~And It All Started With a Wish...and a Quarter and a Fountain~TR link, page 32!

[punkin413]

Thanks for the pictures Dawn. It looked like a fun trip. I love that picture of Seth pulling your sister's hair. Reminds me of why my wife cut her hair after we had our first.

Luckily I'm a big sister so I'm used to the hair pulling. Although mine is straight so it's not as tempting as the wild, curly hair of my sister!

I'm glad you had such a nice trip Dawn! I definitely think Seth looks like you. The pictures of he and Margo are adorable.

Thanks! I love hearing that he looks like me.

What a great day with your family! Seth is just adorable with Margot. Very cute pictures.

Thanks! They were so sweet together.

I think Seth looks like you too! He has your eyes! Its the first thing I notice when I look at his pictures! I was going to comment on facebook that I thought Margots dress for her pictures was soo pretty! Their pictures turned out good! I love the one where the two of them are on their bellies!

Thanks! I love that picture too. So sweet!

The Tn. pictures were great. My favorite is the on their stomach picture I think it wonderful the way your family enjoys just being with each other.

I look forward to the Zoo pictures.

Thanks!

Ok, I LOVE your little side trip posts, and I think most of your readers do it! Please don't stop doing them! I'm not trying to be rude to the mods, but I think that was being a little overzealous. Just my opinion though.

Thanks for your opinion.

ita!

Love those baby legs!!! awwwww. Can't wait for more!

I love his little chunky legs too!

I love the pic of Margot and Seth laying on their tummies.

I like the side posts too.

Thanks - that's a favorite of mine, too!

I love your little side posts, too!

I adore all the pictures (professional and non) of Seth and Margot. The ones of them playing are so sweet!

Thank you! I loved how she just took to him like she was a little mommy.

 

[punkin413]

I'm a new reader (followed you over from Memom's reports). I love everything you write and I love every picture you post! Your son is sooo adorable; his cute little pictures literally make my ovaries hurt. I'd love to place an order for a little one just like him! Wouldn't it be nice if it were that easy??

Awww...thanks! Sorry for making your ovaries hurt. Thanks for saying hi!

Margot is so pretty. The pictures are really cute. I am sure your dad is going to love his gift.

Isn't she? I just love her - she's like a little female version of my brother.

Hey dawn!

I'm referencing this post so I don't have to try this for the 4th time now

http://www.disboards.com/showpost.php?p=41011057&postcount=1435

My phone is being screwy and I'm over it for awhile ;-)

Hope everyone is good!

Hope you're having fun in WDW!!!!! (I'm jealous. )

Thanks...you too!

Happy 1st Mother's Day, Dawn!!!

Thank you!

I've followed (lurked) for awhile...since way before you were a mommy. It is so nice to finally be able to say....Happy 1st Mother's Day! Isn't being a mom the BEST thing ever?!
I'm not a "commenter" but I do love to follow along on ALL your trips and see the beautiful pictures!

Awwww....thanks! So sweet. And yes, it is!

Dawn- hope your day is great.

Thanks so much!

Happy Mother's Day, Dawn!!

Thanks!

Happy Mother's Day, Dawn! Hope you had a great day!

Thanks...you too!

Happy Mother's Day Dawn! Hope your day was amazing!

Thank you!

 

[punkin413]

Hey, everyone! Thought I'd do an update with actual trip news!

So Luke's school calendar for next year is finally out and guess what...he's out of school for fall break the first week of October!!! That means that he and Anna can stick around for one more night before heading home. I'm waiting to hear from Tara if it's okay if they just bunk with us at VWL for Sunday night. Otherwise they'll just get one more night at Pop.

Anna gave me some money yesterday to pay on her portion of the trip and that made the wheels start turning about how much we're spending and the fact that she can now stay through Monday. We talked it over and I re-did our budget and we've decided to just go with base tickets instead of park hoppers. The only negative for her is that she won't get to see Wishes from MK, but I told her they're great from the Poly, too, so they wouldn't completely be missing out. So now she and Luke have a 4-day base ticket instead of a 3-day park hopper and will be able to hit all 4 parks.

That started me thinking about the plans that Ray and I have. I only had 1 day where we were actually planning on doing more than 1 park per day. So after some adjusting, we have decided to also go with base tickets instead of park hoppers. I hate spending the extra money for park hoppers if we probably won't even really take advantage of them. And honestly with Seth I'm thinking sticking to one park a day will be a good plan.

So, with all that being said, here's the new, improved schedule:

Thursday, 9/29 –
Drive down

Friday, 9/30 –
Animal Kingdom
Boma for dinner @ 4:45pm
Go by Expo at WWoS to pick up 5K package
To bed early!

