Jana Say Disney: Day 5 STILL!

Miss M is taking a nap so there shouldn't be any further interruptions so I can finish off the day! Now where was i in my magnificent story telling? Ah yes. Smee.

After meeting Smee and Hook, we made it our job to go on as many rides as we could while we were there. We started on Aladdin's carpets, which is basically the Dumbo ride with flying carpets. Then we rode Haunted Mansion and listened to an all-pirate banjo band in Liberty Square. We went to the Big Thunder Mountain Railroad, which is a roller coaster loosely based on the Disney movie "Song of the South" which I remember from being a kid, but you can't find it anywhere because supposedly there is a character that appears a wee bit racist. I haven't seen it since I was like 6 so I don't know the whole politically correct aspect of it. All I know is they were in a brer patch, and well, whatever. The ride has Brer Rabbit and Brer Fox and Bear, and you go through this and they all sing and what not. The cool thing was the girls got to ride front row two times in a row with no wait! That is always great, plus the park at night is just gorgeous.

We lined up for the Pirate/Princess Party Parade and I'm glad we did. They had a 60 foot replica of the Black Pearl and it was incredible. LP wasn't able to get great pics but it was awesome.


All of the princesses had a float, and Jasmine and Aladdin were on horses. I think LP has a thing for Jasmine, it was the only clear picture he was able to achieve:


After the parade we went back to the Big Thunder Railroad, and then headed to Tomorrowland, which was a place we really didn't get to in 2005. The fireworks were just starting, and my family totally denied me. I only got to see the beginning of them, and the rest of my family sat and chowed on a funnel cake. I was able to pull them away from the sugary sludge to get a picture in Cinderella's throne:


We headed to Space Mountain and Rug was so excited, as she had been denied entry to it in 2005 due to a height deficiency. I myself find Space Mountain to be a little outdated, but fun nonetheless. We rode Buzz Lightyear's ride which we'd never done, and it was very similar to the Men in Black ride at Universal, the latter being far superior in my opinion. Next was Stitch's Escape, which is an interactive 'show' where he ruffles your hair and burps chili dog breath in your face. Well, right after he burped, our 'seatbelts' came off, the lights went up, and Stitch...well, he went, uh...limp. Clearly this was not part of the show! A very thick-accented CM came in to apologize but none of us could understand our instructions, so we just headed out the door! So much for that!

There were several 'dance parties' going on around the park and I'm not sure what the purpose was, but I got a quick picture of Sebastian from the Little Mermaid cutting a rug:


Ah, what else. Yes, LP and the girls rode the Tea Cups while I sat and rested...Momma doesn't do spinning-round things. Then we rode a few more rides in Fantasyland and decided it was time to go. As we stood in front of the beautifully lit castle, I felt the need for a group hug, so I said to the SayQua Family: "Let's all hug and remember this as a great memory in the SayQua lifetime." Well, as we were hugging, apparently Rug 'pinched' Al and she got upset. Me, being the ever caring Mom that I am, replied, "Al, we are in Disney World, come on, get over it." Which exploded into a Al tween-been-up-since-eight-and-walking-around-all-day complete meltdown. Right in front of the castle. Well, it had to happen once right?
As I am completely ignoring her, I found a Photo guy to take our picture in front of the castle. Pictures can be deceiving right? You can tell how red her face is that that smile is completely and utterly forced.


I'm evil, no?

Just wait!

As we are leaving, still admiring the details that Disney has put on Main Street, Al is all but mopity mope. I take one last picture of Rug to remember the day:


We hop on the monorail, to take us to the ticket center, to take us to the tram that will take us to our car, that will take us to our hotel. Al is still not speaking to me (when did this become about me? Oh that's right, I'm mom. The meanest one.) I told her I wanted to get one last picture for posterity, and this is what I got:


Mom don't you DARE TAKE MY PICTURE!!!

Okay, now she gave me a hug after we got off the monorail, and I told her I knew she was tired, I'm not a monster. It was funny though.

We got home and immediately went to sleep. And slept. Because Miss M was elsewhere!

Next up: EPCOT and NO MORE STUFFED ANIMALS, PLEASE.

Jana Say Disney: Day Five and the Pirate/Princess Party

Well it's official, I got whatever my kids had. blah. At least I've gotten better sleep, last week was awful with the cranky kids and puking everywhere. I really don't feel like working today so I'd rather think Disney! Woot, I'm a Tigger today, not an Eeyore!

Continuing on...

We left AK around 3 and went back to our hotel to clean up and get our pirate gear on. I was very pleased that Rug wanted to wear the Elizabeth Swann costume, I thought she might've been reluctant. Even Al, my 'tween' wore her pirate hat, even for a little while. It was off by the time we hit the park.

Miss M was going to be spending the night at LP's mom and stepdad's bungalow, so we dropped her off and she was thrilled to have room to roam! That is definitely something to consider next time...the All Star Sports was just too little for all of us. Maybe we'll do half on Disney, half off. I was terribly jealous of their garden tub and the view they had of the MK fireworks. (and they had a Sizzler! Who can resist that?)

