we’re 30,000 feet in the air and headed down to walt disney world for a week.

we’re super excited and looking forward to a wonderful week together as a family.

things may be quiet around here but if you’d like to follow us along on our trip follow me on twitter (@jen_schoeph) or on instagram (jen_schoeph).

image via fat mum slim

i love the challenge & i love that it’s unique.  between my dslr & my iphone i take enough pictures a day/week/month to do this challenge.  since i know there is no way i would remember all 29 items, i took a picture of this list and saved it to my phone.  now i cannot claim i forgot!

won’t you join this challenge?  if you do decide to join or already participate, leave me a comment letting me know your blog, twitter handle or instagram name so i can follow along with you!

2 days!  2 days!!  we’re leaving early sunday morning for disney world.

this will be our 3rd family vacation down there and each year is just as exciting as the first.  actually, scratch that, it might get more exciting with each passing year.  the kids are another year older which adds to the magic & excitement.

the kids have been busy this week making their bucket lists of what we need to see or do while we are down in florida.

ben’s list includes: haunted mansion, tomorrowland speedway, spaceship earth, soarin’, tower of terror, see & hug cinderella, eat at chef mickey’s and ride all the monorails.

emilia’s list includes: see, meet & hug rapunzel & flynn rider, spend her entire day with princess belle, eat at chef mickey’s, wear her princess dresses, dance in/along with the parades, hug minnie mouse, and shopping {her version is to touch every single minnie & princess item in the stores}.

great lists & almost every item will happen.  unfortunately, we won’t be able to spend our entire day with princess belle but we will definitely be meeting her.  sorry sister!

dan & i are just as excited as the kids.  our lists include pretty much all the same things as the kid’s!  dan is looking forward to our dinner at les chef de france in epcot.  i’m looking forward to seeing emilia meet rapunzel {squeals & laughter will be heard all around the world when this happens}.  we both are looking forward to seeing the new {to us} interactive line at the haunted mansion.  it debuted about 2 weeks after we left last year!  most of all, dan and i are looking forward to feeling the magic that disney so awesomely provides.  for one week we will be whisked away to another world.

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i have a few loads of laundry to finish up before we leave and clean/pick-up the house.  i cannot come home to a messy house.  the kids are packed save for a few pairs of pants for ben, their shoes and tolietries.  dan & i still need to pack but it’s all spring/summer clothes so i’m not worried it will take us long.

once dan gets home from work, i’m off to pamper myself with a vacation {no-chip} mani & pedi.

the excitement level is going to continue to rise over the next two days.

happy vacation to us!

what are your weekend plans?  what’s your favorite thing about disney (can be disney world or disneyland)?

smile!  it’s friday!! happy weekend!!!

3 weeks ago, emilia started taking dance classes.  it is possibly one of the best things we’ve signed her up for to date.  i waivered between dance or gymnastics.  we gave her the choice.  she chose dance.

growing up, i did both dance & gymnastics.  i think both are something every little girl should do.  they’re just part of being a young girl.

emilia looks forward to every single thursday morning.  her instructor is nothing short of wonderful.  she is able to lead a class of seven 3 & 4 year old’s for an hour and keep their attention.

emilia practices all her new moves all week long.  i love watching her.  we were at my in-laws house a few weeks back and emilia decided she wanted to do a performance for our family.  she had only taken one class but i loved watching every single second.

in two weeks, emilia’s class does a little performance, during class time, for all parents & family to attend.  i cannot wait.  the following week the next session starts.  emilia is already signed up.

it is safe to say emilia is in the middle of a major growth spurt.  just after her 3rd birthday she went through a growing growth spurt.  she woke up one morning & none of her clothes fit.  it literally happened overnight!

a sure sign my girl is going through a growth spurt?  her appetite.  normally, she is a bird when it comes to food.  and the food she does it is very plain & simple {waffle no butter or syrup, vanilla yogurt, plain noodles}.  these last two weeks?  her appetite is completely ravenous.

i think today we were at the peak of her growth spurt.  sister ate her weight & more today.

here is the run down:

breakfast {8:00 am}: two blueberry waffles, one 6 oz. container vanilla yogurt, & watered down gatorade g2 fruit punch

9:00 am – another 6 oz. container vanilla yogurt, a few handfuls of trader joe’s dark chocolate covered power berries

10:30 am – half of a banana

12:30 pm – handful of shredded cheese, one whole banana, small handful of cheetos, one & a half target deli chicken tenders, watered down gatorade g2 fruit punch

2:00 pm – {snack with dan} – trail mix though to clarify she only wanted the m&m’s & water

6:00 pm – banana, bowl of vanilla yogurt, 1 target deli chicken tender, apple & water {due to gymnastics & that i haven’t gone grocery shopping because we’re headed out of town it was a whatever i can throw together dinner}

i’m probably leaving things out.  but for emilia this is a whole lot of eating.  most days she is good with her breakfast of yogurt & a waffle, maybe some eggs.  she doesn’t each much lunch.  typically has a small snack while we are waiting to pick up ben from school and then a small t0 medium dinner.  she’s as picky as they come and likes everything plain & simple.

i am expecting to find her 6 inches taller by tomorrow morning.

