Imagination: Never Say Die

Disclosure: This post is sponsored by BuyCostumes, but all opinions (and my love of playing dress-up) are my own.

The world of imagination is unbelievably beautiful. My kids are started to reveal their love for pretend play to me, little by little, and I am so excited about all the adventures they are going to have as they grow up together. A lot of people scoff at the idea of letting a kid out of the house in a princess dress or Mario overalls, but I say this: they are not going to have this amazing sense of adventure forever. When a person grows up, they tend to never reclaim the magic of putting on a costume and becoming someone else - even if it's just for a short time.

My background in extensive imagination, followed by acting and directing has helped to retain my personal fearlessness at appearing in public dressed as Princess Leia or Princess Peach. When I was a teenager, I was usually the ringleader of costumed excursions around the Midwest.

It's possible this friend will never forgive me for leaking this photo online publicly,
so I will leave her nameless here. Hehe.

There was that time I convinced my dear friend that the only way to see Wicked was in full replica costume, including green makeup. The people in the row behind us were a little bit concerned when I sat down with that hat (I took it off for the show). We were actually told in the lobby after the performance that we "did a great job." That was an unexpected ego boost for a couple of kids who had been sitting in an expensive seat for three hours.

My Phantom of the Opera dress has seen a lot of action, as I wore it to multiple events: a performance of the show in Indianapolis, the movie release here in Kansas City, and a tea party I threw for some 8-year-olds when I worked for the library. The best, though, was when I was joined in this endeavor at the movie release by my friend Holly as The Phantom. This was a couple of years after we had put on our own full-scale (for poor teenagers) production of Phantom in the barn in my parents' backyard, so it was kind of like reprising our roles. Totally worth all the strange glances and comments. Totally.

Fun fact: my husband definitely worked at this movie theatre at this time
and was probably there this day, and it's probably good this was not the day we met.

Maybe you hesitate to make a costumed appearance because you don't have any costumes! Don't let that stop you. Costumes are available year round, but right now you'll likely find a much larger selection since Halloween is coming up soon. You can save 20% on orders over $50 at BuyCostumes right now (use the code afchalloewen2050 for the deal). Plus, now is a great time to order because of the I Want To Be Guarantee - which allows you to exchange for a different size (with no additional shipping costs) for costumes and accessories purchased through October 31, 2014. You can read more details here.

It's really not necessary to have a specific event to wear a costume, although that is what inspires a lot of people (think: Halloween, when more people than normal are willing to look like a crazy person an imaginative soul in public). Sometimes, you can just round up some friends, dress everyone as pirates, convince your brother to be "security detail" and just wander the aisles of your local supermarket at 10pm for no other reason that it will be fun.

Am I scaring you off yet? It may have been awhile since I have appeared in public in costume, but that doesn't mean I'm not always scheming about an excuse to make it happen. Maybe we'll have a costume day for preschool soon and make it a point to go do something normal while we are all super dressed up. That would for sure be a good memory for the kids, right? 

Pirates can bake, too!

Okay, I admit it. Sometimes, people are embarrassed to be seen in public with me. I don't really mind. The memories are so fun!

Disclosure: This post is sponsored by BuyCostumes, but all opinions are my own. For more information, you can read my Disclosure Policy. 

High-Flying Memories

 When I was a kid, my parents took me to Silver Dollar City in Branson, Missouri all the time. I may have never gone to Disney World, but I knew this 1880's-mining-town theme park like the back of my hand. It was - and remains to this day - one of my favorite places on earth. We took visited Silver Dollar City at Christmas with our kids last year, and took a family trip there this summer.

I have a lot of memories of "firsts" at Silver Dollar City. My dad coaxed me onto my first roller coaster there (Thunderation - I was terrified). I ate a stir-fry meal with my best friends when I was a teenager (picky eater here - definitely hadn't tried that before). I went on an underground cave tour and was astounded at the hidden secrets below the park.

And I've eaten some of the best cinnamon rolls of my life more than once in that park!

When I heard that Silver Dollar City was planning a big revision in 2015 that involved the removal of the Geyser Gulch children's play area, a chord in my heart felt a little pained. I remember the first year that Geyser Gulch was open and have silly photos playing with my dad and brother there when I was maybe twelve. I was afraid that the memories of this fantastic park area would fall by the wayside, like a few other things from the park's history.

My cute parents riding Skychase Balloons in 1997.

My cute parents riding Skychase Balloons in 1997.
Photography by yours truly...I've learned a bit since then,
like that maybe the balloon tops should be in this photo too!.

