Sorry kids! We're going to the DARK SIDE!

[Nicki501]

Congratulations on LEGOLAND!!!! How exciting for the kiddos

 

[mrsabbott]

This vacation will be much nicer then if we were planning everything ourselves. We wouldn't go to Sea World, LEGOLAND, or Wet & Wild at all. And we'd probably only do 1 day at Universal. We'd also be staying elsewhere, as Bahama Bay is a bit out of our price range.

If we were to purchase tickets ourselves (via the military ITR) the breakdown of costs would be as follows (this is for 5 tickets since Buds is 2 and gets in for free):

Sea World, one day: $384
Universal, 2 day, not park to park: $607
LEGOLAND, one day: $235
Wet & Wild, one day: $170

The cost to stay in a 3 br condo at Bahama Bay for one week (not including taxes and fees) is: $994

As you can see, we are definitely blessed by this trip!!

 

[mrsabbott]

So, I've decided it is time to start putting together my vacation folder.

I will print out the directions to our condo and from the condo to the various parks. Hubs thinks I'm crazy and we should just use the GPS, but our GPS is evil and purposely leads me astray.. Give me written directions and a map any day!

It will also have our tickets, copies of any reservations, and our itinerary.

 

[mrsabbott]

Started the vacation folder last night. Got most of the directions printed out but we are running out of ink. I swear, we go through an awful lot of printer ink!

Been attempting to redo our itinerary to include Legoland. Admittedly, it has thrown everything off. Tell me what you think..

Saturday: arrive in Orlando. Check in isn't until 4pm. Hoping to be able to check in a little early though. Medieval times for dinner at 6pm. (Birthday surprise for Boo Bear!)

Sunday: Park day. Probably Sea World or IoA.

Monday: Park day. One of the Universal parks for sure.

Tuesday: Park day. Sea World or Universal.

Wednesday: Downtown Disney. Lunch at T-Rex Cafe. Back to resort to visit w/ family.

Thursday: Park day. Thinking water park. Opens at 10am. Will probably only stay until 3pm or so. Spend the evening exploring the resort. Possibly visit with family.

Friday: Park day. Legoland most likely. Although, we may switch the Legoland and water park days..

Saturday: Sad day. Check out is at 10am. We may do a quick family visit before heading home.

 

[momofboyz3]

Your plans are sooooo exciting!!!! Love reading along Mrs. abbot.
I now go to our public library for anything big that needs printing for .10 cents a page

 

[mrsabbott]

NINE WEEKS TO GO!!!!

We are officially in the single digits! Woohoo!!

It was a tough day at work yesterday but thankfully today is going smoother! TGIF!

We are going to go to the RV show tonight I think. We try to go every year. I've been dreaming of having an RV for 20 years now.. One day, it could come true! I've had lots if dreams come true so I'm not giving up hope just yet!

Sticking with my diet plan and am exercising each day! I decided on a bathing suit (going to buy it next payday) so now I just need to fit into it!

Started on Azkaban now.. Getting so psyched to visit WWoHP! Bummed we will miss the Diagon Alley opening (not bummed over missing the crowds though) but perhaps one day we will get to go back.

Hubs and I were talking about where we will likely move after we finish school (if we move) and Florida was a top pick!

 

[mrsabbott]

As we woke up to a few inches of snow on the ground and super cold temperatures, OF COURSE we start talking about doing much more camping over the summer! Yep, nothing makes you in the mood for camping like a blanket of cold, white stuff covering everything you see..

Anyhoo, Hubs mentioned this place he went to as a kid that he really liked and come to find out, it is rather close to our midway point of Marietta. Stone Mountain, GA.. anyone been there? We thought to ourselves, "Gee.. maybe we could spend the afternoon there and catch their laserlight/fireworks show that evening" although we wouldn't be camping but staying in a hotel. I started looking into it but, alas, the fireworks/light show starts the night AFTER we would be there. So, we are saving that destination for another time.

I wonder if there are any interesting little stops along the way. Come to think of it, I wonder if there is anything worth seeing in Marietta..

 

[mrsabbott]

Here's a link to one style:

http://www.walmart.com/ip/Catalina-...gMethod=Recommendation:wm:RecentlyViewedItems

Mine was a little different (it was more a swimdress, with a little skirt) but the fit should be similar to the one in the link.

