'Ohana Means Family

[wanttobeinvienna]

Hi all- I have been a Disboard lurker for years now... and recently started posting here and there a little. I have found that I absolutely love the pre and post trip reports, they give me new heroes (some of you are amazing!!!) and great tips I decided that as a great way to organize my thoughts, share my family's story, and record our memories, I would post my Pre- Trip report. This is a story about Family- families come in all shapes and sizes, and are defined in so many ways. I celebrate family, those through blood, those we choose, and those we look at and say "Really, we are related???? Really??

I have a lot of time right now on my hands... for reasons to be explained in a minute... Which means... there could be a lot of words here!!!


So I will start with my cast of characters:

The First Family:
* Melissa (me) The unofficial coordinator of the trip. I am the mom of 2, step mom of 2 and wife to Erin. I grew up in a Disney family.... we had no money, and my parents had a lot of kids, but every year, they scraped up the money to take all of us down for a day or 2. We never stayed on the grounds, we ate peanut butter sandwiches in the parking lot, and considered the cool napkins souveniers. It was perfect, perfect, perfect!! I have worked in the field of HIV & AIDS, in education, advocacy, treatment adherance, and development. My job demanded a lot of my time and attention- working 60-70 hours/week just to get it all done. I loved it- but one day I had a revelation-- while I love my job, I love my family more. My DH started getting frustrated, and encouraged me to leave. Incentive to leave- Disney . Today, I started a new life as a SAHM, with a small sewing business on the side.

* Erin (DH) The one who puts up with my obsessive planning, and who pays for all of this! A former Army Ranger, the most kind, funny, and relaxed man I have ever met. I am honored to be his wife. I am grateful for him every day.

We met a couple of years ago, and fell in love. We had both had been married before, and faced various pains through our divorces. We were a crazy mixed up match....A former military, structured man meets crazy, advocate- starts going to various protests, events, etc, and not only accepts girl for who she is, but embraces, loves, and nurtures. She falls in love with everything he is and was.

I am the mom of 2, he is the dad of 2... We got married last March, and became one large family of 6. To celebrate, we went on a "Family-moon"- 10 days at Disney, and had the most incredible time. Driving back, he looked at me and said..."when do we go back??" Yep- I knew I had married good then!!!

Our kids are:
Talya- Erin's oldest- 13 year old daughter, and the most driven person I know. As an 8th grader- she is working hard to get into Princeton (ummmm....when I was 13, I wanted to get into Friday night's party... College was the furthest from my mind LOL) She is our sweetheart and caregiver. She is awesome!
Kiara- Erin's youngest - 11 year old daughter- she has a heart of gold and an "old soul." She keeps her emotions close, but loves everyone. She has a soft spot for animals, and is starting band this year-- she is so excited.
Ezekiel- My oldest- 9 year old son. His world revolves around football and Star Wars, but isn't too cool to snuggle up and read books with his mom, and give me a hug and kiss before he runs out on the football field. He is a natural advocate, and wants to see the best in people, even those that it seems the rest of the world overlooks.
Paxton- My youngest- 7 year old daughter- Paxton is our crack up! This child spends all day every day smiling, which is why she makes the perfect cheerleader!! She is the one that will hug you if you feel down, laugh with you if you feel silly... She is a miracle!

Will continue in next post - There are a lot more people!!!

 

[wanttobeinvienna]

OK- so you met my family... now we continue with the rest of the cast

*Todd, Rebecca, Eliza, and Emma- My awesome brother and SIL and their daughters ages 10 and 8. (Yes, Ezekiel is completely outnumbered with girls!!!) While I consider myself pretty well-versed in all things Disney, my brother takes the cake. He can look at a brick in Animal Kingdom and give you the complete history on it!!! I love it! My SIL is right on board, loves Disney, and loves family. My DH and I consider them our best friends. Their daughters are the coolest kids in the world... They share love and joy like no other, and have the sweetest, most innocent spirits. It is amazing!