Saturday, 10/1 – (Ray arrives at some point today)
5K for Dawn
Anna & Luke – EPCOT; Dawn & Seth – rest/pool
EPCOT (meet around lunchtime)
Dinner at Kouzzina @ 5:00pm
Anna & Luke – back to EPCOT, maybe to Poly to watch Wishes; Dawn, Ray & Seth – to bed early

Sunday, 10/2 –
Breakfast at Cape May @ 10:05am
Anna & Luke – DHS; Me, Ray & Seth - Check into VWL/relax
Meet up at DHS
Fantasmic! Dining package at Mama Melrose @ 3:55pm
Fantasmic! at 7:30pm

Monday, 10/3 –
Anna & Luke - MK until they are ready to hit the road
Everyone else:
MK
Seth’s 1st Haircut at Harmony Barber Shop @ 9:00am
Breakfast at Crystal Palace @ 10:15am w/ Erica and her family
Afternoon break
Dinner at The Wave @ 5:00
Back to MK for MSEP & Wishes

Tuesday, 10/4 –
Animal Kingdom
Free evening
Dinner at Flying Fish @ 7:00pm

Wednesday, 10/5 –
EPCOT
Free evening
Dinner at Kona @ 6:30pm

Thursday, 10/6 –
1900 Park Fare breakfast @ 10:05am
Free day
LONG nap/break
MNSSHP

Friday, 10/7 –
Breakfast at WCC @ 10:15am
Check out and hit the road


I'm still allowing us a few nights where we turn in early. The only "nighttime" events we are doing is Fantasmic, Wishes and MNSSHP. And I tweaked some of the times to fit our schedule better. And I'm 100% positive we won't be in the parks all day - I'm just allotting that day for that park. Since we've been so many times we don't NEED to do everything, just hit our favorites and enjoy the atmosphere. I'm sure more will change between now and September 29th but for now that's the plan!

Here's a few more pictures from our trip to Nashville in April, for your viewing pleasure.

Next morning, breakfast at Cracker Barrell with my mom, grandparents, aunt & uncle and my friend Melanie and her kids. Some of you will remember Melanie's daughter Megan who is on a gymnastics team that I posted pictures of in previous reports.

Pictures from Margot's birthday party, which was the whole point of the trip!

Saying the blessing before she ate her food...

Madi, Margot's big sister, wrote on these gifts and I thought it was sweet.

She LOVES Barney.

continued in next post: http://www.disboards.com/showpost.php?p=41043881&postcount=264

 

[punkin413]

The Cinderella blanket I got her.

My dad got her a dress just like her baby doll's!

We had to do this picture because we're silly. Brett with his daughter, me with my son, and Brooke with her......????

After that we just hung out at my grandparents' and mom's house the rest of the evening, ordered pizza and relaxed.

Mom showing off a hair piece my cousin had bought at a show earlier that day.

My cousin Susan and Seth (notice the missing sock).

These were taken the next morning before we left to come home.

We met Memom in the parking lot at the Walmart before we came home. It was a quick visit but so nice to see her nonetheless!

I told Anna Memom hated being in pictures so this is Anna's version of a Hidden Memom picture.

Hi, Memom!

After that we swung by Erica's so I could give her back the exersaucer she loaned me, then we hit the road. We stopped at Panera Bread on the way home and I thought this picture of Luke was funny!

Next up....to DDP or not to DDP???? That is the question! (With zoo pictures thrown in for good measure!)

 

[IluvXU]

I think hoppers are nice to have... but boy when you are buying 4 tickets it adds up. I totally agree about forgoing. We seem to do fine just going to one park a day.

 

[Lovemy3babes]

I think cutting your hoppers is okay. I use TGM and he advocates for one park a day. I think it allows for a more relaxing pace and cuts out so much transportation time ya know? Good choice! Looks like the trip was a lot of fun! The picture of your mom with the hair piece is cute! She looks like a fun, silly mom.

 

[Megablocks]

So cute how Madi wrote "I love you" on each of Margot's presents. That is sweet.

I LOVE his smile!

Your plans look awesome. We are spoiled by the park hoppers, and use them a lot, but my sister is a senior in high school and went to Disney last month with a bunch of friends, and they did it as cheaply as possible -- staying offsite, no hoppers, etc. They went during spring break so I was a little worried about how their not having hoppers would work out for them, but it seemed to work out fine for them.

 

[hlrababy]

I like the idea of regular base tickets too. I think it will be a while before we can get park hoppers. I don't think Hollie would let us even try to leave a park if she is already there! lol

Love, love, love the Nashville pictures!!

 

[MeMom]

So nice to have that family time.

As much as I like AP's and park hoppers, when money is tight, I am fine without them. I am Disney World, and I can make the most of a day in one park.

Fireworks from the Poly beach - perfectly fine with me. That is where we plan to be on the Fourth of July.

