So Typically Lydia: An Enneagram Series Part 2

Continuing my series on the Enneagram, I begin deep diving into being a One. Before every chapter of each type in The Road Back to You there is a list of "What It's Like to Be a..." that provides insight into the mind of the particular type. I highlighted 12 of the 20 items because I identified strongly with them. 

I'll spotlight three that hit me the hardest. There are also a few that are probably true, but I've worked hard to manage them since they would inhibit me from growing as a person.

1. I don't like it when people ignore or break the rules, like when the person in the fast lane at the grocery store has more items than allowed.

How this might look to others: goody-goody, self-righteous, judgmental

Happening in my brain: It doesn't even have to be an actual rule. If a person goes against an established expectation without facing a just consequence, I am not happy. If best practices exist for a situation and people refuse to follow them, I am not happy. We all agree on rules and expectations and best practices. That is how things keep working and chaos doesn't envelope our lives. People can get hurt when rules are broken. There are consequences when best practices aren't followed. Breaking rules can start a domino effect that impacts future events negatively. If someone else makes a mess by not following what is established, I feel like I always end up fixing their mistake. Follow the freakin' rules people! 

All of this to say, I don't believe all rules are just nor should they be followed without question. An outdated, narrow-minded, unjust rule/practice/expectation should be changed or removed. No one should follow it. In this instance, it frustrates me to no end that people will blindly follow something clearly damaging to society. Our collective goal should be making the world better for everyone meaning evaluating rules and ditching the bad ones. Speaking of making the world a better place...

2. I think it is my responsibility to leave the world better than I found it. 

How this might look to others: dedicating every waking moment to a cause sometimes at the expense of personal health and relationships, becoming quickly frustrated and angry at injustices especially related to my passion, excitement at finding others fighting for the same thing

Happening in my brain: Whoa. I stopped and took a breath after reading that on the list. For anyone unaware, I admire Jim Henson and what he accomplished in an obsessive way. The quote in the signature for my personal email comes directly from him, "When I was young, my ambitions was to be one of the people who made a difference in this world. My hope is to leave the world a little better for having been there." I live by this quote. What I mean is that everything I do is because I want something about this world being better because of me. I don't even need people to know it was me. It doesn't even need to be on a massive scale. I can simply be the drop that instigates a much larger ripple. I sincerely believe that the way I do this is by being in public education. Everything that drives me in my work is knowing, even if I am not around to see it happen, public education can and will be better some day. Through this, I am impacting generations of learners some of whom will change the world in grander ways. As I look back on my career, there are so many ways I've learned I could be better going forward...

3. I spend a lot of time thinking about how I could be a better person.

How this might look to others: reading A LOT about any and everything even trivial things to increase knowledge, being harshly critical of myself in all situations, second guessing everything decision I made in a situation or over thinking things I said to improve in the future

Happening in my brain: I will never be good enough. Never. There will always be a better version of me I am trying to achieve. I mean, this type is known as the Perfectionist. There is always something to learn and better ways to take care of things. In terms of my faith, I want to be a truer example of what Christ calls me to be. In terms of my family, I want to be the better wife, mother, daughter. In terms of my job, I want to be the model educator. Here's where it gets really messed up-I don't actually know what others want me to be because I cannot be inside their heads. They might actually be perfectly fine with how I am at this moment. All the pressure I put on myself to be better for each of them centers around the idea that I know I can be improved, and why would I give them anything less than the absolute best version of me? It doesn't matter how often they tell me I'm enough or that they love me the way I am. Yeah, it's exhausting. No, it never goes away. 

On the list are a few things I know are not part of my hard wiring. These include:

I try to be careful and thoughtful about how I spend money. I could barely type that without laughing. Tell this to my numerous pairs of shoes, books, cosmetics, designer bags, etc. I definitely believe that I can't take it with me so spend it now!

It seems to me that things are either right or wrong. This is especially weird since following rules are kind of a big deal to me. However, there is a lot of gray in this world. I do not believe that everything can be put in a right or wrong category. There will always be a circumstance that needs to be looked at on an individual basis for it to be fair. After all, only a Sith deals in absolutes.

I like routine and don't readily embrace change. This is certainly not true, but I can see how a One who appreciates rules and order also desires routine. However, I like change. Change is required for me to grow and become a better person.

Does any of this sound like possible Ones you know? Stay tuned. There is more to come.

So Typically Lydia: An Enneagram Series Part 1

My obsession about the Enneagram grew slowly over the past year. As one who loves personality quizzes and learning about myself, the Enneagram originally seemed like another one to just add to the list. A list that consists of:

• 16 Personalities: The Protagonist
• Myers-Briggs: ENFJ or INFJ depending on my mood and the way the questions are asked

• Strengths Finder 2007: Communication, Woo, Connectedness, Adaptability, Strategic
• Strengths Finder 2019: Input, Connectedness, Strategic, Belief, Individualization

As you can see, I changed quite a bit between 2007 and 2019. Not to mention that if you simply searched Star Wars Myers-Briggs you would get a bunch of different interpretations of which characters are what combinations. Knowing that I will change over time as a person, personality tests are mostly for fun and to see how close they get to understanding who I am. Until recently, I never really looked at them as a way to learn about myself since they identified what I already knew. 

