Tall Lady

Yes, I still live here......I hate allergies and the past 2+ years have been the worst.  No break at all...not even with the snow.  Then I managed to get a horrible cold that made every muscle in my stomach and chest hurt so bad I could hardly move.  Then I started itching..from knees to neck....that went on for 3 months so I finally went to see my doctor.  He gave me 2 shots and a Rx cream for the affected areas and it is almost all cleared up now.  He, nor I, knows what caused it.   There is never a dull moment around here.

 

Last Sunday morning around 1 am our little baby's feeding tube came out (on it's on) and it is the type that only a surgeon can put in and take out......well it came out without any help from a surgeon.  So off to the ER we went.  Baby and I were there for more than 8 hours waiting for a replacement tube like the one he had.  There was not one to be found anywhere.  So they put in a McKey G Tube, which I love because I have changed those things out hundreds of times.  Then they sent us home.  We called his surgeon on Monday and he said to leave that one in and they were ordering a back up one in case that one leaks, etc.  Well, in the wee hours of Monday morning he had that one out.  I immediately popped it back in and put a little more water in the baloon than the surgeon had done and it is working fine.  He was laughing at me the whole time.   He is such a cutie.

 

We are still waiting for word about our adoption of the little one.  We have been jumping through hoops getting everything the State needs.....mostly due to our ages.  Hoping for a positive answer soon.   Prayers are much appreciated.

 

Kimberly completed middle school last month and will be moving to high school next year.  However, she and Shawnee will be in different schools due to her complex issues and there is no class for her with Shawnee.  

 

We have completed all the paperwork and evaluations for our guardianship of Shawnee.  Since he turned 18 yesterday we had to

get legal guardianship of him since he will be unable to handle his own affairs.  Just waiting now for the Court Date.

 

We are all enjoying our new dog.  She is so sweet and loveable and very smart.  I can not belive how smart she is.  She is asleep under my computer desk right now.  When I head for the bedroom she will get under my bed, in her bed, and be there all night.  She also thinks she is a guard dog as she barks at everyone who comes to the door or in the house.  So, I have to put her in time out.  :jumpforjoy

 

I guess that pretty well sums up my life for the past few months.  I need a vacation bad.     :wheelchair: 

 You need prayers, you got 'em! Love to read about your love for those kids...and the doggie. :)

Ok, thank you all! 

One thing I forgot to mention- the BB family raft ride is much better than the family raft ride at TL.  The one at TL is probably only half as long, and you have to roll your raft up to the start.  I've heard it said that the BB family raft ride is the longest in the world, and they bring your raft to you via conveyor belt.  There is no height restriction for the family raft ride at either park, so this is something the whole family can enjoy.

 

This is another reason whey I recommend BB for families with younger kids and TL for families with teens.

 

TCD

 

Seriously, a huge thanks for all the help. Are wait times (this will be on Friday, September 26) long for rides? We usually buy fast passes at other parks if those are available. However, I know there's not an option like that here. 

They also have a big little kids area. We didn't use it but it looked really nice.

Did you rent a premium chair (the one with the umbrella)?

Sorry if this is a post elsewhere. If so, just direct me there. However, we are headed back in September and want to add a day at a water park to our fun. We (my husband and I) will have an almost 9 y.o. daughter and (newly turned) 3-year-old son with us. Which water park do you recommend and why? My daughter LOVES water parks and will choose Splash Country over Dollywood any day.Thanks!

Another question with character meals:

What is the tipping protocol for Cinderella's Royal Table? We are booked for breakfast on Sept 21. We've already prepaid but I wondered should I plan to bring $25 for a tip? Is that tacky? Or is that the way to do it? Any help is much appreciated. This is our first time eating there. 

Faxing has worked for us (except when the loop we wanted was closed), so that's what we do. And Jason puts it on the reservation. 

We faxed, put it on the reservation, and called and got our desired loop and spot. So something works....just don't know which one.

More updates from the Disney Food Blog...

http://www.disneyfoodblog.com/2014/06/18/more-2014-epcot-food-and-wine-festival-menu-items-puerto-rico-is-back/

 

Some excerpts...

 

WOW! So much to be excited about this year. Thanks for all the updates.  :jumpforjoy

Absolutely

My daughter picked-up the books last time we were there because she loved it so much. But, I agree, it might be time to go.

IMO, 2 days is plenty of time to see Stone Mtn.  You may want another day or two to see other things in ATL....like the GA Aquarium, Coke museum or go to a Braves game. 

All great suggestions! We love Stone Mountain, but it really is a "all-you-can-see-in-one-day" type place. You can make two days out of it if you hike and make sure to ride the Ducks! The aquarium and Coke museum are a once every five years type places. And (IMO) you can't beat watching a Braves game with the family. :)

Yes, Lou, Judy is still here, but she has been under the weather for a month or so and doesn't spend much time on the computer except to do paperwork for the kids.  She seems to be in a recovery mode now   :heartsmiley:  and we are planning our Dollywood trip (2 wks, around July 4th).

