~Snowbird Chat~

[Mndisneygirl]

Single digit dance!!!!

WOO HOOO!!!



I have a name story too -
When pregnant with Paige I had made a list. Paige was on it. DH crossed that one off. We couldn't agree on any. Boys or girls! I really thought she was going to be a boy, so we were focusing on boy names. (No, I had no reason for it, just felt that way).
So when she was born, we thought, maybe Erin. I spent a half a day looking at her saying Erin, and it didn't feel right. Next day my cousins come to see us at the hospital, DH had brought the name book and we all flipped through it. I knew her middle name would be Lucine (my grandma) so it had to flow with that. Then DH says, "Paige?" the cousins and I loved it (I had before!) and he agreed!
So the lesson? Don't rule ANYTHING out!

 

[danceintherain]

Becca--yep, everybody has their own opinion about EVERY aspect of being a parent, and many folks don't hesitate to tell you why their way is best! Maybe you can find a more supportive online forum where people actually encourage each other.


One piece of advice I got that I think was a good one--if you definitely settle on a name, don't tell anyone until after the baby is born! If you say, "We're thinking about (whatever name)", people will tell you why that's a terrible name. But if you wait and say, "Our baby has arrived and is named (whatever)", people will (almost always) keep any negative opinions to themselves. Plus, your baby will be so wonderful that any negative associations anyone has with the name will be forgotten!

It's actually not that bad most of the time. I try to avoid the really controversial threads, because I can do my own research. I actually joined a break-off group where we all express our opinions, but nobody gets upset if someone doesn't agree with them.

Anyways...yeah I've been trying to keep our names a secret, at least from family other than my sister (so we don't name our kid the same thing), because I don't really want their opinions. If random people tell me they don't like a name, then I usually don't care. Most people don't have legitimate reasons for not likely names, they just knew someone sometime who had that name and didn't like that person.

I'm hoping we can name our baby relatively quickly, because we get to go through the painful task of getting him/her a passport pretty much right after they're born. A passport requires a birth certificate and possibly a social security card (I think at least the number), so I'm hoping to get all that paperwork taken care of as soon as possible. Technically, we could probably travel to Korea with the Free Military issued passports, and then apply for a regular passport for the baby once we get there. We probably won't be traveling outside Korea for a while, but I would just rather have everything taken care of beforehand, so we don't run into any problems.

 

[Lil'Mermaid75]

Here's another parenting thing. What do the kids call the grandparents? It was no doubt that my DH's parents would be Mamaw and Papaw. All the women in my mil family were called Mamaw. Which was really confusing since at one time, they had 6 generations of woman alive. Plus by the time we had Joey, they already had 3 grandkids. Early in my pregnancy with Joey, I was having dinner with my family at my parents. My sister sat me down at the table after dinner, and said "That whatever my kids called our parents, all the grandkids would call them. She didn't think it was fair that just b/c I got pregnant first that I got to pick what they were going to be called." So we sat at the table at ran several names by my mom until we all agreed on what they would be called. We ended up with my parents being called Grammy and Grandad. My DH wants me to coninue the tradition when I become a grandmother. Well my response I can't put on a Disney board b/c it was very un-Disney like. My dad's mom was called Mamaw and to put it as nicely as I can...I hated the old woman. I would rather never ever step foot on Disney property again then be called Mamaw. I told my DH that I was leaning toward Gramm or Gramms. Heck, I would rather be called old bat than Mamaw.

I don't know why, but that made me laugh out loud!

My DS calls both of his grandma's MeeMaw. I wanted him to call my mom Granny, because my grandma was granny and I really liked that. Mom put a nix on that! So, they are both MeeMaw. He's the only grandkid on either side to call them anything other than grandma...don't know why. Unfortunately, both our dad's our gone, so that was never a discussion. We do have great friends and their parents have all "adopted" our son as their own grandkid and they are called "Grandma XXXX" and "Papaw XXXX". It's too funny.

Single digit dance!!!!

EEEK - Who let Disco Dale out?! Congrats on your single digit dance!!

 

[sarbah77]

Single digit dance!!!!

WOOHOO!!! Congrats!!

 

[letthewookiewin]

I don't know why, but that made me laugh out loud!

