Did we really just buy DVC at BLT? Taking MIL in Dec! Acronyms abound!

[taramoz]

So great about your niece! Nice to see the plans changing in good ways. How are you enjoying the wonderful weather here in Texas, I have to assume it's even more beautiful in Dallas than here in Houston, and its been spectacular here!

 

[exwdwcm]

So great about your niece! Nice to see the plans changing in good ways. How are you enjoying the wonderful weather here in Texas, I have to assume it's even more beautiful in Dallas than here in Houston, and its been spectacular here!

yes, we are excitede!!! the weather has been great lately. although the day we hit the tx state fair it was HOT!!!! ready for fall weather to stick aroundn ow. How is Houston? I have cousins that live down there and my aunt/uncle like in liverpool and used to both work at the galveston hospital and did a lot of time at MD andersen (he is dying of pancreatic and lung cancer). We were just down there this year for my niece's quincinera! We used to get down more often when my grandpa owned beach houses in surfside. HOpe it cools off for you guys too!

 

[exwdwcm]

50 days!!!!!!

Can you believe it, only 50 days to go!!!! and only like 33 work days left!!!!

So a few trip updates:
My niece is super excited. Her dad said she has been watching every travel channel disney show she can find. I told her i would bring her my disney DVD box set i bought at Sam's for her to watch- it has many of those travel channel shows on it. i hope they re-air the christmas/holiday one though!

So the car rental is done now. Lindsey's flight is booked. I still need to do her park hopper, but no rush on that. I also plan to call member services next week to order our MVMCP tickets and put in our room request- even floor, north. i hear that will get us a view where we can see some of wishes hopefully (plus the lake/water view- we have 1 bedroom lake view).

i've started my garden grocer.com order too. i figure i can just save it and add to it as i think of more. I also went through and organized my disney box again, seeing what i have and still need. i have ponchos, pins, lanyards, tolietries and more. Hoping to hit hte disney outlet store this weekend to get my niece some t-shirts- they always have cute girls ones for like $5! i have a nice little gift bag for her and my MIL.

so ideas on how to give them their gifts? some gifts i definitely want to give in advance- it is stuff for the plane or to pack? like disney luggage tags. other items are ones they could get once we arrive- like i am ordering her an autograph book and pen. should i give to her in advance or when we get there? any ideas? she is 10yo and this is her first trip (anywhere really). I was going to mail a package to them with some of the stuff in a week or so. then maybe do another little package right before the trip. let me know if you have cute ideas? or do a daily morning gift from tink on the trip each day?

So it's been busy here- as October always is for us- craft fairs, birthdays, halloween, busy at work etc. In Seattle right now for work for 2 nights. yep, but yet, here i am on the dis! go figure! I keep seeing Forks and Port Angeles on the weather maps and laugh and am reminded of all my DIS twi girls and guys (twilight fans). we had a twilight book meeting on the DIS podcast cruise last year. it was fun.

So we visited the TEXAS State Fair last week. It runs for a month and is in Dallas at Fair Park- it is only 20 minutes from us. It is one of hte largest state fairs in the country. We had free tickets and parking pass from a friend. so thankful for that parking pass. traffic was a NIGHTMARE. we didn't realize the TX Tech vs Baylor game was there at the Cotton Bowl that am. We thought it started later int he day, but it started at 11am. The fair opens at 10am. We were planning to arrive at opening, but it was more like 10:30 when we got in. the traffic was insane. But we had a good time- hit the petting zoo first, where they had a baby giraffee and my DS fed the animals.

Then we hit some of the buildings ,so some crafts, judges were judging a spam cooking contest. got some free food samples. Then hit the car show, but not before getting a famous fletcher's corny dog!

After the car show (DH is a big car nut- used to race mustangs at the track and we owned 4 mustangs at one time- now down to only 3, plus the truck and my caddy, lol). 2 of the stangs don't even run. but that's another story.

Then it was time for some rides. by now it was getting a little crowded and WAY HOT. i was hoping for some beautiful fall weather- maybe 60s or even 70s, but no, today it was like almost 90. ouch! Well Pooh rode some rides, the kid has ZERO fear. We need to measure him again, i am pretty sure he is like 39 inches. i am hoping he will hit 40 for the trip, so he can do splash and soarin and we might consider taking him on test track. he will have just turned 3- is TT too much? he loves little coasters. Here are some rides he enjoyed!
in the second row in the red shirts!

we also checked out BIG TEX- it is a permanent feature of the fair- this huge talking cowboy!

