The Return of the Asian-Feb 2010. 4/14-LINK TO PART 2-pg 249

[YukiPhnx]

Omg! I'm HORRIFIED by the story! But I can't stop laughing!

 

[Millie12591]

We are taught to think about race. I teach Kindergarten and one quote from a student still sticks with me after 18 years in the classroom. I was reading about MLK when he was a boy growing up in Atlanta. The story was talking about how he lived in a mixed race neighborhood and all the children played together until he started school. Then he couldn't go to school with the white boys he had played with before. I was trying to explain this idea of race especially durning that time in history. After I had talked and explained the best I knew how, one child raised her hand and said, "I get that he was black and the other boy was white. I still don't get why they couldn't play together." This is why I love working with children. I just smiled and closed my book and said that she didn't need to understand and that I really didn't understand why either. I no longer talk about race...but that we are all different from each other and that is great!

Actually brought tears to my eyes. It breaks my heart when I see others not seeing someone else's heart instead of their skin color. I have lots of freckles, and grew up with red hair sorta like Pyrate, I was made fun of and picked on mercilessly as a child in school (we moved around so I was the "new kid") all with the name Camille. Talk about standing out! But now I love who I am, Pooh shaped I'm not so happy with, but I can change that over time.

My son's was priceless too, he was only three.
Son~Mom what color am I?
Me~ (stalling to think of what to say) Uuuuuuummmmmm, what color do you think you are son?
Son~Green!
Me~Green! That's a greaaaaat color son! Yup. Yup, I see it! I think green is definitely your color.

I used to think I'd never stay in a value...but it's been an eye opening experience...I love Pop for sure.

I think Pop is the greatest!

Sorry to hijack, but I finally found these additional pics of Dylan (you know, the ones I'm going to whip out for his girlfriends and wedding...).

Here he didn't know what he was getting into... Erin was just dressing him and he went along with it...



And here is the one he asked for himself...



He had this big ol' stye in his eye at the time... poor thing.

These are priceless!! These have to be the one's you give to whom ever does the photo montage of the kids for high school graduation.

ITA with all your statements!!!!!!! WE LOVED CSR!!!

Thank you Tim!

We stayed at CSR last March in a renovated King room. It was awesome! I have pics in my 'character meal' TR. Also Kathy KatMark runs the CSR thread on the resorts boards and does a great job!

I need to see those!

http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2054735&id=1117416286&l=35c3c7d30b

Wanted to share my Cabo pics. Looks like it's going to take me some time to catch up here.

Great pics!

I was wondering where you had been...well we'll still be here when you have more time....

Look at the LensCrafter website and tell me which ones you like..

I'm with Cynthia! Before I got to everyone's suggestions I picked out both the pairs she did on Lenscrafters. I also have a couple of other pair I really liked. You need to go with something on the younger side, you may be chronologically 48 but you don't live like you are, so young and hip is the way to go with your glasses, especially working with the youth. In fact the pair you had are young, so don't change that. I like nerdy too, but it needs to be young nerdy.

Everyone is convincing me that a stay here might be a good idea.

I think it's a must try.

black frames...that's about my only requirement right now

That's the only color I was sticking with when I was picking them out. Glad we were on the same page there.

This peep has a broken neck so has been pillow and mattress shopping all day and then immobile for several hours. Bleh. Not really broken of course, just feels like it.

Love the princess boy, Wendy, that is some serious blackmail material!

Frames...

I do like that last pair quite a bit but it seems more of a departure for you.

I like these

http://www.lenscrafters.com/eyeglasses/3/mens-frames/d&g/dd5017

and these

http://www.lenscrafters.com/eyeglasses/3/mens-frames/oakley/okratchet4.0

as well.

Nothing beats trying them on. Does it have to be lenscrafters? I just found this cool brand at my eye doc last week. Pricewise about the same as the lenscrafter stuff with my insurance. Their website is a bit hinky but neat neat frames. A little nerdy and a lot cool at the same time. Looks like you'd have to email them to find out where they are in your area though.

http://www.prodesigndenmark.com/Default.aspx?ID=126&GroupID=



Oh inner voices are no fun Rebecca! I trust you though!

