Insert Catchy Title Here: An August TR 13 Years in the Making **Finished! 12/31

[Beka]

I'm signing on. Now I'm going back to read!

I'm loving your TR!

Hey Beka! Hopping in to enjoy your TR. Ugh, I feel for you. I did the same thing the day we left. Nothing is worse when you wake up all excited just to realize it's not actually time to wake up. BOO!! I didn't realize Kyle made those shirts -- LOVE IT!!! They both look so cute in them.

Sending TONS of good luck and pixie dust your way for your math test!!

I need all the pixie dust I can get! Thanks!

I loved those shirts! I was so surprised when he did it!

Awesome start! The T-Shirts rocked! Can't wait to see how it all turns out.

Thanks! and

holy crow..100?? jeeesh! best of luck and i will start swinging them chickens!

Swing those suckers till their dang feathers fall out if you have to! I'm all kids of freaked out about this test!

 

[DisneyFaeriePrincess]

Ooo those shirts were too cute!! What a sweet thing for your dh to do! Connor is just too cute!! I hope your drive down went well!! Here's lots of pixie dust for you to get a 100 on your math test! Good luck!!

 

[aharbin88]

I'm here! I'm loving all the pics I've seen so far, and I can't wait to see more! Especially the "WDW or BUST" sign. Sounds so cute!

I watched that same FLN show. In fact, I DVR'd it so I can have a "Disney TV day" like you! Sometimes a girl needs a Disney fix! BTW- the Filet that man had at Yachtsman looked incredible! Definitely makes me want to go there now!

I have a math test on Tuesday, of which I have to get 100%. If I miss 1 question, I have 1 chance on Tuesday to fix it. If I still miss, then I can re-take another math test on Friday. If I don't get 100%, I'm out of the nursing program

I need prayers, chickens swung, positive thoughts, whatever, PLEASE!

Geez! You can't even miss one question? And you're out of the entire program if you do? That seems harsh. Good luck! I'm typing with one hand, swinging a chicken with the other!

 

[Beka]

Ooo those shirts were too cute!! What a sweet thing for your dh to do! Connor is just too cute!! I hope your drive down went well!! Here's lots of pixie dust for you to get a 100 on your math test! Good luck!!

Thanks!

I'm here! I'm loving all the pics I've seen so far, and I can't wait to see more! Especially the "WDW or BUST" sign. Sounds so cute!

I watched that same FLN show. In fact, I DVR'd it so I can have a "Disney TV day" like you! Sometimes a girl needs a Disney fix! BTW- the Filet that man had at Yachtsman looked incredible! Definitely makes me want to go there now!


Geez! You can't even miss one question? And you're out of the entire program if you do? That seems harsh. Good luck! I'm typing with one hand, swinging a chicken with the other!

Yeah, their theory is that if we miss 1 question out of 10, then we've made a medication error on 10% of our patients, and could kill them. I understand their point, but it sucks!

 

[Beka]

We headed south on 17 to Charleston.

Coming over the bridge into Charleston.
This is about 2 hours down the road from us, we were getting hungry & so was Conner. We stopped at a McDonald’s on the south side of Charleston, & were back on the road lickety split!

Conner at McD’s

As we headed south on 17, we got to see some beautiful sights. (At least I did, Kyle & Conner were asleep). We were surrounded by marshes on either side, the smell of pluff mud making its way into the car. Oak trees draped their moss across black creeks. *sigh* I love the South. It’s God’s country.

We soon passed into Georgia.

No offense to my Dawg readers, but I’m not a fan of GA. You have to understand though. As a kid, driving to Florida from Kentucky, we spent a LOT of time driving through GA. In my view, GA was just a hurdle to cross to get to the Mouse Mecca.

We stopped in Jacksonville for lunch at Cracker Barrel, and then headed on to Orlando. When we got to Daytona, we hit a major snag.

Rain. Lots of rain. Lots & lots & LOTS of rain. We were down to 25mph for almost an hour. You can guess that it took us much longer than anticipated to get to the condo.

