Bringing Home the MAGIC!!

2010-09-21T15:11:00.001-07:00

Sunday

Our first day at sea was a busy one! Between getting our selves straight I did a lot with the DIS family with regards to tastings. I had my massage with Boris at 1030, and while I was getting kneaded Glenn took Becca to the Mickey Pool to do the slide! We made it to a late lunch of Pizza with Becca, had some photos taken, scheduled hair braiding and then it was off to our first of many private tastings – Mojitos. Benjamin was great!

Captains gala tonight! Everyone looked great! Pictures when we get home…

Sunday

2010-09-21T15:06:00.001-07:00

Embarkation Day!!

Our bus arrived at the Praktik early, and the poor driver looked at our group and asked me "Dees-ney?" Of course, the answer was YES!!! He was a bit shocked I think. We kept bringing more and more luggage out! We managed to fill the under bus luggage area, but we didn't need to bring anything into the bus itself.

Unfortunately, the Bus driver didn't follow directions. Or, fortunately, depending on how you look at it! The driver only went to our hotel and not the Praktik Barcelona. So, Stephen (Nacho – who organized the whole thing) was left behind! They did finally get to the port, and since we were sneaking Hayley and her family in with us she passed her #3 boarding card to him and Becky so that they could board earlier.

After boarding, we left the Littles and headed to the Concierge reception. We met Lynda (SHE IS AWESOME!!!), got our stuff straight, grabbed a drink and a snack and before we knew it, the rooms were available.

We had the kids watch the doors, and they found ours. Still oblivious to what was about to happen, we entered the room. Stephen went first and exclaimed "This is different…This is really different…There are 2 rooms!!!". He is much better with the surprise this year!

We went to the DIS meet, got most of the shirts handed out, picked up lanyards, met more of our DIS Family and got a few group shots, and then headed up for sail away party. First time we made it there. We grabbed streamers and proceeded to have a great time! Becca got into the dancing as did the Little girls! A good time was had by all. After sail away we headed down to the room to unpack.

I was a bit worried as the hall was not filled with cases, but upon opening the door, we found all of them in the suite. A nice perk, totally unexpected! Got unpacked, met Marilo, Lynda popped in and then we set off to see Maricar! (Who says HI! To Mark, Lynn, Scott and the rest of the family!! It is nice to be remembered!)

We finally made it to dinner, and found Depesh to be our server with Hector as assistant server. Not impressed with Hector straight off, and made mention to Ivo our head server. We shall see… Stephen headed to Ocean Quest after dinner, and Becca, Bella and Lucy headed off to the lab.

All in all a wonderful start to our trip!

Rain, rain go away don't come back until after sail away...

2010-09-17T15:58:00.000-07:00

It poured all day, but that’s OK - we still saw a lot.

We did Sagrada Familia and Park Guell, as well as getting to Disney store 2 of 3. Tons of walking, and I was again reminded that a tired 6 year old is a miserable thing!
If you ever get a chance to go to Sagrada Familia - jump on it. I was awe struck. I am not normally a church tourist, but come-on.... This is amazing. We did the audio tour and we learned so much. Cool thing is that Becca for kids audio and the rest of us got standard versions. She stayed with it for quite a while and then that was that. Did I mention that tired 6 year olds that get hungry are more than miserable? The church was, again, amazing! Have pictures - will try and post them tomorrow.

We stopped at a small sandwich shop near the bus stop for a quick bite. OK, we are in Spain - there is no such thing as quick, unless you are in a cab... Anyway, we chose it for because they claimed to have hotdogs. Well, the menu said hotdogs and there was a picture of a hotdog, and our 6 year old will eat hotdogs... Guess what? Yep, tired, miserable, hungry, more than miserable and we told her she could have a hotdog - so I was dubbed the one that never loved her... UUGH!!! Finally got her to eat the standard fare - ham and what appears to be a tomato spread.

After lunch we jumped back on the HOHO bus and headed to Park Guell. HEY - here’s a tip... IF you take the HOHO bus, do NOT take it to Park Guell. Take the standard metro. HOHO = very bottom of a fairly steep hill. Standard Metro line = TOP of hill... Let’s just go with my calves hurt and if KERMIT ROCKS is right, I am not going to wake up pain free in the morning... Oh, outside of the hill, it is an amazing place. We didnt'do it justice. They say it takes hours. We just didn't have hours... We just really need to come back!!

This evening was the HRC meet. TONs of our new DIS family there! It was great, but I was running near empty, and there were so many and poor Becca was a bit overwhelmed... We grabbed a table with Hayley, Terry and the girls and let the girls get acquainted. I can't wait to really meet Lynne and Len! I was flitting around so much that I think I kind of blew her off - and that was not at all intended!!!
Post HRC it was the magic Fountain display. Wish I could say it was wonderful, but to be brutally honest, it was cold, windy and wet. A total bust. We got some cool pics of the museum though, but any pics of the fountain show in my scrapbook will be from GOOGLE!!!

Getting up early tomorrow to gventure out and see if we can get breakfast somewhere. We need to meet the bus griup here at 830ish to get a group photo. Then we board the bus around 9 and we are off to the Magic!!!

Cant wait!!!

We have arrived!!!!

2010-09-16T15:20:00.000-07:00

Words can not describe how bad clothing worn for 40 hours smells!!! Especially after one tours for a day in hot, humid weather... UUGH!!! I will be doing a load of wash right off...

Obviously by this time you have figured out that we have arrived in Barcelona. It is an awesome, gorgeous city, with ancient, old and modern feels to it. Absolutely wonderful. Saw the Futball Staduim, port, the Diagonal and the platform diving stadium today in addition to the rest of the Barcelona City HOHO Orange line. OMG - the arcitechture!!!

Was really kind of PO's at the Futball Mega Store.... Nothing says BAD customer service like telling the last person in line tha the line closed and they will have to wait in yet another line to spend money.... We tossed our purchases down and were heading out when I noticed that upstairs there were cashiers BORED! Sent Stephen racing down the escalator to gather our shirts from the bin of soccer balls (where we tossed them) so Glenn and Stephen have shirts...

