**@@** October 6th, 2007 Magic**@@**

[rdy2bpamperedmom]

from all statistics i have heard latley, most couples are having children later in life, i can't imagine a dr. saying that to u at 28. i think it's wise to get established in your professional life first anyway. and children are quite an expence to raise today, with daycare cost and everything else involved. well enough chatter, on that subject. i feel more comfortable now. we are anxious to get going on this adventure, and so glad to see june. can't believe i'm wishing my life away (at my age). can't wait for oct 6th

 

[lildeb724]

I live right outside of NYC and I guess because a lot of people have high powered jobs in my town. I am actually one of the youngest moms at daughters school. I will turn 38 this summer and my daughter is 6 and just fininshing kindergarten and my son is 3.5. At most school events I go to I am clearly one of the youngest moms.
For example - when I was pregnant with my son ( i had just turned 34 when I had him) I was in a little gym class with my DD and there were 8 of us who were pregnant with our 2nd child and I was the only one not having an amnio because I wasn't 35 yet.
Yesterday I was at a party for 6 year olds and one of the moms actually said she didn't send me an email joke because I was so young (it was about Mike nesmith (sp?) of the Monkees) When I had my kids I thought I was on the older side, but I rountinely run into moms who had their first kids in their 40's

 

[stenogoddess]

Still OT but I just think when you have kids you want to be sure. I mean really sure. Sure Sure. But I never have been sure so.......

If I'm wrong about that sure thing, you moms let me know okay?!

On with the real show here: I just booked the Royal Swim for Coz and the Learn to Scuba at Grand Caymen through ShoreTrips.com. I'm very excited about both. They have to check the times and get back with me to make sure there's room, but I'm hoping for the best. And with our newer all aboard times, that really seemed to narrow down what I was willing to risk (cause I'm a giant time freak, keeper of the time, annoying people everywhere with my ability to tell them that we are going to be late if they don't hurry up only to arrive 15 minutes early everywhere we go )

There's what looks like smoke coming off of my credit card though, so maybe I should hope that one of them isn't available!

 

[rdy2bpampered]

OK- boy do I have to *beep beep* on my earlier info on where we are staying the night before. It is actually the Hyatt at the airport... my bad! The TA and I had talked about so many options that I was confused and had the wrong hotel in my head. We don't have all the final details but do know we are using the DCL transfers and land/sea package (non-Disney resort). Trying to keep it clean and easy for our first trip!
Nothing wrong with our ressies... just human error on my part.

Never said I was perfect...except when I am, of course!

Oh well, off to the races and until next time!!

 

[CM_Mom]

We stayed there on our last DCL cruise. I can tell you it was REALLY welcome when we got off the plane at 3:00 AM on Saturday morning after a 3 and a half hour delay! We just didn't want to spring for the $$$ that the Hyatt charges. I'm also hoping DD can get off the ship Saturday morning for a little while and we'll be able to manage our schedule better if we stay at the port.

Besides, for your first cruise, DCL transportation is really cool. No worries about where to go, which street to take or what to do with your luggage. Be sure to take your swim suits iin your carry ons if you want to hit the pool early. Luggage usually doesn't make it to the rooms till between 1:30 and 3:00.

 

[Laurabearz]

wow a furver of activity!

I must say this is a MEET thread so there is no such thing as Off Topic! We are here to learn about each other to make meeting all that more grand!! So if any OLD DADs want to speak up, this would be a good time to do it

I am still working on where we are staying... I am waitlisted at BCV, but have a confirmed ressie at OKW just in case. We are flying in Oct 4th (My Birthday! woot) and will spend Oct 5th with friends who are not cruising. We are planning for an Illminations Cruise the night before the cruise and then Chef Mickey's for breakfast. Then we return our rental car at the airport and take a private van service from there to the port. That service will also pick us up and take us to VWL after the cruise. We will hit MK then see hoop de do, with those same friends that night, taking ME back to the airport the next day.

Gosh I hope it's not too many transitions for the kids... I have planed down time in the room, just chilling and napping. We shall see.

