Now Approaching... Sleepingbooty's Sept. PTR (We're BAAACK! 9/26)

[YukiPhnx]

I forgot until you mentioned it, but one of my cousins actually did bring some sparklers down for the kids, but they didn't do that until later in the week. It had been years since we'd done sparklers - or any kind of 'at home' fireworks, for that matter!

I love those things! Especially trying to "spell" out words in light and seeing if the camera can catch them. I haven't been successful yet, though

 

[All7OfUs]

Your lake time looks identical to what I imagine ours will be later this month. Except ours will be on a houseboat, and you all look like you get a long better.

Same thing. ACE owns our lake too, but my grandfather had leased the rights to the Marina, and it rakes in a fair amount of cash.

Anyway,

Jenna looks fabulous with her braces off! My Bek needs them SO badly!

My excuse for bad fireworks photos this last New Years was that my hands were shaking from the cold. Worked for me.

 

[Sleepingbooty]

I love those things! Especially trying to "spell" out words in light and seeing if the camera can catch them. I haven't been successful yet, though

Oh, I remember doing that as a kid! The ones my cousin brought down were the cheap 5 for $1 type that don't burn as long. Probably wouldn't have had time to get a whole word out!

Your lake time looks identical to what I imagine ours will be later this month. Except ours will be on a houseboat, and you all look like you get a long better.

I really want to do the houseboat thing some time

Same thing. ACE owns our lake too, but my grandfather had leased the rights to the Marina, and it rakes in a fair amount of cash.

Wow, sounds like a good racket!

Jenna looks fabulous with her braces off! My Bek needs them SO badly!

Thank you! I imagine you don't have much access to orthodontists in Blankistan!

 

[Sleepingbooty]

Hey, did you guys all see this - it was posted on Allearsnet this morning:

"Le Cellier (Canada/Epcot) to require 2 Dining Credits (Disney Dining Plan) for dinner only - beginning March 1, 2011. Lunch remains at 1 Dining Credit."

Glad we have ressies to eat there this September. At 2 credits, I'd skip it.

 

[Charlefours]

Thank you! We've only been out since June 4th. The other schools in our area don't go back until mid-August. I remember as a kid going back after Labor Day - do they still do that anywhere besides California?

Michigan actually does not go back until after Labor Day. It is a state law, so even the private and charter school compile with it.

what a great vacation each year to look forward to!! I love how you divide up the cooking--makes it much nice that no one person/family bears the brunt.

The company that shall not be named seems to be the best option in my opinion (and quickly looking at others, that is what they are saying too).

My whole family loves keens!! They are our go to shoes. I ordered DD's next size up just in case she out grows her current pair by the time we go to Disney next month. I have not had the style you choose, but I bet they are just as comfortable! Zappos is the best!! They will over night the next size if you are deciding between two at no cost.

I have a bag similar to yours by the same company! Well two actually. I love them, they are hold up well and clean nicely if something gets on them.

You are too hard on yourself--the firework shot looks fine. It is difficult to get good ones!! I love fireworks but they are a nemesis of mine, with getting good shots of them.

 

[I_heart_Tinkerbell]

Wow you sure have done a lot of planning. I really enjoyed PTR

 

[Sleepingbooty]

Michigan actually does not go back until after Labor Day. It is a state law, so even the private and charter school compile with it.

I didn't know that - lucky you! That's interesting that its a state law. There is a spread around here, but except for our district, most districts head back mid August.

what a great vacation each year to look forward to!! I love how you divide up the cooking--makes it much nice that no one person/family bears the brunt.

It's sort of evolved into this over the years. Used to be, we'd all plan out together all the dinners for the week, then several of the women would go shopping. Each night everyone would pitch in together to cook. We'd all split up the cost. Both ways have worked out pretty well, but with this way you don't have anybody thinking that someone else didn't pitch in their fair share.

My whole family loves keens!! They are our go to shoes. I ordered DD's next size up just in case she out grows her current pair by the time we go to Disney next month. I have not had the style you choose, but I bet they are just as comfortable! Zappos is the best!! They will over night the next size if you are deciding between two at no cost.