Luckily this was overcome by going to the DISNEY Store at stop 14 or so. I love great customer service, and Disney Barcelona did it!!!

Overall, the city is great - and we are having a riot!!! Want to see the scrap book page for day 1 post airport? Look here... https://docs.google.com/leaf?id=0B5sI02Bp3EwTM2Q2YjFlYjctNmY0OC00Nzc3LTgxNzctNThkZjg2NjQzODhi&hl=en&authkey=CKfXwMwG

Loose ends...

2010-09-12T07:27:00.000-07:00

Well, we are getting down to the loose ends of preparing to leave. Really, the last of the packing can be done in under an hour, so it is all about the house... I hate to come home to a messy house... So... This morning I cooked the last of the breakfast food that is in the house. Cleaned out the fridge, and now it looks like I don't buy food. I cleaned the washer (front loader) so it is done. I have 3 or so loads of laundry to do before we leave - including sheets and towels, so we are in good shape there. If I could get the kids to stop making messes I would be ready to go! unfortunately at 13 and 6 messes are abundant, and their idea of cleaning them up isn't always on par with mine...

We are also making the last entries to the website (www.transatlanticpirates.com) to show everyone in the tastings that I set up. So, that is that. now DH needs to step away from baseball and concentrate on getting the last minute to do list knocked out.

If all goes as planned, I am three posts away from leaving for the airport! I can text and email to the blog, so hopefully I can give frequent updates. Heard that blogging on the ship may be blocked - but they can't stop my emails from going - so there is a way! Just not sure how we will do photos... I hope to test this as well. I think worst case I will have to upload pictures to my photobucket and then imbed the links into my email... With internet fees so $$ on the ship I will have to type everything I can into word first. Somehow we need to work it out as Stephen will be blogging for school as well...

Most Cheerful!!

2010-09-11T12:06:00.000-07:00

Well, as luck would have it Becca won Most Cheerful at today's football game! We didn't win, but we did score, and we didn't fumble so that was great! Becca now has one of the coveted cheer sticks in her possession! She gets to keep it for the entire time we are gone, and we were asked to get pictures with her and it everywhere we go! So, I am trying to find room for her uniform... Hope to get pictures of her in uniform with Mickey, Minnie, Goofy and the rest of the gang! I am aiming for uniform pics in one afternoon, and then just any old picture with it as we go. I guess the stick will be a permanent part of the excursion bag!

Took 4 things off the to do list today as well. Not a bad morning so far! Still need to do about 15 more, but we are getting there! Hopefully we knock most of it out the rest of today and tomorrow so that Monday and Tuesday night can be spent cleaning up the house and getting as much homework done as possible. Wednesday will be packed with last minute details so the more we get done now the better!

Off to do something cruise related... Just not sure what yet...

Last weekend to prep!

2010-09-11T11:59:00.000-07:00

It is getting so close now!! 5 more sleeps until we leave! 2 more work days, 1 football game to cheer for and that is it!!

Ive been reading Erik and Jason's blog and they are knocking my socks off! I need to get better at this and fast. They did point out that blogging from sea will be a challenge. We need to figure that out as well as Stephen needs to do this for school...

lots to do and so little time!

5 DAYS before we had out!

2010-09-09T09:11:00.000-07:00

Hi ho everyone! Thins time next week we will be ensconced in Barcelona!! I am so excited!!

Lots to do before then, and as fate would have it DCL made changes that threw me for a loop on Tuesday and I spent too much time on getting my cruise mojo back. So, we ended up doing an about face and changed our philosophy about where we dine on Pirate night, and moms desire to do formal night in the most formal restaurant won out.

All that aside, the to do list is getting down tot he nitty gritty. there are roughly 22 things to do for the cruise - including packing lists, pictures and actually packing! In addition to that there are 6 things to do at the house, 1 more cheer practice and one game. Then it is just making sure that my mom is good to go, and we can try to knock out the list.

OK - anyone reading that has a good idea for a gift from Georgia? I am stumped and need something special for my Secret Mickey recipient!!

Later!

T-10 and counting!

2010-09-07T06:34:00.000-07:00

So, today is the 7th and we are leaving on the 15th. So much to do and only 9 (partial and full) days left to get it all done. We are getting there, but I have to say that this is a lot harder than I thought. I am worried about the luggage weights and this could be the thing that blows it all out of the water. We get 50LBS per person, and one would think that with 200 lbs of checked luggage that we would be OK - however, I am starting to worry as we get closer to the date.

As it stands right now, my daughter, the Diva is 100% packed. Her Disney dresses arrived on Saturday and they fit perfectly!! Thanks to Mickie for doing an awesome job!! She also has 11 other dresses - yes, you read it right - 11!, to wear for dinners, etc. She couldn't decide and I got tired of the battle, so I gave in. And, as she will change clothes 2-3 times a day I also have 14 outfits for her packed. Hope she still likes them - she picked them all out, but its been a month... In addition to all of that there are 4 pairs of shoes packed for her, plus whatever she wears to school that day! How I got her to agree to NOT wear the clothing, but to leave it all in the suitcase is beyond me, but she agreed and her case including about a dozen t-shirts for our extended DIS family all come in at under 50lbs. And the case is full. I think that the weight was 43 lbs, so I may space bag her dresses and put in more of the DIS shirts to get the case to 48 lbs. Oh - and I need to pull clothing for Barcelona out... Oy Vey!!

Like I said, so much to do and so little time!

And, while all of this last minute stuff is happening, my better half is trying to finish up a myriad of last minute stuff around the house so when we get back we don't have to do it all... Stuff like baseboards. window casings, etc. Yes, that right, he is trying to finally finish the basement project!

So, in addition to all of this, did I mention that there is still laundry to do, cheer practice, gymnastics and wrestling is about to start? Oh - and yes, I did do laundry over the weekend! 5 loads or if... I love my washer and dryer!! It holds double what the old ones did. So, all the sheets went in one load! 3 twin sets, a king set and a double set, and one mattress pad.

