Loosen your belt buckle-We're doing Deluxe Dining!Our 12/10 PTR!Update 12/18 TR Start

[eecteacher82]

I'm doing great. My job recently had cut backs (I work for a school here in California), so I was cut back 1 month of pay and was required to take most of July off. It has been a mixed blessing... it is hard to lose a month's pay but I have enjoyed having 3 weeks off with Dylan that I would not normally have. We have been gone most of those 3 weeks visiting w/ family & friends and today was my first day back at work. It was a little rough, but ok.

Dylan is huge. Most people think he is 4 years old. At his 2 year old doctor appointment he was 38" and that was last September! I tried to measure him the other day and I'm pretty sure he is around 42" now & around 40 pounds. He just keeps growing, so we are going to have a tall boy on our hands. I think he is going to be a little athlete because he has not seen a basketball/soccer ball/ volleyball that he hasn't loved.

When is Olivia's birthday? Dylan will be 3 in mid-September. He has a friend that was born 2 1/2 months after him (Dec 1) and that boy is still quite a bit smaller than him too. Is that close to her birthday? She is so cute & petite! I loved the pictures of her with the backpack. So girlie!

Ughh, job cut backs are no fun at all! My DH's old company had cut him back to 4 days a week with no possibility of overtime, so that is when he started looking for a new job. Luckily he found a new one pretty quickly and the new company (he works in the furniture industry), is much bigger so he is always busy (which is great when it comes to getting a paycheck, but not so nice when Olivia wants her daddy to come home).

Wow! Dylan is huge!!! Olivia's birthday is November 11th. I am seriously hoping for a major growth spurt before we go. She is quite the daredevil and wants to ride all the big rides and the height requirement for most of those (BTMRR, Test Track, Soarin) is 40 inches. I am hoping for about 4 inches in 4months...... Glad Dylan likes sports, I'm sure it doesn't hurt that he is around them all the time with Mommy and Daddy! Olivia is girly all the way. She is in ballet right now and next month she is starting tumbling as well. None of the gyms around us start gymnastics until they are 4, but I figure tumbing will give her an idea of it, and if she likes it.

I know you metioned that you guys are coming to WDW this winter, what are your dates?

 

[eecteacher82]

Yep, we're going to WDW in 1.5 weeks!!! This is a totally last minute trip, but I am super excited! I feel like it's been FOREVER since we have been to Disney!! The last "trip" we took was in June when we went to DTD for dinner and shopping after Sea World, and Olivia and I went to MK for the day with my Mom in May, and with my best friend and her daughter in April, but our last overnight trip was back in March!!! We are only going for 2 quick days, but it will get me by for a bit! This trip came to be last week when I got one of the best emails, it was from the MMC (Mickey Moms Club) and it was an invite to a private viewing party of Illuminations on August 22!!

As soon as I read the email, I knew we HAD to go, I just had to convince my DH... Well, it was much easier than I expected! I told him about the party and that there was food involved and he said "Let's go!", pretty darn quickly! Woo Hoo!

The rough plan is to leave here Sunday afternoon around 12:30 (I have to work at church that morning), and make it up to Orlando around 2:00-2:30ish. I still haven't decided where we are going to stay, probably offsite since we will only sleep there, and it's only for a night. **Anyone have any recomendations for inexpensive (but not trashy), close offsite hotels?**We will most likely check in to our hotel and head to MK for a few hours, since the MMC party doesn't start until 8:00. Olivia has been begging to ride "Pirates of the Beegin", Peter Pan and the Goofy roller coaster multiple times a day for weeks. Also, we have never taken the monorail from MK to Epcot!!! This is my favorite monorail ride, but we have somehow managed to miss doing it every trip as a family!! After the MMC party, it's back to the hotel for some shut eye, before heading back to the parks for a few hours Monday morning. I am thinking we will head to DHS, simply because AK is WAY too hot in the summer, but who knows what we will end up doing We won't stay up there too late since Toby has to be at work at 6:30 on Tuesday morning. Even though it will be a short trip, I am planning on having a blast!!


