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

[bumbershoot]

This year the b'day isn't a big deal, as it's actually the week before the weekend. But both of our families were big on having parties ON the day, which is why we had problems before. It's one of the very few childhood things we both had, parties on the exact day!

The brother generally gives DS and me vouchers for the air travel. He's been a big hesitant to pay for DH to fly here, but I'm not totally sure why. And maybe it's just that WE are hesitant to take that much from them (even though they fly for business all the time, have mileage plan CCs, and have stacks of vouchers, LOL) and they know that...

But for whatever reason, I'm not into visiting them this year. We spent a lot of time there last year, and even though I adore my brother and his wife, just completely love them, there are a few little reasons why I don't want to go this year. One of the reasons is that I want to get totally in shape and then surprise them. They are incredibly fit people...it's funny, through high school I was the aerobics queen while my brother was on the chubby side...and over time we have totally switched. I was embarrassed to be there on our last trip, and I was so mortified by some pix my sister in law took of me that I barely ate and lost a ton. The swimming helped. And then got back up here, put it all on again, and maybe more! But the working out is really starting to show, and I think I'd just like to really amaze them. They would never SAY anything about me being heavy, but I know they notice, and I know they would be very happy for me once I am fit again (and they would comment then).

Gawd what a stupid reason.

Also, my dad *might* be visiting next month...I don't know when, I don' tknow how long, I don't know anything other than he said he'd be here...yeah, he's 11 months late for his visit LAST summer! I'm not holding my breath, and I STILL haven't mentioned it to Eamon. (telling my dad that I "of course" hadn't told E is, I believe, what prompted him to finally get closer to making plans...) Anyway, my brother does not speak to or about our dad, so the two visits can't be anywhere near each other anyway...

Blah blah blah....

I've been online too many hours today, and the learning work session with E was really productive but also really exhausting, and I'm just TIRED today...so if any of the above sounds REALLY STUPID, just blame all of that. I gotta go to bed early. All of us do,really.

 

[bumbershoot]

Got another little bit of disney money, as a Disney Gift Card made it to me...cashout from the rewards site I do. Very exciting! Now I have that and a Landrys card in my little plastic 3 drawer doohickey I got for a buck from Big Lots.

 

[kaoden39]

That's the fun stuff. I have made a binder this time for our trip. I decided that I will be better at taking notes about what we do and eat if I take notes at the end of the day and have pictures to make it easier to do a trip report.

 

[bumbershoot]

Yay for binders!

I'm typing to you with a wall of binders in front of me. During the back to school madness at the end of the summer, I picked up approx 18,000 cheapy binders. All but one are now in use. And use them I do, versus the black hole known as the file boxes! Can't wait until that time this year, so I can get one million more.

 

[kaoden39]

Every year in the back to school sales there are a few stores that always have been the place to go. Target is great for spiral note pads, I generally get them for about .20 a piece, so I buy about 100. We have enough to last the school year then. Binders and folders the best places is always Staples. But no one beats Costco on the price of pens and pencils. When you have three kids you learn where to go.

 

[bumbershoot]

I'd never been part of the school supply stuff before, and it was amazing, the difference in prices then vs normally. Although I haven't been able to buy supplies in the last few years, a happy place for me is the office supply store/aisle, so I see the prices of these things semi-regularly. Could not believe how cheap some of it was.



DH just found out his next trip. The country he's being sent to makes us want to slow our snowball and help (with BIL) pay for MIL to go along with DH. We are so danged nice! However, this trip will cause him to miss DS's birthday.

 

[kaoden39]

I'd never been part of the school supply stuff before, and it was amazing, the difference in prices then vs normally. Although I haven't been able to buy supplies in the last few years, a happy place for me is the office supply store/aisle, so I see the prices of these things semi-regularly. Could not believe how cheap some of it was.



DH just found out his next trip. The country he's being sent to makes us want to slow our snowball and help (with BIL) pay for MIL to go along with DH. We are so danged nice! However, this trip will cause him to miss DS's birthday.

Then I am guessing where DH is being sent. It's rough that he won't be home for E's birthday but you could celebrate a low key for the actual birthday and then whoop it up when R gets home.

 

[bumbershoot]

You are a very smart woman. Robert recently told me that it's not secret, where he's sent, anymore, but I still don't like being blatant, ya know?

If R really is away for the b'day, it's settled; E and I are going to visit my brother. All pathetic reasons aside.


OMG March seems to be THE longest month in the entire universe. I'm dyin' here!

 

[kaoden39]

My March has gone the other way for me. I am less than three weeks from making PS and it seems like it wasn't that long ago that is was triple digits.

Time could slow a little for me. My oldest daughter is going to be 17 in one week. Sigh. And I signed my baby up for high school last week. Maybe that is why time seems to be flying for me.

 

[bumbershoot]

Oh wow, I can see why you would like time to slow! Well you can have some slowness of my March. There ya go.

 

[kaoden39]

Thanks Molly!!

 

[Brady's Mom]

My March has flown, too. There is just so much going on every single day that I'm glad to get to the end of the day.