5 is an interesting age.  one minute all is smooth sailing and the next something, everything, nothing is falling apart.  there is so much going on at 5.  between learning at home, at school, and from friends & peers it’s a lot.  it’s hard to keep up with and, at times, exhausting.  sometimes i think ben’s brain is in overload.

ben and i butt heads a lot.  we are very, very much a like.  sometimes it is like i am talking/arguing with the 5 year old version of myself.  true story.  but also he “falls apart” with those he feels the most comfortable around {me!}.

when ben & i hit a bump in our road, i try to find a new approach, a new way around.  sometimes i strike gold other times notsomuch.

lately, i feel as though i am a broken record.  the following phrases are heard no less than 8,304,201 time a day (& he’s gone at school for 6.5 hours):

“ben, don’t forget your backpack.”

“please put your butt on the seat.”

“zip your coat.”

“did you brush your teeth?”

“you have been going to school since august, how do you forget your schoolbag every single morning?”

“don’t tell you sister to yell for me.” {every single night, benjamin likes to quietly {or so he thinks, i can hear him on the monitor} tell emilia to yell for me.  doesn’t matter what it’s for.  i now have a laundry list of items that we need to run down before bed every. single. night.}

“don’t say that {insert some bathroom “humor.”}”

off the top of my head, these are just a few.  some days my patience level is higher than others.  some days i say nothing.  some days i hope that certain things will click & i won’t sound like a broken record.  some days i feel like a nag.  i don’t want to be a nag.  no one likes a nag.

i’m not looking for or asking for perfect.  he’s a kid, he’s 5.  asking for perfect is ridiculous.  i’m just looking for a little compromise.  i take each day and learn from it the next.  we may end our days on low note but i wake up every morning hopeful and optimistic.  and i wake up every morning happy that he’s mine.

this is currently happening outside my window.  snow and lots of it.  it started coming down slowly but by noon it was coming down quickly.  it has not let up.

all of the snow we got last week melted over the weekend & at the beginning of the week.  i’m excited to have it back!

dan is leaving shortly to pick ben up from school.  i have a feeling our afternoon holds sledding, making snow angels, homemade hot chocolate, a nice {family} dinner {dan’s home! woot!}, a fire & a movie!

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that’s all i got.  my brain is empty.  wait, scratch that.  it’s not empty.  it’s just tired.  and all i can really think about is lists and what i need to do, pack, buy, wash before our disney trip.  9 days!  we are excited!

and really, you probably don’t want to see my lists.  they keep me on track.  and just when i cross a few items off the list, i always remember something else and it seems like i am not making progress but really i am.  all in a roundabout way.

i can’t believe i am talking about lists.  

anyway…

have a great weekend!  smile!!  it’s friday!!!

everything about this picture is perfect.

toes.  fleece jammies.  bed head.  and, of course, the uncomfortable, yet comfortable kid sitting position.

conventional work hours {you know, 9:00 am – 5:00 pm} are far from the norm  here.

and just because the kids and i may not be awake when dan leaves for work and/or comes home from work doesn’t mean we can’t let him know we think about him while he’s gone.

i grew up getting little notes from my mom & it’s something that i’ve carried over in my little family.  they may not happen daily {unless it’s a countdown} & their little surprise appearance is enough to start a day with a smile.

11 days!  we are giddy with excitement.

every disney trip we take i make countdown posters.  the kids think they come from mickey.  i’m totally good with that.  it’s like the elf on the shelf all over again except the little posters are usually at the dining room table instead of hidden throughout the house.

this year, i started putting some of their characters around the paper.  this morning their poster was surrounded by mickey mouse, pluto, princess belle & rapunzel.

each poster made is a little different.  this one just contained all the theme parks & the resort we are staying at.  the ones to follow over the next few days will have specific themes: restaurants, characters, parades, attractions/rides, etc.  all stuff we know, have planned & are just crazy excited to see.

{isn’t ben’s bedhead the greatest in these pictures?}

linking up with wordless wednesday at baby baby lemon, jenni from the blog, and 5 minutes for mom