The Christmas Bells are Ringing

Here we are, less than a week from Thanksgiving and:

1). Our tree is up. Having the fake version, after "The Great Tree Debacle of 2006," we put it up the day after Thanksgiving. No outside lights are up, since it has been windy, but the house is pretty close to as decorated as it gets.

2). We have watched Rudolph (Jamie multiple times), a Charlie Brown Christmas, and The Christmas Story (this will be the year where I learned that the t.v. has been editing it all these years. oops.).

3). We've read multiple versions of The Gingerbread man, gone to a museum exhibit on the Science of Gingerbread, made paper gingerbread ornaments, done gingerbread math games, Jamie is currently making a gingerbread house, and we have great plans of baking gingerbread men. Tomorrow.

4). We've listened to "A Christmas Carol" ("I absolutely loved it with all my heart") and "The Gift of the Magi" ("I loved it as much as my little finger."). We've read "Rudolph," "When will it snow," "Katy and the Big Snow," and "Rudolph" again.

5). We made dough ornaments at book club, waiting for me to get the energy to bake them.

6). We made a lego snowplow, which still needs to be tested with cotton balls.

7). We e-mailed Santa and checked the Good and Bad list. Everything seems to be going o.k.


And I just have one question: is it New Year's yet?

All I wanted were some pajamas

Great, you're thinking, just what we need, another post about an adventure in Target. But, my good readers, what you don't know, is that with the Thanksgiving holiday, my shopping season has effectively ended. Yes, from here on out, I let my fingers do the walking. I am already thinking of the few things that simply must be purchased from *shudder* a store, and how that can best be managed during this, the merriest of seasons.

So, before my computer, with Jamie's Christmas pajamas to purchase (so, I explain to him, we don't all look nasty in the Christmas photos), I get to thinking. Now we're treading dangerous grounds. Since I'm taking some time with this purchase, I would like it to be sweatshop free. I know, all of the other clothes in our closet were made by children in third world countries, but I'm all about the one starfish, the first step in the journey, blah, blah, blah. Also, I frequently, when Jamie, gets the seasons worth of clothes, buy used. Supposedly, it is then better that they were made in sweatshops, because someone else bought them first. I'm not sure I follow the logic, but I've been assuaging my guilt rather well thus far.

So, four hours later, I come to the conclusion, that not everything is so easily found in the internet. I start on etsy and hyenacart (sorry folks, it's Sun. morning, look them up yourselves). Great places, wonderful handmade stuff, often reasonably prices, presumably made by adults, generally in sizes up to 5, and adult. Because who wants to dress anyone in between? I could custom order, but I've waited a little long for that. Now for the hair splitting, going this way, who knows where the fabric was made, but that's not a path I'm willing to take the first step down.

So, I then recall the piles of Hanna Andersson catalogs I have received over the years, I've been mightly tempted but never purchased (too pricey). The catalog is full of their good works, the organic-ness; let's check them out. For the record, I did not contact Hanna Andersson, however, no claim to be sweat shop free seems, umm, sightly less than encouraging. Also, prepare to be shocked. I could care less about dressing my child organically. I know, chemicals, bad, ruining the earth. I get it. However, here's what I'm looking for, pajamas, made by an adult, in reasonably safe conditions, and they were paid a reasonable wage for their work (reasonable being defined by where they live). When I can get that easily, talk to me about your organic. O.k. Ms. Andersson?

Apparently, at least from the web searched I did, you can get that easily in the U.K. If you are willing to spell them pyjamas. I'm willing to budge on this point. However, I refer you again to the I waited a bit long for the shipping issue.

I did finally find a pair of highly priced pajamas for Jamie. I bought them (Stinky and Minky in New York, made in New York, not organic, red with robots, cute). They are not what he would want if any non sweat shot clothing manufacturer happens to be reading this blog (and wants to send along a free sample, we'll be happy to review). He wants fleece, "soft on the inside, soft on the outside," nowhere to be found.

Next year, I'll be sewing us all pajamas (extremely hard to find on the used clothing market), or maybe I'll make Jamie do it ;-), planning farther ahead, or putting Darren in charge of the pajamas. He won't think twice.

Maybe it's all the chemicals in the cotton that have confused my brain so.

