Bringing the Sunshine

— 1 —

I’m looking for suggestions of ways to accessorize Sarah Kate’s new bike. Carole recommend battery powered LED lights, Kristen suggested streamers. Any thoughts on a little personalization? Let me know in the comments!

— 2 —

When I think summer, I think playing in the back yard and biking in the neighborhood. Apparently, my kids think of relaxing on the back porch with electronic devices.

Not that I have much room to complain. I was obviously on the back porch with an electronic device of my own or I wouldn’t have been able to Instagram the photo.

— 3 —

Lest anyone be confused, I was not happy about Lap Chicken. Lap Chicken was not cute and cuddly. Lap Chicken had beady eyes that kind of scared the bejeezus out of me. Take another look at Lap Chicken, this one from a different angle, and tell me she’s not creepy:

Do you notice how my legs are not comfortably welcoming, but are in fact blocking, Lap Chicken? Do you see that my hand is not gently stroking Lap Chicken, but prepared to fight?

— 4 —

Moving right along to animals that do amuse and entertain me… Have you watched Sad Cat Diary yet? Mr. Andi and I have watched over and over and over again. It’s just under three and a half minutes long, and I was crying before the 30 second mark. It’s a must watch if you’ve ever lived with a cat. Click to watch or go to the link in the sentence above.

— 5 —

I’m not quite sure what to say about this recent story of moms hiring disabled individuals to bypass Disney lines. One part of me thinks, “Well, the joke’s on them, because sometimes the disability queue can be slower, and even when it isn’t, it’s not necessarily faster.” As a regular WDW visitor, I should know.

But what really gets my goat is that every trip to see the Mouse, I’m on edge in the parks, waiting for someone to make a nasty remark. We’ve always let Disney be a braces-free zone, and for years Sarah Kate used a stroller instead of a wheelchair because it was easier. Even now, her wheelchair is a simple transfer type and is sometimes confused with a big stroller. People see a normal-looking kid and they assume the worst. The more people abuse the system, the more people will suspect others of abusing the system. We’ve been the target of nasty comments before…how much worse is it gonna get?

— 6 —

Speaking of Disney brouhahas, did you see the scuttlebutt about Merida? Apparently Merida, heroine of the movie Brave, got a makeover before her “coronation” at Walt Disney World earlier this month. The new Merida is all grown up – slimmer through the midsection, wearing the Princess dress, more mature facial features – and people are Freaking. Out. The gist of their concerns is that it’s sending the wrong message to girls – it’s all about being a certain kind of pretty, etc.

What do you think? I’d say they have a point, but I think it’s a little over the top to describe a cartoon character (from a really terrible movie…sorry, Pixar, but that one was a miss…) as ““arm candy,” “vacant looking,” “too sexy,” and “vapid.” First world problems?

— 7—

School’s out for summer! I know I said that last week, but it really is now. Nathan finished up on Wednesday and Sarah Kate gets done today. Swim team starts on Tuesday and summer preschool the following Tuesday. We don’t have too much else planned this year (AMAZING!) and I’m happy about that. Our summers always seem to be full of activity, which means we never seem to do the extra stuff we say we’re going to do, and I’m hoping to change that.

Have a great weekend!

This post was inspired by and is linked to Conversion Diary‘s 7 Quick Takes.

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