Christina, Author at A Mommy Story

Jun 3, 2015

Summer’s Here, and Cedar Point Is Waiting For You

June 3, 2015 By Christina

Disclosure: I was provided with a complimentary one-night stay and park tickets by Cedar Point. All of the fun was an easy joint endeavor.

Can you feel it? Summer is finally here. I can practically hear the Phineas and Ferb song “Summer (Where Do We Begin)” right now. (If you have no idea what I’m talking about, go take a listen.) I’m looking forward to the slower pace, no homework, and more travel just as much as the kids are.

Of course, here in Ohio, one of the first signs of summer is our amusement parks opening for the season. My family loves to go to Cedar Point to enjoy the warm days with the cool Lake Erie breezes. Cedar Point opened on May 9, and while I wasn’t able to get there for opening weekend, we did have the chance to go recently.

Hotel Breakers

One of the big changes this year is the renovation of their main resort hotel, Hotel Breakers.

While I’ve always enjoyed previous stays at Hotel Breakers, I must confess that the hotel was starting to show its age (it opened in 1905 as the “largest and greatest hotel on the Great Lakes.”), so a facelift was in order. However, Cedar Point went far beyond a facelift and gave the hotel a complete deluxe makeover! Everything was renovated to make the space brighter, more open, and more modern, while still retaining the rich history of this landmark.

The lobby has a fresh new look, but I love the classic carousel horses on display, too.

Beautiful carousel horses on display

The historic photo of Breakers stretches along the wall of the check-in desk.

There’s a new area off of the lobby that has a Starbucks and a bar on the ground level, and a spectacular view up into the other floors.

It was stunning to view in-person.

The rooms still have a lakeside aura to them, but the color scheme and decor has been updated to incorporate the amusement park feel, too. I especially love the bright colored comforters and the photo headboards on the beds!

It wasn’t just the inside that was new. There was a new exterior, too. The front entrance has been completed remodeled to remove the steps, and on the other side, new pools and lounging areas were installed, overlooking the beach and Lake Erie. We spent some time in the evening around the firepits, enjoying the cool breeze after the rain passed through.

The carousel horse theme can be found throughout the hotel.

Other amenities include two pools and Jacuzzis, access to the Cedar Point Beach and Boardwalk, a gift shop, arcade, exercise room, three restaurants, Early Entry (access to some of the biggest rides and coasters before the park opens to the general public), discounted Cedar Point admission tickets, complimentary Wi-Fi and the comfort and convenience of staying right next to the rides and roller coasters of Cedar Point.

It was easy to fall asleep that night in the luxuriously comfortable beds, dreaming of the fun we had planned for the next day.

Cedar Point

One of the best perks of staying at a Cedar Point hotel for us is the one-hour early access for resort guests. That extra hour gives you the chance to ride some of the best rides with very short lines. I don’t think we waited longer than 5 minutes for any ride during that first hour.

We were there right at the start of early entry, and chose GateKeeper as our first ride of the day. Mira was FINALLY tall enough to ride it, and Cordy decided she was now brave enough to take on this winged coaster.

The result? They both loved it! GateKeeper is two years old now, but still one of the best roller coasters out there. It’s a smooth ride that provides a thrilling experience – and it’s a slightly different experience depending on which side you sit on. You’ll have to decide for yourself which side is the best ride, but for me, I prefer the left wing.

Mira is still our Ride Warrior, willing to try just about any ride out there. But while she isn’t lacking in bravery, she is lacking in height. She was just a tiny bit too short to go on the new ride for this year, Rougarou. The standing coaster Mantis was taken down last year, and Rougarou rose from its ashes. It uses the same track, but has a new floorless design, with your feet dangling a short distance from the track below you. (There’s a video at the link I provided.) The height requirement for that one is 54″ though, and she’s about 53.75″. She took the news well, however, and can’t wait to ride it later this year when she’s grown just a bit more.

She wasn’t about to give up on new-to-her coasters, though, and so we did seek out the other 52″ coaster, Maverick. This is probably the twistiest coaster we’ve ever experienced. The name fits well – it feels like being on an out-of-control horse trying to twist and kick and throw you off. But it’s a lot of fun, too, including a speed launch up into a hill mid-ride. Even Cordy liked this one, and I was sure she would be too scared to ride it.

