Summer of a Lifetime

When school ended, we wasted no time in our memory making.  Josiah was slated to attend summer school 3 days per week.  I was scheduled to teach drama for 2 weeks.  The big boys were signed up for 2 weeks of summer camp at the YMCA.  All would come to pass and a whole lot more.

In the 48 hours following the end of school, Josiah had 5 therapy sessions (2 physical therapy, 2 speech therapy, and 1 occupational therapy).  We visited a playground, a playground/splash pad, and attended a baseball game.  Oh yes, we hit the ground running!!!!  It was summer, at last!

July rolled in quickly.  Josiah continued his therapies 2 days per week.  We had play dates and movie nights.  We celebrated the 4th of July by meeting Josiah's new best friend (the little girl with Down syndrome, who attends school with him) and her family.  We spent a glorious day at a local theme park.  In the evening, we went to a friend's house.  We enjoyed great food, friendship, and fireworks over a private pond.  The boys all played with friends.  The adults enjoyed the fun that friendship affords.

We went to a zoo.  The boys had Saturday swim lessons.  Josiah started his summer preschool program.  Mama started teaching her 2-week drama camp.  The big boys started their 2-week YMCA summer camp.  It was busy but everyone was happy, and at peace with life.

We threw in drop-in playgroups & farmer's markets.  The oldest resumed karate (though it was short-lived).  Carl started iron infusions and found more energy.  We attended a benefit dinner for the 5 year old's preschool teacher, who had since been diagnosed with Cancer.  Carl & I celebrated our 9-year anniversary.  We enjoyed a few date nights.  Josiah had an audiology appointment & his hearing came into question (again).  It was believed hearing aides may be beneficial so we started considering the option.

August was quickly upon us.  I was still teaching.  The big boys were still attending summer camp.  Josiah was attending summer preschool 3 mornings per week & therapy 2 afternoons per week.  Yet we continued pushing our goal - making memories with our boys.

We went to a water park with a great local group - all families have a child with Down syndrome.  We attended family night at the YMCA.  The boys attended summer Birthday parties & back to school parties.  They loved summer camp so much that they were signed up for an extra 2 weeks.  It was proving to be the summer of a lifetime!!!

We revisited the local theme park, playgrounds, splash pads, and filled in many days with love and laughter.  As the last week of August approached, our busy schedule started to slow.  My 2-week drama camp ended.  Josiah completed his summer program.  4 weeks of summer camp came to an end.

Josiah had a sedated CT scan to rule out possible physical causes of his hearing issues.  There were none.  The CT scan did note an unusual density to his cerebellum - something that will be further examined with an MRI.  Meanwhile, we actively pursued the hearing aide option.

The former preschool teacher lost her battle with Cancer.  We said goodbye to her, crammed in a field trip, celebrated my Dad's Birthday, and quickly welcomed September.  A new school year was about to begin.  Josiah was moved to a toddler bed (from his crib) and has slept like a big boy every night, since! 

September 1st: The first day of school!  Summer was over.  We were disappointed but looked forward to what a new school year would bring.....

Disney Day Four

I don't suppose it would come as a big surprise to say we woke to rain on Friday.  Sadder yet was the forecast predicting no let-up before Saturday.  This didn't help my obsessive thoughts (which had begun on Wednesday).  We were leaving Monday and didn't have enough time.

So, I did something I have never done before.  I figured out the logistics, went about gathering detailed information, then implemented my action plan:

Confirm our ride home from airport can accommodate a change, check! 

Change flight home, check!

Email elementary school to inform them of 1st grader's extended vacation.

Call preschool to inform them of 4-year old's extended vacation.

Cancel Josiah's PT with EI.

Cancel Josiah's OT & Speech through rehab.

Cancel karate for extra week.

Extend house-sitter.

Extend baby rental gear, check!

Ok....now Mama is happy lol.

With that resolved, we proceeded to plan our day.  We enjoyed lunch at home & the boys played in the pool, in the rain.  I found a place called Wonderworks; they were open until Midnight.  We would head there.

