Education Uncensored

When we build our first home, we were DINKS (dual income no kids) and we just basically did whatever we wanted and we went small.  As we moved on to building a home after the birth of our second child, we put more thought into what the little cherub might want.  Now, we have a master of all things door related.

More than once I’ve seen him with a screw driver mocking his father as he attempts to adjust the door hinge to keep the doors from opening or closing when we don’t actually want them to.

And, then the second little cherub came along and it was time to do it all over again.  This time, the kid doesn’t care one iota.  If you can color it, throw play doh on it, use it to smear spaghetti on, the kid is simply not interested.

But, he does like having the big wide open spaces that we have an maybe one day we will get another house, hopefully one that’s already built before we have to start figuring out how to please the second born because he is way to opinionated.

I just returned from a great conference at Disney.  But,  in case you aren’t familiar with any experience at Disney, you should know that we walked and walked and walked some more.  The sad part was, I ate so much that even with all that walking, I managed to gain weight.  I mean, geez, there was ice cream around ever corner and macaroni and cheese for the kid at all of our sponsored meals.

One of my buddies who struggles with some health issues was smart enough to use a company like mobility compare so that she not only had the comfort of a skooter similar to this one,

she was able to participate in almost every event you can think of simply because making her around the parks was easier.  I remember having a cast on my leg last year and skipping events that were going to require me to walk very far.  This is just one of the mobility products that I could have used while I was having problems last year getting my leg to heal.

The reality is, I just didn’t realize that products like this were such a great option but I am so glad that my friend did.  She didn’t seem to miss a beat when it came to the conference and all it’s fun!

The Video Stream with one teaser photo of the fun

From the beginning with learning we were going to Disney in a 2010 Chevy Equinox

The arrival of the Equinox and the departure for the House the Mouse built

Cinderella’s House

The Awesome Parades!

Really ya’ll The Equinox is all that and a slice of bread!

And the final Hurray!  Do you see me in this photo?

Sponsors:

Disney, of course! The Polynesian Resort

GM for the Chevy Equinox

My Precious Kid, Child safety bracelets and t-shirts for my family

UPrinting, window clings

My Shimmer, an awesome t-shirt, autographed by many (photos to come when I find it)

DiscWrite CD

Vital Earth Traditions, Kelly Lynch Ring , she called me a Blogging Queen – the lip balm was a saving grace in the cold night wind

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Sponsors you might see i some of the photos but weren’t necessarily sponsors of this event for me:

GoGaga Life the bag I carried all weekend

Ogio the bag Boy Genius carried all weekend

Philips DVD Players to keep our sanity while we traveled with a five-year-old and seven-year-old

Dell Laptop

Solo Laptop Bags

EEE PC Laptop

Laptop Skins – Mickey Mouse on Boy Genius’s laptop and my logo on my mini-laptop

Kodak EasyShare

iPhone

BlackJack 2

Canon Printer

Indeed, we asked for pre-approval to keep Walker out of school.  Wayne asked to take days off work and I started working my fingers to the bone for some extra cash to spend on our trip.  The trip was part of an invitational only trip with the Social Media Moms Celebrate Disney.  I was being educated in the ways of Social Media and my husband and kids were learning from any and everything else they could find.

I’ll start with Onstar that I mentioned previously.  First of all, we were taken to our resort via the backside of Disney.  We didn’t understand at first why we were going through the maintenance areas but figured it out later when we were out running around.  We were taken in the back way so that we could get to our resort without having to go through the main gate and pay for parking.

Of course, the Onstar learning continued on our way around town after the conference and of course on our way home.  The boys called my mom about 3 hours away from home and asked if they could come to her house when we arrived home.  And, even after enjoying the fun of messing with the Onstar route and much giggling, both boys are almost in tears now thinking we are lost.  Both are practically in tears begging to ask for a new route so they can get to my mom’s house.

And, with that, my husband is antagonizing them by switching the controls to metric and making the boys think we are going 120 miles per hour as opposed to the non-metric equivalent.

Fun times, folks, fun times……but no matter how much fun, no matter how much learning…..they are convinced that if we don’t change our route, we won’t make it to Nanny’s house.  No matter how awesome Mickey Mouse is, no matter how great the monorail is, no matter the learning involved at Epcot and no matter how elegant the Polynesian Resort is…nothing compares to seeing Nanny!

I’ve made no bones about keeping my son out of school in the name of going on family vacations.  And, in the words of my son’s teacher "it’s not like you are going down on the Alabama River camping”.  No, indeed, we were going to Disney World and the education my children gained was simply limited by their imaginations. 

And, if you’ve ever been to Disney, you know that with a bit of imagination, you can go anywhere.  The education began with a 2010 GM Chevy Equinox being delivered to our home.  And, we have decent auto’s but we don’t have anything that even remotely resembles the Equinox. 