While we love the thrill rides, there’s a lot more at Cedar Point than just roller coasters. There are plenty of family rides that are still exciting without being too scary, like Pipe Scream or the Monster in the Midway area.

And there are plenty of classic rides, too, like the Tilt-a-Whirl, Antique Cars, and the historic (1920) racing carousel, Cedar Downs.

Yeah, I didn’t win that race.

For the little kids, there are plenty of little rides made just for them in Planet Snoopy, Camp Snoopy, and Kiddie Kingdom. Our two have now outgrown most of the kid rides in these areas (sniff, sniff), but thankfully they haven’t outgrown their love of Snoopy and the Peanuts gang.

They also haven’t outgrown the petting zoo in Frontiertown. But really, who wouldn’t want to pet fluffy animals?

It was so much fun to spend the weekend at Cedar Point again! There’s simply too much to do in a single day, so each visit gives us the chance to try something new or revisit old favorites.

We’re already planning a return in the fall for HalloWeekends and BloggyCon (and stay at Hotel Breakers again, of course), and Aaron and I will be there again in two weeks for the Cedar Point Run & Ride 10k and Half Marathon. I’m hoping that we can find time in our busy summer schedules to sneak another family visit in before school starts again.

It’s easy to day-trip a visit to Cedar Point from Columbus, or spend a few days there for a relaxing, close-to-home staycation. Check out their website for hotel reservations and deals on tickets to the roller coaster capital of the world!

Filed Under: family time, local fun, reviews, sponsored, travel

May 7, 2015

Runs in the Family

May 7, 2015 By Christina

Part of my motivation to run more was the hope that I’d inspire the kids to want to join in on the activity. When we registered for the Princess Half Marathon weekend races, we signed Cordy and Mira up for the one mile race for kids. We expected to see Cordy cross the finish line first, with Mira further behind. But we were shocked when Mira was the first one sprinting across the finish line in under eleven and a half minutes, with Cordy following about a minute later. Mira quickly recovered from the dash and declared she wanted to try longer distances.

I went looking for a 5k that would be friendly to kid runners, especially if she couldn’t do the distance and we needed to slow walk a part of it. Mira insisted it had to be a race with a medal – the kid takes after me in her love of runner bling. I found out about a new race called the MommyMile, which encouraged kids to run along with their moms, and decided it would be a good first 5k for her to do in late April. And it had a medal.

Thanks to some bad weather, we didn’t get in as much training as I would have liked for Mira. The day of the race was chilly, which made me worry that she’d decide she didn’t want to do it anymore. Getting up early on the weekend is bad enough, but getting up early to go out into the cold is even less exciting to a seven year old. Surprisingly, she was still ready to go and looking forward to the race.

I had a deliberately slow plan for us: we’d do intervals of 30 seconds of running, followed by one minute of walking. I can run faster intervals than that, but I didn’t want to wear Mira out too quickly.

At the start line, Mira was bouncing with energy, so excited to get started. I reminded her that during our run intervals, she needed to not go at 100% or she’d run out of steam. She agreed that she would run slow and conserve her energy.

Crossing the start line, though, she shot ahead of me, weaving in and out of people with an enormous smile on her face as she glanced back to check where I was. I had to push myself to keep up with her. When my Garmin watch signaled it was time to walk, I called out to her and she slowed, waiting for me to catch up to her. I reminded her to pace herself, and she replied that she was running slow. We repeated this process for several sets of intervals.

But then right before the first mile marker, it caught up to her. She looked out of breath and she told me her side was hurting. “Let’s walk this next run interval and take some deep breaths,” I suggested. She was happy to comply. After she caught her breath, I again suggested running slower, and she finally agreed with me.

Now that she wasn’t huffing and puffing, though, she had enough air to complain:

“This second mile is taking forever!”

“Where is the water station?”

“OMG, we have to run uphill again?”

“I’m SO tired and my feet hurt!”

I can’t blame her – I have many of those same thoughts in the middle of a race, although I usually only say them in my head.

I remained her coach through the entire race, reminding her that she can do anything for 30 seconds, and that she was stronger than she thought she was. I reminded her about the medal at the end, too, and that she had to finish the race to earn the medal.

As we reached the last half mile, the smile returned to her face. “We’re almost there! I can see it!” She had renewed energy and started to run a little bit faster. Seeing people cheering for the runners at the end helped boost her spirits, too. She yelled thank you to those cheering us on as we passed them.

We made the final turn, and with the finish line in sight Mira sprinted towards it as she waved at Aaron and Cordy cheering for us. I could see how proud she was to finish the race and collect her medal. I was proud of her for sticking with it and not giving up.

And – like many runners – despite the complaining during the race, after she had a snack and some water and rested for a bit, Mira asked, “When can I do another 5k?”

Welcome to the club, kid.

Filed Under: Mira, running

Apr 15, 2015

Using HomeTeam™ To Stay Connected To Extended Family

April 15, 2015 By Christina

My mom lives about an hour from us, which isn’t very far away. However, with her busy schedule, there are many times she might as well be in another state. It’s often difficult to schedule a time to get together so she can spend time with her granddaughters between our two schedules. So we’re often relying on phone calls for the kids to say hi to their grandmother and let her know what they’ve been up to.

Phone calls can only go so far, though, and my kids aren’t the best at keeping up conversation on the phone. The conversation usually involves my kids answering questions from relatives with short answers, or launching into a monologue about something they saw, and it’s only a few minutes before one party or the other is done talking. And even using Facetime, they can only get five minutes or so out of making silly faces or showing off their latest drawings.

There are over 70M grandparents in the US, and each year 1.7M people become new grandparents. According to the AARP, over half of grandparents in the U.S. live more than 100 miles from their grandchildren; 43 percent live more than 200 miles away. At the same time, Pew Research Center found that the use of communications and social networking services among seniors is skyrocketing. More than 65 percent of U.S. adults ages 50 to 64 were found to be using social networking services in 2014, up from 41 percent in 2009.

I recently had the chance to try out a new app from Panasonic that I’m really excited about. Their HomeTeam™ app was designed with the intent of connecting loved ones across generations and distance, creating shared memories of activities done together with the help of technology.

Not only can you video chat with relatives, but the app contains a library of shared activities you can do together, in real-time. Using a tablet or computer, now grandparents can read a story or play a game with their grandchildren while they talk to each other, even if they live thousands of miles away.

It’s a fairly easy process. The HomeTeam app will be available for tablets and computers. Once you and a family member have the app installed, you can add each other as contacts. Once you’ve accepted each other as contacts, they will appear in your list of contacts. To call someone, press the Connect button, then select the contact you want to call. A ringing phone sound plays for the other person, letting them know you’re calling.

Once you’re connected, you’re in full video mode. A small box in the upper left corner shows what your camera is recording, while the remainder of the screen is your friend or family member. There’s a menu that can be brought up on the bottom of the screen, letting you mute the call, end the call, or choose from books or games to share together.

Mira and Aaron testing out the app.

The books range for all ages, with something for the smallest child to the most advanced reader. The games include easy-to-learn games like tic-tac-toe, plus more complex games like chess. (Be warned, depending on the skill levels, that could be a LONG call!) When playing games or reading books, the majority of the screen is the game or book, but the two video windows remain open on the left side.

I wish something like this would have been around when my kids were younger. My mom liked reading stories to them before they could read very well, and we could have used this to share a bedtime story once or twice a week. Now that Cordy has learned to play chess, though, this app has widened the number of opponents for her to face off against.

I like that this app gives the kids a shared experience with family and friends, rather than just a call. The books or games give them something to talk about, and they have fun while creating memories together.

The HomeTeam app will be available in the App Store and Google Play on 3/24/15. New users will be able to sample the entire HomeTeam experience, including unlimited access to content and all features free of charge for 30 days. After that, a premium subscription for continued access to unlimited content is available by month ($8.99/mo) and by year ($89.99/yr).

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Filed Under: reviews, sponsored

Apr 14, 2015

The Month of Too Much

April 14, 2015 By Christina

There are some months that are just so full – of both good and bad – that you want them to be over as quickly as possible, if just to catch your breath and get back to some sense of normalcy. That was March for me. We’re already halfway into April, and I’m still trying to recover from the previous month.

