November/December 2012?

[frangipanisam]

Dabecs have you seen moon foam? Maybe that would be a good alternative? I think I saw it in the reject shop recently & moose brand have a version, it's like little sticky styrofoam bubbles that kids can mould into shapes preschool kids go nuts for it & less messy then play dough

 

[dabecs]

Dabecs have you seen moon foam? Maybe that would be a good alternative? I think I saw it in the reject shop recently & moose brand have a version, it's like little sticky styrofoam bubbles that kids can mould into shapes preschool kids go nuts for it & less messy then play dough

I'll definitely look into it! Thanks Sam

 

[shushh]

Dabecs, how are your preparations going? Only just over 2 weeks to go!

 

[dabecs]

Dabecs, how are your preparations going? Only just over 2 weeks to go!

Going well (I think) I'm at the stage where I feel totally organised one minute and the next I'm panicking - so right on schedule!

I have lists on top of my lists and with the normal school, preschool, after school sports routine on top and Alexis starting school transition sessions it's all feeling a little crazy And it's hubby's B'day on Sat too!

I think it is all falling into place now - some more shopping (medicine and I would like a new travel handbag) and lots of cleaning and I'll be close to ready

How is the planning for your trip going?

 

[shushh]

Going well (I think) I'm at the stage where I feel totally organised one minute and the next I'm panicking - so right on schedule!

I have lists on top of my lists and with the normal school, preschool, after school sports routine on top and Alexis starting school transition sessions it's all feeling a little crazy And it's hubby's B'day on Sat too!

I think it is all falling into place now - some more shopping (medicine and I would like a new travel handbag) and lots of cleaning and I'll be close to ready

How is the planning for your trip going?

Its sounding good! This time of year is just so crazy isn't it? A very happy to your hubby! Do you have anything exciting planned?

As for us, the major things have been organised ie transport from A to B and accomodation, as well as shore excursions. I've just got to research all the various passes that are available for each city to work out which ones suit us best. Its stressful as the time has come for us to finalise all the little details with regards to building our new home and it all has to be done before we leave! Say the landscaper on Monday, the lighting person yesterday and will be meeting up with the architect tomorrow, and then onsite meetings with the builder every week.

Then there's dental appointments, end of year concerts for EVERYTHING, the kids are moving schools so orientation days, getting new school uniforms, books, birthdays left right and centre, christmas parties left right and centre...ARGHHH!!!!

Do I sound stressed?!?!

 

[dabecs]

Its sounding good! This time of year is just so crazy isn't it? A very happy to your hubby! Do you have anything exciting planned?

As for us, the major things have been organised ie transport from A to B and accomodation, as well as shore excursions. I've just got to research all the various passes that are available for each city to work out which ones suit us best. Its stressful as the time has come for us to finalise all the little details with regards to building our new home and it all has to be done before we leave! Say the landscaper on Monday, the lighting person yesterday and will be meeting up with the architect tomorrow, and then onsite meetings with the builder every week.

Then there's dental appointments, end of year concerts for EVERYTHING, the kids are moving schools so orientation days, getting new school uniforms, books, birthdays left right and centre, christmas parties left right and centre...ARGHHH!!!!

Do I sound stressed?!?!

The good thing about having a deadline for the house decisions is you can't keep changing your mind And once the decision is made you can go on holiday and forget about it for a while!

Christmas craziness is starting earlier every year - and every activity seems to have an end of year party/concert now!

I am finding the little details the hardest, just trying to make sure I have everything organised. I keep thinking about things I need to research just when I am going to sleep. Things like "do I need to prebook lunch with an astronaut" and do we even want to do it? Should we do a "monuments by moonlight tour in Washington" and if we do will the girls be able to stay awake till 10 at night? And then the while we are away ones like "when are dancing fees for term 4 due" it just keeps going!

I don't know what I would do without the internet, and I know once over there I can still look things up, book things online and still do banking and bill paying (blerghh) but I would like to have as much done as possible so I can enjoy the holiday.

Quite the long rambling reply!

 

[Ms. Shuttergirl]

Its sounding good! This time of year is just so crazy isn't it? A very happy to your hubby! Do you have anything exciting planned?

As for us, the major things have been organised ie transport from A to B and accomodation, as well as shore excursions. I've just got to research all the various passes that are available for each city to work out which ones suit us best. Its stressful as the time has come for us to finalise all the little details with regards to building our new home and it all has to be done before we leave! Say the landscaper on Monday, the lighting person yesterday and will be meeting up with the architect tomorrow, and then onsite meetings with the builder every week.

