They were more like guidelines, anyway...

Thanks for the tip on the space bags. I'm looking into it. We're also thinking about a roof-top cargo carrier. That would go a long way toward making the ride more comfy. I spent a lot of time checking on those today while hanging out with Emily. She has picked up her first nasty bug in quite a while. I honestly can't remember the last time she was sick with more than a cold.

My poor girl's miserable. It started with a headache Friday night and progressed to fever, chills, aches and sensitive nerve endings, sore throat, and she gets dizzy/queasy whenever she gets off the couch for more than a few minutes. :sick: We're going to see the doctor in the AM just to rule out flu or strep, but I'm afraid its just a virus that's going to have to run its course. :headache: Hopefully it won't last too long.
 
We use a saddlebag instead of a top carrier. For us it is easier to load and my husband installed wheels on ours so when we get to our destination we just drop it down and then roll it in with all our luggage still in there.

Ours looks like this:


car back carrier by Disneyalwaysn4ever, on Flickr
 
Ahhh, that looks awesome. And I love the idea of adding wheels. I don't think there is any way we could mount that on our car though. Bummer. I'm gonna keep looking. I'm sure we'll come up with a decent solution.

And just an update, poor Em has the flu. We all got a prescription for tamiflu so hopefully she feels better soon and the rest of us stay well. :sick:
 
Hmmm, well I just discovered a major flaw in all of my well laid plans.

Yeah, well, um... I'm usually a better planner than this. I really have no excuse for this. I just assumed. And we all know what happens when you assume. :headache:

So, I'm kinda irritated with myself right now. Last fall semester started the first week in August, so I just sorta assumed that it would always be the first week in August. :rolleyes1 Well, darnit, that's how the kids' school works. And that's how my college worked back in the day. It was always essentially the same week.

Doh! :headache::headache: Nope. First day of fall semester is...
Drum Roll Please... July 19th.
They day we're supposed to be driving off into the sunset. :rolleyes1

Luckily, I haven't asked for my vacation time at work yet, so I won't have to grovel for a change there. But, I'm going to have to rebook both stays. I think I still have plenty time to get that done, but I'm so irritated with myself right now. What a moron. :confused:

On the PLUS side, that means....

OUR TRIP WILL BE EVEN SOONER!!! :banana: :yay:
I just need to figure out a new set of dates. Because DD has big plans for her 16th birthday on July 11th and that's going to mess with my available time that month.

Dare I try to organize a blowout sixtheenth birthday, followed immediately by a vacation? OR Do I take a vacation followed immediately by a huge obnoxious birthday party?? :confused3 Which sounds worse? I'm gonna have to hash this out with DH, methinks.

All I know is, the trip has to be in July. I won't earn my vacation days at work until the end of June. So, this is the only month we can swing it.


In other news, we've all got scripts for Tamiflu now, so we shouldn't catch Em's cooties. And, hopefully, Emily will be feeling better soon. She has discovered one good thing about having no more books (everything on the computer) this year. You can keep up to date on your school work even while your sick. No different than people who cyber commute. That's a bonus. She's really only missed on test, otherwise, all caught up.

I'm personally having "one of those days." I took Garren to the doctor's office before school to get his allergy shots... and the doctor was late (still on rounds) so he was late for school and we still didn't get his shots. I had to sign him in late with no doctor note so he's now got a tardy to his name. Color me aggravated. And, we're going to have to go back again tomorrow morning to try again. Grrr.
Then, Emily had an orthodontist appointment this morning, which I planned to call and cancel (since I didn't think they wanted to put their hands into the mouth of a kid with the flu :laughing:).

So, I get back from the doctor with Garren, (and keep in mind I worked all night and was TIRED) and I start to call the ortho.

Emily says, "Did you call school?" Oh yeah, I need to do that, I think, while dialing...

So, they pick up, and I say "This is Susan Lastname, Emily has an appointment at 8:45 a.m. and we're going to have to cancel because she has the flu," or something like that.