Yay for Dollywood! We are Gold Superpass owners. It's our Disney away from Disney (only a 3 hour drive)! Have a blast!

This is great!

We did F&W on three days with mom and a fourth day by ourselves. Mom didn't get much but my wife and I just really let loose and sampled everything we wanted to, including drinks. We averaged $200 a day, which is not too bad considering it replaced lunch and some dinners. edited to add: I should mention that there were quite a few glasses of champagne, prosecco, grand marnier slushies and other expensive drinks as well as Scotch, Tequilla and beer flights as part of that $800 tab. YMMV! Also, FWIW, we did Victoria & Albert's that trip, complete with wine pairings, and if I had to choose between doing it again or three more days of abandon at F&W, I'd choose the latter. Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

Fantastic info! Thank you!

Tusker House for lunch is wonderful!

Gwen, do you think the cake at Tusker House will be overkill? 

You do realize, don't you, that the booths only sell food? They have no other activities. About the only thing you will experience with "included with ticket" is the Festival Center, and that's barely worth a walk-through.

On our last trip to F&WF (just two of us) I put $100 on a prepaid card. We went to EPCOT several times and used just over that amount (but we spent very little on alcohol). I don't think in 1.5 days you would go to more than half the booths.

Oh yes, I'm aware. But we are two 6-foot-tall people with two hungry kids. I actually eat many small meals all day, so I think this set-up is better for me than a buffet of sorts. My husband and I plan to share, so we can try a lot. And even though we are mainly craft beer drinkers, we definitely want to try the different drinks offered at the booths.

Totally taboo question: however would anyone like to tell me what they have spent buying food/drinks during a day at Epcot for Food & Wine Festival? Or better yet, what a "friend" has spent? 

We plan to spend 1.5 days in Epcot during this time. Since it's our first time (& we'll have two kids with us), we just plan to hit all the "included with ticket" stuff...which pretty much means all the booths in the countries. We are not picky eaters and enjoy most adult beverages, so I'm trying to consider my budget. Any help with a realistic amount to spend is helpful. Thanks!

I kind of feel it's a waste of money, but since it will be Kailey's 10th birthday, this is what she's asking for...

You also have to call and book it. To my knowledge, you can not do this online yet. Also, you need to keep all your reservation info. This stuff doesn't show-up online in any of your reservations. Again, this was as of December last year.

We took my daughter to celebrate her birthday. She is 8. She had a blast. It really was worth it. However, we did bring our own dress. My mother-in-law handmade a Belle dress for her. 

A quick tip: bring cash to tip the Fairy-Godmother-in-training. I did not realize this and there was no option to tip through my credit card or magic band. I felt awful walking out of there and not doing that. Also, if you are doing the Memory Maker they will take photos of the entire process in BBB. We were so glad we paid for photos, as we are horrible with taking pictures. Plus, this gives you time to enjoy your vacation instead of scrapbooking it constantly. 

Glad you are going to the Backyard BBQ! My son LOVES it. We actually did that for his 4th birthday. If you want, you can get a special cake delivered there for your daughter. Check my spring break travel report for pictures. 

 

I bet the kids would also like the wagon ride they do at night. 

Kelly, I thought about you as we are planning another trip for September this year. We are celebrating my son's third birthday this time. He will actually turn 3 on September 25, while we are there. We plan to celebrate at TRex in DD. However, the day before we plan to celebrate with lunch at the Tusker House as well. We failed to do the cake for my daughter last year. BUT since it's his birthday and he adores Mickey, I REALLY want to do the Mickey cake for him. Can I get that done at TRex? Or I should I just plan for the Tusker House, as I hear their desserts aren't the best...maybe just the bread pudding??? 

Newbie question:

Are the concerts in the same location as the Christmas concerts at Epcot? And how does the concert series work? Get there so many minutes early?

We are definitely having a leisure day the next day. I'll check out your April post. I loved your stuff for our trip last December.

We enjoyed our lunch there. I believe I wrote about it in my April trip report.

When we do a super late night like that with my son, we do a Fort/pool day the next day. There's so much to do there too, and it gives everyone time to recharge.

What are their typical hours right now? Are they daylight restricted?

The time frame definitely helps! I never know how long meals last.

I haven't done breakfast at Tusker House, only lunch. The character interaction was really great. The characters all came around twice while I was eating. I spent well over an hour there. Hope this helps.

A little off topic, but has anyone done a TREX birthday party? Any special items/requests? We are planning lunch or dinner there on my son's third birthday.

Talked to the hubs and forgot this is our long day, park hoping to Epcot till midnight. So, I think we are going to pick lunch instead. Now I'm torn between early versus late lunch.

What's with the Yeti? I remember seeing behind the scenes stuff and thought it swatted at riders during the drop. But I haven't noticed that when we rode. Is that what you were referencing, Carol?

Ah....great point!

Expedition Everest. :rollercoaster: