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

[suziemva]

Had a wonderful time at the World! We stayed at PORi, which was a first for us. I really liked it except the food situation. I'm so used to having DH and a car there to be able to leave and get dinner or breakfast, that it was very strange. Liked Boatwright's, but you can't eat there all the time.

Was VERY cold our first two days! Geez, I think it was warmer back home! Thank God I brought my sweater...almost had to buy (GASP!!) a sweatshirt! I ended up wearing my jeans two days - unheard of for me in FL to wear jeans, muchless two days! Let me just say, they are in the wash now. Got quick turnaround as we will be leaving on Friday for the weekend. Staying GF concierge this time. The other family is the lady who cleans the houses for DH's employer. Should be fun, but always a gamble when you don't know anyone really.

Good to be home and sleep in my bed, but Tori woke up and asked if we were going to the MK today. Guess that nap on the plane confused her and she really doesn't realize we're home!

Missed everyone and catching up on posts. Welcome to all the newbies! Now comes the BIG question - CG, what is up?!?!

Gonna get going now, shower, etc....DH let me sleep in today. Missed church but we will have a nice family day instead.

BYE!

 

[castlegazer]

WELCOME BACK SUZIE AND TORI!!!!!



My son asked me to put these into the post - he is cracking up right now! He loves these emoticons! Just asked for that one too.

Tell all!!!!! I still havent' heard about going down for work yet in February - but man, I am going to work on getting that in.

I got the sleep in today too - but it was not for such a nice reason as being tired from a trip to the World - it was because Catrina had a fever last night.

I will let everyone know what is up when I find out too - you will all be the next to know. As I said before you left, I am 80% sure we will be on this cruise.

Jen - your post is soooo true to what we found too. Thanks. Yeah - the reason for the angst right now is that our final payment is due VERY soon. Oh, and you know what we are figuring - tax return, baby - we gotta get somethin back this year - last year was a little paltry. Tax Return and Bonus may help here. I'll bet your tax return will be very cool this year - My sister's was when she left work and went into consulting - it helps to make $0 over a year. Not to say you made $0, but I'll bet you had some serious outlay versus income for your first year as a company - plus now you get all those cool deductions!
You know, I don't think I ever got an e-mail from you for ordering. PM me with your web site. I am very interested.

OK _ now onto what appears to be our second concierge class cruisers to check in - you all aren't just booking this cruise are you??????????? I faint at that prospect

WELCOME!!!!! The Roses!!!!!! Where are you from? I couldn't help but notice the time stamp on your post! I am hoping you are from some far off land and are not DIS'ing for your first post at 1:30 a.m.!!!

Either tonight or late this afternoon I am going to devote some time to posting roll calls - well, in reality that may be tomorrow because I think I have my master list at work. But I was going to work on getting together cabin assginments - so newbies, please give us your cabin numbers - and some spreadsheets I stole from the banned DIS'rs to use as a cruise matrix.

Yup - even though we are still up in the air, we are still all out planners.

 

[suziemva]

Just some quick pics of our trip....too many to post, so these are just the highlights!

My Baby was such a big girl! She LOVED It's tough to be a bug. I tried to tell her that it was a bit scary for a girl her age, but she was insistent that we go see the show! She never cried or anything! Just laughed and loved the show! She really wanted to take the Bug glasses home, but finally gave in to leave them there for others.

LOVES Goofy! She asked him to meet us at Magic Kingdom so that we could all ride Goofy's Barnstormer together! How cute is that!

Last time she saw Mary Poppins she cried. No reason why. This time she ran up to her and gave her a great big hug! Asked her for her autograph and a picture - all by herself! Even said please without prompting!

This was the front of our Oak Manor lodging at Riverside. Very nice place - very pretty and quiet! Just wish they had a better food court........


OOOOHHHH!!! And we had a wonderful service of Happy Limo! OMG! What a nice driver we had! His name is Gary and Tori just loved him! Once he brought the car around (was supposed to be a sedan but we got a Ford Excursion both ways!), he had Madagascar playing! Tori loved that she could sit and have her own private tv in front of her (in the headrest of the driver's and passengers seat in the front). He was so sweet to her! So, would definitely recommend them over TTC any time!!

