Geen Yight - She's Out of Sight: A Trip of Leaps and Bounds

[Mndisneygirl]

My SIL in southern VA texted and said the middle school near them got hit by a tornado - buses overturned and half the building was gone!! She lives just north of Williamsbur g.

 

[CanadianWDWfan]

Stay safe DIS friends! I will pray for all of you who are having terrible weather!

 

[disneyfan61]

http://i49.photobucket.com/albums/f286/missjill5/Feb%20March%202011%20Disney%20Trip/Feb%20March%202011%20Disney%20Trip%202/IMG_1071.jpg[/IMG]

We are the Tanglewood Tigers! I must have this shirt!!!!

Anita that shirt would be perfect for you!! I think it is so cute.

 

[MeMom]

Hi Memom and gang. I am mostly a lurker and rarely post, but I wanted you to know I love your trip reports. I have gone back to the first one and read most of them, still have one to finish. Your reports are always so loving of your family and rarely do you say negative things. We have been going every January for 5 years with our daughter's family. I love the time with my grandchildren, but we are going in October by ourselves. I was reading about people going on birthday trips and mentioned to dh that I was having a big birthday this year, 60!!! He said he was just thinking about that the day before. I asked him was he just thinking about my 60th birthday or a Disney birthday. He said Disney but he didn't want to go when it was so hot (July 28th). So we are planning a birthday/anniversary trip in October. Just wanted to share and say thanks for all these wonderful reports you write.
Robyn

An October trip to WDW will be awesome! The weather is great then. I have never been in January, but I would sure like to. Especially after the winter we had this past year. An escape to some sunshine and warmer temperatures would have been wonderful! We're so glad you decided to join us.

Well spring break has started for us too! And I think we crawled into break on our hands and knees. It is a tough job....and certainly it has its heaping share of frustrations! I totally can relate Memom! (and on a side note for us in NJ...I have been paying a sizable chunk of money every paycheck into our pension...and I may not ever see a dime of it...and somehow our governer seems to think its my fault for even thinking I should have a pension..which the state has taken $ out of for the past 10 years. grrrrrrr) Oh and my lunch period is only 25 min and its 23 if they send the students back early.

Going back a few pages, I loved the soccah game! And how they are just learning and got to name their team and the whole quarter thing and Bella trying to process what's going on....oh gosh...what a blast.

Love your Animal Kingdom print! And all of your changes to the house! I am trying to fix up my sewing room this weekend as a matter of fact!

Have a super weekend Jill and Memom and family!!!! Palm Sunday coming up!

Some things are on the chopping block for us, too. Insurance, for one. They also were playing around pretty heavily with the schedule for next year, but in the end, they came out with a good one. We will still get our fall break and our spring break after all. I was worried. Teachers really do need breaks from kids. Not to be ugly by any means, but we all know that kids can wear down even nerves of steel sometimes. Getting a break from that gives us a chance to refresh and do a better job with them and for them.

Have fun fixing up the sewing room. I know that is one of your greatest loves, and you make so many nice things for others in doing it.

We will always be here to let you vent!
I just wish you had one year where you had day to day peace without any issues.
Trip update:
I am a little discouraged with booking the January cruise.
I have read some reviews and it can be too cold to go in the ocean or pools at that time.
That is no good for our first time at Castaway Cay.
I wouldn't want our first experience to be anything but fantastic.
Lexi wants to do the Sting Ray encounter and the snorkeling.
I am now possibly looking at later in the spring...maybe May 2012 or I may stick with the original plan for this September.
So confused as to what to do

If only we could predict the weather with 100% certainty!
Will the girls be at your place for Easter next weekend after the zoo?

If photobucket will co operate I have some time this morning to put some pics up from NYC.

If it works....pics to follow....

In my school, I doubt I'm ever going to have one of those peaceful years. Our families have some issues and struggles, and the kids bring that with them in a big way. I'm used to it, though, and I use it is a mission on my part to touch lives in a positive way. I probably wouldn't be half as enlightened to the world around me if I had been teaching in a more privileged area. We do realize that going to school and dealing with all of these problems is the worst part of our day, yet for some of the kids, it is the best part of theirs. They have competent, caring adults supervising them. They have two balanced meals. They are in a safe place hearing good language. When they leave at 3:15, that changes almost instantly for some of them. I feel very blessed that God gave me the opportunity to raise my kids in a safe, loving home.

You should definitely throw a few quarter's in for Jill I just hope that nothing happens to the fountain in the next few years, because as soon as I'm ready i'll need a whole roll of them I'll let you know as soon as I need some quarters thrown

I'm giving her some more time to enjoy the two little 'rats' she has, but seriously, anybody that makes kids that good really has an obligation to make more, right?