Gina,
Thanks to your recommendation, I ended up getting the above swimsuit!! I looked and looked and had narrowed it down to three different suits. Two were super expensive though so I went with the least expensive, thinking that I'd rather have the extra moolah to spend while on vacation. I ordered the black and cherry patterned one. They have a nearly identical one on the ModCloth website for over twice as much!

According to the tracking information, it should arrive tomorrow. I have enough time to try it and return it if it doesn't work out.. but I'm hopeful.

I've got to say, I'm nervous. I constantly feel as though I NEED a larger size then what I do, so I went against my instincts and got a smaller size. Hope it fits!! Still trying to eat healthy and exercise but gosh darn it!! Those last few pounds just don't want to go away! I have not gone to a public pool or anything in years. This is going to be kind of a big deal for me.. trying to get over my insecurities and stuff..

Anyhoo, enough about that.

We may be changing our trip plans a little bit. I'd mentioned Stone Mountain, GA before and how we decided to save it for a summer camping trip.. Well, it got Hubs to thinking...

We MIGHT leave Thursday afternoon when the kids and I get home from school/work. And we MIGHT instead drive to Charlotte, NC and get there in the wee hours of the morning. And we MIGHT spend the entire day exploring Charlotte.. namely Penske and the Nascar Hall of Fame Museum.

I did mention that Hubs practically lives and breathes racing, right? He's just a wee bit obsessed.

So, the distance between home and Charlotte is the same as home and Macon, GA. However, it would tack on an extra 2 hours to the 2nd leg of our journey, which would mean that we would have to get up EARLY on Saturday morning to ensure that we would arrive at our resort in time to check in, unload, freshen up, and get to our soon to be made dinner reservations for Medieval Times. Not only that, but visiting the museums and stuff will cost money which Hubs assures me he can somehow come up with the funds for. I'm thinking he's planning to take it out of his school money that he's saving for a new/used car once his truck completely dies on him. That's his money that doesn't have anything to do with our normal household budget.. so I don't know..

 

[mrsabbott]

Sadly, my much anticipated swimsuit arrived. And it fit. It just didn't fit WELL. Not enough support up top and it just wasn't as flattering on me.

Sooo... I ordered swimsuit number 2. I am, admittedly, hesitant about how it will fit. I'm so particular and, well.. I've had four c sections and my tummy area is a hot mess. On the bright side, I found swimsuit number 2 for a steal on a different website. $87 off the original price!!

 

[mrsabbott]

Sigh. Swimsuit number 2 is a bust as well.

It literally arrived overnight and, come to find out, the warehouse it ships from is really close to where I live. Go figure! **On a side note though, you can find some really great deals at THIS WEBSITE. I've ordered from them before. Quick shipment, items are in new condition, pretty easy return policy, and some killer deals on good quality, brand name stuff.

So, it arrived and it was a super cute suit. Lovely color. I got a size 10 which fit.. sort of. The problem was that it was too long. I have a short torso and, well, it was too long.

And so, I am going for swimsuit number 3. I think a tankini might be the way to go..

In other news...

ONLY 7 MORE WEEKS TO GO!!!! Actually, if we end up leaving on Thursday afternoon, we only have 6 WEEKS AND 6 DAYS TO GO!!!

I am planning the kids' surprise goody bags for the trip. I have a friend who makes these little cloth crayon holders and she's going to make some that have a vacation type theme to them. She's going to see what fabric she has or can find. Each girl will get a little notebook and activity book. I'm going to get jelly belly's to make "Bertie Bott's Every Flavor Beans" and maybe a few other goodies if I can find something that will work! I'm going to see if I can find some printable pages with car games and stuff as well.

 

[Ofinn]

Sigh. Swimsuit number 2 is a bust as well.

It literally arrived overnight and, come to find out, the warehouse it ships from is really close to where I live. Go figure! **On a side note though, you can find some really great deals at THIS WEBSITE. I've ordered from them before. Quick shipment, items are in new condition, pretty easy return policy, and some killer deals on good quality, brand name stuff.

So, it arrived and it was a super cute suit. Lovely color. I got a size 10 which fit.. sort of. The problem was that it was too long. I have a short torso and, well, it was too long.

