Jana Say Disney: Day 3 but just the first half.

LP gave me some of the pictures from our trip, however they were from the END of the trip and not of this day, so I know you are waiting with baited breath, but the rest of the day will just have to wait. Que sera sera.

We woke up Saturday morning feeling pretty rough. Miss M did NOT like the Pack and Play, in fact, she was adamantly protesting against it. Two double beds and five people do not make a comfortable situation, especially for Mom, who gets to get up with the baby at all hours of the night. Plus, Miss M is a horizontal sleeper, so I had baby feet jabbing me in the ribs on a regular basis.

Of course Mom was up first, because, since I got no sleep, why not just get up and stay up? Right. Well I took a shower and used my special Mickey Mouse soap (read: could be confused with liquid plumber) to try to seep Disney into every pore I have.

The kids finally woke up, and we all went to the "End Zone" which is the All Star Sports version of a crowded food court. Total for breakfast: $60. No, I'm NOT kidding. But to be fair, we bought the Refillable Mugs that are supposed to be refillable for free the rest of the time you're there on the resort. WE NEVER USED THEM. As a matter of fact, as we were driving out of the resort on our last day, I made LP stop by the food court for the sole purpose of filling my mug up at least one more time. SO I COULD FEEL JUSTIFIED IN PURCHASING A $13 MUG!!! (we used the heck out of them our last trip, I must say, and felt like this was a travesty that by golly, we did not get our fair share of SODA).

After eating breakfast (in case Hoss is still here: I had a croissant with egg, LP had biscuits and gravy, and the girls both had the "Kids Mickey breakfast special" which I think consisted of eggs, bacon and biscuits. All for $7.49) and getting the pressed penny from the arcade (Al collects them), we went back to our hotel room and waited. Some of the cheerleaders were practicing so we watched them for a little bit. Then we met up with our coach and their family and we all drove together in our van to the Wide World of Sports. They parked us somewhere in Key West. The weather was iffy, and I kept complaining to LP that I wanted it to be warmer. By the end of the day it had almost hit 90, so I got my wish. I should work for the weather channel.

Next up: The Soccer Incident, also known as, Wow, let's get out of here, these people have truly lost it.

SOME RANDOM PICS FROM FRIDAY NIGHT AT DOWNTOWN DISNEY:


Sacrifice to the Lego Dinosaur


My children get along really well.

Disney Day 3 Delayed

LP has all our pictures on his computer and I haven't gotten my PhotoPass CD yet so, my report must be delayed a day or so. Yes, I know you're all crying in your beers.

I only have a few pics on my computer so I guess I could stick on on here. I hate to do that because then we'd be out of order and we can't have chaos!!!



Here's a good one. It's the "Anyone Can Cook" cookbook from "Ratatouille". I wanted to see Remy and Emile SO bad, they were really the two characters I wanted to see, and I asked a CM where they were and he said, "They went back to Paris." Bummer. But they still had the props from the movie at the Disney Animation exhibit. I took the girls to see this movie when it came out, and they loved it, but I was 'eh'. We bought it though I watched it again and enjoyed it. Oh, well that gives me an idea to do a top 5 list. Or two.

Top 5 of My Favorite Disney Animated Movies

5. Rescuers. Old childhood favorite. Loved Bianca.
4. Hmm. Tie between Jungle Book and Alice in Wonderland.
3. 101 Dalmatians. Cruella is the coolest villian. And that song, "Cruella De Vil...if she doesn't scare you...no evil thing will...."
2. Aladdin. Dude. Aladdin is HOT.
1. Little Mermaid. I saw this movie when it came out on Thanksgiving in 1989. It's still my favorite, I really don't know why.

Actually, after looking at the list, I really didn't care for any of their animated films after Aladdin, except for maybe Brother Bear and Ratatouille.

Top 5 favorite Pixar films:

5. The short movie with the bird on a telephone wire. It always cracks me up. But, since there's really only been 5 Pixar movies, I guess Bug's Life will take this spot. It was cute. Loved Francis.
4. Monsters, Inc.
3. Toy Story 1.
2. Toy Story 2.
1. Finding Nemo. Classic. Dory is about the best character ever created.

Jana Say Disney: Day Two

I guess I should have put a disclaimer on my trip report: This is not going to be exciting unless you love Disney World or are myself. Obviously there is only one of those you can be, and if you ain't one of them, then go here and come back later for our regular programming, if you even find that to your liking.

Also, I am tired this morning as LP and I could not put the Guitar Hero down last night. I've got to master Smoke on the Water, it's the only song he can beat me at.

Okay....then.

Day Two started with (for hoss) the Comfort Inn breakfast consisting of some sort of oval fake egg substance (feggs?), Honey Nut Cheerios, a banana and a waffle, made of course by the 7-year-old. Miss M dumps the Cheerios on the ground, and we are out the door.

