Inland Empire Family - Moms. Kids. Life. - (Alive in Wonderland)

Mom, you can let go now

Fri, 10 Sep 2010 09:57:00 GMT

This was a big summer for Emily, my nine-year old daughter. There were a lot of firsts, but the biggest first by far was letting her go with her brother outside to play by themselves.

This is the kind of thing that if you were to go back in a time machine to the '70s and to tell a mom "Hey, I let my 9-year old play outside by herself! Big day!" She would say, "Um, I've been letting my kids do that since they were 5." No big deal... and then she'd go back to watching Lawrence Welk or making Sloppy Joe's or something equally '70s-ish.

But in the '00s, letting your kids go outside and play unsupervised is a right of passage. It's a calculated parenting decision. It's a big flippin' deal.

When Emily struck out in our gated community with her brother to explore the wilds of the park across the street, the first thing I noticed was the sound of the cars. Once innocuous, every car I heard from my office window now sounded like it was going menacing and like it was going 100 MPH. Cars were now my enemies--out to get my kids. I was hyper-tuned in to the approaching rush of the car and after each passed I felt relieved...until the next one came down our street.

Emily passed the first "test" just fine, meeting all of our requirements: coming back when she said she would,with her brother, neither bleeding or crying. So they were allowed to go out on their Razor scooters the next time, then down to the park that's further down the path. With each trip out by themselves they proved they were ready for the challenge and I felt a little more relaxed.

The next leap was learning to ride her bike; Emily never couldn't do it without her training wheels. She was more focused on her roller skates and scooter. But, now two girls her age moved in next door (yay!) and since they were constantly on their bikes, there was a sudden urgency to learn how to ride hers.

I took her out to practice on her new bike she got back at Christmas, which is now almost too small for her. I held on to the back and she would give it a go--the standard learning to ride your bike scene. But, darn it if I had trouble letting go of the bike. I just kept running next to her thinking, "If I let go, she surely is going to biff it." I couldn't find it in me to unhand that white plastic seat.

Finally it got almost comical (read: pathetic) and as I was sprinting next to her, working up a pretty good sweat and tying not to get my toes run over, she turned her helmeted head toward me and said calmly, almost sympathetically, with a smile, "Mom, you can let go now. I got it."

But it's so hard!

***

I am wondering: When did you let your kids go out and play by themselves?

Calling all IE Dads! Be in the next IE Family!

Thu, 26 Aug 2010 11:36:00 GMT

The November IE Family is our "Dads Issue" and we're looking for IE Dads to feature in our pictorial spread. We want every type of dad representing: young tattooed dads, old tattooed dads, grandpas, stepdads, surfing dads, coaching dads, geek dads, all dads!

If you're an IE Dad all you have to do is fill out this short survey and submit it to our Editor. She will then call you to arrange a photo shoot with other awesome IE Dads.

Okay, now for the real way this is going to happen. IE Moms listen up!

You want a photo of your favorite IE Dad in the November issue, right? But you know if you send him this survey he'll NEVER in fill it out, am I right? He is a guy after all.

So, here's what you do, email him these questions from the survey:

What has been the most rewarding thing about being a father?

What has surprised you most about fatherhood?

What has been your greatest challenge as a father?

Then YOU fill out the form and send it to IE Family and schedule a haircut for him in the next few weeks.

Okay, so here's how this is really, really going to happen. You ask him these questions casually over dinner then you fill out the form and schedule that haircut.

Not only will it honor him to be featured in IE Family, but your kids will get an absolute kick out of seeing him in print. Please take the time to submit the survey.

Me to Pediatrician: You're Fired!

Wed, 11 Aug 2010 09:46:00 GMT

"I'm just so frustrated!" my girlfriend said as she wiped her son's perpetually runny nose. "He just won't listen to me." She has been unhappy with her pediatrician for over a year now. It's almost (almost) comical the litany of blunders, rude behavior from staff and misdiagnosis this clown has cast upon my friend. I say "almost" because it's not really funny when your kid is the one who pays the price.

I should know. I went through it with Ben, my six-year-old. From the time he was born he had a stuffed up nose and when he would breathe he made this noise that I can only describe as rattling.

"Rattling?" my pediatrician asked as if he'd never heard the word. "Do you mean wheezing?" he said, sure that's what I really meant. I had friends who had kids with Asthma so I knew what wheezing sounded like. I also had the internet, so I looked up wheezing and that wasn't what he did. HE RATTLED!

My pediatrician told me many, many times through the years (with my older daughter and now with Ben) that he himself had Asthma. He suffered from it his whole life. He said from the very first time I mentioned the rattling and stuffy nose, that he thought Ben had Asthma, too.

I didn't believe it. I just knew he didn't, but after one year and 7 sinus infections and that stupid rattle, I gave in and went to (quote) "Orange County's Best Asthma Doctor" (unquote). He did a full allergy test on Ben--the one that looks like a medieval torture board with needles--and had him breath into stuff.

"He has Asthma," OCBAD told me, but he wasn't allergic to anything. With that I burst into tears. He thought it was because I was upset Ben had Asthma. I thought it was that too, but looking back it was because I just knew he didn't!

He set Ben on a course of steroids, twice-daily breathing treatments and other medicines I can't even remember now. I dutifully filled the prescriptions and started Ben on the treatments. Facing my pediatrician for the first time wasn't pretty. "He told me" it was Asthma after all.

I still wasn't buying it. Then one day at work my boss mentioned that he had his adenoids out as a kid. For the life of me I can't remember what we were talking about, but something in me jumped--like the inner mom in me went *snap!* That's it!

I ran out of his office (literally) and looked it up on my computer at my desk: repeated sinus infections, history of enlarged adenoids, breathing sounds like a...wait for it...RATTLE!

*Bam* I went home. Threw away all the steroids, returned the rented breathing machine and called The Best Ears, Nose Throat doctor in Orange County (no quote, he really is). He looked at one-year-old Ben, before he even examined him, and said, he has enlarged adenoids. I guess the sunken eyes told him all he needed to know.

Ben had surgery the next month and never had another sinus infection again. And the rattling was gone. Gone, I say!

After telling my friend this story I ended it by saying--Fire your pediatrician! "Can I do that?" she asked. I did and it was such a relief.

There must be 50 ways to leave your pediatrician. Here are three.

--Sneak out

For the nonconfrontational mom, you don't have to ever talk to him again. The new pediatrician can have all of your records sent to them without you ever stepping foot in the old office. Just sign the release.

--Let 'em have it

After you secure your new pediatrician, call or email the old one and let them know why you're leaving. Be specific. This might help the doctor, who is just human after all, know why patients are jumping ship and maybe they will change a procedure or attitude.

--Name names

If it was a particular person on their staff who you just couldn't deal with any long--uncaring nurse, rude insurance manager--tell the doctor the person's name and give specific instances of why you're leaving. You know you want to...

At first I tried to sneak out, but the doctor called me at home--which I appreciated. I told him why I was leaving him and explained I felt more comfortable in a "group office" with lots of different doctors. He was very nice about it and I felt better.

Sounds like my girlfriend is going to switch doctors this week. If you're a doctor in OC, watch out, she choose the "Let 'Em Have It" method.

Are you down with Disneyland upping their prices?

Wed, 04 Aug 2010 16:45:00 GMT

Starting tomorrow, the cost to spend time at "The Happiest Place on Earth" might make your pocketbook a little less happy--Disneyland is raising the price of one-day admission tickets and of its annual pass. Take a look at this handy dandy breakout I made for you:

One-day, one-park ticket will be $76 (up $4)

One-day, park hopper ticket will be $97 (also up $4)

Now for hikes that will most effect those of us in Orange County, the Annual Pass prices are as follows:

Southern California Select Annual Pass will be $185 (up $15)

Southern California Annual Pass will be $ 239 (up $20)

Deluxe Annual Pass will be $329 (up $30)

Premium Annual Pass will be $ 459 (up $20)

Parking is also up, one buck for daily parking and $20 for pass holders.

***

What do you think? Are you still in for an annual pass when it's time to renew or if you were thinking of getting one this year?

My family and I have Deluxe Annual Passes and go to Disneyland at least once a week. We went without them for two years because we were putting money toward a vacation (though I did get my Disney-fix through press events and happenings). We decided to pony-up for passes this last Christmas and darn it if we aren't going to use them--a lot.

Sometimes my family and I will take a day and just go to live shows. Sometimes we'll go and just get an ice cream and watch the parade. We are in the process of doing a "Hidden Mickey" scavenger hunt as well as on a mission to try a new special treat every time we go to the park.

I think the prices are still fair given what Disneyland has to offer--one of the most unique entertainment experiences in the world. I look at it like this; having passes to Disneyland is a total luxury, not something I think of as a must-have (or a right as an OC resident). I'm grateful for the times when we are able to afford them and try to teach my kids to appreciate how fortunate we are to have them.

