Vegan mom takes on Disney..... Dec, 2011 PTR

[veggiemama]

Hi Everyone!

Life has not slowed down here yet. Still around here.

It is full of children that are really and then get really which is making me get a little and want to do a lot more Which is then making everyone around me as I try to play a little classical but I keep getting out played by a lot of kids doing So instead I feel a little because I constantly ask everyone to be I guess you could say I'm feeling a bit right now. So to take my mind off the I am planning a party because my sister's birthday falls on Easter Sunday. So I am baking a and planning a which I'm sure will lead a lot more in the end!!

Ok, on a more serious note Thank you so much for your thoughts and prayers. As I'm sure you see, life is nuts but good. I'm very blessed to have wonderful friends and family and I feel truly humbled to be able to help them out during this time. It looks like it will be the middle of May before everyone has gone home again. One family is looking at moving to another home of friends just to give everyone a bit more space. I am fine either way. It is a bit tougher finding time to study and practice and I think the kids are a bit frustrated by having to stay quiet while I teach but all in all we are doing well.

Nothing to new on the flood front. The crest is expected in about 10 days. We had a major dumping of snow last week. Woke up to about 5 inches of snow outside. Went from grass and biking to shoveling snow, again!! Not fun, but it did not last long. Of course, it made everyone nervous about flood levels. There was quite an ice jam last week North of us that led to a state of emergency in 3 towns. they evacuated them for a few days but other than about 1/2 dozen homes flooding everyone is back home again.

Some day, Someday i will get back on these boards and be able to start thinking WDW again. I really, really miss it. I would much rather be planning all the fabulous places that we will eat, not planning what to feed 13 people for dinner.

 

[annmarieda]

Very cute use of all the smilies.

It sounds a bit hetic around your house... but like you are coping. I hope it settles down for you soon and that you can start back to the planning!

 

[Monknmom]

Hi Everyone!

Life has not slowed down here yet. Still around here.

It is full of children that are really and then get really which is making me get a little and want to do a lot more Which is then making everyone around me as I try to play a little classical but I keep getting out played by a lot of kids doing So instead I feel a little because I constantly ask everyone to be I guess you could say I'm feeling a bit right now. So to take my mind off the I am planning a party because my sister's birthday falls on Easter Sunday. So I am baking a and planning a which I'm sure will lead a lot more in the end!!

Every time I complain about Damien being loud and hyper with no where to go my grandfather tells me to ENJOY it because you'll miss it when it's not there!

Ok, on a more serious note Thank you so much for your thoughts and prayers. As I'm sure you see, life is nuts but good. I'm very blessed to have wonderful friends and family and I feel truly humbled to be able to help them out during this time. It looks like it will be the middle of May before everyone has gone home again. One family is looking at moving to another home of friends just to give everyone a bit more space. I am fine either way. It is a bit tougher finding time to study and practice and I think the kids are a bit frustrated by having to stay quiet while I teach but all in all we are doing well.

Nothing to new on the flood front. The crest is expected in about 10 days. We had a major dumping of snow last week. Woke up to about 5 inches of snow outside. Went from grass and biking to shoveling snow, again!! Not fun, but it did not last long. Of course, it made everyone nervous about flood levels. There was quite an ice jam last week North of us that led to a state of emergency in 3 towns. they evacuated them for a few days but other than about 1/2 dozen homes flooding everyone is back home again.

Some day, Someday i will get back on these boards and be able to start thinking WDW again. I really, really miss it. I would much rather be planning all the fabulous places that we will eat, not planning what to feed 13 people for dinner.

Glad that everything is good or getting better with the floods! I hope that everyone stays safe! And that the birthday party is good! That reminds me I have to make a cake for DH....

 

[disneyaddicted]

I'm sorry to hear that things are so hectic, you seem to be handling it ok though, way to go!

I hope yo had a great Easter.

 

[MelanieC]

Hope things are calming down.

 

[momabaarjo]

How did the birthday party go?

 

[Monknmom]

Hey, I am not sure if you get the allears emails, but they had a vegan article- I copy and pasted below!

