Big news!

I am really bad at blogging these days.  I feel like such a slacker.  I don't really have a routine here yet, and I know that is part of my problem.  I have also spent free time trying to catch up on my online class which I now want to quit, but that is a post for a different day.

Since I finally made it to a doctor yesterday, I feel comfortable announcing that my family will be adding a new member in November!  I am just about 12 weeks pregnant, and this pregnancy is kicking my butt.  Hopefully, it will get better since I am almost to the second trimester.  I have been so tired that I prefer to lie down as soon as I have the chance.  I am excited and terrified at the same time.  I am still unsure if I can juggle two since I can barely handle one kid right now, but I guess I will figure it out.

My prediction for this baby is boy.  This pregnancy has been so different that I just feel like it will be a boy.  I guess I will find out in July!

Unpacked

I can say that 95% of the boxes that we kept in the house have been unpacked.  It is nice for this place to feel like home.  We downsized with this townhome so we had to rent a storage unit for some of our stuff.  I can't believe how much stuff we had, and how much we relied on a garage.  We did some purging while unpacking, and hopefully we can purge before we move again in 6-8 months.

I was worried about the dogs not having a yard, but they are doing great.  Only a few accidents.  We do have a tiny, fenced patio that we let them use in emergencies.  We put some astroturf down and that seems to be close enough to grass for them.  Otherwise, they are really good at letting us know or waiting for their walk every few hours.  Hannah loves having playgrounds and a pool within walking distance.  We won't be stuck in the house all day while my husband is at work.  The downside to this place is it is remote and small.  South Texas is so different than Florida.  It is in the 90s before noon, and it is so windy it is hard to walk some days.  I don't even want to know what July and August will be like if it is already so hot.  I definitely don't want to see my electric bill.  I do miss all the activities Pensacola had to offer.  I hear the MWR has a lot of stuff to do, and I am hoping that is true.  And if we get desperate enough to do something, Corpus Christi is only 45 minutes away with Padre Island only about an hour.  San Antonio is only 3 hours away, and I can't wait to take  a weekend trip there.  I really am going to try to make the most of my time in this tiny Texas town.  I have met some nice people, and I know that does make a difference.

In completely unrelated news, in one month Hannah turns 2.  I can't believe how fast time is flying.  The terrible twos are definitely here.  I am not sure what happened to my sweet baby, but this pushy, bossy toddler can change back to a sweet kid any day now.  She drives me absolutely bonkers some days.

Last day

Today is my last full day in the hotel!  I am so freaking excited!  Hannah and I are going nuts in this room.  We take walks around the hotel for fresh air and exercise, but since we only have one car we are limited on what we can do when the husband is at work.  Luckily, we have found all the parks in town so when we do have the car we go to those.  Hannah is using all her excess energy to destroy everything.  I am trying to so hard to be patient, but I am losing the battle.  I can't wait to get the keys tomorrow, move what stuff we do have with us in, and pick up the dogs.  I miss my pups!  I just have to survive the next 24 hours.

I survived!

I am back!  I have been without internet or time for the last week thanks to the move.  We are now safely in Texas and living in a hotel until we are allowed to move into our house.  I can definitely say I miss Florida.  There is nothing here in this town, but I keep telling myself that it is only for 6-8 months.  I know every duty station is what you make of it, and I am going to try my best to do that, but right now it looks bleak.  The drive was great!  The dogs were awesome. No repeat pooping in the car like the move to Florida.  Hannah had a portable dvd player this time so she was entertained.  Although she has learned to unbuckle her chest bar and slide her arms out of the car seat straps.  I am not sure how I will break that.  The only downer is I have a cold or my body is trying to adjust to the climate change.  I went from very humid to pretty dry.  I am hoping in a few days it will pass.  Fingers crossed we get into our house in the next few days.  Hannah and I are going crazy in the hotel room.

Disney World Restaurant Tips

I have been moving slow with all the tips I wanted to share, but life is getting in the way.  I blame schoolwork and an upcoming move for distracting me.

I won't lie eating at Disney World is not cheap especially if you have a few kids with you.  If you do choose to eat in their restaurants or quick service places be prepared to spend some money.  Even if it does cut into your budget, they do have some great places to eat.

