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Less than 1 week, I think I might pee myself!.......a PTR

Thanks Amanda!

(And thanks for popping over to post!) I have your PTR subbed so I can catch up...I read the 1st 4 pages and the last 2. Yes, I'm one of THOSE people who read the last page of any book!

Me too! I still need to read through your PTR to figure out where you're staying and how long your trip is! :thumbsup2

Amanda
 
That's right..........98 days!!!!!!!!!!!!!:cool1::banana::cool1::banana:

I went to the ortho dr this week and am back to work full duty! Which means I can start picking up extra patients for extra $$$:cool1:

My best friend, who works on the weekend as a supervisor, told me she heard from another manager that over the summer they were going to pay premium pay for extra visits!!!! :cool1::cool1:

It has not been formally announced yet so the visit I am doing tomorrow may or may not count in the pay increase, but either way it will be extra $, Disney $. Oh yeah, I forgot to mention that I picked up a patient tomorrow. The only thing is I have to start writing them down, so I can remember come pay day, how much money is extra so I can call Disney on pay day and pay that amount toward our trip.

Off to clean....I think.....then again the couch looks like more fun!
 
I went and saw an extra patient today...so sad only 47 and a grade 3 brain tumor.....the fight s/he has in front of them is amazing! Makes me grateful everyday for my health....


Anyway, DH posted on his FB page how his wife was working for our Disney trip in Sept.

This afternoon I get a call from my cousin asking what days were we going, they will be there overlapping days!!!!! My cousin and his wife have a almost 5 and 3 year old. So we will try to get together the 1st weekend we are down there! His kids haven't been there before so they will be amazed!

My cousin and I were much closer when we were younger, as my dad and his dad were my grandparents only kids, so holidays, weekends, our families were always together. Sadly, since my grandparents died, everyone has kind of gone their separate ways. We occassionaly see each other at b-day parties or graduation parties, but this would be fun!


ALthough it may mess with my 'which park, which day' plans:scared1:
 
I hate seeing young people with cancer. So sad!
That's great about your cousin. We spent some time at Disney with my step-sister and her family. It was a blast!!!

Amanda
 
I'm going on a scavenger hunt of sorts....I have been buying stuff for this trip for.....well since before it was booked! A photo album here, glow bracelets there, TS color books....and can you guess what happened to them all....


Yup, I have no clue!!!!!! So while my DH has the boys outside I'm going on a scavenger hunt to seek out my many purchases. I will take photos and once DH is done on the computer tonight, I will post all my wonderful treasures!!!!!


(beats house cleaning and laundry!):rotfl:
 
Not sure where everyone else is from but here in NE PA it has been H-O-T hot!

As of June 1st my mom retired at age 55 from Verizon in NYC! YAY mom! Jokingly one day I mentioned how she should start watching her grandsons to save me a ton in daycare. My mom is not a 'kid' person. Don't get me wrong, she had 3 of her own, and she LOVES the boys, but I never actually thought she would take me up on it!!! The plan is, starting the 2nd weekend in July she will take the boys Sun night to Wed night. I will take them to her on Sun and she will meet me in NJ on Wed nights once I get out of work. They will go to daycare on Thurs and Fri and have Sat and most of Sun with me and DH. I am not one to pawn my kids off and I will miss them SO much, but it will help me out in several ways....

1. Daycare costs, it will save me $280 every 2 weeks, so $560 a month, which would be about an extra $1000 by the time the boys have to go back to school.

2. It would give DH and I some 'alone' time with each other and alone to do things we have wanted to do but couldn't because of the kids....in a way reconnect.

3. It would allow me to pick up extra patients on the nights the boys aren't home, and allow me to make extra money (now I can do this while they are home, now, but I find once I get home DH turns them loose on me and I have no time to unwind)

4. It would allow us, DH and I to get rid of stuff while the boys weren't home!!!!!!!! And get this place cleaned up

5. I hardly see the boys as it is after work on these days....I get home around 5:30, they are in bed by 9, but cooking dinner and baths cut a lot of that time down.

6. The boys would get to spend time with their Mema.....who as I know all too well, will not be around forever (my Bama and I were close). She has a pool and 2 dogs and is SO looking forward to this. She has little day trips planned...the movies, the zoo and so on.