Finally, around 4:30 or so, we got to the condo. We stayed at the Sheraton Vistana Resort, in the Fountains section. We had a 2br condo that had recently been refurbished.
The kitchen

Living room (& pull-out couch where Kyle & I slept)

Master suite

2nd bedroom

Given that this was a renovated condo, I was a little surprised at how dirty it was. Conner’s knees & feet would be dirty after just a few minutes of crawling around. This doesn’t happen at home, and we have 2 dogs! Yuck.

Up next…
What did we do that night after getting checked in? Are you finally going to see some pics of Disney property, and of food? We’ll find out next time!

 

[WDWRocksMySocks]

Ugh, I know EXACTLY what you mean about Georgia! I love the place (especially their peaches!!) -- just not traveling through it. It's like the never-ending state! When I was younger, I alway though hitting Atlanta meant we were almost there. Come to find out, Atlanta is just about the half way point. UGH!

The kitchen in the condo looks really nice! Too bad the floors and such were dirty. Poor Conner...yuck!

 

[inkedupmomma]

Thanks for the update even though someone has a math test

Good luck with that btw, I shook the crap out of a chicken for ya

If i were you I would call and complain about that condo.. that is GROSS!

Now ace that math test so we can read some more update!

 

[mickeystoontown]

Okay, I'm caught up. What a sweetie pie your husband was to have matching shirts made for him and Conner. Nice road trip pictures. Well, until you got to the rain. I hate driving in the rain. It's makes me all tense and nervous.

I hate that the condo floor was dirty enough to make little Conner's feet and knees dirty. Yuck!

So, where's everybody else?

 

[GreatBiscuit]

We stopped in Jacksonville for lunch at Cracker Barrel, and then headed on to Orlando. When we got to Daytona, we hit a major snag. Lots of rain. Lots & lots & LOTS of rain. We were down to 25mph for almost an hour. You can guess that it took us much longer than anticipated to get to the condo.

That looks like a ton of fun!

Given that this was a renovated condo, I was a little surprised at how dirty it was. Conner’s knees & feet would be dirty after just a few minutes of crawling around. This doesn’t happen at home, and we have 2 dogs! Yuck.

Yikes! That's not a happy place!

Up next…
What did we do that night after getting checked in? Are you finally going to see some pics of Disney property, and of food? We’ll find out next time!

 

[Beka]

Ugh, I know EXACTLY what you mean about Georgia! I love the place (especially their peaches!!) -- just not traveling through it. It's like the never-ending state! When I was younger, I alway though hitting Atlanta meant we were almost there. Come to find out, Atlanta is just about the half way point. UGH!

The kitchen in the condo looks really nice! Too bad the floors and such were dirty. Poor Conner...yuck!

Atlanta was half way for us too! Thank goodness they had peaches, otherwise I didn't find any redeeming qualities at that age.

Thanks for the update even though someone has a math test

Good luck with that btw, I shook the crap out of a chicken for ya

If i were you I would call and complain about that condo.. that is GROSS!

Now ace that math test so we can read some more update!

Test not aced, so I have to go rework 1 problem. I did it right the 1st time, then got stupid & changed it.

Okay, I'm caught up. What a sweetie pie your husband was to have matching shirts made for him and Conner. Nice road trip pictures. Well, until you got to the rain. I hate driving in the rain. It's makes me all tense and nervous.

I hate that the condo floor was dirty enough to make little Conner's feet and knees dirty. Yuck!

So, where's everybody else?

I was wound up tighter than a pocket watch (as my dad says). I'm sooo grateful that Conner slept through the worst of the rain, cuz I would have lost my mind if he was awake & talking/yelling the whole time.

That looks like a ton of fun!

Yikes! That's not a happy place!

Yeah, it was a blast. I mean, who DOESN'T like driving 25mph, trying not to get hit or hit the person in front of you (b/c they keep randomly hitting their brakes), or having semis zoom past you at ridiculous speeds? It was like I was already in WDW!

 

[Beka]

It was getting to be dinner time, Conner was tired, I was hungry, and dying to get on WDW property, parks or no. We headed to Downtown Disney to stuff ourselves with Wolfgang Puck Express.

