2016... How many trips will we end up with this year?

[NiniMorris]

For those who don't know me I'm Jeanne. For those who do know me, Yup its still me...Nini, but I stopped trying to hide from my two youngest kids' bio parents and be an adult with my real adult name!

A bit of background.
I have been married to the same wonderful man since the day Elvis died. Not that his death had anything to do with us getting married, just that there were some people who suggested that I change my wedding date out of respect for Elvis... Anyway, for those too young to know, it will be 39 years this August. We have five wonderful children! Three I gave birth to and are married, and then two teenagers still at home. Four out of my five children are Disney freaks like me. (the one lone one is a strange child that once he got married only cares for things his wife's family like...mainly motorcycles and motorcycle gangs! We still hold out hope he will change!)

I have five grand children. Three were born into the family and two were added by the courts. (I see a pattern developing in our family!) We took my oldest grand daughter (known as the Grand Princess now 8) to her first Disney trip when she was almost 3. To date, we have only taken one trip to Disney since then without her! Her daddy is my oldest son, and would LIVE at Disney if he could! His wife likes to pretend she is tolerating Disney, but when she is there is like a little kid!
My oldest daughter has given me two little girls. Miss Mia, who is 2 and a half, and her little sister Livvie Divvie who is 8 months old. Neither of them have been to Disney ..proper..although Miss Mia did get to wear a 'My First Disney trip' button while she was still in Mommy's tummy, and has been to Chef Mickey's after her first cruise and they both visited Earl of Sandwich last month before a cruise.
The other two grand children are my sweet boys. Luke and Logan are 6 and 7, but by the weekend they will be 7 and 8. They came to live with my son and his family a week after we added Miss Livvie Divvie to our family in May. While their long term residency is still in question, they have stolen y heart and will forever be my grand children!

In past trips I have made matching clothes for our family. Now that Miss B is a teens...well, that is pretty much out of the equation. Miss B is about to turn 16, and is very artistically talented and sensitive. We are homeschooling her this year and she is blossoming as a result. She is more than slightly anti social, and is enjoying the solitude that home school gives her.

Mr D is my youngest. Talking about him always makes me tear up. He is my hero (although sometimes I want to strangle him!) He is a 5 year old child in a 14 year old young man's body. When he was 3 he was in a terrible car accident that took my mother's life. He was not expected to make it, but although he suffered severe brain injury, he is still here. He has a wonderfully wicked sense of humor and is very hard working. He knows he is different, but works hard every single minute to be the best he can be at everything he tries. He will also still wear Disney matching shirts.

So, there is a brief background on my family...and a hint or two about some of the people who may be joining us on our Disney adventures this year.

 

[NiniMorris]

Now that you know a bit about my family, let's start with our plans for the coming year.

Last year we had planned only one trip to Disney, and we went 5 times, so this may change as well!

Our main trip to Disney this year will be after Thanksgiving. It is our favorite time to go. I get to have both my favorite things together, Disney and Christmas! It is currently being planned for all 5 grand children, and 4 of my 5 children. The details are still in flux...because my husband wants to throw in a Disney cruise as well. But being the person who pays for our trips I have to see how the money is going to work. Stay tuned for more info on that one!

And... since Miss B is turning 16 this June, we gave her options for her birthday. For the past several years she has chosen a birthday trip instead of presents for her birthday. We have gone to Savannah, Destin, Disney, (a couple of times) and Daytona Beach. Last year Mr D got a cruise for his birthday, and she decided that is what she wanted this year. Of course she wanted to bring her best friend...after doing the math, she decided that it wasn't such a good idea, so she decided on Disney.

Her friend's mother was much happier with that idea as well, since she did not want her daughter traveling out of the country.

Originally, our plan was to stay at the Poly. With the military discount, it would be doable for a short three or four day trip. Her friend, Cassie, is a huge Harry Potter fan...doing some more Disney math, we discovered that if we stay at Port Orleans French Quarter instead we could add a couple of days on to the trip and visit Universal.

The unknown part of the year is the fact that my kids have very strange school schedule...we get weeks during odd months out of school. This is what helps us take so many trips during off times. For instance, a week in February, a week in March and a week in April...plus a week in October. Then when you add that my daughter is home schooled we can take other weeks as well. Those extra weeks are rarely scheduled far in advance.

