Sensing Pixie Dust I Am! A Star Wars Weekend PTR! New PTR Link pg. 77!

[Charleston Princess]

OH the AP discounts are nice Jackie!! I love the room rates, I love the TIW (plus free valet parking when dining at certain resorts), I love the World of DIsney discount!! Let's just say Disney has made me a permanent AP holder LOL!!!!!

OOOOH Food and Wine, what a great time of year to go!!!

The AP benefits are definitely enticing, and you know how Charles and I love Food and Wine. I am still bummed about not going last year.

WOW that pie looks amazing!! Thank goodness it's all the way in Georgia!! Tell Chelsea she did a great job!! Can't wait to hear how her next two pies turn out!!!!

LOL....yeah I'd let Charles handle the kitchen this morning LOL

I actually had to intercede because Charles was not dealing well with Chelsea's cranky attitude last Sunday. Her creations were delicious, though, and a huge hit at book club.

Yum cobbler! That sounds very good! The pie looked lovely! Tell Charles she is just being Rachel Ray! (who, btw, I hear is not as nice off set as she is in front of the camera...)

Yes those perks were worth it for us, too! If we got one, again, it would definitely be for that too... F & W all the way!

The cobbler and the berry pie were delicious! I had no idea Rachel Ray was a diva, herself.

The Food and Wine Festival is certainly calling to me this year!

Chelsea's pie looked great!! My family and I stay at Corannado Springs a lot and we love it!!

Thanks! This will be our second stay at CSR, and we are looking forward to it!

I love it that the pie maker is now acting like a diva!

That pie looks super yummy. I'm very impressed with Chelsea's pie making abilities.

Thanks! I am very impressed with Chelsea's pie making, too. Everything has been super yummy so far!

He is coming over toteh DARK side for sure.
You all know about my side effects.

The build up is worse than the ride. Hopefully you will think so too.

I am not sure what has caused Charles' transformation!

I have been having dreams about riding the TOT. The other night I dreamed that Nala, our dog, came running up while we were in line, and I said, "I have to stay with her. You all go on ahead."

Chelsea,
Great job on the pie. I am sure the cobbler will turn out just as good.

As for the diva comments, just stay out of the kitchen.

The cobbler was very good, but the berry pie was phenomenal!

Wow! Sure sounds like Charles has crossed over into our DIS loving camp! Yippee!! APs will be great and you know how I feel about F&W. Would be great if we could meet up again over dragonberry coladas or some other concoction.

That would be so much fun to hang out and drink Dragonberries!

Good for Chelsea on the pie making! She's more ambitious than I am in the kitchen. Agree, sounds like staying out of the kitchen for a while might be the way to go. An artist needs room to work...

LOL! Yes, giving the pie maker her space is definitely necessary!

AP's!! I am thinking about upgrading ours in May as we will be going in April next year.

Even if we just used them for one other trip, I think it would be worth it. We will see...

That pie Chelsea made looks great!! Good job Chelsea. Anxious to hear how the other pies turn out.

They were a hit at book club!

We are bracing here for -10 degree weather & 15 more inches of snow on Wed. I do not know where we are going to put it.

Yikes! It is supposed to be 64 here today, and I am on cloud nine at the prospect! Come on warm weather!

I think baking is a great hobby for girls that age! It looks like she did a great job!

I agree -- Chelsea seems to really enjoy it.

 

[Charleston Princess]

Chelsea's pie looks so good!
Does she want to teach me how to bake? I'll fly her to NYC for the weekend

HD, I heard the same thing about Rachel Ray. A friend went to a taping of one of her shows and said she wasn't very nice at all.

Berry pie and chocolate cobbler sound like the perfect book club treats.

Jen, Chelsea would be all over a trip to NYC! LOL! They were the perfect book club treats. The berry pie disappeared very quickly!

Mmmmmm Chelesa's pie looks delicious!! I love that she searched online, in books and wrote them all down on cards

Yes, Chelsea has been thoroughly enjoying being a pie maker. I told her she should become a pastry chef and work at the White House or Disney.

Do you think Charles would like his own Dis screen name?
So excited that you might be headed down the AP road and then you can head down the real road and meet C and I for F&W in October
Hope you are all having a wonderful weekend and enjoying the aroma of home made treats

Tracy

I keep telling Charles that everyone is clamoring for him to come play on the DIS, but there is no telling what he would say while on here. LOL!

Food and Wine Festival would be so much fun!

I think we should pick his Dis screen name.

LOL! I told him you were all plotting over here!

Oh it will be that much better if you do! It really IS fun.

I rode once in 1998 with my brother, and it only dropped once. It was a bit much then for me, but I am going to try and be brave this year.

that's outstanding! I keep trying to think of a justification for upgrading in April myself but I just can't see a group trip in the 12 month time frame given other commitments and limited vacation days.

I have always wanted to be an AP holder, but we will see if it actually comes to fruition!

and the brokest.

That's for sure! I got paid yesterday for the first time since December 17th, and it felt like I had won the lottery. Of course, I haven't paid bills yet. LOL!

did she make the crust too??????

Very impressive first effort!

Nope, she used store bought crusts. She wants to make her own, but I told her I needed to ease into that thought.

oh goodness! What's a chocolate cobbler?

It's just like a regular cobbler, but the filling is all chocolate. Very rich, but very good.

It does feel better when you slam.... or yell OW!!!!!!!!!! as I did last night trying to peel some blanched and HOT tomatoes.

Yikes! I agree -- sometimes it is necessary to slam something when things don't go quite the right way.

Chelsea - you rock! That pie looks delicious! YUMMY YUM YUM YUM!

It was as good as it looked!

I have so been out of the Dis loop! We are going to be at CSR at the same time. Yahoo!! We will have to meet up at The Dig. It is our first time staying there so you will have to let me in on the secrets.

Oh, yes, we do need to plan a meet! We plan on making ourselves at home at that great pool!

Good idea.

King Charles of Teppan Edo?
Chuck o' Tep for short?

Perfect! I keep waiting for Charles to say, "Wait! We aren't eating at Teppan Edo this trip?" Then, my ADRs will be in disarray!

NO WAY!! Girl, I must know what you gave to Charles to produce this turn around, then I want you to bottle it and send it my way for Don

I honestly don't know what I did -- maybe it is just he has finally given up on being the dissenter in the family. The whole, "If you can't beat them, join them" mentality. Every now and then he surprises me like that. Like last night -- I have been DYING to see The King's Speech and last night he said, "After soccer, let's go out to dinner and see it." It is so not the type of movie he normally wants to see so I was shocked!

It really is crazy! I'm afraid the policy has resulted in kids taking up sports simply to not have to take a 6th hour class. I mean the kids/parents were told at the first meeting that the freshman team would dress 20 players, then they posted the depth chart, still noone is leaving. Why else would they stick around other than to avoid a class?

So, the sports practice during school hours? All of ours are after school. We are finally finished with try-outs, thank goodness. We had to split them because there were so many girls. Now Charles has the unenviable task of choosing his twenty from the 60. He said I could have one pick. LOL!

I think your decision to stay of the kitchen is a wise one!

Chelsea did a great job on her pie, it looked really good

There was no way I would have been able to keep my mouth shut otherwise. LOL!

The three things Chelsea has made have all been really good.

I may need to send that girl an egg separator though, the thought of egg slime going through her fingers grosses me out!

This was pretty much my face while she was doing it!

Okay, Charles suggested the APs-- I agree he needs a screen name! Way to go Chelsea!! The pie looks amazing for her first time! How cool that she decided that would be her new hobby! Can't wait to hear how the others turn out.

I am too type A too. I put DH in charge of school projects so I don't take over!

Same here. I just can't help myself. It was very interesting when I had to oversee Chelsea doing her honors program application for high school. I had to walk away while she was doing the essay part of it and let Charles take over.

I am so proud of her for starting the whole pie baking extravaganza! I love to bake, so I'll be interested to see how all her tasty creations come out!

So far they have all been really good. I think I am going to get her some pie-making stuff for Valentine's Day. I love to bake, but I have always been slightly scared to do anything pie-wise except for easy ones like pumpkin and pecan.

 

[Charleston Princess]

Wow, I don't even bake pies....
Needless to say, I'm quite impressed by Chelsea's efforts!
You guys are so lucky to be her guinea pigs!
That chocolate cobbler sounds delightful!

