It’s Not Christmas Till We Visit The Mouse! Dec. 2006

[PrincessV]

I was going to leave the last update stand on its' own until my return, but I just had to share this...

Leo is SOOOOO excited about this trip! Last night, he made a request to see Goofy and Buzz Lightyear. He also informed Gramma that he wants to ride the "train coaster" again. (If you haven't read my Sept. TR, Leo tried his first roller coasters on that weekend trip. After mastering the Barnstormer, he tried BTMRR - what he calls the "train coaster" - and was a bit unsettled by it, so I'm surprised he wants to try again!)

He's been counting down the days since Sunday on his fingers. Excellent - I managed to work in some arithmetic lessons with this trip!

He's also been watching LOTS of holiday movies, getting into the spirit. And guess what? Despite my insistence from the time he was born that I wouldn't try to make Santa real.....

HE BELIEVES IT ANYWAY!!!

How do I know? Saturday night, he asked me "Mommy, Santa's coming soon?" Just goes to show, no matter how good your parental intentions, kids will throw for a loop your plans for their upbrining 90% of the time Oh well, my only concern had been that I didn't want to lie to him about it, so if he's choosing to believe, I won't fight it and we'll go from there!

Okay, that's it folks. Late tomorrow morning, we'll hit the road and get this party started for real!

P.S. Did I mention the weather forecast changed again ?! We now have everything from 85 and rain to 48 and clear. I'm packing a third suitcase.

 

[saschab]

I've finally caught up on your pre-trip.....and I'll be devouring your last trippie while you're gone.

I see the alcohol's already packed! Enough of that, and you won't have to be worried about temperate clothing!

Have a magical trip! I'll keep the light on for ya!

 

[aldisneygrl]

V - you have done a full TR and a full Pre TR, and I still haven't done my TR (from our October trip). Maybe I will work on that while you are gone. Hopefully the weather will cooperate. Gotta love those kids throwing you for a loop!

Have a great time!

 

[sharkB8HooHaHa]

V,
I hope you, Leo, and Gramma have a wonderful time. We all look forward to your return (and all the reading material you will provide us!)

Enjoy the magic.

 

[mlill]

I hope you guys are having a great time in WDW! I'm looking forward to your TR when you return!!!

-Michelle

 

[lexmelinda]

WELCOME HOME, V!!!

 

[PrincessV]

Hi everybody, I am indeed back, and will gladly start sharing our crazy exploits here as soon as I catch up with the crazy home exploits that happened while we were away. (How the cats do play while their people are away...)

For now, I'll say we had a fantastic time overall. Of course, there were some stumbling points and some bumps, er - more like boulders - in the road, but we managed them well and made some wonderful memories.

Thanks again for all of your warm wishes and encouragement! I can't wait to get this TR going

 

[jmmelvin]

Hi everybody, I am indeed back, and will gladly start sharing our crazy exploits here as soon as I catch up with the crazy home exploits that happened while we were away. (How the cats do play while their people are away...)

For now, I'll say we had a fantastic time overall. Of course, there were some stumbling points and some bumps, er - more like boulders - in the road, but we managed them well and made some wonderful memories.

Thanks again for all of your warm wishes and encouragement! I can't wait to get this TR going

LOTS of bumps in the road for us as well. I will probably be working some more on my trippie tonight. You will see all the boulders I had to manuever around! I hope yours weren't as bad as mine were.

 

[monymony3471]

The weather you had should have been great. We had one overlapping day and when we left it was 85 and sunny! I didn't use half of the warm stuff I packed. At least it stayed clean!

Welcome back!

Eager to read more!

So get going....soon right?

 

[aldisneygrl]

Welcome home V! Can't wait to hear all about it!

 

[Glendamax]

Hi everybody, I am indeed back, and will gladly start sharing our crazy exploits here as soon as I catch up with the crazy home exploits that happened while we were away. (How the cats do play while their people are away...)

Can't wait to hear all about your trip!

 

[Disneyland_Mama]

So, well, ummm... you've been home for what... almost 36 hours?

I'm just saying......

I'll just sit here........

and wait..........

I'm waiting........

Waiting..........

 

[Backstage_Gal]

Just discovered your Pre-trip today, and thought for sure I'd get at least part of TR since you are back now.... Oh well, maybe this weekend.

Really enjoyed it! Off to read your Sept TR.

 

[PrincessV]

Day 1 – Thursday, Nov. 30

Perhaps foolishly, I never worry or plan out much about our travel to The World. I mean, it’s less than a two hour drive away – how much planning does that take? Apparently more than I did.