Since my husband is retired and I work from home, and it takes us exactly 7 hours to get to Disney...well, you can see how easy it is on us.

Although, at the current time I have no rooms reserved, but I do have our dining scheduled for June. Although I will be having my Travel Agent get my room at POFQ this afternoon. I'm afraid the rooms will go fast....

 

[NiniMorris]

First of all I want to apologize. Since returning home from Disney in mid December, I have had the Creeping Crud. Everytime I get rid of it, it seems I watch one of the grand babies and get it back. This is one of those times when I have it (no need to sterilize your keyboards or screens, I'm positive it is not contagious over the internet!) but the fever is almost ever present.

Pictures, me and the Dis seem to get along, and I have tons of problems getting pictures on the Dis when I'm not sick. So...don't expect any pictures for a while!

I told you a little bit yesterday about the original idea of a cruise for Miss B's 16 th birthday. It wasn't a Disney cruise, but a Carnival one. It was the only way I could afford two rooms...one suite for me and the hubs and Mr D, and an inside stateroom across from ours for the girls. While the suite would have held all 5 of us, the thought of an extra bathroom made it so appealing! When I spoke with the other girl's mom she was ok with it, although a bit apprehensive about taking her out of the country.

Yesterday, my Travel Agent booked our room at Disney. We were able to get Port Orleans French Quarter garden view room. June 18 to 22, with the dining plan! Yippee! Until I realized that Miss B's birthday was also Father's Day. OOOOPS! The other girl ALWAYS goes to her dad's house that week! I rarely think about it being Father's Day since we live with that every year! And we don't always travel on her exact birthday. And her birthday only falls on Father's Day a few times.... so a quick message to see if this is going to be a problem.

I mean, it could have been that the reason they gave for not liking the idea of the cruise may have been only one problem...it may have been Father's Day as well. I was on pins and needles all afternoon. Last night I finally heard back. They are very happy with the dates and have worked out alternative dates for her to visit her father, so all is well!

Since I had already booked our dining, I was very happy to not have to redo all that...

Last December we made our first trip to 'Ohana for dinner. Miss B fell in love! She actually said the food was so good it made her cry! Now, you have to know that she is generally not impressed by Disney food. Up until this trip the only place she has asked for is Be Our Guest lunch. She hates dinner there, but adores the lunch! It has been probably five years since we had breakfast at 'Ohanas, but this trip we are doing both!

Here is our ADR list for Miss B's trip:
Arrive on Saturday June 18 around 3. Have dinner at 'Ohanas at 6:30 (Since our original plan was to stay at the Poly this made much more sense then!)
Sunday June 19 (Miss B's actual birthday) church, then Hollywood Studios with SciFi Dine-In at 7. (I will interject that she hates this place, but thought her friend might enjoy it!)
Monday, June 20, Epcot with a trek to Beaches and Cream at 1:30 for a Kitchen Sink and dinner at Tutto Italia at 7.
Tuesday, Magic Kingdom with Be Our Guest for lunch at 12:15.
Wednesday, breakfast at 'Ohana at 9:30 and then we check out and head over to Universal.

My Universal plans are not yet settled, because I want to book our after Thanksgiving trip to Disney before I book the Universal trip. And I can't boo that until decisions are made about it being a cruise or park or both..

Have a great day!

 

[DMGeurts]

I did stop by yesterday - but I didn't get a chance to respond...

So excited about all of your trips... But the thing I am most concerned/shocked about is that I didn't know you had a few new additions to your family... CONGRATULATIONS!!!!!

So... Does this mean you'll possibly be in WDW with us in Oct??? I saw Oct mentioned - I am sure hoping so!

Eeek... I just saw June... Bummer - but glad you were able to book with a great discount rate!!!

I am so happy to have you back and Dising again!!!!

D~

 

[NiniMorris]

I did stop by yesterday - but I didn't get a chance to respond...

So excited about all of your trips... But the thing I am most concerned/shocked about is that I didn't know you had a few new additions to your family... CONGRATULATIONS!!!!!

So... Does this mean you'll possibly be in WDW with us in Oct??? I saw Oct mentioned - I am sure hoping so!

Eeek... I just saw June... Bummer - but glad you were able to book with a great discount rate!!!

I am so happy to have you back and Dising again!!!!

