Prelude to a WDW Dream...Sept. 08 *NEW 9/9 Post 350*

[SoonerGirl]

WOW, a week long tourney...now that proves someone is a wonderful mom!! I bet you all had a lot of fun.

It was fun! We do one big tournament at the end of each season, the boys really have a blast. This year the tournament we chose was in Colorado and we also had some time to sight see. We went to the Royal Gorge, Pike's Peak and the Garden of the Gods - everything was so beautiful!

ENJOY YOUR TIME AT WDW! Travel safely and report back to us!! We are greedy with the trip reports around these parts!

Thanks! We had a good trip, it was just DS7 and I, and I got to see 5 ladies that I "met" here on the DIS, which was so cool! I'm not so sure about the TR, I'm much better at reading them then I am writing them! I might (and I stress might) do one for our California/DL trip that is coming up in just a few more days, 12 days on the West Coast!!

I do want to give you a big thank-you though, if it were not for your trippies I never would have learned that you could ask to sit up front on the monorail. I did that as a little surprise for DS and he was on cloud 9 So, thanks, jay for helping me spread a little magic for DS!

 

[jaycns]

LOVE LOVE LOVE the Indy theme!!! Very cool ideas. I cant wait to hear it all put together. We are leaving today for a surprise trip to the mouse. I will catch up again when I get home.

I hope you are traveling safely! I want to hear all about it!!

Darnit! I WISH our trips overlapped - I'd love to see Aladin in his Indy outfit (and just incidently hug you and cuddle the baby, lol) You must create in your mind 24/7 - Jay, that sounds like just an amazing party.

I do dream things up all of the time. I think I annoy dh. HUGE HUGS for you and that little baby of mine would love to cuddle his favorite Disney Grandma (you even rate over the fairy godmother).

It was fun! We do one big tournament at the end of each season, the boys really have a blast. This year the tournament we chose was in Colorado and we also had some time to sight see. We went to the Royal Gorge, Pike's Peak and the Garden of the Gods - everything was so beautiful!



Thanks! We had a good trip, it was just DS7 and I, and I got to see 5 ladies that I "met" here on the DIS, which was so cool! I'm not so sure about the TR, I'm much better at reading them then I am writing them! I might (and I stress might) do one for our California/DL trip that is coming up in just a few more days, 12 days on the West Coast!!

I do want to give you a big thank-you though, if it were not for your trippies I never would have learned that you could ask to sit up front on the monorail. I did that as a little surprise for DS and he was on cloud 9 So, thanks, jay for helping me spread a little magic for DS!

I am just glad that my babbles helped bring a bit of a smile to someone!

I sure hope you do write a trip report for your DL trip! I would love to hear all about it!

 

[jaycns]

Sorry I have been (once again, it's really getting to be a BAD habit of mine) MIA. This past week we lost our dear grandmother (dh's dad's mom). She was in a whole lot of pain and had lived a very long (she was 96) and full life...but as always, saying goodbye is never easy for those of us that remain. I am happy that I had 15 years to get to know what a wonderful lady she really was. She definitely made a real impact in my life. She taught me a lot about loving, putting family first and always looking for the silver lining. She will be sorely missed. But I am so glad that she is out of pain.

I will update more within the next few days...

STILL TO COME:

The "I-am-totally-paid-off" happy dance.
Plans for the drive down.
Plans for our first night (will we be driving down or staying off-site?!).
Plans for after the cruise (am I talented enough to talk dh into an extra night or two at WDW when we return?!).
Plans for making plans.

 

[Figment's Friend]

Jay, I'm so sorry, it was be very difficult to cope with. She sounded like a wonderful woman to know, that's for sure. You and your family are in my thoughts

 

[momoftriplets]

To you & DH's family.

 

[SkyGirl]

I'm so sorry to hear about the Grandma. However, I'm so happy you had that time to spend with her; that's so important. Sounds like she was a lovely woman.

(am I talented enough to talk dh into an extra night or two at WDW when we return?!).




Who, you???? I bow to your talents!!!

 

[disneydusted]

I am sorry for your loss I agree that it is always hard to be left. I am glad you got to know her.

 

[busymomma123]

I am so sorry for your family's loss. My DH lost his father last month. Its been a difficult time, but God has blessed and strengthened us daily. My prayers are with you and your family.

 

[jess98ac]

Ok, so I'm not sure how it took me until TODAY to find this, but I'm SO SO glad I did!!
Sounds like you once again have a fantastic trip planned!!!

 

[Illini4ever]

My thoughts are with you guys right now. It must be a tough time losing someone so special. I send many hugs your way.

 

[John's Mom]

Jay, so sorry for your loss. My prayers and thoughts are with you and your family.

 

[Spartangirl]

So sorry for your loss...

 

[jaycns]

Jay, I'm so sorry, it was be very difficult to cope with. She sounded like a wonderful woman to know, that's for sure. You and your family are in my thoughts

Thank you for those positive thoughts. I am so sorry for your own loss this past week. Losing a beloved pet is such a horrible thing to go through.

To you & DH's family.

Thanks Bar. How are you doing? I thought of you when I was planning and thinking about doing a day at the water parks. Your signature picture always reminds me of how much fun a water park is sure to be! Any Disney trips on your radar?

I'm so sorry to hear about the Grandma. However, I'm so happy you had that time to spend with her; that's so important. Sounds like she was a lovely woman.

(am I talented enough to talk dh into an extra night or two at WDW when we return?!).




Who, you???? I bow to your talents!!!

Okay, I am pretty sure I can do it (the extra nights I mean)...I will have to wait until we get Aladdin's soccer schedule back. If he has a game the Sunday after we get back to the port, we will hurry back to get him there. He plays on a select soccer team and missng three full weekends in the middle of the season is a real stretch. So, by the middle of August (when we get his schedule) I should know if I am able to add on a night (most likely just one as we will have to get home by Sunday night so that we are back for dh to work on Monday).

I am sorry for your loss I agree that it is always hard to be left. I am glad you got to know her.

I cherish that time getting to know her. She taught me a lot. For instance, I now know how to make noodles from scratch with only flour, water, eggs and a tiny bit of oil. She was a great cook.

I am so sorry for your family's loss. My DH lost his father last month. Its been a difficult time, but God has blessed and strengthened us daily. My prayers are with you and your family.

I am so sorry about the loss of your FIL. It's so hard to lose family. I will say a prayer for your dh, you and his entire family.

Ok, so I'm not sure how it took me until TODAY to find this, but I'm SO SO glad I did!!
Sounds like you once again have a fantastic trip planned!!!

I am sure how it took you so long...that SWEET baby girl you had! Being a new mom (especially a first time mom) gives you unlimited excuses for being behind on anything (even laundry ).

My thoughts are with you guys right now. It must be a tough time losing someone so special. I send many hugs your way.

Thanks for the hugs. I hope all of your kids are happy and healthy! Please remember to let me know if you ever need an ear.

Jay, so sorry for your loss. My prayers and thoughts are with you and your family.

Thanks! The prayers and thoughts are very appreciated!

So sorry for your loss...

Thanks! It really helps to log on and see the world is full of so many caring and wonderful people...at least the DIS is! Thanks again!

I will post a trip update very soon!

 

[LindaBabe]

Oh, Dear! I'm so sorry to hear about Grandma - but how wonderful that she lived long enough to know about your littlest prince. She will live forever in your hearts.

 

[jaycns]

Oh, Dear! I'm so sorry to hear about Grandma - but how wonderful that she lived long enough to know about your littlest prince. She will live forever in your hearts.

She did. My only regret is listening to her. She never wanted us to take her picture while she was holding him. She said she looked "too bad". I really wished I had gone ahead and snapped one anyway so that he would have it. Well, he might not grow up having a picture of him with her, but he will grow up "knowing" her through stories and recipes and other pictures we share with him.

 

[jaycns]

Anniversary Doings Update:

We still plan on eating at Artist Point on the night we are celebrating our
13th anniversary. We will be eating an early dinner.

Here is where the change comes in...instead of heading for a carriage ride afterward (I would still like to do this, but I don't know how to make the timing work out with this thrown into the mix) we will head over to Universal and see the Blue Man Group perform. HELP ME...I am dumb enough to have purchased tickets in the "poncho zone". Me, who won't sit in Shamu's splash zone has willingly PAID to have grown men throw paint and goodness knows what else my way. I figure dh will like it though and that's what relationships are about...doing something you don't like because they do. Or something like that.