We ended the day by about 2pm, the crowds were just too thick for us. We don't do crowds or long waits. why can't the fair have fastpass? So we headed out, but had a good time. i did try the fried frito pie, but i was just too hot to really enjoy it. My feet did hurt afterwards so good reminder that i need to get back in the gym more often before our trip. now that my work travel will be over until next year, i can do that.

so that's all for now. just waiting until next week to book the MVMCP and also might consider booking BBB for my niece. And also considering the DVC party on 12/9- anyone been to the mixers- are they worth it? i also saw Susan Lucci is doing the CLP the day before ours...........dang, i wish i would have booked that instead. We have Jodi Benson, which is fine, but I do actually watch AMC (DVR it and watch it at night), so that would have been fun to see her and i bet my MIL would have enjoyed her too. Not sure it would fit in our schedule anyhow......

 

[khertz]

Aww, cute pictures from the fair!! Looks like Will had a great time.

Yay your trip is SO CLOSE!! Although it makes me a little sad that last year at this time I was posting dancing bananas and counting down to my own trip. Now I'm still counting down to something big, but I haven't found any good message boards for that one!! lol

 

[exwdwcm]

Aww, cute pictures from the fair!! Looks like Will had a great time.

Yay your trip is SO CLOSE!! Although it makes me a little sad that last year at this time I was posting dancing bananas and counting down to my own trip. Now I'm still counting down to something big, but I haven't found any good message boards for that one!! lol

lol- if the 'big' thing is the birth of your little one- believe me, i found message boards for that too. in fact, on the community board here, there was a trying to conceive thread - it was like 4-5 years ago. i joined since i was doing fertility treatments at the time. I still stay in touch with these lovely ladies- my 'mom' friends from the DIS- we are all on facebook and i am hoping to meet two of them at MVMCP in December too- our sons are the same age! now we have a 'moms to toddlers' thread on the community board too and i know there is a new moms one too. we all went through conceiving, birth and the trials of being a new mom all together online. see the dis is good for everything! and one of them actually got through to round 2 for the mom's panel- MEL- wishing you tons of luck!!!!!!

you don't have long to go now- are you getting excited? do you guys have another trip planned? this is one thing bugging me- we are going to hopefully actively start TTC again for #2 in January-----------but i want to book a trip for next October. So will have to just book it and see what happens. hopefully i will be pregnant when we go next october.

 

[khertz]

you don't have long to go now- are you getting excited? do you guys have another trip planned? this is one thing bugging me- we are going to hopefully actively start TTC again for #2 in January-----------but i want to book a trip for next October. So will have to just book it and see what happens. hopefully i will be pregnant when we go next october.

VERY excited! DH & I are planning to take him next year for his first birthday. I'm all about taking him as often as possible while he is free! lol DH was against it at first when we were just talking about it. But once we took the quick trip while I was pregnant, and started buying things for the baby and seeing little ones interacting with the characters, I think it changed his mind. A week or so later we saw a little boy about 8-9 months in front of us in line at Babies R Us, and DH said, "I think we could handle that in Disney." Needless to say, that makes me very happy! We are already discussing the options, but don't have any dates nailed down yet.

Going pregnant was great, even though I couldn't ride some of my favorites. It helped that we were just there in December. But it was just a different style trip, and it was good because I think it got us ready for taking it a little slower and not rushing from one attraction to the next. That will help us be ready for taking a toddler, for sure! Good luck TTC!! Hopefully you too can have a "Babymoon" trip & TR!

 

[exwdwcm]

WHERE ARE MY ADRS?

like many of you, i have been affected by the great upgrade of 2010.......only 3 of my ADRS are currently showing up online. Thank the Lord, 2 of those 3 are our character meals. WE all know my son would freak if he didn't get to eat with Pooh Bear! So my other 5 or so ADRS are still lost in that big black IT hole, but i am not panicing just yet. I know they are upgrading yet again today. I figure i will call by Friday. But everyone I have read about that called, said that the CM found them in the system, which is why i am not too scared yet. I haven't booked 'back up' ADRs either. i know many are, but most of the times we wanted won't be available now anyhow.

I am gathering up the treat bags for my niece and MIL. i visited our local disney outlet store yesterday at lunch and got my niece two t-shirts at $5 each, a cute tink bag, and got her two brothers (3 and 14) a shirt too. I even found a cute black thermal with sort of a tattoo looking mickey design on it for the 14yo. I feel bad we are only taking her and not the two siblings, but we couldn't fit them all in our room and i hear the 14yo is too scared to fly anyhow, plus we took him to the beach with us a few years ago. Anyhow- i have some cute little things for them and will take some pics tonight to post of it all.

We also have our NEW DISNEY STORE opening- yep, we have one of the new interactive stores opening at NorthPark mall (high end mall) next Tuesday I think. Excited to go check it out. My mom got an invite for opening day in the mail.

otherwise nothing new on the trip. i have started our garden grocer order now. Bought the booster seat for my son for the rental car too. Also ordered an autograph book online for my niece. So things are coming along. Still need to order my MVMCP tickets and might do that next week. Also still need a PH for my niece, but we can get that last minute. Oh and I did get my 'rewards' card from VISA in- with $261 on it. I already have another $30 earned thanks to some business travel this month. Hopefully have about $350 by the time we go.

