PARKER'S CELEBRATION

PARKER AND THE CAPTAINS OF THE SHIP

First off, ANYWHERE WITH PARKER is FUN. This cruise post is a little long, so hang with me.

We started the day with his favorite hair LADY giving him a trim, then off to Dallas to stay two nights at his favorite HOTEL, where he got to swim and watch movies. WE even made a few stops at GAME STOP for new games for his DS. Early, VERY EARLY as in 4 AM we headed to DFW to catch our flight. The hotel was nice to shuttle us to the airport and keep our car...a nice way to pay no parking AT DFW

Parker NEVER minds waiting as he always has a game with him....plus he just got a new IPOD TOUCH

We landed in Orlando and the Magical Express was waiting to take us to the Disney Wonder that would SAIL at 5 PM

WELCOME ABOARD

Checking out the SHIP

HIS FIRST MEAL AND THE FIRST OF MANY PIECES OF CHEESECAKE and OTHER DESSERTS

THE FIRST NIGHT TURN DOWN

THE OCEANAIRE CLUB that he had been reading about!

AND A WELCOME FROM BUZZ

SOME Of OUR FAVORITE FRIENDS

THE BEST KID EVER

A PLACE PARKER SPENT LOTS OF TIME. THERE WAS FUN GOING ON IN HERE ROUND THE CLOCK!

SOME NEW FRIENDS HE MADE THE SECOND DAY

THEY GOT TO GO TO A MIDNIGHT SHOWING OF

THE PRINCE OF PERSIA!

A BIRTHDAY CAKE FOR THE BIRTHDAY BOY AT DINNER

ONE NIGHT!

WELCOME TO CASTAWAY CAY, DISNEY'S ISLAND

A BEAUTIFUL ISLAND

PARKER LOVED THE LITTLE SPECIAL THINGS

THE WAITERS DID EACH NIGHT AT DINNER

PARKER DID NOT LIKE THESE TWO PICTURES

BUT THESE LADIES WERE SMITTEN WITH HIM

ONE Of PARKERS FAVORITE LEADERS IN THE OUT AND

ABOUT GROUP...This was a great program that gave kids

freedom to do all kinds of things. They had a pager and we had a pager, so

we knew where he was at all times. One PLUS of the CRUISE!

FUN ACTIVITIES ALL DAY

Normally I would have lots more pictures, but Parker is NOW at that age that the camera is NOT something he loves for me to have in my hand. AND I RESPECT that as much as I can..

OK, remember the next part of this post is from someone that is a DISNEY ADDICT, who visits the PARKS at least once a year and sometimes MORE OFTEN. This was our FIRST DISNEY CRUISE! Would I do it again? Probably NOT. Somewhere between the parks and the boat, they LOST the MAGIC. And the MAGIC is what I LOVE. There were some pluses...Parker had more freedom, there was a lot less walking, (but also a lot less to do), food was easier to access...not sure if that was a plus or not, the shows at night were good, but to me not better than at the parks, you were close to your room at the end of the day, (although I LOVE that special time when everyone is leaving the parks at night after a fun day)! Maybe this is why I have been a little hesitant about writing this post. I missed all the fireworks shows, WISHES,missed FANTASMIC, missed all the parades, all the SHOPS!

If you have any questions I would be glad to answer them..BUT, I WILL TAKE THE PARKS for my next VISITS WITH MOUSE. THERE WAS JUST NOT ENOUGH MICKEY FOR ME.

I WON AND OFF TO SEE THE MOUSE

We are in a hotel in DALLAS waiting to fly out EARLY tomorrow to
SAIL WITH THE MOUSE for six days and CELEBRATE PARKER JUST A LITTLE MORE......Do you get that I am MADLY in love with this KID? I got him his VERY first NEW, all his own, LAPTOP yesterday. This BOY is a HAPPY CAMPER. He and his Pop are laid up in the bed watching one movie after another, after swimming all morning, while I am going through all our paper work to BE SURE we have all the right documents to get on the BOAT. Not a small task! Next I am making sure all our luggage is tagged, clothes laid out for a 4 AM wake-up call, and then I need to go downstairs and get our boarding passes printed. PLUS SOMEONE SNORED last night (won't say who but it was not me or Parker) and I SLEPT very little..so running on fumes.

