Ringing in 2010, 6 months til we'll be back again

[BrooklynnsMommy]

But, is it just me or does it look like you guys parked by the Mystery Machine????

Yes, Yes it does!

 

[manntra]

Wow!! I know either you or MeMom had said over on Wigd's TR that there were some issues with security! Yeesh! And to not have directions at SSR...you are lucky you found the right place! When I stayed there I really had to stop and think of exactly where I was or wanted to go because it is so spread out!!
I forgot to mention earlier that those sandwiches looked so good that I had to get up for a snack!

Tracy

 

[punkin413]

Erica and stasieki are within a week or so of each other, I think.

oh, okay! i hadn't seen that in the chatter. sorry i missed it! congrats (kinda late), stasieki!!!

A quick peek in Basin, to get a part of Dawn's surprise.

THANK YOU!!!! (again.)

For Jarvis and Ray, who like the Star Wars stuff.

i've seen that shirt before and thought it was SO cute!

what a great meet! isn't it so much fun to meet disfriends at the world? i wonder what happened with going to SSR?

 

[micandminforever]

Wonderful start to your report. I love all the shopping pictures.

 

[Charleston Princess]

Yeay, you made it to Disney World and started off with shopping pics! Hurray! Hurray!

Love the picture of Anita and Bella -- so cute!

I am stunned by the security guard! I mean, seriously, did she honestly think you would drag your kids with you if you were up to no good???

Your comment about taking the Disney bus cracked me up, Jill!

 

[punkin413]

okay...just read jill's story of what happened. seriously????? EVERY time i've ever been to DVC resort i just tell them i'm there to look and they look at my ID and wave me on through. what a freak!

 

[caralyn817]

Some people just take their job way to seriously. Haha! I love the Barnetta Fife comment! Brooklyn's dancing is adoreable. It reminds me of all my little kindergarteners. They always crack me up with their dance moves.

 

[reelmom]

I thought that you had parked next to the Mystery Machine also. Cute video of Brooklynn dancing. Bella is really growing up.

 

[MaryAz]

Yay for the great start! Cute pics as always. Glad you got to meet up with Wigd. That security haurd must have been bored or something...

 

[Lady Lallie]

Somehow when I checked in on Page 3, I forgot to subscribe so I just caught up with the other 26 pages.

Bella is just so darn cute, I love her little outfit with Thumper on it too.

 

[jenjolt]

OOOH...shopping pictures! I just love looking at shopping pictures!!

Once again what gorgeous pictures of the girls!! Love the static in the hair as Brooklyn comes down the slide LOL!!

And Bella...she is growing up so fast!! Look at her all up and moving around...and what a gorgeous smile on her!

 

[stace208]

Hi MeMom and Jill,
I am REALLY late but I am all caught up and popping in to say howdy!

LOVED all those shopping pictures. I can't wait to get back there!

Crazy story about the guard at SSR...talk about being a tad over the top!

 

[moparop]

Yeah, it is.

We need to see what's a sort of centerpoint for a lot of us. How far is everybody from like Louisville, KY? That might be high enough north to get in all our northern friends.

Louisville is just a hair over 2 hours from here. We'd ABSOLUTELY drive down there for a meet-up!

 

[andrews1ma]

Okay, let's get on with the report.

Santa Claus had come and left plenty of goodies for Brooklynn and Bella. I waited to go to Alabama until Saturday morning so that they could have plenty of family time and I could make sure everything was done here on the homefront. The girls and I spent the day together playing with their new things while Jill and John picked up the van and did all their last minute stuff.

You may recall that Sebastian was left behind on our October trip, so this time I remembered to bring him. He didn't get out much on the trip, but he still got to go.

Here he is visiting with some friends on Jill's tree.

We ate supper and turned in early, as we planned to get up around one, I believe. I was laying down on the living room couch and all the lights were out when I heard a noise. I looked down the hallway to see a smiling Brooklynn, who was too excited to sleep. I told her she could bring her things in the living room with me, and we'd just sleep on the floor.

Three trips and about twenty stuffed animals later, she settled in on the floor.

It took her no time to fall asleep then.

Also among the stuffed animals, and coming along with Sebastian, was my Christmas Eeyore.

I had bought a New Year's Stitch to accompany us to the Poly beach, but...

I forgot him at home.

I am kind of negligent when it comes to my stuffed/plastic family, aren't I?

