day two : disneyland and dole whips!

We scored a pretty banging deal on a Disneyland package, so Marcus and I were psyched to spend a day at Disneyland together. The hotel we got had a really nice free breakfast, so we enjoyed a little bit and then headed off to the Magic Kingdom!

The first hour or so, Marcus wasn't in the best mood. For the most part, he isn't actually a huge Disneyland fan because he feels like there's a lot of pressure to enjoy everything to the point of sensory overload due to the expensive prices. I totally get that concern--I've felt it myself--but I tried to reassure him that we didn't have to do anything if it wasn't fun for him, because what the hell is the point in that? He was sort of sullen for a few minutes, but once we got on Space Mountain, it was like night and day. He loves to laugh on roller coasters!

We both thought this picture was hilarious. He was pretty insistent that I should take off my glasses (since apparently on Space Mountain they're prone to flying off and being lost forever), so the entire thing looked especially crazy. I'm pretty blind, and without my glasses I can only see vague shapes and colors. If you've ever ridden Space Mountain, you see how this could be horrifying. (Well...mostly fun, but still fairly trippy.)

After that, we figured out the best system for him: avoid the heaviest crowds, take semi-frequent breaks to sit away from the masses of people, and occasionally find a snack. It was nice, because we got to do a lot of people-watching and enjoy our favorite rides anyway.

Trips with Marcus mean trying the food--it's one of our favorite things to do together! We ended up sampling both kinds of Dole Whip (plain and float version), some Disney Starbucks thanks to my gift cards, a Mickey Mouse pretzel, and some really delicious sourdough bread at the Pacific Wharf area of California Adventure. We didn't actually eat those candy apples, because they were $10. We wanted to, though! And I thought they were the cutest decorative apples I'd ever seen. We spent a good while browsing the candy shops--I'm always fascinated with what people can do with food!

(Marcus says his favorite was the bread bowl, but he wishes he'd tried tomato bisque soup instead of the Asian salad. I argue that had he tried the soup, he'd have wanted the salad instead.)

As I said before, we went to Disneyland over a holiday weekend, so the crowds were immense. While it's possible to navigate them okay, after a while it can get sort of tiring because everyone wants to go enjoy the same things you're trying to do. One of the things we did to sort of step away was ride my favorite attraction--the Mark Twain riverboat!

By the way, if you ask really nicely, they'll take you up to a private room and let you steer the boat.

I was essentially on cloud nine. Marcus really enjoyed watching the view from all the way up there, and I decided to share and let him ring the bell and blow the horn once or twice. ;)

We ended the day with our delicious sourdough dinner at the wharf and browsed around California Adventure for a little while. Marcus was nice enough to go on the new Little Mermaid ride with me, because last time I came it was only in the design stages and I was curious about it. We agreed that it was cute, but we both felt like some of the characters were a little too lifelike. At one point we got stuck in front of a dancing Ariel that sort of started to border on creepy. We contemplated staying for World of Color, but it seemed like the park was already getting very crowded even a few hours before the show and we opted not to this time.

Even though he said it still wasn't his top choice for a vacation, Marcus ended up having a way better time than he thought--he even said he'd go again if certain conditions were met. Mainly, we would go off-season, budget more to be able to try some of the more exciting (but pricier) park foods, and we'd stay at a closer hotel so we didn't have to drive through the city to get there. Those all sounded great to me, so I considered this a huge success.

I love Disneyland, but I feel like as an adult it's different to me than when I was younger. I still very much enjoy the colorful decor and the characters--and the food is actually a big deal to me--but I can definitely see how it's stressful for some people who feel overwhelmed by all the crowds and noise. We were talking over dinner about how, even though it's neat that they incorporate elements from all over the world into their parks, we'd still rather go to the actual places. However, the cute novelties have their own charm, and we were glad to get to experience them together! I didn't end up buying my ear hat this time, because I couldn't justify the price, but I did have a blast wearing my special pink pirate dress! :)

Next to last: our third day through more California and our stay in the tiny town of Red Bluff! :)

our trip: day one!

We made it to Seattle! It was a great time together, and I tried to take pictures whenever I could. However, there were a lot of times when it made more sense to just enjoy ourselves and not worry about documenting everything--still, I want to remember our fun trip, so here we are!

The night before we left, I stayed with my mom and brothers at a family friend's house in Phoenix. Marcus picked me up around 8 in the morning, and with that, we were off!