Enter the Enneagram. If you've never heard of it, I will not judge you if you leave this post to go down the rabbit hole of information about it. If I may, I would like to offer some starting points. The person you need to look into is Ian Cron. He wrote the book that changed my life, but I need to slow down and start from the beginning.

The Enneagram is not like a conventional personality test. In addition to providing insight into who I am, it lays bare the motivations of WHY I am. Let me tell you, facing the many facets of Lydia Croupe proved tougher than I thought it'd be. 

The basic idea is that everyone falls into one of nine types. No one falls 100% into one type, so there are wings for the numbers to either side. For example, I am a Type 1. My wing possibility is either a 9 or a 2. (I happen to be a Type 1 Wing 2). Additionally, I can take on the traits of other types under situations of stress or when I'm in a healthy place. 

I know this is a gross simplification of how awesome and moving understanding your Enneagram type can be. Start here with this online test to see where you fall in the types. Please understand, you should not hold the results as gospel which I will explain in a moment; and you should know that you will need to provide an email for results which may mean removing yourself from a list later.   

The thing about the Enneagram that is different from other personality tests is you don't rely on the test to decide your type. Sometimes, two types may be very similar to each other, but the motivations differ. This is why the online assessment is a starting point. It will at least provide you with types to look at first. Once you begin reading up on the various types, you may find the online test assessed correctly. That is fine too.

The next step after taking the online test is studying up on your Enneagram type. There are plenty of resources out there. I will be using The Road Back to You by Ian Morgan Cron and Suzanne Stabile for this series and highly recommend it. Now, it does come from a place of exploring your spirituality since Cron is an Episcopal priest, but there is so much more that I still highly recommend the book even if this is not your faith of choice. Once you read up on your possible types, you'll know exactly which type you are. Trust me. It becomes pretty obvious once Cron and Stabile start opening up the heart of each type. 

This blog series is partly to spread the word about Enneagram and partly to share more of myself with others. If any of you have known me for a long enough time, there might be very little I share that you don't already know. Ha ha ha. If nothing else, I hope that showing how better understanding myself helps me understand others inspires you to do the same.

I will leave you with one of the quotes about Ones that resonated with me, "...the One's commitment to living an exemplary life can quickly degenerate into a rigid perfectionism that can be tortuous both for Ones and for others."

The Stages of Team Formation-Pandemic Family Edition

You've heard of the Stages of Team Formation right? Of course you have. Even if you cannot name them all, everyone always knows about "storming" and "norming." Those are the easiest to identify which is why I think they are the first to pop into my head. As a matter of fact, those two stages are what inspired this post. Let's talk about the Stages of Team Formation during the COVID 19 lockdown at-home learning/sheltering in place.

It was Spring Break when everything in the city shut down. The downside, we couldn't visit our usual Spring Break destinations: the Zoo, Perot Museum, Art Museum, the library, etc. The upside, there was no academic expectation, so who cared if all the kids did was play on the Switch? Eventually, word came down that there would be no returning to school. Okay, so what would that look like?

Stage 1-Forming:

Those first couple of weeks were awesome! I created well thought out schedules for both boys. I knew they would take care of business while I logged in every day for work. Activities included schoolwork, Tinker Crates, Minecraft, Spheros, reading, arts & crafts, and playing outside. I even allowed the boys to decide what order they completed everything as long as it was done. Look how well things were going to work! The kids even seemed onboard. At first, they happily took care of business which kept them busy from 9 AM-ish to 2 PM-ish. BEST. PARENT. EVER.

Stage 2-Storming:

Ah. The inevitable stage where s^&* hits the fan. (Sorry for the strong language, but there is no better way to describe it.) It started with the discovery that my oldest had 20 missing assignments for school. That's right. TWENTY. What had he been doing for weeks?! Why was I the only parent keeping up with the school work in the first place? Then, I was kicked out of the office when the hubs returned to work from medical leave. No more door to close to keep from being disturbed while I worked. I was relegated to the kitchen one of the BUSIEST FREAKIN' ROOMS IN THE HOUSE. Yeah, that went well. Again, was I the only parent in the house? Why were the boys always bothering me? Oh right, because I don't have a door I could shut anymore. Not bitter...

Next came the regression of my youngest. He started sneaking back into our bed at night. He started having uncontrollable fits over small things. He couldn't always vocalize what was really bothering him. Over a year of play therapy down the drain. At least, that is how it felt.

For my oldest, we pulled out some bedroom furniture we'd saved and divided the boys' room giving them their own space. This helped my oldest tremendously, but hold on because that will fall more in "norming." As for our little guy, we just didn't fight it. I was too tired to continuously walk him back to his bed. We just let him know that he could do it. He could stay in his own bed all night. He'd done it before.

Stage 3-Norming:

I figured my 11-year-old's defiance stemmed from a few things: having no birthday party this year, needing some space, missing his school environment and friends, and resenting the fact his younger brother had significantly less school work to complete. We solved this by giving him some space and making him feel special with "new" furniture which included his own desk. I also sent postcards to his friends asking them to return with a special birthday message. Additionally, we discussed what support he would need to make sure school work didn't get overwhelming. We started making daily lists. He would check his classes and space work out according to due dates. We worked to establish a morning routine that helped him stay focused while being easy enough for him to manage while I worked.