And so, I am going for swimsuit number 3. I think a tankini might be the way to go..

In other news...

ONLY 7 MORE WEEKS TO GO!!!! Actually, if we end up leaving on Thursday afternoon, we only have 6 WEEKS AND 6 DAYS TO GO!!!

I am planning the kids' surprise goody bags for the trip. I have a friend who makes these little cloth crayon holders and she's going to make some that have a vacation type theme to them. She's going to see what fabric she has or can find. Each girl will get a little notebook and activity book. I'm going to get jelly belly's to make "Bertie Bott's Every Flavor Beans" and maybe a few other goodies if I can find something that will work! I'm going to see if I can find some printable pages with car games and stuff as well.

I can sympathize. I hate shopping for a bathing suit. I think I look pretty good until I put on a swimsuit, and then I realize I'm not 21 anymore. I love tankinis. I also love board shorts. They stay on if your if your in the ocean waves, and you can throw a t- shirt on over the top, and your good to walk into any store. Have a great vacation.

 

[mrsabbott]

Yeah Ofinn, that was me! My previous bathing suits were too big (which was a nice feeling) and I was feeling pretty good about my weight loss but this whole swimsuit shopping thing is giving me grey hair!

Anyhoo, my new swimsuit hasn't been shipped yet BUT, I ordered it on Friday evening so it probably won't ship until Monday. I should get it by Tuesday, I think.

I finally got a folder to put all my vacation stuff in. I've got a running shopping list as well as our basic itinerary typed out. I still need to do our food packing list and our clothing packing lists. I don't usually do packing lists, but I'm determined to keep this trip more organized in hopes of it being stress free. The time is really flying by right now! I was trying to squeeze out a few more things out of our printer (out of ink) and got some more stuff printed off for the folder.

 

[mrsabbott]

It was 62 degrees yesterday. 62. It is now 32 degrees and they are saying we could get 3-6 inches of snow! I guess Puxatawney Phil wasn't kidding when he said 6 more weeks of winter!!

Stopped by Target after work today. Needed printer ink, coffee, and some healthy snack foods. I love to snack. Love it. I'm trying to snack a little healthier though. We keep a basket in the fridge with various snack items for us and the kids. We always keep fruit on hand, but sometimes you just want something SNACKY! You know? So I got some different trail mixes, some real fruit leather thingies, and my 2nd favorite 90 cal fiber one bars.. They didn't have my 1st favorite, which are the lemon ones. I divide everything into serving sizes and put them in the box. It just makes me happy to have a full snack box with healthy choices.. \

Anyhoo, I was excited because they had a 3 pack of color printer ink that was cheaper then buying them separately PLUS it included 85 sheets of photo paper for free! I don't print many pics, but I imagine it will come in handy when we return from our vacation! I already have a photo album to put the pics in!

I'm kinda hoping that we really do get a ton of snow and they close work tomorrow! They hate to close (I work in a day care) but hopefully they will so that I can stay home and print out the rest of the stuff for my vacation folder. Yes, I'm a dork..

The kids and I are watching the "Puppy Bowl" and I guess we will check out the Super Bowl this evening. I have snack foods. I really just like the commercials. We're more of a basketball family here..

 

[mrsabbott]

Swimsuit # 3 came in the mail today, even with 6 inches of ice and snow! Those UPS delivery guys are no joke! Anyhoo, I am happy to say that I LOOOVE this suit! Fits great, very flattering, and stylish! I feel comfortable in it. I will feel comfortable being at the pool or water park in it! Happy to check that off the list!

 

[mrsabbott]

Trying to tweak our itinerary. Someone on here, I can't remember whom, said the least busy days were Sunday through Tuesday as far as crowds go. Still deciding which park to visit which day. I'm totally open to suggestions.

I was reading on the Orlando Informer site and came across a lovely crowd calendar.. I'm on my phone and can't link it right now, but I highly recommend it. I believe their scale is MILD, MODERATE, BUSY, and VERY BUSY. The week we are visiting, with the exception of that Friday and Saturday, is listed as being MODERATE. This is a relief to me.. Moderate we can handle, I think.

