We arrived on Sunday the 4th and it was busy busy busy at MCO and ME.When we went in 2009 we arrived on a Tuesday and were like the only ones on the bus to OKW. Making mental note to fly mid-week next trip if possible.
Both DH and I liked POFQ but I am afraid it might still hold too many memories for me, my youngest who was 10 at the time picked it because of the serpent slide at the pool.
I am doing well, I just wish we could afford to go back to Disney sooner than 2013.
Goodness your threads go quick, you just started last night and you are only on page 3.
I love the start so far. Makes me wish had taken some more pictures on my arrival day, but it was so dark and I was so tierd. I loved the location of your room escpecilly with the movie being shown in the court yard right outside your room.
Can't wait to read moreThough I guess I do need to go over and do some more in my TR.
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LOVING it!!!
Wow! We just got home a couple of hours ago and I come on here and see that you have already started your TR and are on page 3!
Can't wait to hear all about your trip. Have to go back to page 1 and start reading now!
Oh, and Max is even cuter in the big pictures than the one you showed me in WDW! Congratulations!
Loree!!! Glad to see you made it home OK... I am super excited to hear about your trip - are you going to do a TR???
I just have to say that it was so much fun meeting you and your DH!Thank you so much for making it work in your schedule.
Yes, Max is a cutie... he is also a monster - LOL We started calling him "Monster Max" to the tune of "Monster Mash"... LOL If only we could get him to potty train... He just doesn't care where he goes - and some of the time, doesn't even give us any signs that he wants to go??? Grrr... I am going to have to join some doggy potty training message board or something.
I was hoping to do another update tonight, but I am just so tired. I go back to work tomorrow... booo.
D~
I'm sorry you have to work today. There is nothing worse than going back to work after a vacation.Yes, Max is a cutie... he is also a monster - LOL We started calling him "Monster Max" to the tune of "Monster Mash"... LOL If only we could get him to potty train... He just doesn't care where he goes - and some of the time, doesn't even give us any signs that he wants to go??? Grrr... I am going to have to join some doggy potty training message board or something.
I was hoping to do another update tonight, but I am just so tired. I go back to work tomorrow... booo.
D~
I'm late, but here!
It was really great to meet you and the girls D! Glad to hear A is feeling better!![]()
D~
We loved meeting you and the girls too! This meet up was the one thing on my must do list that did actually get done. DH thought it was "cute" that I got to meet one of my "internet sewing buddies" and told my BIL/SIL that we could be twins once we got back to the resort. Ihim, he makes me laugh and smile all the time.
I don't think I will do a TR. This trip was not as magical as our last one. Don't get me wrong, we had a good time. Its just that if I had to sum up the last 10 days in one word, it would be 'frustrating'. I don't believe BIL or SIL are on DISboards but I don't want to say anything on here that might get seen and taken in the wrong way. DH reads DISboards and feels the same way so that wouldn't be an issue. We both agree that after our first trip, we came back raving about what a great time we had and we just can't do that right now.
Monster Max!Oh crap, now I have that song in my head! Let me see what I can pull out of the archive of my brain on puppy potty training. Are you . . .
limiting his access to food and especially water while potty training? (Helps with next point.)
taking him outside right after he eats or drinks anything? (And remember not to rush right back inside after he goes or he will learn to take his own sweet time while out there. Playing a quick game of fetch or tug, even a good petting will help.)
using a cue when you take him outside and he does go? (We used 'do your numbers' so she wouldn't have an accident if one of our friends told their kids to go potty. Also helpful when travelling and you want them to pretty much go on command. Our racing friends think it is hilarious when we pile out of the motorhome with Buffy and tell her 'do your numbers' and she goes on command. Our other friends, who we go camping with a lot, have a lab a few months older than Buffy and we always have to wait for Max, yes another Max!, to sniff around for 15-20 minutes before he'll go.)
keeping him corralled in a certain area or using a crate to help with training? (We used the crate if we weren't able to keep an absolute eagle eye on her. Buffy slept in it at night as well. The crate becomes their den and I remember our trainer telling us that they absolutely hate going to the bathroom where they sleep aka their den.)
