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

[QueenDoOver]

PITA: Seriously, I couldn't imagine it. Okay, your trip sounds fabulous and very adventurous. I could never get my hubby to make so many transitions. He would come undone!

I know the school thing is huge, and honestly could not even imagine home schooling. I do not have the temperment for it. I really tie myself up in knots every year trying to make sure I have considered everything in regards to my kids education, and the teacher choice etc. etc. My oldest is entering high school next year, and I have come to believe that I stress too much and mostly it all works out the way it is supposed to.

 

[bumbershoot]

I really tie myself up in knots every year trying to make sure I have considered everything in regards to my kids education, and the teacher choice etc.

Oh it's so good to know that there are school-schooling people who worry about it! Seems that most of my friends just send their kids to the school that's in their neighborhood and don't worry one little bit about it! So even though you tie yourself in knots and that's no fun, I am glad to know that there are people who worry about that sort of thing.

Sometimes I question if I have the temperament for it, especially b/c E and I learn in such different ways.

BUT I would be the hugest thorn in any school's side it wouldn't even be funny. And let's not even talk about how badly my head would explode if my kid's teachers ever went on strike, which, as you know, seems to happen OFTEN in our state...considering how annoyed I get at Macy's workers every year during their annual strike (seriously, the contract you signed LAST YEAR was THAT bad????), it wouldn't be pretty! Fund-raising, volunteering, boosters OMG it all makes me nutty.


The other night I was twirling in mental circles b/c I kept thinking about college, and what if I didn't do things right and how am i going to make his transcript so he can get into a fabulous college (I don't mean fudge it, I mean just the way the transcript is made) and what if I forget to teach him something (note: I did just fine despite HUGE gaps in my schooling caused by the nonsense some of the kids in the classes got up to every single year), etc etc etc....

Then I realized two days later that he's 6, not 18, and I have several years to learn how to do this.


Yesterday at the Y I found out that they'd had the Ballet day written wrong, so Thursday is now Ballet AND Gymnastics day. I think I'll see if we can swap gym days b/c I was liking the idea of 5 workouts a week and NOT liking the idea of going to the Y twice in one day and definitely not liking the idea of E exhausting himself with two difficult classes in one day! Even the Ballet/Gymnastics teacher was unsure if E could do it, but we'll try it out.

 

[kaoden39]

Stress over school is such a tough thing. Last year Loren's middle school that all of my kids had attended and had teachers that I knew and trusted closed. Part of the teachers went to one middle school and the others went to another. I went well before school started trying to get my son into the school of my choice. It had a tougher curriculum and frankly their discipline was tougher. I was lucky enough to get him in after fighting with the district into the school year to get him out of the school they sent him to and into the school of my choice. The irony was the fact that the school of my choice although the better school is not in a great neighborhood so everyone didn't want their children there. They lost out, this school has higher test scores, and far better teachers.

High school is another one. My girls are going to a higher scholastic level school. They are taking an international curriculum course schedule. This is where they are strong. Although Loren is every bit as intelligent as his sisters he lacks the drive. He is going to a school with a better arts program and that is his strength.

Yes school-schooling can be just as nerve wracking. All we can do is do what we think is best for our children and have the knowledge that we are there and that we stand behind what we decide.

 

[Brady's Mom]

I'm with Tracey on the worrying over my kid's education. I know quite a few parents who don't involve themselves in their kid's education. And it kind of blows my mind.

We have a school 2 houses away from us and my kids play on the playground and the field all the time - BUT I would never send them there. I did send my 14 yr. old there for a year, but went through the roof when I found out what sort of stupid math they were doing and how lazy his teacher was. I even volunteered as the chorus leader to be more involved and to know the principal more, etc, etc. I pulled him out at Christmas time and spent the last part of the year homeschooling. I had to catch him up on so much math, and English and writing, and OHHHH I still regret waiting til Christmas break.

My kid's all go to Charter school now - okay, Nathan starts in Aug along with the rest of them - and I am still involved - but I have a say in the curriculum and we fill out a survey every year about how we feel the teacher's are doing and I go to the Board meetings and listen to the direction that the school is headed. If a teacher is bad - they are not invited back for the next year and sometimes fired before the year is out. There is NO tenure.

So, it's a win-win for me since I am not a very good homeschool parent, but I am a good charter school parent.