Sounds great, right............wrong. DH won't get on board with it. He had several excuses when I 1st brought it up, mainly concerned if daycare would allow us to do it and if they would still hold their FT spot for the fall. I emailed the director, and it's not a problem. His other 'issue' was that he would miss the boys too much. And while I see this as a valid point, I also want to bring up that maybe once a week after DC he will let them play outside and ride bikes, all the other days they are inside, watching TV or playing Wii while DH is on the computer or watching TV. It's not like he is spending quality time with them that he would miss them SO much.


So tomorrow, when DH and I are speaking again (got into it about Disney....he tells me tonight I am forcing him into going to somwhere he doesn't want to go again...........geez jackhole, thanks for sharing that now!)
we will discuss this again!

Any pointers?
 
Well it seems we will miss my cousin and his family by a day! They leave friday and we arrive Sat! Oh well! Although it would have been nice, this is our 1st only us trip to WDW and we are already meeting up with my Nana, Papa and Mom so I guess it works out ok.

I talked to DH about the idea of the boys spending a few days/week with my mom. At 1st he was an 'absolutely no' now he is thinking about it. I think I can get him to come around!


We have no internet or cable right now.....they earliest they can get someone out is next week :scared1: So it's been a LOT of movies in our house since last night! Thankfully I have an aircard for my work laptop so we still have limited (as in SLOW) internet. The kids have a new DVD player (theirs died about a month ago and we finally got one last week and hooked it up last night) and we have some shows on DVR to catch up on (not sure hwy that still works, but I'm not complaining).

I am hopnig that my by not having the computer or TV as an excuse we might get some stuff done around here. In fact today I cleaned out the playroom and took 2 and a half rubbermaid totes to the basement....full of toys the boys will hardly miss....I hope!

Tonight I had a Fantasia party and made about $65 in commission and then another $40 in cash (for cash and carry items)!!!!!!!!!!!! Woot Woot!!! Disney money!!!!!! Of course I was hoping DH would do something in the house while I was out.....other than run the dishwasher......:sad2: Guess next time I will leave a list for him.
 
Well DH has agreed for the boys to go to my moms, they go this Sunday:banana: Yay! Yay for some time 'alone' with DH and YAY for saving money!!!! And YAY for the boys who are SO very excited to spend some time with their Mema!

I was in CT last weekend for a Gathering of some special moms and kids so no OT or Per Diem work:sad2: DOn't get me wrong, I am SO happy I was able to spend time with these gals, but I spent more than I should have (we went to the Bronx Zoo, to dinner one night and to the beach which cost money as well). :headache: But that also meant no extra patients.

We still have a balance to pay on our trip and have until mid Aug to pay it :scared1: My plan with all these extra patients was to call Disney with partial payments once we got paid, however it seems like something has always come up just before or on payday!!! UGH! So starting this next pay and mileage I will do just that, anything that comes up will have to be dealt with later!!!! I have signed up for visits on Sat, so that will be $200 and we just got raises!!!!! Not big ones, but every little bit helps! I also might bonus this month (if we see 5.4 patients average in a month we get a bonus, my boss is really pushing for this, but it also means working like a horse!) So now next pay, anything over what we normally make will get called on payday to Disney. We just got paid this week, but it's daycare and mortgage week, which is usually a tighter week. So I'll just start next week!


Our Mickey bank is filling up nicely...about $40 in bills and who knows how much in change.....if I think of it I will post picts tonight when I get home.

I ordered my GC from MyPoints for Trex, so now we have $75 for that!!!!

I also booked out seats on Airtran...$48 later :mad: I've looked at flights since booking, other than that SW deal awhile back, everything else has been higher, so I am happy we booked when we did.

This weekend we have a graduation party and Sun I trek the boys to my mom's! Oh, and some work tomorrow.......bla....but if I keep in mind it's for Disney, it will keep me motiavated............I think!
 
Hooray for a raise! I know what you mean about "extra' expenses that seem to crop up out of nowhere.

Amanda
 
Oh goodness, here in the NE it is HOT! And of course I am working in this awfulness! And my last patient didn't have her AC on.....:scared1: I got out of there as fast as I could!!!!

In between my patients I was talking to my mom who was surprised that I was working today. I told her we still had a balance on our trip and it seems like every time I work to get the money to pay it, something else comes up. She asked me how much we owed and I told her, so she said she would pay it!!!!! I LOVE my mom!!!! She just told me not to waste the money I have been working for and pay something else with it!!!!!!