My 7-year-old struggled more with adjusting to the way life was happening. He is a man who likes a schedule. He likes expectations. He likes knowing people and things are where they are supposed to be. For him, we needed to talk about why things were going to continue to look different which meant a new schedule and new set of expectations. Once he knew what to expect out of each day, he handled frustration better and remained in his own bed at night.

We added Tae Kwon Do practice with a friend via Zoom twice a week as well. This helps on multiple levels. There is socialization with a friend, exercising, and we won't be a complete mess when the dojo opens back up.

What about all the fun activities I so cleverly built into a daily schedule early on? Yeah, when a pandemic forces everyone into survival mode, I learned it is okay to let some things go. The boys will still assemble their Tinker Crates or play board games if I ask them to break from screens for a bit, but this isn't a normal situation. Forcing them to perform like they are still in school or expecting them to always be supplementing their learning made us all miserable. I couldn't monitor progress while working which caused me more stress.

Stage 4-Performing:

Hitting this stage inspired this post the most. I noticed that my kids were getting up without prompting. My oldest took his shower, ate breakfast, and immediately began making a daily schedule. He even started telling me which Zoom sessions he had for the day. There are still moments when I remind him to make his bed or brush his teeth. However, he started exhibiting some pride in completing tasks. I'll take it. For my youngest, the result was the same. Daily, he made himself breakfast and got right to work. 

As for me, I'm still working to get to this stage as an individual. There are times, more often than not, where I find myself not doing anything to avoid the overwhelming weight of everything. Fortunately, I work with some pretty amazing people. One of whom shared this podcast episodes with me: Fight Acedia and Create a Rule of Life. This weekend is a bit of a "reset" for me. We'll see how it goes.

Adjourning:

I cannot imaging anyone will see this stage for a while. I will be content to cruise Performing until the new school year begins especially since that will mean we might see some Storming again and have to revisit Norming.

In the meantime, framing everything using these stages helped me approach what was going on. I know leading my family is not the same as leading a team, but looking at suggestions for dealing with these various stages enabled me to problem solve when really I just wanted to disappear with a pitcher of to-go margaritas.

If anyone is interested in The Stages of Team Formation, you can click the link or the image below. They are two different pieces, but both offer quick overviews and suggestions.

2020 On the 11th Week of the New Year...

...the theme I gave my post:

Keeping the Blood Pumper Pumping

This post is a little more serious than the previous ten. I will post those links at the bottom.

February is the time of year where we all start posting about kids raising money via social media for Heart Health. When I was a kid, we called it "Jump Rope for Heart" and donations were collected via check. My how times have changed.

Every year when I sign my kids up online, we are always asked if we are raising funds to honor a Heart Hero. I often skip this portion since my grandparents, who both suffered heart attacks, have passed. However after this week, the Croupes have a new Heart Hero-my husband Christopher.

Last week, shortly after 12 AM on Tuesday, my husband woke me up because he was having severe chest pains and his jaw was tightening up. He'd already browsed "symptoms of a heart attack" for about 15 minutes before deciding to wake me. Because it was just after midnight and I was trying to process what was happening, this is how I remember the conversation going:

Me: Wait. What? You think you're having a heart attack?
Him: Or it could be pneumonia. I looked up symptoms and they are similar with the chest and stuff.
Me: Okay, so what is happening here? Am I calling 9-1-1? Am I taking you to the ER?
Him: I don't know. I mean, I'm in pretty bad pain.
Me: Again, is it the kind of pain that needs an ambulance?
Him: Don't call an ambulance! They cost too much.
Me: I can call Jake (my BIL who is a firefighter/EMT) and see if he is on duty and willing to come get you.
Him (with a slightly irritated tone): No. I will drive myself to the ER.
Me: No you won't! I'm calling my parents to see if they can come over and stay with the boys (who remained asleep during all of this).

Let's take a moment to acknowledge I've never been more grateful that my parents still have a landline than I was at that moment. About 25 minutes later, my dad was at the house and we headed to the ER. I dropped Chris off at the ER door, and I parked the car. He moseyed in with his work bag over his shoulder in case he had to wait to be seen.

By the time I parked and walked back to the ER entrance, a total of maybe 5 minutes, my husband was already being prepped for surgery. His EKG indicated he was indeed having a heart attack. The doctors found a blockage that required a stent. As the nurse walked me to his room she said, "Just to let you know, he is okay but it's a little chaotic in there." I had seconds to come to terms with what I saw: seven people with tubes and syringes and papers and liquids and monitors all working on my husband at the same time. As overwhelming as the scene was for me, I could not begin to imagine how my husband felt. What I could do is remember how strong he was the day our oldest was born when I was the one surrounded by doctors and tubes and monitors. I would be as steady and strong as he'd been for me.

If you know my husband, you know he makes sense of the world by making fun of its absurdities. Every time someone new entered the room, Chris said "dollar sign." He cracked a joke with the guy who shaved the "area." He even comically commented on the morphine drip. All of this made me love him more and work harder to keep from bursting into tears all over the ER.

