed out to watch his first mini meet, and he may not be the fastest, but he is enthusiastic and is listening and learning.

We really saw how confident they are in their own worlds when we were on the cruise.  They would vanish into the Oceaneer Lab or Club with nary a backward glance and be gone for hours in their own world where they didn’t need mom or dad.   They made friends and connections on the ship and waved hi at kids we didn’t know as we wandered about.

Last night a GIRL that they met onboard CALLED Adam.   Their world continues to grow.

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Menstrual Musings

April 15, 2008 by 8 Comments

First day back at reality.

Adam happy to go to school..ride showed up….that was good.

Caity only grumbled a wee bit.

I had morning to myself.

Did nothing.

Then MOM made me walk a long way with dog and this pulled out my tailbone thingie into pain and throbbing.

Sulked the rest of the afternoon with a dash of SNARKING LOUDLY at poor preschool about their CASH only policy for school pictures.

Gah.

Have no real food in the house except breakfast food, popsicles and microwave dinners. Don’t let husband grocery shop again. Unless he brings me chocolate.

Spent afternoon wondering how to pay off credit card AND save for BlogHer.

CH spent afternoon once again realizing that there are NO good writing gigs in Metro Vancouver.

Was happy that Kodak site gave me 100 free prints for transferring my account from Future Shop to them. Yay.

So vacation is now a fond memory and mess of stuff.

Things we observed/thought about during our trip.

YVR is really pretty but food options SUCK!

I wish we had Wolfgang Puck To Go. YUM.

ALWAYS confirm your rooms BEFORE you fly. They LOST our mom’s reservation.

The food in Disney was pretty good. You pay for selection though. It was annoying to have to buy JUST hot dogs or JUST pizza.

And the SERVICE….holy slow. HOLY SLOW and we are the happiest place on earth so FUCK YOU we don’t care about THE MASSIVE LINE UP FOR STROLLERS….WE WILL KEEP ONLY ONE CASHIER ON!

Oh..sorry for shouting.

Being cheery doesn’t help THE LONG LINE UP when I just want a farking cup of coffee.

And really? You will let us use the strollers in the INSANE NO FASTPASS line up for the Nemo Submarine? That is nice of you.

The Disney clothes are nice though. Good selection for people like me who don’t like wearing brands but can’t resist spending money.

The Character Lunch was pretty good. The food was tasty. The lady who extorted sold us our ‘official’ Ariel photo should have either buggered off after getting our money or explained that she was just bored or thought we looked cool or something. She stood there and made food and drink suggestions and made our conversation awkward because she would not leave.

Everyone down there seemed pretty happy and relaxed even when faced with cranky kids.

Staff of the restaurants, park, hotel, bus drivers….all nice.    Just slow.

IHOP was the only place we got good coffee.

There is a distinct lack of seating in Disney…unless you are sitting where THEY want you to sit.

Disney wind is different from our wind since a teeny breeze made them cancel the fireworks twice.

Thank goodness for happy Disney people because the lack of signage left us a bit confused a few times.  Oh COME ON!  I am not the only tourist who is stunned and tired and can’t figure out their happy little maps!

Universal is no place for little girls who only want to see princesses.  And if that place isn’t some sort of tax scheme for Universal, I will eat my hat.

It was dead there.

And really, are there any people left in the world that think movie making is all magic and ooh’s and aaah’s.  Or am I just a horrid jaded cynic?

Don’t answer that.

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And So…

April 13, 2008 by 5 Comments

Dear Scott,

I thought you should know that I have not forgotten that the only reason we got to go to Disneyland was because you died.

If not, I would be here with a month old baby boy, tired, stressed and exhilarated all at once. I would be spending time getting to know you. Your personality, your likes and dislikes.

But you are not here.

And so we went there.

My grasp on your existence feels so tenuous, so fragile. Sometimes it is like you were just a dream.

I look at photos of me pregnant with you and can’t remember the feeling. That was me? That was you?

Anyway….I just wanted to say that you are still in our hearts and we miss you…..and thank you for allowing the rest of the family to go and have a fun holiday on your behalf.

Thank you

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The Force is Strong in this One…

April 12, 2008 by 2 Comments


Is that an awesome pic of my son or what?
He was soooo proud of himself.


This is something I never thought anyone would see…I am a total chicken when it comes to rides!!

This got me through the lunch!!!

and…

Isn’t she a beauty…
I know it is all gender stereotyping and bad for the feminist front and all that..but SHIT, being a princess is fun!
And my princess is the toughest meanest one you will ever meet too..so there!

I never TRIED to do the boy and girls thing..they just do what they like. But I don’t have a pic of her festooned in pink carrying a large rubber T-Rex. Her Universal Studio gift of choice.

So if that isn’t mixing up the stereotypes, I don’t know what is.
Girls were Jedi’s too…but yes, it was mostly boys.

Star Tours was HER favorite ride after meeting the princesses….
I think we are doing ok!

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