 

[Belle and Rella's Dad]

Well I just logged on and paid for the rest of the Cruise, I just told the girls that we are official and they will now let us on board. I have to agree with everyone here that has talked about how expensive DCL is getting, but I do have to say Disney in all aspects is not inexpesive but it is a known quality that you will receive for that price. I also have my Disney Vacation Club bill in front of me right now and the dues on that keep increasing also, but again this is a place that I know we love, it is clean, and of course you can't rule out the place is just magical. I knew I was hooked when we went the first time as a family in January of 2000 and we turned the corner on Main Street and saw the Castle, Lindsey then 4 looked at me and said "Daddy thank you so much, I love you". I looked at Julie and we did not have to say a word to each other, Sarah was 18 months and to see it through their eyes is something that you can't explain. That was it Disney was in my wallet for the rest of my life, it is something you can't fight you just roll with.

I don't know why I just went off on that little tangent, probably to justify the money that I am paying out right now, it does hurt.

Suzie, welcome back I just showed Abby Toris pictures she lit up, hope you have a great time this coming weekend, Grand Floridian Concerige is something Julie and I have wanted to do for a long time, but it will have to happen some day when it is just us, or with our grandkids way down the line. We are staying one night at Old Key West before we head to Cocoa Beach to watch the Magic on our way to Vero for Spring Break. So we will get a little Disney fix at Downtown and then have dinner at Jiko, but it still won't be a park trip so keep the pictures coming.

Tom

 

[castlegazer]

How's the hair going?

I have no suggestions - Catrina's is coming in super curly - no idea where she got that from - and it just goes all bufanntey when she gets out of the tub. I don't have a clue what to do with it yet.

I have been hooked since I was 1 years old.

I showed Quinn Tori's pics too - I said, "doesn't she look sooo cute???" He said, YES!

I feel like I am Internet dating my son with all these women going on the cruise. Just so all you women know, he broke down crying at the end Beauty and the Beast Friday night - he was sooo moved. I about died. He is super sensitive ~ while driving his Monster Trucks.

 

[castlegazer]

http://www.mojackson.com/gallery/showphoto.php?photo=2385&cat=500&ppuser=409
(I will put a new post of the collage up tonight)
My baby is turning ONE!!!!!!!

 

[mousecrazy]

CG - Happy (early) birthday to your little one! Your scrapbook pages are AWESOME! What's the name of the software you use to create them?

Hey, welcome to all you recent additions!

When is final payment due?

 

[Belle&RellasMom]

I'm back from my "Girls Weekend" and let me tell you, it was a well-needed, relaxing time away. We left Friday afternoon and met Tom 1/2 way to make the "baby switch" with Abby. We stopped for late lunch, went to the bead store and then made jewelry (PJ, you'll appreciate) all night. Saturday we slept in late and then sat around in our pajamas all day watching cheesy music videos on VH-1 and CMT...lame yes, but relaxing and fun none the less! After showering it was time to get our giddy-up on! We had cocktails with the "up north" neighbors and played pool until 2AM!

Now here is the exciting part...the whole weekend was planned to get Little Lady Lisa out of the house because her hubby did a "While You Were Out"/"Surprise By Design" type makeover on their master bedroom...faux painted the walls, new bedroom furniture, window treatments, bedding, and accessories!!! We dropped her off yesterday and got to be there for the "reveal"...the look on her face and the comments out of her mouth were PRICELESS!!! She couldn't figure out why the kids had the video camera out when she got home! It was fun to be in on the surprise, but I have been nervous for the past month about letting the secret slip.

Today it is back to the real world...playgroup for Abby today, soccer for Lindsey later, and the rest of the week includes: Tom traveling, preschool, school, swimming, soccer, a doctors appointment...all leading up to a Poker Tournament on Friday night (I am dealing, not playing) to benefit both Lindsey's soccer team, and the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society Team in Training (Lindsey's coach has a nephew with ALL). Tom won the tournament last year, but I think he is going to be a dealer this year as well. Should be a fun night.

Time to shower, watch a little Regis & Kelly and then take Abby to playgroup...don't worry, it's not all about the kids...there will be plenty of coffee drinking and socializing done by the moms.

Suzie...love the pictures of Tori at the World!!!

CG...what is the latest for TODAY? Yea or nay???

Welcome to all the newbies!!!

 

[castlegazer]

Today is yea - but wait, the day is young yet

mousecrazy - I use a program called FotoFusion by Lumapix - you can download a free version pretty easily (I even did it preDSL) and then if you decide to buy it they send you a password that allows you to then print without a watermark. Its really a program for photographers to share their work with their clients - its a collage program. But it allows me to either be scrapbooky - or make a quick collage. I absolutely LOVE it! www.lumpapix.com Plus its only $40 - as opposed to $400 for PhotoShop.

