A Halloween Adventure in Autism (11/12) New Thread Begun on TR Board!

[Dreamer & Wisher]

Hoping and praying that you are catching up on some rest or helping your Dad get settled at home. . .

:hug:

[PracPerfPatricia]

Hey Kathy,

I've been following along with your Dad's up and downs...I'm glad things are headed in the right direction...:hug: I hope they let him out for his sake as well as yours...as you know...hospitals are really not the best place to recuperate...:confused3...being at home is much better for that...


hmmm...sprayable xanax-huh? Coming from a long line of nervous types-I think that would be something of a godsend...;)...the uses could be infinite...

I hope that you can get a little rest yourself...don't you have a trip coming up right around the corner.?..:rolleyes1

[KathyRN137]

Dad's home and doing well, thank God.

Now I need to find time to get all the last-minute "stuff" done before we leave for WDW next week.

Next Week?! :eek: Yikes!!

Naturally, as fate would have it, I have to work extra hours both this week and next. :rolleyes2 I hope I can get everything done this weekend.

Okay... just breathe...

Some Xanax spray would come in handy right now!


Kathy

[IluvXU]

I having been thinking and praying for you... just busy and not much time to post. One week... I bet you are super excited!

[KathyRN137]

Okay, well until aerosolized anti-anxiety medication becomes available, either with or without a prescription, I will just have to fall back on the old standby to calm my nerves ... SUGAR!!

(Okay, virtual sugar!)


http://www.disneyfoodblog.com/2009/10/19/halloween-treats-in-disney-world/


Kathy

[All7OfUs]

Next WEEK!? How did that happen?? So much has happened in your family's lives since you started this PTR! And here is almost is!

Don't those look so yummy?? I can't wait to get my Mickey Rice Krispy Treat. MMMMMmmmmm!

So happy for your dad, Kathy. Glad he is on the road to recovery.

Now, you can focus on getting your family out the door, well equipped for soldiering in WDW!

[KatGarcia]

We desperately need to work out a day to meet ! I'll now be there from the 31st thru the 6th.

[eandesmom]

Next week?

That means

Single Digit Dancing!

:banana:
:banana::banana:
:banana::banana::banana:
:banana::banana::banana::banana:
:banana::banana::banana::banana::banana:
:banana::banana::banana::banana::banana::banana:

and YAY for Dad being home

[mrsksomeday]

So happy about your Dad being home :banana::banana:!!

You will get everything thing done, I have faith in you. In 2 weeks we will have dinner together :dance3:, I can't wait to see you and your family!

[jordanyosh]

Dad's home and doing well, thank God.

Now I need to find time to get all the last-minute "stuff" done before we leave for WDW next week.

Next Week?! :eek: Yikes!!

Naturally, as fate would have it, I have to work extra hours both this week and next. :rolleyes2 I hope I can get everything done this weekend.

Okay... just breathe...

Some Xanax spray would come in handy right now!


Kathy

Good news!

I can't believe you're leaving in 8 days!!!!!!

Sometimes being busy at work makes time go faster

[Charleston Princess]

Next week? You're right -- that did sneak up on us! Pixie dust for getting everything done! :wizard:

Anti-anxiety nasal spray! :lmao::rotfl::rotfl2:

So glad your dad is home now!

As always I love that Disney food blog! I wouldn't mind having one of those Halloween cupcakes for breakfast!

[DisMomAmy]

Yay for one week!!

:banana::banana: :cheer2::cheer2: party::jumping1:party: :cheer2::cheer2: :banana::banana:

Just think how fast the next week will go by being so busy!! I bet you'll be able to sleep well. ;)

[Dreamer & Wisher]

So Glad to hear he is home!

Just one week!:dance3::dance3: I'll dance with you, but I also have a lot to get done before we leave. Yesterday, Abby came home with a fever :scared1:this morning it was still 100 degrees:sick:so she is home sick.

[Mickey_Mom]

Next week! :woohoo: Soon you'll have that song stuck in your head......

I'm glad your Dad is home :goodvibes

[mommytothreeboys]

Woo-Hoo! One Week!!

:banana::banana::woohoo::woohoo::banana::banana::w oohoo::woohoo:

So glad to hear your dad is home and doing well. Sending continued prayers that he is on the mend and heals quickly! :)

[moparop]

:banana:

Single digit dance time!!!

[annnewjerz]

Dad's home and doing well, thank God.

Next Week?! :eek: Yikes!!

Naturally, as fate would have it, I have to work extra hours both this week and next. :rolleyes2 I hope I can get everything done this weekend.

Okay... just breathe...

Some Xanax spray would come in handy right now!


So happy to hear your Dad is home and doing well, I'm sure that's a relief.

I can't believe you leave next week and I can't believe I'm already home from our trip. I forget, have you guys ever been to MNSSHP? I think you guys did Pirates & Princess Party or whatever they called it, right? Well anywho, MNSSHP was so much stinkin fun. I almost wanted to stay longer just to do it again.

HalloWishes was awesome, the Villains show at the castle was great and the Boo to You parade was fantastic. All of this coming from a person who usually hates parades/shows. :eek:

I hope you get all of your last minute stuff taken care of and I can't wait to read the TR when you get back. I need something....anything to hold me over until our trip in December. Going for only 3 days in October was such a tease!! :headache:

Ann

[DearDaisyinDurham]

Kathy you're sooooo close, hurray! and eandesmom, that is an awesome dancing banana pyramid!

Next week?

That means

Single Digit Dancing!

:banana:
:banana::banana:
:banana::banana::banana:
:banana::banana::banana::banana:
:banana::banana::banana::banana::banana:
:banana::banana::banana::banana::banana::banana:

and YAY for Dad being home

[All7OfUs]

Next week?! You must be on pins and needles!

You're almost there!

[mom2mek]

Woo-hoo Kathy! Single digits!!! :banana::banana:

I am so glad your Dad is home and doing well! :hug:

Sara

[MEK]

Wow - I got a little behind, but am happy to join in the celebration of .....

1. You Dad is Home!

2. You have less than a week to go! :cool1:

[joy13]

Just think - this time next week you'll be leaving :woohoo:

I know what you mean about the anxiety spray - I leave in two days and I still have quite a bit to do :scared1:

[SwansLoveDisney]

Yay for your dad being home and for leaving for Disney World NEXT WEEK!!! :banana:

Yuck to having to work extra hours on the weekends.

Good luck with getting everything done!

[mousescrapper]

:banana: so happy your Dad is home and doing well...:goodvibes

:hmghost: 1 week to go....how exciting!!!! Good luck getting everything done and hang in there w/ your work schedule....

Oh and that virtual sugar journey you took us was so unfair ;)

[KathyRN137]

Hi! :wave2:


I'm going to do my best to catch up with everybody tonight... we've only got

5 Days!!

...until Disney!!! :yay: :woohoo: :cool1: :thumbsup2 :cheer2:


So, here's a few trippy updates:

1) I got tired of losing my MickeyPath ticker, so I ditched it and replaced it with an Enchanted Ticker (thank you, Tracy!) I loved the rotating feature, but their website has so many problems lately. :headache: Having a ticker is the most fun when you're in single-digits and it was so annoying having it on the fritz all the time!!

2) A few changes have been made to the first week of November hours...
DHS extended hours until 8pm on Monday and added a second showing of Fantasmic! Yay! That ought to thin out the crowd a bit! (We'll go for the second show.)

3) A SpectroMagic parade has been added on Thursday. That's the night we're having dinner with mrsksomeday & family at `Ohana and to the MK for Wishes. With our 5pm ADR, do you think we can sqeeze in a 7pm Spectro before an 8pm Wishes? :scratchin I sure would love to do that; we don't have any other night that we can see Spectro... but then again, I wouldn't want to rush through dinner, either.

4) KatGarcia's trip is back on :goodvibes and we are once again trying to plan a DIS-meet... that should be fun!

5) Monday I'll mail our bulky costume items to the resort. That's also when I'll start laying out all of our clothes and putting them into piles for packing. I have the day off, so I should be able to get a lot done while the kids are in school.

6) I've already been cleaning the house like crazy so I don't have to do it at the last minute.

7) I already ordered our groceries from Garden Grocer.com. (Basically milk, cold cereals, and water bottles.)

8) We received notification of a flight change for our return trip... we are now leaving a half-hour later! :thumbsup2 Yay! Thirty more minutes of Disney magic!!

I can't believe our long-awaited trip is just a few short days away!!