*Beth & Hatem- My sister and her boyfriend. She works with children in the foster care system, he is in school, after moving here from Tunisia. He is the only one on this trip who hasn't been to Disney, and I am so excited to see it through his eyes!!! Beth has really creative and unique ideas... It is so cool how engaged with her neices and nephews she is, and how much she loves them!!!

*Sue & Dennis- my DH mom and dad flying from California (the rest of us are leaving from Raleigh, NC). I have never vacationed with Sue and Dennis, but am excited for this opportunity. They work in the mortgage industry, and have been under tremendous stress lately. The kids all adore them, and I am excited to have them experience Disney with them!

And then there is my Mom and Dad. My mom and dad are the most incredible parents/grandparents out there. They are supportive with out being overbearing. They love the kids, and spoil them to the point of acceptable, but respect the lines we draw. They have given their lives for their kids & grandkids -- Case in point- they have never missed any of the kids games/activities/etc. It is amazing. My mom was diagnosed with Kidney Failure 5 years ago. In the testing to find a donor for her, we found that her PRA levels were extraordinarily high... In other words, regardless of the kidney found, her body will always reject it. She has tried various treatments for years- chemotherapy, plasmaphoresis, etc- the list is endless... nothing worked. We booked the trip- although she is fatigued, and under close medical care, we decided a trip with the grandkids would be a great break from it all...
Then I got a phone call Tuesday 8/31/10 from my parents number at 7:45 am- And my heart sank-- my parents are never up that early...if the phone was ringing, there had to be something wrong, right? I picked up and said hi mom (with dread filling up my chest) and she sounded chipper and said "Hi Melissa, I got the call..."

 

[wanttobeinvienna]

Now- there are a lot of calls she could be talking about, right? Our travel agent found an ADR for Chef Mickey's? The bank called and she has a credit of a million dollars? Anything kidney related didn't cross my mind, I mean- my mom was told that she literally had a one in a million chance of finding a kidney her body wouldn't reject. One in a million. But that was the call...The UNC Transplant Center called and said that they had a potential match for her. And I have to be honest, although I was happy that the call came, I didn't give it much reaction. There were 4 candidates being called for 1 kidney. She was the oldest of the 4 with the highest PRA. The chances of this kidney being hers was minimal. So I went on with my day, keeping up with my dad through all of her tests, and trying to keep calm all the time. But as I was taking my kids to football/cheer practice- my dad called with THE CALL. She was 100% PERFECT match for this kidney. She was getting a kidney that night. If any of you happened to be driving west of 40 Tuesday night, between Raleigh and Chapel Hill and saw a mad women driving in a black SUV, that was me, and I apologize. I couldn't get there fast enough. My mom went into surgery at 11:00 pm, and was "reborn" early in the morning of Sept 1, with a new kidney.
We are grateful that someone's family choosing to give my mom the gift of life... There really are no words. Giving up a week at Disney World with them this year is a small price to pay to see my mom become a strong healthy person again. (And we have promised that we will do this again next year!) We know it's a long road post-transplant, but we are ready!!! So-- we will keep them in our cast of characters, because their spirit will be with us the entire time.

That wraps up the cast! And that explains how we all became family

 

[wanttobeinvienna]

So....
How does a trip like this, with 16 people, from both sides of the country, come to be?