I got the BBQ Chicken Quesadilla:

Mmmmm! So good. Filling. Loved the cilantro on it.
“Flour tortillas filled with mozzarella and cheddar cheeses, red onions, fresh cilantro, Ranch dressing, BBQ sauce and pico de gallo” (food description from AllEars)

Dad got the Rotisserie BBQ Chicken Salad:

“Rotisserie BBQ Chicken Salad - in sweet and tangy BBQ sauce over crisp Romaine, tomatoes, red onions and cucumbers with Ranch Dressing”

Mom got the Chicken Finger w/Fries & a side of Mac n’ Cheese (she split this with Conner)

I tried a bite of the Mac n’ Cheese, it was good.

Kyle & his mom both got the Rotisserie Beef Melt:

“Slices of house-roasted Niman Ranch rotisserie beef, sautéed mushrooms, caramelized onions and Wolfgang's signature BBQ sauce, topped with mozzarella, rolled in warm, all-natural garlic focaccia bread. Served with a side of Horseradish Caesar slaw” (Note that per this description there was slaw, but DH & DMIL didn’t get slaw, so I’m guessing either the description is old, the menu has changed, or they were out of slaw that night.)

Neil got the Spaghetti with Tomato, Basil, and Garlic

“Fresh artisan spaghetti tossed with tomato-garlic-basil sauce and garlic Padano parmesan”

Everyone enjoyed their meal. My only complaint was that the dining area is small, and people were grabbing tables long before someone in their party ordered, which just isn’t fair.

Kyle’s old college roommate Casey met us for dinner. After dinner, out parents took Conner home, & we hung out with Casey. He had parked close to La Nouba, so we got a tour of DTD.

Look! The balloon is actually flying!

Casey’s working on Disney property, and spoiled us a bit that night. We went for a tour of the Swan/Dolphin:

Apparently the king/president/whatever he is but I’m too lazy too look it up of Saudi Arabia just left. He & his entourage took up a whole floor, & one room’s bill for ONE night was over $30G!!!

Then we stopped in Kimono’s for a drink. Casey says he doesn’t like sushi, but he loves theirs.

It’s kind of dark & intimate in there. Looks like a good date place. They also have karaoke going.
The bar at Kimono’s

By the time we finished our drinks, it was coming up on 11pm. The wine was starting to have an effect on me & I was *finally* getting sleepy (after sleeping for just a few hours and driving from 6a-4p), so we headed home & went to bed.

I dreamed of Mickey that night, knowing that the next day we were headed to the Magic Kingdom for Conner’s 1st haircut.

How did the haircut go? Would Conner be a good baby or freak out? Next time!

Day Two: Did you cut all the good baby off with that hair?

 

[OhioDisneyLover]

Yay, an update! I can't wait to hear about Connor's haircut!!!

I love the Dolphin. We have stayed there a few times.

 

[DisneyFaeriePrincess]

Awww Conner's first hair cut!! All of that food looks delicious!! Mmm I want Disney food!!

 

[Beka]

Yay, an update! I can't wait to hear about Connor's haircut!!!

I love the Dolphin. We have stayed there a few times.

I really want to stay at the Swan next time we go to WDW. It seemed so quiet there!

Another update will come this week, I promise! It's all written out & ready to go!

Awww Conner's first hair cut!! All of that food looks delicious!! Mmm I want Disney food!!

WPE was soooo good. One of the best meals that trip.

 

[GreatBiscuit]

Wolfgang Puck Express looked awesome!

30G's a night? WOW! I hope he at least got some decent towel animals!

Looking forward to more!

 

[SunnieRN]

What great shirts your husband made!!! I'm always impressed when a man plans and executes a surprise!!

Ick and ewwww to such a dirty floor! The condo looked really nice though.

Yummm, loved WPEC. Everything we had there was good!!

How nice that you got to have a fun and relaxed evening after driving so long!!! I'm excited to see Conners haircut as we let Connor and Jacobs hair grow so we can get there haircuts on the 21st ot 22nd!!!