I was looking forward to the road trip because I enjoy watching the scenery, but unfortunately for the first day we didn't have much in the way of a view. If you've ever made the drive from Phoenix to California, it's a whole lot of nothing for several hours--and neither Marcus nor myself are huge fans of the desert landscape. We kept trying to spot areas where the spiny plants were gradually becoming more sparse. Also, he really enjoyed the environmentally-conscious windmills we passed every once in awhile.

When we got to our hotel, we were pleasantly surprised--our room was quite big, and it had a jacuzzi in it! (We didn't actually use it, but still. I've never seen that before!) We both fell asleep for a couple of hours, then woke up to go check out Downtown Disney and (of course) Disneyland!

I should have it on record that I wore the special fruit top my good friend Sasha gifted me with for my first night out on the town!

We're both big food people, and neither of us can resist a good sandwich (we both worked at Port of Subs and got sort of spoiled! We like to try other ones whenever we can to compare). We tried out the Earl of Sandwich in Downtown Disney, which was delicious! If you're ever in that area and you need a moderately inexpensive dinner, the subs are only $6.99. I had a pretty good turkey club, and Marcus decided to try their Italian combo. Both of us were impressed! We were trying to find the best deals--even though a lot of the food was more expensive than we'd usually like to pay, we figured if we were going to spend the money anyway we might at least make it worth it!

After that, we headed for Disneyland, which was nice since it was getting dark. There were still quite a few people (and of course, we didn't realize until getting there that we'd totally timed our trip to coincide with a holiday weekend) but it wasn't as overwhelming as it would've been in the daytime. We had a blast people-watching and getting on some of our favorite rides--the first stop was the Haunted Mansion, followed by Splash Mountain (which I'd never been on!). You overhear all kinds of funny things in line, plus you can see a lot of cute families. By the time we got there, most of the little kids still in the park were passed out in strollers or on their parents' laps. We were there a good couple of hours, but the entire day of driving coupled with a busy evening out sort of drained us earlier than usual. Still, it was a wonderful night and we had a lot of fun!

Next up: day two, our full day at Disneyland!

it's happening!

I'm laying down writing this as I fight the urge to fall asleep. (Seriously, the last week of school was never this overwhelming when I was a student!)

Tomorrow morning, we're leaving! The first stop is Anaheim--we were able to budget for that Disneyland trip after all! After that, we'll be driving up through the rest of California, through Oregon, then straight to Seattle where Marcus's parents are quite eagerly waiting. We've both been so psyched we could hardly stand it, because it's not really a secret that neither of us enjoys the desert. A few people have almost taken what I could almost call offense to our new destination--"What? Washington? Why? You know it rains there, right?!"

Oh, believe me, we knew. It was really helpful that we've been able to visit during summer and winter to get an accurate idea of what the seasons are like. We weren't too scared off, evidently!

I never felt like I could answer honestly when people at work who'd heard about our upcoming move through the grapevine asked me what the long-term plan is. A lot of variables are up in the air, and I don't actually know how long we're going to be there. For the first time in awhile, I guess I'm just not worried about it. I'm excited to just be there for a little bit, if that makes sense. Overseas will come, I'm sure of it. I can't say when, exactly, because that depends on what ends up panning out. In the meantime, I have a good partner who I'm ecstatic to be making such a fun road trip with. I hear the drive through Oregon in particular is beautiful!

I can't wait to get moving!

tiger stripes and high-waisted shorts

The thing I've found about animal prints is that you generally love them or hate them. Personally, I've never really been a huge fan. I'm not sure why, exactly. Maybe for the most part they seemed a little too loud for me (says the person who has a love affair with novelty prints, I guess). When I saw this tiger-striped vamp top up for sale on one of the Pinup Girl swap boards, though, I felt like I sort of had to have it. I couldn't explain why, especially since it was so different from my usual style. Still, when it arrived, I couldn't wait to try it on! 

I will say this about vamp tops: they're phenomenal. They fit pretty true to size, and, as the PUG reviews state, they do pretty great things for your bust! ;) I've actually wanted to try a real one for awhile (I have a black knockoff from Hot Topic that I love) because I was curious about the quality judging from the rave reviews. Now I'm most definitely sold! They have a lot of other colors I'd love to try out someday, including zebra and lavender. It's such a fun top for the summertime! I'm sure I'll find a way to get a lot of use out of it even though the print is pretty bold. 

