December 03, 2005 Western Magic?

[Popovich]

Welcome Mooch and Gardencraft. We went on our first Disney cruise last year and loved it. We were on the November 27th Eastern with our family of 4 and my husbands parents. We had connecting rooms which worked out well for DH and I if we wanted to go out after the kids went to sleep. Grandma and Grandpa are early to bed and early to rise. Diane and her family (NJ Cruisers) were part of our Disboard group.

Our DD will be 8 and DS will be 6 when we cruise. They really enjoyed their penpals last year. If anyone has 5- 9 year olds interested, just let me know when you're ready or send me a PM. Our son loved the kids club whenever he went but our DD only wanted to go if one of her penpals was in the club.

Susan, we have an early dinner seating and are on the same rotation, PLA. Do you know what time the character breakfast is? Also, do you recall what time we dock in Key West? We'd like to do brunch on Sunday if there's enough time.

Well, all for now! I've got to get the kids to bed . Two more days of school!!!

Gailyn

 

[cjsmom97]

Jeanna - with the AAA group, do we get to pick our dining rotation? I thought I read that, but maybe it was just if you have the REAS package. It would be good to know our rotation so we could do the brunch on a day other than the character breakfast.

We have been allowed to set our rotation because of us being reserved as a group (just another reason to book with the group). We make so many reservations together with other people that if we do not set our rotation early, we can't pre-plan our group activities. On our Eastern cruise we wanted the PLA rotation but I think this one everyone wanted something different. I have it written down in my trusty notebook but I have been so buried in work right now that my notebook is also buried! UGH!!!

Susan - what is the rotation that everyone wanted again?? I think it is even in a post by me but I am working now (yes.... even at 11:45 pm!) and can't afford the time for a search. I am sure Susan will be along shortly to take care of business!!

 

[KyCruisinSusan]

Jeanna, we are SUPPOSED to be on the APL rotation this year. That was decided so that we would be celebrating Denise's 6th b-day in Animator's and so we would be in Lumiere's for formal night.

Early seating breakfast is 8:00am. Our character breakfast falls on Sunday, which is Key West day. It is also the day that we are planning on having brunch at Palo's, so we'll take the kids to the character breakfast and just not eat until brunch. Arrival time for Key West is 11:30 with all ashore at noon, or at least thats what it says on Navigators from cruises this past April that I found on Barb and Tony's website. If some of you want to look at past Navigators and don't know how to find Barb and Tony's website just PM me and I'll send you the addy.

Well it's off to work.YIPPEE

NOT

 

[lizardman]

Welcome Suzanne and Gardencraft!!
I have added both of your parties to the cruise list. I haven't checked this forum in a while, so if I missed any newcomers, let me know and I will add you.

 

[lizardman]

I think my kids would be interested in penpals. Our oldest daughter will be 12 at the time of the cruise. Our second daughter will be 8 at the time of the cruise. And finally, our son will be 6 at the time of the cruise. Let me know if anybody's kids want one of these rugrats as a penpal and we can make arrangements.

 

[Suzanne]

Yippee, my name's on the front post

I will ask my DS11 and three quarters (he might add) if he would like a pen-pal for the cruise. I'm sure he has lots of questions for experienced mini-cruisers.

 

[Popovich]

School's out!!!! Yippee!!! I'm so ready for summer. We worked in the yard all week and finally opened our pool yesterday in honor of the last day of school.

On the downside, our A/C has been broken since Sunday and the guys haven't been able to get here to fix it yet. The kids spent the night at Grandma's yesterday because it was over 90 degrees upstairs and Greg went out of town for work. So, I had a nice peaceful evening to read and relax undisturbed, but, it was sweltering so that detracted from my bliss.

Lizardman, My 8 yr old DD (Nicole) is already asking if she has any pen pals and Matthew (just turned 6) would be interested as well. They really enjoyed getting and sending mail last year and Greg and I enjoyed getting to know the parents and kids too (since we were typing the emails last year!!).

Our email address is: pops2003@aol.com, just send me a pm or let me know that you sent an email whenever the kids are ready!

Jeanna and Susan, just let me know what our rotation is. We're fine with anything. What time are you thinking for brunch on Sunday?? Are you taking your kids to Key West? I've read mixed opinions about it. We're thinking of doing a little sight seeing (bar seeing) on our own and then taking the kids to the pirate museum. I don't know if there's anything else for them to see. I'll have to pull out my Passporter again.

