Hot Dog! Hot Dog! Hot Diggity Dog! ~Upated 12/15 Darn! That's the end!

[Backstage_Gal]

Thank you fro the update my dear, lots of fun so far, but I know you have your OWN incident coming up!

Oh great, just great, more foreshadowing

 

[pkondz]

DEPARTURE DAY OR IN OUR CASE NIGHT AND THE DRIVE DOWN

You left at night? Right off, I'm thinking... why?

The kids are wild! And I mean that in the most literal sense. They are yelling and screaming and making this momma crazy! They got a good case of we are leaving for Disney ants in your pants!

I'm so surprised. Most children are very calm and unemotional when leaving for Disney.

I, on the other hand, am running around like a chicken with its head cut off.

They decide to play a game with a ball, in my house, and are throwing it around and hitting things and running and bumping in to one another while I am trying to think.

Hah! Good luck with that. I'm guessing you were thinking, "There goes the desk, there goes the lamp, there goes the..."

I am trying very hard to ignore it but I don’t want something shattering just before we are about to leave.

Accept the inevitable and then you will reach nirvana... or whatever type of musical group you prefer... As long as you've got headphones with loud music on so you can't hear the kids.

my family is sitting in the car with the air blasting while I am left to close up the house.

That's what mothers are for... didn't you know that? Fathers are for driving and otherwise being clueless.

Trust me on that one.

At least they are out of my hair!

ok Rapunzel.

I locked the doors and windows and made sure we weren’t forgetting anything like Nebo does.

Nah, it's too early. You have to drive for an hour or two first.

I managed to use the stow-and-go space and the far back space for our things in the caravan. They only thing that was purposefully put in our people space was a small cooler with drinks and light snacks.

Smart. It's much quieter with the kids stowed away and just some nice cool drinks for the parents within reach.

That's good planning.

I seriously recommend packing in Rubbermaid type tubs if you drive down, it saves so much room and makes it easy to move things around.

There's a reason I don't do this. No matter what it is, the thing that I want will always be at the bottom of the tub.

Always.

You are about to meet my mom.

Uh, oh. Why do I have the feeling that this is going to not go well?

We get to my mom’s house and of course she is not ready.

Oh, I so saw that coming. I hate when people do that!
Come on people! Places to go! Things to do!

Sheesh.

I tell the kids to get out and use the “potty” one more time.

Try "Use the "potty" once again". Maybe that'll help.

Probably not.

We all go potty

The family that goes potty together, stays together.

But then gets the reputation of being a little bit odd...

As I am there making some minor adjustments each one of my kids comes walking out with something. The look on my husband’s face as he hands his item to me is exactly how I am feeling, there is now twice as much stuff as we pulled up with.

Just checking. Was this stuff that Grandma gave the kids for the trip, or stuff that she was bringing that she had them carry for her?

She is diabetic and on meds and I ask her if she has all her pills and meds and she says yes and we lock up and get in the car as I am pulling out she tells me she forgot her book.

And here you were teasing Nebo! Sorry, it counts as your error if it's a family member.

I don't make the rules, that's just the way it is.

I am not a good passenger and I am usually the designated driver.

Me too. I'd rather drive 12 hours straight then split it up.

We stopped for breakfast outside of Corbin Kentucky at a Cracker Barrel and put 506 miles behind us.

In the stow-and-go space? How big is this space anyway?? Luggage, tubs, kids and now 506 miles in there.

Impressive.

Hey! It's the family!

The inclines and declines were very nerve wrecking for me

I'd be inclined to decline driving them, then.

so I was very happy to stop in Savannah Georgia just before 4pm where we had a planned overnight stay at a Hampton Inn.

I think that's where we stayed when we drove down.

Not like our stop a few trips ago, or was it the last one? Anyways somewhere in Chattanooga TN at America’s Best, don't stay there EVER, where I found a dozen earwigs in the bath tub!

Ummm.... ew.

We high tailed it out of there and drove to a Hampton.