We got up in the wee hours of the morning, bundled the girls up, and hit the road.

It is a good thing to travel when little ones are sleeping.

A few hours later, it was time to stop for some leg stretching and a little something for our tummies.

Bella trying out Ronald's shoes.

Isn't it nice that God invented DVD players?

Brooklynn was set for the entire trip. She was either sleeping or watching a video the entire time, and she was just as good as gold.

Here we are entering our favorite vacation state.

At the Florida Welcome Center, there was fun with faces.

Brooklynn.

Bella.

Baby doll.

The Welcome Center was decorated for the holidays.

Bella liked being able to move around some more.

Yummy Florida orange juice.

We sent a phone picture to Erica, I think.

Jill, you can add details now, since your memory is sharper than mine.

If Bella smiles any harder she may hurt herself....but from the looks of it she would probably brush it off and continue smiling!

In the last picture- if you look at Brooklynn at a slight angle- I can swear I see some hidden Mickey Ears popping up behind her.

They are gorgeous sweethearts of little girls! I love this TR- it really feels as though us readers are traveling right along with you!

On a side note- it is still freezing here in NC and my crazy gang and I just had Strawberry Ice Cream milkshakes...brrrrr..I am going to go and turn up the heat!

 

[moparop]

That meet-up looked like a ton of fun! How perfect to have two little ones so excited to hang out together! I love when message board kids become good buddies too!

I love those Downtown Disney pics! I wish there was a way to walk through the store virtually and do some shopping. I could use a Disney fix!

Barnetta was a tad bit too serious about her job! Good grief!

 

[Native NYer]

I just love your shopping photos!

I didn't realize that security was that tight when you drive up to a resort

 

[MeMom]

Yippy...we're on our way!!! Gotta love the DVD player! The girls look so happy and excited!!! Eyeore even looks happy for himself

Brooklynn fully knows what it means now when we say we are going to Disney World. She and Jill get terribly excited. I have to keep them calmed down.

hip, hip, hooray!
You're on your way!

That we are!
Glad you will be with us, and we'll try to make it fun for all!

That's great that they slept for so much of the drive. You are right.... sleeping children in the car is a wonderful thing.

Don't you love seeing that Florida sign!

Earl of Sandwich looks great. I will be eating there next time! Just can't beat a good sandwich sometimes.

Both girls did great. We couldn't have asked for a better situation.

Yes, the Florida sign is pretty exciting.

My favorite is the Holiday Special, but they are all so good. The bread is just so good, for starters.

Great trip down! I used to love stopping for orange juice when I was little and we stopped at the welcome center. That was a looooong time ago though...
Love all of your shopping pictures...Basin and their soaps and good smells. Just like the sign sells the soap smells sooooo good...I know it does because I have some here. I know what you mean about even walking around DTD...it thrills me too!

Tracy

You just feel pretty and clean walking into basin. I keep saying I'm going to buy myself a Mickey bar to bring home, but I have yet to do it.

I'm in need of a twelve step program when it comes to Disney. I am addicted, and I lose all sense of logical reasoning.

such cute pics of your travel day! brooklynn moving her 194 dolls into the living room is too funny. isn't it SO NICE to get into florida???

She brought her blanket and first armload of friends into the living room. I went and got her pillow, and she went with me to get another armload. While I was laying out everything, she went for more. Nobody got left behind!

Aww yay for the update!!!! I love the picture of Bella standing up in her carseat at the Florida Welcome center. That sweet toothy grin is just adorable. But, is it just me or does it look like you guys parked by the Mystery Machine????

She is a smiley girl most of the time, and those little teeth just make a sweet smile even cuter.

Wow!! I know either you or MeMom had said over on Wigd's TR that there were some issues with security! Yeesh! And to not have directions at SSR...you are lucky you found the right place! When I stayed there I really had to stop and think of exactly where I was or wanted to go because it is so spread out!!
I forgot to mention earlier that those sandwiches looked so good that I had to get up for a snack!

Tracy

The guard lady insisted on knowing the exact room we were going to. She said she had to know that so she could tell us where to go. In the end, when we finally were allowed in, she never even told us how to get to that exact room, so the whole thing was pointless.

I hope your snack was good.

oh, okay! i hadn't seen that in the chatter. sorry i missed it! congrats (kinda late), stasieki!!!



THANK YOU!!!! (again.)



i've seen that shirt before and thought it was SO cute!

what a great meet! isn't it so much fun to meet disfriends at the world? i wonder what happened with going to SSR?

