Mickey's Very Merry Vacationers Land/Sea! We Are Home (TR LINK)

[pmama]

WOOHOOOO!!!! Good for you guys!

Thanks!

Wow! Paying off any Disney trip is something to celebrate We just paid our deposit for our January trip, but I am really anxious to be able to pay down some more and eventually get to 0!! Congrats!

Also, the school pics are adorable. Their outfits are so cute. I love how your little girl is on swim team! Does she like American Girl? I am about to order my DD Chrissa (girl of the year) and she is on swim team and you can buy a swimsuit and warm up gear.
Like the idea of the BBB. I think she would totally want it if her little sis had it. Maybe they can both get pirates next year? Looking forward to hearing more!

Cool, I'll have to check Chrissa out.

Hi!
I feel like I haven't been over here in forever!!! But I just caught up!

1st, congrats on paying off your trip!! WOOHOO!!! That's such a good feeling and makes things feel even more real, yay!!

Love all the pics! Can't believe how big the girls are getting! 3rd grade and kindergarten? WOW! They look so cute all ready for school, how are they liking it? I hope things are well and that you're adjusting well to your new schedule!!

AAAAAAAAAAhhhhh You're back Where's the TR? How was it? Can't wait to hear.

yay BBB!!!! When I worked at BBB, I had a princess the one time who said that she was going on the Mickey ship later that day and she has to look first class for her voyage...I couldn't help but laugh, she was cute and 4 Can't wait to see what FGITs your DDs get!!!

How special that you're worked at BBB. What a cute story. Since we'll be doing to cruise the next day I could tell the girls that too!

 

[lmillercrew]

I can't believe how close your trip is getting! I just saw your ticker and thought "WOW" not much longer.

 

[pmama]

I can't believe how close your trip is getting! I just saw your ticker and thought "WOW" not much longer.

I know time is flying ever since the school year started. Let me tell you, this will be a well deserved vacation. 6 weeks of full time teaching 5th graders is rewarding yet exhausting.

 

[pmama]

I just noticed how close my cruise ship is to the end! When I made that ticker it felt at first like that ship was not moving and had so far to go. We went to Target today and they had the Christmas stuff out! I couldn't believe it. They had a countdown up that said 89 days until Christmas. In a few hours we will be 75 days until the trip.

I went ahead and paid for the early bird check in for our returning flight with SW. I was disappointed to hear SW was doing this as they market themselves as having "no fees". It is $10 pp per flight. After some discussion DH and I decided it would be worth it for the returning flight. From reading here on the boards it seems that more people are using it for convenience on the return flight so they don't have to stop what they're doing to go to customer relations t-24 hours and register. We will be aboard the Wonder in Port Canaveral early in the morning at T-24 hours. It would be posible for us to register using DHs phone but decided we'd rather either be sleeping or enjoying our last few hours aboard the Disney Wonder.

We will still be registering our departure flights from home at t-24 hours. I'll let you all know how it goes.

 

[ladybugmom]

Happy Birthday to Ally! Wow, you're school allows students to start kindergarten while they are still 4? That is a really early cut off. Here in Colorado it keeps getting later and later. In fact, Faith barely made it to kindergarten this year. At our school you now have to be 5 buy June 1. She made it by 10 days.

Thank you!! Yes, the cutoff here is Sept. 30th. And I'm really glad it worked out the way it did. Ally is VERY tall for her age and very mature. With me being a former Kindergarten teacher, I taught her to read very early. She is currently reading at a 2.8 grade level!! If she had to wait another year to start, I think she would have been SUPER bored!! I'm already worried that she won't be challenged enough this year. BTW--one of my readers commented on my TR--she said that we looked like twins!!

 

[OneTreeHillAddict]

I want a ship ticker..... Soon, very soon!

 

[pmama]

BTW--one of my readers commented on my TR--she said that we looked like twins!!

I noticed that after I posted. Your reply was so sweet. I too take it as a huge compliment.

I want a ship ticker..... Soon, very soon!

Did you take advantage of the kids sail free? What a great deal that was. I was a litter bitter that our dates weren't included.

 

[pmama]

70 DAYS


​

Wow, working full time sure does make the time fly! Only 70 days. Tonight I can finally book my excursions. I'm a little worried. There is not a whole lot that I want but I'm not sure what will be left. Previous cruisers got to book at 90 days, some got to book at 105 days out. Also, by looking at the availbility for our cruise it looks like it is very popular. Definitely looks like it will be for the most part sold out. We want to do the glass bottom boat tour in Nassau and DH and I would like to dine at Palo. However, I think we've decided we don't really want to miss a dinner with the family for Palo so we'd prefer brunch. I know it will most likely be all booked. I guess we can try when we board. We've decided to wait for another time to do the dolphin encounter. DD5 is not that interested and we'd like to spend the day together as a family. We'll do it in a couple years when the girls are older.