If anyone has been to the show, I would love more details and don't worry about spoilers...I love those. PM me if you don't want to post anything. Every time I ask on other threads, people tell me they don't want to ruin the surprise, but seriously, I wanna know.

After the show we will high tail it back to our little men who will be staying with an in room sitter.

I am very excited for this night. I only wish I could think of a way to squish the carriage ride in as well. I guess there is always next year.

 

[SkyGirl]

Your anniversary plans sound great, Jay. And I'm like you, I would want to know all the spoilers!! Anniversary's are so much fun!

 

[MouseTriper]

I just talked to the IPO live and now I have some updates to offer. I have asked for two separate surprises. The first being on our arrival day, if the items can be placed in the room ahead of time (not always possible, but at least a possibility with staying at the club level) they will be there...if not, we will come back to them after our first dinner.

The arrival day gifts will include:
for our little prince- a stuffed baby Mickey or Pluto made for infants.
for our Stitch-a stuffed Chip
for our Goofy- a stuffed Dale
for our Aladdin- a book about the behind the scenes imagineering that goes on at each park.

The second surprise will come on Tuesday night. The night before our big adventure luncheon. I have asked that each of the boys get some sort of Indiana Jones t-shirt along with some sort of Indiana Jones toy each. Well, at least for the older boys. I asked that the Little Prince be left a mylar balloon to play around with in the room. At that age, it's way more about the simple pleasures in life!

Oh my GOODNESS Jay....these in-room surprises sound awesome. I really wish you would just plan my whole trip out for me. You are so good at it!!!!

I will cut and paste an excerpt from the email I received.

"Our Culinary Team will create an Indiana Jones Style Backdrop for all desserts to be displayed in front of. There will be a lard Treasure Chest (I believe edible) and it will be filled with Truffles and Gold Coin candies. There will also be some type of large Snake creature on the display. There will be White Skull desserts, Chocolate Pyramids with Gold and Chocolate Indiana Jones Hats. It will be a nice size display and plenty of desserts for the entire
group."

Uhh...okay, if you are me that sounds fantastic BUT... I have no idea if any of the offerings will be anything other than solid chocolate (with the exception of the lard treasure chest and there is no way I am biting into that thing) . So I gave our event planner a call and asked a ton of questions. She said she didn't really have the answers as she had talked to the private dining manager who had talked to the pastry chef (does anybody remember that old game of phone where one person whispers something to the first person and then on down the line? ). She said she had seen a layout for the display drawn out and explained in more detail how things would be arranged and that the every dessert treat would be part of a big display. The backdrop would be a printed in edible ink on to a sheet of solid sugar and would be like the backdrop for the Indiana Jones Stunt Show. Think the creepy moss covered stone walls with torches and spears. Every single item will be edible (although, as in the case of the lard treasure chest, what is edible is not always something you would ever want to eat). I told her that I was looking for more than a display of chocolates and she assured me that although she didn't know what each part was going to be made of, (she was going to speak with the pastry chef herself this week to find out for sure) she was sure that they were an assortment of pastry items, chocolate items and maybe even some fresh fruit thrown in. I also requested the the truffles have a peanut butter filling...YUM!

While this is not really an answer as to what we will be eating...the big picture idea has my smiling from ear to ear thinking of our friends and the boys reactions when they see such a fabulous and fun display! I can also imagine my snap happy reaction. I wonder how many pictures I can get of the display BEFORE it is torn apart by the rest of the group?

I will update the menu when I hear back as to what the individual desserts are to be.

