Driving down to Mickey's for Christmas!

[Monknmom]

Hi, my name is Heather. I have been bouncing everywhere through the DIS boards and have so many questions and such so I thought about opening up a PTR like someone had told me, but kept thinking 'NO that's too early, I can't imagine what I would type about for 8 months!' Then I started to find all of these people in the same place as me- WANTING to talk Disney, but not being able to at home because they were looked at as though they should be put in a stray jacket! Well that's settled I will start one on here and HOPEFULLY no one tries to shut me up or ask if we can talk about something else when I am trying to explain what a hidden Mickey is and how important it would be to make sure we get the dinner reservations set and thought of before our date comes up! When I had reservation discussion with DH his exact words "What are you cooking on April 24th for dinner?" That was back in March and I said what? He said yeah that's like asking me, what do I want to eat on our vacation.... so you see what I have to deal with? And my son has really no sense in time, so everyday we are on our way to Disney- I wish!!!! But here is my start and I will come back on later tonight-after learning how to begin with photobucket- to post some pictures of the who, what, when where, why and how of our trip!

 

[Monknmom]

Even though I don't have anyone following me yet that's fine because I'm mostly using this to keep my thoughts in one area instead of scattered on bits of paper around the car/house/purse and so on!
So let's start with the who..... My wonderful immediate family!

My DH-Kaung (also typed as K), he's going to be 26 on 4/29! We have been together for 7 years and this will be our first real family vacation- we take little trips to upstate NY a couple times a year! He's NOT into Disney, no let me re-type that he's NOT into the PRICE of Disney! He's not understanding that it includes EVERYTHING, except gifts! But what the hay, let him be grumpy and he will understand when we get there! It will be his first time going really anywhere- he's only been to N. Carolina, Washington DC, and NY! He came here when he was 13 from Burma! So... without further adieu this is him!

Next is me! My name is Heather, I just turned 25 a few weeks ago! I have been to Disney before, when I was like 10, but don't count it because I don't remember it and no one has anything to prove that I was ever there- nope no photos, souvenirs, nothing! I have been to many parts of the country before because I had been tossed between family as a kid and they were all in different states! So this is me.... (actually I have none of me, so this was taken a few minutes ago)!

Now for the most important person in our family.... TA-DA Damien Kurtis (also known as Monk, Monkey, Lovey and Punk)! He's our only little one and is 6 going on 30.... oh no, I mean going on 7 right before we get to Disney! He's very wise for his age and a little sponge! We learned early that he retains a lot and it only comes out when he feels like it! He has Asperger's and ADHD so I am scared about this trip, but people keep telling me that it's going to be fine! He doesn't take medicine though because we found out about the ADHD very early (he was 3) and didn't see that he needed it that early- we have him on a diet through the nutritionist though that's pretty strict and has been helping, when we go to Disney I told him that we may go off the diet a little bit! So here's that cutie pie!

A lot of people do not understand why we are taking this trip. We signed contract on a house last year on August 13th with a TON of trouble and horrors we closed on that house on December 30th. We literally walked out of closing with $22 left! We couldn't even move in because we had no money left for filling the oil tank, stocking the fridge, and so on so we continued staying in my grandfather's house (we moved in there because where we were renting they found another tenant and we had to get out). So this house needs work I mean we can live here without fixing it right away, but it needs new paint, siding, the pipes need to be redone and everything like that. So we don't have that much to do that stuff and if anything goes wrong while we are fixing that stuff we won't have the money for that too! So with that said we decided that this year we will go take a vacation and then next year and there after we put everything into the house until it's complete! This is the "treasure" my husband bought! I'm adding this because I will definitely be talking about this member of the family a bit too!

 

[veggiemama]

First one here, and first to sub! Hi! I'm Laura and I'm addicted to Disney! People think I'm strange but I come here and I'm completely normal, in fact I am probably less obsessed than some!

