Wow. ((hugs))

Any other hints??? My boys are NOT happy that we are going to this dinner. But, I think they'll love it - as long as it's really funny.

What are you looking for? Character dining? I get a little frustrated because I just want to be left alone during meals sometimes. But my little one LOVES character meals. And, my boys love humor. I've not done the 1900 Park Fare yet (we have reservations in Sept). I can't wait to see it. (And, my hairdresser's daughter is currently one of the wicked stepsisters!!! Fun.) That said, we LOVE O'Hanas. Love it. We love being able to watch the food cook. We love that Meg is entertained by the coconut races. We love the food. It sounds like you can't go wrong with either place. But, if you like character meals, go for 1900!

My three sons are all taller than I am. And, I'm 5'10"!!!! Yes, my 12 yo is nearly 6 feet tall! Meg is still very short and 7, so I don't think she'll get as tall as I am.

My biggest thing that I never forget - our MacLaren stroller. Love that thing. It's small and can fold up easily. And, at night when little legs get tired, you won't be sorry you have it. And the best thing? You can put your STUFF in it! I'm with the others - don't stress too much. Here's what I pack to take to the parks every day: My fanny pack (I know!!! But I like to be hand-free!) with my phone, KTTW card and lip balm. A small backpack (This goes in the stroller most of the day, but can be picked up easily when it comes time to fold up the stroller) with: rain ponchos (we get them at the dollar store - last time we went they were $10 each at the parks) - don't forget one for the stroller too!, empty water bottles to refill (ones you wouldn't mind losing), extra clothing - weather dependent. This can include socks in case of a wet water ride, gloves and hats for fireworks, sweatchirts, etc. Sunscreen. My two youngest pin trade, so we can't forget their pins. Dd likes her princess dresses. We always go to the Bippity Boppity Boutique, but she wears her own dress. Where are you staying? How long are you staying? And, are you flying or driving? Those things will help me with other hints and tips, if you don't mind sharing. My biggest hint? Bring extra money! Lots of extra money!! :) I swear, I go anywhere else and we don't buy souvenirs. I'm adamant about not spending extra money on a bunch of stuff that we won't use again. But, at Disney, they suck me in! I want to buy everything!!! So, now I just budget for it. And, I find things I'll actually use when I get home (wine glasses, aprons, oven mitts, etc).

Dh took ds on a hot air balloon ride on his 16th! Ds loved it! Is there an experience she might like? A few hours with a limo and dinner?

Our meet fees vary as to level. My dd was a level 4 this year and we paid $110/month for seven months. It will increase next year if dd moves up. I think it's $130 for L5 (the new L4). But, if you are a fundraising family, those costs are offset a bit.

We've thought about this long term too. We decided the same thing - cross that bridge when we come to it. Right now, it's affordable for us. And, like Rebecca, there is no way Meg could go back to rec now.

We will be paying $300/month for 19 hours/week this summer. That's JUST training. Booster club fees, travel fees, uniform fees, everything else is on top of that.

We have one main card that gives us cash back. Then, we got the Disney cards for the bonus and kept them. I use them for on line purchases. We also have a Marriott rewards card. We rotate which card we use depending on what we have planned for the upcoming year. I haven't paid for a hotel in years!!! :) Go for the cash! Get the reward. Cancel the card.

Yes! I've done it a number of times. I have no problem doing it. I use the card according to their rules and get the bonus. One time Disney was offering $250 for a Disney Visa card after you put $1000 on it. I got a card and dh got a card too! $500!! We ended up keeping both cards and we're accruing Disney dollars with them now. But, oftentimes, I cancel. I'm currently debating another card - it offers a few free nights' stay at Hilton properties.

oh Lynn! I'm so sorry. Are you anywhere nearby? It's a blessing that they have support right there. This happened to my mom 8 weeks ago. She tripped at the top of the steps and fell down the entire flight. She broke her back and leg. She was on complete bed rest for 6 weeks. It was HARD for her. But, people really came out of the woodwork to help. I pray it's the same for your mom.

I agree!!! (I feel like I just follow you around and agree with everything! :) ) Yup! One of the most wonderful weddings we attended was a few summers ago in Vermont. It was outdoors in a field. They laid blankets on the grass where we all sat and the couple got married! It was gorgeous. The reception was at a tiny, out of the way church. It was potluck! They had a tent and a band and a bar outside and more dancing inside. We all were invited to help decorate the church for the reception too. It was a wonderful celebration and in the end, they were married. Same as if they had spent $50,000. I'm sick of the wedding industry anyway. So, this kind of wedding appeals to me!

Sounds beautiful! It also made me cry as we will graduate our oldest next year. Makes me SOOOOO sad!

