disney blog done right

Alright, now that I've lost count of how many loads of laundry I've done and restocked our house with nutritious food, I'm sitting down to tell you all of the magical wonders of a Disney vacation. These magical wonders would have been posted earlier if Disney had offered free Wi-Fi instead of opting to suck more dollars out of our slim wallets by requiring payment for internet. Bygones.... The drive to LA and stay in the Howard Johnson was blissfully uneventful. Cameron was a lovely little lady and I have a nice picture at LAX to prove it.
Unfortunately for Darren, his driver's license had expired and he didn't realize it until a TSA agent pulled him aside for a very thorough search. The kids and I got to witness this special moment. We knew he would have to go through this again on the return trip and I would have to do a lot of driving until the problem was fixed. The 4 1/2 hour trip to Orlando was fine except for the few times we dared to confine Cameron to a seatbelt... she does not like to be confined. She also hates elevators. We arrived in Orlando and were whisked away by Disney's Magical Express, a service that picks you up at the airport and delivers you to your hotel. They even claim your luggage for you and deliver it to your room. We loved that service!!!!! There's nothing worse than dragging your kids and luggage through an airport! Our hotel was Disney's All-Star Movies Resort. It is one of their 3 budget-friendly resorts, a basic Motel 6 room, Disney-fied. We stayed in The Love Bug section of the resort, other sections included Toy Story, The Mighty Ducks, 101 Dalmations and Fantasia. All around the resort they had giant replicas of Disney icons and the kids loved seeing them all!



The next day we took the shuttle to Downtown Disney (sidenote: you can't just walk around Disney World, this is 22 square miles to explore, they have their own freeway system...). Our main objective for coming here was a trip to the Lego store. Before leaving home I had withdrawn $20 from Jason's savings account so he could buy something for himself, I knew this is exactly what he would want. The kid was all business, he was a serious shopper who left us in the dust. It was so cute! After much deliberation he bought a cargo crane, very cool. We then went out to the tables where he and 50 other kids played Legos while their parents rested their weary feet. We had a nice time exploring the other stores and posing by all the characters.


I'll post more later, time to put in another load of laundry...

walt disney world

Yeah, the title says it all... we were gone for a week in Florida, home of Mickey Mouse! But, before I get to that can I just spew out all my excitement over what happened today.... I met OSCAR, from THE OFFICE! We got up this morning at the crack of dawn to be at the Orlando airport to catch our 7:05 to LAX, and who was there waiting for the same flight? OSCAR, from THE OFFICE! He was tired, just like everyone else at the terminal, and I spotted him as we walked up. I turned to Darren and with a silly grin plastered all over my face I tried to discreetly hiss... "it's OSCAR, from THE OFFICE!" At that moment I instantly forgot where I put the camera, and it was OK, because the poor man needed a cup of coffee and a breakfast sandwich from Starbucks. I sipped my mocha and plotted how I would extract his used cup from the trashcan. We began boarding and you know who was in 1st class. He was traveling with a guy named Steve (saw it on his Starbucks cup... I'm not crazy... just a rabid fan... support the rabid) who Darren figured out was Ned Bryerson from Groundhog Day ("Ned? Ned Bryerson?" steps in puddle...). Finally, our section was called and we of course were seated in the very back. I smiled at Oscar as I walked through 1st class while lugging Cameron, 2 carry-ons and a sippy cup, I remembered exactly where I packed my camera. The whole flight I debated with myself as to how I would get a picture with him. I decided my only hope was a delay at baggage claim... who wants to disturb a guy on a 5 hour flight, maybe he wants to sleep? As we disembarked, remember we're at the back, I gathered up Cameron and all her gear (which seems to multiply as the day wears on) and rushed off the plane. I left Jason and Darren in a cloud of dust as I ran up the jetway and shouted "see you at baggage claim!" Everyone must have assumed Cameron had a poopy diaper because the crowds parted for me and I arrived at baggage claim in a breathless heap. I spotted him and calmly removed the camera from the diaper bag. Darren and Jason finally arrived and the carousel had not started turning yet. Perfect. I handed the camera over to Darren and casually sauntered up to him, "Oscar?" I innocently asked. He turned and smiled as if he had done this a million times and said, "yes." I introduced myself, AND SHOOK HIS HAND! Darren snapped a picture as I was trying to ask him about the writer's strike and when they would get back to work (tomorrow!). He and Steve Somebody had been in Orlando shooting "Beethoven's 6th". This is the reason I want to fly out of LAX from now on... with all those black Lincoln Towncars zipping around the terminals, there's bound to be famous people flying to the same places I'm going! He politely posed for a picture with me and I would love to show it to you except...... curses, you Kodak EasyShare C340! You pick now to quit on me! I shall post pictures as soon as I can upload them, my camera is stubbornly holding on to them right now. And yes I will also post about Florida, for now enjoy these pics of the kids which I uploaded a few days ago at our hotel, Disney's All-Star Movies Resort.

what did i do?