One of my favorite places to eat is Epcot's World Showcase.  It offers so many options that even the pickiest eater can find something.  Some nights, we will just wander Epcot grabbing different items from quick service places.  Fish and chips in England, a crepe in France, some noodles in Japan...I think you see where I am going with this.  Epcot also has some wonderful restaurants as well.  One of my favorites is Teppan Edo.  It is located in the Japanese pavilion and it is hibachi style dining.  It has your usual hibachi menu as well as sushi menu.  I think it is delicious.  Another favorite is one I just recently found.  It is called Restaurant Marrakesh.  It can be found in Morocco.  They offer live entertainment with traditional music and a belly dancer.  The food is awesome!  I tried the vegetable couscous.  It was great, but there was a lot.  I could not finish it.  They offer a nice menu filled with traditional dishes.  Hannah loved it too.  They gave her a bowl of hummus and she was a happy girl.  Tutto Italia Ristorante is another place I have tried.  It offers a great Italian menu and can be found in the Italian pavilion.  One final restaurant I have tried in Epcot is Coral Reef.  When you dine here, you are sitting next to the aquarium found in the Seas pavilion on the Future World side of Epcot.  I enjoyed the ambiance although I did feel guilty about eating fish while fish were swimming around me.  The menu is mostly seafood so be prepared if you have someone who doesn't like seafood.  My husband doesn't like seafood, but I think he found a chicken dish that he enjoyed.  As for quick service in Epcot, you can't go wrong.  There are so many choices that you should be able to find a meal to satisfy any craving you have.  Don't forget dessert while you are there.  They have some great waffle cones on the Future World side next to the character spot.

The Magic Kingdom also has some great food options.  It does contain your typical hamburger and hot dog quick service spots, but it also has a few different options that I love.  One quick service place that is my favorite at MK is Pecos Bill Tall Tale Inn & Cafe.  It is located in Frontierland near Splash Mountain.  It does have hamburgers, wraps, and sandwiches, but it also has a taco salad.  The great thing with this place is they offer extra toppings at a bar which make it nice to individualize your meal.  It also really big so there is plenty of seating available.  As for restaurants, I have only eaten at Tony's Town Square.  I wasn't that impressed with it, and I doubt I would eat there again.  It wasn't bad.  My husband liked it so it may have been what I chose to eat.  It is Italian and it is decorated based on Lady and the Tramp.  Don't forget about dessert either while at the Magic Kingdom.  I like to walk into some of the bakeries and candy shops along Main Street.  There are many ice cream places to choose from as well as ice cream from the vendors with carts.  One place people rave about is Aloha Isle in adventureland.  They have a Dole pineapple whip that others love.  I have tried it, and I was not crazy about it.  I like pineapple, but it was too much pineapple for me.  Be prepared for a wait there since it is very popular.

Hollywood Studios has a few themed places that are great.  I love the 50s Prime Time Cafe.  It has home style food that my mom used to make.  The portions are huge!  I would love to eat there again.  The Sci-Fi Dine-In Theater is awesome according to a few friends of mine.  I have not had the pleasure of eating there, but you eat in old 50s cars and as you watch an old sci-fi movie on the screen.  If your kids like Toy Story, there is a Pizza Planet that is based on the pizza place in the movie.  It is a nice place to let the kids run and play in the arcade before hitting the park again.

Animal Kingdom doesn't seem to have as many food options as the other parks.  To be honest, I don't think I have eaten at Animal Kingdom.  There are a few restaurants including Rainforest Cafe as well as some quick service options.  The Yak&Yeti Local Foods Cafe seemed to be the popular choice among quick service places.

Don't forget about all the hotels within the resort.  They have restaurants as well that cover the spectrum when it comes to food.  One of the more popular ones are California Grill at the Contemporary, Ohana at Polynesian, and Jiko at Animal Kingdom Lodge.  I have eaten at California Grill.  It was wonderful, but expensive.  If you eat late enough, you can watch the Magic Kingdom fireworks from the restaurant.  There are several mid-priced restaurants scattered throughout the hotels.  This site can help sort it out for you.

Unfortunately, I have never been to a character dining, but I can't wait to take Hannah to one in a few years.  There are so many options for your kids to dine with their favorite characters.

One last piece of advice, if you are planning on eating at a restaurant, make a reservation as soon as you can.  The more popular places book quickly.  If you would like to try a restaurant, but can't get a reservation, you can trying going there early for lunch or dinner and sometimes they can squeeze you in.  I have shown up around 5 before and been seated before the bulk of the reservations dined.  Also if you want to avoid lines at the quick service places eat early if you can.  We go around 11 for lunch and 5-5:30 for dinner.  The lines are tolerable at this point, and you can usually find a place to sit.

The next stop on the Navy train is...

Texas!