We are always more than willing to be guinea pigs when there is food involved!

Way to go Chelsea! It's nice that she has that desire to want to bake/cook at her age. That's very impressive! And lucky for your family for getting to try ALL of the goodies that she makes.

Chelsea has always liked helping out in the kitchen when we are cooking and baking, so it was only a matter of time before she wanted to do something on her own.

I love baking! Especially pies! Me and Chelsea would get along great! I've never made a chocolate meringue, but it sounds yummy! The last desserts I made were a Tres Leches cake last week and Graham Cracker Cream Pie last weekend! Chelsea looks so excited in the pictures! I think i'm going to go to the grocery store tomorrow and get some ingredients to make something for dessert tomorrow! Thanks for the update!

Yum! That Graham Cracker Cream Pie sounds really good!

That pie looks awesome! I love baking but the only pie I've ever made is a three-berry pie (mix berries, sugar and cornstarch and toss it in the pre-made crust), never anything like that. To be honest, I think I'd see the part in the recipe that calls for separating the yolks and get nervous enough over that to just skip to a different recipe. Go Chelsea!

Me too! Anything that sounds remotely difficult like separating eggs makes me run in the opposite direction! LOL! Not to mention once I read how long I would have to whip meringue, I would have just gone with a store-bought pie.

Tell her that it looks like she did a FANTASTIC job!

BUT, poor Jackie....look at what a beautiful girl she is! She gets prettier by the minute, doesn't she?!?!? Have you and Charles thought about locking her up until she is oh, 30 or so?!??!?

Aw, thanks, Jen! We have talked about locking her up since she is about to start high school in the fall! We can't even wrap our minds around that one!

Woah, that pie looked impressive! And very tasty. It looked so well made, she really did a great job. I loved learning how to cook. I am still not really allowed to cook in my mom's kitchen because I make a huge mess!

Tell Chelsea that I would totally eat that pie......

Chelsea is definitely the queen of making a mess in the kitchen. I think that is the only reason she let Charles hang around because he was cleaning up behind her. LOL!

How did I miss that you had a PTR going?! I'm so sorry that I'm tardy. I love the winter pictures. My kids were never big on Star Wars and I don't know a single thing about it so thanks for the lesson. May the force be with you! If the force being with you is good, that is. If it's not, then I hope the force is against you.

Welcome!!! So glad you are here! Yes, the Force being with you is a good thing!

What a coincidence that you posted pictures of Chelsea making pie! I just took Emily to the store today to get supplies for her to make Cheesecake Cookie Cups tomorrow for extra credit for her Home Economics class. It should be interesting. I'll be at work tomorrow, so I won't be able to chime in.

Those sound yummy! How did they turn out?

Chelsea's pie looks great! What a fun hobby to have-- making pies.
I've stayed at CSR twice and LOVED it both times! Is the actual resort for this trip or will there be any changes?
Your ADRs look good, too!

Nope, I think we will be sticking with this resort because I don't want to accidentally mess up the Free Dining portion of it by trying to change. LOL!

Chelsea's pie looked delicious! I would have had to remove myself from the kitchen as well....I have a tendency to take over too. When my husband makes my birthday cake every year, I just hide upstairs for awhile.

Ha ha! Yep, even when Charles makes dinner, I go into hiding so I don't interfere.

Just thought I'd share with you how cold it is here today.....-7 degrees. And, we only have a 2 hour delay for school. Crazy, right? However, a bunch of other districts didn't even have a delay today and they didn't close. I don't remember the last time it was this cold!!!

Brrrr!!!! That is so cold! I am shivering at the thought! It is supposed to be 64 here today! I am super excited about the tiny glimpse of spring warmth we will be getting!

Charles suggested an AP???!!! Please send whatever you've been giving him to me so I can give some to Clay!

That pie looks delicious! Great job Chelsea!

I wish I knew so I could make a fortune off of it! I really don't know what has caused Charles' turn-around. It is almost like something out of a Twilight Zone episode. LOL!

I'm starting to get a 'vibe' here.

You must have seen Chelsea's post on Facebook about her pie vibes. She was placing her hands on the crust of the berry pie and saying, "This pie has serious pie vibes. Touch it, Mom!" She is such a spaz!

Jackie has been putting some secret ingredient in her baking.