Just checked my email and I WON a contest with the post on MICAH taking JACK to meet his DAD in prison. First contest I can ever remember winning. AND to keep you up to date, MICAH WENT BACK YESTERDAY to their MONTHLY PICNIC! His Dad is still in shock and so thrilled not only to now know Jack, but to have reconnected with his SON. JUST WOW is all I can say.
How appropriate that the first contest I ever won in the blog world came from Mrs. Claus at
ITS LIKE CHRISTMAS EVERY SINGLE DAY! Please visit her site and read the other entries. THANK YOU MRS. CLAUS! You made my day!


Hopefully the next post will be from the DISNEY SHIP WONDER! Parker just said to me, "GRAMMY, this time tomorrow we will BE ON THE SHIP!"
I am not a scary flyer, but with all that is going on in the world today, I never take for granted a SAFE LANDING...so if you think about it, pray that we have a smooth flight, on time, with luggage, feeling good and all the rest that goes with starting a DREAM VACATION. We all just put on our seasick meds behind our ears...just for precaution.

THANKS AGAIN to MRS. CLAUS!

DISNEY GIVEAWAY

Don't miss this post and make a deliberate plan to MAKE A DIFFERENCE IN SOMEONES LIFE THIS NEXT WEEK! For me that might mean being polite to people on the phone that speak ENGLISH, but not the kind that I speak. One of my biggest frustrations this last week. If we all did ONE THING that would leave people smiling, the world will be a better place.

Oh how I wish I could give a trip to Disney to some lucky blogger. I would love that..that's probably a STRETCH right now, but I can give a DISNEY CARE PACKAGE from our UPCOMING TRIP. AND I WOULD LOVE TOO. EVERY comment for the next week, any post, will go in a drawing for a SPECIAL DISNEY GOODIE BAG. I will pick out some things throughout our trip and bring them home to SHIP TO YOU! (if you win) THIS is our first DISNEY CRUISE and its a trip to celebrate PARKER'S 11th BIRTHDAY. I don't want this little man (tween) to ever wonder for one SECOND how SPECIAL HE IS. There are lots of ways to spend money. I love a pretty home but less to clean is better to me in this stage of my life. I like clothes but MUCH less than I did in the past. I still spend too much on BOOKS and probably a few other things. Funny how your wants and needs change as you age. BUT there is ONE THING I NEVER feel bad about spending money on and that's GRANDPARENT TRAVEL. Nothing is more important to me than making memories with the family....AKA the LITTLES! In our case, PARKER has been the biggest recipient of that, as he was the first and only grandchild for 7 years. And then even when he wasn't the ONLY, he was the ONLY one old enough to TRAVEL without his parents...Let's just say he has traveled. He has a phenomonal memory. When people say he will never remember our trips, I just laugh. He remembers the hotel we stayed in at DISNEYLAND when he was 4. He probably knows the room number. We toured NEW YORK CITY for a week when he was 7 and he can still tell me every detail. So no one will ever convince me kids don't remember TRIPS. Just in case you would ever get the impression that we are super wealthy, we are just two people that have always worked hard, been blessed in some other ways, and want to use every dime we have on MAKING MEMORIES. Not sure why I felt it necessary to make that disclaimer, but what I said at the beginning is really true. I would love nothing more than to make a DISNEY TRIP available for everyone. (I did the best I could by giving you a name of someone that will get you the VERY best price). It really is the HAPPIEST PLACE on EARTH and it really is MAGICAL!

OK for some random....think
I am becoming the RANDOM QUEEN. Amanda sent me this cute picture from last night...She found both Parker and Jack in Jack's bed and they told her it was "THE BROTHERS CLUB"! I don't think I have to tell you those boys OWN my HEART.

Below is the newest member of our family. My sisters sons son. It would take far too many of my brain cells to think how that should be written. Where all the s's go. Is he a doll? His Mom and Dad had dreamed of him for a long time. He is a little answer to prayer...and I think he is a really cute answer. They do not live near me so I have not been able to get my hands on him, but I am hoping for the day soon. Remember I am a total NUT when it comes to BABIES. I had the hardest time picking a picture of him, as everyone was so, so cute. His Dad is not bad and his Mom is simply gorgeous, so I don't think he had a chance to be anything but CUTE! MEET WILLIAM!