It seriously takes a half an hour to get to Magic Kingdom. It's such a pain. We drove, so we had to park, get the shuttle to the Ticket center, walk to the Monorail, wait for that and then it took us to MK. It sounds much easier than it was, trust me. We sat by a younger woman with her daughter who was around 5. We struck up a conversation, and it looked like they had planned this as a once in a lifetime trip to take. How exciting! I was also surprised at how FEW princesses there were...it was all pirate girls. I guess the princesses can't stay past midnight...


Once we got off of the monorail, it was pretty obvious that everyone was leaving the park and not entering. This was when I had the butterflies in my stomach...not the ones when you're excited because you think you're going to have fun...these were the butterflies that told me i KNEW we would...that this would be a fantastic memory.

The people entering the P&P party went to the right, and there was a red carpet laid out as they handed us our treasure bags and maps. The corridor was smoky and very ominous. It was almost like walking the plank!


The atmosphere was so incredible. They had red covers on most of the lights and projected skull and crossbones on the sidewalks. We walked down Main Street with very few people in front of us. The park was closed to anyone who did not have a P&P party ticket. It was amazing.

I had tried to get reservations for dinner at the Liberty Tree Tavern but they were booked solid, so I figured we'd just grab a bite somewhere in MK. We ended up eating VERY expensive hot dogs at Casey's. We were the only ones sitting outside on the patio, and got to be entertained by a show Mickey was giving in front of the castle.

I knew Captain Jack would be in Adventureland, so we headed that way. Just as we entered, we saw a line forming, and I asked the woman last in line what it was for. "This is the line for Jack Sparrow meet and greet!" Well, needless to say we immediately got in line!



The line started moving instantly. We were led into a building, with Pirate music in the background, and we weaved our way past different scenes from the movie, including the island Jack escaped from on a sea turtle:


They led us into a room, and shut the door. We were the last of the group that was allowed into to see Jack, so we basically had him all to ourselves (menacing laugh...) And then Rug...she went right up to him...and did NOTHING! Said, NOTHING! She later said she was so nervous she froze.


I sent this picture to a friend of mine and they thought Jack was a wax figure! Not at all! He was SPOT on Jack Sparrow, talked and acted just like him. Rug was convinced it was Johnny Depp. "Mom, I know it is! Nobody could be that good!" Oh, be he was. We were all star struck.


When we walked out, Rug had to immediately call her grandma to tell her about it. She was walking on clouds for the rest of the night!

In Adventureland, we started hitting some of the 'treasure spots' marked with an X but they were just beads and plastic jewels, so they girls quickly lost interest in waiting in line for them (candy might've kept their interest I think!)

Next we waited in line to see the Genie and Abu from Aladdin. There was some crazy German girl who asked me if she could cut in front of me because she didn't have a bracelet and was leaving for Germany tomorrow and just HAD to get a picture of the Genie. Whatever, I said, I could barely understand her and who was I to deny some loony girl a picture of a big blue cartoon. The Genie was hilarious, really messing with the girls, and he took Al's autograph book and would NOT give it back, causing Al to lose it with uncontrollable giggling, and causing some guy in line to lose it as well, "Enough playing around Genie," he said, "move it along!" I wonder if he'd gotten a cheeseburger at the soccer tournament that weekend....



We rode the Pirates of the Caribbean ride twice in a row (Rug might be smart about the movie, but she didn't even realize it was based on the RIDE) and found Captain Hook and Mr. Smee waiting outside for us. Mr. Smee was quite smitten with Rug...well, actually he was trying to steal her very valuable skeleton ring!




Aye, I hate to break this up even more but Miss M continues to turn off the computer while I'm trying to do this, so I will finish later!

Sidebar

Not sure if any of you had heard about the shootings in Kirkwood (a suburb of St. Louis) this past week. It was pretty awful. The mood around always changes when something like that happens. You always have to wonder why and what could possibly send someone to such a desperate measure. I certainly feel for the victims and families of all those affected.

Last night, LP got tickets to see Kathy Griffin at the Fox theater. We had good seats and it was a sold out show. Kathy started the show by stating that one of the journalists who was at the shooting and had been SHOT was in the audience watching her show. She made him stand up and the crowd gave him an ovation. It was pretty touching.

Then she went on to talk about Britney's va-jajay, but that's how she rolls.

Will resume the oh-so-exciting Disney recap later. I've got sick kids in da house.

Jana Say Disney: Day Five Animal Kingdom

Rug is in our bedroom watching Pirates as I type this, which makes it all the more appropriate.

Our plan today is to go to Animal Kingdom during the day, drop Miss M with my in-laws (who are staying in Kissimmee) and go to the Pirate and Princess Party from six p.m. to midnight. And also our plan today was to take it in slowly...not go 'warp speed'. I'd heard AK was a park to slow down and truly enjoy. I learned that was entirely too true.

