Will I be Herding Cats Again?* **** COMPLETED *****

[vermontgirl]

Sara,

Did I miss the page where you told how you were going to surprise the kiddos? Did I skim so fast that I missed it? I am trying to keep our trip a surprise too.....not as easy as I thought it would be. but..............it will be so worth it!

 

[mom2mek]

I think you'll have to squeeze that in somehow! Maybe he can bring both shirts to DHS and change in to the Peter one for the Narnia exhibit and meet? It would be really cool to get his picture with Prince Caspian!

Yeah, probably need to do that! I still am so perplexed as to how that park has gone from one we didn't even need a whole day in last November, to one I need 2 days for???? I just realized that one of the Disney store shirts I posted above is a Narnia shirt...guess I won't stress too much about getting the custom one done...if I get to it, great..if not, he can wear that one. I think I will bring it to the park and let him put it on if he wants to...might be fun! Have you seen the Prince Caspian guy? Hubba hubba! Darn right!

Sara

 

[mom2mek]

Sara,

Did I miss the page where you told how you were going to surprise the kiddos? Did I skim so fast that I missed it? I am trying to keep our trip a surprise too.....not as easy as I thought it would be. but..............it will be so worth it!

No Jeanette! You didn't miss it! I haven't put it in yet. Hopefully later tonight I can get those pics up (shirts) and tell you about what I'm going to "attempt" to do! We'll see!!

Sara

 

[mom2mek]

So the kids know we are going somewhere next weekend...I had to tell them something when Emily's class was going on a field trip and I had to tell her she was going to miss it...soooo....they think we are going to my parents mountain house, and that we are leaving Thursday after school. What we are really doing is leaving Wednesday after school and going to DISNEY! So, I want to tell them at the house when they get home and I think we will do a fairly simple treasure hunt to have them figure it out. Michael had a pirate party for his birthday a while back, and they all really got into the treasure hunt game. The clues I have so far are as follows (reader warning...these are really lame....I did them one night in like 10 minutes after staying up till 1 in the morning...so please offer suggestions if you like...I won't be offended )

The first one we will give to them...just sort of saying we want to play a game and there will be a special treat for them at the end....and give them the first clue. Since Michael is the only one who can read, he will be the reader of the clues...

Clue #1:

Michael, Emily, and Katie
Please look around to see
your first clue of this treasure hunt is
out back by the willow tree

At the willow tree they will find Clue #2:

You found it, that’s good!
Now ready for more?
Katie’s birthday is soon,
And she will be four!
She really loves climbing,
And this we all know
To find the next clue,
Look where the climbers go!

Up in the fort, they will find Clue #3:

Yippee! Yippee! You’re getting good at this!
To find the next clue,
be sure not to miss
The place where we go when we need to eat food
This next clue will put you in a great mood

In the kitchen (probably the pantry), they will find Clue #4:

Ok, you are close,
just this one last clue to go
Your treasure is hidden
but where you do not know!
You will find this last clue in the place where TV is seen
Look behind the coffee table for a treasure you won't believe!

Ok, you can stop laughing now...I know they are lame. But I think the kids won't notice! They already know I'm pretty lame and corny!

In the treasure box, I WAS going to put their gift bags with goodies in it for the trip and the plane ride, but now I'm thinking that that might end up being more of a problem, as they go through the bags, taking stuff out, laying it all around....ugh....a big mess!

So I think we will just put the "surprise" shirts in the treasure chest! Here is what the shirts are going to look like (again, have not done any ironing yet...oops): Thanks to the DISigners for these - they are great!


Front:

Back:

Thoughts/Ideas/Suggestions?

I also have "tickets" or "boarding passes" that I thought I might give to them after they realize we are going to Disney. As sort of, ok...do you want to know WHO is going? And then give them these for each one of them, plus Mommy, plus Daddy, PLUS GRAMMY!!!!! They will be so surprised that she is going with us too!

Here is a copy of one of those "tickets":

My parents are driving separately to the airport due to the dog that they have to drop off, so I'm going to give them their "tickets" or "boarding passes" or whatever we end up calling them, and when we get there...they will be waiting and show the kids their "tickets" and ask to come along!

I think, if that all goes the way I envision it, that it will be a big hit! I hope so anyway!


Sara

 

[Alysa]

Your plans are charming! Can't wait to hear how it goes! Great Star Wars shirt too! Love it!

