All I Want For Christmas Is an Okapi, a Dinosaur, a Herd of Elephants and ...

[MaryAz]

Congrats on the contest win!! Avery won at the Kidani pool-I was especailly proud cause she did it all herself while the other kids had parent help. And she only missed 1!!!
Super cute Disney Village-I have the Dept 56 Snow Village but may have to look into that one Does Brooklynn still nap at Disney???

 

[Charleston Princess]

I know only too well what you mean about it being crazy busy these days without enough brain power to DIS. I hope things calm down for you soon -- I don't think it will truly calm down for me until the end of March.

Love all the pics from DHS and Pop, but I truly adore the pictures of Brooklyn and Bella entranced with the shows. Those are precious.

Oh, and you know I love shopping pics! I always have a great time window shopping with you!

 

[CreightonsMomma]

Great job on winning the trivia! It looks like it was a good time at the pool. We never get time to spend by the pool.

We are going at the end of february for the last time for a while. I need to focus on finishing my degree and for the move in August. We probably wont head back until sometime in 2013. I'll live vicariously through your pictures until then.

 

[tinkgurl]

Wow, some people sure go all out in decorating their windows! That is so neat. I have a lot of the Disney Christmas village, but I see a few that I still need to get!

How fun, a game by the pool! I bet the girls enjoyed that; especially since you won!!

 

[hollisterluva92]

Great update! I cannot wait to stay at Pop so I can participate in all of the fun activities they have going on!

 

[frazers mum]

The pool activities look good fun! Who else was going to win that Disney trivia contest other than you and Jill Good on ya
The window displays that you saw looked wonderful.Mind you, even if i owned such lovely ornaments i would not subject them to a plane journey. Dread to think how they would look when we came to unwrap them after our trip over the pond!!
Hope Jill is doing well, and that you have a good week at school.

 

[wigdoutdismom]

Oh no, a new obsession....
Mickey's Christmas Village.

I must ask myself do I need this....
Where will I put it?
Where will I store it?
Since we are gone every year at Christmas will I even get it out?

But it's so stinkin' cute!!!

Pool time at POP! The girls look like they are having such a blast, I don't think Brooklynn will miss the park days at all this summer. She is going to love pool hopping!

 

[MeMom]

I know what you mean by the busy week. I've had a sick little girl, sick husband, and now I'm getting sick. Plus, the fact that we've had formal observations this week and next week and I have been asked at the last minute to teach FCAT Reading Camp to 4th grade students who are struggling (basically I have to teach them the skills they need to pass the state exam to be promoted; NO PRESSURE at all). Ugh! I wouldn't have minded if they asked a week ago for me to prepare, but the day before and I haven't even seen the material before in my life. Oh well! Enough of my venting! I hope you have a wonderful weekend!

We have to keep saying 'This, too, shall pass!' to ourselves!!! We will appreciate normal days more from going through times like these.

I have had a productive weekend. I got a lot of schoolwork finished. When I left church today, there was a pretty snowfall going strong. It only lasted a few minutes, as I drove out of snow and into rain, but it was a beautiful few minutes in the day.

I have never seen the Mickey Village set before. Very cool!

Isn't it? I wouldn't mind starting a set and adding to it little by little. It could be something fun for the grandkids to look at when they are here.

Fun update! Why am I not surprised you guys won Disney trivia?!
My mom, her cousin, and Amy are headed to POP on Thursday for the weekend. I'm staying back and babysitting my 102 year old grandmother and everyone else is too busy to go with them.

If they send you a picture, you'll have to share it with us. You won't hog all the Pop fun for yourself, will you?

You are very sweet for staying with your grandmother. Precious moments for you both.

She is so sweet, and reminds me so much of my DD. She too is always loving on a new stuffie during our trips.

I LOVE that Disney Christmas village! I used to have a huge village but I got rid of it a few years ago b/c I just didn't have the space to put it up each year, but I sure did enjoy that thing. But the Disney set is the cutest thing I have ever seen. Oh my! I may have to go in search of that! Have you ever seen that in the parks? I haven't.