So I guess the question each family has to ask is: What is it worth to us to have access to Disneyland and then can we afford it? I honestly don't know if we'll be able to renew our passes come Christmastime, but I feel we've gotten our money's worth this year.

(Prices don't go up until tomorrow, so if you're thinking about buying a pass, click the links above for the pass you want and order today at the lower price.)

VLOG: Working Moms Have Their Say

Wed, 04 Aug 2010 09:26:00 GMT

Today's Vloggersation is all about working moms. Two weeks ago the stay-at-home mom bloggers talked about their experience, so today it's the working moms' turn.

I worked for the first five years of my daughter's life (and the first two of my son's) and it was hands-down the hardest thing I've ever had to do. I've been a working mom, a full-time stay-at-home mom and now a work-from-home-stay-at-home mom (is that right?) and working full-time with two small kids was definitely, for me, the most difficult of the three. But just like everything else in parenting, it all depends on the individual.

Here is Andrea from "Hip Moms Who Work," Kristin from "Savvy Mom," and Jo from "Autism in the OC" talking about their experience as working moms.

Surviving a Slumber Party

Mon, 02 Aug 2010 09:48:00 GMT

Throwing your daughter a slumber party, you say? Make sure to stock-up on Love's Baby Soft and Lip Smackers, and cue the Shaun Cassidy records to get ready…okay, obviously the last time I attend a slumber party I was sporting a side ponytail and braces, but have things really changed that much for little girls?

That was what I was going to find out on that long-anticipated Friday night when my daughter was having her very own slumber party. Two of her girlfriends were coming over to...to...well, to do what I wasn't quite sure.

So when they arrived I had the Chinese food ready and we all sat down to plan the night. "Let's dress-up!" one of the girls said trying to fish her peas out of her fried rice. "Let's do a dance routine!" suggested the other as she circled the teriyaki sauce with her pot sticker. "Let's TP someone's house!' chimed in my daughter.

Well all right. I remember how to do all this. But hold on, they didn't want me to do any of it. This might sound a little silly now, but in my mind I was having a slumber party, too. It took everything "adult-me" had to hold back "little-girl me" from joining in when they pushed themselves away from the table and started dancing around and singing "Part of Your World" from The Little Mermaid. My daughter eyed me when I began, "Look at this stuff, isn't it neat..." as if to say, "You sing one more verse, you're so banished to your room."

Fine.

I'm not invited to the sing along. Or play Chinese jump rope (I was going to smoked these amateurs). Or pretend that we were all sisters who lived in Paris. Being completely transparent here, I was disappointed I wasn't going to be staying up until 2 am giggling and putting bows on the dogs.

I clearly remember being a kid and looking at my parents as they watched us have all the fun. They'd look on as we rode the log ride at Knott's Berry Farm. They'd wait in the freezing station wagon for us to come out of the roller skating rink after an all-night skate. They'd watch us "make a pig of ourselves" at Farrell's Ice Cream Parlor. Every time I'd think, "Good Grief, it must really stink being a parent. Who'd want that job?"

Now I'm the parent and you know what? I get it. It gives me joy to watch my kids have fun. I couldn't have understood that as a young girl, but as my daughter and her friends splashed around the pool pretending they were mermaids, I was filled with happiness. I cheerfully watched as they piled high their Cherry-on-Top cups with gummy worms and sprinkles.

And the next morning when the house looked more like the remains of a party from Animal House then The Barbie Diaries, I merrily picked up the abandoned stuffed animals, empty juice boxes and sleeping bags. It's not so bad being the parent.

But 12-year-old me still wanted to go to a slumber party. So that night my daughter obliged me. We did our hair. We played a fierce game of Chinese jump rope and, finally, I got to belt out Ariel's solo, "Out of the sea. (Sweeping right hand gesture) Wish I could be. (Another sweeping left hand gesture) Part of that world..." I totally nailed it, too.

This was my printed post in OC Family this month.

Read more of me from past issues of OC Family.

The Curious Pear: All about that couple at Trader Joe's, Asian pears, and family who get up early.

OMGAWD! I tried: All about those teenage girls in the restroom of The Spaghetti Factory, roller skating and teaching daughters to be gracious.

Lying to Your Kids: All about how I told my daughter a grilled cheese sandwich was a Camp Sandwich to get her to eat it--and Wood Fairies.

Perspective: All about teaching kids that their perspective is their super power.

An interview with Tony Hawk

Wed, 28 Jul 2010 07:42:00 GMT

Check out my interview with Tony Hawk from Saturday at Downtown Disney.

Tony Hawk is widely accepted as the world's best skateboarder, and certainly the world's most famous. I had the chance to sit down with him at the ESPN Zone right before the Quiksilver Tony Hawk Skate Jam on Saturday.

I was excited to talk to him about The Tony Hawk Foundation and his inspiration to start it. He seemed quiet and reserved, but smiled easily and perked right up when talking about his passion--assisting at-risk kids around the country get free skateparks built in their communities.

Text "RIDE" to 90999 to donate $5 to the Tony Hawk Foundation.

In the last eight years The Foundation has assisted in the creation of 347 completed public skateparks that serve over 3 million kids in 49 states. It's the only organization whose sole purpose is to assist disadvantaged communities build safe, free-to-the public skateparks.

What really impressed me about the Foundation is the way it tackles its mission. On its website you'll find a Public Skatepark Development Guide, a stunningly detailed FAQ section and comprehensive grant writing instructions. The attitude of the Tony Hawk Foundation seems to be, "You want a skatepark? Awesome. We'll help, but you have to take the initiative." That's fantastic, no? Isn't that what we all try to teach our kids?

In our interview Tony spoke about how he's a strong believer in the individual--whether expressing yourself in the art form of skateboarding or getting a public skatepark built in your community. What is impressive is that his Foundation mirrors his attitude of entrepreneurship and spirit of individual motivation. The Tony Hawk Foundation reflects the very sport it promotes--talk about a doing a 360.

Even though I'm an Orange County native and have been surround by skateboarding my whole life, I don't know a lot about the industry or the professional side of the sport. I don't flinch when a skateboarder cranks by me on the sidewalk, I'm used to it, they know what they're doing, but I couldn't tell you what an ollie is.

That said, I wasn't sure what to expect when I first met Tony--but I quickly got caught up in his passion to give back to the sport that has made him a success. And if you're a fan of Tony Hawk already, I bet you're even more so now, right? Don't you love it when that happens?

*****

Tony was injured during the event on Saturday, suffering a pelvic vertical shear injury. Ouch. It was a brutal fall , but on his Twitter page and on The Tony Hawk Foundation Facebook page he said he has check out of the hospital and is resting at home.

VLOG: Stay-at-Home Moms Speak out

Wed, 21 Jul 2010 07:58:00 GMT

In this week's Vloggersation, four OC Family Mom Bloggers who are stay-at-home moms talk about their decision to stay home, the misconceptions and challenges they face and speculate on whether they think they will ever go back to work.

It's a really good one.

Kara-Noel from the "She's Crafty" quoted another OC Family blogger, Marcy Massura, in her vlog that didn't make it to the Vloggersation, but I think it's worth sharing and talking about, Marcy says, "When you tell people you're a stay-at-home mom they think you're either really lucky or really pathetic." What do most people think of moms who choose to stay home?

Next week the working moms will have their change to speak out, but for this week, here's the SAHMs.

OMGawd! I tried. I really tried.

Wed, 14 Jul 2010 08:17:00 GMT

I tried.

My daughter and I like to go to dinner at The Old Spaghetti Factory in Newport Beach then head out to the boardwalk to roller skate. On one Saturday night, after we polished off our spumoni ice cream, my daughter and I stopped by the bathroom before we headed out in time to catch the sunset.

When we walked in to the tiny bathroom, we were met with a flock of girls in satin dresses with heavily hair sprayed up-dos with crunchy curls, and sequins heels--they were High School Prom Night revelers.

The four girls weren't in the bathroom to take care of the usual business, just there to primp and grouse. "OMG! I look like a giant, a monster!" said the red-dressed girl looking into the oversized gilded mirror.

"No you don't!" snapped the purple-dressed girl, "OMGawd! This dress is stabbing me in the ribs! I hate it!" she whined, as she shoved her hand all the way down the front of her dress for relief.

"I wish my boyfriend would say ONE thing to me. I mean, I like totally bought his ticket and everything, at LEAST he could say I look pretty!” griped another who then launched into this howl, “OMG! Look how fat and awful I look!"