Well... Last year, my brother and SIL took their kids and my parents down for MNSSHP for just one night...they drove down one day, spent the next morning in the pool, went to the party, and drove home the next day (remember this is what my family does ) Well, on their way home, they said they had to do it again next year, and I opened my mouth and said I wanted to go too!!! Me and my big mouth, LOL!! New Year's Eve rolled around and I made a commitment to recognize one of my dreams- to run a half marathon. When we realized that the Food and Wine Half could coincide with the party- we were sold. AND THEN Disney rolled out the Give a Day Get a Day program. Working in non-profit, I recogize the value that volunteers have on organizations, and I was covinced my family would participate! I also set up for my organization to host volunteers, and had over 100 volunteers through GADGAD program for the 2010 AIDSWALK+RIDE in Downtown Raleigh! But I was a mean mom, and told my family that we all had to choose a different organization to volunteer our time with, as they were all already so connected with mine They were all on board- and we found a great organization (more on that to come). Then there came free dining. It was like Mickey was calling us in our sleep...COME TO ME...COME TO ME.... (remember, my family ate in the parking lot my parents had never had a sit down meal at Disney, never experienced character meals, etc) We were SOLD!! Well- Now we had my mom, dad, brother's family, sister and her boyfriend, and my family. So, I asked my DH if his mom and dad would like to come... and voila! Next thing I know- they are buying tickets!!!
So - Now is the time to come clean...unfortunately, my goal of running the marathon is NOT happening . I joined an awesome training group, and was kicking some running butt, and hurt my foot . I had surgery last month, and am walking around with a lovely pin in my foot, which means zero running. BLAH!!!! So for all of you running the F&W Half- I AM JEALOUS!!! Enjoy it, and I will be there next year! Until then, I will just sample the wine they are offering
So this quick overnight trip to MNSSHP, suddenly and quickly grew into an all out Disney week


We decided on:
Saturday, October 2nd- A full day at Magic Kingdom w/ reservations at Crystal Palace
Sunday, October 3rd- Morning getting ready for the party, reservations at 'Ohana- celebrate family!!!!
Monday October 4th- Hollywood Studios, Reservations at 1900 Park Fare
Tuesday October 5th- EPCOT, reservations at Biergarten
Wednesday October 6th- Animal Kingdom, reservations at Whispering Canyon
Thursday, October 7th- Go home, eat at ESPN on the way out of town (got to give the only boy something here LOL!!)

BTW- deciding which park, which day, which restaurant, blah blah blah was a
NIGHTMARE!!!!!!! WOW! Glad to have that part done!

 

[wanttobeinvienna]

If you are still reading, Thank you This helps me keep my mind off the beeping in the hospital room, and worrying if my mom's moans is the sign of rejection, or that she is just repositioning herself...

So now you know who is going, and how we suddenly had 16 people going to Disney. Next was Disney's Give a Day, Get A Day program. I try to stay away from all the negativity about Disney- is there food good or bad, have they gone uphill, downhill, around the hill... whatever. I don't know- I don't look at the paint on the walls, but at the glow in my daughter's eyes when she sees Cindy, or my son's heart BURSTING with joy when he was picked for the Jedi Training Academy. But what has IMPRESSED me to no ends was Disney rolling out this program. This is a gift. Non-profit's were hit uniquely with the economic climate because contributers stopped contributting, sponsors stopped sponsoring, etc. In my field, government funding was cut, donations were at their lowest, and funding campaigns were falling flat. Layoffs were happening left and right. Volunteers were and are the key to success.
I was adament in choosing an organization that everyone in my family could participate in, from the adults, to the 7 year old. We found a group called Pajama Pals, a local non-profit, that provides pajamas & books for children being moved into the foster care system. The kids had to organize a "drive". They made flyers, called friends, etc. They also went through their books, and selected 10 each, and bought new jammies. We created a website & FB page, and had a collection party. People came out of the woodwork, and came from all over the Triangle area. Over 500 jammies and thousands of books later- the kids, and adults, walked away with a satisfaction like no other! We are grateful for Disney for the opportunity to give back to our community.

 

[DisneyCP08]

Joining in for the ride We are also from NC, just at the end of 40 east. Congrats on your mom being 100%match.

 

[wanttobeinvienna]

Joining in for the ride We are also from NC, just at the end of 40 east. Congrats on your mom being 100%match.

Lucky you
Did you survive Earl ok?

 

[Cherry Limeade]

Subbing. Congrats on the transplant - healing prayers and thoughts your way!

 

[wanttobeinvienna]

Subbing. Congrats on the transplant - healing prayers and thoughts your way!