Good News! I started working part time this week. What a diference that makes. I actually have energy at the end of the day. I get more time with DD5 who is half day kindergarten and my house is actually getting clean! I may have to rethink my original plan of going full time next year.

 

[pmama]

Feel like I'm talking to myself here lately. I can hear the crickets over here.

Just wanted to say how fun it was to finally be able to book an excursion last night. We booked the glass bottom boat tour for our day in Nassau. We want to spend most of the day on the ship but it will be nice to actually set foot in Nassau, take a tour of the island from our boat, and watch fish under the glass bottom.

I also booked Palo for the last night we are onboard. We may cancel those but I wanted to have something scheduled just in case. I found out they do not do brunch on 3 day cruises.

On Castaway Cay day we plan to rent the floats and maybe bicycles as we need them as it sounds like that is the best way to do it. With our trip just about 2 months away, I think I'll work on a countdown this weekend.

 

[TinkerbellLuvr7]

sooo lucky!!!

I was being curious the other night and was on my CM site and saw that if I cruised the 2nd weekend in Nov I could get a 7 night cruise for 600 bucks and it made me sick!!! If only I had the vacation time to take a cheap cruise like that with my CM discount..so sad!

I'm sure you'll love whatever you do on and off the ship. I will live through you since I have never been on a cruise before!!

 

[princess&her4princes]

Feel like I'm talking to myself here lately. I can hear the crickets over here.

Just wanted to say how fun it was to finally be able to book an excursion last night. We booked the glass bottom boat tour for our day in Nassau. We want to spend most of the day on the ship but it will be nice to actually set foot in Nassau, take a tour of the island from our boat, and watch fish under the glass bottom.

I also booked Palo for the last night we are onboard. We may cancel those but I wanted to have something scheduled just in case. I found out they do not do brunch on 3 day cruises.

On Castaway Cay day we plan to rent the floats and maybe bicycles as we need them as it sounds like that is the best way to do it. With our trip just about 2 months away, I think I'll work on a countdown this weekend.

I'm still here!!!

Your plans are coming together....your trip on the glass bottom boat sounds wonderful! The girls will love that!!!! And your plans for Castaway Cay sounds just perfect, as well!!

Sounds like things are slowing down a little more for you? I hope you and the girls are doing well! I can't believe how close your trip is now! Time will FLY BY now with school and holidays quickly approaching us!! Looking forward to your countdown!

 

[lmillercrew]

I'm still here! Glad you were able to get one of the exersions that you wanted! You guys will have so much fun!

 

[morgtroy]

Hi, I've followed on one of your past TR, the one with the broken arms. Just found this one. Tmkinney and I are SIL's, she had told me you were doing land/sea. We are getting really excited for our upcoming trip. Maybe we'll see ya at Ohana.
I can't wait to hear all about the cruise. We hope to do the disney cruise in 2011, so I want to hear all about it. The travel channel has had a show airing about Disney Cruise lines. We all watched it and got so excited. My DD and I did a Royal Caribbean cruise this past July and just loved it. I know the disney cruise will be even better.
We did Disney last Dec. I can't wait to see it again, just gorgeous. As far as the Candlelight processional goes. I loved it, just so spiritual, true Christmas mood/story. My kids liked it, but most kids will probably loose interest. IMO. My DS was ready to go the last 10 minutes. But we went to the last showing and arrived 15 minutes before showtime and sat in the very back. So it does fill up fast. But there were lots of people standing behind us watching the show. So if you don't get in to sit, you can always watch some of it them move on thru world showcase. Make sure you take the girls to see Santa at DD. I love those photopass pics. Osborne Lights and the castle lights were the highlight of the trip. See my TR link below for pics from the Dec trip. The DD Santa is in them.

 

[pmama]

I'm still here! Glad you were able to get one of the exersions that you wanted! You guys will have so much fun!

You are the best!

Hi, I've followed on one of your past TR, the one with the broken arms. Just found this one. Tmkinney and I are SIL's, she had told me you were doing land/sea. We are getting really excited for our upcoming trip. Maybe we'll see ya at Ohana.
I can't wait to hear all about the cruise. We hope to do the disney cruise in 2011, so I want to hear all about it. The travel channel has had a show airing about Disney Cruise lines. We all watched it and got so excited. My DD and I did a Royal Caribbean cruise this past July and just loved it. I know the disney cruise will be even better.
We did Disney last Dec. I can't wait to see it again, just gorgeous. As far as the Candlelight processional goes. I loved it, just so spiritual, true Christmas mood/story. My kids liked it, but most kids will probably loose interest. IMO. My DS was ready to go the last 10 minutes. But we went to the last showing and arrived 15 minutes before showtime and sat in the very back. So it does fill up fast. But there were lots of people standing behind us watching the show. So if you don't get in to sit, you can always watch some of it them move on thru world showcase. Make sure you take the girls to see Santa at DD. I love those photopass pics. Osborne Lights and the castle lights were the highlight of the trip. See my TR link below for pics from the Dec trip. The DD Santa is in them.