 

[mkluvsmickey]

Sara! I love the treasure hunt clues - very cute and not lame at all! I was smiling reading them just imagining their little faces during the hunt! They are going to be sooooooo excited! I wish someone would give me a treasure hunt!

Love the shirts - even the girls will figure out the Disney part from those even though they can't read. And the boarding passes - such a cute idea!

So, they won't know your parents are going until you get to the airport?

I didn't notice the Disney Store Narnia shirt either - thats one less thing you have to worry about!

Are you shopping today? I hope you are successful!

 

[vermontgirl]

Sara,

The surprise plan is awesome....not corny at all! (seriously) I might borrow pieces of it, if you don't mind?

I love the tickets....did you create them yourself, or was there a template?

I should start my own pre-trip.

Jeanette

 

[julezdisney]

...

Here is a copy of one of those "tickets":

Ok, I said have fun & good luck a couple days ago because I thought I read Oct. 3 and not 8!

Dang, I'm dyslexic sometimes!

And why didn't I notice we're going the EXACT same dates? Traveling on the 8th and 14th?!

 

[mom2mek]

Your plans are charming! Can't wait to hear how it goes! Great Star Wars shirt too! Love it!

Thanks so much! Sometimes it's nice to hear some validation...get more of the eye roll type thing from other, non-"disney" folks!

Sara! I love the treasure hunt clues - very cute and not lame at all! I was smiling reading them just imagining their little faces during the hunt! They are going to be sooooooo excited! I wish someone would give me a treasure hunt!

Alright Michelle...I might have to do that in December....treasure hunt for you and Monica!

Love the shirts - even the girls will figure out the Disney part from those even though they can't read. And the boarding passes - such a cute idea!

So, they won't know your parents are going until you get to the airport?

I didn't notice the Disney Store Narnia shirt either - thats one less thing you have to worry about!

Are you shopping today? I hope you are successful!

Well, I thought my parents were going to meet us here to see the big reveal, but now they have to go way far out to this new kennel for the giant dog (she needs a lot of space, LOL) and then they will just meet us at the airport, so we thought we would add to the surprise by not telling them about it! We're so evil...

(BTW, yes I was shopping today! Somebody stop me! All this time figuring out how to SAVE money so we can go to Disney more often, and I end up spending nearly as much at Walgreens, Target, Kohls, and Walmart as I did on party tickets! Ugh!)

Sara,

The surprise plan is awesome....not corny at all! (seriously) I might borrow pieces of it, if you don't mind?

I love the tickets....did you create them yourself, or was there a template?

I should start my own pre-trip.

Jeanette

Feel free to steal away Jeanette...I admit to the corny treasure hunt clues, but the shirt designs and the boarding passes all came from the DISigns thread. I can post the links if you need them...let me know.

You should do a pre-trip! I would definitely read it!

Ok, I said have fun & good luck a couple days ago because I thought I read Oct. 3 and not 8!

Dang, I'm dyslexic sometimes!

And why didn't I notice we're going the EXACT same dates? Traveling on the 8th and 14th?!

That is too funny Julia! Well, on the one hand I wish I had left on the 3rd, but on the other...I would be closer to being done with the trip, so I guess I'm glad I'm still here! Yes, we are traveling the same dates! Cool! I will definitely look out for you at the party and at the Studios (you are going to the party on the 10th, right?)

Sara

 

[mkluvsmickey]

3 DAYS!!!!

 

[vermontgirl]

Sara,

I would love the links if you don't mind! That would be so helpful.

I can't believe you only have 3 more days! I can't wait to hear all about it. R u going to be giving us live updates? I'll read them if you do....will get me excited for our trip.

I just got back from Walmart and found cute Disney shirts for 4.00 each....bargain! Don't you just love a bargain!

I'll keep thinking about that pre-trip report......

Take care,
Jeanette

 

[julezdisney]

Honestly.... I feel a little disbelieving. I've been planning this for so long it feels like there's no way it's only 3 days till we leave. Less than that now, actually!

 

[mom2mek]

3 DAYS!!!!

Almost 2!

Sara,

I would love the links if you don't mind! That would be so helpful.

I can't believe you only have 3 more days! I can't wait to hear all about it. R u going to be giving us live updates? I'll read them if you do....will get me excited for our trip.

I just got back from Walmart and found cute Disney shirts for 4.00 each....bargain! Don't you just love a bargain!

