DDA Chapter 8

[mommykds]

We are off to a HS graduation party later today. Since I have never been to a HS grad party before can anyone suggest what amount might be proper for a gift? It's for Dana's cousin's DS. Its in a restaurant. Sorry to even ask but I don't want to give too little..not sure whats appropriate..I am only good with Bar/Bat Mitzvahs & Weddings.

 

[mommykds]

Theresa,

I am sorry about your great uncles passing. Yes when those things happen it does feel like an end of an era.

Hope you wrist is feeling better fast.

 

[Tammi67]

I think you'll be fine in August at Disney..but you can't tour like you do in good weather. (we still do but most "normal" people do not , they take breaks or stay out of the park for part of the day). We go full blast from open to close & every trip I swear we wont do that but then we do anyway.

And your kids tolerate it fine enough?

I think Nicholas will do okay, but Alyssa is like me. She doesn't like to be 'uncomfortable'.

 

[Tammi67]

We are off to a HS graduation party later today. Since I have never been to a HS grad party before can anyone suggest what amount might be proper for a gift? It's for Dana's cousin's DS. Its in a restaurant. Sorry to even ask but I don't want to give too little..not sure whats appropriate..I am only good with Bar/Bat Mitzvahs & Weddings.

We went to a neighbor's grad. party last year and gave $20. Nicholas got $20s for Communion gifts this year, from friends. Beings that it's a relative, I don't know if 20 is a little low?

 

[mommykds]

And your kids tolerate it fine enough?

I think Nicholas will do okay, but Alyssa is like me. She doesn't like to be 'uncomfortable'.

Here's the funny thing Tammi, when we go to our mall or local preserve to walk around, my kids complain their feet hurt, they are thirsty or hungry or tired. When we go to Disney (I swear!) they don't say "boo". This April was Sophie & Daniels first trip without a stroller. I thought for sure they would have a hard time walking around Epcot all day but no, not one complaint which surprised me. They are also used to doing it this way so they don't know any better. The heat doesnt bother them as we do duck into cool attractions & have leasurely lunches to rest. Funny, in April while the days were gorgeous weatherwise, we all thought it was too cold at night (probably in the 60's?)

We went to a neighbor's grad. party last year and gave $20. Nicholas got $20s for Communion gifts this year, from friends. Beings that it's a relative, I don't know if 20 is a little low?

Hmmmm...Yea I think $20 is low from 5 people but again I don't have a benchmark in my head. Thanks!

 

[Tammi67]

Oh yeah, I didn't even think about there being 5 of you.

This will be Alyssa's first trip without the stroller. And Bethany is a big whiner when it comes to walking. But I refuse to pay for a stroller since they doubled the price! That money can be better spent elsewhere.

 

[jackskellingtonsgirl]

Anne Marie - Well, it depends on how well you know the graduate and how much contact you have with the family. My cousin in KC who I talk to all the time and stay with when we go up there would get a larger gift for her DD from us than the other cousins' kids who I barely know. I think $25 is good if you don't hang out with the family on a regular basis.

Tammi - DS is a weenie when we go anywhere around here. At the mall he can only walk about 10 steps before he wants to plop down on a bench. Same thing if we go to the zoo. But at WDW he does pretty well. This will be our third August trip. He does get tired enough to nap. Since DH absolutely HAS to have a nap every day we do go back for a break, and the VAST majority of the time DS falls asleep, too. Then at night he falls asleep on the bus. We are morning people - I am up every morning by 5 AM, and we make DS get up by 6 AM so we can be in the food court by 7 AM. We don't do many late nights.

 

[jackskellingtonsgirl]

Oh yeah, I didn't even think about there being 5 of you.

This will be Alyssa's first trip without the stroller. And Bethany is a big whiner when it comes to walking. But I refuse to pay for a stroller since they doubled the price! That money can be better spent elsewhere.

Oh, there will be NO whining. Whiners get sent back to the room and have an in-room sitter. DS hates that threat. And it's not an empty threat, either. I would do it.

 

[Tammi67]

I have this trip planned that it's not so go, go, go. Mornings at the park, afternoons at the pool, one day at the waterpark, an evening of minigolf.

Remember that I told you their dad is taking them in July? A few days ago he asked me "What is that Italian restaurant in MGM that we really liked?" Of course I say "I dunno" (I know, I'm bad). But the point is, it sounds like there are no ADRs in place for a July trip!

 

[Tammi67]

Oh, there will be NO whining. Whiners get sent back to the room and have an in-room sitter. DS hates that threat. And it's not an empty threat, either. I would do it.

Somehow I believe that.

Yep, that's my rule too. If you whine, you can spend the rest of the day in the room.

 

[jackskellingtonsgirl]

I have this trip planned that it's not so go, go, go. Mornings at the park, afternoons at the pool, one day at the waterpark, an evening of minigolf.

Remember that I told you their dad is taking them in July? A few days ago he asked me "What is that Italian restaurant in MGM that we really liked?" Of course I say "I dunno" (I know, I'm bad). But the point is, it sounds like there are no ADRs in place for a July trip!

XH is taking the kids to WDW?! Um, if you mentioned that I TOTALLY missed it! Is he taking them by himself?