My DS calls both of his grandma's MeeMaw. I wanted him to call my mom Granny, because my grandma was granny and I really liked that. Mom put a nix on that! So, they are both MeeMaw. He's the only grandkid on either side to call them anything other than grandma...don't know why. Unfortunately, both our dad's our gone, so that was never a discussion. We do have great friends and their parents have all "adopted" our son as their own grandkid and they are called "Grandma XXXX" and "Papaw XXXX". It's too funny.


EEEK - Who let Disco Dale out?! Congrats on your single digit dance!!

That is sweet they let him call them Grandma and Papaw. My nephew (on my DH's side) calls my parents Grammy and Grandad. He only really has my DH's parents as grandparents. They don't have any contact really with his mother's family. My mom thinks he's so cute that she adopted him as another grandchild. When she buys something for my boys, she gets something for him as well.

 

[MAGGIED]

WOOHOO!!! Congrats!!

Disco Dale escaped... sorry ladies!!!

 

[Pluto_fan]

Technically, we could probably travel to Korea with the Free Military issued passports, and then apply for a regular passport for the baby once we get there. We probably won't be traveling outside Korea for a while, but I would just rather have everything taken care of beforehand, so we don't run into any problems.

From my experience from 2002-2004...you have to use the free passports when you are moving to Korea, because they put your Korean visa in it. The kids and I each had two passports when we lived in Germany and here in Belgium (the free one which is marked "for official travel" and our regular tourist passports), but in Korea we only used the free ones. We still had the other ones--although I think the kids' expired while we were there, kids' passports are only good for 5years--but we only used the ones with the visa in them. I don't think the Korean government would issue you a second visa for your second passport. Might want to check with the legal office. Anyway, good for you for thinking ahead about this kind of thing!

I think my boys are each on their fifth passports! Three official, two tourist.

 

[Lil'Mermaid75]

That is sweet they let him call them Grandma and Papaw. My nephew (on my DH's side) calls my parents Grammy and Grandad. He only really has my DH's parents as grandparents. They don't have any contact really with his mother's family. My mom thinks he's so cute that she adopted him as another grandchild. When she buys something for my boys, she gets something for him as well.

I think there are some people who are just made to be grandparents!

 

[letthewookiewin]

I think there are some people who are just made to be grandparents!

I agree. My mom keeps telling me it's better than being a parent. You get to have all the fun with out having to be the "bad guy". One of my family's favorite things to do is to buy the boys really loud noisey toys and then sending them home with us.

Well the DH decided I could book a trip for my birthday. He is going to work for his dad, and with my school money should be able to pay it off. I called and asked if they were booking packages for January 2011 yet. The CM I spoke to, said they weren't but suggested that I book for late 2010 and then just change it over to 2011 once they do start booking for 2011 packages. The plan right now is to book it at the PC for a few days and then if we can afford to later, add the dining plan. If we can, we will upgrade to the WL or my dream room at the CR with a MK view. If we can't upgrade, I won't mind b/c at least we'll be going. He's kind of worried about the size of the beds at the PC. Also, do the building have elevators? I would request a 1st floor, but I know it's just a suggestion. John is terrified of stairs, especially ones that the riser is open. He will literally sit down and scoot up or down. I don't know if it has to do with his mild ASD or Epilepsy. I was the same way as a child. Actually I still don't like stairs like that. Since we'll be there on my bday and John's we are going to try and budget to get a custom cake on the 9th (since that's inbetween our actualy bdays. I'm thinking a Elvis/Stitch cake. John was born on Elvis' bday and has always loved him. He says that when he was in heaven before he was born, him and Elvis were best friends.

Well I have to be up at 6 AM to get to class, so I'm off for the night. Maybe I'll get up early enough to go through a Starbucks drive-thru.

 

[danceintherain]

From my experience from 2002-2004...you have to use the free passports when you are moving to Korea, because they put your Korean visa in it. The kids and I each had two passports when we lived in Germany and here in Belgium (the free one which is marked "for official travel" and our regular tourist passports), but in Korea we only used the free ones. We still had the other ones--although I think the kids' expired while we were there, kids' passports are only good for 5years--but we only used the ones with the visa in them. I don't think the Korean government would issue you a second visa for your second passport. Might want to check with the legal office. Anyway, good for you for thinking ahead about this kind of thing!

I think my boys are each on their fifth passports! Three official, two tourist.