When I was very young - maybe the first time we went to the park - my dad asked if I wanted to ride the spinning balloon ride near the center of the park. We asked the ride attendant if it went very high or very fast, and were told that it was a moderate ride and shouldn't be very frightening. I climbed aboard. And was terrified when those high-flying balloons and their passenger baskets lifted off the ground. Over the years, I overcame the fear and enjoyed thoroughly the "balloon ride," as we called it. The last time I rode it was in 2007, when I was at Silver Dollar City for an adventure with my new boyfriend, this guy I met at a community theatre, named Andrew (hint: I married him).

Aw, look at us being all cute on a date. 2007.

After that trip, the little hollow that Skychase Balloons and Hugo & Mary's Carousel rested in was redone and the rides disappeared. The carousel reappeared in Half Dollar Holler and my kids love it now. I lamented over the balloons each time we walked past where they used to be. So when I read this news announcement that Geyser Gulch would be no more...I feared the worst. That it, too, would only live on in my memory.

Andrew and me in the yellow balloon basket, 2007.

But last week, the 5-Alarm Announcement arrived in my inbox, stating that Fireman's Landing would be arriving in the summer of 2015. My son has adoration on his face anytime he sees anything firetruck or fireman themed and we even had a firetruck birthday party this year, so I thought....okay. This might be good. The new family adventure area will feature ten new rides and play zones, including a foam ball area (so Geyser Gulch will live on - yay), a soft play area for toddlers, a low-flying swing ride for young kids, and more. It sounds like they are really planning to envelop the whole family, even very young kids, in this section of the park and that makes me so thrilled!

Image Courtesy of Silver Dollar City.

Then, when I was looking over the concept art, I spotted it. In the right corner, a ride that will be called Fire Spotter that features balloons which will fly up in the air to enable all the junior firefighters to have the best visibility for any looming disasters. My heart skipped a little beat. Because Fire Spotter looks an awful lot like a ride I knew a few years ago.

I contacted Silver Dollar City via twitter on a hunch. They're great at replying on social media and got back to me right away with a confirmation of my question. Fire Spotter is the same balloon ride that holds many, many lovely memories from my childhood and my falling-in-love days.

You'd better believe I will be there next summer to ride this old/new adventure with my kids. And if they're terrified when those balloons take off into the sky...well, we'll just be making some new memories together.

#ExploreBranson: The Perfect Midwest Vacation Destination

Disclosure: my family is attending a press event to Branson, MO later this month. We will receive complimentary accommodations, attraction tickets, and select meals. Regardless, all opinions expressed are my own. I've been visiting Branson since I was a little girl and it's one of my favorite places!

I am so excited. We are taking a family vacation later this month, and we're going to Branson! Located in south Missouri, this tourist destination has been a staple in my life forever! Some of my earliest memories are from trips to Branson with my mom, dad, and brother. Since I'm in Kansas City, it's a pretty close location for vacationing: we can make the drive in about three and a half hours. That's totally do-able with our toddlers!

Last year, I shared my Hollywood Wax Museum review - it was a blast. This summer, we're tackling a lot of attractions that I have never visited, even in years of Branson tourism. A few highlights that I cannot wait to hit include the Showboat Branson Belle Dinner Cruise, Sight & Sound Theatre's Jonah show, White Water, and the Butterfly Palace and Rainforest Adventure.

That's not to say we'll leave out any of our favorites - we're planning to hit the Titanic Museum, Ride the Ducks (which I haven't experienced since I was a little girl), and of course, Silver Dollar City!

Silver Dollar City is where most of my childhood vacation memories are centered. It was such a magical place to me as a child, and I want my kids to experience that same magic. We tried visiting Silver Dollar City at Christmas with kids last fall, and it was wonderful. When I told Lincoln that we're going back to the place with the big Christmas tree (although we won't get to see that particular sight in the summer, of course), his face lit up. I think maybe the fantastic experience is already set in his mind.

Have you ever been to Branson? If you're anywhere within driving distance, I sincerely recommend it. Feel free to contact me for ideas about attractions and lodging. I seriously love it there! For more info, visit Explore Branson and make sure you're following along on my social media channels - I'll be tweeting live from the attractions we visit with photos and fun facts!

Disclosure: my family is attending a press event to Branson, MO later this month. We will receive complimentary accommodations, attraction tickets, and select meals. Regardless, all opinions expressed are my own. I've been visiting Branson since I was a little girl and it's one of my favorite places! For more info, you can view my Disclosure Policy.

Lincoln: 3 Years Old

Three years. Three.

Three, somehow, seems so much bigger than two. I'm doing my best, as your mommy, to appreciate the milestones. But, little boy - my heart aches just a little bit every now and then to hold my first tiny baby - yes, you just after you were born or even when we found breastfeeding to be a struggle.

