*~Trading Snow & Slush For Pixie Dust~* Jan PTR - 1/17 - Photo Challenge Complete!

[Colleen27]

Hey, Colleen!! Your trip is sooooo close now!!! We were at DHS for one of those early openers. A CM told us it's something they are trying to alleviate the crush to TSMM. I said to DH, it's only gonna work as long as the disboards don't know about it....then we will all just get there even earlier!

How true! Still, at least the turnstiles provide a natural bottleneck so people are getting into the parks at a more measured pace rather than all waiting by the hat to stampede when the rope goes down.

 

[Colleen27]

Day 28 - A picture of your favorite place to hide from the crowds.

Well, we usually prefer avoiding crowds over hiding from them, but there are some very relaxing places around the World Showcase to get a little peace and quiet. The gardens of Canada is one of my personal favorites because it is off the beaten path but close enough to hear Off Kilter.

 

[Colleen27]

First, a single digit dance!



Next, a picture for today.

Day 29 - A picture of something you dream about happening to you at a Disney park.

I had to cheat and use someone else's picture for this one because there's really only one thing that I really dream about happening to me at Disney World - being welcomed home as a DVC member. Someday!

And finally, a quick update.

I have officially lost my mind. We leave in a week and what am I doing? Remodeling. We pick up our new sofa and the basement flooring tomorrow, Stitch's big birthday surprise (a gym-style multi-exercise weight machine) on Tuesday (by which time we need to have aforementioned basement flooring installed ), and the cabinets for my office on Wednesday. All of this needed doing, and needed doing while Ken is home for the winter because it isn't stuff he wants to deal with after working all day and involves too much heavy lifting for me to handle myself, but I'm not quite sure why it is all getting done this week. A combination of sales and a day without the kids is a dangerous thing!

On the trip front I've got a few more things to check off the sewing list for Pocahontas, who wanted me to change up some of the things I had planned. But Boo, Stitch, and Ken are all packed and ready to go, and I will be too when I finish up the laundry tomorrow. My Notebook of Knowing, which contains every last detail of my trip plans past and present in anachronistic hard copy format because sometimes I just have to doodle to think things through, is my lifeline right now because otherwise I'd never remember what still needs to go in the suitcases!

 

[Colleen27]

Wow, last day! And since it is after midnight, technically we leave one week from today!

Day 30 - A picture that always makes you think of Disney.

I have this shot from our 2008 trip framed in my blue and white main floor bath, and it makes me smile every time I see it.

 

[Twoboysnmygirl]

1 week!!!!

 

[jenseib]

 

[DisMomAmy]

One week!!! ​

Love all the pictures (especially Boo)! And I really love the non-rope drop going on at DHS. I'm hoping that sticks for our April trip! I really want to get the boys signed up for Jedi Training!

I can't believe you're doing a remodel right before your trip! I guess the week is going to fly by at your house!

We bought new bedroom furniture (finally) over the weekend & it's being delivered on Thursday. It's crazy trying to get our bedroom cleared out. I can't imagine trying to deal with something like this with a trip on the horizon too! Good luck with the remodel!

 

[Colleen27]

One week!!! ​

Love all the pictures (especially Boo)! And I really love the non-rope drop going on at DHS. I'm hoping that sticks for our April trip! I really want to get the boys signed up for Jedi Training!

I can't believe you're doing a remodel right before your trip! I guess the week is going to fly by at your house!

We bought new bedroom furniture (finally) over the weekend & it's being delivered on Thursday. It's crazy trying to get our bedroom cleared out. I can't imagine trying to deal with something like this with a trip on the horizon too! Good luck with the remodel!

We bought this house in July '09 and there has been something at some stage of remodeling pretty much non-stop ever since, so it is pretty much just normal to me at this point. We've done a lot of work but there's still a lot to do and I'm used to working around whatever happens to be half finished, taken apart, or otherwise work-in-progress at any given time. I figure that comes with the territory - we bought a 130 year old house that had been vacant for 2+ years and a rental for a couple before that, so we knew there was quite a bit of work that needed to be done and even more that we just plain want to do.

The basement flooring is in - that was easier than I thought, just laying studs on end, running insulation between them, then putting plywood and rubber basement/garage flooring over top. It only took a few hours, not even as long as assembling Stitch's new weight bench took.

My cabinets are primed and drying in Ken's workshop. He wants to get them up before we leave. I really don't care. I just wanted them purchased because Home Depot had the off-the-shelf cabinets I wanted 20% off this week and even for just the two walls' worth of top cabinets I needed that adds up to a pretty good savings. I'm hand painting the knobs to match the room (our office is Detroit Tigers themed) so those definitely won't get done until we're home... Probably at least a week after, because as soon as we get home I have a Sesame Street dress to finish before we go to Sesame Street Live and the accompanying character meet-and-greet on the 5th.

At least when the cabinets are up I can move the rest of my sewing stuff out of the dining room, which means we can pick up the piano we're getting from a friend of the family. Pocahontas is dying to start taking lessons, like she needs something else going on.

We haven't gone to pick up the sofa yet, though. The weather just isn't cooperating - two days of rain and damp, and we don't have a top for Ken's truck bed. Because of where we live I hate to pay for delivery; they want $125 to deliver a single piece to our corner of nowhere! So we'll wait for tomorrow's sunshine to get that done.