In other PTR related news, we made our countdown calendar! I had been debating on what to do, a countdown chain or the calendar. After much, hemming and hawing, I decided on the calendar. As of today (August 10), we have 117 days left, but our calendar starts on 108. Olivia and I took a trip to Home Depot to visit the paint department over the weekend. I was getting many strange looks from the workers as I was taking multiple color samples of the Disney paint chips (For those of you who don't know, Disney has it's own paint and the little sample colors are Mickey heads). We came home and in no time we had our countdown calendar. We have so many days left, it took over Olivia's bedroom door!! Here are some pics:

I love the way it came out!! Olivia loves that she has Mickey all over her door!

Other than making our countdown, not too much else is new with PTR stuff. How is everyone else doing?

 

[Mickey_Mom]

Oh my goodness I love that calendar! You'd think Home Depot people would know by now why their Mickey Heads were being taken!

We've opted to do a countdown chain for the first time and we're putting it together this weekend. Our 101 day mark is next Tuesday and that's when we'll start with weekly movie nights (our 100 day mark is Wednesday and I'll be watching Survivor on Wednesday nights so I opted for 101 days to start instead! )

I'm so jealous you live close enough to WDW that you can pop in for quick visits. One and a half weeks! A short but sweet visit for sure!

 

[Overexcited]

So Jealous! Have a great time!

 

[eecteacher82]

Oh my goodness I love that calendar! You'd think Home Depot people would know by now why their Mickey Heads were being taken!

We've opted to do a countdown chain for the first time and we're putting it together this weekend. Our 101 day mark is next Tuesday and that's when we'll start with weekly movie nights (our 100 day mark is Wednesday and I'll be watching Survivor on Wednesday nights so I opted for 101 days to start instead! )

I'm so jealous you live close enough to WDW that you can pop in for quick visits. One and a half weeks! A short but sweet visit for sure!

Thank you! I am really in love with it too! I think I am so excited is because this is the first one we have done, since I think Olivia is old enough now to understand what a countdown is. Plus, this was was free! I didn't have to use tons of my printer ink and paper!

Yeah, another Survivor fan! I have been addicted to that show since the first season! Did they change the night that it airs? I thought it was Thursdays? I could be nuts though!! I'm thinking we will do the movie nights starting around our 100 days as well, the problem might be narrowing down the movie choices to 10!

Living so close to Disney is about the only thing I like about living in Florida! I have to say, it is really nice to be able to pop up there for just a day or the weekend.

So Jealous! Have a great time!

I'm so excited! I can't wait to do a mini TR when we get home!

 

[moparop]

How sweet to have a quick visit planned!! It sounds just perfect to get you pumped for December! I love Olivia's new backpack and top! i am a huge fan of personalized stuff and that is just too cute!

That countdown calendar is excellent! I have a few ideas for mine and that is one of them. I really need to figure out which to go with and stat! I plan to hang it on day 99 to start our Disney countdown!

 

[Mickey_Mom]

Thank you! I am really in love with it too! I think I am so excited is because this is the first one we have done, since I think Olivia is old enough now to understand what a countdown is. Plus, this was was free! I didn't have to use tons of my printer ink and paper!

Oh you're right, I didn't even think of that! Bonus

Yeah, another Survivor fan! I have been addicted to that show since the first season! Did they change the night that it airs? I thought it was Thursdays? I could be nuts though!!

I'm addicted too! They moved it from Thursday to Wednesday this season. We figure it's because they were pre-empted too many times on Thursday's they got tired of it. It's "young" versus "old" tribes and if you're a football fan, you'll recognize one of the "old" contestants -- Jimmy Johnson! (Of Dallas Cowboys fame, not Nascar!)

 

[eecteacher82]

How sweet to have a quick visit planned!! It sounds just perfect to get you pumped for December! I love Olivia's new backpack and top! i am a huge fan of personalized stuff and that is just too cute!

That countdown calendar is excellent! I have a few ideas for mine and that is one of them. I really need to figure out which to go with and stat! I plan to hang it on day 99 to start our Disney countdown!

Yes! I am so excited for the mini trip! I have been dying to go for more than a day!!
I think I am addicted to the personalized stuff! It is really hard for me to not buy something new when it is on sale, I usually try to avoid the website.
I know what you mean about deciding on a countdown! It was so hard to pick, so in the end the calendar won simply because I had no ink left in my printer I'm exited to see what you end up doing!

Oh you're right, I didn't even think of that! Bonus

LOL, I am all about the money saving!