I remember when you turned two, I thought the time had flown by. This year went even faster, so I can only assume that's going to be what I say every single year from now until forever.

You learned a lot this year. We went from hardly any communication to having real conversations all day, every day. It is amazing to be able to talk to you and have you respond. Yes - even when the only response I receive is negative.

This year, we had fun. We struggled and laughed and grew together. When I look at you, I see a little boy - but even a few months ago, you still had some baby expressions. Those are very fleeting now.

One of the biggest moments this year? Your coffee burn. As traumatic as it was, it really only set you back for a little while. You've more or less forgotten about the incident - at least, I hope you have. We said goodbye to your pacifiers, but vehicles like trucks and trains and cars are all here to stay - probably forever. 

We had ups and downs with reading after you destroyed some library books, but thankfully lately you love it again. We have our battles about food - sometimes you love things and sometimes you completely refuse to eat. Since Daddy and I are both super picky, we aren't really sure what to do to encourage you. We'll work on it this year. You are still nursing, though it's down to once or twice a day. I can sense the end is coming, because you don't always remember to ask. I know I'll be sad to see the end of a milestone, but I think I'm okay with it.

You had a blast adventuring with us - also known as, running around at top speed while we try to keep up. Some of our favorite adventures this past year were apple picking, visiting the pumpkin patch and corn maze, and the Enchanted Forest. We wore the cutest Halloween costumes. And we took a magical Christmas trip that is probably going to become a family tradition.

You know pretty much every color and you no longer pronounce "yellow" wrong. You are great at identifying shapes, too - square, circle, star, heart, triangle, rectangle, and even harder ones like oval. I love all the things you say. We are starting to really work on letters and numbers.

You can almost quote Ephesians 6:1 by yourself, and can repeat Philippians 4:13. I need to make recordings of these verses before the way you say them changes, because it is precious. Your favorite shows right now are Little Einsteins, Scooby-Doo, Doc McStuffins, and Paw Patrol. You've recently started singing and it blows me away with cuteness.

You love your sister desperately. If you don't know where she is, you say "Mommy, where's my Addie go?" You almost always refer to her as "my Addie." I think it is the sweetest thing ever. You spend much of your time torturing her, too - but you two are really good friends at heart.

Sleeping is....interesting. You usually go down to sleep around 8pm and sleep for at least 4-6 hours before waking. Sometimes you just wake up once and go right back to sleep. Sometimes you crawl in bed with us. Sometimes you're up multiple times. And on occasion, you even sleep in your own bed until 8am. That's happened twice in the past year, if memory serves me correctly. You don't nap unless we are in the car too late in the afternoon or you are sick.

You are wearing 4T shirts and 3T pants. There are a few size 5 pajamas that have found their way into your drawer as well - and they fit you just fine. That's crazy! You weigh 36 pounds. We've been doing some serious potty learning in the last few weeks - but that's a long story that deserves its own post.

I know there are more things I could say - more stories I could tell, but these are the few that have left the biggest impressions in my mind.

We love you so much, Lincoln. It is still unbelievable to me that I have the privilege of being your mommy. You make me crazy, but you inspire me, as well. I live for the moments where you wrap your arms around my neck and squeeze soooo tight....for the whispered "I love you, Mommy" at bedtime. You are amazing, my wonderful, precious son.

Let's tackle age three with all the enthusiasm we can. But, please try to slow down just a little so Mommy can keep up.

I love you so much, sweet boy.

Love,
Mommy

They're Destined for Glasses

I am pretty sure we will always be a glasses family. Andrew and I have both worn glasses since we were young. Yes - back when they were the big, awkward frames of the 1990s. Our kids don't have a prayer. As far as I see it, it's just a matter of time before we get to take Lincoln and Addie to pick out their very first (hopefully more stylish) glasses. Then it will be just a few short years before they are begging us for the responsibility of contact lenses.

Me and my "Molly" glasses

My husband's employer does not offer a substantial vision benefit program at this time, so it's up to us to figure out how we will afford glasses for our kids in the future. Having vision insurance from a company like VSP Vision Care will definitely make families like ours more likely to keep up with eye doctor appointments and ensure everyone's eyes are healthy. Saving money is a big deal around here, so the average savings of $320/year is not something I take lightly.

The height of mid-90s fashion here.

Do you remember the days when you would have to take off your glasses - or even better, remove the lenses - when it came time for family photos? Discounts are provided on special lens options like progressive lenses, photochromic lenses, anti-reflective coating, scratch-resistant coating and UV protection. So now? If you wear glasses, you don't have to do anything differently for your family photo shoot. Plus, a frame allowance is included - as well as full coverage of basic lenses.