While I still need to 'bust a move' to make money for the trip (for spending and tips and such) I no longer have to worry about the trip!!!! Mom had told me when my Granddaddy had died that she wanted to do something for each of us. She is paying my brothers student loans, she is buying my sister furniture for her apartment, and she offered to pay some of my bills. She was thinking Creditcards, but we don't have any! So then she offered to pay money on our van payment...which is fine, but then some bills have found us....like the yearly garbage and fire tax, so she said she's pay that which is only $1500. I'll probably have her start my emergency fund once we come back from WDW, and then start Dave Ramsey. Now just to get DH on board!!!
 
Oh goodness, here in the NE it is HOT! And of course I am working in this awfulness! And my last patient didn't have her AC on.....:scared1: I got out of there as fast as I could!!!!

In between my patients I was talking to my mom who was surprised that I was working today. I told her we still had a balance on our trip and it seems like every time I work to get the money to pay it, something else comes up. She asked me how much we owed and I told her, so she said she would pay it!!!!! I LOVE my mom!!!! She just told me not to waste the money I have been working for and pay something else with it!!!!!!

While I still need to 'bust a move' to make money for the trip (for spending and tips and such) I no longer have to worry about the trip!!!! Mom had told me when my Granddaddy had died that she wanted to do something for each of us. She is paying my brothers student loans, she is buying my sister furniture for her apartment, and she offered to pay some of my bills. She was thinking Creditcards, but we don't have any! So then she offered to pay money on our van payment...which is fine, but then some bills have found us....like the yearly garbage and fire tax, so she said she's pay that which is only $1500. I'll probably have her start my emergency fund once we come back from WDW, and then start Dave Ramsey. Now just to get DH on board!!!

That's wonderful news!!! I'm so happy for you!

Amanda
 
So here are some things I have gathered for our trip.

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Nemo Pens for Auto signing. I had gotten a GIANT pen, but the dog ate it...no, really, he did!

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My Vera Carryon bag (at Least I think it will be...or my Mickey Backpack.

2010-06-21126.jpg

Some Glo Sticks. I have spend the last 3 weeks looking for the glo swords I got at the Dollar tree. I am the type of person who, when I misplace something, it will drive me CRAZY until I find it.....guess what I found tonight! I don't have any picts of those since I just found them!


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Our mini Mister fan. I have a large one, but found it too much to carry. Other years we had the stroller to stick it in, but no stroller this year!!!

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Autograph books from Walgreens. DH balked that I spend money on them, but 5.99 is a lot better than in the parks at 12.50!

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Some Target $1 Spot finds for the plane for the boys!


So now that I have found the glo swords I am a happy gal and can put them all together in the Disney box!

As I mentioned before my mom is watching the boys Sun to Wed to help us save some $$$ on daycare and to spend time with them. Each Wed we meet at Bridgewater Common Mall in NJ (about half way for us) and they have a Vera Bradley store. Last week they had their Java Blue luggage 25% off and mom offered to buy me a piece....the large one was $300, so it would have been $225...DEAL! And it was soooooooo pretty, but I said no. I would be so MAD if it got ruined by the airline as it is fabric. Did I mention how pretty it was? But on the bright side, the VB store at the mall is having a big 'party' this Wed:banana::banana: So I just may have to get myself something!

So with mom watching the boys I have been able to pick up extra patients lately....which adds a nice chunk to my pay in addition to saving on daycare. The 1st week was nice, but now I have GOT to start putting some of it away for Disney. I did a Fantasia party last weekend and made money and it went right into the Mickey Bank...which reminds me I have to take a picture of that to post. It is so big that I doubt it will be filled before our trip, but it has more than I thought it would and I have yet to unload the change spots in our cars.

DH has decided to stay at a hotel the night before our flight leaves. In a way this is nice as we won't have to wake up as early to get to Philly, but it is so much money for just a few hours of sleep. However, ask me what I think of that sleep once we arrive at Disney, I'm sure I will not mind the money spent!
 
Sometimes I wonder why I even bother to keep up with this, it seems as if no one is reading, but one day it will all be a nice memory for me and my family, so I will continue to write, even if I am the only one reading it!


1 month...........2 weeks..............5 days :banana:

It's getting so close. It seems unreal it is almost here!

Vera Bradly had large duffels on sale, so I ordered one......and some other stuff!!! (shhhhhhhhhh, don't tell my hubby) I got a cool keeper to keep in the backpack to keep stuff cool (it holds 2 water bottles), and I got a mini zip wallet to carry in place of a purse, in the backpack.

