My First Mickey Bar

My first Mickey bar!

My parents first took me to Walt Disney World in 1990, when I was two and a half years old. In doing so, they passed their love of all things Disney to me and gave me the first of what I hope to be a lifetime of Walt Disney World Memories. Having been only two my first Disney memories are a bit fuzzy, but a few very distinct ones come to mind, including my very first Mickey bar. It was purchased at Dinosaur Gertie’s at what was then MGM and enjoyed from my stroller, and as soon as I bit into one of the crisp, chocolate-y ears, I was hooked. Is there anything like the joy of the first bite of the ear of a Mickey-shaped food? The smile on my face in this photo suggests not. I remember the ice cream melting down my hands when I didn’t get to it fast enough-who knows how many wipes it took to clean it all off!  Still, the classic combination of cool vanilla ice cream and chocolate shell on a warm day in a Disney Park is about as good as it gets, as I learned on the trip when this photo was taken. The Mickey bar and I have both changed in the last 24 years, of course. I’ve gotten married, moved out of my parents’ home, and can now (usually) eat an ice cream bar without getting it all over my face. The iconic Mickey bar has replaced the chocolate ice cream face and is now totally covered in delicate, delicious chocolate. The excitement of that first bite, however, has remained as I’ve gotten older and the Mickey bar has evolved. For me, that is representative of Disney World as a whole-the parks change, those who visit grow, but the excitement and magic of a visit to Walt Disney World never goes away. In the nearly quarter of a century since this photo was taken my family has grown, but I know that every time I go back, the first bite of a Mickey bar will be just as special as it was for me when I was two. 

My husband's first Mickey bar!

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Meeting the Mouse Himself

As a child, my nursery was Mickey Mouse themed. My first birthday cake had Mickey on it. I had Mickey outfits, Mickey sunglasses, and a Mickey hat. I was raised with a love of the Mouse. In 1990, when I was two years old, my parents took me to Walt Disney World for the first time and took me to what was then his house in Toontown to meet Mickey in person. So exciting, right? Well, as the submitted picture shows, I froze, like so many young kids, in front of my favorite character, clinging to my mother for my very first picture with Mickey Mouse. The good news is that I froze from awe (and the sheer fact of being two years old) rather than fear, and I’ve continued to love Mickey and even take a successful photograph with him. In the years since this photograph, my family has grown, with the additions of my younger brother and my new husband. In February 2016, it will grow again when we have our first child. I’ve collected more Mickey items.  When I moved out of my parents’ home, and the room I’d grown up in, I took with me the light switch plate that had hung on the wall for over twenty years. It features baby Mickey and baby Minnie in their pajamas, playing with balloons.  I plan to place it in the WDW themed nursery I'm creating, the beginning, I hope, of their own love of Mickey Mouse and all things Disney. 

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I made this.

There are a lot of babies being born amongst my friends and family this year, so I've revisited an old foe, crocheting (which, it turns out, I did not have the patience for at 12) to make some gifts. In the process I've definitely fallen in love with crochet and anticipate many more projects to come.

Superhero capes for Ben's nephews, one 3 and one brand-new.

Color-blocked blanket and cat. 

Mittens and booties.

If both mom and dad are tattooed, these hats are only appropriate.

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Tesla the Biscuit Maker

Setting: The bed. Ben and I snuggle as Tesla purrs happily and walks from side to side, randomly making biscuits before moving on.

Ben: "He's looking for some batter. You know, to make some biscuits."

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Shenandoah

Ben loves Shenandoah National Park, and he specifically loves hiking Old Rag, described on the park's website thusly:

"Shenandoah's most popular and most dangerous hike. The number of blogs and websites about this hike attests to its popularity. The number of search and rescue missions each year attests to its danger. There's no doubt that the scramble is great fun and the views are spectacular. A day on Old Rag is one of Shenandoah's premier experiences."

So he was sorely disappointed when the weather prediction for the weekend we'd chosen to go hike the mountain and camp out in Shenandoah was rainy and cold. But wait! Friday of that weekend looked to be spectacular. So, being the loving wife I am, I took off Friday and we made a last minute change of plans.