I'm so sorry about your neck, I need a new pillow too, let me know what you end up with.
I picked out the same first two Cynthia! You have a good eye for what looks good on people, I really like the one's you showed Jordy on the other site. VERY COOL!

My conference was great - Vegas isn't my kind of town really. It was warm and sunny, got a couple of pool times in. Not as crowded as usual - especially for Spring Break - I didn't play even one slot. Next time we're flying and taking an extra day to shop and sleep!

I'm with you there Tammie, I didn't feel Vegas was my town either. Waaay to risque for me. I did however love getting to see the Monet display at the Bellagio, this was the only hotel I liked walking into and not being hit in the face with smoke, they actually had a rose garden display going on and the hotel smelled wonderful! Very beautiful hotel. Lots of weddings going on there. That and Quinceanera's, which is pretty much like a wedding. Glad your back!

 

[Millie12591]

I went and looked at Lenscrafters today. I actually like Ray Ban frames the best and they were the least expensive of the ones I tried on. However, I did not take any women with me. I know they will have me trying ones on that I would not normally try on so who know what I'll end up with.

Did you see Derek's sunrise pic of BLT..? Beautiful....

You have to take a gal with you, maybe you can meet up where Wendy lives and have her go on an outing with you. I did pick out three or four pair of Rayban's for you. Do you want me to post all the one's I picked here or PM them to you? Of course there's nothing like trying them on. But you know this.

It does take alot of work to do a TR. Then to reply to everyone...sometimes just replying to people takes a few hours.

Thanks...I may be slightly funny, but the other crazies here make it hilarious.

Are you trying to say I'm crazy?

Good point, maybe they can walk to school, get some scholarships or go to a community college, not get married and live at home with us.....strike that...we'll pay to have them fly the coop....

Well, there's nothing saying you have to get the kids cars that you have to pay payments on at first, the junkier and bigger the better starting out is my motto. Then when they graduate high school you can get them a nicer car. We actually paid (and I'm not even joking) $350 dollars for the car we got our son, my DH had to do some work on it, but it was totally worth it for us to let him learn on a bigger older car. It was a Crown Vic, some guy my dh worked with's grandmothers. We called it the Hooptie, it had been stolen for a joy ride and banged up a bit and then returned. He hated it, until he realized most of his other friends didn't have a car. Now he drives my dad's much nicer old Honda Accord, he likes this one much better. Love me a Honda.
I also have a theory on parents paying for weddings....but I should probably keep that one to myself.

We're taking the kids on a surprise trip to Legoland and an overnight stay in Carlsbad (at one of our favorite hotel, the Sheraton Carlsbad). Hope we're not catching up on 20 pages by the time we're back from DIS in 48 hours.

Wooo Hooo! Sounds like a great time! Hope you have a fun trip!

Derek, I forgot to mention how great a job you did posting your first pic! The picture is beautiful.

 

[Lifelong_Dreamer]

You guys just crack me up, I thought I would share this short story about a joke that was played on a fluctuate spouse

This is a story about a couple who had been happily married for years.

The only friction in their marriage was the husband's habit of farting loudly every morning when he awoke. The noise would wake his wife and the smell would make her eyes water and make her gasp for air.

Every morning she would plead with him to stop
ripping them off because it was making her sick. He told
her he couldn't stop it and that it was perfectly natural.
She told him to see a doctor; she was concerned that
one day he would blow his guts out.

The years went by and he continued to rip them out!

Then one Thanksgiving morning as she was preparing
the turkey for dinner and he was upstairs sound asleep,
she looked at the bowl where she had put the turkey innards and neck, gizzard, liver and all the spare parts and a malicious thought came to her.

She took the bowl and went upstairs where her husband was sound asleep and, gently pulling back the bed covers, she pulled back the elastic waistband of his underpants and emptied the
bowl of turkey guts into his shorts.

Some time later she heard her husband waken with his
usual trumpeting which was followed by a blood curdling scream and the sound of frantic footsteps as he ran into the bathroom.

The wife could hardly control herself as she rolled on the floor laughing, tears in her eyes! After years of torture she reckoned she had got him back pretty good.

About twenty minutes later, her husband came downstairs in his bloodstained underpants with a look of horror on his face.

