TO GO OR NOT TO GO, THAT IS THE QUESTION!! About This Page:

[magic mickey]

I am really enjoying looking at all of your pictures. I hope this trip is great from start to finish. Maybe we will run into each other.

[Nick and Ryans Mom]

Originally Posted by TheMadonna3

WOW! That was a rough vacation!

You mentioned Punta Gorda... When do you go to Punta Gorda? I live 5 miles from there.

We rent a home in Rotonda (sp?). We have rented the same home for the past 2-3 years and really love it. It is on a canal and has a beautiful lanai with a pool and hot tub. We rented a different house in Rotoda before this one.

We love Pop's Sunset (over near Tervis Tumbler outlet) and Lock & Key restaurant (the kids love the beach across the road).

Originally Posted by Hugmonster

I really hope this trip goes better for you.

Unfortunately I can only see about half of your pictures.

Thanks for letting me know, I could see them fine. Thank you Marnie for helping me fix them!

Originally Posted by magic mickey

I am really enjoying looking at all of your pictures. I hope this trip is great from start to finish. Maybe we will run into each other.

That would be great! I know there are going to be a lot of Passporters there that week. Unfortunately, we will be at Hoop De Doo during the Dole Whip meet on Sunday 8/17.

[Nick and Ryans Mom]

FINALLY 2008 – TO GO OR NOT TO GO?????:

Now eventually you might have dinosaurs on your, on your dinosaur tour, right? Hello? yes? Or a Trip Report in your trip report?? Hello? Yes? Hmmm… maybe


Summer 2008 was scheduled to be a Disney year for us but I wasn’t feeling the magic. Nick had a very rough year at school. His aid quit in September (Nick had a fulltime aid since 1st grade) and we were eager for him to try to be more independent. I really felt this could be a positive step. Unfortunately, he had an extremely hard time adjusting. Academically he shut down. He was making no effort socially. He was really withdrawing. I was at school or talking to school staff frequently.

Everywhere I went people were asking “Are you going to Disney this year?’ No. The high school marching band went at spring break and it seemed like every parent I knew was going. “Are you going this year?’ No. We didn’t even go to Florida for spring break because it was the same week as Easter and our parents were FURIOUS the last time we took the boys away at Easter. Every year when we go away at spring break we come home and people say “The weather was actually really nice while you were gone.” Yeah, well now I’ll say “Liars, Liars, your pants are on fire!!!” Don’t ever try to feed me that bologna anymore!!! It was freezing. As usual. And gray. As usual. And yucky. As usual. Snow, snow, and more snow!

Right before Christmas Nick got suspended. Not for the first time in his academic career. I try to remain positive about Nick’s situation, I know there are families out there with much worse problems, I know that there are children with much worse deals than Nick; I try to always count my blessings and be grateful for all that we have. But, I just hit a brick wall with that detention. I came home got in bed and cried for the weekend. I told Eric he was going to have to help handle things until I was able to get my mojo back.

Eric had accepted a job offer in July 2007(still at NASA, just a different contractor). His old company was still struggling and the new company made a great offer. He was still working part-time for his friends. Eric decided he didn’t want to work for his friends anymore. Their company was getting too large; it was no longer as fun as it used to be when he first started. He would quit and go down to one job and help out more at home. Okay. First I would have appreciated some notice but all right. Now there is no Disney trip for sure. I need to get used to having just one income, Eric had been working 2 jobs for FOUR years. Until recently he loved the second job, it was exciting and interesting Eric really enjoys designing and inventing so he loves his job.

In theory, Eric’s plan was good. Unfortunately, he was not able to be consistent with Nick and we had more set backs. After school let out for the Christmas holiday I took over again with Nick. My mojo is back baby!! Life on one income was fine. Budgeting is one of my strengths so everything worked out. I had paid off many bills over the last year (worrying about his previous job).

Then Eric started to get bored. When Eric gets bored he paces, it drives me crazy!!! He was approached by a medical company to design some products, so he took that side job. Then another company needed help and he signed a contact with them. Right now he is doing something with motorcycles (we have a Ducati engine in our garage that he is using to build the calibration device or whatever) and he has another contract with the owner of some company doing some other thing he thinks is interesting. I rarely understand what he is talking about regarding work but he is happy as a clam when he works on “interesting” projects. At NASA he is working on a toilet for the next generation space vehicle. He was storing fake poop (Meso paste) in our fridge for a while but it freaked Nick out so he took it away. He was in California last month shooting the sh#t (literally shooting the Meso paste out of a caulk gun).

