Recreating Memories- Surprise Mother & daughter trip

[princess&her4princes]

How did I fall so far behind!

LOVE the shoes! Score on $15 Crocs! I really like those flip flop sandal type, I've wanted to try them, but haven't been able to find any when looking. Do you still like them after you've been wearing them a bit now?

I love your black sandals too! What did your DH say when he saw they were black?

Cole's Mickey shoes are adorable! I am not sure when we'll be down to the Mall of America again for the Disney store, but if it's anytime soon, I might have to try to find those too!

for Mickey Mail! That means your trip is CLOSE!

And CONGRATULATIONS on passing your RE exam! I used to work for the Board of Realtors (here in MN, and then also for the Long Island Board when I lived in NYC), we had to give the exams and it was always a long stressful day for our students. Some would dance right out of the office after passing, and others would have to come back again and again. I always felt such a bag of emotions for everyone that day! Real Estate is a tough job, but it can be exciting and rewarding. CONGRATS again!

Hi Brook!
LOVE my new croc sandals, they are sooo comfy!! I think they will be great for Disney!! I actually just found Mom some too, in black, so she's pretty excited, too!!! If you can find them, get them ,I think you'd like them and they are pretty cute on, too!!

Thanks for the congrats on my RE Exam! It was a lot of work!!!! Especially with three little ones at home...I was up at 5:30 a.m studying and up late at night, but it paid off!!! It's a HARD exam...so much math, law, but I did it!!! Woohoo!!!!!

Coley LOVES his Mickey sneaks....he will not let me put anything else on his feet! They were more for Fall, but I let him wear them a couple of times and now when I go to put his sandals on, he gets so mad at me!! He needs to wear "Gigi" shoes...Henry will love them!!! And they were 25% off when I was there!!!!

Woo hoo!

One month!!

Yayaya!!

Oh yeah! Oh yeah! Oh yeah!!



One Month to Go!!



[ ... one month to go! Do you know where your ADRs are?]

WOOHOO!!

 

[princess&her4princes]

Well bless your little feet!!! Nice footware! I say whatever you are used to is what you should stick with. WDW isn't the time to experiment.

It's nice to see how excited you are. on the Disney mail. I should get mine by the end of the month.

You are SO right....stay tuned fo rmy update!!

Well, that's just fun!

Yay MeMom...I can't wait!!!!!!!!!!

What a happy thought!!!

I'm on countdown!!!!!!!!!!!

 

[Lynn5700]

Oh I know... Disney has had a couple of tragedies this year. It's a shame!!

You're almost there girl!!

 

[princess&her4princes]

Long overdue update...sorry everyone...it's tough to keep up with this sometimes and life, so thanks for being patient with me and sticking around!!!

I have lots to report...so here goes.....

First and foremost....I got more mail!!!!!!!!!!

I just love those luggage tags...it makes it that much more real to me for some reason....

We also have changes to some plans...nothing major, but changes just the same. First, Mom has changed plans for the night before. We are now not staying at the Custom house, it didn't work out like she had thought it would, so we're now staying at a Marriot in Boston that offers a park and ride, and daily parking for $14/day, which is MUCH cheaper than what we were paying for at Logan. Mom and I will drive to Boston on Sunday afternoon, have dinner somewhere, spend the night and head to Logan via shuttle Monday morning for our 7:10 a.m. flight....so we'll be up and out early that day, but it works for me....we're going to WDW!!!

I am returning my Chacos (my black sandals...Todd's thrilled!! lol!!), they weren't what I expected and the many straps need SO much adjusting, they just weren't working for me. So for the price, I've decided to send them back and just go with what I have. I'll bring my Mary Jane Crocs, my Croc sandals and some sneaks, and call it a day. It's a quck trip and if I rotate some, I should be fine, or at least I hope I am!! So if you see me wearing brown shoes with black clothing in WDW, don't laugh! This something that stresses me out, but I'll get over it once I'm there or I will be wearing lots of browns!!

We have our photoshoot at GF booked!! We're doing it on Tuesday before dinner. We had planned to go back to POP about 3ish anyways that day to cool off by the pool, have drink, freshen up for dinner...so now, we're going back and getting prettied up for our photoshoot at 5:30 p.m. before heading to our 7:15 p.m. at O'hana's that night. We had planned to wear all black, assuming we all had something, but when I talked to the photographer he mentioned not to wear black or white....so back to the drawing board! We have all planned to wear black bottoms and a colored top, figuring any color top will look nice together (although we're trying to coordinate some). Got to still get this 10 lbs. off!!!!!!!!!