VEGAN TIPS
= = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = =

by Emily Woesthoff
General Manager for BabyCakes NYC at Downtown Disney

Chances are, if you know a vegan, are a vegan, or have said the word "vegan" in Walt Disney World to someone, you have gotten a one-word reply: Boma.

Ahh, sweet Boma. The restaurant located downstairs in the Animal Kingdom Lodge has a fantastic dinner buffet that should please any hungry park-touring vegan, or any meat-eaters who happen to be in the party as well. The restaurant has a large dining room, so it is not usually too difficult to get an ADR that will fit your schedule. Buffets can be intimidating, and we vegans tend to hover around the pretty-looking fruit displays next to the cake and pastries that we can't eat. This buffet, however is quite different. The best strategy to tackle the line is with a professional. Ask for the chef upon being seated. When the chef comes out, she will walk you around the buffet pointing out all of the vegan options. Make sure you pay attention as the options (yes, there are actually many) can get overwhelming. Some favorites that you must sample and then go back for seconds or thirds include: falafel, lentils (ask them to prepare them without the cheese!), hummus, and especially the peanut rice! Certain items, like the aforementioned lentils can be prepared vegan to order. It will take a little bit of time, but it's definitely worth the wait. Similarly, even though there are dessert options out on the table, that doesn't necessarily mean all you can have for dessert is fruit. Just ask your server or the chef, they usually have Tofutti or Rice Dream ice cream available, along with Divvies Chocolate Chip Cookies! What's the best part about vegan dining at Boma, you ask? Well, aside from being able to enjoy a fulfilling meal in Walt Disney World, everyone crowds around the meat section (good for you, not necessarily for them). Strangely, there is hardly ever a line at the hummus or grain stations. Try walking the buffet from left (closest to the desserts) to right when it is not crowded and you'll save yourself from the buffet line, too!

Missed previous Vegan Tips from Emily? We're compiling them here:
http://allears.net/din/vegantips.htm

 

[veggiemama]

I'm sorry to hear that things are so hectic, you seem to be handling it ok though, way to go!

I hope yo had a great Easter.

well, Thanks! I have kept my quirky sense of humor so I think I will be just fine.

Hope things are calming down.

Yes, Things are starting to calm down and look a lot more manageable!

How did the birthday party go?

Went great, thanks for asking.... I'll fill in all the details in my next update!

Hey, I am not sure if you get the allears emails, but they had a vegan article- I copy and pasted below!

VEGAN TIPS
= = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = =

by Emily Woesthoff
General Manager for BabyCakes NYC at Downtown Disney

Chances are, if you know a vegan, are a vegan, or have said the word "vegan" in Walt Disney World to someone, you have gotten a one-word reply: Boma.

Ahh, sweet Boma. The restaurant located downstairs in the Animal Kingdom Lodge has a fantastic dinner buffet that should please any hungry park-touring vegan, or any meat-eaters who happen to be in the party as well. The restaurant has a large dining room, so it is not usually too difficult to get an ADR that will fit your schedule. Buffets can be intimidating, and we vegans tend to hover around the pretty-looking fruit displays next to the cake and pastries that we can't eat. This buffet, however is quite different. The best strategy to tackle the line is with a professional. Ask for the chef upon being seated. When the chef comes out, she will walk you around the buffet pointing out all of the vegan options. Make sure you pay attention as the options (yes, there are actually many) can get overwhelming. Some favorites that you must sample and then go back for seconds or thirds include: falafel, lentils (ask them to prepare them without the cheese!), hummus, and especially the peanut rice! Certain items, like the aforementioned lentils can be prepared vegan to order. It will take a little bit of time, but it's definitely worth the wait. Similarly, even though there are dessert options out on the table, that doesn't necessarily mean all you can have for dessert is fruit. Just ask your server or the chef, they usually have Tofutti or Rice Dream ice cream available, along with Divvies Chocolate Chip Cookies! What's the best part about vegan dining at Boma, you ask? Well, aside from being able to enjoy a fulfilling meal in Walt Disney World, everyone crowds around the meat section (good for you, not necessarily for them). Strangely, there is hardly ever a line at the hummus or grain stations. Try walking the buffet from left (closest to the desserts) to right when it is not crowded and you'll save yourself from the buffet line, too!