At 2:45 AM, they wheeled him into the operating room. Then the LONGEST. HOUR. OF. MY. LIFE. passed while I waited to hear how it was going. Simply to keep my mind busy, I messaged people knowing they would not see anything until the next morning. I tried reading one of the books I brought. I even thought about getting in a bit of a nap. No good. Finally, at 4 AM the doctor came to speak with me. I made the trek to the ICU to see Chris. He had so much color in his face I almost didn't believe he'd been in surgery. I arrived back home at 5:30 AM.

With 90% blockage in the front of his heart, my husband now has three stents. He is alive and working towards recovery.

The rest of Tuesday was hard. I did cry. A lot. I cried from what could have been. I cried out of relief. I cried from exhaustion.

Here are takeaways from this whole experience:

• It isn't if you have a majority of the symptoms of a heart attack listed that counts. It is if you have ANY of the symptoms.
• Don't argue about an ambulance. Just call 9-1-1.
• Everyone needs to have a stress test done. A heart attack should not be the first time doctors discover blockages.
• My husband is a pretty damn good fella. The outpouring of encouragement and concern by his friends and co-works reaffirmed what I already knew.
• I have one hell of a support system: family, friends, teammates. All of them were there. They helped me be okay with letting others take care of my "to-dos." They understood when I still needed to do a little work to occupy my mind. They showed up with hugs, encouragement, food, and even funds to help get us through the week.
• Don't dwell in what might have been because it didn't happen. 
• Prayer kept me sane especially during his surgery.

I am so incredibly grateful that my Christopher is currently on the couch downstairs binge watching Stranger Things. His recovery will have its challenges. There will be frustrations. We'll get through them together.

From Chris's 50th in November.

2020 On the Tenth Day of the New Year...

...the theme I gave my post: TEN o'clock in the AM

First Day of Christmas Post: ONE Ambitious Idea
Second Day of Christmas Post: Sea TURTLE Vacation
Third Day of Christmas Post: THREE in one God
Fourth Day of Christmas Post: FOUR Instagram Accounts
Fifth Day of Christmas Post: FIVE Days at Disney World
Sixth Day of Christmas Post: SIX Players on the Ice

Seventh Day of New Year Post: SEVEN More Things About Disney
Eighth Day of New Year Post: MAIDens of a Disney Nature
Ninth day of the New Year Post: NINE Movies in the Skywalker Saga

It is no secret I am not a morning person. If you are familiar with the Night Owl vs Morning Lark chronotyping and you know me, you know I am 100% a Night Owl. I am not sure if I've always been this way (I believe so) but thought otherwise because I was forced to operate in a Morning Lark world.

For those unaware of these terms, what you need to know is this: Morning Larks like to rise early and turn in for the evening early. For example, a friend of mine is up by 4:30 AM and in bed by 8:30 PM. I, on the other hand, hit a burst of inspiration and energy around 10 PM and would prefer to crash around 2 AM sleeping till 9:30 or 10 AM.

New studies are starting to make connections with brain function and sleep patterns which make us
Night Owls look like we're in for trouble. However, the real problem is our internal clocks are not allowed to tick correctly in a world designed for Morning Larks. Seriously, if my day could look like the schedule below, it would change a lot of the work I get done and my overall well-being:

8:30/9:00 AM-wake up
9:30/10:00 AM-enjoy a cup of tea and reflect with the daily scripture readings
10:30 AM-either clean around the house or go to the gym
12:00 PM-shower and lunch
1:00 PM-read
2:00-6:00 PM-work
6:00-8:30 PM-dinner and family time
8:30 AMish-12:00/2:00 AMish-work some more
2:00 AM at the latest-go to sleep

I mean, look how productive my day would be! Unfortunately, most work schedules run 8:00-5:00. Notice how I'm pretty useless in terms of work until after lunch? The weird thing is when I am forced to operate like a Morning Lark, I have a burst of brain power somewhere between 9:00 AM and 1:00 PM. Then I am absolutely unproductive. I cannot focus and am tired for the rest of the afternoon.

I can hear those Morning Larks thinking "why not just adjust those times to fit normal operating hours?" Here's the deal: I am hard wired to be a Night Owl. I tried to change. Many times I think I will do it. It lasts maybe three days, and I am miserable. I can get in bed at 8:30 and will lie awake until 10 PM or later. I will even force myself up at 5 AM in hopes of exhausting myself to get to sleep earlier. Unless I put in a lot of physical work during the day (like presentations), it doesn't matter.

I know my ideal schedule works because during breaks and long weekends, it is the schedule I follow. My absolute favorite time being the 9:30/10:00 AM cup o' tea and reflection on daily scripture. With our new kitchen remodel, there is a little nook by the breakfast table when I become invisible if I curl my legs up on the bench. I stare out of the window with the morning sun hitting our house at just the right angle to provide enough natural light allowing me to keep the lights in the kitchen off.

Days that start like this are always better. There is no rush to be somewhere without taking time to wake up and prepare mentally for any challenges the day brings.

2020 On the Ninth Day of the New Year...

...the theme I gave my post: NINE Movies in the Skywalker Saga

First Day of Christmas Post: ONE Ambitious Idea
Second Day of Christmas Post: Sea TURTLE Vacation
Third Day of Christmas Post: THREE in one God
Fourth Day of Christmas Post: FOUR Instagram Accounts
Fifth Day of Christmas Post: FIVE Days at Disney World
Sixth Day of Christmas Post: SIX Players on the Ice

Seventh Day of New Year Post: SEVEN More Things About Disney
Eighth Day of New Year Post: MAIDens of a Disney Nature

SPOILER WARNING-I don't plan to spoil anything, and to be fair my two week curtesy window is quickly closing. However, I am putting this in just in case I do on accident.

