My last post was 100 posts on this blog. That's a little more dedicated than I would have guessed I'd be to this blog.
I do love my vacations. I certainly spend enough time planning and going on them but it's the anticipation of them which is most delicious. Our typical drive-to April vacations are like an appetizer to the delicious summer course. Next summer we are hoping for something new and extra special. I just spotted the school calendar for next year so I'm ready to plan the April vacation too.
It looks like we may have come to a decision on what to do on the islands this summer - a whole lot of nothing. I don't know if it's been a tough year for the entire group, but we all agree we aren't really interested in any eco-hike, zipping, mangrove adventures or city tours on foot in 90 degree weather. We are looking for umbrellas, sand, snorkeling for the kids while we have fruity drinks in hand. Island life in an afternoon. We're so spoiled, we think of this upcoming cruise as 'only' being seven days. Poor us. No 14 day cruise for us this summer.
My plan is to get the piles in order this weekend. This will be the clothes we intend to take on vacation. I'm going to try and keep in mind this upcoming vacation will require very little clothing as far as dinners go. We'll be spending about 10 days park hopping and out in the sun so shorts and t shirts are in order.
I usually have big plans for drinking while on vacation. The reality is, I don't enjoy drinking in the heat or sun. I like coffee. Iced coffee, gourmet hot coffee, morning coffee. Don't bother sticking anything alcoholic in my coffee either. But I am thinking a mojito while sitting on deck would sure taste nice today. The heat has really kicked in long enough for me to drag the air conditioner into the window only for it to cool down.
Two weeks from today we head down to Florida and we'll be hanging with Lynn and Mary! We haven't seen them since February!
Wednesday, July 29, 2009
Thursday, July 23, 2009
On Monday, I took Victoria and a few of her friends to Lake Compounce as Victoria's birthday party. Lots of excitement and some drama happened before the big day. I picked the girls up and headed to the park. While in the car, the girls sang off key to songs on the radio, played games on an Ipod touch with the speaker loud, and phone calls all at the same time. They were so loud I completely missed an exit. I even had the GPS on.
One of the girls had never, ever been to an amusement park. I found it hard to believe. I kept checking to be sure she had not forgotten a trip made long ago. She insisted she had never been to an amusement park. After getting off one of the rides, the girls told us how there were kids on the ride screaming the F word and telling everyone to shut up. When I pressed a bit, it sounds like they were telling my child to shut up because she was screaming her head off. That sounded about right. I told the girls not to worry about the profanity and it sounded like some kids were just being obnoxious while not being supervised. Somehow this comment led to a debate on which one of them could be the most obnoxious. Somehow this led to a group hug of sorts, probably to prove none of us matched the level of obnoxiousness of those on the Wild Cat.
For the most part, the girls were respectful of their parents, particularly their mothers. One girl is very impressed her mother can do anything while driving: read a book, add numbers, eat lunch. It was nice to know we parents haven't yet been cast off to the Isle of Misfits.
All of the kids use AOL AIM's program to communicate. It's a social networking site with more parental controls than others. I check Victoria's regularly to be sure I know what is going on. Hopefully I do. I learned the kids all have at least two AIM names, one their parents know about and another which is secret. It's these other names, the ones the parents are unaware of, where the status messages are quite cruel. I've looked over Victoria's shoulder to spot some interesting status messages, including a few about Victoria. Some of the messages are something like, "So-n-So is a bitch and needs deodorant." So if your kid uses AIM, you might want to check how many AIM accounts they hold.
Another birthday survived!
One of the girls had never, ever been to an amusement park. I found it hard to believe. I kept checking to be sure she had not forgotten a trip made long ago. She insisted she had never been to an amusement park. After getting off one of the rides, the girls told us how there were kids on the ride screaming the F word and telling everyone to shut up. When I pressed a bit, it sounds like they were telling my child to shut up because she was screaming her head off. That sounded about right. I told the girls not to worry about the profanity and it sounded like some kids were just being obnoxious while not being supervised. Somehow this comment led to a debate on which one of them could be the most obnoxious. Somehow this led to a group hug of sorts, probably to prove none of us matched the level of obnoxiousness of those on the Wild Cat.