And this was the response I got and l-o-n-g pause, and then, "So, she won't be in school today?"
:confused: :confused: :confused:

:idea: And then the lightbulb turned on. Crap, I dialed the school instead of the orthodontist. Duh. :headache: Which I tried to explain in my bumbling fashion. "Oh, yeah, I'm sorry I thought I was dialing her orthodontist... um, because she had an appointment.... but, I needed to call you too, so I got confused, and dialed the wrong number. Sorry about that. But, um, yeah, she won't be in today..... :rolleyes:

Yeah, I'm pretty sure she was laughing at me when she hung up. :lmao::rotfl2::lmao::rotfl::rotfl2:

I'm completely blaiming that on Girl. If she hadn't mentioned school just as I was trying to dial the ortho... :rolleyes:

I settled into my snug little bed by 9 a.m. and then remembered I was supposed to pick up the Tamiflu prescriptions for the rest of the family while I was out this morning. They only had enough yesterday for Emily and implied that they run out early, so I wanted to get there before lunch. So, now I can't settle down because I'm afraid they'll run out again before I get up at 3:45 p.m.
Do you see where this is going? Do you notice the time stamp on this post? And the fact that I said I was going to sleep until 3:45?
I should have just gotten up right then and picked up the scripts, because I couldn't sleep well, and kept waking up over and over again, until 1 p.m., when I finally gave up, ran to town, got the scripts, and came back home for lunch.

I walk in the door and Em says, "oh mom, I'm almost out of my rubber bands for my braces. I never mentioned it because we had that appointment today. :sad2:
So, back out I go to pick up bands. :rolleyes1

Just an all around awesome day. I can't wait to see how it ends. ;)
 

I did some calendar checking.

I'm going to have to check in with my boss tomorrow and see exactly when my vacation time kicks in because I'm thinking the first week in July is my best bet now. Which actually means leaving on Friday, June 28th, if my vacation time is in effect by then. That means we'll be in Universal for Fourth of July. Which, while it might be crazy, shouldn't be terrible with Express Passes, and might even be fun.... Hmmm... Okay, now I'm a little excited. That will bump up the trip by a MONTH!
 
Good morning! Stopped in to read your PTR and found we have quite a bit in common!

We are tent campers as well. We love it! Never tried it in WDW but I'm interested to see how it works out for you!

Our trip this year will be a different kind of trip for us too...no DDP, staying offsite, split with a 4 day Carnival cruise. So much new stuff to plan! :worried: but :yay: all at the same time!

You ortho/school mix up sounds like something I would pull! I have 2 in braces and the ortho appointments are endless!

Looking forward to reading along! :goodvibes
 
Ok just got caught up again. Wow. I'm exhausted just READING about your day with the kids! :rotfl:

Can't wait to hear about the new dates and how exciting about moving the trip up to earlier! YIPPEE!!!
:thumbsup2
 
Wishing you pixiedust: on the reschedule. Hoping everyone else in the house stays healthy and your Em feels better soon.
 
Good morning! Stopped in to read your PTR and found we have quite a bit in common!

We are tent campers as well. We love it! Never tried it in WDW but I'm interested to see how it works out for you!

Our trip this year will be a different kind of trip for us too...no DDP, staying offsite, split with a 4 day Carnival cruise. So much new stuff to plan! :worried: but :yay: all at the same time!

Have you ever taken a cruise before?? I would love to do that, but since 3/4 of us have issues with motion sickness we're scared to try it. :rotfl:

You ortho/school mix up sounds like something I would pull! I have 2 in braces and the ortho appointments are endless!

Ha! We DO have a lot in common. Both of my kids are also in braces right now. DS is also getting allergy shots (twice a week until recently, we finally hit maintenance and get to slow down. yeah!). There were some months we had up to 12 doctor appointments. Which is just nuts for a healthy family of four. :eek:

Looking forward to reading along! :goodvibes

Thanks for joining in. Are you doing a trip report?? I'd love to hear about your cruise plans!!

