2 Castles, 2 Send out 2011 & Ring in 2012...12 Days of Christmas

[momabaarjo]

I know Ann will appreciate this post...but I am battling with airfare right now. I found a really good price that is within what I was hoping to pay for tickets...$2115 total for 5 roundtrip tickets. My budget was between $1500 and $2500. The flight schedule fits within my plans...I have to factor in baggage fees ($25 per bag each way)...thinking that the kids could carry on their bags...

I have the money right now, sorta...there was a bill that I really want to pay off...which would give me a lot of piece of mind to have behind me.

Do I jump on this fare or pay the bill in full?

Am I silly to wait for another 2 months (like I keep telling myself to do, in the hopes that fares go down...recently they flatlined and in most cases are heading back up again...SW prices are the highest I have ever seen and the schedule STINKS). The airfare that I am looking at right now is over $1000 cheaper than anything out right now for roundtrip!

But then there is this bill that keeps lingering over my head...

 

[annmarieda]

Yes, you know me too well... of course this is on my mind too. I am trying... trying very hard to just wait it out. But... I still feel like I am making the wrong choice.

I too saw the flat line. I wondered if things would go lower. Well, low and behold things went up today. Just last week I could have got a return fare for 224. Now the lowest and not the best time is 298.

I think for both of us... there are additional factors that complicate the issue. For me... do I hope to get a return on the same airline and not have to pay for bags... fly back with the rest of my party... wait to go lower since even now (just like you) the prices are on the high end of what I was hoping for.

You mention the bill will linger over your head. Well... I think the airfare will too. I know that I bit the bullet on getting the guys their tickets.. I paid to get some extra points (knowing that if I waited I may have enough by the end of July and not have to) I just was tired of gambling on the flight being there... and the points being available. Sure enough... July statement came and there would have been enough points. I do not regret having booked the flight though. I don't know if the flight I booked would have had available reward seats at this point. And... for what it is worth...I didn't have to spend the last month worrying about locking in a flight. I don't have to think about the guys flight at all now and it is bliss. Now I just have to finish booking dd and I and then I will be much more at ease.

So I would say you have to weigh what is going to bring you the most peace... the bill being paid or having the flights booked. Also, will it frustrate you if you get the flights and then find that in a couple of months it comes back down.

For me... I am thinking I will jump the next time it comes down just a tad. I suspect that may be toward the end of the summer... summer is always a more expensive time to book travel, right? Course... the flight I had been looking at booking with Delta... well... it no longer is even on their schedule. I know that when my oldest dd flew with them recently she was extremely frustrated by flights being changed. In the case of them doing away with a flight... what happens? You get bumped to a flight that is going out near the same time? and if that flight costs more??? I am wondering if my not getting that flight (even though it was the right price) may have been a blessing.

Ok so I could ramble on and on about this issue. I just find it terribly frustrating that airfare is so high right now.

 

[ZFamily5]

Glad you enjoyed the movie, especially since you'll be seeing it a couple times!

 

[momabaarjo]

Wahoo...I had to 2 ADRs left to make and today FINALLY I was able to make 1 of the remaining...

I had orginally planned to get an ADR at CRT...but after much thinking and probing the kids I found they really had no desire to go here and since I had fulfilled my dream of eating in the castle last summer I decided that I could get 2 meals for the price of 1 at CRT. I still wanted to do princess...so I booked 1900 Park Fare for dinner (thought that Cindi, Prince Charming, and the step sisters appealed to me more anyway) and today I was finally able to get Akerhus for breakfast at 8:00 before rope drop at 9:00 am (crossing my fingers that rope drop time will not change)!

 

[ZFamily5]

We loved 1900 Park Fare and Akershus! You'll have a great time!

 

[momabaarjo]

I just realized that I did not post my ADRs...they still probably will go through a little more tweaking!

Thursday, December 29
Lunch-Mama Melrose F! Package (1:30 pm)

Friday, December 30
Breakfast-Chef Mickey's (10:35 am)
***Still waiting to make Candlelight Processional ADR-Want Biergarten at 4:00

Saturday, December 31
Lunch-Yak & Yeti Table (12:00 pm)
Dinner-???
***I have 2 ADRs made, not sure how I was able to do this but I need to decided between Boma (7:30 pm) or Cape May Clambake (8:10). DH was talking to his cousin about dining at WDW and they hated Boma...now he has decided he does not want to eat "Africian" food, so I probably will drop Boma (some place I really want to eat, maybe I can save it for a trip someday that I take with ME).