For the most part, the girls were respectful of their parents, particularly their mothers. One girl is very impressed her mother can do anything while driving: read a book, add numbers, eat lunch. It was nice to know we parents haven't yet been cast off to the Isle of Misfits.
All of the kids use AOL AIM's program to communicate. It's a social networking site with more parental controls than others. I check Victoria's regularly to be sure I know what is going on. Hopefully I do. I learned the kids all have at least two AIM names, one their parents know about and another which is secret. It's these other names, the ones the parents are unaware of, where the status messages are quite cruel. I've looked over Victoria's shoulder to spot some interesting status messages, including a few about Victoria. Some of the messages are something like, "So-n-So is a bitch and needs deodorant." So if your kid uses AIM, you might want to check how many AIM accounts they hold.
Another birthday survived!
Thursday, July 16, 2009
It's hard to believe I am the mother of a twelve year old child. Before I had a child, while I was pregnant, and all of these years I never really looked at what being the mother of a twelve year old meant. I imagined the day she graduated from high school, college or even when she achieves her advanced degree. I've fantasized about which prom dress and wedding gown style she'll choose.
If I've given all of this so much thought, why did it not occur to me I'd be mothering a moody twelve year old? She'll spend hours doing her hair all the while needing to wipe the milk off her face. If I happen to mention the milk, I'll be met with a huff or pout.
She informed me she is too old to wear Disney bathing suits. She's willing to wear one to Disney but not in front of her friends at home.
Am I discouraging her from good grammar by allowing her AIM access and texting devices? I received a text today, "Wat time r u pickin me up'. It seems wrong.
I don't know if I'm going to make it through the pre-teen phase!
If I've given all of this so much thought, why did it not occur to me I'd be mothering a moody twelve year old? She'll spend hours doing her hair all the while needing to wipe the milk off her face. If I happen to mention the milk, I'll be met with a huff or pout.
She informed me she is too old to wear Disney bathing suits. She's willing to wear one to Disney but not in front of her friends at home.
Am I discouraging her from good grammar by allowing her AIM access and texting devices? I received a text today, "Wat time r u pickin me up'. It seems wrong.
I don't know if I'm going to make it through the pre-teen phase!
Friday, July 3, 2009
Week in Review
What a week it's been. I'm used to July being difficult at work, but family life was affected as well. Little 8 year old cousin Ricky was hit by a car on Tuesday and landed in the Yale Children's Hospital ICU. He is very lucky to be ok from the neck down but his face is very swollen and surgery to construct his nose and jaw will need to be done once he is no longer on the cusp. We went to see him today and while he probably did not realize we were there, in his sedated state, I'm glad we went. Marcella and John are staying at the hospital and it was obvious neither of them have slept very well. Family holiday plans are canceled until further notice.
I bumped into one of our staff outside of the hospital. We currently have 3 residents there. It occurred to me I could skip my day off and just check on all three of them. Victoria wouldn't have considered it much fun though. The new fiscal year really swept us away this week in the office. It's been a real challenging week.
Of course I can't keep a secret and told Victoria about our Disney hotel plans. She's pretty excited but not as excited about the Southwest theme of the resort. She's into contemporary style. Sometimes I'm not sure she's my child.
I spent way too long looking for better deals on car rentals. They just don't seem to be as available this year. I hate using the rental car because of the extra pollution but I do love the convenience.
Two summer camps were canceled this week. I had Victoria signed up for a North Haven Slamma Jamma camp but it was canceled with three days notice. The East Haven camp, late to organize, did not end up holding camp either. Victoria spent the week at her grandparents with her cousin Xavier. It may be a long summer for all four people.
Summer Hoops began this week. I may have messed up with not paying better attention to the kids who did NOT show up for screening night. I have a bunch of guards on the team without much rebounding ability. One team is definitely stacked. My team may be the best defensive team, but we've got a long way to go to becoming a better offensive one. It's all games, no practices so it's just for fun. I like to watch the girls improve for better pickings come the fall for the basketball season.
I read some online reviews of tours by Adventures by Disney. The Peru trip looks fabulous but not in the plans for next summer. We are anxious for Disney to release dates and rates so we can move ahead with our early booking discounts. This would mean no cruising for summer 2010. It seems weird to think of it that way but most likely we'll be booking for a new ship in 2011, Disney of course.
