2 years ago my DD, 8 yrs, was 'this close' to winning a trip to DL with a contest for being a wonderful kid in the community, doing lots of volunteer stuff and a few other things. She came in 2nd and was given baseball tickets (long story short the girl who won the trip was 15 and the parents own 3 homes, run a huge nursing home, and we believe greased some palms here and there so this could go on her college apps). It was a HUGE downer for us, as at the time we were FLAT broke and a trip to DL was not something I could do for her at all. I really felt she was cheated, along with everyone else. So I decided I was going to make it happen. I started selling everything in my house on ebay. LOL. I started thrift shopping and finding stuff to sell on ebay - in 2 months I made $1500!!!
So this was to be her Xmas present of a lifetime. She had NO clue. The tag fairy even gave me that siggie you still see now (Special Trip with Little One....) and I love it! Mary Jo even picked us up from the airport and drove us around a bit to save some $$ (thanks MJo!).
So I managed to get another $500 from friends and family for Xmas...told them not to buy me a single present. My mom bought us hopper passes. I found a hotel up in fullerton for $17 a night on a hotwire screw up (do you dis'ers remember that one?LOL). I couldn't believe I did it.
So I got some passporter pockets and made my own binder. I put the pages in and filled them out Day One...drive to Seattle, Day 2 - fly to LAX, go to Disneyland....etc.....etc... Put the tickets in the pockets,etc..... I also put some disney stickers all over the pages.
I could barely sleep on Xmas eve. I pictured DD opening this up and screaming her head off, crying,etc.......
Xmas morning...I can't contain myself and make her open it first. She opens it and reads it quietly and puts it down. No reaction. I said 'honey? do you get it?' and she says 'mommy I love the story you made me! maybe one day it will come true!'. SHE THOUGHT I WROTE HER A BOOK! LOL. She didnt clue in at all that we were actually going!!!!!! Well I said 'No....not a story WE ARE GOING!! NEXT WEEK!!!!' and her jaw dropped. She sat in complete shock. Still no reaction - no screaming, no jumping, NOTHING. The kid was in shock. I told her that all that ebay mommy was doing wasn't to pay the rent (as I told her), but to take her to Disneyland. Still NOTHING......it was like something out of a movie. Then......TEARS......crying and crying - the 2 of us sitting there balling with joy. LOL!!
After that, she opened all her other presents from Santa and gramma/grampa,etc..... in a daze. Later on I said to her 'go get that game you go so we can try it' and she would say 'what game? i didnt get that game.' - she later told me that she didn't even really remember opening all the presents that morning - she was in so much shock and dazed from it all that she couldn't even think straight!!
I just love telling that story!
This year.....well..... we are a bit better off financially but not wealthy by any means. I have been ebaying here and there over the years and been doing a lot lately. She thinks I am ebaying for a trip in May for her bday. I even have a hotel booked for May (that I will cancel LOL) and left it open on my computer screen for her to 'accidentally' see. She has no clue that she is going on a Cruise in january for 5 days and then over to DL again for 4 days! LOL! We have to be in LA for a couple of days in late January, so I extended the trip by 10 days! woohoo!
I am not sure how I will give her this for Xmas - have to come up with something/