She has been doing a lot of baking.

Charles has been doing a lot of eating of special baked goods.

If only I knew what it was I was putting in those baked goods! I would add twice as much!

Chelsea has figured it out.

Now she's baking to see what persuasive powers she can inflict on him.

What do ya think?

If I know my daughter, I am sure she would be putting in persuasive vibes for an iPhone and a Yorkie.

 

[Charleston Princess]

I think you're quite right Holmes! (As in Sherlock!)

I wish I knew what the magic touch had been!

Awesome job, Chelsea! The pie looked delicious! And I separate eggs the same way she did.

It seemed to work for Chelsea! She didn't have any problems separating the eggs whereas I usually try to use a large spoon and end up chasing those yolks all around the bowl. LOL!

I may have to start baking again.


But I need the secret ingredient.

Maybe it's because I am usually dreaming of Disney while I bake... All those thoughts of walking down Main Street just seep right in...

Hi Jackie! Am I too late to join this party?


Kathy

Hi, Kathy! You aren't late at all!!! Welcome! So glad to see you again!

I think we are all in shock that Charles is the one who suggested the AP

I know I am!

@MeMom, I think you're on to something with this baking theory! I think Jackie has some magical baking soda or something. Hmm...

Trust me -- if I had a big shaker full of pixie dust, it would be added into everything from lasagna to bowls of ice cream!

Jackie, you've done a great job teaching Chelsea to bake/cook. That pie she made looked wonderful! I have to admit that I separate eggs through my fingers too. If I don't, I always break the yolk. I taught the kids the same way and I think they like it because of the slimy feel of it

Thanks, Tink! Chelsea enjoyed it -- she kept saying, "This feels so cool."

Chelsea's pie came out great! Meringue icing is so yummy.The only pie I've ever attempted to make is pumpkin (easiest in the world to make, I know, but I did make the crust from scratch! )

You are doing better than me! The only pies I make are pecan and pumpkin, and I always buy the crusts ready-made.

I've said it before and I'll say it again, I LOVE the activities you all do each night! WOO HOO to Chelsea on that pie! It looks delicious and amazing!! Can't wait to hear how the next 2 turned out!!

Thanks, Jess! We love being home and hanging out together. The chocolate cobbler and the berry pie were even better than the chocolate meringue!

Did I see chatter about an AP???? And that it was Charles' idea????

Can you believe it??? We will have to see if we can swing it financially, but even if we can just squeeze a couple of other trips out of it, I think they would pay for themselves.

That is hilarious!!! And Chelsea's pie looks delicious! YUM!

The diva act does seem to result in a yummy pie.

Maybe some ingredient she actually bought in Disney World on her last trip? Or maybe just a magic Disney spatula or other official WDW utensil? Whatever it is, it seems to be working on King Charles.

Oh, I wonder if the addition of Disney kitchen tools would make the transformation even more powerful...

That pie is awesome!! Yummy. I am very impressed with Chelsea's skills. I am so happy that Charles suggested an AP! I am jealous. I really would love to get one, but my DH does not agree. I think he is crazy since we go two times a year for around a week a piece. We would save money. I think he is afraid if I have an AP, I will want to go every month. He probably is right!!

It would be hard to stay away with an AP. I have a feeling we might make the drive to Orlando even more frequently. How could we stay away when we knew we could head to the parks...?

 

[Charleston Princess]

I found a video of the last Star Tours flight that I think Connor would enjoy, if he hasn't already seen it. Some of those white soldier guys ride with the guests, and then a bunch of them escort them out of the park as it closes.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gf3g3wkTcyo&feature=channel

Enjoy! Makes me really look forward to riding the new one this summer!

So fun!!! Connor and I thoroughly enjoyed watching it! We would have been beside ourselves with excitement over riding it with a bunch of Stormtroopers.

I am 36 years old and I have never made a pie. Chelsea's looks incredible! I am so impressed.

Thanks! She did a great job! We were very proud of our little baker.

And you dare to wear the name Shell????

I think all these snow days are getting to you.

But I love it.

I love it, too! Even though I was so overwhelmed with work and coaching this week, it made me smile to get on here and read everyone's comments. LOL!

