The Fixer,The CookMaster,The Teacher,The President: 2007 sequel-*BACK 10-20-08 * Yep

[AshClan]

OMG!!!! The Cookmaster AND the President!! Jami, darlin' you are pulling out all the stops on this report!

Can I just say, first, how much I love Shrek?! As I say to Jam all the time, we are the same people in parallel universes. I've always said my husband's the best, but I dare say that Shrek's doing a really job at keeping up with Jay!!! (Can't wait for them to meet!)

Cookmaster, I can still taste your delicious cookies, which Jami brought along to Dorkapalooza 2006. If those weren't enough to make me love you, we have all been further entranced by all of Jami's stories and, of course, the fab trip report from the last trip you all took together.

Emeline, it's nice to see you, too! I look forward to getting to "know" you some more through this sure-to-be-fantabulous trip report.

NOW, all of you, FINISH PACKING! Prayers and pixie dust to the whole crew (especially my darling love borgtwinsis Jami) for safe flights and a magical trip to the Happiest Place on Earth!!

HAVE A BALL!!!

We will be anxiously awaiting all the juicy details!!

 

[jamal]

I am so excited that the Cookmaster has FINALLY logged on the Dis! This is a huge victory as many of you begged and pleaded with her to defend herself last year. She preferred to read along in the shadows, calling herself an unfit writer. We’ll see if she lets you see how wrong she is, but at least she and Emeline have said Hello to you!

Now, you must have figured out that Em is The President. President? POTUS? Well, I’m afraid not. She is, however, filling the very important role of PTO President at our children’s elementary school, thus needing this vacation more than anyone. Our older boys (all four families have seventh graders) began kindergarten together and have been friends ever since. As she said, they jumped into the mix and we are thrilled they have brought the total for our Grand Gathering to sixteen!

Here’s the Coattail Family:
The President—Emeline, the tall beauty we also call The Mayor and community builder. She loves tennis, wine, entertaining and, sadly, cats. We continue to speak despite that shortcoming.
The Australian—Her DH. Shrek had to really listen to understand him when they first met. He’s an incredible tennis player and devoted family guy who rarely breaks for naps. Uh oh.
DS 13—Future tennis pro, smart kid, and my A’s classmate for 6 years.
DD 11—This redheaded beauty was just cast as the Queen in our school’s Cinderella! She’s a great friend to my niece and the Cookmaster’s DS10.
DS 7-- First grade friend of my E, adorable adventurous scout, hasn’t been to Disney in four years!

Here are The Cousins:

The Teacher—40, my sister, funny, beautiful, loves coke bottle gummies
DS12—B, my son’s six week younger cousin and friend since birth
DD10—Cinderella as just cast in our school play, my precious niece who has my heart!

Now you know our motley cast. I’m going to post a pic of the families then post once more before we leave. I can’t wait! I also want to thank you for reading and jumping in before we leave. It’s nice to know there are a few interested parties to inspire me to take notes while we are there!

The Fixers:

The Gatelatches:

The Cousins:

The Coattails:

 

[jaycns]

WOO HOOTY! OH JAMAL...you know I love a good trip report...yours tops among them! I am looking forward to hearing the tales that will be told! WOO HOO!! Thank goodness you are heading back! Have fun! Be safe! Take lots of notes!

 

[GeorgiaAristocat]

Jam!

And Cookmaster!!!!

AND President!!!!!!!!


Wow, the gang's all here. I can't wait to hear all about this trip!

 

[jw50]

Jami, if you don't fix the link to this TR it is going to be hard for some people to find it

 

[jamal]

Thanks Joe! I think I fixed it but don't have time or sense to make it look decent.

I so appreciate you all jumping in early and I do remember you!

We are leaving tomorrow!!!

I think I have slept a good four hours this week. My spreadsheet says I get a nap Saturday afternoon. I am also a good plane napper.

This is what I know: my family needs a break from the pace we keep here. We need to be together in the place that makes us smile and laugh and hug and look each other in the eye and listen and escape and wonder and dream and relive fantasy. We crave time in the World that manages to level the playing field among adults so we can see the world without skepticism or disdain.

I want to feel like a child for a week. I can be a responsible adult in the Happiest Place on Earth. Once again, I have the luxury of going with adult friends who make me laugh and understand me, a terrific troupe of children, and my three boys who love and tolerate me while accusing me of running like a chicken.