Sunday, January 1
Lunch-Via Napoli (12:45 pm)
Dinner-T Rex (8:00 pm)

Monday, January 2
Breakfast-Crystal Palace (8:05 am)
Late Lunch-Whispering Canyon (2:00 pm)

Tuesday, January 3
Lunch-50s Prime Time (1:10 pm)
Dinner-1900 Park Fare (7:45 pm)

Wednesday, January 4
Breakfast-Akerhus (8:00 am)
Dinner-Rose & Crown (7:45 pm)

Thursday, January 5
Dinner-Ohana (7:45 pm)

Friday, January 6
Breakfast-Crystal Palace (8:05 am)
***Yes I realize I have 2 ADRs for Crystal Palace, but I am not sure of flight schedule...or if they will change park hours. So I am keeping this one until last minute or until my flight plans are set. I probably will change this to either Kourizza or Kona.

 

[ZFamily5]

ADRs look great!

 

[momabaarjo]

Summer Movie Day
Double Feature
Pooh’s Huffalump Movie & Piglet’s Big Movie
July 8, 2011

Breakfast:

Pooh’s Puffed French Toast (recipe from Crystal Palace)
Little Piglets (sausage links)
Owl’s Eggs (scrambled eggs)
Tigger Juice (orange Julius)

Lunch:

Kanga’s Pockets Filled with Pooh-nut Butter & Honey (Pita Pockets filled with peanut butter and honey)
Rabbit’s Fruit Salad from his garden
Tigger Tails (cheetos)
Eyeore’s Cloudy Day Drink (grape soda)

Activity:

Make Honey Bee Treats

I found this recipe/activity on Family Fun’s website under Pooh activities. It is like a no bake cookies using rice krispe’s, peanut butter and honey. You mold the dough into bee shapes, make bee’s body lines from tubed frosting and then add using either sliced almonds or large marshmallows (cut into 4ths) for wings. Pretty fun to make (pretty messy too) and really yummy to eat!​

​

 

[ZFamily5]

Your movie nights (in this case, days) are so creative!

 

[21hearts]

Your ADRs look great! It also looks like everyone had fun on your movie day.

 

[momabaarjo]

Grrrrr.right now I am NOT happy with dh. Last week I mentioned wanting to fry up some of the fish we have brought back from the cabin and beer batter it instead of the normal cornmeal batter we do in the mountains. Guess what he decides to invite 14+ people over for a fish fry tonight! Of course he will stand around the fryer and call his job done...while I get to do all the prework and all the clean up! On top of it all I have to work tomorrow and Tuesday, get the kids packed for 10 days in Colorado, get myself and all my scrapbook junk packed ready to leave just as soon as I get done with my staff development on Tuesday afternoon.

 

[momabaarjo]

Summer Movie Marathon
Harry Potter 1-7.1
July 9-14​

Each night we tried to watch 1-2 movies in the series. I had some many fun things planned for this week, but between trying to watch all of the movies and coming off a week of lots of movies/activities I think we were all tired of movie nights. I had planned to have the kids make wands and then practice their spells afterwards. We had also planned to make potions, but sadly it just was not done either. What we did do was have 1 special meal along with making a Honeyduke's Candy store that we left out all week…and munched on after dinner while watching the next movie in the series.

Menu:

Banger and Mash Hand Pies

This was a great recipe, a very traditional English meal (Bangers & Mash) made into these great little sandwich pies. DH loved them…so I can see myself making more of them in the future.


Herbology Experiment

This is one of our favorite salads…broccoli, cauliflower, olives, scallions, cheese chunks with ranch dressing and bacon bits…just renamed it.


Butterbeer

I fell in love with butterbeer last summer at WWofHP! While the recipe I found is not the real thing as USO sells, it is pretty close!


Ron’s Spider web Trifle

I wanted to make a traditional British dessert, a trifle and then put a HP twist on it by making a spider web on top. I wish I would have had a few plastic spiders to really add to the effect.

