Best Beach Gay Ever

I added this great picture from a great day in Avalon to facebook on Tuesday. Joey Fortman organized a fabulous blogger bash at the Golden Inn and we were treated to sandcastle building lessons from Sandman Matt (from Travel Channel's Sandmasters).

I attempted to share with my facebook friends that we had the best beach day ever. Only then I started seeing in my e-mails that a few of my friends commented back that they loved beach gays, too. Phone typos, garhhh!! But maybe not a typo? Cause we did have an interesting conversation on the way home.

I tune out to back seat conversations, especially when I'm trying to soothe my headache with a little Adele. But, the arguing had gotten a little loud and I decided to intervene.

The argument:

Katie was trying to tell Timmy that all queens were girls.

Timmy, who enjoys frustrating his sister by being oppositional and thinks it's cute and funny to insist that people are of the opposite sex ("Mom, you're a boyyy, right?"), stood by his statement that boys could be queens, too.

They turned to me to see who was right. Not sure whether I should go there, I explained, "Well....., there are some men who sometime like to act girly and they call each other queens."

Katie's response: (deep thoughts) ooohhh! Ok.

Timmy's: (big grin) TOLD ya!

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Little Adventures - Trekaroo Giveaway and Bloghop

Congrats Jeanine from Mommy Entourage 

(selected via random.org)

We just got back from our family vacation to National Harbor, MD and the DC area and I've come to a conclusion. I'm ready to trade my kids in for upgrades. Ha! Wouldn't that be nice?!?!

This was our first family vacation that didn't include relaxing breaks for mommy and daddy (while the kids luxuriate in a kids club or spend time with grandparents) or a jammed packed Disney vacation. While they truly did enjoy every aspect of our trip, excitingly claiming that their favorite part of our visit to the National Air and Space Museum was the escalator, their behavior...not so exciting to mom and dad. But those days we visited Six Flags America....picture perfect. Apparently, my sensory-seeking eldest gem and her deviant little brother get all the action they need at amusement parks.

Lucky for us, our own state of New Jersey is also home to some of our very favorite places....great amusement parks. Katie loves to push the limits and began riding El Toro at Six Flags Great Adventure just shy of her 5th birthday. She begged her way into mastering her first upside-down roller coaster at Ocean City's Castaway Cove shortly after her 6th birthday.

Apparently, our family does a lot. Many a time, on a Friday afternoon, I have picked up the kids at daycare and chatted with the owner about our weekend plans. She smiles and shakes her head and tells me, "I have never met a family that does as much as you guys." Really?!? I thought every family crams their every weekend with plans and is booked 6 months in advance.

We may not be "every family", but we're certainly not alone and I'm thrilled to have joined a few other New Jersey bloggers in helping Trekaroo lauch New Jersey as a great place to travel with kids. We have each created a list of some of our favorite NJ places on Trekaroo and in exchange, we were given some awesome prizes to giveaway to our readers (keep reading for their giveaway links). It goes without saying, that I've chosen to compile  a list of some of our favorite local amusement parks.

I hope you'll check out my reviews on Trekaroo and enter my  giveaway (I love vacation and ride pictures on Christmas cards). And don't forget to leave your own reviews of your favorite NJ sites at Trekaroo.

Win $40 to spend on Tiny Prints Custom 

Greeting Cards and Stationary

http://www.tinyprints.com/

 

Limitations: Order by June 30, 2012; 
can only be used on greeting cards and stationary
Winner must by 18 or over and a US resident

Prize: $40 Tiny Prints Stationary

 

 

To Enter:  

Leave a comment about your favorite amusement park/rides in NJ

Value: $40




Additional entries:  

Share this blog post on Facebook and leave an additional comment below.

*Contest ends 6/21/2012, Winner picked via random.org*

 

In celebration of the New Jersey Launch here on Trekaroo, we are once again breaking out the Trekaroo KidsMobile and some wonderful local bloggers have jumped onboard to show off the best New Jersey has to offer families. Each New Jersey blogger is also giving away a cool prize on their website, so be sure to hop on over to read their tips and enter to win some great prizes.

The Inside Scoop from Trekaroo families on New Jersey:

Jersey Shore with Kids | Southern Shore - Atlantic City with Kids | Gateway with Kids | Delaware Valley with Kids  | Skyland with Kids

Popular Tips on New Jersey

• Top 10 Thing to Do for Families in New Jersey
• Take the Kids to a Pick Your Own Farm in New Jersey
• A Week in Cape May, NJ with the Kids
• A Family Fun-filled Week on Long Beach Island, NJ

Giveaway: Win a 7-night stay at Esplanade Suites in Wildwood, NJ valued at $1500!

Jersey Shore Vacations - Chris Fotache

Renting a Vacation Home

Family-friendly Restaurants at the Jersey Shore

Giveaway: Win 2 Exhibit Passes to Liberty Science Center 

Yippy Momma  - Rita

Fun Outdoor Playgrounds and Play Areas in Northern NJ

Giveaway:  win customized iPhone case by Shutterfly

Homeroom at Home - Barbara

Railroad attractions throughout New Jersey

Giveaway: win a Shutterfly 36x27 Photo Wall Decal

Do you have recommendations on kid-friendly spots in New Jersey?

