Epcot on Wheels (aka Disney Round 2)

As you know from my last post I was pretty satisfied with my first trip to Animal Kingdom. It was a fun day and I did it without having to drag my grumpy husband. I was super tired the next couple days, but the pain was tolerable (nowhere near what I expected for such a long day). When my Disney partner in crime asked if I was interested in hitting Epcot's Flower & Garden Festival a mere seven days after our Animal Kingdom trip I was super excited. A lot of stressful stuff went on in February this year that I'd rather not talk about, but the night before our Epcot trip more than one person remarked that my stress level was "scaring them". I almost backed out of the trip I was so overwhelmed, but the consensus was that getting away for the day was the best thing I could do.

Not to worry the wheelchair gloves made it into the bag this time. I also hit up a Disney store sale with a gift card I'd been saving from Christmas and scored Roo an awesome Mulan dress. I figured since we were going to Epcot I'd break it out. I didn't tell her anything ahead of time this trip. I put her to bed like any other night. When I woke her up she complained "Mom it's still dark out!" and I said "That's because I thought we'd go to Disney today." I gave her a Minnie shirt and a jean skirt to wear and then told her to come get breakfast. I'd hung the Mulan dress in the kitchen. She was thrilled!

As we were driving there she slept. All the sudden about 10min before the Welcome sign Roo woke up and started fretting. She must have had a nightmare because she kept insisting "Mom! Mom! I forgot to wear clothes! There's nothing under my Mulan dress!" She was beside herself and laughing at her only made it worse. Poor pumpkin. Eventually, she woke up enough for me to reassure her and we were there.

Our Epcot day started off great! It was a no plans kind of trip. We were there when the park opened, no ticket issues this time and we had an amazing encounter with the some of our favorite celebrities at exactly 9am.

One of the reasons I love Epcot is because it absorbs crowds better than other parks. Which means I had no prolonged experiences where I was eye level with a sea of butts. No horrible back breaking inclines except the ramp into the building where The Land is. That thing is horrible! It was warm that day. I was over heated and tired by the time I tackled it. I will tell you halfway up that 409,879,239.2 mile beast someone stopped to give me push. Armed with my gloves getting around was much easier than my trip the week before though.

Now for some highlights:

Running into her best friend at Disney!

Riding the Nemo ride again, being eaten by a shark, talking to a turtle, visiting everyone's favorite small purple dragon, running into an old friend from our trip last summer, Disney magic and some treasure.

Visiting Mulan! She said "If I would have known you were going to wear my dress I would have worn one of yours." It was an adorable, amazing visit. Not just because Roo visited one of favorites in costume, but also because when we got to the line we were turned away and a teenage girl and her mother gave us their spot! Disney magic. Mulan even kissed her!

Roo also had a wonderful visit with Mommy's favorite.

One last highlight is actually a Disney milestone...Roo's first Mickey Bar! It's a huge deal because I am an all or nothing (usually nothing) person when it comes to theme park food. I always packs snacks and usually lunch too. My kids have only ever eaten one table service dinner inside a Disney park. Getting an ice cream bar was a big deal. How cute is this?

Animal Kingdom on Wheels

I am a life long Disney fan, of course. I haven't a clue exactly how many time I went from 3-21, but it has got to be a pretty decent number of times. When I was in college my boyfriend and I went every year between Christmas and New Years. We even debated getting annual passes so we could go every time I came home from collage. When I met Mike I hadn't been to Disney in a year or two. Between his issues with crowds, a poor economy and the fact that I was suddenly mom to a 5yr old I doubted if I'd ever get back there. It was a strange time and soon we had Riley.

Mike assured me that we'd go to Disney "someday". My hopes were not high. Then time passed and it seemed possible, but Mike insisted we wait until Riley was completely potty trained. I suspected he was stalling, but he had a point. Last summer we had an opportunity. I was stunned when he asked me to look into a Disney trip and blown away when he gave me the go ahead to plan it.

We had a great three day trip to Disney. We all enjoyed ourselves. Mike didn't enjoy some parts and I doubted if I'd ever get us back as a family. When I asked if he'd go back he reverted to his old answer of "someday". Again my hopes weren't high. I pressed on another seven months trying not to think about the "Happy-est Place on Earth."

It wasn't hard to be distracted from Disney dreams there was a lot to keep me busy. As 2014 started I decided we needed to plan another family vacation. When I looked into things I found a great Groupon for a theme park we'd been to before and liked (not Disney).

