The Ups and Downs of Labor Day weekend 2010

[annmarieda]

Since I did my first PTR for this trip I am following up with the actual trip report. There were laughs and tears and a lot of sweating that took place. It was overwhelming at times but I am so glad I went. I am sad to be back but hopefully, this report will keep the magic going in my life a bit until I am ready to book the next trip.

For those of you who don't know the cast...here we go..

There is me (Ann) I am 40 and the mother of 4. I would share a picture from this trip..but alas...I didn't take any of myself. This is from our February trip.

There is my dd Kira age 20. She didn't get to come on our last trip and she is a big fan of Disney. It was so cool that she went this time. This is a picture of her this trip.

Zoe is my other daughter and age 5. She is so fun. This was taken after a long flight.

Last there is my mom. She just turned 71 prior to the trip so we celebrated it all week long.

 

[annmarieda]

Chapter 1: Mom arrives http://www.disboards.com/showpost.php?p=38198542&postcount=4
Chapter 2: Pre trip Mishaps http://www.disboards.com/showpost.php?p=38203296&postcount=11
Chapter 3: Time to Fly http://www.disboards.com/showpost.php?p=38211534&postcount=22
Chapter 4: Arrival! http://www.disboards.com/showpost.php?p=38220562&postcount=23
Chapter 5: Ohana http://www.disboards.com/showpost.php?p=38226045&postcount=31
Chapter 6: Finishing up 9/1 http://www.disboards.com/showpost.php?p=38236795&postcount=34
Chapter 7: We finally get to go to a park! http://www.disboards.com/showpost.php?p=38240970&postcount=36
Chapter 8: Will she stay or will she go? http://www.disboards.com/showpost.php?p=38254158&postcount=45
Chapter 9: Mom returns for dinner! http://www.disboards.com/showpost.php?p=38259028&postcount=46
Chapter 10: Filling the void before Fantasmic http://www.disboards.com/showpost.php?p=38261140&postcount=48
Chapter 11: Tired and hot, we end the day of 9/2. http://www.disboards.com/showpost.php?p=38273933&postcount=50
Chapter 12: On our way back to Pop to sleep? http://www.disboards.com/showpost.php?p=38275882&postcount=57
Chapter 13: Discouraged, we start 9/3 in Epcot http://www.disboards.com/showpost.php?p=38281763&postcount=62
Chapter 14: Hunger strikes, thank goodness for free dinning http://www.disboards.com/showpost.php?p=38290777&postcount=68
Chapter 15: Off schedule but on track to happiness http://www.disboards.com/showpost.php?p=38303261&postcount=74
Chapter 16: Coral Reef http://www.disboards.com/showpost.php?p=38315204&postcount=77
Chapter 17: How better to end 9/3http://www.disboards.com/showpost.php?p=38319095&postcount=80
Chapter 18: The calm before the next storm http://www.disboards.com/showpost.php?p=38328699&postcount=86
Chapter 19: Lunch, priority seating and the end of our AK day http://www.disboards.com/showpost.php?p=38342665&postcount=94
BONUS Chapter: Mom's glasseshttp://www.disboards.com/showpost.php?p=38336907&postcount=91
Chapter 20: Look out, She's gonna blow!http://www.disboards.com/showpost.php?p=38356920&postcount=100
Chapter 21: Setting sail http://www.disboards.com/showpost.php?p=38370886&postcount=103
Chapter 22: Finally, a trip to the Magic Kingdom!http://www.disboards.com/showpost.php?p=38381999&postcount=111 Chapter 23: [COLOR="Purple"] Lunc...rds.com/showpost.php?p=38397253&postcount=118
Chapter 24: Slowly melting our brains and everything else it, must be time to go!http://www.disboards.com/showpost.php?p=38424399&postcount=122
Chapter 25: Back to Pop for some rest http://www.disboards.com/showpost.php?p=38432323&postcount=130
Chapter 26: Extra Magic Hour, not so magical http://www.disboards.com/showpost.php?p=38452798&postcount=133
Chapter 27: Buses are trying to kill me http://www.disboards.com/showpost.php?p=38469225&postcount=137
Chapter 28: Night and Day http://www.disboards.com/showpost.php?p=38476637&postcount=144
Chapter 29: Up and back down we go.http://www.disboards.com/showpost.php?p=38514126&postcount=156
Chapter 30: Tomorrowland!http://www.disboards.com/showpost.php?p=38554408&postcount=158
Chapter 31: Eating again at the Polyhttp://www.disboards.com/showpost.php?p=38596032&postcount=162
Chapter 32: 9/6, our last night in MK http://www.disboards.com/showpost.php?p=38637594&postcount=172
Chapter 33: Eventful night...remember the Tea Cups?http://www.disboards.com/showpost.php?p=38679897&postcount=182
Chapter 34: Winging it on our last day in Epcot http://www.disboards.com/showpost.php?p=38722842&postcount=188
Chapter 35: Frustration with rude people http://www.disboards.com/showpost.php?p=38732242&postcount=191
Chapter 36: Our afternoon on 9/7 http://www.disboards.com/showpost.php?p=38765190&postcount=195
Chapter 37: Gotta Go, Gotta Go...we need to get to Le Cellier!http://www.disboards.com/showpost.php?p=38766638&postcount=198
Chapter 38: Le Cellier http://www.disboards.com/showpost.php?p=38774589&postcount=201
Chapter 39: Not cut out for swapping.http://www.disboards.com/showpost.php?p=38783983&postcount=202
Chapter 40: Saying good bye to Pop Centuryhttp://www.disboards.com/showpost.php?p=38811394&postcount=212
Chapter 41: Tusker for breakfasthttp://www.disboards.com/showpost.php?p=38825840&postcount=218
Chapter 42: Best day of the triphttp://www.disboards.com/showpost.php?p=39005511&postcount=231
Chapter 43: Final thoughts and mom goes home

