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

[jordanyosh]

YAY for fixing your computer!! I'm impressed you were able to do it by yourself!! I know I would not have been able to do it!!

I completey agee. I wouldn't have been able to do it myself. I don't think I would've had the patience.

 

[eandesmom]

YAY for fixing your puter, I know all too well how frustrating and time consuming it can be!

Glad you're back

 

[Sleepingbooty]

Hi Rebecca I'm signing on from word about your PTR over at All7OfUs PTR. She does a good job spreading readership, doesn't she?

I'm all caught up and have lots to comment on, so here goes!

You're not the only one that gets those comment from people about Disney. I went 4 times last year so you can just imagine the words I was getting from people I can't help it though! I just had to visit my sister who went to work for Disney for the passed year. Her contract is ending this March. That doesn't mean I'll stop going to Disney World! I've already got two trips planned this year with potentially two more in the works. I know, I have a sickness Anyways, you're not alone in the Disney obsession!

The powerpoint idea was great. Too bad no decision came out of it. I LOVE WL as well. It is still my favourite deluxe, even after staying at AK. And I'm an animal lover. Figure that one out. I stayed in the villas in November at WL. If you want to see some pictures, check out my TR in my signature I really hope you all decide on WL. Just get Jenna to do some more major puppy dog eyes.

Here's an idea to fix your computer problems forever..... GET A MAC! No, no I'm not one of those Apple cult people. However, I have had a mac now for almost 4 or 5 years. It's still running strong. You could never do that with a PC (aka Piece of Crap) Once you go mac, you never go back. Okay, okay I'll stop. Glad you got everything fixed because I'm dying for another update!

Hi! Thanks for joining in!

You have totally read our minds on the Mac thing! Wednesday night, before I got it fixed, Scott was showing me this Mac mini online. He said if I wasn't able to reinstall, that we were definitely going to get a Mac. Of course, now that I did get it fixed, we can put off that purchase (which is good as it would have eaten into our Disney budget!), but we still plan to go to the Apple Store this weekend and check them out. It won't be too long before I join the ranks of the isheep (thanks for that one, Jordan)

 

[Sleepingbooty]

YAY for fixing your computer!! I'm impressed you were able to do it by yourself!! I know I would not have been able to do it!!

Thanks! I felt pretty good about it. But seriously, it took me a full day of researching to figure out what to do. I have a couple friends and family members who are tech people, and I've had them do stuff for us before, but I always feel bad asking because I know that everybody hits them up for help all the time and it must get old. So, after paying someone to fix Scott's virus on his laptop last month - I just didn't want to lay out the cash again. I'm a do-it-yourselfer through and through!

 

[Sleepingbooty]

I completey agee. I wouldn't have been able to do it myself. I don't think I would've had the patience.

Oh no, you think that took patience? Its nothing compared to my current project - stripping the wallpaper from my bathroom!

I think teaching little kids has instilled at least a little patience in me. I definitely wasn't born with it!

 

[Sleepingbooty]

YAY for fixing your puter, I know all too well how frustrating and time consuming it can be!

Glad you're back

Thanks!

Its made me want to learn more about how these dang things work, so I can keep my system running better day to day. That, or its made me want to scrap it all and get a Mac!

 

[Sleepingbooty]

Chapter 8: A Side Trip to Outer Space

Okay, so here's the update I was working on when I was so rudely interrupted by a computer virus:

Since I still haven’t made a decision yet on resorts (have to do my taxes first so I know what I’m working with), I thought I’d do a short detour. Last weekend, we took Jenna’s Brownie troop on the coolest field trip: The Challenger Center St.Louis. Its part of the Challenger Center for Space Education which was founded by the families of the astronauts lost during the last flight of the Challenger Space Shuttle in 1986. They have learning centers in something like 50 cities.

The center does a lot of different programs, including summer camps and programs specifically designed for scout groups. We took part in a 4-hour session to earn their “Space Explorer” badge.

The ‘commander’ who led our group was dressed like a Nasa astronaut. We spent about two hours in a classroom learning about Nasa and the history of the space program. The girls designed their own mission badge, designed and built space stations out of random junk, and made rockets. Then we got to take the rockets outside and ‘launch them.’ This was so cool – I couldn’t believe how far they went.

The best part was the last hour or so, when the girls got to do a simulated space mission. They were each assigned a job; Jenna was the medical officer. Then we went into the shuttle for our flight. They’d done a great job recreating a shuttle, the girls were even a little nervous as we prepared to take off. Each window had a little video screen that showed footage of the take off and flight into space. After we docked with the space station, we exited the shuttle into an ‘airlock,’ which was basically a short hallway leading to a large circular darkroom door that led us into the space station.

Look Ma, no gravity!

I felt like I was in the mission control room in Mission Space. Each girl went to her station and began working on her assigned job. Jenna had a computer monitor at her station and she had instructions to complete medical tests (hearing and vision) on herself and three teammates.

They spent 20 or 30 minutes working on their tasks, and then we had an ‘emergency.’ The navigator had discovered a foreign object in our orbit and we had to stop everything and go to work determining what it was. For this, we all had to don special glasses so we could look at its radioactive spectrum (I’m probably remembering all these terms wrong). I think we determined that we had spotted a comet.