Kathy

P. S. Dad is doing well; thanks again for the prayers!
/

[KathyRN137]

Saturday, Oct 31 Some sun, a t-storm possible. Low: 67 °F High: 81 °F


Sunday, Nov 1 Sunshine and some clouds. Low: 68 °F High: 84 °F


Monday, Nov 2 A passing morning shower. Low: 69 °F High: 80 °F


Tuesday, Nov 3 Sunshine and humid. Low: 69 °F High: 83 °F


Wednesday, Nov 4 Mostly sunny, warm and humid. Low: 71 °F High: 86 °F


Thursday, Nov 5 Mostly sunny and humid. Low: 71 °F High: 85 °F


Friday, Nov 6 A touch of morning rain. Low: 68 °F High: 85 °F


Saturday, Nov 7 An afternoon shower. Low: 65 °F High: 85 °F


Guess I'd better not forget to pack our ponchos!

Kathy

[DisMomAmy]

Yay for 5 Days!! (And yay for Dad!!)

:dance3: :rockband:party::jumping1:party::rockband: :dance3:

[jordanyosh]

Great update! I'm soooo jealous that you, tracy and kat will or might be able to meet up!

With all the extra work and other things you have going on, I :worship: to your organization!

[jordanyosh]

At least temps are not in the 90s anymore.

[IluvXU]

Great update... the temps look nice too! I cannot wait to see all your AKV pics!

[Dreamer & Wisher]

Saturday, Oct 31 Some sun, a t-storm possible. Low: 67 °F High: 81 °F


Sunday, Nov 1 Sunshine and some clouds. Low: 68 °F High: 84 °F


Monday, Nov 2 A passing morning shower. Low: 69 °F High: 80 °F


Tuesday, Nov 3 Sunshine and humid. Low: 69 °F High: 83 °F


Wednesday, Nov 4 Mostly sunny, warm and humid. Low: 71 °F High: 86 °F


Thursday, Nov 5 Mostly sunny and humid. Low: 71 °F High: 85 °F


Friday, Nov 6 A touch of morning rain. Low: 68 °F High: 85 °F


Saturday, Nov 7 An afternoon shower. Low: 65 °F High: 85 °F


Guess I'd better not forget to pack our ponchos!

Kathy

Sounds like it might be a very damp trip. . . I guess I better pack my hat. (The humidity makes my hair :scared1:)

[eandesmom]

Oh I think those temps sound lovely!

But no, do NOT forget the poncho's.

YAY to your dad being home and doing well.

:dancer: 5 days!!!!!!!!!!

[MEK]

Let me be the first to say..... 4 Days!:woohoo::woohoo::woohoo::woohoo:

The temps during your trip look perfect! Seriously! I hope you have the best time ever!

[Charleston Princess]

Yeay for four days, Kathy! You have been a busy little bee with getting stuff together! I bet you won't have a problem making it to Spectro, and hooray for that second Fantasmic showing! The weather looks like it is going to be very nice while you are there! Everything is coming together nicely! :goodvibes

[DisMomAmy]

4 Days!!

:banana::banana::banana::banana:

[jcc0621]

:woohoo: You get to meet Kat and KC!

:yay: That your dad is home and doing well!

:banana: for 4 days

[moparop]

That sounds like great touring weather, but not as good swimming weather. I hope that wasn't too much in the plans!

[MaryAz]

Lost you for awhile. All caught up. Glad your dad is back home and doing well. Your plans look great.

[mrsksomeday]

1) I got tired of losing my MickeyPath ticker, so I ditched it and replaced it with an Enchanted Ticker (thank you, Tracy!) I loved the rotating feature, but their website has so many problems lately. :headache: Having a ticker is the most fun when you're in single-digits and it was so annoying having it on the fritz all the time!!

2) A few changes have been made to the first week of November hours...
DHS extended hours until 8pm on Monday and added a second showing of Fantasmic! Yay! That ought to thin out the crowd a bit! (We'll go for the second show.)

3) A SpectroMagic parade has been added on Thursday. That's the night we're having dinner with mrsksomeday & family at `Ohana and to the MK for Wishes. With our 5pm ADR, do you think we can sqeeze in a 7pm Spectro before an 8pm Wishes? :scratchin I sure would love to do that; we don't have any other night that we can see Spectro... but then again, I wouldn't want to rush through dinner, either.

4) KatGarcia's trip is back on :goodvibes and we are once again trying to plan a DIS-meet... that should be fun!

/

1) You are very welcome about the tickers, I really enjoy making them!

2) We are doing the second showing on our DHS day too, it just makes more sense to us :thumbsup2.

3) When I saw the Spectro being added I thought the same thing you did about it :lmao:. We do have the first seating at 'Ohana don't we? It could be done, I have promised Bill that we would go back to the next night they have Spectro so he can be in our regular place, he has to see it twice :rotfl:, it is his favorite parade.

4) We are also trying to set up a time to meet up with Kat, I would love to meet her too.

I am so happy to hear that your dad is doing well :hug:.

[KathyRN137]

(I'm watching the Yankees, so I'm getting my New York groove on.)

Sorry I haven't been responding individually; I've been trying to catch up on TRs and PTRs, but even though my light has been on, I haven't gotten very far today. :rolleyes: After the past two days of storms we had about a hundred-thousand leaves to blow/rake once the sun came out.

Tricia and I went to Michael's and I was able to get the ribbon I needed for my pirate hat. pirate: All the Christmas stuff is out, but I resisted. Tricia did manage to wheedle me into buying her some packages of colored string so she could make bracelets, but at 0.35 a piece, I guess I could splurge a little!

I've got a load of Disney t-shirts spinning in the dryer and piles of shorts laid out in Billy's room. It looks like its going to be warm and humid, so I think I'm only going to pack one pair of jeans and one sweatshirt for each person. Having the washer/dryer in the villa will be a beautiful thing!

To do for tomorrow:

*Take Aimee to the Vet for her Bordatella booster; call kennel for reservation.

*Mail bulky costume items to resort via UPS.

*Arrange for mail to be held while we're away.

*Make haircut appointments for Tricia and me.

*Continue laying out clothes to be packed.

*Dump out the Disney Box and check on what I've got so far.


Not too much more to be done after that! :goodvibes

Go Yankees!!


Kathy

[jcc0621]

(I'm watching the Yankees, so I'm getting my New York groove on.)


Go Yankees!!


Kathy

I guess this means as of Wednesday you and I will be frenemies:snooty:

LET"S GO PHILLIES!:cheer2:

[KathyRN137]

I guess this means as of Wednesday you and I will be frenemies:snooty:

LET"S GO PHILLIES!:cheer2:

Awww, its going to be a GREAT Series!! (But now I have to deal with trying to catch some of it while we're at Disney!) :eek:

Hey, at least you're not a Boston fan....


Kathy

[All7OfUs]

Kathy! Down to 3 days!!! WOOHOO! The packing part at this point actually sounds really fun to me! Wish I was there (at that point, too!). Enjoy your trip if I can't get back over here in the next couple of days!

[irish dancer]

Woo Hoo - you're going to WDW THIS week!! :banana:

Glad your Dad is home, hope he is doing well.

Sounds like you've got a good handle on the packing. I love packing for vacation. :lovestruc

Oh, how I'd love some of that weather right now. We've been in the 40s and 50s with LOTS of rain. Enjoy that warm Florida sun!

[princesskelz]

(I'm watching the Yankees, so I'm getting my New York groove on.)

Sorry I haven't been responding individually; I've been trying to catch up on TRs and PTRs, but even though my light has been on, I haven't gotten very far today. :rolleyes: After the past two days of storms we had about a hundred-thousand leaves to blow/rake once the sun came out.

Tricia and I went to Michael's and I was able to get the ribbon I needed for my pirate hat. pirate: All the Christmas stuff is out, but I resisted. Tricia did manage to wheedle me into buying her some packages of colored string so she could make bracelets, but at 0.35 a piece, I guess I could splurge a little!

I've got a load of Disney t-shirts spinning in the dryer and piles of shorts laid out in Billy's room. It looks like its going to be warm and humid, so I think I'm only going to pack one pair of jeans and one sweatshirt for each person. Having the washer/dryer in the villa will be a beautiful thing!

To do for tomorrow:

*Take Aimee to the Vet for her Bordatella booster; call kennel for reservation.

*Mail bulky costume items to resort via UPS.

*Arrange for mail to be held while we're away.

*Make haircut appointments for Tricia and me.

*Continue laying out clothes to be packed.

*Dump out the Disney Box and check on what I've got so far.


Not too much more to be done after that! :goodvibes

Go Yankees!!


Kathy

WOOHOO!!
i still have a lot to do also. :headache: but its all one day closer!!
Have a wonderful week and a safe flight down there Friday!:thumbsup2

[jess98ac]

Go Yankees!!