Have a great day everyone!

 

[Popovich]

Well, I'm so disappointed, no new posts to read!!! So I guess I'll have to post because we're on page two and we can't have that !

It's nearly 90 degrees and it's not even 10:30 a.m. yet so I thought I would check the boards and avoid yardwork for awhile. I know this makes no sense because the longer I put it off to stay inside the a/c, the hotter it's going to be. Oh well, maybe I'll sweat off an extra pound or two LOL .

The kids are so excited that summer vacation is here. Soccer camp starts Monday for a week. Then basketball camp for a week. Swim lessons are in the evening as well as baseball for both Nicole and Matt until end of July.

We don't have any big summer trips planned this year. The cruise is our big family vacation. We're going to do a couple short trips - one to Cedar Point for 2 nights to do the water park and the rides and a trip to see my college room mate in Rochester,NY and maybe a trip to Hilton Head with Greg's family.

Anyone else have any trips planned?

Well, off the do yardwork

Gailyn

 

[KyCruisinSusan]

Gailyn, tell me how in the world you find the time to do all of those camps and lessons with your children.

My work schedule would never allow it all. Of course I do have a weird schedule. Rachel is headed to Girl Scout day camp next week. She only spends the night on Wednesday, and I have transportation arranged with her father, since I have to work Tues., Wed., Thurs. My sister is taking Rachel to Branson with them the first part of July. She got a great price on tickets to Silver Dollar City. John and I are headed to Indianapolis in August for a weekend of Nascar at the Brickyard 400 and that pretty much rounds out our plans for the summer. Our big family vacation is also the cruise. I would love to spend 2 days at Cedar Point. We are all water park and roller coaster fanatics, so we might have to plan a little trip north next summer. Rachel and I have season passes to Six Flags so we usually spend 1 day a week playing in Hurricane Bay. She is an absolute water freak. Maybe it has something to do with being born in July. Oh yeah, we are also in the planning phase of her big 9th birthday party. I ordered all the decorations and stuff from Birthday Express Thursday night, and of course I spent more than I should have but what the heck.

Jeanna are you still working soooooooooo much that you don't have time for your cyber family. I am sending you a PM so let me know when you get it.

 

[Popovich]

Susan, good question. Most days I feel like I'm just hanging on to all the details by my fingernails! Greg and I both work full time but his parents help us SOOOOO much. During the school year it's worse - I get up at 5:30, go work out from 6 - 7 get home make sure kids are up, getting dressed and coming downstairs to eat breakfast (I set table, cut up fruit for yogurt/granola parfait or put out bowls of cereal on the table the night before). Greg is usually dressed and hurding the kids downstairs as I get home. I jump in the shower, get out, comb the kids hair, put in a pony tail and get them on the bus. Get to work by 9:00.

Grandma or Grandpa pick the kids up at the bus after school and take them to their house for homework and dinner. Greg or I pick up at 5:30 ish. Tuesday Nicole goes to gymnastics after school - one mom takes them, I pick up at 5:30.

Summer is much better. I get up, work out, shower, wake kids up. Take them to Grandmas in PJ's by 8:30 get to work by 9:00. If it's a camp week we car pool with two or 3 other families and share drop offs and pick ups. Grandma and Grandpa help if there's a conflict. They live about 5 miles from us. I don't know what we'd do without them. Greg also helps alot.

Once or twice a week, I'll marinate some meat or fish, take a bag of cut up vegies, drop off enough for all 6 of us at Grandmas in the am with the kids and Grandma will grill it and make a salad or something.

Basically, we can never move far away from Greg's parents!!

What does your daily schedule look like? I'm alway looking to learn from other "experts"!!

Have a great day!!

Gailyn



Well, I still haven't been out to work in the yard. Off I go.

 

[Hannosmom]

Wow, Gailyn, you are so organized! What kind of work-out do you do in the am. I am working on that, but the motivation is not here yet. I can hardly function without my morning cup o' joe, and then I have a tendency to sit around and daydream about all the work I should be doing. I am a very good planner, lol, not a very good do-er.

