Living the good life

Here are pictures from our trip to the park this evening. feeding crackers to the ducks

running with joy

playing with a new friend

running hard

he is just so cute- just so cute

I have thought some more about Bug's reaction to our trip and I think some of it is the timing. We all are wired to remember events and stresses in our lives. So to Bug, coming up the anniversary of his homecoming, that is a stressful time for him- that is when he lost his family. And even though the date had passed, it was still lingering as we left for vacation. So adding to his stress was the fear of being abandoned.

Looking forward to the future, what he needs is the tools to recognize that May/June is stressful for him based on 2007 and he needs the tools to help him deal with his emotions. I can't take away the emotions, I can't take away his feelings- but I can give him the tools to recognize what is triggering his reactions and I can give him the tools to work through it all- that is my job as his parent- to help him learn the tools, learn the triggers so that he is able to work through it all on his terms.

So realizing this now, I see that we can take vacations, I just need to make sure he understands that it stressful to leave home, that we will come together and that our family is forever. I need to include him in the planning so he has a sense of control and a sense of our return.

Love and hugs,

Deb

some final thoughts on Disney

Worn out from Disney- this is on the way to the airport where we had a 5 hour wait as our flight was delayed. We made it home at 11 pm when we were due home at 7 pm.

The best part of breakfast with the Princesses- the knights in shinning armour

Sir Nene Bug- prince of the realm

Teacups on our last night.

Celebrating Pap's 70th birthday with Mickey and friends

3 primeros- silly boys.

In the stocks- Bug was a little short

Bug with his cousins- R and J. Bug latched onto R for the day. It was so neat to see them hanging out together.

Waiting in line to ride the magic carpets- the rain moved in while they were waiting so they missed the second ride.

Driving for Pap and making silly eyes

Japan

Italy

Germany

African outpost

drumming and dancing

China- the rain came and we were waiting it out

Norway

Mexico- drumming again

We did the Kidcot tour of countries- we only missed a few after Bug feel asleep

Making his mask at Mexico's Kidcot. At each county a new charm is put on depicting something from that country.

driving - Bug likes to run into the walls and to crash into everything. I am thinking he will not be getting a driver's license at 16- cause I value his life too much.

Waste management engineer Nene. He played at Epcot's innovations for 3 hours- he was a waste management engineer, a fireman, a storm chaser and had a great time. This was the most interactive he was all trip

Building his storm pack at Storm chaser

Traveling around the world: Morocco

France

England

Canada

Disney expenses: which one costs the most? The items, in no particular order cost, $6.50, $14.50, $17.00 and $26.00. The answer is at the bottom of this post.

Laundry day

Goofy- the terror. Bug took one look at Goofy (4 tables away) and started crying like someone was trying to kill him

Nene- playing

This was a hard trip for Bug. He was not ready for bigger characters even though I tried to prepare him. He was completely freaked out by it all. he kept asking me if someone was going to come take him away- a typical question for him, so I did not pay much attention until about day 4 when he was scared before bed. We started talking and he told me that he was waiting for the people to come take him to his new home. Talk about being punched in the gut. My heart broke for him.

here, I was talking about our "home" the hotel and he was thinking that another family was coming to get him and take him away again. All the memories of Guatemala in June 2007 are just laying there, right below the surface, waiting for the trigger that brings them back. It is so hard to hear him talk about someone coming to take him and know that I was the one that took him away before. This is a trauma that we will be dealing with for years- but Bug is working through it all and he needs to be able to say these things. It is hard to watch though and know that there is nothing I can do to take away the pain and the fear.

all I could do this time was reassure him that we would be going home together on the plane with Mam and Pap to our house. I also stopped referring to the hotel as "home". That seemed to help the most.

Coming back through the airport, though, I found out that Bug was still trying to put it all together- as he asked if the TSA agents were the men coming to take him away. It just hurts to know that there is this wound in his heart that not healing and that he lives in fear in new situations that he will be taken away. How to do as a parent help a child work through that? What can you say, what can you do? How do you give your child the tools to help them find their way through the emotions that rage all the time?