I love the picture of the hibiscus. That is my favorite flower and I love that they are everywhere at WDW.

Congrats on winning the trivia contest! I've always said that I wish I could catch one of those going on b/c I would so kick hiney on Disney trivia! I am not surprised at all that you girls won either!

Brooklynn genuinely loves her plush friends.

I think the Christmas Village is so cool, but I would have to think about the money and the space to put it. They had the whole thing set up in Epcot at the American pavilion over by the tree. I took pictures and wanted Jill to see it, but when we went back a few days later, it was already gone.

Disney World does have the most beautiful flowers.

Brooklynn answered many questions by herself, but Jill and I did have to answer a few. Some were definitely for seasoned Disney folks. I doubt some people around the pool had a clue about a few of them, although I can't think of one of the harder ones off the top of my head right now.

LOVE the Mickey Christmas village! Had one on eBay once, and had it snatched away at the closing seconds! UGH!

I always like giving away a FP to someone coming into a park when we're leaving one. Disney Magic!

Of course y'alls team won the trivia contest! That's what happens when you've done all your homework!

Yep, it's always fun to give away Fastpasses or spread some Disney magic however you can.

I should have written the questions down. I don't remember any of them right now.

Great pictures around Pop. I can't wait until the trip in Jan. with DH family. We are staying at Pop Century and I have really missed not being there on our last two trips.

The trip in Sept if we can swing it will be at a moderate. DH likes a larger bed than the standard at Pop. They could solve this problem if they would put king beds as a separate category. I would be glad to pay alittle more to have a King bed guaranteed. Then I would have more money for more Disney trips, because it would still be cheaper than Moderate or Deluxe.

We need to stay Value in Jan. because SIL family is a group of 8 adults and a baby(7 mon.) She wants at least 3 rms. DH and I will request a room with King bed and hopefully get it.

Happy planning for your trips! I wish you could be guaranteed a king bed. It would be cheaper, for sure.

Those Pop windows were great! Love how much time people had spent to make others smile
Glad to see you won the trivia quiz! Disney do have some great stuff going on at the resorts, more little perks to brighten our days I'm sure you could make a week long vaction at WDW without ever setting foot inside a park!

That was very festive of them, and of course having rooms right at poolside, many people saw the displays throughout the week.

I love the extras they have added, as well. Little things like that can make non-park time plenty of fun, too.

for winning the trivia contest though I am not surprised.

I also LOVE that Mickey Christmas village. Very cute!! I have a village I put out on my shelves every year but would really love that one.

Wow they are going to town on AoA. Very colorful walls.

I am glad you had a great Friday. Have a wonderful weekend.

The most recent pictures I have seen show that they are really coming along on the Cars section of AoA now.

I did have a good weekend, but how can it possibly be Sunday night already???

Loved those windows! Disers, maybe???

Congrats to Team Catch Girls!

The girls look so happy splashing around, it's so adorable!

I think Art of Animation is gonna be a pretty awesome place to stay!

I would not be surprised if those guys were DISers.

The girls had a blast, and it was plenty warm that day.

Art of Animation looks very cool, but I think it will pretty much be out of our price range for full stays. Maybe when the regular rooms open, we can stay there a little more. We will definitely try the suites at least once, though, to see what we think.

Some days, I'm not sure that is such a bad thing!

Good luck on your upcoming week!

Thanks. I have all of the paperwork filled out. I made a couple of extra center games this weekend, so the kids will be excited about that. I have my groups set up, and I put all of my little 'rowdies' in one group that will be working at a table with me. The rest of the groups will do fine on their own. They will have to be set up like that every day this week, because this is an unannounced observation. I know it will be during Math, and I know it will be this week, but I don't know what day. The good thing is that it is a four day week for the kids, so Monday is out, and the post-conference is Friday at planning time, so I know it'll be done by then. That narrows me down to three days.