My husband completed primary this week and selected today.  For those not familiar with how Naval aviation works here is a quick summary.  The students go through primary where they learn the basics of flying.  Towards the end of primary they can put in their preference on which pipeline/aircraft they would like to fly for their specific branch.  For my husband he wanted tailhook so he can fly the C-2.  Tailhook is on of the most competitive selections since it includes the fighter jets.  They receive a total grade at the end of primary as a way to "rank" them against the other students selecting the same day.  It is all based on scores, input from class advisers and others, their preference, and of course the needs of the military.  He was a little worried because he heard rumors of a helicopter draft, and he did not want helicopters.  Luckily he was put on stand by a lot the last few weeks so his selection date was pushed back.  It worked out well for him since he did receive tailhook!  He was so excited!  I don't think I had seen him so giddy in a long time.  He actually put Mississippi as his first choice, but is being sent to Texas so our plans are a little shaky right now.  We weren't even thinking Texas right now. We figured Texas would be his next stop. All this means is I will be spending the next year in Texas.  I have never even visited the state so it will be new to me.  I am very proud of him.  I know he worked really hard to get to this point.

So now I only have a few weeks left in Florida, and I am going to squeeze in all my "lasts".  I will be sad to leave Florida.  I have met some great people here, but I know this is how life with the Navy is.  Chances are good I will run into some of these people again since their husbands are also pilots so I have that to look forward to in the future.

I guess the purging of household goods will begin soon so there is less to pack.  Ah moving...we meet again.

Disney World Theme Park Tips

I decided to include some tips about the individual parks.  I always plan the day and my "strategy" for tackling each park.  It takes a bit of time to figure out what you would like to do, and how you would like to do it, but for me I don't mind.  It helps me make the most out of the time I have there.  Here are a few tips that are good for all the parks at Disney.

1. Allow 30-45 minutes to travel to the park, and enter the park no matter where you stay.  Especially if you are there for the park opening.  It is very busy, buses are crowded, and the turnstiles become clogged.  It is best to err on the side of caution and be a little early.  Trust me, the opening show is a lot of fun.
2. Disney checks all bags before entering parks!  To expedite the process, take as few bags as possible and make sure they are open before you get to the security guard.  You can send the rest of your group through the "No bag entrance" while one goes through the check point.  It really is every bag: camera bag, purse, backpack, grocery sack, diaper bag, etc.  They will check it!  Luckily, it doesn't take too long to check.  They are pretty quick and friendly about the whole thing.  
3. Don't let wait times discourage you!  Sometimes I have entered an attraction with a 30 or 45 minute wait time, and did not wait that long.  They do time checks every so often, so it may not be accurate.  However, you could wait the full time posted.  
4. If you have small children, use rider swap if the older kids or adults would like to ride an attraction.  There are cast members waiting at the entrance to the rides that will hand you a rider swap ticket.  It allows 3 people to enter the fastpass line after the one member of your party has waited in line.  That way, the entire party can ride without having to wait twice in a 30 minute line.
5. Fastpass!  These are essential in avoiding long lines at popular attractions.  You may only have one fastpass at a time per ticket so you have to plan accordingly, and each person who wants to ride must have a fastpass.  My husband and I found a way to shorten the waits even more by combining fastpass and rider swap.  We wanted to ride Splash Mountain, and he also wanted to ride Space Mountain.  I grabbed a fastpass with my ticket, and he used his for a fastpass at Space Mountain.  At Splash Mountain we asked for a rider swap since our daughter is not tall enough.  That way one could use the fastpass, and the other used the rider swap to shorten the wait.  Normally, the first person has to wait in the stand by line with a rider swap.  Then he was able to head to Space Mountain and use his fastpass there to ride.  If I had chosen to ride Space Mountain we could have done the same with the rider swap.  Information about fastpass

Magic Kingdom

The Magic Kingdom is my favorite park to start my vacation.  It is what people picture when they hear Disney World.  It is not just for kids!  It has many things for kids and adults.  I do recommend taking a bit of extra time to get to MK if you are driving there.  When driving, you don't actually park at the MK.  You park at a place called the Ticket and Transportation Center.  You will have to ride the monorail or the ferry to the park entrance.  Both can have long lines first thing in the morning.  If you are using Disney buses, they will take you straight to the MK entrance.  The Shades of Green bus also takes you to the Ticket and Transportation Center.  