Kathy

BOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
(and NOT the Halloween kind of BOOOOOO!!)

I can't believe how close your trip is!

[mousescrapper]

Kathy looks like everthing is coming into place...:thumbsup2

Sounds like a perfect Monday to me....hope you get everything done today...only 3 more days :woohoo:

Last night my DSIL came over w/ Aldine's WWII nurse costume for a final fitting...it's gonna look great! and DH and I were talking Disney costumes....we have our growing pipe dream list of what we'd dress up as if we ever go in Oct....and he came up w/ the best ever....spooky good :hmghost:

now I can't share it 'cause I don't want to spoil the fun if we do ever go for the Halloween season...but after his suggestion I said Oh NOW we really have to go!!!! and his eyes did not roll....:goodvibes

He's hooked on the idea now!

I'm writing in my date book to come and say bye on Thursday so I don't forget....my Dis time comes in small spurts lately too.

Don't forget to pack your trip-book writing notebook....can't wait to read all about it when you get back and more ideas for your book!!!!! popcorn::

Scrappie J~

[eandesmom]

you sound very on top of things!

it is SOOOOOOOOO close!

[MRYPPNS]

Hey, at least you're not a Boston fan....


Kathy

Hey now! Some of your readers are Red Sox fans....don't make us hit the unsubscribe botton!

[jordanyosh]

Hey now! Some of your readers are Red Sox fans....don't make us hit the unsubscribe botton!

or Angels fans...well not really. I'm a Dodger fan, but oh yeah....they lost too.

[DisMomAmy]

Hey now! Some of your readers are Red Sox fans....don't make us hit the unsubscribe botton!

Welcome to my life Heidi... Tim's a die-hard Yankees fan! (Grew up in Southern CT.);)

[DisMomAmy]

I hope you get all of your to-do list accomplished today Kathy!! It's getting so close!!

:cheer2::cheer2::cheer2:

[KathyRN137]

Kathy! Down to 3 days!!! WOOHOO! The packing part at this point actually sounds really fun to me! Wish I was there (at that point, too!). Enjoy your trip if I can't get back over here in the next couple of days!

Thanks, I'm trying my best to touch base with everybody before we leave!
You will get there eventually and the reward will be all the sweeter!


Woo Hoo - you're going to WDW THIS week!! :banana:

Glad your Dad is home, hope he is doing well.

Sounds like you've got a good handle on the packing. I love packing for vacation. :lovestruc

Oh, how I'd love some of that weather right now. We've been in the 40s and 50s with LOTS of rain. Enjoy that warm Florida sun!

I'm looking forward to the :sunny: but they're predicting some :umbrella: too!


WOOHOO!!
i still have a lot to do also. :headache: but its all one day closer!!
Have a wonderful week and a safe flight down there Friday!:thumbsup2

You too... safe journey!


Kathy

[KathyRN137]

BOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
(and NOT the Halloween kind of BOOOOOO!!)

I can't believe how close your trip is!


:lmao: Now, now! We're all united in our love of WDW!!


Hey now! Some of your readers are Red Sox fans....don't make us hit the unsubscribe botton!

Hey, you liked me before you knew I was a Yankee fan! Don't go changing on me now! :laughing:


or Angels fans...well not really. I'm a Dodger fan, but oh yeah....they lost too.

Sorry Jordy... :sad1:


Welcome to my life Heidi... Tim's a die-hard Yankees fan! (Grew up in Southern CT.);)

True love conquers all! :love:


Kathy

[KathyRN137]

Let me be the first to say..... 4 Days!:woohoo::woohoo::woohoo::woohoo:

The temps during your trip look perfect! Seriously! I hope you have the best time ever!

Thank you! I really need this vacation! :thumbsup2

Yeay for four days, Kathy! You have been a busy little bee with getting stuff together! I bet you won't have a problem making it to Spectro, and hooray for that second Fantasmic showing! The weather looks like it is going to be very nice while you are there! Everything is coming together nicely! :goodvibes

Thanks! You've got me excited about the F&W Festival, I'd rather forgotten about it with all the Halloween hoopla!


That sounds like great touring weather, but not as good swimming weather. I hope that wasn't too much in the plans!

We have a couple of free mornings/afternoons scheduled, so we have room to play around with the schedule. Me, I'm not a big pool person, but the kids are looking forward to Samawati Springs!


Kathy

[KathyRN137]

Lost you for awhile. All caught up. Glad your dad is back home and doing well. Your plans look great.

Hi Mary! I'm having a hard time keeping up with everyone, too! Thanks about Dad; its a relief that he's done the difficult part of his recovery before we leave.


...3) When I saw the Spectro being added I thought the same thing you did about it :lmao:. We do have the first seating at 'Ohana don't we? It could be done, I have promised Bill that we would go back to the next night they have Spectro so he can be in our regular place, he has to see it twice :rotfl:, it is his favorite parade.

4) We are also trying to set up a time to meet up with Kat, I would love to meet her too.

I am so happy to hear that your dad is doing well :hug:.


Thanks, Tracy! Hey, perhaps we can combine our DIS-meets and meet Kat at the same time! :idea: I originally thought we would be able to get together at the AKL on Sunday, but she changed her itinerary a bit... When do you think you can catch her?


Kathy

[KathyRN137]

Kathy looks like everthing is coming into place...:thumbsup2

Don't forget to pack your trip-book writing notebook....can't wait to read all about it when you get back and more ideas for your book!!!!! popcorn::




I actually used some birthday money and bought a digital voice recorder so I can dictate my "notes" as I go along! Finding time to scribble notes can be difficult and its exaspirating when notes get lost.

Did I tell you that I found my April trip notes last week?? :sad2:


you sound very on top of things!

it is SOOOOOOOOO close!


Thanks, but I keep getting the feeling that I'm forgetting something... :confused3


Kathy

[Poolrat]

Thanks! You've got me excited about the F&W Festival, I'd rather forgotten about it with all the Halloween hoopla!

Just back from the world and F & W. I am sure you already know this but F& W is WAY less crowded during the week. Weekends were crazy crowded, Wed night- empty.





Did I tell you that I found my April trip notes last week?? :sad2:

LOL That is something that happens to me. I thought I lost a FULL photo card last week. I put it in safe place .... and forgot where that was :sad2: Luckily My safe place was was pouch on a lanyard I used for EMH nights for my resort key card and I found it as soon as I needed it for the next EMH night :thumbsup2


Thanks, but I keep getting the feeling that I'm forgetting something... :confused3

Sunscreen, socks, shoes for pool, lanyards, ME paperwork,meds

All things I have forgotten at one time or another. :rolleyes1

[Poolrat]

Oh by the way

HAVE A GREAT TIME!!!! I am sure the weather will be great !!! Enjoy!

:dance3::dance3::dance3::dance3:

[eandesmom]

I actually used some birthday money and bought a digital voice recorder so I can dictate my "notes" as I go along! Finding time to scribble notes can be difficult and its exaspirating when notes get lost.

Did I tell you that I found my April trip notes last week?? :sad2:


Thanks, but I keep getting the feeling that I'm forgetting something... :confused3


Kathy

Cool on the recorder and that's funny about the notes. I admit to not taking any, just letting my pictures remind me of everything. I probably should take notes but...

Nothing you forget that can't be bought or lived without.

Somehow though, I doubt you are forgetting anything!

[moparop]

Three days left!!! Have you stopped sleeping from excitement?

Hope the packing is going well. Does Tricia pretty much handle her own?

[DisMomAmy]

I can't believe you found the April notes!! :rotfl:

[PracPerfPatricia]

Happy Countdown Dance for you...:cool1:...Hmmm so where are you going to be this Saturday night...:scratchin


Go Yankees!!

Hmm...sorry can't support this...:sad2:

The The Phillies won the series last year and I think they're going to do it again this year...:cheer2:

Cheesesteaks or soft pretzels anyone?...;)

[brookelizabeth]

TOMORROW!!!

:yay:
:dance3:
:woohoo:
:cool1:
:banana:
:cheer2:

I'm hoping you were able to get everything done without being too crazy busy, and if I don't get back here later today or tomorrow, I wish you a very magical trip! I can't wait to read all about it!!!!!

[Charleston Princess]

Wow! I can't believe you are already at Disney Eve! :eek: Have a wonderful trip, Kathy!!!