As an aside, I'm really excited that my hair is finally getting long enough to experiment more with it. I'm thinking about trying rollers pretty soon--I've found some interesting tutorials on Pinterest for setting your hair, and my curiosity is piqued! 

And now, completely unrelated, but probably important: this Saturday, I'm going on a road trip! Marcus and I are going to be moving to Seattle as my mom leaves for Ohio. This is indeed different from our original plans of all moving out there together, but it's probably for the best. When I visited with Mom in February, I had a great time, but I had this feeling in my heart like it just wasn't the place for me.  When I talked to her about it, she agreed, and suggested that Marcus and I take some time to go see his parents up in Seattle and give the Northwest a try for a while. I'm very excited, because his parents and I are very close and they've already been throwing around some suggestions for international companies up there that I could look into! Honestly, I think it's much more what we're looking for at this point in life. However, we can always go out to Ohio for a visit...and there's been talk of a family trip to New York! 

We will be stopping in Disneyland along the way, too, so there's a lot to look forward to. It'll probably be a really long trip, but we've made a few together before and we always have a nice time. Plus, I hear the drive along the coastline is beautiful! We'll even get to pass through Oregon for a little bit, which is someplace I've always wanted to see.

More on that later, I guess! Now, I just have to focus on my preschoolers for one last week together. And packing, too. I should probably think about that. ;) 

date night and b.a.i.t shoes

After a really draining week that was less than enjoyable, Marcus and I got to have a date night! Clearly, he was very excited to be wearing the Game of Thrones shirt I surprised him with a couple weeks ago. He also convinced me to wear my new dress and shoes even though we weren't going anywhere fancy--all right, he didn't exactly have to twist my arm about it. I was really psyched to try out my new B.A.I.T Ida's, since I'd heard tons about how great they were but was curious about all the hype. (He just likes them because of the clicking sound they make when I walk.)

It might not sound like anything too crazy, but one of our favorite things to do is go to Port of Subs, order our sandwiches, sit at our designated "high table" and talk for awhile. I obviously see him every day, but it doesn't always feel like there's time to just discuss arbitrary things that are on our minds on weeknights. Partly, I think work sort of tires everyone out to the point where they aren't always up for long conversations. I can relate, but I'm also grateful that we make the time at least once a week.

When we finished, we left to go walk around the outdoor mall for a bit while the weather was still nice. This time of year is perfect at night, but towards May and June, even the evenings get a little too hot and sticky for most people. (That mall always has so much more business in the wintertime!) Marcus's favorite place to check out is the puppy store, because they always have little bulldogs hanging around. Personally, I like seeing the darker Shih Tzus and the Scotties. Both of us also like to stop at Barnes and Noble when we go to that mall--I think almost everyone does, though. The atmosphere in there is so calming and enjoyable, especially when there aren't a lot of people in at once. I got to look at some fun cookbooks (but, sadly, I had to resist the urge to take any with me). We were going to go for gelato, but the shop that opened at the mall awhile ago is so popular, the line is usually out the door and down the street a little bit. We decided to go try some frozen yogurt instead, which turned out to be an excellent decision because this particular place had creamy pineapple and a hot fudge dispenser. Suffice it to say we'll be returning soon.

We ended the evening with some Coffee Rush, then headed home to continue watching one of our latest TV shows. (We like to pick shows to marathon while we wait for our favorites, like Game of Thrones and Orange is the New Black. Right now, we're doing one called Sword Art Online. I'm not sure what I think of it yet.) Not necessarily the craziest night on the town, but I enjoyed it immensely!

Right, and before I forget--the verdict on the Ida shoes seems to be a good one. We did a lot of walking around, and I only felt any real rubbing after a few hours. Since the shoes are sort of stiff, I imagine they'll take a bit of breaking in to be completely comfortable, but I don't get the impression that they'll be chafing forever or anything. They make me very happy to wear, and I definitely feel like they aren't too fussy for a night out. They're still on sale on the B.A.I.T site here--I'm not sure what sizes will be left, since I imagine they sell out of these pretty quickly! I debated on these for quite awhile, since I was worried they'd look sort of frumpy in person, but I was very wrong. In person, they're some of the cutest shoes I've ever seen. I'm officially sold. I may or may not have a couple other colors on their way. (Marcus says he is excited because they make me happy and I will be clicking a lot when I walk.)

Great shoes and better company--not a bad way to have started the weekend! :)

thoughts : "what is this?"

A lot of times, I have to actively check myself before I talk about anything relating to work. I have sixteen kids that I see all week--a lot of things they do are cute or (in my eyes) noteworthy. I try to make sure that whatever I want to say might be interesting to someone besides me, but that can be hard. Watching each child's individual progress gives you more insight about them than most others typically get, so naturally more occurrences that would otherwise seem mundane and pointless are world-changing to me. (I imagine being a parent is that feeling times about six thousand, so no wonder all anyone can ever talk about is their own kid. They're fascinating!)

One direct result of working with preschoolers is having a lot to think about. It's amazing to watch children literally discover the world around them and learn about things that you've taken for granted for years. The term "childlike wonder" is generally thrown around as being pretty cliche, but it's aptly named. Have you ever seen a kid react to the first time sprinklers come on? They all think it's raining and they can't comprehend why the sun is still out and there are no clouds. Everyone forgets about their Goldfish crackers and goes nuts trying to investigate this new development.

At the age I work with, the question I hear most is "what is this?" It sounds fairly simple--three short words, I guess--but this query suddenly has so much to it when you're talking to a child.

It occurred to me the other day and it hasn't really left me since--when a kid asks me, "Miss Katie, what is this?", the answer I give them will literally be the first impression they ever get about the subject in question. Maybe they won't necessarily remember it word for word, but the thought that I could impact how a child comes to view something for the rest of their life--even in the smallest possible way--is sort of mind-blowing. Because of that, you also have to be really careful how you word your answer. It usually generates more questions, and you want to make sure you give them fair responses without overstepping your bounds. One of my girls noticed my tragus piercing awhile ago and asked what it was. When I explained that it was just an earring, she immediately wanted to know why it was in that part of my ear and why I only had it on one side.  A lot of the questions kids come up with would never really occur to an adult on a regular day, so I don't always have immediate answers for them. Other questions they ask don't have apparent answers to me, but they're still expecting something, so I have to make one up--and that's the living worst, because I'm 99% sure they can tell when you have no idea what you're talking about. For being among the world's most innocent, young children have the best skeptical expressions.

The other thing I run into a lot is when I get asked something that's out of their depth. Kids are so curious by nature, it makes sense that they want to know about some of the more complicated things--of course, keeping those subjects clearly off limits just makes them want to know more. For that reason, I've always been sort of for the mentality that if a child is old enough to ask a question, they're old enough to get a straight answer (albeit an age-appropriate one). That, however, is thin ice in the educational field. Not every parent wants you to answer their kid truthfully when they ask about things like death or why walking around with your pants around your ankles isn't really acceptable in most social settings. Now, personally, I don't have an issue with a lot of those topics--I feel like the concept of sheltering kids to protect them from harsher realities is only a temporary fix and can be more harmful in the long run than just being straight with them. I, however, am not a parent, so I'm sure my views on that count for exactly negative two points. (And that's okay.) It does force me to get a little bit creative with the way I do my job, though. A lot of things we're supposed to tell them are "wrong" aren't really, it's just simpler for now to let them think they are.

I'll illustrate:

Child: So-and-so kissed me!
Me: (Oh, Jesus. My job is to tell these kids that's not okay to do, but I don't want them growing up thinking there's some stigma to being affectionate.) Oh, well...we don't do that at school.
Other Child: Well, why not? Is there something wrong with it? I just wanted to show Child she was my friend!
Me: (I mean, no, not if both parties are consenting and there aren't any misunderstandings going on...these kids are three years old, I can't explain the mechanics of consent to them yet. I'd be so fired. How do I get out of this one?) Well--no, not really, but we usually just save kissing for with our moms and dads. (Good one, Katie.)
Child: (skeptical) Then how come moms and dads kiss each other?
Me: (Whatever you do, don't feed them that bullhockey about only married people getting to kiss each other, Katie. Figure out something else, but for God's sake, don't perpetuate those oppressive social norms.) Well...uhm. You know what? We don't kiss each other at school because we can give each other our germs without meaning to, and that would make us very sad if one of you got sick. But moms and dads don't get sick very easily, do they?
Child: Hmm...no, I guess they don't.
Me: But kids do, because your bodies are still learning to fight off germs. So you see? Let's just stick to giving hugs at school if you want to be friends.

Now, that's an example of a conversation I actually have to have a lot. It's not really the strongest answer you can give a kid on that subject (and believe you me, the matter of personal space comes up daily), but that's just what I mean. It'd be so much easier if you could be open with them, but it's definitely not an option without infringing on the privacy and comfort of individual family values.

