4/29/06 Eastern Magic...We're Going!!!!!

[The Roses]

She is beautiful!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Congratulations!

Hey! The Pirate's all misty-eyed! This from the man who used to change diapers by putting a new one on right over the old one....

The PAHW

 

[BLBCB]

She is so perfect! Even just looking at the pictures I get that ache to hold her. I guess it never goes away. Tori looks like she is such a proud big sister.

Take care and remember to get lots of rest. You are recovering from surgery as well as having a baby. Don't lift anything above your head, avoid stairs, etc. OK, I'm done my nag now. Enjoy your new precious little angel as much as you obviously do your new "big sister" precious angel.

Barb

 

[Belle and Rella's Dad]

Suzie and Ed,

Congrats to you, she is adorable.

Tom

 

[tiggersister2]

Awww -- Such good timing for me -- Congratulations on that BEAUTIFUL baby!
I just occurred to me that I haven't checked in here for a couple of months so I was amazed to see us still on page 1 - wow!
I skimmed through the pages and forget now what else I wanted to respond to -- Oh - Lisa -- sorry about your son - that must have been a stressful time and I know it's hard to watch a child with any kind of illness - my prayers to you. ALso- - Barb - -sorry about your husband. I lived in Canada many years ago and the system was better then but I've heard nightmares lately from friends. I don't think we do a lot better here - it's really shameful how insurance companies run our health. I've had health problems for years and it's just a mess. My husband is sick with some mystery malady right now and has been out of work on disability fo 2 months -- - I won't get into all of that here. We wer supposed to go to Disney in August and cancelled and then again in September and he just couldn't make it so he insiste I go to get some rest from taking care of him. So, my 25 year old daughter came with me and one of my twins who turned 30 that week (her birthday is 9/11 which makes it a days of mixed feelings for me - the good and the bad) came down for the weekend. It was a short 5 day trip and we stayed at the Beach Club and got another free upgrade to concierge - I was in heaven - we did very little at the parks - this was a rest trip and lots of time was spent in the pool. We did hit the first night of the Halloween Party - in the rain - but we had fun.

Everyone stay well. When are the 2008 cruises going to be announced - anyone know? I still have a reservation for this coming April but doubt I can do it then anyway.

 

[suziemva]

Just got back from the ped and things went great! I love this ped dr (new one we just switched to this year) and her nurse! Ameera's jaundice is going away and she wasn't even concerned about it...said it looked normal. She had me nurse Ameera there and then weighed her after she was done. Ameera gained almost 2 oz just from that feeding! WOOHOO!! And her weight is already on the incline! She weighed 6 lbs 10 oz then 6 lbs 11 1/2 oz by the time we left! Up from her hospital discharge weight and what we weighed her at last night at home! What a relief for me!!!!

 

[tiggersister2]

Hey -- that's great news. My third daughter started off as a lazy nurser and had the jaundice also -- but the same thing happened and after a few days she was a pro and got fat Good luck with everything - eat well, drink lots of fluid and enjoy!!!

 

[Belle and Rella's Dad]

Is that it?????

Are we done?????

The bottom of page 3 without activity since the 13th!!!!

10 days and we got nothing!!!!

I just hope this is not the last post!!!!

Good night JohnBoy,

Tom

 

[BLBCB]

I've been too depressed about all this snow to write. Can't let Tom be the final poster though. Got to keep this thing going. Suzie's busy with the new baby, Shyla with the new job, guess the rest of us have to pick up the slack.

We have almost all of the old stucco off of our house. My dad welded up a claw-type thing to help rip the stucco down. It has sure saved on the arm work of pulling with a crowbar. We are then putting up styro. insulation and then housewrap which will have to do until next spring. We are going to put vinyl siding on since it's something we can do ourselves. We are also going to build the corners out to look like pillars and are going to try to do the stucco work ourselves too. Since we've never done stucco before, we will be starting on the back of the house in case we make a few mistakes! The benefits of living 1/4 mile from the nearest road, nobody will see our mistakes! Hopefully by next spring I can show you pictures of the finished project. When you do the work yourself, the job takes a lot longer.