I noticed that today you can't see the collage - so I will try and get it up somewhere that allows me to hotlink it.

It's pretty melancholy knowing that this may be my last 1st birthday for a child - barring any unforeseen circumstances, this is it for me kids wise. I am happy with two.

February 13th, 2006 - FINAL PAYMENT is due!!!!!! BUT, if you are a Catsaway Club member, you want to make that payment prior to January 29th so you can book on-line reservations.

 

[castlegazer]

Now here is the exciting part...the whole weekend was planned to get Little Lady Lisa out of the house because her hubby did a "While You Were Out"/"Surprise By Design" type makeover on their master bedroom...

I keep outright telling my husband to apply for that show - I know this wasn't the real deal - but man, what a cool husband to do that!!!! Did he do the work himself? I would be soooo OK with my husband doing this and then hiring someone to do the work. It apparently is not in my husband's "code" to put our family on TV - so, I will share with him what Lisa's husband did and hope for the best past that.

I am VERY jealous of your weekend.

 

[castlegazer]

Hey guys, what does your on-line reservation say for dining time? I am wondering whether or not there is a clue to dining rotation in the times or whether they assign you the true time upon boarding. Mine says 6:00 pm for Main dining.

If this were true time, that would mean I was in Parrot Cay the first night according to the latest navigators. I am guessing, its just the old regular dining time.

 

[Belle&RellasMom]

Thanks a lot CG! As if I didn't already spend enough time on the computer, now you've got me scouring the HGTV Dream Home message boards...which I didn't know existed until you said so, but I should have realized they existed because there are message boards for every topic under the sun...anyway, I am reading all of the posts and looking at the pictures that people have posted trying to see a picture of my MIL giving the tours...how dumb is that...I ALREADY KNOW WHAT SHE LOOKS LIKE!!!!! And who is this HeatherLinco person that everyone seems to be talking about???

As far as the "surprise makeover" goes, her hubby hired a decorator and shopped with her picking out fabric, colors, accessories, etc...the decorator and an assistant were the ones to do the actual faux painting...her hubby helped though (and her kids did too)...if you end up going on the cruise (which you'd better), you can meet him and introduce him to your hubby and who knows, by this time next year you could be sleeping in your own "surprise makeover" master bedroom!!!

 

[mousecrazy]

Hey guys, what does your on-line reservation say for dining time? I am wondering whether or not there is a clue to dining rotation in the times or whether they assign you the true time upon boarding. Mine says 6:00 pm for Main dining.

If this were true time, that would mean I was in Parrot Cay the first night according to the latest navigators. I am guessing, its just the old regular dining time.

My res says the same thing as yours.

And thanks for the software program name. I'm downloading the demo now...it looks just right! Do you use 'canned' backgrounds, or your own pics?

And, thanks, thanks for the final payment date. We're suddenly presented with a 'go/no go' decision ourselves. dh just told me he thinks he 'really, really' needs to go to a conference the week of the cruise. I 'really, really' think I want a divorce. ha I guess one option is to go without him...does anyone have any experience cruising with little kids (ds is 5, and dd is 8) sans spouse?

 

[castlegazer]

Nope - Only sans kids.

I use my own pictures - but stockxchange.com has great free photos. I actually use scrapbooking backgrounds the most - but I did a collage of our First Night activites where I had a shot of the back of my son's head looking at the fireworks going off in the background - it was perfect because it was a totally crappy picture, but it allowed me to put the other pics of the night around the frame and still see the fireworks and his head.

If you want to try your hand adding scrapbooking backgrounds and *.pngs to the collages there are tons of great freebie sites - One of the most fun taditional type "paper" is at http://www.shabbyprincess.com/downloads.asp

Have fun! It really is a great program. I like to put a lot of photos on one page and it allows me to crop and zoon in so easily on the photos and shape them whatever way I want. I absolutely love it.

That's what I thought about the dining time - I think they just put 6pm or 8pm for the times for everyone.

Julie - sorry! I have been lurking for three years now and never participated. I actually haven't been on the site for a while. It sucks me in and them I am there for too much time catching up on the latest rumors and news. I have been lurking so long I know personalities of the long timers - but I don't know that name. I will have to go figure it out and report back. It may be a while as work is going to be a bear this week.

I had to shorten my day today to go home to a sick child - Catrina's fever keeps recurring.

OK - I am soo going to have to place them next to each other while having drinks.

 

[castlegazer]

Mousecrazy - you have until February 13th to make up your mind (go it alone or not). 75 days out. After that the deposit becomes non-refundable.

I would not like to take the trip without my husband. Is his conference in a cool location?

castlegazer status report - Nea (just kidding). I like this smilie a lot. It's totally me.
I am doing a spreadsheet right now of the daily activities I would like to do, or think we could be doing, on the boat to give me a good idea what our days will be like. That way I can really think of Catrina and her schedule and how she will do with it all. The good news is that she is the most laid back child I have ever met and she needs about a 1/2 hour nap every day - to my eternal dismay on weekends when I need to mop the floors.

 

[cruiser2two]

Hi,

Just wanted to introduce my family. Myself (39ish), my husband (38), DS 5 and DS 3 will be joining you on April 29th. This is our first cruise with kids although we've taken the boys on a few other vacations (Jamaica, Disneyland).

We are from Calgary, Alberta (Canada) so are very excited to get away from the snow!!

We have both 7538 and 7584 reserved right now (need to decide by Thursday which one we want). My stomach is turning over backwards thinking of what this is going to cost us!!!

Look forward to getting to know you all. I've read some of the thread and you guys look like a great group of people!! Thanks to all who invited me over to this board! I can't tell you how excited we are to be going!!

 

[Belle&RellasMom]

Cruiser2two!!! You're right, we're a fun bunch!!! Deck 7 will be a rockin' (we're on Deck 7 with our gang of four families)...

CG...it's been 2 1/2 hours since your last post...have you changed your mind yet???

 

[castlegazer]

Bwaaahhhhaaahhhaaaahhha - ha- ha - workin on it, sassafrass Still workin that spreadsheet - us financial people have to put everything in terms of grids and rows, man.

WELCOME TO Cruiser2two!!!!!!

 

[castlegazer]

Ok - just so you all know - you are my excuse for not going to the gym - that and an impending deadline.....

Here is the long sought after roll-call:


*Belle&RellasMom & Belle and Rella's Dad:
2 adults
DD 10
DD 7
DD 4

*Pango & Pango's Queen:
2 adults
DD 10

*Doc's Queen:
2 adults
DD 9
DD 7

*Little Lady Lisa:
6 adults (2 sets of grandparents)
DD 9
DS 6

*Castlegazer:
2 adults
DS 4
DD 15 mos.

*Ohjulie:
2 adults
DS 12
DD 8

*suziemva:
2 adults
DD 4

*ohsodisney:
2 adults
twin DDs 4

*PhillyJen2006:
2 adults
DD 7
DD 5

*mermaidpatty:
2 adults
DD 8
DD 5

*lsutigger2:
2 adults (hey lsutigger2...haven't heard from you in awhile!)

*djjmitt:
2 adults
DS 6
DD 3
DD 3 (hey djjmitt...haven't heard from you either!)

*inthemood:
2 adults
DS7
DD6

*BLBCB:
2 adults
DD 14
DD 12
DS 11 (BLBCB...are you still around?)

*GrumpyC.Hook:
2 adults

*ohsodisney
2 adults
Twin DDs 4 1/2

*daisy112878
2 Adults (only furbaby children)

* Sue718
2 Adults
DD 5

* mketting
Party of 20 people
12 adults
8 kids

* partypat
14 people

* STEVEMED
"We are going with 5 other couples and 10 kids
My kids are dd9 and dd5
Two more girls ages 6 and 9
boy 8 and girl 5
two boys 9ish and 12ish(or something like that)
and a girl around 8th or 9th grade."

* mousecrazy:
2 Adults
DD 8
DS 5

* jewelgrrl
2 Adults



* hccb
2 Adults
DS 9
DD 6
Concierge

* The Roses
2 Adults
Concierge
10th Anniversary (Happy early Anniversary!)

* Cruiser2two
2 adults (39 & 38)
DS 5
DS 3
#7538 or #7584

 

[partypat]

CG, we actually only have 14 people going....10 adults and 4 children (16, 9, 7 & 4).

Welcome to Cruiser2two. You took the plunge and won't be sorry. This is a great group.

PartyPat