MEK
DIS Veteran
- Joined
- May 8, 2005
Well Dis friends and Lurkers alike....It's that time again. Yes indeedy, time for a new trip report. This will be my third in this calendar year and my 5th TR in all. I love TR's. They are a ton of work, but they have allowed me to meet some wonderful Dis friends. I think the nicest people on the boards hang out on the TR threads! And I think meeting Dis friends in person is so fun because everyone is just as nice in person as they are on the internet.
As luck would have it, several Disers planned a May trip and were at the world during the same timeframe that I was. Let's see - Ellen (Podsnel) and the collective Dismoms stormed the Beach Club, Tracy (manntra) and her friend Sue kicked back at Kidani, and Katie and her SIL camped out at Coronado Springs. So it was fun to run into all these cool Disers during my trip.
Trip Details
Ever since we joined DVC in the fall of 07, trip planning has become a way of life for me. I am always planning my next trip....always thinking ahead, always counting points, always enabling myself and those around me. I started planning this trip in March of 09. Yup - that's right - the wheels started spinning 14 months before the actual trip commenced. Denny and I were visiting his brother and SIL at their beach house. Their kids are all grown and out of the house, so I asked if they would like to visit Disney "next spring" of 2010. They were enthusiastic and since my BIL is a girls highschool basketball coach, we decided the first week of May would work out well for everyone's schedule. I told them I would confirm dates about 8 months out from the trip.
Well at 8 months things had changed a bit for BIL & SIL....seems they were expecting their second grandchild right around departure time, so they opted out. But not to be deterred, I knew I could enable my friends Chuck and Cathy. Chuck had graciously watched my boys last September while Denny and I hit the world for free dining. I figured taking Chuck to the place of my addiction was his just reward for watching my teenage boys for a few days. I was psyched when Chuck and Cathy agreed to this trip.
The only thing left to do was to make the reservation. Since we've joined DVC I am on a mission to stay at all of the DVC resorts. I have stayed at Vero Beach, SSR, and Kidani. That left VWL, BC, Boardwalk, BLT, and OKW on my list. I picked VWL because I fell in love with the WL when Denny and I ate at Artist Point in September. After a fabulous dinner, complete with a wine pairing, we walked hand in hand to the beach and stared out on Bay Lake a I declared, "I MUST stay here". The seed was planted, all I had to do was wait for my 7 month window to open.
And when it did I was on the phone to member services at exactly 9am. I asked the cast member to check VWL, BC, and Boardwalk for a 2BR....in that order. When she came back to the phone and said a 2BR was available at VWL, I did not hesitate. "Check no further", I declared. The reservation was made!
Making the reservation was the easy part. As the trip got closer it looked like keeping the reservation was proving to be difficult. If you've read my previous TR's you know that I have two teenage sons - Brian 17 and Nicholas 15. I'll be honest - this has not been the best year for Brian. Sometime during the fall I noted that he was becoming increasingly oppositional. Not just oppositional, but defiant and verbally abusive. This has been very difficult for us as a family. There were several moments during the last 6 months when we did not think both of us would be able to go on the trip. We did not think it was safe to leave Brian home, even with adult supervision. He was becoming so difficult and unpredictable that we were afraid for his safety.
Well, I started doing a lot of research on oppositional defiance in teenagers and I learned something very, very important. Often this disorder is associated with ADD or ADHD. To a lesser degree it is associated with anxiety disorders, depression, or bipolar. I started to really analyze Brian's behavior over the past few years and I realized I needed to have him tested for ADD. Brian has never had problems with his teachers and until this year has had reasonable grades. But I have never felt like he has reached his full potential. In fact, every year I found him getting further and further away from his potential. I always wrote this off to lack of motivation. I finally realized that was I thought was lack of motivation, was something more. So in the weeks that lead up to this trip I was busy having Brian tested and he ultimately started on Adderall.
I don't think any parent wants to start their children on medication, but sometimes you reach a point where you are desperate. So despite my hesitation, I filled the prescription and Brian started it. Interestingly, Brian admitted to me that he had taken Adderall on two separate occasions before he was actually tested. I was alarmed to find that high school students share this medication. But armed with this knowledge, I realized that I needed to dispense this controlled medicine myself.
So what happened when Brian started adderall?????
So far this medication has made a huge difference in his oppositional behavior. He is much less angry and impulsive. He seems happier and better organized. His grades are slowly improving. He's really like a different kid. I know its not a panacea, but it's definately improved his quality of life and things are a lot more peaceful around the house. I don't know what each day will bring, but I feel hopeful that Brian can learn organizational techniques that will help him be successful in his senior year. And its so refreshing to see him calm and content. I hope he wlll now be more receptive to suggestions which help him stay organized and on task.
So, needless to say, there was quite a bit of stress in our house prior to this trip. Fortunately, a coworker of mine proved to be a God-send. She works nights and is single and she agreed to stay at my house for several of the nights that we would be away. My kids balked, but ultimately the really enjoyed having her here. I knew they would. She's a cool person and she saved me a huge amount of stress and concern.
So trip planned, ADRS made, Dismeets confirmed, teenager supervision arranged.....the trip was a go. Well....not quite a go, because there was one other little problem that almost caused my carefully laid plans to crumble.
So....up Next......"I Have What???????"
