"I could care less about Disney" she said.....until she went once!

[Pyrate_Pryncess]

[SIZE="4"Hi everybody!!! After countless hours of reading everyones PTR's and TR's I have decided to get in on it! We have 257 days until we go! I'm going to start this with my introductions and tell you guys a little bit about how this upcoming trip came to be!~

First the the 5 W's
~~Who- well, me of course....who am I you ask, I am Rebecca! I am the fantastic 29 year old mother of this bunch!
*There is also Eric, the silly "ugh do we really have to?", military father of the bunch.
*Child 1 is Katarina, she is my almost 8 year old princess. Although she is getting to the age where Hannah Montana and the Wizards of Waverly Place rule her world she still secretly likes the princesses.
*Child 2 is AJ. He is my little monster. He is special needs but doesnt seem to think so! He is a firecracker with a personality that amazes me. HE enjoys Handy Manny and all of Playhouse Disney and bothering anyone he can!
There will also be extras on this trip. There are 12 of us total. My mom and Dad will be coming. You see, as a family we have never been on a family trip that didnt involve sleeping on family's couches and attending a wedding or a funeral. So this is kind of a big deal! My Sister Melissa and her husband and son, My 21 year old brother (Just got home from Iraq and might have to go back Lets hope he is here) and my younger sister. Now, since this is a family trip we have ruled that no guests can come with the exception of someone that might one day be family. We are a very close family. Despite my dad having been Navy and my DH being AF we are all still within 10 miles of each other. Its a crazy life with these people but I love em!

~What- A trip of course!
~Where-Walt Disney World, staying at Pop Century (and taking a day for Sea World)
~When- November 28th through December 7th.
~Why- Why Not?
(I will add pictures as soon as I figure out how to!)
So, with all of this being said I figure that my first official post's here will be how we became a family of Disney Addicts! And, if anyone can explain how to add pics that would be great!

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[Pyrate_Pryncess]

Ok, So a little about me and my family!

I am a true blue Military BRAT! My dad was Navy so we moved around alot. For some reason we always came back to Virginia. When I was old enough I decided that the Military was the life for me so I enlisted.....(dont get excited yet, it doesnt end well). I was on my last week of Army boot camp when I broke my knee and my military career ended there. So I became a girl on a mission....MARRIAGE! I knew that I loved my life and that I wanted my children to have the same experiences. So on one fine November night I went to a friends party and I met him.....Prince Charming. Now, one thing you have to understand is that I am 4 foot 11 inches tall! So, I was in the kitchen with all the "tall" people, I decided to stand on a cooler to be taller. Then he walked in! We smiled at each other and life as I knew it had ended. I got home and told my mom that I had met the man I was going to marry! A few months into dating he got orders to Korea. He left and we stayed together even getting engaged. We had a September wedding planned with the ceremony starting on a boat. We thought a 3 hour tour was our style. Then came Sept. 11th. My world crashed. He called me and said his leave had been cancelled and he was awaiting orders to head to the desert. It was horrible. I waited and waited and only heard from him sporadically. On October 16th 2001 he called and said he was on his way but would only be home for a week. I called the JOP and arranged a small wedding down at the local Rose Garden. 3 days later we were married! No honeymoon for us because he had to leave so soon. It was hard but we made it work. He finally had orders in hand a few months later and was coming home!!! Katarina was born a few months later!
We Lived in harmony as a family of 3 for what seems to be forever. Then came AJ.....Then came AJ's issues. He was born in 2006 with Craniosynostosis. Basically he was born without a soft spot. His skull wouldnt grow. He was one of the most severe cases that our Neurosurgeon had ever seen and he was rushed into surgery when he was 3 months old. Again, I thought my world was ending. Post-op he was doing well but his skull had closed again about 6 months after surgery. AJ is 3 1/2 now and so used to CTs that he can point out where the IV goes. Now, retardation is NOT typical with Cranio however he was a severe case and had a lot of pressure built up. He doesnt speak yet. We are just now getting mom's and dad's from him. He also has seizures. We have been cleared until June 2009 for no surgeries. However, he WILL have at least 1 more skull reconstruction before kindergarten.
Our lives arent normal. Our lives arent easy but we make do with what we have. In fact I personally think that I have the best children ever....(Right now, this may change in an hour though lol). I had surgery 10 days ago. (Ta-Ta reduction) and today was my first day with no helpers and AJ was AMAZING! He was my helper all day today and great about it. I was able to lounge on the couch all day. He watched his playhouse Disney and was a trooper!
So, that is a bit about us. Oh yeah, BTW, I didnt come from a Disney family. It was always too expensive for us. DH went all the time growing up though. In fact Katarina (child 1) has been more times than me! Pitiful! AJ and I have only been once...........so far!