Update on Len's knee: We pulled some strings through his employer and got an appointment with the surgeon last week (same doctor we were supposed to see through normal channels, but we would have had to wait until February!) He has officially said the knee has to be reconstructed (he is the 4th doctor to tell us this). They say he will be able to get in for surgery as early as next July. It's free, but it's slow.

Have a great day everyone.

 

[suziemva]

Barb, I guess that's good news about July????? Not sure how I would feel about having to wait that long....Can't wait to hear more about the house. Sorry I've not been the best emailer around lately - will get in touch soon.

Baby is doing much better. Things seem to have clicked with her but a few speed bumps along the way. Ameera is 2 weeks old today! Hard to believe! Tori is still very infatuated with her and has a hard time keeping her hands off!

Got a question for you guys/gals. We're planning our next Disney trip in January and hoping to bring our friends. They've never been to WDW and I don't think HE is too excited. He's fighting it because it's hunting season and he's been gone overseas for a year and missed out last year. BUT I think he would have a good time once he got there. Question is this: For a first time family (3 year old little boy included) what would be the things not to miss or take special time with at the parks and surrounding areas? It's been so long since we were DISNEY VIRGINS that I can't remember!!!!!

Tom, NEVER say good-night until the Fat Lady sings! I ain't heard no singin'!!!! Hugs to you and yours, baby! Don't you have a trip coming up soon?!?!?! Let us live vicariously through you, please! Tell us all about it! We're listening!

 

[rubysmom]

Barb That's all I can say to you!! You guys and your fearless house projects are amazing--I can't wait to see the pillars, what a great idea! Good news for Len, too. I've got a new typing account and have been doing a ton of ortho reports lately, learning so much--and there's so much that can be done for joints now...crummy that you even have to wait that long, but it will be a relief to get it taken care of. Len, you just keep the late night parties and stage dancing down to a dull roar until then, you hear?

Suzie! 2 wks!!! I can't believe it! Glad to hear things are settling a bit.

These are some of our favorites:
Epcot:
--For a 3 y/o boy, don't miss Turtle Talk with Crush,! (I'm betting both of the new Nemo things will be very cool.)
--There's also the Nestle Tollhouse cookie baking at the Land.
--Mexico Pavilion with all the colors and giant hats to try on and maracas to shake, and of course the Rio del Tiempo
--Dinner in Germany; there were several young kids who went up and danced with the musicians (is he outgoing like Tori?)
MJM:
--If he watches Playhouse Disney, that would be a good choice.
--I heard they were going to make some kind of pseudo-permanent thing out of the Jedi Training Academy. Mikey would have LOVED that at 3.
AK:
--Y'know how the Dino-Rama area is like a parking lot carnival? His dad might not like paying so much to go to something he could do back home, maybe. Otherwise, The Boneyard made my kids happy forever and Primeval Whirl made them crack up laughing when they were younger.
MK:
--Everything ( )
--Storytime with Belle. Even Mikey at age 8 enjoyed this, and of course all the younger kids did too, boys and girls alike.
--Plan to get a haircut at the Barbershop (make the appt now if you can!)

Also, PUSH the talking trash can and Wes Palm the talking palm tree. If you see them, and he's not scared of them, it's captivating to watch kids interact with them and see the amazed look on their faces.

Are you going after Jan 22nd? The Pirate and Princess Party sounds like it's going to be so cool.

Kids can be entertained with the simplest of things, like the petting zoo and Boneyard at AK, the fountains at Epcot, and Tom Sawyers Island. I just wonder if it will be equally important to make sure dad feels like the trip was worthwhile, something he couldn't find anywhere else. Hopefully he'll see the wonder in his son's face and realize that Disney is different! 3 to 5 is the absolute best age, I think, for children to be captivated by Disney. I think the main thing is knowing whether or not your child will be afraid of the characters, and once you know the answer to that, you really can't go wrong.