We don't have any vacation plans for the summer, since all our vacation will be used this fall. We live about 20 min. from Busch Gardens and Water Country USA, so hopefully my kids will come down from PA this summer and we can do the park rounds with them and the grands. I can't wait to get into the Hubba Hubba Highway at Water Country-----soooo much fun!

Ed is almost finished working on the website - www.hannomax.com so it will be ready soon for new pics of our current cruisers. He is setting it up so you can upload pics yourself. Soon, I hope.

 

[chichihoney]

bump it was on page 2

 

[CJLKIM]

CJ and me - first vacation - first cruise - minus kids - cabin 2062

 

[KyCruisinSusan]

Welcome to the nut house, glad you found us.

 

[CJLKIM]

Susan, Glad I found you too. Am a total rookie at this. No idea really what to expect, what clothes to take...nothing. Knowing I'll have a blast but looking for whatever input I can get from people on things....don't want to be a "country bumpkin" that sticks out like a sore thumb. Any pointers?

 

[KYCruiseCrazy]

Susan, Glad I found you too. Am a total rookie at this. No idea really what to expect, what clothes to take...nothing. Knowing I'll have a blast but looking for whatever input I can get from people on things....don't want to be a "country bumpkin" that sticks out like a sore thumb. Any pointers?

take clothes that are made for warm to hot weather for the cruise and plan to have fun fun fun. this will be our third DCL cruise. i can tell you if you go hungry there is no one to blame but your self. food food food 24/7 on the magic. if you enjoy disney you will love DCL. hope to meet ya.

john

 

[KyCruisinSusan]

Susan, Glad I found you too. Am a total rookie at this. No idea really what to expect, what clothes to take...nothing. Knowing I'll have a blast but looking for whatever input I can get from people on things....don't want to be a "country bumpkin" that sticks out like a sore thumb. Any pointers?

Let's see. I am a chronic overpacker. I would rather have to much than not enough soooooooo to keep it simple, shorts/t-shirts for the day time and casual wear for dinners except for Palo and formal night. Some people don't care for formal night but since we only dress up for special occasions we go all out.

We also have pirate costumes for pirate night and this year we're going to have to find something special to wear to celebrate Jeanna's 30TH Birthday (John does anyway)

If you have any specific ??? feel free to ask them here, several of us have cruised DCL before and would be glad to answer them for you.

 

[chichihoney]

for pirate night i will have a toy parrot that make noise it will be pinned to my shoulder.

 

[Popovich]

Welcome to our group!! Last year was our first DCL cruise and we way overpacked. So,hopefully to avoid taking 6 pieces of luggage this year, I made notes on the way home of what to pack. I found that we all tended to have a few favorite outfits. I did wash a couple times on the trip and for me it was no big deal. I'd rather manuver less luggage and have less stuff crammed into our room on this trip.

We also liked getting dressed up on formal nights. It made for some great family pictures and our Christmas card! DH took his tux, I bought Matt, our son, a black suit and tie at JC Penney for about $40 and Nicole wore her Christmas dress on formal night and sun dresses or capri's other nights. Matt usually wore khakis on the other nights. We packed a pirate costume for Matt and Nicole wore a tropical outfit we bought in St. Martin for pirate night .

Linda, I just started working out again after an 8 year break!! I haven't really taken time since before the kids were born. But, I turned 40 recently and my gift to myself and my family is to take better care of me so that I'll be able to keep up!!

In March a flyer came home in Nicole's backpack about a 8 week "bootcamp for babes" that met M, T, TH & Fri from 6-7am. It was very cheap and was being run by one of the moms that I knew from school. So, I decided to do it. It took a little juggling in the morning but I've really enjoyed it and have met other moms and have also lost a size in the process!!!

I just signed on for "summer camp" that starts Monday and goes through July and I'll continue to do the fall session. It's the only time of day that no one is awake and needing something. However, the downside is, I have to go to bed much earlier and my computer time has suffered.

Well, off to the Indians game for Father's Day, Nicole's baseball game and then a cook out afterward! Happy Father's Day to all the Dads!!!

Gailyn

 

[CJLKIM]

Thank you all so much for all the info, support and encouragement. It's making me all the more excited about the trip and I'm beginning to dread that it's only June! Please keep all your words of wisdom coming!

Happy Father's Day to all!

Kris