 

[Pyrate_Pryncess]

Just a quick little update! I haven't checked the mail since my surgery on March 4th. I know that's a horrible thing to do but we live in Base housing and our mailbox is at the center of the court...Walking around in real clothes hasnt been the most fun thing to so since surgery so I've put it off. Why couldn't Dh check the mail you ask?!?!?!? Well, I have banned him from the mailbox since I caught him stealing my Target and Bed Bath and Beyond circulars and tossing them before I got a look at em! So, I check the mail today and in the monsterous pile of junk there is a letter from the Mouse! Just a welcome letter that was shaped like a monorail train! Too cute! If I knew how to add pictures I would post it but alas, im just not smart enough to do it lol. It is just one of those things that really makes me realize that this trip is in fact happening. I tend to get excited about these types of things. I made a payment the other day and I swear to you I almost cried. Yes....I am THAT girl! 29 years old and still getting giddy at the thought of going on vacation! So, thats it....just a little excitement for today! Only 255 days to go

My next update will be coming soon. Up next is how our 1st trip came to be and how a lovely lady named Faye decided to try to ruin it!

 

[Pyrate_Pryncess]

So, thanks to a wonderful Moderator on here I have deciphered the crazy language of how to post pics! So here we are.

A fancy bunch, I know! Kat was 6 when this was taken and Aj had just turned 2!

DH hates this pic but it's one of my favorites.....

Aj had no idea we could see him. He thought he was hiding. I have about 12 shots from the 5 minutes he hid from us! Kat was so happy to have her cheerleading outfit. She knows all of the HSM songs and enjoys bugging her brother with the pom pom's!

 

[Pyrate_Pryncess]

Ok so as some if you know I had surgery on March 4th. What did I have done??? Well, I had my Ta-tas downsized. I know, TMI for some of you but in my defense I am only 4 ft 11!!! So it had to happen. So, Ive been in recovery mode since the 4th. Not an easy thing to recover from either, but I've been making do. So, since I had surgery my sleep habits have been horrible. Horrible to say the least. I went to bed last night and slept for 2 hour long stretches. I woke up this morning at about 10am. I came out to the living room to see DH just lounging on the couch with our 3 year old. Usually DS is running around like the crazy monster that he is so I knew something was wrong. It turns out, DH had woken up with sharp chest pains and issues with breathing!!! I told him that he should get checked out but he refused. So what did I do???




I called his mother! Yep, you heard me....I called his mom! Naturally she gave him a verbal lashing and convinced him to go to the ER. I tried to get him to let me take him but he wouldn't go for that. And to he honest, I was just glad he was going! So we kept texting as the day went on and on and on and on........8 hours later he was home. So here is what happened in an 8hour visit to a military hospital:


