The DDA Trouble Free Zone Part 4

[Steffy]

Ok, I think I have all our days and ADRs done.

Sat, Sept 23: arrive 10:30am, MK, dinner at CM
Sun, MGM, MM FDP
Mon, Epcot, Lunch PSB, dinner Biergarten
Tues, AK, B'fast at Donalds, Dinner WCC
Wed, MK, B'fast at CP, late lunch at CRT
Thures, MGM, B'fast at 'ohana
Fri, MNSSHP and dinner at LTT
Sat, b'fast at 1900 Park Fare, depart at 5pm

I know it's a ton of TS, but we really prefer those. We are paying for CRT and some of the kids meals. Should be around $250 OOP. Not too bad, considering it's free dining!

Sounds great Denise. Love your siggie. Kate does good work.....

 

[Steffy]

I'm really trying, but I'm way back on page 1070!! I started on 1003. So I've made some progresss. Just really running behind....

ANd now I'm almost an hour past my bedtime. Pumpkin coach is here.

Nite, nite

 

[Linzybrooke]

OH - can you get it in tye dye?!?!!?!?

When I was in high school it was oh so cool to put stickers on your skin before tanning so you would have a little tan tattoo on your skin...you could put a little Mickey on your ankle!

Your hair looks great and I swear you are my aunt Nancy's twin...

Now, to all you girl scout mom's out there with left over cookies...send them my way!!!!!!!!

Night all, I've caught up but have to work in the AM. Have a great one!

 

[tmfranlk]

Can't...keep...eyes...open...any...more. I think that it is movies in bed time for little girls who think we sleep at 5pm instead of 8pm. I have my fingers crossed that she is growing! We have 3 inches to go by Oct so that she can ride Splash like she has been begging to do for weeks.

 

[MinnieMouseMom]

can someone please explain to me how it is that I live in a state that supposedly lessened our tax burden this year and yet I still owe over $2000 in taxes?!!?!

UPDATE!!!!!!

I just redid the state taxes b/c they seemed so off to me - seems I forgot to enter my DH's state withoholdings on TurboTax and we are actually getting a refund from the state!!! That was a $2700 swing!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Phew!!

 

[bengalbelle]

So I let my insane jealousy of my 4 yo get the best of me and I permed my hair!! I was bored and wanted a change and Julia has been telling me more and more she wants her hair straight like mine - I decided it would be better to make mine curly like hers - so Dawn you are getting your wish and can see a curly haired mom for Julia!! I also think having curly hair is more believable for me now that I have Julia!!

Here you can see my crocs - AND I would like to point out that NONE of these pictures were taken at the front door!!!

I love it! I can't believe you did this for me

The great thing about permed hair is you can go curly or round brush it and go straight. I tried talking my hair stylist into a body wave but she won't do that and a color and I need the color

 

[bengalbelle]

Not me I am sick of cookies, especially the Girl Scout cookies and still have boxes of them to sell. Since I was in charge of the cookie sale they are sitting here and I have no desire to eat them.

I will however take a bag of twizzlers.

Becky

We didn't see any Girl Scouts this year. Can you believe that?

 

[bengalbelle]

This is too funny but my hair and your hair match!!! I may just get up the courage this weekend to:
a. let somebody take a picture of me and
b. post it here for all to see!!
Although I am in desperate need of a perm or something done with my hair...when I get this desperate usually means I am going short!!

I'm afraid I might let her whack all my hair off tomorrow. I just can't seem to do anything with it since I got pregnant.

 

[bengalbelle]

I can help with number 1 but not 2.

Here is something that we have done when I was a kid. Our version might have varied a bit.

Easter Story Cookies


A couple years ago, I discovered a recipe for Easter Story Cookies. I was intrigued with the idea and decided to try them out. What a wonderful opportunity this presented to further teach the truth of Easter.

Begin this recipe on Saturday, the day before Easter.

1 cup whole pecans

1 teaspoon vinegar

3 egg whites

pinch salt

1 cup sugar

zipper baggie

wooden spoon or a wooden meat hammer

duct tape or packing tape

Bible



Preheat oven to 300*F.

Place pecans in zipper baggie and let children beat them with the wooden spoon or hammer to break them into small pieces.

Explain that after Jesus was arrested he was beaten by the Roman soldiers. Read John 19:1-3.