I'm glad that glasses have progressed a lot in fashion in the last fifteen years. I am probably about due for updated frames. Since Lincoln has already destroyed one pair of glasses in our home, there is no telling when I may be given a reason to replace my glasses immediately.

For now, I'm enjoying the knowledge that my kids can see just fine without vision correction. But when the time comes for glasses, at least they have parents who have been down that road, too. And I am guessing they will look mighty cute in their tiny little fashionable frames!

I was selected for this opportunity as a member of Clever Girls Collective and the content and opinions expressed here are all my own.

Wordless Wednesday: Early Babywearing

My Bitty Baby and Molly went everywhere with me for several years.

Five.

Five years ago last Friday, I married my best friend.

Five years ago. F-I-V-E.

I find that more than just a little crazy. It doesn't really seem like it was just yesterday anymore, but it definitely doesn't feel like so much time has passed.

People told us that the first year of married life would be the hardest. They were wrong. The first couple of years - when we had two incomes, multiple vacations a year (Disney and NYC in the span of four months? Yes please), and the ability to sleep late without worrying our toddler would burn the house down - were pretty much bliss.

That's not to say things aren't still great. It's just different. It's hard living on one income, it's hard being responsible for little people who don't sleep and fuss if you give them the wrong color sippy cup. I would give just about anything to go on a vacation, except I'm not sure it would be worth it since I would likely be in the backseat making silly faces and singing "Winnie the Pooh" at the top of my lungs for multiple hours in a row.

We have good days, frustrating days, and days where we are too tired to even talk to each other by the time the kids are asleep. Everybody keeps telling me things are just going to get crazier, but I like to imagine that we'll all function a little bit better when we're out of this sleep-deprived stage of life. For now, we're just taking it a day (or an hour) at a time.

We didn't plan anything big to celebrate our anniversary, because it's just not practical with an infant who nurses constantly and screams bloody murder if she can't see mommy at all times. So we went to a little local Italian restaurant (it wasn't terribly overpriced thanks to Groupon) and received slow enough service that we missed any reasonable movie showtimes. We weren't crushed - just thankful we didn't have the kids with us for dinner. Instead of a movie, we went to Target to get a birthday gift for our niece, and got home by 9:45pm to take back the screaming baby.

This, friends, is what a real-life 5th anniversary celebration looks like:

While we would like more sleep - it's still a good life. And there is no one else with whom I would rather spend it.

Love you, babe. Here's to 50 more years!

A Girl and A Doll Called Molly

Once upon a time, there was a little girl who looked like this.

You can imagine how excited she was when she discovered a doll that looked like this.

Source

She waited and begged and pleaded and waited some more. Then, on her ninth birthday, her wildest dreams came true.

The girl and Molly were inseparable from that moment on. Molly traveled with the girl on vacations and on everyday adventures to the grocery store.

The girl wore braids in her hair and picked out round red glasses so she could pretend to be this brave-but-average girl from the 1940's.

She stalked the mailbox waiting for each new catalog's release and spent hours pouring over each outfit, accessory, and extra special thing that she needed. Items were circled and Christmas lists were distributed faithfully.

She lived out hours of imaginations involving Molly and her family and friends. Molly came to life at camp, in the backyard swimming pool, at church - everywhere she went, there was a story to tell.

The girl's mother made countless beautiful dresses for Molly to wear, and even duplicated some of them for the girl - and didn't complain when she wore them in public.

The friendship endured the test of time, and even when other dolls had been packed away, Molly stayed with the girl. On her honeymoon, the girl told her husband that they would be stopping to explore the place Molly could be found.

The next time the girl was in the big city, she even purchased items from Molly's collection.

The girl's place of employment provided some amazing opportunities. Molly got to attend multiple events with the girl. The girl still loved to dress up her doll for fancy occasions like tea parties.

Note: if you wear your hair in this Gibson Girl style, you can look forward to this.

Then, something wonderful happened. The girl had a daughter of her own. In just a few short years, Molly would have a new best friend and playmate. There would be more dressing up and tea parties and sleepovers and matching outfits made by the girl's mother.

But it turns out there won't be any more trips to buy Molly's accessories. Because Molly's collection will be archived, very soon. The girl knows that she already owns most of Molly's clothing and will pass it on to her daughter. It's just that there is something magical about being able to experience things yourself - and not through your mother's memory.


Will my daughter ever love Molly as much as I do? Maybe not - and who's to say what's to blame for that. But Molly and I have certainly known a beautiful companionship, for almost 20 years now. And my heart is more than just a little bit broken that my daughter's generation will never experience her the same way I did.