[mommytothreeboys]

Have a FANTASTIC trip Kathy!!!! :banana::banana::banana:

[jcc0621]

Hmm...sorry can't support this...:sad2:

The The Phillies won the series last year and I think they're going to do it again this year...:cheer2:

Cheesesteaks or soft pretzels anyone?...;)

Here:banana: Let's Go Phillies :banana::banana::banana:

I'll have pretzel, thanks..it's a little early for a steak yet;)

[wvdislover]

Wow! I can't believe you're leaving tomorrow! You must be beside yourself with excitement (or stress/anxiety trying to get everything done!)! Have an AWESOME time!!! Try to drink a frozen raspberry lemonade for me--one of the few things I didn't get to do this past trip ;) Also, my fave drink this past trip at TS restaurants was an Arnold Palmer (half tea, half lemonade), made with Pomegranite lemonade...Yummmm! Unfortunately, I haven't been able to find it pom. lem. anywhere at home :sad2: Have fun! Can't wait to hear all about your trip when you get back!

[DisMomAmy]

I hope you have a great trip Kathy!! Enjoy MNSSHP!!

1 DAY

:dancer:party::dancer:party::dancer:party::dancer:

[KathyRN137]

Hey Everybody!

One Day!?

Don't scare me like that! :eek: We're actually leaving Friday, right after the kids get home from school.... I'm not sure why the ticker is showing just one more day. (Perhaps it isn't counting the Friday.)

Anyway, I'm just popping in quickly to say Hi... Had to work this morning... I've got a bunch of errands to do and I want to get my hair cut before we leave.

I did the on-line check-in last night... figured that since we'll be arriving so very late at Kidani it would help to save a few minutes at check-in. I'm sure we will all want to fall into bed ASAP!

I'll stop by later tonight for a longer post... hopefully before the game starts! ::yes::

Kathy

[Tnkrbelle565]

I'm back!!! Just wanted to wish you a great trip! It's hotter than Hades down there...pack accordingly ;)

[eandesmom]

Online check in already! Whoo hoo!!!

I don't think it counts departure day....

[jordanyosh]

Hey Everybody!

One Day!?

Don't scare me like that! :eek: We're actually leaving Friday, right after the kids get home from school.... I'm not sure why the ticker is showing just one more day. (Perhaps it isn't counting the Friday.)

Anyway, I'm just popping in quickly to say Hi... Had to work this morning... I've got a bunch of errands to do and I want to get my hair cut before we leave.

I did the on-line check-in last night... figured that since we'll be arriving so very late at Kidani it would help to save a few minutes at check-in. I'm sure we will all want to fall into bed ASAP!

I'll stop by later tonight for a longer post... hopefully before the game starts! ::yes::

Kathy

How exciting!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

:woohoo::woohoo::woohoo::woohoo:

I think you need this vacation!

What game?;)

[PracPerfPatricia]

Here:banana: Let's Go Phillies :banana::banana::banana:

I'll have pretzel, thanks..it's a little early for a steak yet;)

:banana:-First game tonight-pretzels all the way round...:cheer2:


Kathy,

just wanted to check in before you left

to wish you...

an extra magical, spectacular trip...

& may all of your Disney Wishes Come True...pixiedust:

Oh and btw...could you take lots of Halloween photos for those of us not going this year...;)

[kimmylaj]

have a magical time

[Mickey_Mom]

Oh and btw...could you take lots of Halloween photos for those of us not going this year...;)

Oh yes please! I miss Boo to You terribly. Have a wonderful, wonderful time!

[mom2mek]

:cheer2:Hi Kathy! I just wanted to pop in and wish you a super-duper happy and magical trip! Have fun and make some great memories! :cheer2:

Sara

[All7OfUs]

Hi Kathy!!

Here's to your most magical, wonderful, super-de-dooper, supercalifragilisticexpialidocious trip over!!! Can't wait to hear all about it, when you get back!!

[jcc0621]

Don't scare me like that! :eek: We're actually leaving Friday, right after the kids get home from school.... I'm not sure why the ticker is showing just one more day. (Perhaps it isn't counting the Friday.)

In Fuzzy Disney Math you NEVER count travel day;)

I did the on-line check-in last night... figured that since we'll be arriving so very late at Kidani it would help to save a few minutes at check-in. I'm sure we will all want to fall into bed ASAP!

We did online check in in AUgust. It was awesome. Everything ready and in line less than 5 minutes:thumbsup2

hopefully before the game starts! ::yes::

Kathy

CC who?:confused3;)

:banana:-First game tonight-pretzels all the way round...:cheer2:

:yay::yay:

[MRYPPNS]

Kathy in case I miss you tomorrow......

Have a safe and wonderful vacation!!!

[eandesmom]

lots and lots of haloweeeny pics pretty please!

Have a GREAT trip!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[mousescrapper]

Did I tell you that I found my April trip notes last week?? :sad2:







:rolleyes: figures huh?


Have a wonderful, safe, and magical trip! Can't wait to hear all about it when you guys return :goodvibes

Scrappie J~

[aspen37]

Have a great trip Kathy!!!

[KathyRN137]

Hi Everybody!

Wow! With all these well-wishes, we're sure to have a great trip! :goodvibes :goodvibes :goodvibes Thanks!

I got my hair cut really short yesterday after checking the weather forecast and reading about how hot and humid its going to be in Orlando next week! :scared: At least I won't feel like I'm wearing a wool scarf on my neck!

Worked this morning, but I'm done with work for the week.... YAY!! :banana:

I plan to spend the rest of the day packing... all errands are done, except for getting Tricia's hair cut this evening. Oh, I have to tell you something (this is so funny...)

I usually cut Ed's hair at home... its no big deal, I just use the buzzer since he likes it very short. Well, as he was heading out the door just now, he asked me if I thought that instead of me buzzing his hair tonight, if he should get his hair cut at the Main Street Barber Shop! :laughing: He thinks the kids would get a kick out of it!

Last night Billy was singing, "Boo to You" and Tricia was picking out her clothes. Ahhh, I love it when the rest of the family starts getting excited like me!! (Took them long enough, though!)

I will check in later.....


Kathy

[jordanyosh]

It definitely does sound like the rest of the family in joining in on the excitement! Yay!!!!!!:woohoo::woohoo::woohoo:

have a great time!!!!!

[Tnkrbelle565]

Well...it's about time the rest of the gang started getting excited!

[Halloweenqueen]

Have a fantastic trip, Kathy!

[eandesmom]

I love it! We saw several adult men in there and they give a GREAT haircut!

We saw a guy get a full bouquet of roses painted on the back of his head.

Some got pixie dust

Some a mickey head

and others just a great haircut and big grin.

[KathyRN137]

Well...it's about time the rest of the gang started getting excited!

Tell me about it!

I just watched Aisling's surprise video... she really was in shock! Congrats for pulling it off!

Oh Darn... now I have to wait until I get back to read about your trip! :headache:


Kathy

[KathyRN137]

I love it! We saw several adult men in there and they give a GREAT haircut!

We saw a guy get a full bouquet of roses painted on the back of his head.

Some got pixie dust

Some a mickey head

and others just a great haircut and big grin.


Oh man... I wonder if I could persuade him to get a Mickey Head shaved into the back of his head!! :rotfl: That would be a riot!


Kathy

[eandesmom]

Oh man... I wonder if I could persuade him to get a Mickey Head shaved into the back of his head!! :rotfl: That would be a riot!


Kathy
Well if not....there is always one of these..

http://i91.photobucket.com/albums/k308/eandesmom/Travel/Disney/2-14/WDW_090214_0294.jpg

:)

Best $14 I ever spent.

[annnewjerz]

So glad to hear the rest of the family is starting to get excited. I think it would be a hoot to get Ed's hair cut at the Main Street Barber Shop---maybe put some pink glitter in it!! ;)

We just got back from The World the other weekend and the Boo to You parade was awesome (this coming from someone who doesn't even like parades).

Have a safe and fun-filled trip, can't wait to hear all about it when you get back! :thumbsup2

[OhMari]

Have a great time Kathy and Family.
If it was this time last year, I would of been there too.
Oh well.
Let me know if you want this moved over, or if you are starting another TR.:rotfl:

M.

[MaryAz]

Have an outstanding time! Yay for Ed, I hope he gets a great cut with some extra fun thrown in.:rolleyes1:yay::yay:

[irish dancer]

Well, it's finally here!!! I hope you and the family have a fantabulous time!! So excited for you guys!

How fun that Ed wants to get his haircut at the MS barber shop. I hope you can convince him to do one of the extra special things too!!

Try and get some sleep tonight!! I hope the kids can pay attention in school tomorrow, I know mine would have an awfully hard time knowing they were leaving for WDW just a few short hours after school.

[IluvXU]

Have a fantastic trip Kathy! Enjoy all the fun and take lots of pics of AKV!