So far the girls are really liking them, they've been wearing them to school pretty much all week. I wish they'd work for me. I've tried on so many pairs and they just don't fit me right. I did buy a new pair of Teva Mush and a pair of Merrell slides yesterday. With my other Tevas and my tennies, I ought to be set shoe-wise.

Wow you sure have done a lot of planning. I really enjoyed PTR

Hi there! to my PTR!

 

[YukiPhnx]

Yes I did see that. Looks like it'll be even harder to get in a lunch adr now! But dinner adrs will probably be easier...

If the prices on the menu don't change, I think I'll just pay OOP.

 

[MHTeacher]

Sounds like a great, relaxing trip with family!

Jenna is beautiful and her smile is too! I'm sure she's thrilled to have her braces off!

 

[Harlie]

Hey, did you guys all see this - it was posted on Allearsnet this morning:

"Le Cellier (Canada/Epcot) to require 2 Dining Credits (Disney Dining Plan) for dinner only - beginning March 1, 2011. Lunch remains at 1 Dining Credit."

Glad we have ressies to eat there this September. At 2 credits, I'd skip it.

Wow! I wanted to go here but could get the ADRs for it for the days we were at epcot! I think we would still try it for supper even for 2 credits.

I will have to live though your experience by reading your trip report lol!

 

[Sleepingbooty]

Yes I did see that. Looks like it'll be even harder to get in a lunch adr now! But dinner adrs will probably be easier...

If the prices on the menu don't change, I think I'll just pay OOP.

That's true, dinner ADRs will be easier I'd assume. It is good - but really, its not good enough to justify the difficulty of ADRs. Its not a must do for use. More like every other or every third trip.

 

[Sleepingbooty]

Sounds like a great, relaxing trip with family!

Jenna is beautiful and her smile is too! I'm sure she's thrilled to have her braces off!

Aww, thank you!

Wow! I wanted to go here but could get the ADRs for it for the days we were at epcot! I think we would still try it for supper even for 2 credits.

I will have to live though your experience by reading your trip report lol!

We just tend to stay away from the 2TS credit joints. I probably won't spend 2 credits on it. It'll force me to try something else at the World Showcase.

 

[onescgirl]

I just found & read all your PTR posts. I LOVE how you added the link in each of your post to the next one. It made it super easy & quick for me to read the whole thing!
I usually will not read people's PTR's if they are already long by the time I look at it because it takes so long for me to go through all the post.
But, like I said, I like how you did it.
I have the chapter links in my 1st post in PTR, but I'm gonna go add the links in each post too like you did.

Guess what? I'm also staying at CBR Sept 18th-24th!!! You are the 1st person that I've seen that will be at the same resort as the same time as me!! I looked at your park days & I think there will only be one day that we're at the same park on the same day.

I love the thumbprint shirt that your daughter's teacher made. Such a cute idea!!! You said you might make one for Disney, are you still going too?

We also went to Six Flags from School's Reading Program. I, too, was very disappointed. I head up the Six Flags Read to Succeed at our school, so even I got a free ticket. We only had to buy DH ticket & the trip was still expensive. $50 lunch for 4! This year, I think I will give our tickets away to someone.

My kids start school this Monday

Can't wait to read more of your PTR & count down our days to WDW!!!!!!!!!!

 

[GreatBiscuit]

Just checking in.

You did good on the photos. Even if you were in a rocking boat. Extra kudos for that!

 

[Sleepingbooty]

Hey there! to my PTR!

I just found & read all your PTR posts. I LOVE how you added the link in each of your post to the next one. It made it super easy & quick for me to read the whole thing!
I usually will not read people's PTR's if they are already long by the time I look at it because it takes so long for me to go through all the post.
But, like I said, I like how you did it.
I have the chapter links in my 1st post in PTR, but I'm gonna go add the links in each post too like you did.

Thank you! I'm just like you - if a report has been "in progress" for a while, I won't read it if there are no links. Too time consuming!

Guess what? I'm also staying at CBR Sept 18th-24th!!! You are the 1st person that I've seen that will be at the same resort as the same time as me!! I looked at your park days & I think there will only be one day that we're at the same park on the same day.

Wow, that's awesome! Maybe we can meet at the pool or something - we typically take a pool break every afternoon.

I love the thumbprint shirt that your daughter's teacher made. Such a cute idea!!! You said you might make one for Disney, are you still going too?