I worried about my oldest even up to this last semester in College - he seemed to have no real drive or ambition and totally tanked his first year of college. I didn't know that a grade point average could be as low as 0.34. BUT, he did great and just finished a summer semester and started another yesterday. He pulled his grade up one whole gpa point because he got really good grades in his classes.

I wouldn't worry about what choices you are making for E right now - just go with what you know, what you value in education, how he learns and get some basic/solid concepts in him and he will be great. And keep talking to other homeschool parents - they have lots of good advice. Oh, and try to stay true to yourself, just because someone really loves Saxon math (I do) and someone else doesn't - you go with what feels right for you. I don't think you really have to worry about the high school transcripts for a couple of years.

Okay - that was long.

I can't believe how much planning has to go into WDW. Have you decided which airline you'll be flying? I was checking flights for fun the other day and they range for me for 6 people from about $2400 to 4200. That's a lot of dough - makes me want to stick to the Land - I can get there cheaper.

 

[bumbershoot]

You guys are restoring my faith in humanity! Seriously, what is WRONG with the friends I've had for years? And why do I keep considering them to be my friends? Was thinking about one of them...she's met Eamon once. Once! She has never visited me at all, when I was her go-to person when her girl was in the early years, despite living 1.5 hours away from her.


Anyway....I'm glad you guys are here b/c you make me feel better about those around me.



Flights! Alaska has the best flight time to get out there. I considered the red-eye but Robert convinced me that we're not quite ready to do that yet. It's non-stop which is nice. But right now SW has a better price, but they have a stop and plane change. But you get 2 checked bags per person. But with Alaska we'd get Robert on for free. But the total cost of two on Alaska plus one checked bag is jsut about the same as 3 on SW with two bags each! But with SW we'd have to leave earlier. And Eamon hates landings b/c of his ears.

Back, forth, back, forth....

Robert also has some good miles on United, but they don't have great flight times. Going back isn't as important b/c we leave on Friday and he won't have to be at work until Monday of course...we have time and can relax. So maybe we'll book with them and get Robert on a miles flight and it'll be good. On the other hand, if his missing miles for his Ireland trip come through, then he can get home on Alaska as well.

But yes, it is expensive.

On the other hand, I haven't found GREAT prices down to CA recently, either!


I'm really glad that our first days in the parks will be spent with my family. My cousin has always been a WDW fan, and she and her husband spent their dates hanging out at the parks and resort lobbies and restaurants b/c she was working at a Disney Store back when they were part of Disney the FIRST time, and she got great park perks. So she knows her way around, and I'm glad she'll be there to show us around, so I don't have to stress TOO much about that aspect of it. All we have to do is pay attention!

 

[kaoden39]

It's good that you have your cousin to help you. Not to mention you will have fun hanging out with your cousin too. I wan't sure how much fun we would have sharing our trip this time but you know all in all it was pretty fun.

 

[bumbershoot]

Yes I hope we have fun! We haven't spent much time together since she was around 4...but at heart they are all very nice people, so if anything we'll have to watch out for the "let's do what YOU want to do" thing that might happen, because if we're all doing that we'll just stand there all day!

I just don't want it to be a "don't let this happen to you" sort of "learn from this trip report" sort of trip.

 

[kaoden39]

Oh I know what you mean. I would rather have a fun trip of "oh let me show you this, it's my favorite spot to be", than have a trip of "oh this is a spot that I don't like to be".

We shared ideas on our trip, although they go every year they always have done the same stuff over and over. Eat at the same places etc. They have fallen into habits. This trip was about discovering new places to be. Like none of us had ever eaten at the Troubador Tavern, back in the Princess area. We were able to all find something that we were willing to eat.

 

[bumbershoot]

Running around Universal, trying to find a better bargain than what we already have. Not finding much to take it down *that* much, and we'd have to give up two things from the package, so....

 

[kaoden39]

I do the same thing. Almost to the point when we leave. I am always looking for a bargain for what I really want.

 

[QueenDoOver]

BUT I would be the hugest thorn in any school's side it wouldn't even be funny. And let's not even talk about how badly my head would explode if my kid's teachers ever went on strike, which, as you know, seems to happen OFTEN in our state...considering how annoyed I get at Macy's workers every year during their annual strike (seriously, the contract you signed LAST YEAR was THAT bad????), it wouldn't be pretty! Fund-raising, volunteering, boosters OMG it all makes me nutty.