 

[dancin_princess]

Yea, it's probably best not to have park hoppers if you're not going to use them.

love the Nashville pics and the pics of Margot's birthday

 

[xoktenox]

Going without park hoppers will be no biggie...just being there is what counts! And, it's great that Anna and Luke now get to stay an extra day

We love seeing the pictures of Seth...keep posting and just sprinkle in your trip info at the same time

 

[Poolrat]

Dawn,

Love the Nashville pictures and the update. I know it is hard sometimes and I know I speak for many when I say we love the real life updates and it is all related to Disney. It all either relates to the trip coming up or another one in the future if Margot and your brother and sister ever decide to go along too. It does all fit in.

Enjoy the journey and we will too. Don't give up, just update when you can and we will read.

 

[Happy Elf]

Love the Nashville pictures! Can't believe how big Margot is getting.

Love the hidden MeMom picture!

 

[jeremysdisneymom]

Totally agree about the park hoppers. The first few trips, we got them and soon realized they were never used. Such a waste of money!

Love the pictures of Seth with your family. He is just adorable.

Hope you had a great Mother's Day!

 

[DisneyLaura]

I agree with everyone on the park hoppers. I think only one time we bought park hopper passes so ever since then we only do one park a day anyway that's how I plan our meals for the day.

Hope you had a wonderful first Mother's Day with the Seth man. It's great being a mom isn't it?

I laughed when someone said their ovaries hurt looking at Seth's pictures because I always say my uterus hurts when I see a baby.

 

[Cat0727]

What a cute cake Margot had for her birthday. She's getting so big.

For a lot of our trips to WDW we've only purchased the base tickets to save money and we usually like doing one park a day.

 

[dawz1026]

Great pics! I especially love the little legs! Adorable!

 

[ArielSRL]

Hey, Dawn! I do use the park hoppers, unlike what a lot of people said, but, of course, thats going without kids. I'm sure it is a completely different ballgame with kids (hoping we find out in about a year actually). And also, if it afforded me more time at Disney, no park hoppers would be the way to go! I'd be happy at Disney whatever way it was possible! So, I'm sure you guys will be just fine.

BTW, I love the little car thing that you have for Seth (in the photos on FB). Thats awesome!

 

[punkin413]

Hey, guys! I will do specific replies and an "official" update later, but I have a quick question and I need your thoughts/opinions.

I think I had mentioned before that we were playing with the idea of going to Orlando in October 2012 with Ray's sister and nephew. We were planning to stay off property (in one of the condos owned by the same guy who owned the condo we stayed in December 2008) and do Universal for 1-2 days and Disney for 3-4 days. Well, the reason we picked October was due to Josh's (Ray's nephew) fall break. Of course we won't know the 2012-13 school calendar until this time next year. So we waiting to see next year's school calendar and kind of estimate when we'd be able to go in 2012. So on Monday I checked the school system's website and there was next year's calendar. And guess what? NO FALL BREAK!!!! For some odd and insane reason, they have done away with the fall break, only giving them 2 days off in October, and giving them an entire week for Thanksgiving. Why they'd do that is beyond me. They're out for over 2 weeks at Christmas....why in the world would you give them an entire week less than a month before that?

Anyway, that's thrown a huge wrench in our plans. Of course we don't know what the 2012-13 school calendar will be, but we have to assume it will be similar. And we can't force Terrie to pull Josh out of school. It will be his junior year and an important one. And I personally don't want to wait until this time next year to figure it out b/c we will miss our 180-day ADR deadline and I don't want to take a chance of not getting the condo we want.

So we are looking at other dates. And so far only one seems to work.

We looked at spring break 2012, but Ray said absolutely not, he would not travel when it's mega crowded. So that nixes summer and winter break, as well.

Then I thought about Thanksgiving 2012, but the problem with that is I'm planning on going to TN for Christmas this year (2011) and then that being the last Christmas there for awhile b/c I don't want to travel with Santa Claus, if you know what I mean. So therefore we'd be going to TN for Thanksgiving in 2012.

Josh's official last day of school is tomorrow (his was actually yesterday b/c he was exempt from exams but we don't know that he'll be exempt next year) and looking at next year's school calendar, the last day is Friday, May 18th. So we are thinking about leaving the next day, Saturday, May 19th, and staying through either the next Friday or Saturday.

My question is about what kind of experiences you guys have had during this time of year at Disney. I've been in May, but the 2 trips I've taken as an adult during this time were checking in late April, checking out May 2nd and then checking in May 6th and checking out May 11th. So I've never been later in May. I'm thinking as long as it's before Memorial Day we will be good but I just don't know. OPINIONS????

 

[Charleston Princess]

As you know, we have always gone towards the beginning of June, and we have been lucky with crowds, etc. I think if you leave on May 19, you will be fine!