Weird and Ninja’s Pre-Disneymoon [Completed!]

[RachelNinja]

Yay! I can't wait to read! (I am going to TRY really hard to stay up to date on this one!)

I am constantly asking DF how old I am! I'm so glad I'm not alone. I never can remember and I never feel like doing the math! As I always tell my students, "There's a reason I'm not a math teacher!"

We can do the relate things back to episodes of Friends. I think everyone must have some show like that.

Isn't coming up with a title so much pressure!

I'm glad to hear you liked your bag.

And thank you, so, so much for the pennies!!!!! It seriously made my day!

My lovely package:

My penny book, so sad because it's just missing the penny from Mexico:

My penny book, so happy because the World Showcase collection is now complete!

I'm going to add the sticker to the clipboard I use in class everyday tomorrow! If I remember, I'll be sure to take a picture! Thanks again!

It definitely is difficult to stay on top of TRs sometimes! I'll be updating the links to the table of contents though, so if you do actually live a life outside of DIS and find your way back, it'll be easier to navigate!

Haha, any time there was an issue with cost or something like that, I'd say, "Don't look at me; I can't do math!" Hehe, of course, I TEACH math. But when I'm on vacation? Um, no thanks! Besides, all those problems on vacation aren't things like algebra or the Pythagorean Theorem. They wanted me to divide!!! Haha.

Thanks for taking a pic of the stuff. It makes me happy to know that you were happy!

I'm so excited that you are back and doing a TR. I love your writing style and I love that you are Disney obsessed (it makes me feel less freaky).

By the way, your TR title is a . You and Weird are the cutest.

Before the 7th grade para left work the Thursday before vacation, she poked her head in my room and said, "Have fun on your vacation!" I started jumping up and down like a little kid in front of my homeroom class screaming, "I'm going to Disney!!!" I don't think anyone would understand why I had to do that ... except for fellow DISers, of course!

I'm so glad Weird is Disney obsessed too! It'll make getting married really easy because we'll always know where we're going on vacation and where our leisure money goes!

 

[RachelNinja]

Friday, April 2: Contact Paper Battle

The night before we left for Florida, I was up as I always am before leaving for vacation. It was also Good Friday, so my family went out for a few hours for service at church. We returned with Weird’s bag of clothes since he would have to commute to my house on 3 buses, and not having luggage would make it easier on him.

There were 3 very important tasks I wanted to accomplish before I wanted to let my head hit the pillow. They were as follows:

1. PACK!

I have a tendency to not pack until the morning of, but considering the nightmares I have about being unprepared for vacations and having about 15 minutes to pack, I knew it couldn’t all be left until then. I had a somewhat difficult time choosing my tank tops, not because I have so many different kinds but because I have a ton of the SAME style of tank top (haha, or tang top, as I used to call them as kid because I thought that was the proper name!) in a variety of colors. Thanks Old Navy for your amazing deals!

Hmm, just a random note, but I wonder if it would’ve been noticeable had I not mentioned that “tang” top thing. There is one day in Florida that I wear a different style though!

2. Finish lesson plans for the first day of classes after vacation!

I knew that the last thing I wanted to do on vacation was work, so I quickly scrambled to get all 5 classes done. Thankfully, Mondays are my days when I have a prep and lunch duty, so I don’t have to prepare for those. Normally, I get a good amount of work done on vacation, but now that Weird was accompanying us, I knew we’d be having way more fun than lesson planning!

3. MAKE LGMHs!!!

Yes, I really did stay up to get this done! They didn’t turn out the way that I wanted them to. I kept printing out the words in Waltograph over and over again because I wanted them a certain size. I also wanted to print out little pics of flat Weird and Ninja from VMK, but my color cartridge decided to die on me.

I finally brought them up to my room since I knew my parents needed their sleep. That’s when I had a battle with contact paper. Um, how in the world did my mom cover all my textbooks in contact paper?!? I had issues covering small Home Depot paint chips!!!

