Disney Daze - Part Two "Downtown Dizzy"

My sweet B hates three things....crowds, most kinds of shopping (see crowds), and monkeys.

So naturally the perfect place for us visit while in Orlando was Downtown Disney--confused? Read on.... DTD's a free way for cheapskates like us to get a Disney fix as it's basically three mini-areas of themed shops, eateries and theaters.

For Mouseheads like myself, there's World of Disney, the largest store for Disney shwag outside of NYC. There's a large Lego store with giant Lego sculptures of seamonsters, basset hounds and Sheriff Woody. There's "Trend-D" for cool looking teen fashion type things, Goofy's Candy Kitchen (with $50 Rice Krispie treat Mickey and Minnie heads--I'm in the wrong profession). There's a Christmas store, a "Little Mismatched" for girls like my middle daughter who are too cool to wear socks that match.

For folks on the other side of the fence, there always seems to be families there that are just plain "Disneyed out". Someone has told these folks that there are plenty of shopping opportunities for them to separate themselves from their hard earned cash so Johnny or Suzy can get their character trinkets or something princess/pirate related. So begrudgingly they slog along with crying kids in tow who won't be satisfied with what's in the budget and want the $50 toy of their dreams. These good folks have already spent hundreds on park tickets and hotels and are wondering "when does MY vacation start???" As day turns to evening, you'll see anger, hunger, despair, heat exhaustion.

So you see why B spent most of our trips there (we went twice) asking herself and me "Why?? Why do people LIKE this place? Why do they take pics of themselves and their kids in front of a fake wooden Buzz Lightyear statue? or sitting next to a fake Winnie the Pooh?" She said she just "didn't get it". I know it's not her thing. So I was just grateful she let me geek out a little. She's a wonderful girl and I'm so blessed by having her as my bride. She even mentioned a casual interest in a Minnie Mouse apron, but I knew her heart wasn't really in it.

So what about the monkeys? We'll I had been jonesing since '98 to go back to the Rainforest Cafe since eating there during a business trip. I had my chance that afternoon during lunch. I had also heard that the chefs there would adapt their menu for food allergies--a key feature we experienced over and over again on Disney properties. Both our waitress and the chef treated IZ like royalty, preparing a HUGE grilled chicken salad for him (on a clean grill) that he said was "better than everyone else's food." The Rainforest decor is a jungle theme complete with robotic elephants, parrots, tropical fish...and monkeys....lots of primates....loud screeching, grunting primates...above and beside our table. Had I thought about this a bit more, I would've realized this wouldn't be a huge blessing for Becky. (I'm a little thick some times). The food and service was top notch. But we'll probably never go back. It was cool back in the 90s, but I think I've had my fill.

Becky's would be rewarded the next day, but first we spent an enjoyable rest of the day in the pool back at the hotel. We had one more issue though as one of our party got sick at 4am (due to heat, overeating at Rainforest, or the tv dinners we bought later that evening). I called down for a new set of sheets, which arrived right away, but with no mattress cover. I called again about thirty minutes later for one and Becky sent me back to the other room to rest while she waited for the cover. Two hours later (6am) I heard a knock and opened the door to find my now very tired and perturbed wife STILL waiting for the mattress cover. I walked down to the front desk, already buzzing with people checking in and was told they "would've brought it up sooner but didn't want to wake us". Umm. Next time why not CHECK??????

We changed the bed and I decided I would sit with/snuggle with her until she fell asleep. The boys were just rousing and were watching some tv so we fell alseep.....and didn't wake up until 10:30....and checkout was at 11!! AAAAAH!

If there was a game show where you had to rouse your family from sound sleep in two different rooms, make them pack all their things and food into a van, and check out of a hotel in less than 25 minutes, we'd be champions!! I will post some pics we took standing next to the van soon--we look very tired. We stopped at Starbucks on the way to our next destination for some breakfast.

As I mentioned before, things were about to take a change for us, especially for my beautiful, tired bride....next time, Part three, "The Magic Ensues".

Disney Daze - Part One "One room at the inn"

This is part one of our trip report to Mouseland.

Our first day basically consisted of driving nine plus hours to Florida. Before we left I found a "mystery deal" on Travelocity which promised two rooms at 4o bucks a pop at a three star hotel a half mile from Downtown Disney. When you book, they send and email revealing your room details. I had priced rooms from Daytona all the way down to Orlando and knew the price was a good one as long as the hotel was decent. I didn't really relish driving all day and then going to the parks the next so I thought an extra day somewhere outside of the AllStar Music (where we had reservations on property) would help us have a more restful time.