Ok just got caught up again. Wow. I'm exhausted just READING about your day with the kids! :rotfl:

Yeah, it was a little crazy, but that seems to be my life just now. I'm starting to get used to it.

Can't wait to hear about the new dates and how exciting about moving the trip up to earlier! YIPPEE!!!
:thumbsup2

We haven't settled on the new dates yet. I need to check in with my boss and I only see him one day a week, so we'll see how it goes after Wednesday. Hopefully it won't be an issue to make a change. This is why I try to set dates early. lol.

Wishing you pixiedust: on the reschedule. Hoping everyone else in the house stays healthy and your Em feels better soon.

Emily is much better and is almost caught back up. Two of her teachers gave her a couple extra days to make up tests she missed. But, she'll be done with those tomorrow. The rest of us are doing fine (although I just realized I missed my dose of Tamiflu today. Oops. :headache:)

Garren had a pretty good week. He won the wrestle off at practice and got to wrestle varsity at his meet. And, he pinned his opponent in the second round. So, he was very excited. The team won 51-50. He did finally get his allergy shots. That was interesting. First major reaction he's had in six months of getting them. His whole upper arm swelled up. He looked like a muscle-bound jock. But only on one side. lol. His arm hurt most of the rest of the week. It was sort of a blessing when the Saturday wrestling meet was cancelled for snow. I'm not sure he would have done so well. Since our Saturday was now wide open, we took the kids to see Warm Bodies at the theatre. It was actually kind of cute for a zombie movie. A zombie apocolypse version of Romeo and Juliet. lol.
 
Thanks for joining in. Are you doing a trip report?? I'd love to hear about your cruise plans!!
I am doing a PTR. The link is in my signature or you can click here. I struggle with motion sickness as well and was very nervous before DH and I took our first cruise in 2010. I took every precaution, from choosing the cabin wisely, to Bonine tablets every day, to wearing Sea Bands. I had NO trouble. My oldest son has the same issues, but I think we will be fine as long as we are prepared. I was even able to snorkel which I had problems with in the past. Here's hoping for calm seas!
 
I'm back, but still no update on our dates.
The boss was out sick on Tuesday and Wednesday (the only days I run into him on the job) so I'll have to wait for next week...
OR...
Call him. :scared1:

I hate calling him. :headache:

He has a really soft voice and I simply can't hear the man on the phone. :headache: Even with everything in the background turned off and my finger in my ear. :sad2:

It's awful. And I feel like a moron constantly asking him "what?" :sad2:
Either he's going to get irritated or he's going to think I'm hard of hearing. :listen:

Drives me nuts, so I avoid it whenever I can. :lmao: But, I'm antsy to get this question answered, so I may risk it this time. :upsidedow

I'll try to get back with an update soon! Thanks for hanging in there!
 
I'm back, but still no update on our dates.
The boss was out sick on Tuesday and Wednesday (the only days I run into him on the job) so I'll have to wait for next week...
OR...
Call him. :scared1:

I hate calling him. :headache:

He has a really soft voice and I simply can't hear the man on the phone. :headache: Even with everything in the background turned off and my finger in my ear. :sad2:

It's awful. And I feel like a moron constantly asking him "what?" :sad2:
Either he's going to get irritated or he's going to think I'm hard of hearing. :listen:

Drives me nuts, so I avoid it whenever I can. :lmao: But, I'm antsy to get this question answered, so I may risk it this time. :upsidedow

I'll try to get back with an update soon! Thanks for hanging in there!

I guess email or text is not an option? I hate calling people period. I think it is because I spend most days at work on conf calls and once I am done for the day I do not want to look at a phone again. I prefer face to face or electonic communication. However, I know what you mean about wanting to firm up plans so sending more pixiedust: your way for good luck.
 