We'll tally some meltdowns like this classic from 2006:

We may spot some questionable wardrobe choices such as this one from last March:

We've got a few new tally ideas up our sleeves, too.

The Fixer will see you on the flip side.

 

[HaleyB]

This is the next best thing to getting to go myself.
I can not wait to hear and see it all!

I hope tons of Pixie Dust falls onto all of you!

 

[mdsouth]

Hello Cookmaster!

I am so glad you decided to join in this TR from the very beginning. I was one of those that tried to lure you to the boards last time.

I am looking forward to your trip --

Fixer, you are one fantastic storyteller! I thought it was pretty neat how you and your DS watch the Amazing Race together. I watch it with my DS10 as well. He gets his world atlas out and he plots their moves. My DH just shakes his head.

I guess I will just have to reread your first TR to refresh my memory until you all get back!

Take Care!

 

[jamal]

We are BACK!!!! It was absolutely wonderful. I have so many stories and pictures (I snapped 739 and Emeline and took quite a few, too!!) to share as we had eight glorious days in the best vacation spot on God's Earth! The nine kids in our group helped me take notes and tally observations so the trip report will begin tonight!!

Now, I may be a Fixer and have a few other tricks up my sleeve but CANNOT get my signature link to open this trip report . Can someome please PM me? It looks right, matches the 2006 TR link, but gives me an intranet scary lingo message. Help??

Could one of the moderators help (OK, please do it??) move this to the TR board for me when I write the first chapter later today? I am clearly, obviously, painfully, no techie and I want to do the right thing. Thank you so very much!!

UPDATED: OK< I think I got the link working but I will try to be back later with the first chapter! It's good to see you mdsouth!! Hi Emeline!!!

See ya later today!!

Jam

 

[princessjv]

Wow! I am so gald to hear you had a great trip! I can't wait for the pictures and great stories that go along with them!

Please share the 'directions' if you get them. I for the life of me , can't figure out how to make it work either!

 

[Emeline]

I have no IDEA what you are talking about but I can't wait to read the TR to see how much fun we had!! AND I can't make the banana dance here like I want to... Emeline

 

[goofyfan-12]

Welcome Home!!!!

Looking forward to reading this trip report. With the grand gathering of folks, it is bound to be a good one....

Jami - get crackin....

 

[MomofCKJ]

Welcome back! I really enjoyed the last report and can't wait to read this one too! I've got my coffee, I'm all set, bring it on!

Allyson

 

[Suzflee]

Howdy! I'm a rookie reader of the Fixer but with all these great reviews I couldn't pass it up. And several other of my fave TR reporters are 'fixin' to end their stories so even though I told myself it was time to cut back, I couldn't resist jumping on board!
Looking forward to an exciting ride! Bring it on!

 

[kthom]

Lurked through your last report (that sounds scary ) look forward to the new report..welcome back to the real world

 

[jamal]

I'm glad you are here; I'm glad you are ALL here!Yes, I made a color-coded spreadsheet for the trip. I actually made four versions because each family had slightly different ADRs and travel plans. The Fixer, now Operator, is here to serve. It’s my pleasure and actually gives me a huge surge of joy to highlight, print, and deliver the itineraries in Disney Princess folders! I used TourGuide MiKE tips, some IPO and Grand Gathering services, and plenty of DIS experience to get the party started.

Departure Day was Friday, March 16. The schedule ordered the children to go to school for ½ day so we could pack and get ready to leave. I love picking them up early to leave for a trip, don’t you? There’s something so exciting about skipping into the school offices and signing the form that says, “We cannot wait another minute to blow this joint! We are going to Disney World so please don’t try to stop us!”

No one tries to stop us, of course, because they, too, are ready for spring break.

As E and I skip out of the elementary school we spy the CookMaster and Beat (her 10 year old, my Fixer artist. That is his name now. He is an excellent drummer.) exiting the side door. She casually waves and says, “Have a great spring break. We’ll see you in ten days.” Then we RUN to each other and SCREAM and JUMP up and down on the school sidewalk with our boys because we are all going to Disney World together and we CANNOT get out of there fast enough and we are so excited we are out of breath and out of CONTROL!!!!!!!!!!!!

My decrepit silver bullet minivan meets Shrek’s sleek new minivan in our driveway as he is in a full sweat loading the luggage. I try to appear busy in the glove compartment and on the phone until he is finished. I run back into the house for one last check and decide not to risk Shrek’s wrath by unloading the dishwasher. I’ll just open the door and slide the racks out to breathe for ten days. Good call.