"Shut up! Look at my hair! I should have never trusted the chick who did my hair.,” mourned the purple-dressed girl as she reapplied her frosted lip gloss. "Oh you NEVER trust them! Did you see there wasn't anything but bottled water in the limo?! OMG! I mean, seriously, not even a Coke or anything!" complained the green-dressed one, who held the bottom of her dress under her chin as she pulled up her pantyhose.

It went on and on like this for the whole time we were in the Lady’s Room. It was like a really bad, after-school special version of "Sex and the City." (Sponsored by Wet Seal and Kotex.)

Emily, eight-years-old, was mesmerized by them. She just stood there staring; in a trance cast by the older girls. I had to prod her along at each step--wash your hands, turn on the water, rub them together, use soap, dry them on a towel--she couldn't take her eyes off them.

When we got outside and started lacing up our skates, I began to give her my analysis of the girls, trying to pick out the life lesson in the experience, "It's sad that those girls were out on their very special night and all they did was complain," I said, as I searched for Em's knee pads in her bag.

"I think some girls think it's part of being a girl--being a grown-up girl--to pick apart everything, to gripe. They think it's cute or sophisticated, or something, like on TV. But you know it's not, right?" I said, really reaching for that deeper lesson.

"Yeah, I know," she agreed quickly.

Oh, yeah, she's obviously getting it.

"All they did was put themselves down, moan about the limo, and complain about their boyfriends. How do you think their boyfriends felt?" I said to her. She stood up, trying to steady herself on her skates. "You see how they didn't appreciate anything, they weren't very grateful, were they?" I continued, driving the point home.

"Um, hmm," Emily agreed strapping on her helmet.

"I think it’s very unattractive to be negative. You really look your best when you're positive, gracious and polite," I really laid it on, now I'm really teaching her some good stuff.

"I get it,” she said in eager agreement. “I mean, they should be grateful they even HAVE a boyfriend, right?!" she said and then skated off down the boardwalk.

“Wait!” I skated after her, “That’s not the point…” Here’s to hoping some of it got through.

******Printed post in IE Family this month*******

*****Here are some other things I've written that appeared in the print issue*****

A Curious Pear

Lying to Your Kids

Video: Parenting advice from mom bloggers

Wed, 07 Jul 2010 11:36:00 GMT

Jen, an OC Family Blogger ("OC Transplant"), is expecting her first baby. We thought we'd shell out the parenting advice to her in the latest Vloggersation.

I know. Parenting advice is a risky business, but I think we gave her some good stuff. Feel free to share some of your best advice with Jen.

10 Great Movies Your Kids May Not Have Seen

Wed, 23 Jun 2010 22:41:00 GMT

Prefect for a summer family film festival!

These are 10 Great Family Movies

1. E.T.: There's a reason you loved this movie as a kid--it's simply a flippin' great movie.

2. Charlotte's Web: Book to movie is a tough transition, but our family loves this version of Charlotte's Web with Dakota Fanning. Our favorite of the enormously important "talking animal" genre.

3. Spirited Away: You might not have seen this movie because it's foreign and, well, frankly a little weird--but in the best possible way. I can't say enough good things about it; strong female character, terrifically original storyline, spectacular weirdness. We literally wore-out our first copy. (Watch the trailer.)

4. The Sound of Music: Fine, this movie is looooong, clocking in at almost 3-hours, but that's why God invented the fast forward button. Even if you skip the more solemn portions, it's still a darn good movie. WARNING: Good luck getting this song out of your head.

5. Toy Story: Revisiting the first story seems appropriate now that Toy Story 3 is out in theaters. The great thing about the Toy Story movies is they are enjoyable for both parents and kids. My favorite line in this one: "I found my moving buddy"--Little Bo Peep.

6. Elf: Kind of like having breakfast for dinner, sometimes it's fun for kids to watch a Christmas movie in the dead of summer. Elf is the clear choice here.

7. How to East Fried Worms: Downright funny. Great for boys, but your girls will love to hate it. Definitely a must see, but not while you're eating dinner.

8. Big: Classic. I let my daughter, who's 9, watch this movie last week and she loved it. It's a little too grown-up for my 6-year-old. I thought she'd bust a gut laughing durning the scene where "Josh" eats the baby corn at the buffet table. So funny.

9. Fly Away Home: Have you seen this movie? Such a great and touching father-daughter story. So worth hunting down. Tissues recommended. (Watch the trailer.)

10: The Muppet Movie: This is hands down one of my favorite kids' movies. It's still funny and clever after all these years, with one-liners galore and cameos by all your favorite '70s stars (think Dom Deluise) .

If Kermit singing "The Rainbow Connection" doesn't make you warm and happy inside, then you quite possibly have achieved that proverbial dead inside state. If that's the case, please re-watch all the movies on my list while wearing bunny slippers and your Mickey Mouse ears. That should do the trick.

What are your favorite kids' movies? Did I miss any good ones?

The Lazy Dog Cafe has something for everyone

Tue, 01 Jun 2010 08:08:00 GMT

The Lazy Dog Cafe is now open and delighting its customers at The Promenade in Temecula. If you haven't had the Lazy Dog experience yet, get your family together and head down there...like today.

Your whole family.

"We wanted to make a place where we would want to go with our friends, but feel comfortable bringing our kids," Chris Simms, Founder and Owner, told me over the roar of the cheerful dinning room.

They've achieved it.

Not a "kids' restaurant," with gorillas roaring as you choke down some dry chicken nuggets. Not a "grown-up" restaurant, where you search for something your kids will like to eat just because you wanted to enjoy a good meal with a nice glass of wine. Lazy Dog is both all grown-up and kid-friendly at the same time.

With menu selections like a grilled wedged, Mahi-Mahi Caesar (my favorite), amazing Togarashi Edamame, and Ginger Soy Salmon you'll be happy as a dog with a nice juicy bone. But, here's the selling point for most parents, kids will get their choice of good 'ol fashioned Kraft Mac & Cheese, hot dogs, or the Lazy Dog special "make-your-own pizza."

The dining room is open and casual with an Arts and Crafts-style, rustic flair. It's just upscale enough, with cloth napkins and a solid wine list, that the adult side of you will be content. But mellow enough that if your kid decides to pound a creamer with his knife and it sprays on everyone and everything within a 6-foot radius, the waiter will just laugh, help you clean up and bring you more creamers--hypothetically, of course, not like I would know from experience or anything. **ahem**

****Details***

Their kids' meals "For The Little Dogs" are $4.95 and include a drink and build-your-own Sunday (8-years-old and younger). They also offer a meal "for The Big Dogs" which will run you between $5-$8.

Heated patio seating is available and yes, you can bring your pooch.

Their motto: Sit. Stay. Eat

Important Stuff: 21 beers on tap and a load of specialty cocktails including a ginormous, fishbowl Long Island Iced Tea called "Boston Tea Party." For Happy Hour details, go here.

So good, even cat lovers will still love it.

Check out my Lazy Dog video from the opening of their Irvine location. It includes an interview with Lazy Dog's Executive Chef, Chef Gabriel Caliendo.

"World of Color" lives up to hype

Mon, 14 Jun 2010 22:15:00 GMT

Check out my video with a Disney "expert" about World of Color."

On Thursday night Disney's California Adventure premiered its new nighttime show, "World of Color." I was there for the red carpet event, the pre-show, and then the fantastic debut of the long-anticipated show. Packing the punch of both Disney and Pixar characters, the water show projects images onto water screens 200 feet in the air and 380 feet long across Paradise Pier.

The show lives up to its moniker "water spectacular."World of Color will both blow your mind and warm your heart at the same time. It's the kind of show you've come to expect from Disney, but with so many fresh twists and surprising elements, you'll want to go back again and again to catch everything.

"Every child is blessed with a vivid imagination." --Walt Disney.

Projected across the water, this quote kicks off the show and sets the mood as 1,200 fountains, 36 flame projectors, bubbles, fog, lasers and phenomenal surround sound all work together to launch you into the stories of Disney and Pixar amidst a torrent of technical feats that keep delivering the "oohs and awes" throughout the show.

"World of Color is all about the lyrics: 'each dream you chase, each wish you embrace will lead you to a magical faraway place,'" said Steven Davison, Director and VP of Parades and Spectaculars. Quite an undertaking for a 26-minute, standing-room-only show. But Disney delivers by making the show at once grandiose and very personal.

Scary parts? No, Sir.

I'd like to frame this portion by saying my kids are afraid of the Winnie the Pooh ride at Disneyland--capisce? They are scaredy cats and although they enjoy Fantasmic and portions of the fireworks show every year, they view the more scary, villain-packed portions through their fingers.

Now that I've seen World of Color twice, I can confidently say my kids won't be watching any of it from behind my legs. I would call the Buzz vs. Zurg and Pirates of the Caribbean sequences "intense," not scary. Fire and loud music ramp up the action, but never the nerves. The Lion King bit with Simba and the stampede is more emotional than frightening.