She bit her lip as she asked him what was the matter. He said, "Honey, you were right. All these years you have warned me and I didn't listen to you."
"What do you mean?" asked his wife. "Well, you always told me that one day I would end up farting my guts out, and today it finally happened.

But by the grace of God, some Vaseline, and these
two fingers, I think I got most of them back in."

Mom has been bugging me to post this joke for the longest time. I see she finally had the guts to do it herself.

 

[MAGICFOR2]

Actually brought tears to my eyes. It breaks my heart when I see others not seeing someone else's heart instead of their skin color. I have lots of freckles, and grew up with red hair sorta like Pyrate, I was made fun of and picked on mercilessly as a child in school (we moved around so I was the "new kid") all with the name Camille. Talk about standing out! But now I love who I am, Pooh shaped I'm not so happy with, but I can change that over time.

My son's was priceless too, he was only three.
Son~Mom what color am I?
Me~ (stalling to think of what to say) Uuuuuuummmmmm, what color do you think you are son?
Son~Green!
Me~Green! That's a greaaaaat color son! Yup. Yup, I see it! I think green is definitely your color.



I think Pop is the greatest!



These are priceless!! These have to be the one's you give to whom ever does the photo montage of the kids for high school graduation.



I need to see those!



Great pics!



I'm with Cynthia! Before I got to everyone's suggestions I picked out both the pairs she did on Lenscrafters. I also have a couple of other pair I really liked. You need to go with something on the younger side, you may be chronologically 48 but you don't live like you are, so young and hip is the way to go with your glasses, especially working with the youth. In fact the pair you had are young, so don't change that. I like nerdy too, but it needs to be young nerdy.



I think it's a must try.



That's the only color I was sticking with when I was picking them out. Glad we were on the same page there.



I'm so sorry about your neck, I need a new pillow too, let me know what you end up with.
I picked out the same first two Cynthia! You have a good eye for what looks good on people, I really like the one's you showed Jordy on the other site. VERY COOL!



I'm with you there Tammie, I didn't feel Vegas was my town either. Waaay to risque for me. I did however love getting to see the Monet display at the Bellagio, this was the only hotel I liked walking into and not being hit in the face with smoke, they actually had a rose garden display going on and the hotel smelled wonderful! Very beautiful hotel. Lots of weddings going on there. That and Quinceanera's, which is pretty much like a wedding. Glad your back!

The Bellagio is so fun to visit - there is a different floral display each season, and I love the water shows too. There are alot of great things to see in the shopping areas of most of the bigs, but it is hard to get to them- so far to walk and traffic is so slow its too hard to drive or too much $$ to taxi. We only made it to Cesar's this time from MGM before we ran out of steam and headed back.

 

[MAGICFOR2]

Hope you're having a great trip, Derek and Wendy!

 

[jordanyosh]

Just checking in at 6:48am...gotta run to church to do some more cleaning...this weekend a mixed bag...in bed all day with allergies on friday. Saturday--Church custodian, then wedding, then youth event--bowling.....loooooooong day...

Be back tonight or tomorrow morning with an update and maybe some pix from the weekend too...

 

[KathyRN137]

... Looking forward to it!

Have a peaceful and blessed Sunday, Jordan!


Kathy

 

[Sunset Cliffs]

Hey Jordan. Just checking in to say hi! I was so behind on your report that I had to use your links (hanging my head in shame. ).

We have been so busy the last 3 weeks, including 2 out of town volleyball tournaments (Todd is the coach) our anniversary, a wedding yesterday, and a high school Junior Prom (no, we did not go to the prom. I work at the school & am responsible for all of the money stuff). That all ended yesterday and now we are leaving for another trip down to your area (DL) in a week. Have I done anything to get ready? NO! But here I am on the Dis, trying to catch up on your TR.

I love the pictures of BLT. Derek's picture was so pretty! I have a feeling that their Dylan and my Dylan would become very fast friends!!

 

[Poolrat]

How is/was the conference?

Home now. I was able to somewhat justify a business expense for 24 hrs of internet. Had to clean out my work inbox.