He got there and before he was even fully checked-in they had him back and getting an IV in. Once that was done they did an EKG. They found an abnormality. They did bloodwork (that was fine), and they did x-rays and repeat. They re-did this cycle 3 times with more bloodwork and flushing of the IV lines. They finally told him that while they weren't sure what the abnormality was on the first EKG all of the other ones were fine. They told him they were going to send him over to another hospital for a stress test. The problem with this?????? They cant so the test until Monday and they wanted him there for the weekend. Remember, Im not healed yet and I cant even pick up my son yet. Eric asked the Dr. if he would be monitored at Portsmouth or if he would be on any IV's. Nope, nothing....just staying in a hospital room for 3 days with no monitors, no IV's, no meds, no nothing. That was a problem for DH. He doesnt like to be caged. He asked if he could just go Monday and have the test. They had a fit and called DH's command and told them that he was leaving AMA...against medical advice. They even tried scare tactics....they told him that if he came home and died, we wouldnt be able to get his life insurance!!!!! Well, he asked 2 other Dr.s who both said that in their opinions, he wouldnt die this weekend and that he will be fine to just come back for the test. So, everyone got with the Command and thats what DH is doing. He did however, have to promise about 10 people that if the pain gets worse or that if it's not gone by tomorrow morning that he will go in and be admitted until Monday!

What a crazy day!!!!!!! The kids were so glad when he came home, I really wish he would have let me take him to the hospital. He is a Tough Soldier though so I knew better. So, that was my day! very very long. I'll leave you with a picture of DH, DD, and DS in the mouth of Bruce....DS was 2 and i'm pretty sure he thought he was really being eaten.

Next update to come soon!

 

[mommytothreeboys]

Hi Rebecca! Since you're hanging out on my PTR I decided to come check yours out! I haven't read it all yet, but I'll go back and catch up soon....Just wanted to say HI!

 

[mommytothreeboys]

Ok...all caught up now!

Your family as adorable! Katarina is precious in her East High cheerleading costume! LOVE IT! I am a big HSM fan...I wonder if they make those in my size! LOL!

It's so odd that you mention your son's condition. I have a good friend who's nephew just went in for testing because his soft spot has closed and he's only 7 months old. All I heard from her is that everything, except for the spot closing, looks normal so they are just going to monitor it. I'd never heard of anything like that before.

Scary about your DH's health emergency! I'm praying he has a safe weekend and heads back on Monday with no incidents. Keep us posted! Isn't it crazy how stubborn men are about their health care??

I am that girl too Rebecca, except I'm 40 and still get giddy over planning a vacation! You are NOT alone!!

 

[Pyrate_Pryncess]

Hey, thanks for joining in! As far as Cranio goes (My sons condition), I had never heard of it either until the Dr. said it! Now I hear it all the time and I have become a head picker! Dh yells at me all the time because i notice baby head shapes and have on occasion mentioned it to parents . DH is fine this morning. We are thinking that it was a muscle issue from the sit-ups he did at PT the other day. He will still have the Stress Test just to be sure though. I hardley slept at all fearing that he would just stop breathing......luckily for me, he was snoring like a banshee so the whole court would have known if he had stopped.

And as far as the EHS costume, I am sad to say that they DO make them for adults.....HOWEVER, they are a bit sexier and sold at the Halloween Costume stores! I actually contemplated getting one last year but DH said it would be grounds for divorce

 

[topdog]

Hello Rebecca.

Glad to see your PTR has started. I will have to catch up later since it's a very nice day today. I have a lot of outdoor stuff to get done.

Before I forget, please say thank you to your husband and your brother for their service to the country.

 

[Pyrate_Pryncess]

Hello Rebecca.

Glad to see your PTR has started. I will have to catch up later since it's a very nice day today. I have a lot of outdoor stuff to get done.

Before I forget, please say thank you to your husband and your brother for their service to the country.

Hey TopDog, thanks for reading! Dh and Db will appreciate your kind words! Enjoy the nice day today! It was 75 degrees here today so we had a blast!

 

[cmp1111]

Great start - glad someone taught you the pictures before I had to try to explain.

I'm hoping your DH is fine. What a scare - I can't imagine.