What I didn't expect is Travelocity didn't book our room correctly with the Best Western Lake Buena Vista and we only had one room showing when we got there around 10:30 at night.

There was much we could have found to complain about but the Lord was gracious to us and gave us clear and safe travels the whole way, though Orlando itself seems to bring out the worst drivers I've seen in a LONG time. He was also gracious in placing a woman with a "Jesus" pin on her Front Desk Manager uniform at the hotel who I think felt sorry for me and spent much effort trying to get us rooms for the night and get us on the same floor the next day. Out of 350 rooms in this place, they had about two or three left the night of our arrival and they ended up turning people away who were walking up. And this was in "value season" when the crowds were supposed to be low(??) Both our rooms (eventually) ended up having a fridge and a microwave (which I knew we would need) and were on one of the nicer floors that had just been remodeled. We crashed that night not knowing what else was in store for us this trip but glad the Lord was protecting and providing for us.

Up next, part two "Downtown Dizzy"

The Man I Measure By

I don't recall the first time we actually met, but I know it was a significant day. It was a day that changed my life...and his. I think my first memory of him had to be our dance. Ahhhhh....it isn't what you're thinking. It was much different than that. No, he took me by the hand and we sailed effortlessly across the floor. He looked down at me and laughed and I looked up at him with all the love in my heart. For the man I measure by is my dearest own daddy. He was my first love. I stood on his shoes and begged him, "Daddy dance with me!!!" And so he'd take my hands and we would be off. He'd sing a little diddy and I would giggle away as we twirled around the house.

I remember Sunday afternoons sitting at the foot of his chair "feeding" his feet that I pretended were funny critters. He took me to Burger King when the boys were in school and we shared fries and a strawberry shake. I gave him my Easter egg when he was working in his office. He was thrilled, until he discovered I had kept it in my room all this time and it was now smelly and in edible. Later, he took me to the Catholic weddings where I danced with the priests and fell in love with Polish cuisine. He took me visiting and laughed when the family gave me Moxie.

I loved to visit his office. It was in the house, but it was still fun to go in there and bother him. He had cannons and a cannonball stack on the bookshelf. And a frightening mountain lion carving. There was a wooden top with string that I never did figure out how to work. And there was the tiger puppet. I always imagined it was a character from Mister Rogers and Daddy was so good at making voices. And Daddy always had his glass of iced tea and peanut butter bread. When daddy hugged mommy, I would squeeze up through the middle to their great annoyance. He had names for me and I took advantage and acted on those names. I held his hand while he greeted people on Sundays.

Daddy has always had a great musical talent. He had a wonderful baritone voice and played both trumpet and trombone. I loved to hear him sing. Most people did. His horn sounded so sad a mournful and beautiful. He used to sing to us on summer nights on the porch swing in Ohio. I loved those evenings and listening to his lovely voice gently lilting like the motion of the swing.

As I grew older, I learned things about my dad. His own daddy died in his arms when he was only 17yo. Dad had dreams and wishes that never came to be. There were things he wanted to do that he never did because doors closed. And I learned that he was a mischievous boy. How he played tricks on his older brother. How he had been caught puffing a cigar -- and made to smoke it all. How he didn't like the geese down the road. And how important family was to him. I learned how artistic he was and how compassionate he was. His favorite part of his job, I think, was visiting people who were ill or shut-in. His heart was so kind and caring. His gift of creating and kind care for people contributed to the creative and compassionate person that I am.

There are things I am ashamed of when it comes to my dad. The foolish things children do that tear at the heart of a parent. And the words that cut deeper than we mean for them to do. But overall, I think our relationship went beyond those moments. And while we disagreed as adults on some of the things most dear to his heart like the doctrine he loved so much and the church that he was ever faithful to even through hurt and disappointments, we could agree wholeheartedly on our love for the Lord.

And so, this man, who was my first love, my teacher, and example, and the one who often acted "as bad as the kids" somehow became a ruler for what a man should be. And when the time came for me to fall in love, I fell for a man very much like my own, dear daddy.