There’s tons more for me to tell but a story developed that is way funnier. 

We have had a good time using the Onstar on the car even though in most cases, we already knew our way to our destination.  We are about 50 miles from home and deviated from the Onstar route.  When the lady in the car asked if we wanted Onstar to calculate a new route, Jace (5-year-old) answered yes before my husband could say no.  And, with that, the lady in the computer said, “Calculating a new route” and the boys went absolutely nuts. 

And, to be honest, I couldn’t help but laugh myself.  Then, Walker (7 year old) starts to giggle and by this time we are all laughing our heads off.  Now, Wayne is teasing the boys that we are lost and that we are headed back to Disney.  He is assuring the boys that we are lost because Jace told the Onstar to take us another route. 

Walker is flipping out.  He is begging Wayne to hit the Onstar button and asked where we are but Jace remains consistent that he knows where we are and he has been this way before (and he has many many many…too many times). 

Walker is now begging me to use the GPS on my phone to get directions while Jace is absolutely certain that it’s all going to be ok because all we have to do is hit the Onstar button again.

The lessons learned……….and honestly, this is not the best educational benefactor of this trip, it just turned into it and I couldn’t help but share. 

More later…….

Ahhh, in the time it took me to post that photo, Walker has decided he recognizes the area as being near his basketball area (which is way wrong) but Jace has assured us that “yes, I told you I knew this was the right way”.  Ahhhh the joy of these little minds.

Yea, sounds silly but my children have become little educating engineers as of late.

I’m not feeling spiffy so I’m giving you a really condensed version…for me anyway…

5 year old wants to watch Max & Ruby and each time Max & Ruby comes on, which if you don’t know is about 4 times a day……he asks, “Do you know why they call it Max & Ruby?” and I look at him and he answers “Because there is a Max and Ruby on the show”

Yea, ok…I’ll buy that.

Today as we ran out in the rain to pick up the 7 year old from school, the 5 year old yells emphatically “DON’T STEP IN THE PUD MUDDLE”

When we return home, we later, rinse and repeat…”WATCH THE PUD MUDDLE!”

And, each day as we return home, and yes we do live on a road named after a cemetery and yes we do have to pass this cemetery to get to and from school…..the 5 year old asks to drive around the cemetery.  My mother started this habit…and if it isn’t good enough that people think I’m nuts when I tell them my address (people not from this area by the way, no one here thinks it strange), I then tell them that my kids like to go to the cemetery in the summer and play in a never ending pile of sand that they keep there…….

And, finally, the last lesson of the day….

There are more than one ways to say the word present and more than one morning…did you know that Mom?

*shakes head*  The kid is addicted to numbers as well…do you know what 60 times 2 is mom?  Yes I do, do you?  Well sure it’s 120, what about 65 times 2?  No, stop already!  But wait mom….

And the educating has begun…next stop Disney World….he has already asked to use the phone to call the number on promotional DVD we received.

And, since GM has been so kind as to loan us a car for the trip…well, he is truly beside himself with statistics of the car… 2010 Chevy Equinox…the kid is going crazy!

and so are his parents…

I know that it seems we talk about this a lot.  But, right now, it’s kind of all I can think about.  For now, I’m going to share with you some safety points from My Precious Kid.  And, while you are perusing her site you need to see the new car seat ID tags.  I’ll tell you more about their wonders in another post.

DISNEYLAND – Family Safety ID Products

You are going to Disneyland with your children and want to make sure they are safe. We can help protect your children at Disneyland and give you peace of mind too. We have recently been linked on the www.wdwinfo.com Disneyland forum boards as a great product for Disneyland traveling families. Below are my favorite Disneyland travel ID products plus some child safety tips for keeping your children safe while there. Disneyland is a wonderful family fun time. Help keep it fun by keeping everyone safe and protected.

So turn to Kay Greene and get more information….like how about tips for “How do I get my child to wear an ID at Disneyland?”

Keep your eyes open and learn from the experts!

Actually I have been here posting a bit o’ this and bit o’ that.  I’ve got contests and I’ve got video’s but let me tell you about a few other folks I know.

As you know, I’m headed to Orlando next week for the Social Media Moms Celebrate Disney and since I’m headed that way, I might as well get there in style, right?

And, with that, General Motors will be delivering this beauty to my house on Monday of next week (and let’s all pray my husband cleans up the front deck and lawn before then)

I mean, really, you can catch it all here because we will be live streaming it.  If something bigger happens (and trust me, it might), it may or may not be streamed on Facebook an/or UStream.  So, keep up, follow the Twitter feed @The_Jerri_Ann and @GMBlogs

And, you know, the goodness just get’s better around here.  I’m getting some new hot designer business cards for this event too….wait to you see me break out these bad boys…

And for those of you at the conference, the goodies just keep getting better…….

