Day Out with Thomas

Wow, did we have a busy weekend.  Anna came to visit, and with her help, we had a lot of fun.  Thankfully, she lets us pay her in food and activities, like trips to see Thomas the Train.

 Yep, we saw THE Thomas this morning.  Needless to say, Amos was pretty stinking stoked and we had a great time.  If you have to spend all morning with starstruck toddlers, this was the way to do it.  The folks at Heber Vally Railroad put on quite the event.  There was lots to do and see and we had a great time.

Amos and Maggie both got new trains:

And, Amos got a new t-shirt, which he is asleep in now.  Probably dreaming of Thomas.

One final shot of the family with Thomas:

Happy Memorial Day

We're enjoying a wonderful three-day weekend, but I wanted to be sure to stop and say thank you to all those who have given, or have loved ones who have given, their lives fighting for our freedom. 

I am really enjoying all of the added activity at the cemetery near our house. I am grateful that so many people put so much thought and preparation into remembering today.

 Arlington

Much Better

We haven't been up to much around here.  I am very happy to say that we're doing much better keeping things under control.  Amos and Maggie are doing really well at following the new schedule and rules (like only eating at the kitchen table, can you imagine??).  We're all a lot happier and we're finding more time to enjoy each other too.

 March 2010

Amos and Maggie are super buddies, and I love it.  They've turned into a little toddler bike riding gang and they ride all over the house together.     

There's a new Diva in town...

New Baby Horne 2.0 is a girl!  Amos knew it was a "sister," I guess I never should have doubted him.  She looks good and everything checked out well at the ultrasound, which is most important.

I would have thought the world had enough 'Shaver' girls, but I guess God thinks otherwise...I can't really blame Him for wanting more of us around =)

Also, if you're reading the fine print you'll notice that they moved our due date back to Oct. 6th.  =(  I was really hoping for a better birthstone for this baby than Amos got. 

Maggie's 18 Month Check-Up

Maggie had her 18 month check-up yesterday.  She's a healthy, happy 18 month old.  She managed to trick the doctor into thinking she's very polite too =)

Here are the new stats:

Weight: 21 lbs, 14.5 oz (20%)
Height: 31 in (40%)
Head: 46.2 cm (40%)

For now her cute little bow-legs are just that, cute little bow-legs.  We are going to keep our eyes on them to make sure she really is just going to grow out of them though.

Baby Powder

I wrote a pretty frustrated blog post this morning.  Basically, it was a rant about how hard the kids have been lately.  Ironically, I never published it because something the kids were up to pulled me away from the computer.  Just writing the post was enough though, because today we had a much better day.  And guess where the change started?  With me.  Don't get me wrong, we're not all fixed, but I've realized that they need me to be a better mom.  This pregnancy has really taken it out of me, and I thought I was doing us all a favor by taking it easy (read: slacking off).  Turns out, my kids need me and the more I am there for them the better off we all are.   

If you're still curious what had me all worked up, here are some photographs to convey the message:

Baby powder in the vent. Just one of many daily creations by Amos (and/or Maggie).

Father-Son Camp Out

Friday night Amos and Eric went on their first, of what I am sure will be many, father-son camp out.

"They" were very excited because they got to get some new camping equipment, including a tent.  They practiced setting it up in the yard and a new "Amos House" was born.  Aside from the equipment, I think the next thing they were most excited for were the outfits.

 There was a mix-up with the campground, so they ended up on a property not far from home, but they had a great time anyway.  Amos LOVED being outside and running wild with the other boys.  I talked to him on the phone before they settled down for bed and he was so excited to tell me about the snake they caught, the hot dogs, and the swing.

Don't worry, the boys weren't the only ones having an adventure.  Maggie and I enjoyed a girls night out too.  I was totally bummed when I had to go to bed alone though.  I don't think our outfits were as cool as theirs either.

Disney 2010

Alright, here is the complete documentation of our first trip to Disneyland.  Warning: it is thorough and probably more information than even the grandparents care about.  Feel free to scan the pictures.  My real-time tweets from the park are regular type and timestamped and the thoughts I am adding now are in italics.  

I have never been to Disneyland before, so I started my preparation by reading: The Unofficial Guide to Disneyland. I thought it was really interesting and really helpful to make me not worry so much.  Having been there now, I don't think I'll need a book again.  

We didn't tell Amos we were "going to see Mickey Mouse" until we were packing on Monday.  Its a good thing too, because it was more than he could handle.  He was one very excited little dude all day, and as he went to bed he said "wake-up go see Mickey Mouse."  

Tuesday, May 11, 2010

Tuesday morning the first thing Amos said when Eric got him out of bed was "go see Mickey Mouse." 