Thank you so much!!! She says thanks too

 

[wanttobeinvienna]

SOOOO--- We have 14 people + 2 in spirit on board for this magical vacation...
All I can think about is as we were leaving the World last year, walking down Main Street, USA, my daughter gives me an unsolicited hug- and says "See Mom, Dreams really do come true." Magical. So, how do I recreate that magical feeling this time around, that doesn't just duplicate what we did last year?
Well, in my mind, one of the greatest part of a trip is the build up. The excitement and anticipation in a child's (and grown up's) mind can be the greatest part!!!
So, we get the iPod countdown app, and of course we make the chain that hangs from our 2nd story bannister- so anyone walking into our house knows how long we have until our vacation... But that doesn't seem like enough...
SO- how about some letters from some special friends? With trinkets that they need to bring with them??
First- the kids recieved a package from Never, Never Land. TinkerBell wrote a lovely letter about the excitement buzzing around Disney when they heard that the BCD Gang (as we refer to all of us ) were coming. (Pictures of the letter and packaging will come- the letter was distressed, and slightly burned to give a woodsy feel, the envelope had leaves on it, and of course, Pixie Dust fell out when they opened the letter). In this package, each kid had a button that has a picture of the character they chose to dress up as (more on that in a later post), and their name on it. They LOVED them. Tink visited them overnight, and left the package in the mailbox... They were PUMPED
Next- the kids received a package from the Haunted Mansion, complete with a HM wax seal. This was written by their Ghost Host, and assistant to Madame Leota, and told them that an irritating bug who refers to herself as Tink told him that they were visiting him soon, and he hoped they would fill a position they have available. (Again, pictures to come!) The Ghost Host left them gray translucent 3 ring binders that include park maps, coloring pages, game pages, packing lists, postcard addresses, etc. and their name on the top.
Mickey also sent them personalized maps of the parks, and through the Fairy Godmothers Pooh and Friends sent them a postcard. We have used spelling tests for the younger ones as incentive for the trip, and Mickey has called them to congratulate them when they aced their tests! They receive some sort of communication from Disney World about once a week...
Mickey needs to get busy about next week's communication!!!!

Next edition: How to coordinate, create and fine tune costumes for 16 people!!!

 

[wanttobeinvienna]

Still up at the hospital with my mom, today might be discharge day

Moving right along with the trip!

Costumes: So we are a costume family. The 6 kids going still love to dress up and put on elaborate "shows". I love to sew, as does my mom, sister, SIL, and MIL. But I also love themes! So here is what we came up with:

The Grandparents are going to be Mousketeers. FIL wasn't too thrilled with the idea of dressing up, so we figured this is the easiest way to go. We ordered ears online, and will use an iron on transfer on the back. On the front, I will embroider their names. Their costumes are the easy ones

The Couples Are going as Disney couples. My husband and I will be Bert and Mary Poppins (my absolute favorite all time movie) This was the first costume I "cheated" on. As a mom, we tend to get ourselves ready last! So- I went ahead and ordered the Mary Poppins Jolly Holiday costume. It is so sweet, and I am very pleased with it, although I will probably add some detail to the ruffles on the front, as they kind of hang flat right now. I also have to add some details to the hat. It is a nice, lightweight quality. YAY! (Although I think I am going to have to get a white tank, and leggings to wear underneath...I have a feeling people could see everything if it got wet!! ) My biggest problem is shoes. As I just got over foot surgery, anything cute is out of the questions- BOO! So I will be Mary Poppins with bad footwear DH will be easy- just compiling the right outfit. He said absolutely not to the Bert Jolly Holiday outfit, so instead we are going to go with the "Let's Go Fly a Kite" outfit (Chimney Sweep seemed to predictable, and the kite is all about family- which, as you see, is a theme here...) So I have to make the kite, which should be pretty easy.
My Brother and SIL are going as Snow White & Prince Charming..They are responsible for their own costumes!!
My Sister and her boyfriend are going as Aladdin and Jasmine...again, they are doing their outfits!