I remember having to watch for signs that Buffy had to go when we were training her. She wouldn't seem to give any signal at all and just go.Once we started watching every move she made, we started to recognize the signs. I'm sure you guys will get there too. And remember that some dogs take longer than others to potty train. Max will get it eventually.
I'm sure I'll remember other things as well, but my brain is pretty much mush right now after the trip home. Feel free to ask questions any time you want, I'll do my best to answer them. As for now, I am off to bed. Have to work in the morning and catch up on all the work that piled up while we were gone!
I'm sorry you have to work today. There is nothing worse than going back to work after a vacation.
Try setting a timer every two hours and when the timer goes off it's time to potty. It may give Max the signal that he shouldn't pee unless he hears the ding. My vet also recommended a bell hanging on the back door and ring it every time you let the dog out so he can eventually learn to ring the bell when he wants to go out (I never tried it -- I figured my cat would annoy me with it).
One other friend suggested to leash the dog initially every time you let him out so he knows not to go unless on a leash. I tried that but I think I tried it too late. All I can say is that if Max is anything like my dogs he will be pretty good by the time he's two years old![]()
Neutering will make the biggest difference though but I advise you to check with the vet and make sure both testes are descended so you don't have to have him neutered twice like I did with my male. The second neutering made him stop peeing on the foyer plant every day![]()
One to add that was helpful with my Mr Max... at night...every time he whines...take him out. Tell him to (insert your word or phrase here) but don't say ANYTHING else. After he goes bring him back in and give him a small (like a quarter size of a dog biscuit) treat.
If he whines again, do the same. On the third whine I tell him "night-Night!" (my husband thought I was crazy...but after TWO nights he stopped wanting to go out every 15 minutes! He figured out that night time was for sleeping and day time was for playing!) Of course, when you are out the first two time you have to watch VERY carefully to make sure he went...puppies, like kids don't always empty their bladder if they think they are going to play!
During the day...I just took him out every time I saw him move from one spot to another! It averaged to about every 15 minutes. It took about 2 weeks before I was comfortable to take my eyes off him for a while. He got where he would just stand by the back door and wait... this weekend he actually BARKED to let us know he had to go out!
He is now 6 months old...and if something happened where I didn't crate him before I left the house...I would not worry about HIM having an accident in the house. (the other two small ones...yes...him, no!)
My only issue...when I am the one to let him out and back in...he goes and sits by the treat box for his biscuit...when the rest of the family does it he doesn't expect a biscuit! LOL!
Good Luck... I'll potty train yours if you train mine that my herb garden is NOT a sand box...and the pool is off limits!
Nini
That cooler is awesome, how sweetDo you know if it's from the Disney Florist?
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Please don't bother me
when I'm making my list
of places to pee next.
D~
Awww, thanks. We really loved them too. I can only imagine what we must have looked like in the park with all 7 of us strolling along! My DH is a Disney freak in the making and has only been twice. I don't know how many times I heard "hey did you see ________ on the Disboards" in the weeks leading up to our trip. I think he was on here even more than I was.Awww... That is so cute! I still love how your shirts turned out! And your DH is one awesome guy to wear them - my DH wouldn't wear anything I made, EVER... So, your DH gets major browning points from me.![]()
For us it was the frustration of not making rope drop, constant bathroom breaks (seriously, there wasn't one that they passed by), girly temper tantrums/bickering and not going back to the parks after dinner. We found the crowds on Monday in MK a little much in the afternoon and AK on Wednesday morning was crowded too. The other days we were fine or maybe we just chose the right park those days. The characters were great for us. DS is 11 but has an absolute love of WDW that you can see in his face. Older niece is also 11 and was a little stand offish, but that is normal for her. Younger niece is 8 and really came to life with the princesses, Mickey and Minnie. Other characters she was meh. Unfortunately we didn't get many pictures of DS alone with the characters as the girls were practically stuck like glue to him. Like you, we still had a good time though . . . lemons into lemonade right?That is such a bummer. I have to kind of agree with you a little bit. I have always loved our time in WDW - but this time is was just a little meh... I attributed it to Ruf, and so many things under refurb, and the much heavier crowds that we aren't used to, or possibly the girls being older - as the characters don't give older kids and adults the same kind of attention that the younger ones get. I am not sure - but I just can't put my finger on it. I agree though - we did have a good time overall - but there was just something that wasn't there.![]()
Routine is important and I am sure that it will get better as everyone settles in the next few weeks. I agree that puppies are worse than toddlers but the puppy stage seems to go by so quickly. I'll have to scrounge up some pictures of Buffy over the past couple of years for you. Before you know it, Max will be a big boy too!Most of this has been done... Part of the problem, is that MM hasn't been on a religious routine... and it keeps changing because we weren't here and now we are. And let's face it - my girls take a lot of getting used to.
