Hey All!
Sept dates changed again so now Angie and Sandy are going 9/11-18. We haven't gotten ahold of Dan's mom to see what days will work for her. I don't know that I'm up for Disney for an entire week (yes I love Disney but I like being able to take lots of little trips instead of just one bigger one!). The weekend before is Labor Day and we were previously debating going that weekend and staying into the week so we wouldn't have to use so much time off from work...I don't know. We're still trying to work out the details. As for where we'll stay, it'll be either All Star Music Family Suite or Poly - it will all depend on if the dreaded house sells in MI!
Hopefully we'll be there at the same time Grace - maybe we'll just run into each other!
As for the surprise trip, I spent some time working on it this weekend and have since gotten a little bit more excited again.
You're right Lisa - talking to people is half the excitement!
I worked out more of what our "must sees" are for the different days. I'm really trying to have low expectations not knowing how hot or crowded it will be. I'm debating signing up for the Tour Guide Mike or a site like that only because we've never been at this time of the year before.
I'm also trying to keep time in our plans if we want to give one of the water parks a try this trip. If we do, it would be Typhoon Lagoon from the reading/watching I've done on it. Seems like the "right" place for us and I want to check out the snorkeling with the sharks!
If we wind up staying longer in Sept maybe we'll head over then if we don't have time on this trip.
I also pulled snacks out of the snack cupboard and put them into the Disney tote. Dan knows about the tote but not about the contents. He thinks it's just my regular Disney stuff (which it is plus some!). I just pulled some snacky stuff so he wouldn't miss it from the closet. I'm really starting to think a lot more about how it's all going to work out while I'm packing and stuff to have it all done in time.
I've got to come up with a good way to "hide" everything in the van. Thankfully we have "stow and go" seating so I'm going to try and hide as much as I can in those compartments. I also plan on trying to cover everything else up with a big blanket and making it all bumpy and stuff so he won't guess it's just suitcases back there!
I've figured out that I can't let him into our bedroom or the kid's room the day we leave. If he goes through the dressers (to find different clothes for him to wear) he'll know something's up when half of his clothes are missing. What I think I'm going to do is take half a day off work, pack the van and get the kids around when they get up from nap. This will be the hardest because Corbin's old enough and smart enough to know something's going on and I will need him to keep his mouth shut and not give up any of the details!
So basically, I'll have his clothes in the front bathroom (the boy's bathroom) and tell him we're late, he needs to get changed so we can get on the road right away. I think he'll comply because by that point he'll want to know what the fuss is all about! 
Then, we'll stop at McDonald's (or Wendy's or whatever) once we get past Savannah (maybe closer to Jacksonville because he thinks that's where we're going) to take a potty break. While he runs inside with the boys (update on that in a minute!) I'll grab some food, get out their cards and be back in the van. Maybe I'll give them their cards first then get the food. I just know I want to be there when they open the cards and figure it all out!
Then Corbin can open his gift (a new Leapster) and keep him quiet. I think once Carter (out of all of them) figures out we're going to Disney it will be hard to keep them quiet!
At that point, Dan will probably want to drive (I hate driving so that's fine with me!) and we'll be on our way to DISNEY!!! I don't plan on sharing any of the reservations or anything like that with them at all. I have to keep some surprises! I'd like to call Chef Mickey's before we go to make sure they know that our reservation day is actually their birthday in hopes that they might get a little extra magic.
Once we're done at breakfast our first morning, we'll hit the MK and get the boys their gift cards!! I'm hoping they'll be able to spread this out over our four days while we're there. We generally do our shopping on the last day at DTD but I'm not opposed to buying something on our way out of the parks - I just don't like to lug things around all day! I think this honestly will be the best part for Corbin. I CANNOT wait to look at him in a store and tell him he can pick out WHATEVER he wants! That's like a dream come true for me. Now, my luck he'll either pick out a $2 pen or a $200 toy. 
Whatever they don't use on this trip we'll just bring back in Sept.