My plan for the duffel is to use it as a carry on, carry a change of clothes for each of us, the electronics (camera, video camera, phones), medicaitons for all of us (pills, I will pack the childrens Motrin) and some activites for the kids for the plane.

I also cashed out my Mypoints for a $50 Landry's GC to use for TRexand it has come, so now we have $75 for our dinner there. I just cashed out my SR for $75...not bad for someone who does a survery here or there!

Oh, I have to submit a mileage statement (at work we get paid for our miles driven, we jsut have to submit in the miles) for 2 weeks ago, then next week I will be getting another one. I plan on using this money (the mileage checks) as spending money.

More good new, DH got a letter from him boss letting him know he got a 5% raise! :banana::banana: I also got a 2% raise (the 1st in 3 years). So we will have a little extra in our pay checks.

Tomorrow a dear friend and her mom will coming to visit (from NJ) for a yearly fesitval we have called Musikfest, it is many, many music performers (some local people which are free, then some more headliners that are concerts), LOTS of food (all different cultures) and other fun stuff. There are no rides, but it is usually a good time. Erin, my friend, and I have been friends since we were 3, so her and her mom have been in my life forever. When we were younger, I would go to LBI with Erin and her family for a week, then she would come here for Musikfest for a week. Some years I skip Musikfest all together, but when people come visit I'll go. The food is yummy (but expensive) and the music is nice, but the company will be even better!

Well off to bed....it seems as if, at age 30, I will have to have my tonsils out. EVERY time I get sick, it goes to my tonsils, which are BIG to begin with even when I'm not sick. I saw my dr today and she said it was time for them to come out, she is starting to worry because it is now cuasing problems with swallowing (stuff is gettign stuck between my tounge and tonsil, some of it making it down into my throat, but another part getting stuck). I hear getting them out is harder recovery when you are older, so I am not looking forward to that, but I am looking forward to not having to deal with 'kissing' tonsils!
 
I have days where my journals just talks to me! :lmao: Then again, I often talk to myself in real life anyway. Especially when I'm trying to tell my husband or children to do something! :rotfl2:
Great purchases! I bought some glow sticks at Michael's for $0.99 a container. I'm sure they're not great quality but who cares? We're using retractable sharpies for autographs since I made photobooks. Those Nemo pens are cute!
I love those Walmart autograph books. Maybe I'll get them for our January trip so I'm not planning to do all the extras....
Surprize Ink books are perfect for travel. I bought one for Zachary because he makes a mess. I'm sure the big kids will "borrow" it. ;) Can't go wrong with Vera Bradley. I like your bag alot!

Amanda
 
I have days where my journals just talks to me! :lmao: Then again, I often talk to myself in real life anyway. Especially when I'm trying to tell my husband or children to do something! :rotfl2:
Great purchases! I bought some glow sticks at Michael's for $0.99 a container. I'm sure they're not great quality but who cares? We're using retractable sharpies for autographs since I made photobooks. Those Nemo pens are cute!
I love those Walmart autograph books. Maybe I'll get them for our January trip so I'm not planning to do all the extras....
Surprize Ink books are perfect for travel. I bought one for Zachary because he makes a mess. I'm sure the big kids will "borrow" it. ;) Can't go wrong with Vera Bradley. I like your bag alot!

Amanda


I talk to AND answer myself!!!!!!!!!!!

I have been getting glow sticks for awhile now....usually on clearence fairly cheap and have them in the spare room (the boys share a room, the spare room was my nieces until she moved out and will hopefully be a nursey with in the next year or so!!!!). This weekend though, the boy were in the spare room, goofing off instead of napping, and found them, opened them and activated them!!!!!!!! UGH!!!! Oh well, now they jsut have less to play with at WDW!

I haven't used the Surprize Ink before so I'm glad to hear they work! The boys have Color Wonder stuff and I LOVE it. Esp since the boys have taken 'real' markers to my walls!!!!!!!:scared1:
 
I have been looking for new Crocs, without paying full price online! Needless to say I have had a hard time finding them in stores.

Today I found a black pair (standard crocs) for $23 then found a pink pair for 6.60 :banana: !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! YAY!

