May 10, 2008 Ship of Thieves! Stealing the Magic..AGAIN!!! Panama Canal FL to CA!!! Part 7

[fourmcds]

DVCers....We got our "official" extend your ownership packet yesterday (for OKW). If we do it before Feb 08 (same time cruise final payment is due ) it will only be 15.00 pp rather than 25.00 pp. Was trying to read on the DVC board to see what people thought and it was so heated and intense over there, I stopped reading. I think Scott and I have chosen to extend for the simple fact that we hope the girls will use the points with their kids in the very distant future.

 

[lillygator]

Very well said John. Scott and I always tell eachother how we must remember X or Y so that we won't repeat the same things when our girls are older! As the saying goes, you can choose your friends but not your family!

I am so very careful what I actually say in front of the girls...it's funny. I picked them up and said we are meeting daddy's parents at Olive Garden for dinner....(they have three almost four sets really!) and Samantha pipes up....that was the old lady holding me in my movie last night (we watched home movies)..I said well, yes but old lady is not so nice, we like to say Grandma, she said, I like her, can I sit by her, she never comes to see me, can I sit by Papa too.....


so she isn't dumb!

 

[Jhalkias]

Very well said John. Scott and I always tell eachother how we must remember X or Y so that we won't repeat the same things when our girls are older! As the saying goes, you can choose your friends but not your family!

Oh how I often sit and wonder about that . . . my mom used to say, "I will not tell you how to raise your children, other than providing them with good shoes for their feet, clean clothes, and feeding them well".

Will I be able to "butt out" - and not try to tell my children how to run their lives? Is this a disease we catch as we get older? How many times do Amy and I catch ourselves saying things we HATED when our parents said them and start laughing? I guess there is hope, because we do recognize it, we do laugh - and we do that right in front of the kids.

 

[tink1963]

Great photos. What type of camera did you use?

 

[fourmcds]

I am so very careful what I actually say in front of the girls...it's funny. I picked them up and said we are meeting daddy's parents at Olive Garden for dinner....(they have three almost four sets really!) and Samantha pipes up....that was the old lady holding me in my movie last night (we watched home movies)..I said well, yes but old lady is not so nice, we like to say Grandma, she said, I like her, can I sit by her, she never comes to see me, can I sit by Papa too.....


so she isn't dumb!

I watch what I say in front of my girls as well! And yes, the kids probably know more than we think...but, at least in the case of my girls, they are very "PC" about it and only say nice things when the IL's are around.

 

[lillygator]

Here's one from our Xmas 2005 cruise

yes that's her first AG Doll, Molly Doll, she liked Minnie Mouse too, can you tell?

that is a FANTASTIC pic...and looks a lot like me at that age!!
Funny thing, my Grandma (who I lived with at the time) had a daycare and there was a girl my same age there, Melissa.....she had hair this color (in your pic) mine was a bit lighter, both were long but she had RINGLETS.....much to my Grandma's and her parents horror....I cut several ringlets off one day....(this was before K)......she is now a teacher in Tampa (FL) and we still keep in touch. We often talk of our many mishaps!

 

[HollyTyler]

How was the wedding Holly? How was the driving? Glad you made it home safely.

The wedding was pretty. It was just a bit sad because Tyler was the only kid not in the wedding. He sort of stood on the side when the wedding party had pics taken. I felt horrible because he asked me why he couldn't be in the pictures too. I just didn't know what to tell him. I honestly had no idea all the kids but him would be in the wedding or I surely would have let him know in advance.

Too tired to say more right now. The drive was great! Tyler didn't sleep and told me he LOVED the long drive. Crazy kid!

 

[HollyTyler]

Here's one from our Xmas 2005 cruise

yes that's her first AG Doll, Molly Doll, she liked Minnie Mouse too, can you tell?

Very cute!

 

[Jhalkias]

DVCers....We got our "official" extend your ownership packet yesterday (for OKW). If we do it before Feb 08 (same time cruise final payment is due ) it will only be 15.00 pp rather than 25.00 pp. Was trying to read on the DVC board to see what people thought and it was so heated and intense over there, I stopped reading. I think Scott and I have chosen to extend for the simple fact that we hope the girls will use the points with their kids in the very distant future.

Since we don't own OKW, we are not a part of this . . . YET. I think I would do the same thing though. When two of ours expire, I will be in my 80's - I HOPE I am still going to WDW then!

As to the heated debate, they are probably the same people who argue about the refillable soda mugs.

 

[fourmcds]

Thanks for sharing the pics Monica! looks like it was fun. I love figment but have never gotten to "meet" him. A few trips to WDW ago, our friends' son (who is a TERROR ) ran up to Figment (we thankfully were not around) and bit him! Lucky for Figment his outfit was rather thick. Let's just say thank goodness for Disney buses since he was taken out of the park immediately to spend the rest of the day at OKW in the condo while we enjoyed a nice day at Epcot.

 

[lillygator]

Oh how I often sit and wonder about that . . . my mom used to say, "I will not tell you how to raise your children, other than providing them with good shoes for their feet, clean clothes, and feeding them well".