We thought wigd and Shocker were going to have to walk to the gate to pick us up!

Wonderful start to your report. I love all the shopping pictures.

And I love to shop to bring them to you!

Yeay, you made it to Disney World and started off with shopping pics! Hurray! Hurray!

Love the picture of Anita and Bella -- so cute!

I am stunned by the security guard! I mean, seriously, did she honestly think you would drag your kids with you if you were up to no good???

Your comment about taking the Disney bus cracked me up, Jill!

It took me about thirty seconds to 'get my shopping on'!

Yes, Brooklynn's job was going to be to talk to anyone who came near, and Bella was going to crawl around and trip people while we tried to do whatever evil thing it was the guard thought we were there to do.

I might could have gotten out of the back of the van, caught a bus, and come up on the other side of the guard gate by the time she let us go.

 

[wigdoutdismom]

As MeMom said getting the stuff from Wigd and Shocker should have been easy. Take into consideration the facts:

1. We had driven to Downtown Disney in the rental van, therefore we had the room to put whatever they had without having to worry about the logistics of getting it on a bus.

2. They were staying at Saratoga Springs which is just a short walk from Downtown. Therefore an easy drive.

3. We knew that they were staying in the Congress Park section, so we knew where to find them.

These things you must remember or nothing that follows will seem as ridiculous as it actually was!

We parted ways at the tree and they walked back to the resort and we headed to the van. We drove over to the Saratoga Springs entrance and pulled up to the guard hut. Now I had my drivers license already pulled out because I know how this works.

Guard: "Welcome Home. Can I see your resort key card or a picture id?"

Me: "Why of course you can. Here you go. We are going to pick some stuff up from friends who are staying in Congress Park. Could you tell me exactly how to get there?"

Guard: "Of course I can. Just go straight through here and on your right will be the Congress Park bus stop. You can't miss it."

Me: "Thank you so much."

Guard: "You're welcome. Have a magical evening!"

That however is about as far from how it happened as you can possibly get. You see when we pulled up to the guard hut out stepped Barnetta Fife. That van with a mom, dad, two sweet girls, and a MeMom in the back just looked a little too suspicious.

Barnetta: "Welcome Home!"

Me: "Hi. We are going to pick some stuff up from friends who are staying in Congress Park. Could you tell me exactly how to get there?"

This is where we started to go south.

Barnetta: "What room are they in?"

Me: "I'm not sure. We just left them Downtown and we are supposed to meet them at the Congress Park bus stop."

Barnetta: "What are their names?"

Me: "Wigd and Shocker."

Barnetta: "Can you call them and find out what room they're in?"

Me: "I guess so." "Mom, do you have Wigd's number?"

MeMom: "I don't know. I mean I do I jsut don't know if it is with me." She starts digging through her purse for her address book and then starts looking through it.

Me (back to Barnetta): "We just left them at Downtown Disney and they are just meeting us at the bus stop. I have my license right here."

Barnetta: "Does she have a cell phone she can call them on?"

Me: "She is looking for the number."

MeMom gets in touch with Wigd and tells her about our dilemma. We get the room number. Problem solved. NOT!!!!!!

Me: "They are in room 3240."

Barnetta goes into the guard hut and then comes back out.

Barnetta: "Did she change rooms?"

Me: "They switched over here from Kidani."

Barnetta: "Do you have another name that the reservation could be under?"

SERIOUSLY!!!!

Me: "The only names it would be under are Wigd and Shocker."

She goes back into the guard hut and then comes back out.

Barnetta: "Okay. Go ahead."

John pulls on through quickly before she changes her mind and wants social security numbers and original copies of birth certificates. Then asks the question "Which way?"

Barnetta did not give us directions. She interrogated us like we were trying to rob the place and then didn't even direct us where to go. Luckily we were right in front of the Congress Park bus stop and so we parked and met up with Wigd and Shocker.

Lesson to take from all of this - If you are going to rob the place just ride a Disney bus to get there!

I had tears I was laughing so hard.....

When can we expect you over spring break?
we have a baby bed and a sofa sleeper....
we'll fix up something on the floor for Brooklynn, Jill can have her Boardwalk!

 

[praisehisname]

I looked down the hallway to see a smiling Brooklynn, who was too excited to sleep. I told her she could bring her things in the living room with me, and we'd just sleep on the floor.