The girls wrapped up their tasks and we returned to earth via the shuttle. I think some of them were convinced that we actually had gone into space. I had thought that four hours might be a bit long for these third graders, but they were never once bored and the time flew by. I highly recommend checking out the Challenger Center if you have one in your area. The only problem is that now Jenna wants me to send her to Space Camp in Huntsville! $$$$$$! Of course, she can’t even make through a sleepover without calling me to come get her, so I somehow can’t see that happening in the near future.

I'll be working on the taxes this weekend, which means I'll know my vacation budget, which means I should be able to make a decision on which resort, so stay tuned!

Click here for Chapter 9: Cuz I'm the Decider!

 

[All7OfUs]

I'm a do-it-yourselfer through and through!

Me too!! If you can't fix it yourself, it's not worth having! I'm proud of you for sticking with it, and getting the job done!! Major Kudos!

That field trip looked ultra mega cool!! They must have really learned a lot in those 4 hours! Good to see scouting still going strong.

 

[jenbear123]

That space center looks super neat! It's great to see the kids getting involved and actually enjoying themselves in something educational.

Oh good. I'm so glad you're considering purchasing a Mac. I guess it's a good thing you got the one you have now fixed. Wouldn't want anything eating into the Disney fund! What do you think of the new iPad? IMO, it's just a glorified iPhone

Hope it's good news for the outcome of your taxes. Can't wait to hear the resort decision.

 

[glennbo123]

Thanks for sharing this side trip. Looks like fun and education wrapped-up in one!

 

[ladybugmom]

WOW! That trip looks amazing!! The girls look like they're having a BLAST!! My DH has always talked about taking Ally to Space Camp (more for him, I think)!!

 

[eandesmom]

what a great field trip! Eric would be in heaven if he got to do that! He hasn't realized that space camp exists....it might be best if I keep it that way!

Good luck on the taxes, I know we are hoping ours pays for the US part of the trip!

 

[jordanyosh]

Can adults do it...

 

[klacey1]

What a fun day! DBF is a space nut, so I'm sure he'd enjoy that as much as the girls did! Four hours does seem long for little girls, but kudos to them for being to interested and kudos to the museum for knowing how to entertain and educate at the same time!

 

[Sleepingbooty]

Me too!! If you can't fix it yourself, it's not worth having! I'm proud of you for sticking with it, and getting the job done!! Major Kudos!

That field trip looked ultra mega cool!! They must have really learned a lot in those 4 hours! Good to see scouting still going strong.

Thank you! It felt pretty good to have done it myself.

Scouting rocks!

That space center looks super neat! It's great to see the kids getting involved and actually enjoying themselves in something educational.

Oh good. I'm so glad you're considering purchasing a Mac. I guess it's a good thing you got the one you have now fixed. Wouldn't want anything eating into the Disney fund! What do you think of the new iPad? IMO, it's just a glorified iPhone

Hope it's good news for the outcome of your taxes. Can't wait to hear the resort decision.

We went to the Apple Store on Saturday - OMG I REALLY want one now! Not the iPad, though. I couldn't use that as my main computer, so it would just be a really expensive toy. I don't even have an iPhone (or any kind of smart phone, yet)

Thanks for sharing this side trip. Looks like fun and education wrapped-up in one!

It definitely was. Glad you enjoyed reading about it.

 

[Sleepingbooty]

WOW! That trip looks amazing!! The girls look like they're having a BLAST!! My DH has always talked about taking Ally to Space Camp (more for him, I think)!!

I know! Scott was really bummed that he had to miss out on it. I told him he could go when Lucy's troop is old enough.

what a great field trip! Eric would be in heaven if he got to do that! He hasn't realized that space camp exists....it might be best if I keep it that way!

Good luck on the taxes, I know we are hoping ours pays for the US part of the trip!

Cynthia, they have a Challenger Center near you - check it out!

Starting taxes this afternoon. I think I finally have everything I need.

Can adults do it...

Yep!

What a fun day! DBF is a space nut, so I'm sure he'd enjoy that as much as the girls did! Four hours does seem long for little girls, but kudos to them for being to interested and kudos to the museum for knowing how to entertain and educate at the same time!

It went by super fast. I couldn't believe it, but they were never bored.

 

[All7OfUs]

Just spreading the word that we started our 2nd thread. You can find it

HERE

Hope you'll join us!

 

[3princesses+aprince]

Wow, what a great field trip. I'd love a trip there myself. Looks like they all had fun!

And glad you got your computer fixed! It really is a bummer when things like that happen. I had a virus a few years ago and they are nightmares!

 

[Sleepingbooty]

Just spreading the word that we started our 2nd thread. You can find it

HERE

Hope you'll join us!

Thanks for the handy dandy link - now I don't have to go looking for it. Oooh, wonder which name you went with? I'll head over in a sec...

 

[Sleepingbooty]

Wow, what a great field trip. I'd love a trip there myself. Looks like they all had fun!

And glad you got your computer fixed! It really is a bummer when things like that happen. I had a virus a few years ago and they are nightmares!

It was such a pain. I'm just glad that my husband had one first, last month. If it weren't for that, I probably wouldn't have backed up all my pics and documents like I had just done before the virus hit. That would have been so sad!