Disney Geniuses

This last week I realized just how much Disney influences our lives – alright, how much it influences my life. I sat down to watch one of my favorite shows on ABC Family, which is Disney owned. The DVR didn’t record it. Wait, what? I immediately accused Heath of one of his stupid shows taking priority. If South Park recorded over one of my ‘can’t miss an episode’ shows, I was going to lose it! We investigated and found that it was scheduled, but just didn’t record. Weird.

Then, it happened AGAIN! “Heath come here and figure out what is wrong with our DVR!” Heath, who is the epitome of the word ‘geek,’ could usually troubleshoot the worst electronic malfunctions. So, I allowed him to do his magic. It didn’t take long to realize that we didn’t have any Disney HD channels and the schedule had been cleared out! We had other channels in HD so Heath googled the issue.

Apparently Disney and Dish Network are in a legal battle right now over how much HD channels were worth. It stated that Disney wanted to charge more for their HD channels and Dish didn’t want to pay it – hence the channels being gone.

I didn’t even need to know the details of the argument or who was truly at fault; but, funny enough, I sided with Disney. I LOVE Disney, Disney everything! How dare Dish not pay for the channels? They are totally worth it! They own ABC, ABC Family, Disney East, Disney West, ESPN, and then the various Disney carton and extreme channels, as well as the various ESPNs and SoapNet. They basically run the world: television, movies, music, amusement parks, cruises, hotels, clothing, toys, accessories, etc. Momma Disney didn’t raise no fool!

Heath and I actually considered changing dish providers because Direct TV isn’t having these issues. I guess only time will tell. So, as if this issue wasn’t enough to make me feel semi-ashamed at how much I, as a 24-year-old, loved Disney channels, it doesn’t end there.

I actually had a Saturday morning to lie in bed and do nothing this weekend. Rare, but it happened. Heath brought Lucy into our bedroom and I turned on the TV. I saw that SpongeBob was on and knew that Lucy would probably love it. Nevertheless, I avoided it. Lucy is only 4 ¾ months old and I am already trying to steer her toward Disney. I don’t want her to be a Nickelodeon girl! Ahhh….what is wrong with me?

I have always envisioned our family vacation at Disney World in Orlando. I envision taking the Disney Cruises when our children are older too. They are just so wholesome and teach the best life lessons. Predictable? Absolutely, but only to those who know Disney the best! :)

So, now, after talking to Heath about how excited I was to watch ‘Pretty Little Liars’ on ABC Family tonight, I realize how sucked in I have become. It is just something about that company! They are geniuses. I mean, come on – anyone who can re-release movies out of the so-called “vault”? All they do is get the next generation of parents to buy their classics over and over and over again. Economic geniuses.

My name is Cori and I’m a Disney-aholic. But, I would totally wish it upon anyone. :) It’s wonderful!


Note: Lucy rolled from her back to her belly this last Saturday, June 26th! Daddy saw it first, but I witnessed it on Sunday. :)

Cleaning Out the Closet

Getting rid of dispensable items is something that I have been thinking about lately. We have a lot of dispensable or unnecessary items in our lives. Let’s be honest – the glass vase in the guest bathroom filled with multicolored glass beads serves no purpose. The brown, leather box in the kitchen, originally meant to help us organize and has now become a catch-all, is being counterproductive. And, although Lucy’s mobile is adorable and gives a sense of completion for a nursery, it is pretty useless. It plays music for about a minute and then stops rotating and singing. Haha….nice try, but it takes a lot more than that to put her to sleep!

Heath and I cleaned out our closets - figuratively speaking. The items that once filled us with joy when we put them up on the checkout belt, now needed to say goodbye. They brought us $147 at our garage sale a few weekends ago. Yes, if you are wondering, we kept the vase in the bathroom, the brown box, and of course Lucy’s mobile!

It was as if my body knew though. It felt the childhood stuffed animals, the array of college room décor, and office furniture leaving. It decided I could afford to get rid of something else as well – my gallbladder.

Here I have been for 24 years, going along in life thinking I needed a gallbladder. I guess not. Although it serves a function (storing bile?), apparently it isn’t that “big of a deal.” It is the ugly step-sister, the runner up, the 16-year-old kid who rides a bicycle on Friday nights. So two weeks ago, I was told that it was coming out.

I had been having mild attacks for a few weeks and then had such horrible pain that I listed it number 2 on the pain list (number 1 being labor!). I was up all night and finally gave into Heath begging me to go to the doctor the next morning. Oh jeez… “Cori, your gallbladder is inflamed. You are scheduled for surgery Wednesday.” That was only a day away. Really? Is the gallbladder that unimportant that we just give up on it? My gallbladder is sick and we are just putting it down? Come on people, let’s get the heart paddles out; it isn’t over yet!

Alright, I’m being dramatic. But, seriously, do we give up on anything as easy? I have spent more time contemplating a clue on a crossword puzzle.