 

[lildeb724]

Are you all getting up at an ungodly hour to book spa and palo or are you just going to wake up the next morning and do it.
I just can't see paying all this money for the extra concierge service, and then having to get up in the middle of the night to book things.
Let me know what you are all doing.
Debbie

 

[lildeb724]

Planning on late breakfast and then heading to port.

 

[CM_Mom]

I don't plan on making any special effort to book the exact minute the ressies are available. DD will be home June 17th for her vacation. She's told me she wants me to book Palo for Saturday night since it's usually the most available and will be easier for she and her hubby to get the OK to dine with us there (crew has to get special permission to dine in the restaurants, esp Palo) so I'm reasonably sure she will have me on the computer sometime on July 8 making the ressies.

We pretty much go with the flow. We sailed on a full ship in May 2004 and didn't make any reservations till we were on the ship. I think we even waited till after lunch. We were still able to get Palo brunch and dinner. That was before online ressies. However, I've read several places that they keep about half the ressies available for folks to book on the ship. If you're in concierge, I bet the staff can get you most of the ressies you want. I don't do spa treatments so can't really comment on the demand for those. I think some folks just like the excitement of staying up late and making the ressies at the first possible minute.

I'll go ahead and "pay in full" before July 8 so I can make the ressies but probably not much before. Guess I still like to keep the extra cash in the account "just in case".

We aren't booking excursions till we get on the ship so don't have to worry about that. Kinda waiting to see what everyone feels like doing.

LauraBearz, I have suggestion. How about a total meet count on page 1

 

[Laurabearz]

I will be staying up until 2 am to book them. Not a big stretch for me, since I am noramlly up until at least Midnight. I plan on taking a lot of screen shots and posting them, because I thought it would be interesting for others to see what's availble and heck, what the whole window looks like, since a lot of people never get a change to see it until they do it. Yuo know?

I am still wavering on Palo's. I still need to look at the week and see when to fit it in. So much to do, so little time.


As for the Meet list. We need to figure that out, I mean although we have a lot listed in the first post, many have not revisited this thread (well posted on it) since they introduced themselves. I will work on a nice kinda like a poster for the first thread about the meet... Time and place and such and really start building it up.

We are approaching the deadline for the buttons I have a few I have come up with... I hope others are too Please remember to format them to 2 inches square for us to view. It makes it easier to visualize. My thoughts were to just make them on that button site and then send me a link for me to put in the poll.

 

[rdy2bpamperedmom]

that's what i thought, this is a get acquainted forum, so we know one another when we arrive at the ship. and lots of practice for me on the computer too. see, older moms are a fashion statement. we're in!! probably lots more stories out there too. where are the men"s side of this? i think we are missing some good ones. maybe we'll hear from them on the ship. keep up the chatter, i'm learning a lot.

 

[stenogoddess]

As far as the Palo thing goes, I'm not even going to book it I don't think. I know everyone goes on and on, but I have a feeling that there's going to be plenty to eat without it. Plus, we're not big foodie people so usually we're happy in the regular dinning room, and we've never seen them on the Magic and I want to see them and I hear that the buffets and such are good and they have themes too so.....

Both the dolphin royal swim and the intro to Scub thing went through. How COOL is that!!!!!! Now I'm totally broke, but totally worth it.

I think we are going to stay at the Radisson because I hear their pool is really neat. We're driving in so I figured just a nice place to sit around and relax is just about right. Now if you'll remember the DH has no idea about this trip at all. He thinks we're going to see the Space Center and then over to WDW. I told him today that the into to Scuba thing was something they were doing at the Radisson to see if he would be interested in it or not. He totally went for it. I love it.

 

[aw24]

What time is your royal dolphin swim? Ours is at 12:00. Mabe we will be there together.

Ann

 

[stenogoddess]

ME TOO! I'm so excited about it too. I think I might be five I think 12:00 is a good time. I read the reviews and they were good, so I've got confidence. I was surprised DCL doesn't offer that one, but I saw Samantha Brown do it on the Travel Channel and I was hooked. See ya there!

What time is your royal dolphin swim? Ours is at 12:00. Mabe we will be there together.