I’ve got temporary badges for your children’s safety from My Precious Kid and right now she has these awesome new car seat ID cards you need to check out too.

So, if you catch me in time, you can have a safety bracelet for your kiddos to sport at Disney.

I’m also going to be sporting this awesome T-shirt……I’ve been working with these folks and I love it…

And really ya’ll, can you say awesome awesome awesome!  And, there’s more…..yea for real, there’s more!

I have some of these…

I have one Otterbox to give away for someone with an iPhone.

I have one of these for the iPhone…

And, I have one of these for the iPhone

And, I have a cover like this if you have a BlackJack II

And, honestly, you never ever ever know what else I might come up with???

Like maybe….some Vital Earth Traditions…..????  you think that would work?

As many of you know, I’ve spent a great deal of time recently complaining about wanting to learn more. I love the conference, the networking is awesome, but I need/want something more right now. And, when you consider the cost of the conferences, you definitely want to feel as if you have learned something, that you have been given the information you need to go out and do your own thing. Most of us have heard enough fluffy pep-talks. And now I have the answer for you, Countdown to Ignition.

Don’t get me wrong, networking is a big part of what you need and I will be attending various conferences for that reason alone.  But, now, you can get the information you’ve been searching for and you can get it from a reputable source.  Kevin M. Roy was one of the speakers in the online conference hosted by Girlfriend’s Guide.

Let me tell you a bit of the highlights that you can learn..and then direct you to the place where you can be the recipient of that information.  It’s your idea, your thought process and you want to get your online business off the ground. 

One of my favorite topics is Branding and yes, Kevin kick starts his program with information regarding Branding.  He will teach you how to move through building a web presence, how to help build a clientele and the secrets of conversion and sustainability.

Now, I don’t want to give away all the information here, so besides the hints above about just what is in Countdown to Ignition,  I do want to share with you why Kevin made such an impression on me by giving you some of his key phrases (with my commentary in red)

• People don’t buy products: People buy stories. (and tell stories is almost the easiest thing you will ever do)
• Focus on the experience
• Brainstorm (I talk about this all the time)
• BUILDING THE BRAND (again, branding is one of my favorite topics)
• SQUEEZE PAGE SECRETS
• Take Action
• PUTTING IT ON AUTOPILOT
• Deliver Ten Times More Than They’re Paying
• Create a Thud Factor
• You want to build anticipation
• Think Big
• Incorporating your personality effectively (I have a big Southern Belle Charm about me…..but I don’t always let it shine, time to work on that)
• Give Away Advice For Free (I can honestly tell you that Kevin has done this over and over for me.  The first day I met him, he spent over 2 hours in video chat with me…brainstorming (see above))
• Not everything you say has to be profound (good thing, because you all know how I ramble)
• With any luck, they’ll be brutally honest
• If It Ain’t Fun, Don’t Do It!
• Help Your Customers Succeed.
• Does The Teaching Style Work For You? (and this is where I’ve been disappointed and possible it is just that the sessions I’ve attended were taught by people with style that weren’t comfortable for my learning style, who knows?)

As I said, Kevin know what he knows and he has been extremely helpful to me.  So, here’s a couple of links for you to try out and honestly, if you are willing to fork over money for conferences, think long and hard about what it would mean to have your personal instructor…and honestly, with Kevin, that’s what you get, a personal instructor.

First of all, go learn more from Kevin in a bit more formal setting

Countdown to Ignition

and then, find your way over to

The Flight Squad

Just don’t miss out, that’s all I just sayin’

This is about a great guy I met through an online conference.  He has been a huge help for me in every obstacle I’ve faced.  You can read more in my review of him Kevin M Roy – Countdown to Ignition

On Monday, there will be more about his upcoming product…..don’t miss out….

From his own site:

Kevin believes that life should be lived on your own terms.

Kevin is a firm believer in living everyday to its fullest. He strives for a balanced life that focuses on strong relationships and following his passion for staying active and improving the lives of those around him. He began his career as a Family Wealth Planning and Probate Attorney. While practicing law, he realized that being an entrepreneur was his true calling.

This background has given Kevin an even stronger perspective on the importance of life and the value of appreciating the prosperity you have and sharing your legacy with those around you. With any luck, you will find your own happiness and prosperity by experiencing life to its fullest and pursuing your dreams.

He created Roy Labs and developed a revolutionary membership program for his private customers.  These “Vee Members” understand that business and life center around Vitality, Energy and the Experience.   His mission is to help people create businesses around their passions so that they can make money  while having fun.

Don’t Miss out on my review of Countdown to Ignition!