I emailed Jodi and Mom today a final update....or at least that what I told them! Just going over some final thoughts....what I bought that they don't need, what they do need, going over Mom's wheelchair rental, making sure Jodi brings my bed!!, and misc. stuff like that.

And finally...DAY 3 plans.....they are very loose, as most of our plans are.....so here goes:

MK!! (hours this day are 9 a.m- 8 p.m)

We are planning on opening ceremonies this day (or at least I am!) so will plan to leave POP about 7:45 to make it on time (will this work?!). We are touring loosely, we will have been to a few things on our 1st night, so we'll just take it by ear and do what we please wtih no real plan (again, this makes me a bit crazy...). We plan to do lunch at Terrace Noodles this day and we have a 7:30 at Kona. We will see how Mom's back is doing and see if we need an afternoon break and head to POP before dinner to freshen up and head back out. What am I missing??

I guess that's about it for now....I'm sure I will think of more....thanks for reading and I hope you guys will fill in what I am missing!!

26 more days! (almost 25!!)

Hope you're all well!!!
Take care,
Kristen

 

[princess&her4princes]

Oh I know... Disney has had a couple of tragedies this year. It's a shame!!

You're almost there girl!!

Hi Lynn!!
It really is a shame, I hope this is the last one we hear about!!!

I am...I really am!!!!!!!!!!!

 

[englishrose47]

Just caled y TA and left a message to see if my ME package has arrived!!! 25 days !!!!!

 

[princess&her4princes]

Just caled y TA and left a message to see if my ME package has arrived!!! 25 days !!!!!

Woohoo for 25 days!!! Can you believe it?!!

 

[2xcited2sleep]

25 days!! It's practically around the corner. I am getting excited for Disney mail myself. Everyday as I come home I wonder if today will be the day. When does it usually come? Around 30 days?

OK. For you, Kristen, I will try to hold back laughter on brown shoes with black clothes. No one is going to be looking at your feet, silly! Go with what is comfy!

Your plans sound great. It's going to be a magical trip, I can tell! Remind me, do the boys know where you're going? Does it register with them or they are kind of oblivious?

Have a great day!

 

[joelp]

Think - next week you'll be in the teens!!!

 

[princess&her4princes]

25 days!! It's practically around the corner. I am getting excited for Disney mail myself. Everyday as I come home I wonder if today will be the day. When does it usually come? Around 30 days?

OK. For you, Kristen, I will try to hold back laughter on brown shoes with black clothes. No one is going to be looking at your feet, silly! Go with what is comfy!

Your plans sound great. It's going to be a magical trip, I can tell! Remind me, do the boys know where you're going? Does it register with them or they are kind of oblivious?

Have a great day!

Morning C!!
Disney mail comes usually anywhere after 40 days I would say, I got my 1st mail about 35 days and then the other about 30...so you're on countdown my friend!!!

Thanks SO much for not laughing at me with my brown shoes/black outfit situation..lol!! I'm serious, I'm a big "Matcher" and this will stress me out..heehee, so I'll probably just wear outfits that match with brown to overcome this thing...lol!!

My boys have no idea....I just said to Todd last night, we need to talk to them about it....Mommy has never gone anywhere for that long...so it's beginning to make me a little nervous and sad that I'm going without them.

Hope you have a great day too!!!!!

Think - next week you'll be in the teens!!!

WOW...haven't thought that far ahead.....you're right!!!!!!!!!!!!! Thanks for making my Wednesday!!!!!

 

[princess&her4princes]

Morning all!

So my friend Christine brought up an interesting point this a.m. about my boys and if they knew I was going on my trip or not....they don't. I'm completely stressed about it! I need your help....do I tell them? Do I tell them I'm just going to Florida with Grammy and Aunt Jodi? Which isn't completey a lie....but kinda is! It's a BIG one, they have already asked when "we" are all going again so now I'm feeling badly for going without them. On one hand I feel like if I tell them they can relate daily with me where I am and what we did and I can share that with them when I call home, on the other hand, they are little....will they understand why i'm going alone and leaving them all home?! I feel like I'm in a rock and a hard place here...any suggestions are appreciated!!!!

