A Disney-addicted mom plans a trip in August, 2010! *New pics #574*

[DrMomof3]

I don't think I've mentioned this. My daughter has recently become obsessed with High School Musical. Every week we go to the library and borrow a different one. Until we'd seen them all 10 times and started over from the beginning again! I am SO glad that HSM3 will still be at DHS while we're there because I know she'll be thrilled!!!

Amanda

 

[Charlefours]

Your trip is coming up so quicklyl!!! 15 days

The Sesame Place seems like it was a great trial trip for Disney. TFS your pictures!!

My thoughts are with you and your family as you begin the journey of figuring Zachary's diagnosis.

I love the idea of your mini celebrations. If you are concerned with each child getting recognize, would you have time to make a card or find one to write a note? You could give it to the hostess to place on your table as a surprise. Just a thought.

I am so excited for you!! Are you planning on doing a TR? I am gonig to pop over to your other PTR tonight.

 

[DrMomof3]

Your trip is coming up so quicklyl!!! 15 days

The Sesame Place seems like it was a great trial trip for Disney. TFS your pictures!!

My thoughts are with you and your family as you begin the journey of figuring Zachary's diagnosis.

I love the idea of your mini celebrations. If you are concerned with each child getting recognize, would you have time to make a card or find one to write a note? You could give it to the hostess to place on your table as a surprise. Just a thought.

I am so excited for you!! Are you planning on doing a TR? I am gonig to pop over to your other PTR tonight.

I like your idea about the cards. I'm starting to feel a little stressed about all the last minute trip stuff so I'm not sure if I'll get to it or not.
I'd like to do a TR. We'll have a computer so I may even start it from Disney! We'll see how it works out...

Amanda

 

[lexmas]

Well, I'm glad that they'll have HSM stuff for your DD, but I can only imagine how crazy I would go watching HSM over and over and over! So, poor you!

 

[DrMomof3]

Well, I'm glad that they'll have HSM stuff for your DD, but I can only imagine how crazy I would go watching HSM over and over and over! So, poor you!

Thankfull, I've only watched it a few times. I've seen HSM1 a few times - most of the way through. I've only seen a few bits of HSM2 and I've probably seen most of HSM3. My DH has had a lot of evening activites this summer (softball , hospital dinners, synagogue meetings, etc.) so I'm often putting 3 kids to bed by myself. Zachary goes to bed first and requires an adult in his room until he's sleeping. So I put HSM on in my bedroom for Jessica (and sometimes Nathaniel who secretly likes it but pretends to hate it) and sit with Zachary until he's sleeping. It's been really helpful!
I don't think HSM is bad at all. I think the message is pretty good and the production quality pretty high. I do get those songs stuck in my head (especially since I put a few on my iPod for Jessica!) but they aren't terrible. I thought it would be much, much worse!!!!

Amanda

 

[DrMomof3]

In the relative quiet of the morning, I finally added my celebrations to our dining reservations. It was pretty comical because I somehow made reservations using 3 different phone number (home, my cell, DH cell) and had no idea which reservation went with which phone number! Brilliant!!! So it took a few guesses to retrieve the ADRs. But I did it!

Sunday night: San Angel Inn - Tom's celebration (he's changing his practice situation a little bit so we're celebrating his "new job.").
Monday lunch: Hollywood & Vine - Zachary's celebration (he's walking now!).
Tuesday night: Princess dinner - Jessica's celebration (she's starting pre-K).
Wednesday night: Les Chefs de France - Mommy's celebration (passing my boards).
Friday night: Garden Grill - Nathaniel's celebration (graduating kindergarten).

Hopefully it'll be fun to have those celebrations!

Amanda

 

[DrMomof3]

TWO WEEKS FROM TODAY!!!

