Springtime at Disneyland

We decided to extend our long President's Day weekend with a three day trip to Disneyland....along with everybody else on the planet. It was crowded and chilly by Southern California standards, and half our favorite rides were closed, BUT, the kids didn't notice any of that. The world through their eyes is such a magical place and their energy is infectious. They were bouncing with excitement from the moment we walked into the park and are still going strong four days after getting home. Ez has been reenacting the Flik's Flyers ride and demanding "take a picture of me!" You don't have to ask me twice, kid. 

Despite a few snags, everything was blooming and gorgeous, we wound up finding new favorite rides - hello, Rockets & Buzz Lightyear, and we got in some quality time with Grandma (aka, Joe's mom). Ez got his fill watching the Radiator Springs Racers (yes, he still prefers watching to actually riding), Decky got to ride Monsters Inc. on repeat at the end of each night, and Joe and I got to sneak off for a mini Space Mountain date (thanks Grandma!). We were all happy campers. 

Decky's top 5 favorite Disney moments:

1. Touching DJ (the musical car) - two different dancers tried to intersect him and block him, but he was not to be deterred. The look on his face afterward was priceless (see above photo) and he was so proud of himself.
2. Stealing: a popcorn bucket, balloon weights, a kid's Buzz Lightyear doll right out of his hand, strollers, and balloons...seriously, this kid is a klepto and nothing is safe within his reach.
3. Running right onto the Monsters Inc. ride at the end of each night. The idea of actually waiting in line is lost on him so for once nobody was reigning him in and dragging him back to his place in line.
4. Any and every flying type ride.
5. Getting a new balloon and immediately getting to work popping it (fyi - Disney will exchange popped balloons).

Ez's Top 3 Disney Moments:

1. Beelining straight for the Radiator Springs Racers the moment we got there. 
2. Meeting Woody & Jessie from Toy Story - aka, his idols.
3. Somehow talking us into way too many new toys. He is an excellent negotiator.
4. Becoming a space ranger and defeating Zurg (on the Buzz Lightyear ride...can you tell what our current favorite movie is?)
5. Monster's Inc., Flik's Flyers, and the Rockets (in that order, according to him).

And in case you were wondering what Declan and Ez's least favorite moments were, those would be the times we dragged them on Haunted Mansion and Pirates of the Caribbean, the six hour car ride home afterward, the time we refused to buy an $85 Mack truck (for Decky), and the time we decided to actually ride rides instead of watching Radiator Springs Racers for three hours straight. 😂

Valentine's Day

I hope you all had the most love-filled Valentine's Day! 

Between Joe and the grandparents we were all extremely loved on yesterday. It felt like a heart-filled, extra chocolaty mini Christmas. Not only did Joe get me a gorgeous bouquet, hummingbird gifts, and lots of chocolates, but he took the kids to the playground for a few hours so I could enjoy some alone time. Best gift ever. I'm one lucky gal. 

I think my favorite part of all was this being the very first school-year Valentine's Day and all the excitement that came along with that. Ez completely embraced the Valentine's spirit of making cards and heart-shaped crafts. I'm not sure what we'll do with our mornings now that it's all over. And while he was so excited to hand out all his Valentine's I don't think he even realized that he'd be receiving cards from all his classmates as well. When we collected his Valentine's out of his art bucket and brought them home he was brimming over with excitement. And boy, did his classmates spoil him! He got stickers and stamps, temp tattoos and pencils, heart-shaped glasses and even a mini skateboard, a race car, a toy soldier (like the ones in Toy Story!!!), and, his personal fave, a little rubber ducky covered in hearts. Oh, and candy. Lots and LOTS of candy. Kids have definitely stepped up their Valentine's game since I was in school...

We capped off the evening with a low key sushi meal, Toy Story, and two boys riding that sugar high. Best Valentine's Day yet. 

Happy Valentine's Day! A Year's Worth of Dates

Happy Valentine's Day, my friends! We've been busy crafting away, making little pom pom love monsters and heart-shaped cards for all the kids in Ez's class, as well as felt roses for his teachers. I always remember making elaborate Valentine's Day cards with my mom growing up and I was so excited to continue this tradition with Ez and Declan once they started school. 

To celebrate this day of love, I thought it'd be fun to recap the past year's worth of date nights and weekend getaways, which don't always get a lot of mention on the blog. Fun fact: we've never hired a babysitter for Ez and Deck. Not once. Thankfully, we do have a few willing family members who take on the job for free (seriously, thank you so much!!) and we managed to do a couple getaways and staycations last year. 

First up, and I'm not sure this should really count as a date, but we like to take opportunity when it presents itself, even if we are mid-move with just hours to pack up half a household. So, in true Joe and Nina fashion, we made the most of our move last January with a mini dinner & cupcake break, followed by scrabble & wine to celebrate our new place. Cheers to that!

Last Valentine's Day we decided to go all out with a weekend getaway to Monterey, where we explored the wharf, and the beach, and, possibly my favorite part, we met a super playful otter putting on a show for us just as we were about to leave. 

In March we opted for a staycation, and wandered around Sacramento, checking out coffee houses, bookstores, the Governor's Mansion, and basically all the stuff we've always wanted to explore that don't include a playground 😉

A family trip to Disneyland may not seem like a date, BUT, if you go with enough family there's always a chance to sneak off for a mini date to ride the big kid rides while someone else watches the kids. Definitely one of our favorite date spots (as if you didn't know that already!)