Bittersweet Thanksgiving

Yesterday, my sister's family came for Thanksgiving. We celebrated Christmas, thanksgiving, my birthday. Soon, they will be moving across the country. My brother in law has gotten a fantastic job offer and my sister as well (very difficult, they found, to place two phDs in the same state, much less commuting distance). And so, although we made promises of seeing each other again before they leave, hopefully twice (they plan to move with Christmas, when they would normally go visit family back east anyway), this visit definitely had the feel of parting.

We have been so lucky to have them here for the past couple of years, to have them here for their baby's birth, at a time when Jamie is old enough to remember and love them.

O.k., more later. I'm going to dry into my tea. :-(

A little gossip, a little chat

little idle talk of this and that . . .

Episode 1: A New hope

Jamie goes to the (new) refrigerator (and can I tell you how beautiful it it?), adds water to a bowl.

Me: "What are you doing?"

Him: "Making mandarin oranges."

Me: "I think you need some sugar for that."

A few minutes later, he has the rarely used Tang container and a chopstick and is pounding away, attempting to loosen up some powder.

Me: "Now what are you doing?"

Him: "Still making mandarin oranges."

Darren: "This is all your fault."

Me: "What?"

Darren: "You and that homeschooling. Teaching him to think."

.
Mandarin Oranges
Originally uploaded by hjdong

Episode 2: The Empire strikes Back

This Morning, I needed to get some blood work done (nothing to concern yourself with. My Dr., realizing I hadn't had any since 2004, thought perhaps she would do a little blood letting).

The plan was, I would get up early, go to h lab, and come back before Jamie was up. Jamie, upon hearing blood, drawn, and me, thought he had to be involved, woke up curious and excited. Darren did not, and when I said, "Fine, then get dressed and come with me," Jamie got dressed faster than he ever has.

The whole way there (maybe 20 minutes), Jamie, of course, talked non stop. In my fasting (no big deal except for the coffee, brain, I was quickly loosing track of his quickly jumping train of thought, one minute questioning me on Thanksgiving, the next on the name of the street we're turning on.

We arrive at the lab, no one is there (imagine, the day before Thanksgiving). This is a blessing, because we don't have to wait.

Jamie: "What's that?"

Blood sucker: "It's a rubber band."

Me: "It helps her to find my vein more easily."

Jamie: "What's she doing?"

Blood sucker: "I'm cleaning her skin, with alcohol, so she doesn't get sick."

Me: "She's making sure I don't have any bacteria."

Jamie: "What's that."

Me: "It's the needle."

Blood sucker: "Is he always this curious? How old is he? Does he do well is school?"

Me: "Yes, 5, yes."

Jamie: "What's she putting in you?"

Me: "She's not putting anything in me. Usually when you get a needle, you're getting a shot, something in you, to keep you healthy, here they're taking blood out of me, to check it, to make sure I'm healthy."

Jamie: "I want to see."

Me: "OK, Just don't move my arm. pause No, don't get on my chair or move my arm. pause No, really, I mean it."

Jamie: "Does it hurt?"

Me: "No."

Blood sucker: "All done."

Jamie: "What's that?"

Blood sucker: "A bandage."

Jamie: "Do you get a lollipop?"

And finally, for those who knit (or crochet), a new blog, Children's Lit n Knit (despite the name, there are crochet patterns). It pairs patterns with books, which is great for gifts, IMO. I'm not just bringing your attention to it because I currently have two project on it; I currently have two projects on it because I think it's a great idea. Contact the blog owner if you have ideas if you want to submit or browse it if you're looking for ideas.

Do you like

Green eggs and ham?







Oh yes, I like them, Sam I am!


Three weeks ago we went through the household chores. Jamie decided he was going to start planning and cooking one meal a week, with help, of course.

The first week, he announced we were having fondue for dinner . . . chocolate fondue. A brief discussion on nutrition ensued, and this being his first meal, I settled for cheese fondue, with bread, meatballs, and carrots. A bit rich, and odd, for our normal diet, but I didn't want to discourage him.

The second week. Well, we've been reading Dr. Suess books; the city is having a promotion - read 8 Dr. Suess books get a free ticket to Suessical. So, Jamie must have had Dr. Suess on his mind when he suggested green eggs and Ham. Thanks to the "Green Eggs and Ham Cookbook," we had soon whipped up the above culinary masterpiece.