Honeyduke’s

Ab made all the labels for the candy. She did such a great job! Here is what we included in our “Honeyduke’s”:

Cockroach Clusters (no bake cookies)
Pepper Imps (hot tamales)
Dumbledore’s Lemon Drops (lemon drops)
Drooble’s Best Blowing Gum (gum balls)
Bertie Bott’s Every Flavor Beans (jelly beans)
Licorice Wands (twizzlers)
Ale Bottles (Coke Gummy Bottles)




Here are a couple pictures from the midnight release. I wish that I would have taken some of all the people dressed up in costume. There were some great Harry’s, Weasley Family, Voldomore, and even a golden snitch.

Line at 8:00 pm, yep the boys wanted to line up 4 hour early!!!!

Boo and his Friend Riley

 

[Becc1]

I've been out of town so I'm just getting caught up! Love the Up day, how creative of you to have the kids earn badges!

We saw Harry Potter at midnight too! LOVED it, I was such an emotional wreck! It was a combo of the story itself and the fact that it was the last movie! I am going to miss my mother/son bonding Christian and I did with these books and movies

 

[21hearts]

I went and saw Harry Potter 7.2 at midnight as well. We got there at 10pm and we were #37 to 45.. It was crazy. By 11pm the line was out the door. Our theater has a small lobby so they had the line going all sorts of crazy ways. The back of the line did a conga and they got us all set up into what the called "the best last minute solution". lol.

 

[petals]

Midnight Harry Potter is always the best!

 

[annmarieda]

Grrrrr.right now I am NOT happy with dh. Last week I mentioned wanting to fry up some of the fish we have brought back from the cabin and beer batter it instead of the normal cornmeal batter we do in the mountains. Guess what he decides to invite 14+ people over for a fish fry tonight! Of course he will stand around the fryer and call his job done...while I get to do all the prework and all the clean up! On top of it all I have to work tomorrow and Tuesday, get the kids packed for 10 days in Colorado, get myself and all my scrapbook junk packed ready to leave just as soon as I get done with my staff development on Tuesday afternoon.

I am sorry... I do feel your pain though. I wonder at times why moms just don't get enough support. I felt pretty angry too this weekend. I had to go back to work yesterday... had my house all clean again (after leaving the guys to their own for 2 weeks). I again had to work all day today... left a list of meds to give dd and what needed to be done. The house is back to the same condition or worse... and dd did not receive her meds. Why is it that I have to be the "responsible for everything" person? Do you feel that way at times?

hang in there

 

[Becc1]

Love your last 2 theme days. One great thing about you doing certain nights first is that I can steal your ideas. Love the breakfast ideas for Pooh, we won't be seeing the new Pooh movie in the theaters but when it comes out on dvd I may do the same thing!

Oh and I will be stealing your HP ideas too!

 

[Monknmom]

You are having a lot of movie nights, but they look so fun! I'm planning a nemo, winnie the pooh and cars so I have been taking notes from you and another friend! I'm sorry about DH though, I hope that everything got done and that your having a better time!

 

[momabaarjo]

Love your last 2 theme days. One great thing about you doing certain nights first is that I can steal your ideas. Love the breakfast ideas for Pooh, we won't be seeing the new Pooh movie in the theaters but when it comes out on dvd I may do the same thing!

Oh and I will be stealing your HP ideas too!

I have stolen lots from you!

I have a word document with wand directions/spells, potion/ingredients, and a file on HP birthday that I could email you if you want it for future use. I am so sad that we were burned out and did not do everything I had planned and found!

 

[momabaarjo]

Why is it that I have to be the "responsible for everything" person? Do you feel that way at times?

hang in there

I feel this lots, and I am not sure if I put the pressure on myself to always be the responsible one (feel guilty if I ever want time for myself) or it that is reality! Does that make sense? I can't imagine having a child that seriously needs me there on top of all the other mom junk at times. I admire you for your strength through all of your facing with Zoe!

I think I would have killed if the house was a mess, after I had cleaned it in less than a few hours...and don't even get me started about forgeting to give Zoe her medicine!

Hoping both of us do not end up in jail for murder! Hope this week is better for you!