Gramma works nights. And she opted to work the Wednesday night before our trip. Which wouldn’t have been terrible – she’s pretty used to going 24 hours without sleep – EXCEPT that she was still packing as of Tuesday. And continued packing all day Wednesday. So, by the time Thursday morning rolled around, she’d been up for about 38 hours. And still needed to shower, change, eat breakfast, and, yes, finish packing. Oh, and she also needed to stop at work to drop off some paperwork.

Is THIS the Less Stress method of trip travel? I do not think so! But we didn’t have anything planned for the day, so I tried to loosen up on my need to go, go, go and suggested that she finish packing first so I could be packing the car while she finished up.

And so it was that Gramma packed, Leo watched more TV than he ever gets to in one sitting, (after he’d given up asking when we were going to Disney, that is), and I cleaned up the house.

I came out of my bedroom to find Gramma’s suitcase waiting by the front door. I tried to lift it. No dice. I’m pretty sure this sucker weighed twice as much as Leo. But, it was the biggest item and had to be installed first. Gramma was in the shower and was of no help at all. I somehow dragged it down the stairs and wheeled it out to my car. I went back up and dragged my suitcase down, and then, using what little I remembered from 12th grade Physics, used my suitcase to leverage the weight of Gramma’s and heave it into the back of the SUV. I definitely pulled a muscle in my shoulder in the process and may have dislocated my pancreas, but the worst was over. Everything else went into the car neatly, just like a puzzle.

ASIDE: I learned to pack a car from my Dad, the master packer. He’d gather everything up around the car and start putting the biggest pieces in, turning, shifting and repositioning each piece until it left the maximum amount of space around it possible. When all the biggest pieces were in, he’d start asking for smaller pieces based on shape and squishability. “V, hand me something shaped like a rhombus and containing rolled up socks – it’ll fit right into this opening here.” Gramma and Leo do not understand the finer points of packing a car and I prefer they just stay out of my way.

At long last, baggage, food and persons were all installed in the vehicle. Doors were locked, cats were fed, we were off!

Off.......





to the local McD’s, because it was now lunch time and we were starved. A quick stop at Gramma’s work and we were really, finally on the road to our rendezvous with The Mouse.

The drive east was surprisingly event-free. We saw cows. We saw RV’s. We saw horses. I messed around a little with the out-of-state drivers. Not really. Well, maybe. We saw more cows. We listened to Leo’s DVD droning on from the back seat. Suddenly, there it was….. the Mickey head electrical pole! We had arrived!

Just a bit further and we pulled into our home for the next three days, Pt. Orleans Riverside.

Coming soon: First day adventures at POR and Leo finds a new obsession

 

[PrincessV]

Thanks for waiting, everybody! As you can see, Installment 1 of the actual trip is now up. For the record, it would have been up yesterday. Things came up. Like Christmas. And Hannukah. I somehow completely blocked these out of my mind while focusing on preparing for and participating in our trip to WDW.

We got back and I dove into laundry, catching up on school work, and slugging through the 168 emails waiting for my return to work. I completely forgot about the holidays and the need to prepare until yesterday morning. I spent most of yesterday shopping and wrapping, hence, no DISing.

I am happy to report that everything is purchased and wrapped and I can now get down to catching up on all things DIS!

 

[lexmelinda]

I went back up and dragged my suitcase down, and then, using what little I remembered from 12th grade Physics, used my suitcase to leverage the weight of Gramma’s and heave it into the back of the SUV. I definitely pulled a muscle in my shoulder in the process and may have dislocated my pancreas, but the worst was over. Everything else went into the car neatly, just like a puzzle.

I'm impressed.....GIRL POWER. My husband is like LaLa's....if he even thinks I thought about putting something in the car, he has to take out the last 3 things he packed and start again. I am considered gender impaired unfortunately.

I MISS POR!

And the presents are WRAPPED? Again, I am impressed. You are much more organized than me.

 

[mlill]

I'm here and ready to read your TR! I can't wait to hear about your latest WDW adventure! I hope the bumps/boulders weren't too big!

-Michelle

P.S. I've got my LGMHs all ready! I hope to run into as many Dis'sers as you did!

 

[sharkB8HooHaHa]

V,
What a great photograph! I love that it's December and the flowers are still in bloom. No need for snow for this Northern-turned-happy-Southern girl to get into the holiday spirit. I'll take flowers anyday.

Looking forward to hearing about your visit.

 

[HMHunters]

my[/I] suitcase to leverage the weight of Gramma’s and heave it into the back of the SUV. I definitely pulled a muscle in my shoulder in the process and may have dislocated my pancreas, but the worst was over. Everything else went into the car neatly, just like a puzzle.

Great image!

 

[samc]

subbin...........can't wait to read all of your trippie.....the pre was great!!