I always enjoy shopping pics especially when they are shopping pics from Animal Kingdom!

Love Bella in the zebra ears! Just adorable!!!

I love AK shopping, too. There are things there that you can't find in other Disney shops.

Coming out of lurkdom to say...loving this TR!!

I always show my kids the merchandise photos from your reports and they them!!

Can't wait for more!

We're very glad you have joined us! We definitely do our share of shopping. It's mostly shopping with my camera, though. I don't make very many purchases.

More coming today. Hope you enjoy.

P.S. I'm jealous of your screen name.
Or maybe I am just jealous of your job.

Teaching is a tough job - no doubt about it! I sure appreciate that someone else is willing to do it since I'm not cut out for it!


Canadian - we cruised in 2009 on February 1 and it was really windy and the water at Castaway was cold! Because of the wind they cancelled a lot of excursions including stingrays. Now we just went in March and it was still a bit cool in the water and air temps were in low 70s which is below normal. So you never know. We have had 80s in december and January in wow and swam. I'm sure it would be plenty warm in may or september. But in September nits hurricane season. Just a little info to think about.

It's good that we all have our special areas. I'd never want to be a nurse, and I would be miserable being a lawyer or an accountant. Good thing we all work together to make this good old world go 'round.

I am glad you could give some insight on the cruising. You would certainly want to get the most out of it, as much money as you spend. We don't want our kind Canadian friend to waste her hard-earned money.

 

[MeMom]

Here are some pics of the things we brought home from the NYC trip....

New Mickey head plates and silverware to match! I hope all of my DIS friends can get these!

These are my favorite souvies...I could have spent a fortune in there!
Would have gotten so much more but this was my first stop and I didn't want to blow my whole budget in the first hour.
I planned to go back but it didn't work out...I have a huge want list for next time....and there will be a next time!


Picked these up at the Statue Cruise gift shop...Lexi's classmates love them.
She just got her "pen" license from her teacher so she is thrilled be be able to use the pen.

Look what arrived just in time for her birthday!
Thanks Poolrat for giving me the heads up!
She loves them!

This is the cake that Lexi picked out...the only choices in the bakery that day were between Tangled or a Mickey & Minnie beach cake.
(I usually order her cake but this time we took our chances and were pleasantly surprized.)
Maybe a little Disney magic....was at work!
The Tangled cake won out because it was chocolate...I wanted the Mickey one but it wasn't my birthday! Very tasty!!!
I thought it was ironic because we had been talking about Brooklynn having a Tangled birthday.


There you go...I know there is other stuff I'm forgetting.

What great finds at the Disney Store! I saw those plates on line, and I almost ordered them, but I held off because we are planning a trip to the Louisville Disney Store next weekend. I hope theyhave the solid Mickey head ones, because those are the ones I want the most. They will go with many things through the years.

I'm glad you guys got to go to NY. I would be overwhelmed by the size of those buildings, I think. I want to go when things are decorated for Christmas one of these years.

Thanks for sharing Lexi's birthday fun with us. I'm glad you found something for Aaron, too.

If you can't drink out of the 'square' cups without spilling, you could always use them for saving Disney pennies or putting pencils and pens in or something.

I totally agree!!! I have enough stress working with adults who can behave like children...

Thanks for the info.

I bought travel insurance for the September cruise because it is hurricaine season.
May 2012 is looking like the better choice the more I look into it!
I could plan it for the begining of the month so it would be a Mother's Day/F&G Festival trip too!
May just seems so far away!

You are so much better at putting trips off than I am. At the thought of losing or moving one, I usually cry.

I do want to see you get the full cruise experience, though, and not miss out on things due to the weather.

I agree with that!! Even though most of the staff here are college students, sometimes I feel like a kindergarten teacher

I often see teachers do and say things that they would not tolerate from their students. It's annoying. Like in faculty meetings, they'll be talking away at their table and not listening. It's rude, and they would get on their students for doing that.

As promised....trip pics from NYC!

Can you guess where we had lunch first?


Here's your first set of pics from the World of Disney in NYC!

Well, if you would just wait until June, you could cruise with us.....

Loved your NYC pics! That is one of many places that I really want to visit some day. Such another world from small town Kansas!

You are going to fill a boat with DISers.
And I am not talking about a Small World boat, either.

That's how I see NY pictures, too. I would have to stand still and take it all in little by little. So huge and fast-paced!