Will I be able to "butt out" - and not try to tell my children how to run their lives? Is this a disease we catch as we get older? How many times do Amy and I catch ourselves saying things we HATED when our parents said them and start laughing? I guess there is hope, because we do recognize it, we do laugh - and we do that right in front of the kids.

Knowing you both, I do not think for one second you will tell your kids how to run their lives. You and Amy both are such a support team..sure we all say things and do things that are parents did that we may not want to...I can say that as much strife as I have with my mom....she never tells me how to raise or things that my Grandma and MIl do. Like tonight, watch the straw - it could hit her eye...etc.

You guys are such role models..as are Dennis and Angie, Kim and Steve....(and all my other geeks)....this parenting thing is foreign...it's new, I have no clue what I am doing BUT I am doing my best, what I feel right and loving our girls....AND much to my mom's horror, trying to teach them that presents do not make a holiday or birthday more enjoyable.

 

[fourmcds]

Since we don't own OKW, we are not a part of this . . . YET. I think I would do the same thing though. When two of ours expire, I will be in my 80's - I HOPE I am still going to WDW then!

As to the heated debate, they are probably the same people who argue about the refillable soda mugs.[/QUOTE]

OH there's a fun subject

 

[HollyTyler]

Thanks for sharing the pics Monica! looks like it was fun. I love figment but have never gotten to "meet" him. A few trips to WDW ago, our friends' son (who is a TERROR ) ran up to Figment (we thankfully were not around) and bit him! Lucky for Figment his outfit was rather thick. Let's just say thank goodness for Disney buses since he was taken out of the park immediately to spend the rest of the day at OKW in the condo while we enjoyed a nice day at Epcot.

I'm sorry....Somehow I feel I shouldn't be laughing at this, but really can't help myself!

 

[lillygator]

Since we don't own OKW, we are not a part of this . . . YET. I think I would do the same thing though. When two of ours expire, I will be in my 80's - I HOPE I am still going to WDW then!

As to the heated debate, they are probably the same people who argue about the refillable soda mugs.

you guys don't own at OKW? What's your home resort?

 

[Jhalkias]

I am so very careful what I actually say in front of the girls...it's funny. I picked them up and said we are meeting daddy's parents at Olive Garden for dinner....(they have three almost four sets really!) and Samantha pipes up....that was the old lady holding me in my movie last night (we watched home movies)..I said well, yes but old lady is not so nice, we like to say Grandma, she said, I like her, can I sit by her, she never comes to see me, can I sit by Papa too.....


so she isn't dumb!

Kids really pick up on it all - whether consciously or not. Our son Alex over the years has grown distant from Amy's mom and her one sister. This happened over time as they decided to "pick" at him more than accept him. That started a vicious cycle where the more they picked, the more distant he became, and the more they picked . . . etc. Always being critical, and when I think they would honestly praise him it sounded hollow.

I kept trying to stop it. They had no idea what other kids were like - Alex was a top student, always respectful to others, excelled in debate at school, decided he wanted to go to Med school at a young age and is now there. I honestly think because neither of them had a growing boy around them (Amy had no brothers) that understanding a teenage boy was beyond them. They now just think he is rude to them when in truth he just has become so alienated by their lack of acceptance.

I said I would not write the pages, but there it comes, spilling out . . .

 

[HollyTyler]

Monica: LOVED your pics! Very cool!

 

[nskjerven]

a refillable Rum and Coke thread would be more up my arguement speed....

 

[Jhalkias]

you guys don't own at OKW? What's your home resort?

First purchase was Vero Beach (220 pts)

Then we bought Beach Club (220 pts)

So each kid could get one . . .

Finally bought some points at Saratoga Springs (120 pts)

Not sure why on that one, other than we just wanted more points so that we could vacation more, and share it with family and friends.

Now we are waiting to see what happens with the Contemporary Resort . . .

 

[HollyTyler]

OK....Can't stay awake any longer. And one of my friends thinks NOW would be a good time to come visit? Um......NO WAY!

Tomorrow after work will share our fun times. Tyler's high point: possibly getting a ride in my brother's Dodge ACR Viper. Although at his age, he doesn't understand the excitement of riding in a $90K car, but he was thrilled at the sound of the engine. My high point: feeding the lorikeets at the Newport Aquarium and feeling their little feet walk up and down my arm. I had one on my shoulder and 2 on my arms. One would turn and chirp at me after everything I said and another would bob its head up and down every time I spoke. VERY fun!

More details tomorrow! Goodnight!

 

[lillygator]

First purchase was Vero Beach (220 pts)

Then we bought Beach Club (220 pts)

So each kid could get one . . .

Finally bought some points at Saratoga Springs (120 pts)

Not sure why on that one, other than we just wanted more points so that we could vacation more, and share it with family and friends.

Now we are waiting to see what happens with the Contemporary Resort . . .

GREAT PARENTS!!! not to mention GREAT FRIENDS!
No AKLV? I thought you wanted to be on that blanket!!

Have you guys ever stayed at the Contemporary?