 

[MeMom]

That Disney village set is so cute!!!

Yay Team Catch Girls!!!!! It's no surprise you guys won a Disney trivia contest!

That's really fun that Pop has so many different activities going on at the pool throughout the day!

We weren't sure about the competition. We enjoyed playing it, and we'll probably try to play it again on the summer trip and let Bella try to win a prize. Hope we are on our A game for her.

Oh my goodness, I was down at the pool when they were playing games. It was really cute. I see my Play Doh building from last month!

I took so many AoA pictures on the day I walked around and just took pictures. It was so cool to see it all in person. The last time I was there, it was still just abandoned buildings.

I also saw some really cute windows at Pop when we were there shortly after you guys. I love how creative people are!

I knew you'd be able to picture yourself right there.

I sure hope that bridge opens up so that I can take walks over to AoA for pictures.

Of course you won trivia!!!

I have many Dept 56 Disney village pieces and I have just gotten them the last two years. Found some at Sears, some at Menards, DH bought me some for gifts. Super cute! I can't imagine hauling them to WDW though!

Here's my very basic set up from this past year:

We also have a "regular" Dept. 56 village that we put up separately. The Disney one goes in the DIsney room, with the Disney tree...

Very nice. I would love to have it, but I am not sure where I would put it!

Someone went all out on their window decorations. I love that Disney village too. My son and I saw some people playing a trivia game at AS Sports on our last trip, but we got there late. I like Brooklynn's prize.

You knew she would pick an animal, right?

Team Catch Girls!

Those windows were amazing! Almost makes me wish it were Christmas time again!

Blink a few times and it will be Christmas again. January and February have zoomed by!

Team Catch girls rules!!! Of course you won.

A beatuiful day you had. A splash in the pool, a trivia contest and a nap. Sounds good right about now.

Had a beautiful day here so I got some year work done. Got it done right before the deep freeze begins.

We had snow today, but it only lasted a few minutes. It was very pretty!

I am glad they got to swim on a December trip at all. Sometimes it is too cold for that, even in Florida.

Congrats on the contest win!! Avery won at the Kidani pool-I was especailly proud cause she did it all herself while the other kids had parent help. And she only missed 1!!!
Super cute Disney Village-I have the Dept 56 Snow Village but may have to look into that one Does Brooklynn still nap at Disney???

Very good! We let Brooklynn answer all the ones she could first, and then we did the onew she couldn't. On a couple of those, she was able to answer with a hint or two.

Brooklynn does take naps at Disney World on most days. Since we get up early, she is tired. She sleeps hard, and it's not always easy to get her up from a nap. There is an occasional day or two that we stay out all day and call it a night early, or an occasional day that she does not fall asleep, but for the most part, she does.

I know only too well what you mean about it being crazy busy these days without enough brain power to DIS. I hope things calm down for you soon -- I don't think it will truly calm down for me until the end of March.

Love all the pics from DHS and Pop, but I truly adore the pictures of Brooklyn and Bella entranced with the shows. Those are precious.

Oh, and you know I love shopping pics! I always have a great time window shopping with you!

I know the soccer is a lot of work - but a lot of fun, too, I hope.

The girls were really into the show. We're going to a Disney Live show here in Nashville in a couple of weeks. They should love it!

Glad you liked the shopping.

Great job on winning the trivia! It looks like it was a good time at the pool. We never get time to spend by the pool.

We are going at the end of february for the last time for a while. I need to focus on finishing my degree and for the move in August. We probably wont head back until sometime in 2013. I'll live vicariously through your pictures until then.

Since we don't have pools at home, swimming is a big deal for the girls, so we are always glad when the weather is good on Disney trips for them to be able to have water time. Pop's kiddie pool is the best!

Good luck on your degree. We'll try to get you through 2012, but 2013 will be here before you know it!

Wow, some people sure go all out in decorating their windows! That is so neat. I have a lot of the Disney Christmas village, but I see a few that I still need to get!