We have about $125 in gift cards from previous visits that we need to use on this trip so that will for sure cover at least one meal and part of the TH meal which is great! Then we also have some Disney dollars that we have to use so that will help to keep things affordable as well. We sent out three of our AP referral cards (still have another one if anyone needs one!) so hopefully we'll get some gift cards from those to use towards our September trip. It's much more fun spending other people's money!
General updates: Friday night I went shopping with the boys - all three of them in tow! I ran to the consignment shop on my lunch and they'd sold the sand table the day before! I could've cried right there in the store! I was going to call and ask them to hold it for me since I couldn't get there until Friday - I should have and I'm still kicking myself for that! Then when I went to Walmart they didn't have the car that Target had on sale so I had to go back to Target, wait for them to dig one out of the back and get that. It was just a long day in general!
Ok - potty update. Dan wen to the race in Charlotte this weekend (he got home about 7:15 last night!) so Carter, Corbin and I worked on Carter's potty training!! Saturday he had three accidents, Sunday NONE!!!! and Monday four. The exciting part is that he stayed dry through nap every day!!! Hopefully he'll get this down very soon and we won't need diapers/pull ups/anything any more!!! I cannot wait for that!
Other than that, it was a quiet weekend! I cleaned the house and van out (looking for hiding spots!). I worked on Disney planning a bit trying to get a plan together in my head. I think the toughest part right now is that there are so many unknowns....I'm not good with that. I like to know what's happening and how things will flow.
Ok I should probably get to work this morning! Between updating here and reading the Jon and Kate thread, I haven't gotten much done this morning!
Sept dates changed again so now Angie and Sandy are going 9/11-18. We haven't gotten ahold of Dan's mom to see what days will work for her. I don't know that I'm up for Disney for an entire week (yes I love Disney but I like being able to take lots of little trips instead of just one bigger one!). The weekend before is Labor Day and we were previously debating going that weekend and staying into the week so we wouldn't have to use so much time off from work...I don't know. We're still trying to work out the details. As for where we'll stay, it'll be either All Star Music Family Suite or Poly - it will all depend on if the dreaded house sells in MI!
Hopefully we'll be there at the same time Grace - maybe we'll just run into each other!As for the surprise trip, I spent some time working on it this weekend and have since gotten a little bit more excited again.
You're right Lisa - talking to people is half the excitement! I worked out more of what our "must sees" are for the different days. I'm really trying to have low expectations not knowing how hot or crowded it will be. I'm debating signing up for the Tour Guide Mike or a site like that only because we've never been at this time of the year before.
I'm also trying to keep time in our plans if we want to give one of the water parks a try this trip. If we do, it would be Typhoon Lagoon from the reading/watching I've done on it. Seems like the "right" place for us and I want to check out the snorkeling with the sharks!
If we wind up staying longer in Sept maybe we'll head over then if we don't have time on this trip.I also pulled snacks out of the snack cupboard and put them into the Disney tote. Dan knows about the tote but not about the contents. He thinks it's just my regular Disney stuff (which it is plus some!). I just pulled some snacky stuff so he wouldn't miss it from the closet. I'm really starting to think a lot more about how it's all going to work out while I'm packing and stuff to have it all done in time.
I've got to come up with a good way to "hide" everything in the van. Thankfully we have "stow and go" seating so I'm going to try and hide as much as I can in those compartments. I also plan on trying to cover everything else up with a big blanket and making it all bumpy and stuff so he won't guess it's just suitcases back there!
I've figured out that I can't let him into our bedroom or the kid's room the day we leave. If he goes through the dressers (to find different clothes for him to wear) he'll know something's up when half of his clothes are missing. What I think I'm going to do is take half a day off work, pack the van and get the kids around when they get up from nap. This will be the hardest because Corbin's old enough and smart enough to know something's going on and I will need him to keep his mouth shut and not give up any of the details!