My father, lover of his family who cried when we were dropped off at camp, college, and every time we said goodbye...Yes, my Ski loves his kids and if he watches films with father son/daughter scenes, you can bet he will get blinky-eyes. My father, who made us swoon with his tender singing voice....is like my Ski who I love listening to when he sings. My father, with a tender heart towards his wife who called her sweet names...and my Ski who writes me lovely things and tells me daily how beautiful I am. My father's deep compassion for others mirrors that dear and servant heart in my Ski. And my father's wicked sense of humor...I see more of that in myself, but Ski always makes me laugh.

And so, as I sit her on his birthday, I just have to smile when I think of my dear, dear father. I have become so much like him in some ways and in others, I see him reflected in the man who took his place as the love of my life. And while his place is different now, my love for him has not wavered all of these years.

I miss hearing the stories about his life, his hopes and his dreams. I miss hearing him play his horn. He still makes my children giggle with delight and he still has that sparkle in his eye that I love so much. But now I remember for the both of us and I cherish every moment I can have where we can laugh and where I can tell him I love him and he knows. And I'll cry every time I hear the mournful sound of a trombone or a sad muted trumpet.

Cherish your time!!

Account deposit

Sometimes, no matter how much you like your life, there are times when responsibility just hangs heavy on you. The past year or so, it seems my life as a wife and mother seems full of more pressure and responsibility than ever before. I have teens rounding the end of their schooling with me. They have relationships which need care and tending. Some of them are becoming some pretty neat people. And keeping up with Ski seems to be a full time job as well. Even though he works from home and is here almost all the time, there are days that go by where we barely speak. Things at work are constantly changing and sometimes that brings new challenges. We work hard at staying in close contact, but it is not an easy task. Add to all of that the shopping, cleaning, and work that needs to be done around here and I feel like I sometimes have three full time jobs. I do NOT know how you working moms do it. So as the days fly by, I feel as if I am the persistent plate spinner trying hard to keep everything from crashing down around my feet. And trying not to become stressed and anxious about any of it. I long for a life of solitude and tranquility. Funny thing for a mother of 6 to say, huh? But that's what I love. Peace and quiet. And I rarely have it. But sometimes, I see my longing for solitude comes from the plate-spinning life that surrounds me. I love vacation...void of responsibilities for the most part. This is when I allow my kids to just have fun and make some noise. I like to be noisy with them. And when I find my world less stressful, we make more noise and have more fun.

But here I am spinning my plates......again. Not only that, but into my already busy life enter in other responsibilities. When this happens, I have the tendency to want to shut down and run away. And let me tell you, the temptation is great!!! But....more than desiring to run away is my sense of responsibility. Ski would be the first to tell you that I would take on WAY more than is wise simply because I think I SHOULD. That is part of the reason why I gave him my schedule. He knew it was wise to say no for his wife because it would preserve my health and sanity.

However, sometimes we can't say no. Sometimes, people need us. And as I am preparing my home physically and myself mentally for a trip far from my family and their pressing needs, I have begun to ponder the investments I am making. While my children and husband stand to gain nothing immediately from my absence, there are many who WILL gain. I've begun to see it as a series of deposits. Time and effort poured out in a tactical and practical way upon the lives of my parents who are in great need. I could sit home and say "Someone SHOULD do something," but my words have no validity if I have no action to show for them. And if I say I love my parents, what does it show them if I sit here at home and say "What can I do?"

My family finds it a hardship for me to not be here. While it is true that three of my children are teens, they are not wives, mothers, or even adults. What they take on in my absence is not a job that was designed for them to do. Perhaps one day, it will be, but to leave a family of 7 in their hands is burdensome to say the least. And yet, as Ski reminded me in the car this evening, these will be precious days. While in the past my desire was to bring my aging parents into my home to live with me, God has made it ever apparent that this is not His call for my life. No matter how good my intentions may be, He has closed that door over and over again....from the practical to the wise council of a well timed conversation to reveal aspects of a choice I had not considered. Although I will miss the idyllic days of my children connecting with my parents as we all age together, I have days to cherish NOW.

There is no guarantee that I will have another year to visit. The older I get, the more I see my days slip by. So an investment in a few short days may yield sweet and irreplaceable memories for not only me, but also my parents. There is so much to do and I feel so ill equipped. I am not organizational and I lack methodology. I am sooooo lacking. And if you just read that line, please PRAY!!!!! I seriously need prayers!!! And I am sure that Ski would like some, too. There is such an urgency. Such a limited amount of time. So much work. It will be over sooner than I think.

