and we're back. [Walt, Wizards, and....Woolungasaurus?]

[bumbershoot]

We were going through the point "costs" for various places last night, and Robert, in his "I've seen the light" way, piped up with the fact that he REALLY wants to stay at Bay Lake for the time with the family.

Now that was different from what I had been thinking, but in order to really appreciate this new leaf he's turned over, I looked at the points, and it's doable.

Of course...that's where we own, which means we could have used the 11 month "home resort" booking advantage. So we're 2+ months behind all the other Bay Lake owners.

Well, we have 3 nights in a 2 bedroom there booked, with a wait list for two days before those days (and then we would drop the last day), and we also have a 4 day wait list on the weekend before, because that's when we would *really* like to stay with the family there.

By no means are these plans set, but it's fun having some sort of "just in case nothing else works out" plans made!

 

[kaoden39]

This is the planning stage that brings it a little closer and makes it more real. I am so sure that you are learning all sorts of fun facts about Disney World. There seems to be much more to learn about it then there are about Disneyland.

 

[bumbershoot]

Oh, and my cousin (who had a couples weekend with her hubby about a month ago at WDW) picked up a helpful map of the WDW property, including highways and such, and sent it to me. It's the first thing I've pinned above my desk.


E and I have nasty head colds. They came on in the blink of an eye, it seems. One second, just fine, next second sneezing up a storm! I wanted to do all sorts of things today, but all I could do was sit and sneeze and moan and groan.

 

[kaoden39]

Oh how fun.

My son Loren came home from school today all sneezing, aching and coughing. I am hoping that it is just a short thing.

 

[bumbershoot]

Oh, poor Loren. By the way, I went to college with a guy named Loren!

 

[kaoden39]

Loren was my dad's middle name. And the poor thing was also blessed with my grandpa's name of Egon for his middle name. I like them but you know...he likes them though.

 

[bumbershoot]

That's quite a combo of names! Glad he likes them.

Everyone always thought the guy in college was Lorne, so he always stated his name VERY clearly. He was a cool guy. I think he was head of the Outdoor programs at the university (the outdoors stuff is HUGE here, they even have the Expeditionary, where you can rent tents, sleeping bags, etc...and the orientation for freshment involves "Preludes" where you sit in what are, basically, real classes to get your feet wet, and "Passages", which is an outdoors program) which was a pretty big deal!

 

[kaoden39]

Irony is a lot of people think it is Lorne like Lorne Green from Bonanza. Or they spell it Lauren like Lauren Bacall and that is the one that bugs Loren.

 

[QueenDoOver]

Hi Molly,
I have not been here for a while. Just wanted to say hello. I am working at getting caught up. Our World Mark points closed and I have been obsessing over how to use them! Still working on a trip to the World, but still don't know when yet. Looking forward to reading what all you have gotten figured out.

 

[QueenDoOver]

I reorganized today. Yay!

I ordered a Passporter last night! So excited.

I have to laugh. I think I one time said, we are living parallel lives.

Just spent the last month getting myself organized too! Dining table is cleared, desk is cleared, most of the filing is done, etc. etc.

Also, just got my Passporter! Had ordered it from Amazon several months ago, but it was on back order. Nathan is really loving to look at it, and is leading the charge for going on the trip.

Also, Nathan had the major puke illness too! Walked up to my bed at 2 AM, and basically projectile vomitted across my bed and then on the carpet all the way to the bathroom. Led to a big middle of the night, makes no sense argument with my husband. Very pathetic.

So, we are still kicking around going to WDW this Xmas, but if we do so, it will likely be staying onsite, and not in our WorldMark condo. But I just figured out how to trade in our points to stay in DVC via RCI and it will give us 7 days DVC instead of 10 in Worldmark, which seems reasonable to me. Anyhow, I am searching for those opportunities, and I also have made a Spring Break reservation at WDW for next year, just in case we end up going then. If none of that works out, then I will shoot for next Xmas, and will be able to book that at WorldMark while I hope for DVC. So much up in the air!