As luck would have it, several Disers planned a May trip and were at the world during the same timeframe that I was. Let's see - Ellen (Podsnel) and the collective Dismoms stormed the Beach Club, Tracy (manntra) and her friend Sue kicked back at Kidani, and Katie and her SIL camped out at Coronado Springs. So it was fun to run into all these cool Disers during my trip.
Trip Details
Ever since we joined DVC in the fall of 07, trip planning has become a way of life for me. I am always planning my next trip....always thinking ahead, always counting points, always enabling myself and those around me. I started planning this trip in March of 09. Yup - that's right - the wheels started spinning 14 months before the actual trip commenced. Denny and I were visiting his brother and SIL at their beach house. Their kids are all grown and out of the house, so I asked if they would like to visit Disney "next spring" of 2010. They were enthusiastic and since my BIL is a girls highschool basketball coach, we decided the first week of May would work out well for everyone's schedule. I told them I would confirm dates about 8 months out from the trip.
Well at 8 months things had changed a bit for BIL & SIL....seems they were expecting their second grandchild right around departure time, so they opted out. But not to be deterred, I knew I could enable my friends Chuck and Cathy. Chuck had graciously watched my boys last September while Denny and I hit the world for free dining. I figured taking Chuck to the place of my addiction was his just reward for watching my teenage boys for a few days. I was psyched when Chuck and Cathy agreed to this trip.
The only thing left to do was to make the reservation. Since we've joined DVC I am on a mission to stay at all of the DVC resorts. I have stayed at Vero Beach, SSR, and Kidani. That left VWL, BC, Boardwalk, BLT, and OKW on my list. I picked VWL because I fell in love with the WL when Denny and I ate at Artist Point in September. After a fabulous dinner, complete with a wine pairing, we walked hand in hand to the beach and stared out on Bay Lake a I declared, "I MUST stay here". The seed was planted, all I had to do was wait for my 7 month window to open.
And when it did I was on the phone to member services at exactly 9am. I asked the cast member to check VWL, BC, and Boardwalk for a 2BR....in that order. When she came back to the phone and said a 2BR was available at VWL, I did not hesitate. "Check no further", I declared. The reservation was made!
Making the reservation was the easy part. As the trip got closer it looked like keeping the reservation was proving to be difficult. If you've read my previous TR's you know that I have two teenage sons - Brian 17 and Nicholas 15. I'll be honest - this has not been the best year for Brian. Sometime during the fall I noted that he was becoming increasingly oppositional. Not just oppositional, but defiant and verbally abusive. This has been very difficult for us as a family. There were several moments during the last 6 months when we did not think both of us would be able to go on the trip. We did not think it was safe to leave Brian home, even with adult supervision. He was becoming so difficult and unpredictable that we were afraid for his safety.
Well, I started doing a lot of research on oppositional defiance in teenagers and I learned something very, very important. Often this disorder is associated with ADD or ADHD. To a lesser degree it is associated with anxiety disorders, depression, or bipolar. I started to really analyze Brian's behavior over the past few years and I realized I needed to have him tested for ADD. Brian has never had problems with his teachers and until this year has had reasonable grades. But I have never felt like he has reached his full potential. In fact, every year I found him getting further and further away from his potential. I always wrote this off to lack of motivation. I finally realized that was I thought was lack of motivation, was something more. So in the weeks that lead up to this trip I was busy having Brian tested and he ultimately started on Adderall.
I don't think any parent wants to start their children on medication, but sometimes you reach a point where you are desperate. So despite my hesitation, I filled the prescription and Brian started it. Interestingly, Brian admitted to me that he had taken Adderall on two separate occasions before he was actually tested. I was alarmed to find that high school students share this medication. But armed with this knowledge, I realized that I needed to dispense this controlled medicine myself.
So what happened when Brian started adderall?????
So far this medication has made a huge difference in his oppositional behavior. He is much less angry and impulsive. He seems happier and better organized. His grades are slowly improving. He's really like a different kid. I know its not a panacea, but it's definately improved his quality of life and things are a lot more peaceful around the house. I don't know what each day will bring, but I feel hopeful that Brian can learn organizational techniques that will help him be successful in his senior year. And its so refreshing to see him calm and content. I hope he wlll now be more receptive to suggestions which help him stay organized and on task.
So, needless to say, there was quite a bit of stress in our house prior to this trip. Fortunately, a coworker of mine proved to be a God-send. She works nights and is single and she agreed to stay at my house for several of the nights that we would be away. My kids balked, but ultimately the really enjoyed having her here. I knew they would. She's a cool person and she saved me a huge amount of stress and concern.
So trip planned, ADRS made, Dismeets confirmed, teenager supervision arranged.....the trip was a go. Well....not quite a go, because there was one other little problem that almost caused my carefully laid plans to crumble.
So....up Next......"I Have What???????"
We just hit that wall, you know? A nap, a swim, talking to the kids and a late dinner at the resort was the best revival I could have hoped for.
So glad to see you've started! Glad to hear Brian is coninuing to make progress and I hope the improvements continue! 
OMG...you two crazy kids. Am I gonna have to come down there and separate you????????
And I must confess, I was equally as absent minded at times!
I really need to take a class, of course I've been saying that for a year and a half....... 