I probably won't be posting a lot for a few weeks as I have a long TO DO list. School plays and programs, dental work (ugh) and getting TRIP READY. According to my husband that means everything but the refrigerator. Thank goodness he is SUCH a good sport. On the comment section of this post, I would love to know your favorite vacation spot.

SOME PEOPLE JUST MAKE THE WORLD A BETTER PLACE

If you are anyone that has read my blog for anytime at all, you know I am a DISNEY ADDICT. There is no cure that I am aware of and if there is I don't want to know about it. I LOVE THE MOUSE! We are taking a Disney Cruise very soon to celebrate Parker's 11th birthday. My Disney planner brought my packets to me today. This is a girl that graduated with my son...someone I have known for twenty years but had not seen her in awhile...We actually live about thirty minutes apart. But we chat often on FB and on the phone. As I walked away from her car today, my thoughts were "There are just SOME PEOPLE that make the world a better place, a happier place, and Tammy is one of them!" Never in all the years I have known her have I ever been with her that she was not bubbly, happy, and always makes the person she is with feel special. It is a GIFT and she is the entire PACKAGE. I knew her as a teenager, a young Mom, now her kiddos are growing up...and she is still the same Tammy. I have never known one person that does not love her...She is one of those people, that to know her is to love her. It's just refreshing to be around someone that loves life, loves people, and genuinely cares about others. I do not advertise on this blog, I don't normally even recommend things....but if you EVER need a DISNEY PLANNER, she is FANTASTIC.
It does not matter where you live. She can take care of anyone. She knows Disney and she is totally FREE. She is paid by Disney. You could go on Disney's website and book your own trip and her quote will still be less as she gets in on all the specials long before the public is aware of them. Just for fun I have gotten quotes from all kinds of places on the Internet, many different times where they advertise specials and never has anyone beat her price.
She does the best job of planning. I just saw the plan she did for a close friend that is taking eight family members for 10 days. The schedule she made them was AMAZING...and DISNEY is a place you HAVE TO HAVE A PLAN. I know DISNEY and I have never seen anything so thorough and so well put together. Plus she gets so much JOY out of helping families that really have a tight budget. I did not tell her I was doing this post and I swiped her picture off her facebook page. I hope that's legal. As many times as we have DONE DISNEY, this is our first DISNEY CRUISE, so she has made a ton of calls for me to get information.. No question is too small and she gets back to you promptly. She and I did a little creative airfare that saved me a lot of money.

I really wrote this post to talk about her JOY and how I want to be aware of that in my own life when dealing with clients and just people in general. But I am also passing on to you the name of a GREAT DISNEY PLANNER. If you ever need her, email her at disneytammy@hotmail.com or contact me and I will put you in touch with her. This is not my normal family post, but today I was thinking about how our interactions with others everyday, really DO MATTER...a smile, a word of encouragement, just an ear some days, may make all the difference for someone.

THE WORLD NEEDS A FEW MORE TAMMY'S!

If you have won a prize recently they are going out in the next day or two. I had to recover from Mother's Day baskets and then today spent a special day at the hospital with my good friend and tree partner as she welcomed her first granddaughter. In my opinion there is NOTHING more special than the birth of a baby. NOTHING! Her little Lilliana Victoria was born late this afternoon, totally PERFECT.

And the Celebration Continues

Remember that every comment in the month of June enters you in this months giveaway...the $75.00 "Card Box"!

And the Birthday Celebration continues...And the Magic continues..As we ended our day at the Magic Kingdom we stopped at the watch store on Main Street and Amanda bought Micah a special Disney watch...something he had looked for during our October trip but never found the right one. Amanda found it this time and he loves it. Mission accomplished. Later Parker and I found a new one for Pop...since he always wears Mickey on his arm...an old tradition from our Disney trips.
I promise this Disney post is going to end....it is like the trip...I never want it to end...truth be known, I could live at Disney World with my family and all would be right with the world. I know that is a fantasy..but it is one I love.

Out next day starts with Parker and Amanda heading out earlier than us to Hollywood Studios to ride the really fun rides. We all met at noon to have lunch at one of our favorite places, Mama Melrose's, where they treated Parker like royalty. We love their pizza's and we never visit this park without eating here....for all of you with upcoming Disney trips. The resort had let them know that Parker was the birthday boy, so they brought him a chef hat signed by all the cooks and then to top that off, a fabulous MAKE your own SUNDAE. Jack was not quite sure why he did not get one....Then we watched the Block Party Bash, one of the cutest parades in Disney. We finished the "hot" afternoon with a few rides and lots of shopping...then a little shopping in Downtown Disney...and then back to the hotel to eat and swim. It was a beautiful night to sit on the balcony and look at the animals. I cannot say enough good things about Animal Kingdom Lodge. We have stayed at many of the resorts inside Disney. This one by far was our best experience. Even our Mousekeeper was the best we had ever had.

Our next day began with a swim and then off to Epcot. Amanda and Parker went to the thrill rides and we walked around keeping little Jack happy and cool. We ate some fabulous pastries at a little French bakery....shopped and shopped more...Disney gift shops are magnets. Epcot is just beautiful. The flowers are amazing. This park also is the home of my MOST favorite Disney ride...SOARIN...I could ride it 20 times in a day....Because of Parker's celebrity birthday status, we were given priority seating for the Illuminations fireworks show that night...so there was no hurry to find just the right place to sit and wait for hours....we walked in ten minutes before it began
and were escorted to a prime location to sit and watch this fabulous show...Truly amazing what Disney can produce. We had dinner at San Angel Inn and then walked through all the countries....after the fireworks we went back to ride Soarin one more time. I just know that one time I am going to get on and America the Beautiful is going to began to play. It is truly the most amazing ride ever...and you literally go from sea to shining sea. This is a night we were TIRED...to the bone, but a good tired.

We had left Saturday open to visit a park a second time, but decided to go to a new timeshare next to our resort and let the kids do the water park...they had a blast...and we had some great drinks. Saturday afternoon was saved for shopping in Downtown Disney (we had to ship a HUGE box of stuff home and we had even taken an empty suitcase..That's the indulgence I was talking about in the last post. We had dinner at the Ragland Road Irish Pub and it was one of our favorite meals all week. A fun place for the entire family. Back to AKL to see if we could cram everything in our bags...No we could not...so Jack took all the leftovers to the gift shop and they shipped it all home for us.

Sunday arrived far too fast....We had some great pizza, walked around the resort and finally boarded the Magical Express for our trip to the airport. Another magical week, chalked full of sweet memories, now back to the real world. Smooth flights and connections home (Amanda might beg to differ as Jack had a MAJOR poop on the plane, at just the time the drink cart was in the aisle. It was not a pretty sight...needless to say, she just threw those clothes away on the plane. She later explained to me that it was next to impossible to change a squirming 16 month old, covered in p.....up
to his hair, in the tiny bathroom on the plane....after having stood in the aisle for 10 minutes waiting for them to MOVE the cart....It makes me laugh to think about it....This Grammy will do almost anything for the "boys" but this was out of my league. Where was Micah when we really needed him?

Hope you have enjoyed our Disney trip....I am addicted...Disney and Diet Coke seem to be my addictions. I am already planning our next trip, at least in my head...It truly is the "Happiest Place" on earth..... That magical look in children's eyes is something I never tire of seeing. That is pure MAGIC to me.
So I leave you with some random shots of our final few days at Disney. Hope you enjoy them.......

Before I close this post tonight I want to introduce you to the sweet lady that helped me get started blogging.
Her name is Holly Smith.

I have ask her literally a million questions and her patience has been awesome. She really gave me the confidence four months ago, that I could BLOG....and I have and I have loved it. She has just made me a new look. She is still tweaking it and it may be a week or so before we have it jut right. Never once has she made me feel like a question was dumb and many HAVE been. You have to understand I DO NOT get the Html AT ALL......

She has a wonderful new design website and has so many new and fun things for your blog. Her site is

Crown Laid Down Designs http://crownlaiddowndesigns.blogspot.com/! Please stop by and visit her and let her know that you dropped by....