Picnics, days off, watermelon, fireworks. The 4th of July conjures up a lot of things when you think about it. For me, it's my birthday. For the first 26 years of my life it was shared with my grandfather. His birthday was the 5th of July. Each cake had both of our names on it, and we had a yearly photo. My 26th birthday was the last one I shared with him, and I just quit celebrating my birthday. No more BBQs, no big spread. Those years my husband covered for a guy at work, and so...it became a day. 

In 2003 I was expecting twins. They were due the 8th of August, and my mother says, "I'll bet they're born on Grandpa's birthday." I remember looking at her in horror. "That would make them five weeks early."

Wouldn't you know it, I went into labor on my 31st birthday, though I was in complete denial! Maybe I didn't want to share my day, I don't know. And sure enough, they were born on what would have been my grandfather's 80th birthday. What a gift!

So now all my birthday cakes have 3 names on them, and I have 2 birthday partners now. We go visit grandpa at the cemetery on his birthday, if we're in town, and the boys share it with him. They think their day is as special as I think it is.

I can't even remember now, but I think it was my 37th birthday that I decided I wanted to be at Disneyland. It was always hard to have friends over for my birthday anyway. Everyone always has plans on the 4th. But at Disneyland it was all mine.

They gave me a button with my name on it, and everyone called me by name and wished me a happy birthday. It was pure magic. I've spent nearly every birthday since in Disneyland.

This year, we are home. My boys have grown and are so busy, there just isn't time. But I'll be with my family, and that has always been the best part of the 4th of July. Maybe it's time for a new tradition with my birthday partners. And...maybe not. I really like Disneyland on my birthday. So, maybe next year.

What are your plans for the 4th? How do you celebrate?

No matter what you do, be safe and have fun!
Enjoy!
​Bernadette Marie

It's been awhile since I blogged. Life gets in the way whether you have one or five kids, that's for sure. In the missing months, since I last wrote, we wrapped up hockey seasons, played a little more hockey, performed in musicals, and I had my first of five graduate from high school.

The minute you took them to kindergarten, you knew the day would come when they would walk the stage in some school color themed robe and they'd get a plaque that said, "I'm all grown up now." But through all the spelling tests, math quizzes, choir concerts, squeaky cello practices, it actually comes and so much goes through your head.

Did I give him the tools to do this adult thing? Did I help him enough with his homework? Were his friends good enough friends? Were his teachers at least a little sorry to see him go?

I still don't know all the answers for him. The only thing I know is that he's at that magical age of 18 and for the next year he kind of has a free pass. Society looks at you at 18 and 19 and says, "Oh, you're still trying to figure it out." You might go to college or learn a technical skill. Gap years are big now. Work is an option and so it starting your own business. And for this year and a half ahead of you, you get that slack in the rope. You can change your mind a million times and everyone nods and says, "Good for you."

As a parent, however, you stand back and look at this man who took the place of your little boy and you just want to pull in him close and hold on. But another part of you wants to push him out of the tree and watch him fly. (Oh, God! I have to do this four more times and I can't keep my emotions in tact to even write this blog post.)

But I think we did okay. He's changed his mind a million times in one year as to what he wants to do when he grows up. So far, he's come back to a passion that has always had his heart and we will see where that leads him. He also started his own company, two years earlier than I started my first. Maybe I did show him something along the way. 

I think he just might make it in this adult life. We did all we could do and now it's his turn to shine. And I turn to see the other four watching and learning from not only us, but from him too. I'm pretty proud to say, they have a great role model in their oldest brother. 

Fly, kiddo! The world is yours!

Staying off property from the Disneyland Resort means traveling to the park. Many of the Good Neighbor hotels are within walking distance, if you don’t mind a small hike for a few of them. Disney has an onsite parking garage which currently (7-2015) costs $17 per day for a regular car. This can be ordered online to save you time. (Link below.) They also have a few nearby parking lots as well. Some of the bigger hotels will also offer shuttles right to the front door of the park. Check the amenities with your hotel prior to travel.

The Anaheim Resort Transportation (ART) is a great way to get around town, if you forego the rental car or the resort is further than you wish to walk. The ART has stops all over Anaheim. They had stops at nearly every hotel/resort. They offer passes for 1, 3, and 5 days. The rates are very reasonable and you can buy your passes online or at many of the hotels. (Check to see if your hotel sells these passes. I have found sometimes, you can get them cheaper, but they certainly aren’t expensive.)

The ART busses run from 7am-midnight, seven days a week. Just as a regular city bus system, each bus is numbered. You’ll need to find your bus number and closest stop. The busses will deliver you right to the front door of Disneyland. They will also pick you up at the same place and busses return every 15-20 minutes.

The ART busses are air conditioned (which is a blessing after a long, hot, Disney filled day.) They are clean and have some of the most amusing drivers! Don’t be surprised if you find yourself engaged in some Disney trivia or a sing along.

With a pass, a guest can travel to multiple amusement parks, shopping areas, hotels, and restaurants in the Anaheim area. You can also make as many travels in the day as you wish. Pick up/ drop off locations are found on their website.

For Parking Information: https://disneyland.disney.go.com/guest-services/parking/

For ART Information: http://rideart.org/how-to-ride



***Note, the information for the items in this article can be found at the links above. All opinions on these items are strictly my own. I have not been compensated in any way for my opinions.***

When searching for a place to stay when visiting the Disneyland Resort, your options are nearly limitless, unless you're traveling with a bigger family (such as we do.)

Disney has multiple hotels on property, just a hop, skip, and a jump from the park. The Disneyland Hotel, Disney's Paradise Pier Hotel, and the Grand Californian Hotel and Spa all sit on the property. Each has its own perks such as themed swimming pools, character meals, direct entrance into Disney's California Adventure, and Magic Mornings. May of the rooms are themed, so if you haven't had enough Disney magic, you can lay your head down at night still surrounded by it. Check out these amazing hotels on the Disneyland website at : https://disneyland.disney.go.com/hotels/

Of course staying on property isn't the only option. The streets around Disneyland are filled with hotels hoping you'll chose them for your vacation. Some are as close as a short walk to the front gate of the hotel. Sometimes even closer than those on the property.

Disney works with many of these hotels and those that have the Good Neighbor status have been rated on categories such as amenities, service, price and location. These hotels can be booked individually or through Disney travel. Many of these hotels offer suites to accommodate larger parties. My family is a party of 7. In a standard hotel this usually means we have to book 2 rooms, and hopefully they are adjoined. We have stayed in a number of Good Neighbor hotels that offer suites to accommodate the larger families. Some of these hotels are within walking distance to the park or on the ART (Anaheim Resort Transportation) route. Continental Breakfast is served at a number of hotels and most of them have swimming, parking, and laundry facilities. You can find links to these hotels at https://disneyland.disney.go.com/hotels/good-neighbor/

In upcoming posts I will be ranking the hotels we have visited. If you have stayed at a Good Neighbor hotel and wish to share your experiences please email me at bernadette@thishouseofboys.com

***Note, this blog is not associated with The Walt Disney Company. The information and opinions are based on my experiences only. I have not been compensated for my opinions.***

There is no limit to ways to get your hands on Disneyland Resort passes. In fact, it can be left to the last minute and purchased at the door. Tickets can be purchased from a Disney travel agent, from a Good Neighbor Hotel (this is another post), at the park, or you can purchase them from your local grocery store (if they carry such items.)

Let's talk about he passes. You have your basic passes which let you into one park one day. You can also buy multi-park passes which will let you into both parks--one park per day. There is the option to adding park hopper to your ticket, which lets you into both parks all days...hopping between them (hence the name.)

You can get the passes in increments from 1 day up to 5 days. Some passes will come with a Magic Morning entrance. What is that? One morning (check the schedule) the park will open an hour early for pass holders with Magic Morning passes. This is a lot of fun and lets you in before the crowds. This kind of pass is usually found on multi-day passes.

Why buy your card from the grocery store? If you are certain you will be going in the year, buy your tickets prior to spring. If Disney has a price increase it usually happens around spring break. This can sometimes save you up to $10 per ticket if the price goes up. The store may carry different passes. Know in advance what your travel plans are so you can plan a multi-day pass or a single park pass. Make sure you check which one you're buying! There is a difference and it reflects in the pass and the cost. Buying them here can also help you budget for your trip. You can buy one pass at a time instead of shelling out hundreds of dollars for an entire family. (For this family of 7, that's the only way to go!)

Also, if you're part of a grocery store that offers points for gas when you purchase gift cards, this is a sure fire way to get a discount on your gas. Our grocery store usually runs a promotion and will pay 2x or 4x points for these purchases. Passes can range nearly $275 per ticket. You certainly can rake up points that way.

I'll be discussing Good Neighbor Hotels, Magic Mornings, and navigating your way through the park in other blog posts.

Happy Traveling!
~Bernadette Marie~


***Note. Disneyland Resort and Magic Mountain are owned by the Walt Disney Company. The name Good Neighbor Hotel is also part of the Walt Disney Company and bestowed on certified hotels that cater to Disney guests. Please always check the information I have given you against the Disneyland official website prior to purchase and travel as these are my experiences and things may change. I am not compensated for my opinions.***

Regardless of what time of year you go to the Disneyland Resort, busy or not, you're going to have a great time. Of course there are better times to go if you're looking to avoid crowds. We travel with school aged kiddos. Our planning has to be made when they are out of school. 

We often travel over the 4th of July holiday, which is my birthday. (My twins' birthday is on the 5th.) The main purpose of traveling on these days is to celebrate our birthdays in the park. Believe it or not, this holiday isn't busy during the day. Traditionally, Independence Day is a day for barbecue and picnics. We stay away from the beach this day and travelers stay away from the park. Usually, we play all day and leave before the crowds begin to pile in around Disneyland to watch the firework display. (Yes, I'm a 4th of July baby, but fireworks are not my thing.)

You certainly will find the parks are busier during traditional school vacations times. If you can avoid going during winter break and spring break, you'll avoid most of the crowds. Christmas through the first week in January is a fun time to see the decorations, but be aware that you are going to be elbow to elbow with people the entire time.

If you're kids are younger than school age, try to plan your trip mid-week during the school year. The park might be more manageable than when there are significant crowds. Remember that Disney's California Adventure is much less crowded than Disneyland. Families with younger kids and strollers migrate to Disneyland. Believe it or not, thousands of strollers take up a lot of space.

If you're not in a hurry or planning your trip soon, download one of the wait apps for the parks. They will show you real time wait times for attractions and rides. This will give you an idea of what's going on at the park at that time. (We do this just for fun when we are not there too.)

The official Disneyland website also offers a wealth of information on when to visit the park to avoid the crowds. This also includes the park times which vary during the year as well.

You can find that information here: https://disneyland.disney.go.com/when-to-visit/

***Note, Disneyland and Disney's California Adventure are property of The Walt Disney Company. The opinions on these parks are simply mine. To find the most up to date and accurate information on the parks and their travel times, visit https://disneyland.disney.go.com

I'm spoiled. I absolutely know it and embrace it! I'm back from my birthday Disney vacation and I'm still giddy.

I think my Disney addiction dates back to the early 70's when I received my first Disney record and book. IT'S A SMALL WORLD must have been played a million times before I made that first historic trip at the young age of almost 6. (Shy by 2 weeks...it counts.)

I can almost tell you every moment of that trip beginning with sharing the brochure for Show and Tell, to buying things to occupy us on the flight. How strange was it to land at the airport and ride in a taxi. My dad was talking to the man driving...how did he know him? (Innocent little minds.) My sister wanted to know where Daddy's truck was. We left it at the airport and here we were...at the airport.

I can only imagine I had to have been one of those starry eyed kids the moment I sat in a IT'S A SMALL WORLD boat. The song! The pictures from the book, they were there big as life in front of me. How could that even be possible? The dolls moved and sang my song. MY song!

We were at Disneyland for one day. Open to close. Parades. Popcorn. Attractions. A Minnie Mouse coin purse souvenir that I bought at the stand walking out of the park because I still had my souvenir money. It nearly brings me to tears to think about it. 

The rides have changed, some of them. The franchise today is so much different. Oh, what I wouldn't have given to have had a princess dress and worn it to Disneyland back then. Yes, I'd have begged to have my hair done and tiara added! 

As an adult I can't get enough of that feeling. There is just something that washes over me the moment I walk through the gates. Heck, the moment I see the walls that surround Disneyland, my heart begins to pound harder. 

When I had kids I knew this was going to be the dream now. I'd get to share that with them. I began to panic when my eldest was already eight and we hadn't gone yet. I scraped and saved every penny until I could take them on that magical journey. I never would have thought that for the next eight years it would be our destination. Sometimes more than once a year. I know the ins and outs of both parks and yet I still can't get enough. I've watched my own kids walk under the arm of the MUST BE THIS TALL TO RIDE sign, to now running freely from one ride to the other. I always think, with 5 boys I'm bound to get at least one granddaughter in the future. Will she want the tiara and princess dress? It doesn't matter in the least, I know. But no matter what, that Disney magic will be there for generations to come. And some little girl will begin an obsession that will never go away. 

Here's to happy memory making!
~Bernadette Marie~

The Parent Village = Guaranteed Summer Fun!

The saying, “It takes a village to raise a child,” is as true in summer as it is during the school year. Kids are 98% go-go-go! They want to do it all and they don’t want to miss a moment. The hard part is, life goes on for the parents and guardians.

There is as much, if not more, laundry to attend to in the summer as there is during the school year. Lunch isn’t packed and out the door with the kid. There are more meals to plan and execute. Errands, shopping, banking, oh, yes…and some of us have to work! How can we offer our kids that perfect summer they crave?

The village of parents, whom we too call our friends, is how we offer our kids that summer of memories we can’t make for ourselves.

When you’ve planned that perfect day, you know the one where you’re going to picnic at the park, run for hours, play on the swings—relax. Is it that hard to take one or two more kids so their parents can attend to the tasks that need attending to? If you have the right villagers, they will reciprocate. You’ll be the first one they think of when they’re heading out the door to go for a swim. I’ll be they could use to get some work done.

This works when you choose your village wisely. The give and take becomes easy and normal.

It’s not always easy to find the right people for your village, but with some work it’ll come. Just don’t forget, sometimes the best reward is when the entire village celebrates together and becomes stronger by having a great time together.

Please VOTE for this blog post on TODAY #ParentingTeam

Two more days.

Two more days until my eldest becomes a Senior in high school. My next will be a Sophomore who will have a driver's license. My twins are heading into 7th grade and a new school. And now my baby inches into his last 2 years of elementary school. 

The emotions are all over the place this week. I cry at the drop of a hat. (Tomorrow is continuation...Just know I'll be a wreck!) 

Today, however, is silent. It's my last workday without kids until August (I have the blessing of working from home.) From now one it'll take all my discipline to work around them. Luckily, I love my job, so it doesn't really seem like work--but it is and it's going to have to get done. 

I keep telling myself, in the silence of my house, get your To Do list caught up. Finish your emails. Get a huge jump on your next manuscript. You're not going to have time like this after the next two days. In two more days you're going to have to schedule in your work, you're going to have to be even more focused with all these distractions around you. You need to get busy.

Today it's just not happening. I'm soaking in the fact that my house is in order. The laundry will be done--it has to get there. The window is open and there is no rain. A friend came over this morning and I love to chat with her. I often work from my treadmill or at 4am. Why should it be different just because the kids are home? I'm guessing I'll be more productive during those hours--I know I will be.

Two more days, I promise myself, I won't let the papers on my desk dictate the time I have to spend with these kiddos. I promise to let them have some freedom this summer and to try new things. I promise to not care if the house is in order so much.  I promise to build a million memories. 

Two more days and the house will be noisy for the next two and a half months. 

Two more days and I'll really appreciate this silence I'm working in. (Or avoiding working in.)

I promise to embrace these next two days and all the days that come after. Because in a few years all I'll have left are the silent days in which to get my work done. The boys will be gone trying to wrap their heads around working and children, but they'll have lots and lots of memories to go on with because I promised to make the most of their summers...even while I worked from home.

April and May, those are two words that scare any parent with school aged kids. (Kudos to the teachers, ESPECIALLY if they too are parents. How do they manage?)

Our clan boasted (during April and May) 3 hockey teams, 4 choirs, 2 orchestras, 1 band, 1 trip to D.C., 1 field day (all 5 boys went! woot!), 3 dates of musical, weeks of practice, 1 act plays, a funeral, rehearsal for graduation (music not the graduate...yet), conferences, parties, tests, tests, and did I mention tests? 

I sometimes wonder if these months are set up that way so that we are very ready for summer!

But as the end of the school year approaches and the promise of fun and relaxation starts, there is a whole new set of things that come along. There are camps to attend, lunches to think about, deciding on whether they can stay up later and making sure I don't let them sleep in too long. The big boys have summer jobs (which will start at 4am and get them up and moving! yeah!) After a few weeks the heat and the boredom set in. The need for that schedule comes along. Suddenly you're missing the antics of April and May and wishing you had something to do, such as rehearse or watch a concert. Or that's what we tell ourselves.

This end of school year stuff seems to have been very emotional for me this year. I have driven away from the elementary school crying more times than I can remember. April and May bring the reality that our kids are growing up and too fast I might add. When we started elementary school in 2003 my twins were 5 weeks old. Now my baby will be going into 5th grade, those twins moving schools and going into 7th. The oldest will be a senior and the 15 year old will be a driving sophomore next year. It's fleeting and April and May seem to be the constant reminders that your kids are moving on to the next adventure in their lives. Sure they may be busy, but they are busy with growth.

Moms and dads cry when the kids sing in their concerts, because some of them are the last ones. We hold our hands on our chests to keep our rapidly beating hearts inside as we listen to our kiddos play songs on instruments that just a few years ago squeaked. We take a zillion pictures of them playing some silly game at field day because they will never do it again. This is April and May.

So we blame the crazy on the schedule. We cry because we're overwhelmed. But lets be honest,  that's just a cover up. We are mushy, sappy people who don't want it to end so fast.