As predicted, the hike was difficult, but mostly enjoyable. That is not to say that I did not get cranky when I thought we had gotten to the summit only to find out that no, there was still more to climb. I generally get cranky at least once during all of our outdoor camping/hiking activities so this is no surprise. As Ben said when we got home, "I'm just glad you didn't cry this time."

After the 4.5 hour round trip hike we drove further into Shenandoah and checked in at Big Meadows campground. It took several circuits of the area before Ben was able to select a camp site to his liking, but once set up we treated ourselves to a glorious shower in a trailer brought in during renovations of the camp's permanent showers (no complaints here as the water was hot!), bowls of lukewarm reheated spaghetti and s'mores with marshmallows roasted on sticks Ben whittled out of our $7/cord firewood. 

I did manage to sleep, though it required two pairs of socks, two pairs of pants, a long sleeved shirt, a sweatshirt, a fleece jacket, gloves, a hat and a sleeping bag to be comfortable enough to do so. I will say, not the worst night of sleep I've ever had in a tent. 

I did require a nap on Saturday to recover, but it was truly lovely to get outside, use our bodies, and just be together. Definitely something we should do more often.

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Stop it, Pinterest.

I'm admittedly at a point in my life where my hormones are like, let's have babies! But my brain and my husband are like, let's not. (Ok my brain is like maaaaybe and my husband is like absolutely fucking not.) And Pinterest isn't helping.

I searched things to crochet for my friend's impending baby like, once. And now every day is a deluge of Pinterest suggestions that have included childbirth tips, best types of bottle nipples, and of course, ovary-bustingly cute pictures of newborns. The internal war between head and heart is not helped by these unsolicited images. 

Case in point-I searched for some sort of kicky "damnit Pinterest!" image and the first two things to show up were crochet baby hat patterns. THOSE ARE NOT AT ALL RELATED YOUR ALGORITHM IS BROKEN.

Oh Pinterest...

Via

. 

Possibly related: today I've been popping peanut butter M&Ms like it's going out of style.

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At Christmastime. That was two months ago.

I pulled out the nativity that my parents got me way back in 1989 for the first time this year. Actually I think this is the first year that it's been in my possession since as soon as I purchased a house my mother showed up with boxes of stuff that "is yours," including all Christmas decor that was tangentially related to me. Anyway, when I opened it I found this:

A note from my mother, reading: "Where ever you may be when you next unpack this nativity set, remember all the Christmases we shared it together. In its new home it will make many more memories."

I texted my mother as follows:

Me: I opened the nativity :)

Mom: I know I put a message in it. But I have no idea what I wrote anymore.

Me: About remembering its memories and making new ones.

Mom: Oh, how nice of me!

I dunno if we broke the angel or it it didn't come with one but that's the angel we have, so there she is.

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Winter Cabin Camping

Because I am a loving wife who also wants to build up "I did something you want to do" points to get to Disney World we went cabin camping in Gifford Pinchot State Park with one of Ben's friends and said friend's girlfriend. It was not awful. I did enjoy being away from the TV and the computer for a bit, as well as the bracing cold fresh air and the novelty of walking on a frozen lake.

Cabin. Woods. Frozen lake.

First hat I ever made. Go me!

Rebels, all of us. Seriously though some ice fishermen let Ben look down in one of their holes and the ice was something like 10" thick. Also one ice fisherman had a canvas tent house thing and planned to spend the night on the ice, which is crazy in a way I don't understand. We watched him pack up and ship out around 8:30 at night though, so maybe the rational part of his brain got the best of him. Or the park ranger kicked him out. Not sure what the proper procedure is for renting a camping spot on what is usually a liquid surface.

And also Ben made blueberry cobbler/cake in a dutch oven and I love cake.

As always, I was pretty ecstatic to get back to these furry munchkins. And also to my comfortable, warm bed.

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Halloween was four months ago.