So I go knowing that my allergies will flare, I will loose precious sleep, the inevitable conflicts will arise, and my patience will crumble all too fast, and the work will be overwhelming and at times, unbearable. What I have to offer is so small and limited. Believe me....VERY limited. But I also joyfully know that God will do something beyond my expectations. How fleeting these sufferings will be. How momentary these light afflictions. For there is something good going on that is more important here. I only hope that in the end I will not be the only one to benefit.

Looking for Light Where there is Shadow

Today was a day filled with tears and joy in a strange commingling of emotions.

My family presently finds itself walking through a trial that is difficult for all of us in many different ways.

Ten months ago, we opened our hearts and our home to a puppy. She was 6 months old when she came to us. She was a beauty to us, but not trained at all. Not only that, but when she came to us, deep seated fears came to the surface. For my youngest daughter, it was her fear of dogs. She would not even pet a docile dog that on occasion visited the library. For me, it was the fact that we had attempted dog ownership before, but it ended with the animal biting me not once, but twice. And this new dog looked eerily like the old dog to me. Slowly, both my daughter and I overcame our fears. Slowly, we learned to reach out to our dog and not be afraid.

Along with fear issues, we needed training. After much work, we got her to a point where she would willingly walk with us down the street. But I recall a number of walks where she would flop over and roll on her back in a yelp designed to sound as painful as possible. But we were consistent and told her no and even though it took us 20 minutes to get down the street and back with all of the neighbors staring, she finally learned to walk with us.

And while she never was destructive, she would find ANYTHING left on the floor and chew it. We were forever pulling things out of her mouth. I will never forget our first day of school when she swallowed a five foot therapy band and I had to learn how to induce vomiting. Or the first time she found a rolled up sock. I don't know who was more scared...her or us. I quickly learned to always have toys for her to chew. While our selection dwindled to a choice few, she grew to be content with those toys and they kept her quite busy.

We fell into a pattern and our care for her grew into love. Unfortunately, as these things grew, my health began to deteriorate. While I knew I had something a little more than exercise induced asthma, I only had asthma attacks once in awhile -- usually outside. Not long after we brought her home, I began having daily asthma attacks. I finally saw an allergist and discovered that my lungs were quite compromised. When I saw the allergist in Nov, my nasal passages had improved, but were still quite bad. And finally over the last two months, things had grown much worse. After never having a sinus infection, I had one massive one that needed two antibiotics to kick and led me to be ill for the entire month of Feb and most of March. So we made the heartbreaking decision to say goodbye to our beloved dog.

It is difficult to be in a place where you know what you decide will deeply hurt those that you love the most. This is my children's first experience with death (other than their brother who they did not know, really). While it isn't a REAL death, it is the death of a deep and close relationship that they had. It breaks my heart time and again to watch them go through this. And yet, I have assured them that we will be happy again someday. And it will be ok when we are happy. It breaks my heart to think of how difficult it must be for my dear husband to know how much pain this choice has caused us all. I do not envy his position as father and dad, but I deeply admire and love him for his gentle leadership through this time. We all love him and know that the decision was the right one, but our hearts are hurting.

So today...we spent the day, half of us still not feeling well, spending time together. We cried through lunch, had some flavored ice at Rita's, getting flowers, cried some at home, talked and hugged, and remembered our dear friend, had some dinner, listened to my amazing daughter sing her grief to us, cried some more, and watched a movie together. It is amazing to hear my children speak to me about their perspective on the whole thing. It is amazing to hear what they think God is doing through it. And how they all listen and remember in their own way. Someday, when someone they love dies, I know they will look back and remember and use what they have learned now and in the days ahead. How everyone grieves differently and how even if friends don't understand or seem to care, the people who are going through those things do. I pray this brings our family even closer as we cling to each other through our grief. What a gift our Belle would give us if she left us closer as a family than when she found us.

Thank you, Belley dog, for loving us unconditionally, teaching us to work hard, helping us to learn to love you, and for bringing us joy!! We miss you, dear Pupperdoodles!!