D~

The kids are out of school a week in October, and we have gone a couple times during that time...but I much prefer Christmas to Halloween.
The kids are also out for a week in just 3 weeks...and it is taking every bit of self control to not book a trip for that week. we have gone that week every year for the past three years. I am trying so hard to be good...but it is not easy!

My son just informed me they are going to Destin the week the kids get out of school. They are staying at the same complex we stayed at year before last... I really REALLY want ot go too, but that is the same week I have a conference in Hollywood Beach FL... We are still debating that trip.

And to all those who say we travel too much... when my first set of kids were small, we never traveled. Our vacations were going to grand parents' houses once a year. We were in the military and could barely afford the gas to go on that trip, much less go somewhere that cost us money! While my kids got to live all over the world, and travel the whole US, they don't really remember too much of it and would have gladly traded it all in for a real family vacation. So, I am making sure I correct that mistake with my second set of kids!

And...YES, My son and daughter in law have two little boys they are fostering...they are her sister's biological kids, but since May she has dropped off the face of the earth! It is doubtful that she will come back into the picture AND do all the things she has to do in order to get the boys back anytime before our Thanksgiving trip. But, just to be safe, my son is already filing the paperwork to make sure the boys get to go to Disney with us, even if mom comes back.

yes...You pulled me back to the Dark Side! LOL!

 

[NiniMorris]

Today I want to talk a bit about the November trip. A lot of it is still up in the air. What am I saying ALL of it is still up in the air!

I am not allowed to take the two youngest girls to Disney until their Mom and Dad get to experience it with them. While they have technically been on Disney property, they have never been inside the parks. So after Thanksgiving will be their first real trip. With two little girls under the age of three, there is a lot of STUFF that goes with them. I do not see how on this earth they will be able to fit in a value. But, that is all the budget for them will allow. So, I generously offered to get a 2 bedroom villa... where they will have a lot more room (and be able to have a Mommy/Daddy night) and pay for all except what they would pay for a value room.
Many of the two bedroom villas actually have three bathrooms, and washer/dryer, and all have a full kitchen. They like this idea, but are still balking at the amount... They only pay cash for EVERYTHING, and a Disney trip means they would use a credit card.
MY husband is wanting us to do a cruise and a Disney trip this year. Not a problem since we usually do 10 to 14 days. I sent a quick quote/info on a Disney Cruise to my son in law. For the same money they were spending for a week at Disney they can do a 4 day Disney cruise. If we do the cruise first, then they could head home and we would take Miss Mia on to Disney. OR, we could do Disney for a week then meet them in Port Canaveral and do a 4 day cruise together. I offered to spring for the difference between what their budget would get them and an adjoining room....again for a Mommy/Daddy night.

Also in the mix, is the fact that the trip will also be L&L's first Disney trip. They are planning on staying at Art of Animation, so that they can take Granny again. She will be there for their Mommy/Daddy night. While I would love for them to go on the cruise as well, I know that there is no way I can spring for that!

So, for the time being, there is not a lot of planning that can be going on at this point! Normally by the beginning of February I have already planned my park days and dining reservations (with a couple viable backups in case I can't get what I want) I have two little girls to plan dresses for! Regardless of cruise or park, they WILL be meeting princesses!
Miss Mia has already put in orders for Cinderella and Snow White. Along with Frozen and Buzz Lightyear!

You have to know that she has only heard about Disney at my house. She has only seen Disney movies at my house. And to the best of our knowledge has never seen any of the above movies except Frozen! So for her to have such specific requests, at 2 and a half, is pretty strange. It reminds me of the older Grand Princess who had such specific requests she would sketch them out for me and help me pick out the fabric!

Speaking of the Grand Princess, she is spending the weekend with me and should be here any minute. It is Mommy's birthday and Daddy is taking Mommy away for a weekend in the mountains. Even though she is about as spoiled as they come...I can't wait to see her!

 

[NiniMorris]

Last night I did some Disney Math (My favorite kind) and discovered that with the two trips I have planned for this year I will save around $100 if I get the AP again. Then....if we go more I'll save even MORE! (Don't you just LOVE Disney Math!)