A long time ago in a living room far, far down the road...

As a kid, only the living room television had cable. I loved finding the TV Guide in the Sunday paper to see what big movies would air that week. If Star Wars was going to be on, I was going to be watching. (Quick Note: there was a time one could just say Star Wars and it was understood she meant A New Hope. There are so many movies now it has to be specified, but for the purpose of this post just know that if I say Star Wars when referring to a movie I mean A New Hope.) I would ask my mom and dad if I could watch Star Wars since it usually occupied the TV for 2 + hours when you added commercials.

One day my mom peeked in the living room and saw me completely enthralled in the adventures of this motley crew of characters and their Space Western and said, "You know there are two more of these movies right?" NO I DID NOT! What?! What did she mean? I could spend more time in a galaxy far, far away? How do we make this happen? We headed to Blockbuster immediately. We returned home and I asked if I could watch them in the living room (the only VCR we had at the time). Two things happened that day: I realized how empty my life was before seeing Empire Strikes Back (which is far superior to either Star Wars or Return of the Jedi), and I quit the Luke camp and became a Han Solo girl for the rest of my life.

(Yes, I know this GIF is from Return and not Empire.)

Over the next few decades my relationship with Star Wars (all the films) was an interesting one. No one else I knew had really seen them or even seemed interested in them. It was almost like it wasn't cool to like Star Wars. Then the best thing happened! They were rereleased with new effects. I could not believe it! Now, EVERYONE I knew had the opportunity to see how amazing these movies were.

Whomp. Whomp. The rereleases took something from the originals that left them a little less magical. It was okay though because George Lucas was going to film prequels! Holy cow! That will show'em. Expanding the story was a great idea...

I think we all know how the prequels went (heads up-there are some bad words in this):

Fast forward a few more decades and Disney purchased the whole franchise. Wow! They did great things with the Marvel property. Surely, everything Star Wars based that comes from them will be superb.

As much as I love Star Wars, I will admit that not everything Star Wars related is golden. The fandom contains so many opinions it can make your head spin. Please understand that everything that follows are my feelings which means you are allowed to disagree. You are also allowed to think me foolish for what I think if your thoughts are different. As Kid President says, "It is okay to disagree. It is not okay to be mean," so if you don't like one of my opinions please be kind.

• I hate that it is common knowledge that Vader is Luke's father. Nothing compares to the shock and dropped jaw of discovering that nugget of truth while watching Empire Strikes Back. So intense. So awesome.
• If you are going to allow your children to watch the films, PLEASE show them in release order and not chronologically. Please. I beg you.
• My favorite piece of Yoda wisdom is actually, "Luminous beings are we. Not this crude matter." and not "Do or do not. There is no try."
• I would love to own the original release versions of the original trilogy.
• Leia rules. Always has. Always will.
• The prequels should not exist. Period.
• After Empire Strikes Back, Rogue One is the best Star Wars movie. 
• The Last Jedi would be number three after the two above.
• Solo: A Star Wars Movie is meh. No one is Han except Harrison Ford, and no I didn't need the backstory of how Han and Chewie met. What I would have LOVED is a series of their smuggling adventures. Show me how the relationship between them grows based on the challenges they face. Donald Glover aside, that movie just does not do it for me.
• Love the pun that The Emperor used a "Snoke screen" to hide his true intentions.
• The Mandalorian? ABSOLUTELY ROCKS!

And finally, for those of you wondering how I feel about the final installment of the Skywalker Saga...

But seriously, it is fine. I do not think it is the most epic ending of all time. It is a very safe ending. I am disappointed that some of the more interesting directions The Last Jedi went were rerouted or fell flat in Rise of Skywalker. I like the continued exploration of the duality in the Dark and Light sides of the Force, but I think it could have been pushed further. I am content with this as the ending. The story is done. Honestly, nothing will ever compare to being back in my living room as a kid glued to the original trilogy. However, I completely understand why people who have invested so many years into the stories and characters may have shed tears when watching those two suns set for the last time.

Even though I may not run to watch every single film over and over again, it doesn't change how much I love the Skywalker Saga and the stories and worlds that exist because of it.

2020 On the Eighth Day of the New Year...

...the theme I gave my post: MAIDens of a Disney Nature

First Day of Christmas Post: ONE Ambitious Idea
Second Day of Christmas Post: Sea TURTLE Vacation
Third Day of Christmas Post: THREE in one God
Fourth Day of Christmas Post: FOUR Instagram Accounts
Fifth Day of Christmas Post: FIVE Days at Disney World
Sixth Day of Christmas Post: SIX Players on the Ice

Seventh Day of New Year Post: SEVEN More Things About Disney

As promised, it is time to discuss Disney Princesses. Actually, they are not all princesses. The characters Esmeralda, Meg, and Mulan are sometimes thrown in with the princesses. They are not, but I get it so that is fine. (Don't get me started on how people thought Anastasia was a Disney Princess. She is an entirely different animation company. C'mon folks.) As for Pocahontas and Moana; they are daughters to chiefs which I supposes makes them princesses. All of this to say this is why I chose the term "maiden" since they are all at least that.