I just cracked up that MeMom called Stormtroopers, "white soldier guys". How did you raise two boys without being surrounded by Star Wars? Cooper, my 4 yo, already is obsessed. I had to hum the Darth Vader music this morning while getting ready for work so he could march out as Darth Vader in a blanket for a cape.

Too cute! I love it! I miss the days when Connor would do things like that! He always enjoyed dressing up as Batman, Spiderman, a Jedi, whatever the favored hero of the day happened to be!

No kidding! It certainly seems to be helping her come out of her shell!

How cute!!

I would love to see a picture!

I can assure you that the name Shell has nothing to do with any cooking talent. It is strictly short for Shelly. My cooking comes from boxes and cans. (and restaurants)

That's the way it has been in our house the past week.

I was cracking up about this too! "white soldier guys" who are controlled by a "black masked bad guy heavy breather".

That was a cool clip, though, MeMom!

Thanks for sharing!

We will get MeMom versed in all things Star Wars before this PTR is done!

Hey Jackie...trying to get caught up w/ all my sub's and I just loved your SW primer...too good I must show this to Matt he will get the biggest kick out of it! thanks!

and good luck to the new pie maker

Hi, Julie! Connor and I had fun writing it!

 

[SoonerGirl]

So, the sports practice during school hours? All of ours are after school. We are finally finished with try-outs, thank goodness. We had to split them because there were so many girls. Now Charles has the unenviable task of choosing his twenty from the 60. He said I could have one pick. LOL!

Yep, athletics is their 6th hour. Of course, Justin is rarely done before 5:30 or so, the varsity practices first so he usually sits in the stands and does his homework until it's their turn to hit the court. At the Jr High practice was always before or after school, not sure why it's different at the high school.

Narrowing down that list will be no easy task I'm sure, hopefully some players really stood out one way or the other. That was so nice of Charles to let you pick one

Same here. I just can't help myself. It was very interesting when I had to oversee Chelsea doing her honors program application for high school. I had to walk away while she was doing the essay part of it and let Charles take over.

I'm the same way with school projects, I have the hardest time keeping my mouth shut and letting them do it on their own. A couple of months ago Justin had to write a paper and make a brochure for his history class. He left to go to his pitching lesson and asked me to proof his paper for him while he was gone. I did and really didn't see much to change as it was pretty good. I then decided to take a peak at his brochure - it was awful, the child has NO creativity whatsoever. I thought I'd just move a few things around, but before I knew it I had redone his entire brochure

 

[micandminforever]

That's for sure! I got paid yesterday for the first time since December 17th, and it felt like I had won the lottery. Of course, I haven't paid bills yet. LOL!


We are finally finished with try-outs, thank goodness. We had to split them because there were so many girls. Now Charles has the unenviable task of choosing his twenty from the 60. He said I could have one pick. LOL!


Same here. I just can't help myself. It was very interesting when I had to oversee Chelsea doing her honors program application for high school. I had to walk away while she was doing the essay part of it and let Charles take over.

I remember it was always nice to get that Dec. check before Christmas, but it made the Month of Jan. long. Then Feb is a short month.

Good luck with picking the twenty girls, deciding the last two or three I found in Cheerleading was always the hardest part.

Was she applying to a regular honors program or the IB program?

 

[Poolrat]

The AP benefits are definitely enticing, and you know how Charles and I love Food and Wine. I am still bummed about not going last year.

The Food and Wine Festival is certainly calling to me this year!


I am not sure what has caused Charles' transformation!

That would be so much fun to hang out and drink Dragonberries!

Even if we just used them for one other trip, I think it would be worth it. We will see...

That AP has a magnetic pull to go south.

I have been having dreams about riding the TOT. The other night I dreamed that Nala, our dog, came running up while we were in line, and I said, "I have to stay with her. You all go on ahead."

Oh No you are already looking for ways to get out of it.

 

[MeMom]

I did and really didn't see much to change as it was pretty good. I then decided to take a peak at his brochure - it was awful, the child has NO creativity whatsoever. I thought I'd just move a few things around, but before I knew it I had redone his entire brochure

That's the only way my poor Drew-boy got through high school.

Oh No you are already looking for ways to get out of it.

Don't worry; Wigd is going to be there, and she is not going to be able to talk her way out of this one!