Good call.

about 6 more hours of he’s touching me, she’s looking at me, scoot over, I want a turn playing the DS,

And that's just you!

my mom yelling at the kids, me yelling at the kids, why did we drive again?

Quality family time.

We got a kick out of the southern drawl and it was even evident in the elevators:

Gr-aw-awnd.

Driving in the car was crazy at times, the kids and her. I can deal with my kids cause I can yell and or threaten them. But with my mom, I can’t do anything but listen and secretly roll my eyes.

Or not so secretly. Feigning death or unconsciousness also works.

I asked for 100 likes on FB and a bottle of Sangria and I would do it! She moved before I got 100 likes and no one was bringing me a bottle of Sangria and she is MY MOM after all.

Ya know.... I don't think that would've stopped me.

I showed her the picture later and we laughed about it and I think after that she was careful where she sat.

Up next: A side trip and walk down memory lane

Always meant to go there, but kept forgetting.
Thanks for the chapter!

 

[monymony3471]

Was visiting with my cooperating teacher where I will be doing my student teaching this year helping to set up her classroom the last few days.

AND

Then today I got to apply for GRADUATION!!! Woo Hoo!

Will get to the comments soon, tomorrow is early orientation for student teachers!

That be me!

 

[buzz1121]

Was visiting with my cooperating teacher where I will be doing my student teaching this year helping to set up her classroom the last few days.

AND

Then today I got to apply for GRADUATION!!! Woo Hoo!

Will get to the comments soon, tomorrow is early orientation for student teachers!

That be me!

Hey Monica! I just popped in for a minute and wanted to wish you well tomorrow!

I know you must be excited! Woo-hoo!!!

 

[Backstage_Gal]

Was visiting with my cooperating teacher where I will be doing my student teaching this year helping to set up her classroom the last few days.

AND

Then today I got to apply for GRADUATION!!! Woo Hoo!

Will get to the comments soon, tomorrow is early orientation for student teachers!

That be me!

Congrats Mony, I know how hard you have been working towards this for the past several years.

Time to Party!

 

[monymony3471]

Just got caught up. Wow, what a time leading up to your trip! Glad all the kids are doing ok now. Can't wait to hear how the trip is going.

Thanks for making it over here!

Welcome back!

Can't wait to hear all about the report!

Jill in CO

Trying to keep current!

Whazzat?


Someone mention bacon?

We mention bacon alot, big Jim Gaffigan fans over here!

Fun segment of your report. I love the video of the elevator. That's something my family would do.

Don't all families do that?

Are Disney ants cuter than regular ants?

And stylish!

I hope you were also being careful not to injure yourself.


I think you have me confused with someone else.
Good tip.

Glad to help.


Aw. Nice family photos.

Thanks!


Great start!

Thank you fro the update my dear, lots of fun so far, but I know you have your OWN incident coming up!

That's a few days away, but thanks for the set up pal!

Oh great, just great, more foreshadowing

Suspensful isn't it?

You left at night? Right off, I'm thinking... why?

We had to put as many miles behind us the first night, and that is how we roll.



That's what mothers are for... didn't you know that? Fathers are for driving and otherwise being clueless.

Trust me on that one.

I do and I know, I married one.


Nah, it's too early. You have to drive for an hour or two first.

Or a day or two.


Just checking. Was this stuff that Grandma gave the kids for the trip, or stuff that she was bringing that she had them carry for her?

Yes and yes.


Always meant to go there, but kept forgetting.
Thanks for the chapter!

Next time, right?

Hey Monica! I just popped in for a minute and wanted to wish you well tomorrow!

I know you must be excited! Woo-hoo!!!

Thanks, we all stood at one point and stated the teacher oath that I wasn't even aware existed.

Congrats Mony, I know how hard you have been working towards this for the past several years.

Time to Party!

December 8th is graduation day, and I will party that day for sure!

 

[monymony3471]

A walk down memory lane



Driving along I-95 was great! Lots to look at and I love all the water and it felt like hardly anyone else is driving but us and then I see this sign: Beaches next 5 exits.

