Downtown Disney

Before we checked into our resort, we did some exploring in Downtown Disney. There's plenty to do there, so if you have a down day it's a great place to head. It was also where hubby and I spent our evenings once the kids went to bed. Ahh, the benefits of having Grandparents with us :) Our resort was actually walking distance (we didn't try) or accessible by boat or bus. Since we arrived at Disney before check in, it was a perfect place to officially start our vacation.

I had made reservations at the T-Rex Restaurant for lunch. Both my kids LOVE animals, especially dinosaurs. It all sounded ideal until the little guy threw a tantrum that rivaled all tantrums. Hubby never really got to eat his lunch. Our meal felt chaotic as we were taking turns running after our kids who wanted to see all the life size animatronic creatures. The animals were supposed to keep our kids occupied, which they did. They just wanted to see the animals so much that they didn't want to sit still and eat.

Looking back, it was probably a bad idea to expect well behaved kids while having lunch out. They had been so good for 12 hours in the car the day before, and 3 hours that morning. It was only a matter of time before one of them was going to lose it.

After lunch got cut short, we tried to remember that we were on vacation and that we were there for our kids. Fortunately, we were steps away from a huge Lego store with some pretty amazing displays and interactive stations to engage our kiddos.

Disney Road Tripping

Part I

In late September of this year, our family took the longest road trip we've taken to date. Equipped with a hand me down hard top car carrier, a set of Grandparents, two sleepy kids, dunkin donuts munchkins, and starbucks pumpkin spice lattes, we headed off for Walt Disney World at 6am. My months and months of neurotic planning would finally see the light of day.

I have to admit, the road trip seemed long on paper. Many people raised their eyebrows at me when I told them we were driving 15 hours each way. Family vacations and cars don't seem to go hand in hand these days. But we were determined to kick it old school and we also saved a substantial amount of money by doing so. Our kids were great in the car (dvd player) and it afforded my husband and I a lot of talking time that we don't normally get everyday. I've always enjoyed going through different states and being able to explore new things here and there.

My Mom was awake for maybe an hour of the trip (seriously) and my Dad kept the kids busy and tended to their needs from the back seats. We stopped every 4 hours for potty breaks and to stretch and eat leisurely. This helped with keeping the kids calm. Surprisingly, we made it to Florida the same day and retired in Jacksonville, Florida before heading off to Disney the next morning. Had it not been for reservations in Jacksonville, we probably would've driven straight to Orlando the same day. I say "we" but my husband did ALL of the driving.

We stayed at the Saratoga Springs Resort in a very spacious two bedroom villa. We had a fully equipped kitchen, washer and dryer, bedrooms on opposite sides of the villa (both my parents are LOUD sleepers), living space, and two separate bathrooms. Because we were a family of six, the extra space was a necessity. For the same price package, we were offered a one room at the Grand Floridian (apparently this is their top resort in terms of price and luxury) but I couldn't figure out how we could possibly be comfortable. And like I said before, my parents are LOUD sleepers.

I have to admit that this resort wasn't our first choice. We had our hearts set on staying in a villa at the Animal Kingdom Lodge, but they were all sold out at the special rate we were being offered. They did offer us their top villa, but at a substantially higher price. To compensate for the price, they offered us a "free" dining plan and a photo album. When "free" means you are almost doubling the cost of your vacation package, free is too much. And no, a photo album isn't going to make me change my mind.

Because we had a fully equipped kitchen (pots, pans, dishes, you name it) we opted not to get a dining plan. When I crunched the numbers, it didn't make sense for us. The money we didn't spend on dining plans also allowed us to stay in a nicer resort. We also went while it was still oppressively hot during the day which I find tends to curb your appetite.

After the kids settled into bed, hubby and I trekked out to the local grocery store to pick up food for the week. We spent just under $200 and this included wine and beer (available in grocery stores in Florida). If you don't have a car, some of the resorts have mini grocery stores. Even though everything is marked up, paying 20 bucks for a frozen pizza is still cheaper than dinner for 6 at a sit down restaurant or even their self serves.