Oh, probably not. I'd kinda forgotten about it. I always say I'm going to do custom shirts, but then I lose track of time and I forget. And now I've gotten so busy with my travel business among other things, I hardly even have time to keep up on the DIS!

We also went to Six Flags from School's Reading Program. I, too, was very disappointed. I was the one that headed up the Six Flags Read to Succeed at our school, so even I got a free ticket. We only had to buy DH ticket & the trip was still expensive. $50 lunch for 4! This year, I think I will give our tickets away to someone.

It's lousy, isn't it? SOOOOO not Disney...

My kids start school this Monday

Can't wait to read more of your PTR & count down our days to WDW!!!!!!!!!!

Good luck with the first day of school! Sad that summers over, but it just means that much closer to our Disney trips, right?!

 

[Sleepingbooty]

Just checking in.

You did good on the photos. Even if you were in a rocking boat. Extra kudos for that!

Hey Howdy Hey Biscuit! How's summer going in Texas? Umm.... hot, I guess?

Yeah, you're not fooling me - the pics were lousy. But thanks for the props!

 

[Harlie]

Where'd ya go Sleepingbooty? Hope all is well!

 

[Sleepingbooty]

Hey Harlie!
Thanks for checking in. I was just getting ready to do an update....

 

[Sleepingbooty]

Chapter 40. 25 Day To Do List

Jeepers! Its been so long since I've Dis'd that I think I forgot how to do it. What are these funny little faces blinking at me to the right of the text box? I've just been crazy busy with life in general, and on top of that - I've been falling asleep about 9:30 every night - so I can't even catch up after the kiddos are in bed.

I hurt my hip about a month ago, so last week I finally went to the doctor as it really hadn't improved at all. She gave me an Rx for an anti-inflammatory and sent me to a physical therapist. So, every night around 8:00, I take my pill, and we take the kids and dog for a walk (gotta get their Disney legs ready - not the dog, the girls). When we get back, I do the little exercises and stretches that the physical therapist gave me. Its working, I am feeling a lot better. But by that time, the medication has kicked in and I fall asleep in my tracks. What's weird is that it's not a very strong drug - its basically the equivalent of two Aleve. But for some reason it makes me sleepy.

When we hit our 30 day mark a few days ago, the girls and I made our countdown chain. Usually, I make it myself. I write quick fun activities on each loop of the chain. Then when they cut off the loop, we do whatever it suggests. I came up with this a few years ago. Its fun because instead of just pining away for the trip, they also look forward to each evening leading up to the trip, and wonder what we are going to be doing that night.

Invariably, we get busy and get behind on our 'loop' activities. So last night, we did the last three loops. This year, I let the girls write out the loops themselves. Last night we had to play musical chairs, have a hoola hoop contest, and take a walk. Love it when they put something on there that we are going to do anyway, like take a walk. It was fun. I actually didn't do too bad at the hoola hoop - I kept it up for about 45 seconds! Then we took our walk, and I promptly fell asleep.

So, today we are at 25 days. This is when I traditionally start a 'Trip To Do' list. So here goes:

• Arrange pet sitting for Woody and the cats
• Compile Garden Grocer order
• Look at airport parking options vs. towncar pickup
• Order MNSSHP tickets
• Order IOA tickets
• Reserve towncar to IOA (with the company that must not be named)
• Order Halloween costumes for the girls
• Figure out if the adults are doing costumes
• Update and print out packing list
• Come up with shopping list
• Make matching t-shirts - maybe?
• Print out my planner pages
• Update Trip-It

Hmmm, okay, that's all I can come up with for now - I'm sure I'm forgetting things.
Oh, wait, I remembered one more.....

• Catch up on PTRs and TRs!

Click here for Chapter 41. Intravenous Tie Dye

 

[Dancegrl624]

Sorry to hear about your hip. That does not sound pleasant at all (I've had my fair share of hip, knee, ankle injuries). I like that your girls wrote down fun little activities on their countdown chain. I put WDW facts on ours and Maddie is loving it!

I have my "trip to-do" list as well. I just went through it the other night and crossed off the things I've already done (I don't always keep up on it). It's not too bad, but I can't really do a lot of the things on the list until we get closer to departure day.