Then I realized two days later that he's 6, not 18, and I have several years to learn how to do this.

QUOTE]

Now this gave me a good laugh. I am the biggest thorn! I actually have been really pleased with the elementary school that my oldest attended from 4th grade on(our first elementary,not so much) and my youngest is at now, and also very pleased with the middle school my oldest just finished. We will see what high school brings. But we have had some amazing dedicated teachers that just leave me in awe of their passion and commitment. But the buracracy drives me crazy! Regarding PTA and boosters and whatnot, I learned in Kindergarten that I needed to be the pretty napkin girl. Meaning, I can't hang with the gals and do the planning, no time for baking the goods, etc etc. Tell me what you need, I will grab it and drop it off and that is it! In the classroom, I don't like to do the reading with the kids. It is too slow for me. Give me the art project, or a task that I can efficiently get done. I'm really only there because I want to know what is going on!

And yes, take a breath, because you do have years to figure it out and it does seem that most of them survive and thrive even if we screw it all up, right?? It's the effort that counts! And the caring...

I think it will be wonderful to have someone to take you around the parks that knows and loves them. That will be a wonderful experience, and especially if you just go with it, while you are with them, knowing it is for a short period of time.

I know what you mean about universal. That pricing is But it is sort of silly to be saving a tiny bit and giving up significant experience, in light of the entire trip. So , I say go for it!

 

[bumbershoot]

Keep thinking about this date last year, E and I having just gotten into our room at PPH, me turning on the TV and catching the news about FF and MJ...was so sad.

I was never one of the MJ is horrid people, even though I thought he became a whackadoo. And I probably wouldn't have listened to his newer stuff once released unless it hit the radio even though I loved his older stuff. But to have an End...it's just sad. I was sad about FF too, but I was never really a *fan* of hers so it didn't hit as hard.

Weird combination memory I have...PPH CMs coming to fix the a/c vent, finally figuring out how to make the daybed thingie become a bed instead of a couch, and that news. And even though this isn't how ALL of that happened, my memory puts me in a towel for all of it! (was in the shower when the maintenance guys showed up and had to dress fast)


Off we go to me working out and E's aikido class. Not really feeling 100%, my legs are saying "a FOURTH workout? what are you doing, chiquita????"....but it's got to be done if I want to feel comfy having pictures of me taken in December! I don't want to be the "missing woman" in pictures years from now, ya know? Brings to mind E and what he says...which brings to mind what the gymastics director called him yesterday...the "gymnastics rockstar", teehee.

Gotta go! Tracey I saw your reply, but I gotta go!

 

[QueenDoOver]

The Gymnastics Rockstar! You go Eamon!

And Molly, are you around the weekend of Aug. 20,21. There is a mini Diva meet in Seattle. I think I will go on Saturday with Nathan and visit the Aquarium. Are you thinking of coming?

 

[bumbershoot]

I hadn't read about it. I only go on that thread every once in a blue moon, so it's not a surprise that I hadn't heard about it.

I'll definitely think about it, though! Where's the actual meet? Gotta check the cost of the aquarium...





OK I'm not going to admit this on llnoe.com so I'll do it here. I pulled a stupid today. Well, Robert and I did.

We got impatient with the car loan. Wanted to be done with Chase. Decided to pull the money from a small line of credit we have with our CU, pay off Chase, then pay the LOC before the interest started. I kept having this thought...what if this isn't like a credit card, what if the interest starts immediately? But it's in Robert's name and I didn't want to bug him and have him call, so I just looked around fruitlessly on the website and found nothing, and decided to go forth. Pulled the LOC money over to checking, and pulled it out in cash.

So we went into the bank today (yay for Saturday banks), found it a pain to do a payoff there, so paid all the principal at the bank with the intent to do the payoff of the interest still owed online.

Got home, went to Chase to see it there, yay it's there, how pretty. Hmm, $10 fee to pay the rest online! Hmm. Oh, can pay by check for free, just takes a bit more time, well that's OK.

Hopped over to the CU website while on my way to update my debt calculator doohickey, to cancel out the car loan and put the LOC there (intending to pay most on July 1 and the ASAP before a bill hit, thinking it would be like the CC). Ruh roh. There's a payoff balance that's bigger than the amount I moved! Augh, they start charging interest immediately! And it's all too late!!!!

Sigh.