All I need to do tonight is get Becca to cheer, grab stuff for my other (who I blew off all weekend) and get it to her. Wish me luck!!

Can you say 18 days?!?!?

2010-08-31T16:31:00.000-07:00

Yes folks, that's right! Just 18 days until we leave. I guess that technically it is 19, but today is about over, so I am not counting today!!!

I just went back and looked at some of my old posts... I started this in April. School year was still in, Stephen was recovering from a broken foot, and playing baseball, Becca hadn't broken her arm and we were 20 weeks away from the cruise! Here we are, weeks and weeks later, and we are just days away from leaving!

Today was a pretty cool day! Concierge wrote to tell me that our magnets had been received. I thought that this meant in the warehouse, and that they would move to the ship in 8 days. Nope! They are on the ship!!! And they are in Lynda's hands for decorating our door!

So, it is now decision time. Send another package to the ship or not... This would be for the kids FE gifts. I guess I need to figure out how we are on space and weight pretty fast! if I get them sent before Friday they should make it in time. If they don't, then I am out the gift, and the kids don't get something really really cool! Of course, if I can get in gear I can weight tonight, and make the call.... Guess that is what I need to do!

later!!

2010-08-22T16:36:00.000-07:00

Sunday, Sunday....

Here it is, Sunday August 22nd. 22 days until we leave for Spain... 15 days until I hope to have everything we need to bring with us in suitcases... 18 days until panic sets in... So much to do and so little time.

OK, so remember back a while my rant about VAT? Well, it may have been all for naught. Seems that Gibraltar is a VAT free zone!! No schemes there!! Needless to say, I will only get the few Barcelona things that we find, and will leave the majority of wine and spirit shopping for Gibraltar.

I printed out, and trimmed up more magnets yesterday. They are rather sharp looking, and I am now just about done. I think one more batch, but before I go there I am going to gather all the Ziploc bags of magnets together and see what I think I am missing...

There is a bit of distress setting in at this point. I am a bit worried about my mom. I haven't mentioned her on the blog before, so here goes...

About 16 months ago my mom was a totally independent woman. She drove, shopped (and WOW could she shop), played golf, volunteered at the library - the whole 9 yards. The on the night on march 21, 2009 she had a freak accident and life as she knew it ended. All she did was fall out of bed. Unfortunately, the way she landed she did a lot of damage to C2-C5 and is now a paraplegic. She was taken to the ER at the local hospital - which is not a trauma center which was a HUGE mistake. The doctor that was there was not trained in emergency medicine, and wanted to dispatch her when she couldn't move. When I refused that he sent in the next doctor that was available who talked to me a bit, learned how fully functioning my mother had been, noted that she was severely dehydrated and got her a room. Over the next 36 hours they almost killed her. The Hospitalist that saw her in ICU told me that we had to get her moved, or she would die. So we moved her. Luckily she was accepted at a great hospital - Northside Atlanta. She was seen by one of the best neurologists in the country, but the damage was too severe and there was no guarantee that she would survive the surgery. So, we waited, prayed and waited some more. She went from there to a rehab facility, but she was too mad at those around her to want to partake in the offerings, and she is now in a nursing home. That is the pretty picture, and it isn't good. The fully story is much much more awful.

Anyway. the lady across the hall from mom is not doing well, and is fading fast. I was at moms today and the son and DIL of the lady were there. It was not pretty. They don't think that she will make it to next weekend. Get me thinking... While my mom is doing well, I won't see her for 3 weeks, and a lot can happen in three weeks... We have insurance, so if I got a call that she was not well, I could leave the cruise and fly home. It isn't what I would want - and she wouldn't either, but it could be done. I guess it is just something that I am going to worry about...

Well, I guess that is about it for tonight! I need to go and create a blog for my son who has to post stuff daily while we are gone. I am not so good at the daily stuff, so I am hoping to get him into the habit early, and who knows. Maybe I will catch on and post more often as well! HA HA HA HA

The docs arrived!!!

2010-08-16T17:09:00.000-07:00

It is a red letter day here! And across the lands as well... Unless you are in So. California or Montana, or you reside in Celebration Florida - go figure... Cruise docs have arrived, and in a very cool book compared to last years docs...

Confirmation of Ducky Don Williams being on board, confirmation of excursions, spa, Palo (all 3 times)!! 29 more sleeps until we leave...

But... You had to have known that was coming...

I am sick... Sore throat, achy, post nasal drip... Could all be allergies as we were at the football / soccer park on Saturday and all those weeds... Or it could be worse... I am hoping it is allergies as I have no fever... I just can't get sick... I am allergic to penicillin and erythomyacin (SP - back off, I am not feeling well...) so, if I have strep for instance, I could be ill until we are on our way to Spain... That would not be good at all...

On a positive note, work is looking up. Boss A has agreed to post of r a replacement, and Boss B has a job for me!! Wahoo! looks like it is all starting to work out for...

That's all for today, I am heading to bed...

5 weeks from NOW we will be sailing away!!!

2010-08-14T14:29:00.000-07:00

Overwhelming isn't it? I don't mean the cruise - I mean that I have managed to post 2 times in a week!!

So, since it is my blog, I will vent first and then get to the good stuff... I heard a word on the board today that I really like! While it isn't something that I feel I will use often, it has its place. See if you can pick it out...

I talked to my boss about going back to my prior position as I really enjoyed it, and frankly I slid to where I am as a favor. He of course couldn't believe that I was unhappy, and told me to stop working while I was not in the office. So, just to be very clear - this is not possible as none of the other managers have made an attempt to get involved with the retail business product, and DON'T want to.    So, I sent him a follow up email documenting it, complete with a successor plan and sent it off. In the mean time I got an email from one of the other managers stated that I needed to move my vacation because he was not comfortable covering my segment of our business. Seriously? Really? What a twat!

I almost immediately got an answer to the email I sent my boss that we would discuss it on Monday. not sure what to read into that. So, I responded by forwarding the other email about moving my vacation, and a note that transatlantic crossings didn't happen every week, and I had fully paid for the vacation and that there was no freaking way I was going to move, change, alter my vacation plans.   I haven't heard back on that one yet... Should make for an interesting Monday to say the least.

If all goes well, I will move back to our Hosting team, in an operations role, doing contract compliance and planning. Fingers crossed, but realistically I will not know for certain until after I am back from vacation...

Which leads me to VACATION!!!

I am starting to panic a bit... The to do list hasn't shrank enough, and the boys don't seem to care if they have clothes for travel or not... Now, I know that the girls are god to go (well, I need about 3 pair of capri's, but I will knock that out this week). I do have all that I can do with FE, scrap and candy swaps figured out and sorted. I have the scavenger hunt prize, I have taken care of gifts, I ordered Stephens Tux.

So I have done well, but am a bit worried that I haven't put enough thought into Barcelona. If all goes well, we will be fairly rested upon our arrival. I have the taxi/van arranged, and they will meet us at arrivals complete with a sign.   Have confirmed that the hotel will hold our luggage for the day, and that they have a rest room so we can change into fresh clothing. So, I am set for arrival...

I have pre paid the bus, which will arrive at 9:15 to take us to the port. We should arrive by 10. I will go to check in by myself so the surprise is kept from the kiddos. We are meeting Hayley, Mr. Hayley (AKA Terry), Lucy and Bella at the port. I have concierge doing welcome magnets, and have a meeting with them at 1 - just not sure where. Once on board, we have pre arranged Madeira and St. Maarten. We have planned for Gibraltar. Booked tours with DCL to Tortola and CC. So, I think I am good once we are heading to the ship.

What is left you ask... BARCELONA!! What to do, what to see, where to eat, and the list goes on and on...

I do have plans for Friday night - we have a DIS meet at the Hard Rock Cafe, and then we are going to the Magic Fountains. But, really, this is it!!

Anyone? I Need ideas!! We want to do a tapas dinner - no clue as to where. Would like to do this on Thursday evening. Has to be kid friendly (i.e. have some food that they won't wrinkly their noses at) and has to be open for business at 8 or so - oh and what about needing reservations... YIKES!! I didn't consider this... What about a place for breakfast? Oh, we want to do the hop on hop off bus - but where can we buy our tickets??

See so much to do!!! That's it, I need a nap...

Yep, first post in August...

2010-08-11T16:30:00.000-07:00

So, a number of people have mentioned to me that I haven't posted for a while, so this is for you... Its my blog - so leave me alone! Back off! Let me be!

Phew! Now that this is out of my system I can carry on!

We are 34 sleeps until we head to Spain! Since I am not counting, I can only tell you that this is 24 work days - 7 of which I am on call. It is also 4 more meetings that I HATE to attend every week, 13 cheer practices, games and jamboree, 1 picture day full of screaming kids and not enough time to sit back and smell the roses! See, not counting!!

Things have been very hectic around here! As I posted in July (yeah, yeah) camp ended with ice cream and some tears. School has started and the kids are settling into routines again. However, their new routine, means a new routine for the parents as well. As Glenn and I used to carpool to work together it was so easy! Heck, we worked together, so it was extra time to vent about kids, or work, depending on which direction we were driving at the time. however, now that he has gone and gotten a new job, there is a kink to the I get to nap on the way home plan. If I were to nap now, there may not be a tomorrow... Same for him and his adding a 45 minute nap to his morning.

Anyway, we are back to getting up earlier and getting the little one on the bus at 7am. The bigger kiddo gets to sleep extra, and he gets himself to the bus at 810. He has it made, but the bus is crowded...

What was I getting around to? Shoot, I don't remember! Maybe work... Work pretty much sucks right now. Why is it that you can go out of your way and be nice to someone and help them advance their career and you just get pooped on? I mean, I put the rest of my team in a bind to help this person and every issue that has escalated to above me and then back down is from something that he has done. nice way to treat the person that HELPED YOU!!! Notice, no names mentioned - but if you are reading, you know who you are and I think you are treating me like crap and being a schmuck. not to worry - all those tickets you can't seem to be bothered with will follow you...

Enough about work. It is pretty depressing right now... I really want to get back to my old job. The job I loved to go to because I saw progress and success. The job I loved and sacrificed for my bosses boss - to do him a favor...  That's right folks - I DID NOT ASK for my current position. I WAS ASKED TO LEND A HAND! Why is this important?  It is only important if you are the afore mentioned schmuck! See, jerk, I didn't take your job...

OK - I think it is out of my system now...  Have I mentioned the one thing that is keeping me going these days? Yes, the cruise we are taking with the second "family" we have found! We are so excited!! 35 days from now we will be on a plane jetting to Spain, and 38 days from now we will be boarding the Disney Magic!! WOHOO!!!!

I still have a lot to do, but after cataloging what everyone was taking, and getting half the family packed up, I am no longer suffering the anxiety attacks! Our cruise shirts are in transit from Captain Jack, and once they arrive I can get down to the brass tax of packing the odds and ends. I still need to separate out the clothing for Barcelona, but I have gotten a big jump on things for this cruise.

Well, off to get homework checked, and make sure that the kids are ready for school tomorrow. For those of you that are curious, yes, I am still going to try and build a trio report with a daily post to this blog. Spread the link around if you want - it should prove to be good reading in 35 days!!!    Oh, and if it matters, yes, I will try and post more before we leave as well!'

later gator!

I think I am floundering...

2010-07-31T11:14:00.000-07:00

In a sea of back to school, work and DIS cruise planning! There is so much to do and time is getting away from me.

I have come to believe that our customers at work know when I am leaving and they are trying to get everything done NOW. So a word or two to them, specifically...
RELAX! There are other Technical Services managers that will be available while I am gone.
RELAX! If you have an open ticket it will still be worked on - after all it is ME going away not my entire team!
RELAX! i promise to consider coming back!