I'm really, really starting to stress about the trip. Not being there but all the prep - packing, traveling by myself, etc. I know it'll be fun once we're there but I need to get us there!
I usually overpack the carry-on bags for the trip down, just in case we lose luggage or something. I really don't want to do that this time because I'm going to be solo. That makes me a little nervous but I know we can buy anything we need. Plus we're arriving at night so we won't need much that night. I'm going to pack a pair of PJs for each child in their carry-on as well as toothbrushes/toothpaste. Obviously I need activities for them on the plane. Usually I would put the autograph books in the carry-ons but I think I may pack them (I still need to take pics of the autograph books that I made!).
I need to check that our portable DVD will hold a charge (we keep it plugged in at home so I'm worried about the battery - and it's old). I'm really coveting an iPad, especially since I could download a few movies for the kids and it's much more portable than the DVD player. If we have to replace the DVD player, I may argue for an iPad instead (with my bonus $$$). I deserve a treat, right?
Nathaniel's been using the air mattress so I can't pack that yet (our house is really old and the electrical system is outdated. Jessica's room is the only one of the kid rooms that has an outlet for an air conditioner. We have a great attic fan and ceiling fans but on the really hot days all the kids sleep in Jessica's room.). I did pack sheets for the mattress and blankets.
I repaired Jessica's Belle dress (I am not good at that kind of thing so I'm quite proud of myself for my success with needle and thread) so I can pack that. That's the princess costume she selected for the trip. It's probably the least hot of her princess outfits so I encouraged that choice. She'll only wear it to dinner that one night.
I already have one mister fan. I know we need to buy more but they aren't that much more expensive at Disney than online!
I really need to make a list of all the things I bought and what I still have to pack!!! (And, yes, I've printed out 5 different packing lists and still haven't used them yet! ).

Amanda

 

[dismagiclover]

Those last minute details can be a headache, but just remember even if you forget something you'll still be at Disney!

 

[-Hope-]

Two weeks!

Your celebrations sound fun- I think everyone is going to love having a special treat.

The packing is a headache and stressful, even with my lists I'm afraid I'm going to forget something. Just keep in mind that even though it will cost a little more you can get anything you truly need once you're there. WeGoShop will bring you just about anything you can imagine so it'll all work out in the end.

 

[klacey1]

Yay, you're so close!! Don't worry about traveling solo-- I'm sure everything will go smoothly!
Hmmm, I feel like I've seen mister fans recently. Maybe Target? They're probably cheaper now because it's "end of season."

 

[lexmas]

All those celebration dinners sound like fun!

Two weeks! That is close. I would stress about the "Getting there" part though, but I may stress a bit too much about everything so that's no surprise.

I think replacing your DVD player with an I-Pad is a great idea! Gotta shop fast if you want to have it in 2 weeks though!

I overpack too. You should be fine though, getting there at night. That sounds perfect, really.

And I totally understand all those packing lists and nothing packed. All this planning I do, and the night before/morning of I'm running around trying to pack things. Not once have I had my bags packed and ready to go in a timely fashion. That would only make sense, and be reasonable.

 

[DrMomof3]

Those last minute details can be a headache, but just remember even if you forget something you'll still be at Disney!

True! I'm not so worried about forgetting something. I just want to make sure I have the "right" stuff for the travel portion of the trip. Once we're there I know I can buy whatever I need.

Two weeks!

Your celebrations sound fun- I think everyone is going to love having a special treat.

The packing is a headache and stressful, even with my lists I'm afraid I'm going to forget something. Just keep in mind that even though it will cost a little more you can get anything you truly need once you're there. WeGoShop will bring you just about anything you can imagine so it'll all work out in the end.

Good point! I didn't know about WeGoShop. Thanks!

Yay, you're so close!! Don't worry about traveling solo-- I'm sure everything will go smoothly!
Hmmm, I feel like I've seen mister fans recently. Maybe Target? They're probably cheaper now because it's "end of season."

I didn't see any at Target today (we were at the White Plains store) but I wasn't really looking either. Hmmm....

All those celebration dinners sound like fun!

Two weeks! That is close. I would stress about the "Getting there" part though, but I may stress a bit too much about everything so that's no surprise.

I think replacing your DVD player with an I-Pad is a great idea! Gotta shop fast if you want to have it in 2 weeks though!

I overpack too. You should be fine though, getting there at night. That sounds perfect, really.

And I totally understand all those packing lists and nothing packed. All this planning I do, and the night before/morning of I'm running around trying to pack things. Not once have I had my bags packed and ready to go in a timely fashion. That would only make sense, and be reasonable.

We don't really have enough "extra" clothes that I want to start the real packing yet. I do need to make ONE master list and keep better track of my stuff. I totally overpack which is silly since we'll have (and use) a washer/dryer. I'm going to make a serious effort to only pack what we really need. I think I may use the Ziplock bag method to pack the kids outfits. That should make things a little easier.

Amanda

 

[DrMomof3]

Question: Should the kids wear bathing suits to the parks? Are there certain parks where bathing suits would be helpful? Or should I just bring extra clothes for the kids to change into if they get wet? Opinions please!!!!