Can't wait to hear more!

 

[Pyrate_Pryncess]

Great start - glad someone taught you the pictures before I had to try to explain.

I'm hoping your DH is fine. What a scare - I can't imagine.

Can't wait to hear more!

lol, I randomly picked the first Mod I came across!!!!!!

DH is fine as well! He went back into Cardio today and they said they don't know what was wrong but that everything is fine What a relief! He is still going to go get a stress test and they have cancelled both of his summer trips for now. Well, they cancelled Guam all together and they are postponing NCO Academy for 6 weeks. This is all actually a great thing. I got a job offer last week 25 hours, Sunday through Thursday 5pm till 10pm making between $500 and $900 a week!!!!!! If I can do it Ill be calling people who have said they want to purchase resale timeshares....Not the perfect job but it will pay for my trip!!!

 

[Pyrate_Pryncess]

Ok, like I said the other day I am going to fill you all in on how my First (and only) trip to Disney came to be!

I had never cared about Disney. We live right next to Busch Gardens and Water Country USA. I figured all ammusement parks were the same so I never really thought about driving all the way to Florida. DH's family are a bunch of true blue addicts. They have gone many times a year for years. In fact, my sister in law worked at Disney World every summer through college! Mother in law and Sister in law took DD when she was 3. It really didnt bother me since I had no urge to go. Even when I saw the pictures, I was only upset because I missed my DD!
Fast forward about 3 years. AJ was getting ready to turn 2 and Kat was about to turn 6. We had finally gotten a "Travel Release" from Ajs Surgeons and were stoked about being able to travel. Up until this point we couldnt do anything with severe pressure changes. So that meant no flying. We still took trips but were very careful about the mountains. In March of 2008 my mother in law called us to tell us that DH needed to take some leave. She informed us that she had booked us 7 days at ASMu and that she had already bought our tickets....all we needed to do was pay for our transportation, food and any extras while we were there. (Now, even though we are military and have insurance we have had some kinks in the road with DS's surgery. Because we refused treatment at a Military facility TriCare refused to pay for his surgery. We worked it out and have been greatful for the help that we recieved from the hospital we chose. However, we still pay a large amount of medical bills each month.) Because of all of that, money has been tight but like I said, we make do! We managed to save money by booking a flight AKA "Worst flight ever". We saved some but not nearly enough. Luckily for us, my in laws know all about our situation and really helped us out when we were there.
So, being that I live right beside Busch Gardens I thought I knew how to pack.............WRONG!!!!!!!!!! No ponchos, not enough sunscreen, not enough spare socks, not enough hair ties........I have learned my lesson! We watched the weather and knew that there was a tropical storm that was going to hit us while we were there. They said it would be over Orlando for about a day then all would be normal. THEY LIED!!!!!!!!
We awoke the morning of our flight and headed to our local airport....oh if only we had known what was in store for us......From the time we left our house until the time we arrived at MCO it had been more than 9 hours! Its ONLY a 12 hour DRIVE! Between the layovers and delays and being at the airport 2 hours early it was horrible! When we arrived at MCO the kids were over it! We took the bus to the resort and I think we finally arrived around 5pm.
Now being that my in laws are experts we followed their leads. They never go to the parks on check in day and I can see that being our new tradition as well. It had already been such an overwhelming day. We headed to DTD for my first Disney experience. Note to self....umbrella stroller is needed at DTD! We of course did not have one and as I said, my kids were over it. We had ADR's at Rainforest Cafe' and that was a nightmare. It was crowded and we waited forever to get in. They sat us right in front of the giant elephants........big mistake. The first thunderstorm Aj FREAKED! Neither of my kids ate dinner that night and poor Aj has had a fear of elephants ever since.
We made it back to our rooms and everyone fell asleep within minutes!


Picture to come tomorrow and the next update to follow!

 

[Pyrate_Pryncess]

Our room! So pretty

This was her Try out for the Iron Man competition!