I just told Amos, "you need to be nice or we won't see Mickey mouse." I am my mother. 8:51 AM May 11th via txt

Amos has been talking about Mickey since 8 am this morning. Like, barely stopping for breaths. 3:55 PM May 11th via txt 

We flew to LAX and then took a shuttle to our hotel.  After checking in, we decided we felt up to Disney, so we headed over to the park.  We thought the kids might need a break after traveling all day, but after changing clothes they were ready to go...  

 Our first ride: Dumbo.  Maggie was so cute pointing and jabbering, so we all got in line.  Amos panicked after about a second, so the boys got out of line.  They went and got a treat while Maggie and I waited in line.  Just as we were to the front of the line, Amos decided he did want to come after all.  So, we passed him through the line and Amos, Maggie, and I got to ride while Eric took pictures.
 

Maggie is the braver Horne child. 5:37 PM May 11th via txt 

After 'it's's a small world' Amos is on board with "rides" 5:38 PM May 11th via txt 

We rode "It's a Small World" 3 times.  I am sure it is the only ride they both really enjoyed.  They loved being in the boat and they loved all of the different things to look at.

Peter pan is about to take flight! 5:40 PM May 11th via txt 

Amos pre-Peter pan: "think that's fun" 6:21 PM May 11th via txt 

Amos thought the idea of getting into a ship and taking flight seemed fun.

Post Peter pan: "no rides" 6:22 PM May 11th via txt 

Actually doing it, a little scary.  I never realized how dark and scary almost all of the rides at Disney would seem to little guys.

Hi of the day: it's a small world. 7:13 PM May 11th via txt

Heading back to the hotel. Phew. 8:03 PM May 11th via txt 

The park had shortened hours (10 a.m.-8 p.m.) while we were there.  I was initially disappointed by this, but we couldn't have lasted much longer.

And that was "hit" of the day 8:03 PM May 11th via txt 

Kids have Mickey mouse suckers and they are happy. 8:04 PM May 11th via txt 

Kids are still bouncing off the walls-Mickey is better than caffeine. 8:16 PM May 11th via txt 

Day 1: Maggie wins MVP 8:17 PM May 11th via txt

I take that back. We're all in bed ready to sleep except for Maggie who is running around like a maniac. 9:54 PM May 11th via txt
And, she's asleep. Like one second later. 9:57 PM May 11th via txt

Up at 2 am with allergies, just took a benadryl. Please work, please work, please work. 2:22 AM May 12th via txt 

And, Amos just fell out of bed. 2:23 AM May 12th via txt 

Both of the kids fell out of bed the first night.  No one slept very well at all.  Thankfully, the second night, Eric had the great idea to make the kids their own bed on the floor.  They loved it and everyone slept much better.

Wednesday, May 12, 2010

We're up and at 'em. Thank heavens for a late open day. 8:10 AM May 12th via txt 

It just occurred to me why Eric wanted to go to frontierland so bad-to buy Amos one of those toy guns. 9:10 AM May 12th via txt 

First ride of the day: nemo. 10:10 AM May 12th via txt 

Nemo = too scary 10:34 AM May 12th via txt 
And pretty boring, quite honestly.

Autotopia is next. Hopefully we can't go wrong with cars. 10:43 AM May 12th via txt 

Turns out toontown is our speed. 11:13 AM May 12th via txt 

So exhausted! Frozen lemonade is helping. 2:31 PM May 12th via txt 

Eric is pushing Maggie around in the stroller trying to get her to sleep. 2:32 PM May 12th via txt 
It worked!

Haunted mansion went well...they're getting the hang of this. 3:41 PM May 12th via txt 
We did take the kids on most every ride they were tall enough for.  They were a little overwhelmed sometimes, but we were always right there and they knew it.  I was really glad to not miss out on Pirates, the Haunted Mansion, etc.
 
We've done everything once. Now it's a small world until we drop. 4:28 PM May 12th via txt 
That was the plan, until an unexpected crowd showed up in Fantasyland...

Tomorrowland is closed :( 4:53 PM May 12th via txt 
The closure of Tomorrowland caused everywhere else to get waaay crowded.  

Eric is eating popcorn. 4:54 PM May 12th via txt 
So, we stopped for a snack.