We are the Tanglewood Tigers! I must have this shirt!!!!

I think you should have it, too.

I love that mug!

Congratulations!!!

MeMom, I was a little jealous when you were on spring break a few weeks ago but now it's my turn As of yesterday, I'm on vacation

I am glad we didn't have to wait this long for spring break. I'm not sure I would be alive to see it. Enjoy yours! Ours is later next year, so I will be waiting until April, too.

That mug could be my Not So Hidden Mickey in my AKL bathroom, couldn't it? I already have a toothbrush holder, but it could hold other items.

I love the "I love/mickey head NY" stuff! So so cute!!!


Memom, it has been a very long, stressful and wild afternoon here in NC. We have had many tornadoes touch down and it is just a mess. One touched down about 3 miles from our house. I am so incredibly thankful to have my home and life in tact right now. So many others around here can't say that. There is widespread damage and several deaths already reported. Please remember the folks around here in your prayers. And I know there are other NC readers on your TR and I am curious to know how they fared through all this. I hope everyone is safe and doing well.

We had some high winds yesterday, but nothing serious that I am aware of. It is amazing the damage that wind can do. We've been in that boat before, where a tornado touched down about one mile away. We felt very lucky.

Yes it does! I need to re-do the girl's bathroom and thought about stealing your AKL theme but there's no window so it may be too dark for that.

I think the lighting in my bathroom gave it an odd tone, but it looks good in real life.

You can steal the AKL room, if you want. It's a big resort, so there's more than one bathroom. You could use the lighter colors to keep it bright.

Girl I hope you are OK. Our part of the state did just fine. We just got a few strong stoms and the worst of it only last 30 minutes around me.

My SIL in southern VA texted and said the middle school near them got hit by a tornado - buses overturned and half the building was gone!! She lives just north of Williamsbur g.

Stay safe DIS friends! I will pray for all of you who are having terrible weather!

Hope all of our DIS friends are okay this morning. We're supposed to have three nice days now.

Anita that shirt would be perfect for you!! I think it is so cute.

Wanna place bets on whether or not she's already found a way to order it?

 

[Charleston Princess]

Memom, it has been a very long, stressful and wild afternoon here in NC. We have had many tornadoes touch down and it is just a mess. One touched down about 3 miles from our house. I am so incredibly thankful to have my home and life in tact right now. So many others around here can't say that. There is widespread damage and several deaths already reported. Please remember the folks around here in your prayers. And I know there are other NC readers on your TR and I am curious to know how they fared through all this. I hope everyone is safe and doing well.

I am so glad you are okay, Rinky!

Girl I hope you are OK. Our part of the state did just fine. We just got a few strong stoms and the worst of it only last 30 minutes around me.

I am glad it missed you for the most part. I was keeping an eye on Charlotte since I know you and Jillyb are there.

My SIL in southern VA texted and said the middle school near them got hit by a tornado - buses overturned and half the building was gone!! She lives just north of Williamsbur g.

How scary!

 

[MeMom]

As we were walking along, we happened to spot some JB friends.













I'm giving you a second to figure it out.

















Here's a hint.





Jungle Book.




Just wanted to get your Disney brain rolling this morning.




There was not a line for them, but rather a group.
We don't do groups in Disney World anymore.
You know that.
That was way back then.
Now, we form lines.

These two were too engaged in their conversation to remember to tell people that.

Oh yeah, I snapped their picture.
Evidence.

So, there was a 'grump' (combination of a group and a clump ) of people and strollers swarming in from both sides around two unattended characters that were trying to tell people what to do in bear and monkey sign language.

Some folks weren't so good at reading bear and monkey sign language.

At one point, the guys looked up and realized they had a little mess, yelled at everybody about their strollers, and then went back to their conversation.

Jill does not like to be yelled at in Disney public.
I refer you to the Coronado Springs episode.


We got a few quick pictures.

I think you can see in that last one that Bella was 'holding on for dear life' not to be near those two.

After we got our pictures, she went and told on the talky-talky CM's.
I will admit, they were a little over the top in the 'unawareness of their surroundings' department.

Now where?

I tried to line this up to show the likeness.

Dinoland.

Sometimes my dusty old bones do get me down.

Do we like dinos?

We like this one.

We had some of these,

but we didn't really need them. It was pretty much a walk-on.

I promised to never let a dinosaur devour these two sweet little morsels.

More of this later.

Gotta get ready for church.

 

[Charleston Princess]

Oblivious CMs are not good! Didn't they know they had a recipe for disaster acting like that??? I am glad Jill said something.