Ultimately it's actually cheaper than if we'd left the Chase stuff to its natural payoff, because we were at x cents per day in interest on the loan itself, and the LOC is actually x-14 cents per day. But it's MORE than what we were trying to get. So we're not actually *damaged* by this, but we sure do feel stupid!

We did a handshake later on, promising to not get greedy and impatient with such things in the future.



But in other news, we had previously bought the airline tickets to Orlando. Despite Robert having miles for a ticket on United (horrid flight times) or Alaska (good flight), either one would be more to buy E and I tickets than going with Southwest to buy THREE. Plus we get 2 bags each checked, not that we need that many, but it's nice to know. I am in mourning for my "nearly 9" AM flight getting in just after 5 pm, because the SW flight leaves at stinkin' 6 am and gets in about half an hour later, WITH a plane change in Vegas...United actually did have a flight that got in earlier than even AK, but there was a plane change at O'Hare, and I'm not willing to do that in December! Call me crazy....

We'll wait for the flights home. And if SW gets some good rates going home and Alaska gets good rates going there, then we'll just swap it. Cancel SW, use the credits. Pay for Alaska. Because I actually very much want that NON stop on Alaska with the decent times...just wasn't willing to pay over $300 for each, for a one way ticket. (even though intellectually I know that's actually a good price to fly on a plane across the entire country, my wallet is in disagreement)


OH, and I keep forgetting to mention that we got a little packet in the mail about the 2 nights at Caribbean Beach. It's a cute little packet shaped like a monorail car, and has little single page brochures about various things to do. Also has a DVD, but I worry that it's the same one we got in the mail months ago...well, "worry" is a strong word, LOL, but I don't have interest watching it on my own, but don't want E to be bummed if it's nothing new when HE watches it. Plus, I keep forgetting about it.

 

[bumbershoot]

This has nothing to do with WDW. Well, not really. Hmm, sort of.


End of the month, eating from the pantry. What the heck do we have left? Hmm, we have stuff for waffles and some soy'con (soy bacon) left. OK, breakfast dinner!

Using my sad belgian waffle maker that I don't like; I like flatter waffles, not the big poofies, but I didn't really realize the maker was a belgian one, and it was only $5, and we were broke, so....

I go trolling on allrecipes. I find some recipes. yawn. I find...a new recipe. I make it. I make it using the little suggestions given by the reviewers, adding a little vanilla (maybe 1.5 tsp?) and some cinnamon (sprinkled into the batter without measuring).

The recipe isn't as simple as others; it involves separating eggs, beating the whites to a soft peak, and folding them in. I always hate those steps. Sigh.

But I make the batter, start cooking, and...the house starts to smell of Disneyland....

The closest we can guess is that they smell like beignets at Cafe Orleans. But there's something more to it. I see Main Street in my mind, but we rarely can find something like that to eat around there. It just smells of the essence of Disneyland...it's delicious and wonderful.

And the waffles were light (I sifted the dry ingredients! twice! despite not having a proper sifter after ours got so gunked up it wasn't possible to clean it thoroughly even after taking it apart...I used a little sievey thing I have), fluffy, not dense. Vanillay, barely cinnamony...just incredible!

At last I love my waffle maker.


Look here for the recipe. It's a winner!

 

[bumbershoot]

Robert hasn't traveled in, what, over a week? And he must stay here until the end of Tuesday, due to a serious dental appointment that he's already canceled once, and, um, other reasons.

So we're all getting used to him being here, here, and more here. Of course he goes to work on the weekdays, but we'd started to get used to that not being part of the daily routine!

So it's been a little weird, needing some adjustment.

In the meantime, E is 6, and even though I thought his days of extreme imagination were behind him, well, obviously I wasn't paying enough attention to my brothers at that age. His imagination is just starting, it seems!

Last week some neighbors asked us to watch their dog during the day, so they could go to a festival up in Fremont. We didn't expect a thing, so when they showed up that evening with a tie dye t-shirt for Eamon, it was just icing on the cake! E loved the shirt and wore it three days in a row. They'd wrapped it up in sort of thick shiny tissue paper, with a thin ribbon. I'd gone to the store before they picked up the dog, so by the time I got home E was wearing the shirt and had turned the tissue paper into a cape. And an awesome cape it is!