As we were planning this week's meal, Darren, fearing that things perhaps were getting out of hand, quickly stepped in and said, "Hot dogs. How about hot dogs?" And so, Jamie also had his first grilling experience this week. Jamie had suggested salad when we insisted on vegetables of some kind, then complained miserably he didn't like the salad. So much for, "If he makes it, he won't complain," he knows arugula when he tastes it.

Since his day for cooking is Friday, I'll wonder how he'll react when he discovers he has to make turkey a part of his meal this week?

Some homeschooling miscellany

Just some random things, nothing earth shattering.

Here's a math game I made up for Jamie yesterday; if you're child is just adding and subtracting, you may like it.

1. Make card with numbers and matching symbols on it (I used pumpkin stickers. I know you can do this on the computer, but I do things, not last minute, but spontaneously, and Jamie helps. It reinforces lower math skills. That's it). We made cards from 1 - 12, because 12 is hard, only 10 fingers you know.


2. Lay them face down (blank side up) like a number line.

3. Use your handy 12 sided die (if you homeschool, get lots of die. It also helps, shout out to my BIL, to make Chutes and Ladders go faster).

4. Turn over whatever number comes up.

5. Roll again. Jamie has to decide. Add or subtract, then by how much. If he has trouble, he can count the stickers. Since the cards are laid in a number line, he can then count up or down to the answer. It seems like magic.

6. Continue bringing this game up until it doesn't seem like magic anymore :-)

Jamie has a favorite poem, his first:

Adventures Of Isabel

Isabel met an enormous bear,
Isabel, Isabel, didn't care;
The bear was hungry, the bear was ravenous,
The bear's big mouth was cruel and cavernous.
The bear said, Isabel, glad to meet you,
How do, Isabel, now I'll eat you!
Isabel, Isabel, didn't worry.
Isabel didn't scream or scurry.
She washed her hands and she straightened her hair up,
Then Isabel quietly ate the bear up.
Once in a night as black as pitch
Isabel met a wicked old witch.
the witch's face was cross and wrinkled,
The witch's gums with teeth were sprinkled.
Ho, ho, Isabel! the old witch crowed,
I'll turn you into an ugly toad!
Isabel, Isabel, didn't worry,
Isabel didn't scream or scurry,
She showed no rage and she showed no rancor,
But she turned the witch into milk and drank her.
Isabel met a hideous giant,
Isabel continued self reliant.
The giant was hairy, the giant was horrid,
He had one eye in the middle of his forehead.
Good morning, Isabel, the giant said,
I'll grind your bones to make my bread.
Isabel, Isabel, didn't worry,
Isabel didn't scream or scurry.
She nibbled the zwieback that she always fed off,
And when it was gone, she cut the giant's head off.
Isabel met a troublesome doctor,
He punched and he poked till he really shocked her.
The doctor's talk was of coughs and chills
And the doctor's satchel bulged with pills.
The doctor said unto Isabel,
Swallow this, it will make you well.
Isabel, Isabel, didn't worry,
Isabel didn't scream or scurry.
She took those pills from the pill concocter,
And Isabel calmly cured the doctor.

Ogden Nash

I am considering our post Christmas curriculum. Everything is going well, but I feel like Jamie needs more. Right now, we are pretty basics driven, reading, math, and an another, a unit, whatever catches his, or my fancy. Right now, it's Thanksgiving, and will be Christmas around the World, which should dovetail nicely with the "you're not getting as much this Christmas, see gross consumerism isn't what it's about in lots of places" theme we have going for this (and future) Christmases. Fridays are a catch all day, art and (sometimes) Chinese. I have had no real curriculum from Chinese, so I have been making it up from free websites and one video. He understands there is this other language called Chinese. That's another post.

Anyway, I'm trying to decide. Adding history, an easy choice, maybe Tues. and Thurs. (since Weds. we go to book club, those days are already rushed) or more writing, or both. He doesn't do a lot of writing (creative, letters, summaries, etc)., but he's 5. History would be easy simply because it would be, more or less, done. Additionally, my own history education was, hmm, abysmal, so I'm interested in improving it. And, of course, writing can be incorporated into everything, which is what I've done so far. But, is that giving writing short shrift?

I do understand, of course, that he's 5. Chances are, I won't ruin him with any decision except turning him off. Decisions, decisions.