The suspense and the "not knowing" would be killing me too. Good luck!! ;) Hope you have some definite answers soon!
 
Well, since I can't plan much else at this point. Being dateless and all... :headache: I decided to work on my supply list for the trip. This is just a start and I've probably forgotten some important stuff, but I'll add to it as I go along.


Camping Supplies:
Tent
LARGE reflective tarp (put over top to reflect the sun and deflect the rain)
Small tarp for under the tent.
LOTS of Rope to rig up the tarp.
Easy-Up Canopy
Air Mattress and Blower
Sleeping Bags/Sheets/Blankets/Pillows
Two Fans
Extension Cords/Multi-cord Adapter
Hammer (This one's important. We've actually forgotten our hammer
on camping trips before. Makes staking the tent and pulling the stakes back up at
the end of the trip very, very difficult.
:rotfl:)
Heavy Duty Stakes (the ground is hard)
Two rugs for entryway (one in/one out)
Small hand broom and dustpan (the pad surface sand gets everywhere)
BUG SPRAY
Small Lantern/Small Flashlight
Cooler.

Clothing:
Laundry Sheets and Quarters to do laundry
Tennis Shoes and Flip Flops (one each)
One swimsuit/cover up/towel each
4 outfits and 6 underthings (we'll wash)
Two PJs
Hats for the boys.
Suitcases? Duffle Bags? Storage Cubes? Not sure how I'll pack these at this point. I'd like a way to store them up off the ground in the tent in case the rain is an issue.

Health/Beauty Supplies:
Travel Size Shampoo/Conditioner
Travel Size Body Soap/Wash Cloths
Face Soap
Hair Ties/Brush
Deodorant
Razors
Leave In Conditioner
Toothpaste/Brushes
Q-Tips
Chapstick/Tylenol/Dramamine
Sunblock

And More:
I hope to skip the laptop this time, but it's going to be hard to convince DH.
(I think it's too big and we won't have anywhere safe to store it at our campsite.
I also don't think we'll have that much time for it anyway.)

Kindle/Charger (for internet and movies)
Ipod/Charger
GPS/Charger
Fanny Pack/Purse
Camera/Camera Card/Charger
Small Wallet/CC/GC/Cash
Lanyards
Sunglasses for four.
Beef Jerky/Trail Mix/Snacks for Car

Shopping List:
Car Carrier for the Impala

Food/Upon Arrival:
Deli Meat/Cheese
Bread/Buns
Chips
Drinks (Water, Gatoraid, D. Pop)
Granola Bars/Muffins
Fresh Fruit
Veggies and Dip

Im almost set for Universal park supplies. I actually found a fanny pack you can wear like a purse, then just transition it to a waist pack when we are ready to ride the big rides. Im happy with that option. Its not the cutest thing in the world, but at least I can sling it over my shoulder most of the time, and avoid the lockers the rest of the time. J J J You wont catch me dealing with those lockers.


I found 3 out of 4 of our Universal lanyards from our last trip. Surprise, surprise, the only one I cant find is MINE. Go figure. Ill keep looking though. Its gotta be somewhere around here. I know I didnt pitch it. Of course, a little piece of me wants to invest in new lanyards (HP theme) for the whole family. But Im trying to fight that off with the voice of reason. We dont need to spend $40 on lanyards when we already have them&.. (But, they are sooo cute. And we could each represent a different house, DH Slytherin, DD Ravenclaw, DS Griffindor, and I guess that would make me Hufflepuff, and and and&) Im trying to beat that nagging voice out of my head, :rotfl2:

I'm trying very hard to keep this to the bare minimum of supplies since we're limited on space. I could take much, much more... ha ha

As far as dates go, I'm now looking at the second week in July. I think I mentioned earlier that DD has big plans for her July birthday. Well, we just found out the available dates for a space at our local state park (this will be an outdoor even primarily) and the ONLY dates were July 3, 4, 24, and 25th. So, I'm thinking we'll do that on the 3rd. I go back to school on the 19th. That means our trip will have to be the 6th through the 12th. Hopefully I can confirm with the boss soon and get my reservations changed. DH is getting antsy. lol.
 