You know, just my $.02 worth, but nursing school is stressful enough without being so harsh about a math test. We had a lot of similar things in our program, but in real life you rarely use math and if you have questions you can call a pharmacist. Sending up prayers for a smooth semester!!!

 

[Beka]

Wolfgang Puck Express looked awesome!

30G's a night? WOW! I hope he at least got some decent towel animals!

Looking forward to more!

It was yummy. Then again, how can you go wrong with a quesadilla topped with ranch AND bbq?

I would have loved to know what they ordered to ring up a $30g tab. We saw a shot of brandy at Jiko that was over $100, so maybe they ordered a bottle of that stuff?

What great shirts your husband made!!! I'm always impressed when a man plans and executes a surprise!!

Ick and ewwww to such a dirty floor! The condo looked really nice though.

Yummm, loved WPEC. Everything we had there was good!!

How nice that you got to have a fun and relaxed evening after driving so long!!! I'm excited to see Conners haircut as we let Connor and Jacobs hair grow so we can get there haircuts on the 21st ot 22nd!!!

You know, just my $.02 worth, but nursing school is stressful enough without being so harsh about a math test. We had a lot of similar things in our program, but in real life you rarely use math and if you have questions you can call a pharmacist. Sending up prayers for a smooth semester!!!

I think that's the problem with it being a time share - there was no one to vacuum daily like they do in a hotel. We vacuum at least once a week, sometimes up to 3 times, depending, so I'm sure that made a difference. Just makes me want to stay in a hotel even more next time.

My grandmother was VERY superstitious, and said that you should never cut a baby's hair before their 1st birthday. Well, Conner's hair was so long that I was having to pull it back to keep it out of his face. His baby sitter remedied that. Oops! Sorry Grandma! I wouldn't let her cut any more so that he could have his 1st 'official' haircut after his 1st b-day & at WDW.

I made the DUMBEST mistake on my math test. I totally over thought a problem & set an IV rate for 8000 mL/hr. I guess I wanted the pt to have flash pulmonary edema, hyponatremia, third spacing, and make their brain swell. Bye-bye patient! What was MOST stupid about my mistake is that I *did it right* the first time! I CHANGED it when I was checking my math! DOH!

 

[Beka]

Recap of day 1: Headed out of Myrtle Beach by 6am, made a few stops, hit some nasty rain, got checked in to the condo, & hit up Downtown Disney for some yummy dinner at Wolfgang Puck Express.

Let’s move on, shall we?

You would think that after having barely slept the night before our trip down that I would have gone right to sleep & slept through the night, right? Hah. I’m sure you guys can relate. We got home around 11, and went straight to bed. We were in the other bed in the 2nd bedroom; Mom & Dad (my parents) were in the other bed in that room. Not my ideal sleeping situation. Both my parents & I have to have some kind of white noise in order to sleep. My machine of choice is a box fan just a few feet from my head. Mom & Dad brought their noise machine. It made a drippy water/rain/rainforest sound. Ugh. That plus their snoring & the copious amounts of adrenaline coursing through my veins ensured that I was not going to get decent sleep that night. At 2:30am I headed to the couch. I was *freezing* in there & put one of the throw pillows on top of me just for insulation. So I woke at 3, 4, 4:30, 5, etc. until I finally had enough & decided it was time to get up & get ready for the day.

So we all get ready, load up the cars, and head to the Happiest Place on Earth… Wal-Mart!

I kid.

I was jumping in my seat like a maniac when I saw this:

See, when we went to DTD the night before, we went in the back way, since it was closer to our condo.

Then I really started to get nutty when I saw this:

We parked in the handicap parking lot (Mom needs a knee replacement, & Dad has numerous health issues, including a history of acute renal failure, leukemia, & a triple bypass.) I was practically running/skipping to the monorail platform (TTC? – I don’t know these things, I don’t care, I’m not the navigator, just get me to MICKEY!!!!) at this point, leaving my poor family in my dust.

I love this mouse, I want to take him home with me.