Breakfast is one of those meals that I don't like spending a lot of money for. My kids and husband are happy with cereal and I with coffee. My parents typically don't eat breakfast. It was also nice to eat at our own leisurely pace before deciding when to head out to the parks, which by the way allow you to pack food into. I froze capri sun juice packs and bottled water (capri suns freeze and defrost better than juice boxes) and packed us sandwiches for lunch. The frozen drinks kept the sandwiches from spoiling in the heat, and were nice and cold for thirst quenching. It seemed that you could bring just about anything into the parks except for glass bottles and booze. We did this just about everyday, buying only the occasional quick service beverage or snack here and there.

There were several pools at our resort, but we kept to the one closest to our villa, which also happened to be the most kid friendly. I'd like to think that was good planning on Disney's part :) Something about being at the pool and ordering adult beverages really makes you feel like you're on vacation. Buses to and from the parks were super efficient. As for other activities, we never got around to using the spa, playing golf, or renting a family bike. We did spend an afternoon in the kids crafting room while we let my parents explore Downtown Disney on their own. Between the pool and 4 days at the park, we were fully occupied. Perhaps next time, we'll add a few extra days to just mellow out at the resort.

All in all, I enjoyed our road trip and we would definitely (1) drive to Disney again and (2) stay at the same resort again. That being said, there are so many options at Disney, I think we'd like to explore a new resort next time.

Things I learned:

• Give yourself enough time to get to a destination. Nice long breaks are necessary with small children.
• Grandparents need just as many bathroom breaks as kids.
• My Mom snores more than I thought.
• My husband is a driving machine.
• Disney has so many options and everyone will have an opinion on where you should stay. Not every resort will work for you and your family.
• While having a car made it convenient to get to the parks whenever we wanted, you still have to take transportation from the parking lot to the parks. Disney buses take you right to the park entrance.
• We went back and forth about whether or not to stay on Disney property. It did cost more but the added Disney touches really made the stay extra special for our little girl.
  

those damn tonsils...

I was really hoping to be well over tonsillectomy recovery by now, but that wasn't in the cards for me. It was as if someone had set a timer for exactly two weeks post-op that I would have another bleeding experience (exactly 1 week after the 1st post-op bleeding)! The bleeding started in the wee hours again and off we went to the ER -- this time at my Doctor's request.

I spent the first hour in the ER waiting for a room and spitting up leftover blood into a beer cup that we picked up in Ocean City this summer. Sadly, the ER was busy, and I was already familiar with the check in process. So familiar that the staff recognized me as the lady that was just there last week for the same problem.

While I sat in the ER, certain that the bleeding had stopped, a room became available for me. As I heard my name being called, the bleeding started up again and I found myself spending the next hour vomiting blood and preparing for another surgery. I can't remember the last time I had felt so defeated. I was expecting to already be fully recovered and there I was, frightened about what would be my third round of anesthesia in a two week period.

Today I'm nearly three weeks post-op. All of the pain and bleeding (knock on wood) has stopped and I've been given the okay to eat anything I want. Problem is I now have yeast growing on my tongue as a result of the surgery and medication. Talk about being let down! I've been so hungry these past few weeks and now that I can finally eat, I can't taste sh*t. Wonderful.

my tonsillectomy experience...

I was hoping to write about the details of our Disney vacation soon after we got home. However, there was just too much to do in between settling back in and preparing for my tonsillectomy and adenoidectomy. I only gave myself 2 days to get our household in order. My mental preparation was already in check. I suppose it had something to do with being taken to the ER via ambulance as a result of a tonsil infection spreading into my bloodstream. Ever since then I've been ready to get these suckers out. As for the adenoids? Well, up until now I had no idea what they were. I guess they are a package deal.

The Doctor told me that I'd be in recovery for about 2 weeks (yikes!)and that I would need help with my kids (figured as much). Since my parents live in NY, it was easiest to have the surgery while my Mom was already in town. I was told that the 2 weeks would be "hell" and that there would be days that I wouldn't be able to get out of bed. I warned my husband but up until the Doctor repeated those words to him, I think he was expecting an easier recovery.

Day 1

The surgery itself went well and is quick. I'm a lightweight when it comes to anaesthesia so I don't remember much from the operating room. I don't even remember getting the anaesthesia. I was in recovery for about 2 hours and awakened to a sore throat. I was given some pain medication, apple juice, and time to "wake up." My husband joined me, armed with pain medication for home, and within half an hour or so we headed there.

All in all, the pain was manageable but I was visibly swollen and felt bloated from the fluids. The pain mostly felt like a really bad sore throat. I slept the day away due to the lingering effects of anaesthesia. Eating wasn't even on my mind. My husband woke me up for pain meds and I was good about staying hydrated. It's really important to stay hydrated even if you don't want to. You'll heal faster. My husband bought me some potato soup but I found that the starches got stuck on the roof of my mouth.

Day 2

The pain worsened and I had no desire for food. My Mother kept offering and I kept shaking my head. I missed my kids and they me. I also moved from our bedroom down into the living room. I found it difficult to lean over from the bed to the night stand for water in the dark and didn't want to bother my husband.

Staying hydrated started to become more difficult and I still had no desire for food. I think the fluids they pump you with at the hospital help to sustain you for a day or two. I found that the pain was still manageable with meds.

Day 3

As I expected, the pain got worse and I kept hoping that it was the peak of it all. I cried a bit. I tried to eat but nothing went down without a fight. I had some Italian ice, but it tasted like acid. Soup? Yuck. Ice cream didn't do a whole lot for me either. I read that dairy can cause excess saliva and I found that to be the case. Eventually my husband convinced me to keep trying and I had a plate of scrambled eggs. It took forever to eat, but I was glad I tried. I dropped about 5 lbs by this point.

Day 4

Surprisingly, I felt okay. I was still sleeping a lot (pain medication) but I managed to get down some of my Mom's rice soup with some eggs. The Cambodian cure for everything is rice soup. I don't think it has any nutritional benefit, but it's soft and comforting and I ate a whole bowl. The pain seemed to be lessening and I thought I was getting off lucky. I even started skipping doses of pain medication.

Day 5

I was sure that the worse had passed. I still couldn't eat or drink a whole lot without struggling, but the pain was very bearable. I was however still weak from a poor diet and noticed that my hair was coming out in clumps in the shower. I had lost 7lbs by this day. My husband became concerned about my weight loss and was really pushing me to try and eat more. He eventually went out and purchased some chocolate Ensure drinks for me.

Day 6

*)&*^*!!! Turns out I wasn't going to be spared 8 days of pain and recovery. I was back on the couch and unable to eat. My tongue had turned white at some point along this journey and yes, my breathe left something to be desired. My ears were starting to hurt and overtake the pain of my throat. I was warned about the ear pain but this wasn't something to prepare for. It's as if someone is taking a knife to the inside of your ears and repeatedly stabbing in there. The pain comes and goes and the pain medication didn't always help. Lots and lots of tears at this point.

Day 7

The ear pain was excruciating. I wouldn't wish it on anyone. My throat felt obstructed. I couldn't drink the Ensure and food was getting stuck. There seemed to be resistance both ways. I WAS HUNGRY and tired and ready for this to be over.

I had read that bleeding was a possibility and more common in adults. Bright red blood is the concern. Around midnight, I coughed up some phlegm with some blood and thought it was concerning enough to reach out to the Doctor. I was instructed to gargle a concoction of ice water and hydrogen peroxide for 10 minutes. The Doctor said that if I was truly bleeding, "we would know." That seemed to do the trick and put my husband and I at ease...

Day 8

Around 2:30AM I made a trip to the bathroom. I felt like something was sitting in the back of my mouth and needed to spit it out. Seconds later I found myself spitting out a mouthful of bright red blood. This went on for about 5 minutes. I ran upstairs to wake up my husband and I ended up filling up another toilet with more blood. He tried to call the Doctor and while he was on the phone, I vomited more blood. We weren't going to wait for the Doctor to get back to us before making the decision to head into the ER. Fortunately, we live minutes from the hospital. We woke up my Mom to let her know what was going on. I was crying and scared.

By the time we got to the ER, the bleeding had stopped, but I was still coughing up some leftover stuff. They drew some blood and I was taken into a room and set up with an IV. Not long after my Doctor appeared and it was decided that I would need to go back under anaesthesia so that he could cauterize the origin of the bleeding. He assured me that I wouldn't be set back in recovery time. That's what I wanted to hear. Back to the operating room I went...

I woke up in pain and was in recovery for a bit longer this time. My Doctor noticed my weight loss and had instructed the Nurse to give me two bags of fluid. I went home feeling bloated and tired and swollen again. The ear pain had become worse, and my throat was worse than ever. There was a burning that accompanied every sip of water. I think it was due to the cauterization. The burning pain in my throat triggered my ear pain. I was in so much pain I couldn't cry. Pain medication could not come soon enough. I wanted to sleep as much as possible to forget about the pain. I couldn't bare to drink water and eating was out of the question.


Day 9

I think this day was the peak of the pain. I was dehydrated but found it too difficult to fix that. I was watching the clock so I could take pain medication as soon as possible. The pain seemed to lessen on the right side and I could swallow water on this side easily. However, as soon as the water touched any part of the left side of my mouth, it would burn and trigger the ear pain on my left. Apparently our tonsils and ears share a nerve. Joy. My Mom and Husband were getting on me about food and water. I know they were trying to help, but I just couldn't do it. Water and food seemed to make my pain worse.

Day 10

I woke up hoping that this was the end of the pain. My Doctor had said that around day 10, most adults start feeling better. I can't help but think that had I not gone back into the operating room that it would have been the case for me. But the site of the cauterization was still burning and my left ear was still hurting. I just wanted to eat. I was weak and tired. I wanted to hold my kids.

Day 11 (Present)

I felt much better today. I decided to start weening myself from the pain medication. I skipped all my morning and afternoon doses. The sun was shining outside and I really wanted to get out and knew I couldn't drive under a narcotic pain medication. The right side of my mouth seems to have gone back to 85% normal. I still have pain on the left side and the burning is still there. The ear pain is also still there, but to a much lesser degree and not as often. Be warned though. While the ear pain isn't as severe, it's still enough that I have to clench my fists to get through it. I read that chewing gum can help, so I was determined to get myself some.

I busted out of my house with my 4yo daughter while my Mom stayed home with my napping son. We picked up some apple cider donuts from a local farm and made a quick trip to Target. It felt good to get out but I must admit that when the pain kicked in, I was wishing for my meds.

As I write this, I'm technically in Day 12 as it is 2:46AM. I don't know what the day will bring, but I have plans to take my kids to a pumpkin patch. I miss them and our family time. They're also starting to revolt against Grandma so we really need to get back to our routine.

It's the weekend so I'm hopeful that when the sun comes up I'll feel like my old self. I miss food. I miss coffee. I miss sleeping in the same bed with my husband.

This has been a very difficult and painful recovery. Delivering my babies was much easier. That being said, I'm still glad I did it. I don't want to be sick from my tonsils anymore. My Doctor was right. This has been nearly two weeks of my life that I'd like to forget.

Here's hoping to some normalcy soon...

Very soon, we will be heading to Disney for the first time as a family. My husband's last trip was to Epcot as a teenager and it's all a big blur to him. For the record, he's not that old, but for whatever reason, he's blocked that trip from his memory.