Please pray for Bug's heart and this wound. Please, he is just a scared little boy and he needs the protection that love provides. He is precious and incredible and he carries this hurt around.

I saw him relax and fall into drumming- his release, his joy, I saw a little boy freed from the cares and weight of being scared.

I think this will be the last big trip 9excluding Jason's high school trip next year) that we take for awhile. Little, shorter trips will be the plan for awhile. Bug needs the comfort of home and the security that home and routine provide.

Thankfully this week is a short week for us due to the US Holiday on Friday (work is letting us off because Saturday is the 4th of July- US Independence day).

We might also have a big announcement this week- lining things up though- hold on to your hats.

Love to you,

Deb

PS- the answer to which cost the most: the replacement sunglasses for Bug $26.00. The Bus was the cheapest, then the Mickey toy, the water bottle was $17.00.

He touched a character and some dancing in the rain

We had some fun today- of course we had some drama too. I am at a complete loss in trying to figure out what will set off Bug's fear factor for a ride or activity right now.

Today started with Magic Kingdom- we arrived before the park opened so we got to watch the pre-opening show. We headed to splash mountain- Bug was fine with it until he saw the fox and bear. He was fine with the 50 foot drop but he was scared of the fox and bear!!!!


We got fast passes for Peter Pan and then headed to breakfast with Eeyore, Piglet, Tigger, and Pooh. At least this time he did not freak out and shock of the life, he touched Pooh. just a hand, but he touched him- see picture below.

We rode Dumbo- he loved it. We rode Peter Pan- he was terrified of the alligator. We headed to toontown to ride the rides there (nene size rides). He was all set to ride the little roller coaster until the cars came by with the people screaming- that ended that idea. he hung out at the play area and was happy as a clam. yep- we came all the way to hotter than hades Florida so little man could play at the playground.

We rode the train- he loved it.
I bought him popcorn to eat as a snack and he was the hit of the bus- he had the popcorn gone by the time we got back to the hotel. He inhaled it- seriously, people were watching him to see how fast he could eat it all.

We rested, then went to the big pool to swim- too cold, headed back to the little pool- just right. Swam until the rain threatened. I checked the weather and no rain around us, so we headed to Epcot to start the world showcase (lots of countries).

We rode finding Nemo- terrified him because of the jellyfish. he spent the last half of the ride with my hands over his eyes. I was shaking my head in disbelief. the ride workers were very sympathetic.

We hunted the food carts for Jason chips (Doritos) and made do with Pap chips (lays). found a place to watch fireworks. I got us chicken nuggets and we were then stalked by the ducks. They wanted our french fries. Bug fought them off with stern words "bad ducks" and his water bottle sword. fireworks were great, even though the rain started abut half way through. Dancing nene- the played music before the fireworks and Bug was dancing along the fence to the beat.

fancy foot work

water bottle sword

picnic at the park- "bad ducks"

The stalker ducks

Loving on Nemo after the ride

chowing down on the popcorn

On the train- yes that is sweat- it was hot a humid again.

riding Dumbo

Touching Pooh's hand at breakfast

Tomorrow we are supposed to meet up with some cyber friends for swimming and hanging out.

Love to you,

Deb

Disney- Hotter than HADES- YIKES

Day 3: Hollywood Studios:
The teaser photo- yep- that is the Bug. This is the pose I am getting pretty much every time I ask him to smile. You would think that he might want to give me a smile. Our first meeting with Lighting and Mater. Yes, our first, we saw them again about 90 minutes later. Bug was not too excited once he saw how big they were, but he endured the photo shoot. I have not looked at our photo pass pictures yet, but they might be better. When we saw them the second time, Bug actually touched them. And right after I put my camera away and the photo person put her camera away, he leaned over and kissed Lightening!!!! Of course, he refused to do it again and threw a fit that we asked him.

Star Wars Nene- Alex and Susi- how about this moto??????

Driving the old time car- Pap, this is for you

first character breakfast- yep, On my lap, refusing to look at the characters or be in pictures with them. Oh well, the food was good and he ate it.

Every day, we have animal shaped towels waiting for us. Yesterday it was this- not sure what it is. Today we have a monkey and I have pictures.

day 2: Epcot

Life vest on- So we can be safe!!! Taking the ferry back fro the Grand Floridian to Magic Kingdom

Waiting for the boat.

racing around the GF lobby

Just being silly together

More silliness

We headed back from Epcot to eat and relax here- it was an opportunity to ride the monorail- one of Bug's favorite things now, sit in AC and be pampered, and then to ride a boat back to MK to catch the monorail back to Epcot to ride "Soarin". We seriously spent 2 hours having lunch and we both felt much better after sitting in the AC for that time.

The monorail- Bug refused to be in the picture even though we got to ride in the front!!!

The recycle guys- they have a whole routine where they drum and sing while playing the garbage cans. Awesome.





Day 1: MK (Magic Kingdom)

the fastest driver in the car- Nene. I was only there to push the gas.

We are going racing Momma- but I am hot

Hot tea cups- with a crazy mouse in the tea pot

Pull, Pull, PULLL

Prince Bug on his might steed

waving to Mickey

Mickey waving back- Bug was so excited

The parade is coming

Riding Aladdin's magic carpets

First look at the castle- Let's go momma- Meme is waiting for us!!!!!

It has been hotter than hades here. I knew it would be hot, but not this hot. The heat index has been above 105 degrees F for the last 3 days. We were supposed to get rain today- but it never came. Out plan has been to head to the parks in the morning, come back and rest in the afternoon and then head back in the evening- that lasted for day 1 only. And even that was too much.

So now we go, do a couple of things, leave and hang out in the evening at the pool. There is no way I take the heat and sun for pool in the afternoon. But evening is nice, although everyone is saying the pool water feels like bathtub water as it is too warm. Personally I think it is great.

So for MK, we have done the Indy cars, carpet rides (3 times- a favorite of Bug's), the carousel, the tea cups and the jungle cruise- that leaves us plenty for another day.

For Epcot- we did turtle talk with Crush, Soarin (which Bug told me he would not ride again), we tried to do test track- Bug said no, we tried to do circle of life- right after Soarin so Bug was not feeling the best emotionally. We would like to Nemo and we still have the world showcase which we might do later this week in the evening.

Hollywood- we did Muppet 3D, Honey I shrunk the kids (playground), toy story midway mania- Bug loved it and we even stood in the 70 minute line for that. We are done with Hollywood studios this visit.

Tomorrow is Animal Kingdom, the MK on Wednesday, then Epcot on Thursday and back to MK for Friday and Saturday.

We went to Downtown Disney this evening and got presents to ship off to Guatemala- YEAHHH.

To A&E, come on down, we loved to have Bug's future wife and MIL with us- something about being able to switch out with the kids is highly appealing. I don't think Bug and I will do another big vacation like this for a few years- it is too overwhelming for me. Between pushing around, making sure he stays in his comfort zone, watching him at the pool, putting up with his melt downs, carrying him off the bus, getting him into bed- dang- I need a vacation. It is great, but I am looking forward to Mam and Pap joining us on Friday and being an extra pair of hands to help.

I would also like to say that some parents here at WDW need to understand this basic fact- yes your kids are hot and tired and yes you are hot and tired too- but when you see parents getting on the bus and their kids are hot and tired - MAYBE, you might want to put you hot and tired kids on your lap so more parents with hot and tired kids could sit down instead of having to standing their half sleeping child up so they can hold the stroller and the kids and the pole at the same time. There is such a thing as courtesy. I am not saying I am the only parent who wants to sit down- as there were quite a number of us on Saturday evening. 15 minutes of holding your child in your lap is not going to kill you and you know full well that your kid is going to fall asleep on the bus anyway. Be kind, be courteous

I will try blog again later this week. This is just a little fraction of the pictures so far.

Love and hugs,

Deb and Nene from Disney.

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