Just a week after returning from Disney, I received a call from my mother on a Saturday morning letting me know that my grandmother had died. I want to add “unexpectedly” to that sentence, but at the same time I know that when you’re 94 years old, it isn’t an unexpected event for the body to decide it’s done. But she was tough, and despite some setbacks she had still been living on her own.

My mom found her that morning when she went to her house to pick her up for her hair appointment. They were able to reconstruct that it happened the night before, after dinner but before she went to bed. The TV was still on, and her crochet project was unfinished. There was comfort in knowing that it was likely quick and painless – she didn’t even have time to push her Lifealert button. If only we could all be so lucky to live to at least 94 years old and pass so easily.

Cordy and Mira were devastated to learn about their GG being gone. The funeral was difficult, especially since my grandmother had requested a closed casket and Cordy wanted to see her one last time. Instead, Cordy and Mira asked for paper and they each wrote GG a letter to say how much they loved her and how much she’d be missed. The funeral director then slipped the letters inside the casket after the funeral for the girls.

My grandmother was the definition of a strong woman. Raised during the Depression, she then went on to join the military in WWII as a WAVES recruit. She then married and lived on a farm without indoor plumbing for many years while raising three daughters. She helped ensure that all three of her daughters went to college. My grandfather died in 1976, and she carried on by herself after his death. She was the most practical person I’ve ever met. And while I can’t remember ever hearing the words “I love you” ever spoken by her, she showed her love for others through her actions.

She’ll be missed.

Grandma Straley with Cordy and Mira in 2008

In-between the news of my grandmother’s death and her funeral, Aaron and I celebrated our 12th anniversary. With everything going on at the time, we weren’t able to do anything grand on that day, but we still went out to eat with the kids and told them all about our wedding day (again). We really weren’t planning to do much, anyway, since our trip to Disney was our big anniversary gift to each other.

Twelve years has gone by quickly, and I couldn’t imagine being here today without Aaron as my partner. I hope we’ll have many more anniversaries to celebrate together.

March was also my follow-up appointment after my miscarriage. My doctor shared that the lab results showed there were no chromosomal abnormalities detected. While we’ll never know exactly what caused it, it was likely the result of something going wrong in cell division. We also found out that “it” was a “she” even though I had a feeling it was a boy. I guess that means we’re keeping our unbroken record of three generations of all females on my mom’s side.

Cordy also had some rough moments at school near the end of March. She’s had some trouble handling all of her emotions lately, and frustration/anger has been the hardest. A few bad choices in response to a change in her routine landed her in the resource room one week and the principal’s office the next week. Cognitively she knows that if she starts to feel angry she should stop, take a few deep breaths, and find a healthy way to express her anger. But she has no filter between brain and action, and so when she’s in the heat of the moment, all of the rules that she can recite so easily are forgotten and it’s game on. We’re trying to teach her to put a big red stop sign in her head whenever her anger rises, to keep her from saying or doing something she shouldn’t, but I have a feeling this will take a lot of repetition before it sticks.

There was some good school news in March, too. The gifted service plan was changed, after months of work from the gifted workgroup (which I was a part of), and the district approved all of the changes, including forming our first gifted academy. The self-contained school will be made up entirely of gifted students, and will allow the teachers of gifted classes the chance to collaborate in one location. Both Cordy and Mira are eligible for the new school, and it’s my hope this will be a good change for them. It was a tough choice, though, because I love the school they’re currently at, but the new school will be closer to home, and will serve grades 3-8, meaning Cordy shouldn’t need to switch schools again for middle school.

And then, just to make sure we weren’t getting complacent at the end of March, Aaron’s car decided it had reached its limit, and the repairs needed were more than the value of the car. We were hoping to make it until the end of the summer without needing to buy a new car, but instead we found ourselves with two days to pick out a new car. Lucky for us, there were some great sales going on at the end of March, and so we found a new car that (mostly) meets our budget.

Our new commuter car.

After March, I’m ready for a few quiet months. Boredom would be a welcome change.

Filed Under: daily life, Family, school

Mar 24, 2015

Race Recap – runDisney Princess Enchanted 10k (Part 2)

March 24, 2015 By Christina

[Note: This is part 2. You can find the first half of my recap in Part 1.]