Awhile back I posted about falling at work and doing something to my knee. I did the physcial therapy and had a steriod injection (which helped better than any pain meds). Things have been fine for sometime.......that was until Saturday! This past Sat I had friends from NJ here to go to Musikfest. It's a 10 day music festival....oh and food! It is in our Historic area and is a LOT of hills.....I mean a LOT (did I tell you there was a lot of hills). As we were walking back to the car I felt that my knee hurt......when I got home and sat for awhile I felt that it REALLY hurt.....yet I still had a party to go and do (and made $100!!!).

Sunday came and I was in so much pain.....today at work I was ok, until I came home.....now I ahve taken 2 pain pills and have iced it up. Still in gobs of pain. I have to call the ortho dr to get in, my fear though it that he will give me the injection, but by the time we go to WDW it will wear off. So I'm torn..deal with the pain for 2 or 3 more weeks and get the injection and be great for WDW OR get the injection now and feel better now then run the risk of having pain in WDW.........................oh what to do?!?!?!?!?!?!
 
I would probably deal with pain now so it'll be better for WDW but I tend to be a martyr!
Sorry the boys go into the glow sticks. That would annoy me.

Amanda
 
I'm hoping to start a master list here, since all the lists I make at home end up lost or thrown away!!!!

I'm welcome to any suggestions


Tip Envelopes......plus cash to go into them for Mousekeeping

Luggage.....large suitcases, we have 3, we need 1

Sunscreen

Ear plugs (both boys HATE loud noises and since we have never watched the fireworks, I REALLY want to this time!)

Ziplock baggies for air travel and for keeping things dry in the backpack

Ziplock take and toss containers (for desserts we can't finish, this way they don't get smooshed)

Sunglasses for the boys (TDS has them on sale for 1.99!)

Mini M&M's for our coins (the boys LOVE to do pressed pennies and we got a book to store them all in last time...now if only I can find it!)

Video Tapes for camcorder

Memory cards for camera

Power strip for electronics

stroller (ordered)

over the door shoe organizer

Mickey and such Tshirts for the boys (TDS has not had a good sale on shirts in awhile!)

New Sneakers for DH

Shorts for DH (he now has 2 pair of jean shorts and 3 pairs of cargo shorts)

Crocs for me (cause they are crack for feet!)

(stuff in red I have now gotten!)

I'll add more as I think of it........does anyone have any suggestions? Elizabeth sent me her packing list, but I wasn't able to pull it up.
 
So it is official, we are 45 days out and ALL paid up!


So there is no canceling, no 'money' issues popping up! The trip is paid, we have about $640 in WDW GC, $75 in Landrys (for Trex) GC, $50 in Build a Bear GC (for Build a Dino in Trex). We have some cash set aside, but that will be added to as we go (my mileage checks will be put in now until the trip, that's about 3 to 4 more before the trip as well as Fantasia check that is coming for about $100).

I feel SO good about it now!!!!!


I went to get myself some clothes today....got 2 pairs of shorts, a pair of capris and 7 shirts for about $110!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Mainly for the trip, but the shirts I can wear to work. We went to a Greek place for dinner today (YUM!) and then went to Kohls to get DH sneakers........he picked BLACK ones......Black, really? I HATE Black sneakers. UGH! I also picked him up a pair of shorts from Kmart for under $10...he now has 2 pair!

I'm REALLY torn about bringing a stroller or not. We don't have one, so we would have to buy it. The 2 I am looking at are the Graco IPO that another Diser is getting for her trip that is just weeks away!!!! The other is the Combi

Here is the Combi $229.99
http://www.buybuybaby.com/product.asp?SKU=16955361&RN=7032&

And the Graco $189.99
http://www.buybuybaby.com/product.asp?SKU=17135090&RN=7032&

They aren't cheap....Buy Buy Baby and BRU both have the Combi in the store to see and have the kids sit in, so I'm going to take them to see if they even fit (they are ok with the weight restrictions, Cody is just tall). I just wish they had the Graco so I can see it and have them sit in it. I have a 20% off coupon for both stores (not online) so that will bring the price down A LOT. But it still is not cheap. ALthough the price of renting for 10 days is about the same and I would have nothing to show for it. At least if I buy one I have it and can either keep it and use it for the boys for the rest of the year or sell it and recoup some of the money back.

DH thinks we will be fine without one and doesn't want to pay to check one.. HAHA, you can gate check it for FREEEEEEEE! I also don't think he wants to lug it, BUT neither of us can carry them when they get tired, and they will get tired.


So I am off to worry and think about it some more..........ugh... but at least our trip is paid!
 

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