I'll keep thinking about that pre-trip report......

Take care,
Jeanette

Jeanette I will post the links in the next post...gotta go find them! I can't imagine I will do live posts, but you never know....

Score on the Walmart bargain! Love it when I find stuff like that!

Honestly.... I feel a little disbelieving. I've been planning this for so long it feels like there's no way it's only 3 days till we leave. Less than that now, actually!

Yes, Julia...I feel the same way! Kind of a mixed bag of emotions right now!

Sara

 

[julezdisney]

Two days!

 

[mom2mek]

Two days!

Woo-hoo! Are you ready? (Cause I'm not... )


Jeanette, here is the thread for the "boarding passes/airline tickets"

http://www.disboards.com/showthread.php?t=1949606&goto=newpost


The designer that did the Surprise! We're going to Disney World, is Natalie...she has all her stuff in a 4shared file and here is the link...it's all categorized. Hope this helps!

http://www.4shared.com/dir/5978989/a06aa930/Natalies_DISigns.html

She has so many good designs!

Sara

 

[mom2mek]

Update here! Thought I would post what we are wearing to the party! The following is a shirt design my husband did. We originally had all the names on it, but with 8 names it just looked kind of bunchy, or busy, or whatever....just too much! So we decided to just go with the 3 kids names on the shirts, but we will all be wearing them. We put the design on kind of Texas orange shirts (not bright "safety" orange ) and Shawn finished ironing them all on for me yesterday afternoon. They look really cute. I actually like them better on the kids' shirts, because they are larger and take up more space on their shirts than on ours...ours still have a lot of empty orange around the design and I like it better when it fills up more of the area! Anyway, here it is:

So the kids will be wearing the shirts as well, but of course I had to bring their costumes! I know they won't last very long in these, due to the heat, and I'm not going to put them on until the party actually starts at 7, (even though we are going to try and get there as close to 4 as possible) because I know they won't want them on the whole night and I don't want the time that they ARE in them to be pre-party!!! The girls costumes are short-sleeves but, in typical Halloween costume fashion, aren't the MOST comfortable....but MAN, are they stinkin' cute! (I especially love Katie's on her because it's fairly long, and it lights up, and it just looks so cute):

Witch #1 - (this is Emily's):

Witch #2 - (this is Katie's): Love how it lights up!

Last but not least, our knight in shining "fake" armor, Michael:

And just so you know and before anyone asks, NO, I'm not bringing the helmet with us! It's just too big and I know he won't wear it while in the park. His is the one I worry about the most, as it's long sleeve, but I didn't want to buy two different Halloween costumes (one for the party, one for Halloween) plus I didn't want to get there with a costume "theme" that I decided on without asking them about, and then have them be upset that they aren't wearing their regular Halloween costumes. Like I could totally picture Michael wearing a 7 dwarves shirt (was thinking SW & the 7 Dwarves since there are 8 of us) and then seeing a little boy his age running around as a knight or a Star Wars guy and being all disappointed ).

So, I'm bringing their regular costumes, and if they want them off, they will have the cute matching shirts on underneath!

Sara

 

[mkluvsmickey]

Glad to hear you got the shirts done - what a big relief!

Love the costumes too - can't wait to see pictures of the kids in them! Maybe they will keep them on longer than you think!

2 more sleeps!!!!!!

 

[mom2mek]

Glad to hear you got the shirts done - what a big relief!

Love the costumes too - can't wait to see pictures of the kids in them! Maybe they will keep them on longer than you think!

2 more sleeps!!!!!!

I hope so Michelle! (keep them on longer than I think). NOt planning on it though. HOpe those fluffy witch costumes can curl up and fit in a back pack once they are off their little bodies! I will have to remember about the lockers if they do decide to take them off and it's fairly early, I will just run down to get a locker!



So, I just looked at the forecast and ....RAIN every day while we are there!!! I hope that changes, but if not...we will roll with it, I guess.

Sara

 

[Alysa]

Woo-hoo! Are you ready? (Cause I'm not... )

I hear you!

So, I just looked at the forecast and ....RAIN every day while we are there!!! I hope that changes, but if not...we will roll with it, I guess.

I saw that too - but it's Florida rain, right? It rains for an hour and then it's good again?

 

[mom2mek]

I saw that too - but it's Florida rain, right? It rains for an hour and then it's good again?

I certainly hope so! Maybe it will clear out some of the crowds on certain days!

Sara