Then there's dental appointments, end of year concerts for EVERYTHING, the kids are moving schools so orientation days, getting new school uniforms, books, birthdays left right and centre, christmas parties left right and centre...ARGHHH!!!!

Do I sound stressed?!?!

Yes you do sound stressed but that is to be expected. You have soooo much going on at the moment. I think it was great that you handed some of the shore excursion planning over to DH, that would have helped a little. The house stuff is of course very full on and I know you want to make sure to get all of the decisions right so that should be your main focus. The trip stuff will fall into place and if need be you can do more as you go once you leave.

It will be fine .

The good thing about having a deadline for the house decisions is you can't keep changing your mind And once the decision is made you can go on holiday and forget about it for a while!

Christmas craziness is starting earlier every year - and every activity seems to have an end of year party/concert now!

I am finding the little details the hardest, just trying to make sure I have everything organised. I keep thinking about things I need to research just when I am going to sleep. Things like "do I need to prebook lunch with an astronaut" and do we even want to do it? Should we do a "monuments by moonlight tour in Washington" and if we do will the girls be able to stay awake till 10 at night? And then the while we are away ones like "when are dancing fees for term 4 due" it just keeps going!

I don't know what I would do without the internet, and I know once over there I can still look things up, book things online and still do banking and bill paying (blerghh) but I would like to have as much done as possible so I can enjoy the holiday.

Quite the long rambling reply!

I'm the same about that damn monuments by moonlight thing . Actually yesterday I had to make some hard decisions about Washington and now that it's done I feel like I can move on. We are now doing a walking tour at 5.30pm so will see the monuments at night but not like I was originally thinking we would. We will of course freeze our butts off though .

We have also decided to do the hop on hop off old trolley tour which I was in 2 minds about but I think we will see more of the city that way although I know it's all fairly compact and we could just cab it. I like the idea of the live commentary and doing full loops. And I really want to go to Arlington Cemetery.

Washington is proving to be hard to organise in my head for some reason.

Oh and our damn airline from Buffalo to Boston has just cancelled our flight again Grrrrrrrr . I'm getting so annoyed. I don't know what we are going to do now. It's looking like we will have to use another airline and pay more but frankly I just don't care. I want flights booked that aren't going to be changed.


Ugh, that's my vent for the day

 

[dabecs]

I'm having the same issues with Washington, just can't get my head around it. And I think going in fall/winter makes it tricky - I don't want to book a tour and the weather is bad and some activities don't run at this time of year..

I was planning on catching the Metro around town but they don't have kid's fares so now I'm not sure. And the food options I've found haven't excited my like NYC.

I need to read a trip report from someone who has gone a similar time of year

Bummer about the flight, uncertainty is not a planners friend!

 

[Ms. Shuttergirl]

Here's the link to my Washington Places to eat - they are mainly geared near out hotel, Georgetown and the mall but perhaps something will help:- https://maps.google.com.au/maps/ms?msid=205856736258165738418.0004ca5764224533aae64&msa=0

I had originally thought about the metro but when I started asking questions on Trip Advisor they said for a family of 4, it's just as easy and cheap to jump in a cab as to buy 4 metro tickets.

There is the Circulator Bus which is $1 per ride that you might be able to try.

Shushh was there in December and did a trip report. I think it's in her siggie.

 

[dabecs]

Here's the link to my Washington Places to eat - they are mainly geared near out hotel, Georgetown and the mall but perhaps something will help:- https://maps.google.com.au/maps/ms?msid=205856736258165738418.0004ca5764224533aae64&msa=0

I had originally thought about the metro but when I started asking questions on Trip Advisor they said for a family of 4, it's just as easy and cheap to jump in a cab as to buy 4 metro tickets.

There is the Circulator Bus which is $1 per ride that you might be able to try.

Shushh was there in December and did a trip report. I think it's in her siggie.

I have read Shushh's trip report (more than once!) but somehow I forgot she went to DC, I will read it again tonight when I'm on the computer.

Thanks for sharing your map, I will have a look at that once I'm on the comp - I'm sure your choices will be good! I think lunch is likely to be at whatever museum we are at and I would like to self cater more in DC (I love perusing foreign supermarkets) but I still need a few dinner options.

I know what you mean about public transport vs cabs - not a huge difference! I haven't heard of the circular bus though so will research that

 

[Ms. Shuttergirl]

Here's a link to the bus:- http://www.dccirculator.com/

 

[dabecs]

Here's a link to the bus:- http://www.dccirculator.com/

Unfortunately the routes don't really go where we would need them.

We are staying near Dupont Circle and will be heading to the Mall most days so the metro would be the easiest, I have tried using the fare calculator and it suggests about $2/3 per person each way which isn't too bad. Once we get to the museums they have free entry so we still come out ahead!

 

[Ms. Shuttergirl]

You'll have to let me know how you go with the metro dabecs. I had been thinking metro but then when it was suggested taxis might be on ly $1 or $2 more I thought we'd probably do that. And this sounds about right if you consider $2-3 per person each ride.

What hotel are you staying in again? If you are near Dupont Circle it's probably only a 15-20 minute walk to the mall anyway if my estimates are correct - which they could well not be

 

[shushh]

Remember with cabs in DC, there is a surcharge for each additional passenger of $1 (I think) after the first. Children under the age of 6 are free. Dabecs this will apply to you because often they will look at your children and just estimate!

We didn't know about this surcharge but wondered why our fares from the same place to our hotel always differs so much. Its becuase some cab drivers charged for the children and some didn't! So be sure to tell them that your child is 5.

As for the circulator bus, we didn't find them very easy to find/obvious? We only went on one once because we happen to be at Union Station. We mostly walked in the mornings and then caught metro or cab home at the end of the day when we were tired.

 

[Ms. Shuttergirl]

Thanks for that information Shushh, that may change things some for us.

I like the idea of walking in the morning and cabbing/metroing in the arvo. The metro stations are 10 minutes from our hotel so I just think it's easier to just walk the extra 10 on top to get there.

 

[shushh]

Today is just a bleughhh day. Hubby was at a course the whole day. The youngest had high temps and I took the opportunity for some snooze time myself! So there goes the plan to finish my itinerary for Bologna and Florence...

Anyway, finally here's a photo of our new home being built. A promise made long ago to Ms Shuttergirl.

Lots of space being wasted in the front as driveway The house you can see to the right of the picture is my brother's house

 

[kyl]

Hey there....I have been a bit slack on the dis board of late but had to share that we leave in six sleeps!!!!this time next week we will be on the Disney dream. So excited. Going to do a week at bay lake tower. Two nights animation resort and five nights SSR!!! Doing mickeys Christmas yay: can't believe it's nearly here!

 

[Ms. Shuttergirl]

Today is just a bleughhh day. Hubby was at a course the whole day. The youngest had high temps and I took the opportunity for some snooze time myself! So there goes the plan to finish my itinerary for Bologna and Florence...

Anyway, finally here's a photo of our new home being built. A promise made long ago to Ms Shuttergirl.

Lots of space being wasted in the front as driveway The house you can see to the right of the picture is my brother's house

The photo looks great my luv but I need to make sure you are documenting "photographically", if only for yourself, every single aspect of the build. Every angle, every new stage, make sure you capture it all. Looking great so far, and since I've seen the plans, I know how spectacular this house will be. It really will be like a "family compound" which I think is truly sweet.

Good on you for taking a nap, sleep is more important than all of the other things on your to do list. Without it, you aren't any good to anyone. I hope little man is feeling better.

Hey there....I have been a bit slack on the dis board of late but had to share that we leave in six sleeps!!!!this time next week we will be on the Disney dream. So excited. Going to do a week at bay lake tower. Two nights animation resort and five nights SSR!!! Doing mickeys Christmas yay: can't believe it's nearly here!

Wow, that is soooooo close. Sounds like an amazing trip you have planned. Hopefully you can check in every now and again and let us know how it's going.

 

[Ms. Shuttergirl]

As we were driving to the shops today to do some important "trip" shopping my husband worked out we only have 49 sleeps and that seriously blew me away. It seems sooooooo close. Wow.

Today we bought special travel towels as recommended by Andona to take with us to dry hand washing between. That is a whole story in itself with us buying some of the large size for $40 each and then while I was paying my DH found the same towels in the store in a different colour, pink, for $9.98 each on sale. So I grabbed two of the X large size that were on sale for $14.98 (full price was $60) and took them to the counter and asked to return the 2 we had just bought (we hadn't even left the store) and purchase the on sale items. DH was miffed that they hadn't mentioned the on sale items because I mentioned to the sales assistant that we only wanted them for drying clothing between on our trip. Needless to say they wouldn't give me a refund, only a store credit which made DH's blood boil since we hadn't even left the store but I just wanted to move on and get out of there.

We also got a backpack for DH as I haven't been happy with what we've used on previous trips. I was also looking for a carry on option for DH but wasn't happy with anything we saw so I think I will get something to match the other 2 bags I've purchased. We shall see.

 

[shushh]

Ms Shuttergirl, love the 'important trip' shopping! Boo to the salespeople, that's really poor service. Are you likely to buy anything else in that particular shop!