Let each child smell the vinegar. Put 1 teaspoon of vinegar into the mixing bowl.

Explain that when Jesus was thirsty on the cross he was given vinegar to drink. Read John 19:28-30.

Add egg whites to the vinegar. Eggs represent life.

Explain that Jesus gave his life to give us life. Read John 10:10-11.

Sprinkle a little salt into each child's hand. Let them taste. Then put your pinch of salt in the bowl.

Explain that this represents the salty tears shed by Jesus's followers, and the bitterness of our own sin. Read Luke 23:27

So far, the ingredients are not very appetizing! Add 1 cup sugar to the bowl.

Explain that the sweetest part of the story is that Jesus died because he loves us. He wants us to know and belong to him. Read Psalm 34:8 and John 3:16.

Beat with a mixer on high speed for 10 to 15 minutes until stiff peaks form.

Explain that the color white represents the purity in God's eyes of those whose sins have been cleansed by Jesus. Read Isaiah 1:18 and John 3:1-3.

Fold in broken nuts. Drop by teaspoons onto wax paper covered cookie sheets.

Explain that each mound represents the rocky tomb where Jesus's body was laid. Read Matthew 27:57-60.

Put the cookie sheet in the oven, close the door and turn the oven OFF. Give each child a piece of tape to seal the oven door.

Explain that Jesus' tomb was sealed. Read Matthew 27:65-66.

Leave the kitchen. If you've been making these cookies just before bedtime, GO TO BED!

Acknowledge that the kids are probably sad that they've worked hard to make these cookies, and now have to leave them in the oven overnight. Explain that Jesus' followers were in sad when Jesus died and the tomb was sealed. Read John 16:20 and 22.

On Easter morning, open the oven and give everyone a cookie. Ask the kids to notice the cracked surface. Have them bite into the cookies. The cookies are hollow!

Explain that on the first Easter morning, Jesus' followers were amazed to find the tomb open and empty. Read Matthew 28:1-9.

HE HAS RISEN!

We also did various crafts and things leading up to Easter. Always made homemade Easter candy and Jello eggs. If I think of anything else I did I will let you know.

When I was in college I could never go home for Easter so I spent it with various friends families, who had younger children. So I will share some neat things I saw.

The one family put the eggs and all of the basket items and hid them out in the front lawn, inside the house and all over the yard. Things were hidden in the trees, the grill, in the pool, on the roof all over. Inside the house basically anything was fair game. I am sure it started out as a traditional egg and basket hunt when the kids were young but evolved into a full blown out scavenger hunt of the yard and house. Some things had clues on them for some of the better hidden items.

Another thing that was done at one of my friends house, was a spider web of the whole house. This was done completly inside but could also go outside depending on where you live. Tied at the bottom of each kids bed was a piece of yarn with something tied to it. This yarn was stretched all over the house, around the furniture, up and down the house, in various rooms, in the bathroom. All of the kids strings were webbed together throughout the house. Along the way there were various items attached to the string, at the end of the string there Easter basket was tied fast. This way it took longer than a traditional basket hunt. Also the kids had to work together and everyone had a blast. If you do this you might want to declare a no string zone. Also the closer you get to the basket the bigger the string ball will be so it won't fit through small spaces, it might have fit through when you started.

Becky

Thanks! I wonder if this is the same recipe Glynis has?

 

[bengalbelle]

I'm





all







Caught










UP!!!

I'm all caught up!! Nana Nana Boo Boo, I'm all caught up!!

Unfortunatly I'm also exhausted.

I came home tonight to a clean house. Well, picked up anyway and the kitchen looks awesome. Apparently Chris spent his evening cleaning . I also came home to a toilet full of vomit. So I asked Chris who was sick and he got the what are you talking about look on his face. So I explain that someone had been sick and not flushed. He had no idea so I asked Colby who was the only child still awake and sure enough he had a tummy ache and pukeyed up. He never told Chris that he wasn't feeling well . So now I'm wondering how long he'll sleep. It could be a long night.

Deb

Poor Colby I hope he feels better soon and you were able to get some rest tonight.

 

[bengalbelle]

Can't...keep...eyes...open...any...more. I think that it is movies in bed time for little girls who think we sleep at 5pm instead of 8pm. I have my fingers crossed that she is growing! We have 3 inches to go by Oct so that she can ride Splash like she has been begging to do for weeks.

that she has a growth spurt!