One advantage of this will be that if I can convince husband to do without the dining plan for the second part of our split stay after Thanksgiving, we can stay at Shades of Green. (provided we don't do the cruise). There is a fee for parking at Shades of Green. Last time we were there it was $10 per day/night and you still got free parking at the parks. Now they no longer get free parking at the parks, so it makes the room so much more expensive there.

The atmosphere at SOG is much more relaxed and laid back than most on property resorts, and sometimes we miss our military 'family' atmosphere. Unless you have experienced it, it is hard to explain. For most of our military career we lived on base, and when we did live off base we were never more than a couple miles from base. It is a sense of 'family' that you just don't get any where else.

The second problem with staying there (besides the price) is not being able to get the dining plan. This has always been a major issue for us. However, since my husband is on a new eating plan (and has lost over 1/10 of his body weight since Jan 1) the appeal of the dining plan is loosing a bit.

It is still too early to say, but since D~ has been extolling the praises of SOG, it is making me consider it again.

If we do a straight Disney stay we will be staying in a 2BDRM Villa for the first 7 nights and then moving to another resort for the last 4 nights. The rest of the family will be leaving to go back home. This past year we moved from Contemporary to Pop...NEVER AGAIN! Going from my new favorite resort to the tiny cramped hole in the wall that is Pop was almost enough to make me hate the end of my trip! Almost.

My next step is to do the Disney Math to see if it would be feasible to get my daughter an AP as well. Since we have already used our military salute tickets for 2016, and I know she will be making at least 2 trips, it 'might' be good to get it for her....but with hers I will have no discount to use. YIKES!

 

[NiniMorris]

I believe the last time I left off with the November trip being in limbo. well I can now officially state that it is set in stone and booked, at least two thirds of it are!
We will be staying in a 2 bedroom Villa at Saratoga Springs from Nov 26 until Dec 3. By 'we' I mean me, husband, my two kiddies and my daughter and her family. My older son and his family have yet to book.
After that, we will move to our second part of the split stay. My daughter and her two will move to All Star Movies. We will move to...well, that part I'm not sure about yet. We will decide once I'm sure I have the money in the bank to pay for it (what a shame to have to worry about paying for the trip...it is so much more fun to just plan them and then GO!) At that point I will wait and see which moderates have a military discount available. Since that is something that seems to change on a daily basis, you never know!

Of course, last year I waited until sometime in October to book the second part of our trip...I doubt I will do that this time! Much too stressful!

As I am typing this I am waiting to hear results from my son in law's PET scans. This is year 8. If all goes according to what we want to hear only 2 more years until he can be declared cancer free. His next health hurdle will be dealing with a heart issue, but hopefully that won't come for several more years. It is hard to believe that someone who is as active and healthy looking as he is has any type of health issues. Every time my phone dings I jump to see if it is my daughter...
But of course not!

Off to get back to work so I can pay those Disney bills!

 

[NiniMorris]

A lot has happened since I last posted! All rooms for all family members have been booked, and the sewing for the customs has commenced! We are in the process of finalizing our dining wants and needs, and the hard cold reality of budget has raised its ugly head and my son has decided to cut his trip a bit shorter, from Monday to Friday.

My daughter's Jue trip is booked and partially paid for. Today I ordered the tickets and paid for the Disney Early Magic Morning at Fantasyland. Unfortunately the Universal part is out. Some rather strange financial events have happened recently that make it almost impossible to squeeze it in. And now we know that the oldest grand daughter will also be joining us in June!

Although there seems to have been a flurry of activity lately on our Disney trips, nothing much new has come of it. Some plans were made and then discarded, and some were considered, then dropped, and then considered again! Such as it is with family groups! The most amazing part of the planning process has been the Disney Trivia contests I have each Saturday morning. I send an email out at 8am with a Disney Trivia question. It goes out to all the adults plus Miss B and I ask Mr D in person. The first one to respond with the correct answer gets 2 points. Each person that answers after gets one point. Since we are leaving the weekend after Thanksgiving, on Thanksgiving I will award the person with the most points a $25 Disney gift card. My family is very VERY competitive!

After two questions, my daughter in law is in the lead with my son in law closing in on her!

 

[DMGeurts]

It's nice to see you back Nini... . And I love hearing about your family trips and I wish I could compete for the gioft card. .

D~

 

[NiniMorris]

It's nice to see you back Nini... . And I love hearing about your family trips and I wish I could compete for the gioft card. .