Ann

 

[CM_Mom]

Thought I would copy this post here in case some of you aren't following the main board. Thought you would like an update. My MIL's received the Certificate of No Record from Oklahoma yesterday stamped "passport" on the top. They even said they were refunding the $10.00 fee she sent in for the BC. As far as I'm concerned, the certificate of no record is worth the $10 but I won't argue with the refund. I filled out her passport paperwork and printed it out last night. Mailed them to her priority mail today so she should have them by Thursday.

Thanks to ScouterJT, we have a copy of the census record that names her and her parents. She will go to the local post office and apply this Friday after she gets the forms I sent.

She is more worried about causing trouble for us than the actual trip.. <sigh> how can you convince someone that is so independent that they will be OK!!!

rdy2bpampered - I hear you loud and clear. That's exactly the argument we heard. I told her we wouldn't have asked her if we hadn't wanted her along and we're prepared to deal with whatever "inconvenience" she might cause. I really think it's just that generation. My mom and aunt, both 80 somethings, are the same way.

I think she's excited because she told me that her exterminator had been on three cruises - two of them DCL and he said DCL is the ONLY way to cruise. Tell us something we don't already know.

Looks like if DSIL's chemo doesn't kill her, we will have two more on the cruise. She currently has two more rounds of 15 days each scheduled, one starting tomorrow and one in July. Prayers are appreciated and welcome -especially since I know they work.

I think we're going to take a chance and wait to see if Florida Resident Rates come out. But they may decide to book sooner.

 

[Laurabearz]

Yay Cm Mom!!!! Yay!!!!

 

[rdy2bpamperedmom]

we are all praying for your DMIL and i'm saying from experience that chemo is no joy ride. my DH had treatments too and we all suffer with the effects that accompany them. sympathy for loved ones sometimes is most painful too, because u wish to help ease their sickness and have no way of doing it. hang in there, we are thinking of u all. weather was beautiful for golfing today. had a blast. had the most wonderful rainbow on the 4th, monday. was on the golf course, wet and cold and saw it. made us in awe of the beauty of the world. waiting for the cruise and to meet all u nice people from the forum.

 

[rdy2bpampered]

Since we are only 4 months out we do need to get our button designs in. I have not done anymore since the first round. I will get on it and make them more simple so they can be viewed easier. I hope we get alot to choose from!! I love to see ideas!!

Still waiting for October... We did buy our luggage this week.. Rdy2bpamperedmom was going to use DGM luggage.. but then DGM decided to come along and so DM has to get new luggage. Boy, was that a hard shopping trip...<phew!> am I glad that's over! We got the luggage and we should be able to overload the plane (and ship) very well thank you!!

Boy, now that we have luggage we gotta go shopping to fill them up!! Need more stuff!!

Somebody hide this post so DH doesn't see it! Don't need him knowing about the shopping trips!! Hey, wait a minute... he's the one that bought 6 extra pieces of luggage for us!! Shop Away I Say!!

 

[Laurabearz]

Buttons should be uploaded to the button site then send me the link for it, that way we can see them 'real sized' The dead lines are listed in the first post, the only change is that you need to do the button on zazzle and send me the link. I will then make a Poll thread and we will vote.


And I just wanted to share my art fair with you all. Please forgive me just linking to the post, as I am too busy to renenter is all here sorry.

http://www.disboards.com/showthread.php?t=1473528

Off to get my kids from their last FULL day of school. For some silly reason they have to go to school for a whole HOUR tomorrow. lol

 

[CM_Mom]

Fortunately it's my 50 yo Sister in law that is undergoing the chemo. We're getting encouraging reports that hopefully she will be done by the end of July. That will give her some time to regain her strength before the cruise.

I doubt my Mother in law would bother. At 83, I think if she got cancer she would just decide it was time to join the wonderful man she was married to for 61 years in heaven. He's been gone for 3 years but although she doesn't complain and is really a happy person, I know she misses him a lot.

I am SO looking forward to this cruise. It will be a mini family reunion and some relaxing time that all of us need.

Thanks again for the good wishes.
Reine