MAGICal Christmas 2008 - December 20, 2008

[xsjackson]

our Med cruise leaves from Rome and goes to the Greek Islands, Turkey, and Athens, Cairo. Our 16 yr old said no way did he want to go. But our 18 yr old is extremely excited. If he won't go -- more excursions for me. Leave him with one of my sisters. We trade off across the country all the time.

 

[psharrock]

I am curious... does the list in the first post have the correct ages for all the kids?

I know the list was started a long time ago, so did everyone post the ages of their kids for what they would be at cruise time or what they were at the time of the post?

Mine are the ages when the cruise ends

DS - Ben
DD - Katie, will be 9 on Xmas Day
DW - Rachel

Paul

 

[nzdisneymom]

Mine are the ages when the cruise ends

DS - Ben
DD - Katie, will be 9 on Xmas Day
DW - Rachel

Paul

How fun to have a Christmas birthday! I was just looking at the first page and there are quite a few birthday and anniversary celebrations among our group!

 

[ShannonR]

Good morning everyone!!

Actually, Cindy, having a birthday around Christmas is just the opposite-HORRIBLE. My birthday is on the 14th and I hated it being so close to Christmas because it's almost as if your birthday is all but forgotten with the Christmas rush. As an adult, it no longer matters to me, my birthday is just another day. But as a kid, I ALWAYS go the birthday/Christmas gift. NOT a birthday AND a Christmas gift but one single gift for two days. I thought it was SO unfair that just because I had a birthday close to Christmas, I should miss out on TWO separate occasions. I have a few friends whose birthdays are close to Christmas and they feel the same way and share the same childhood memories with me! So needless to say, when I had my kids and careful planning on our part, I made sure that they would NOT be born anywhere near Christmas (we were just lucky with our oops! baby who was born in May).
There, that is soapbox rant about December birthdays!

Today is a rest day for me! 15 y.o. DD has a friend over and they were up half the night watching movies, so I don't expect them up for a while. AAhh to be young again, right!

Shannon

 

[psharrock]

Good morning everyone!!

Actually, Cindy, having a birthday around Christmas is just the opposite-HORRIBLE. My birthday is on the 14th and I hated it being so close to Christmas because it's almost as if your birthday is all but forgotten with the Christmas rush. As an adult, it no longer matters to me, my birthday is just another day. But as a kid, I ALWAYS go the birthday/Christmas gift. NOT a birthday AND a Christmas gift but one single gift for two days. I thought it was SO unfair that just because I had a birthday close to Christmas, I should miss out on TWO separate occasions. I have a few friends whose birthdays are close to Christmas and they feel the same way and share the same childhood memories with me! So needless to say, when I had my kids and careful planning on our part, I made sure that they would NOT be born anywhere near Christmas (we were just lucky with our oops! baby who was born in May).
There, that is soapbox rant about December birthdays!

Today is a rest day for me! 15 y.o. DD has a friend over and they were up half the night watching movies, so I don't expect them up for a while. AAhh to be young again, right!

Shannon

We thought about this when we had Katie, and knew it would be a completly horrible to have joint presents.
We do not allow any relatives to do joint presents, and we do Xmas presents in the morning and her birthday presents late afternoon.

Paul

 

[ShannonR]

Good for you Paul!! and Thank God for Katie!! Unfortunately, none of my family and/or friends were that considerate. I think they saw it as an opportunity to only have to buy ONE present instead of two. And what's worse, my parents were the WORST culprits. Oh well, as I said, as an adult it no longer matters. Most years, I don't even remember it is my birthday until someone reminds me at some point during the day! Just keep remembering that her birthday and Christmas are TWO separate occasions and she will be a happy girl!

Shannon

 

[perdy1234]

I started shopping for my fosh extender gifts yesterday. Just curious as to how much people usually send on the gifts. I got some good ideas for this so I can't wait to put them together!

 

[DisneyZell]

Hello everyone, we have been pretty busy, so have not checked in for a while. We just got back from Germany, where we had to be up at 6:00 am to make our Palo reservations. Luckily it paid off and we were able to get dinner on Sun at 7:00 and brunch on 12/22 at 11:00. Our plans for pre-cruise are flying down on Wed, Dec. 17 and staying at the All-Star Sports Hotel. We are going to Mickey's Very Merry Christmas party on 12/18, but that is the only thing we have scheduled so far.

We are in the middle of football season with the boys right now. Connor is playing for a tiny mite team with 5, 6 & 7 year olds and Nick is playing for a junion pee wee team with 9, 10 & 11 year olds. They both love it and it is very fun to watch.

I still have not made my FE, but am hoping to get to it next weekend. I was hoping to have my new embroidery machine figured out by now, but that hasn't happened. I will just have to make do with my limited skills I already have. Hopefully it will turn out ok. I am looking at the different threads on what the favorite FE gift is, and am getting some great ideas. I just can't wait for the cruise!