No, Tom, it's not the end!! We just need some topics whilst we await the 2008 sail dates (such as Barb's house, Suzie's baby, and any upcoming Disney trips...hmmm?).

In other news, did I mention I got a note from a secret admirer last weekend? Something about beautiful angels walking the earth and the clouds parting and the sun coming out and an invitation for coffee, along with a phone number. Probably was left on the wrong car or written by a scary person, but I'll just pretend otherwise and keep it to refer to again later for a "pickmeup", lol! Dave said he'd be happy to call and tell the admirer thanks for the compliment, but he's married and isn't really into guys that way. Yeah...I don't think so, honey. But we did look up the # online and found it's a local cell, so no dice.

 

[BLBCB]

Trish, I don't think it's a matter of being fearless, it's a matter of being to poor to hire the work out! I guess I must be preaching a lot lately about saving money because Caity asked me the other day something about "are they poor like us". Poor to me means having trouble putting food on the table. We are just having to be a bit more imaginative with the way we spend! And Len's not doing too much dancing at all right now, but the pictures sure have been passed around! I am so glad you had your camera that night. The only time I didn't bring mine of course.

Suzie, When I'm planning a trip for first timers, I usually try to put something in the itinerary that is special to that person. Without being able to talk to him to find out his needs, I would guess that if the dad has been away overseas for a long time, he will probably be looking for a few things out of the vacation. He will want to see his son living the "magic" of Disney, he will want to spend some grown-up time with his wife, and also maybe have a bit of something for himself. The first thing is automatic at Disney if you are willing to see it, the second could be done with booking the child into one of the "Disney Daycares" so the adults could have a nice meal and maybe go to Pleasure Island. The third one could be something as simple as fishing, or something exciting as the Richard Petty Driving Experience. He sounds like the type that would really love that. The biggest thing is remind them not to rush through everything. First-timers are overwhelmed with the size and options at WDW and try to do everything all at once. They have to be reminded to slow down and "feel" the magic. And if all that doesn't work, you can bribe him by saying that if he goes, he can then stay at your friends house up in Canada where the hunting is amazing. If I keep offering, someone is bound to come up and visit!

We now have the styro insulation 3/4 the way around our house. From the road it looks like we've painted it bright pink! We really must be the talk of the neighborhood now! The sun reflects off the snow and makes the house look like it's glowing right now. Maybe that's why nobody comes up here, I keep saying how ugly our house is and how much work it needs

Have a great day everyone.

 

[STEVEMED]

Suzie....I know what might be special for a group of first timers....How about a visit from stevemed himself. We will be in Disney from January 20th to the 27th and would love to see you guys.By the way congrats to you and your family on your new arrival.

To everyone else...Hello and I hope all is going well.

Barb...Tell Len good luck with his leg.

Tom....How about them tigers.See you in 2008.

 

[suziemva]

Steve! That's when we'll be there!!!! Where ya' stayin? Or is it a suprise? I know how you love to suprise the wife! Do let's try to get together - even if it's just for dinner or something! WOOHOO!! How cool is that!?!?!?!

Now, if I could only get Trish to get over on this coast....

 

[STEVEMED]

Suzie...We will be at Old Key West.We are going for my youngests birthday.Send me a pm and we can work out the details to get together...I can't wait to see the new addition to the family(and Tori too)

 

[suziemva]

Steve, I'll email you when I get the details straightened out! Sounds like fun! Looking forward to it!

Bummer note: Our friends here can't go with us. He asked for time off but the Marines need a few good men and can't let him off. Since he just got back a few months ago, he's low man on the totem pole and the only one assigned for his duty job. Bummer. So, Quantico ruined our good time but we will try again later next year....

Barb, will you email me? I can't find your email addy in my mailbox! I have some questions that maybe you would be able to answer....Thanks!