That's the word I would use to describe the whole show World of Color: emotional. Kids will respond to the music, the colors, the characters and the surprises with the delight and wonder that only Disney can deliver. I know that's how I responded--at one point hugging the utter stranger who was standing next to me. I could tell, we were both having a moment as Pocahontas started to sing "Just Around The River Bend" and the entire screen became a panoramic, crystal-clear scene of wilderness.

World of Color is really that good. So, go. Maybe not this week, maybe not even this summer, but put it on your bucket list of things to do in the next four months. Starting in the fall, the pre-show will change with every showing and there is talk of a holiday show as well. So carve out the time to go see it soon with your family.

The lowdown

"It's like our [Disney's] version of diner and a movie," Bob Iger, The Walt Disney Company's President and CEO, told me on the red carpet. Here are some of the ways Disney is making that happen:

Picnic meals with reserved viewing tickets: Order a picnic meal online or pick one up at Sonoma Terrace, Golden Vine Winery the day you want to see the show. Adult meals are $14.99--Taste of Asia, European Antiposto, Mediterranean Vegetarian--and the smaller kids's meals are $9.99. Click here to get the details and order.

All these meals come in a large World of Color tote and the kids' meals include a glow bracelet in each tote. Important to note here; you'll receive a ticket for a reserved viewing section with each meal. In my opinion, this is the way to go.

Dining packages with preferred viewing: Wine County Trattoria and Ariel's Grotto Restaurants offer pre-fixed meals at $36.99 for adults and $20.99 for the kiddos. It's the highfalutin' way to experience the show. Call (714) 781- DINE to order, or click here for more information. After dinner these lucky guests will be escorted to their own premier viewing area.

FASTPASS: To get the best view of the show you'll need to get some sort of preferred or reserved viewing--at least not through the summer. So, if these meal options aren't in your budget or don't sound delectable to you, there's always the FASTPASS option.

Pick up your World of Color FASTPASS at the Grizzly River Run Terminal. **They will not interfere with your other FASTPASS tickets of the day.**

The World of Color FASSPASS tickets are available every morning when the park opens and the four to six thousand passes that are available have sold out quickly, so get there early.

It will take some planning on your part, but it will be worth the effort.

I call the play-by-play of the Premier of World of Color

Please check out my photo slideshow of the Red Carpet event (Teri Hatcher, John Stamos, Josh Segal, Jamie Lee Curtis) along with photos of the exclusive pre-show, four different views of the show, and random facts about World of Color-all accompanied by my running commentary. This will really give you a feel for the show and go through the different segments. Click anywhere on the photo below to get started...

Can't get enough World of Color? Check out these blogs.

Marcy of "The Glamorous Life." The World of Color Red Carpet (Unless I'm color blind.)

Lisa from "Babes in Disneyland." World of Color Review with Lots of Pictures.

Do you let your younger kids do PG-13?

Sun, 13 Jun 2010 21:43:00 GMT

"Every family is different," is what I tell my kids. They want to do what everyone else is doing, I get that. I don't have a problem with setting the rules in our house and then sticking by them. That's Parenting 101 stuff. It's good for them to learn now: Our family does things our own way.

I'm just curious how other parents handle the pressure. The last couple weeks it's been all about PG-13 movies. We don't let our kids watch them--they are 8 and 6 years old--but in a recent, unofficial survey of my son's kindergarten class, most of the kids had seen Avatar, a PG-13 movie.

My son pestered me. He whined. He pouted. But I told him "No, we don't do PG-13." Again, I have no problem with telling him that, but I wonder if the parents who are letting their kids see these movies are giving in to the pressure. Do they want to see the movie themselves so they let their kids watch them or do they simply not see a problem with letting kids under 13 year old watch PG-13?

I was talking to one of my daughter's friends last week on a field trip and she asked me with a big smile, "Have you seen The Notebook?" Oh, of course I have and loved it. Well, she had seen it too and proudly proclaimed it her favorite movie. "I'm so glad Allie choose Noah, aren't you?"

Awkward silence. "Um, yeah. He was a real keeper." She's 8 years old.

Do I think the kindergarteners who watched Avatar are going to go ballistic on the playground because they saw it? No.

Do I think the little girl who took in "The Notebook" on DVD will be caught macing with a fifth grader in the janitorial closet? No.

Do I think parents who do are bad parents? Absolutely not!

Do I like to pose questions and then answer them myself? Obviously.

My point is simply this: Kids only have a short time when they are kids. I want to let mine be kids as long as possible. I feel monitoring their movies is one way I can control the race to adulthood.

"Most of your life will be lived above the age of thirteen and you can watch PG-13 movies every night forever," is what I tell my daughter. Which was met with the obligatory eye roll.

Last night we all watched "The Jungle Book." I know! I hadn't seen it in years and the kids loved it--we all did.

******

Other things I've written about parenting:

Did you know some kids aren't allowed to run on the playground?

The Snow Factor: Don't try to pull one over on mom.

Me, over-caffeinated? Don’t I wish.

Sun, 06 Jun 2010 21:25:00 GMT

I feel sorry for my coffee cup. I do. My husband says he can tell how my day fared by the state my morning cup ‘o joe. Here, I’ll give you a play-by-play of a day in the life of mom’s favorite coffee cup.

6:30 a.m. Pull coffee cup from un-run dishwasher and hastily rinse.

6:32 Abandon cup in sink while I make two breakfasts and pack two lunches.

6:40 Optimistically pour coffee to brim and slowly bring to eagerly perched lips.

6:42 Desert coffee cup on kitchen counter due to skirmish that brakes out between kids over remote control

6:57 Find cup again, place it in the microwave for warm-up.

7:00 Sheesh! 7:00 already?! Run upstairs to get kids ready for school. No cup in hand.

7:20 Scuttle downstairs to retrieve cup from microwave … Drat! Cold again. Re-zap.

7:50 Pour re-zapped coffee into thermos cup to take in car.

7:59 Hurry out the door as not to be late for drop-off. Forget coffee on counter.

8:15 Return home to find cold coffee sitting on counter. Pour back into microwaveable cup. Re-zap.

8:30 Go upstairs to take shower; make myself presentable. Forget the cup in microwave – again.

9:00 Retrieve sorry cup of coffee from microwave. Check temp. Re-zap for third, or is it fourth time? Scoop off mysterious gooey circular film now covering coffee surface. Um, ewww.

9:05 Finally, I take the first long-awaited sip of the morning while retuning e-mail. Yeah!

9:10 Remember that clothes in dryer will relentlessly wrinkle if not folded immediately. Run downstairs to laundry room.

10:00 Grab cup while rushing to put away clothes, but abandon it atop son's nightstand.

11:00 Official lunchtime: Coffee out. Diet Coke in.

8:30 p.m. Put son to bed, he complains of stomachache. "Do you think you are going to throw up?” I ask. He nods a weak “yes.” Grab closest receptacle … you guessed it, hapless coffee cup on nightstand.

1:30 a.m. After barf-fest, with every towel, blanket and comforter in the house in the process of being washed, go downstairs to do thorough, Silkwood-type decontamination rinse out of coffee cup.

1:40 a.m. Optimistically place coffee cup next to French press for the next morning.

Better luck tomorrow true and faithful friend.

Lost without LOST? I'm here for you

Tue, 25 May 2010 12:50:00 GMT

I've never watched LOST. I'm not some sort of social deviant. I'm not out of step with the times--I really want an iPad just like everyone else. I'm not against LOST. I just never got into it.

It seemed to me from the beginning, based on my friends' conversations, the Facebook updates, the Tweets, that LOST was more like a disfuntional relationship, than an enjoyable form of entertainment.

Things like this:

"Argh! LOST! I don't understand what's going on!"

"LOST is driving me crazy!"

"I just want some straight answers from LOST!"

" I totally blew-off all my friends just to re-watch the last 4 seasons of LOST. So psyched!"

"LOST! How am I going to live without you?!"

I don't have the time or energy for that sort of thing anymore. I learned my lesson years ago from Melrose Place that these relationships never work. It's all about them.

So I have been relegated to the loyal friend, just there to listen and comfort. I made every effort to help my friends who were having LOST issues. A couple them even swore off LOST; broke it off entirely. When they did I told them they were doing the right thing and that I never liked it anyways. Then I found out from other friends that they were back on LOST a few days later and I couldn't get them to return my calls.

Now that LOST is over I feel all the fans can finally have some closure. They can move on. Maybe start watching something else, like Rules of Engagement or 30 Rock. I have been in a good, healthy DVR relationship with these shows for a while now. They tell it like it is. They get to the point and don't string me out for days...weeks...years. They're also very, very funny and we all know laughter is one of the best remedies for a broken heart.