Anywhoo, conference was good, not great just good. Education was good the social activities were a bit unorganized but between myself and a good friend who went with me we made it a good time.
My annual conference in Oct is tons more fun.... and educational yeah that's it

Just to reitererate how addicting this report is, I made sure I checked in here and thankfully I was not too behind. I never made it any other reports.


emmaca


Vegas - i agree, not my kind of town. I took the monorail and walked back. I was power walking down the strip but now i feel like I "did" it and don't care if i go back.

Jordan - take it easy- I know Holy week is busy for you.

 

[TrayRene]

Beautiful sunrise - I don't get to see too many of those - I'm not an early riser!

Yes and I'm now realizing we'll have a 13 year old, a 16 year old and a 19 year old at the same time.

Wendy - I have one son - 16 years old - my experience with the teenage years has been: half of the time it's and the other half is

 

[DisneyDerek]

Then I'm betting she'll remember more than you think. My son was almost 15 months when we went and he talks about it all the time still.

Unfortunately, Erin & Dylan don't remember most of their trips before the age of 3 so I'm guessing Ashlyn will be the same. We took Dylan on a Mediterranean DCL cruise in 2007 when he was 3 that he doesn't remember but at least we have the photo to remind him. Likewise, we took Erin on several trips to Hawaii, Disneyworld, etc. before the age of 3 that she doesn't remembered.

Now I understand why some folks wait until their kids are much older before going on some big trips..but Alaska is on deck for next year, so I'm doubtful Ashlyn will remember that trip either. But who knows, maybe Ashlyn will buck the trend.

 

[DisneyDerek]

Kept the kids in suspense the whole drive down to Carlsbad and all were very well behaved. The surprise was broken when we got off the freeway and Erin saw the sign that said "LEGOLAND." Wendy played it coy and said, "Legoland, we're going to pick strawberries". Then we headed to the Sheraton Carlsbad hotel to check in and enter the park from the special resort entrance.

We almost immediately ran into two different sets of friends, one family of which are dear friends of ours and with whom we've been trying to plan a get-together for months. Our friends Jeff and Roxanne also have 3 kids: Kayleen (11), Korinne (6) and Derrick (2) and our kids had a blast playing with them. We ended up spending the whole day and dinner with them (we ate dinner at Karl Strauss Brewery which was completely packed even though it tucked away by Legoland).

Here are a few photos from our short trip:

A few items for our one day, overnight trip

Erin enjoys a ride on the Lego camel

Dylan enjoys picking up balls at one of the shoot'em attractions

Erin & Kayleen become best buddies

Ashlyn & Derrick become best stroller buddies

Dylan & Korinne become best middle children buddies

The four eldest kids are like 4 peas in a pod (or 4 chicklets in a dino egg)

 

[Brenle]

Now I understand why some folks wait until their kids are much older before going on some big trips..but Alaska is on deck for next year, so I'm doubtful Ashlyn will remember that trip either. But who know's, maybe Ashlyn will buck the trend.

Alaska, eh? I heard you can "Actually see Russian" from there.

 

[TrayRene]

Great photos - they look like they had a fun time. I love the pic of Erin and Kayleen.

 

[DisneyDerek]

Love that shot !!!!
TEENS

Thanks Rosie for the compliments on the photo, it's easy to shoot a beautiful sunrise, especially when I got to see it all week!

Great photo Derek!

Thanks for the photo kudos, I'm getting back into digital photography. But I need to take some real classes to get better.

Derek my parents didn't even allow us to get our permits till we were 18. We had to be able to pay our own car insurance. But i feel like I'm a safer driver because of it. And we had to pay for our own college. However we were offered free room and board with my parents if we did go to college. If we chose not to go to college we had to get a job and pay rent.

I like this plan....and the car and insurance are not automatic in my book. We actually live within driving distance of the high school so they can walk but we'll have to see how their grades and driving goes (Dylan actually may be a good driver based on his driving skills at Legoland's Volvo driving ride).

Surprise trips are the best! Have a blast! Can't wait to see pictures and hear all about it when yall are back!

Yeah, the kids (and parents) had a blast. Pictures are now posted but I'll have to weed through the other 200 I took.

So this was Ashlyn's first visit? Why did I think we got to see baby photos of her at WDW from your last TR?
Derek, awesome sunrise photos!

Not sure which photos you saw before but they were probably photos of DL. This was Ashlyn's first official trip to WDW.

Hi Derek and Wendy, have fun on your weekend trip. What fun!