**Did I mention my in-laws are coming on this trip? Yeah, one day we were visiting and out of nowhere, my MIL says, "Oh, by the way, we are going with you to Florida." Ohhhh-kay!?? Barring the obvious self invite, I was a little worried about having to revolve my Disney fun around them, but it turned out to be a good experience.**

It was Rug's birthday week, and I had gotten tickets to the Pirate and Princess Party Disney throws. It's basically more $$ to dole out to have the park pillaged and rampaged by saucy pirates and princesses for a night. She had no idea what it was, but knew she had a surprise coming. I promised her ONE HINT when we hit the Florida border. This is what LP came up with: "We are going where the daughter of a Governor can become a KING"

Now what 7-year-old is going to figure that one out? I just rolled my eyes at him.

Around noon we were starving and saw a sign for a "Whataburger"...right next to the "We Bare It All Cafe Risque" sign.

I had to grab the wheel as LP was heading in the wrong direction. I wanted burgers. Not hooters.

Once we hit the Florida turnpike, I was driving and LP was navigating. In our 11 years of marriage you would think we would know this is a bad idea. LP checks the math homework in the house, I check the English. HE does the driving. I do the navigating. So when you defy the rules of marriage, well, it will end poorly.

I insist we go on 4, the highway, and LP insists we take some back-alligator way to get there instead. "It will be more scenic" he says.

When you arrive at Disney World, there is a GIANT sign welcoming you, it's a lot of fanfare and Hooplah.

Yeah, we took the back road. We got to see all the broken down Space Mountain cars, and the trucks with the pixie dust and the dorms of the Cast Members. No fanfare. It was like getting to the Red carpet in Hollywood by going through Compton.

So LP was in the doghouse, but we made it. He is SO lucky that only an hour earlier (when the Whataburger turned out to be closed) we had 'pinky promised' no fighting on the trip. And since I try to stick to the code, I could only smile instead of shoving the Florida map into his ear.

Since Rug was in the soccer tournament, we were required to stay at the All Star Sports. We arrived, checked in (no line--which would NOT be a recurring theme) and realized we were also here the same week as the College Cheerleading Competition. And they were all staying at the same hotel! We lucked out on our room though, on the opposite side of where they were practicing. The girls had a blast watching them and gave them a diversion when LP and I were wrestling Miss M to the ground after several attempts to jump off the bed.


We spent the remainder of the night at Downtown Disney where it was only 55 degrees and Rug spent the entire evening in the Pirates of the Caribbean store.

Tomorrow: Day 3 and soccer DRAMA

Jana Say Let's go to Disney Day One

Thursday afternoon-- 3 p.m.

Today is the day! After we picked up the girls from school, they got changed and we headed off into the sunset.

3:20 p.m.

Miss M is crying.

3:22 p.m.

LP determines that flying was probably a better idea.

3:35 p.m.

Al requires me to take the "Are you Ali or A.J.?" test from her Teen Beat. I am A.J.
Not sure what that means.

5:00 p.m.

We are now in Kentucky! It is so pretty here. I know Kentucky has a redneck reputation but the hills are so beautiful. Try it, you might like it. It is a JanaSayQua 4 star recommended state. (Note: Mississippi and Iowa are NOT on that list.)

Around 7 p.m. we finally get around to eating dinner at a restaurant in Nashville. LP and I always pride ourselves in trying the cuisine of the locals, so we come upon a restaurant that fits the bill.

A Mac-Donald's?

After watching Harry Potter and some sorcery business, all three are asleep, and LP and I try to crunch down some miles. Unfortunately we are exhausted so we get a Comfort Inn outside of Atlanta.

***Mrtl tangent here***
Have you ever stayed at a Comfort Inn? Now, my parents are the cheapest travelers known to Man and I have been forced to stay in many a no-tell motel in my day, and I just figured Comfort Inns were of the same genre. Oh not so! Down comforters, sleep number beds...it was pure heaven. And when my 7-year-old can make her own waffle in the morning, there ain't nothing better than that. ***end tangent****

So we sleep for a few hours, and get back on the road again. Pretty exciting stuff, huh? It can only get better....

Next up...Day Two and Arrival at the Mouse, LP style.

Home 0, Orlando 1

Well we are back and settled home. I had to hear all today today about how 'beautiful' the weather was today. It was barely 60 degrees. two days ago I was wearing shorts and a t-shirt in almost 80 degree weather.

It is not at all normal to be planning your next trip to Orlando when you are still IN Orlando.

So we had a blast, and since I didn't do it last time, I'm going to give you a blow-by-blow snoozefest trip report of each and every day we were there. Doesn't that sound like fun?!?!

Almost as fun as my end of the year newsletter right?!

At least I'm not making you sit for a slideshow.

But before I dive into that, I just wanted to get on my flimsy soap box and discuss Heath Ledger.