One of the dreadful elephants!

A TERRIFIED Aj and his Aunt....AKA my sister-in-law

This was him before the first thunderstorm!

 

[Pyrate_Pryncess]

A small side note that should be discussed before I move onto the next chapters of my Disney story.
About 3 months before the trip I started having back pain. I went to the DR the day before we left for Orlando. I was on what can only be described as the best pain pills EVER . I spent a good deal of the trip high out of my mind! And now being that it is 2 years later I am sad to say that I do not recall the exact days and where we went! I am going to try to keep in order by looking back at the pictures but who knows!!!!!


Ok so We left off with finally getting to sleep the night we arrived. The next morning we awoke pretty early for us. We are late sleepers so anything before 9am is early to us! As you know Aj is special needs so we had to have a fridge for his meds. It came in handy. We were able to eat cereal in our room each morning. We didn't rush, we took our time getting the kids ready to go and of course trying to get everything together for our 1st day. We were staying at POP and in the Broadway section. It was GORGEOUS so we walked slowly to take everything in.
Day 1 was Magic Kingdom!!!!! For someone who had never been before this was a must. We got off of our bus and got through the bag check and made it into the park. For the first time in my life I Was staring at the castle! Now, don't be mad at me but, I was kind of disappointed. I thought it would be bigger. Oh well! I guess to a child it is huge. The walk up Main Street was amazing. The shops were beautiful and I wanted to go in each one. We headed over to Tomorrowland and we met this guy:

His name was "PUSH" and he started my sons love of trash cans! For the rest of the trip he had to touch each trash can he saw! What a guy.
Now I am sad to say that the rest of this day is a giant blur to me. I was too busy taking in everything that I could to even remember what we did that first day. The one thing I do remember and will never forget is Wishes. It was beautiful. My daughter had been singing the song since she had went a few years before. After the long day that we had at Magic Kingdom I was able to look over to see her eyes fill up as she sang along. It was a moment that I will never forget. Aj did not like the fireworks. Up until that moment I had never really thought about the fact that he had never been exposed to loud noised before. I think it might have hurt him. We left the park with the masses and headed back to Pop for the night.
I wish I remembered more but I was in Sensory Overload.

Up next is Animal Kingdom on the hottest day in the history of days! and the story of Linus (Aj) and his Blankie!

 

[Pyrate_Pryncess]

After everything that my family went through with DH last Friday my weekend turned worse real quick. First off, DH is fine, his check up was fine. They arent sure what the problem was but he will be watched closely from now on. So Saturday came and we all spent a very relaxed day in the house. DH was on "quarters" which means that the military said he couldnt go anywhere for any reason except for the hospital. It was good. He needed the break. He works 2 jobs, Military and Auto Zone. I hate that it took such a major scare to get him to ease up a bit. So, DH and I were sitting here watching a movie at about 10:30pm when we started getting weird texts and calls from my mom. I am a very lucky Military wife. My dad retired here and here I have stayed. DH hasn't gotten orders away from here because of his job.
**A little history lesson~~My Brother was 16 when he did a Delayed Entry into the Army. That means that up until High School Graduation he was able to work with Army personel to get physically fit as well as learn some basics before Boot Camp. He graduated and went to Boot Camp. Very shortly after he got his orders. He was 18 and going to Iraq as an Engineer....a fancy way of saying, he located IED's and difused them. My very young brother was always very gun-ho about being a Soldier. We are from a long Military background....(I enlisted but broke my knee in Basic). So, here is a kid in Iraq doing a job that would mess with the best of us. He had 4 seperate situations where he "Should have" been killed. All of which involved him being pulled off of missions just before they left. His best friend was killed because he was forced to take his place in a convoy. My brother spend 19 1/2 months In the heard of Iraq. When he came home, we told him that he only had to tell us what he wanted to tell us and that no matter what he would never be judged by us.****** Back to Saturday........
DB had been working as a local cop for a little while but was in the process of switching departments. He and his live in girlfriend had a fight. He lost it. He had a true blue mental breakdown.