Space Mountain from the monorail:

In fact, I *did* leave our parents behind (Kyle & Conner were able to keep up with me). We hit the monorail platform just as the monorail was pulling up, & there was a mad rush for everyone else to get there so as to not miss the opening ceremony. Since our parents aren’t as mobile, they got caught up in the crowd & had to catch the next monorail. Love you guys, but I gotta see my man, er, mouse.

Opening ceremony:

We were pretty far back, but that’s ok, I could see what I wanted to. I love the music they play, & was singing right along (well, as much of the songs as I know). I was also being a total sap & was choking back tears.

Our parents eventually caught up to us & we headed inside.

I have to stop right here for a second. I know a lot of people talk about their favorite sight at the Magic Kingdom, or their favorite smell (like the bakery, or popcorn, etc.). My favorite thing in ALL of WDW, the thing that makes me super crazy excited (or at least it did on this trip) is the music played on Main Street. OMG, it’s so HAPPY.

Back to the story. We immediately made a B-line for the barber shop, & were 4th in line. There was a kid there from England who needed to get his hair cut before going back to school. How awesome is that?! Really, who flies overseas for a haircut? Oh, wait. THAT kid does. Lucky duck.
Headed in to the barbershop.

Finally, it was Conner’s turn. He had been getting pretty fidgety while waiting, so I wasn’t too sure how he would do.

I have to stop again, to tell you about Conner. I think he’s a typical 13m old. Everyone else tell me different. “He’s such a GOOD baby!” they say. He rarely fusses when I put him down for bed or a nap, & if he does fuss, it’s usually for only a few minutes (unless he’s over tired, which we try to prevent). He doesn’t get super bad separation anxiety, like a lot of kids have at this age. (Yes, I know some is normal. He does have some, but he’s not that kids that screams till he almost gets sick when we leave.) Is he perfect? Gosh no, he’s mine, right?

‘K, so I was really hoping that he would handle the haircut well. I sat him down, gave him something to play with…

Then THIS happened:

Is this a joke? I mean, seriously?! I always knew that I would give birth to the antichrist, I just hoped his horns wouldn’t show in the happiest of happies, ya know?

Finally, it’s over, we get our ears, I need a stiff drink &/or a Valium, and Conner’s all

“Hey, what’s all the fuss for? Don’t I look cute?”

*blank stare*

Oh look! Something happy!

Phew. Better.

Now that Conner had his life force cut off (if you had asked him, he would have told you that’s what happened), I was hungry. I didn’t manage to eat while in the condo before we left & Mom was hungry too. We hit up the bakery, & Mom had the coffee crumb cake, & I had the blueberry muffin, Kyle had a bagel. I really wanted a cinnamon roll, but my little pouch* would never allow that. I’m surprised it let me get away with a blueberry muffin. Sorry guys, no pics, I was FRAZZLED by then.
*pouch – what’s left of your stomach after you have gastric bypass. Many gastric bypass patients don’t tolerate large amounts of sugar, refined carbohydrates, or fats; if they do consume these, they may get what’s referred to as “dumping syndrome”

Our breakfasts consumed, we resumed our trek down Main Street when it happened. My first bit of “Interesting Disney Facts”. My FIL informed me that people live in apartments in the stores above Main Street. I couldn’t resist, I said “No they don’t.”
Him: “Yes they do.”
Me: “Uh, no. No they don’t. There’s no physical room for them, seeing as how it’s not a full story.”
Him: “Shirley, aren’t those apartments up there?”
Her, my MIL: “No, they’re offices.”

*insert face palm here*

It was at that point that I knew it was time for our group to split up.

Up next: Did we split? What’d we do? Where’d we go?

 

[GreatBiscuit]

Great update! || BTW - Sorry to hear the math test got you flustered. I have a tendency to psyche myself out of correct answers as well. (Wound up doing that on my first Cisco cert test.) ||

I was excited for you when you passed through the gates of paradise. Sorry the haircut episode left you in need of a restorative. Hopefuly the day improved from there . The "offices" comment had me cracking up!

Looking forward to more!>

 

[DisneyFaeriePrincess]

Aww I'm sorry about you having a bad night. I hope they're not all like that! Well Connor didn't like his haircut but he sure did look cute when he was done!!