Blast Off!!! (A guest post from Little J)

On Saturday, we went to visit Kennedy Space Center. It was really cool 'cause it's all about space - which I love. Someday I am going to travel into space!!

While we were there, we met Mac who has worked at NASA for over twenty years. (That's longer than I've been alive!) Mac gave us a private tour and let us see some things you don't usually see on the tour!

I knew it was going to be a fun tour when Mac turned to me and asked, "Do you want to see some alligators?" I'm not sure what this bird is thinking, but I think I know what the alligator is thinking - dinner!

Mac showed us where some eagles hang out and have built the biggest nest I've ever seen!!

This is where the shuttle Atlantis is getting ready to blast off into space. Too bad it's taking off the day after I go back home.

Hey - I didn't know Snoopy was an astronaut!

Here's where I got to meet Mark Lee who is a real live astronaut! And he's even from Wisconsin!!!

I also met this guy - I'm pretty sure he's NOT a real astronaut, but he was pretty cool just the same.

Well, that was my day at Kennedy. We did lots of other stuff too, but my mom says I can't make this too long.

See you soon!

This is MY kinda state!!

Got a Star Wars fan at home???

Then you NEED to check out Hollywood Studio's Star Wars Jedi Training Academy!

During this 30 minute live action show, young Jedi are coached by the Jedi Master in correct use of the Force and their light saber.

But, keep alert, there is a disturbance in the Force...before you know it, Darth Vader appears and tests the young Jedi on their technique.

This was probably Little J's favorite experience so far. I have no doubt he will remember this for a long time!

Quick tip: If you have done this in the past, the way the Jedi trainees are picked has changed. As of last week, the Jedi are no longer picked out of the audience. Kids line up before the show and only the first 15 kids are allowed in the show. The line grows quickly and by 10 am, kids were already picked for the 1:30 show. (And they have to stay in line the whole time or forfeit their spot.) If you would like your child to participate, I recommend arriving at the park before it opens and then going straight for the Star Tours area immediately when the gates open.

Inside Hollywood Studio's American Idol Experience

Are you a fan of the reality TV show American Idol? I definitely am and have seen almost every episode since the first season. Have you ever fantasized about trying out for the show and wondered how you'd do? If you have (and you're 14 or over), the American Idol Experience at Disney's Hollywood Studios is for you!

You start out in this room with a quick 30 second A Capella audition. You can choose any song, but you'd better be good because they don't let just anyone through.

If your audition is successful, you will move onto the Coke lounge where you can choose from a long list of crowd-pleasing songs. Ipods are provided in case you need to brush up on the melody and words of your chosen song.

After you are confident (sort of) with your song, you move onto this room where a vocal coach will work with you to perfect your sound and give you a few winning tips.

Then it's off to the Idol Lounge to relax (yeah, right!) and run through a few last minute reviews of your song.

But wait! You're not going out on stage looking like THAT are you?? Luckily, the kind folks in hair and makeup are experts at helping you "enhance your natural beauty" (their words, not mine). You'll be looking like the next Idol in no time.

Before you know it, it's time for the show and this nice host will be introducing you to the excited studio audience.

You'll sing your song and then - the moment of truth...the judges' reviews.

Most of the judges' comments are right on target - except for the gentleman to the far right. He is Disney's version of Simon and always has a ready insult, no matter how good the singer!

If you are the winning contestant, you compete in the big finale show at the end of the day. The winner of the finale is given the "Dream Ticket" which allows the holder to skip to the front of the line of any real American Idol audition held anywhere in the country. (You are responsible for getting yourself to the audition.)

So make sure you check out Hollywood Studio's American Idol experience and good luck break a leg!!

Goin' Wild at Disney's Animal Kingdom

We spent Wednesday at Animal Kingdom. Last year, I remember this being my least favorite park. I think it probably had a lot to do with the fact that it was HOT and rainy, because we had a blast this year!

We headed right over to Expedition Everest which is an amazing roller coaster (as long as you don't mind racing backwards in the dark). After two rides on Everest, my stomach informed me that it had enough already, so I sat the next two rides out. Little J was still ready for more after his four times, so we promised him we'd be back and set off to explore.

The next ride Little J wanted to check out was Dinosaur, which was a bit tamer speed-wise but rather jerky and bumpy. If you have back or neck issues, you might want to skip this one. The special effects and dino-bots are very cool and Little J loved being scared by all the excitement.

We spent the day finding great shows and rides and finished up with many trips down the river on the Kali River Rapids. We were wet and happy as we left to go hunt, I mean find, dinner.

We decided to stick with the Dinosaur theme and went to T-Rex in Downtown Disney. Run by the folks who run the Rainforest Cafe, the restaurant is full of dinosaurs who come to life every so often and make a LOT of noise. A must for those who have kids who love dinosaurs, the restaurant offers a wide variety of meals and a very unique experience.

Just one of the things that Disney does absolutely right...

Today was a day spent at Epcot (or as Little J calls it "The Place with the Giant Golf Ball"). We had a blast *literally* at Mission Space where we launched on a mission to Mars. The 2G blast off almost cost me my breakfast, but the guys rode it over and over.

Next we sped around test driving GM vehicles at Test Track. If you are going to do this ride, FastPass it early as it fills up quickly. Next we headed over to Soarin' to go hang-gliding across the US. It's like an IMAX movie on steriods!

