Four-mer TKers...4 one, 4 all, 4 ever

[LivinInTheCastle]

I'm sure we will go back to the grotto, after all Ariel invited Ryan personally!! We have been a couple times to the grotto and the kids loved it. Funny thing was after all that wait time Ryan barely paid any attention to her! Kids. That's funny about your DD. I know Erin never even seemed to pay any attention to Jasmine, yet when she went to the BBB two years ago she picked out the Jasmine package! She had a blast to.

 

[racetrack18kb]

I never told my kids about BBB. I'm a bad mommy who didn't want to spend that kind of money.

I must say, the "characters" do such a wonderful job with all the kids there. I think that's what really brings us back time after time. The look on their faces. This past trip, I was able to snap a few pics of DD13 with the Disney magic look on her face even though she claims she is too old for all that.

 

[LivinInTheCastle]

Nah, your not a bad mommy at all. My sister spoils her daughter. She took her there and to the princess tea at the grand floridian. I can't see doing that, especially since this was erin's 2nd time at the tea. Just to much for me. I guess she is her first born and her only girl.

 

[racetrack18kb]

If I only had one girl, I would feel differently about it. But with the 2 youngest so close in age, I'd have to do it for both. And really, I don't have the budget to pay for that. And if I did, I would still debate about the worth of it.

I can't believe how close vacation is already. It seems like I just booked our hotel and now I'm leaving in 2 months. And that also means school will be out already. Don't know if I'm going to make it through the summer with all the kids.

 

[LivinInTheCastle]

It sure is creeping up fast, we check in in under a month . And with work being the way it has lately, I am so looking forward to getting away for a week and a half and not thinking about that place not even one single time!
I wouldn't worry about not having your kids do BBB. Sure my neice had lots of fun, but you know what? She LOVES to be fussed over so it was right up her alley. But other than that, I can't really say she got anything out of it. So in the end was it worth it for a few hours of fun?

I bet it must be hard to be home with the kids during the summer. A friend of mine is already freaking out about how to keep her kids entertained this summer. Glad I don;t have that to worry about just yet!

 

[racetrack18kb]

Summers are getting easier now that my older 2 are well, older. They can take the younger ones outside so I can clean up and have a few minutes to catch my breath.

But it will be a bittersweet summer. It will be out last here before we move. It's just becoming a year of lasts. As much as we want to be out of here, it's still sad in a way.

Oh yea, just chillin on vacation. No worries, no place to go that you don't want to. Aaahhh, just thinking about it makes me feel happy.

 

[LivinInTheCastle]

Yeah, I already see my neice helping out with her younger brothers. Must be a big relief.

I want to move to, but it just doesn't seem to be in the cards for us especially right now. I've wanted to move for years but it was allot more rececntly that my husband got on board with the idea.

 

[racetrack18kb]

We were in that position for many years. Things just finally fell into place. I just keep thinking that the timing really wasn't right before. And now it is.

Where would you want to move?

 

[LivinInTheCastle]

Sorry--is the dis giving you problems today? Mine is barely moving, and when I tried to reply it kicked me back to the first page??

I want to live in Florida, for sure. I hate the cold, I love disney. I loved vacationing there when my grandparents were alive. They lived near Tampa. So it doesn't necessarily have to be Orlando, but somewhere in mid-Florida.

 

[racetrack18kb]

Things are slow here but I didn't think it was the dis this time. It's super windy here and that always messes up my internet connection.

We are looking around the Tampa area. We've looked at quite a few cities that are about half way between Tampa and Orlando. I want to be able to hop into the car and be able to get to Disney in an hour or so too. I've heard Orlando has high crime once you are away from WDW.

I hate the cold too. But when I was a kid, I loved it and couldn't take the heat at all. When my parents would take us to Florida, I would get sick from it. Now it doesn't faze my one bit.

 

[LivinInTheCastle]

I have a friend of a friend that lives in Kissimmee, and she likes it, so that may be an option, but I'm not sure. I listen to a disney podcast and the host livese in Winter Garden and he has talked on his show before about being able to see wishes from his patio--but I looked at the prices there and yowza, I better win the lotto if I even want to think about that area.

 

[racetrack18kb]

I've looked at Winter Garden in my search. Very nice but I agree, very expensive. The area we are looking at is about half way between WDW and the beach. For us, that would be about perfect.

I have so many websites saved on my computers comparing everything down there. Crime stats, schools, grocery prices. But it really helps that my BIL lives down there. We can call him with any kind of questions we have.