 

[Tammi67]

XH is taking the kids to WDW?! Um, if you mentioned that I TOTALLY missed it! Is he taking them by himself?

Of course not. That would entail too much quality time with his children. He is staying at a friend's timeshare, OUTSIDE of the park (thank goodness he's not using our DVC ), and is going with another family. I offered to let him use the kids APs that I bought last year, if he paid for one of them. So he agreed to do that, which is cheaper than him buying 2 4-day tickets for them, and I am $325 richer. I guess they are also going to Universal. So the kids will be down there for a week with him, and then 2 weeks later they go with me. Thinks that's too much?

Do you have any idea how much I will hate it if they win a night in the castle?

 

[Tammi67]

Baseball is canceled.

 

[jackskellingtonsgirl]

Of course not. That would entail too much quality time with his children. He is staying at a friend's timeshare, OUTSIDE of the park (thank goodness he's not using our DVC ), and is going with another family. I offered to let him use the kids APs that I bought last year, if he paid for one of them. So he agreed to do that, which is cheaper than him buying 2 4-day tickets for them, and I am $325 richer. I guess they are also going to Universal. So the kids will be down there for a week with him, and then 2 weeks later they go with me. Thinks that's too much?

Do you have any idea how much I will hate it if they win a night in the castle?

What's the other family like?
Good call on the APs!
No, it isn't too much because they won't be spending that much time in the parks if they would have only needed 4 day passes. There will also be travel time to factor in, crowds, poor planning, etc. that will eat into touring time. Will he fly off the handle at the kids if they say "This isn't how Mom does it!" or something similar?
I hope the kids win the castle when YOU are with them!

 

[Tammi67]

This is the family that he has been living with for 2 YEARS since he left here. So my kids are used to them. They have a boy a few years older than Nicholas, so he likes that. Alyssa is sorta left hanging though. XH works with the dad. I don't know how they can handle having someone live with them for so long. I could understand a month or 2 until he got on his feet, but come on! But again, XH NEEDS someone to hold his hand and do things for him. Prime example....the other day when they were forecasting bad storms, he leaves me a message asking if I've heard if Nicholas' baseball practice was canceled. I texted him and said they don't notify me, here's the cancelation number. I'm not responsible for feeding him info anymore. If he wants to know what is going on he needs to be proactive and find things out. See....you got me started. I could go on all day. Sorry for the rant.

He probably wouldn't fly off the handle, but I'm sure his eyeballs would roll.

What's the other family like?
Good call on the APs!
No, it isn't too much because they won't be spending that much time in the parks if they would have only needed 4 day passes. There will also be travel time to factor in, crowds, poor planning, etc. that will eat into touring time. Will he fly off the handle at the kids if they say "This isn't how Mom does it!" or something similar?
I hope the kids win the castle when YOU are with them!

 

[jackskellingtonsgirl]

This is the family that he has been living with for 2 YEARS since he left here. So my kids are used to them. They have a boy a few years older than Nicholas, so he likes that. Alyssa is sorta left hanging though. XH works with the dad. I don't know how they can handle having someone live with them for so long. I could understand a month or 2 until he got on his feet, but come on! But again, XH NEEDS someone to hold his hand and do things for him. Prime example....the other day when they were forecasting bad storms, he leaves me a message asking if I've heard if Nicholas' baseball practice was canceled. I texted him and said they don't notify me, here's the cancelation number. I'm not responsible for feeding him info anymore. If he wants to know what is going on he needs to be proactive and find things out. See....you got me started. I could go on all day. Sorry for the rant.

He probably wouldn't fly off the handle, but I'm sure his eyeballs would roll.

Hmm. I didn't know what his living arrangements were. Interesting. He sounds kind of like my sister.
She was perfectly happy to live with her IL's for the first 15 months or so of her marriage because it meant she didn't have to do anything. The IL's finally GAVE them a house, so now they live there but the MIL still takes care of my sister's DDs. And my sister can't go see Mom because it's "too hard" with her schedule. Right. She works PART TIME and has a huge band of hillbilly in laws to help her!
We all saw the mess she made of things when she had Power of Attorney for our father. That whole ball of wax is STILL in probate 2 years later! I guess that means she is tired of playing the Grown Up Game.

 

[mommykds]

Oh yeah, I didn't even think about there being 5 of you.

This will be Alyssa's first trip without the stroller. And Bethany is a big whiner when it comes to walking. But I refuse to pay for a stroller since they doubled the price! That money can be better spent elsewhere.

I agree...no more double strollers for us either! No whining either!!!!

I missed that your XDH would be taking them in July. I don't think its too much for the kids & they may aprreciate how well you do Disney with them. All I know is I want to be one of our kids!!!!!!!!!

 

[mommykds]

Dana says $100 for the gift..I say $50! Maybe we'll go with $75.

 

[jackskellingtonsgirl]

Dana says $100 for the gift..I say $50! Maybe we'll go with $75.

Dana's mighty generous!

 

[babytrees]

And we were just complaining a few weeks ago how unseasonably cold it was.

It's been unseasonably hot(90's). cold(60 for a high), and we are working on seasonability right now....and that's just this week