 

[exwdwcm]

VERY excited! DH & I are planning to take him next year for his first birthday. I'm all about taking him as often as possible while he is free! lol DH was against it at first when we were just talking about it. But once we took the quick trip while I was pregnant, and started buying things for the baby and seeing little ones interacting with the characters, I think it changed his mind. A week or so later we saw a little boy about 8-9 months in front of us in line at Babies R Us, and DH said, "I think we could handle that in Disney." Needless to say, that makes me very happy! We are already discussing the options, but don't have any dates nailed down yet.

Going pregnant was great, even though I couldn't ride some of my favorites. It helped that we were just there in December. But it was just a different style trip, and it was good because I think it got us ready for taking it a little slower and not rushing from one attraction to the next. That will help us be ready for taking a toddler, for sure! Good luck TTC!! Hopefully you too can have a "Babymoon" trip & TR!

actually going with one that age is easier than with a toddler probably- they aren't that mobile yet (probably jsut start walking maybe)- so they are more content to hang out in the stroller. Sure, you got diaper changes, but that's no biggie. You do have to pack a lot more 'crap' though, which is annoying- sippy cups, toddler silverware, any special snacks, food, change of clothes, diaper supplies etc. But it is doable. The joke my family had the first time we took one of the kids with us (my niece at 2.5) was "who has the diaper bag".......we kept passing it around and almost lost it.

and while a 1yo might not remember anything- YOU will and it is so fun to see their little faces light up.

 

[PoppyGirl]

Just checked out your pictures from the fair. Your little guy is SO cute! I just want to squeeze him!

 

[exwdwcm]

44 days til DISNEY!!!!

our countdown calendar currently!

GIFTS GIFTS GIFTS!!!!

So here is my niece, Lindsey that we are taking with us on the trip now - this is her and her brothers, her older brother is 14 and younger is 3 in December.

So here are some pics of the gifts I have gathered for my 10yo niece. I plan to mail to her this weekend, she lives about 2.5 hours away in Oklahoma.

and yes, i saved some mickey h2O spa tolietries from last trip and will include those, she will think they are fun. plus a bag, luggage tag, TS3 chapstick, hand sanitizer, chocolate bar from DL, little toiletry bag, and personalized map. at thanksgiving, i will bring her a lanyard with pins, autograph book and pen, plus a long sleeve tie dye mickey shirt.

i also got her two shirts for this package. $5 each.

for my mother in law- i got a few miscellaneous things- a few i bought in DL.

and here is my backpack we plan to carry with my new DVC tag!

and my mickey luggage!

is it time to start packing yet?


I never shared some of my purchases from disneyland, so here are a few- love these mickey pumpkin votives and were only $15 for the set of 3!

we also found this mickey pumpkin light at walgreen's!

i bought a few hats

a hoodie

a scarf and much more

 

[exwdwcm]

Just checked out your pictures from the fair. Your little guy is SO cute! I just want to squeeze him!

ah thanks- we had a blast and i swear that Pooh is 40 inches now. we measured him in his room- we have a peter pan measurement stick thing on the wall (bought at the disney store, part of their nursery line that didn't last long). and i swear he is at 40 now. i need to measure again. i hope so, then he can ride soarin, splash etc.

 

[mom-n-michaela]

I *LOVE* the mickey head scarf!!! Actually, I think my daughter would love it - she is such a blooming fashionista and loves to use scarves as belts and other things. That might be a good Christmas gift to pick up for her if I see one

 

[disneybarbie]

love all the purchases & surprise gifts!
I have that scarf in pink.. I just started wearing it again this week as the temperature has plummeted .. feeling very autumnal! brrr.

Lol about the Disney H2O toiletries.. I always bring them home too! .. I had one of each on display in our bathroom... and the other day, I notice that the shower-gel is missing? turns out.. DF ran out of his showergel, so just thought he'd use the disney one on the side men!!

Good thing we're heading to wdw in less than 50 days so can get more


Emma x

 

[MadilynnsMomma]

Hey Michelle - better late than never... I haven't been much into PTR this time around, but followed your link from Heather's PTR. I read your first entry and will be back later to read some more! Is "Pooh" super excited?! Does he know he's going back? Does he remember last year?

 

[exwdwcm]

I *LOVE* the mickey head scarf!!! Actually, I think my daughter would love it - she is such a blooming fashionista and loves to use scarves as belts and other things. That might be a good Christmas gift to pick up for her if I see one

they had them all over the place at Disneyland, so i bet they do at WDW too. heck, i think i even saw them online at the disney store too in the theme park section? they had different colors, i might get a second one! I bet your daughter would love it.

love all the purchases & surprise gifts!
I have that scarf in pink.. I just started wearing it again this week as the temperature has plummeted .. feeling very autumnal! brrr.