What sweet memories she'll have of spending the night on the floor with her MeMom!

I also had a mission to find the Four Parks, One World CD for praisehisname, but they did not have it at my first stop.

So nice that you got to meet up with Wigd! Oh my gosh about the guard at Saratoga!

 

[MeMom]

okay...just read jill's story of what happened. seriously????? EVERY time i've ever been to DVC resort i just tell them i'm there to look and they look at my ID and wave me on through. what a freak!

We've never been questioned anywhere we have gone to visit or eat. I guess we were looking particularly seedy that night.

Some people just take their job way to seriously. Haha! I love the Barnetta Fife comment! Brooklyn's dancing is adoreable. It reminds me of all my little kindergarteners. They always crack me up with their dance moves.

She just kept asking more questions. What were the names? Could I get them on the phone? She had to know where they were before she could just let us come in.

Brooklynn loves to dance. She was kind of surprised when she threw the shoe, though!

I thought that you had parked next to the Mystery Machine also. Cute video of Brooklynn dancing. Bella is really growing up.

Bella goes to the doctor in the morning, so we'll get a report of what weight she's up to. I can tell that she has grown. Trent was always small and fell at the bottom of the chart when he was little, and Bella seems to be doing the same, but he was and she is healthy as could be.

Yay for the great start! Cute pics as always. Glad you got to meet up with Wigd. That security haurd must have been bored or something...

It was great to meet wigd and her two great guys. They were all so nice. Baylor didn't run off and hide from us, either. He stood around and conversed, and he was good to play with Brooklynn. He's a great kid.

Shocker, I was told, might have secretly been trying to get some MeMom pictures while we were talking, so we're going to hope he will be very kind in what he shows you.

Somehow when I checked in on Page 3, I forgot to subscribe so I just caught up with the other 26 pages.

Bella is just so darn cute, I love her little outfit with Thumper on it too.

I'd love for you to see Bella in person someday. You'll have to stop in Nashville on a drive down to WDW sometime.

I hope you have a fabulous time on your upcoming trip.

OOOH...shopping pictures! I just love looking at shopping pictures!!

Once again what gorgeous pictures of the girls!! Love the static in the hair as Brooklyn comes down the slide LOL!!

And Bella...she is growing up so fast!! Look at her all up and moving around...and what a gorgeous smile on her!

Yeah, that hair was electric yesterday when she was here. I shocked her a couple of times. I'm pretty electric, too.

Bella can really get around now. She's a happy little girl, as long as she is fed.

Hi MeMom and Jill,
I am REALLY late but I am all caught up and popping in to say howdy!

LOVED all those shopping pictures. I can't wait to get back there!

Crazy story about the guard at SSR...talk about being a tad over the top!

I know. When I was posting the pictures, I wanted to be back in DTD!

Poor lady. I know she is perfectly nice, but she was just a little overly enthusiastic about protecting wigd and Shocker that night.

Maybe she thought we had come to steal their food instead of just take their leftovers.

Louisville is just a hair over 2 hours from here. We'd ABSOLUTELY drive down there for a meet-up!

I bet that will happen eventually then. Brooklynn loves zoos, so we might make a trip up there to the Louisville Zoo. She has been there before, but I have not.

We'd love to meet up with you and your sweet kids.

If Bella smiles any harder she may hurt herself....but from the looks of it she would probably brush it off and continue smiling!

In the last picture- if you look at Brooklynn at a slight angle- I can swear I see some hidden Mickey Ears popping up behind her.

They are gorgeous sweethearts of little girls! I love this TR- it really feels as though us readers are traveling right along with you!

On a side note- it is still freezing here in NC and my crazy gang and I just had Strawberry Ice Cream milkshakes...brrrrr..I am going to go and turn up the heat!

I do believe you are right about those Mickey ears.

That's what we want - for everyone to feel like they are right there with us.
Be prepared, though, because you might see pictures unlike any you have seen.

That meet-up looked like a ton of fun! How perfect to have two little ones so excited to hang out together! I love when message board kids become good buddies too!

I love those Downtown Disney pics! I wish there was a way to walk through the store virtually and do some shopping. I could use a Disney fix!

Barnetta was a tad bit too serious about her job! Good grief!

Abby and Brooklynn got along very well, and I feel sure they will see each other again for some more outings.

If I ever invent that magic transport thing, we can just beam ourselves down for some good shopping and maybe a meal...and be back in time to cook supper, of course.