But I'm posting about it now! I will never not be a Disney character for Halloween; this is a given. This year I wore not one, but two costumes: a work appropriate Minnie Mouse and a less work appropriate Snow White.

Did I have my annual review at work that day? Yes, yes I did. Did I wear my Minnie ears? Absolutely.

The world's most cutest museum dog was a 50's lady, complete with poodle skirt.

And Tesla and Truman were reluctant but fabulous Meowsketeers, as usual.

 I had some Disney Halloween decor, of course (some of it prompted by yet another Disney trip contest that I did not win. One day I will be victorious.)

I marvel at my artistry.

Ben managed to get me out of the house to a party thrown by his friends. I crashed by 11 and went home.

I tried, I really did, to do Snow White hair.

Because he's that cute.

Because we are an adorably Dis-nerdy family, my mother and I wore the same costume.

Don't you just love it?

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Haunted Mansion

Oh, the Haunted Mansion.

(this one's in DisneyLAND) Via Pinterest.

I think it started with a Disney Sing-A-Long video. I seem to remember a couple of kids envisioning staying in the park after closing, and a cast of Disney villains and ghosts singing "Grim, Grinning Ghosts" on the lawn of the Haunted Mansion in the dark. I was five and it was terrifying. I've had a very complicated relationship with the Haunted Mansion ever since.

The Sing-A-Long that started it all. Via Pinterest.

My parents both love it. Growing up, it was not a situation where one parent wanted to ride and one could stay with me out in the safety of Liberty Square. Oh no. When I was too young to be left alone, I remember riding squished between my parents with my eyes firmly shut and my ears covered. I didn't even want to know what was going on in there. Eventually I evolved to being willing to watch the ballroom scene. It seemed relatively safe as it was down below the Doom Buggy. I felt out of ghost reach. Now (as a grown woman) I can ride the whole thing with my eyes open. Go me!

You see, I don't do well with things popping up at me out of nowhere. I don't ride Dinosaur for that reason. I've yet to see the alien on the Great Movie Ride because I know better than to look up. Drew Carey's Sounds Dangerous was equal parts fascinating and terrifying. I still flinch at certain parts of Stitch's Great Escape. I like good surprises, like Disney trips. I don't like scary surprises. 

So, things I think you need to know before joining the 999 Happy Haunts for a tour of their abode:

1. This is "Disneyfied" but it can still be frightening for certain individuals (namely children and those with overactive imaginations like myself). There is darkness, there are things that pop up unexpectedly, and there is a soft spoken menacing ghost speaking into your ear.

2. Do take the time to appreciate the humor that Disney injected into the ride's morbid topic, however. Read the tombstones that line the queue, and keep your eye out for sight gags like portraits in the stretching room.

Via DoomBuggies

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The Longest Disney Day

On December 31, 2008 I unexpectedly spent 18 hours in the Magic Kingdom, and it was pretty. freaking. awesome.

We had spent New Year's Eve 1999 in Disney, and at that point in time you could enter the parks, leave, and come back in even if the park was at capacity, as long as you had been in before the limit of guests was reached, so when we were there again for New Year's Eve 2008 we thought great, we'll get to the Magic Kingdom early, head back to our base at the fort Wilderness Campground for dinner and a nap, and re-enter the park in time for a few more rides and the fireworks. Brilliant.

We got to the boat dock at Fort Wilderness around 7 a.m. to ensure we made it in, as we knew this was sure to be a peak day.

Lots of us had a similar idea.

Except, when we went to leave sometime in the early afternoon, we noticed that the park was already at capacity and they weren't letting anyone through the turnstiles, so we asked a cast member to verify that we could get back in later. The answer was an emphatic no. Or at least, that there was no guarantee as there had been previously. I believe we were told, and I more or less quote, that "If Brad Pitt and Angeline Jolie walked up to the gate right now I couldn't let them in, that's how full we are."

