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

[mketting]

Suzie- So far so good for Penn State.

I've got to head to bed. I actually went swimming tonight for exercise and I'm bushed. I won't get to sleep in again for 2 weeks!!! (Swim Meet this weekend for Meghan)

Last Pic for the night for the Syracuse Fans out there. My father-in-law got free tickets to a Syracuse Bball game last month, Jared loved it.

 

[partypat]

Wow....you'all have been busy on the posting tonight.

Mketting....yea...you did it! I know how it feels to become addicted to posting pictures. My friends say they love it, but sometimes I wonder if I'm overdoing it.
You have a beautiful family. To have one of each is a blessing. And the kids going on the cruise...what a gaggle of offspring you'all have. I know what you mean about the costumes. My 6 year old granddaughter and 4 year old niece will be decked out every day.

Castlegazer, I loved your email to Raul. What a great way to keep him in the loop of whats going on at home. It wasn't sappy at all. Heartwarming and creative.

Belleandrellasmom: Your going to have to keep me abreast of what the 16 year old is doing. We tried to get their room closer to ours, but to no avail. When we booked in August the pickins' were slim. He's a great kid, so I'm hoping he'll mind his p's and q's and not take advantage of not having his parents close by. They'll be 2 floors down on the 5th deck.

This is a picture of my son Justin on his 25th brithday on New Years Eve at the river.

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Sleep Tight

PartyPat

 

[suziemva]

Okay, it's 12:20 am and the game is STILL going!! It's OT now at 16 all and I feel like I could just throw up! Such anxiety - I don't know how the players do it! Penn State has not really played well and it really shows. Poor Michael Robinson just looks worn out and sore! I see pain pills and hot tubs in his future.

Gotta run back to the game!

 

[suziemva]

FINALLY!!!! After 3 OT's they FINALLY kicked a FG to win! Geez! I almost took up smoking, my nerves were so shot! 26-23 was the final and I've now got to try to get to sleep! Yeah, with all that adrenaline rushing through my system......

Good night all....


WE ARE......PENN STATE!!!

 

[Belle&RellasMom]

CG...QUIT MAKING ME LOOK BAD!!! Sometimes when Tom travels, we barely manage to talk to him on the phone. He is sitting in a hotel room all lonely, but here life still goes on! Brownies, doctors appointments, soccer, etc...A couple of weeks ago he was out of town and the girls and I went out to dinner with some friends. He called during dinner and I told him that I would have the girls call him later...unfortunately I forgot about it and boy was I ever in trouble!!! And now he is going to see your little "scrapbook shrine" to your hubby and I am really going to be in trouble!!!!!!!!!!!

 

[castlegazer]

SUZIE - AWESOME GAME!!!! Man, that was good!



Thanks guys for not laughing. (my husband's name is Paul) For everyone asking, I do digital scrapbooking. Its super easy, fun, and totally my speed - no cutting, frustration, messes, and wasted money on supplies. I LOVE IT! Plus I get to share my creations easily (and look like a devoted wife). Now Julie, don't you know that you should be wrapped in only celophane when he gets home after a blunder like that (ala Fried Green Tomatoes).

inthemood - I cleaned up my inbox. Sorry.

 

[castlegazer]

Hey Suzie, I just realized that we all let your quest for door sign info drop and no one responded. I have had one made up for this cruise for a long time now. I think since that door sign thread started and gave me the idea to do it. The only problem is that I did it here at work prior to having the capability to do digital scrapbooking at home so I am going to need to transfer it over. I will post it as soon as I can. It's pirate themed and my son doesn't like that it has the Jolly Roger on it. I am going to make him one of his own since its his birthday trip.

 

[mketting]

Suzie- Congrat's on the game.

I plan to make door sign for our entire group. I haven't started them yet though.

Castlegazer- I can't see whatever it is you posted to your husband, there is nothing at all in the box, no X or anything.

 

[castlegazer]

Do you DIS from work? You may be blocked from photo sharing sites like I am.

I did another one tonight too - but alas I will not bore you all.

Off to bed for me!

 

[mketting]

I can see all the other photos people are posting, weird?

By the way everyone my name is Michelle. When I first signed up for the disboard I had no idea what the signature or screen name was all about so I just used the beginning of my email at work. Now that I see all the fun names I wish I had been a little more creative.

 

[castlegazer]

Michelle, I am baffled - I use imagestation. Can everyone else see it? I thought so but maybe you all were puffing smoke up my you know what and fibbing about seeing it. Hunh?

Forgot to say last night that I love the outfits you have for your kids - I am jealous that your son will wear a Jolly Roger - mine will absolutely not. I guess he is right to be scared of it.