[moparop]

I love the idea of getting a haircut at Main Street. We loved Michel!

[faerieprincess]

Have a wonderful trip, Kathy ~ from one of your pesky lurkers! :goodvibes

[Casey's Mommie]

Hi Kathy,

I'm one of your quiet lurkers... but I hope your whole family has a fabulous time!!!!

You are leaving tomorrow!!!!!! :banana: :banana: :banana: :banana:

[KathyRN137]

Awww, its so nice to have so many old friends and even some "quiet lurkers" drop by to give us a warm send-off! I can't believe that it is finally Disney Eve! :cloud9: I've touched base with all of my DIS-friends with whom I've got meets planned... mrsksomeday, Dreamer&Wisher, and KatGarcia... and I'm so excited about getting to hang out with them in person!

If anybody else is going to be at WDW next week, now's the time to PM me!

Our plan is to leave for the airport at around 3:30 tomorrow, as soon as the kids get home from school. Friday night traffic into the city... Yikes!

Hopefully I'll be able to pop in sometime during the day to say goodbye. I've got everything laid out and I'm about halfway packed... but of course, there will be the last-minute tidying and running around to keep me busy.

I am so very tempted to do some DISing right now, but I promised myself that I would get to bed at a reasonable hour. Ed is working tonight, so he will sleep tomorrow when the kids are in school. If only the darn leaf-blowers would stop making such a racket during the day! :headache: The storm we had yesterday blew a ton of leaves off of the trees... Ah well, such is Autumn in suburban New Jersey!

And with that, I will bid you all Good Night and Sweet Dreams!


Kathy

[DearDaisyinDurham]

((((Kathy & family)))
Have a wonderful, wonderful time! I know you will! :cloud9:

[DisMomAmy]

Have a fantastic trip Kathy!! :banana::banana:

[OhMari]

Awww, its so nice to have so many old friends and even some "quiet lurkers" drop by to give us a warm send-off! I can't believe that it is finally Disney Eve! :cloud9: I've touched base with all of my DIS-friends with whom I've got meets planned... mrsksomeday, Dreamer&Wisher, and KatGarcia... and I'm so excited about getting to hang out with them in person!

If anybody else is going to be at WDW next week, now's the time to PM me!

Our plan is to leave for the airport at around 3:30 tomorrow, as soon as the kids get home from school. Friday night traffic into the city... Yikes!

Hopefully I'll be able to pop in sometime during the day to say goodbye. I've got everything laid out and I'm about halfway packed... but of course, there will be the last-minute tidying and running around to keep me busy.

I am so very tempted to do some DISing right now, but I promised myself that I would get to bed at a reasonable hour. Ed is working tonight, so he will sleep tomorrow when the kids are in school. If only the darn leaf-blowers would stop making such a racket during the day! :headache: The storm we had yesterday blew a ton of leaves off of the trees... Ah well, such is Autumn in suburban New Jersey!

And with that, I will bid you all Good Night and Sweet Dreams!


Kathy


I know you will peak in here at least once, but say Hi to Kat and mrsksomeday & Bill. Have a great time, again.

[Tnkrbelle565]

Have a fantastic trip! Enjoy!!!!

[KathyRN137]

I'm lovin' this weather forecast!

10-Day Forecast High /Low (°F) Precip. %

Today
Oct 30 Partly Cloudy 86°/69° 20 %

Sat
Oct 31 Partly Cloudy 88°/68° 10 %

Sun
Nov 01 Partly Cloudy 84°/68° 10 %

Mon
Nov 02 Partly Cloudy 80°/67° 20 %

Tue
Nov 03 Partly Cloudy 78°/64° 20 %

Wed
Nov 04 Partly Cloudy 78°/65° 10 %

Thu
Nov 05 Partly Cloudy 82°/65° 10 %

Fri
Nov 06 Mostly Cloudy 84°/66° 10 %

Sat
Nov 07 Cloudy 85°/67° 20 %


Ughh! I really want to DIS, but there's still stuff I've got to do...

Why is it that no matter how prepared you think you are, there's always a gazillion little last-minute things to do before you leave for vacation??


Kathy

[jcc0621]

Kathy and family. Have a fabulous trip. Can't wait to hear all about it:goodvibes

[mousescrapper]

:dance3: have lot's of fun....

and a full picture essay of Ed's haircut is neccesary...now that he said it and us hungry Disers are in the know...he just must do it :thumbsup2

I'll be thinking of you guys tomorrow night...


Happy Haunting!!!!

[mrsksomeday]

:banana::banana: I am loving the forecast too!! Woo hoo, I hope it stays that way. Have a safe flight and a wonderful trip.

[princesskelz]

Whoohoo! We are down here now. It's hot as anything but crowds are LOW! we went to MGM today and walked on everything! See ya tomorrow! Have a nice flight! =]

[jordanyosh]

have a great time!:thumbsup2

[wvdislover]

Hey Kathy (and fellow Dis'ers at the World now), if you get a chance, swing by the AKL and check out the pumpkins entered in the CM pumpkin carving contest...just saw it on another thread ;) Try saying that 5 times really fast: cast member pumpkin carving contest! :rotfl:

[JPFamilyMom]

Hey I fell a bit behind, can't wait to read about your trip when you get back. Hope you are having a great time. :)

[joy13]

I know you are there having a wonderful time - I thought of you Friday and Saturday knowing you were arriving and enjoying the party! I can't wait to hear about your trip. I'll get you the link to my TR when I start it.

[mousescrapper]

Hey Kathy followers....

anyone know if she is tweeting on this trip :confused3

I clicked on her link, but it says her tweets are protected...I thought I was already following it, but maybe not...

[brookelizabeth]

Not sure about the tweeting...I just see the "protected" message as well.

Kathy-I hope you guys are having a blast and enjoying the beautiful weather!! :goodvibes

[joy13]

I checked - she hasn't tweeted since she left. If her tweets are protected you have to have a twitter account and she has to approve you as a follower to be able to see them. I don't think she had her account protected at first.

[joy13]

Sad for you because I think your trip is almost over :( Can't wait to hear all about it though!

[starrzone]

:banana::banana::banana: Can't wait to hear all about your family's trip! :banana::banana::banana:

[KathyRN137]

Hello, DIS-Friends, we are back! :wave2:

Well, I always say that no two trips to The World are ever alike and I have been proved right once again! This was an unusual/exceptional trip for us in several ways...

We arrived late Saturday night and by Tuesday, poor Billy was sick with a temp of 104. :sad2: He missed out on a good deal of park time during the middle of the week, so we had to change our schedule around a bit. Naturally, once he began to feel better, the rest of the travelers began falling like dominos... first Ed, then Catie, and now Tricia is beginning to sneeze. The only one who isn't sick yet is me...

Yes, the cheese stands alone.

I know it will be coming, though, because Billy has been snuggling up to me all week. :rolleyes: Ah well, such is parenthood!

I'm sorry that I didn't get a chance to Tweet on my trip. I forgot my cell phone charger and so did Tricia! Doh! Ed's charger doesn't fit our phones, so we basically had Catie and Ed's phones as our sole means of communication with each other. (That, plus I was a bit distracted with Billy.) Hopefully I'll be able to do it next time.

Well, its almost 2:00 am and I'm pretty beat... I just wanted to pop in and say "Hi!" Hopefully I'll be able to get my TR up and running before I get sick!

G'Night!

Kathy

[Halloweenqueen]

Glad you are back, safe and sound.

Poor Billy. I hope he was able to do his favorites.

Can't wait for the trip report to begin!

Welcome back!

[AGPrincess]

Welcome back!! Sorry Billy got sick...that's always a bummer. :sick: But I can't wait to read about the trip! :thumbsup2

[Charleston Princess]

Welcome back, Kathy! So sorry to hear that illness struck Billy and then everyone else! I hope you were still able to have a halfway decent time, and I am still looking forward to hearing all the details!

[DisMomAmy]

Hi Kathy!! Welcome Home! :goodvibes Sorry you guys had sickness floating around while you were there... :sad2:

I can't wait to hear all about your week!

[preschoolmom]

Welcome Back!

I'm so sorry everyone got sick...

I can't wait to hear all about it!

:grouphug:

[jcc0621]

Hello, DIS-Friends, we are back!

:wave2:


We arrived late Saturday night and by Tuesday, poor Billy was sick with a temp of 104. :sad2: He missed out on a good deal of park time during the middle of the week, so we had to change our schedule around a bit. Naturally, once he began to feel better, the rest of the travelers began falling like dominos... first Ed, then Catie, and now Tricia is beginning to sneeze. The only one who isn't sick yet is me...

