My Disney Adventure: Part III – Animal Magic

Valentine Brkich October 29, 2014

DAY 4 — The Magic Kingdom This was the one I was most excited for. The other parks are great and everything, but when I think of Disney I think of the Magic Kingdom. I mean, Mickey lives there. Enough said. We started out the day with a FastPass+ for Under the Sea — Journey of the Little Mermaid. Again, this one…

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My Disney Adventure: Part II – Hooray for Hollywood!

Valentine Brkich October 28, 2014

DAY 3 — Hollywood Studios As soon as I spotted the old Remington typewriter in the store window along Hollywood Studios’ main drag, I knew it was going to be a good day. Obviously this was my kind of amusement park. Once again we got there right when it opened, and, per my wife’s research, we headed straight for the…

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My Disney Adventure: Part I — The Beginning

Valentine Brkich October 27, 2014

I wasn’t looking forward to it. A whole week in Disney World with my family. Sixteen of us — eight adults and eight kids. It was going to be expensive. It was going to be exhausting. It was going to be a very, very long week. Heck, just preparing for Disney is a months-long project. My wife and my…

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My Disney Hangover – A FastPass+ to Reality

Valentine Brkich October 22, 2014

Coming back from vacation is never fun. You’re worn out from all the traveling and suddenly you’re thrown back into the reality of normal, everyday life. Coming back from the happiest place in the world…well, pardon my French, but it sucks. At Disney World everything is pretty much perfect (really, it is) and they do everything they…

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Small-Town Adventures – German Village (Columbus, OH)

Valentine Brkich October 4, 2013

Our most recent small-town adventure took us to one of our favorite weekend getaway destinations: German Village. We came here on a recommendation a few years back and fell in love with it. German Village is a charming little neighborhood just south of downtown Columbus, Ohio. It was first settled by German immigrants in the mid-1800s, and is…

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Small-Town Adventures – Lewiston, N.Y.

Valentine Brkich August 21, 2013

Every once in a while my wife and I feel the need to leave our quiet little town behind and escape for the weekend to…well…another quiet little town. This past weekend it was Lewiston, N.Y. So how does one discover a Lewiston, N.Y.? Well, one discovers it through one’s friend, who just happened upon it…

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10 Things That Can Make My 5-year-old Freak Out

Valentine Brkich May 15, 2013

The following is a list of things that can send Boogieface into an inconsolable crying hissy fit. There are countless others, of course, but these are the top 10: 10) Her sock doesn’t “feel right.” 9) Her tights “feel weird.” 8) She gets a splinter. 7) Her brother hugs her too hard. 6) Her brother licks her. 5) Reorganizing…

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The Force is Strong with This One

Valentine Brkich January 16, 2013

A few weeks ago, my wife asked The Animal what kind of birthday party he wanted to have, because, you know, you can’t just have a normal birthday party anymore. I think there’s a law or something. “A fire-fire party!” he said, emphatically. [Translation: a firefighter party] But then, just a few days later, he abruptly changed…

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Small-Town Adventures – Chagrin Falls, Ohio

Valentine Brkich June 1, 2012

Despite my high hopes, nothing really extraordinary happened during our little Memorial Day weekend road trip. No ghastly injuries. No demonic possessions. Darn. Regardless, I thought I’d share some of the highlights: Around noon on Saturday, we arrived in the tiny hamlet of Chagrin Falls, Ohio, which was quite lively due to its annual Blossom Time Festival. After perusing…

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The Animal Strikes Again!

Valentine Brkich April 2, 2012

The crash was tremendous. It sounded like the china cabinet had fallen over. Then I remembered that we don’t have a china cabinet. I was sitting behind my desk in the den talking to my daughter when it happened. First I heard a dragging sound. Then came the crash, followed by my son’s screeching. I jumped up and…

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