OK - guys I am totally angsting over what to do the night we get into Orlando. Do I
1) relax, stay around the Wildreness Lodge, have dinner there and then if we are up, mosey over to see Wishes
2) go into Epcot for the Flower and Garden show - see Illuminations (which, God forbid, I have never seen) and really push the kids to make it up that late. I also am dying to go on Soaring.
3) Go into MK for the evening and then go do Epcot the next day instead of MK.

I am leaning towards relaxing (and saving money) as Catrina has never traveled before, and who knows how she will be, and we plan on doing Kennedy Space Center on Friday and they have really raised the prices to do that. But that will mean that I don't get to go into Epcot and see my favorite festival (we have seen it before) and we will just do MK.

What do you all think?

 

[castlegazer]

I probably just answered my own question.

I called to see about ARs for CRT and got one for lunch on Thursday the 27th -easily.

SO, if you all need to go see Cinderella while you are there prior to the cruise - CALL NOW - apparently, there are still slots available - at least for the 27th. I had my choice of slots for lunch or breakfast.


So, given that that lunch is now sooo expensive - it goes up by $10/pp to $33.99 starting February 2006 - I don't think they have made it worth $10 more, but that may be just me - I think we will stick to one day in the parks rather than two. Eating at the castle is costing me almost as much as my room is at the WLV! Holy crap! My son asked me if he could eat with the Princesses this morning - I think maybe I will try and pursuade him to eat with Pooh Bear instead. This little jaunt to WDW prior to the cruise is getting totally out of control already.

My biggest issue is that Thursday is the EMH day for MK - I am scared, very scared. I have never done an EMH day at park - I avoid it like the plague.

 

[carolina_yankee]

Congratluations on getting CRT reservations. I'm shocked that they're still avalible for breakfast, though I've heard lunch is easier.

I don't think the EMH crowds will be quite as bad as you might fear. Spring break is over at that point so most kids are in school. Worse than a non-EMH day that time of year, sure, but no necessasrily worse than a standard day in summer, or even a slow day in summer.

 

[suziemva]

CG - we will be at POFQ the day before the cruise. We can always hang out together. We finally decided to stay at Disney before and after just to try to catch a few days on our passes. Are you guys coming back after the cruise or just leaving?

As to EMH, as long as you go early when the park opens, I've found no problem. We were able to do all of Fantasyland in 40 minutes with little or no lines! It was great! Enabled us to be at Toon Town at 10 am for the rope drop. We got to ride Goofy's Barnstormer as the first load of guests - WITH GOOFY!!! It was really cool! Then we followed him over to the Judges Tent to be first in line for autographs! It was really neat!

If you go later, say around 10:30-11:00, it gets a bit hairy with crowd levels. That's usually when we leave to go to another park. I don't do well in crowds. That's why we love going in the off season and on the cruise!

Not sure about doing big character meals only because we do have the characters, etc. on the cruise. Not such a big deal to us. BUT if you are able to do it and want, they are a wonderful time. We've yet to do BF with Cindy at the castle. Just not lucky enough to get through in time for ressies....although a little birdy I know has TONS of luck getting what ADR's they want....we just are not that lucky.....

Anyway, it will all be fun! I still can't believe we're under the four month mark! WOOHOO!!! I can book at the end of this month for things - which I am ever so excited about!

Oh, BTW, I have no problem seeing any of the pics posted. Great job, again!

Okay, BL weigh in was NOT GOOD!!! I've been eating such junk recently! YUCK!!! I'm up 4.2 lbs! Boy, goes on quickly and comes off so slowly!!! I feel like such a loser.....but it gives me enough incentive to really work at this!!! LET THE GAMES BEGIN!!

Partypat - how are things there? I've been worried about you guys with all that rain! Please update!

 

[mketting]

Sunday didn't seem to be a good day for BL weigh ins so why don't we make it Tuesdays, starting next week since that will be about a week since New Years and all of our resolutions.

I can't decide where to stay yet either. We fly in Wednesday and are doing Universal Thurs and Friday before the cruise and dinner at Ohana's Friday night. I can't decide if we should stay near Universal or onsite at Disney to get us "in the mood" for the cruise. I'm leaning towards a resort near Universal.

 

[castlegazer]

You know after the excitement about getting the AR wore off as I was driving around for lunch I began to think, hey, wait a minute, my son will be cruising with the Princesses! Why the heck do I have to spend $100 to have him eat with them too?