I actually think I read through your TR not to long when I was searching for Christmas TRs. I'll have to check it out again. I love reading Christmas TRs. So nice of you to invite tmkinney along. Thanks for subbing and look forward to running into you in just about 2 months!

 

[OneTreeHillAddict]

I'm still with ya girl! We're remodeling the house so it's a little crazy over here. If we do get to go in December I am going to have to shorten the trip. Some off the beginning and some off of the end. It would leave us with one day being there at the same time as you. I'd still like to meet you guys if only for a few minutes. I was hoping you were at the same resort.

We haven't booked a cruise btw, we hope to in the next couple of years. I am hoping to get a real inside look from your trip report! I know you'll tell it like it is. Can't wait.

 

[pmama]

Okay, todays been a long, weird and very good day. It is almost midnight and I just returned home from working at school about 30 minutes ago. Good news is I don't have to work tomorrow. I have trouble getting things done when the girls are in my classroom so I find really weird hours to go when nobody else is around and I get a lot done during those times. The fact that I drank a latte and my alarm didn't go off this morning may have contributed to the fact that I am not zonked out in bed right now.

Let me share my morning. My alarm did not go off. I woke up at 7:20 which is 2 hours later than normal and DD8 was supposed to be picked up at 7:30. So, I ran, woke her up and quickly tested her on her spelling word once more while she got dressed. We quickly did her hair and teeth and I shoved a banana in her hand. Then we stood on our steps and proceeded to watch the carpool van zoom by us without stopping.

Okay, change of plans, I will be driving. We run out to the van, put DD5 in with her pjs (she has afternoon K) and realize the van battery is dead. At this point all you can do is laugh.

My inlaws saved the day. DD8 was still 30 minutes late to school but at least we got extra time to study spelling words. It may have been a blessing in disguise because I may not have realized the van was not working until it was time for me to go to work.


The family was in a goofy mood this evening and I captured some very goofy pictures.

You'll notice DD5 has dressed herself up. Anytime people come by the house they think they have caught her playing dress up. However, knock on our door anytime and 90% of the time she will be dressed up. Usually in my high heels and a lot of times in a completely frilly dress. DD8 was actually being a good listener and had changed into pjs, before she was in her ballet outfit since she had dance tonight.


We found two beautiful dresses that I couldn't resist buying the girls for semi-formal night on the cruise. I know I've read that people don't dress up too much on 3-nights but I thought these were just too pretty. Now, to find semi-matching outfits for DH and I.

DD5's

DD8's

And finally, I just uploaded pictures from the Outdoor Ed trip I took with my 5th graders. I love Colorado.

We also drove up trail ridge.Trail Ridge Road/Beaver Meadow Road is America's highest continuously paved road. Overlooks present peaks ranging from 12,000 to over 14,000 feet. Eleven miles of the route roam above tree line in the alpine tundra. Travelers may encounter forms of life and climatic conditions also found at the Arctic Circle.

 

[morgtroy]

That was a bad morning. I agree after a few things you do just have to laugh. I try to look at things like that as God is protecting me from something, slowing me down. Those dresses are beautiful! Gotta get a family pic with those, would be great pic for Christmas cards.
Blown away by the landscape pics of the field trip. OMG. Love it. Hubby and I always said we were going to make a trip there, haven't got to yet. Someday.

 

[TinkerbellLuvr7]

oh man what a morning!!!

Those are nice dresses

I love your CO pics. I miss CO very much. I've been there 5 times and we always stay at Vail for a week in the summer but haven't been in 4 years or so!!

 

[lmillercrew]

Your morning sounds like a nightmare and sounds like something that would happen to me.
Those are gorgeous pictures of the mountains!
Those dresses are beautiful too! The girls are going to look so pretty!!!

 

[princess&her4princes]

Hey there!

Love the family pics, too funny!!! The girls look like they have fun with Daddy!!!

What a MORNING?! Man, when it rains it pours, but i'm with PP, I always think it's gods way of telling you to slow down too to protect you from something.....so good you rolled with it!!

The girls dresses are gorgeous! I can't wait to see those famiy pics, they will be beautiful!

And thanks for sharing your CO pics, never been, hope to, but not sure we'll ever make it out that way....it's amazing scenery! I had no idea...so different looking than the East Coast for sure!

Hope you're doing well otherwise and lay off the lattes before bed girlie...you need your rest!! LOL!!