 

[BLBCB]

Great news up here. We've been around +2 to +4 for the past two days and almost all of the snow has melted! Don't get me wrong, I love winter, just not in October.

Suzie, I sent you a message, but the address has Ed's name not yours. I hope I'm using the right one.

I still haven't started Halloween costumes yet, so guess what I'll be doing this weekend! I work best under pressure. I haven't unpacked my sewing room yet so it could be interesting trying to find everything in the boxes. Why did we decide to rebuild this place instead of just moving into a finished home?

Have a great evening everyone.

 

[Lisa D]

Hi Everyone!

Suzie, sorry to hear your friends won't be along on your trip. I pulled out my album from 1998 when Jonathan was three (the first year he went and we joined DVC and discovered the DIS and the rest is history) to see what he enjoyed at that age - which was everything except the Tower of Terror . He met the height requirement so we took him on it and he wouldn't go back on until he was seven. And, girl, you are so lucky to be having not one but two Disney experiences with Stevemed! And Steve, if you read this, you will love Old Key West if you haven't already been there. The rooms are so big you could almost live there. They practically have to kick you out - which is kind of how we all felt when we had to get off the ship.

Barb, hang on in there with your renovations. Our house is five years old now and we're starting to have to do some minor repairs, which is even a pain so I can imagine how you guys feel. I hope everything works out well for Len and his knee surgery. How are Lilo and Stitch doing? They must be getting big by now!

Trish, I can totally believe that you do have a secret admirer! A divorced male friend of ours was looking at our cruise pictures and asked us if you were single We told him no, you were on a girls trip, and you had a wonderful husband back out west.

Getting ready for the big Halloween weekend here. We have two parties two nights in a row. I don't think we've gone out two nights in a row since we were on the cruise! Tonight is a family party at our neighbor's house - tomorrow is an adult costume party which I don't have our costumes for yet. Phil hates dressing up - I think that's from back in his Penn State Frat days when they made him paint his face blue and white and wear a wig. The theme for the party is "Famous Couples" just to complicate things. We finally decided on Gilligan's Island - Phil will be Gilligan and I will be either Ginger (yes I have a red wig) or Mary Ann depending on what I can find in the consignment shop which is where I'm headed next.

Happy Halloween!

 

[The Roses]

We just got back from a trip to Disneyland and dinner at CLUB 33!!
It was very cool, and we will post pictures as soon as we figure out how to do that. But I have to tell you this: when you go to the little girl's room, you get to actually sit on a throne! Seriously, there is a throne in there! Naturally I used it and I felt like a queen!

The pirate says the men's room was no big deal, but he took pics of that too.


The Roses

 

[suziemva]

We just got back from a trip to Disneyland and dinner at CLUB 33!!
It was very cool, and we will post pictures as soon as we figure out how to do that. But I have to tell you this: when you go to the little girl's room, you get to actually sit on a throne! Seriously, there is a throne in there! Naturally I used it and I felt like a queen!

The pirate says the men's room was no big deal, but he took pics of that too.


The Roses

:lmao I'm glad you clarified that it was you, Sue, who went in the little girl's room! I had to think about who was writing the post at first! I hope that you took a picture - and yes, I would have!!!

Call me if you have question on how to post pics. It's just too hard to try to explain in writing instead of talking in person.

Lisa - you'd better take pics! Hey, and what's wrong with dressing up in blue and white paint?!?! He SHOULD be HONORED! And I so can believe the guys going gaga over Trish! So sweet and cute too! (are you blushing yet?!)

Barb, hang in there, honey. It's all worth it! The house will be great and you will have the knowledge that YOU did it!!!

 

[STEVEMED]

It's good to see this thread is starting to pick up again.Tom would be proud(that's a call out old Tommy boy).

Lisa D...We are looking forward to seeing Old Key West. I have long wanted to stay at this wonderfull resort.


Suzie can't wait to see you guys.It may be a little to cold for me to pull out the old.... (I think this is a good thing because we don't want to scare the new addition to the family)