I'm here if you want to talk.

*****

You can become my friend on Facebook.

You can follow me on Twitter.

You can read my thoughts on hockey on my blog

"When Girls Love Hockey."

I really am freakin' everywhere.

(Image via ABC then heartlessly manipulated by me.)

Act now and I'll throw in an 8-year-old

Thu, 13 May 2010 22:28:00 GMT

Who does this remind you of...

"Please go brush your hair again," I ask my daughter in the morning rush after seeing she has given it the weakest of efforts and only brushed one side of her head. It's a simple task, she can't seem to pull off.

Seconds later she walks into my room and states, "I looked everywhere and I can't find the hair brush anywhere" she tells me, and plops down on the bed, obviously completely exhausted from her fruitless mission.

Naturally, I walk into her bedroom and it's sitting, right there, in plain view. I pick it up and start to brush. "Did you feed the dogs?" I ask her while I'm working on a nasty rat in her hair. "I tried, but I couldn't find anything to scoop it out of the container," she says and gives a big carefree shrugs as if to say, "C'est la vive what can be done?"

Sometimes living with an 8-year-old can be very much like living inside your own infomercial. She's the exasperated one. The women trying to open a can with a lame can opener circa 1970. The girl attempting to put her hair in one of those complicated ponytails. The man futilely reaching for the remote while covered hopelessly with a blanket.

As if!

I, on the other hand, am the revolutionary product. The spokesperson of hope. The **mother** of invention. I'm the one who at 1:00 a.m in the morning you see on TV and say to yourself, "Huh, she's right! Why am I trying to clean my laundry with, (duh) laundry soap!?" I'm freakin' brilliant! If only I could get millions of people to send me a check...or money order, made out in my name.

***

Check out my comic strip :

The Tooth Fair

I'm awesome!

Mom Bloggers are the new rock stars!

Sat, 01 May 2010 13:25:00 GMT

OC Mom Bloggers!

*******

Sheesh! Mom bloggers are sure getting a beating in the traditional media and online world lately. With articles like this one from the New York Times and the following comment and commentary bloodbath that followed, you'd think we are advocating tossing our children into a rushing river, instead of simply reaching for our dreams and expressing ourselves--in small and big ways--through our blogs. Who knew creative, smart, driven women could be so divisive? (Said with sarcasm, naturally.)

I believe in the power of the mom blogger. I think blogging is revolutionary for women. I honestly do. It's radically extended the reach of some women who before blogging, didn't have much of a voice. I'm proud as all get up to be a mom blogger, because I've seen first hand how it's transformed the lives of women--in a positive way. In an empowering way. Again, sometimes in little ways, like giving her a creative outlet or building a community of support, and sometimes in larger ways, like leading to a new career. It's all good stuff and all equally important in my opinion.

Here's the thing, as moms we have more things in common than we have differences. I try to embrace the differences and then get all giddy and syrupy when I meet (read) a mom who has the same struggles, triumphs and burns with the same hatred for laundry as me. Blogs can function as a conduit for these connections.

So, now you know my stand on mom bloggers and you've been properly primed for this video. Six OC mom bloggers, including moi, dorking it up in a lip dub we made to "Our Lips Are Sealed." Because whenever a PR person or brand representative asks me, what's the best way to reach moms, I always tell them the same thing: '80s music.

The bloggers in the lip dub are:

Andrea from the blog Hip Moms Who Work.

Marcy from The Glamorous Life Association and Publications.

Beckey from Hippo Brigade.

Roxanne from Me and My Monster.

Kara-Noel from Eli's Lids.

Me from here...and here.

**disclaimer:

These bloggers may or may not share my ernest opinion of mom bloggers.

****

If you're a mom who's interested in starting your own blog, please feel free to contact me with any questions: sbroughton@churmmedia.com

10 Tips for New Mom Bloggers

Fri, 23 Apr 2010 09:27:00 GMT

10 Tips for New Mom Blogging

by Suzanne Broughton

1. Decide now if you are going to post pictures of your kids. Once they are “out there” you can’t take it back. Discuss it with the kids’ father (who may or may not be your husband, I don't know) and come up with a policy where you’re both comfortable.

2. Try to have at least two links on your blog post to an outside source. For example, if you write about Disneyland, link to other stories you’ve written about the Happiest Place on Earth or to websites like MousePlanet or Babes in Disneyland.

3. Use Twitter and Facebook to get the word out about your brilliant post. More and more people are getting their information from social media, have your blog be on their daily diet.

4. Comment and be involved in the blogging community. The number one thing I get asked by new bloggers is “How do I get people to comment on my blog?” The answer is simple—get out there and comment on other blogs. This is how you introduce yourself to another blogger.

5. Keep your voice strong in your blog. A good tool is to have a blogging muse that you write to in your blog. I write each post directed to one person—my blog muse, Annie.

6. Titles for your post are important. No one likes a long, obscure title more than me, but it’s best to include searchable info in the title when possible.

7. Mix-up your topic and style of posts. Lists, stories, things to do in OC, craft projects, dinner ideas, a good, heartfelt rant, even Onion-type news stories are all good blogging fare. If you’re writing on a “mommy” subject, try a new perspective on an old, done-to-death topic as not to make the rest of us roll our eyes at another "Doesn't laundry suck" story.

8 Always use some sort of visual component in your posts. I’m a visual person and so maybe I’m a little bias on this, but nothing turns me off more than a long post with no photos. Unless you are an incredibly compelling writer (like Heidi), grab a photo from Etsy, Flickr, Google or, better yet, take your own.

9. Proof. Have an extra set of eyes take a look at your post before publishing. Or since I'm a self-proclaimed tragic speller, I have other blogger friends who get great joy are kind enough to email me my most disgraceful typos.

10. Keep in mind, there are a million mom bloggers out there (26 million is the latest estimate), but only one you. Only you can tell your story. Get out there and blog, Sister!

Suzanne Broughton started blogging in 1968 and considers herself the "mother of the mom blog," at least she has a coffee cup that says so. Forging ahead in uncharted territory, long before the personal computer, she used to blog entirely in shorthand on a yellow steno pad while sitting on her davenport watching Hee-Ha. She enjoys the music of Engelbert Humperdinck, collecting Precious Moment figurines, and making macrame owls. She's never heard of BlogHer.

Dude ranching at Kay El Bar in Arizona

Tue, 13 Apr 2010 10:51:00 GMT

Please check out my video from Kay El Bar Ranch.

I think the video captures the mood and spirit of our trip pretty well. The cowboys really got into helping me make it, too. I tried to get them to do their most serious cowboy faces, but they were just too darn fun to keep a straight face. That's what I like most about them.

I took this photo of my daughter Emily at sunrise during a morning hike.

As we walked up the small hill she talked cheerfully about her horse Poquito, earnestly about her extra credit project she's going to write on Gila Monsters (because we saw one the day before) and then switched to the topic of when she thought she might start to drink coffee (at about 15, she guessed). She stood there for a long time. I wondered what thoughts were kicking around her eight-year old head. That morning she reminded me of that phrase from a Joni Mitchell song: I felt unfettered and alive.

I think that sums up our trip the best. It was so great to get away from suburban life and just let the kids run wild. They collected rocks, fell in a stream and practiced their newly acquired roping skills--all on their own. It was totally different than their life here, yet they seems to have been made for that ranch.

The morning we had to leave the kids cried when they said goodbye to their horses. My eyes got watery too, but that was, you know, because of all the dust and everything. It did make it a little easier that we already have our return trip planned for November.

****

For all of my photos from Kay El Bar, you can go to my Flickr page.

Snapped; the mommy edition

Wed, 31 Mar 2010 10:14:00 GMT

Scene one: A bar somewhere outside Orange County:

It was a hot day. Too hot to be inside, still I walked into the dark barroom quickly and with great expectations. The sun filtered in through the dirt and bumper stickers on the window and the light illuminated all the dust particles in the dead bar air. I was overcome by the smell mixed equally of stale cigarettes, beer sweat and tinkle.

I let my eyes adjust and scanned the room looking eagerly for the face for someone I've never seen before. Someone I knew only as 'Gene.' As soon as I laid my eyes on the slumped, Micky Rouke circa 9 1/2 weeks throwback man leaning motionless against the bar, I knew he was the one I was there to see.

I sidled up to the seat next to him, and after taking a Wet Wipe to the ripped red vinyl cushion, I sat down and order a wine cooler. The bartender looked at me with a perplexed face and then I clarified, "Oh, sorry, a STRAWBERRY / LIME wine cooler." He then walked away shaking his head and went through the curtains into the back room, never to be seen again.

"You Gene?" I asked as I checked my iPhone for a text from my girlfriend confirming she picked up my kids. "Yeah, you Lizzy?" he said into his drink. (Good, she picked them up on time. What? "No, no Icee!" I furiously typed, "Just bring them to your house like I said." Sheesh!) "Yes, I'm Suz....LIZZY, I'm Lizzy," I confirmed, nodding like a bobblehead with a big, geeky smile.

"So, who do you want me to whack?" he said, again into his drink.

"What? You need to sit up and look at me when you talk. No one is going to respect you if you mumble," I corrected him.

He did exactly what I said and then he asked again, "You know, who do you want to dispose of?"

"Well," I said, looking around for the bartender, "It's not exactly a 'Who' as it is a 'What.'"

**Journey's "Open Arms" comes on the juke box and for a minute were both lost in the sadness and hope of it.

"Listen Lady, I don't have time for your little word games," Gene was getting agitated with me.

**Cheerful Shrug**

"Like I said, It's not a 'Who' I want rid of... I will pay you handsomely to make my...my laundry disappear. I want it gone. I don't ever want to see it again and I don't care how you do it. Just make it clean and make sure it never comes back," I blurted out in double-time. It felt so good to finally come out and say it out loud.

Then Gene did that little laugh men do when they think you're crazy, when they want to discount a perfectly reasonable request. My brothers did that to me growing up...and my husband did it last week when I said I thought he needed to use conditioner on his hair, **that laugh** "Conditioner, yeah, okay..."

I snapped and in a quiet scream, through my perfectly glossed motionless lips I tell him, "Listen Chuckles, first of all women hate it when guys do that laugh and I can see by the absences of a wedding ring you have had no luck in that arena so cut out the condescending attitude. Second of all, I'm willing to pay handsomely with the money I earned from selling knitted latte cozies on Etsy. So that's it! I'm taking a hit out on my laundry."

I was really on a roll now...

"Obviously," I continued, " You don't know what it's like to hate something so much that you're willing to risk it all--the house, the Escalade, the double oven and the holiday newsletter---in order to see it killed."

No stopping me now...

"Obviously, from the smell of you, you haven't done laundry in a very long time... Obviously, you don't know what it's like to finish a task only to see it waiting for you the next day, double the size and then the next and the next...Like some crazed, evil Frankenstein. A monster that I've created, but now just lives to mock and torture me. Well, that is what I want to die, so if you aren't man enough for the task just say the word and I'll take my cash somewhere else."

At this point I realize I'm practically sitting on poor Chuckles's lap. He had, not so much a scared look on his face, but more a look that comes from nagging someone into obedience. I was in my comfort zone. I backed off, sat back down and dug through my purse for the cash.

"Here," I said as I threw it down in front of him. "There's an extra grand in it for you if you take care of 'making dinner,' too." I then turned on my sensible heels and marched out to my Escalade and started the trip back into Orange County--smiling the whole way.

****

I read this piece at The Chase Theatre in Anaheim for BlogUP. Here is a compilation video made by Marcy Massura of all the performers.

Breaking News: Mom survives day home alone

Thu, 25 Mar 2010 09:45:00 GMT

**fabricated news story**

Irvine, Ca. Suzanne Broughton, mother of two, survived a day alone in her Irvine home without her family. "I'm not going to lie, I was pretty confused and scared at first when I realized there wasn't anyone in the house," said Broughton in a phone interview. "I kept hearing this weird noise that was freaking me out, but then I realized, it was just silence."

"It's best if a mom can wean herself slowly from the raucous atmosphere she is used to by replicating the noise with Sponge Bob on in the background or giving the cat the dog's bone in order to emulate sibling bickering." These are just a few tips in his book, "The Pottery Barn Kids Catalog Mystique: Parenting is about more than heirloom quality quilts and color coordinated storage baskets. "Moms simply need to affirm themselves by saying things like 'I used to be an attorney, I'm certainly capable of spending the afternoon by myself.'"

In a press conference yesterday, Suzanne's husband, Larry Broughton, who was initially regarded as a sort of "local hero" by Suzanne's friends after offering to take the kids for the day, was on the defensive as accusations of insensitivity started to circulate,"Listen, Suzanne was mostly able to function before she had kids and I had every confidence she would be just fine by herself for one day," Mr. Broughton said to a smattering of reporters who had gathered outside his home. "I even thought she might be able to get some stuff done around the house while I was gone." At that, an audible gasp was heard from the female journalists in the crowd.

Though local officials didn't return our calls for a comment on the legality of leaving a mom home alone for an entire day, there was a statement from the guard at the Broughtons' community gate. "I don't know. I don't think I like it," said Kerby Williams as he wrote down the license plate of an AT&T truck. "What next? Walking alone through the community or worse, OUT of the community? I just don't like it," shaking his head as he turned away an unauthorized school bus full of children.

When asked how she filled the time when she was alone, Mrs. Broughton admitted she had lots of plans--like sorting the orphan sock basket, getting the family's taxes together, organizing her photos on iPhoto--but, she said with a spark of energy, "I ended up taking a nap, looking-up old friends on Facebook, and then watching 10 shows that had accumulated the last two years on her DVR. "It was one of the best days of my life," she said, obviously emotional when thinking back on the day.

***

Become a fan of Inland Empire Family on Facebook! Never miss a blog post or announcement!

A curious pear

Wed, 10 Mar 2010 09:33:00 GMT

I always wonder how other couples’ relationships work...

(Larry, me and Madison for our engagement photo. 1997.)

--what they talk about, if they brush their teeth side-by-side in the mirror every morning, how they decide on big-ticket items. It's the little things couples do in public that make me stare and stand too close, trying to eavesdrop on their conversations.

Like at Trader Joe's the other day, a couple was standing in front of the boxed fruit. The man was holding a box of Asian Pears and the woman was diligently trying to pry the perfectly square plastic box open (despite the galvanized tape) in order to...touch them, I guess. Calmly, the man used his long (freakishly, btw) index finger to lift the side so she could...yes, yes, she wanted to touch them and when she did, she immediately shook her head and waved them away.

He picked up another box and they began another hushed and passionate conversation about--Asian Pears. I tried to hear what they were saying, pretending I cared deeply about the Clementines sitting next to the pears. But they were enormously secretive and careful not to let the rest of us know what was so flippin' interesting about--Asian Pears.

Naturally, this made me think about my husband Larry and me. I can't even imagine having a conversation that long about pears. I remember once having a pretty lengthy conversation about how much we loved cheese, but it was more because we were hungry. We started asking each other outrageous questions like, “If you could make a deal that you never could eat cheese again, but you would then be able to fly, would you?” Seriously, who would make that deal? Like, nobody, but that's the kind of thing Larry and I talk about.

So you can understand my fascination with this couple at Trader Joe's. Larry and I had lots of conversations about them. Asian Pears just seems like a very particular and much more sophisticated thing to talk about than cheese. I mean, we would have flown by those pears at breakneck speed and thrown them in our cart (period). No discussion.

It made me wonder if we’re missing out on something. Don't things like this make you speculate about how different other people’s lives are? Are they happier? Their kids more intelligent? I see couples on weekend mornings who’ve obviously been out with their baby joggers, sipping their lattes, the Times in hand, and I think, "Huh, are we the only ones who wave our children away on weekend mornings, muttering from under our pillows about cartoons and directing them to the special 'Saturday' cereal?"

I guess it comes down to perspective--appreciating who I am and what I value. Being able to say to myself, "We're a couple who sleeps in and gives our children sugary cereal on Saturdays." And, I suppose, accepting that Larry and I are the type of couple that talks about the couple who talks about the Asian Pears…and being okay with that. Which I most certainly am.

***

If you want an easy way to keep up with OC Family, become a fan on Facebook. We post all our bloggers' posts and upcoming events in OC right on our fan page. Come on, we know you're there all the time anyway...

VIDEO: Captain EO returns to Disneyland!

Fri, 26 Feb 2010 10:07:00 GMT

After being away from Disneyland for 13 years, Captain EO returned yesterday to the Magic Eye Theatre in Tomorrowland and the fans turned out in droves to be among the first to see the spruced-up version of the 1986 original film.

I was lucky enough to be asked to attend the first official screening of the "4-D" musical space adventure staring the late Michael Jackson. You can watch my video of the day below, which includes interviews with original cast members and creators. Although I wasn't allowed to film any of the actual Captain EO movie, I will tell you, it was just as much fun as I remember and the '80s vibe was pulsing throughout; with mullets, shoulder-padded spacesuits, and lots of glitter. It was, like, totally awesome!

If you must see more, here's my Whrrl Report from the day as well.