The Race

At 5:30am, the Fairy Godmother took the stage with the race announcers, and provided the countdown for the first corral. Fireworks burst into the sky as the first group took off running.

The first corral’s fireworks signaling the start of the race.

I shivered and continued to wait as three more corrals moved past us to the start line and went through their own countdowns. Finally, it was our turn.

My mylar blanket fell off of me as the group was moved to the start line. I wasn’t going to need it much longer anyway. I tightened my shoelaces and then bounced on my toes to warm up my legs while waiting for our moment. And then the fireworks went off for us – it was time to run.

Blurry picture, but there was a lot going on in that moment.

Despite being cold and tired, I was going on pure adrenaline at this point. It was about half a minute before the crowd thinned out enough to actually run, but I burst across the starting line ready to fly with my Garmin watch signaling my intervals and my phone playing music from my running playlist.

I skipped my first walk interval because I was feeling so good. (Note to self: stop skipping your first walk interval. It only makes you slower later.) About half a mile down the road, I saw the first character appearance. Anna and Elsa were set up on a Frozen-themed overpass that we ran under. Disney, being a wise company, made sure there was no way to go meet Anna and Elsa or get a photo with them – the lines would have been unmanageable. But they had microphones and were waving and talking to the crowd as we ran below.

As I approached, I wanted them to notice me, since I was dressed as Elsa in her coronation outfit. I waved up to them, and caught Anna’s eye. She waved back and said, “Oh, Elsa, it must be corneration day! Uh, I mean, coronation day!” That recognition made my heart happy.

Skipping my first walk interval and parts of additional walk intervals caught up to me at the end of the first mile. I was suddenly tired, and about to turn the corner to climb a huge overpass. As I made the 180 degree turn, I worried I wasn’t going to be able to make it if I was this tired already. But I looked down at the road below, where I had been, and saw all of the people still behind me, some walking, some running. All shapes, all sizes. I wasn’t going to let my first moment of doubt bring me down.

And then, on that road below, I saw the balloon ladies. For those who don’t know, the balloon ladies are volunteers with large Disney balloons tied to them, who are the last to cross the start line, and keep the minimum 16 minute per mile pace. As long as you’re ahead of them, you won’t be swept from (pulled out of) the race. I’m told they’re a wonderfully supportive group of ladies who encourage all near them to keep going, but it’s also true that seeing them can make you very afraid. Yes, they were still nearly a quarter of a mile behind me, but that still felt too close for comfort. Seeing them gave me that extra push to make it to mile two faster than I made it to mile one.

There were a few characters along the route that you could stop and get photos with, but I didn’t stop out of fear of time. I passed by Alice and the card soldiers from the Queen of Hearts, then Tinkerbell and her fairy friends, and then we took an exit ramp that would lead us into the backstage area of Epcot. So far we had only been running on roads, but I was excited to run in the park itself. Greeting us at the backstage entrance were performers on stilts who waved and high-fived (or low-fived in their case) the runners who passed by.

We made another turn through a gate and I found myself in the World Showcase area of Epcot. The sun was up at this point, but still low, and everything had a beautiful glow to it. While I still wasn’t willing to stop and wait in lines to meet characters (Marie from Aristocats was in this area, as was Minnie Mouse in her princess dress), I did quickly run to the water’s edge for a selfie with Epcot’s Spaceship Earth in the background.

Only a little sweaty at this point, thanks to the chilly air.

After crossing the bridge from the France pavilion, we exited Epcot towards the Boardwalk resort. My second moment of doubt was hitting me as we ran up a hill to cross the bridge to the Boardwalk. I was tired, I was now starting to get sweaty, and I didn’t know how so many of the people around me looked so refreshed. Good acting? It was also while at the Boardwalk that I saw a woman walking the opposite direction with her 10k medal already around her neck. I had over two miles to go, while some were already DONE?

Luckily, this second moment of doubt was squashed by two excellently timed mood-boosters. First, there was a great crowd of spectators all along the Boardwalk, holding up signs of support and cheering us on. Knowing that they were still there cheering for those of us who were slower restored a lot of my confidence. If these strangers felt we could do it, then we could.