Ooh drama at d land. They found an unattended backpack in tomorrowland. 5:27 PM May 12th via txt 
The closure of Tomorrowland was really interesting.  At first, all of the regular cast members (i.e. park workers) were lined up across the entrance blocking anyone from entering.  When asked what was going on they would say ambiguous things like "oh, these things happen from time to time."  We didn't find out what was really happening until someone asked a cast member emptying a trash can and he said, "oh, they found a package or a bomb, I think."  Nice.  Soon news helicopters started to hover above and people in the park started talking on their cellphones to people watching the news at home and everyone knew what was happening.  Eventually though, the cast members were removed and what looked like Disney management came and took their places.  Then the answers got really ambiguous "I'm not sure"/"We don't know."  It didn't last very long, but it was kind of neat to see.  I took one picture of everyone lined up blocking the entrance, its hard to see, but there you have it:

We're back in tomorrowland. Just saw buzz lightyear. 6:18 PM May 12th via txt 

The nice thing about the closure was they cleared out all of the lines.  When Tomorrowland reopened we were able to walk right up to Buzz Lightyear.

It's almost parade time. We're gonna make it. 6:38 PM May 12th via txt 

Parade. Check. Tiki room. Check. 7:31 PM May 12th via txt 

Maggie went wild for the tiki room! 7:56 PM May 12th via txt 

Headed to the hotel for bed. Good day! 8:07 PM May 12th via txt 

We came, we saw, we conquered. 8:30 PM May 12th via txt 
Being able to take a (free) shuttle back to our hotel at the end of a long day was priceless. 30 minutes after the park closed I was in my room, in my bed, eating room service =) 

Thursday, May 13, 2010

Lax is hectic. 1:08 PM May 13th via txt          

Yup, less than 48 hours later we were headed home.  It was the perfect length for our little guys (and us!).  We talked about extending out another day, but that definitely would have run us all into the ground.  See following tweets: 


Amos an Maggie were TERRORS on the airplane. 4:12 PM May 13th via txt

Seriously, they could not have been any worse today. 4:14 PM May 13th via txt 

1 pregnant lady, 2 toddlers, 2 days at Disney=Eric is a saint. 4:24 PM May 13th via txt 

Home safe. I've had a long, hot bath and now I am hiding from Amos. 6:40 PM May 13th via web    


Flight home aside, it was a great trip and a great opportunity for us to do something so fun as a family.  We learned a lot-like Amos might talk about Mickey Mouse for 2 days straight, but then when we actually get to Mickey, he might cry and refuse to cooperate.  Then, as soon as Mickey is gone he'll be back to talking about him incessantly.  That was a good lesson.  

I don't know, some people might think its a total waste to take such little kids to Disney, but that's all we have right now, so we made the best of it.  Some day they'll be older, and they'll remember it more, but until then, we're enjoying where we're at. 

            

Waiting...

I am waiting for Twitter to update the date/timestamps on my Disney tweeting (as opposed to saying "12 hours ago" etc.), so here's a picture from my camera to hold us all over.  To hold me over mostly.  I am anxious to post...

Amos and Eric on Autotopia taken from a really far away bridge with my cellphone camera.  Can you even tell which car they are in??? 

We Got Our Day

Ever since we went to Disneyworld last November and left the kids at home with Grandma and Grandpa Shaver, I knew I wanted to take them.  We had big plans for another trip to Florida coinciding with a work conference for Eric, but alas, the conference ended up coinciding with the due date of new baby Horne 2.0 (like, exactly). 



I'd signed us up and we completed a day of service as part of Disney's "Give a Day, Get a Day" program in anticipation of Florida, so we shifted gears a bit and decided to use our free day** at Disneyland (where we could get and stay much cheaper). 

**A BIG thank you goes to Aunt Anna who babysat while we volunteered.  We couldn't have gotten our free day without her**

Special thanks also goes to Priceline for a killer deal on a hotel, Southwest for cheap plane tickets, and Doubletree for a free shuttle (saving us $$$ on a rental car and parking, not to mention not having to figure out where we were going).  Also, thank you to Maggie and Amos for both being under 3 and free at Disneyland.  I am not sure there is a thriftier Disney vacation out there... 

Another post (about the good stuff) coming soon... 

Happy

The only place he's happy in all of Disneyland.

Going Strong

Minnie Found

1st visit

And we have the button to prove it.

(Sorry about that man's butt as background).

A Guessing Game (with hints)

We're getting ready for an adventure here, and we're so excited!  The hint:

Yesterday's lunch.

The Weeekend

We've been having some really good weekends around here lately.  This one was no exception.  Breakfast at Kneader's, a trip to the Beehive Bazaar and Farm Country at Thanksgiving Point, a long afternoon nap, and Mother's Day dinner on Saturday night at Sakura.  Not to mention, hours of playing together doing pretty much nothing:

I should also mention that Maggie did awesome during her first day of nursery:

I tried to get Amos and Maggie to pose together in their church clothes.  They both refused.  This is the best I got (they're both yelling "no"):

It was a very good, productive couple of days.