The other part is that Ruf was soooo easy... Seriously. I think that having a puppy is 100 times worse than a toddler... Let's see - he is tiny and can fit into spaces that I can't... and he can run at 50 mph (I can walk at about 6) - LOL. I am so exhausted - I can't imagine how DH felt when we were gone.
Thanks for all the helpful tips... I will come back and read them a bit more thoroughly when I am awake.
We were the same way trying to figure out the dining plan our first trip. We also had nice CMs that helped us through it. It all looks delicious too. Can't wait to see what else you ate while there. This is the one thing we forgot to do, take pictures of our food like we did last time.First of all - we had never stayed at a Disney resort before - and even though I had read every board I could think of - actually doing the dining plan felt a little forign.
We decided just to grab a quick lunch at Sassagoula Float Works... The CMs were wonderful. I am sure it helped that it wasn't very busy at that time - because they took a few minutes to walk us through the dining plan and what our options were. We also picked up our mugs.
I ordered the Cajun burger... Allison ordered the Chicken Nuggets... and V ordered the Meatball sub.
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Love the pictures!We decided to make our way to the pool - and I took a few pics of the girls along the way...
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Awesome pixie dust! How nice of them to think of you guys! POFQ looks like a really nice resort from the pictures I have seen. Love the shot of your door!We also got some Pixie Dust delivered from Lisa and Megan... It was so sweet of them to think of us and totally unexpected! The girls professed their undying love to them.![]()
Nothing goes to their hearts faster than food. LOL This cooler bag was awesome!!! It was stuffed FULL of Disney snacks and there were even beverages in the bottom - a really thoughtful gift. The only thing that came home out of it was the cooler itself. LOL
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It was time to change and head out to our first park... Which park would it be???
On our way out, I walked out to the courtyard and took a picture of our room door from there... Second floor, blue door - center of the picture.
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Stay tuned for Day 1 part C
D~
He is actually very good about sleeping through the night. I kind of explained today's situation above - and I think that instance was reasonable.
We just need to figure out something for during the day...
It's almost as if he thinks he is supposed to go potty indoors.According to "the book" (as Josh referrs to it) I am reading, it says to clean up their messes, then spray them down with a vinegar/water mixture - which is what we've started doing. Until I read that, we were using Pinesol - which could have ammonia in it - to them it smells like urine... So, I dunno??? We've probably already trained him to go indoors?
That is good, at least.One down, two to go.
LOL
That's the other thing... I think he was some sort of gardener in his former life... He has pruned all of our flowers and plants... Pulled up all the tulip bulbs... He loves the flower garden!
D~
I just love the luggage set-up. I keep leaving hints for DH about your bags, I usually will leave the browser with pictures from your PTR displayed, so DH will see it when he goes to use the internet. I don't think this is working quite as I expected. Now he keeps arranging my dining room table with my SEW everything workshop book opened and my sewing machine light on. I think he wants me to attempt to make my own bag before giving in![]()
You went to Disney World? How did I miss that?
Can't remember if I ever told you that IWDW.
Looking forward to reading all about it.![]()