The spring break airport jam is legendary in these parts. Those with early flights on spring break Friday call the afternoon flighters (us) with reports of looooong baggage check waits and security backups. Two years ago the security line was over two hours long on spring break Friday.

Everyone goes away on spring break, and most go by plane.

Shrek had a plan, of course, as he is the airport veteran. Far be it from me to second-guess the Airport Expert. He dropped us at the terminal with the luggage and drove off to park. We were checked in within 10 minutes. We had 25 minutes to catch up with three families we know, which warmed us up for conversations with the 25 other families we saw before the plane took off.

Airport food is a great way to start a vacation. It’s part of the plan to make you appreciate the great food you get to eat when you arrive in Disney World.

The plane was packed (you are shocked). E and Beat grabbed two seats up front. The other boys sat in the middle. OK, I suppose we just let the 7 and 10 year olds sit alone in the plane??? Well, we did.

In case I didn’t make it clear in last year’s report, I can sleep anywhere. Airplanes are perfect two-hour slots (nice humming engine) for a snooze. I also told you I didn’t sleep the week before we left, so this particular nap was on the spreadsheet. I was in the middle seat between Shrek and a young lady. When I woke up I said Hello and she opened the window shade. I thanked her for lowering it before (I assume for me) and she said, “Oh, you were sleeping hard. Your head only fell over on me once.”

I nearly died. Now I am a 43 year old woman falling over on a 20 something on a plane. I feel old and out of control of my bodily functions. What is next??

We arrived at MCO ontime and knew we needed to look for Legacy Towncar (LOVE them!!). Shrek and Cledus just weren’t up for the Magical Express experience, so we rented a towncar. I highly recommend Legacy for service, timing, and value.

We came down the escalator and were greeted by Carlos:

Let the magic begin!

Up next: Some wonderful surprises and it all comes down to cottage cheese

 

[princessjv]

I

That is a CLASSIC! I LOVE IT!

I'm particularly (is that a real word?) interested in HOW you planned this, with seperate ADR's and all...woowsers!

 

[Disney owl]

great report thanks

 

[Grammyof2]

The Fixer, now Operator, is here to serve. It’s my pleasure and actually gives me a huge surge of joy to highlight, print, and deliver the itineraries in Disney Princess folders! I used TourGuide MiKE tips, some IPO and Grand Gathering services, and plenty of DIS experience to get the party started.

I expected nothing less

My decrepit silver bullet minivan meets Shrek’s sleek new minivan in our driveway as he is in a full sweat loading the luggage. I try to appear busy in the glove compartment and on the phone until he is finished. I run back into the house for one last check and decide not to risk Shrek’s wrath by unloading the dishwasher. I’ll just open the door and slide the racks out to breathe for ten days. Good call.

I see you pretending to be busy. It was a good call on the dishwasher You needed something to do upon your return

The plane was packed (you are shocked). E and Beat grabbed two seats up front. The other boys sat in the middle. OK, I suppose we just let the 7 and 10 year olds sit alone in the plane??? Well, we did.

Excuse me, all that are escaping to Florida. I will be leaving my boys here because I don't believe those movies about kids disappearing on planes and I have a plan that includes...

In case I didn’t make it clear in last year’s report, I can sleep anywhere. Airplanes are perfect two-hour slots (nice humming engine) for a snooze. I also told you I didn’t sleep the week before we left, so this particular nap was on the spreadsheet. I was in the middle seat between Shrek and a young lady. When I woke up I said Hello and she opened the window shade. I thanked her for lowering it before (I assume for me) and she said, “Oh, you were sleeping hard. Your head only fell over on me once.”

I nearly died. Now I am a 43 year old woman falling over on a 20 something on a plane. I feel old and out of control of my bodily functions. What is next??

I won't tell you what is next. It will be more fun for me to sit back and watch

This Jami - makes you the Master of Trip Planning Reports



I can't find my symbol

so I leave you with this

 

[nicolemarie]

Well, Jami.

I am looking forward to living vicariously through you. As we approach our Spring Break week next week, my mind can't help but remember how much fun our trip was last year. We were there at the same time, if you remember! And I'm pretty sure that's how we met. While we were writing parallel trip reports!!

Just last night I reminded my husband that we were living large this time last year.

I LOVE the itineraries in a Princess folder!! What a great idea!! And the sign the driver is holding is great.

I'm looking forward to reading your report - Count me in!

NM