That is REALLY exciting for R. to go where he is going - but TOTALLY stinks that he will miss E's birthday. That would be hard for my kidlets - if their Dad was not there. Are your AP's still good for DLR? Will you have to get tickets? I assume since you will be in San Diego and that close to DL that you would HAVE to go there for E's birthday.

How long will R be gone? Can he handle being with his mom for that long? DH went to Japan (his mom grew up there) with his mom when I was pregnant with our 2nd DS and I couldn't fly (I was about 8 months). She drove him totally crazy and it was not a pretty situation. That trip was part of the reason that DH no longer has ANY contact with his mom. I think it is cool that you are considering helping his mom be able to go along. With that kind of karma, some really great things are bound to happen in your life.

Oh and can I just add - we are leaving for DLR this Sat. and I am soooo not ready, but really excited to go. It was a good trip for me to plan since our oldest DS is coming home from Taiwan in less than a month and I would be freaking out even more if I didn't have a trip to focus on.

 

[bumbershoot]

We talked to R's brother about this, seeing if he would like "in" on it...he would indeed. The thought is, once R's travel plans are set and he goes to make airline arrangements, we figure out the money for the flights along with BIL, and if it's all possible, then we spring it on her.

If everything were to go perfectly, they would fly out together, she would stay with her family. Robert would stay at a hotel b/c he needs to (and they would "let" him b/c it's for work, unlike a vacation where it would be VERY difficult to not stay with family), and heck, if she starts to fight with her sisters (as she is wont to do) she can go hide out at R's hotel. But ultimately, he'd be moving on to the second country on his trip, and *hopefully* she would feel so happy and empowered that she would be fine staying for a full month, and flying home on her own. If she doesn't want to stay for a month, then I suppose she would just fly home around the time that R does, though it would be tricky since the travel agency would likely have him flying home from the second (nearby) country.

Everyone just wants her to have some FUN. She is so busy feeling poor and sad about it, b/c she never thought they were poor after marrying FIL...spent a great deal of her life "acting rich" and believing her husband about their finances...so sad. Anyway, her family feels indebted to her b/c of the support she and FIL gave them, and they invite her to stay with them, they would be happy to pay for her to be there, so we hope that if she doesn't have to pay for airfare, she might do it. Only iffy part is that we don't know if she has a passport...but she became a citizen around 5 years ago, so that won't be a difficult thing to do (unlike, I assume, if she had remained a citizen there) if she doesn't have a current one.

I can take care of her mailed bills, and we have her insurances on autopay, she lives in a retirement place that is secure so she doesn't have to worry about theft (it's an independent living place, not one with helpers all around), they control the utilities, etc etc etc...shouldn't be difficult at all to pick up and go for a few weeks.


We don't have current APs for Disneyland. I just typed out "the problem" with my lovely kind generous sister-in-law and brother...but ultimately it's not a problem I should ever complain about. I'll just take things as they come...

 

[kaoden39]

I hope that it happens. And I hope she has a good enough time that she wants to stay for the whole month. I am sure her sons would love for her to let loose and have a good time.

 

[bumbershoot]

I just stared at your easter bunny emoticon for like a minute...it's hypnotizing...and then giggled to myself b/c of your Twilight-referencing trip journal name. Last night we finally watched two Saturday Night Live episodes we'd recorded ages ago. Both from December.

Along with some hilarious sketches about how the PGA tour people felt about Tiger taking time off from golf (for some reason it was better watching that now, since we know he's about to come back), some funny "fake news" bits, and also some boring parts, there was a scene taking place in a high school biology class about two former friends who stopped being friends b/c one is Team Jacob and the other is Team Edward.

The best part? The Team Edward "girl" was played by Taylor Lautner. At one point the Jacob girl was showing a picture of "Jacob" without his shirt on, the Edward "girl" says that the abs are fake, they are CGI, and the Jacob girl insists they are real...and the Edward "girl" says "well if the abs on the actor who plays Jacob are real, then he should win an Oscar or something!"

I mean, I don't watch the movies and haven't read the books, but I found it to be absolutely hilarious. And he plays an *excellent* seriously geeky boy AND girl...

 

[bumbershoot]

So I've been having what appear to be allergies the last couple days, and between sneezing myself into a stupor, and the natural antihistamines the body will make after awhile if you just don't medicate yourself (and those natural ones are just as near coma-inducing as the ones you can, or used to be able to, take) that my system is making, I might be a little "off".

Maybe.

So it might not JUST be the hypnotizey bunny.

 

[kaoden39]

I have never read the books, but the reason the for the name is because one of our trip party is wild about Twilight, and now so is my son. I am not a fan but I am a fan of Mickey and when a version of the name was suggested I said how about if we try this. It has gotten lots of views for the name, and I am sure they leave disappointed. My bunny has made me smile more than once.

 

[bumbershoot]

hypnotizey bunny is back.....run away, run away........

 

[kaoden39]

Look away from the bunny......

 

[Brady's Mom]

Oh the weirdness....it won't let me put in anything but words! Just think laughing emoticon!