"a lard treasure chest" YUMMY!!! Okay now seriously, this dessert display sounds absolutely, positively SCRUMPTIOUS!!! Oh Jay...I can NOT wait to see pictures of this...this is just going to be incredible, I just know it. Hey, maybe you can ask the Culinary Artists....(that is what they are....ya know) if you could have a copy of the layout drawing for your WDW scrapbook!!!! How cool would that be??? (Well, I know not as cool as having the real thing right there in front of you....but I think the layout would be cool next to a picture of the real thing. Maybe you could even ask them to take a picture of the pastry chefs alongside their marvelous creation!!!!! That would be neat too....you know I am all about the pictures too. Hahahaha

In less than two weeks, Aladdin will be 12. We are having an Indiana Jones birthday party for him. He is inviting five of his best little buddies and they are going to see a movie of his choice at the Movie Tavern (they serve lunch or dinner while you watch the movie, it's a whole lot of fun) for an early dinner. After that, they are coming back to our house and playing soccer, basketball, water balloons and whatever other games eight boys (counting him and his two older younger brothers)will come up with until dusk. Once it gets dark, dh and I will pass out glow sticks and the first clue to a long treasure hunt that goes both in and out of the house. The clue will invite Aladdin's guests to help him hunt for his birthday treasure (aka presents) that has been taken by some sinister someone. We will hidden the things we got him along with the gifts his friends bring in a large box. The clues will lead them both inside our home and outside into the pitch black yard. We are lucky enough to have a big dark yard with lots of different areas to lead them through...perfectly spooky enough for that age boy!

The reason I am including this update in my planning report is that this is the costume that Aladdin will be wearing at MNSSHP! I figured he might as well get some play time out of it beforehand!

WOW, that sounds like such a perfect party for Aladdin!!! I am sure all your little guys are gonna enjoy that. Jay..YOU ROCK!!!!!

Sorry I have been (once again, it's really getting to be a BAD habit of mine) MIA. This past week we lost our dear grandmother (dh's dad's mom). She was in a whole lot of pain and had lived a very long (she was 96) and full life...but as always, saying goodbye is never easy for those of us that remain. I am happy that I had 15 years to get to know what a wonderful lady she really was. She definitely made a real impact in my life. She taught me a lot about loving, putting family first and always looking for the silver lining. She will be sorely missed. But I am so glad that she is out of pain.

I will update more within the next few days...

STILL TO COME:

The "I-am-totally-paid-off" happy dance.
Plans for the drive down.
Plans for our first night (will we be driving down or staying off-site?!).
Plans for after the cruise (am I talented enough to talk dh into an extra night or two at WDW when we return?!).
Plans for making plans.

Jay...I am soo very sorry for your loss. She sounded like a wonderful woman!!!!!

Anniversary Doings Update:

We still plan on eating at Artist Point on the night we are celebrating our
13th anniversary. We will be eating an early dinner.

Here is where the change comes in...instead of heading for a carriage ride afterward (I would still like to do this, but I don't know how to make the timing work out with this thrown into the mix) we will head over to Universal and see the Blue Man Group perform. HELP ME...I am dumb enough to have purchased tickets in the "poncho zone". Me, who won't sit in Shamu's splash zone has willingly PAID to have grown men throw paint and goodness knows what else my way. I figure dh will like it though and that's what relationships are about...doing something you don't like because they do. Or something like that.

If anyone has been to the show, I would love more details and don't worry about spoilers...I love those. PM me if you don't want to post anything. Every time I ask on other threads, people tell me they don't want to ruin the surprise, but seriously, I wanna know.

After the show we will high tail it back to our little men who will be staying with an in room sitter.

I am very excited for this night. I only wish I could think of a way to squish the carriage ride in as well. I guess there is always next year.

WOW...the Blue Man Group...I have heard of them....I can't wait to hear all about this as well. Does your DH know he is going to be seeing this show yet?

 

[momoftriplets]

HELP ME...I am dumb enough to have purchased tickets in the "poncho zone". Me, who won't sit in Shamu's splash zone has willingly PAID to have grown men throw paint and goodness knows what else my way.

Poncho zone!!!!!!!!!! OMG!!!

Not for me, honey!!

My BFF went to see them in Chicago a few years ago. I will see if she can shed some light on the poncho zone & let you know. Just like you & Heidi, I like to know what's coming, too! (Hi, Heidi!)

 

[Figment's Friend]

I've got a friend that goes to see the Blue Man Group at Universal's Citywalk every year but do you think I can remember anything about the show she's told me? I've seen Artist Point pictures and the food looks fabulous! Sounds like a great anniversary night, Jay!