Then there is back to school. Which really means the end of summer camp. And while my kids have had a great time - neither one of them is an emotional about it as I am! It isn't so much Becca's camp at the gym that I get emotional about - sorry HOH in Canton - you girls are great! See ya MONDAY!!! It is the Cherokee County Outdoor YMCA that chokes me up. Stephen has been going for 6 summers now, and all I can say is THANKS!!! Thanks for making summers great. Thanks for helping my kid grow up - for being my community! Thanks for looking out for him and keeping him in positive places. Thanks for the experiences. I don't recall - I may have blathered on about the group of young adults that work there before - but if not, here are some special call outs...

Kristine - you rock!! Ice cream Friday was my pleasure!!! Lets do it again next year!!
Jenny - Thanks for keeping the lake safe - and for being a BFF!
David - You rock for making camp great!
Rob - KSU? OK, you rock anyway!
Daniel - You survived Survivor multiple weeks!
Ben C - Teen X wouldn't be the same with out you! Where where you for Ice Cream???
Ben - you were everywhere!
Will - While Stephen did 't mountain bike - he says you are GREAT!
Tom - Camp wouldn't be the same without you!! No matter what age, you have been there for Stephen through it all!!! ROCK ON WITH YOUR BAD SELF!!!

And, as you have to put the blame in the right place... Lets not forget Eric! Eric as the camp director got all of these great people signed up and committed! Eric Bullock rules the YMCA world in my eyes! If you ever get a chance to visit the Cherokee Outdoor YMCA facility - ask for him and tell him I sent you! Seriously - if you are ever afforded the chance to send your kids to Eric's camp - jump on it!! He runs a great summer day camp!!

So, with camp ending, that means school starts... shopping for back to school clothes, supplies and everything else you need to be an 8th grader or a first grader.

That is what is filling my days and nights! There is almost no time to plan... And, really, that is OK as I am on track for total chaos the weekend before like every other time I try and really plan... I should do something about it, but the reality is IF I get my lists knocked out we are golden! The big challenge is that we are not driving ourselves - so when the limo arrives, we gotta load up and go! No last minute run inside, no stopping at Target for one more of anything... What we have packed is what we will take...

Truth be told, if you told me I could leave in 4 weeks, I would be fine. If you told me it was 2 weeks I would be scared!! Lucky for us, I have 6 weeks to get it all done!! WAHOO!!!

Holy cow - where is the time going??

2010-07-24T19:38:00.000-07:00

Seriously, last time I posted I had all the time in the world to get ready for the cruise Now, it is time to do a bunch of stuff to be ready to go. What you ask, well, finish magnets for one (for the love of GOD the ever loving magnets. While I want to do them they are now a crux to my very existence! Stuff in general... Get tuxedo fittings - yeah, not necessary really, but hey I love my kid and he LOVES how he looks and feels in his tux, so a fitting we will go! Power converters... Don't get me started... You saw/read how I was with VAT (which I still am unclear about - but will get receipts EVERYWHERE so I can participate in the scheme). Oh, what else you ask... Well there are documents to print, tastings and adult entertainment to arrange and MY entertainment too! I am seriously worried that I will not enjoy my time in Barcelona because I am trying to make it perfect. Quick - someone come and slap me! My kids do NOT have to have perfect vacations, and truth be told - they have never had one! But it is OK that they know it isn't perfect. I need to repeat that over and over. This is the last big vacation I think we will have with Stephen - who is entering 8th grade. Once in HS, I have the feeling that we have lost this time, and fall break will be filled with wrestling or baseball and family vacations will be a thing of the past. And that sucks. I want him and Becca to enjoy vacationing together. UUGH...

Oh - have I mentioned how proud I am of my big kid? Stephen has been a CILT and has done the teen X program at our outdoor YMCA. He has grown to a level that I didn't think was possible at this age. He actually tells me the best part of summer was seeing younger kids succeed. Somewhere along the line I did something right. I'm not sure where it happened, but hearing my kid talk about 8 year old catching fish and being able to complete a long hike - and seeing the pride in his eyes makes me proud to be his parent. God has smiled on us, and I have never felt so proud of him.

Becca is also amazing me. She broke her arm and didn't really skip a beat. She broke it goofing off at the gym and still managed to go each day (camp) and learn more. She has become a better person for it - and has opened up to others. It has been a good summer. I can't explain it, but if you are on the WBTA and you see me shed a tear while watching my kids, think back to this and understand... They are either getting along and being great, or my bubble is bursting as they are fighting and being awful...

My kids are great - just not always to each other...

More later int he week - I need to tuck in a 6 year old and hug a 14 year old... School starts in a week... UUGH!

Seriously? Really? Ya sure?

2010-07-11T18:32:00.000-07:00

Warning, I think this will turn into a mini rant about taxation…

So talk on the DIS thread whipped through VAT and I am a bit perplexed… We can get money back if a purchase is over a certain amount – and it might take 2 months best case – but one person on the WWW stated 18 months to get a refund! ?! Really? What’s with that? And Dude, seriously I hope that the refund was worth it!! Oh, and, is it if all purchases add up to that amount, or is it purchase by purchase? Store by store? Are there certain stores? I am way out of my element here… I guess I need a VAT for dummies book… I guess I need to give my co workers in our Global offices a call and get the scoop… Sounds confusing, yes? Well thanks to the WWW I was able to clear it all up (NOT)…

Anyway, I did some reading and searching on the WWW and these little tidbits come from others - I'm sorry - no links here. What did I read somewhere else? Oh yeah its my blog take it or leave it... And I don't participate in the Scheme called VAT, so no need to send me anything... Oh - and why is it a scheme anyway? Whats the deal with that?

So, what is VAT? America, where sales tax is (mostly) a state-by-state phenomenon that gets added on at the cash register, in Europe sales tax is included in the price tag . That is nice, in that there's no math to do in your head, but it's awful for two reasons. One is that the tax rate—universally called VAT (for "Value Added Tax") though each country also has its own acronym—tends to be anywhere from 4% to 33% . (The E.U. is supposed to eventually settle on a common rate of around 18%, but it's already years past the original implementation date of that plan.) The other bummer is that you end up paying this VAT automatically, even though, as a tourist, you are not obligated to pay the VAT . Now the good news. Since non-E.U. residents technically do not owe VAT, a system has been set up to refund these ill-gotten taxes to you. Now for some more bad news, the refund system doesn't kick in it unless you drop a big chunk of change all at once in one store. This amount ranges from as low as £30 ($50) in the U.K and $80 in Belgium to €154.94 ($200) in Italy and €175.01 ($230) in France (and it's always the amount before taxes are counted). The actual amounts in each country—as well as lots of VAT shopping advice—are listed at the website of Global Refund (www.globalrefund.com). Barcelona is 16% folks…

And now the ever loving REFUND process… Getting the VAT refunded involves telling the store clerk you're going to be asking for the VAT back (they'll give you receipts and forms to carry with you) then filling out more forms at the airport.

Leaving Barcelona via cruise, car or train? If you are not leaving Barcelona by plane the reclaim procedure is a little different because you cannot cash your VAT refund cheques in Barcelona. If you are leaving Barcelona by any other means of transport ask for a VAT Reclaim envelope in the shop in which you buy your goods. The Spanish name for this is "Sobre" You then collect your VAT cheques as normal from the shops. Before you leave Barcelona e.g. on your cruise you have to visit the customs at the port terminal (or wherever the customs point is for you departure from Spain) and present them with your VAT cheques and they will stamp them for you. You must do this before you leave Europe. When you return to your country send the cheques back to the VAT claim office in Madrid in the Envelope that you picked up from the shop/s. Unfortunately if you are not actually flying out of Barcelona you cannot just go to the airport and cash your cheques. The cashing of the VAT cheques in Barcelona is a service only available for those that leave Barcelona by plane. When you send back your VAT claim you have a number of options for obtaining your money. You can opt to receive a cheque, or choose a bank transfer or wire. These options are available on the form that you send back to the VAT reclaim office. It's best to opt for the direct transfer to your account as most banks charge a substantial fee for cashing international cheques - around 30 Euros in Spain. It will take approximately 3 months to process your claim and for you to receive your refund. You follow the same procedure as for the cruise if you are leaving Spain by any other means e.g. train or car. But in these situations your cheques are stamped at the customs office before you leave Spain.

Summary

You are entitled to claim a VAT refund on goods purchased in Spain if you meet the following criteria

1) Your domicile (permanent residence) is outside the European community)

2) You spend more than 90.15 Euros on your items

3) You intend to take the items back to your country. This therefore excludes restaurant and hotel bills and general food.

4) You have all the correct paperwork completed - this is provided by shops that run the Tax Free Shopping Scheme - look for their logo in the shop window or ask in the shop (some shops do not run the tax free scheme)

5) You follow all the procedures detailed above in our article for claiming your VAT back before you leave Spain.

6) If you have any more detailed questions on Tax free shopping visit their website and postquestion directly. They have people that can respond to you in English.
Bottom line here, I think, is that one has to shop in the right stores, bulk purchases together so you meet the minimum and then make sure you get the checks and forms before you leave. Weird, one would think you could fill out a form at the store and avoid the checks all together.

Happy shopping or not…

It was one of those days...

2010-07-08T21:52:00.000-07:00

So, ever have one of those days where noting is quite as it seems? Well, yesterday was one of those for me! I don’t get it – all started out well, but somewhere around 3PM it all went to hell…
So, to be fair, this is just life again getting in the way… I get it, but come on, enough!! It’s almost an ethical dilemma for me. See, we are GIVING away a set of white kitchen appliances. Yep – giving them away. OK, no, I guess that isn’t right – we are giving them to someone that needs them and will in return for getting them will move a stove and fridge up a flight of stairs for us. This is one of 2 remaining things that needs to be done before we can get t he condo on the market.
So, are we asking too much? Here were the requirements… Promise that you need the appliances, and that you will not profit off of getting them (so donate your old ones…) and have the guys that carry the set you are getting down the stairs, bring the other set up the stairs… not a hard thing, yes?? Well, apparently it is, because yesterday I get the call that they have hired the mover and want to get the appliance done tonight. Well, sure, we can hold off on letting the kids get cleaned up from camp and all that – shouldn’t take long… Well, the people they got to move the stuff want to charge them extra to move stuff up stairs – and the people we are giving appliance to don’t want to pay it. Um, really? Seriously? Here is $2,000 worth of appliances, and the only thing you have to do is move my stuff up the stairs and you don’t want to cover it?

So, maybe I am/was reading too much into it – but I am irked… I have been through a lot in the past 18 months, and I have had so many people bend over backwards to help me – but I have never asked or expected someone to be out of pocket for me. So, I was trying to pay it forward or back, depending on how you look at it, and now this… It is a lesson learned… If you want to just be rid of something, take the first offer, be done with it. Had we done that a friend would have hauled the old stuff out, put the new stuff up and then sold the old stuff. We all would have been happy, end of story… UUGH! Really took the Disney breeze out of my sails… Made it hard to work as well, and I really needed to get more done last night, but I couldn’t focus…

As a side note, we did get the appliances moved and in the end we were not out of pocket. It was bittersweet, but it is done...

OK, venting and ranting over… Happy Thursday everyone!! Come on weekend!!

You knew it wouldn't last...

2010-07-07T09:44:00.000-07:00

Life got in the way again! I'm not even sure it was one thing, or a bunch of things, but that is what happens when one plans...

And speaking of plans, a lot has happened in the past week or so! Stephen spent two weeks in "Teen Expedition" with out Outdoor YMCA which is located right on Lake Allatoona. It is a gorgeous camp and if anyone reading this is in the area, and your kids need a great summer day camp - THIS IS IT!!! Look no further!! We found it 6 years ago and while Stephen was mad as a hatter about having to go to camp at all, his mind was quickly changed! He has gone every summer and Eric Bullock is "The Man!" Anyway - the Teen X program is awesome. The kids spend a week together at the lake learning about each other, themselves and all the skills they will need for the following week. The second week they ship out on Monday morning go caving, hiking, rafting, and more. Not that my kid is shy, because he isn't, but he does lack some self confidence. Well at the Nanahayla River facility he was the kid that the scared kid wanted to ride the river with! I have never been so proud!! Needless to say, he had a great week, came home dirty, stinky and smiling ear to ear!! I missed him, and am now wondering where my baby boy went. He has really grown up this summer between this and the CILT program.

Other than Stephen, other things have been happening too! Rebecca got her cast off, and is starting to use her arm without a splint or warp. She is pretty cautious still, but the HOH gym staff is great and have really been encouraging her to participate. The splint/wrap is history as of tomorrow, so we shall see.

All of this and yes, still more... We are finally about done with our condo flip. Hope to get it on the market this weekend. Want it sold fast, and I think it will happen. We now have the best looking unit in the complex. everyone we have shown it to is very impressed. Glenn and I worked our tails off for it, so we are glad to know that it should pay off.

Oh, and for those wondering, yes I still have tons to do for the cruise! Although the formal dress is in the works, magnets are just about done, the FE gifts are completed and I know that I can pack all of our swap stuff in one suitcase!! It is pretty full mind you! I hope that everyone is OK with our FE gifts! We did more for the kids than for anyone else, I didn't know when to stop! LOL!! Oh, and I got our Euro order today!! o turning back now I have local money to spend! HA HA HA HA HA!

Well, back to work for me!

Sunday Sunday…

2010-06-27T11:49:00.000-07:00

Well, Saturday was almost a bust. Stephen and Glenn got into it, and Stephen almost lost the privilege of getting to go to the Teen Expedition camp Expedition… What is it with 13 year olds anyway? Anyway, long story short, they made up and we were able to head out. We started the day with lunch out – which was a challenge with the sore mouth, but ended up OK. We then got all of our shopping done.

Made it back home and I was all set to print more magnets. Speaking of magnets, I went all out and bought 50 sheets of magnet paper a while ago. I got it on line and it is awesome! So easy!! Then I took all of the images from the DISigners and trimmed them down so that I wasn’t printing backgrounds. Then it is just patiently trimming everything. The kids have seen some of the magnets, but we are sending a set to Barcelona to the Concierge Manager and they will do our welcome aboard door for us! I am so excited!! The kids haven’t seen any of those but they each have license plates so their names will be on the door. In addition there is on that tells them that the door they are looking at is indeed theirs – and that it is a suite.

So, I said was ready to print, but as normal things got in the way, and the printing still needs to be done, maybe this week while we only have one kiddo to juggle… We did manage to pack Stephens gear for the week and get make sure that the pack isn’t too heavy for him. This was a feat as 13 years olds don’t like to plan, don’t like to listen and don’t like to pack… And this is also a hint to me that I will have to do all of his packing so that we are sure we get the bare minimums in the suitcases for him so that we are not doing laundry all of the time… Like I would let him pack… LOL!! If I could buy him a wardrobe for the trip I would… 10 days of new clothing for him… now that is something to ponder… no back to school stuff – just a vacation wardrobe… Wonder what that would cost?

More later!

2 days in a row...

2010-06-26T07:54:00.000-07:00

I know, I know... Will wonders never cease... Keep laughing - it is with me not at me me..

So, yesterday was bad... painfully bad, but with the help of some well prescribed drugs I was able to sleep and all is much better today. The throbbing is very slight, and I think that Advil will take care of it.

We have a busy day ahead of us. Stephen is going to his first sleep away from home camp starting Monday and we need to get all of his gear packed, as well as get the missing pieces for him.

I must admit that I am a bit sad to see this day arrive. He is growing up and I want to stop time for a bit and enjoy him. Becca too for that matter. They are such good and caring kids when you peel back the stubborn and irritating layers... I know that this sounds like the typical mom attitude, but both Glenn and I are constantly being told what great kids we have. More so with Stephen as he has started to fill a different roll at camp. He did a couple weeks as a CILT (counselor in leadership training) and ever since then we have had people at the camp that we don't know tell us what a great kid he is. All I know is that when the camp director says he has a paid spot for when he is 15 something has to be going right!!

As for the cruise, I have to figure out how to wrap up our FE cabin gifts and I need to finish the craft that I started ages ago. I also need to get lollipop bags for the candy exchange. If I can get that done this week then I am a bit ahead of the game. I need to print a bunch of magnets and then cut them out, but I have started those as well.

I also need to spend time with my mom tomorrow. I didn't get there last weekend, due to Fathers Day and Glenn's Birthday, so I have to go this week!! I also need to bring her some stuff and get some stuff ordered for her.

Then we need to start watching for sales for Stephen and Glenn. Oh - and I need pirate costumes for them as well... But I am not sure what they decided to do... The one costume that Stephen liked is back in stock - so I might just order it for him... Then it is just Glenn that we need to figure out - but I think he is capable of that!

OK, gotta run! More later!

Bad things come in threes....

2010-06-25T13:02:00.000-07:00

I have heard that, I have said it and now I am starting to believe it.

1. February - Stephen breaks the growth plate in his foot at the big toe, 2 weeks prior to baseball season starting, and he is a catcher. So, he was in a boot, a cast and a boot again... Not healed until mid April

2. June - Rebecca breaks her arm. A distal-radial buckle - which if you are going to have a break, this is the kind to get. They heal fast. She was put in a cast (6 more days) that looks like the Cheshire Cat. Very cute, but not very fun...

3. June - I break a tooth. Was all set for a root canal and crown, but no. I broke it all the way to the pulp of the tooth, infection was setting in (it was 2 days!! not like I waited 2 months to have it looked at) and I had to have it pulled. And to top it off on the same side of my mouth there were 2 other cracked teeth, so I have to get crowns. Now I have to go and get evaluated for an implant - OR get another crown and bridge the tooth. I don't want a bridge, so I am hoping that I can get the implant. Did I mention that the dentist found 2 other teeth that need crowns? Yes - for a total of 4!!! They are starting to fracture... Oh, and did I also mention that I see my kids dentist more than I see one for me? Do as I say, not as I do, yes?!

So, here I sit - hoping that this is the three. I don't think I can take much more than this... So, no cruise update for today... :(

More tomorrow!

Slacking yet again... A habit I need to break and fast!

2010-06-24T11:30:00.000-07:00

So, when we last left off I was suring up excursions. As we are doing alot without DCL, it is all in the details. And the pocketbook, as in ours! In working with another family we found that we could do what we wanted to and save lots of money! A big plus to all of us. I am actually surprised at the amount of people that don't look into doing things on their own. Although we didn't go that route on our first cruise, i was able to save over 50% of the excursion fees second time around, and this time is no different. Our private tours right now are at about a 70% savings, which will go right to my D&B bag! LOL!

OK, so here are the plans...

Gibraltar - private tour of the rock, and a possible ride on the cable car - up and down - if the line is short and the little kids are up for it. With both families we will have 3 little girls under the age of 10, a 13 year old boy and then the big kids. So we are trying to be very aware of the limits that each can tolerate.

Madeira - private tour here as well. We have arranged a jeep tour of the island. It is geared to the East side, and was highly recommended. The tour also includes a 3 course lunch at a local restaurant which should be fun. The big kids are looking forward to it, the little ones don't know about it. It will hopefully be a nice change from mac and cheese, chicken fingers, hot dogs and all the other standard little kid foods. However, we also plan to bring stuff the little ones like so we are not dealing with that obstacle.

Our next stop is St. Maarten and we are doing a private tour there too! We have a van /SUV (not sure which) booked for the day and are planning to see the islands best - including a stop at Orient Beach where my boys will parasail, a stop at Maho beach to see the Planes come in. Looking forward to seeing the 12:20 KLM flight buzz the beach. We may get to Paradise Point (Pic?) to look down on things - but we are not sure that our tour guide will take us there. It is supposed to be an amazing view, but is also known for its high crime rate - specifically mugging tourists. This would be bad... however we are a group of 8 plus a driver and a guide, so we may be OK. We are also looking for a short stop (hour and a half or so) at the Butterfly Farm. I have great memories of my little boy when he was 8 (we saw a moth with a wing span as big as his head) but my little one doesn't remember the stop (she was 15 months old). However, as I hand the Christmas ornament with all the butterflies she always asks if she will get to see them. Now she will!! It isn't expensive to get in, and it is incredible to see all of them! The rest of the day will be filled in by the tour company, hopefully it will be a great day!!

We also go to Tortola. At present we have snorkeling and an island tour booked. DH is looking to try out snorkeling, so he may go there with our son and I will take Becca on the island tour. It should be a good day.

Last stop is Castaway Cay. We are booked for Parasailing here as well as the catamaran and snorkel tour. I want to drop the parasail as it is about double what we will pay at Orient Beach. If we do that I hope that we can get the kids settled and then head over to the adult beach for a nice lunch. If the kids wont settle in, then we will do the family beach for lunch and then the snorkeling time. I will snorkel this time as I really enjoy watching Stephen and how excited he gets!

And that is it. It sounds intense, nut as there are 6 sea days in there separating the European and Caribbean ports we should have plenty of time to relax and enjoy some family time.

More later!

2010-06-15T15:35:00.000-07:00

So, I would say that I have been remorse in not posting, but to be quite honest, I haven't had the time. despite tryingt o runa tight ship and keep a schedule it just isn't working for me... :) I am hopeful that there are others out there like me...

I really did have good intentions to do more on the ports, but my little girl broke her arm at the end of last week. Can you say lost time? I think that I literally lost about 2 full days days as well as hours outside of them for emergency rooms, doctors and orthopedic docs. While very worthwile, she is cute afterall, it really zapped me completely. Come the weekend we were exhausted and just wanted to sleep. So we vegged around the house and didn't do a darned thing...

Where was I? Oh, yes... Planning a cruise...

I need to sure up St. Maarten and figure our Tortolla. With regards to St. Maarten we are pretty sure that we will do the provate tour with our AU DIS family, and build in the butterfly farm to the tour if all will agree to it. For tortolla I am certain that I want to go snorkeling and there is a morning tour for that. Since that is out for both DH and DD, I am not sure how they will spend the morning, but a request to go to the beach has been raised by DD, so we might do that in the afternoon (along with the posibility of shopping.

Speaking of shopping... My little 2lb printer arrived today and I can't wait to try it out! I also found a formal as well as one for Becca. We are now all set for prince and princess night! Well, we don't have tiara - but oh well...

well, signing off for today, will try and get more out here tomorrow of Thursday!

Sue

2010-06-10T15:41:00.000-07:00

I am such a slacker! So, where to start... Lets go back a week... Stepping into the way back machine,..

Last Thursday we headed to lady Lake Florida to see my in laws. It was their 50th wedding anniversary and all the kids flocked to see them. That is a pretty big feat as we are in Ohio, Calgary, Baltimore and Atlanta. We headed down after work on Thursday. We didn't hit the road until 7PM, and it was 2AM or so when we arrived. We chatted with family for a bit and then hit the sack. We had to be up early to help with the party.

Friday morning came pretty quick, and we were up and running by 8. The kids did very well with this and fell right into place with all the cousins. Becca is one of 6 (yes, SIX) girls (21, 15, 6, 6, 6, and 3) The other 6 year olds are twins and are 3 months older than Becca. They were like long lost friends and got along fabulously. The three year old named me Aunt Nobody... Something is amiss about that... There were just the 2 boys - 13 and, well, 13.

The big surprise was at 11:30, and guest started arriving at 12:30. There weren't many couples that came, but it was fine - Jack and Diane loved it, and a good time was had by all. We cooked out that evening and then managed to get a great group photo with all of us as Deb's mom was also in from Canada and served as photographer.

Saturday we headed to Cocoa Beach... more on that adventure later tonight or tomorrow...