Mom & Dad stayed home.  We headed out.  Wonderworks looked very cool.  I looked forward to seeing it.  The legend goes something like this:

Wonderworks began as a top secret laboratory in the Bahamas.  Scientists were involved with many projects, one of which was capturing high speed winds.  Something went horribly wrong!  High winds enveloped the building, picking it up off the ground, and catapulting it through the air like a tornado.  It eventually landed upside-down, on a red brick building, in the city of Orlando, Fl.

That is where it sits today.  The experiments remained intact but are upside-down (just like the building).  Upon entry, guests pass through an inversion tunnel in order to defy gravity & enjoy the 3 floors of hands on exhibits.

In the end, I wasn't overly impressed.  However, seeing the building was great; time with family never wasted.  Mama no longer feels like we're running out of time.

The building IS pretty cool, isn't it?

Disney Day Three

Thursday was a lazy day at Disney.  We awoke to cold rain.  It was mid-50's with no indication of sunshine.  I was already yearning to stay longer :)  With Dad's injured foot, and inclement weather, it was going to be a chill out kind of day.

Josiah caught up on some much needed sleep.  The boys played in the pool.  Everyone enjoyed extra relaxation.  We nibbled for much of the day.

In the late afternoon hours, we get ready and headed for Downtown Disney.  Our destination: Rainforest Cafe (and perhaps, a little shopping lol).

When we arrived, Dad sat in the van while we shopped in a Disney store.  Then, off to the Rainforest.  Given the 70 minute wait time provided for the family ahead of us, we were delighted to be seated immediately..... it must have been the party of 7 that was to our benefit.  As always, the food was excellent!  The company, unrivaled.

We couldn't leave Downtown Disney without stopping by the LEGO store.  There were a lot of expensive choices thus we were ecstatic when the boys picked LEGO keychains.

We were quickly in the van and headed home.  The boys enjoyed another dip in the pool, then bedtime commenced.  Oh, Monday was coming to quickly....we haven't done enough yet.

Disney Day One

Tuesday, we were up by 9am.  We enjoyed a leisurely breakfast at home.  We headed out around 10:30.  A twenty minute ride brought us to the first parking lot.  A bus brought us to the front; a ferry brought us to the other side.  Excitement crept in.  We disembarked at our final destination: The Magic Kingdom.

The sights, sounds, and smells remind me of childhood.  Everything is different yet it has stayed the same.  Perhaps that is part of the magic....

It was a great day!!!!  We waited up to 30 minutes per ride, which was longer than I would've expected for January.  We enjoyed jungle rides and were transported into other magical worlds.

It was a long but incredible day.  The boys were great!!!

It was 8pm by the time we headed for the gate.  Catching part of the firework display on the way out, we were determined to beat the larger crowds out.  We were on the ferry, headed for the parking lot, as the firework display ended.  Mission accomplished!

As we boarded the bus for the parking lot, Josiah threw up.  Grateful for a beautiful day, I was reminded that nothing is guaranteed.  I rode 'home' hoping Josiah was just exhausted.  I knew the morning yogurt could've played a role.  I was praying the stomach bug had not returned.

Only time would tell....

Here are a few pics from the day.

We're Off; Josiah's First Trip

The alarm was set was 3:30am; I needed time for a wake up shower.  This has been in the works for a year....I mustn't oversleep.  We all got through the stomach bug last week.  Nothing can stop us now!!! 

Bed at midnight.  3:30 alarm.  Hit snooze, twice.  In shower at 3:50.  Already running late.  Awaken big boys at 4:15.  Already feeling behind.  By the time I get to Josiah's room, it's 4:30.  My sister is arriving at 4:45.

I had (basically) packed.  I still had my list of last minute items though.  The boys were great!  They were tired.  They were excited, even if they are not yet sure why.  We were out the door at 5:30am.  Traffic was light.  It was a nice ride in. 

We were checked in early, played in a great kids play space, ate breakfast, and prepared to wait.  Josiah was cranky and unwilling to eat.  As his crankiness grew, so did my fear of how I would be loathed at the end of these coming hours.  Only time would tell.