You are my Sunshine

What a strange day yesterday was.

Jamie asked me to sing "You are my Sunshine" over and over and over. Suddenly, he was sobbing in my lap.

"That song is just so sad." sniff, sniff, sniff, sniff "You woke up and cried because your sunshine was GONE."

"Honey, that song isn't about me. I didn't write that song. Just like the lullaby song, or all the other songs I sing you, someone else wrote them, I just sing them"

"Why were you so sad?" sob

"But it's not about me."

"Sunshine's dead and she's never coming back. I miss Sunshine. I loved her. Why did Sunshine have to DIE."

For those of you more recent readers, Sunshine was our dog. She died. Nearly a year ago. At the time, he seemed to handle it shockingly well. Apparently, he's spent a year in the denial stage.

"When I go to bed, I imagine me and Sunshine, cuddling on the couch." sob

Now I'm crying, literally now, and then.

Over heard later that night, "Jake, there once was this really great dog, Sunshine. Her kidneys stopped working. So she died. I miss her."


Sunshine is the black one.





And a really good recipe for butternut squash bread.
Butternut Squash Bread

1 (2-pound) butternut squash
1/2 cup butter, softened
1 1/2 cups sugar
2 large eggs
2 cups unbleached all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon soda
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
1/2 teaspoon allspice
1/4 teaspoon ginger
1/2 cup chopped pecans

Cut squash in half lengthwise; remove seeds. Place cut side down on a baking sheet; bake until tender (375 for 45-60 min). Scoop out pulp; mash. Discard shell. Measure 1 3/4 cups pulp; reserve any remaining pulp for other uses.

Beat butter, gradually adding sugar; beat well. Add eggs one at a time, beating after each addition.

Combine flour, baking soda, baking powder, and spices; add to butter mixture alternately with squash, beginning and ending with flour mixture. Stir in pecans. Spoon batter into greased & floured (or sugared) 9x5x3 inch loafpan and bake at 350 degrees for 1 hour and 10 minutes or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. (Or bake in 4 small loaf pans for 50 minutes/mini loaf pans 40 minutes.)

Cool in pan(s) on a wire rack for 10 minutes. Remove from pan (s), and let cool completely on wire rack.

Buying a refrigerator

We note that our butter appears to be soft fresh out of the refrigerator. And it's always running. Darren checks it out and announces it is DOA. Since it's 15 years old, it's time for a new one. Woo-hoo, appliance shopping.

11/2 Fri.: Darren takes Jamie to the Goodest Buy for some reconnassaince shopping. He falls for a sleek model with two condensers.

11/3: He takes me to Not High's, where the fancy model is more expensive. Then, we return to Goodest Buy. I give my stamp of approval and he says, "We're not going to buy it today are we?"

"Why not?"

"Well, they don't have it in stock. We can buy it on-line. I just didn't think we were going to get it now."

"O.k."

11/4: I go to the outlet store that rhyme's with Fear's (where we normally buy our appliances, battered and bruised), vainly hoping that they have the sleek model damaged. No luck.

11/5: Darren attempts to buy the sleek refrigerator on-line from Goodest Buy. It's no longer on sale.

11/6 Darren leaves for a conference.

11/7 Yogurt needs to be thrown away before it's sell by date.

11/8 The sleek model is on sale (again) at Goodest Buy and Not High's. I e-mail Darren.

11/10 We go to Goodest Buy to buy the refrigerator. The salesman pisses Darren off and we don't buy the refrigerator. Darren does, however, offer to buy me the wider format printer I am admiring. I don't think we can afford $500 for a printer at the moment; I advise patience. He advises patience on the refrigerator. I get testy. He advises lunch.

After lunch, we go to the Fear's Outlet, after having agreed to conditions and a price for a refrigerator to be purchased, even if it is not the sleek model. I find on that matches the ridiculously low price set by my darling husband. It is rejected as being an undesirable color and too banged up.

Luckily, I go to see some friends.

11/11 We go to Not High's to buy the sleek refrigerator. I inform Darren that we will be leaving with a refrigerator. Any refrigerator. The sleek refrigerator, in the same rejected, undesirable color (shiny black, $600 less than stainless steel) will be delivered next Sat.

Update: Jake has just been found. Jamie put him inside the seat of a toy car outside and forgot. I need to apologize to Arrow.