D~

The funniest thing about the Trivia Game is when they don't know the answer, they make things up and then argue with me! The first question was what are the names of Mickey's nephews. My son in law insisted it was a trick question because it was Minnie that had nieces.. Nope, no trick questions in the whole shebang! Mickey's nephews are Mortimer (Morty) and Ferdinand (Ferdy) Fieldmouse. Meaning Mickey has a sister somewhere that married a Fieldmouse.

So, Mr Smarty Pants (AKA Son in law) went on a rant about if I couldn't produce either a marriage license or birth certificates, he claimed foul! Then when Miss B only knew one, he made sure that I didn't give her half credit! My older daughter keeps googling the answers (against the rules) and her husband (Mr Smarty Pants) told on her!

Second question was easy...which Disney animated character murdered his brother? My oldest son got the right movie but gave me the victims name instead of the murderer...as we know was Scar. He begged for partial credit as he was the first one to answer, but he didn't get it right!

This week will be a bit obscure as I doubt any of them will remember the movie That Darn Cat!

Next week will be interesting...as it is from one of my Daughter in laws favorite movie. It will be a race to see who can get the answer first! (and I can't reveal more in case one of my family is reading! LOL)

And thanks D~ it is great to be back!

 

[NiniMorris]

Today I had the honor of informing the Grand Princess (aka Alyssa) that she is getting to go to Disney with us in June. Of course, changing all the dining to 4 is a pain in the royal rear! The only two I could not get was 'Ohana for dinner on the night we arrive and 'Ohana for breakfast on the day we leave. I find it odd, that since they do not have tables for three, that adding a fourth person to either of these meals should be an issue...but that and BOG lunch are the only ones we are currently having problems with...I don't see it as a problem...since I won't actually be eating at BOG.

Tomorrow is our Trivia day, and I am already getting family members asking which movie they should watch!

 

[NiniMorris]

Hooray! I was a bit worried about our tickets coming in in time for our Fast passes on Monday night. I waited a bit too long to get them and the guaranteed delivery date was May 3. They came in today! I can now add them to the MDE account and be all set! I have also been able to get the dining all squared away, with the exception of our first night. Our 'Ohana still will not let me add one person. It is really annoying. I found a 2 person available for the same time, but when I tried to grab it, of course it would not let me. By the time I got someone on the phone it was gone. However I was able to grab a one person BOG for the same time as our lunch, so we are good for that.

A little strange tale about our 'Ohana breakfast. I could only get a 4 person ADR for an hour later than we wanted. So I made the change. Then, immediately tried for our original time slot, and BAM! It was there for 4 people! (which in my mind told me it was there ll along...it had nothing to do with fire code as one CM tried to tell me and everything to do with the fact that that time slot had no more TABLES, but did have SEATS!

I also got some good )ish news from my physical therapist. I was beginning to think that my trip would have to be modified because they were going to stop allowing me to drive. (vertigo) But she did confirm that because of the way I hold my head when I drive I should be fine. It is not true vertigo, but is caused by the surgery I had in my neck about five years ago. When they fused the vertebrae, it made some of the muscles tighten up and not work correctly. The therapy I am doing now, combined with holding my head straight should make it all right to drive. Of course i have to wait a few weeks for final ok....but I am happy!

 

[DMGeurts]

Hahaha... I love how competitive your family is!

Yay - I am glad you were able to get your tickets on time - I know - I need to order V's tickets soon too, so I have them in time for FPs... Airfare comes first though.

Interesting about your Ohana adr... Glad you were able to get your preferred time though.

I am glad your PT is helping, an you are able to continue driving - what a relief!

D~

 

[NiniMorris]

Wow.. seems like I haven't updated in a few days...or weeks... or months!
A lot has happened.
The June trip was on and off...and on....and off...and now is paid in full! Lots of money issues have reared their heads having to do with governmental agencies not having a clue what they are supposed to be doing! But husband managed to make the budget work, and we were able to get Free Dining for our after Thanksgiving trip, so the June trip is back in full swing and is only 16 days and a few hours away!

I've added the early morning magic hours for our Magic Kingdom day and the Symphony of the Stars dessert party package for Miss B's birthday!