 

[LivinInTheCastle]

I used to have a bunch of sites bookmarked also, but when I realized it wasn't going to happen any time soon, I got rid of them, it made me feel to sad.
My grandparents home was in a smaller time named Largo, (not key largo) but the area seems to be declining, so even though it is just down the street from Clearwater beach, and about an hour 15 minutes from Disney, I no longer consider that area an option. There was a time we thought about moving into there house (after they had passed) but circumstances just didn't pan out for that. Would have been great though, we could have moved down there and gotten to know Florida while we decided to go next.

 

[racetrack18kb]

Right now, my main focus is the schools. Most of my kids have a significant amount of years to go yet. I just want somewhere decent, hopefully a little better than where I am now.

And just think, when you able to seriously think about moving, you'll know someone who you can ask a million questions to.

 

[LivinInTheCastle]

See...ask all the ER questions you need, since I will be asking all the living questions I can someday!
Schools are always a great place to start, kids or no kids. You don't want to end up in an area that doesn't have good schools. I think it is a big extension of the community.

 

[racetrack18kb]

That's a good way to put it. If the schools are good, people are involved in what goes on in the community/town. Just want somewhere nice....not too much to ask for, I think.

Have hit the hay. Suppose to be nice out tomorrow and I want to get the kids outside to enjoy it nice and early. I really need to clean the house and it's so much easier when they are all outside.

Talk to you later!!!

 

[LivinInTheCastle]

Good night Race, sleep well. And dream of the state of our future home!

 

[whgrn]

I would have LOVED to take DD to the BBB, but alas, she is so NOT a girly girl!! She would have died before agreeing to that. *sigh*

Today was DDs first competitive swim meet. Her team did GREAT! DD, not so well. She came in last in all her races. BUT--there were multiple heats, and she was always in the fastest heat, since she is fast. Just not as fast as some others. Also, she was swimming against much older girls (17-20), and this is her first year.

The important thing is, she had lots of fun. Some of her friends won first place. And she has 3 medals (all bronze) to show for her morning's work! She slept all the way home in the car (45 minutes)--poor thing was pooped!

Next meet is in 3 weeks. Hopefully she will be less nervous and do a bit better.

 

[D&DDisney]

Pikester
MagiKitty I was up your way today! Had to bring DS up to tour the camp he'll be going to this summer. It's in Rhinebeck, near Kingston. It's a camp for kids with ADHD and other similar issues. It is AWESOME! He's really excited to go, which is good, since he's going for 5 weeks! Best part is, is only 30 minutes from DD's camp, so dropping them off and picking them up will be easy.

Tomorrow is DD's first comptetive swim meet--it's the Area Meet, about 40 minutes from here (more driving, ugh). I think it's Monmouth and Ocean County, and maybe one or 2 more groups, but it's small. The bigger one is in 3 weeks, down in south Jersey, and then of course the state-wide Special Olympics in June is the really big deal. I hope she does as well tomorrow as she did in the meet that was just her team!

Wow I wish there were camps like that near us for my DS. Not sure if he'd enjoy it as much as I would enjoy the break.

I bet it must be hard to be home with the kids during the summer. A friend of mine is already freaking out about how to keep her kids entertained this summer. Glad I don;t have that to worry about just yet!

That thought crept up on me the other night as I thought... only 2 more months before the boys are home - FULL TIME! Although, June isn't so bad. Aug is the worst because they are bored already, there are no more day camps or summer school things to sign them up for, so all they do is get into trouble. (mostly its DS11 that's the problem.) That's when I start counting down the days til they go back.

Okay... Kenseth is in the lead right now and Stewie is behind him. Keep up the good work boys. Menard is 8th.

 

[D&DDisney]

I would have LOVED to take DD to the BBB, but alas, she is so NOT a girly girl!! She would have died before agreeing to that. *sigh*

Today was DDs first competitive swim meet. Her team did GREAT! DD, not so well. She came in last in all her races. BUT--there were multiple heats, and she was always in the fastest heat, since she is fast. Just not as fast as some others. Also, she was swimming against much older girls (17-20), and this is her first year.

The important thing is, she had lots of fun. Some of her friends won first place. And she has 3 medals (all bronze) to show for her morning's work! She slept all the way home in the car (45 minutes)--poor thing was pooped!

Next meet is in 3 weeks. Hopefully she will be less nervous and do a bit better.

Still all in all you can be very proud of her. Nothing wrong with bronze either!