 

[bengalbelle]

So ends my posting party. I woke up and couldn't go back to sleep. I hope everyone has a fabulous Friday

 

[PNO4TE]

So I let my insane jealousy of my 4 yo get the best of me and I permed my hair!! I was bored and wanted a change and Julia has been telling me more and more she wants her hair straight like mine - I decided it would be better to make mine curly like hers - so Dawn you are getting your wish and can see a curly haired mom for Julia!! I also think having curly hair is more believable for me now that I have Julia!!

Here you can see my crocs - AND I would like to point out that NONE of these pictures were taken at the front door!!!

I love you hair, Kate! And the Airwalks look cute. I went to one of our local Payless stores yesterday and they had every imaginable color in stock EXCEPT the pastel swirly ones. The clerk there said those are "last year's color" and that they are probably hard to find.

 

[PNO4TE]

So there are different levels! Beginners start with blue and can then move up in the ranks?

Kind of like belts in karate

 

[PNO4TE]

I think Kristine would say BLUE is a great color!

Ladies... please don't choose blue... my nickname for older members of an organization to which I belong is the "blue hairs" because most of them have that silvery-blue white hair.

 

[PNO4TE]

Sending .
Take care all I'll catch ya later.

Looks like you covered all your bases here, Jo
Glad things are going so well for you.

 

[bethbuchall]

I was reading the online version of our daily paper and this headline made me think of tie dying:

Bright blue ring circles Uranus



I am a sick, sick woman

You want to hear sick? I took the kids to lunch at Moe's Southwest Grill today for the first time. I ordered two hard Ugly Naked Guys before I realized what I had said! They have strange names for all of their food, and the Ugly Naked guy is a bean taco (available in either soft or hard shell).

Beth

 

[bethbuchall]

Denise-I found this on the net-"Kindergarten attendance is not mandatory in Georgia." I don't know how up to date that is but I think that would take one point of pressure off you. Seems like it would be down to would Rees do better with more time at home to get back into the swing of things (Dec trip) or would he do better with smaller crowds (Sept).

Beth-I haven't booked anything yet. Will need to wait to see what I can get for air fare. I was thinking start 8/26 with value season but if I do buy DVC I wouldn't have to worry about that. I'll let you know what we do.

I'm doing a little happy dance today cause I got my DME tags today for my 1st May trip. It was a nice surprise to a difficult day. I've been feeling lousy (colds, flu, and other variety of bugs that the kids have been sharing) for it seems like 4 weeks. So this was a very welcome sight!

If you are booking the free dining package, I'm pretty sure the value season dates are pushed back to 8/13 (if that changes anything for you). There are a few threads over on Resorts (Codes and Rates) that mention this, and my numbers work out as if that were true. I was trying to figure out how I now have water view at the standard view price. An early change of seasons would make that work out exactly.

Happy dance for the DME tags! I received my room-only cancellation and my new package paperwork today!

Beth

 

[bethbuchall]

I'd love the recipe for the Resurrection Cookies.

I had never seen the eggs that tell the Easter story until Christopher attended an Easter party last yeer. Thanks for reminding me to go look for them. I'm going to get my hair cut and colored tomorrow so I'll go look right after!

I guess the hard part is that Christopher is the only little one in our family and we always go to my MIL's house for Easter. He hunts by himself, but it's just not the same as having a group. I really need to come up with something special for an "only" child. I saw the yarn thing too. It was way complicated. We're going to make the tie-dye eggs (Kristine, I'll be thinking of you).

I saw the eggs that tell the Easter story at our Wal-Mart the other day. There was a special display of religious items for Easter. We use those at our church egg hunt. I like them.

Beth

 

[Tammi67]

Carli is going to see a performance of Peter Pan w/ my MIL tomorrow night!!! She is So excited!!! This is her first time actually going to see a play in a theatre, I hope she does OK, I will be making sure she gets a nap tomorrow for sure.

It's funny because she keeps seeing a commercial for this play and she seems very concerned that Peter Pan is being played by a woman--I think I would be more concerned if Tinkerbell was played by a man!!!!!

Is it the tour with Cathy Rigby???? We saw that last summer and it was WONDERFUL!!