I bumped into one of our staff outside of the hospital. We currently have 3 residents there. It occurred to me I could skip my day off and just check on all three of them. Victoria wouldn't have considered it much fun though. The new fiscal year really swept us away this week in the office. It's been a real challenging week.
Of course I can't keep a secret and told Victoria about our Disney hotel plans. She's pretty excited but not as excited about the Southwest theme of the resort. She's into contemporary style. Sometimes I'm not sure she's my child.
I spent way too long looking for better deals on car rentals. They just don't seem to be as available this year. I hate using the rental car because of the extra pollution but I do love the convenience.
Two summer camps were canceled this week. I had Victoria signed up for a North Haven Slamma Jamma camp but it was canceled with three days notice. The East Haven camp, late to organize, did not end up holding camp either. Victoria spent the week at her grandparents with her cousin Xavier. It may be a long summer for all four people.
Summer Hoops began this week. I may have messed up with not paying better attention to the kids who did NOT show up for screening night. I have a bunch of guards on the team without much rebounding ability. One team is definitely stacked. My team may be the best defensive team, but we've got a long way to go to becoming a better offensive one. It's all games, no practices so it's just for fun. I like to watch the girls improve for better pickings come the fall for the basketball season.
I read some online reviews of tours by Adventures by Disney. The Peru trip looks fabulous but not in the plans for next summer. We are anxious for Disney to release dates and rates so we can move ahead with our early booking discounts. This would mean no cruising for summer 2010. It seems weird to think of it that way but most likely we'll be booking for a new ship in 2011, Disney of course.
Friday, June 26, 2009
Trip Planning Mania
There was a little snag with the air time. The time was going to be moved to later in the day which meant we would arrive pretty late in the evening. Southwest let me change my reservation to earlier in the day so now we'll be arriving mid afternoon on a Wednesday rather than evening.
We have annual passes to Disney World this year. When I realized we'd be making at least two trips plus one for work, I went ahead and bought them. I was disappointed I was not using the discounts for the resorts at all. Recently Disney released rates for the nights before our cruise and I went ahead and booked the Coronado Springs Resort. I've never stayed there, so if I'm going to stay at all of the resorts by the time I have grandchildren, I'd better hop to it! I'm considering keeping this a surprise for Victoria but I'm not good at keeping these types of secrets. She already thinks we're staying at a budget hotel for a couple of nights before the cruise. It's not unusual for us to do this before a cruise or something big. It usually just makes the cruise all that more special. But I've been wanting to check out the Coronado Resort. For about 100 dollars a night, including taxes, we're going to immerse ourselves on the property with a really cool pool.
Cool pools are big with kids. This property also looks pretty cool at night. It's very big! The theme reminds me of Sedona, Arizona.
http://disneyworld.disney.go.com/resorts/coronado-springs-resort/
I toyed with the idea of not having a rental car for our stay but it looks like a hassle picking up one later in the trip so we'll stick to the car for now. It's always more convenient to have one.
Summer is officially here and I'm going to Disney this summer!
We have annual passes to Disney World this year. When I realized we'd be making at least two trips plus one for work, I went ahead and bought them. I was disappointed I was not using the discounts for the resorts at all. Recently Disney released rates for the nights before our cruise and I went ahead and booked the Coronado Springs Resort. I've never stayed there, so if I'm going to stay at all of the resorts by the time I have grandchildren, I'd better hop to it! I'm considering keeping this a surprise for Victoria but I'm not good at keeping these types of secrets. She already thinks we're staying at a budget hotel for a couple of nights before the cruise. It's not unusual for us to do this before a cruise or something big. It usually just makes the cruise all that more special. But I've been wanting to check out the Coronado Resort. For about 100 dollars a night, including taxes, we're going to immerse ourselves on the property with a really cool pool.
Cool pools are big with kids. This property also looks pretty cool at night. It's very big! The theme reminds me of Sedona, Arizona.
http://disneyworld.disney.go.com/resorts/coronado-springs-resort/
I toyed with the idea of not having a rental car for our stay but it looks like a hassle picking up one later in the trip so we'll stick to the car for now. It's always more convenient to have one.