I know we have to use the government issued passports to get into the country, but we're planning on traveling elsewhere, and we can't use those for that. We have to get a SOFA stamp or something when we get there, but I don't know if that is for our military passport or tourist passport. I have an information packet on my computer somewhere, but I can't seem to find it right now. I read through it, but I think that may have even been before we found out I was pregnant, and Logan and I both already have passports, so I wouldn't have really looked at that part too carefully, thinking I could just reread it when we got closer. (I have to get my name changed on mine still, but that's not as big a deal)
Oh I think I just figured it out. We get an A-3 SOFA Visa on our military issued passport before we leave, then we go somewhere on base to get a SOFA stamp on our tourist passports. I'll still look into it, but that makes sense.

 

[Disney Mommy 3]

Wookie~ That's great that you now have a date!!! You can start planning/saving as you need to---that thing about the stairs I would tell to your CM--I am sure that they would try reallllly hard to accomodate that. It isn't just like a preference...that's more of a 'need', I would think. And that thing about him and Elvis is so sweet!! Don't kids just make you smile?

 

[letthewookiewin]

Wookie~ That's great that you now have a date!!! You can start planning/saving as you need to---that thing about the stairs I would tell to your CM--I am sure that they would try reallllly hard to accomodate that. It isn't just like a preference...that's more of a 'need', I would think. And that thing about him and Elvis is so sweet!! Don't kids just make you smile?

Yes, when there not driving me crazy.

DH was talking about it last night and he is obsessed with the bed size at the PC. He has decided that I will sleep with John and he will sleep with Joey. I'll have to make several ADR plans since we are not sure how many day or which (if any) DDP we'll do. Hopefully we will be able to do the DlxDDP b/c I would rather not have to deal with any CS's while we are there. Also, since we are planning for January, it should give me time to get my scarf done and one for the boys.

Hopefully, Disney will have another good deal for January.

So, I was supposed to go to math class this morning, and be in class by 8 AM. My alarm went off at 11:00 AM. My DH went to bed way after I did last night. When he came to bed, he checked the alarm. Thinking the alarm was set for the wrong time (6 AM) he reset it. Luckily, it is a self paced class, and I can just go up to school during the week and have one of the other profs open my test for me.

 

[Monny2AE]

Wanted to pop in and say hello. I feel like a true Snowbird today. This snow is relentless!!!!! We are getting slammed here in MD.

 

[Northern Disney Girl]

Wanted to pop in and say hello. I feel like a true Snowbird today. This snow is relentless!!!!! We are getting slammed here in MD.

Hang in there girl! It will end - then you will have to start shovelling! Just remember, it won't last forever! Is there any chance you will have a snow day on Monday?????

 

[sarbah77]

Wanted to pop in and say hello. I feel like a true Snowbird today. This snow is relentless!!!!! We are getting slammed here in MD.

You guys are having QUITE a winter!! I hope the kids have been having fun in it.

 

[Northern Disney Girl]

Oh my Good ness! We were so far back on page 5! That will just NOT do! So I bumping us back to page 1!!! Also, I have strted my TR!!! Everyone come have a looksie!

 

[Pluto_fan]

Great start, Kim! And I made it onto Page 1!

 

[MindyLuvsMickey]

Missing Disney a lot this morning. We are expecting another 14" on top of the 18 or so inches on the ground. To make it worse, my hubby is in California. Hoping to find a way to dig out with a three month old baby who does like to be put down LOL.

Thinking happy thoughts.

 

[sarbah77]

Missing Disney a lot this morning. We are expecting another 14" on top of the 18 or so inches on the ground. To make it worse, my hubby is in California. Hoping to find a way to dig out with a three month old baby who does like to be put down LOL.

Thinking happy thoughts.

So cute!!!

We're looking at 7-10 inches and, frankly, everyone here drives like they do in the metro DC area when it comes to snowfall. It always makes me so anxious. Plus, I'm afraid of slipping on the untreated roads/sidewalks and damaging my surgically broken leg!!

I will be okay I will be okay I will be okay. Maybe I should take a bus home tonight so my husband doesn't have to listen to me freak out when he drives?

 

[MindyLuvsMickey]

Oh, no! Definitely stay safe on the roads. I would imagine that it's terribly getting around in a bad lag.

My poor brother and his family is supposed to be flying to Disney tomorrow out of BWI. Not so sure he's going to get out.