Or something like that.

I was fondly remembering spring break my senior year in high school when I saw the sign Daytona Beach next exit. Immediately I started singing Tone Loc’s Wild Thing (because that was the hit song that year and every car that drove the strip was playing that song at full volume, sigh).

And I loudly announced that we were taking a short cut!

Looking at the clock we were ahead of schedule and this could be a fun little detour.

I know I got off 95 and turned left on to LPGA Highway and nothing looked familiar.

Who was I kidding, did I really think I’d recognize anything from gulp, 24 years ago during a blurred and alcohol induced, best week of my life, first time being away from home, as an 18 year old?

Enough said.

But, I was excited to see that we could drive on the beach, so being on vacation mode, I paid the $5.00 to drive my family on the beach to find a place to park so we could just put our feet in the water for a spell. I drove for a ways, to get my monies worth and we parked. The beach was hoping but not overly crowed like a Disney Park and my kids fell in love!

Tonight I will come back to insert the picutes HERE

The boys found some hit chicks to hang with and Mal asked if she could get wet as she was starting to body surf and my baby was already swimming with the dolphins.

Not really but there was a fish that kept jumping out of the water right in arms reach in front of us which entertained us and I was wishing we had a tent to pitch, Frisbees to throw and a cooler to open.

The beach was fun and we spent an hour oohing and ahing and I swear we were by the pier that my girls and I walked 5 miles towards in search of the hotel our friends were staying at while on spring break.

We found them in case you were wondering and I believe we woke up with about 20 people sleeping all over the floor.
I promised my kids mom would bring us back there someday and we loaded back into the car and finished the last hour-ish of our drive to our vacation home.

Now, I have never rented a home before for vacation and did everything on line and was honestly a bit nervous about being scammed. The owner was a gem, he even called me from the UK during the time I was considering renting but still, I was nervous that I drove all this way to find out I was a victim of a scam. You read about them all the time, don’t you?

I punched in the code and the key box open and there in fact was a key, I unlocked the door and it opened right up, I punched in the code on the alarm and it shut off. I was now elated that all my efforts and money were well spent and we were in fact vacation home renters for the next 9 days!!!!!

The home was beautiful! It was everything he said it was except there was not GAME ROOM. It was a garage with a ping pong table and a basket of toys that was 120 degrees. No one played in there the entire time.

Gee I wonder why?????

The Master Bedroom

Master Bathroom which have a shower, separate toilet area and a ginormous walk in closet

My mom's room

Dinning Area

Part of the living room with door wall to the pool

Kitchen which had a smaller dining area, pantry, and a first floor laundry

We unpacked the car and while in the process I noticed a person walking down the street and I just smiled at him and continued to find stuff to put in the house while waiting for someone else to come out to the car, I didn’t want to leave the car exposed to the world without someone there to say, this is ours no touching!

Someone came and I left to bring in a load and I said don’t leave the car unattended.

At some point someone didn’t follow the leader and Tim found the car all doors open and no one outside. I believe at this point though that everything was pretty much in the house except for shoes and cups, piddly stuff, and he closed up the car.

Weclaimed our rooms and unloaded our stuff and the kids, and adults wanted to jump in the pool.

So we did.

My mom and I made up a list of meals we would be making and what we still needed to get at the local Wal-Mart.

That in itself is a whole other TR. Let’s just say after this trip, I hope to never shop at Wal-Mart again. This one was crazy crowded full of rude, obnoxious people kinda place and I hoped and prayed that I would not have to go back there again this trip…….

I was pretty satisfied that we got everything we came for and then some and headed home to put it all away.

In doing so we couldn’t find the bag of fruit we brought down. It was in a pretty 31 tote too.

Mom and I think that someone took it from the car. Tim mentioned someone he saw walking while unpacking and his description fit the description of the person I saw walking by the car earlier. Oh well, all he got was fruit and a really pretty 31 tote.