 

[onescgirl]

I'm here!!!!!!

 

[annmarieda]

Before I get into this day, a bit of back ground for those who don't know.

Mom has had a tough year. Her health isn't great and I really wanted her to experience the joy that is WDW. She doesn't like near by so she had to travel to me before our trip. I also thought if she came early it would be a good idea so that she could help to get things ready and help me with Zoe while I did a final push with work.

So we find ourselves on what I will consider the first day of our journey. Sunday, 9/29 mom was due to arrive at 4:45pm. I would have to pick her up in Seattle. We do not live in Seattle, but rather about an hour away.

It was a busy weekend. I finished up work and we had a garage sale. (earned some extra cash for the trip. ) This all made it so I was not quite prepared for my mom's arrival. I was running late. (I always am) I knew that we would get to Seattle right about 4:45. I thought it was likely that the buss would be late so it wouldn't be a huge deal.

My mom is not the best at communicating. Often she will say something like "oh, my buss will come in at 4:45. No, it is 5:00 Wait, no maybe it is 4:40" and she will go round enough times that somehow I, myself, get lost. Something similar happened in the communication surrounding her arrival. I was not entirely sure what she was coming in on or the location she was to be picked up at. I knew it was a bus. Was it Greyhound? It must be, since Greyhound is a line and there is a buss terminal in Seattle.

The girls and I made it to the Greyhound station in quite a timely manner. After waiting a bit, we went into the station to ask the attendant about arriving buses. We were told that the buss from Spokane was late and that we should have no worries as it would arrive soon. We waited in the car a bit longer and again went in and got the same response from the attendant.

It was nearly an hour past when we thought she would arrive. I began to call to the various male people we still had at home. (oldest son, dh and Kira's dfi) All seemed to be sure that we were at the wrong location. Since we had already been waiting an hour we figured it would be prudent to trek to the other side of downtown and check out the train station. We were almost at the station when my cell phone rang. It was my mother. She had taken a buss through Amtrak and was indeed at the train station. Not only was she waiting there, but had been the entire hour.