Missed previous Vegan Tips from Emily? We're compiling them here:
http://allears.net/din/vegantips.htm

Mmmmmm, yup, i've read this one and it is on my list of Must go eat there places!
so lots has been going on... I think I'll start another post and fill you all in.

 

[veggiemama]

I'm back on the boards! I've missed this place!

K, so for my 'hopefully not too long' update....

The river is expecting to crest next week and so far things have ended up being better than they anticipated. We got a bunch of snow about 10 days ago that had everyone concerned but now, with warm weather and the breaking of ice jams they are saying that the crest will be lower than the last time we flooded.

I have only 2 extra kids living with us now. It's amazing how much quieter it seems! Can't imagine what it will feel like once they go home too! The parents are still spending much of their time out at their house/farm. They are surrounded by water but it is not as high as it has been in the past so they think that once the water starts receding they should be back in their house quickly. We are thinking about 3 weeks yet.

Easter went well and we had a great party. My husband was baptised on Good Friday and a couple of my dd's friends so we had about 40 people over for a BBQ. The weather was great and we had some surprise friends show up which was very special for my hubby.

On Easter Sunday we celebrated my sister's b-day. I unfortunately had an allergic asthmatic reaction at church in the morning, and didn't realize that I was having an asthma attack (silly but true) I ended up passing out at church. Sheesh! Not exactly what I wanted!! Thankfully my dh was there and I was not out for long. He got me home and I slept for about 4 hours. I felt much better after that and a round of 'special drugs' I was, though, behind on getting ready for 20 people coming over for dinner. thankfully we were BBQ'ing again so i did not have a lot of work to do. My dh, bless his heart, jumped in and helped make the cake and i just decided to let go of my slightly anal tendencies and not worry about a messy house!

It all went well, and we had a good time. I was a bit tired and actually today was the first day that I have not felt exhausted all week.

As for me.... I am in cramming mode right now. My exam that I am writing in in 2 weeks ( I think the counter is wrong!) and I'm still in a panic about knowing everything that I need to know. I have been writing practice exams for the last 2 weeks. I have written 5 so far and have been marked by me teacher. It seems they come back with stuff written all over them and it makes me a bit worried about passing. I'm sure I will but again, my perfectionist tendencies wants me to do WELL not just pass.

So, now I am back and really looking forward to digging into my planning once again. I have all these quick little scribbles on sticky notes all over the place about things I want to check into. I hope that by the weekend I will have some time to delve into Disney once again! Oh and catch up on everyone else too! Sooooo much reading to do!!

 

[annmarieda]

Wow, your life is pretty darn hectic.

Good news on the river and having less kids in the house.

Congrats to your dh on his baptism.

Oh my! What an eventful Easter. As if the recent baptism and the fact it was a birthday did make it a crazy enough day... then you had to end getting sick. Oh dear!

Glad you took a moment to update us.

Hang in there

 

[veggiemama]

Wow, your life is pretty darn hectic.
Yes, yes it is! But honestly, I don't think yours is much calmer!

Good news on the river and having less kids in the house.
Yes, very happy about flood news, though they are calling for 15-20 mm of rain or SNOW today! Yeesh! I can do with out more snow... unless of course it is almost December!

Congrats to your dh on his baptism.
Thank you, I'm very proud of him

Oh my! What an eventful Easter. As if the recent baptism and the fact it was a birthday did make it a crazy enough day... then you had to end getting sick. Oh dear!
Truly, I think I have stopped thinking that I will have 'normal' days. My life is just way too interesting to do 'normal'
Glad you took a moment to update us.

Hang in there

thanks, I am

 

[veggiemama]

Doing the happy dance here Just was on All ears and the announcement for the MVMCP is on their page!! Soooo excited!!!!

It's time to start planning once again and I am so excited that I get to start with the party!!

I have marked May 9th on my calendar and I can't wait to officially book the party! I even have 3 days to choose from for the week that we are there.

Now I need to decide.

We can go to MVMCP on the 10th the 13 or the 14th. The 10th is a Sunday and it is the first day I was going to go to MK. Not sure if I want to do the party that day though as well. It will be our first day at the parks and I am planning on being at MK a 2nd day. Original plan was for the 15th but it is easy to switch that day!