If you know me at all, you know that all I wanted to be when I grew up was a princess. Seriously. Even the strong, tough female characters I adored like Wonder Woman and Leia are princesses. Most of all, the moment I saw Beauty and the Beast I knew the only princess I could possibly be was Belle. She is brunette-check. She has brown eyes-check. SHE LOVES TO READ-check check check.

Unfortunately, there are other requirements of becoming a princess that I just don't meet. I've come to terms with that. The closest I will ever get is meeting all the princesses at Disney World. As I mentioned in my last post, the magic is strong and I love meeting the characters even though the logical part of my brain knows they are not real.

During the trip in November, I got it in my head that I wanted to meet all the princesses at Disney. It started at Epcot when I realized that many of the princesses are there throughout the day in their corresponding country. What started as a photo op and visit with Belle became a mission. In the end, I did pretty well.

The Belle of them all!

Vanellope is a princess.

Missing are Snow White, Aurora, and Ariel from the originals. I also saw Merida and could probably have figured out where Pocahontas and Moana were if I had given myself more time. Goals for next time.

Why the crazy princess obsession? I can hear some people irritated with the damsel in distress motif or that stupid thing people who think they are all alt cool do when they claim Belle had Stockholm Syndrome. Look, the princesses teach faith, loyalty, love, acceptance, honor, courage, kindness, empathy, and that beauty can look like many things. It is also really cool to watch the evolution of the Disney Princess. Comparing Snow White to Elsa makes for great discussion. The princesses are also fascinating reflections of their era. 

I don't believe being a Disney Princess means one cannot also be an intelligent, independent woman. Honestly, I am fine breaking glass ceilings during the day and then being treated like royalty when I come home. (Don't believe me? Ask the dishes...that my husband does after dinner because I love to cook but hate to clean. Just ask him.)

NOT my husband but I sure felt like a princess next to him. He liked my shirt by the way.

Idea for our next remodeling project?

Besides, people have done some pretty interesting things with the Disney Princess concept. One of my favorites is the Princess Rap Battles by Whitney Avalon. I also like all the variants of Disney Princess like this one where they are put in careers that reflect who they are.

Sure I'm a 39-year-old woman who giggled when she met Belle, but you know what? I'm okay with that.

2020 On the Seventh Day of the New Year...

...the theme I gave my post: SEVEN More Things About Disney

First Day of Christmas Post: ONE Ambitious Idea
Second Day of Christmas Post: Sea TURTLE Vacation
Third Day of Christmas Post: THREE in one God
Fourth Day of Christmas Post: FOUR Instagram Accounts
Fifth Day of Christmas Post: FIVE Days at Disney World
Sixth Day of Christmas Post: SIX Players on the Ice

I know the Disney vacation post was lengthy. However, there are other things I remember from the trip while going through my pictures and decided to share them.

1. I absolutely love my husband. He is comfortable with who he is and has a way of making me laugh when the situation would normally make me anxious or embarrassed. He enjoys having conversations with the characters and cast members. The first time he and I went to Disney world, he insisted that Goofy explain to him why Pluto acts like a pet while Goofy acts more human when they are both dogs. Turns out, Goofy is technically a Dog-Man. Well, this trip was no different. The hubs struck up a conversation with lovable Kevin from Up. As my children looked on in horror, their father stopped the crowd and warned Kevin about the bad man and dogs hunting him. Ha ha ha. I explained that they would need to get over any embarrassment because Daddy would be doing this the whole trip.

2. The last time my husband and I visited Disney World, we participated in a sketch class where we drew Goofy. I had a blast. He did not. We still have the drawings. They are excellent examples of my Random Abstract brain versus his Linear Concrete one. We tried it again with the kids. This time it was Shere Khan from The Jungle Book as the subject. Everyone did great!

3. I've never seen Avatar. At all. Not even small scenes. At first, I just did not see it when it was in theaters. Then everyone kept talking about how amazing it was, so the alt rebel in me refused to see it. Stupid, I know. It happens. Pandora is pretty darn cool though. We rode one of the rides which was pretty cool. While waiting in line, my oldest read all the information about the flora and fauna of Pandora. Now, we have to see it. Maybe next time we visit Disney, we can ride the main Pandora attraction (the line for that clocked at 3+ hours when we were there).

4. Next time we'll need to build a day in for rest. We hit the parks hard, and it took its toll on my youngest. He fell asleep during two meals on day three: breakfast and lunch.

5. No matter how old I am, I cry at some point meeting the characters. It is silly but something about knowing there are people on this planet who want to spread joy simply by being the real life counterpart to an animated or fictional character. When you meet Mickey, every part of your soul believes that is Mickey Mouse. I looked so forward to meeting Princess Belle. Did I know the Belle I met at Epcot in France was not the same Belle my boys met in Magic Kingdom the day before? Logically, I did. It didn't matter. I could have stood there with her kindly complimenting my Figment Mouse ears and appreciation for my Beauty and the Beast inspired lipstick all day every day.