Monday was our ADR day...what a mess that was! My computer and phone would not let me into my Disney Experience to book so I had to wait until 7 to call. I was unable to get most of the things we needed. I'll be stalking the Dining site until we leave! With a three year old and a one year old it is hard to accept a dining time of 9pm! Of course if I wanted a BOG dinner, all they had was 11pm! I know in the end it will all work out, but for now it is a mess!

My son in law had his heart procedure a couple weeks ago and came through with flying colors so he has been all cleared for Disney. Actually he still has to have the pacemaker inserted, but that will wait until after Disney. It looks like the only medical issue with Disney will now be...me. Seems the Vertigo is caused by my neck surgery back in 2010. There is a possibility that I may need some more surgery to correct that, but in the meantime I am using a cane to help with my stability. I got one that folds up so I can easily get on rides. And my doctor is very understanding about scheduling around my Disney trips!

I have been busy at work trying to get the two littles some dresses made before the trip, but I am seeing an issue...I don't think Miss Livvie will be growing as much in the next 6 months as I thought she would so her dresses might be a bit too large...oops!

I'm hoping that I will be able to post my dining choices in a few days...depends on if I can get a couple of missing pieces squared away...and if anyone has any pull with who ever the decision maker is at Disney...Please have them release the December park hours and CP schedule so more restaurants at Epcot are released!

Jeanne



 

[NiniMorris]

In all the 'missing in action' I realized I forgot to update a few more items about the November/December trip. What single most thing changed the look and feel of our trip? Free Dining, that's what! We were originally staying the first seven days at Saratoga Springs Two bedroom Villa. Then we were moving over to a Value for the last 4 days. We did the move last year and I really didn't like it much. It took a whole day out of the middle of the trip and felt... well it probably would have been better if we hadn't made a switch from Contemporary to Pop!

But once Free Dining was released, and I discovered my son in law and daughter could save $400 I had to let them know. Then when I saw that we would save over a thousand...it became a no brainer. Instead, we are staying at Coronado Springs... hopefully close enough that I can see them a lot! But the best part is, we don't have to move in the middle of our trip! This gives a bit more relaxation to the trip and the guys are looking forward to playing some golf in the mean time.

By now, I guess everyone knows that the November and December hours were late being posted by Disney. I mean our ADR date was last Monday and the hours were just finalized for December on Thursday morning. Luckily, the hours didn't change much from what I had thought (based on the last several years) so we weren't bothered by that too much (although I did sweat it a bit in the beginning!). what DID bother me was the fact that dining is screwy! I mean seriously screwy! We all know that some things are held back a few weeks until things like Candlelight Processional is worked out and Fantasmic!, but this was super crazy! Monday morning, dining was down for most of the day. The waits on the phone were over an hour long and availability was the pits!

The well thought out plan went on the wayside and I scrambled to get anything reasonable... Now in every year for the past 12 years, I have crafted a plan where I had first and second choices on each day and on some days even a third choice. Using that plan I have always been able to get within a half hour of my desired time for each day...but I have been spoiled because I have always gotten my first choice. So with this trip being so monumental, I only had first choices. I will tell you there are three nights that, almost a week after our window has opened, I have zero dining for!

I have even tried breaking it down using parties of four...and nothing is available! I thought I had lucked out when I was able to get a BOG for 13 people at lunch...but we really need dinner since only the eight of us will be in Magic Kingdom all day that day...

And another change to our after Thanksgiving trip is a sad one. The two boys that my son has had custody of for the past year, are going back to their biological mother. I can't go into details, but Mom has straightened out her life , kept a job for 6 months and has been clean and sober for that time period. It is really sad to me on so many levels, but at the same time I'm glad bio mom is able to see the light (so to speak) and will be reunited with her boys this coming week. The downside is that they will not be going to Disney with us.

In order to end this on a happy note I will post what we have so far in Dining.
Saturday (arrival day) Rainforest Cafe or Chef Mickey (I have not cancelled the Chef Mickey yet, but I will...it is at 9pm. I doubt the girls will be able to stay up that late for dinner!)
Sunday Boma (we had wanted Coral Reef)
Monday We want Garden Grill, but has not been released yet.
Tuesday BOG lunch and Crystal Palace dinner
Wednesday We want Biergarten, but nothing is available
Thursday 'Ohana
Friday We have Chef Mickey as a substitute here, but we were wanting BOG for dinner
Saturday We have Tusker House and Mom and Dad have California Grill to watch the fireworks!
Sunday Akershus
Monday Hollywood & Vine

So, while it is not over all too bad, I still will be tweaking it as things become available later on!