I'm addicted too! They moved it from Thursday to Wednesday this season. We figure it's because they were pre-empted too many times on Thursday's they got tired of it. It's "young" versus "old" tribes and if you're a football fan, you'll recognize one of the "old" contestants -- Jimmy Johnson! (Of Dallas Cowboys fame, not Nascar!)

Thanks for the info, I would have been looking for it on Thursday I think it should be quite interesting to see how the old vs. young works out... I had heard about Jimmy Johnson! Although I'm not his biggest fan (I'm a Packer, so anyone associated w/ the Cowboys, or any other team for that matter, is no good!! It should be very interesting season to say the least!

 

[Daddy_of_Princesses]

All caught up. I think I have over 20 ptr's on my subscription page.
I think it would be great to live within a short drive of Disney, although I wouldn't want the heat from Florida so I guess it has it's bad side.
Love Survivor, can't wait for the new season. We will have to chat on the Survivor thread when it gets created.

 

[eecteacher82]

All caught up. I think I have over 20 ptr's on my subscription page.
I think it would be great to live within a short drive of Disney, although I wouldn't want the heat from Florida so I guess it has it's bad side.
Love Survivor, can't wait for the new season. We will have to chat on the Survivor thread when it gets created.

Glad you joined in! I know exactly what you mean about an abundance of PTRs...I have about 20 as well!
You are so right about the miserable heat here! I am originally from Wisconsin, and would love to move back...I hate the summers here (and the winters as well, since we really dont have a winter-just a little bit less hot)!
Yeah, another Survivor fan! This season should be quite interesting with the old vs. young tribe spilt. I will definitely be on the Survivor board (didn't even realize there was one, so I am excited)!

 

[DevonsDisneyMom]

Totally loving your count down calender!!! We leave for a short trip to Disney tomorrow!!! Can't wait!

 

[eecteacher82]

I just wanted to throw this out there. If anyone out there is interested, I would love to have more followers/folllow more on twitter and have more Disney friends on Facebook!
On Twitter I'm eecteacher82 and here is my Facebook. (Let me know if the Facebook link doesn't work). Hoping to see some of you!

 

[DisneyFirefly]

I'm geekybaker on Twitter I'll add you in a sec

 

[Mickey_Mom]

I just wanted to throw this out there. If anyone out there is interested, I would love to have more followers/folllow more on twitter and have more Disney friends on Facebook!
On Twitter I'm eecteacher82 and here is my Facebook. (Let me know if the Facebook link doesn't work). Hoping to see some of you!

I don't Twitter (yet anyway ) but I just sent you a friend request on FB. I think I'll do that on mine too. I love getting new Disney friends!

 

[ashleykinkade]

I love the countdown calendar!!! It is too cute! And I also just sent you a friend request on FB

 

[Daddy_of_Princesses]

I sent you a friends request on Facebook. Here is a link to my FB page, feel free to send me a friends request if you like.
And hey, if you are into ZooWorld or FarmVille you can add me as a neighbor.

 

[moparop]

I sent you a friend request as well!

 

[Tnkrbelle565]

Do you still need a hotel reco? I was reading Duggette's trip report and she's decided to take a last minute trip too. She booked the Downtown Disney Hilton for $89/night. And that hotels participates in EMHs apparently!

 

[eecteacher82]

I'm geekybaker on Twitter I'll add you in a sec

I don't Twitter (yet anyway ) but I just sent you a friend request on FB. I think I'll do that on mine too. I love getting new Disney friends!

I love the countdown calendar!!! It is too cute! And I also just sent you a friend request on FB

I sent you a friends request on Facebook. Here is a link to my FB page, feel free to send me a friends request if you like.
And hey, if you are into ZooWorld or FarmVille you can add me as a neighbor.

I sent you a friend request as well!

Yeah! lots of new friends for FB and Twitter! I am sadly addicted to FB...it is just so easy to keep up with all of my friends and meet new Disney lovers too!

 

[eecteacher82]

Do you still need a hotel reco? I was reading Duggette's trip report and she's decided to take a last minute trip too. She booked the Downtown Disney Hilton for $89/night. And that hotels participates in EMHs apparently!

Oooh! Thank you! I do still need ideas, we haven't booked yet, I was waiting until the very last minute to see if I could get some good deals, but $89 for the Hilton is pretty darn good! Thanks again!