We are going to WDW in Dec too. Can't wait! This is the first time that summer does not have me as excited as seeing the snow once again!!!

WDW is great with food allergies and restrictions. I am a vegan with a dairy and egg allergy and they were great last time we were there. I made ADR's for a number of places and had some really good food and at the CS I was always able to get something. Not always was it really great but it was filling and that is all that matters sometimes

Looking forward to reading more about you and your trip.

Oh, and I completely understand the apathetic hubby!! My hubby can't understand (there are some very interesting conversations regarding disney that we have, I have written some of them in my PTR) but thankfully they love us and go along with all our crazy!

 

[annmarieda]

yay!! another December PTR!!! I am in!

 

[annmarieda]

Ok... went back and read....

1st, your ds is adorable!!!

2nd, I think we can all sympathize with the dh who isn't so much into Disney....or bare minimum doesn't want to talk about it as much as we do.

3rd, I get the house stuff. We need to paint, put flooring down, a new roof... new siding... heck... you name it and it should be done around here. Thus far we take trips since the kids are only going to be young for a short time...and the house will still need work. This year... it will be our first Christmas that 2 of our kids will likely not even be with us. To ease that pain... I figured it would be a good time to go. Do we still need to spend money on the house... OH Yeah!!

 

[Monknmom]

First one here, and first to sub! Hi! I'm Laura and I'm addicted to Disney! People think I'm strange but I come here and I'm completely normal, in fact I am probably less obsessed than some!

We are going to WDW in Dec too. Can't wait! This is the first time that summer does not have me as excited as seeing the snow once again!!!

WDW is great with food allergies and restrictions. I am a vegan with a dairy and egg allergy and they were great last time we were there. I made ADR's for a number of places and had some really good food and at the CS I was always able to get something. Not always was it really great but it was filling and that is all that matters sometimes

Looking forward to reading more about you and your trip.

Oh, and I completely understand the apathetic hubby!! My hubby can't understand (there are some very interesting conversations regarding disney that we have, I have written some of them in my PTR) but thankfully they love us and go along with all our crazy!

Thank you! After I finish up here I am going to get over and sub yours! I love all of the people going in December! Ha ha I know about the snow... we had a really bad winter! and I'm actually wanting it to come back! But until then I am going to keep myself busy with the yard and gardening! And any little repairs that we can do here and there without getting into it too much, so I hope that the time goes by at a decent pace!
I have heard how good they are with food! After we sit down and talk about dining ressies and book them I was told to call them about a week-2 to remind them! so I was planning on that!
This DH is just something! I mean we are driving down and I'm giving him a couple of things too (a jail, a restaurant I know he'll like, the president's hall I know he'll like) so he should just be right now! Just kidding

Ok... went back and read....

1st, your ds is adorable!!!

2nd, I think we can all sympathize with the dh who isn't so much into Disney....or bare minimum doesn't want to talk about it as much as we do.

3rd, I get the house stuff. We need to paint, put flooring down, a new roof... new siding... heck... you name it and it should be done around here. Thus far we take trips since the kids are only going to be young for a short time...and the house will still need work. This year... it will be our first Christmas that 2 of our kids will likely not even be with us. To ease that pain... I figured it would be a good time to go. Do we still need to spend money on the house... OH Yeah!!

Oh thank you for coming over! Yeah I think that he's cute too! I joke around that he's so cute I just want to eat him!
I know... DH's they just don't understand! They think it's a "vacation" but I'm learning it's really not the vacation you'd be relaxed for!
Yeah people are looking at me NUTS because we told them we are going to Disney this year- and I try to explain that even if we don't go to Disney we still won't be able to do much to the house this year because if I start pulling siding down and we find that the boards need to be replaced then where is that money going to come from? so I am just ignoring them right now honestlybut don't tell them that! Next year when we get a really good tax money back and we have saved up for more than one project I have no problem doing the house, but this year it's not going to happen! PLUS we don't have credit cards or loans or anything like that- we try to pay out of pocket and if we don't have it we can't get it! So... people don't understand that either they say just put it on the credit card and pay it off- yeah I'm not a debt kind of person and get nervous when I owe money to people so that doesn't work for me! But anyway! thank you for joining! I have been reading yours too! 2 of my brothers are in the Army and a few of K's cousins are in the air force! A very proud thing for families to say I think! Scary yes, but proud!