We got up early again but this time the girls were ready to go. Rug was the last one to get out of the shower. She says, "Mom?"

"Yeah, Rug, come one let's get going now."

"I know, but Mom? Wasn't Elizabeth Swann the governor's daughter?"

........

Are you freaking kidding me? My 7-year-old daughter is that obsessed with POTC that she figured my husband's dorky clue out? Wow, we are bigger nerds than I try to pretend. So, yeah, LP got all of our pirate gear out...I had purchased pirate hats, beads, eye patches, and brought along Rug's Elizabeth Swann costume from Halloween out, and we laid them out on the bed with the tickets for the party. Her eyes were as wide as doubloons. Little did she know she'd be meeting Captain Jack himself...

AK opened at 9 so again we traveled to the McDonald's down the road, LP insisting they were cheaper than the food court. True, but my god man the calories...and another thing we noticed was the accents are VERY thick around Orlando. Pair that with a poorly functioning drive-through speaker and I was surprised we didn't end up with a bag of peanuts instead of breakfast food.



**The Tree of Life, in the background, is the "Castle" of AK. It has over 300 animals carved into it and I took a gazillion pictures of it. I almost had to buy a new memory card with all the stupid pics I have of it.**

We arrived at AK right at opening and it was fairly crowded. Our first stop was to go to Expedition Everest to get a Fast Pass. Once we got it, we decided to saunter and check out the park. We stumbled upon the Maharajah Jungle Trek and decided to take that path. It was amazing. The park was packed all day (it was MLK day) but we were the ONLY ones on this trek. There were tigers, warthogs, all sorts of animals on this lush beautiful trail. We enjoyed every second of it, and Miss M loved being able to walk around freely. The fruit bats were the coolest, and the CM there said they never come out, but they were all out of the cave for us to see. Al was our tour guide, they had maps to help her and by the end of the trek she'd decided her career choice was going to be a zoologist. It was one of my favorite parts of the trip.

The trek also had 'ruins' that were carved with detailed pictures and made us feel like we were in a different world.

We left the trek and made our way to the Safari. On our way, we passed 'DeVine' who is a woman dressed entirely as a tree on stilts who graciously walked and blended in with the foliage. She was incredible to watch. (click on her name to see a video of her)

Right down the road we got to see the first characters of the day, Baloo and King Louie from the Jungle Book:

Miss M was laughing almost all day at AK, but not in any of the pictures. She's like a total sourpuss in all of them. She had a blast, honestly.
After that we stood in line for the safari because the wait time said only 20 minutes. Oh no. Apparently the warthogs were 'migrating' across the tracks and they couldn't start the ride until they were all done. We waited in line for over an HOUR. Fortunately this was the only time this happened our whole trip (warthogs, who knew?) but Miss M was thankfully in good spirits and we had a lot of treats to keep her happy in line. Once the warthogs made their destination, we got on the ride pretty quickly. I have no pictures of it because it was the bumpiest thing I've ever been on. I wasn't even going to bother.

After the safari our Fast Passes were ready for Expedition Everest. LP went on first with the girls, and I waited in the gift shop. It wasn't long and they were back and I took the older girls iwth me to ride it again. Remember I said Tower of Terror was my favorite ride? Well, this is my favorite coaster. What a great time! The theme is, you are traveling Mt. Everest, going uphill, and you come across the infamous Yeti who proceeds to pull the track off the coaster and yikes...you go backwards and down a very steep hill. It was pretty amazing. (I swear Miss M smiled on this trip)

After Everest, the girls decided to get into the 'pin trading' craze and I was all for it. They bought lanyards with 4 pins on them, and immediately traded with one of the CMs. After that we visited Minnie and Donald Duck. Donald was a riot, kissing on Rug and scratching pictures out of Mickey in each of their autograph books. Apparently there is a lot of competition between Donald and Mickey. I was not aware. Our lunch consisted of chocolate covered marshmallows for Al, a power bar for LP and I and a chocolate chip cookie for Rug. Miss M was snacking on whatever we dropped.
We went to Dino-Land and they rode the Primevial Whirl (no thanks) while Miss M and I stood in line to see Goofy and Pluto. She loved them.


Of course, every animal we saw she still said "Me-ooooow" but at least she "woofed" at Pluto. She's got a little animal schizo, so what, right? This week I finally got her to say "Spongebob" so at least I'm warping her brain sufficiently. "Meow" and "Spongebob", really what else does she need to learn to say? Maybe, "Shut your piehole!" but that's about it. Look! Another picture of the Tree of Life! But holy guacamole it's a pic of just me and LP. That doesn't happen. Look honey, let's pretend we're young and single again. Woot!