You know how I found out he died? LP was sitting waiting for us to get off of a ride and was perusing the Internet on his phone. He knew I was a fan of Heath's, (ok, yeah he was gorgeous but I truly thought he was a magnificent actor) and handed me the phone. Besides his cell phone, I really had no outside link to the 'real' world. Which was perfectly fine with me. I'll take fuzzy bears and It's A Small World over CNN anyday, after all...

Anyway, when we got to the hotel that night, I turned on a news channel to find out how he died, if it was a car wreck or something, and the instant I turned it on there was a GRAPHIC picture of the police and EMS putting the BODY BAG into the ambulance. WHAT THE HELL?!?!?!?! How perverse of a society have we turned into???

I just decided that I can no longer watch that kind of crap or read about it online. He was a very good actor, and they have just destroyed any proper grieving for his daughter and family. How disgusting.

Okay then. Day one starting tomorrow and no more soap boxes for the rest of the week!

The Sticker

As a parent, my main goal in life is to raise my children with good morals, values, and a sense of empowerment. I am also obligated, in being a GOOD parent, to instill in them a love for knowledge, both intellectual and physical.

In the Say Qua household, grades are far more important than any soccer goal, any basketball shot, or time on the swim meet clock. There is a sticker in my daughter's rom that reads, "Popularity won't help you succeed...but those grades on your report card sure will." This is the environment we live in. And believe in, quite frankly.

5th grade is the beginning of the Honor Roll. From 5th grade until 8th grade, every grade is tallied, written on their permanent record, for each child in hopes of becoming Valedictorian of their graduating class. At this point, I am not even sure I spelled 'valedictorian' correctly.

Which brings us to THE STICKER.

After only ONE quarter (not even a semester!) of being on the honor roll, each student instantly earns a "I am the Proud Parent of an HONOR ROLL Student" bumper sticker. Not a free pizza day, or maybe a non-uniform day, but a sticker.

To put on my very clean, very pristine, very non-stickered minivan.

It came home with a lot of fanfare. "Look Mom!! Are you going to put it on right now? Are ya? HUH?"

My first thought was, this is why our schools are failing us, jeebus one quarter and they get rewarded? Are you kidding? Then i thought, well she worked hard for it, what is stopping you from putting that...RED sticker on your BLUE car?

I'm not a shallow person. I believe I'm a quasi-educated individual. But for Albert Einstein's sake, I do not want that thing on my car.

So I flaked. "Well, let's wait until you get on the Honor Roll at least for a semester. THEN we will see." Ok, she agreed to that, it seemed fair.

That was last week. She got on it again. Straight A's. Honors. WITH DISTINCTION.

Couldn't they give me a sticker that said, "My kid has Honors with Distinction and yours doesn't"? That would be much cooler.

Or at least make it a clingee type sticker. That way LP won't be out there scraping the residue off when I trade my minivan in for that beautiful Jaguar convertible (yes, that WILL TO happen, and obviously I'm not going to be the one scraping that off, ew).

It's going to be a tough one. Trying to figure a way out of the Sticker. The guilt may just eat me alive.

Maybe I'll sell it to one of the kids who didn't make the honor roll, and take AL out to the Cheesecake Factory instead!

Now THAT is edumucation thinkin'!

Memory Lane, yours for 104,000

I didn't think I'd post, but Miss M is konked out on the couch so I have a few seconds of time to post.

Last week was the kickoff of the Puking Year. I thought this was 2006, and for me, it was. It started with Miss M, who threw up in the car, and being the super great mom that I am, didn't have a change of clothes so she wore her 7-year-old sister's sweatshirt as a dress. She didn't seem to mind, but threw up about 8 more times after that.

Sunday was quiet.

Monday LP hurled and whurled.

Tuesday Al was up all night, surprising us all because out of the 5 of us, she has had the least amount of puke festivals.

Wednesday I picked up the girls from school and I HAD to get Rug's jersey to the store to get her name on it before we went to Disney. just HAD to.

These are my priorities. Even when my 7-year-old insists she feels sick, I tell her, just one stop, I promise, then I'll take you home. Yeah, you know where this went, right?

Bright pink. All across the back seat of my van.

Apparently there was Kool-Aid for lunch. Gah!

Oh well. Lesson learned.

So, here I am, nervously anticipating the hurley burley's at any given moment. I won't even pretend that I won't get it, because you know I will.

Funny things happening around town. A girl I went to high school with shot and killed her husband, then proceeded to burn the house down. Whoa!

Also, LP and my first house is up for sale. I have no idea why they think a 2 bedroom house with NO garage will sell for 104,000 but whatever!

House where Janasayqua lived, yours for a low, low price!

Why would I have fond memories of such a small place? It's where I had my first big fight with LP, where Al learned to walk, where we first connected to the Internet, here we found out I was preggers with Rug, and where we started our lives together!

Oh, and the basement leaks.