Oh no, I know how this goes:hug:

[Mickey_Mom]

Welcome back! :wizard: A little magic to get everyone back on the mend. Looking forward to your Halloween Adventure!

[praisehisname]

Welcome back! Hopefully you will dodge this round of sickness!

[eandesmom]

Oh no! I hope you are able to stave off the illness with good rest this weekend and that you had a decent trip despite it all.

Welcome home.

[SwansLoveDisney]

Welcome back, Kathy.

I hope that Ed and the kids feel better soon and that you manage to avoid catching it!

[Dreamer & Wisher]

Temp. of 104! Yikes, he must have been feeling miserable:sick:

I hope he is better now and that you don't catch it. Was Ed that sick too? I have been thinking of you guys and wondering how you have been. We didn't see you after breakfast in the Crystal Palace so I was concerned.

Hope you all had fun despite the illness and I hope you don't get it.

Can't wait to read your report. I haven't written anything yet.

[irish dancer]

Welcome Back!! I'm so sorry that you had to deal with sickness while at WDW. I'm excited to hear all about the trip though.

I'll keep my fingers crossed that you don't get sick too!

[joy13]

Sorry to hear that sickness hit your family while at Disney - what a bummer! Healthy vibes to you!

[DearDaisyinDurham]

Can't wait to hear about your trip!! Missed you!!! Hope all are feeling better ~

[MaryAz]

Welcome back. Sorry to hear that Billy was sick. Hope you manage to avoid it. In my SIL's family only 3 out of 5 got sick with H1N1-so I guess there is hope.

[Hedy]

Hello, DIS-Friends, we are back! :wave2:

Well, I always say that no two trips to The World are ever alike and I have been proved right once again! This was an unusual/exceptional trip for us in several ways...

We arrived late Saturday night and by Tuesday, poor Billy was sick with a temp of 104. :sad2: He missed out on a good deal of park time during the middle of the week, so we had to change our schedule around a bit. Naturally, once he began to feel better, the rest of the travelers began falling like dominos... first Ed, then Catie, and now Tricia is beginning to sneeze. The only one who isn't sick yet is me...

Yes, the cheese stands alone.

I know it will be coming, though, because Billy has been snuggling up to me all week. :rolleyes: Ah well, such is parenthood!

I'm sorry that I didn't get a chance to Tweet on my trip. I forgot my cell phone charger and so did Tricia! Doh! Ed's charger doesn't fit our phones, so we basically had Catie and Ed's phones as our sole means of communication with each other. (That, plus I was a bit distracted with Billy.) Hopefully I'll be able to do it next time.

Well, its almost 2:00 am and I'm pretty beat... I just wanted to pop in and say "Hi!" Hopefully I'll be able to get my TR up and running before I get sick!

G'Night!

Kathy

:hug::hug::hug:

[jess98ac]

Welcome home! Hope you keep avoiding being sick, and hope everyone else feels better soon. Looking forward to the trip report!

[jordanyosh]

Welcome back!

Glad you're a nurse.

Interesting to hear how sickness affects your WDW experience.

[wvdislover]

Oh, Kathy, I'm SO sorry to hear about all the sickness in your family :sad2: I hope you were able to enjoy your trip somewhat, anyways. Glad you all made it back home safely, though. Looking forward to reading your "different" TR! Hope you are able to stay healthy...it's SO hard for Mom to be sick :sad2:

[IluvXU]

Oh Kathy that just stinks. I hope you still have some magical moments and memories! Hope you stay well!

[All7OfUs]

Glad you were able to switch things around a bit, and still manage to have a nice time. Can't wait to follow you along on your Adventures, Kathy!

Welcome home!

[mom2mek]

Oh Kathy, I'm so sorry about the sickness! I hope you manage to stay well.

Looking forward to hearing about the trip though! We're ready when you are!
:hug:

Sara

[Tnkrbelle565]

welcome back! I'm so sorry that everyone got sick. :sick:

Can't wait to hear more though popcorn::

[KathyRN137]

Glad you are back, safe and sound.

Poor Billy. I hope he was able to do his favorites....

Yes, he did. Basically Wed and Thurs were shot, but he got to do everything he wanted!


Welcome back!! Sorry Billy got sick...that's always a bummer. :sick: But I can't wait to read about the trip! :thumbsup2

Thanks. Luckily kids bounce back quickly!


Welcome back, Kathy! So sorry to hear that illness struck Billy and then everyone else! I hope you were still able to have a halfway decent time, and I am still looking forward to hearing all the details!

We had a great time, just lost a bit of touring time, that's all.


Hi Kathy!! Welcome Home! :goodvibes Sorry you guys had sickness floating around while you were there... :sad2:

I can't wait to hear all about your week!

Thanks Amy! I hope to get started soon.


Welcome Back!

I'm so sorry everyone got sick...

I can't wait to hear all about it!

:grouphug:


Coming soon...


:wave2:
Oh no, I know how this goes:hug:

Yeah, it stinks, doesn't it? :rolleyes:


Welcome back! :wizard: A little magic to get everyone back on the mend. Looking forward to your Halloween Adventure!

Thanks, Billy went to school this morning, but Ed still feels yucky. Tricia and I seem okay so far (knock wood.)


Welcome back! Hopefully you will dodge this round of sickness!

From your lips to God's ears!


Oh no! I hope you are able to stave off the illness with good rest this weekend and that you had a decent trip despite it all. Welcome home.

Thanks... I would've loved to have been able to stay just a few more days!


Welcome back, Kathy.

I hope that Ed and the kids feel better soon and that you manage to avoid catching it!

Thanks! So far, so good...


Temp. of 104! Yikes, he must have been feeling miserable:sick:

I hope he is better now and that you don't catch it. Was Ed that sick too? I have been thinking of you guys and wondering how you have been. We didn't see you after breakfast in the Crystal Palace so I was concerned.

Hope you all had fun despite the illness and I hope you don't get it.

Can't wait to read your report. I haven't written anything yet.

It's hard... there's always a need for a few days recovery time before the serious writing can begin. If you remember, Billy and Ed skipped breakfast that morning. They rested and joined us at MK in the afternoon, but Billy was kind of out of it. It really shows in the pictures...


Welcome Back!! I'm so sorry that you had to deal with sickness while at WDW. I'm excited to hear all about the trip though.

I'll keep my fingers crossed that you don't get sick too!

Cross your toes, too! :laughing:


Sorry to hear that sickness hit your family while at Disney - what a bummer! Healthy vibes to you!

Thanks; we need them!


Can't wait to hear about your trip!! Missed you!!! Hope all are feeling better ~

Thanks! All are okay except Ed, his cough is still bothering him. :sick:


Welcome back. Sorry to hear that Billy was sick. Hope you manage to avoid it. In my SIL's family only 3 out of 5 got sick with H1N1-so I guess there is hope.

It seems to have hit the boys worse than the girls...


:hug::hug::hug:

Thanks! :goodvibes


Welcome home! Hope you keep avoiding being sick, and hope everyone else feels better soon. Looking forward to the trip report!

I hope to start soon...


Welcome back!

Glad you're a nurse.

Interesting to hear how sickness affects your WDW experience.

Hey, you just have to roll with the punches... even at the Happiest Place on Earth! :thumbsup2


Oh, Kathy, I'm SO sorry to hear about all the sickness in your family :sad2: I hope you were able to enjoy your trip somewhat, anyways. Glad you all made it back home safely, though. Looking forward to reading your "different" TR! Hope you are able to stay healthy...it's SO hard for Mom to be sick :sad2:

So far, so good. I felt so bad for the boys, though...


Oh Kathy that just stinks. I hope you still have some magical moments and memories! Hope you stay well!

We had a great trip; I'm so glad we invited our niece. She seems to have just caught the sniffles and no fever...


Glad you were able to switch things around a bit, and still manage to have a nice time. Can't wait to follow you along on your Adventures, Kathy!

Welcome home!

Thanks! Flexibility is the key...


Oh Kathy, I'm so sorry about the sickness! I hope you manage to stay well.

Looking forward to hearing about the trip though! We're ready when you are!
:hug:

Sara

Hopefully that will be soon! I've a ton of work to catch up with today; perhaps with a bit of luck I can begin the Intro tonight!


Kathy

[KathyRN137]

welcome back! I'm so sorry that everyone got sick. :sick:

Can't wait to hear more though popcorn::


Whoops! Thanks! You snuck in there while I was posting!

Kathy

[annnewjerz]

Welcome back, Kathy!!!

I'm so sorry to hear about everyone getting sick from The World---I came back from our weekend in October with a nasty respiratory infection, but luckily I didn't feel sick at all until it was time to leave and we were sitting in MCO. I think it was a sign. :rolleyes1

Can't wait to hear all about your trip and I hope that regardless of all the hiccups you still managed to have a great time!!

Ann

[mousescrapper]

Welocme back Kathy....

sorry about the sickness factor, what a bummer, but glad it still sounds like yo guys had good FUN!

can't wait to read all about it popcorn::

[Stacie96]

Welcome back Kathy....

You can never really plan for everything that could happen on vacation especially getting sick, but it sounds like you guys were able to have a great time anyway and I am glad everyone is starting to feel better.

Keeping my fingers crossed that you are able to avoid it and....

anxiously awaiting your report popcorn::

[PracPerfPatricia]

Hey Kathy,

glad you left and came home safely...:goodvibes

Sorry about Billy...:sad2:...I'm glad he got to do his favorites though...and can't wait to read your TR...

Don't know what it's like in NJ but over the river in PA...everyone is or has been sick...not even just the flu/s but some sort of mystery virus...:confused3

Hope you stay well and the rest of the family reccuperates well...:goodvibes

[maroo]

Oh no!

I am so sad for you guys.

I am sure you made the best of it...But to plan and be so excited for so long and then have the sickies is just crummy! :headache:

I am so sorry.

I hope you are all feeling some better! Hang in there! :grouphug:

[kimmylaj]

oh no...so sorry to hear that . cant wait to hear all about your trip though

[Halloweenqueen]

Yikes! Getting worried over no follow up.

Hope you are taking it easy, Kathy!

[Poolrat]

Glad to hear you are back.
Sorry about being sick in the world.

I know how hard re-entry is especially when everyone has been sick.

Can't wait to hear all about it.

[thepreston6]

Kathy,
Thank you so much for your posts. It has been fun reading about your Disney adventures. We are a Disney fanatics as well and my son Paul, who is almost nine, sounds a lot like your Billy.
We just got back from our trip on October 30th. We had a fantastic time and Paul did so well. We used a lot of the tips we read about on the boards and were so much better prepared. We loved the Halloween Party but I think I like Mickey's Christmas party better.
Anyways, thanks for all your stories and I can't wait to hear the latest ones!

[Jinxy]

Kathy,
I'm so sorry that you had illness on your trip. :( My DH and I were checking out when you were checking in and we both came down with something on the trip home.

Can't wait to read your TR.

Jinxy

[mommytothreeboys]

Welcome Back Kathy! So sorry to hear that you had some sickness issues while on vacation..that's never fun. I hope you managed to stay healthy through it all. Ready to hear all about the trip whenever you're feeling up to it! :)

[AmandaSparks730]

I'm here! Can't wait for the TR to start! Sorry about all the sickness, though. I've had a double bout of bronchitis over the past 3 weeks or so. It's NOT fun, trust me!

Oh, and for my Health project this year, we have to do a PowerPoint presentation about mental illnesses (one of our topics this year), and I picked Autism :)

[KathyRN137]

Hey Everybody! Sorry for the delay; its been super-busy around here! :upsidedow

Just to let you know, everyone is well. Ed still has a lingering cough and he feels really tired but other than that, we are fine. Tricia and I seemed to have escaped "the bug," so I'm pretty sure it wasn't H1N1 that hit the boys, just the seasonal flu. Oh well, what can you do?!

Now that we're done with all the pre-trip chatter, I'm going to post links to the TR posts on the first page of the report. Hopefully that will make it easier for folks to keep up!


* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *




Chapter One: Disney Day Is Here!

Friday, October 30, 2009



As I sat at yet another red light, my fingers tapped nervously on the steering wheel. For the tenth time, I glanced at the dashboard clock (as if that would somehow make the numbers any different.) 2:30.

Darn! I told Billy’s teacher that I would be there by now! School let out at 2:45. I had e-mailed her the day before to tell her that I would be picking him up instead of letting him come home on the bus as he usually did, and that it would be a big help if they could change him out of his Halloween costume and into regular clothes since we were leaving for the airport immediately after school. She had e-mailed me back that morning to say that it would be a big help if I could be there early to change him out of his costume. That kind of defeated the purpose of my request (to save time) but I had agreed. After all, the staff was sure to be busy with the Halloween party. I looked at the clock once more and sighed, realizing that I was not going to make it until 2:45 after all. So much for the best-laid plans of mice and moms.

Our flight to Orlando wasn’t departing until 7:30, but I had booked us to fly out of Kennedy in New York instead of our usual Newark, NJ airport because the flights out of NJ had been so ridiculously expensive... serious price-gouging due to Jersey Week, I had imagined. In any case, the plan was for us to leave the house exactly at 3:30 to give us time to fight the Friday night traffic into the city. Since Billy’s bus usually dropped him off between 3:30 and 3:40, I had come up with the brilliant idea of driving to pick him up early so he could have some transition time to change, use the bathroom, etc. before we set out on the long drive to the airport.

A yellow school bus up ahead began to flash its lights and the traffic behind it slowed to a stop. I groaned. I should’ve just let him come home on the bus. Now I would have to park all the way out in the far parking lot to avoid getting caught behind the line of mini-buses that seemed to stretch for half a mile in front of the school. Oh well, it was too late to do anything about that now. I prayed that the staff would be kind enough to change Billy out of his costume for me so that I could use a few precious minutes to finish my last bit of packing once we got home.

You read that correctly... we were supposed to leave in approximately one hour and I hadn’t even completely finished packing! :eek: I had been planning and dreaming about our first Halloween at WDW for roughly six months and yet somehow I was running about two hours behind schedule.

Perhaps I had been a bit too over-confident. After all, this was going to be our family’s seventh trip to The World. All the big plans had been made ages ago... I felt as if I had the whole process down to a science. By the time September had rolled around, I had placed myself on a sort of autopilot as far as Disney was concerned. The start of school is always a super-busy time for families and so, naturally, I had become caught up in school-related shopping, paperwork and activities. Soccer, Field Hockey, and Sunday morning Religious Ed began for Tricia, and Billy resumed his Saturday Morning sports program. Helping with homework and taxiing children to and from games, practices and the library is all part of the job when you’re a Mom.

Oh, not to worry. I hadn’t completely forgotten about our trip. I had been slowly filling the Disney Box with travel-sized items over the past couple of weeks. I had already dug out the rain ponchos and the family’s Disney shirts from the closet. The mail had been stopped, transportation to and from both airports had been confirmed, and an order had been placed with Garden Grocer for delivery to our DVC villa. I had made the arrangements to board Aimee, our Lab/Golden Retriever mix at the kennel and had taken her to the vet that week for her boosters. :dog:

The house was fairly clean and tidy; we had even been able to rake/blow the first big batch of leaves to the curb for pick-up on November 1st. I had been fanatical about keeping up with my laundry all week so that all our vacation clothes were washed and ready to go. Tricia and I both got our pre-vacation haircuts and I had buzzed Billy’s hair myself.

The box of Halloween costumes had been sent (albeit very last-minute) to our resort, Kidani Village at Animal Kingdom Lodge. Hmmm, that task could certainly have been executed in a more timely fashion... it cost over $100 to mail the darn thing to Lake Buena Vista overnight so it would arrive on Friday. (Saturday was Halloween and I wasn’t taking any chances.)

So, other than that rather outrageously expensive bit of procrastination, I really should have been in good shape, right?

Wrong! Don’t ask me why, but I still wound up running around like a chicken with its head cut off all day! :laughing:

I had been unusually fatigued that week, but not for lack of sleep. I was a good little Disney Do-Bee and had made sure the kids and I got to bed at a decent hour all that week. I couldn’t speak for Ed… you may recall that he’s a cop and works nights. He had signed up for two college classes this semester and so his schedule had been extra-full as well. He’s always running on the barest minimum of sleep and the constant whine of the leaf-blowers in our neighborhood had not made for the best of daytime sleeping conditions as of late.

Perhaps my iron was low… chalk that up to the usual monthly reason. At least it had the courtesy to arrive a bit early and so I wouldn’t have to deal with it on vacation as I had originally calculated. Still, when the alarm clock had gone off that morning I fervently wished that I could roll over and get just one more hour of sleep. My back ached and I added two Advil to my collection of morning vitamins. I was in a great mood, though, and found myself humming Disney tunes as I made breakfast and packed two school lunches. That night I would be in Disney!

By 8:30 both kids were off to school and out of my hair. Tricia had finished her packing the previous evening… surprisingly her clothing selection had passed my inspection. Ed had already told me that he would pack himself and I had begun putting clothes for Billy and me in little piles on the dining room table. I had the day off and felt that I had plenty of time to get things done, so I found myself lingering over my breakfast while I checked the ten-day weather forecast for Orlando. Basically it looked like it would be sunny and quite warm. I can’t blame the DIS; I did only a minimal amount of DIS-ing that morning. My last post was 9:35am. After that I took my shower and got dressed.

:confused3 Where did the rest of the day go?

Let’s see if I can remember. I dropped Aimee at the kennel at 11:00; then I stopped at the bank, returned some books and videos to the library, and filled up the gas tank. When I got home I emptied out the back of the van so our bags would fit better. Then I did some packing until it was time to leave for my 12:30 appointment at the nail salon. This was probably my biggest mistake… a mani and pedi took about an hour and twenty minutes… but I had been so busy all week between work and completing my other errands that I hadn’t had the chance to do it the day before. I really didn’t want to cancel; it had become a kind of a pre-vacation relaxation ritual for me. Probably should’ve bagged it, but hindsight is always 20/20.

I walked into the house around 2:00. Ed had just woken up and was tossing his clothes into a bag. He nodded toward the still unfinished packing on the table and asked, “What have you been doing all day?”

A-hem.

I went to the bathroom to gather up my makeup and toiletries. DSis Eileen called; she and Catie were minutes away. Ed jumped into the shower.

Whoops! Better not forget those MNSSHP tickets! I grabbed them (and my binder, and my PassPorter) and shoved them into my bag. Then I turned down the heat and ran around the house locking all the windows. I thought that DSis and Dniece would show up at any minute, but they did not appear. I couldn’t wait any longer. I grabbed my keys and headed out the front door. They pulled up just as I got into my van and, after throwing them a couple of air kisses and telling them to let themselves in, I finally backed out of the leaf-strewn driveway.

Now I was sitting at that darn red light wondering how the day had gotten away from me! The light changed and I hurried the last few blocks to Billy’s school. Billy has been attending TCI, a private, non-profit school for children with communication, learning, and developmental disabilities since he was about four years old. Because he has “classic” autism, his educational needs are unable to be met in a traditional school setting. Fortunately, TCI services children all the way through secondary school, so we don’t have to worry about him transferring as he gets older. He’s very comfortable there and we consider ourselves fortunate; the staff is top-notch and very caring.

Amazingly, I was able to find a parking space and slowly made my way up the steep hill to the main entrance of the school. In 1994 the pharmaceutical company, Hoffmann-LaRoche, donated a 45,000 square foot building to TCI and it underwent extensive renovations to convert it into a school. The 7-acre property spans an elevation that is among the highest in the county. Believe me, I felt it as I reached the top of the stairs and stopped to catch my breath before opening the door!

“Hello, Mrs.____, are you all ready for Walt Disney World?” Anne, the receptionist, somehow manages to keep track of everything that is going on with students and their families. The lobby was bustling with activity; groups of students were departing for their bus lines and several parents were picking up their children. Anne buzzed the classroom to let Billy’s teacher know that I was there.

“Billy’s so excited,” she continued. “He’s been talking about going to Disney all week!” Within moments I heard my son’s distinctive, “Eeeeee-aaahhhhh-eeeee!” coming from the end of the hallway. I turned and couldn’t help but smile. He was practically dancing down the hallway with his teacher.

“Mommy!” he called out when he had finally seen me. It took a minute since his head was violently nodding up and down like a heavy-metal guitarist. God bless his teacher, he was already changed into street clothes. She handed me the bag containing his pirate costume and a plastic pumpkin filled with candy and small toys. “Billy loved the magician at the party!” she said, and wished him a wonderful vacation. Billy reached out and put his arms around her for a big hug. Then with a loud screech of joy, he grabbed my hand and pulled me toward the door. The receptionist called out, “Goodbye, Billy” and he answered her with, “Goodbye! Happy Halloween!” He put on his backpack and we signed out. Billy then proceeded to (loudly) wish every person we saw from the front door to where the van was parked a “Happy Halloween!” He was clearly in a great mood.

We buckled up and I turned on the CD player. Soon we pulled out of the lot singing along with the grim grinning ghosts on the MNSSHP CD. In a few minutes we would be home and then we’d immediately set off to the airport.


Our Halloween Disney trip was finally, finally here! :hmghost:


Kathy

[maroo]

Awesome start!

You are inspiring me to do a bit more prep for our December trip...it is coming up on us FAST! Especially considering the holidays!

Can't wait for more! Glad you guys are all feeling better!

[eandesmom]

You know, I don't think it matters how much you plan, if you are leaving on an afternoon or an evening that has kids at school for part or all of it, somehow it is just crazy!

And if you hadn't have gotten the mani pedi, it might have bugged you while you were there.

I love Billy's reaction when you went to get him. And that he was ready!

I'm glad you've all escaped H1N1 and am looking forward to more :goodvibes

[jordanyosh]

thank god i'm single.

I agree with Eandesmom...doesn't matter how much planning you do, those last 2 days before the trip are nerve wracking and super busy.

I hope you make it to the airport on time.

[brookelizabeth]

Those last couple of days/hours are ALWAYS busy it seems. No matter how much you prepare, there is suddenly less time and a mile long to do list! Never fails!!!

Love the start though-picking up your son, and him being SO excited, I'm sure melted all the stress right away. You were on your way!!! :yay:

[Dreamer & Wisher]

Great Start! I can't wait to read more.

[kimmylaj]

yay . terrific start. cant wait for more. sorry you had to do so much running around and the price to ship the costumes. ugh

[annnewjerz]

Great start, Kathy!! So excited to hear about your trip beginning and can't wait to read more. :thumbsup2

[irish dancer]

Yeah! What a great start! I'm the same as you on departure day, no matter how much I think I'm ready I'm always running around at the last minute!

Can't wait to hear more!

Will you start a new thread for the trip since you're at 195 pages already?

[mebbradley]

Oh my. I'm subscribing! Can;t wait to read more!

[Poolrat]

Chapter One: Disney Day Is Here!


Billy reached out and put his arms around her for a big hug. Then with a loud screech of joy, he grabbed my hand and pulled me toward the door. The receptionist called out, “Goodbye, Billy” and he answered her with, “Goodbye! Happy Halloween!” He put on his backpack and we signed out. Billy then proceeded to (loudly) wish every person we saw from the front door to where the van was parked a “Happy Halloween!” He was clearly in a great mood.

We buckled up and I turned on the CD player. Soon we pulled out of the lot singing along with the grim grinning ghosts on the MNSSHP CD. In a few minutes we would be home and then we’d immediately set off to the airport.

Our Halloween Disney trip was finally, finally here! :hmghost:


Kathy
That last part made me mist up - why??? I guess because I could picture sweet Billy in the parking lot so excited and "home " was that much closer.
It left me with warm fuzzies.
Great Beginning!

[princesskelz]

awwwwwwwh how cute!:goodvibes
cant wait to hear more:yay:

[mousescrapper]

Wonderful start Kathy....

I have missed your wonderful and whimsical writing....this is going to be a great TR I can already tell!

Can't wait for more!

Scrappie

[KathyRN137]

Hey Guys! :wave2:

I've been reading your replies, just haven't had the chance to post anything... I'm working on uploading our thousands of pix!! (We used three cameras!)

OhMari suggested that since this PTR is so long that I close it and open a new one for the TR with a link to the PTR, so that is what I'm going to do.

I'll "see" you on the other board....

http://www.disboards.com/showthread.php?t=2329848


Kathy

[irish dancer]

Yeah! What a great start! I'm the same as you on departure day, no matter how much I think I'm ready I'm always running around at the last minute!

Can't wait to hear more!

Will you start a new thread for the trip since you're at 195 pages already?

[jess98ac]

Fantastic start, I can't WAIT for the rest!!

[Tnkrbelle565]

Great job conveying the excitement!!!! :thumbsup2

[joy13]

Great start! I'll be over to the trip report!

[wvdislover]

Yay! You've started! Sounds like an AWESOME first day, so far, even if it was stressful. Love Billy's reaction when you picked him up at school. Glad you and Tricia have stayed well! See you on the other thread!

[All7OfUs]

Kathy! Beautiful and descriptive writing, as usual!! LOVE IT!!

You are off to a great, but harried start here on Day 1. So sweet that Billy's fairly singing with excitement. I have every confidence that your packing with get finished and you'll be on right on time :goodvibes

And I'll bet all of us peeps even get to enjoy your pedi/mani too ;)

[mickeysmyboy]

Signing on for the TR! Great start!! Sounds like you were a bit frazzled! :eek: I tihnk no matter what you do it always gets a little crazy right before a trip!

Can't wait to read more!!!