That said, everyone keeps saying to go to WWOHP first thing. I was looking at the map and the fastest route takes us through Seuss Land. I see major distractions and maybe even some tantrum throwing by Buds if we pass by without stopping. Hoping that I can convince them all of the importance of heading directly towards Hogwarts! Hubs will likely want to do everything in order as it is more organized.. He's gotten a little OCD since he got out of the Army..

 

[mrsabbott]

I can't believe how quickly time is flying by!!

So, we had a super fun weekend planned. I was getting off work early and we were going to drive up to Indy to go to the new IMS trophy reveal thing (DH was excited about this) and then go to the Pacer's/Trailblazer's game (got tickets for Christmas). We were to stay the weekend with GG (great grandmother) and visit the Children's Museum and the IMS Museum. We were also going to eat at Mug n Bun (best onion rings and root beer in the world) and Jonathan Byrd's (best desserts in the world, especially their lemon shortcake).

Well.. it started out with a flat tire when I got to work. I was going to call USAA to have someone come help me change it, but some co-workers insisted they could do it. Bless their hearts, I kept offering to call USAA but after an hour and a half they got Bessie's tire changed! Good thing we are getting new tires when we get our tax returns back!

Then, I got almost all the way home and realized I left my purse at work and had to go back. So, we were running late and Hubs was really rushed. I was trying to throw my last minute stuff in the bag and hurry out the door. We got about an hour or so up the road when the battery light went on and the voltage meter registered low. We pulled over and Hubs checked connections. When he restarted it was working fine. Driving fine, no lights fading or anything.. so we kept going. About the halfway mark, it happened again. We took the nearest exit and found a dealership and had them check it out. We hoped it was something simple, like a faulty battery or something.

Nope. Alternator. Almost all of our fun money for the weekend was spent on car repairs and we missed the trophy reveal. On the bright side, we already had the game tickets and we got there in time to see the game. Didn't get to get a new shirt, but we got a refillable soda mug and popcorn bucket and still had a good time! The game was intense too!

Children's museum and Mug n' Bun were out, but we went to the IMS museum and the kids started their first Pressed Penny collection!

The plan is to get them books to keep them in and to have them get one every place we go.. most places have them and the kids think it is cool to smoosh a penny! I figure it is an inexpensive collectible and they will have fun getting ones from different places we go!

The weather was turning bad, so we cut our trip short and headed home, but we stopped at Jonathan Byrd's for dinner first! They have this lemon shortcake that is amazing. Amazing, amazing. Foodgasm amazing. I was planning to get a piece for here and to go as well.

They didn't have the lemon this time, but the strawberry version.. which is good but not AS good. We asked when they'd have the lemon or if we could order one and it turns out that it is one of the few desserts they don't make there but they order. And their distributor doesn't make it anymore.

I spent quite a long time trying to find something like it online and while I found some yummy looking recipes I just can't find this dessert to order. I will never get to taste the lemony deliciousness again. It was quite a sad ending to our weekend.. I'd maintained a "glass half full" mentality throughout it all but that was the dealbreaker for me.

 

[schumigirl]

Aww that was a sucky weekend........but glad you enjoyed the game even so

I know what you mean about the lemon shortcake disappointment.......our local baker used to make these Viennese shortcakes.......softest butteriest taste ever..........then they stopped!! Tried making our own but it's not the same........

At least your trip is getting even closer now

 

[mrsabbott]

Thanks, schumi.. I may try a recipe sometime but I know it just won't be the same. I have no idea why someone thought it would be a good idea to deprive the world of such delicious lemony happiness..

On to happier news! Today was a nice, quiet, fairly calm day at work. I needed that. I imagine tomorrow will be chaotic, but it can worry about that tomorrow.

Also, I have a dear friend who likes to craft and sew and stuff. She's very talented. She is making some special things for the kids for our road trip. She is using a tropical fish themed fabric and is making these zippered tote bags with pockets and things on the inside to keep goodies in. She is also making them a little roll up crayon /marker holder to match. Just something neat to keep goodies and whatnot in for the car ride. I thought that was super sweet of her!

I found in my abandoned craft projects bag some sundresses for the girls and I that I didn't finish last year. The material is stretchy so I think they will still fit them but they might be too short for the older two girls. I think some leggings underneath would work and they'd just look like a smocked top. Hoping to get them done before we go.

 

[mrsabbott]

Me and the fam..

 

[schumigirl]

Nice pic MrsA........lovely kids