As I love to celebrate things, and love finding things to celebrate, sometimes there's events/holidays that just sneak up on me. Either I really did forget, I didn't realize it was a holiday, or I'm just learning about a celebration that I think we need to jump on the bandwagon with.
We had been on a whirlwind college visit tour for a few days, so we hadn't kept up on much else happening. As we got back into town, I started realizing a semi-celebration happening that I didn't even realize!
Teen Girl is our Disney geeky-guru. As much as we love Disney around here, she's our nerd.
Now, she's the one that flagged me down about LEIF ERICCSON DAY, so imagine my surprise when she wasn't bringing up this particular event.
When it comes to birthday's, anniversaries, people who follow her on Twitter, etc., Teen Girl will find a way to Disneybound (an outfit that is inspired by anything Disney-related) for whatever occasion it may be surrounding whichever movie/show/character. She'll even break into the soundtrack, if it's called for.
Yesterday, I started seeing some posts from people about Disneyland. Then I realized it was a celebration for Disneyland opening 60-years-ago! There was a birthday celebration going on for Disneyland! Awww!!
How? How did Teen Girl not share this information? So I asked her about it. She told me she thought it happened a couple days before that...when we were smack-dab in the middle of college visits for Teen Boy. I guess that's why she didn't say anything...but that's weird. Generally she would have anyway.
Anyhoo...
We had nothing at home! We hadn't been to the store since we were out of town. So, shortly after we rolled back into town, to the store we went!
My brain started going into high gear as to what to do in a pinch & on such short notice. So, after discussing it with my hubby & looking at Pinterest for ideas (as one does anymore), I planned an easy go-to for dinner that would fit the theme for Disney, plus I found a dessert I thought I could make that would be as fitting. (more on that in a moment)
Now, recently, I discovered that I had been dressing as Minnie Mouse off & on over the past few years. It was for one thing or another, but hadn't realized she was my go-to of choice until I came across some pics. I started chuckling at the fact. I had never really been as drawn to Minnie...or had I?
Here's what I've run into with my own flavor of some Disneybounding Minnie thru the recent past:
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| 2008 - Disney Day at Cambridge Preschool, Chesterfield, MO |
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| 2014 - Halloween Hustle 5k, Lee's Summit, MO |
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| 2015 - Steampunk for the fun of it |
Yep. There it was! So I decided to stick with her as a fun Disney go-to. I can obviously Disneybound her pretty well!
I mean, I have Disneybounded other characters, too.
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| 2013 - Ursula for "The Little Mermaid" musical at Starlight Theater |
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| 2014 - Cheshire Cat for cub scout Halloween party |
I think I do it more often than I realize. Not as much as Teen Girl, but often enough, nonetheless.
However, I felt it fitting to stick with Minnie for Disneyland's birthday. Amm-i-rite?
So I had this stuff to put on:
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| 2015 - Disneybound Minnie Mouse for Disneyland's 60th birthday |
Then, it was time for prepping the dessert - fake-out Dole Whips! Apparently enjoying a Dole Whip is a rite of passage when you go to Disneyland. I was unaware of this until...well...Pinterest. Of course. I've been to Disneyland, but I don't remember much. Here's what memories I have from Disneyland when I visited at the age of 4:
* I remember going thru the "It's a Small World" ride. Vaguely...but I do remember.
* I very vaguely remember seeing Cinderella in her light-up ball gown during the electric parade.
* I was told that I fell asleep in my mashed potatoes.
Obviously a Dole Whip was no where along that memory lane.
So it was researching a few copycat recipes & seeing what I could get. It needed set up time, so I had to do it early. And it was at this point that Teen Girl is trying to figure out what I was planning...
First, she asked what was for dinner. I gave her a few hints without giving away WHAT the meal was & what Disney flick it was attached to. Finally she worked her way down to pasta.
Me: Yes. What kind of pasta?
TG: Long noodles?
Me: Yes. What would the long noodles be called?
TG: Spaghetti?
Me: Yes! With?
TG: Umm...meatballs?
Me: YES!! Do you know why?
TG: *thinks hard*
Me: What Disney thing would spaghetti & meatballs be tied to?
TG: *light bulb*
*GASP*
*crumbles to floor in puddle of tears*
Me: Uh...did you figure it out?
TG: *WEEPS*
Me: So, I guess you know then? What do you think it is?
TG: *speechless weeping*
Me: OK. *laughs* Just do charades, then.
TG: *sits up & puts hands in front to appear like paws*
Me: Yep! Lady & the Tramp!
TG: *collecting herself a bit* So, are you making a dessert, too?
Me: Yep. Any guesses?
TG: *looking at ingredients laid out* Wait...are you making...DOLE WHIPS??
Me: Good job! Yep...I sure am!
TG: *crumbles to floor into puddle of continued weeping*
So the plan was to have spaghetti & meatballs for dinner, followed up with Dole Whips (or a version of)
I got the Dole Whip concoction ready to freeze so I could take a breather before starting dinner.
In the meantime, Teen Girl had decided to Disneybound as Lady. Fitting. Amm-i-rite? And she shared that one month after Disneyland opened it's doors, "Lady & the Tramp" opened in theaters! So there you go! We got some Disney trivia from our Disney geeky-guru that tied in beautifully to our dinner! BOOM!
But then she changed her mind & changed to The Tramp for her Disneybounding. No pics of her take on Lady, but here she is inspired by Tramp:
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| 2015 - Tramp Disneybound for Disneyland's 60th birthday |
So we enjoyed our dinner of spaghetti & meatballs:
(Sadly, we did not have "Bella Notte" playing in the background)
However, my hubby & I had the same idea:
We would reenact the famous spaghetti & meatball scene from "Lady & the Tramp"!!
So...here's how the story goes:
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| Baby Girl, would you PLEASE get a couple photos of your dad & me? You might need a bowl, too. |
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| What kind? Wait...you're gonna do Lady & the Tramp. Aren't you? And do I need the bowl in case I vomit? |
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| You guys are disgusting. I might be sick. |
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| Wait. We aren't done? You want more? |
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| This is too much! I'm gonna vomit. |
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| You mean we still aren't done yet?? |
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| You all are disgusting. I need a bowl to throw up in... |
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| I can't believe you made me do this. I hate my life right now. |
And, look! We are adorable!!
I mean we should have danced like a prince & princess (because we all know that I'M A DISNEY PRINCESS). But we see how Teen Girl reacted to our spaghetti shots. The kids get adorably freaked out when hubby & I get the urge to dance. *sigh* They will appreciate it later in life. I'm sure of it!
Anyhoo...
We finally enjoyed our Dole Whips...which I'm excited they turned out so well! Have a couple of other versions I want to try with it. (my version I made, HERE) My hubby even wanted seconds! Woo Hoo!
We ended the evening by deciding what to do as a family. We have several Disney movies we could have taken in, but we also know, bless her heart, that Teen Girl would say every line word-for-word AND break out, loudly, into song. We love her, but we also want to watch & enjoy the movie. I'm not a game player, but decided to do it, anyway. We do have a game that is a Disney version of Kids vs. Parents (or something like that), but we decided to play our families favorite game. It's Apples to Apples. We love that game (and one I'm willing to play).
We sat around the table, played, and even tried to play cards that might have Disney connections if you tilt your head & squint. Well, except for when the cards of Disneyland and The Little Mermaid. Those were played in the same round, by the way...to Teen Girl...who began to weep because she had to choose between them.
With all of this, it made me wonder what they were doing for the occasion in Marceline, MO. We almost went thru there on the way home from our trip, but decided not to. I kind of wish we did stop by. But another time.
No matter. We celebrated the 60th birthday of Disneyland by spending it at one of the happiest places on earth: with our kiddos.
So...
HAPPY 60th, DISNEYLAND!
Here's to many, many more....
Stay tuned...
God Bless, AM~Erica
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