CP, under no circumstance is Connor to find out that I did not know who the white soldier guys were.
I know now, and will forever remember (until next time?) that they are Stormtroopers.

1. The white soldier guys are Stormtroopers.
2. The white soldier guys are Stormtroopers.
3. The white soldier guys are Stormtroopers.
4. The white......

 

[KathyRN137]

Jackie, the caramel shop in Germany is to die for!!

Three words: Chocolate. Caramel. Fudge.

Oh my!!

I'm still dreaming about it!!



Kathy

 

[Native NYer]

That looks so good!

 

[Charleston Princess]

Yep, athletics is their 6th hour. Of course, Justin is rarely done before 5:30 or so, the varsity practices first so he usually sits in the stands and does his homework until it's their turn to hit the court. At the Jr High practice was always before or after school, not sure why it's different at the high school.

That's so interesting to me. No wonder they have so many students coming out for the teams. What teenager could pass up the chance to be outside instead of sitting in a classroom?

Narrowing down that list will be no easy task I'm sure, hopefully some players really stood out one way or the other. That was so nice of Charles to let you pick one

Charles finally finished the roster tonight after dinner. There were definitely some players who stood out more than others, but there were a few that were so close in skill level that it was hard for him to decide which to take on those last three spots.

I'm the same way with school projects, I have the hardest time keeping my mouth shut and letting them do it on their own. A couple of months ago Justin had to write a paper and make a brochure for his history class. He left to go to his pitching lesson and asked me to proof his paper for him while he was gone. I did and really didn't see much to change as it was pretty good. I then decided to take a peak at his brochure - it was awful, the child has NO creativity whatsoever. I thought I'd just move a few things around, but before I knew it I had redone his entire brochure

Sounds like something I would do!

I remember it was always nice to get that Dec. check before Christmas, but it made the Month of Jan. long. Then Feb is a short month.

Thank goodness. I paid bills this weekend, and I swear I feel like we are back right where we were.

Good luck with picking the twenty girls, deciding the last two or three I found in Cheerleading was always the hardest part.

Yep, that was it exactly -- the last three were the hardest for Charles.

Was she applying to a regular honors program or the IB program?

Our county did away with the IB program last year, so it is just an honors program now with the requirement to take a certain number of AP courses.

That AP has a magnetic pull to go south.

I have a feeling I will want to escape every school break if we have one.

Oh No you are already looking for ways to get out of it.

Apparently so!

That's the only way my poor Drew-boy got through high school.

We have our moments like that here, too.

Don't worry; Wigd is going to be there, and she is not going to be able to talk her way out of this one!

I will need that gentle push from Wigd, I am sure.

CP, under no circumstance is Connor to find out that I did not know who the white soldier guys were.
I know now, and will forever remember (until next time?) that they are Stormtroopers.

1. The white soldier guys are Stormtroopers.
2. The white soldier guys are Stormtroopers.
3. The white soldier guys are Stormtroopers.
4. The white......

My lips are sealed.

You will be seeing more of those white soldier guys in the next update.

Jackie, the caramel shop in Germany is to die for!!

Three words: Chocolate. Caramel. Fudge.

Oh my!!

I'm still dreaming about it!!



Kathy

I am sure I will be dreaming about it now, too! Oh my! What a delicious treat to look forward to! Thanks for sharing, Kathy!

That looks so good!

Doesn't it? It is like my two favorite things all in one!

 

[Charleston Princess]

When the first Star Wars movie premiered in May, 1977, I was not quite three. My parents went off to see it without me which was probably a wise move at the time. Of course, the buzz generated by the film continued long after and by the time I was four or five, I was clamoring to see it. It must have been re-released at some point, and my parents took me to see it. (In fact, I just looked it up on the Internet, and it was re-released in both 1978 and 1979 -- I must have seen it in one of those years.)

I loved it. I am not really a science fiction or space fantasy kind of person, but something about the characters and the story resonated with me. In later updates we will visit my first “I want to be her when I grow up” and my first crush.

However, today, we are going to meet the Bringer of My First Nightmares.

Not sufficiently frightened yet?

How about now?

Hmmm, what about this one?

You’re right, perhaps a movie clip would better convey the terror my four-year-old self felt when I first met ol’ Darth.