The Kids are going as Disney Villains. Our 2 oldest are going as Cinderella's wicked stepsisters (yes- my family has an odd sense of humor in these matters) These are the 2 I have to make from beginning to end. Will post pictures when they are complete! Our son is going as the Mad Hatter- maybe not a true villan, but he loves him, so there you go. I cheated here and bought the Disney costume. It is super cute, and best of all- finished!!! LOL! Our youngest is going as the Red Queen. Originally, she wanted to go as the original Red Queen, which meant making the outfit...However, I found the Red Queen Childs Deluxe costume online- and it is really sweet, and she loves it, and again- it is finished! So, I love it. The only problem was how much it cost . Last night I bit the bullet and just bought it. I also found some cute shoes she can wear with it. I knew I wouldn't regret it if I did, but might if I didn't. And again, it's done- which takes one thing off my plate. My oldest niece is going as Cruella DeVil & my youngest neice as Malificent. Their mom is making the costume, although my sister will be creating Mailficent's hat.

So there are our costumes. Have any suggestions? Ideas? Tricks of the trade? I know I spent more than I would normally on costumes, but I think in the end, I won't regret it!

Next edition: Melissa's infamous spreadsheets

 

[wanttobeinvienna]

Well- it's Sunday! This has become a pre-trip report and my mom's transplant report all in one!!

She was discharged yesterday- and is doing great! We had some isues with the anti-rejection medication and the pharmacy last night, which was pretty scary, but thankfully the Transplant Coordinator at UNC handled it all awesomely!

SOOOO- moving ahead with the trip...

I love reading other people's plans, which rides they are going to hit at which time. I also enjoy looking at the sites that give touring plans. Unfortunately, I know myself and my family well enough to know that there is NO WAY I could follow that!!! I get way to distracted with pretty store fronts, characters, etc. Also, my family is kind of divided between who likes rides and who likes shows & parades, so we kind of do a divide and conquer trip!

But, I also want to make sure that our time there is productive, and well spent- Not running across the park a million times a day from ride to attraction. Not standing in the middle of Frontierland wondering what to do next. Having the flexibility to ride a ride a second time, or sit and watch a show is really important to me, but so is not being confused on what our options are!

SO - I make spreadsheets. Guidelines on what the options are for the day. Not MUST DO's, but if at 2:00 I see the kids are fading, and I know that we can catch the Notorious Banjo Brothers while we have lunch at Peco's Bills. I wish I could figure out how to post spreadsheets on here- anyone who is going to Disney in October would have an awesome resource!!! Basically, each park has absolutely every entertainment option- from parades, to the Dapper Dans, where they will be, the approximate length, etc.

For Example: Here are the entertainment options for when we are at Magic Kingdom:
Move It! Shake It! Celebrate It! Street Party
Main Street Trolley Parade
Main Street USA Actors
Main Street Philharmonic
Dapper Dans
Casey Corner Pianist
Flag Retreat Ceremony
Dream Along With Mickey
Captain Jack Sparrow's Pirate Tutorial
Notorious Banjo Brothers and Bob
Hoedown Parade (Country Bear)
Storytime with Belle
Club 626 Dance Party
Push the Talking Trashcan
Electric Water Pageant
"Wishes"
Kiss Goodnight

Imagine this as an excel spreadsheet, and these events are on the x
axis- they also have the location of each attraction. On the top bar of the y axis, I have the hour and half hour from 8:00 am to 11:00pm. Then- I basically graph the times. It's pretty user friendly, and easy to read. I also add the character meet schedule, in the same way.

Each day at the parks- My husband and I both carry backpacks, since we split up with the kids often, and we make sure that we have a little bit of one on one time with each kid during the week. Anyways- Each day I put together a gallon sized baggie to through in the backpacks. In it, I have the entertainment schedule in a protection sheet- that way, any receipts, or special treasures that need to be saved, can be thrown in there. Also in the baggie, I put the day's special treat ( I go to the dollar tree and buy candy for each day... perfect for waiting for parades), trial size sunscreen, nabs, the park map for the day, a washcloth, Purell, and wetwipes, Jolly Ranchers, and I think thats it! I try to keep it simple, so that after a long day at the park, I can just quickly get the backpack ready for the next day.