Next, Magic Hours.  I try to take advantage of these as often as I can.  Especially at the Magic Kingdom.  You can get an hour early if you are staying at one of the Disney resorts.  Only certain areas or attractions are open, but it does help to knock a few things out before the park becomes very crowded.  For morning magic hours, Tomorrowland and Fantasyland are open.  Unfortunately, not every attraction in those lands are open.  Usually it is the most popular rides that are open.  It still helps to get a jump start on your day.  There are also evening magic hours which allows the park to stay open up to 3 hours later than normal.  For MK, some attractions in Adventureland and Frontierland are open as well as the most popular attractions in Tomorrowland and Fantasyland.  Here is a link to the attractions open during magic hours:  Magic Hours Attractions.  

You can use parade and show times to try to ride the more popular rides.  The crowds tend to thin out on the attractions.  Also, you don't want to miss the fireworks show at the end of the night.  The best viewing is from Main Street or Frontierland.  I have watched from Fantasyland, and I did not enjoy it.  If you are interested in just seeing the large fireworks, it is a great spot.  Although, you are at the back of the park so then you have to fight your way to the front to get out of the park.

If you have small kids, I find it is best to start at Fantasyland since they can ride everything there.  Definitely try to go on Peter Pan's Flight as soon as possible.  That line is always long by mid morning.  With older kids, or adults, I would hit the mountains first or at least fastpass them right away.  They tend to have long lines.  I try to save the sit down/air conditioned rides for later in the day.  It helps beat the heat and humidity of central Florida.  

Hollywood Studios

Hollywood Studios is a pretty small park, and I don't spend much time there.  I would recommend riding Toy Story Mania as soon as possible or grabbing a fastpass as soon as you can.  It can be a long wait, and fastpasses go quickly.  Rock N Roller Coaster is also very popular.  It can have a long wait time, but again you can fastpass it or ride it as soon as you get there.  Or you can take advantage of the single rider line.  If you don't mind riding with strangers, it will help you get through the line faster.  

Fantasmic! can be found at this park.  It is an awesome show, but you do have to start waiting for it early.  I think I have started waiting an hour to an hour and a half before the start time.  It is worth the wait, but if you do want to see it plan accordingly.  Lines don't tend to be terrible at this park since they have a lot of shows.  I would say Tower of Terror is another that can have a long line.  The shows are pretty fun to catch.  My car loving husband really enjoys the stunt show.  

Animal Kingdom

This is a huge park!  You can spend all day there.  They do close earlier than others since they have to move animals off the land.  If you can, ride Kilimanjaro Safari first thing.  The animals are usually more active since it isn't as hot.  Expedition Everest is a great ride, but is one with a wait.  They do have fastpass service, and single rider line.  That does help shorten your wait.  They have a few shows, the Lion King and Finding Nemo, that are fun and very impressive.  Kids will love them!  They do have an area called Dino Land that is centered around the smaller children.  There is a playground that allows children get rid of energy.  My daughter had a blast.  She and I played while my husband rode Expedition Everest.  It was win-win!  This park is more than just a zoo.  However it is huge so I would decide the day before what your must do's are.

Epcot

Epcot is divided into two areas: Future World and World Showcase.  Future World is where you will find the large thrill rides, and World Showcase is where you will find the pavilions for the different countries.  

Future World-This is home to the famous Mission Space, Test Track, and Soarin'.  Test Track and Soarin' typically have long lines.  Test Track does have a single rider line.  (Mission Space may have one as well.  I can't remember right now.)  Spaceship Earth, The Seas with Nemo and Friends, and Ellen's Energy Adventure are pretty short lines.  Innoventions is a great place to let your kids out of the stroller and run inside an air conditioned building.  Also, the Seas is a great place to let them stretch their legs (and inside!)  Another fun air conditioned activity is the character spot.  You can meet Mickey and his friends all at once without sweating your butt off.  This is fun for kids and adults.  (Yes, I have waited in this line when my husband I went before we had a kid.) 

World Showcase-I love this land.  It is neat to see all the different cultures and try the food.  This also the only place where you can drink in a park.  I have heard about a certain "Drink Around the World" game. You can start in Mexico and drink until Canada.  I have never played it, but I hear it is quite fun.  There are a ton of great restaurants and quick service places here.  It is awesome.  Also, Illuminations takes place at night at World Showcase.  It is a great show, and the best part is you don't have to really stake your spot to see it.  You can usually walk along and watch it.  You won't always have the best view, but you can still see it.

Those are all the tips I have for now.  Of course, this is not a complete list.  I know I didn't touch on everything, but hopefully it gives you a general idea of what goes on at each park.  Again, it all depends on when you go what your wait times will be like.  I hope this helped!