Take advantage of Trekaroo's limited time NJ Rewards - Earn a $20 Amazon Gift Card 

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Busted

I probably should have held off on posting this gem until "Wordless" Wednesday.

 

According to Katie, this is me and Chris on our wedding day.

She took some creative license:

Apparently, "that" is part of my dress - NOT what you were thinking - despite the freudian spelling of "best" on our wedding cake.

My eyes are not really blue.

I am not really over 6 feet tall, like Chris.

Chris has fingers.

Our priest had hands.

Chris is not Jewish.

While close, it was not the bust day of my life. Because I didn't have my kids yet. And while they are frequently responsible for the most frustrating days of my life - getting handed pictures like this at daycare pickup allows me to smile and laugh like I never did before.

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Nunchucks or not

Through the years, I've featured Katie in her various fabulous dance and gymnastics routines, dress up ensembles, real life dress up ensembles, humorous outlooks and other creative pursuits. And instead of losing the toddler/pre-schooler magic, her personality and perhaps a bit of her autism spectrum quirks have propelled her to continue to shine and entertain with her creativity. I actually have a few of those goodies lined up to share soon.

But, as Timmy advances from toddlerhood to pre-schooler...he's creating his own magic at The Other Boufs. And boy does this kid have moves! One night this week I came home late from work to find Timmy shirtless. And when I asked him about it, I was informed that he had to take it off...to do karate.




The funny thing is -  I'm having a bit a of deja vu as Tim transitions from baby to big boy (well a big boy who  enjoys wearing diapers a little too much.) My little brother is 4 1/2 years younger than me. And as every pre-school boy should be, he was obsessed with Jean-Claude Van Damme, Chuck Norris, and Steven Seagal. Like...at Timmy's age. Without ever having had a karate lesson, his impersonations of his heroes had some strangers on a Disneyworld vacation convinced that he was a 5yo blackbelt.

We competed against one another in improptu competitions in the living room - until he got too big and could beat me. I was convinced that his obsession was due to bad parenting - my dad's encouragement of his movie choices, the chinese stars and nunchucks that he received as tokens of my dad's affection.

But apparently, none of that really made a difference. It was just hardwired. And now, I am the parent of my own little karate impersonator. Nunchucks or not!

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Dr Seuss' The Lorax - Ticket Giveaway

Congrats CZ, Svetlana, Jess, Sarah Nicole, and Jenlewgal!!! 

We don't go to the movies that much. It's pretty expensive for a family of 4, but moreso, we're just busy. So we generally wind up watching movies together at home. By the time we get to them they're available to rent anyway. Plus, we're so in tune with our DVR that we rarely see commercials for new movies. But once in awhile a movie comes a long with such a buzz that you have to check it out. Or, you happen to catch part of a commercial that is so colorful and eyecatching while you're fast forwarding that you have to rewind to see the whole thing. Or there's a superbowl ad that has you and your kids excited.

For all of these reasons and more, my family is eagerly awaiting the opening of  The Lorax, which comes to theaters on Friday, March 2. My kids love all things Dr. Seuss - the books, the cartoons, the movies,  the dress-up costumes, the musical - I know this is going to be a new favorite in our house.

If you're as excited as we are, or just enjoy saving money, enter below to win 1 of FIVE family prize packs. The prize packs include: 4 free passes to the advance screening of Universal Pictures’ DR. SEUSS’ THE LORAX  on Saturday, February 25 at the AMC Cherry Hill. Showtime is 10am, but you should be prepared to get there early to guarantee your seats.

To enter, leave a comment below. Let me know your favorite Dr. Seuss book or character. Or tell me who you're excited to see this movie with.

Extra entries: Follow me on Twitter @JulieBouf, become a google friend connect follower of this blog, or tweet this giveaway (including link to post and @JulieBouf). Leave a comment for each extra entry.

Winners will be chosen randomly and notified on February 12th. Make sure to leave your e-mail address or twitter ID in your comment. Need more than 4 tickets for your family? Have your significant other or kids enter too!

Synopsis:

From the creators of Despicable Me and the imagination of Dr. Seuss comes the 3D-CG feature Dr. Seuss' The Lorax, an adaptation of the classic tale of a forest creature who shares the enduring power of hope. The animated adventure follows the journey of a 12-year-old as he searches for the one thing that will enable him to win the affection of the girl of his dreams. To find it he must discover the story of the Lorax, the grumpy yet charming creature who fights to protect his world.

Danny DeVito will lend his vocal talents to the iconic title character of the Lorax, while Ed Helms will voice the enigmatic Once-ler. Also bringing their talents to the film are global superstars Zac Efron as Ted, the idealistic youth who searches for the Lorax, and Taylor Swift as Audrey, the girl of Ted's dreams. Rob Riggle will play financial king O'Hare, and beloved actress Betty White will portray Ted's wise Grammy Norma.