So basically, I'll have his clothes in the front bathroom (the boy's bathroom) and tell him we're late, he needs to get changed so we can get on the road right away. I think he'll comply because by that point he'll want to know what the fuss is all about! Then, we'll stop at McDonald's (or Wendy's or whatever) once we get past Savannah (maybe closer to Jacksonville because he thinks that's where we're going) to take a potty break. While he runs inside with the boys (update on that in a minute!) I'll grab some food, get out their cards and be back in the van. Maybe I'll give them their cards first then get the food. I just know I want to be there when they open the cards and figure it all out!
Then Corbin can open his gift (a new Leapster) and keep him quiet. I think once Carter (out of all of them) figures out we're going to Disney it will be hard to keep them quiet! At that point, Dan will probably want to drive (I hate driving so that's fine with me!) and we'll be on our way to DISNEY!!!
I don't plan on sharing any of the reservations or anything like that with them at all. I have to keep some surprises! I'd like to call Chef Mickey's before we go to make sure they know that our reservation day is actually their birthday in hopes that they might get a little extra magic.Once we're done at breakfast our first morning, we'll hit the MK and get the boys their gift cards!!
I'm hoping they'll be able to spread this out over our four days while we're there. We generally do our shopping on the last day at DTD but I'm not opposed to buying something on our way out of the parks - I just don't like to lug things around all day! I think this honestly will be the best part for Corbin. I CANNOT wait to look at him in a store and tell him he can pick out WHATEVER he wants! That's like a dream come true for me. Now, my luck he'll either pick out a $2 pen or a $200 toy. Whatever they don't use on this trip we'll just bring back in Sept.We have about $125 in gift cards from previous visits that we need to use on this trip so that will for sure cover at least one meal and part of the TH meal which is great! Then we also have some Disney dollars that we have to use so that will help to keep things affordable as well. We sent out three of our AP referral cards (still have another one if anyone needs one!) so hopefully we'll get some gift cards from those to use towards our September trip. It's much more fun spending other people's money!
General updates: Friday night I went shopping with the boys - all three of them in tow! I ran to the consignment shop on my lunch and they'd sold the sand table the day before!
I could've cried right there in the store! I was going to call and ask them to hold it for me since I couldn't get there until Friday - I should have and I'm still kicking myself for that! Then when I went to Walmart they didn't have the car that Target had on sale so I had to go back to Target, wait for them to dig one out of the back and get that. It was just a long day in general!Ok - potty update. Dan wen to the race in Charlotte this weekend (he got home about 7:15 last night!) so Carter, Corbin and I worked on Carter's potty training!! Saturday he had three accidents, Sunday NONE!!!! and Monday four. The exciting part is that he stayed dry through nap every day!!!
Hopefully he'll get this down very soon and we won't need diapers/pull ups/anything any more!!! I cannot wait for that!Other than that, it was a quiet weekend! I cleaned the house and van out (looking for hiding spots!). I worked on Disney planning a bit trying to get a plan together in my head. I think the toughest part right now is that there are so many unknowns....I'm not good with that. I like to know what's happening and how things will flow.
Ok I should probably get to work this morning! Between updating here and reading the Jon and Kate thread, I haven't gotten much done this morning!
I just might get to meet You
Here's a BIG HUG, for dealing with the unknows I know that that can be hard, I too like to Know whats happening and how to deal with them!!!
I'm just trying to keep it to things that I'd normally make or that I can make (or remake) there as quickly/easily as possible. I'm sure it will all work out in the end whatever happens and whatever I take.
yay:
Hopefully I'll be recovered in our week back at home to be repacked to go to MI the next weekend! 
Beside I need to start on my packing list and if you do one I be half way there
I'd love to go for a weekend to go to 
I'm too tired to read all of your posts even, tonight anyway. 
I'll probably have his secretary text or call me when he leaves so I'll have an idea of when he'll be home. If I need more time, I'll have him stop and pick up something crazy at the store. I'm so worried that I won't be all packed and he'll come home to me packing the van or something and ruin the surprise! 