 

[Monknmom]

Last night researching my night away for our trip I came across a website- roadsideamerica.com and found the NEATEST things to stop at for rests and laughs on our way! I am honestly so excited about the way down there! Every state has treasures of it's own that sound so interesting, but I limited myself to not get too off the beaten track of things to see! So here is the list that I came up with to stop at (most are just for a few seconds to jump out and take a picture, but some are tours)! If you go there and just look up your state I am sure that you could find things that you didn't even know about! Like I found out that there is a huge duck statue near where I have been living and never saw it, yet go into that town all of the time! So here is a list in order! If you want to learn more about any of these places just go to the website and type in the attractions name and state and you can read about it! There are so many others, but these sound like things that my family would like! We are driving from Long Island, NY to Florida but leaving at 7 pm- my son's normal bedtime so we aren't going to stop at anywhere until we get to Pennsylvania where traffic is a lot less hectic than Jersey and New York! So here's the list:
~18 wheeler truck on a billboard (PA)- just sounds kinda cool
~Giant Paint can (PA)- to remind us of the work we have to do next year
~We are then going to just stop in Carlisle, PA for sleep
~Old Jail (Chambersburg, PA)- this is for DH, he likes to see this kind of stuff and it's one of the jails Ghost Hunters (on syfy aka Taps) have investigated and found "activity"I'm a scaredy cat so I have NO problem waiting in the car while he takes this tour!
~Route 11 Chips (mount Jackson, VA)- we don't eat these at home so it's going to be a treat for Damien!
~Doofy Johnny Apple seed (New market, VA)- will just be a funny thing!
~Coffee pot building (Lexington, VA)- my DH loves coffee so I thought that this would be cute and if it's a real store we can stop in for a snack or something!
~King Kong crushing an airplane (Bridge, VA)- they also have a pink Cadillac restaurant with a funny humpty dumpty- maybe a bit to eat!
~Moose statue (Moorseville, NC)- just for fun
~Brick Kids (Charlotte, NC)- This looks really cool and my son loves to read so this would be cute for him!
~Old man traffic (Charlotte, NC)- there are a lot of statues to see in this town area so I think we will just walk around and grab a bite to eat!
~The Civitas (rockhill, SC)- this is more for the history of the statues themselves!
~World's smallest Police station (ridgeway, SC)- I think that this is so funny- in NY we have these HUGE police stations and to think that a town can get away with such a tiny one!
~Rest in Walterboro
~Pink and Blue Elephant (Hardeeville, SC)- my son likes animals and that would be a cute picture!
~Cow Mailbox (Savannah, GA)- It belongs to below so how rude would it be to forget it
~Giant Cow (Savannah, GA)- again with the animals and some people say this one gets dressed up for the holidays!
~Submarine on Land (St. Mary's, GA)- lots of our family is/has been in some type of army division and my dad used to be in the Navy so I thought that this would be nice to show Damien what Grandpa Tom did in the Navy! I just hope that you can tour it- I will have to call first! And we are going to have a picnic there too!
~7-up can (Jacksonville, FL)- again just for the pictures!
~Official Disney welcome Center (Ocala, FL)- just to see what they have and get our minds in the Disney move before getting to our hotel!