Ski...123

From the bottom of my heart, I'd like to thank you for...

taking the time to get to know me.

thinking I was cool

being my friend

wanting to be a leader and do things the "right" way with me because you messed up before

taking me exploring with you

telling me that you still loved me and wanted me with you because love is more than a feeling.

listening to Drew's advice

asking my dad

asking me

loving my family

dragging me down here

holding my hair.....at lease 8 times, but definitely more

working harder than ANY man I know

walking through heart surgery

holding my boys for their scans

putting my babies to bed

holding me while I cried in Blowing Rock and sitting by me in that cafe in Valle Crucis...while I cried

letting me walk through grief at my own pace

loving me and caring for me when you didn't know what to do

suffering without complaint when no one else knew

letting me sleep at the hospital with our kids....even though you missed me

telling me "things will be ok" even when you aren't sure yourself

Walking with me through so many dark days and hard times and "Considering"

holding me as I cried at the hospital...again.

being the STRONGEST man I know

washing my hair and sleeping in the den because I couldn't go upstairs

not dieing....

making me laugh

treating me better than I deserve

loving my kids

being my best friend

loving me with a sacrificial love

having fun with me

listening to me

learning to become more adventurous

still thinking I am beautiful

being my valentine

There are so many more things I could say, but these were just highlights that came to my mind...

HAPPY VALENTINES DAY!!!!

Good Intentions

This is the story of how Christmas decorations, laundry detergent, and a slow computer culminated in a late night misadventure.

This story began almost a month ago, but I had no inkling it would end up like this. Not long after Epiphany, we spent a happy Saturday putting Christmas decorations away. One of my children was feeling extra diligent and blessed us by putting the Christmas decorations away up in the attic above the garage. Ski was pleased that all was done. And all was very happy until this past week.

While Ski and I were laying in bed, drifting off to dreamland, there came a loud and sudden noise. It was not a burglar kind of noise, so we were brave and went to check it out. We opened the door to the garage to find part of the drywall attic floor hanging down. I quickly surmised that our helpful child had not set the boxed upon the rafters and had instead set them on the floor. This had caused the floor to cave in. Two boxes fell, one was precariously perched, and plastic tote hung by its rim.

Ski thought about tackling the problem this weekend, but his work load demanded some attention so the hole remains.

This afternoon, I was quite tired so I ended up taking a very long nap in my room. After the kids had gone to bed, I decided that I needed to delete cookies. Some of my children, who are compelled to cause me distress, tend to gunk up my computer with bad cookies. I don't know where they come from. And they download unnecessary things when they play their computer games so my computer ends up being slug-like. It frustrates me no end when this happens. But I cannot fix it during the school day and on the weekend, I forget. So tonight it crossed my mind to work on solving the problem once again.

Even though my eyes were blurring while looking at lists of cookies, I wasn't too sleepy. Ski went off to bed and I had planned to be finished when....I heard a LOUD crash.

Fearing the hanging tote with our Christmas ornaments had finally fallen, I opened the door to the garage. To my relief, it was only the large piece of hanging drywall that had fallen. I know that sounds really funny. Well, I thought, at least Ski would not have to saw it down. I walked closer and spied a bottle of laundry detergent on the floor. I store my detergent on a shelf next to the ladder to the attic. I didn't think much of it, but as I picked it up, I realized it was a dripping mess. There on the floor was a GIANT spill of laundry detergent. I got a box and a sponge and tried to sponge up what I could. It was at least half a bottle!!! Oh my!!! It was an enormous pile of goo! What a mess!! I finally got most of what I could into my container and headed to the kitchen. While I was washing my hands, I almost knocked the container of detergent onto the floor. I had thought about throwing the detergent away, but decided to pour it into the bottle. Silly me....I was more tired than I thought. Instead of placing the bottle in the sink, I put it on the counter and then I stuck a funnel in it. I overflowed the funnel sending detergent down onto the counter and over part of my dishwasher. I finally finished that task and then headed back to the garage.

The thing about cleaning detergent is....the more you scrub, the messier it gets. It began foaming and it was still gooey. Yuck!! I finally gave up and threw a box on top of the spot. I'll deal with it tomorrow!! I was so thankful that the detergent was unscented. I hate nothing more than the detergent aisle in the grocery store so I don't think I could have survived working with this mess for long if there was an odor to it.

Now with my luck, my child who doesn't like chores will suddenly choose to do chores tomorrow a.m. and we will have to take a trip to the er for a fall on my soapy mess.

There must be a lesson in this, but at this late hour, I can't find one.