Summer is officially here and I'm going to Disney this summer!
Birthday
Turning 42 was pretty uneventful. I couldn't remember how old I was because it seems I've been saying I'm 42 for almost a year. I might have skipped 41 altogether. What the heck, it's not much of a milestone anyway.
I remember how sad my father was, on his 40th birthday when his favorite singer died, Harry Chapin. He thought it was a terrible omen of things to come! Having Farah Fawcett and Michael Jackson die on your birthday just plain ole stinks. I realize they had to die on someone's birthday but why mine? Wasn't she Farah Fawcett Majors for awhile? I keep thinking, 'Beat it Charlie's Angels'. Bad!
I took the day off from work today, after having a pretty decent work week. We got up early this morning and was on the road by 9am to do our annual West Farms Mall birthday visit. I believe our annual West Farms Mall spending spree originated one year with us shopping for vacation items. It's something I've been doing with Victoria for the last few years.
Instead of looking forward to Build a Bear Workshop store, she was looking forward to Sephora. What a year will do to your little girl! She did offer to make Xavier, my nephew, a build a bear but I told her the point is sort of lost when you make one for someone else. I knew what she wanted but this tween business is something else. Victoria wanted to shop for her friend Jessica. Victoria is at her very first sleepover this evening for Jessica's birthday. Unfortunately Jessica did not get anything from Sephora but we did find some things in Claire's and Victoria is very happy to supply Jessica with a suitcase of makeup! She also liked Vera Wangs scent, Princess. I do too but the bottle really appealed to her. The price was a little out of reach for her.
We shopped Sephora and picked up a few items and headed over to the Disney Store. I managed to pick up a few things at their Annual Sale in the Tween section but the pickings were slim. I did finish Xavier's birthday shopping with some toys from the Movie Cars. We had lunch at the Rainforest Cafe too. Getting the Safari Membership was one of the best things I've done. The Safari Membership entitles you to a Chef's appetizer with the purchase of an adult entre. I also had my birthday 5 dollar off coupon so all in all lunch cost 20 bucks rather than 33. I think 33 dollars for lunch is outrageous but the RFC reminds us of Disney so we indulge.
I took my birthday 10 dollar coupon to Origins and couldn't really find anything there. Last trip I bought tons of stuff there but I really did not want to stock up on the Ginger cologne and lotion again. I did refill the Peace of Mind pulse point lotion. I didn't realize how the stuff does not last very long. I have last year's bottle in my desk at work and it no longer tingles when you put it on the pulse points but the bottle we opened today was very fresh. Lesson learned: don't stock up too much on those products because they get stale.
A little side trip to Godiva and Harry and David and we called it a day.
I remember how sad my father was, on his 40th birthday when his favorite singer died, Harry Chapin. He thought it was a terrible omen of things to come! Having Farah Fawcett and Michael Jackson die on your birthday just plain ole stinks. I realize they had to die on someone's birthday but why mine? Wasn't she Farah Fawcett Majors for awhile? I keep thinking, 'Beat it Charlie's Angels'. Bad!
I took the day off from work today, after having a pretty decent work week. We got up early this morning and was on the road by 9am to do our annual West Farms Mall birthday visit. I believe our annual West Farms Mall spending spree originated one year with us shopping for vacation items. It's something I've been doing with Victoria for the last few years.
Instead of looking forward to Build a Bear Workshop store, she was looking forward to Sephora. What a year will do to your little girl! She did offer to make Xavier, my nephew, a build a bear but I told her the point is sort of lost when you make one for someone else. I knew what she wanted but this tween business is something else. Victoria wanted to shop for her friend Jessica. Victoria is at her very first sleepover this evening for Jessica's birthday. Unfortunately Jessica did not get anything from Sephora but we did find some things in Claire's and Victoria is very happy to supply Jessica with a suitcase of makeup! She also liked Vera Wangs scent, Princess. I do too but the bottle really appealed to her. The price was a little out of reach for her.
We shopped Sephora and picked up a few items and headed over to the Disney Store. I managed to pick up a few things at their Annual Sale in the Tween section but the pickings were slim. I did finish Xavier's birthday shopping with some toys from the Movie Cars. We had lunch at the Rainforest Cafe too. Getting the Safari Membership was one of the best things I've done. The Safari Membership entitles you to a Chef's appetizer with the purchase of an adult entre. I also had my birthday 5 dollar off coupon so all in all lunch cost 20 bucks rather than 33. I think 33 dollars for lunch is outrageous but the RFC reminds us of Disney so we indulge.
I took my birthday 10 dollar coupon to Origins and couldn't really find anything there. Last trip I bought tons of stuff there but I really did not want to stock up on the Ginger cologne and lotion again. I did refill the Peace of Mind pulse point lotion. I didn't realize how the stuff does not last very long. I have last year's bottle in my desk at work and it no longer tingles when you put it on the pulse points but the bottle we opened today was very fresh. Lesson learned: don't stock up too much on those products because they get stale.
A little side trip to Godiva and Harry and David and we called it a day.
Monday, June 22, 2009
Friday, June 19, 2009
8 Weeks until our next adventure
Maybe not much of an adventure, since we've been down this path many times before but still something to look forward to. Since sporting a new nail polish on my fingers and toes, all I have to do is look at the azure color and daydream about Carribean waters, snorkeling, and beautiful beaches. After a day or two, blue doesn't look so unnatural on the nails. It works!
I love living near the water. I'll drive out of my way to drive by the water for a glimpse. But it's not the same, our Atlantic coast with sea green water and brown sand. Nothing says vacation like a fruity drink, island music and some azure blue water!
I've been in touch with Lynn and Darlene about our plans. Our caravan plans to drive to the port are coming together. Lynn and I are solidifying some plans for our two days together before the cruise. It looks like we'll be following the kids around as they enjoy their time. August in Walt Disney World is pretty hot so I'm not sure how long our theme park time will last. I'll pack up the car so we're ready for anything.
After saying I was not going to change excursion plans, I went ahead and canceled our excursion for Tortola. For now I'm keeping the St. John's Trunk Bay excursion in St. Thomas. We had a really nice time in Cabo San Lucas last summer, just winging when we got into the port, that we might try it again. Victoria wants to do something exciting while on Castaway Cay this summer. She thinks just hanging at the beach is 'boring.' That's one of my favorite days!
For now, I continue to look at the calendar, watch the clock, and read others' travel logs!
I love living near the water. I'll drive out of my way to drive by the water for a glimpse. But it's not the same, our Atlantic coast with sea green water and brown sand. Nothing says vacation like a fruity drink, island music and some azure blue water!
I've been in touch with Lynn and Darlene about our plans. Our caravan plans to drive to the port are coming together. Lynn and I are solidifying some plans for our two days together before the cruise. It looks like we'll be following the kids around as they enjoy their time. August in Walt Disney World is pretty hot so I'm not sure how long our theme park time will last. I'll pack up the car so we're ready for anything.
After saying I was not going to change excursion plans, I went ahead and canceled our excursion for Tortola. For now I'm keeping the St. John's Trunk Bay excursion in St. Thomas. We had a really nice time in Cabo San Lucas last summer, just winging when we got into the port, that we might try it again. Victoria wants to do something exciting while on Castaway Cay this summer. She thinks just hanging at the beach is 'boring.' That's one of my favorite days!
For now, I continue to look at the calendar, watch the clock, and read others' travel logs!
Saturday, June 13, 2009
Vacation plans slow and steady
We are moving right along with vacation plans. Flights are arranged, pre-parking at the airport is paid for, and hotels reservations are all set.
I think I'll stick to my excursion plans for now because I've read some good reviews on them. I might change the Tortola tour,lunch and somethingoranother plans and just go for a tour of sorts.
I'm trying to talk Lynn into keeping her rental car and driving down with us. She might take the Disney bus to the port but it might arrive after us and it will cost a bit more than keeping the car another day.
I think I'll stick to my excursion plans for now because I've read some good reviews on them. I might change the Tortola tour,lunch and somethingoranother plans and just go for a tour of sorts.
I'm trying to talk Lynn into keeping her rental car and driving down with us. She might take the Disney bus to the port but it might arrive after us and it will cost a bit more than keeping the car another day.
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