So now we have extra money coming in again. Should we go? Eric asked a few times but I said no, if Ryan won’t ride were not going. Then our friends scheduled a trip for the end of the school year. Should we go? No. I had money in my vacation fund. Should we go? My friend decided to stay in at my dream resort, the Poly. Jerks!! I can forgive many things, but, the Poly?!?!?!?!

My mother had some issues in April so Eric and I talked about it and decided to send her some money. My vacation fund was now cut in half. Who cares, were not going anywhere right? (I call my stepmom MOM and I call my biological mom usually JUDY or sometimes MOTHER).

THE POSTCARD:

Then came the postcard in mid-April. Free dining. I looked at it for a while and then put it down. I couldn’t bring myself to throw it away. A few days go by with me circling the postcard like a vulture.

ERIC: Are we going to Disney?
ME: No
ERIC: You know you want to
ME: I’m breathing aren’t I?
ERIC: We should go.
Me: No
Eric: Why?
Me: Ryan won’t ride anything. If I just want to stand around I can do it here for free.
Eric: Hmmm.
Me: This is a great deal though
Eric: Hmmm?
Me: Free dining

The main thing Eric loves about WDW is the restaurants. When we went the last time we tried some new restaurants - Bongos, Le Cellier, Marrrakesh, Hollywood & Vine, Cinderella’s Royal Table, Tony’s, Ohana (Lilo & Stitch breakfast). Basically the boys and I would be pretty happy to eat at the same places every visit. Seriously - happy to do that. To Eric, variety is the spice of life. I really tried hard on the last trip to go to some new places that Eric would like and Nick could tolerate. At Marrakesh Nick was able to get a pizza from their counter service window for a meal at the table service restaurant (I had called ahead to make arrangements).

Eric: FREE dining?????
Me: Yep
Eric: When would we be going?
Me: 3 days before school starts
Eric: oh
Me: Yep
Eric: Nick can’t miss school.
Me: I know
Eric: Let’s go the week before.
Me: No free dining.
Eric: We’re going, call the Disney lady.

I hopped on the website and figured out roughly what it would be for POR, dining, park hopper tickets with waterpark and more. I had about $1200 in my vacation fund and I knew the tax stimulus check would be coming for another $1800 soon. Hmmmm. This is looking really tempting. I only need to cough up a little more!! Maybe we will go!!!!!

[Kristen C.]

I'm so glad you decided to go (dining or not)....sorry to hear about the suspention, but like you said some have it worse, some better, we can only deal with the cards we're dealt......oh wait, my Gram used to say that, nevermind me.....LOL.
I can't wait to hear more of your plans, I'm sorry we'll miss you at the Dole whip meet.

[ilovedisney247]

All I can say is WoW!

[Colexis Mom]

It sounds like the trip was meant to be

[ArielsMomto2]

Cheryl, what a tough year. I can totally empathize. My DH tends to make things worse around here. DS usually only responds to me. Some days I am just ready to pull my hair out. I am so glad you are going. We have to meet up. Looking forward to hearing more of your plans.

[DyanKJ130]

I am so glad you decided to go!!! It definitely sounds like you need a good dose of Disney!!

[amandal]

Great update, Cheryl. When I read it, it's like your actually talking to me. Weird right??? That definitely sounds like a conversation Danny and I would have. And he would so call her (my TA) the "Disney lady" - classic. And the lollipop smiley was very appropriate in that context. GREAT!! Keep it coming

[pea0470]

Glad to see that you decided to go to Disney! Maybe if you talk to Ryan and if you have some pictures that show him actually enjoying the rides that might work too! Last year my son decided that he didn't like and was scared of Splash Mountain - but there was no way that I wasn't going to ride and once he got on it he remembered that he loved it and wasn't scared!! You just never know!

[chezp]

What a tough time you've had of it, but it does sound to me like this trip was meant to be.

[Nick and Ryans Mom]

Originally Posted by Kristen C.

I'm so glad you decided to go (dining or not)....sorry to hear about the suspention, but like you said some have it worse, some better, we can only deal with the cards we're dealt......oh wait, my Gram used to say that, nevermind me.....LOL.
I can't wait to hear more of your plans, I'm sorry we'll miss you at the Dole whip meet.

Your Gram is right! Smart lady

Originally Posted by ilovedisney247

All I can say is WoW!

Originally Posted by Colexis Mom

It sounds like the trip was meant to be

I hope so!!

Originally Posted by ArielsMomto2

Cheryl, what a tough year. I can totally empathize. My DH tends to make things worse around here. DS usually only responds to me. Some days I am just ready to pull my hair out. I am so glad you are going. We have to meet up. Looking forward to hearing more of your plans.