Forgive the early

Christmas theme. The blog was in need of a massive overhaul, I didn't want to wait, and I knew I wouldn't want to do it again for, oh, a long, long while. Will this be up until July? Besides, look at how Jamie's dressed?
So Cold
Originally uploaded by hjdong

It's at least 60 here! Most of his accessories (bar the hat which was a gift) are 100% wool, handknit. He's not hot at all.

Some of you may remember the Great Christmas Disaster of last year, now featured in my blog header. Really. Do I have to explain?

Yesterday, Jamie woke up not. in. the. mood. for. school. After I scraped him off the ceiling, I suggested a field trip. So, we went to a local nature center that has a pecan grove. We listened to Squanto on the way over and back (our copy is recorded by Focus on the Family for there's a fair amount of Jesus love in it. Regardless, it's fascinating listening. We were both riveted. Then stunned when the disc ended and I thought I didn't have the other one - I got it at discount - then relieved when I realized it was in the case). He did not want to stop collecting pecans, and I had to promise another visit. In the background, the crows screech; it's their wintering habitat, wonder why? and squirrels are running everywhere.

The only disappointment was the the nature center wasn't open. It used to be open on Fridays; funding cut perhaps? In fact, I saw much more trash than I had previously, so we collected trash in addition to pecans. We hadn't brought the dog (aka prime Jake stealer suspect) because we wanted to go to the nature center. Next time.

Must go because we have a busy weekend. Hope everyone has a great one :-).

Snippets from the week

1. Jamie learned that history is not always fair, an easy one to learn, with Thanksgiving coming up. I was reading him "If you Lived at the Time of Squanto," a somewhat long book for one sitting, but he urged me on. At the end, he said, "I shouldn't have had you read the whole thing." It was rather long, wasn't it? "No, I just don't like how it ended. Are you sure that's right?" Yes. Sorry. That's it. "Hmph."

2. "Someone" famous was at Jamie's baseball game. I would love to be able to tell you who, but since neither my sister or I have the faintest interest in baseball, it passed us by. The excitement of the parents in front of us is what clued us in. Here's what I do know: he's a pitcher, kind of scruffy looking, he pitched for the Angels when they won the World Series, and *maybe* he pitched for Arizona last year. And people should have just left him alone. He was, to his credit, very gracious. But, he was there to coach his kid's baseball team. He probably didn't want to make small talk and take pictures. I felt bad for his kid. Whoever he was.

3. Jamie started playing Pilgrims and Wamponoags, mixed in with Star Wars. He goes outside, digs for clams, plants corn (with dead fish), and traps bears. He comes inside and gets his light saber. Not a bad week.

4. When told he can't wash my niece, because he needs to practice, he washes Jake.

5. Jake has gone missing. Should anyone find a sheared lion with a a tag around his neck saying something to the effect of "Jamie loves me, please call . . .," please call. Right away.

6. I can't make sunny side up eggs as well as Darren - but I can try.

Darren has a conference this week, and it's our first week back from break. It may prove to be a long week. But, my sister is coming to visit. We were supposed to go to her house, but the dogs interfered.

I knitted a couple hats last week for a friend of mine who is adopting her second daughter from China. I'm particularly pleased (is that wrong?) because her soon to be daughter was a waiting child (adoption politically correct speak for she has a special need). In her case, much like Jamie's, the need is very minor, and most likely will not be an issue once she's home. However, it can make some of these children harder to place (although now that adopting from China is more difficult, and people still seem to be sticking to it, perhaps less so? I don't know, I don't follow it so much).

I always find myself, silently, annoyed, by those people who adopt and feel they have a right to a "perfect" child, a right to specific qualities. When adopting Jamie, our dossier went before a board (only because he had a special need, only with our agency, every experience differs), and one of the questions we were asked was "What if he has the worst case scenario of his illness?" I was tempted to answer, "Well, then of course, we'll send him back, right?" Does that not seem a dumb question?

So, here are a list of the "needs" Jamie has had that we were not informed of prior to adoption, some good, some bad. It's not comprehensive, I imagine it will change.

1) Chronic idiopathic urticaria: he had hives, all the time, no one knew why. He was on medication for 2 years. He's been off for 6 months now (crossing fingers).

2). Please do not get me started on his teeth ($4000 and counting).