We asked the kids who brought in the bag of fruit and no one said they saw it let alone carried it in. I have a picture of it at the hotel in Savannah, so we either left it in Savannah or it was swiped. I believe I saw it in Daytona, so again I think it was swiped.

Later on I will once again tell you why I think it was swiped and you don’t wanna miss that story, trust me.

 

[Backstage_Gal]

Mony, beach sound like fun (for younger people than me), but looks great for your kids

The house looks great, happy it worked out for you.

Can't wait to hear about the fruit swiper. High suspense!

Great chapter, Mony!

 

[smidgy]

wow.. so weird. I looked at the pictures of your kids at disney.. on the way home... I felt like I knew them. even though I only read about them for a while,, and met them for one day.

whenyou told me one of them said "so will you ever see them again?" I wanted to cry.

real life friends laugh at me, cause I try to explain how my "dis" friends are REAL friends. (of course, these are people who think WDW is just a castle and dumbo, and why do we go there all the time)

when I was standing near the maps at Animal kingdom, looking around andf suddenly Mony mony was right there, with her arms open.......... I hugged her and.. I was.... HOME. nuff said... sniff.

 

[smidgy]

I wanna hear about the fruit being swiped. adn I'm sure if you thought it was.. it was.

 

[Stefjp]

I'm reading too! Only discovered Dis afew weeks ago so am waaaaaaaay behind here!!! Sorry if my responses are abit late and no longer relevant! Anyways, I'm only on page three of this thread so I best get reading and catch up!

I've got your back too! Better staying off site and getting to go than not going at all!! I've often wondered how people with large families can afford to stay on-site!

I would love to have stayed off site but a) I don't like driving so the free transport is a bonus, b) it's my Boyfriends first trip so I thought being on site would be more memorable and c) price. As its only the two of us, on site was cheaper

 

[monymony3471]

I'm reading too! Only discovered Dis afew weeks ago so am waaaaaaaay behind here!!! Sorry if my responses are abit late and no longer relevant! Anyways, I'm only on page three of this thread so I best get reading and catch up!



I would love to have stayed off site but a) I don't like driving so the free transport is a bonus, b) it's my Boyfriends first trip so I thought being on site would be more memorable and c) price. As its only the two of us, on site was cheaper

Welcome to the Dis, upon first discovering it myself I remember how it consumed my time, so much great information to be found here.

My favorite thread(s) are about the little unknown facts and finds all over disney (not an exact quote), I think our second trip I printed like ten pages and we read them on our drive down and checked them off the list if we found them. For example, the umbrella in Hollywood Studios that gets you wet, push the talking trash can, Devine in Animal Kingdom, etc. It's an old thread but still there to read, and another about tips and I'm sure they are in the planning/family forums, and of course trip reports!

AND I get to check one more off my list from this trip!!!!

 

[monymony3471]

wow.. so weird. I looked at the pictures of your kids at disney.. on the way home... I felt like I knew them. even though I only read about them for a while,, and met them for one day.

whenyou told me one of them said "so will you ever see them again?" I wanted to cry.

real life friends laugh at me, cause I try to explain how my "dis" friends are REAL friends. (of course, these are people who think WDW is just a castle and dumbo, and why do we go there all the time)

when I was standing near the maps at Animal kingdom, looking around andf suddenly Mony mony was right there, with her arms open.......... I hugged her and.. I was.... HOME. nuff said... sniff.

It was so easy to find you and it felt natural to give you guys a hug. My family hears me talk about you and Steve all the time, so they know you too and it was sad having to say goodbye after just a few hours.

April you say?

 

[Stefjp]

It's my first trip for 15 years! I was 13 when I last visited so this is my first as a 'grown up'. Scary stuff being the one in charge of the planning Eeeeek!!

 

[Stefjp]

Oh, and having now caught up, I'm glad everyone made it there and back in one piece (appendix issues aside)! I hope you all had a great time

 

[monymony3471]

Mony, beach sound like fun (for younger people than me), but looks great for your kids

The house looks great, happy it worked out for you.