Dr. Seuss' The Lorax is the third feature created by Universal Pictures and Illumination Entertainment (Despicable Me, Hop). http://www.theloraxmovie.com

IN THEATERS NATIONWIDE MARCH 2

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The Katie File

It's been awhile. I know. And I was figuring that since I've jumped back into attending a bunch of blogger events, I should probably start to blog again. With that in mind - file this one under "Posts to pullout during the teenage years."

Sunday night we were driving home after a long day out - just me and the kids. Katie pondered, "Mom, do you think Daddy's going to be upset that we left him alone by himself for all of that time?"

Heh. Right!

I explained that daddy was probably very happy to be home by himself. Amongst a flurry of questions I explained that daddy probably got a chance to take a nap or play video games or do something else that he wanted to do. In fact, he'd probably want to thank me for all of that alone time.

She wondered, since he'd be so appreciative, would he give me a kiss?

Playing along, pretending that he would actually be so gracious as to recognize how wonderful I am and thank me AND that we thank each other with kisses, I replied, "Oh, I hope so!"

There was some pondering silence and then:
Do you think he'll stick his tongue inside your mouth?

?!?!?!?!!?

"Katie, what are you talking about? Daddy doesn't do that..."

She assured me that oh yea, she had seen that for herself before. She saw him do it. He really did.

I thought back and decided that perhaps recently we had given each other a peck and when the kids moaned and acted like we were gross - he may have gotten a little carried away in giving them something to really be grossed out about.

"Katie, you know, sometimes husbands and wives do that because they really love each other."

"No way, they do NOT!!!" (hey wasn't she the one who witnessed it?; I still don't believe it actually happened.)

"Yea, Katie. Actually, when you get bigger - like old enough to have a husand - you might actually like it."

And then she promised me:
"No, I will NOT. That's gross! If my husband EVER tries to stick his tongue in my mouth.....I'll kick him in the face!!"

And just a little motherly advice, if a boy ever really does just stick his tongue in your mouth - you probably shouldn't kick him in the face. But it does mean he's not a very good kisser.

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Last Chance: Miranda Cosgrove & Greyson Chance at the Mann 4-pack Concert Ticket Giveaway

Congrats to Mel for winning the
4-pack of concert tickets!
(7,1-9, generated by random.org)

As the mom of a 6-year-old daughter, I am hosting this giveaway with great excitement. While Spongebob is still a favorite, I hear more and more from her about who today's teenage stars are dating and the fact that she plans to name her children after actresses from iCarly and the like. (even if her future son is still slated to be named "Pepito" from the Madeline series.) Since she also wants to be a singer herself someday, I am thrilled to be taking her to see Miranda Cosgrove w/ special guest Greyson Chance.

The star of Nickelodeon’s hit TV series iCarly tours in support of her new EP, High Maintenance, following her highly successful “Dancing Crazy Tour”.

The actress/singer launched her music career in 2007, when she scored a hit with the theme song to her own TV show. In 2009, her song “Raining Sunshine” landed on the soundtrack for “Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs”. One year later, Miranda released her debut album, Sparks Fly, featuring the hit single “Kissin U” which reached No. 8 on the Billboard 200 charts.

Her breakthrough acting role came in 2002, when she played the role of Summer Hathaway in the big screen comedy “School of Rock” alongside Jack Black. In the wake of “School of Rock”’s success, she was cast in a supporting role on the Nickelodeon sitcom Drake & Josh.

In April 2010, then 13-year-old Greyson Chance posted a YouTube clip of himself performing Lady Gaga’s “Paparazzi”, which became an instant viral sensation viewed by more than 28 million people. Just two weeks later, he was invited to appear on The Ellen DeGeneres Show where he chatted confidently with DeGeneres, performed “Paparazzi” and fielded a congratulatory on-air phone call from Gaga herself. At present, he is earning kudos for his original compositions including “Stars” and “Broken Hearts,” which have racked up more than nine million collective views & is expected to release his debut album Hold On “Til The Night this summer according to Billboard. “I want people to be able to feel what I’m feeling when I’m singing,” he says. “That’s what it’s all about for me.”

For tickets & info for Miranda Cosgrove with special guest Greyson Chance: Ticketmaster.com, 800-745-3000, AEGLive.com, TicketPhiladelphia.org, 215-893-1999 or the Mann Box Office.

Enter for a chance to win 4 FREE tickets to the Friday 7/22 Mann Center for the Performing Arts 7:15 performance (doors open at 6pm):
(Tickets will be left at the Box Office for you as Will-Call. Must present ID):

*Simply leave me a comment to let me know you're interested and who you'd love to win these tickets for (1 entry per family).

*1 more entry for google friend connect followers of this blog.

*Feel free to tweet this giveaway, once per day, for an extra entry per tweet. Tweet must include @JulieBouf and a link to this post. Please leave a comment below to let me know you tweeted.

If you have a non-reply google account or don't have a google account - include some way for me to contact you in your comment (e-mail address, twitter handle, etc...if I don't already know you personally).Please leave a separate comment for each entry type.

This giveaway will close on July 19, 2011.


Tickets for this giveaway and for my personal use were provided by the Mann & AEG Live.

If you are a PA resident who lives in the Philly area - make sure you stop by and visit my friends at Chester County Moms for an even greater chance to win. They are giving away another 4 pack of tickets.

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