6. My heart broke a little watching my oldest experience everything. He is 10, almost 11, and there are days I see those hormones wreak havoc on him. He doesn't completely understand why he is embarrassed or why something seems so uncool. Other days he is just a regular kid ready to jump in and have fun no matter who is watching. Disney World is an interesting place when you are going through this because everyone feels like a kid. However, if your body is sending you annoying signals that you should act older what do you do? He had fun. I know it, but there was one moment in particular during the Indiana Jones stunt show. I looked over and the only thing on his face was pure wonderment and joy. He suspended all disbelief and bought into that show wholeheartedly. I got choked up.

7. Finally, the night show at Disney Hollywood Studios is great. Very few people were in the front three rows, so we ran down to get good seats. I couldn't believe our luck...until the show started. They really should pass out rain panchos. We were uncomfortably damp (near soaking wet) when the show ended. That water can mist ya something terrible. Even the flames couldn't dry us out completely.

2019 On the Sixth Day of Christmas...

...the theme I gave my post: SIX Players on the Ice

First Day of Christmas Post: ONE Ambitious Idea
Second Day of Christmas Post: Sea TURTLE Vacation
Third Day of Christmas Post: THREE in one God
Fourth Day of Christmas Post: FOUR Instagram Accounts
Fifth Day of Christmas Post: FIVE Days at Disney World

Picture it: Dallas, Texas 1992 A 12-year-old girl sees two movies: The Mighty Ducks and The Cutting Edge. Both of these films involved an interesting sport called ice hockey. The girl is intrigued by the fast pace and puck handling. What is this? Her mother explains the sport and mentions Dallas has a minor league team called The Dallas Freeze. They go to a game. The moment the blades hit the ice the girl is hooked. The thud as bodies slam against the boards. The wobble of the glass. The click-clack of the sticks. The potential for fights. The excitement as the puck finds its way through the goalie. Then to discover that Dallas would have its own professional NHL team! The girl knows her life will never be the same. That girl was me. That NHL team was The Dallas Stars.

I absolutely love hockey. Love it. Love it. Love it. I love that my high school graduation had to be moved to a new location because the Stars were battling for the Stanley Cup. I love that we won. I love that I could go to practice and meet the players. I love that I received a Nieuwendyk jersey as a Christmas gift. I even love my team when they are in a slump and playing like crap. (I know that I love them when they are like this because I get so emotionally involved.)

I kicked off 2020 experiencing the coolest thing to happen to Dallas Stars Hockey since they won the Stanley Cup. My husband and I attended the NHL Winter Classic. The Winter Classic is an annual outdoor hockey game on the national stage. This year Dallas hosted the game in the Cotton Bowl against the Nashville Predators. Believe me, a lot of people had doubts about whether or not the game would happen so far in the south.Well, it did and it was amazing! The weather cooperated creating a crisp and chilly atmosphere. All the elements were there: bodies into boards, sticks hitting the ice, tension leading to fights! The rumbling of 85, 000+ fans with each shot at the net. Then the absolute best:

THE DALLAS STARS WON!

The last sound of the #WinterClassic? The SOUND of the CROWD.@DallasStars take this one in front of their home crowd at the Cotton Bowl. pic.twitter.com/3kQE5bnMl3

— NHL on NBC (@NHLonNBCSports) January 1, 2020

Unfortunately, I did not get my much anticipated Fletcher's Corny Dog. It turns out that 85, 000+ people are a lot more than cordoned off Fair Grounds can really accommodate. All food lines were absurdly long meaning all I ate the whole day as a handful of peanuts and cold nachos. However, I would gladly take a handful of peanuts and cold nachos any day of the week if it means a glorious Dallas Stars victory on a national stage!

2019 On the Fifth Day of Christmas...

...the theme I gave my post: FIVE Days at Disney World

First Day of Christmas Post: ONE Ambitious Idea
Second Day of Christmas Post: Sea TURTLE Vacation
Third Day of Christmas Post: THREE in one God
Fourth Day of Christmas Post: FOUR Instagram Accounts

There is a reason it is called the Most Magical Place on Earth. I get that some people find other locations magical to them. However, if you find yourself at Disney, you experience the magic of innocence and joy and fun and fellowship and goodness. I have been to Disney World three times: as a teen, newly married without kids, and recently with my children. Although parks update and attractions change, the feeling is the same.

My husband and I planned a surprise trip for our boys over the Thanksgiving Break. It was super easy to plan it all. First, we are blessed to know a couple of Disney vacay experts. They were immensely helpful in helping us choose time of year, finding the attractions that would give us the most bang for our buck, and checking in during out trip to celebrate the experience with us. We also used the Disney Experience to find a resort, reserve Fast Passes, purchase meal plans, and arrange luggage delivery to our resort room. Basically, we just had to make sure and get to the airport on time. Ha ha ha.

We chose to fly out the Friday before Thanksgiving Break and return the Wednesday before Thanksgiving. (You don't miss a family Thanksgiving.) Friday morning arrived, and we could barely contain our energy while we got the kids up and in the car. All the suitcases had been packed the night before and put in the car, so the boys didn't see them in the morning. Then I wrapped their Magicbands for them to guess where we were going. Once we were in the car, we explained that we were not going to school and work. Instead, we had somewhere special to go. We gave them the bands to unwrap:

Interesting reaction. The youngest was more concerned about no longer receiving his Perfect Attendance Award.