I think Eric's problem is he and Nick are a lot alike in some ways

Originally Posted by DyanKJ130

I am so glad you decided to go!!! It definitely sounds like you need a good dose of Disney!!

Originally Posted by amandal

Great update, Cheryl. When I read it, it's like your actually talking to me. Weird right??? That definitely sounds like a conversation Danny and I would have. And he would so call her (my TA) the "Disney lady" - classic. And the lollipop smiley was very appropriate in that context. GREAT!! Keep it coming

Thanks Amanda! The weird thing is in "real" life I really don't talk about personal stuff (except with my best friends). There is something about the PP boards that makes me feel like I can be honest.

Originally Posted by pea0470

Glad to see that you decided to go to Disney! Maybe if you talk to Ryan and if you have some pictures that show him actually enjoying the rides that might work too! Last year my son decided that he didn't like and was scared of Splash Mountain - but there was no way that I wasn't going to ride and once he got on it he remembered that he loved it and wasn't scared!! You just never know!

Nick and I have been watching some Disney travel and informational DVDs and talking about the rides. For instance he thought Spaceship Earth was empty inside (accept for the track and displays) - if the car titled he would plummet to the ground! Eric has been good to explain some of the science behind the rides! I think Ryan is going to do much better.

Originally Posted by chezp

What a tough time you've had of it, but it does sound to me like this trip was meant to be.

[piratefreak]

Cheryl, just read PTR from start and wow. Great job on the back history, thanks for sharing it. I love to hear about everyone's Disney experiences. I am so sorry to hear about all the struggles you and your family, especially Nick, has faced. Given the outcomes of your last three trips, I think you all deserve this one and the fourth one is the charm in this case. Hope it turns out perfect!

[Nick and Ryans Mom]

Once I had my mind made up that we were going I just sat down and started working on my park list. I made a chart of the days we were going to be there, the park hours those days, park recommendation for each day, etc. I had everyone give me their meals requests. Nick – Rainforest Café, Chef Mickey’s, and Crystal Palace. Ryan – Lilo & Stitch breakfast, Rainforest Café, and Crystal Palace. Eric- Biergarten and Brown Derby. The boys need a few Disney Quest time slots for sure and we can’t do too many park days in a row. We love Epcot but I like to save that for a few days into the trip (most of the boys’ money is spent at Epcot in Japan). We need 2 days for Epcot because we all love it so much. I like to start and end with MK if possible.

I emailed Maureen (aka the Disney Lady) on Sunday April 20th. By the end of the night we were booked for our beloved POR from August 15th-August 24th and I had sent her my ADR list. She emailed me back my ADRs the next day.


We planned as follows:

Thursday – Leave home early, drive to Savannah 12 hours. Spend the night.

Friday –Eat lunch at Paula Deens restaurant (Ryan’s request) then go on to WDW- not sure about arrival time, eat at Rainforest Café DTD then go to DQ

Sat August 16th Crystal Palace dinner - MK day

Sun August 17th Hoop De Doo dinner – AK day

Monday August 18th waterpark day with dinner at DTD & then DQ

Tues Aug 19th Beiergarten dinner – Epcot day

Wens Aug 20th Brown Derby Fantasmic Package – DHS day (Eric loves the Fantasmic package and has insisted on it for the last couple of trips)

Thurs August 21st Ohana Lilo & Stitch breakfast – waterpark day with dinner at Rainforest Café & then DQ

Friday we wanted LeCellier but there was no availability – Epcot day

Saturday August 23rd Chef Mickey Breakfast – MK day

Sunday – go home


My ADRs were good except for LeCellier. I knew that would happen, we were no where near 180 days we were closer to 120, other people had been snapping up reservations for 60 days already!! I was honestly surprised at how many we got.

Woo Hoo were going to WDW!!



AN UNEXPECTED TRIP:

On Wednesday April 30th my Mother had called. My Grandmother was in a coma and it didn’t look good. On Thursday they tried to give her an IV but her kidneys had shut down. On Sunday I called my aunts to see what they thought - the doctors were amazed that she was still hanging on. She is 94 and has had diabetes for years, unfortunately she developed Alzheimers a few years ago. The last 2 times I visited her she had no clue who I was. That was hard, sometimes she would smile and I would think There She IS! But then she would say something, and you knew it wasn't her. My mother, grandmother, and many aunts, uncles and assorted cousins (my mother was 7 out of 8 kids) live in Winston-Salem NC. Bless their hearts.