It was a wonderful way to celebrate Isaac's magnet middle school acceptance and academic achievements. We had a lovely day. I thought theme parks were behind me when I had the back surgery (Have I mentioned being wrong a lot?). It was so nice to have a theme park day with my family. I came away wanting more of them. In my mind theme park trips are one of the perks of your kids growing up. I worried that we just weren't a "theme park family" because Mike doesn't enjoy them as much as the kids and I.

When my best friend decided to grant her daughter's birthday candle wish of a trip to "princess land" aka Disney she asked me for tips. It really made me want to go back to Disney! I talked Disney with her, joined Disney Moms facebook groups and watched youtube videos of other people's Disney trips. That's when I decided to pitch Mike the idea of getting annual passes. He had some concerns and I pressed on offering varying ideas on the subject. In the end I agreed that Mike just wouldn't want to go that often. I was concerned whether I could handle taking the kids on my own. It boiled down to this: I could drive the kids to Disney and probably handle a day with them, but there's no way after all that I could get us home.

Ok, I give up. It's not realistic. There was no more to discuss. Then I found out about an amazing only-come-around-once-a-year deal. I could buy a 3 day ticket that equated to $43 a day! It didn't have to be used all at once either. I talked to Mike about it and we decided it would be ok for me to get Riley and I each a 3 day ticket. I would save one day to go with my sister, but I had two other trips to plan...

I was over the freaking moon to have such a problem. I called Mike's cousin's wife who has a pass and a 2yr old and she was planning a trip to Animal Kingdom that week! Hot Damn!! She was happy for the company and I was happy for the ride.

I definitely wouldn't have been able to do the round trip drive and all that Disney fun. I left my wheelchair gloves at home which made everything harder. Hello, friction burns. There was a particularly vicious hill I am not a fan of at all that is of course in a central area. It's hard enough to mount a steep incline on your own, but try it in a crowd with a 4yr old on your lap, Oye! Other than that I felt like I did better than I expected. Roo had an awesome day with her little cousin and Mommy got her Disney fix. Were there's will there's a way, right Mickey?"

March-ing On Part 1

I thought I'd continue catching up by showing you the cuteness that is my dog. Look at that. This picture was taken when I was having a rough day pain-wise and she snuggled up with me. Having her for company really keeps my pain based anxiety in check. Everyone with orthopedic issues should have a lovable furry friend.

Isaac was notified early in the month that he won the Pride award for Science. Here are the award requirements: "The Program to Recognize Initiative and Distinction in Education awards recognize fifth-grade students who excel in math, science, social studies and writing. Fifth-graders must achieve an “A” average in their subject area to be eligible and demonstrate a positive attitude while scoring highest on a subject-area test. Each student winner receives a medallion and a trophy to recognize their academic achievement." Isaac's Pride award will be for Science." Pretty exciting stuff. In April there will be a big fancy county-wide award ceremony at a performing arts center. Yay!!

He got Honor Roll on his report card and also participated in the county's science meet. He was one of 6 students (2 three person teams) from his school. They were given a written test and then an experiment to perform. There were 86 schools represented (2 teams each) and only first, second and third place awards were given. His team did not place, but he had a great day!

Later in the month his gifted class participated in a math meet. I wasn't invited to witness any part of that one (Boo!), but I'm told there were individual awards and team awards. He told me he almost got third place and his team almost won third place. It was a big month for academic achievement.

I made my first Esty sale! I put up the store a little late last spring so I never had an order. I'm up to eight orders since March 4th! It's amazing to have your craftiness and creativity recognized.

Mint Oreo donuts at Dunkin Donuts!!!!!

Leeloo turned two!

This conversation happened:
Me to Mike: Which Disney couple are we?
Mike: hmmm
Me: Belle and beast? (laughing) Rapunzel and Flynn?,
Mike: Anna and Kristoff. For sure, yeah.
Me: Awww!
(I love it when he talks Disney to me)

Isaac as Will Burrows from the Tunnels book series for character day.

February Recap

I was debating which post to publish next and feeling completely unsettled about there only being one post in February. This morning I woke up with a painful swollen ankle. It's been bothering me off and on, but I'm starting to think it's tendinitis. Anyway, it seemed like my cue to stay in bed and write a recap!

I got this pedicure at the end of January, but I wanted it to be the first image. A little bit of pretty to start me off (Never mind my spastic toes). I went to a boring but necessary appointment and then before I went home I decided to have a pedicure. It felt so self-indulgent. They were having a 20% off all services special so I got a great price and they had amazing new message chairs. These were the first massage chairs I've ever encountered that slide forward. Short people there's hope! You can put your feet in the water and your back against the rollers! I had to get used to having my feet touched without jumping, but before I moved in with my husband I had pedicures twice a month. Since we're been together (almost 7yrs) I think I've had six pedicures. I treasure them a lot more now. Mike even joked about my "yearly pedicure." I love pretty toes.