But, I am really excited about the dual Annual Pass and am trying to figure out how to justify one of those for myself

It's disrespect and teenage hormones that are driving me over the edge. My son is 13 years old and I am confused about how to deal with the way he is acting towards his grandma and his dad.
Sorry for the highjack but I needed to tell someone.

I have one of those. I have been doing a lot of reading, and mostly everything says give them their space, accept the moodiness and don't respond to it. One said set up a reward for yourself that you get, everytime the kid is creepy. One lady had a candy dish and whenever the kid was snotty, instead of responding to that, she said, thank you, I was wanting a piece of candy. This would not work for me, as I am working on reducing, not growing!

I do find that the less I react to it, the better things go. I do indicate where the line is drawn, and what is acceptable, but I let him spend a lot more time in his room than I would prefer, and when he fires up and tears up, I try to just let it pass. I give hugs in passing, and tell him how proud of him I am. It is difficult times for sure!


And lastly, I know you are past the moment for now, but here is hug from me too. Grief is a funny thing and it is always surprising to me when those moments hit. For me it is my Gramps that causes my heart to hurt. We lost him too soon.

 

[kaoden39]

I have to laugh. I think I one time said, we are living parallel lives.

Just spent the last month getting myself organized too! Dining table is cleared, desk is cleared, most of the filing is done, etc. etc.

Also, just got my Passporter! Had ordered it from Amazon several months ago, but it was on back order. Nathan is really loving to look at it, and is leading the charge for going on the trip.

Also, Nathan had the major puke illness too! Walked up to my bed at 2 AM, and basically projectile vomitted across my bed and then on the carpet all the way to the bathroom. Led to a big middle of the night, makes no sense argument with my husband. Very pathetic.

So, we are still kicking around going to WDW this Xmas, but if we do so, it will likely be staying onsite, and not in our WorldMark condo. But I just figured out how to trade in our points to stay in DVC via RCI and it will give us 7 days DVC instead of 10 in Worldmark, which seems reasonable to me. Anyhow, I am searching for those opportunities, and I also have made a Spring Break reservation at WDW for next year, just in case we end up going then. If none of that works out, then I will shoot for next Xmas, and will be able to book that at WorldMark while I hope for DVC. So much up in the air!


But, I am really excited about the dual Annual Pass and am trying to figure out how to justify one of those for myself



I have one of those. I have been doing a lot of reading, and mostly everything says give them their space, accept the moodiness and don't respond to it. One said set up a reward for yourself that you get, everytime the kid is creepy. One lady had a candy dish and whenever the kid was snotty, instead of responding to that, she said, thank you, I was wanting a piece of candy. This would not work for me, as I am working on reducing, not growing!

I do find that the less I react to it, the better things go. I do indicate where the line is drawn, and what is acceptable, but I let him spend a lot more time in his room than I would prefer, and when he fires up and tears up, I try to just let it pass. I give hugs in passing, and tell him how proud of him I am. It is difficult times for sure!


And lastly, I know you are past the moment for now, but here is hug from me too. Grief is a funny thing and it is always surprising to me when those moments hit. For me it is my Gramps that causes my heart to hurt. We lost him too soon.

You know it's interesting that you mention that. I decided that I needed to take a different tack with him and instead of reacting badly I have worked towards making him feel better about himself. It is working it's a slow precess but I am already starting to see good things. He actually asked his grandma to play a game with him the other day. And he is being more respectful. Baby steps.

 

[bumbershoot]

Hey, I have responses! Who knew? I spent all day dealing with a yet-again-sick-E (and me, nasty little head colds that I have decided were brought home as an extra souvenir from my hubby, except that he wasn't sick, but then again, I do call him Typhoid Mary, as he is a spreader, not a reactor, to germs) AND it being 10 years, and I had to be all "help me help me" on Facebook b/c I was so sad. And that was nice, because most of the people on my FB are friends that knew my mom, and they can remind me how great she was and how much they miss her too, which is always nice to hear. And of course I commisserated with two of my friends who lost their moms inside the last 5 years, and a girl who lost her dad in that timeframe as well.