And the second was my running music playlist (on shuffle) serving up “Let It Go” into my headphones at just the right time. Yes, that song has been overplayed to death, but at the right moment, when you’re in the right emotional state, it’s like you’re hearing it for the first time and suddenly everything makes sense. Emotions are weird, and the timing of when they bubble up thoughts to the forefront of your mind is bizarre. There were tears in my eyes running through that area, but they were (mostly) tears of gratitude that I was at that race, and that I was doing it despite setbacks from the previous months.

Coming around the loop and back towards Epcot, sheer will was keeping me going past mile five. I had never run further than five miles before this, so the last 1.2 was all new territory. I was letting myself take more walk breaks through my run intervals because my legs felt heavy and sluggish.

I started to see the backstage area for Epcot again, and knew that once we were back inside the park it was a short distance around Spaceship Earth and out the gate to the finish line. It was serious effort to force myself to run at that point, and I would stumble a little each time a run interval ended – slowing to a walk was difficult when I could no longer feel my legs.

I made my way around Spaceship Earth, knowing the finish was just a little further. I even smiled and looked happy for the official photographers out on the course. Just as we entered the parking lot area for the final turn to the finish line, I heard Aaron yelling my name over my music. I turned to see him and the girls waving wildly at me and cheering. Seeing them was that last little boost I needed, and I pushed myself a little harder towards the big pink banner.

Aaron’s photo as I just noticed them.

Crossing the finish line is such a rush. You’re exhausted, you want to collapse in a heap, but at the same time you’re victorious and want to take on the world. Or maybe you’re delirious – it’s hard to say. I was in a daze after finishing, stumbling forward towards the volunteers holding medals. I remember one of them putting a medal around my neck and congratulating me, and I smiled and gave a hoarse thank you back to her.

I then walked a little further, taking a water, a Powerade, and a snack box as I passed each table in the recovery area, and genuinely thanking each volunteer – they were handing me what I needed to recover, and I appreciated them for that. All of the volunteers I encountered were fantastic and helped make the event a positive experience with their enthusiasm and their encouragement.

Coincidentally, I reached the exit of the recovery area just as Aaron and the kids reached that same point from the other side. My hands were completely full, and I was starting to shiver and feel weak, so Aaron swiftly swept some of the items out of my hands so I could focus on getting the Powerade open. Once I had a little bit to eat and drink, it all sunk in. I did it. My first ever 10k distance, my first official runDisney race, and I did it.

I expected to cry at the finish line, but other than slightly watery eyes, it didn’t happen. Those tears were only during that emotional midway point at the Boardwalk, when my body started to protest going any further but my spirit said, “Nope! Not giving up today!” Maybe I was too happy to cry at the end? Maybe there was nothing to cry about? Maybe I was dehydrated? It didn’t matter – I was proud of my accomplishment, and happy to have run my first 10k at Disney.

And happy to have that bling around my neck!

Final Thoughts

The Princess Enchanted 10k was everything I expected and more. The course was great, the on-course entertainment kept my spirit up and made it fun, the other runners were friendly and encouraging, the volunteers were top notch, and you really can’t beat the experience of running through a Disney park.

Yes, it was a struggle to get through all 6.2 miles of it, and there were parts where I was dealing with aches and struggling. Despite those moments, though, it was fun. I can’t even believe I’m writing that running 6.2 miles was fun – the me from two years before this moment would totally roll her eyes at me. But it was fun. During the race, I wasn’t thinking about how many calories I was burning, or how running was going to get me into better shape. I was thinking about how cool it was to run at Disney, how running with a pack of people past Spaceship Earth was surreal, and how happy I was that my legs were strong enough to carry me through it all.

Yes, I wore that medal for the rest of our week at Disney.

A little over a week ago I ran a four mile St. Patrick’s Day race – my first race since the Enchanted 10k. During that run, I found myself wishing for Disney music and characters along the course. It wasn’t quite the same, running through neighborhoods and across a golf course without on-course entertainment and Minnie Mouse waiting at the finish line.

And like much of Disney, it’s easy to get addicted. I’m already planning my next runDisney event, and I’m going to push myself even further. I recently registered for the Wine & Dine Half Marathon at Walt Disney World in November. A half marathon sounds impossible to me right now, but I have months to get myself ready. It wasn’t that long ago that a 10k seemed impossible. Now I have a new dream to chase.

Filed Under: Disney, me me me, running