We have done the breakfast several times before and its OK. My son slept through it when he went - that was great. I was super psyched to see Snow White, but I could have done without the whole "kill yourself to get those ressies" thing. I thought then that it was overpriced - now its just ridiculous. (and I am one of those people who have never failed to get a reservation there for some strange reason).

Our last visit we ate at Crystal Palace and that was AWESOME! The food is really good and its fun to dance and play with Pooh Bear.

Suzie, the day before the cruise we will be over in Cocoa Beach hanging around on the beach and going to see the rockets at KSC.

We're spending Wednesday night and Thursday before the cruise in WDW.

After the cruise we will again spend the night in Cocoa Beach - probably eating crabs and drinking beer at my favorite crab shack (do the Bella&Rella family want to join in? We'll be doing this Friday before the cruise too and anyone is welcome to come then too)

I then have an ungodly hour plane flight home on Sunday - my Birthday!

 

[castlegazer]

I'm just chatty patty today - but had to tell you all that I just went to the second hand store and bought my daughter one of those SPF 30 coverups - she's going to look so funny - but she is sooo fair that I am beginning to worry about her in the Caribbean sun - I burnt to a crisp the last time I was in St. Maarten. They also had a T-shirt her size for St. John for a $1 - I thought that was just too good and perfect to pass up.

Michelle, your kids look like they tan nicely. My son does as he got my husband's skin. My daughter and I are eternally banned to the shade.

 

[Belle&RellasMom]

CG, do you mean one of those kids "space suits"??? When we were in Vero last Spring Break there were a couple of European kids wearing them and we were cracking up at them (hey Little Lady Lisa, remember??? ) But since your daughter is sssoooo cute I promise we won't make fun of her!!!

We are driving down, leaving Thursday (the 27th) sometime between noon and three and going straight to Cocoa Beach...should arrive early Friday morning. We're staying at the Ron Jon Friday night...Pango and his Queen are hooking us up with a room. Don't know yet what we are doing for dinner that night...last time we drank too much at the pool all day (well Tom & Pango did) and we couldn't go "out" to dinner like we had planned! As far as after the cruise, we are leaving immediately to start driving home Since it will be our second trip to Florida that month (Spring Break at Vero) and since we have to buy 5 plane tickets, and since I like to shop, and since we like to feed our kids, and since I am a SAHM, and since we haven't won the lottery recently, and since we're already pullling out kids out of school for a week, and since...blah blah blah...we're driving!

BTW, CG what is the name of your "favorite crab shack"? We're staying in Cocoa for two nights on our way to Vero...Tom wants to wave at the Magic while we are sipping cocktails on the deck at either Grills or Rusty's (or someplace similar with a view of the ship).

 

[suziemva]

Quick note to all you RCI-ers. Endless Vacation magazine has a really cute article on multi-generational cruising....on DCL! It was a really cute article that made my heart accelerate as the author described places onboard that I knew, remembered, and look so forward to seeing again (3 months, 3 weeks, 3 days!).

They also had the Passporter Guide for Special Needs as one of the spotlighted travel books! How cool for Dave and Jen!

 

[suziemva]

CG - I'm sorry! I thought you all were staying til the cruise at WLV. Kinda bummed now. I had such a great time meeting Tom, Julie and The Princesses, thought I'd be able to meet up before the cruise. You will JUST HAVE TO knock on our door when you board, though. I know it will be a long walk for you, but, well, I know you can do it!!

We had wanted to stay at RJ, but really thought it over and decided to try one night at POFQ. Heard some wonderful things about it, and wanted to try it, so here was our chance. We will be staying WL on our return trip - concierge level ->was my Christmas present since Ed really didn't have time to shop in Palm Beach because of work. Gee, how did he ever guess that I would like that?!?!?!?!?!

Is anyone staying at Disney the day before the cruise? I feel like the red-headed step-child of the family now....or just a loser for not checking everything out beforehand. Could just be my blonde roots for not remembering, too. Oh, well. I'm sure we will be able to tough it out that day....

Worked at the church today. Undecorated from Christmas (did my house stuff yesterday). With the Associate Pastor's brillant idea to hang live wreaths on our new building walls, there were pine needles everywhere! And it now looks like they stained the wall and we will have to repaint. I, being Anal Annie, started to vaccuum (can never spell that work right!) the needles up and ended up doing the whole first floor! Once you start a job, do it to the fullest! May I say, I hate to vaccuum (here it is again!) and my sore arm proves it!!! What a weenie! But it did make me feel good that I was thanked by all because it was so messy from the snow grit and pine needles. Almost looks new again.....wonder when the last time it was done??? We do have a cleaning crew, but, well.....