So do I go on the 13th or 14th? Tues or Wed?

I think at the moment I am leaning for wed. That is mid week for us and it might be a fun thing to build up to and look forward to.

Off to see if there are any other dates listed for Christmas stuff.

Ooooo I'm so excited to be planning once again!!

 

[annmarieda]

Thanks for the heads up that the dates are up. I think Wednesday is a great day. Midweek crowds tend to be lower....so I would imagine that would extend to the party too.

I know all the planning is going to get kicked back into high gear in the coming month or so with ADR's...and park hours should come out soon too, right?

 

[veggiemama]

Thanks for the heads up that the dates are up. I think Wednesday is a great day. Midweek crowds tend to be lower....so I would imagine that would extend to the party too.

I know all the planning is going to get kicked back into high gear in the coming month or so with ADR's...and park hours should come out soon too, right?

Alert, Alert! Got the date WRONG. Booking date is actually May 8th, not 9th!!

I agree with the less crowds mid week. That was another thought I was having for when to go to the party.

I have to take a serious look at my resturant choices yet. ADR booking date is coming up fast!

I'm trying to decide where to do an ADR at Epcot. we will be doing a dinner package for the candle light processional and I'm debating between Coral reef and Tutto Italia

 

[annmarieda]

Alert, Alert! Got the date WRONG. Booking date is actually May 8th, not 9th!!

I agree with the less crowds mid week. That was another thought I was having for when to go to the party.

I have to take a serious look at my restaurant choices yet. ADR booking date is coming up fast!

I'm trying to decide where to do an ADR at Epcot. we will be doing a dinner package for the candle light processional and I'm debating between Coral reef and Tutto Italia

I vote for Coral Reef... but only because I have been there and have liked it. . I think when I book ours, my hope is to get Le Cellier. The CP package takes 2 ts credits, no matter where you go, right? And since Le Cellier is now a 2 ts credit restaurant I figured it might be a good choice. (assuming that it is one of the restaurants offered with the CP package)

 

[veggiemama]

I vote for Coral Reef... but only because I have been there and have liked it. . I think when I book ours, my hope is to get Le Cellier. The CP package takes 2 ts credits, no matter where you go, right? And since Le Cellier is now a 2 ts credit restaurant I figured it might be a good choice. (assuming that it is one of the restaurants offered with the CP package)

I thought about doing Le Cellier but it seems a bit pointless to us. We live in Canada and have had many of the BEST steaks around! (well hubby has had them!)

I think I want to do Coral Reef. I really like the atmosphere there and we have not dined there yet. My kids usually like fish entrees so that shouldn't be a problem and the aquarium seems like such a neat idea!

Once again I will have to open up the lovely WDW discussion with my hubby.

Though he actually asked me yesterday and a brief moment of quiet and aloneness, if I had actually done any WDW planning lately. Guess I haven't been talking about it enough lately!

 

[veggiemama]

On my way home today I decided to take a few photos. I noticed that the town i drive through on my way home is now got the dike up on all side of the town. I was still able to drive over it but I'm now wondering if they may be closing it soon. The water was higher than I thought it would be though apparently still lower than the flood in 2009 (look back at a previous post for pics of that flood)

Quality of these photos are not great. I took them on my iphone. It is also raining here right now so the pics are a bit grainy.

See all the water? well that should be a field. The trees are typically not under water and in fact there is a road under all that water!

Trees in the background is our friends home/farm. You can see the road which they can travel on but they usually travel by boat, which is actually safer.
The resolution on the pic is the pits!

I was surprised just how close the water was to the road! Again this is usually a farmers field.

 

[annmarieda]

Scary pictures! Stay safe!!

 

[momabaarjo]

Wow...I wish we could take about 1/2 of that water for you right now. Be safe while driving around that dike!

 

[shocky5]

Hey Laura! Did you get your MVMCP tickets? I noticed you had May 8th and they put them on sale on May 1st. Just giving you the heads up so you have time to get them purchased if you are still planning on attending!

We were able to get ours for the 18th party. SO excited to have one more thing checked off the list!

Thoughts to all of you during the flooding!!