We weren't dressed for a chilly evening, as we had assumed that we could grab our light jackets when we went back for dinner. We also hadn't planned on buying another meal in the parks that day. It was put to a vote. I of course voted to stay, figuring that we had come all this way and to miss the New Year's Eve celebration would be, well, lame. My brother wanted a nap (he was 16 and sort of over the family vacation). My parents offered to split up, but I was convinced that the one who left would regret it, so I talked everyone into staying. 

It was around 2 p.m. With 7 hours of fun behind us, we had 10 hours to go till the fireworks.

So we rode some more rides. 

 And watched the parade (we're not usually parade people). 

By late afternoon we were flagging. We headed for the TTA, which is always a great place to take a break. My father claimed a bench around the corner of Space Mountain, near the gift shop entrance, and laid down for a nap. As my mother, brother and I rode circuits on the TTA, we looked down on him as we passed...sound asleep amid thousands of people. 

As darkness fell, I started to get cold. While the rest of my family rode the Haunted Mansion, I happily abstained (see my previous post) and slipped into the Emporium and purchased a hoodie, which is still one of my favorite Disney souvenirs.

Around 10 p.m. people were already staking out their spots for the fireworks show. Having ridden most things twice, we grabbed a snack and hunkered down on the bride from Tomorrowland to the castle hub. And waited. I may have fallen asleep there. I know my brother did. We both laid right down on the ground. Several days going full speed at Disney had left us all ready for bed by 10-but by goodness we were going to see those fireworks. 

Disney piped party music through the park at around 11 which helped perk things up (at least for those of us who weren't already hyped up on soda and cotton candy). It seemed to work-witness below my brother and I doing the Cha-Cha Slide.

Excuse the horrible quality of this photo but it was LATE.

And then, as they do, the fireworks came. Tinkerbell came flying down from the castle tower, and we counted down to 2009 with thousands of Disney's favorite guests, and then we sleepily slogged our way back to our camper with the crowds.

Worth it.

And it was awesome. The sheer joy of being in the Most Magical Place on Earth from sunup to sundown. The absurdity of my father sleeping on a park bench, and of doing the Cha-Cha Slide on a bridge in the Magic Kingdom with my brother at 11 p.m. The camaraderie of all the guests waiting excitedly in their spots for the fireworks to start and the new year to begin. You expect certain things at Disney, most of them good. But it's those unexpected things that are truly the very best.

Even if they require several cups of coffee the next morning.

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The White House!

In college I focused my academic history interest on politics, specifically presidents. In graduate school, I focused in even more and wrote my master's thesis on the White House from a public history perspective, exploring how both presidents and the people used the building itself and its image to establish and reinforce their views of how the government should relate to the people [I could go on but very few people would care :) ].

I think, on a personal and public historian level, that it is a shame that the White House is now so closed to the general public (by understandable security necessity of course, but still unfortunate). I myself have done the public tour that one can get through their congressperson, and have always wanted to see more. The house just exudes this sense of history that is somewhat intoxicating to a public historian who specializes in politics...and the White House itself. So while I enjoyed the public tour, I always wanted more.

And I finally got to go! I went as a guest of my boss who was invited to the White House Celebration of Design cocktail event on October 8, 2014 (the day before my birthday. Best. present. ever.) Though only the public sections of the house that one usually sees on tours were open, there were no ropes to keep me from touching things (judiciously, of course. I do work in a museum after all), from wandering the rooms at my leisure, from inspecting paintings up close and taking pictures was totally allowed. It was amazing. 

Dresses worn by the FLOTUS.

Line to meet the FLOTUS.

Michelle Obama gave a speech, but I was too short to see it. Nice chandeliers though.

From my Project Runway viewing, I recognized Anna Wintour, Rachel Roy, Jason Wu, Carolina Herrera, Naomi Campbell, Cynthia Lieve, Jenna Lyons, Zac Posen and Diane von Furstenburg. I was wearing a dress made by my mother and shoes I bought from Old Navy five years ago because I am awesome.
 

I made an exception of not taking photos of famous people for Anna Wintour, because my friend was begging me to capture her image on film.

Just absolutely amazed to be there.

                            

And I took a selfie in the White House bathroom. Can you say classy?

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