My original plan was to do them early and get them laminated at Staples, but work took over and I never had the chance. Contact paper would have to do. Weird’s LGMH got messed up because when I was putting the contact paper on, I didn’t leave enough room around the edges to cut around it. I had to cut his right next to the actual paint chip.

I left enough room on mine to cut around it, but when I put down the other side of the contact paper, it left a bubble and a crease that I couldn’t undo.

And silly me asked Matt if he wanted one too (a blue one though)! So I actually had a third one to do! After finishing that, I was exhausted! Somewhat more exhausting than teaching a full day of classes! Haha, this was mentally draining! I had expected them to turn out a certain way, but it didn’t go as planned. Oh well, it was just my first pancake (Gilmore Girls reference!).

As badly as they were made, they served their purpose. I just wanted it as identification to proudly display the fact that I’m a proud DISer! The last time I went as a DISer, I didn’t read as many TRs since most of my time was spent on the VMKBoards.

After my busy night, I was ready to get some sleep! I knew that I had close to 20 hours in the car over the next two days to sleep, so I wasn’t worried much. Of course, in the past, I didn’t have my boyfriend next to me to keep me company during the car ride! Would I end up sleeping? Wait until the next installment (with many more pics, I promise!) to find out!

 

[SoonerGirl]

I can tell the perfectionist in you was disappointed in how your tags came out, but I think they look great! So great, in fact, that I may have to steal your idea for mine. I was just going to write my name on the paint chip, but yours with the script looks so much cuter!

 

[TokyoDina]

Okay what does LGMH....stand for? That's cool you made those! I hope you got a DISer to say hi to you!

 

[RachelNinja]

I can tell the perfectionist in you was disappointed in how your tags came out, but I think they look great! So great, in fact, that I may have to steal your idea for mine. I was just going to write my name on the paint chip, but yours with the script looks so much cuter!

Thanks so much! I do still have that perfectionist in me. I was worse when I was in high school and college. Copying notes every day was part of my ritual. I couldn't underline anything without a ruler. It got to the point that I started having anxiety and nausea probably due to perfectionism and worrying about insignificant things. I was also OCD to some degree. I'd have to put my hand over the outlet many times to make sure my straightener was unplugged because seeing it and touching it the first 5 times wasn't enough. Thankfully, I've been able to overcome much of that, but sometimes a bit of it creeps back and makes an appearance!

I knew I wouldn't be able to write it neatly or fit it correctly! I also wanted the Disney font (downloaded), so I had to do it that way! BTW, I don't know if you know to do this, but if you soak the paint chip in water, the LGMH comes off a lot easier without ripping.

Okay what does LGMH....stand for? That's cool you made those! I hope you got a DISer to say hi to you!

LGMH stands for lime green Mickey head. They're paint chips that can be found in the paint section of Home Depot. DISers use the Alien Green one and hang them on their bags or something since it's like an "ID tag." There are so many pretty colors there that people use them for countdown calendars too!

 

[wdwgirl03]

I forgot to say that after reading your introduction you guys sound so much like me too: I'm not a huge fan of going out and I love HSM. hehe Bummer we couldn't hang out more in WDW.

Can't wait for more!

 

[dellasgirl]

a

 

[wisblue]

I'm glad Sarah (and I) had a chance to meet you all (even if it was brief). I too am going to be interested to hear if your brother went on Splash Mountain.

 

[Cat0727]

so that's where everyone gets the Mickey heads from! After all the times I've been to Home Depot, I'm surprised I haven't noticed them- I usually have a radar for Disney products

 

[floridascgirl]

I didn't even notice the less than perfect LGMH because of the cute LeSport Bag. Do you have a full picture of it somewhere? What is the style name & color?

 

[Believeinfairytales]

 

[RachelNinja]

I forgot to say that after reading your introduction you guys sound so much like me too: I'm not a huge fan of going out and I love HSM. hehe Bummer we couldn't hang out more in WDW.

Can't wait for more!

Matt started saying, "AGAIN?!" when I turn it on my computer! Hehe. I'm good sometimes and use earbuds when I need my HSM fix. Some of the corniest movies ever, but I was always a fan of the older Disney channel movies.