I cannot believe I did this! On Sunday night we were giving the kids a bath and as I was combing out Cameron's long, tangly hair afterward I realized she was strangely still and interested in the q-tips on the counter. I called out to Darren to bring the scissors and the camera because this was my moment-- I was going to cut her hair! I had known for some time that I would have to be the one to do this because she doesn't let just anybody touch her (good girl!) and somehow I would have to be quick because she wouldn't give me much time. My friend had told me her only advice was "be quick!" because that's how she was able to cut her daughter's hair. Why is it so scary to make the first cut? It's just hair, it will grow back! Anyway, I think it's pretty cute, and it's not so tangly anymore!

valentine's day

We had quite a long Valentine's Day at the Rusco house. I think this is one of my favorite holidays because Darren likes to surprise us with a treasure hunt every year. This year was even more exciting for Jason because he could read the clues himself. In the morning the kids opened some takeout boxes that I had filed with handmade felt fortune cookies. They had messages and candy inside. We rushed off to school where Jason experienced the onslaught of Valentines and candy. Cameron went to library story-time where the librarian was kind enough to give each child a sucker. It was a nice gesture, but for Cameron it was too much sugar. She ate the whole thing and preceded to make us miserable afterward with her behavior. We picked Jason up from school and went home to start the treasure hunt. Darren had hidden clues around the house and in the car. Since Jason could read them all himself he took off without me and my camera because we were tied up in Cameron's outbursts. His last clue at home directed him to go to church to continue the hunt. That transition was great because at church Cameron was able to pull it together and compose herself while Jason finished his hunt. In the end the kids found Guido and Luigi and a tractor from the Cars movie. We got lunch and headed home for a NAP! Aubrey Bear enjoyed a lovely afternoon with Jason while he read books to her and his other stuffed animals, I think he called it storytime at the zoo. We had dinner at home and did our best to keep the kids from eating too much candy. The best solution for our kids is to put it away in the cupboard- out of sight, out of mind.

aubrey bear

Say hello to Aubrey Bear! Aubrey is the kindergarten class bear and she gets to visit the home of one kindergartener every week. This week Aubrey is in the Rusco house for a few days of fun. Today Aubrey has played Legos, taken a nap and changed clothes several times. Aubrey is trying to avoid Cameron, who loves a little too much! It's getting very Valentine-y around here, so I'm sure Aubrey will have a fun holiday... stay tuned for more!

snow day

We survived! The day was long and cold, but the kids had a blast. We drove up to Shaver Lake with our friends, the Hedlunds and the Keys. The kids (and adults) had fun riding sleds and tubes down the slopes of a snow park just off the highway. What's the deal with kids and gloves? You spend so much time putting gear on these kids, especially gloves and the first thing they do when they step outside is take off their gloves to scoop up a handful of snow and eat it. When you put their freezing wet hands back into the gloves they are basically ruined because the freezing wet hands have now made the gloves wet inside. I think the kids are genuinely shocked that snow can be so cold. Cameron did not like the hills covered in snow, nor did she like riding a sled with me. I think her favorite part of the day was walking around the flat, scraped parking lot. Jason surprised us with his bravery and sledded without one whimper of fear. It definitely helps to have all his friends around. Enjoy the pictures!

projects

Hey everybody! I just wanted to post a few of my latest projects. First up are these fabric pinwheels. I saw the idea on Chickpea Sewing Studio. She made these for a baby mobile but I adapted them to make giant magnets for my fridge. Next I made another felt banner (see giving thanks post) for Valentine's Day. I figured I could crank out the 6 letters of "be mine" faster than "happy Valentine's Day" and actually have it up for a few weeks. Today I trying out Martha's coffee cake (although my favorite recipe is from The Center for Sour Cream Coffee Cake in Portland. I'll let you know how Martha stacks up. We're getting ready for a snow day tomorrow. We're loading up the motorhome with gear and food for one day in the snow ... so you know what that means.... I'm packing more than we'll ever need. I'll post pics from tomorrow by the end of the week... if we survive....