Disney Springs

We arrived Friday afternoon and loved our room at Port Orleans Riverside. It contained images of princesses and princes. The over all theme came from Princess and the Frog. This meant the headboards on our beds lit up looking like fireflies!

That night we headed to Disney Springs via boat. Disney Springs is a giant outdoor mall essentially. We walked around taking it all in. The shopper in me was excited to see so many Disney items for purchase! Eventually, we needed to eat. Why not have dinner at the dinosaur themed restaurant?

Day One: Animal Kingdom

• Benji was actually not a fan of the Dinosaur ride even though we picked that one for him
• Turns out, Benji LOVED Expedition Everest and cannot wait to return and ride it again
• Turns out, Will did NOT love Expedition Everest and swore off all rollercoasters then and there
• The Bug's Life show was a lot of fun
• Finding Nemo: The Musical was visually stunning and a great respite from the heat (it was quite warm that day)
• Rafiki's Outpost got us up close and personal with some animals and let us flex our drawing muscles
• Experienced a bit of Pandora
• The night show was gorgeous
• The buffet dinner at Boma-Flavors of Africa was a delicious as I remembered

Day Two: MAGIC KINGDOM!

What can I say? The Disney Princess in me was most excited about this park. All the iconic rides and attractions are there. However, believe it or not, most of the princess are not. That did not stop me from soaking in every aspect of Fantasyland. We started the day with Belle and ended with dinner with the Beast. I mean, that is how much my husband and children love me. They let me have a whole day being a kid who really just wants desperately to fall into the movie Beauty and the Beast.

• Ate a tasty breakfast right in front of the castle
• Chris, Will, and Ben were all selected to participate in the Belle attraction! Yeah, I teared up about it. Don't care what you think.
• Enjoyed the Seven Dwarves mine train
• Cheered on the parade in the afternoon
• Experienced It's a Small World because you kinda have to
• Lived a bit of a pirates life on Pirates of the Caribbean
• Spooked ourselves out at The Haunted Mansion
• Sat down to a "fancy" dinner at the Beast's castle

And before we could enjoy the evening show and fireworks at the castle, we were promptly kicked out because of the special Holiday celebration we did not purchase tickets for. Sigh

Day Three: Epcot

The best part of Epcot? FIGMENT the dragon of course! If you don't know who that is, he is the Figment of your Imagination. I love him. He is adorable and fun. I even purchased a set of Figment Mouse Ears. The other cool part of Epcot is the World Showcase. They have various festivals there throughout the year. It is a neat way to see a lot of the world in a short period of time. Turns out, most of your Disney Princess are found here throughout the day. However, the princesses are getting their own post in a few days, so I am not going to go into too much about them here.

There are big plans happening for Epcot. Soon there will be an area dedicated to Big Hero 6 and Cocoa (two movies I love). They are also constructing a ride based on Guardians of the Galaxy I believe (and one of our awesome shuttle drivers is very excited that Tron is coming to the parks as well). 

• Introduced Figment to my boys
• Met Vanellope Von Schweetz
• Got MY picture with Belle
• Met a TON of princesses
• Ate lunch in Morocco 
• Tasted the weirdest cotton candy ever
• Watched some Pixar shorts
• Met Joy, Baymax, Mickey, Minnie, Goofy
• Rode Spaceship Earth

We actually left Epcot early and headed back to the Magic Kingdom because we wanted the boys to see the night show at the castle. Unfortunately, this means we did not see the night show at Epcot. Putting it on my list for next time.

Day Four: Disney Hollywood Studios

Truth time: Visiting this park was all about Galaxy's Edge. If you know me, you know how I love Star Wars (a post about that eventually too). Seeing Galaxy's Edge was a main factor in our visit to Disney World this year. Not disappointed at all. 

The one thing I didn't quite expect was the full immersion. Galaxy's Edge is not another "land" like at Magic Kingdom where you can meet all your favorite Star Wars characters. You are in an experience. All the cast members are continuously acting out a show between Rey, Finn, and Chewie and Kylo Ren and the First Order. You cannot purchase traditional souvenirs here. You CAN FLY THE MILLENNIUM FALCON!!! AHHHHHHHH! Sure, we stood in line for an hour and a half, BUT I FLEW THE FREAKIN' MILLENNIUM FALCON.

My amazing husband also reserved seats at a character dinner for us. The perfect way to end our last night at Disney World.

• Had breakfast in Toy Story world
• 99.99% certain we sat a few tables away from Justin Furstenfeld of Blue October
• Rode Star Tours for the original Star Wars fans in us
• FLEW THE MILLENNIUM FALCON
• Brushed elbows with Rey, Finn, and Chewbaca
• Watched the Indiana Jones Stunt Spectacular
• Met Mike and Sully
• Ate dinner with Mickey, Minnie, Donald, Daisy, and Goofy
• Got soaking wet at the night show (they should have a warning if you sit to close to the water)

Returning home was bittersweet. I completely understand why people go to the Disney parks so often. You are allowed to forget your age and cares of the world. You just have fun. Everyone in line (and some of those lines were super long) is amiable and open to chatting. It does have a magic all its own.