Nuclear Family Trip-Let's Hope I Don't Explode!! About This Page:

[KimandMark]

Thursday and I'm beginning to forget what we did!!

Here's what I remember...We went to MK with FP planned for the afternoon, so headed right to Mine Train because Adam wanted to do it again. The wait was about 45 minutes and this time Adam clunked his head on the side of the car in one of the corners. According to my Ped, he has low muscle tone. She said when we were kids we would call kids like Adam double jointed because they could make pretzels out of themselves, it's just a thing with some kids. In any case, it means he can't hold his own head up on these rides. I couldn't either. When I was a kid and Space Mountain was still the lap sitting version, my Dad would hold my head upright because otherwise it would flop all over the place. Adam was fine, and wanted to go again!!

Of course Splash and BTM were repeated until the lines were too long and we also did Barn Stormer.

Adam watched the kids in the water spray area, but wanted nothing to do with going into it. I really don't understand kids.

Then we took the train back to Main Street, the bus to the hotel, had lunch in our room, and played in the pool. This was our first really hot day this week. The rest of the week had been cool enough that I didn't even put my hair up, but today we were starting to feel it so the pool was actually a welcome temperature.

I'm fuzzy on all the times again, but we went back to MK for dinner at Casey's (the hot dogs aren't even that good, but I HAVE TO HAVE ONE, always) and more Splash and BTM. Oh, and Haunted Mansion. I forgot that we'd done that the other day at Adam's request. He didn't seem to like it much, except the ghosts at the end, but today he asked to go on again. I feel compelled to distract him from the Dorian Grey painting and the hanging body in the rafters whiling queing up, but otherwise he seems to think it's all quite funny. We have this old Sing-A-Long songs video of Magic Kingdom, Roger Rabbit era, that shows Donald dressed like a ghost and Adam really wants to know where he is!

People Mover and Astro Orbiter were next, he really likes Astro Orbiter and has given up entirely on Dumbo (too slow, Mama). And then we went back to the hotel around 8? We considered trying the parade/FW again but he was pooped, we were pooped, and it was a good time to get out of dodge.

We had intentions all week of Tom Sawyers Island, and Philharmagic, the Tree House, Pirates again, and just never made it. I suppose that's the beauty of DVC and AP--we'll be back soon, no pressure to get the trip of a lifetime in, and while I loved seeing him in MK and watching his face I also know his memory of this will be minimal. So, MK is done, we have one more day, tomorrow, at DHS and that's that.

Stay tuned for Jake's big visit to Celebration Hospital!! (he's fine, really, totally fine.)

[Colexis Mom]

Great day at MK and the pool! It doesn't sound like good times are ahead!

[DawnK]

What a great trip this is!! You are cracking me up with your narrative!!

[OhToodles!]

Another successful day! I don't understand kids either. Adam sounds a lot like my 4.5 year old, Lukas, in regards to the water rides. I'm hoping he'll get in the pool this summer too, but we shall see.

[DMA]

Sounds like a great day. It's nice that you don't feel like you have to do everything. I like the "There's always next time" attitude.

[mcc0313]

Sounds like a fun day, love that Adam is so enjoying some of the bigger thrill rides. When my youngest was little she could not wait to get herself on every ride she was tall enough for, my oldest....took me years (like until she was a teen) to get her on BTMRR - now she loves it. Still won't do Splash Mountain....but hey we got her on much more than she ever would ride before

[Jambo]

I'm glad Adam's head is okay! I can't believe you're down to one more day. Sounds like a doozie.

[lfredsbo]

I find it funny that Adam just wants to ride the "big" rides over and over again! And Astro Orbiter!!! Heck no for me!!! I'll stick to Dumbo thank you!!!

[KimandMark]

Originally Posted by OhToodles!

Another successful day! I don't understand kids either. Adam sounds a lot like my 4.5 year old, Lukas, in regards to the water rides. I'm hoping he'll get in the pool this summer too, but we shall see.

He still insists on not learning to swim because "I can just walk" but just everything else with this one, when he's ready, he'll learn all at once!! Buying a pool toy helped get him back in the water. We picked out some squid shaped dive sticks and he liked playing with those on the steps of hte family pool at the Y, and it helped attract 'friends' at AKL too.

Originally Posted by mcc0313

Sounds like a fun day, love that Adam is so enjoying some of the bigger thrill rides. When my youngest was little she could not wait to get herself on every ride she was tall enough for, my oldest....took me years (like until she was a teen) to get her on BTMRR - now she loves it. Still won't do Splash Mountain....but hey we got her on much more than she ever would ride before

Originally Posted by lfredsbo

I find it funny that Adam just wants to ride the "big" rides over and over again! And Astro Orbiter!!! Heck no for me!!! I'll stick to Dumbo thank you!!!