Nerding it up! My kids are booth big readers and we have always made regular visits to the library. I always made regular visits as a kid and when I was single. I will never forget how grown up I felt when I got my very own library card. It was Isaac's turn! He was so proud.

Valentines day festivities! Riley signed all of her valentines this year!

Parties & Dress-up

Housework interrupted by cuteness

I had a birthday. It wasn't a huge significant birthday. I had a good time celebrating, but birthdays aren't as fun as they used to be. I'm not worried about aging in the typical "never ask a woman her age" way. I've always looked (and acted) younger than my age. It's about my body in a different way. Most people are born young and healthy and their bodies gradually react to wear and tear as they get older, but not me.

I started out tight, spastic and limited by my body from the moment I was born. It was always something I dealt with. I can't remember (aside from being hit by the bus) ever being laid up or having to skip something in my 20's. Since having baby I feel broken down more often. I hate that I'm sitting in bed right now because I woke up with a messed up ankle. This never would have happened five years ago. It's frustrating because I'm broken down and bemoaning the cleaning I can't do. When I was twenty I walked large cities and worked jobs on my feet for 8hrs and still managed to wash the dishes at the end of the day. Now, I take care of the kids and the house and then I break down. I'm not saying it's not a physically demanding job I just think when I was having adventures that would have been worth a day in bed I didn't need them.

A Strange Thing...

No, the title does not refer to either of my children. It was spring break this past week. I decided since we're not doing summer programs this year to treat Spring Break like the dress rehearsal. I got some Groupon deals and had a loose list of things we could do, but didn't commit to specific times for anything. It seemed like a completely reasonable plan, right?

We had a busy end of the week the week prior so I was a little run down, but still confident. We hit the children's museum and the library, had movie nights, played board games, went out to lunch, had play dates and even hit Build-A-Bear to make a My Little Pony. I'm not saying I failed at Spring Break. I think we pretty much crushed it especially considering the dreary, rainy, chilly weather. I guess as usual I just wished I could do more.

I was laying in bed after one of these play dates. Roo was snoozing in her bed, Isaac was working on science homework at the table and rain was falling outside. I thought I'd have a nice rest and then get up and decorate the house for Easter with the kids. I also thought we'd go swimming this week, so that's how much I know. After nap I expressed feeling "not right." I instructed Isaac to put a movie on for Riley and himself.

When the movie ended they were playing quietly (probably making a huge mess) and I was in agony. I had a massive migraine. When Mike was done working he had to cook dinner. I felt awful in every way a person can feel awful. It was a horrible migraine, but the guilt was worse. I'd be proactive in keeping myself hydrated and hadn't been in the sun too much. I couldn't explain why I had the migraine or why none of my usual methods were having any effect. In fact it seemed to just keep getting worse!

As I was laying in the dark in pain I started to cry. I kept thinking about how much there was to do. I kept thinking how I was letting down my kids. I must have cried for a while because it got very dark. That's when I felt it. I could hear Mike and the kids in the living room and the wind was blowing hard enough to cause the rose outside my window to scrap against the glass. It wasn't a sound. It was a strong feeling. I felt her there, my grandmother. My grandmother passed away when I was younger then Roo is now. She sends me rainbows whenever something significant happens in my life. I've felt that she's with me before, but this was something else.

She was sitting beside me in the bed and she took my hand I felt it. I've never spoken to her out loud before. I said "Grandma?" and I felt her squeeze my hand. I asked "Why, can't I be stronger?" and then I cried until the bed shook under me. I felt her hug me and then she was gone. I think she just needed me to know she's still watching over me. I don't think she wanted me to beat myself up anymore. When I relayed the story to my husband he delicately suggested that I was "tripping on headache medicine."

Perhaps, I got the message from some other part of my brain that recognized the frustration as un-productive. Maybe the whole thing was some kind of dream, but I gathered myself up after that. No more guilt. I showered and ate dinner and the migraine FINALLY passed.

I wonder if it wasn't hormonal as I'm still working on a naturally obtained balance and detoxing from the pill. So far the cysts have been present, but (knock on wood) not bursting. I know I'm more emotional and less focused than usual.

This morning when I dropped Roo off for her first day back to school and I saw all the cool art projects the kids who had attended over the break made and I felt horrible! I should have let her make art with her friends all week. As I walked to the car I reminded myself of all the fun stuff and quality time with Mom and Big Brother she had instead.