Well, off to the grocery store. Have a great day everyone.

 

[minnie1]

Good morning everyone!!

Actually, Cindy, having a birthday around Christmas is just the opposite-HORRIBLE. My birthday is on the 14th and I hated it being so close to Christmas because it's almost as if your birthday is all but forgotten with the Christmas rush. As an adult, it no longer matters to me, my birthday is just another day. But as a kid, I ALWAYS go the birthday/Christmas gift. NOT a birthday AND a Christmas gift but one single gift for two days. I thought it was SO unfair that just because I had a birthday close to Christmas, I should miss out on TWO separate occasions. I have a few friends whose birthdays are close to Christmas and they feel the same way and share the same childhood memories with me! So needless to say, when I had my kids and careful planning on our part, I made sure that they would NOT be born anywhere near Christmas (we were just lucky with our oops! baby who was born in May).
There, that is soapbox rant about December birthdays!

Shannon

I totally understand what you are saying. My birthday is the 11th and I always got the birthday/christmas present.
However, my oops! baby, Madison showed up on Dec. 29th. We really try to make sure that her day is special. I also make sure to tell people that she deserves a special day just like her sister gets in July. For this year, we will be WDW after the cruise and so on her birthday I made her reservations at Bibbidi Bobbidi Boutique. She doesn't know but she will be so exicited to spend her special day there.

Anyway, today is rainy here . We have had this noreaster rain for about 3 days now. I guess it is supposed to be sunny tomorrow. Now I really want to go on vacation. I started a packing list. Mostly I have been studying , I don't know what I was thinking taking 6 college courses and still be a mom, but I will get through it and I have something to look forward to when the semester is over in December.

I get to make excursion reservations on the 6th. Only a few more days to go.

Everyone have a great week.

Angie

 

[Diana Lyn]

We thought about this when we had Katie, and knew it would be a completly horrible to have joint presents.
We do not allow any relatives to do joint presents, and we do Xmas presents in the morning and her birthday presents late afternoon.

Paul

That's EXACTLY how my parents did it.....and 35 years later, I still don't really mind having a Christmas birthday. At 3:39pm, Christmas is over and the birthday festivities begin! The worst part was being the last in the class to drive, the last to drink---heck, I only had one semester left of college before I could drink, err legally. But that was back in the day when the cutoff was Dec 31st.

 

[alikat99]

Hey everyone!! We're back from another weekend at WDW and I'm exhausted. I have only skimmed the last few pages, so I'll have to go back to read more in depth tomorrow when I'm more awake.

To those that have PMd me, I did get them, and I did get some paypal payments. While I was gone this weekend, I got an email from Ana at Dolphin Discovery, and she was going to let us pay 1/2 now, and 1/2 in 3 weeks, because she only has one platform left for the 3:30pm excursion. Well, I had originally asked for the 1pm one, because 3:30pm is TOO close for us, since the Magic is supposed to depart at 4:45pm. So, I have another email into Ana to find out if she still has availability for the 1pm. We might have to be split up into 2-3 groups, but I'll wait to hear from her. I'll keep you guys in the loop though!!!

 

[DisDancerina]

We thought about this when we had Katie, and knew it would be a completly horrible to have joint presents.
We do not allow any relatives to do joint presents, and we do Xmas presents in the morning and her birthday presents late afternoon.

Paul

That's what I do to. My birthday is on xmas too I'm turning 14! Yay! I get Christmas Presents in the morning. Then my aunt, uncle, cousin and grandpa come over and we do my birthday and my cousin's birthday because it's 4 days afterwards.

 

[nzdisneymom]

Amy - welcome back. We are going to WDW again in two weeks for the Race for the Taste. DH is going to do the Keys to the Kingdom tour with some friends while we're there - I've done it twice before - and highly recommend it for anyone who hasn't.

I wonder how far in advance that DCL will know the movie schedule for our cruise. There are several movies coming out in the next few weeks that the boys want to see that are Disney... I want to know if they'll be shown onboard because if they will, then I won't feel the need to take them when the movies come out. High School Musical 3 and Beverly Hills Chihuahua (sp?) are two on the top of their list.

 

[gardengirlco]

I wonder how far in advance that DCL will know the movie schedule for our cruise. There are several movies coming out in the next few weeks that the boys want to see that are Disney... I want to know if they'll be shown onboard because if they will, then I won't feel the need to take them when the movies come out. High School Musical 3 and Beverly Hills Chihuahua (sp?) are two on the top of their list.

I also wonder about that. I know there is a Disney movie coming out on Christmas Day. It's called Bedtime Stories and stars Adam Sandler. Then Bolt is coming out on Nov. 21, I think. My kids want to see BHC too. Not sure if we'll be able to hold them off until the cruise since that movie comes out this Friday. DS10 is too into checking the movie listings every week in the hopes of something to go see.