Definitely curly girl method. Look on line to see if you have a stylist near you. She will show you how to get the most out of your curls. And you'll probably be surprised at how much more curl you actually have. Yup. Must embrace the curly!!! I posted here last summer about how frustrated I was with my hair. I posted pictures. It was horrible. My hair would just get BIG after I straightened it. And it had a mind of its own. Ugh. I had been straightening my hair for YEARS. And, keeping it short. Many people here told me that my hair was probably curly or wavy and to try the Curly Girl method. I found a stylist and went and I've never looked back. I still don't love my hair, but I don't fight it anymore. And, I like it MUCH better than before. My routine? I work out daily, so I really need to shower and use shampoo. I use either the deva Curl products or Aubrey Organics. Wash/rinse. Then, about once a week, I use the Deva Curl conditioner. Run fingers through my hair. Bend over and scrunch with a little Deva Curl gel. Scrunch iwth a towel to get out the excess water. I always clip my hair at the top to get some lift and leave the clips in until I have to leave the house! If I have to leave early, I use a diffuser. But, usually I just let it air dry. I don't have curls, but waves. And, I cannot wait for the humidity of summer! I hope it'll turn the waves into curls!!! Oh - and never, ever brush.

I said after my kids, but I must explain. My kids are rowers and are out on the water by 5 am. I don't get up with them. I wake up around the same time as my daughter - 6:30 - 7. My 12 yo would sleep until noon if I let him.

I've found the best thing to do is to get out there and PULL!! I refuse to put chemicals down, but I also refuse to have a lawn full of weeds. At the beginning of spring every year, I just do a little each day until it's done. Now, I go out every day and pull any that grow overnight and it takes about 20 minutes. Not too bad - I have a LARGE lawn. We just applied milky spore for the grubs too. I look forward to those working. I did a lot of research on line about pH of the soil and what that means you are supposed to apply in the fall and spring. I forget now what we applied, but the testing was quite easy. Basically, we keep a healthy soil and I spend a LOT of time outside. The kids help. Oh - Dh mows 2x/week.

We get annual passes. It's a really fun place. I recommend the "ride" passes - you get to ride the carousel, a model-T Ford, the train, and in a horse drawn carraige. And, yes. You could spend a couple DAYS there and still not see everything. Oh - and it's a little outside the city by about 20 minutes or so. What else are you doing in Detroit? My dh works at a downtown church and would give you a tour if you'd like.

Has she been sick lately? I ask because my daughter very suddenly came Down with some fears and obsessions after a strep infection. She was later diagnosed with PANDAS. Basically the infection attacked her brain. She is better now, but still struggles with some of the obsessive thoughts. Just thought I'd throw that out there! I wish I knew about it earlier than I did so my daughter wouldn't have had to struggle so much for so long.

While I am not familiar with all of the diseases listed above, my dd also had some severe stomach issues for a few months. She had some testing and nothing came up. Before we went to the more invasive testing, I decided to try some natural things to see if they helped. We put her on a very high quality probiotic. We mix it in a little juice every morning. We also gave her a digestive enzyme. Within a couple of days, her bellyaches went AWAY! Completely. We ran out of her enzyme a few weeks ago and the bellyaches came back. I won't let that happen again. I'm not trying to minimize what everyone else is saying. I'd definitely be on the phone with the doctor getting every test in the book done for your dd. But, in the meantime, maybe try a probiotic and an enzyme. Can't hurt.

I was just talking with my mom about this tonight. I don't know how these competitive athletes do it when they are in school! Meg is at the gym 12 hours per week. She's 7! If she were in school, she'd be coming home and leaving straight for the gym! And, she's there until 8:30. We drive home and eat dinner and she's not in bed until 9:30 or so. That is a crazy late bedtime for a 7 yo who has to go to school the next morning!

Yup. I just re-watched your dd's videos. She really is VERY good. The other moms are jealous. Really. My dd moved up to L4 in January. Five days before her first meet. The other moms were so sweet to me. VERY nice. Dd had a good meet. Not great. But, the moms were SO supportive in an "isnt-she-cute" kind of way. There's a difference now that Meg is competing with their kids. And, Meg is now beating them. I feel it. They don't root for her anymore. It's tough. ((hugs)) Meg has been asking to move to a national gym. Is that an option for your dd?

This. Your dd is amazing. The other moms and girls are jealous.

Is it possible that the other girls are jealous of your dd? My dd joined a new team this year too. My dd was the newest, youngest, smallest kid on the team. Dd kept complaining about one girl on her team being mean to her. Long story short - this girl was the smallest, youngest, cutest kid last year. This girl was jealous of my dd. She told the other girls all sorts of things about my dd. Poor kid. We got it all worked out. But it was hard for a while. Now, I feel dd is respected for her work ethic. Other girl isn't fond of dd, but she isn't mean. ((hugs)) What does your dd think? Can you talk to the coach? Is there another gym to check out?

Is it possible that the other girls are jealous of your dd? My dd joined a new team this year too. My dd was the newest, youngest, smallest kid on the team. Dd kept complaining about one girl on her team being mean to her. Long story short - this girl was the smallest, youngest, cutest kid last year. This girl was jealous of my dd. She told the other girls all sorts of things about my dd. Poor kid. We got it all worked out. But it was hard for a while. Now, I feel dd is respected for her work ethic. Other girl isn't fond of dd, but she isn't mean. ((hugs)) What does your dd think? Can you talk to the coach? Is there another gym to check out?