Yeah, I wish it weren't so crowded that day! It would've been easier to do more things. I was going crazy trying to maneuver around those people; I mean, I know a parade just finished, but it gets to be really claustrophobic!

Love the picture of the LGMH-
looking forward to the next installment

Thanks! Weird took that pic. You'll be able to see the difference between pics from my camera and his!

I'm glad Sarah (and I) had a chance to meet you all (even if it was brief). I too am going to be interested to hear if your brother went on Splash Mountain.

I'm glad we got to meet you two too! I immediately called out to my mom when I saw your message: "Sarah's dad is on DIS too!"

so that's where everyone gets the Mickey heads from! After all the times I've been to Home Depot, I'm surprised I haven't noticed them- I usually have a radar for Disney products

Haha, now I know where you're headed next! Part of me wanted to use a different color too because they're so pretty! But I was a good DISer and used the right color!

I didn't even notice the less than perfect LGMH because of the cute LeSport Bag. Do you have a full picture of it somewhere? What is the style name & color?

Yup! This is the entry from my PTR about the bag: A New Park Bag!!!. The next installment will have a full picture of it too. Then you'll see it in pretty much all the pics of me because I brought it EVERYWHERE. Loved it so much! Normally I carry a backpack, so it was much easier to just have this and not worry as much about storing it or swinging it to the front to get something out of it.

It's a LeSportSac Madison in Paprika. I found that print only on Zappos, and I bought it when there were only a few left. I purposely spent more money on that than getting one on sale just because I loved the print. It made me so happy!

Thanks for joining in! New installment will be posted shortly!

 

[RachelNinja]

Saturday, April 3: There and Back Again

(Anyone know the chapter title reference?)

When the alarm rang that day, I was beyond excited! Of course, I had to get up earlier because I still had to pack toiletries. I don’t have a separate set for vacations because I personally think it’s kind of gross to use a toothbrush only once a year or something, so I bring the one I use every day. I also had to make sure I was packed early enough to make sandwiches and to be ready for Weird’s arrival!

Thankfully, Weird’s sister had to drive somewhere near my house, so he didn’t have to take those 3 buses! Woohoo! I quickly got ready, but then I had to go back upstairs to change my pants from Bermuda shorts to cropped sweatpants because it was still fairly chilly. Weird helped my dad load the car, which was great since dad usually does everything on his own. Ever since a car accident that caused me to go to physical therapy, he’s very cautious about how much I carry at once.

Weird’s first picture of the vacation! Of course, it’s a gross one of Matt and me, haha. You can also see Matt's pink pillow with Mickey and Minnie on it. It used to belong to my mom, but when Matt was a baby, he somehow took over the ownership of the pillowcase!

And this is his second picture! I always feel odd with pictures so up close; I get self-conscious about it especially since I’ve started wearing glasses on travel days! Dry eyes with contacts that feel as if they’ve been glued on … ugh, worst feeling! But that means dealing with glasses photos!

Our first stop was … 2 minutes away. We hopped out of the car to visit my grandma (my dad’s mom) before we left. Weird took a picture of us running to her door.

While we visited, Weird stayed in the car with mascot Mickey as company! And my BAG! "I love my bag!"

By the way, you will be able to easily distinguish Weird’s photos from my photos! His are much clearer and sharper than mine are. He also takes many more scenery and atmosphere shots while I, on the other hand, take a lot of those one-handed shots of the two of us to prove that we were actually on vacation!

Anyway, we were going back to the car, and I began awkwardly running just because I’m a unique person like that and because I really wanted to get back to my Weird!

Then a loud bark interrupted my morning jog! I was sure that I was going to be mauled by either a German shepherd, a Rottweiler, or a polar bear from Lost. Thankfully, the dog was in a yard or something because there were no predators in sight.

After our first stop, we then made our way to our second stop. We drove for 2 more minutes to go to … OUR HOUSE! Haha. My mom forgot to bring paper to write down the times of our stops and the mileage and the exits and all that. They’re used for future trips to figure everything out. Of course, we made the jokes that we had a marvelous vacation as we pulled up to my block. Will we get farther than the 1-mile radius of our house? Wait and see!

You will notice that I'll be posting updates in bite-sized pieces so as to prolong the TR experience. There are also a TON of pictures of EVERYTHING since Weird took a million. I also have to do lesson plans and grade as all teachers do at home into the wee hours of the night, so writing longer installments would take too much time. I'd like to post an installment every day, but we'll see how that works out!

 

[irky416]

The LGMH's are cute! I liked how you took the time to print out your name. I didn't like how mine turned out when I just wrote it on there, and for some reason I never thought to print it!

I agree with you about contact paper and the Old Navy tank tops. My tank tops all match too! (As do many of my other shirts! One style, multiple colors!)

ETA: Stop posting pictures of your bag! I cannot afford, nor do I need, another bag!!!

 

[Brave teacher]

I loved both updates. I am a nervous wreck the night before we leave. I check, recheck, and re-recheck everything 10 times before I get into bed. Then, my head spins with everything that I am trying to remember. I am always too excited to sleep. I, like a pp, barely even noticed any problem with your LGMH because I love that bag so much. I have been thinking about a bag for me lately.

That is so funny that you leave the house for a 2 minute ride and had to head back again. I like that you are doing this in smaller installments. I can't get too behind that way.

 

[RachelNinja]

The LGMH's are cute! I liked how you took the time to print out your name. I didn't like how mine turned out when I just wrote it on there, and for some reason I never thought to print it!

I agree with you about contact paper and the Old Navy tank tops. My tank tops all match too! (As do many of my other shirts! One style, multiple colors!)

ETA: Stop posting pictures of your bag! I cannot afford, nor do I need, another bag!!!

I just hope that next time I remember to do it ahead of time so I can properly laminate it! The only thing I didn't like about printing it out was that my DIS name is somewhat long. It can't really be seen clearly if I want it all on one line. I guess it's difficult to see anyone's name though, and it's really the LGMH that's spotted.

I have so many multiple tops! The only bad thing is that my students look at what I wear, so when they say, "Miss Ninja! I like that sweater!" I have to respond with, "I have the same one in blue too!" Haha, that way I can prepare them for the fact that yes, I do have different colors of the same clothes!

Haha, does anyone really NEED another bag? Of course not. Does anyone really NEED those crazy expensive Dooney & Burke bags? Nope. Will I still longingly eye all bags that come in my view? YES! I will also include a TON of bag pics at the parks and bring you down with me

I loved both updates. I am a nervous wreck the night before we leave. I check, recheck, and re-recheck everything 10 times before I get into bed. Then, my head spins with everything that I am trying to remember. I am always too excited to sleep. I, like a pp, barely even noticed any problem with your LGMH because I love that bag so much. I have been thinking about a bag for me lately.

That is so funny that you leave the house for a 2 minute ride and had to head back again. I like that you are doing this in smaller installments. I can't get too behind that way.

I would probably be like you too if I had to pack what my mom has to pack! Since we have the condo, she cooks while we're there. Instead of buying spices and other non-perishables there, she brings them from NY. That's stressful packing, and it's so much pressure! Thankfully, at this point, my packing (or lack of doing it early enough!) only affects me.

Hehe, bags are so great, aren't they? I loved the LeSportsac one because it had a zipper on it to keep everything secure. Plus, there were smaller sections on the front; the bottom section was for "important" things like FastPasses and the Guest Assistance Card for easy access. I also loved that the material is easily cleaned, so I didn't have to worry about it getting dirty when I sat down somewhere. If it got wet, it didn't matter. It was also so much easier going to the bathroom with a crossbody bag; I didn't have to hang it up against the stall door.

I've already got tomorrow's installment ready to be posted! Shorter installments just make more sense

 

[HowWeird]

The LGMH's are cute! I liked how you took the time to print out your name. I didn't like how mine turned out when I just wrote it on there, and for some reason I never thought to print it!