Traveling down the pretty walkway, we noticed a line for the Winnie-the-Pooh characters. Sensing Miss M's boredom, we decided to go and check them out to see how she would react, since we'd reserved a dinner with the Gang for later that week.
At first she was thrilled to see Pooh,

Then he went in for the hug and she wasn't so sure:




And finally she was all, "Holy FRICK! This big yellow BEAR hopped up on HONEY wants to hug me. Get me outta here!

She got one last punch in as LP held her in his loving arms:

On our way out we visited Conservation World and met up with Jiminy Cricket, Rafiki and Pocahontas. That was one of those 'educational' things at AK where most kids would be bored, but again, my kids (and LP and I) really enjoyed. Dorks, seriously.

A parade was starting to evolve, so we high-tailed it before it could begin. Beating the crowds, we wanted to be at Magic Kingdom early for the Pirate and Princess Party.

We all agreed to make Thursday another Animal Kingdom day and we all agree it is definitely our favorite park.

More tomorrow!

Jana say Disney: Day Four...let the fun begin!!

Before I start this this morning (a very cranky morning, therefore thinking about Disney is a great idea to keep me from snapping) there are a few things to know before reading.

1. I am writing this for my own recollection. So bear with me.
2. Nobody else in my life likes listening to me go on and on about Disney either.
3. There are a few Disney abbreviations to help me not have to write too much you may need to know. MK= Magic Kingdom, AK= Animal Kingdom, MGM= Hollywood Studios, and a CM= Cast Member, or, employee at Disney. Now you're in the loop. Because you truly want to be.
4. Oh, and EMH= Extra Magic Hours. These are extra hours the parks are open to the people staying on Disney resorts. They come in handy. Yet another: FP= Fast Pass. Fast Pass is a device that allows you to get a 'standby ticket' for a ride. So if there is a long line, you go to the FP machine, and it will print you a ticket for a time to come back, like 10:00 a.m. to 10:40 a.m., and then when you go there, you don't have to wait in line. These are free, but considering the money you spend to get in the park, they're probably in reality about $30. And you can only get one at a time, so you can't have multiple Fast Passes.
4. Baby swap: Wow this is the best. Basically LP and the older girls would get in line for a ride Miss M was too little for, say, Space Mountain, tell the CM we wanted to do baby swap, and they would give him a ticket. Then they would ride the ride as I waited in the gift shop, and when they were done, I'd take the older girls and the ticket, and get right back on the ride without having to wait in line!! So the older girls got to ride each ride 2x in a row with little waiting. I did get a lot of souvenir shop time though.

Seriously. I wrote all of that out! Holy cow, what a total freak. At least I admit I'm a freak. I'm not in total denial.

************************************************************************

Again Miss M had a very restless night, so I was up early again. LP wanted to use the EMH we had at MGM Sunday morning, but they were from 8-9 a.m. and we just didn't make it. We grabbed McD's for breakfast and made it there at 'rope drop', which is when the park opens and they have goofy spiel about Hollywood and then they let everyone in at once.

It was freezing. Bitter. And I'm from the Midwest so I am not a namby-pamby. It was probably about 45 degrees. All that warm weather I'd given us the day before was ruthlessly taken away from us. But that was OK...we were at Disney and my mother said it was 18 degrees in St. Louis. So I'd take it.

LP went to get a fastPass for the Rock-N-Roller Coaster and Al, Rug and I headed for Tower of Terror. MY favorite ride. Hands down. I just love the creepy way all the CMs act, like they are really working at a 1930s Hollywood Hotel. It is so awesome. Basically the premise is, a hotel gets struck by lightning, sending guests into the Twilight Zone (with Rod Serling along for the ride). The reality is, you are in total darkness in an elevator and just keep DROPPING. Each time is different too.

It was a short line, and they take about 25 people at a time, but right before the 3 of us went in, this CM stopped us and made us go to the side. "Congratulations!" she said to me. "You've just become part of our Year of a Million Dreams and have all won Dream Fast Passes for the rest of the day!" She gave us these lanyards with free Fast passes for all the rides at MGM that day. It was pretty cool. The girls were so excited about it. Of course I could have been a big party pooper and told them we could've won a night in the Cinderella castle, but hey, a prize is a prize and we were all very excited about it!

Do you see how cold we are?

After that LP took the girls on Rock N roller Coaster and then I rode with them again. I had to be the 'weird old single rider lady' and I rode with a 10-year-old kid who had never been on the ride. It was a lot of fun!

After getting a few character autographs, we headed back to WWOSports for Rug's soccer game. I think by the last day we finally figured out how to get everywhere. I know I ended up at Epcot at least once trying to get on the highway.

The atmosphere was pretty somber and pretty much everyone kept to themselves, but they all showed up, much to my surprise. Did I mention it was freezing? We lost, 7-3, a pretty bad whuppin'. But it was over and we had the rest of the week to enjoy Disney. So long to the soccer dramaz.

We headed back to MGM and LP took the girls to ride Tower of Terror again. We all ate Power bars and granola bars for lunch, since we had reservations at the Rainforst Cafe later and knew we'd be eating a lot.

Miss M and I sat down on a curb because I noticed people who lining up for what I figured was going to be a parade. They had street actors and Miss M wanted to WALK, but I really wanted to keep our spot, so she had a mini-Miss M fit. One of the street actors, a 'cop' came over and wrote her a ticket for public display of a hissee fit. It was funny. I was really hoping LP would get back before the parade started, and he was right on time. We had great seats. Cruella deVil came over and started harassing Al, telling her she knew where her puppies were--Al was laughing hysterically.

We rode Star Tours and did a few other things, then headed off to DownTown Disney to eat. We had reservations at the Rainforest Cafe and we still had to wait 1/2 hour for a table. It was really crowded. LP does not do well when he is hungry. The girls ordered a 'Volcano' for dessert...


and ate the entire thing.



We roamed a little around DownTown Disney but it was really cold, and Rug got a hair wrap. We went home and collapsed into bed.

Tomorrow: Animal Kingdom and Yo Ho Ho, the Pirate and Princess Party!!

Disney Day 3: Continued

Well LP still has the good pics from this day on his computer at work, but I can improvise. If I don't, this thing may not be completed by my NEXT trip to Disney, and from the looks of it, that would not be good for my readership!

Once we arrived at WWOSports, we were overwhelmed with the crowds! Lots of soccer going on. We had a game at 2, 3:30 and 5 p.m. With the heat rising, it was going to be very interesting to see how Miss M would hold up.

The cheerleaders were also there and helped us all get into the mood!

Rug was a sub on this 3v3 team, and I was a little nervous about how she would do. She was also the only 7-year-old on the team, the rest were 8 years old. I don't know the rules to 3v3 very well. basically all kicks are direct, but you cannot score over the centerfield line. Also if the opposing player is in their own goal box, and touches the ball, it is an automatic goal for the other team. These are also very short games, divided into 12 minute halves.

The 2:00 p.m. game started on like gangbusters. Rug looked like she was there to play. She even scored a goal! (again, I wanted to show that video, but LP has the USB cord so blah) They won, with the end score being 5-2.

Rug wanted a light snack, so I went to wait in line for a couple of cheeseburgers.

***yet another mrtl tangent***
I have been to SEVERAL soccer tournaments. This was not any different than any other, except it was at Disney. There were not enough Port-a-Potties, and the line at the concession stand was long. Naturally. ****end tangent****

Standing in line, an elderly man in the line next to me begins to get agitated. I could immediately see the escalation of his impatience.

"This is ridiculous! These lines are unacceptable! There aren't enough concession stands! Didn't they prepare for us?"

On and on he went.

A man in front of him tried to defuse the bomb. "I've been to a lot of these, it's always the same," he lightheartedly said to the man.

"Yeah, but this is DISNEY." Oh, great rationalization there. Uh, Disney is KNOWN for long lines, what the hell???

So as he in on his tirade, he is also creeping his way towards the front of the line. Now, remember, he and I are parallel to one another, there are just as many people in front of me as they are him. Next he starts berating the employees. "THey are just standing there! They can wait on me! What is going on up there, this is UNACCEPTABLE!" (in fact, there were two employees in the middle--they were only in charge of the sodas/drinks, and had no cash register.)

Finally we get to the front, and he is getting ready to give his order, and he looks at me with one last comment, but before I let him talk I said, "Well look at that. You even got your food BEFORE I did. Thank you for making my wait in line enjoyable." Al was laughing so hard she could barely put her ketchup on her burger. What a curmudgeon!! Hopefully next time he will let someone else get the burgers!

Well the 3:30 game was a disaster. We lost 5-3 and Rug did NOT play very well. Of course it was my fault, I let her have a cheeseburger. Damn, I really got a lot of grief over that one cheeseburger!

The 5:00 game will go down in history as the biggest clustermuck in soccer game-ry. First off, we couldn't get a referee. That was a little frustrating. Even if it was "Disney"!! Then we got a referee that was, no joke, as old as Al if not younger. He told us he was 10. But he was certified, so whatever. Next, we were playing a team with very tight braids and they all had the same red ties in their hair. So they looked pretty menacing. No really, tight braids in soccer mean BUSINESS.

Right away we scored. 1-0. We dominated the entire game, and the 10-year-old referee was pretty capable, fair for both sides. The Braids were putting up a good game.

Now here is where my 3v3 knowledge gets sketchy. I am guessing the 10-year-old ref had an official watch to keep track of how long the game lasted. In 3v3, the time DOES NOT STOP. Ever. Not for injuries, or throw-ins, not at all. The game keeps goin.

So apparently, some of the parents on the sidelines ALSO have stopwatches to keep track of time for their own benefit. And, as we all know, parents overrule any stupid ref, right? I mean, come on, especially a 10-year-old ref, right??? You see where this could go, yeah?

(for the record, I didn't have a watch until the END of this trip)

The second half is almost over, and like in slow motion, the ref blows the whistle for the game, and the other team slides to kick the ball.........and it goes in.

Unbelievable right? Pretty awesome for this little girl on the other team, right?

Suddenly, two of the parents on OUR team start screaming "No, that was only 9 minutes! WE still have more time left to go! THis is wrong! No!!!

I mean screaming. I start packing my stuff up to go, because this just can't be good. Our coach comes over and these parents are freaking. Out. "Aren't you gonig to do something? We spent thousands of dollars to come here and you aren't going to protest? Is ANYONE going to do anything????"

This guy was going Cuckoo for Coco Puffs.

But here's the thing. Okay, I would have been right with them if they said the game had gone OVER. Like, the game was over when she made the goal. But no, that's not what he was saying. He was saying there was more time LEFT. So WTF? Then that gives them time to BEAT US and score again, you jackhole. Plus look, just because YOUR watch said that, does not mean it was right. Whew, whatever. Go get yourself a hamburger at the concession stand, that should cheer you right up.

Our coach comes over, says he discussed it with the head referee and there is nothing more he can do. Still these parents are totally not satisfied. They continue on their rant, blasting the coach and a shouting match ensued, making our whole team look like pinheads and the term "AWWW-KWARD" truly living up to its reputation.

After looking back on it, LP and I discussed it later that night and were both struggling with what we could have done to alleviate the situation. The best we came up with was just saying, 'hey, not in front of the kids', because by the time they were done, two kids were crying and two others were confused as all hell.

In the end, it turned out that winning or tying gave us the same result, and we still made it to the second round. So all the fussing was for naught.

Silly adults, will they ever learn?
Here's a reenactment of the scene!

Our game Sunday was at noon. So we got to play again.

After that debacle, we returned to our hotel room. Another storm was blowing in, and it was pouring down. The forecast had shown lots of rain the whole time we were supposed to be there, but this turned out to be the only rain we saw.

It was fun running to the food court for dinner, getting drenched but not caring. Gave us a little levity. After all LP and I had no expectations for this tournament, we were just excited to be there. Obviously not everyone shared that feeling!

LP and I both had big chicken caesar salads (pretty good for food court food) and we sat with our coach and his wife and kids trying to make sense of it. Luckily for us it was the beginning of our trip. Sadly for them it was the last few days of theirs.

We got to bed early, rain will always do that to you.

Next up: Sunday Day 4: No More Soccer and the Coldest Day we are There But Wait...Did I Win a Year of a Million Dreams Prize???

"But it's DISNEY!!!"

trying to shut me out

This trip report is taking much longer than anticipated, and I just read somewhere that some scientist has determined through research that 100% of what we do ends up taking longer than what we anticipated.

I bet that research took him a long time to determine that.

Anyway. We got Uverse installed yesterday and, although in the long run looks to be a wonderful source of joy for me, has totally screwed up our computer. It's running like it did on dial-up 10 years ago. I'm using my work computer to type this. Which leads me to believe it's the computer that has the problem, not the Uverse.

It is quite a scene though. One of my 'rules' when we got married was NO television in the bedroom. I just always felt that our bedroom should be our sanctuary, the place for serious discussion, life decision making, other-things-making, you know. So when we discussed getting Uverse (probably in our bedroom), I told LP I was ready to make the leap. It's been 11 years and I think we can break down and get the TV in our bedroom.

I was just sick of falling asleep in the den.

Now we have it, and this brings the total to 3 TVs now. Which basically means the girls can watch their Disney channel fodder downstairs, LP watches football in the den and me...I get to watch chick flicks all the live long day. TV. Such a family bonding experience.

So while I'm thoroughly enjoying the Uverse television aspect, the high-speed internet part has yet to be figured out. Once it is though, I will get through the rest of this report!!!

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.

Bald Tang Zyne

Each day I intend on blogging but it never ends up on the screen. There are a million posts stuck in my head, but they are doomed to be imprisoned in my brain next to all my Brady Bunch knowledge.

So guess what? You know all those newsletters you always get in Christmas cards that you just LOVE to read? Yeah, me too....ok, they are awful, and no one likes to read them. That's why I decided to go ahead and recap the year on my blog today! Because honestly, what else do you have to do, party? Come on. We're old. We don't party any more. I'm having people over tonight and you know what we will probably end up doing? Playing Guitar Hero. Such is my life.

On with the shew...........

JANUARY



Makenna is 2 months old and we pretty much don't do much the entire month. Oh, sure, lots of soccer, but other than that, nada. Even Rug's 7th birthday was pretty much a bore, she'd say so herself! oh but LP took this great picture of me...he is such a great photographer. You can certainly tell his priorities with this one.



FEBRUARY


Gettin' re-hitched in Las Vegas was one of the best times we've had. I am looking forward to going back that's for sure. I must make sure we do stuff that actually should stay in vegas though.

MARCH


March sucked. Guess they all can't be good. At least losing your loved ones allows you to open up and love even more.

APRIL



Oh yay my first Cardinal game in the new stadium! So much fun. Then I become even Steven as Al tells me she hates baseball (thus tearing my heart out and smashing it to the ground) but at the same time Rug starts playing baseball and LOVES it. My heart will go on, Celine. The Cards went on to disappoint this year, but that is OK because Yadier never let me down.

Is anybody still reading? I didn't think so.

MAY


The big soccer win--hey, when you are a soccer Mom, this is the highlight. We also learned on this trip, that it does not matter how many Renuzits you buy, if someone has pretty much soiled or killed something in your hotel room before you, it will not get the smell out. Maybe try Glade.

JUNE


June was a weird, roller coaster month for me. My grandma died, I saw the 'real' side of some friends, I lost my JOB in a sense, and Rug got a major screwdgy, as we call it. On the other hand, we went to Gulf Shores (so fun), Al's birthday was a blast, I lost 15 lbs. and Rug got an even better opportunity than the first. It was almost like an after school special, June. "Life can suck, but it can also turn out rosy in the end!" Or something like that. It's been awhile since I've watched an after school special, so my analogies aren't so hot.

JULY


This is getting harder than I expected. July was hard to recall. I do know I get my first paycheck from my new job and LP framed it. You think I'm kidding, I know, but you've read my blog long enough, right? He's a bit off.

AUGUST



We start buckling down on the house hunting, and come up short. This year will be full of big decisions in that arena. After trying to find our dream home, we have since decided to just build it. I could use some corny "Field of Dreams" bit here, but it's too early in the a.m. for that. Also, in August my kids start back to school and I regain some of the sanity lost from the summer. I cry when Al reads "Are you there God? It's Me Margaret." This may seem trivial to you, but in the span of things it is a HUGE deal to me. For Pete's sake my baby now knows about maxi pads people!!! MAXI PADS! ARGHGHGHGH!

SEPTEMBER


I believe I got to eat some sushi for my birthday, so it must have been a good month. Miss M is all over the place, crawling and trying to walk. It is a darn good thing I don't mail these suckers out at Christmas because I'm awful at it.

OCTOBER


Miss M breaks in 3 teeth in one week. I don't think I could forget that if I tried. We had a trip to Davenport Iowa, which I don't think I could remember if I tried. Although AL's team did get 2nd place overall, so that was cool. Halloween was much better this year, the girls had a blast and I got some good candy, and it is all about me, in case you were wondering. Right now Miss M is putting a wire that may or may not be plugged in into an empty Dr. Pepper can. I might need to intervene. Oh and this month we got a Wii on ebay, which will bring great joy to our kids in December. Also, LP decides to have a mid-life crisis, which is still ongoing and will most likely end in March with the purchase of a new car. I hope.

NOVEMBER



Already a year old?? Well, this picture defines how awesome my life is! Though I would suggest for the 1 year birthday cake to NOT use pink icing, it ends up looking like a bad rash.

DECEMBER



This month brings great snow and a lot of fun chasing the now mobile Miss M around the house. Her favorite activity? Playing with empty Dr. Pepper cans, as previously mentioned. Christmas was one of the best this year. We were able to get everyone exactly what they wanted, whether they knew it or not. And Santa brought a Wii, how crazy is that? I might just have to return the one I bought...

So that is it. 2007 is almost over and I was able to sum it up in one post. Sad? Maybe. Lazy? Definitely.

We are going to be gone soon for Disney World, also making that stop in Atlanta I told you about, and I will try to post but it is not on my New Year's resolution list to spend even MORE time at the computer, so I am not going to bank on it. Wishing everyone a very Happy New Year and for Hoss, Rabbit Rabbit and all that.

MWAH!

This Picture is Not what you Think it Is

At first glance this may look really disgusting, but in reality it's my one year old getting into the snack cabinet and sitting on an opened bag of peanut brittle. Velour pants are very good for keeping the brittle saved for later.




I'd hate to bore you with the going ons in my life, as there is plenty. With all the crazy things going on, my main focus that keeps me sane is our impending (AND ALREADY PAID FOR) trip to Disney World. I'm certainly ready to visit the Happiest Place on Earth that is for sure. I am bummed though, because I learned a few fellow bloggers will be there the week after we are there...that would have been so cool to get to meet them, oh well...I certainly don't plan on this being my last trip there!

LP and I are feeling sort of 'us against the world' lately. I think this comes hand in hand when your children go to a private school and you are surrounded with the same people 24/7. We just need a break from things. Not sure if we are going to make this a permanent break, since LP could possibly be transferred to Atlanta. That is still in the works.

So again, don't want to bore you. Hope the magic of the holidays reaches each and every one of you! (assuming I have more than one reader!)

This Guy Has Brought Back My Hope for Humanity

Dad is pissed and is taking names.


We need more Dads like this.

Back in Black

This is the song that was on the radio this morning my children made me TURN DOWN when I was taking them to school. Oh, the horror! Rug said to me, "Aren't you 34? Well you are acting like a 24-year-old!".

Harumph. They'll be telling me to put on a sweater and shut the door, did I grow up in a barn soon enough!

Miss M has mastered the walking business...well, we are calling her Herman Munster because she walks just like she has cement shoes on. The screaming has become an issue...it's funny yet ridiculous when I take something away from her she lets out this banshee wail that I know the neighbors have to hear. This morning she had a blow out so severe there was poop on her SHOULDERS. I don't even know how that HAPPENS.

Last week was the Christmas Bazaar, in which I am the Grand Mom-pah of. It went much smoother this year, most likely due to not having been in labor the week before like I was last year. Not a good idea. It is over and all the children have loads of lead-filled items to place under the tree.

So this week it will be very, very difficult for anyone to get me out of my sweats. Well...there is one person...but I'm pretty David Beckham is busy this week.

Elfing Around

Happy Thanksgiving, some elves that are fooling around just for you!

Vomitus

Trying to find a picture of all 3 of the girls has proved impossible...but this pic of Miss M describes the details of my life at this point.

Still trying to get over this thing my doctor has dubbed "just the way Jana is built". I'd love to see him deal with eating a hamburger at a new acquaintance's house and having to immediately use the restroom, and not wanting to destroy any semblance of future invites due to what will go in the restroom, make up a stupid excuse to leave because you want to go home and use your OWN bathroom where all is safe and, well, this is already too much information. I've been trying to adjust my diet and it looks like I'll be eating leaves and bananas for the rest of my life.

The main reason I started this blog was to document the going ons of my family. Shows you how awful I am...Miss M took her first steps last week. Tuesday. She of course, will only take them if I'm on one side and LP is on the other, any other set up and she refuses. Who could blame her? Her steps are hilarious, and she would much rather jump face first into the carpet than move her feet. And she thinks that is So funny. She also got a 'one year old' car seat, so now she can see how bad a driver her Mommy truly is. And, to top the weekend off, she dropped a can of soup on her foot. Painful yes, but fortunately this was the only injury of the week, which was much better than the week before when we called Poison Control twice and a keyboard fell on her head.

Third children, they are tough.

Since this past weekend was a 4 day weekend for the kids, and NO soccer (woo hoo!) I demanded forced family Time and we played "Guesstures" which is basically charades with cards. Rug was on LP's team, but I was helping her with the reading. The card she got said "Vomit" and she chose that. WHen it came to act it out, she started holding her nose and waving her hand near her butt. I looked quizzically at her. Apparently she thought 'vomit' was another word for 'fart'. Yes, I'm teaching them so well.

And lastly, we had Parent Teacher conferences. Both girls got straight A's, but now that Al is in 5th grade she gets on the Honor Roll.

I usually check her homework, but I don't check math anymore as she was getting a few B's on it after I'd checked it. So LP started doing it, and last week when he checked it, she got a 'C'. Well, that didn't fly with him and he had to make sure they were checked correctly, because, God forbid, he be wrong! And, as it turned out, she got 2 right that were marked wrong (by a classmate). in our conference, her teacher brought this up, and told us that Al had told him, "my Dad refuses to be wrong." Hilarious.

At Rug's conference, she had to write a story about why she was thankful for her family. She wrote: "I'm thankful because they always forgive me when I get in trouble."

Oh, no truer words have been said.

Teething babies ain't for wussies

Everyone in the SayQua household is sick. Papa is congested and everyone in the 10 block radius knows about it. When he is sick, the world comes to a screeching, undeniable halt. Tip toeing on feathers and clouds would not be a good enough route to take when he is trying to sleep.

Rug and Al, both begged Mom this morning to let them stay home, due to the sniffles and what not.

Momma said no way, two tests apiece and I ain't studying for them twice. Get ta school. Off they went.

So, through all of this, Momma has been having some serious intestinal problems which may or may not be treated with chalky pink liquids or just being within 4 feet of a lavaratory at any given moment. So severe, Momma is going to a doctor next week for some testin'.

Aye, but I digress.

Miss M has been the toothless wonder long enough, apparently. She has decided in the past week to sprout not one but THREE teeth, back to back. I'm in teething Hell.

Tonight, after all the other SayQuas had taken their Nyquil and settled down for a long seems-like-winter nap, Miss M starts screaming. Wailing. Squealing. For OVER AN HOUR AND A HALF she screams.

I finally couldn't take it anymore and went into LP's den of wooziness (we were in the living room) and woke him up to tell him I wanted to take her to the hospital.

By the time we got to the couch she was FAST ASLEEP.

Sleeping like a baby, as it were.

Now everyone is asleep. But me.

For the record, if anyone asks in the future, this would be the night my downward spiral into insanity began. Yep.