How fun, a game by the pool! I bet the girls enjoyed that; especially since you won!!

I didn't know you had that set. You can continue to add to it through the years. We'll enjoy looking at yours and at others.

I'm thinking we'll check out a Pop dance party this summer.

Great update! I cannot wait to stay at Pop so I can participate in all of the fun activities they have going on!

It's a fun place!

The pool activities look good fun! Who else was going to win that Disney trivia contest other than you and Jill Good on ya
The window displays that you saw looked wonderful.Mind you, even if i owned such lovely ornaments i would not subject them to a plane journey. Dread to think how they would look when we came to unwrap them after our trip over the pond!!
Hope Jill is doing well, and that you have a good week at school.

I know! I don't know if they bought it new while they were there or traveled with it. Maybe they live close and just drive in. I would be worried about having it traveling in suitcases in a plane, unless I had good sturdy hard suitcases. They're too expensive to take chances with.

Jill is doing well - tired at the end if the day, understandably. Anybody is after working all day, getting kids to afternoon activities, fixing dinner, and doing evening chores. She appreciates her weekends.

Oh no, a new obsession....
Mickey's Christmas Village.

I must ask myself do I need this....
Where will I put it?
Where will I store it?
Since we are gone every year at Christmas will I even get it out?

But it's so stinkin' cute!!!

Pool time at POP! The girls look like they are having such a blast, I don't think Brooklynn will miss the park days at all this summer. She is going to love pool hopping!

You'll have the whole set soon, won't you???

You are gone every Christmas, but is that going to be a forever thing? I think we'll be going every other or every 3rd Christmas, probably. It is too cute too resist, though. Anybody can have a Christmas village, but how many people have the Disney one?

I was thinking today of some things Brooklynn and I can do on our last days. I want to let her have plenty of swim time and do whatever she wants to do for those days. She will love being spoiled, and I will love having her all to myself just to talk and to watch her enjoy being a big girl and leading the way. I am looking very forward to it.

 

[wigdoutdismom]

Since we have Megan and Harper coming we scheduled a couple of character meals when Harper in mind...
Chef Mickey's dinner and Akershus breakfast. Any interest?

 

[dancin_princess]

I didn't use to care too much for Jack Skellington, for awhile I thought he was somewhat scary. He's grown on me but I don't think I would be sporting him on my shirts or whatnot anytime soon.

I miss being able to see all the decorated windows on my runs.

Congrats Team Catch girls on winning the Disney Trivia game. No one there even had a chance

 

[CanadianWDWfan]

I have been battling a cold for the last 4 days...I've slept so much and I now have myself all turned around.
I slept so much today already that I am wide awake and it's the middle of the night.
I've already watched 2 movies and now I'm going to catch up on here.

I was so excited to see the pics of the windows by the pool.
We saw them every day and somehow we never got a pic of them.
It was one of our regrets of the trip.
I can't wait to show DMom and Lexi, they will surely smile when they see them.

I should have known you would have spotted them and taken a pic...Thank you! You are the best!

Funny, I contemplated buying a few pieces of the Christmas village after admiring their window display.
It was cool how they used the table to display everything. I would have never thought of that.
I was kinda sad when they took it all down. I think they left a day before us.

Congrats to the "Team" for wining the Trivia contest! Brooklynn looks happy with her prize.

We have fun playing along with the poolside games aswell...I enjoy seeing all the kids having fun, dancing and some of the adults get into it too.

Oh Lexi is another one who loves her plushies.
The other night we came home from Disney on Ice with "Maximus the horse" from Tangled.
We saw Treasure Trove and it was awesome! So many characters and the costumes were gorgeous. You all should see it if it comes your way.
I was bummed that we forgot the camera in the car because we had very good seats and we missed some wonderful photo ops.
We were very good this time we only had snow cones and cotton candy. No popcorn.
Oh I forgot the Malificent dragon light up sword thingy that came home too.
She says it's perfect for Fantasmic.