I agree with you about contact paper and the Old Navy tank tops. My tank tops all match too! (As do many of my other shirts! One style, multiple colors!)

ETA: Stop posting pictures of your bag! I cannot afford, nor do I need, another bag!!!

Haha I think if you were around Ninja at all during this trip, you would've bought a bag, given the amount of times she told me how much she loved her bag!

Ninja's right, nobody ever really needs a bag. I mean, they hand out tons of bags when you go shopping for groceries! It's all about having a bag that'll make other people want a bag. I think Ninja's got just the one!

 

[floridascgirl]

I went and checked out the LeSportsacs at Zappos and I saw several that I thought were cute. If you have a spare second peek at the links, maybe you can give me your opinion since you have actually seen the bags in person.

I like the Madison bag like yours (I'm thinking either the Owl or Fado print)...can't decide which. Were you happy with the size? Can you carry it crossover?

http://www.zappos.com/lesportsac-madison-owl

http://www.zappos.com/lesportsac-madison-fado


Another one that I liked was the Classic Hobo in Cordoba. I doesn't look like it can be carried crossover style, but in the comments someone said that they were able to carry it that way.

http://www.zappos.com/lesportsac-classic-hobo-bag-cordoba

Bag decisions are one of the toughest things about planning a Disney trip, don't ya think?

 

[RachelNinja]

Haha I think if you were around Ninja at all during this trip, you would've bought a bag, given the amount of times she told me how much she loved her bag!

Ninja's right, nobody ever really needs a bag. I mean, they hand out tons of bags when you go shopping for groceries! It's all about having a bag that'll make other people want a bag. I think Ninja's got just the one!

Too bad I can't fit my binder full of lesson plans into that bag or I'd be using it for work every day!

And the bag thing is sooo a girl thing.

I went and checked out the LeSportsacs at Zappos and I saw several that I thought were cute. If you have a spare second peek at the links, maybe you can give me your opinion since you have actually seen the bags in person.

I like the Madison bag like yours (I'm thinking either the Owl or Fado print)...can't decide which. Were you happy with the size? Can you carry it crossover?

http://www.zappos.com/lesportsac-madison-owl

http://www.zappos.com/lesportsac-madison-fado

Another one that I liked was the Classic Hobo in Cordoba. I doesn't look like it can be carried crossover style, but in the comments someone said that they were able to carry it that way.

http://www.zappos.com/lesportsac-classic-hobo-bag-cordoba

Bag decisions are one of the toughest things about planning a Disney trip, don't ya think?

I was EXTREMELY happy with the size of the Madison bag. I have a LL Bean water bottle that fit in there with room to spare. The only thing it couldn't fit was a light jacket; Weird carried that for me in his messenger bag. It was the perfect size to fit everything I needed, and it kept me from carrying too much. I liked being able to access my digital camera right away and put it away when I wanted it secure in my bag. I also wanted that particular bag because it is a crossbody bag. I didn't want to worry about keeping something on my shoulder that I had to keep hoisting up. This bag left my hands free to do many things!

If the main purpose of getting the bag is for the parks, I like the lighter colored ones. That's kind of just a personal preference because I use black bags throughout the year, and I figured I'd go for something more cheerful to go with brighter colors! Or it could be a bright bag to brighten up my outfit of dark colors!

I like the Owl one because it reminds me a bit of "it's a small world"! So does Moonflower.

Don't forget to check out Endless and eBags. They have different prints for Madison there too. Plus, they both have sales!

When comparing the Madison and the Classic Hobo, I still prefer the Madison. I like the look of a flatter crossbody bag. Of course, if your concern is carrying more things, a bigger one might be a better buy.

If there's a Macy's by you, you might want to check out their bag section. I don't know if it's in every Macy's, but the one at my mall had a decent section there devoted to LeSportsac bags. I was able to try them on and decide if I liked how they looked on me before ordering the print I wanted online!

Hope that helps! A park bag really is such a huge decision! Haha. I love bags

 

[dellasgirl]

a