Our local carnival was this past weekend and the only ride he wanted to do was the 'scrambler,' that thing that spins it's arms and the whole thing too. My neck is killing me from holding it against the g-force for so many turns. He says he likes the wind in in his eyes. He's also having trouble understanding the difference between being tall enough and old enough, asking how tall he has to be, hearing 44 inches for Space Mountian and then saying that he's already 4.

[KimandMark]

The day you've been wondering about, waiting for, on the edge of your seat wiht anticipation....Celebration Hospital!!! WOOHOO!

3AM: Jake wakes up, says his stomach hurts, like really hurts. He takes some Pepto and other antiacids. Because I'm the queen of heartburn/stomach stress we always have plenty of both.

5AM: He's still awake and in pretty serious pain. Right in hte middle and below his navel. He's been soaking the tub trying to make it stop. I ask the question I always ask when one of the bellies hurts at our house: do you think you just have a bad poop? He gets mad.

7AM: Can't bend over to put his own shorts on. We decide that he shoudl go to urgent care as soon as it opens at 8.

8AM: I call the Urgent Care b/c they reportedly will send a free shuttle, but she says that will take awhile so I tell Jake to take a cab. We consider all of us going, but figure it we stay in touch, Adam and I could be there quickly enough that it doesn't warrent sitting in Urgent Care with a four year old who thinks he's going to see Darth Vader today.

Aside: what is it with boys and Darth Vader. I explained the story as well as I thought I could to him and his biggest question/reaction?--DARTH VADER HAD A BABY????

Adam and I head to DHS and actually get there just about at rope drop, no news from Jake yet. We ride Star Tours and Adam is thrilled to see R2D2 and loves the Wookie on the windshield bit. Then he gets to see the Jedi Academy kids fight Darth Vader and finds that pretty cool too, but not for long. In the end, he doesn't really enjoy the shows at all. And no singing and dancing, he won't have it.

Jake calls to say they are sending him to Celebration Hospital because they can't do scans at Urgent Care. I'm still not worried, frankly, I think he just needs to go to the bathroom. Also, I remember to appreciate my Urgent Care at home that can do xrays and ct scans right there. And they have really good free coffee. I learned that when I smashed my toes into wall in January, broke and dislocated one of them, and because I was in a hurry, reset the toe myself but shoving it in my winter boots. Jake learned it because he smashed his head and went there for some stitches. Amazing place.

Anyway, it's almost 10 and it occurs to me that there isn't much else for Adam at DHS. He doesn't want to see a show, or Disney Junior (last year he told me that Mickey's clubhouse wasn't real and he's remembered that), so even though I have at TSMM FP for 5:30 tonight, we decide to hit TSMM while the line still says 45 minutes. I'm not sure, given the lastest from Jake, if we'll be back later and Adam doesn't seem to mind waiting. So we get a coffee and a cookie and wait. And wait. And Wait. 90 minutes we wait. No announcement of breakdown but we didn't move for f'in ever in there. Adam was good and eventually I gave him my phone to play games on while I reminded him to not do naughty things just becuase other kids were doing them. Seriously, the guy who let his kids out of line to climb on the oversized toys in the non-que area? You are jacka-- because the rest of us had to explain to our kids why they couldn't do the same.

Jake texted a few times, the doctor was convinced he had appendicitis, despite the middle ab presentation of pain and basically he just had to wait for the scan results. I started to look for hotels for Saturday night (we were checking out Saturday AM and I wanted to be ready in case an appendix was coming out). My experience with SW has been positive enough that I wasn't worried about calling and changing at the last minute. I even breathed relief that we had APs because if we had to spend a few more days in the area I could entertain Adam for the mornings and visit Daddy in the afternoons.

Finally we got on TSMM. Adam LOVED this. He didn't care for Buzz (I'm sure I left out that we went on that too, I can't remember everything, we're very roll with the flow when it comes to rides) so I was surprised, but I think the game itself is easier for him and he found the immediate response of a target breaking funny and exciting. I let him have some victories too. He's often sad/disappointed that he doesn't win. He's the slowest runner in his class and generally not very aggressive, so he is last to the slide, last to get a turn with a toy, last to the table. We're working on it, but it's safe to say we don't have an athlete on our hands. The last time we had a conversation about it I told him that some kids are good at running and some are good at other things. He asked what he was good at...Ugh. My heart. The thing is, he's good at some currently unquantifiable stuff--he's good a figuring out how things work, solving problems, creative questions and answers, building things. But it's not first when they run accross the field at school. It doesn't help that his best friend is highly competive and physically advanced and gloats about winning and claims to win things that are unwinnable (I win as they are playing with blocks, for example).

So now it's about 11:30. Jake is still waiting for results, but he's on some muscle relaxers and anti-nausea pills. (to which I half joking say--where are my muscle relaxers...) and I'm trying to figure out what to do. The stunt show is high on Adam's list, but we'd orginally planned to go to the 4:30 show. However, I'm really thinking that the 1:20 could be good, then we would be done at DHS, I could take Adam back and pack, not knowing yet what's going on with Jake and concerned that I might need to get us out of the hotel alone.

While I'm thinking Adam asks to go on Star Tours again, so we are now closer noon. He also takes some time at the city streets of San Francisco. That really amazed him. Twice we had to go there and walk right up to the wall so that he could try to figure out how it worked. He wanted to look behind it, as well as you could. Really, he was fascinated by it. He also liked the fake snow by the Christmas shop and since we were doing nothing but killing time I let him climb up and down it (said the mom who just chastised the TSMM parent...this seems different though, and not roped off...but anyway, I'm a clearly a hypocrit).

Lunch. What to do about lunch? It's hotter than, well I'd say balls, but I'm probably not supposed to say that. Lord it's hot at DHS. Mama Melrose...what about Mama Melrose? MDX shows no ressies, but I thought we'd ask. 5 minute wait for a table and the place was not even half full at 12:10. So why no ressies? Anyway, Adam ate breadsticks and I discovered a new love for Mama! The tuna/fennel app was outstanding!! Really fresh and bright. I also had tomatoes and moz, which was good. And two glasses of wine. Because. Well, because I honestly didn't think about how much more stressful it is to be in a park as the only adult. Or how stressful it was to worry about Jake and possible organ removal and finding a hotel.

Anyway, the cool air, some wine, Adam played video games on the phone and it was a positively relaxing 45 minutes. TIW rocks again. And still nothing from Jake.

The stunt show. First, before I give you Adam's reaction, I need to do more parent shaming. The guy behind me had four kids with time, two tweeners, one early El (k-1probably), and one preschooler, early 3s I'd bet. The preschooler needed to use the potty, a tweener took her but they didnt' make it time, so she had wet pants. She was upset. But then she was really really upset by the loud noise at the stunt show. Hands over the ears, begging to go. The Dad just sat there. Nothing. No reaction. Not one other kids comforted the 3 year old. Perhaps she's a regular crier, but its just seemed weird. And the kids all had on the Disney Mom's event plastic passes, so I get that this guy was probably there with his blogging wife who was out doing blogging mom things with other blogging moms. Anyway, I felt really bad for the littel girl and wanted to give her a hug.

Adam was mesmerized. Totally mesmerized. He's been asking me since then why I can't drive like that. Here's my instagram video--watch all 10 seconds here: https://instagram.com/p/2bloHFmJ0L/ I videoed him for two minutes until that happened. He just stared and stared and finally said that, and continued staring. A huge hit.

We left and Jake called while were were exiting. He's fine. No appendicitis. No nothing. At all. They were sending him back to the hotel. That's it. See, I think I was right. He had gas.

We were all back at the hotel at 3 and went right back to normal--pool, margaritas, etc. I packed some before the pool, and more after. We bought yet another uncrustable for Adam, that he ate poolside before finishing off our yogurts and apples in the room. I got everything kitchen settled, and put all the leftovers in the hallway with a sign reading "FREE to a GOOD HOME" (water, diet coke, pirate booty snack bags, and a few beers--the DVC freecycle FB page would have been a good choice, but I honestly wasn't dealing with finding a match at 8PM when we had to be in the lobby at 6AM...so I posted that it was there and then I was chastised on that board for the beer in the hallway because a teenager might find it; while I suppose they're right, I'm not parenting the earth, let their parents deal with them, and since when are random bands of teenagers roaming the halls of AKL).

Adam was in bed around 8:30, Jake and packed up the rest, ate the rest of the charcuterie, drank the rest of the wine (and a bottle we'd bought downstairs), and went to bed. I had terrible dreams all night that we'd failed to pack a single thing and all of our belongings were thrown away. But we were packed and in the lobby for airline checkin at 6:15, with two bags under 50lbs. Our driver was there at 7 as requested, the security line was short, the egg mcmuffins good, and the flight uneventful. We were in our house by 1. I wasn't sure how I felt about that early return, but I actually liked it. We were able to unpack, hit the grocery store, play with the neighbors and have a pretty normal rest of the day.

I'll do a follow up post of the stuff I forgot (like what to do when lego pieces fall off your balcony or how to get free cab rides). But overall, a ragingly successful trip!!!

[mcc0313]

So glad that Jake was ok and that you and Adam were able to have a little fun over at DHS - loved his reaction to the stunt show, maybe you should do a 360 spin every once in a while when you are in the car heading to the supermarket every once in a while

[Jambo]

What a fun family trip! (Except for Jake's day at the hospital) Adam is a real treat! He reminds me of my ds(13). Hmm, Legos off the balcony at AKL - what a pickle.

[mommapants]

sounds like a nice trip and happy to hear no organ removal or extra nights in the hospital.

[MayraLR]

Glad Jake was ok!
Great trip!

[Colexis Mom]

Glad Jake was ok and you had a successful trip!