Between May and June we were too busy doing family stuff for a real date night, but we made up for it in July with a movie date to see Wonder Woman and a birthday weekend getaway to Tahoe & Reno. Gambling, a cirque du soleil type performance, LOTS of good food, and kayaking - one of my favorite birthdays yet. 

September was one year married for us!! We celebrated with sushi (pretty much a given on 9 out of 10 of our date nights) and our first movie at the Tower Theater (Wind River - surprisingly good), a trip to the California Museum, and, of course, cutting into our year old cake (also surprisingly good). 

November was DISNEY WORLD!! We had a pretty good day date around Epcot, which is basically THE dream date spot. Tons of great food, drinks, and beautiful scenery. I wish we lived close enough for regular date nights there. 

Somehow, in the midst of Christmas shopping, and wrapping, and colds, and family time we snuck out to see Lady Bird, which I've already raved about on Instagram because it's all filmed in Sacramento. Being able to watch it in Tower Theater and recognize all the landmarks was such a special experience. 

And that brings us back to January, with not one, but two date nights. First up was a trip to see Star Wars, which at first we liked, but as the movie sank in, we realized we didn't like it so much after all. Then we capped the month off with another staycation where we tried a new to us restaurant and went to see the Sacramento Contemporary Dance company, followed by a cozy night watching Chicago and playing Mario Kart. 

What a year we've had! Fitting in romance between potty training, and the preschool plague, and all the other madness that comes with raising two rambunctious boys is not easy, but I'm so lucky that Joe always makes it a priority to schedule in time for just the two of us AND come up with creative date ideas. 

Happy Valentine's Day to my bff, partner in crime (and parenting), the funniest person I know, my soulmate. Men like you are one in a million, and I definitely won the lottery with you. 

PS - Did I mention how lucky I am? ❤

Ezzyisms: 4 years, 9 months

I remember back before Ez could really speak, I'd hear parents talk about the funny things their kids would say and I could NOT wait for that phase of parenthood. Well, my friends, we are finally there. Not a day goes by that Ez doesn't crack me up. Sometimes intentionally, usually not, but he has the freshest, most hilarious view of the world, and I really wish I were more on top of recording it all. The last time I did an Ezzyisms post was a whole nine months ago, which is a shame, because so many funny moments that I thought I'd remember forever have already come and gone. I mean to write them down, I really do, but, of course, I don't. Except, I finally did! A few of the funniest moments from the past few weeks made it to a notes folder on my phone, and now, finally, they're making their way to the light of day. Here's a little glimpse into Ez's world, in his own words:

• shaking his head "I don't live in Sacramento..." <Joe> "Where do you live?" <Ez> "The playground." <Joe> "The playground??!" <Ez> "I mean, I live in a house." 
• <trying to say Millenium Falcon> "lemony falcon" "melanie malcolm" "romero camaro" (??!)
• "What kind of car is that?" <talking about a car that just cut me off> Me: "We'll just call it an impatient car." Ez: "Yeah...like daddy." 😂
• "Babe, that's disgusting." <when Joe burps, farts, or does any other gross boy things.>
• "We're going to the cake pop store." <aka Starbucks>
• "Can you please stop that?" <anytime Joe or I sing>
• "Mommy just ate it all." <EVERY time I finish a meal...he's giving me a complex>
• "We just need a little pit stop." <whenever we stop at the gas station.>
• <Falling asleep then suddenly waking up, giggling hysterically, and shouting> "you CAN'T fly!!!" (Toy Story)
• <my mom, aka Gangy, asked if she and Grampa are old> "No...Gangy's not old. Grampa's old."
• <Declan was making all kinds of random noise during a road trip> "Decky, can you NOT do that?" <a few minutes later> "Decky, you can be quiet, or you can not be loud." (such a little dipolomat, outlining all of Declan's options.)

Ez's current obsessions include:

• Toy Story - especially when Buzz attempts to fly, and the rocket scene at the end
• UPS trucks (????)
• Roaming the backyard for hours at a time now that we're having Spring like weather
• Ice Cream trucks & his toy ice cream set he got for Christmas
• weekly 3 hour trips to Wacky Tacky (an indoor playground)
• reading (aka, reciting by memory or being read to)
• asking what everyone is eating all the time 
• Star Wars, especially the droids and space ships
• That song "5 Little Monkeys Jumping on the Bed" 
• Ice Cream sandwiches, cheetos, melon, and apples
• Panera Bread
• the mini carts at Trader Joe's
• bossing his brother around
• doing everything by himself (aka - stay away Mommy! DON'T help!)

Four, almost five has been such an age of growth for all of us. We've seen Ez branch out more than ever before, creating his own little world outside of our home, and he's doing an amazing job. He went from crying every time I dropped him off and not being able to tell me a single thing that went on at school, to excitedly telling me about his day, what games he and the other kids played, and what fun stuff they have planned for later in the week. It's like I blinked and all of a sudden he went from toddler to school aged kid. We are so, so proud of him and all the hard work he's doing each and every day.

While I sadly failed at catching all the variations of "millenium falcon" on video, I did get a few fun Ezzyisms: