Family Adventures

Simple Gifts. A Thank You.

23 November 2011 by Suzannah Otis 7 Comments

I’m going to step slightly outside the Disney and theme park box for a moment on this day-before-Thanksgiving here in the United States. I have so much to be grateful for this year, I’d like to try and articulate some of it. It’s hard to believe the first Thanksgiving I was writing in this blog, our circumstances were quite different. My husband had just lost his job, and though I had recently received the news that I’d be joining the elite ranks of the Walt Disney World Moms Panel, it was a holiday full of uncertainty. We still made the most of it, for we had many blessings and still do. Back then my littlest guy had just turned one. Now he is three and a never-ending ball of energy, curiosity and amazement. My oldest two were just sailing through school in our old town back then, and now since moving to Celebration they are both flourishing in their own ways. My husband now has a wonderful job and we just celebrated our 15th wedding anniversary, at Walt Disney World, of course.

Noah Fine Art - Awaiting the Kiss — ©Noah Fine Art

The past few months have taught me a lot about what’s truly important in life. Values are important. Character is important. Teaching my children those things is important. All the other stuff? Just fluff. Don’t get me wrong, fluff is great. I love fluff. But without a strong core inside, everything will fall apart. I formed two very close friendships over the summer and these friends continue to inspire me to be a better person, each day. I am definitely a believer in everything happening for a reason and I am so very grateful for these people being sent into my life. I’m also thankful for getting closer to old friends and meeting new ones. I will make it a priority to maintain these current and new connections.

Without gushing too much, I just wanted to take a moment and reflect on my blessings. I am so happy in our new home in Celebration, I think it was a wonderful decision to move back to the Orlando area and I’ve loved every aspect of living in this amazing community. I am grateful for my wonderful family, who continue to support me non-stop in my endeavors here on the blog and the events I attend as a result. I couldn’t ask for more a more understanding husband, 3 kids, and of course my mom as well. I’m thankful that I get to do what I love each day here on Zannaland; share my thoughts, stories, and news with all of my wonderful readers. I love connecting with people on twitter especially and reminiscing, being excited, and learning new things, together. I’m certainly not the best blog or blogger, but I deeply appreciate each and every reader and the support and encouragement I’ve received over the years. The thought that I’ve made even one person smile, or remember a happy memory, makes it all worthwhile. Who knows where the future will lead, but I am so appreciative of the “right now” and look at each morning as a chance to grow.

So thank you all for reading this, for being such a constant source of support and encouragent in everything I endeavor, and for just being you. Thank you to my wonderful friends and family, for the lessons I have learned and the chance to learn more each day. May your Thanksgiving (or Thursday, depending on your location!) bring you peace, blessings, and love that last throughout the coming year.

I’ll leave you with one of my favorite little songs of thanks, a Shaker song written and composed in 1848 by Elder Joseph Brackett and one which I sang way back in the third grade when the world was full of possibility and hope. I like to think it still is. Take a moment to actually read the words, and reflect on how true they ring, even today.

‘Tis the gift to be simple, ’tis the gift to be free
‘Tis the gift to come down where we ought to be,
And when we find ourselves in the place just right,
‘Twill be in the valley of love and delight.
When true simplicity is gain’d,
To bow and to bend we shan’t be asham’d,
To turn, turn will be our delight,
Till by turning, turning we come ’round right

Rewinding the Magic-The Return of the Main St Electrical Parade

8 June 2010 by Suzannah Otis 15 Comments

Sunday I asked for picture requests for last night’s visit to the opening of Summer Nightastic! at the Magic Kingdom, with the Main Street Electrical Parade and Summer Nightastic! Fireworks Spectacular. Sadly, I only received one real request (I know you readers are out there somewhere!? ;)). However, while I was sitting on the sidewalks of Frontierland with my 19 month-old son plopped on my lap, I realized that I could take a million pictures, and certainly you can see a million pictures and video everywhere right now…but I cannot replicate the experience for you here in text and photographs.

Pete's Dragon Elliot MSEP — photo ©Disney

Therein lies the magic of Disney in one of its many forms – holding your baby in your lap as your 11 and 9 year-olds sit next to you, to watch a parade you saw at their age…and haven’t seen since they were both your baby’s age. After you’ve wrapped your head around that math, pause for a moment to think about the layers of memories there. I can write about sitting on the warm concrete with the smell of smoked turkey legs wafting around me in the thick, humid air. I can try to pinpoint the moment when the music first hits the area you’re sitting in and you crane your neck to spy the first twinkling light. I can share with you the look of wonder and joy on all of my childrens’ faces as they witnessed the Main Street Electrical Parade for the very first time. But I cannot do it justice. It is simply something you must experience. Like most things at Disney, it is a multi-sensory adventure that is truly felt as much as it is seen.

Truly, to be a fan of Disney Parks, is to be a time-traveler. You can rewind the magic and experience it again and again. There is not a single time I visit Epcot or Magic Kingdom that prior visits and memories don’t come flooding back. In a world that’s ever-changing, it’s nice to have a place that has figured out how to keep time in a bottle. Sure, there are some things we loved about Walt Disney World that we’ll never again see…but it was just as important a memory for me to explain what was once there to my 11 year-old son as we stood in front of the old Fantasyland Skyway station. I’d give anything to ride on the Skyway just one more time with my children in tow, but at least now they know the history and what used to be. With the Main Street Electrical Parade, we are able to get ‘what once was’ back again.

So I urge you to get to the Magic Kingdom this summer. Whether it’s your first time seeing the parade or your 40th, how often do we get to rewind the magic and relive our childhood – or experience a whole new one? Even every 10 years is a long time to wait. Come on down and give your old memories some new friends.

What Kind of Parent Did Your Childhood Make You?

4 February 2010 by Suzannah Otis 26 Comments

I’ve mentioned before that I was spoiled as a child. I remember once, a two of my friends told me I was spoiled and I had to ask my mom what it meant. She said it meant I was really loved. Now obviously that could be misinterpreted to lead my friends to think they weren’t loved, but we all seemed to turn out okay. Really, as a child I don’t recall being obnoxiously spoiled. I mean – I never had an Easy Bake Oven OR a Snoopy Sno-Cone Machine, so seriously, how bad could it have been? I actually think the conversation with my friends came from my announcing our first trip to Walt Disney World. I suppose, in the world of a small bedroom community in New England, announcing a 2-week trip to Walt Disney World where we would stay in the Lake Buena Vista Vacation Villas was something to be envied.

Anyway, that is not the point of this post. I wanted to talk a bit about my parents, and how I was raised. Of course, my reflections and memories of my childhood are just that, MY memories, and my mom may have a completely different account as to how things happened. These are the things that stuck with me and formed me into the kind of parent I am today – some as a direct result of what I rebelled against as a child, others because I appreciated the lessons I learned from my parents.

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11 Years Ago I had the Best SuperBowl Party Ever

28 January 2010 by Suzannah Otis 2 Comments

11 years ago, I wasn’t exactly partying like it was 1999. I had high blood pressure, swollen ankles and was pretty much done with being pregnant. It had been a rocky start due to severe morning sickness that left me unable to even keep water down. Typical first-time mom-to-be worries kept me on edge most of the pregnancy and after being told it was a girl for almost 5 months only to discover in the ultrasound it was a boy, I was always expecting the unexpected. So perhaps I should’ve known in the morning when I went in for my 37 week check up on that last Friday in January, that I’d be admitted to the hospital by that night.

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Ace of Cakes & Cake Boss Watch Out!

26 January 2010 by Suzannah Otis 12 Comments

Actually, I kid. A lot. Charm City Cakes, Buddy from Cake Boss and any other bakers, with or without tv shows, have absolutely NOTHING to worry about. However, I am in need of their creative thinking right now. I’ve sort of built up a reputation of making fun and exciting cakes for the two big kids birthday parties and now that I’ve sent out invitations for my baby’s 11th birthday party (I still remember MY 11th birthday like it was yesterday…how can I have an 11 year-old son?!), I am drawing a blank as to how to compete with prior years’ creations. I took a year off for C’s last party because I was still adjusting to having a baby around and the place we had the party offered ice cream cakes, so it seemed to work. However with S’s last party, I upped the ante with the famous Spaghetti & Meatballs Cake for her Cloudy With a Chance of Meatballs movie party, so I feel it’s only fair I get back on track for C’s party in 2 weeks.

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Yes, Virginia…

23 December 2009 by Suzannah Otis 1 Comment

Ever since first hearing about the famous little Virginia and her letter in the September 21, 1897 edition of the New York Sun, it’s become a part of my annual holiday heart string-pulling. I cling to it more closely this year, when my 9 year-old daughter is at the age where she questions the veracity of Jolly Old Saint Nick. It’s hard in this day and age to keep that particular bit of magic alive, in a time when commercials are touting “Christmas for less!” and blatantly showing parents relieved to get presents for their children at discount prices. “Why do you have to go shopping?” she asks smugly. “How does he get to every house in one night anyway??” and “People at school say he’s not real and there’s no such thing as Santa Claus.” Telling her I still believe doesn’t seem to work as well.

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ZannaLand’s Top Thanksgiving Day Kids Crafts

23 November 2009 by Suzannah Otis 10 Comments

Inspired by some of my fellow bloggers as well as my favorite, Family Fun magazine, I thought I’d share my family’s top Turkey Day crafts! I have to admit, almost all of the crafts my children have done over the years are thanks to their amazing grandmother, my mom. She has an agenda when it comes to the holidays and always makes sure the kids get to create something new each year and feel like a big part of the festivities. I have come up with a few of my own over the years though, so this list combines both.

Turkey Cut-out Napkin Rings

This was one of my mom’s crafts last year. The kids just cut out card stock turkey shapes, rectangles to write everyone’s name on the front, then made rings out of the card stock, using cut cardboard tubes as reinforcement. They came out really cute and of course depending on the age and skill level of your artists, you could have some really unique turkeys! Another option we’ve done in the past is one I found instructions for on Family Fun – Turkey Napkin Rings from flat wooden craft spoons. I have another similar project using the craft spoons below.

Cornucopia Nut Cups

This was another from last year. Growing up, my grandmother always had painted scallop shells filled with mixed nuts at everyone’s place setting for the holidays. I may or may not have gone around picking all the cashews out of those shells, as a child. (whistles innocently…) Anyway, while we don’t use the shells anymore, we do still enjoy having mixed nuts out for the Thanksgiving, Christmas and New Year’s holidays. My mom found this craft to make a fun, reusable decoration. The kids just drew out their own cornucopia pictures on the front of some construction paper. My daughter wanted to color hers in, while my son chose to leave his just plain (and really I was quite impressed with their creations!!) then they attached the paper to a ring using glue sticks, so they stood up on their own. Next she just put some mini cup cake liners in the ring and you fill them with nuts of your choice. You can then remove the liners and put new ones in for the next event. Of course you can fill them with whatever you like: candies, mints, anything! You could also make bigger rings to fit larger liners if you’d like the cups to hold more items.

Wooden Craft Spoon Turkeys

Another fun craft item to decorate your Thanksgiving table are these wooden craft spoon turkeys. Gather about 5 of the craft spoons and glue together with wood glue. Next glue another stick to act as the holder for the turkeys. Cut out felt for the head and the beak/waddle parts. Attach those parts and googly eyes with glue. We cut out pilgrim hats with construction paper and glued those on as well. You can then color in the ‘feathers’ any color you like with markers or even paint. The possibilities for creativity are endless! We just placed them around the table and on plates for decoration, but you could probably put them in tall cups full of nuts or candy, or even flower pots.

Pine Cone Turkey Place Cards

My mom made this one with the kids a few years back but unfortunately I do not have pictures of their creations, so I found a similar craft with instructions on Family Fun’s site. We just added little cards with guest’s names on them to turn them into place cards for the table. These are especially fun to make because you get to go on a nature walk to collect the pine cones first!

Oreo Turkeys

I saw this on a baking group last year and had to make them. They are so simple to do, yet involved so the kids loved making them. For each turkey you make, you’ll need 2 Oreos, a mini Reese’s peanut butter cup, a Whopper, some candy corn, white frosting for ‘glue’ and yellow frosting/gel for the feet. You can also use some blue or other color frosting for the eyes.

Stand one Oreo up on top of a flat Oreo, and use some of the white frosting to attach them. Add 5 or 6 candy corn white part down, into the top Oreo’s filling to make the ‘feathers’ of the turkey. Be VERY careful with this because if you push too hard you will split open the Oreo. We went through quite a few, but no one complained. Cut the Reese’s mini cup in half, and attach with a bit of frosting so the cut part is facing down onto the Oreo. Attach the Whopper on top of the Reese’s cup as the head, with a bit more frosting. Next add 2 candy corns, with the white tips facing up, to the Reese’s cup, as wings – this is optional if you’d rather have a turkey without wings, it looks cute without too. Cut off the tip of another candy corn and attach with frosting to the Whopper as the beak. Next use the white frosting to make eyes, using a colored gel if you’d like for pupils. Use the yellow frosting for feet on the bottom Oreo. You can also get red frosting or gel to make a waddle, but we forgot that step last year! This year we might experiment with chocolate-filled Oreos, or maybe even save some Halloween orange-filled ones next year! The best part about this table decor is everyone gets to eat their creation!

Oreo Turkeys — Just re-made these for an appearance on iVillage.com so I thought I'd add the new photo!

Laminated Thanksgiving Artwork Place Mats

A few years back a neighbor of mine invited a bunch of us over to have the kids create Thanksgiving place mats. The kids decorated large sheets of construction paper using markers, crayons, glitter and leaves they’d collected from outside. (Keep in mind we live in Florida, you can probably find much prettier leaves in the northern regions!) I may have helped a bit with some of the drawing. 😉 Then they colored their names in with stencils and the moms printed out Happy Thanksgiving with the year on them. Our neighbor then took them down to the local print shop and got them laminated for just a few dollars. This will be the 6th Thanksgiving that we’ve used these place mats, they are a treasured keepsake! I can’t wait till the baby is old enough to make his own place mat to add to the table.

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I hope you try out some of our family’s Thanksgiving crafts, I know my children enjoy the traditions they created so much and love showing off their handi-work each year. So many of these can take on a personal twist and embellishments from your own family will make these one-of-a-kind decorations something to be thankful for.

Happy Thanksgiving from our family to yours!

I’ve Got a Friend in You…

9 November 2009 by Suzannah Otis 7 Comments

You all know by now about my lifelong love of Disney and the various ways that love has manifested itself – as a cast member, a travel agent, a newlywed, a parent, and forever just a little kid at heart. In that time, I’ve met some amazing people: fellow cast members, Disney management, co-workers and friends both locally and online. However, in the short time that I’ve been blogging about Disney and my family full-time (less than 5 months) the connections I’ve made and caliber of people I’ve met are nothing short of spectacular.

I’ve chatted and emailed and met people where we feel – know there is an instant connection as if we’ve been friends for years. Disney is of course a major common denominator in those equations, there is always something to talk about or share. Though they are out there, it is very rare that I meet or talk with someone with a negative view of Disney. The love Walt had for his life’s work is contagious after all. It’s fun to pretend to be a Disney villain every now and then but most people with a true love of the Parks take on the caring, sharing, “do the right thing” attitude. Of course another characteristic is the embodiment of “dreams do come true“. All Disney fans I’ve met can rely on that mantra to make it through a bad day or carry on the hope for a goal they are trying to reach. I am no exception.

So I guess it should have come as no surprise to me when, in the midst of hoping my own dreams of being on the Disney Moms Panel came true, my husband had a setback and lost his job last week, that my friends (old and new) came rallying to our sides with love, support and offers to help. I couldn’t help but still be awed by what was unfolding before me. I received countless private messages of prayers, good thoughts and wishes via Twitter, Facebook and email. Offers to network J.’s resume around, websites to check, people to call. Unbelievable. All for someone most of them had never met. It really moved me to tears!

With all of that support and help, we had no time to mope or think of the negatives to the situation – we were both instantly pumped up and ready to find that next amazing opportunity that awaited him around the corner. If there’s something I’ve always had, it’s belief in my husband’s abilities. When I met him he was a bag boy at a grocery store (hey, he was 16!) and he turned himself into a successful IT network engineer, followed by software and .Net web developing AND is currently working on his 8th technical book to be published. So I have no doubt something will appear on the horizon that will make use of his wonderful talents. The help and networking from my friends has just been the added bit of pixie dust encouraging us to keep moving forward.

I wanted to thank everyone again for their words, prayers and thoughts for J. and our family. I cannot put into words myself (shocking I know!) how much it means to me to have all of you in our corner, lifting us up in both our times of triumph and need. I am forever grateful to know you and that you thought enough of us to help us succeed like this. From the bottom of my heart, thank you.

I will keep everyone posted about when (not if!) J. secures a new position. He is meeting with people today which will hopefully lead to interviews and new job offers very soon. Of course, I am still hoping there’s some pixie dust waiting for me this week, in the form of a phone call from the Disney Moms Panel (a happy call I hope!) – and I’ll let you know about that this week as well. In these tough economic times, few are safe from life changes like this, whether in a large corporation or a smaller business. One thing is certain, friends and family will pull you through…and I have some of the best. Thank you all…♥

Grim Grinning Ghosts, Come Out to Socialize!

31 October 2009 by Suzannah Otis 3 Comments

“When hinges creak, in doorless chambers. And strange and frightening sounds echo through the halls. Whenever candlelights flicker, where the air is deathly still, that is the time when ghosts are present. Practicing their terror, with ghoulish delight!

…Your cadaverous parlour, betrays an aura of foreboding, almost as though you sense a disquieting metamorphosis.”

With these famous lines from one of Walt Disney’s greatest attractions, the Haunted Mansion, I thought I’d celebrate Halloween in ZannaLand by sharing some photos of our family during our visit to Mickey’s Not So Scary Halloween Party at the Magic Kingdom. Don’t forget to check out my other Halloween posts showcasing the Headless Horseman ride, part one of the Boo to You Parade, part two featuring the Villains, and the Halloween Castle!

Our darling Cereal Killer, Coraline, my ghoulish — Our darling Cereal Killer, Coraline, my 'Scare-ista' costume, and Spider-Mickey!

This was the sign I made to go with my costume, hope some Disney fanatics get the jokes! — This was the sign I made to go with my costume, hope some Disney fanatics get the references!

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Baby Steps…

6 October 2009 by Suzannah Otis Leave a Comment

Last week around this time, our little 11 month old Baby G, took his first steps. He took a good 4-5 steps from the coffee table to the couch, two different times. “Oh, I can’t wait to capture this on video!” I thought. Well, I’ve been waiting and waiting and the little guy has not done a repeat performance since then. He’s walked about 2 steps quite a few times, but it’s as if he forgot he could already to it, and keeps squatting back down to crawl. Oh well, as a friend on twitter noted, “Maybe that’s where they get the phrase ‘baby steps’ from!”

I honestly think he didn’t realize he was doing it to begin with, so he isn’t trying to do something he forgot he already did! I’m not worried of course. Our first son (now 10) walked 2 weeks before his 1st birthday, and our daughter (now 9) walked at 13 months. So while he was technically the early bird, it’s okay if he takes some time to do it full-time. With the amount of trouble he gets into NOT walking, I’m totally fine with him waiting a bit!

He’s been pulling up to stand and cruising around for months now and he can crawl at bionic speed. His first birthday is less than a month away and I cannot believe how the time has flown. As the lucky witness to a lifetime of ‘firsts’ for 3 different amazing little humans, I’m savoring each second and not rushing a bit. Whenever you’re ready, Baby G…just let me get the video camera ready this time.