Yeah, Erin had so much fun she said, "Can we stay all week." I was like, "Uh no, we have to go back to work." To which she responded, "Don't you get more hotel points for the longer you stay?" To which I said, "No, we used hotel points to stay, so the longer you stay, the less points you have left!" And I ask myself, why I'm negotiating with a 7 year old

The kids are so cute!

Yeah, God has blessed them with good genes (from Wendy no doubt)

Wow, a surprise trip to Legoland! I'm sure they will love it. They're such lucky kids!

Yeah, Dylan thanked us for taking them to Legoland....it was totally unprompted and was enough thanks for us.

Well, there's nothing saying you have to get the kids cars that you have to pay payments on at first, the junkier and bigger the better starting out is my motto. Then when they graduate high school you can get them a nicer car. We actually paid (and I'm not even joking) $350 dollars for the car we got our son, my DH had to do some work on it, but it was totally worth it for us to let him learn on a bigger older car. It was a Crown Vic, some guy my dh worked with's grandmothers. We called it the Hooptie, it had been stolen for a joy ride and banged up a bit and then returned. He hated it, until he realized most of his other friends didn't have a car. Now he drives my dad's much nicer old Honda Accord, he likes this one much better. Love me a Honda.
I also have a theory on parents paying for weddings....but I should probably keep that one to myself.

Wooo Hooo! Sounds like a great time! Hope you have a fun trip!

Derek, I forgot to mention how great a job you did posting your first pic! The picture is beautiful.

I hear you on the first car...my first was slightly used but not a junker. Unfortunately, we live in an area where other kids get brand new BMWs, Mercedes, etc. and though we're not one to bow to peer pressure, I remember going to high school getting compared. My hope is that our kids will grow up appreciating the things they get in life and I hope that someday we can go on short-term mission trips when they're old enough to show them the real world outside of the bubble of our home town where too many kids grow up with silver (or platinum) spoons in their mouths. And the things I mentioned (cars, college, weddings, homes) was made in "tongue in cheek". Based on our bank account, the kids will be lucky to have food and clothes to get them through high school (it all goes to Uncle Walt)

Hope you're having a great trip, Derek and Wendy!

Had a blast, hope we can go to LL again soon!

I love the pictures of BLT. Derek's picture was so pretty! I have a feeling that their Dylan and my Dylan would become very fast friends!!

BLT was great (except for the distance to the non-monorail parks). We probably wont' be back for a number of years to save our points for future trips, especially for Jordan's multiple peepfests. It would be great for the two Dylans to become dos amgos!

Beautiful sunrise - I don't get to see too many of those - I'm not an early riser!

Yes and I'm now realizing we'll have a 13 year old, a 16 year old and a 19 year old at the same time.

Wendy - I have one son - 16 years old - my experience with the teenage years has been: half of the time it's and the other half is

Tracy, I wasn't always an early riser until I had to start getting up at 5:45 am every day for my current position. Now it's hard to break the cycle. As for our future teens, I'm hoping that our time will be more of the formerthan latter

Alaska, eh? I heard you can "Actually see Russian" from there.

Yeah, echos of Palin will be running through my head

 

[DisneyDerek]

Great photos - they look like they had a fun time. I love the pic of Erin and Kayleen.

Yeah, our two future rocker chicks....Kayleen's dad (Jeff) and I will have many sleepless nights ahead of us.

 

[vamassey1]

Derek thanks for posting the Legoland pictures. It looks like the kids had a blast. My oldest and youngest love legos. Wish we could go out there but its so far. But on a better note I have read that Legoland might be coming to Florida.

 

[YukiPhnx]

Yeah, Dylan thanked us for taking them to Legoland....it was totally unprompted and was enough thanks for us.

Oh my gosh, he thanked you???? What a wonderful son you have! It's so wonderful when children are grateful for what their parents do for them. That must've been so great to hear.

All I can think of when I see Erin on that camel is "HARD". Did it hurt? Did the sharp parts poke her? It just looks painful

 

[mrsksomeday]

Derek and Wendy I can't say it enough, your children are gorgeous!

The pictures with all the kids were too cute, it was great that you ran into your frlends and they have kids that your children can play with. Those kids were adorable too.