And I promise my next update will be about the trip that is coming up in just 2 short weeks!

 

[NiniMorris]

So June is here! At this time in two short weeks I will be on my way...almost to Macon. The girls are extremely excited...and I guess you can say I am too! While driving is not going to be an issue for me, the walking at Disney will be. We thought for a quick minute that I might rent a scooter, but the thought of the hassle of getting the scooter on and off transportation quickly made me change my mind!Instead I went on search for a cane...something I could Disney up. An exhausting search with lots of friends and relatives looking and I found one I like. It is NOT the one I really wanted (mainly because I have not found one I really want!) but for this trip I needed something that was easily portable. Because I won't need it all the time, but when I need it I want it available. I can't leave it in the room if I'm feeling ok that morning, because my attacks are pretty random. So I got a foldable cane. I can have it in my daughter's back pack if I don't need it, and can easily fold it up if I am getting on a ride. It is black with a cute handle...but the part I really love, is I got a glow in the dark tip! Yes, I'm somewhat dorky! My vertigo is worse at night when I can't easily tell where the ground is...so with the tip, I should be able to see where the ground is...

I'm still working on some ideas to Disney it up...

On my agenda for today is to make a cell phone wallet for my phone. I'm trying to reduce the amount of stuff I need to carry without having things fall out of my bag easily. My current wallet holds my credit cards, id and phone. I love it, but it is made of a vinyl that stretches a bit too much. I have already lost one credit card because it stretched a bit too much and fell out! This one will have a zipper in it to keep it secure! This has been my project for the past couple of weeks, but other than making a prototype, I haven't gotten very far with it! I've changed my idea for fabrics about 20 times so far!

We went shopping yesterday to get the girl's snacks and breakfast foods. We always take something for breakfast so we can munch as we get ready to leave each morning. That almost always includes some sort of breakfast bar or granola bar, and some juice. The snacks are for on the drive to Disney. (and on the way home) Our experience has been, no one sleeps on the way TO Disney. Since we are leaving around 6 am, there is a lot of time for the girls to get the munchies and to get silly. To keep on schedule we won't stop for food until lunch. So having something to munch on is a necessity! Coming home we don't seem to have this problem. They are usually all tired and sleep the whole way home, only waking when I stop to grab some lunch for me...but since they will be eating a big breakfast at 'Ohana before we leave, I doubt I'll hear too much from them until we are almost home!

I also made a hair appointment for my cut and color for the Thursday before we leave. Miss B is trying to talk Dad into what she wants for her hair. She wasn't doing such a great job of convincing him to spend close to $250 ... especially when she kept saying it would only last for a couple of weeks! When I saw that she was talking about having hair sewn in...I realized it was a couple MONTHS. So with that new piece of information I believe this will be part of her birthday present. It is much better than the orange hair she was originally asking for!

My packing is 90% done, of course Miss B has barely started! The grand Princess is so excited about it that she keeps texting me a million times a day to ask questions, and the friend of Miss B that is going is so beyond excited her mom is threatening to cut off her phone privileges! LOL! My standard calendar of things to do before a trip is keeping me on track, but when it is added to my work calendar it looks a bit overwhelming at times. Then I remind myself that I am a professional and it goes back into perspective!

One new thing we are trying on this trip is the addition of videos. The girls are brainstorming some ideas for videos for them to shoot. They are also each responsible for one blog post each. So there is a separate list of pictures they want to make sure to get for their blogs. I can't wait to see how they turn out!

The boys are off today with a group from church out to Camp Inagehi. This is where we have our youth camp every summer so the guys go out to do some volunteer work on some maintenance things for the season to start up. This leaves us girls free to do what we want. I think today we are chilling mostly, especially since Miss B has yet to get up.

UPDATE on our Disney Trivia... today's question had to do with Sleeping Beauty. My daughter in law had it first minute. My son in law is claiming foul because I am choosing only old Disney movies, and I should choose things from THIS century since that is when we are going to Disney! I think I might have to remind him what Trivia is all about...and besides...decisions of the judge (ME) are final! LOL!!