 

[ash-n-brensmom]

Busy busy!!!! I would be going crazy with all that going on at once!

I see you are now down to 6 days!!!
So excited for you!! Especially after all the delays this vacation has had....

 

[Coconuts]

...
Ken and I had a funny conversation today. I'm the Disney nut and planner in the family, and while I know he enjoys our travels he's just not as into it all as I am... Or so I thought. Now I'm kind of wondering. Why? Because while I'm folding laundry and packing today he asked a question about our next trip, nothing major just a little "Have you thought about...?" in passing about the BBB makeover that we decided Boo is too young for this time and the possibility of booking it and the tea party (Perfectly Princess Tea at the GF) that Pocahontas loved so much when she was 4. That is really not like him, especially since that next trip is penciled in for the week after Thanksgiving 2013... almost two years away! But it is cool to see that glimmer of excitement for it and realize that I'm not the only one thinking ahead to future trips and some of the experiences we'd like to add to them.

That's so funny because my DH is exactly the same. He didn't even want to take a trip to WDW in '06 (our first family trip), and now this last trip (the 2nd in one year!) was really motivated by him. He has also started talking about "on our next trip..." activities. Quite a change in someone who didn't even want to go there.

I love your picture of Boo. Kids are sooooo cute when they still have that baby look to them, with the chubby cheeks.

You sound so busy with remodeling; I can't believe you only have 6 days left. Enjoy your trip.

 

[Cin]

Your trip is almost here~ I hope you have a grand time and a safe trip! I leave tomorrow. If you see some stranger waving HI to you with a goofy smile (cause I'm at Disneyworld!!!) that would be me. Well, if I recognize any of ya'll anyway. Have fun!

 

[Colleen27]

Only 4 days to go and time is flying! I've persuaded Ken that hanging the cabinets before we go is a bad idea because so much of our trip info is online and on my computer yet to be printed that I don't want to have my office in pieces right now.

I'm working on the most difficult sewing project left on my to-do list, a Figment outfit for Pocahontas. She decided she didn't want the frilly skirt I did for Boo and we ultimately settled on the idea of a customized jean jacket. It is coming together great but the whole project is a lot more time-intensive than the other outfits. But aside from the few things I'm still finishing up we're all packed and ready to go... 4 carry-on sized suitcases, 2 backpacks of snacks & activities for the flight, and of course my camera bag.

The weather forecast is cooperating so far. We're in a frigid cold snap right now and got our first real snow of the season today, but it looks like we should have dry weather for our flight on Tuesday. And the Orlando weather is looking practically perfect - mid to high 70s during the day, mid to high 50s overnight.

That's so funny because my DH is exactly the same. He didn't even want to take a trip to WDW in '06 (our first family trip), and now this last trip (the 2nd in one year!) was really motivated by him. He has also started talking about "on our next trip..." activities. Quite a change in someone who didn't even want to go there.

Ken was the exact same way. My inlaws took the kids on their very first Disney trip (it was supposed to be all of us, but I was standing up in my BFF's wedding that week so it ended up being just them & the kids), and I was so disappointed to miss that 'first'. Ken's entire reaction? "Good, now we don't have to take them!" Ummm, NO! But his only trip to WDW as a kid was with extended family in 1982, when he was 12, and he wasn't impressed - he remembers Fort Wilderness being more fun than the parks.

All it took was our first trip in '05 to change his tune, though! This trip was really motivated by him & by Stitch, because they felt left out of the trip we took in March without them, and now he's starting to show interest in the planning of the next one too.

 

[Colleen27]

OMG we leave tomorrow! And even though I felt like I was being super proactive with getting packed and having everything in order it still feels like there's a lot left to do! All those little things that have to wait until the last minute... Setting the timer on the lights, turning off all the power strips, a last load of dishes so we come home to a clean and shiny kitchen, and packing toothbrushes and chargers and other odds and ends that can't go in the bags until we're up and moving for the day.

At least we're not leaving until afternoon, because I'm not sure how much longer I'm going to last today... I had a repairman out today for work on my DSL line and in the course of moving furniture and the accompanying "may as well" cleaning of patches of floor & wall not seen for months at a time I managed to get my allergies pretty worked up, so instead of "too excited to sleep" I'm having Benadryl-fog.

The girls, on the other hand, have a major case of too excited to sleep! I've put them to bed at least 4 times so far tonight and finally caved in and let them put a DVD on in my bed to help them unwind.

 

[Twoboysnmygirl]

Have a great trip Colleen! We'll be 2 days behind ya! I will be sure to wave or say hello if we bump into each other, although I admit, Boo is who I will recognize, not you! Let's hope those 70 temps hold!!!

 

[Coconuts]

Have a great trip! Hopefully that perfect Florida weather will help those allergies.

 

[DisMomAmy]

Have a great time!!

 

[NLD]

Colleen, you're leaving! Have a GREAT time! Can't wait to read the TR when you get back.

We are just a couple days behind you.

 

[MeMom]

If you're checking in at all, I hope you are already having the best time ever!

 

[jenseib]

Have fun!!!!!!

 

[Colleen27]

I'm home, semi-rested, not quite unpacked, and busy sorting photos. My TR is started, barely. Come and join the fun! http://www.disboards.com/showthread.php?t=2872114