So, we finally get in touch with my mom to find out what is going on with these bizaar texts to find out that My brother called his friend who was in the desert with him and told him that he was going to kill himself. He then called my mom to say goodbye. He had grabbed 2 of his guns and ammo and took off to the Yorktown Battlefields. (There is a monument that when lit can make a grown man cry.) I am the only one in the family that knows the battlefields like the back of my hand. I got on the phone with the friend and started to guide him in. At the same time DH took off like a bat out of heck. We live 10 minutes from the battlefields and he thought he could out run anyone else. So, I am on both phones directing everyone to where they need to be. Eddie...the friend...was the first to arrive. By the time DH got there he found Eddie and DB's roomate Tom there. Tom is a current cop. One of the 2 had gotten the guns away from a crying brother. They were all talking when Tom the Cop made a huge rookie mistake. He called the police RIGHT IN FRONT OF DB!!!!!!!!!! So now beliveing that he is going to jail and still wanting to die, DB knocks DH to the ground and takes off for his car. DH gets into my brand new van and blocks the road. DB thought about hitting my van but (he told me after) he realized that if he did, I would kill him. Kind of funny after the fact. So, Eddie freaks out at Tom and makes the decision that Tom not be informed of the rest of the night. DH gets my brother to calm down and pull over. By this time DB is dilusional. He was believing that people that had never met before were trying to kill him. DH was the only one who could get through to him. It took about 30 minutes to convince him that Eddie was a good guy and only wanted whats best for him. Eddie showed up to the location and found DB sitting on the curb crying. He was letting it all out. Everything that he had held in for the past few years was working its way out. The guilt that he felt over some of the things that he had done. At about 3:30am they were able to convince him to go to our local VA hospital. He checked in under a suicide watch. That is another problem that he has had. The VA has been so backlogged that he hasn't been able to get a single appointment there since he got home. He has been on a wait list for almost 2 years.
He was able to meet with a Dr and was able to talk. He was released the next day and sent home. Problem is, he has no home. His girlfriend broke up with him so he has to leave the apartment. He is currently sleeping on my moms couch. We applied to have him stay here in housing with us but we are in a 3 bedroom and my kids cant leagally share a room. We tried to get a 4 bedroom but since they are in the process of tearing down and rebuilding, they have nowhere for us to go. I dont know what to do. I have offered him a couch but there is nothing more that can be done at this point. I feel so bad for not seeing the signs that led up to this.
I think thats it. I just had to tell someone I guess. If anyone has been through anything like this before please let me know what you did to make it through. What should I be watching for?

 

[kmpprg]

Hi Rebecca, I love your trip report so far.You are a real trooper, with all the curves thrown in your way. Your children are so precious! I saw your pic on Jordan's TR and liked you immediately! I hope your recovery goes well-that must have been excrutiating!
I am looking forward to reading more and thanks for posting while you are supposed to be resting. I know, what is rest when you have small children? I have 3 but they are 15, 17, and 19 now.

 

[Ecboyd]

I have no advice, but I can send my love and support your way. Its a bad situation as a Mil brat and Wife myslef, I know Jsut how hard it can be... then when one... sorta goos koko... its even harder.

Sister o the men who serve, just be there and listen. its all we can do.

If ya need to vent... I'll listen.

 

[mommytothreeboys]

Hi Rebecca. I'm so sorry for what you and your family are having to deal with right now. I don't have any similar experience, but I can send prayers your way. Hang in there. Just being there when your DB needs you will go a long way.

 

[kmpprg]

I typed the last reply before I read the last post about your brother. I am so sorry for him and you all. I have no advice, but my prayers are with you all.It is a tough situation and I hope you will find a positive solution for everyone.