It's our Family Day holiday tomorrow so I actually have two days off in a row.
We were suppose to go to Syracuse Sunday and stay over. Swim and shop but I cancelled due to my cold.
I made up for it ordering a ton of stuff from the Disney Store.
I even got the balloon print Dooney & Bourke bag I looked everywhere for in Dec. and couldn't find.

They are having a 25% off everything sale...if you need anything.....

I got some tees, cute Minnie couture bag, some Vinylmations, some 25th anniversary things, reusable bags and two Mickey Gnome garden items for my DMom's birthday.

I'm still not tired so I may go see if I can find the Christmas village stuff......unless Wig'd has beat me to it...

 

[MeMom]

Since we have Megan and Harper coming we scheduled a couple of character meals when Harper in mind...
Chef Mickey's dinner and Akershus breakfast. Any interest?

What are the Chef Mickey dates/times? If it is during our non-park days, that might be a possibility. We're doing Akershus in October, I'm pretty sure, so we'll pass on that one. I had thought about trying to get a character meal for one of those last couple of days - Chef Mickey's or maybe Cape May.

I didn't use to care too much for Jack Skellington, for awhile I thought he was somewhat scary. He's grown on me but I don't think I would be sporting him on my shirts or whatnot anytime soon.

I miss being able to see all the decorated windows on my runs.

Congrats Team Catch girls on winning the Disney Trivia game. No one there even had a chance

If I would ever make myself sit down and watch the entire movie, I might appreciate Jack Skellington stuff more. I very rarely watch any movie all the way through, though, as my kids will tell you, even if I am interested in it. I can't sit still that long.

You would have enjoyed the Christmas windows. You, of all people, should be able to really feel like you are there when you see Pop pictures!

I think if all of DIStown had been hanging out at the pool, there would have been a whole lot of fun little toys being given out in a first place tie.

I have been battling a cold for the last 4 days...I've slept so much and I now have myself all turned around.
I slept so much today already that I am wide awake and it's the middle of the night.
I've already watched 2 movies and now I'm going to catch up on here.

I was so excited to see the pics of the windows by the pool.
We saw them every day and somehow we never got a pic of them.
It was one of our regrets of the trip.
I can't wait to show DMom and Lexi, they will surely smile when they see them.

I should have known you would have spotted them and taken a pic...Thank you! You are the best!

Funny, I contemplated buying a few pieces of the Christmas village after admiring their window display.
It was cool how they used the table to display everything. I would have never thought of that.
I was kinda sad when they took it all down. I think they left a day before us.

Congrats to the "Team" for wining the Trivia contest! Brooklynn looks happy with her prize.

We have fun playing along with the poolside games aswell...I enjoy seeing all the kids having fun, dancing and some of the adults get into it too.

Oh Lexi is another one who loves her plushies.
They other night we came home from Disney on Ice with "Maximus the horse" from Tangled.
We saw Treasure Trove and it was awesome! So many characters and the costumes were gorgeous. You all should see it if it comes your way.
I was bummed that we forgot the camera in the car because we had very good seats and we missed some wonderful photo ops.
We were very good this time we only had snow cones and cotton candy. No popcorn.
Oh I forgot the Malificent dragon light up sword thingy that came home too.
She says it's perfect for Fantasmic.

It's our family day tomorrow so I actually have two days off in a row.
We were suppose to go to Syracuse Sunday and stay over. Swim and shop but I cancelled due to my cold.
I made up for it ordering a ton of stuff from the Disney Store.
I even got the balloon print Dooney & Bourke bag I looked everywhere for in Dec. and couldn't find.

They are having a 25% off everything sale...if you need anything.....

I got some tees, cute Minnie couture bag, some Vinylmations, some 25th anniversary things, reusable bags and two Mickey Gnome garden items for my DMom's birthday.

I'm still not tired so I may go see if I can find the Christmas village stuff......unless Wig'd has beat me to it...

I know what you mean. I have been coughing, sniffling, etc. it seems like since we got back from our trip. After I had that ten day whatever it was that zapped me, I still have the slightest little cough and head stuff going on. I'm hoping the spring will run it off for good!

We're going to a Disney Live show in a couple of weeks, so I suspect we'll come back with another treasure or two. I'm thinking that Maleficent sword sounds like fun for Fantasmic. That's a great idea!

I'm sure you won't be shocked to know that Brooklynn has Maximus, too.

I'm glad you got to see the windows again. It was nice of those people to put all of that up for everyone to enjoy.

It's probably a good thing that I will have very little computer time this week, so being tempted by a Disney Store 25% off sale will likely go on without me.

As for the Christmas Village, if Wigd has gotten there already, all the pictures will be stamped OUT OF STOCK, as she will have ordered a set for herself and 354 of her closest friends.


**********************************************


Happy Monday, everyone - especially to those of you who get a day off of work. We have to go to a workshop at our high school cluster school all day. After that, another teacher and I will go finish decorating the teachers' lounge for a Mardi Gras themed meal tomorrow. After that I will come home and make my food for said meal.

Then I will have time to stop....

and think...

about my impending observation.

This week is my 'unannounced' observation, which is the last piece in my total package.

I think.

It's not quite as bad as being completely unannounced, as I was told the week and the subject. Since I know the subject, I know the time, and since there are only four days, I don't have to be stressed for five. And on top of that, my post conference is Friday before Math time, so that narrows it down another day.

So, my unannounced observation/complete surprise/random drop-in visit will be either Tuesday, Wednesday, or Thursday at 1:30. Many thanks to our very kind assistant principal for doing it this way.

I also got lucky in that this is my after-school bus duty week, so I got out of that for one day, too.

 

[Stringbean&Wingnut]

Good luck on your (un)announced observation!! And enjoy your day off!

 

[Charleston Princess]

Good luck on your observation this week. I had mine a couple of weeks ago -- it is so nice when it is finished and out of the way.

 

[reelmom]

I have not been here much lately and I have missed all of you! We have been so busy. Ethan is on the Academic Bowl team and both boys play basketball. Between practices, games, meets, and everyday life, there is not much time in my day for DISing. School is out this week so I should have a lot of time to catch up. I told myself that I was not going to leave the house this week unless it was absolutely necessary. I have big plans to clean but you can see how that is going.

First of all, Good Luck on your observation. We all know you are a wonderful teacher and that you will do great.

Second, we leave in 99 days!!!!! Only I cancelled our reservation for Pop Century. Boo!!!! I had planned on taking my 2 boys down 5 days early before the rest of the family can come. We were going to try and do Disney before Universal ,depending on money, or just have non-theme park days. Well, my dryer decided to give up the ghost the other day and the money I had saved towards tickets in now gone. The hotel portion was already budgeted for. Since we are getting AP's to Universal, I decided to look at staying onsite at Universal for our 5 extra days. With an AP, you can get a good discount. Staying onsite gives you Early Entry to The Wizarding World of Harry Potter( 1 hour before opening) and gives you unlimited Front of the Line passes for most of the rides. You just have to show your room key. So, to make a short story long, we are now staying at the Royal Pacific hotel and will just take our time everyday. We will walk to the parks, ride without too much wait, and go back to swim during the afternoon at their awesome pool. It has a little beach area and they encourage you to pool hop at their 3 hotels. I am afraid that my kids are going to get spoiled and will not want to go back to Disney.

 

[wigdoutdismom]

When Marc gets home from his walk through at the High School, I'll ask him about the Chef Mickey date. I have no idea?!?

Knock em dead on your lesson! I hope it happens sooner than later so you can get it over with and just relax! I despise the drop-in hanging over my head.

Oh and I haven't purchased a single Mickey Village piece yet.

 

[Lovemy3babes]

How did I guess Team Catch would win the trivia game? Because they are awesome!!

I hope your observation goes well MeMom!

 

[marDgreen88]

Good luck this week!

 

[disneyfan61]

Good luck on your observation this week.