Lol about the Disney H2O toiletries.. I always bring them home too! .. I had one of each on display in our bathroom... and the other day, I notice that the shower-gel is missing? turns out.. DF ran out of his showergel, so just thought he'd use the disney one on the side men!!

Good thing we're heading to wdw in less than 50 days so can get more


Emma x

lol at the tolietries. they come in handy when we are out of something! i wish we had cooler weather here, still hitting low to mid 80s in the afternoon, 60s at night. supposedly late next week it should drop a little. i am ready for fall weather.

Hey Michelle - better late than never... I haven't been much into PTR this time around, but followed your link from Heather's PTR. I read your first entry and will be back later to read some more! Is "Pooh" super excited?! Does he know he's going back? Does he remember last year?

Hey there- welcome!!! so glad to see you again!! Pooh is so excited and i am too- especially since he really understands more this time- he knows who the characters are this time. last year he only knew mickey and pooh. now he knows almost all of them, although i still can't get the kid to sit through a full feature length movie. about 15 minutes is the most he will sit still. yes, he knows and loves it! he can't wait. he keeps asking to go eat with Pooh bear again and fly on the airplane wiht his Granny (my MIL). he is really excited she is coming and she is going to be such a huge help (i have a wonderful MIL!!). how are you guys?

 

[Tinkermom76]

I love all the stuff you got for your niece... she will love it!!!

 

[Daddy_of_Princesses]

Great countdown calendar. And I love the candles. Gotta look for those.

 

[exwdwcm]

I love all the stuff you got for your niece... she will love it!!!

i have the box all ready to mail. i made her two long sleeve mickey head bleach shirts too (thanks daddy of princeeses for the idea!). going to mail her package this week. her autograph book just came in too. think i will wait until thanksgiving to give her the autograph book, pens and her lanyard with pins. my mom has more pins to give her for her lanyard, but is moving this weekend, so everything is packed up anyhow.

Great countdown calendar. And I love the candles. Gotta look for those.

lol- thanks! gotta copy all your good ideas! the candles are great- i love them. i have a ton of mickey christmas stuff, including starting to build my own disney christmas village (got the castle last year), but i had no halloween stuff. i love it!!!

 

[exwdwcm]

i can't believe we are under 40 days now. time is flying. we still have a lot going on, but it isn't as crazy busy as it was earlier this month. i am hosting bunco this thursday with a halloween theme and making some yummy goodies for that. my parents are closing on their new house this week too, so helping them move all weekend, which will be fun. they have hired movers, so really it is just helping unpack, organize and decorate..........and being type A, well i love doing all that. This is a dream house for them- they had it built and after raising us three girls and barely getting by all these years and sacrificing for us, they finally get what they want! My dad is getting his 3 car garage and media room. we can't wait!

Next weekend another baby shower for my sister, but not hosting this one at least. after that, well not that much going on- yeah! i can relax and pack! then just thanksgiving and weekend after thanksgiving we leave!!!! it will be so nice to have off thursday and friday for thanksgiving and then work a week and then off a week again!!

So this weekend we had Pooh's day care halloween party on Friday night. We debated on his costume. Last year he was Captain hook. My mom bought the Peter Pan costume on clearance too last year, so we have that for this year. (I love all things Peter Pan). Anyhow- Pooh is obsessed with trash cans. He'd much rather you buy him a trash can than a toy. He likes to line up all his trash cans in his playroom and he will put his fake food and plates in there and then empty them again. So here is what we came up with for his costume- found the idea on google. not sure how trick or treating will go since he can't walk fast in it!

So back to the trip.........so what do we have left to do? here is my to do list:

• Call Disney to check on my ADRs
• Call member services and order our MVMCP tickets
• Call member services for room request
• Finalize our grocery order
• Finalize packing list
• Arrange for our limo/town car transportation to airport
• Get pins from mom for my niece
• borrow dad's nikon and get a lesson in using it!
• mail packages to niece and MIL
• check into fitting a BBB appt into our schedule for niece
• get suitcase from sister (slowly start packing!!)
• print out all final documents for folder
• add itinerary, ADRs etc. into my iphone
• buy groceries to take and other items- overnight diapers, coffee cups (throwaway kind), filters, coffee etc.
• Prepare items to take to MIL at thanksgiving for her to ship with her luggage!

So still plenty to keep me busy and into the spirit, right?

btw- did i say we are in the 3s now..........
39 days!!!!

 

[Tinker_Tam]

Oh my gosh!!! Pooh looks too cute in his costume!!!! I love it!!! What a wonderful idea!!!