Cute picture of Brooklyn with Baloo and King Louis! That is one of our favorite Disney movies!

 

[jenjolt]

WOW! I'm sure that's not behavior they teach you at Disney College!!! Glad you said something!!

OOOH can't wait to see how it went on Dinosaur!!!

 

[Native NYer]

Clueless CMs
I love the girls' matching outfits. So cute!

 

[CanadianWDWfan]

Who said I didn't cry at the thought of changing the cruise....it's not easy as CharlestonPrincess knows to be a grown up.

I hope you can find those plates in Louisville Disney Store.
They had a drink pitcher to match also but I didn't get it.
When I saw them I knew that all of us would want them...

Bad....Bad CM's yelling at my DIS friends!

What beautiful pics of AK...I do wish I was there.

Love the pic of the girls sitting together! Very cute!


More pics for you to enjoy!

While you get ready for church, I will be on my way to work...

 

[SoonerGirl]

Wow, I can't believe those CMs behaved that way, good for Jill bringing it to someone's attention!

Bella looks like she's trying to climb right up the side of Jill and away from those two scary looking characters Very cute pictures of Brooklynn with them though!

 

[momof2TNboys]

Talk about rude! I really do not like it when CMs start acting like they are herding cattle. That is why I like Disney, because that is the exception not the norm. To this day, I never want to go back to St. Thomas, USVI due to all the rude people I encountered working with tourists. Good for Jill!
Glad everyone here is safe after the storms. Gotta get ready for church!

 

[nowellsl]

What great finds at the Disney Store! I saw those plates on line, and I almost ordered them, but I held off because we are planning a trip to the Louisville Disney Store next weekend. I hope theyhave the solid Mickey head ones, because those are the ones I want the most. They will go with many things through the years.

So, I went online just to look put them in my cart and went to checkout just to see what the shipping would be, and low and behold got free shipping for some reason Who can resist free shipping??? So they are now on their way to me I really need to work on my impulse control ......

 

[LoveMyTwoPrincesses]

It doesn't look like the woman that is in the picture with the CMs is very impressed with their conversation either!

 

[wigdoutdismom]

Anita that shirt would be perfect for you!! I think it is so cute.

Thanks to Doreen and MeMom, I will have a new Mickey Tiger shirt coming home with me in June!!!! I love your positive feedback!

Michelle is right, it looked like Bella was going to end up sitting on Jill's head in her attempt to get away from our Jungle Book friends!

Since we have not lost a game in our ball tournament that started Thursday. We are off to the ball field this morning....

I'm trying to have a good attitude, my laundry is piling up, the house it a wreck, the yard needs attention, Harper's new swing set needs put together, and the ball team is having a garage sale next week.
Not that I'm complaining....
OK, I am a little.

 

[Lovemy3babes]

I'm glad Jill said something about the group for the characters and the CMs. I have never seen a character without a line! How weird they weren't even paying attention.

Have a nice Sunday in church MeMom. We're headed that way shortly.

 

[RinkyTinkyTinky]

I am so glad you are okay, Rinky!

Thank you! Me too! It was very scary. We loaded the bathtub with pillows and just prayed our way through. I actually thought of you b/c I hate bad weather just as much as you do. I am watching the radar constantly whenever we have even the mention of the "t" word, even if it's the middle of the night. It was so bad here yesterday though that our primary news station actually went off the air during live coverage to seek shelter. They were showing live footage from their tower cam outside the studio when a tornado formed over downtown Raleigh and headed directly for the tower. It was huge! When the station blacked out, I realized that it was going to be bad. I am so, so, so thankful that we didn't have any damage and none of my family was hurt. I love spring, but I dread this part of it every year!

Memom, you had me cracking up over the group/clump thing! You are right, that is not the way it's done anymore. I for one am a big fan of order and rules. It keeps things flowing nicely and drama free and I like that!

 

[k_reile]

i love all the mickey NY stuff...we were supposed to go to NYC this spring to visit my cousin who is in college at Fordham University in Manhatten with my mom, sil, grandma, all of my aunts (5 of them) and female cousins (3 of them)... but the trip was planned last minute and not enough of us could go....so we are thinking of a fall trip! I must go to the NYC disney store! LOL!

 

[xoktenox]

Glad to hear Jill told on the "talky-talk" CMs...they obviously weren't concerned with the guests OR the CMs inside the Louie and Baloo outfits who could have very well been mobbed!

Hope you're enjoying your weekend. I am off from school and student teaching all this week so I was able to catch up and do some cleaning today instead of drowning myself in homework. Believe me, this June trip is going to be a RELIEF for me!