It's hard to know if your making the right decisions for your kids, but I'd like to think my loved ones who have passed are looking down with approval. Even if no one on earth believes me I'd like to think that heaven knows I'm doing my best.

Where Have You Been?!?

Hey there blog fans! The crazy-est thing happened! My domain name that I have had set to an automatic payment for years, expired! Because the payment didn't go through disabled mom expired in January! I never received notification of an issue and because I re-direct from Blogger I never saw the interim screen warning me that my page was expiring.

Go Daddy sold my domain name a few days after the last time I had visited the page in March. When I logged into to do some edits my page was gone. I had to contact the new owner and strike a deal for buying it back. If he hadn't agreed I would have lost my domain name. It was very stressful.

A few days after we sorted it out and everything was working my kids got a week off from school so I was super busy. Than a few nights ago my husband dumped a full cup of water on my laptop. After drying it out for a day or two and some attempts to get it going he announced he was going to Best Buy. He returned with a new laptop.

It turns out the back up service we subscribed to stopped working a few weeks before this incident. We tried everything we could think of, but I wasn't able to get any of my data after July 2013. We've contacted a recovery service, but hopes aren't high. I'm sorry for not writing but I'm back now. It was just a crazy set of circumstances.

Thanks, Mom

Today I woke up to a mysteriously injured hip. The old rage, at everything unfair, was inflamed as my hip joint. I had rested after a long week of birthday fun. I rested more than I normally would and still I woke up in agony. Granted, I ran around quite a bit this week and then took the kids to a theme park over the weekend (in celebration of Isaac getting into his first choice magnet middle school), but 48 full hours later the pain was all in one joint. Do you know what it's like when your "good hip" hurts? Oye. Unfortunately, I have to severely limit my use of over the counter anti-inflammatory medicine so as not to upset another medical issue. It made for a long weepy morning and I am no wuss.

I ran around and wore myself out, than ran around with the kids (in the wheelchair) and I rested almost a full 12hrs prior to today. I was fine for a a whole day. The day it didn't matter. The day it was up to me what I got done. Now, the day after that one I get out of bed unable to bear weight on my right leg at all. Minimum doses of anti-inflammatory later, no change. I was frustrated and scared. What if I had really done it? What if my I'd blown out my good hip? It was too terrible to consider.

I confessed the gravity of the situation to Mike, but I wasn't about to give up on my day. Especially, after I gave my ungrateful punk of a body yesterday "off." No dice. I had plans to volunteer at an event at Riley's school. The hip pain would NOT win. It was the same situation I've been through a million times except I wasn't just tired or just in pain I couldn't step down on my good hip. Again, how is this at all fair? I over did it, then rested, then over did it and then rested. How can it hurt this much? Why today?

I babied it earlier in the day. By the time I had to head out I discovered wearing my braces and shoes helped a bit. I sucked it up, and hobbled to Riley's school with more weight on my crutches than either leg. I don't think anyone noticed my wincing or perspiration given all the hustle and bustle. I was able to slide into a tiny chair and craft my way to distraction. It was school-wide hub bub so there was a lot to take my mind off the evil presence in my joint. Nobody seemed the wiser, especially Riley.

I smiled as I guided her classmates through my craft station and the merrily escorted Riley through the others. In my head, however, it was a checklist: Craft One-check, You can do this. Breathe, Craft Two-check, Ok, wrapping it up. Turn in Card-check, Pick up Book-check, Hang in there. Breathe. Pick up Cookie-check and We're outta Here-check. I made it, without cheating Riley or her classmates out of any part of the experience. I got home, dictated some directions and collapsed until bath time.

It wasn't the first time and it won't be the last. It was just a more extreme example. I prefer to fight through pain that comes and goes or can be largely ignored, but when your eyes well up with tears every time you take a step it's a whole other level of pushing through. I suspect, all mothers have a sense that their children have no idea how much they fight and sacrifice for them.

I remember going through some nasty pre-term labor with Riley and a good friend assuring me she'd be happy to recant all I went through to bring this kid into existence when she's an ungrateful teenager. My children have no idea how many times I've wanted to check out and instead found myself in an "above-and-beyond" situation. They shouldn't know about it, not when I can fight and be there. Now and then they need, to know that I need my feet up or a request is just too much at the moment, but I don't want them to ever feel guilty for wanting me around. Someday they won't. I'll never be sorry for overdoing it, if I've been able to make memories with my rapidly growing kids. Now, cleaning is a different story...no one wants basketball sized swollen knees from scrubbing floors and tubs. I pick my battles, not always as well as I should, but I do.

For now happy faces have to be my thanks.