****

Don't miss the Harlem Globetrotters! Monday at 1:00

Sun, 14 Feb 2010 07:28:00 GMT

Don't miss your chance to see the Harlem Globetrotters today! Their show, at the Citizen's Business Bank starts at 1:00 and there are plenty of tickets available. Make sure to get there early! The pre-show is just as fun as the silly antics of the Trotters themselves. Get your tickets by clicking here.

I went to the show on Saturday night, check out my Whrrl by clicking anywhere on the photo below...

/p>

My top five romantic comedies

Wed, 10 Feb 2010 10:11:00 GMT

My top five romantic comedies:

(Click the links to watch scenes from each.)

I guess I consider myself a romantic comedy connoisseur. Maybe even an expert...possibly an aficionado, for sure a snob. More than just casual 'date night' entertainment, I expect a lot from my romantic comedies.

The best test of a good romantic comedy is if the next day you still feel a residual warm, golden, syrupy sweetness in your heart that you can't quite pinpoint. It makes you want to throw your arms around your husband and laugh at his silly ways when he forgets to run the dishwasher, again.

A great one should make you not feel alone in your bedroom watching a movie on Lifetime at 1 a.m but instead that your heartbreak is part of some super corny, yet noble global sorority. A great on should leave you happy, hopeful and quoting memorable lines for years to come.

*****

Getting schooled by homework

Wed, 03 Feb 2010 10:07:00 GMT

I always hear how hard homework gets for kids (READ: parents) as they get older. As adding and subtracting give way to calculus and other more arduous academics that I won't even pretend to understand, I'm a little fearful that I won't be able to help my kids with their studies.

Take this as an example, I'm getting my son's homework back with corrections on the things that I helped him -- he's in kindergarten!

Take a look at the example on the right.

Okay, yes, that's obviously a "glass" not a "cup," my mistake. But that's an otter on the bottom right? ...not a gopher as I told my son, but an otter. Now, to me, an otter has a bigger tail, like in the cartoons when a otter pounds down things with his enormous, round tennis racket- sized tail--unfortunately, this is another problem, most of my knowledge of animal life comes from cartoons.

My fear is the gap of what I know and what they need to know is going to grow and grow and pretty soon, I'm just going to have to start to make things up...or send them to a tutor. (Yes, sending them to a tutor sounds more logical.) I absolutely LOVE my son's teacher and we had a very good laugh about this, but it spotlights a underlying issue for me: What if I can't help my kids the way I want and need to?

I wonder if some parents have to hit the books themselves as their kids get into the higher grades. Where is the line between helping your kids with their homework and actually doing their homework drawn? Any words of advice from parents with older kids? Can a child be successful in school if their parents don't understand what it is they are studying? Anyone else think that is clearly a gopher?

*****

Read my story about "helping" my daughter decide on what character she should be for her school project:

Be like me. Wait, no don't be like me!

Lesson for male readers: Purses 101

Tue, 26 Jan 2010 10:15:00 GMT

I thought I would take some time and have a little talk with male readers because there seems to be some confusion on this subject; I'm going to attempt to make this as clear and precise as possible.

This is a purse (or handbag)

This is a tote

This is a clutch

The purse or handbag, tote and clutch.

They are three totally different things and should never, under any circumstances, be lumped into one general group or category. Just as a for instance, totally spitballing here, you say to your wife or any other female in your life something like, "Look at all the purses you have!" while motioning furiously toward handbags, totes and clutches is a fashion fallacy and strikes confusion and evokes pity toward you in the heart of a girl.

And then to compare your wallets to our purses is just, well, not even logical. Each one--purse or handbag, tote and clutch-- has a very specific use and function and can't usually be interchanged. So the need for a woman to have "more than one" is crucial and I'm not even mentioning the issues of color, texture or style into the mix right now, just functionality. (Note: taking removable straps off a handbag does not make it a clutch. Nice try Larry.)

Don't just take my word for it. I have hard evidence that supports this fact. The following shots are from the "Blue Fly" and "Nordstrom's" websites.

Nordstrom! You can't argue with Nordstrom. They have eight selections, but I didn't want to overwhelm you with talk of hobos and messenger bags on the first lesson.

So, stay with me here: it's purses or handbags, totes and clutches. I'm glad we had this little talk. It's good to get things out in the open. If you're still confused, any gal would be happy to take you shopping with her to explain it all in full detail...what's that? You got? Great.

****

From my personal blog,

5 Tips/Factiods for Male Readers of Alive in Wonderland.

"Give a Day. Get a Disney Day" is new for 2010

Sat, 02 Jan 2010 09:02:00 GMT

With the new year comes a new "What Will You Celebrate?" promotion from Disney Parks. They are offering a free ticket to anyone who volunteers with a participating organization. This will replace the "Free On Your Birthday" offer of 2009, and I think it's a clever way for Disney to inspire volunteerism.

Here is my video with an official Disney-type explaining everything you need to know about the new program:

Your free ticket starts with pre-registering at Disneyparks.com. Then just follow the instructions from there. Here's to a great 2010! Happy New Year!

*****

Obviously, I'm a little bit of a Disney-holic. Here is some of my photography from The Happiest Place on Earth. You can go to my Flickr Disneyland Set for more.

Roller Skating: It's the new laundry

Tue, 29 Dec 2009 16:52:00 GMT

I have fallen head over wheels in love with roller skating. This is how it began, I wrote this story for the Register on The OC Roller Girls a year or so ago and after attending a couple of practices and going to a few Roller Derby bouts, I started to get smitten with skating. Though not enough to be a roller derby girl, PLEASE ...me? I have weak ankles and a well-developed fear of girls pushing me to the ground.

But roller skating...remember roller skating? I grew up in Huntington Beach and in the early '80s I spent most of my time applying my roll-on lip gloss, feathering my hair, and skating to Earth, Wind & Fire at the Holiday Roller Rink in Fountain Valley. No girl was more dedicated to her roller skates than me. Every weekend I was there, the scent of Love's Baby Soft permeating from my satin jacket and rainbow shirt. I had my own white skates with big yellow wheels AND I had the '80s version of flair--pom-poms.

Yes, some of it was about the boys, but a lot of it was about the pom-poms.

Now, I'm a wife and mother of two kids--how can I work roller skating into my life? My friends will surely roll their eyes and toss the idea in to the growing heap of "things Suz got all excited about and quickly forgot." (That heap has cost me a bundle.) But, when I mentioned it to them they wanted to join in, and when I wrote about it on my personal blog, I got a huge response from moms all around the country. THEY WANTED ROLLER SKATES!

Geesh! Okay then. I ordered my roller skates and my husband got me the pom-poms for our anniversary.

Then I needed to find a place to skate. A girlfriend and I ended up with our daughters at The Holiday Roller Rink in Orange one Saturday morning for a quick lesson and then open skate. After my first spin around the rink it felt like my skates and I had never parted--it was just like 1981 again. My girlfriend, who hadn't been on her skates in (ahem) a long time, too, was having the same "Peggy Sue Got Married" moment.

As we heartlessly lapped our struggling seven-year-olds we sunk deeper and deeper into a nostalgic trance. The whole rink experience is largely unchanged and really geeky. They still do the hokey pokey, play Redlight/Greenlight, and blast Queen's "We will rock you" as everyone stomps their skates to the beat. Just to clarify, when I say "really geeky," I mean "totally awesome."

I admit, I did feel a little silly breaking out my skates in Newport one weekend to skate while my son rode his bike down the bike path. I mean, I am "of a certain age" when cute can be translated, to some, as pathetic, or just plain dorky. I did contemplate walking instead. But then I thought more about it and as I laced-up, fastened my hot pink helmet and straightened my "Hello Kitty" t-shirt I said (to myself), "This really makes me happy. I'm really beside myself with freakin' happiness right now."

And if being (fine, I'll say it) 42 years old has taught me anything, it's "Take any 'happy' you can get!" Great, now I really sound like a biddy, but it's true. I don't care if roller skating comes across as a clear grasp at my fleeting youth, I'm going to do it anyway--with flair!

***

Here's a video I made when I first got my roller skates over a year ago. I still go out with my kids on the street and skate.

Disney on Ice coming to Ontario on Dec. 30th

Sat, 26 Dec 2009 09:17:00 GMT

Disney on Ice is sort of a tradition in our family.

I found this photo of us from the 2002 Disney on Ice show at The Honda Center when Emily was just one-year old. **sniff** sniff**

Last week we packed up the now eight-year-old and her brother and a bunch of their friends and headed out to see the "Worlds of Fantasy" show. We had a great time and after much consideration the kid's choose their annual souvenir--Giant Tinkerbell cup for Em and light-up glass for Ben. Nicely played I think. I still have that Jessie Doll from Toy Story sitting on the ledge in the picture. I put it in Emily's keepsake box.

