Hello Everyone,
I have spent the last few days helping my DD who is 9 with a massive school project. She had to come up with 8-10 events in her life that have influenced her into becoming the person she is today. To top it off we require pictures, and to include for each event date- world events, music, movies, fashions, anything that has influenced her. Luckily we only have to describe how the personal events has changed her and not all the others. Then we have to become creative (not one of my skills at all) and have it presented on 10 sheets but then glued back to back to make 5 sheets and put it all on there, then artfully find a way to bind it together, ribbon suggested. She is then has to present this and describe all to her class this Friday in a 5 minute speech. DD will be marked in 10 different categories out of 4 for each for each event. If this sounds confusing, just think of how it is for the children.
I asked her if she has seen a finished product to know what the general look should be or if the teacher shared any research websites or books. DD said no. I enlisted the help of my mom who is a teacher and she thought it was for those in high school. I am going to request an interview with the teacher after this assignment. We had a total of 2 weeks to do it. Unfortunate for us, the first week my DD lost her sheets then kept forgetting to ask for new ones. I think she was plain scared of this project.
My mom

has come up with a template to use and we have followed the same design for each page. Tomorrow I am going to Staples to coil bind this project as I would think that would be much easier to present to her classmates compared to ribbon that may not flip in a timely manner. She becomes easily frustrated so I am trying to keep it as flaw free as possible. Lucky for her she has an excellent memory so her presentation should be a snap.
I am still up printing it all of as I type at my profession thus I can whip this off much faster than she could. I need DD practicing her speech. (She has gone to bed long ago, I didn't want you to think I had her up at this time of night still practicing a speech.

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Sorry to be so frustrated but if you saw this project you would want to scream! I have been positive around my daughter so she doesn't see how lousy this project truly is. How many 9 year olds do you know that have done a self analysis to know how they have become the person they are now?
Sorry to vent but I must let it out where she won't see me do it.
Now onto my Travel Agent woes.
I have seen most of you now coming onto your 45 day mark and paying off your packages.

Good for you, and congratulations! To me that means I am finally on my way.
On my documents given to me by my Travel Agent, she put the final payment due date as
20 DEC 08. Lots of time.
Then I saw some of you with the magical

45 day mark and emailed her. What a surprise when she emailed me back and said the real date is
9 DEC 08.
I wasn't expecting it since she had given me the other date. To make things worse she told me if any of the payment is by check it needs to be done 10 days before the 9 DEC to reach Disney.

I wanted to email back and ask if she looked at the date now.

I work full time as does DH and finding time to do all this is going to be tight. I am not finding her services to be of that much use. Thus far I had to tell her of all new goings on.

If our package had not already been at a lower rate through CAA, I would have canceled and done the other deal some of you have received. I was hoping for my Christmas bonus to come before my final payment is due. Obviously that is not going to happen.
I am just can't wait until my DD's project is over, luckily all must be done and presented this Friday, and when our payment is paid, I will try to do it tomorrow then I can have most of my stress gone.
Again I am so sorry for this extra long venting.
I wish everyone a great Thanksgiving for those celebrating.
I hope everyone the best of health and well being for tomorrow (actually today).
Remmy