Eric was scheduled to fly to Houston the next day for a week. I was worried that if something happened while he was gone he wouldn’t be able to come back. I debated going now to say goodbye or waiting to go to the funeral. We decided I should leave while I could still be with her. Then came the debate – to fly or drive. Eric wanted me to fly. I am not a good flier. I hate Cleveland Hopkins airport it makes me nervous going through security, I find the whole thing very intimidating. I worry that if something happens to me what will my family do? However, I have never driven that far alone. The furthest I have driven by myself is the 2+ hours it takes to get to Columbus from here. It would be an 8 hour drive to WS.

Eric wanted me to use his frequent flier miles and fly from Cleveland to Raleigh, I wanted to go from Akron to Greensboro. I really prefer the smaller airports. We compromised on Cleve to Greensboro. The tickets I could get with his miles were limited. I ended up having to leave on Monday and come home Sunday May 11th (Mother’s Day). I did not want to be gone that long, I had never been away from Eric and the boys for more than a day.

I wanted a rental car so I would not have to inconvenience anyone and I preferred to stay in a hotel (near Hanes Mall). I have visited enough that I can navigate my way around that area in Winston-Salem.

I packed my bag. Typed Eric 2 pages of instructions regarding care for the boys (which he did not always follow). Sent emails out to arrange to cover my volunteer obligations while I was gone and to the boys’ teachers that I would be gone and to contact Eric if needed. Nick was actually very sympathetic which ASTOUNDED me. He normally is not very empathetic. Ryan cried and made a scene at school Monday morning, the school staff was wonderful.

I didn’t know I had to take my laptop out of the bag at the security check. The security people were very nice. I managed to keep the plane in the sky with intense concentration, do you know not one person thanked me? If I had relaxed for even a moment we could have plummeted to the ground. Oh well, I am a mom - I’m used to not being thanked.

I was so happy to have had those last days with my Grandmother. Being able to sit with her and hold her hand. She never woke up but my cousins and I kept teasing that when we were alone with her she would wake up and tell each of us that we were her favorite (I have 27 cousins, many of them are deluded that they were the favorite – humph – it is very obvious I’m the favorite!). Some of my relatives who I hadn’t see in a long while were also in town and we had nice visits. My Mother and I got to spend some time together – without the boys as buffers - which was…. interesting . I got to watch my aunts plan the funeral (her outfit, the music, Bible passages, etc.). Eric got to spend some time walking in my shoes (which I think was good for him). The boys got to see that Dad could be trusted to take care of them too. I got more quiet time at the hotel than I’ve had since the boys were born, a nice little break.

I woke up Mother’s Day early and left for the airport. I was so eager to go home to my family. But I knew I would never again see my Grandmother, that was very difficult. My mother called to say goodbye while I was at the airport. I wished her a happy Mother’s Day. All week long everyone kept praying that Grandma wouldn’t pass on Mother’s Day.

Eric and the boys picked me up from the airport at 10:00 am. I came home dumped out my suitcase and repacked it for all of us. We were spending the night at Kalahari (an indoor waterpark in Sandusky Ohio). We were going with 2 other families. It was a Mother’s Day treat that we had booked 2 months earlier. We all drove up there and stopped to eat at a restaurant across the street. In the middle of lunch my cell phone rang. It was one of my cousins from NC. My Grandmother had passed away. Eric asked if I wanted to go home. There was nothing I could do at home. Ryan was so happy to be with friends and Mommy at the park. Nick was happy he was missing school the next day. My Grandmother would not want me to disappoint the boys.

That night I just lay in bed and tried to fight the guilt – I should go back for the funeral; no we had decided I would go before hand to visit and I did that. Back and forth in my head. As Nick tossed and turned. And tossed and turned He couldn’t fall asleep.

Do you remember the Seinfield episode where Kramer couldn’t sleep because of the neon light outside his window? Well Kalahari, lights up the entire front face of their building ALL NIGHT LONG. Every balcony light is shining brightly ALL NIGHT LONG. We hung one of the comforters from the bed over the curtain rod. Nick still couldn’t sleep. Nick said he couldn’t sleep with anyone else in the bed. We have 2 queen sized beds and the four of us, where do you think you’re going? He didn’t want to sleep on the floor. He kept me up until 5:20 am. What a long miserable night.

Will he be able to sleep on the trudle bed??

[amandal]

Oooh, Cheryl - you'll have to let me know what you think of Paula's place and if you wouldn't mind taking some pictures for me I really love her!!! And I noticed both your kids agreed on two restaurants - whoo hooo for you. That makes it somewhat easier I guess . . . . . I'm really sad that your arriving when we're departing I would have loved to have met you