The Great Procrastination PTR--Trip in Aug. 2011 - Page 7 - PassPorter - A Community of Walt Disney World, Disneyland, Disney Cruise Line, and General Travel Forums
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There are other changes as well.
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I've spent more time on the boards today than I usually do as this is a good, positive place. You are all so kind and caring towards one another; I always get a happy feeling reading your interactions. Your kindness to one another has helped me deal with these past four days that have gone from inconvenient to worse.
I'll include a link to my blog which explains the absolute worst of it, but the rest just piles on top of it. http://arewethereyet-j.blogspot.com/ (Of course I'm having a problem with this link. If it tells you that this doesn't exist, click on the "Are We There Yet? link. That should bring you there...figures)
Everything else pales in comparison to this, but...
Work! I'm in the middle of my summer vacation and I'm working on work stuff. I was invited to put in 2 1/2 days helping with aligning the curriculum to the common core. That's not so bad--I actually find all that stuff fascinating, but only a handful of people were invited and so the people who weren't invited to participate are crabby about it. Then there are some staffing changes. This can mean that what I teach in the fall will not be decided until the fall. Who knows what's going on? I don't. I had wanted to get all my planning done because I'm going to Disney two weeks before I head back to school and I DON'T WANT TO BE (RE)WRITING CURRICULUM when I get back!!! It wouldn't be so annoying except for the reason for the shift has nothing to do with city-wide staffing problems so much as the principal trying to get her friend a job. Getting this guy a job affects what three separate teachers (myself included) will be teaching in the fall. He knows what he'll be doing and I was asked to put together materials for him to use, but I have no clue what I'll be doing. I kind of wish that was a little more fair. And everyone complains about it to me. I'm not sure why, but they do.
Oh. And dd was sick last week and now ds is sick today. Hopefully he didn't catch what she had because she was sick for about 5 days straight with a virus that caused really high temperatures. And since I'm whining...dh went off to the track today to help out a friend, so I've got the two kids by myself. One in my room with the AC, the other in the living room, both calling to me to be with them. Thankfully, Jack agreed to come downstairs with his puke bowl.
How am I cheering myself up? I think I'm going to make a list of things I need to pack. After the funeral, I will take out the suitcase and start to pack the things we aren't using.
Suggestions for packing? What is something you absolutely cannot live without when you travel to the World?
Thanks so much for your goodness to everyone. It really has helped me out today!
I am so sorry for your loss! Brian sounds like an incredible man! Many for you, his family, and his friends. More pixies on the way for your kiddos! And yet more for your work situation: It has to be difficult having all of this coming at you at once. with the packing.
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My deepest condolences to you and your family and to Brians family as well. Hearing that a fellow Officer has stood his /her last roll call allways fill me with great saddness
Thanks so much to everyone for your support. The wake is tomorrow and the funeral is on Wednesday. Dh and I grappling are with whether or not we want to bring the kids to the wake. On the one hand, ds understands that his friend is gone and might need some closure. On the other hand, it's going to be an absolutely emotional event. There will be police and army there as well as the enormous number of friends and family. It might be too much for both kids. In all honestly, it might be too much for me.
We'll sort it out. We don't have a choice.
On the planning front, I decided to go ahead and link our dining reservations to the room reservations and to the Grand Gathering--finally. Unfortunately, the system is down. They can only make new reservations at this time, not modify existing reservations. I wish they had a recorded message when people called in to tell them about this issue because I sat on hold for about 10 minutes on hold only to be told that I couldn't do what I wanted to do.
So, I emailed our AAA representative with a spreadsheet of our ADR's along with number of people who will be attending each meal and the confirmation number for each. We'll see how that works out. I don't know if TA's have a special hotline to Disney or if they have to use the regular number like the rest of us do.
I figured it would just be easier if I did it, but I don't really want to deal with it. It's something I should have done much sooner, but...
DS is on the mend, but he's still a little whiney. No fever though in about 20 hours, so that's a definite plus.
I also requested the TA call and request some extra pillows. We're all pillow hogs in my family .
I'm heartbroken for your family and all of Brian's family and friends. He sounds like he truly was an amazing man.
Planning wise, don't forget the child care centers! Even though your kidlets are potty trained 'big kids' now, there's no reason you can't pop in there with Anna and let her sit and color or watch a movie if she gets overloaded. We still use them, and Joc is 4 1/2 now.
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Disney World Trips So Far: 1982, 1986, 1990, 1994, 2000, 2002, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014, 2015a, 2015b, 2016a (2016b in planning)
A small recommendation for your kids. To cut down on packing torture. Pack each of the kids their outfits in ziploc bags with the day labeled on them. Socks, underwear and cloths. DS and DH both love this....we all coordinate in a fashion...or with the theme of the park or characters we are seeing that day and it cuts down on having to get two kids their clothes in the morning and makes it not so rushed for Mom and Dad.
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Cheeser. Maleficent of the Vacation Villians!!!
Partying with the Parrs December 5, 2015:
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Your kindness to one another has helped me deal with these past four days that have gone from inconvenient to worse. 
I'm in the middle of my summer vacation and I'm working on work stuff. I was invited to put in 2 1/2 days helping with aligning the curriculum to the common core. That's not so bad--I actually find all that stuff fascinating, but only a handful of people were invited and so the people who weren't invited to participate are crabby about it. Then there are some staffing changes. This can mean that what I teach in the fall will not be decided until the fall. Who knows what's going on? I don't. I had wanted to get all my planning done because I'm going to Disney two weeks before I head back to school and I DON'T WANT TO BE (RE)WRITING CURRICULUM when I get back!!! It wouldn't be so annoying except for the reason for the shift has nothing to do with city-wide staffing problems so much as the principal trying to get her friend a job. Getting this guy a job affects what three separate teachers (myself included) will be teaching in the fall. He knows what he'll be doing and I was asked to put together materials for him to use, but I have no clue what I'll be doing. I kind of wish that was a little more fair. And everyone complains about it to me. I'm not sure why, but they do.
What is something you absolutely cannot live without when you travel to the World? 
Like
Thank
Pixie Dust
with the packing.
PassPorter Guide Author
Brian sounds like a wonderful man.
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