Jana say Disney: Day 6 Epcot Con't.

Holy moley I should go see a doctor. Can't seem to shake this thing. My lungs feel like someone is gripping them tightly and my nose runs like the Mississippi. Yet I have the strength and courage to continue to blog...ah, the sacrifices I make.

And I gave up cursing for Lent. I may not seem to curse a lot on this blog, but in my real life I'm a sailor. A dirty sailor, at that. It's been very difficult for me to stop calling people a$$hats. There's just so many of them!

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Day 6 continued...will I ever finish this thing?

We arrived back into Future World and Al got some more pressed pennies and I became the Official babysitter of the Monchichis. Did I mention how much I hate stuffed animals? Egads. Off to Soarin'. LP stayed back with Mo, amongst a very large and very vocal Brazilian tour group.

While we were in line for Soarin' a man in line behind me gave me his fast passes for Test Track. This would help, as our FPs weren't until later, and the ones he gave us were earlier in time. That meant less time in Future World, more time back at World Showcase! Woot! We were happy to see Putty from Seinfeld was our host for Soarin', and we were in the 3rd row of the ride. Note: Never, ever get on the 3rd row. I don't know if it was all the hype of this ride, but Al, Rug and I ALL conceded that this was our LEAST favorite ride of the whole trip. Not sure, it just reminded me of the old "Chevy Show" that used to play at Six Flags. It was cool when you flew over the pine trees you could smell pine, but I must've been directly under the thing that pumped out the smell, because it really stunk. Al was being all snarky, oh wow, we're flying woo hoo sort of thing. When we got off neither one of them wanted to ride again, so we gave our Child Swaps to someone else. LP was not disappointed as he was more excited about riding Test Track.

We headed to Test Track and as I sat and waited for them to go first, the fountains near the Spaceship Earth were dancing similar to the Bellagio. It was gorgeous. I swear every time they rode a ride, I found some 'secret' Disney thing to enjoy.

Test Track is sponsored by GM so of course there was a show room of GM cars. And guess what was there? The SAAB convertible LP has been lusting over for a year now. So I sprawled all over it as he was walking off the ride. I'm surprised he didn't jump on me like David Coverdale on Tawny Kitaen in that Whitesnake video.

Please note, this picture will come in handy in a future post. Remember, for Valentine's Day I got him a test drive in this car--theres a story there!

After he was done drooling I took the girls back on Test Track. The idea is that you are one of the 'test dummies' in the test car and you get to go over several of the tests they give the car, bad road conditions, cold and hot conditions, hairpin turns...getting hit by a TRUCK...it was a good time.

I told LP we'd meet him at Club Cool. I'd read about it on my website, basically it's just a big advertisement for Coca Cola. There are several samples of Coca Cola products made around the country. Apparently there is one called the "Beverly" that is so awful, it causes many to lose their lunch. Of course I didn't tell them this. But I had my camera ready.

Riley drinking the Beverly:



And Alex:

The faces say it all. It was disgusting!

We rode a Nemo ride for Mo and we headed back to World Showcase, starting with Mexico. We ate churros and I think that's it because someone needed to use the restroom and apparently there weren't any?




So while whoever was going to the bathroom at Norway, I went and grabbed a lefse and something to drink. I remember my ex-boyfriend, who was 100% Norwegian, talking about lefse and how good it was. Oh boy, was he wrong. Like I ever trusted him in the first place. Blech.
Norway: (this is NOT my ex-boyfriend, but if looks matched his personality it would be)

We traveled to China and everyone got egg rolls and pot stickers. The Chinese shop was really fun to visit, and the CM at the "Kidcot" table (for their masks) was very entertaining to the girls and wrote their names in Chinese on their masks. It was already getting dark so we weren't able to see much.
I was a bit worried about this PhotoPass photographer, he was making the family before us pose in all these ridiculous positions, hey I'm all for fun but just take the darn picture could ya? This is not Glamour Shots.

Next up was Germany which was very excited to visit, being 90% German and all. We weren't able to hear all the Oktoberfest music, but we did sit down and have bratwurst and LP had his weight in sauerkraut. Mo really wanted to walk around here. The whole pavillion reminded me of my Grandma's with the cuckoo clocks and the smell of German food. Being German we always have a pickle on our Christmas tree. I don not however, have a pickle TREE:

These Disney pickles were $11 apiece. I got mine at Kohl's for 90 cents last year.
After Germany was Italy and LP was feeling amorous, only because, you guessed it, more soccer jerseys. He never bought one though. We didn't eat in Italy, I think because the only restaurants were sit down. We also had a Monchichi incident where Rug left hers in one of the gift shops. Luckily he was still sitting there, looking all Monchichi'd out.
Next stop was America. The girls did some pin trading and I got yelled at for trying to take my beer into the Pavillion. Whoops! But isn't that what America is about? Being able to drink my beer wherever I so please, right? I didn't have a wifebeater on, so I guess that made my ineligible. The pavillion was really neat, they even had some Abraham Lincoln memorabilia. I didn't get good pics though, and Mo really enjoyed the shrub garden maze. The garden was beautiful, with roses named after presidents.

After grabbing some sushi in Japan (I had to have SOME, even if it was just counter service) we headed to Canada to plant our butts to get a seat for the fireworks. I waited in a very long line to get a really delicious bag of popcorn. The fireworks started and immediately Mo started screaming. So off we went, ending our day at Epcot. (The fireworks were spectacular though!!)


Next up: Magic Kingdom with Mo and Who Got Their First Haircut At Disney World?

Jana say Disney: Day 6 Epcot

Tuesday was a SLEEPING IN kind of day. With no Mo keeping us up all night like the nights before, we slept SO well. She just wasn't used to somewhere other than her own bed I guess.

Our plan today was eat somewhere off Disney after picking up Mo from his mom's, then Epcot, but the words "let's not make this an all day day" slipped out, as if we weren't going to go balls to the walls again. As if.

We made our way to his mom's and Mo was not really eager to see us. I guess she was getting used to living in luxury. Too bad, missy, we picked you to be in our family not the other way around! You've gotta live with us!

After we left, we decided to drive down the highway to find somewhere to eat, preferably a Bob Evans or such. We found a very, very sketchy Shoney's. I was ready to go and really didn't want to drive all over looking for a place to eat. It was STILL $45 for us to have breakfast. Wow. At least we were full. And of course Mo loaded up her pants as soon as I sat down to eat. Yes, she has impeccable timing.

We got to Epcot around 10 a.m. Our goal was to ride Mission Space first, then Test Track and Soarin'. These are the 3 big rides there, so we'd have to get FPs for one of them. I told LP I'd go get a FP for Soarin' while they all got ready to ride Mission: Space. (I was not interested in riding a ride that requires barf bags) Soarin' was ALL the way on the other side. I can honestly say I have a very good judge of character, and in this case, I knew instantly Epcot was not going to be my favorite park. But of course I was willing to give it another chance!


LP, Rug and Al went to ride Mission: Space and Mo and I walked over to "Innoventions" which to me just seemed like a lame science center. I did find a place to email postcards of our faces, but couldn't remember anybody's address! I tried to let her walk around, but there were just too many people. So we walked back to the entrance of Mission Space but noticed a small crowd gathering. It was yet another 'street acting' thing, but this different. They were three men, dressed as sanitation workers, with garbage cans, brooms, sweepers, but they stopped in the middle of the walkway and started playing music a la STOMP. I let Mo out of her stroller (FREEDOM!) and she just went nuts. She was jamming and shaking her tush all over the place. Afterwards, a woman came up to me and told me she was the cutest thing she'd ever seen! One of the men gave her a sticker for being a 'junior jammer'. She is going to be my jivin' mamma.



I took them into Innoventions and we attempted to email another postcard, not sure if it even worked. Nobody ever mentioned it, and there was a couple in front of us that sent 5 different pictures to about 1000 different people. Not worth it!

All morning LP kept talking about how it was going to just downpour. As though he was an old man and felt it in his knee joints. It never rained. Not a drop. Maybe his knees are just predicting good weather and he doesn't realize it.

Epcot is divided into two areas: Future World and World Showcase. Future World is where we were, and where all the rides are, as well as the big Epcot ball. World Showcase has pavillions for several countries.

Since LP was CONVINCED it was going to pour, he wanted to go to World Showcase before, as he put it, 'the skies unleashed all hell'. I was irritated with all the lines at Epcot anyway, and was just not feeling it. Future World did not make me feel promising about the Future. At least our IMMEDIATE future, at Epcot.

The first country we visited was Canada. Yeah, really exotic right? I think we were hitting a total lull and all of us were feeling it. The crankiness had set in and was rearing its ugly face.

I'd read on my favorite Disney website (wdwinfo.com) that at the beginning of your 'journey' at Epcot you can get a mask, and as you make your way around the countries, each will have a place to do a craft, get a stamp and a 'symbol' of that country to attach to the mask. This ended up being the coolest souvenirs my kids got, and it was F-R-E-E.

Ah but first we had to pick what color. And since there was crankiness there was 'mom she copied off of me' to be done. But I sat them down at the table, in the a/c (it was hot...no rain) and they made designs on their masks. Even Mo got one. We didn't stay long in Canada because, well, it was Canada. But after a few minutes relaxing, all of us were recharged, and realizing that the World Showcase was a LOT different than the Future World.

In each country I told the girls to pretend that they were natives of that country. I didn't get much effort.
Canada:


We were also hoping to see Brother Bear but he wasn't around. Next up was Britain. I could NOT get LP out of the stores there. I thought for sure he would get a pint but he didn't. He was fixated on the coats of arms. Of course he bought one. They also had a ton of soccer jerseys in there so he was in heaven. I did enjoy the Beatles store and trying to explain to my poor misguided children about how the Beatles impacted my life. They were too busy begging for pennies for the penny press. Mo got to hear a lot about the Beatles. She listened. Here the girls perfect their British waves on the streets of London:


And Mary Poppins was visiting, and told the girls they were much too giggly and would have to try to get them down from the ceiling if they didn't mind.



By this time Mary Poppins had made us all feel supercalifragilisticexpialadocious and we were truly enjoying World Showcase. It ended being one of the highlights of our trip. The Say Quas are not ones for lines and gotta go and do everything kind of mentality. We like to take it easy. Slower paced, that's our style. This was great. I could breathe again.

France was incredible. I could imagine that there were truly parts of France that had the feel of this pavillion. The French music in the background, it was gorgeous. We had wanted to sample foods from all the countries, but we figured Canada and Britain were pretty close to America, so we started with France. I took the girls to get their masks done and they were totally enamored with the French boy who spoke with them. (all CMs in the countries are usually if not always FROM that country) He was quite a cutie. We then went to the French perfume shop and I had to seriously hold myself back from buying some. Across from there was a small wine shop, and I had a sample of Riesling. It was just what a Mamma needed. I could have probably gotten pretty ripped if I wanted to. Oh the girls also saw Aurora, aka Sleeping Beauty:



We walked across the 'street' and LP got a table outside and I took the older girls into the Boulangerie Patisserie, a French bakery and we ordered four things for all of us to sample. The girls chose a strawberry tart, Raspberry Schuss, and I got a chocolate croissant and something called 'Pralineige'.

This is what I will remember for years and years to come. This was Magic.



Once we finished I took a few more pictures and the girls spotted Belle and the Beast signing autographs. They waited in line while we sat near the lake. A couple passed by with St. Louis Cardinals gear on and of course I had to chat them up. Turned out they were from the same grade school I went to as a kid!

The girls came back and we headed to Morocco. I have a feeling Morocco smells and looks similar to this as well. When I said, 'act like you're in Morocco!' Rug really did not know what to do.


We started heading towards Japan. I love the culture of Japan so we really took everything in. They had a very interesting display of antique Japanese tin toys. I also wanted to get some sushi, but I saved that for later. We went into the VERY big gift shop and immediately the girls fell in love...with Monchichis. Seriously? Are you kidding? I had one of those when I was in 3rd grade! So since they had their OWN souvenir money, they each got one. Wasn't my rule no more stuffed animals? Eh, nobody ever listens to me. LP and I both got a pair of hand painted chopsticks and the girls enjoyed having their names signed in japanese on their masks by the CMs. Those masks again, were such a valuable souvenir. The girls learned a little about each country and were able to meet and listen to people from each country. They were so thrilled.

Since we had FPs to Soarin still, we decided to take the boat across the lagoon, back to *YAWN* Future Showcase and ride Soarin' as well as Test Track. When we were done we'd head back to World Showcase and finish our travels around the world.

The boat ride was fun and we sat by some Germans, this time very NICE Germans and had nice conversations with them. Mo fell asleep and we went straight to Soarin'.



Next: Soarin', Test Track and Lp's Dream Car. Also, what is a BEVERLY????

Valentine's Hearts and all that junk

I'm really fighting this head cold, and Al has gotten it too, but looks to feel worse than all of us. Today I signed up for their Valentine's Day party so I will have take a shower today. Darnit! I was hoping for a day off of cleanliness.

I think we're going to go get sushi tonight. Around here, sushi places are the only place you can go on Valentine's Day without a reservation. Either that or McDonald's.

I didn't get LP anything for our anniversary this year except an appointment to test drive a car. He is in desperate need for a new car. But desperate to him means something else, i.e., he's driven a POS for 11 years so now it's time to splurge. I do not agree with this mentality, but in all fairness he rocks my world so I made an appointment for him to go test drive his dream car...a Saab convertible. When I called the woman said, "So you'd like to purchase a car for your husband for Valentine's day?" Oh, yes, that's right, let me just write you a check!

LP got me a watch for our anniversary. I love it. He bought it for me in Disney World so i could remember 'my time' at Disney. Har de har har. I guess they only sell them on Disney property because I cannot find a picture anywhere.

So here is a moral quandry for you.

Al has a very good friend H who goes to a different school. Last year she went to camp for a week, and when she returned begged Al to go with her this year. I agreed. So she and H have been planning this since June of last year to go together, and H and Al got about 5 other girls to go too. There are a few girls H asked that Al does not know very well, but who are very good friends with H. Now then, there are 8 girls to a cabin, and they got 8 altogether.

Last WEEK, a friend of mine who has a daughter in Al's class, called me to find out because all of sudden her daughter has decided she wants to go to camp. So I told her I THOUGHT there were already 8 but she might want to call one of the other moms. Well, the other mom felt obligated to allow her to send her stuff in with ours, even though this would break up all the girls who had previously signed up. So, this mom sends an email to the mom explaining her daughter would cause the other girls to split up and is there any way her daughter could find more girls to go with since our girls had already planned to go together?

Well, this sent my friend into a tizzy and is now not letting her daughter go at all.

So what would be the logical answer to this? Should we make the girls who had planned on going all along split up to accomodate the last girl? Or should the last girl be required to find more girls to go with in another cabin (but the same unit).

These are the problems I have to deal with on a regular basis as a Soccer Mom. It sucks.

Well, Miss M, who will now be referred to as Mo, is too quiet, so I must find out what she is doing.

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.