Frazzled from the miss communication, I didn't want to get right back on the freeway. Instead we took my mother to a place called Uajimaya. (I think that is how it is spelled) It is a wonderful market place. She had never been there or to any place like it. This helped to turn all of our spirits around. We did some shopping (mainly for sweets) and excitedly gathered our treasures up to take home. Most of our goodies however did not make it all the way. They were just too yummy to resist. Besides...it was an hour ride home and what better to do when you are stuck in a car, but snack and chat...which is exactly what we did..

Next chapter...

Pre trip Mishaps

 

[annmarieda]

I'm here!!!!!!

Yay!! And look at your ticker! 5 days? By the time I get going on my tr...you will be on your trip!

 

[flamestarrdust]

Joining in! I can't wait to hear all about your trip!

 

[annmarieda]

Joining in! I can't wait to hear all about your trip!

Tee hee...I was just over on your tr reading about yours! I am glad you made it over here!!

 

[tankgirl427]

Can't wait to hear more about your trip! That heat was crazy hot! I don't think I ever sweated as much as that week!

 

[Joyciemc]

I'm here, can't wait to read!!

 

[annmarieda]

Can't wait to hear more about your trip! That heat was crazy hot! I don't think I ever sweated as much as that week!

I know, right? My mom swears she never sweats. At one point she turned to me and said she was all sticky. She was genuinely confused. I told her... no, mom that is sweat.

I'm here, can't wait to read!!

YAY!!

 

[annmarieda]

So with my mother now with us, we could focus on the last minute things that needed to be done. Work was extra slow on Monday and Tuesday so it was not at all a problem to get the weeks worth of work done. That done, left us with the packing. The packing is where we had some trouble.

Tuesday 8/31 was going to be the day that I HAD to finalize our packing. I had been tentatively packing for some time but I needed to get everything organized and make sure what needed to be in the carry on verses the checked was. Steve (my wonderful dh) decided (last minute) that he was going to work from home. This completely through off my plan. I couldn't lay things out and get organized in my bedroom since that is where he was working. It was nice to have him home, but in the end if I had been able to lay things out and sort, we would not been as likely to have had the mishaps we did.

I am not sure if in my PTR I mentioned I have cats. I have TOO many cats. I have to be forever mindful of where I have things laying about or they are bad kitties...and forget that they actually have litter boxes.

Mishap #1 - I am trying to organize my suitcase. I leave the room only to come back to find that one of my horrible cats (who probably has a uti) has decided that my open luggage was their own personal litter box. YUK! So I washed everything in the suitcase, washed the suitcase and had to repack. What a PAIN! I am so very done with having pets at this point.

Mishap #2 - Because it is getting late, I have instructed everyone to not only leave their suitcases closed but to keep their bedroom doors shut. We were rushing about and it was time for dinner so we left all the luggage unattended. (makes me think of that warning at the airport) I thought everyone had heeded my warning. Of course, I was wrong. After dinner and some down time watching tv we went back upstairs to finish up. Mom had left her suitcase down and the door to her room open. It was 10pm. Unlike in #1 where I was packing items like hangers and other hard objects, mom had a very full suitcase full of all her clothes (she was not going to check any) So at 10pm I began frantically washing laundry.

I was up past midnight and had to be up at 4am. I was so mad. It was not the kind of start to a trip that I wanted. I figured that I could get some sleep on the plane so that is what kept me going as I washed and folded clothes. I was exhausted and felt as though if I came home and there were still cats in my house I would get rid of them all myself.

Next chapter

Time to Fly

 

[Dizneydaz]

Hi Ann! Followed this link from your PTR. Can't wait to hear about your trip. Your 2 DDs are beautiful. I'm glad the 4 of you girls got to go. So similar to our trip but you have one extra DD. Sometimes it's just nice to be "Just the girls"!

Still reading your PTR, hope to finish it soon.

 

[annmarieda]

Hi Ann! Followed this link from your PTR. Can't wait to hear about your trip. Your 2 DDs are beautiful. I'm glad the 4 of you girls got to go. So similar to our trip but you have one extra DD. Sometimes it's just nice to be "Just the girls"!