 

[gardengirlco]

Forgot to add my 2 cents' worth to the holiday birthday discussion. My sister's birthday is 12/13 and she said she always felt like Christmas overshadowed her birthday even though we always celebrated her birthday on the actual day and she always got presents for both. My nephew is the 12/29 and I always send him something for each occasion. I was born on Thanksgiving, but obviously my birthday doesn't land on the holiday every year, just every five or six. I mostly felt short-changed when it came to celebrating my birthday because my granfather's was three days before mine and my mom's was two days before mine, so we always celebrated all three birthdays on one day. Fine for the adults, but as the kid I wanted my own day.

 

[nzdisneymom]

I also wonder about that. I know there is a Disney movie coming out on Christmas Day. It's called Bedtime Stories and stars Adam Sandler. Then Bolt is coming out on Nov. 21, I think. My kids want to see BHC too. Not sure if we'll be able to hold them off until the cruise since that movie comes out this Friday. DS10 is too into checking the movie listings every week in the hopes of something to go see.

Oh yeah - I forgot about Bolt, and I just heard about Bedtime Stories - they start their sneak-peeks on Disney Channel soon. I bet they will premiere Bedtime Stories onboard - we'll have to stay up late and see it and hope Santa still comes even if we're not asleep

I called DCL and they said call back a week or so before we sail to get the movies list.

 

[dbxazd]

So just a quick note -
My mom has finished her round of radiation and will start her chemotherapy next week for her lung cancer. We met with the doc today and he says so far so good (by just looking at her and her bloodwork). She will have another scan at the end of October - but she's doing OK so far and willing to fight (which I believe is half the battle). So while we were meeting with the Doc. today, I asked about my out of the country cruise......and if he thinks I should cancel it and stick around.....and he seemed to think that she'd be OK (as OK as can be expected after having chemo every 3 weeks!) - plus he said he'll be gone that week too! One an Eastern Caribbean cruise on Carnival (I think). So that made me feel a little better - I just will probably hold off on any further cruises after this one!
Just wanted to give ya'll an update - thanks for all the thoughts and kind words!
Robin

 

[alikat99]

Attention fellow dolphin excursion go-ers!!!

I just got off the phone with Ana at Dolphin Discovery and she has us booked at 1pm (15 adults, 2 children & 5 "infants - 5 or under"). I paid her for 12 adults & 2 children (all the paypals that I've received) and MOQu, you had said that you'd send your CC info seperately. She has us down, but needs that info to complete the reservation. Let me know, and I can either give you her phone number, I can give her your phone number to call you directly, or you can give me the info and I can call her. Either way is fine with her (or me).

YIPPEE, this is gonna be fun!!!!!!

 

[tinkerbell_29]

Good news about the dolphin excursion Amy. I am so excited about this. I even bought a sweatshirt with dolphins on it yesterday because I was thinking about it. I'm jealous of all you weekend going WDW people. I want to go. Because of circumstance we won't be able to get back until next christmas. I need to move back to Florida.

Were headed back home in two more days and I'm more than ready. Getting my gandfather settled has been exhausting.

Lissa

 

[Az Pirates]

Hi all!
I'm still trying to get adjusted to back to school mode here. (hey, it's only been a month)
Schedules happened to work out so I get the priviledge of attending all 3 back to school nights by myself this year. One last week, two more to go this week. Whew!

Hello!
We are interested in Joining on the Fish Extenders exchange.
We have been reading the post and have decided to go to Michael's and Make a Fish extender project.
There are 3 Adults and 2 Children.
2 Cabins 5129 5127
We are planning on having 1 fish extender per cabin.
Kids Names and Ages
Sophia - 10
David - 13

Please let me kow if you need any other information.


Thanks

Ed, Michelle & Kids

Now that you're out of lurking mode, join in and post away!
How's your FE project coming along?

I think I'm going to go with a stocking. I told DH it was to keep in the spirit of the holidays; but truth be told, it's more about not dragging out the sewing machine/serger et al. I'm sure I'll find a perfectly acceptable stocking I can just buy.

I started shopping for my fosh extender gifts yesterday. Just curious as to how much people usually send on the gifts. I got some good ideas for this so I can't wait to put them together!

The last time we participated in a FE exchange there was a wide range of gifts. I'm sure some folks spent more than others. We actually joined up with some other Dis-ers and went in on a group gift.
Personally I think it's more about creativity than the amount spent though. Some of the inexpensive things were our favorites.



Lissa,
I'm sure it's a lot of work now, but hopefully being there and seeing that everything is settled to your satisfaction will give you more peace of mind when you get home.


Robin,
I hope your mom continues to fight this darn thing and that her treatment goes as smoothly as possible. It might actually turn out to be a good thing for you to take a little time away then.