Sigh.

Sorry about your granddad, Tracey.



I think you should definitely plan your WDW inside the first two weeks of December this year. Absolutely.

Oh and if you want to hit Universal, try to go there shortly after Thanksgiving. We're really hoping we can do a Harry Potter package there, but I have to figure out if FULL payment is due at the time of booking (as it states on the booking pages) or if it's just $50 per person due at the time of booking (as it states in the Terms and Conditions).

 

[bumbershoot]

DH had a good visit with the endocrinologist. First, the guy was really empathetic with R. R has put on weight, despite eating much better than before, and exercising. And he has dreaded these appts, because he feels so judged. I spent about an hour talking to him the night before, reminding him that the endo *cares* about Robert, wants him to succeed, wants him to be healthier, feel better about himself, etc etc etc. That it's not like when his mom blasts him about his weight, which she SAYS is done out of caring, but is just really mean.

So when the endo was really kind, it helped a great deal. Plus, he said it's likely the HCG shots that are causing water weight. So he prescribed some diuretics for him, which R is finally willing to take. I had mentioned it before, and R had a big ol' tantrum because he didn't want to take yet another pill...he doesn't even remember this conversation. But he's accepting them from the endo, and I think this will take him quite a way down the road to feeling better, b/c I bet he's got probably 15 pounds on him that's just extra water. Maybe even more.

His "boy" hormones are doing VERY well, and the prolactin is plummeting! If he keeps dropping like it has been, by September the number will be near zero, as it should be for a male. Woo!

So it was a good appointment for him, and he needs good appointments!

 

[kaoden39]

Sorry to hear E is sick, and it sounds like you too. Typhoid Mary, you are so funny.

Yay on the Robert news. I am glad to hear his Endo dr is being more sympathetic. His mom is just being a jerk, and I am sure that in her mind she is being supportive. There is something that makes people think that being judgmental is the same as being supportive.

 

[bumbershoot]

One of my best friends is Typhoid Mary, too. Not as much anymore, because she's now on a *lower* dose of steroids after her liver transplant, but back when she was on massive steroids, she never "got sick". Oh the bugs were in her system, but her body couldn't mount an immune response. So she'd run around feeling normal, while causing her friends to drop like flies!

Shocking to think that her antirejection drug routine is LESS than what she was doing before....

But it's funny that her immune system is like Robert's, because their personalities are similar as well. And then her boyfriend's personality is like mine, plus he and I are both curly-heads with allergies. Add to that Robert's oldest friend, who basically IS me, just with boy bits and in incredible shape, and it gets very weird when we have parties!




Ohhhhh I feel blechy.

 

[bumbershoot]

For anyone wondering...

I just called the Universal people, and they said that the 4 night minimum stay (for the Harry Potter package) is only if you're checking in over Memorial Day weekend. Any other time of the year, during that package, is not subject to the 4 day minimum.

Ooh but wait, I wonder if that means the special tickets are being given for any time outside of that weekend...hmm.


And they said on the phone that the deposit is only $25 per person, not the $50 that seemed to be indicated, and then the balance is due 45 days out.



Ok I still haven't talked about Animal Kingdom!

Let me do that now.

I want to ride...everything. Robert's worried about Primeval Whirl. I will be eating at Tusker House; we just have to decide on which meal that will be.

E is spending his low energy time watching Disney planning DVDs. Yesterday he was just really sleepy, but today he's nearly interacting with it, and keeps coming up to me, telling me things about the parks. And...he did a workbook activity today that had him sound out some words, then glue them under the proper pictures, and he did it perfectly! Woo!

Anyway, AK is pretty simple. Do it all. See as much as we can. Have fun! The easiest park!

 

[bumbershoot]

"Yeah, yeah, yeah, we already know that..."