Still reading your PTR, hope to finish it soon.

So glad you could make it over. Just...don't read the part of the trip report that talks about the fridge swap. I think I owe everyone an apology. I swear, I really am a nice person! That won't be on here for a while since it is right before the end of our trip, so enjoy the report now and please do accept my appologies... for not being such a happy nice person when it came time to swap.

 

[tankgirl427]

Ugh! I'm so happy my cats know where they are supposed to do their business! We should make a group up of people who started their trips off on the wrong foot.

 

[tinacaplan]

I'm here! Have to catch up with your posts so far, but I'm here!

 

[Simba22]

Yay, you started! You girls are so dang pretty! Just from the one pic you've posted of your mom, she looks like she was having a good time! that's a great sign!!

 

[chunkymonkey]

All caught up!!! Looking forward to more! Wow, I can't believe what a rough night you had. How many cats do you have? I have no pets, and I can't imagine take care of pets at this point. My life is too hectic already!

 

[Simba22]

I sooo get it with the cats! Right now is the first time in 27 years that I have not had at least one cat. A friend of mine had one that was diagnosed with a UTI, after he peed all over their brand new bedroom furniture for their new baby girl. It was awful, I felt so bad for her! They started keeping the bedroom doors closed so the cat decided to just pee on the couch instead!

I can't even begin to tell you how late I was up doing laundry on our last couple of trips. Our December 2006 trip was the worst though... I didn't go to bed until after 1am because I was washing my BF's clothes...and all while HE slept!

I'm sorry your mom has had such a rough time, but I hope she had a wonderful time with you and your girls! Can't wait to read more!

 

[KatMark]

I'm here to follow too. I'm off to bed now, but will catch up in the morning.

 

[annmarieda]

Ugh! I'm so happy my cats know where they are supposed to do their business! We should make a group up of people who started their trips off on the wrong foot.

I really am done with my cats! I started off with one bad apple and it has just spiraled out of control.

As far as starting off on the wrong foot...yes.. we certainly did. The entire trip was that way...one step wrong then the next couple were good. Ups and downs I tell ya!!!

I'm here! Have to catch up with your posts so far, but I'm here!

Yay!!

Yay, you started! You girls are so dang pretty! Just from the one pic you've posted of your mom, she looks like she was having a good time! that's a great sign!!

Thank you so much. Those were not the best pics, but I had not done anything with the ones I took yet when I posted that update. I agree, my mom looks like she was having a good time. I think she overall did.

All caught up!!! Looking forward to more! Wow, I can't believe what a rough night you had. How many cats do you have? I have no pets, and I can't imagine take care of pets at this point. My life is too hectic already!

Ug...I hate to say how many cats I have. There is a long story behind it all...but suffice it to say we lose one gain one... it seems I am the person everyone calls to nurture every stray or wild animal. We also have a family of cats which is where the problem comes in as they are all the descendants of one crazy cat. I think very soon we may be down to a normal number of cats since the entire family of cats are 10+ years old.

I sooo get it with the cats! Right now is the first time in 27 years that I have not had at least one cat. A friend of mine had one that was diagnosed with a UTI, after he peed all over their brand new bedroom furniture for their new baby girl. It was awful, I felt so bad for her! They started keeping the bedroom doors closed so the cat decided to just pee on the couch instead!

I can't even begin to tell you how late I was up doing laundry on our last couple of trips. Our December 2006 trip was the worst though... I didn't go to bed until after 1am because I was washing my BF's clothes...and all while HE slept!

I'm sorry your mom has had such a rough time, but I hope she had a wonderful time with you and your girls! Can't wait to read more!

Yeah, the uti thing complicates things for sure. I feel bad for the kitty...but really I just hated to have to do that much laundry right before bed. Course, yes...if it wasn't because of the cat it might as well have been because of someone else. Seems like having a uterus automatically makes it so that laundry is something that only I can do.

As for my mom...yes, I think she had a good time. At least, I hope she did!