My first and only trip to Disney to date was in 1995. I too was a teenager and too old for princesses, but that was when my parents were able to afford the trip and I think in my father's eyes, I was still his little girl. I think I always will be. This trip, my parents are tagging along and will get to relive the magic through their grand children's eyes. Just as my parents did sixteen years ago, we will be making the drive down to (hopefully) sunny Florida. Four adults, two kids, an ipad, and dvd player. Wish us luck!

To prep for our trip, I've been acquiring pointers from friends and blogs. Some great tips I've been given and or have read thus far:

• Buy ponchos for the family from Target, Wal-mart, etc. and pack them for the trip. Everything costs more at Disney and we happen to be going during Hurricane Season.
  
• Explain to the kids that they will have to wait until the last day of the trip to pick out a souvenir. (I've already started having this talk with the princess...but we'll see how this pans out.) Apparently almost every ride lets out into a souvenir shop.
  
• Utilize the FastPass service!
• Let the kids dictate the pace and if they don't want to go on a ride, don't push them. You're going to have a miserable time if you're complaining about how much the trip cost and if you're dragging your overtired kids all over the place.
• Expect that lines may be long.
• Be nice to the Cast Members. They are not in control of the weather, crowds, and prices.

I'm sure I'll have a bunch more live and learn tips when we get back!

to help us a save a little, i picked these up from the dollar store and joann fabric's. princess autograph book, princess pens for when we track down cinderella and belle, and light sabres for the night time light show. total cost = $4 bucks plus tax! can't beat that!

Over the weekend we successfully threw our princess a 4th birthday party. My original plan was to keep things very simple and small since we're heading to Disney to celebrate. So what was originally slated for a little gathering of neighborhood friends over cupcakes and a moon bounce got nixed by Hurricane Irene. Rescheduling proved to be easy as it happened that my hubby freed a full Saturday up from his busy photography schedule. (That rarely happens!) The giddy party planner in me went to work and our gathering quickly turned into a 50 person princess and knight themed bash equipped with tiaras and swords.

As much as I love planning down to the very last minute, I have to admit that I was overwhelmed an hour before the party. My parents are usually here to help cook and watch the kids while I prep and while my hubby is running around picking up cupcakes, booze (yes, we like to get in on the partying too!)and balloons. But it all came together just right. Hubby and I even managed to get in a quick shower before our guests arrived.

The best part was that the weather Gods worked their magic again and the threat of rain and thunder was no longer a worry. It seems that every year on her party day, there is a threat of rain, but we somehow manage to stay dry. It's a good thing because the thought of having to cram 50 people in my house was comical.

We munched on a super yummy artichoke and spinach dip, summer salad, chic fil-a nuggets, and mini sandwiches and cupcakes from Graul's. I found that that only making side dishes helped save on time while adding a personal touch to the food spread. The kids (and a few adults) bounced in the castle until their legs gave out on them and our princess smiled from ear to ear. I couldn't be happier with how the day turned out.

(this spinach & artichoke dip was a big hit. super easy to make and super super yummy. i prepared it the night before and baked for about 40 minutes before the guests arrived. next time i'm adding lump crab meat)

I'm often asked how long I will plan big parties for my kids, and I always say, "for as long as they let me." I know that one day the though of having Mom and Dad hanging around will be uncool. So for now, I want to enjoy all of their friends and friends' parents (who are our friends as well) in one place, celebrating their childhood and life. Plus, I really really love party planning :)

our little princess

i took a moment to reflect on the fact that she's growing up. bittersweet for me.



best buds. i love that the girls got dressed up as knights AND princesses!



did she have her own moment of reflection?



sword fight!!



who doesn't love to bounce?



my favorite part of the day...

happy birthday princess!

Today my "baby" girl turns 4. I'm happy to see the excitement on her face as she wonders what the day will bring. But on the inside I'm sad that my little girl is growing up.

Happy Birthday sweet girl. I love you more than I can say...