Sorry for the wordiness (is that a word?) If you are interested in the spreadsheets- just PM me, I would be glad to share!

Next edition-- Keeping the kids engaged, organization, etc...

 

[DisneyCP08]

Earl was a bust for us. They canceled classes, and it was a little windy for a couple of hours and really dark clouds. But, it didn't even rain. Maybe it was some Disney magic that made him just barely miss us.

 

[DisneyCP08]

Well- it's Sunday! This has become a pre-trip report and my mom's transplant report all in one!!

She was discharged yesterday- and is doing great! We had some isues with the anti-rejection medication and the pharmacy last night, which was pretty scary, but thankfully the Transplant Coordinator at UNC handled it all awesomely!

SOOOO- moving ahead with the trip...

I love reading other people's plans, which rides they are going to hit at which time. I also enjoy looking at the sites that give touring plans. Unfortunately, I know myself and my family well enough to know that there is NO WAY I could follow that!!! I get way to distracted with pretty store fronts, characters, etc. Also, my family is kind of divided between who likes rides and who likes shows & parades, so we kind of do a divide and conquer trip!

But, I also want to make sure that our time there is productive, and well spent- Not running across the park a million times a day from ride to attraction. Not standing in the middle of Frontierland wondering what to do next. Having the flexibility to ride a ride a second time, or sit and watch a show is really important to me, but so is not being confused on what our options are!

SO - I make spreadsheets. Guidelines on what the options are for the day. Not MUST DO's, but if at 2:00 I see the kids are fading, and I know that we can catch the Notorious Banjo Brothers while we have lunch at Peco's Bills. I wish I could figure out how to post spreadsheets on here- anyone who is going to Disney in October would have an awesome resource!!! Basically, each park has absolutely every entertainment option- from parades, to the Dapper Dans, where they will be, the approximate length, etc.

For Example: Here are the entertainment options for when we are at Magic Kingdom:
Move It! Shake It! Celebrate It! Street Party
Main Street Trolley Parade
Main Street USA Actors
Main Street Philharmonic
Dapper Dans
Casey Corner Pianist
Flag Retreat Ceremony
Dream Along With Mickey
Captain Jack Sparrow's Pirate Tutorial
Notorious Banjo Brothers and Bob
Hoedown Parade (Country Bear)
Storytime with Belle
Club 626 Dance Party
Push the Talking Trashcan
Electric Water Pageant
"Wishes"
Kiss Goodnight

Imagine this as an excel spreadsheet, and these events are on the x
axis- they also have the location of each attraction. On the top bar of the y axis, I have the hour and half hour from 8:00 am to 11:00pm. Then- I basically graph the times. It's pretty user friendly, and easy to read. I also add the character meet schedule, in the same way.

Each day at the parks- My husband and I both carry backpacks, since we split up with the kids often, and we make sure that we have a little bit of one on one time with each kid during the week. Anyways- Each day I put together a gallon sized baggie to through in the backpacks. In it, I have the entertainment schedule in a protection sheet- that way, any receipts, or special treasures that need to be saved, can be thrown in there. Also in the baggie, I put the day's special treat ( I go to the dollar tree and buy candy for each day... perfect for waiting for parades), trial size sunscreen, nabs, the park map for the day, a washcloth, Purell, and wetwipes, Jolly Ranchers, and I think thats it! I try to keep it simple, so that after a long day at the park, I can just quickly get the backpack ready for the next day.

Sorry for the wordiness (is that a word?) If you are interested in the spreadsheets- just PM me, I would be glad to share!

Next edition-- Keeping the kids engaged, organization, etc...

I think this is a really neat idea. And I may try it. Also, I hope your mom has a speedy recovery. We also think that the anticipation is one of the best parts of the trip. Our trip is a secret to my brother and sister and it has been killing my mom and me since April. But we only have 3 more months to go

I love the costume ideas and I am sure you will have some great pics at the parks, that will make extra special memories.