Check out my Whrrl Story from the night that's loaded with photos from the show.

(Click anywhere on the photo to enter.)

Disney on Ice "World of Fantasy" is performing at in Ontario, at the Citizen Business Bank Arena beginning Dec 30 - Jan 3rd and there are still tickets available from $17 - $74. Hightail it over Ticketmaster or for more info or call 1 (800) 745-3000.

Give your husband the gift of a good make-out session

Wed, 16 Dec 2009 18:41:00 GMT

With Christmas bearing down on us, now is the time you need some creative gift ideas. Let me help you with that one person that is hard to buy for: The Husband. I know he says, "Don't get me anything," but that's just just silly. You have to get him something and you want it to be something good, no? Something he'll use. Something like a mixed tape filled with nice make-out music.

These relics aren't what they appear to be--the mixed tape your boyfriend gave you in high school when you broke up with him--they are actually a slice of genius in this modern age. They are USB thumb drives that plug right into your computer, they are just dressed up like your old friend The Mixed Tape. (Go here to order.)

So, here is what I suggest: Make your husband a mixed tape with all of your favorite make-out songs and the promise to use it in the near future. No idea what tunes will set the mood? Here is my list of Top 10 Make-Out Songs Of All-Time.

1.) Led Zeppelin "All of my love"

2.) Roxy Music "More than this"

3.) Mazzy Star "Fade into you"

4.) When in Rome "The promise"

5.) Barry White "Never gonna give you up"

6.) Peter Gabriel "In your eyes"

7.) ColdPlay "The Scientist"

8.) Diana Krall "The look of love"

9.) Journey "Open arms"

10.) David Matthew Band "Crash into me"

The Seven Dreadful Party Personalities

Tue, 15 Dec 2009 09:25:00 GMT

I would like to preface this list by saying that I like most people. I'm super stubborn that way. You can plop me down at a party next to nearly anyone and I will find something to talk about. I take pride in ferreting out their most redeeming qualities and actually think that is the best course of action at any social gathering. But some personalities traits are, let's all just face it, dreadful to encounter at a party.

With the holiday season upon us and the likelihood that you will be attending at least one party, I've made this list of the 7 most dreadful party personalities and how to handle them. I hope this helps and remember it's your party too!

The Crashing Bore

Favorite topics of conversation: Possible deadly reaction of buffet food to their medication. The “freaky” dream they had last night. How cool they were in high school.

How to handle: Play interested. To everything, shake your head and say, “That’s interesting.” (Note: This only works if your spouse knows that when you say something is "interesting," it means you think it’s not interesting.)

The Arrogant Real-Estate-Related Professional

Favorite topics of conversation: Their weekend house or boat at “The River.” How much they bought their house for in 1998. Wine.

How to handle: Play dumb. Act as if you haven’t ever heard of anything they are talking about. Do you mean the Santa Ana River? Where is Villa Park? Wine, I love Bartles and James too!

The Salesman

Favorite topic of conversation: How much money you could make selling (fill in blank here). How much money they made last year selling (fill in blank here). How much money do you want to make?

How to handle: Say you and your spouse have more money than you could possible manage already. Say things like, “We're loaded” or “My husband makes so much money, I wouldn’t know what to do with any more.” Then blow your nose in a twenty dollar bill and throw it on the ground, just to drive the point home.

Minute-Detail Talker

Favorite topic of conversation: The difference between French goat cheese (or chèvre) and domestic sheep cheese. The thread count of the napkins and why I should care. How she wanted to bring her New Graphic Op Art Large Sabrina bag by Coach but was afraid the bold pattern would throw off her Dolce & Gabbana Satin Psychedelic Dress she got at….blah, blah, blah.

How to handle: Ask the waiter if they serve Mountain Dew, when they don’t (which they won’t in California) storm off in disgust and go sit at another table.

The Instant BFF (just add wine)

Favorite topics of conversation: Nothing seems off-limits. Should she break-up with her boyfriend of seven years? Will he EVER ask her to marry him? In-depth analysis of each of her boyfriend's friends. TMI is like a badge of honor to her.

How to handle: Dead straight honesty! Tell her EXACTLY what you think she should do. Give her a "take away" by sketching graphs and charts on a cocktail napkin. For instance a "Likelihood he is cheating on you" graph or a chart of her reproductive capability over the next 15 years.

Person With Distracting Hair or Manner

Favorite topic of conversation: This person, has no outstanding personality fault, God bless 'em. They simply have something bewildering or annoying about them that makes it impossible to concentrate on whatever it is they are saying--like a really bad swipe over, a rogue bra strap, or a constant folding and unfolding of their napkin.

How to handle: Pretend you are in a scene from Napoleon Dynamite and this person is one of the "quirky" characters you're meant to embrace and quote lines from for years to come. Feel free to ramp up your own distracting manner and enjoy the party together.

Repetitive Insulter

Favorite topic of conversation:Endless prodding you to tell them when your baby is due, even though you insist you're not pregnant. Next, how much better you'd look if you weren't wearing red. Lastly, how weird they thought you were when they first met you.

How to handle: Smile. Go home and write about them on your blog.

****

Just the other evening Larry and I were at a party where I encountered more than one of these dreadful party personalities. By chance, someone had a video camera and caught us on tape:

Larry's so sweet to me.

Video: Disneyland's new 'Tiana's Showboat Jubilee!'

Fri, 11 Dec 2009 12:00:00 GMT

My interview with Tiana from the Princes and The Frog and also more info on how Disneyland Park visitors can be part of the Tiana's

Showboat Jubilee!

Yesterday I spent the day with some of my favorite people, Marcy from The Glamorous Life, and a whole cast of other characters--as in Disney Characters--at a Press Event at Disneyland to kick off their holiday season, introduce the new show Tiana's Showboat Jamboree, and also to tell us a little more about Disney's "Give a Day, Get a Day at Disney" promotion for 2010. I was able to shoot videos on all of these things, but wanted to start off with the Tiana's Showboat Jubilee! segment since my family and I got to participate in the show last weekend and I think it showcases my dorkiness the best.

In the video above I'm talking to Disneyland Resort's Andre Rivas about the new show and then watch me spaz out with the cast. I also added some clips from the day we got to be in the show--check out Larry on the tambourine. Andre gives you some tips on how you can get a spot in the show.

Click anywhere on the Whrrl story below to see my behind-the-scenes photos.

The new show is performed from the Mark Twain right on the River's of America. You can catch it from the shores of Pirate's Lair at Tom Sawyer's Island or from New Orleans Square. Tiana is the new Princess from the movie The , which comes out on Dec. 11th. As Andre said, if you want to take your family and be a part of the show, hang out by the Mark Twain dock and hour before show time and cast members will choose guests at random. So fun. ****

Here is my Whrrl from last weekend's blogger event which includes our trip on Tiana's Showboat Jubilee! ...and yes, I think I have more photos of me with Disney Characters than my kids...

Ways to amuse yourself at Starbucks

Tue, 01 Dec 2009 14:21:00 GMT

Peet's Coffee is my favorite coffee, but when circumstances make Starbucks more convenient (which is almost all the time because they're everywhere), this is how I make the trip worth it: When I order, I act like I have never stepped foot in a Starbucks in my life and need an enormous amount of help.

-- At the counter I stammer, looking around in pure wonder, "Hmmm, what's popular here?"

-- The stunned barista usually says something like, "Hot or cold?"

-- To which I reply, "Oh, I don't want anything to eat, just a coffee."

-- The stumped, cashier most likely will say, "No, do you want a hot drink or cold drink?"

-- Then I spring a look like it's the first time I've ever heard of an ice cold java, "Oooo cold coffee? I'll have one of those."

You see where this is going? We go through the various choices--blended, on ice, caramel, vanilla, mocha, whipped cream--and with each suggestion I get more and more excited at the idea of it.

--"Great! I'll have a small iced mocha coffee," I finally say.

This is where it gets really fun.

--An employee at Starbucks must be mandated to NEVER utter the words "small," "medium" or "large," so they always repeat it back like this, "That will be a tall iced mocha."

--"Yes, a small iced mocha coffee," I 'repeat' back.

---"Okay, a tall iced mocha," they 'repeat' back.

(Hehehe...properly satisfied now.)

I always tip big for being such a jerk and I never do it if there is a big line--I'm not THAT mean. There are millions of ways to amuse yourself in Orange County. You just have to look for them.

****

Over on my personal blog I write about why I can't go to the Peet's near my house any more and I ask, "What is your Starbucks' name?" Mine's Suzie.

****

Oh, and here's a video I did from election day last year when Starbucks gave out free coffee if you voted. Wow, it's like I'm obsessed with Starbucks...

Tastes Like Liberty, Election Day, 2008 from Suzanne Broughton on Vimeo.