We boarded.  Josiah had his own seat, complete with the CARES belt (FAA approved) - that is an ingenious invention, I must say.  The big boys settled in to their own soft leather seats.  Our exciting adventure was about to begin.

The pilot said good morning.  Normal procedures were discussed.  The flight took off without incident.  My early fears were laid to rest as Josiah happily accepted a bag of potato chips.  The boys watched Nickelodeon, followed by "Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs 2."  Josiah napped on my lap for the last hour or so.  I buckled him back into his seat.  The first leg of this adventure was nearing it's end.

We disembarked, walked, took a shuttle, and quickly found grandma and grandpa.  They were so very excited.  I shared this adventure with my grandparents when I was five.  Now my boys are doing the same. 

We drove, ate, swam, and relaxed.  It had been an exciting, but long, day.  The boys keep asking what it will be like.... I tell them they can't even imagine :)

Here are a few few pics from Day 1.

Holidays and Happy New Year

It seems that Halloween ends and Christmas becomes this Mama's focus.  Do I have my list?  What am I going to buy for everyone?  How much should I spend on each person?  Etc.  Yes, Christmas definitely becomes a focal point in this house.

Thanksgiving was beautifully spent with family.

Two days later, a little elf arrived at our house.  This was to be our new family tradition. We read the book (the boys had already seen the tv special).  The boys set out on their task of naming our little elf.  Before long, the name "Stinky Chips" was chosen.  Stinky Chips was a good little elf.  He didn't get into much trouble and was only touched once by our oldest (age 6, at the time).  An emergency intervention gave Stinky Chips back his magic and the rest of his time here was without incident.

Yes, Stinky Chips helped pass the time awaiting Santa's arrival.  We did a lot (most) of our shopping online this year.  Gifts simply arrived at our doorstep.  We wrapped and labeled them.  It just seemed the easiest thing to do.  The oldest is in 1st grade, has almost-nightly homework, and karate 3x per week.  The middle child is in 1/2 day preschool, and is a whirlwind of activity in his own right.  Josiah has EI 2x per week, OT 2x per week, Speech 2x per week, and playgroup 1x per week.  After adding in random doctor's appointments, errands, etc, there hardly seemed time to shop.  Online shopping saved my sanity.

In the middle of Holiday preparations, we decided to plan a trip.  My parents are going to Florida in 2014 and asked us to join them for a portion of the trip.  So, after searching for the perfect price (which doesn't exist), we purchased airfare for us to fly to Florida.  Disney is the destination.  2014 holds something fun to look forward to....

We managed to keep the upcoming trip a secret....until Christmas Eve.  Then, we told the boys.  They are excited as kids can be who have no idea what to expect.  I am excited for them.  They are going to love it.

For the third Christmas Eve, we celebrated at my parents home.  We read the same story that has been read to my family since 1873.  We opened gifts from those would not see the next day.  We ate great food.  Once the older traditions were complete, we wrote messages on balloons to Scott (my beloved brother), formed a circle on the back deck (each with a hand on the balloons), played "We'll meet again" (Inkspots), wished Scott a Merry Christmas in Heaven, and released the balloons.  

The next day, we celebrated at our own home.  It's always fun when the big boys run downstairs to tell us that Santa Claus has visited our house.  We spent the day opening gifts, preparing (and eating) dinner, and visiting with family.  It was a lovely day.  Josiah was particularly fun this year.  He's two.  He's a fun age for a Christmas celebration.

Though I usually enjoy leaving my tree up, this year it only lasted a couple days into the new year.  Beneath the branches, had become a 'dumping ground' for all the opened but yet-to-be-put-away gifts.  Josiah had also become a master at pulling on those aforementioned branches.  We had a dumping ground under a very tilted tree.  Yes, it was time for the tree to go.

As the new year approached, one more test had been passed.  We made it through the month of December without RSV.  This is the first year Josiah has made it through the month of December without RSV and a resulting trip to Children's. 

Happy New Year!!!