Glad you were able to settle on a date for Emily's birthday. A park is such a great idea. When my DD turned 16 we had a terrible time finding a place for a reasonable price that would hold the amount of people she wanted to invite.
 
Joining in to follow along with your planning. Your trip sounds very exciting. It has been years since I have camped anywhere and my DBF gives me a look kinda like this :scared::crazy2::crazy: if I mention anything that sounds remotely like we will be spending time without modern conveniences, indoor restrooms, internet and air conditioning. I think maybe he's a bit of a wuss...:rolleyes1 but you never heard me say that!

I hope you get your dates ironed out. I can't wait to read more. :thumbsup2
 
Joining in to follow along with your planning. Your trip sounds very exciting. It has been years since I have camped anywhere and my DBF gives me a look kinda like this :scared::crazy2::crazy: if I mention anything that sounds remotely like we will be spending time without modern conveniences, indoor restrooms, internet and air conditioning. I think maybe he's a bit of a wuss...:rolleyes1 but you never heard me say that!

I hope you get your dates ironed out. I can't wait to read more. :thumbsup2

:welcome:

I have one rule and one rule only for camping. NO CHEMICAL OR OUTHOUSE TOILETS. I won't do it. Not a chance. No way. No how. We did that ONE time at a crappy little campground in 1999. Well, they had regular bathrooms but they were too far away to get to in the middle of the night, the only thing close to our tent was a chemical toilet, and I had to little kids to deal with... Ewww. Gross. Nasty. Shiver. Shiver. Shiver....

You should tell your BF: Most campgrounds have those modern amenities: internet, cable, hot shower, flush toilets, even AC and heat in the bathrooms. :rotfl: But, I know public shower rooms don't count for many folks. lol.
I'm certain you never used the word wuss, though. :ssst:

We've almost got our dates settled. I found another location that was even better than the campground and will allow an overnight event. DFil is a member of the local American Legion and they have a cabin in the woods, with a kitchen and bathrooms, etc., that we can book through him for CHEAP.
So, once I get a peak at it and make sure it will work for us (I'm not taking a man's word for it that the kitchen and bathrooms are clean :rolleyes1), there's a good chance we'll go that route. It's closer, cheaper, and we don't have to figure out how to work around the 'per car' charge at the state park for people who just want to drop their kids off. :thumbsup2
So, long story short, we're getting there. Once I've settled on that and talk to the boss, I should be able to rebook the trip and settle in for the fun part of the planning. :yay:
 
Just for kicks I thought I'd share the NASTY cake DD wants to have made for her birthday party....


ZombieCake_zpsf9655411.jpg



The "blood" is raspberry sauce. YUM!
:rotfl: :lmao: :rolleyes1

ETA: I'll try to get some pix of her party supplies to add. They're more funny, less grisly. My faves are the toe tag cup labels. lol.
 
Just for kicks I thought I'd share the NASTY cake DD wants to have made for her birthday party....


ZombieCake_zpsf9655411.jpg



The "blood" is raspberry sauce. YUM!
:rotfl: :lmao: :rolleyes1

ETA: I'll try to get some pix of her party supplies to add. They're more funny, less grisly. My faves are the toe tag cup labels. lol.

It is supposed to be a brain on top:confused3 . Well at least it will taste delicious:)
 
It is supposed to be a brain on top:confused3 . Well at least it will taste delicious:)

Yeah, I'm hoping that whoever makes hers can do a little better job. Not sure about you, but I think that one looks a little deflated. And dd doesn't like the white edge of icing around the brain. She wants it to look more like it got tossed onto a pretty cake in the heat of zombie battle. :rotfl:
 














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