Darth Vader’s First Entrance in Star Wars: A New Hope (about 2:30 into the clip).
Darth Vader Strides into Movie History

I was petrified by this tall, heavy breathing, ominous character who could make people writhe on the floor just by raising his hand and employing the Force.

I didn’t let him deter me from my love of the movie, but I can promise you I was convinced he was going to enter through the wash room of our basement preceded by Storm Troopers. (There were hot water heaters flanking either side, so it really would have made a perfect spot for him to make a grand entrance.)

I was so terrified of this possibility that I made my dad write a sign to post in the basement that I dictated to him.

It read something like this:

“No Star Wars characters allowed in this basement. Well, except the good guys. No Stormtroopers or Darth Vader are allowed.”

So great was my belief that my dad was a powerful authority figure that I was never afraid of uninvited Star Wars Bad Guy Guests again.

However, I can assure you that my cheek never rested on Darth Vader when I was falling asleep on my prized Star Wars sheets.

Which, I just discovered are available from Pottery Barn! How cool is that? I may need a set.

As I grew older, my fear of Darth Vader was replaced by other fears -- rodents…tornadoes…and I can look a little more fondly on him. Perhaps, it was Luke’s assertion in a later film, “Because there is good in him. I’ve felt it.”

I was willing to give Darth another chance, and when we met thirty years after our first encounter, I introduced him to Chelsea and Connor.

He did seem a bit contrite about the whole basement thing.

So, all forgiven, I let him be a part of this year’s trip binder.

 

[micandminforever]

Yea!! for the trip binder, now serious planning can begin.

 

[hlrababy]

However, I can assure you that my cheek never rested on Darth Vader when I was falling asleep on my prized Star Wars sheets.

Which, I just discovered are available from Pottery Barn! How cool is that? I may need a set.

Oh my gosh, I love those!!!! Chad would seriously plass out!!

As I grew older, my fear of Darth Vader was replaced by other fears -- rodents…tornadoes…and I can look a little more fondly on him. Perhaps, it was Luke’s assertion in a later film, “Because there is good in him. I’ve felt it.”

I was willing to give Darth another chance, and when we met thirty years after our first encounter, I introduced him to Chelsea and Connor.

He did seem a bit contrite about the whole basement thing.

So, all forgiven, I let him be a part of this year’s trip binder.

Oh you know I am with you on the tornados!! Ugh, I dread tornado season coming up!!!! I will have my post by our front door!!

I do have to say, you look a little nervous standing by Darth! Did he threaten to take you on the Death Star??


I love the binder!!

Oh, I just showed Chad the picture of Darth Vader with you and Chelsea and Connor and he said, "Man!! Look how big he is!! When are we gonna go down for that?" ha ha

 

[lmillercrew]

Nice binder!

 

[Happydog]

What a fantastic BINDER! You do a great job with these! Very nice color scheme and pics! I know I agree with you about that "fear" of Vader! I thought the same thing when I was a kid... then I think about our kids, who actually get to stand up to him or next to him, with all their "shortness" and all his "ominous sizeness" And I think I would pee my pants if I was in their shoes!!! And so I am ever thankful for the "on-screen" introduction vs. the in person bit!!! At least I could duck my head and cover my eyes and he wasn't going to talk to me!!! Did Connor ever do the Jedi training? When Griffin did it, I would have paid good money to be inside his head during that experience, to know what was going on in his mind!!! you guys are going to have the best time!!!

 

[2xcited2sleep]

Love your binder. So fun. I have binder envy. I have never had a binder. Perhaps I need to rectify that.

I totally relate to your basement trauma. For me it was not Darth Vader (although I loved the movies) but rather the sleestacks (sp?) from Land of the Lost. Seriously, I was afraid to enter the furnace room for YEARS.

I am SO looking forward to hearing at SWW from the CP clan this year! I'm sure it will be awesome!!!

 

[DisMomAmy]

I shared your updated with Tim & he told me of one of his childhood nightmares where Darth decapitated his mother! He had to go sleep on the floor next to her side of the bed so that Darth would have to step over him to get to her.

 

[eandesmom]

My brothers both had those sheets! I brought some vintage T's to Germany for my nephews and my brother was SOOO jealous!

At 4, Darth would be terrifying!!!