Thanks!! Have a great day everyone!!
Kristen

 

[MomofCKJ]

Because they are little I might just leave it as going to Florida. When I did my solo trip last year mine were a bit older and could understand when I explained why I was going without them and they also understand time enough to know when their next trip was coming. For your little ones I think that is too abstract and they are just going to think Mom went to Disney World without us? I am not a fan of lying to children but I think I may, if I were in your shoes, leave it at Florida and not get specific. Just my 2 cents.


Allyson

 

[If U Had Wings]

How exciting that your plans are really taking shape now! I love that your going to have the photos taken. What a special way to remember your trip later.

I'd just go with saying your going to Florida, but not mentioning it to Disney. It's not a lie, just a bit of an omission. It will be much easier in the long run, then dealing with disappointed kids that aren't going to Disney. My brother and SIL used that tactic for a mom/dad only trip they took last year. The kids were fine with it that way.

 

[SoonerGirl]

Hmmmmm, that's a tough one! I think I would lean towards telling them that you are going to Florida with Grandma and Aunt Jodi and that it's a special trip for you girls to take together to celebrate Grandma's birthday. Leaving out Disney isn't necessarily lie - it's just a detail! I think with their young age it would be too hard for them to understand Mommy going to Disney without them, of course that's just my opinion - what do I know!

Only potential problem I can see with omitting where you are actually going is, will they want to see pictures when you get home?? My kids have always loved looking at pictures and most definitely would ask to see them.

 

[Gabrielsbigtrip]

That is a tough one.

I had thought about doing our trip in September as Mommy and Daddy only but I knew as soon as we got there we would have "no child" remorse.

Don't feel guilty.....this will be such a fun, fond memory for you for the rest of your life. It's not like the boys have never been or you won't take them again

I would say you are going to Florida with Grammy (my mom is Grammy too) and Aunt Jodi and then if they ask if you are going to Disney say yes and you will bring them back something special ( I think you already picked up stuff from Disney Store? ) and that you will show them all the pictures when you get back. Bribery works very well I have found

You could also tell them you are on a top secret mission to plan the most supercalifragilistic next family trip ever! With boys, who knows - that may work

 

[disneyscrappinjan]

I know how you feel. We took the kids in June, me & DH and DD are going in Oct., and me and DD are going on a girls trip in Nov. We have decided to tell the 2 twelve year olds that we are going to Florida in Nov. and no other info. We wanted a mother/daughter week and w/free dining, we already have AP's so it is a very cheap trip. Good luck on your decision.

 

[Dylan_&_Blake's_mom]

That is a tough one.

I had thought about doing our trip in September as Mommy and Daddy only but I knew as soon as we got there we would have "no child" remorse.

Don't feel guilty.....this will be such a fun, fond memory for you for the rest of your life. It's not like the boys have never been or you won't take them again

I would say you are going to Florida with Grammy (my mom is Grammy too) and Aunt Jodi and then if they ask if you are going to Disney say yes and you will bring them back something special ( I think you already picked up stuff from Disney Store? ) and that you will show them all the pictures when you get back. Bribery works very well I have found

You could also tell them you are on a top secret mission to plan the most supercalifragilistic next family trip ever! With boys, who knows - that may work

I second this motion. Relax honey, you are a great mommy and they know that. You just took them to disney and will again soon enough. You deserve this trip. You could tell them how you are doing this for grammy for all that she's done.....maybe that would help and maybe someday they will even feel compelled to follow your lead and take their mommy to disney

 

[joelp]

Ditto to all of the above ...

Besides, they'll be having so much fun with the Dad doin' nothin' but guy things while you're gone, the probably won't even miss you!!!

... and just imagine what the house is gonna look like when you get back ... ... that sould take care of any guilty feelings you may have!

Time to wake up my princesses ... actually - they're more like ogres at this time of the day ...

 

[2xcited2sleep]

Oh yikes! I didn't mean to cause anxiety with the question! I don't have any kids so can't offer any advice as to what level of detail to provide. But I can say you're a great mom and you shouldn't feel guilty at all. I think it's a good lesson to learn that Mom has her own interests and sometimes needs some solo time! And I'm sure they will totally enjoy their boys week!

 

[brookelizabeth]

Yahoo for Mickey Mail! I love it when all that starts rolling in!

That is a tough dilema about telling the kids...but, I agree with everyone. Tell them you are going on a trip to celebreate Grandma's Birthday...if they ask where, then you can leak a bit detail. Emphasize on the rockin' gifts they will be getting from you when you get back! I hope it all goes well...