Although it seemed so worthless and easy to get rid of, just like our garage sale items, I feel the void! Let’s pretend that I don’t have four little scars on my torso as a reminder; all the same, eating just isn’t as fun! Those of you who have had your gallbladder taken out know what I am taking about!

It is when I think about what the surgeon said to me, that I am alright with all of it – “Your baby is to blame for this.”

It was a male surgeon, as if you didn’t already know. I don’t think he meant it to be mean, but it made me think – well then bring on ten surgeries. I would do anything for that 14 pounds of pure, round perfection!

Heath and I were willing to trade all of our 'closet items' for $147. And you know what? I am more willing to trade my gallbladder, pain, and more, for Lucy.


Note: Lucy finally rolled over for her mommy and daddy last week. :)

Rolling, Rolling, Rolling

I am not quite sure what double-blogging is, but this may very well be an example of it. Oh well, I am not really a typical blogger and who sets up these rules anyway?

Alright, I’m not going to ‘hem-haw’ around anymore. I am just going to lay it out there. Lucy rolled over for the first time and I missed it. Did you read that? Lucy rolled over for the first time and I missed it!

I think that I would have handled it a little better, if, say, Heath would have been the first witness. But, Daycare? I’m so sad. I feel like…yeah I’ll say it, the last kid picked in dodge ball. Even worse – when they finally got around to picking me they flat out said, “You can’t play with us.” I feel so left out. Yes, yes, I can hear the teeny tiny violin playing a song just for me. But, I felt like this was her first real big milestone.

I walk into daycare today and they say to me, “I set Lucy on her tummy for just a second and she rolled right over.” I was excited and overwhelmingly proud…but, but,…Heath did you hear that? He, too, shared in the excitement and proud pats on her tummy (which was protruding over her lacey, melon-colored shorts). I wondered if he felt like I did. The only word I can think of is: sad. I am just sad about it. Disappointed? Not really, not in Lucy anyway. Depressed? Kind of, but I’m not going to go cry in a corner or anything. Regretful? Maybe.

Once Heath left, our Daycare provider and I tried to recreate the moment that I had missed out on. Lucy hated it though. She kept looking at me like, “What is this? You hold me, remember?” When I saw one little tear roll down her nose, I had to pick her up.

Guilty? Yep, I also feel that. I already leave her for eight hours every day. I miss out on eight hours of her life every day. Now I have to feel bad about this too. Someone once told me, "It isn’t the quantity of time you spend with your children, but rather, the quality." That’s some pretty good advice. Hopefully my feelings about it will carry through the next 6 years, until Lucy goes to school – then, with the next child and the next. Until then, I will have to repeat my newly created mantra, “I will see her roll over eventually. I will see her roll over eventually. Rolling, rolling, rolling.”

The Big, Yellow Tote

Again, last night, I took a large pile of Lucy’s clothes down to storage. It required both hands to carry the stacks down to the basement. In the smaller, clear tote are the yellow, green, and occasionally blue clothes that can be used for a future little brother. In the big, yellow tote, the pinks, the hearts, the lace, and the dresses…

She is officially out of every single ‘Newborn’ item we ever had. That was tough for me to handle. When I put into storage the outfit she came home in, it broke my heart. All I can think about is: will this ever be used again? Will Lucy get a little sister to wear these outfits? Will they ever really be the next little girl’s? Or will they always be Lucy’s clothes that her sister wears?

I had favorites: the hospital outfit, the family tree shirt, and the fluffy pajamas with hearts all over. It seems like forever before we’ll get them out again, either to use or to garage sale.

Don’t get me wrong, I love that Lucy is fitting into her 0 to 3 overalls finally and shoes are becoming fun! But, why is it so tough to handle that she is a growing girl? I still haven’t wrapped my brain around the fact that she is only 5 days away from being 4 months old! And, here I am, still dressing her in 0 to 3 month outfits. Then, I am completely shocked when they don’t fit!

Alright, where am I going with this? All of you parents are thinking, “Get used to it. This is just the beginning.” Well, I knew she would grow and it would go fast. But, it seems like the clothes are the one thing that measures how fast time is going by. She only wore some outfits once and others - never! Okay, I lied; I can tell the growth in other ways too. Each time I pick up that car seat, I swear it is 10 pounds heavier. By 12 months old, I won’t even be able to pick up the thing…that or I will have some crazy muscular arms! :)

Other milestones worth noting: she can take her ‘binkie’ out of her mouth and occasionally get it back in, she can sit in her Bumbo unaccompanied, she can finally appreciate a rattle, the giggling is loud and common, and she can soothe herself to sleep, to an extent.

Well, her bedroom is cleaned out, once again. Clothes that are too small no longer linger. I know I will be going through it again here in about two weeks. Then, again, I will have to face that big, yellow tote. I am hoping over time it gets easier to close. Maybe one day I can think about the joy the clothes will bring me when I unpack them, with a big pregnant belly.