3). Ditto on getting me started on sleeping. We know he can do it. He even does sometimes.

4). He is very sensitive to change. Someday, I know he'll stop asking for our old house and our old car back. Someday.

5). He has a scary good memory. I will never be able to make a mistake that won't be remembered. I'm hoping he remembers the good stuff as well.

6). He is highly attuned to his senses. As a result, I have become highly attuned to my senses . . . and we don't go to the movies. Really, they're loud.

Well, Jamie's ready to get out of the bath. I'm sure all of your kids have their own needs. Parenting, for me, is about trying to meet them.

I don't think I've been blogging enough

for the number of awards I've gotten. But, I'm not one to turn an award away. So, many thanks to Kitten, who awarded me with the following

I don't know as I've been making many people smile recently, but here's a reminding nudge :-). Here is the description of the award:

The designer of this award gave it out to 10 people with this in mind: “I wanted to create something special for the top ten people who have inspired me through their blogging; the stories they tell, and the lives that they lead with grace and dignity. I visit their blogs for inspiration and encouragement.”


So, here are my ten, some I know have already gotten it, so feel free not to blog about it. But, you know, you make me smile anyway.

Of course, Chelle and Marina. Last year, I read a study that if you had a friendship IRL and on-line that people found it to be a deeper and more satisfying friendship. I find that to be true.

Whitterer on Autism - I wish I was half the writer Maddy is; I'll have to settle for having you read her.

Family of Five I've just started reading, haven't even put a link yet, but I've gotten great ideas from her blog.

Fourmother, of course

Regularmom, she's dressed a giant frog as a ghost. She owned a giant frog. 'Nuff said.

My Supernatural World, I need to get a link up for here; I've been lazy about updating the blog. A nice combination of funny and thoughtful.

Poppins Adventure Academy I mostly lurk, but it's a very good blog

Faren's Lair, saves kittens, makes charity afghans, sees a pumpkinator IRL,strikes me as a generally good person

Marla Baltes an honest look at life, just what we do, life is funny

A regular post will be coming, I hope, later today.

The Obligatory Halloween Post

Dancing in the street
Originally uploaded by hjdong

So, I'm finally getting around to the, "yes, we celebrated Halloween" post. What can I say, I've been busy.

But, it was FANTASTIC. We waffle every yea on what to do for Halloween. Where we live is not good for trick or treating, in the hills, minimum 2 acre lots, means spread out houses, lots of up and downs, no one even buys candy because no one in the right mind comes here.

I feel weird going to other people's neighborhoods, kind of like stealing, no? A friend invited up last year to her church, where they do trunk or treat. The cars all park in the parking lot, decorate, hand out candy, there were bouncers, carnival games, all free, all very nice, and I donated candy ahead of time so I wouldn't feel weird. But, it was still weird. The cars are really close together. It's not like going from house to house; it's compressed. And, they get 6,000 - 8,000 people in a, granted large, but still, church parking lot.

So, this year, we shelled out some dough and went to CA Adventure (Disney's lesser known theme park). I know what you're thinking, that's not house to house, that's not traditional, that's busy. All somewhat true, and as it turns out, somewhat false. They at least, have the space to spread out their trick or treating stations, they limit ticket sales (I don't know how many, but except for when they first opened, it didn't feel busy), and when Jamie got sick of trick or treating, there was other stuff to do. Because I paid, I didn't have to feel guilty for taking candy.

And it was fun! We all dressed up (skeleton family) which was something we hadn't done before. I knew that adults got to trick or treat, and I wasn't taking candy without a costume. Of course, Disney does decorations, and music, and characters. Most people were costumed and just having fun. Jamie danced through the park. Best costume: a man in a wheelchair, dressed as Dark Vader, who turned his wheelchair into a tie fighter. Worst costume: two adults dressed as giant bananas, their baby as a monkey. They were fighting, because, really, if you dress your husband as a six foot banana, there's going to be a fight (these are my personal awards, Disney gave out no awards).

At every stop, there were healthy snacks and candy. There were rides open, the parade, and games (which we never got to because we were too busy).

The best part is that right before we went, Jamie had decided he didn't want Disney passes for Christmas after all (a healthy savings for me). I was scared that going would change his mind. While he had a blast, he still wants the "really cool Dark Vader computer" he saw at Costco. "Computer": $40 Disney passes: $300 Score.