Amanda

 

[-Hope-]

When we go to places where it will be hot (the zoo, amusement parks, whatever) I have them dress in clothes that are comfortable when wet- cotton shorts instead of denim for example. That way they can wear the damp/wet clothes and it keeps them cool for a while. When we went to the zoo last month both of the kids stood under the waterfall outside the elephant exhibit and got SOAKED but they didn't complain about being hot for the rest of the day!

 

[dismagiclover]

I think the answer to the bathing suit question is much easier for boys. Let the boys wear their swim trunks. No one will even notice. It's a bit more difficult for the girls. I usually just let my daughter dry off in her street clothes, but do try to avoid any clothes that would be super uncomfortable if wet. I can't remember if you're planning on going over to Islands of Adventure this trip or not, but there are definitely areas there where a swim suit would be the best choice. The children play areas are like water parks!

 

[DrMomof3]

When we go to places where it will be hot (the zoo, amusement parks, whatever) I have them dress in clothes that are comfortable when wet- cotton shorts instead of denim for example. That way they can wear the damp/wet clothes and it keeps them cool for a while. When we went to the zoo last month both of the kids stood under the waterfall outside the elephant exhibit and got SOAKED but they didn't complain about being hot for the rest of the day!

Good point. I don't think we'll bring any denim since it'll be SO hot anyway. Nathaniel tends to wear "athletic" shorts and most of Zachary's shorts are knit/cotton. Jessica prefers sundresses.

I think the answer to the bathing suit question is much easier for boys. Let the boys wear their swim trunks. No one will even notice. It's a bit more difficult for the girls. I usually just let my daughter dry off in her street clothes, but do try to avoid any clothes that would be super uncomfortable if wet. I can't remember if you're planning on going over to Islands of Adventure this trip or not, but there are definitely areas there where a swim suit would be the best choice. The children play areas are like water parks!

Thank you! We'll just be at Disney so no IOA for us (and no HP for me ). Nathaniel has become quite the little HP fan but I don't even know if he's tall enough for any of the rides! I could have Jessica wear a swimsuit under a sundress. That's always an option. She only owns tankinis (one pieces are too difficult for using the bathroom!) so it's not a huge issue.

Amanda

 

[DrMomof3]

My progress of the day:

I ordered a double stroller from Amazon to have delivered to BC. I know there's a delivery fee (bc it's a convention resort) but we get free shipping from amazon so it balances out. It will arrive in 2 days! We thought we'd get another Jeep double but after doing some research I ordered a Graco double (I think it's caller the IPO?). The Jeep's max weight is 40lbs per seat (which we already pass - no wonder it's hard to push!) and the Graco is 50lbs per seat. Plus the Graco has better sun canopies and a basket underneath. We've never seen it person so hopefully I didn't make an error! The Graco is 10lbs heavier than the Jeep but has a side carry handle to make it easier to load on the buses. It claims to have one hand folding and got very high reviews on amazon.

I ordered Keens for the whole family. It cost a small fortune and hopefully will be well worth the $$$. Everyone got Newport H2 except me. I bought myself the Venice H2. I preferred the slightly more feminine look and colors of the Venice. I ordered from Zappos (free shipping both ways if you need to exchange and fast shipping) except Tom because they had a limited/non-existent selection in his size (13). He ordered direct from Zappos with $5 shipping. Not bad.

Amanda

 

[Chelley00]

David has Keens. He loves them (I got Tevas instead) Make sure you start wearing them as soon as you get them. You want to break them in a little so you don't have blister issues.

 

[-Hope-]

Hooray for the stroller and the shoes. These things aren't as flashy and fun as things like autograph books and journals but they sure make a huge difference in the quality of a trip.

Oh, and I LOVE my Keens!

 

[DrMomof3]

David has Keens. He loves them (I got Tevas instead) Make sure you start wearing them as soon as you get them. You want to break them in a little so you don't have blister issues.

Totally! Nathaniel has been wearing his sneakers without socks at day camp and got horrible blisters all over his feet! I figure if he going to go sock-less, he should have sturdy sandals. Zappos has already shipped our shoes so we should be able to wear them soon!!!

Hooray for the stroller and the shoes. These things aren't as flashy and fun as things like autograph books and journals but they sure make a huge difference in the quality of a trip.

Oh, and I LOVE my Keens!

So true! So true! We get credit for the splashy stuff but really it's the little, behind-the-scenes stuff that matters most. If I hadn't made autograph books, we'd just buy some down there. Truthfully, the kids might not even notice the difference! But no stroller? Bad shoes? Disaster!!!! Nobody's going to thank me for the grocery order but that's super important!

Amanda