We also had fun riding Spaceship Earth and The Seas with Nemo and Friends. We spent the entire day and never even made it to the area with the other countries. It's a good thing we have another Epcot day planned next week!

Now, I don't know about you, but I have somehow become the family photographer. It's great in one way, because I am always on the lookout for a good photo op. Unfortunately, this means that we have a ton of photos of Little J or Little J with Big J, but not many of the three of us.

One thing I LOVE about the Disney theme parks is the PhotoPass. If you are planning a trip to Disney, absolutely plan on getting a PhotoPass. The way it works is like this: there are photographers stationed around all of the parks. They are near all of the best places to take pictures; in front of the castle, near the ball at Epcot, by the sorcerer's hat at Hollywood Studios and by all of the characters. The photographer will take your family's picture - you know, with ALL of you in it - and scan your PhotoPass card. All of the pictures go directly to your account and you can view them each night when you return to your resort. They also have special little add-ons where they can add effects and characters to your pictures so that it looks like you are interacting with them.

At the end of your vacation, you select which photos you would like OR order all of them on CD for $149.95. There is no limit to the number of photos you can include and the pictures are then yours to do with what you please. Be sure the check the "special offers" section of the website for added savings! (If you are staying at a Disney Resort, check to see if a PhotoPass discount is available.)

My son was reprimanded by a giant duck.

We arrived in Orlando yesterday afternoon. We gathered our luggage and our car and headed out for a lunch at Bahama Breeze (yummy fish tacos!!). We settled into our resort and did some quick grocery shopping for the necessities, had dinner and hit the hay.

Little J woke up around 5:30 this morning. Yes, 5:30. Ouch.

We spent the day at the Magic Kingdom where we rode the various "mountain" rides (you know, Splash, Thunder - unfortunately Space is closed) numerous times. We checked out a few shows - loved the Monsters Inc comedy show - saw Buzz and rode the ride and scared Little J (not really) in the Haunted Mansion.

We headed over to Chef Mickey's for dinner. These character dinners always sound like a good idea in theory, especially when you are planning your vacation at home. Then you get here and reality hits.

By the end of the day you are tired, your feet hurt, your kids are over stimulated and hungry and tired. Then you plop them down in front of over-priced cafeteria food and tell them to eat instead of bouncing around trying to see which character is on their way to visit the table next.

Little J did pretty well considering he woke up at the butt-crack of dawn this morning. By the time Donald arrived at our table, Little J couldn't restrain himself and gave into the temptation to grab Donald's beak to see what it felt like.

You have never seen fowl react so quickly. With Ninja-like swiftness, Donald caught Little J by the wrist and sternly wagged his finger at him. He then fled to the next table, grateful to deal with the crying two-year-old seated there.

On the way back to our resort, Little J said what a great time he had today. "I had lots of fun and learned something too," he announced.

"What was that?" we asked.

"Don't ever grab Donald Duck by the beak," he said firmly.

Sounds like a good policy for life, Little J.

Happy Halloween...

and may the Force be with you!

Could vitamin D help you avoid the H1N1 flu?

If you haven't had your vitamin D levels checked, I highly recommend that you do. I had mine checked last summer and was shocked at how low they were. This was during a time when I was spending about an hour a day outdoors in the sun with no sunscreen on. I purposely did this thinking I was getting an ample amount of the "sunshine vitamin". I also drink 3 to 4 servings of milk daily and figured I was covered.

Turns out I wasn't. And if my levels were THAT low during the summer, I can only imagine what they are during the winter when I spend most of my time indoors. This issue is not isolated to just women, children are also at high risk for being vitamin D deficient. Two studies published online at Pediatrics in August showed that nearly 70% of US children don't get enough vitamin D.

Why should you be concerned about vitamin D and your kids?

1. A review of existing literature shows a correlation between vitamin D and athletic performance.


2. A Medical College of Georgia study presented at the American Heart Association’s2009 annual meeting found that teens with high intakes of vitamin D may have lower overall body fat and lower amounts of abdominal fat.


3. A 2008 study published in the Journal of Clinical Endocrinology and Metabolism conducted at the University of Southern California showed a correlation between low vitamin D levels and stunted growth and weight gain in girls.


4. Recent research suggests a link between vitamin D and increased immunity against the flu virus.

That last study really caught my attention. We are doing everything we can to try and avoid any illness this winter, but especially the swine flu. (That would not be a nice addition to our vacation!!) Little J knows that we use Burt's Bees hand sanitizing spray (all natural and chemical free, of course) often when we are out and about and wash hands as soon as we get home. But adding vitamin D as an additional weapon against illness is a great idea!

The problem was finding a vitamin D supplement that Little J didn't mind taking. When the folks at Wellesse offered to send me a sample of their liquid Vitamin D supplement, I quickly agreed. I loved the idea of a liquid as I could add it to Little J's juice if I needed to. Turns out, I didn't need to. The supplement tastes so good, he enjoys taking it right out of the spoon and loves the natural berry flavor. And since it has no artificial flavors or colors, I feel good about giving it to him. (I even take it myself now.)

If you'd like to give Wellesse's vitamin D supplement a try, Wellesse has provided a $2 off coupon at http://www.wellesse.com/ just for you.

So what are you going to be for Halloween?

Me? I'm going to be a stressed out mom with too much to do who is just beginning to comprehend that she has a 7 am flight to catch the next morning. Scary, huh?

The best part?

I won't need a costume.