Can't wait to hear about the fruit swiper. High suspense!

Great chapter, Mony!

My mom enjoyed it Marita and she's 69. Maybe it was my high energy feeding those around me, or the fact that we could get out of that car and stretch our legs and knowing we were already in FL and Disney was an hour away!

Or my kids freaking out that mom was no longer going the right way and me assuring them in my mommy voice, YOU WILL HAVE FUN! stop worrying!

Fun we did have! What's that Chevy Chase line from the Wally World movie...............................

 

[dvc at last !]

Hello,
Just arrived - I need time to read all 10 pages.
I did see at the beginning WDW in August - been there.
You are correct it is a " hot mess " --- LOL !

 

[smidgy]

Oh great, just great, more foreshadowing

Um, Marita? That word you are so close to, would be foreboding, not quite sure where foreshadowing falls in.
At least you didn't say foreskinning.

A walk down memory lane





I was fondly remembering spring break my senior year in high school when I saw the sign Daytona Beach next exit. Immediately I started singing Tone Loc’s Wild Thing (because that was the hit song that year and every car that drove the strip was playing that song at full volume, sigh).

Hold it, there was not "spring break' in CHicago for high school, there was just two weeks that we didn't have to go to the big building and get shot at, but you had beachyes involved?

And I loudly announced that we were taking a short cut!

Looking at the clock we were ahead of schedule and this could be a fun little detour.

All right,,,, and I'm packing!

I know I got off 95 and turned left on to LPGA Highway and nothing looked familiar.

Who was I kidding, did I really think I’d recognize anything from gulp, 24 years ago during a blurred and alcohol induced, best week of my life, first time being away from home, as an 18 year old?

Enough said.

Oh, hey, I remember it too! Now you're talkin' my language,,, and I wasn't even there!

But, I was excited to see that we could drive on the beach, so being on vacation mode, I paid the $5.00 to drive my family on the beach to find a place to park so we could just put our feet in the water for a spell. I drove for a ways, to get my monies worth and we parked. The beach was hoping but not overly crowed like a Disney Park and my kids fell in love!

Wow, I can't beleive that was 5 years ago when we did that in St. Auggie,,, geesh



Not really but there was a fish that kept jumping out of the water right in arms reach in front of us which entertained us and I was wishing we had a tent to pitch, Frisbees to throw and a cooler to open.

Great sentance.

Now, I have never rented a home before for vacation and did everything on line and was honestly a bit nervous about being scammed. The owner was a gem, he even called me from the UK during the time I was considering renting but still, I was nervous that I drove all this way to find out I was a victim of a scam. You read about them all the time, don’t you?

Gotta admit, i'd be nervous too.



The home was beautiful! It was everything he said it was except there was not GAME ROOM. It was a garage with a ping pong table and a basket of toys that was 120 degrees. No one played in there the entire time.

Nah, no biggie. That's the temp of the bathroom when Smidgy gets out of it when she's done.

And you should feel the temp in there when she gets done taking a shower!

Uh oh, I just said that outloud, didn't I?



Master Bathroom which have a shower, separate toilet area and a ginormous walk in closet

So disappointed; I can't believe you used the stupid makeup word, "ginormous". I really thought you were above that sort of thing. Having to stoop down to teenager speak and use their slang. Thought you had more class than that. Sad to see I was mistaken.

Um, too much, right? Kinda overdid it, didn't I?
I've now ticked off two of my favorite women, haven't I?

Thumper,,, where were you when I needed you to keep me from doing this?


We unpacked the car and while in the process I noticed a person walking down the street and I just smiled at him and continued to find stuff to put in the house while waiting for someone else to come out to the car, I didn’t want to leave the car exposed to the world without someone there to say, this is ours no touching!

Someone came and I left to bring in a load and I said don’t leave the car unattended.