That was Eamon just now, talking to the Disney DVD when they talk about Fast Pass.

This was after working on his writing/spelling skills, telling me what things he wants to do at AK, then writing them as I sounded them out (and sometimes just flat out told him, with silent Es and explaining what letter ends Yeti and Kali, even though it sounds like a whole different letter!).

 

[kaoden39]

It sounds like Universal is more fun in Orlando.

I think it sounds like E is getting it, and that is good. Has he started reading at all? When Loren was E's age we had a book we would read on a regular basis and that was how he started reading. By the time he was in the second grade he was reading Mark Twain and Jack London. They were childrens versions but he truly enjoyed reading them.

 

[QueenDoOver]

Oh Hi!
I was trying to research Universal packages but the darn website kept freezing up on me. Finally got a quote for one of the hotels but it was $220 a night without tickets. Is that crazy? If that is so, I won't do that one for sure.

Anyhow, that is exciting that E is doing so well with his schooling, and applying his knowledge to the new Disney words. That is a good disney kid!
Nathan is a 1st grader, and is really excelling at math but he really struggles with writing and reading to an extent (they are linked). It is all about the mechanics, and he is a lefty, so I think has something to do with that. His teacher is really trying to figure it out with me.

So here is my latest news:

I figured out the RCI exchange thing, and decided to give it a try. So I was on the phone and the lady was looking for DVC for me over Xmas Break which I knew was an incredible long shot. Well....she found a week, starting on Dec 24th to Jan 1 at Vero Beach.

So I grabbed it! We have switched our DW vacation to a beach vacation,and I am really excited. We love the Ocean! And it is Right Whale birthing season during that time, so we may get to see some of them.

Our unit is 1255 sq feet! We are trying to find a second family of 3 or 4 to come with us and offset some of the costs as well as make it more fun. Want to stay an extra couple of weeks Molly

We may still add a few days at the begining, or not. We will see. I was not super excited to do DW at the highest crowds, so I am okay with this.

Gotta go help son get ready for band performance.

TTYL
T

 

[bumbershoot]

Ooh I'm so jealous of your VB reservation! And what a lovely time to go; sure takes the pressure off, if you have family pressure around that time. We don't have pressure, but I know that most people do.

Now that's an interesting proposal! But given that you're likely light-headed with having secured that awesome reservation, I'll give you some time to really think about whether you want us to share your space, LOL. I can see you now, thinking "oh no, oh no, please make her say no, I want to invite DangerMouse instead!" Which would be understandable!


So Nathan's a lefty, eh? I love that they have notebooks, etc, for left-handed people now. It's really cool he does so well in math! E hasn't progressed much with that, but then, the K workbooks (we haven't gotten into big-time curriculum at this time) don't really focus on math yet. We talk about it a lot, time, change at the store, etc etc. Hopefully we'll get some good 1st grade math stuff! Now if only Eamon could remember what Tt looks like! He always forgets that letter.


kaoden, he's slowly working into it. He's sounding out *very* simple words that we've worked with before, so that's cool. Many times he's just recognizing the stuff around it, though...like stop signs, etc. Not that there's anything wrong with that...I mean, there are so many ways to "count" reading. When I was in Ireland, they had the signs in English and Irish, so I quickly learned that Cúil is the Irish way of spelling Coole...is that really reading Irish? Probably not, it's probably just memorizing. But I could still recognize the meaning of a word, so...

And can I just say that I LOVE that accidental discovery I made a few weeks ago, that enabled me to make accents and umlauts and all sorts of other cool characters using my Mac keyboard? alt/option is held down, then I press a key, then you let alt/option up and press the letter you want under the accent/umlaut/whatever....so cool!

That's pretty amazing, what Loren was reading in 2nd grade!

Jack London taught me (and my mom) the word "wont". Not "want" or "won't", but "wont", as in "was wont to do". So, thanks Jack London, whichever book it was you used that phrase and flummoxed us!