So today I've been cleaning up, and emptied a box or two that he'd been eyeing. I gave them to him so he can play castle, as he'd mentioned. Well, Robert realized that he's home and can play as well so R made E a knight's helmet out of cardboard, some arm braces using cardboard and a cloth ribbon I'd donated for the cause, and so now E is wearing a too-mall cap that I made him for his first Halloween costume (he was baby batman), has his knight's helmet on, with arm braces and cape.

And they're watching A Knight's Tale.

I gotta get some pictures!


Oh and by the way, E ate his waffles *with* his helmet on.


ETA one more thing. The swords he is using for this costume are from Disneyland. As I type, they are battling...Robert has the big plastic sword E got from BBB with his knight's package hairdo and the Prince Philip shield, and E has the Prince Philip sword.

Oh a new addition! The wand he got from the Ren Faire last year. Too dang funny!

 

[kaoden39]

Ooh Molly that sounds wonderful. If it didn't feel like it was 1000 degrees in my kitchen I might make some. Well, being in the bay area I know we will cool off. I hate my waffle iron too, and pretty much for the same reason. It was on clearance at Target and I was broke. It is the big waffles too. I want to try the recipe, I go on allrecipes all the time for new exciting things to make.

How cute about R and E playing. When we were in Dland Loren bought himself 2 Mickey Mouse lightsabers so he could have epic battles at home. I am always game for an epic battle. I love knights in shining armor and such. One of my favorite authors writes YA books about lady knights.

 

[bumbershoot]

Did he get the multi-color ones with the Mickey ears on it, or did he get the blue ones at Star Traders that have the Mickey motif on the handle? I've been wondering that since I saw mention of it.

FYI, the cheapie Hasbro ones you can get at Target (for 5 to 9 bucks, generally) make the BEST battle light sabers, because they are solid, no batteries, and no mechanisms. The first one E had actually was bent in half at one point, but was easily straightened out (though you can still see the mark in the plastic of course). You can get those at the parks too, but they are 10+ there.

 

[kaoden39]

They are the ones that have Mickey Mouse on the handle. I am guessing that they normally sell them during the fireworks and such.

 

[QueenDoOver]

This has nothing to do with WDW. Well, not really. Hmm, sort of.


End of the month, eating from the pantry. What the heck do we have left? Hmm, we have stuff for waffles and some soy'con (soy bacon) left. OK, breakfast dinner!

Using my sad belgian waffle maker that I don't like; I like flatter waffles, not the big poofies, but I didn't really realize the maker was a belgian one, and it was only $5, and we were broke, so....

I go trolling on allrecipes. I find some recipes. yawn. I find...a new recipe. I make it. I make it using the little suggestions given by the reviewers, adding a little vanilla (maybe 1.5 tsp?) and some cinnamon (sprinkled into the batter without measuring).

The recipe isn't as simple as others; it involves separating eggs, beating the whites to a soft peak, and folding them in. I always hate those steps. Sigh.

But I make the batter, start cooking, and...the house starts to smell of Disneyland....

The closest we can guess is that they smell like beignets at Cafe Orleans. But there's something more to it. I see Main Street in my mind, but we rarely can find something like that to eat around there. It just smells of the essence of Disneyland...it's delicious and wonderful.

And the waffles were light (I sifted the dry ingredients! twice! despite not having a proper sifter after ours got so gunked up it wasn't possible to clean it thoroughly even after taking it apart...I used a little sievey thing I have), fluffy, not dense. Vanillay, barely cinnamony...just incredible!

At last I love my waffle maker.


Look here for the recipe. It's a winner!

I know exactly the smell you are talking about. Rumour has it they pipe it out of the candy factory. I don't know, but it is represents delicousness if you ask me.

Ok, I have to say, since Nathan and I are doing a healthy lifestyle study and are very aware of nutritional information, that waffle recipe is like majorly loaded with calories and fat! I was a little bit shocked. Do you know what a serving is? Is it 4 sqares on an iron, or is it just one? But, while we are on the subject, I make homemade waffles all the time. We have a Mickey Shaped Waffle maker

That is so darn cute, E and R playing Knight. I love it. Hope you got those pictures. It is too easy to let those moments pass on by.


Oh, all the info on the Seattle Meet is on the Community Board. Next time I see it, I will try to grab it. Some of the gals are getting rooms, but I will be a day visitor. Sarah, from Blaine, is coming and will likely bring her little guy about E's age. Kindergarten this year, as I recall. His name is Ryder and he is very sweet.