At some point someone didn’t follow the leader and Tim found the car all doors open and no one outside. I believe at this point though that everything was pretty much in the house except for shoes and cups, piddly stuff, and he closed up the car.

Weclaimed our rooms and unloaded our stuff and the kids, and adults wanted to jump in the pool.

Has anybody ever "slid into a pool? walked into a pool? Fell into,,, dove into, hopped into, nope,,, it's never happened I don't think,, the only way to end up in a pool, I believe, is to "JUMP" into it, otherwise,, that's it,, you are SOL for the pool,,, you just can't get in it.
Kind of like a shower which I believe I have mentioned before,,,,
You can't just "step in, walk in, climb in or any other adjective you can think of when it comes to taking shower,, the only officially recognized way of legally taking a shower is to,,,, everybody now,,,

"I had just enough time to "HOP" into the shower before we had to leave!"

I admit, one time in my second report I wrote that I climbed into the shower before we went for dinner while we were staying at Pop Century,,, but it didn't work;
I couild still smell body odor and I was stil sweating more than I should have been, and my hair dried much too fast.
And no, this was not the time I used the blow dryer.

My mom and I made up a list of meals we would be making and what we still needed to get at the local Wal-Mart.

That in itself is a whole other TR. Let’s just say after this trip, I hope to never shop at Wal-Mart again. This one was crazy crowded full of rude, obnoxious people kinda place and I hoped and prayed that I would not have to go back there again this trip…….

You know, all Wallmarts are that way, at least from my experience.

In doing so we couldn’t find the bag of fruit we brought down. It was in a pretty 31 tote too.

Mom and I think that someone took it from the car. Tim mentioned someone he saw walking while unpacking and his description fit the description of the person I saw walking by the car earlier. Oh well, all he got was fruit and a really pretty 31 tote.

We asked the kids who brought in the bag of fruit and no one said they saw it let alone carried it in. I have a picture of it at the hotel in Savannah, so we either left it in Savannah or it was swiped. I believe I saw it in Daytona, so again I think it was swiped.

Heck,,, that was you after all, my head was still all messed up and I never thought that I would actually run into ,,,
Ok, how much do I owe you?
.

Mony, beach sound like fun (for younger people than me), but looks great for your kids

The house looks great, happy it worked out for you.

Can't wait to hear about the fruit swiper. High suspense!

Great chapter, Mony!

Hey,,, you and I are just about the same age,,, easy with the "too old for the beach" stuff, K?
The only thing I feel like I am now too old to do is Die!
Which can kinda create a sticky wicket as they used to say.
Or a conundrum

Oh, and having now caught up, I'm glad everyone made it there and back in one piece (appendix issues aside)! I hope you all had a great time ��

WOw, you found the appendix, and I'm still looking for the table of contents!

Thank you Michigan Lassie, wonderful chapter and say Hi to Tim for me and tell him I am really rooting for the Tigers to come through for ,,,,,,,,,,,

 

[nebo]

Ok, ok, nobody yell at Diane for the last post,,
It was I, "Yah ah aaaah".
I yust forget to see which name we are logged in under sometimes,,, so,,, if you like that posting,,, thank you, you are welcome, and if you didn't and thought it was just total and complete dribble,,, I mean drivel, well, I'll see what I can do about getting her to put more effort into her posts, since it can obviously reflect on me!

Good night y'all

 

[monymony3471]

Ok, ok, nobody yell at Diane for the last post,,
It was I, "Yah ah aaaah".
I yust forget to see which name we are logged in under sometimes,,, so,,, if you like that posting,,, thank you, you are welcome, and if you didn't and thought it was just total and complete dribble,,, I mean drivel, well, I'll see what I can do about getting her to put more effort into her posts, since it can obviously reflect on me!

Good night y'all

We knew that was you, we are youst to it.

We are an Elf loving family and quote the movie at every opportunity.

Nebo I think you have 9 or 12 lives and are still going through your allotment. Your last trip is proof of that just saying.

I've moved up to the top 2 eh?

Sweet!