In that sense, I both enjoy and am made slightly nervous by the questions children come up with. On  one hand, I love hearing what observations they make in their attempts to discover the world around them. I especially enjoy being able to help clear up some of those mysteries for them. However, not every question has an easy answer, and they can sense it when you don't want to give them the whole story. I remember being a child and knowing that somebody was watering something down for me because I'd broached a "grown-up" topic. It used to drive me nuts wondering what about what I'd asked was so taboo that even an adult wouldn't answer me! I always try to look like nothing surprises me (those knee-jerk reactions really catch their attention) but sometimes, kids get the jump on you!

If nothing else, my job makes me very pensive. I muse a lot at home about some of the deeper things that stem from simple situations like a child asking "what is this?" or "why?"

Things like this make me think that child care is a field worth pursuing for me. Of course, I'm never sure, but no other job has ever made me think so much about things that would otherwise never occur to me.

Whoever said that kids would teach me more than I could ever teach them was absolutely right.

milkshakes and cherry red

Spring and summer always seem to come along with a ton of cute new hairstyles! This time last year, I had recently gotten a pixie cut, so I wasn't really able to participate in too many (though I did acquire a wide array of hair accessories!)

This year, I've heard a lot about something called a "milkmaid braid". Now, I'm not even positive that what I put into my hair today could be called a milkmaid braid, but I was still very excited to try it out. It took seven thousand bobby pins, but it stayed put all day! I sometimes have to remember to experiment more with different hairstyles, because when I find one I enjoy, I tend to stick with it most days. Of course, there's certainly nothing wrong with that, but once in awhile it's fun to try something new! As my hair grows, I'm sure it will be easier to make this particular style happen without using my entire artillery of pins. Oh, who cares about that--I enjoyed myself!

This is one of my favorite dresses in the entire world. I bought it a little over a year ago with a gift card to Modcloth that my brother got me for my birthday. I've had a love affair going on with the color mint for awhile now, and when I saw a garment that combined it with milkshakes, I was sold. (Never mind how that eventually led me to discover--and begin collecting--all the other cute patterns Sugarhill Boutique is famous for putting on their clothing...) It was one of the first times I'd ever seen mint paired with bright red before, and I loved the combination! Prior to that, I actually used to think pastels could only ever go with other pastels. That's part of what I enjoy about clothes--they can definitely challenge you to step outside your comfort zone and experiment.

Following that topic to this one last thought, something occurred to me today while I was taking pictures of my outfit. Personally, when I'm browsing pictures on blogs, Pinterest or style galleries, I can definitely appreciate complicated looks. By that, I mean that even if I see something that looks sort of impractical for daily life, I still very much enjoy seeing how it looks modeled in a photo. However, when I'm looking for things that I would wear myself, I tend to favor more relatable styles. I have insane respect for anyone who can work a five-inch heel, but I do admit that I lack the necessary grace to wear them with any sort of frequency. For that reason, I have very much come to love low heels! Chelsea Crew is one brand that comes to mind that makes a ton of styles, and I actually own quite a few pairs because of their versatility and comfort. I also recently ordered my first pair of B.A.I.T heels, which should be getting here soon--I'm excited to share those, too!

Anyway, the point of all that was to put in my two cents: I think lower heels are a perfect way to add a little something extra to your outfit while not sacrificing comfort. They're also convenient because they can be dressed up or down: I've worn my little heels to fancy events, like dances and conferences, but I don't feel overdressed if I wear them out with friends or on a date. For the most part, I don't go out of my way to take pictures of something I wouldn't actually keep on all day long. I've taken this particular set of heels to the mall and the grocery store, and they do a fine job of keeping me comfortable while enabling me to feel a little dressed up.

Dress: Milkshake, Rattle and Roll (sold out, can still be found on eBay!)

Shoes: Chelsea Crew Malibu Pump in Red (they have other colors here)
Belt: Forever 21

Try the complicated hairstyle. Try those colors you don't think will go together, and definitely try those shoes with that outfit. Fashion is such a wonderful way to play around and see what you like. It's been said over and over by so many people, but there's merit to it: your style is one of the greatest forms of expression! I've become a lot more confident since embracing the mentality that I should quit worrying or feeling self-conscious and just try it. Worst case scenario, it doesn't work and you get to do something different. 

My only advice is that you keep extra bobby pins at the ready! ;)