*there are so many things that I want to add on and maybe some I am thinking about taking off... as we get closer I am going to really take a good look at this. I plan to give Damien a journal and after we see these things I want him to draw what he saw, after the trip I will add the picture that we took of it and put it with his picture and I think that would be a nice thing to have for his own "book" and to show his class when we get back- so it's not just Disney But mostly Disney! Any tips or suggestions of things you know would be nice! When I don't have it down that we are stopping to eat it's because I just haven't looked it up yet- I am bringing snacks in the car and a cooler with water. I figured that all of the hotels we will stop at have a continental breakfast so that's taken care of! But if you know anything good let us know! We are not just taking 95 down because my mom lives right off 95 and since we are going to see her on our way home for Christmas we wanted to take a different route to get there (so we see different things each way and don't get bored) although there are so many things I think we could use one way there and back and still not hit all of the attractions!

 

[veggiemama]

WOW! I love all the things you are planning to do. I think it's great that you are exploring on the way down and not just rushing to get to WDW.... though honestly how you are going to stop and be patient I don't know!

We have done similar things around here. We have gone to many small town festivals to check it out and have stopped at many towns to take pictures of the largest..... well, fill in the blank. I believe we have a trout, an Easter egg, a frog, moose, elk, etc etc... my doesn't that make it sound like I live in the North?!! Sheesh!

We would love to drive down to WDW someday but it would take a week both ways to do that, there wouldn't be anytime to spend IN WDW if we drove.

 

[Monknmom]

WOW! I love all the things you are planning to do. I think it's great that you are exploring on the way down and not just rushing to get to WDW.... though honestly how you are going to stop and be patient I don't know!

We have done similar things around here. We have gone to many small town festivals to check it out and have stopped at many towns to take pictures of the largest..... well, fill in the blank. I believe we have a trout, an Easter egg, a frog, moose, elk, etc etc... my doesn't that make it sound like I live in the North?!! Sheesh!

We would love to drive down to WDW someday but it would take a week both ways to do that, there wouldn't be anytime to spend IN WDW if we drove.

Thank you! I am worried that we will want to get there that we will get there too early, but hey is getting to Disney ever too early? We should take about 2 days to get there (only a 21 hour drive, but we need to sleep- I think, that's what DH says at least)! I do want to add more though!

 

[Monknmom]

I NEVER said when I was going or anything like that! Sorry..... We are leaving here (Long Island) on the 16th and getting to Disney on the 18th and staying at the all star movies until Dec. 23rd- I am hoping that I can make this a little longer though !
Lots of reasons why we are staying at the All star movies!

1-My son's favorite movies are Toy Story movies! We requested that we stay there, but if not I hear that the park is right there and he will see them when we let him play every now and then!
2- If we stay at a value we can stay longer and in the park a little longer too!
3- I think that the values are a little more "kid" friendly and more disney than the moderates and Deluxes and such!


We are on the Deluxe Disney Dining plan because even though my DH weighs less than a feather he loves to EAT! So hey there's another thing that I added just for him! I am going to post a few of the places that we are thinking about and because you guys have been there before I would like your thoughts!

 

[Monknmom]

****Warning- this is a rant about EVERYTHING that has just gotten to me today and I just want somewhere to let it all go---- Lord knows if I put it on my facebook my mother is going to call me "What are you writing about? You don't need to post your life everywhere!" Oh my she's another story and I could spend a whole post on her, but really she's not part of todayhonestly I'm shocked she isn't!

1- my little niece (my sister's daughter) is in a custody battle in AR between my sister and my sister's ex mother in law- my sister's dumb and signed custody rights of her daughter to her mother in law. Well shockingly her sister was right and now she wants custody back- really I shouldn't care about this, but I feel like she shouldn't be in either house and she knows what's going on and when I speak with her on the phone (she's only 4 going on 5 in May and has only met me in person 1 time her whole life 2 years ago but talks to me about 2-3 times a week on the phone) she BEGS me to come and get her so that she can live with me and Damien and Uncle K! It breaks my heart every time, but as much as I beg my sister and the mother in law to just let Lily come here while they argue they don't! I just feel so bad! I really am stuck because in the state of Arkansas I would have to live/stay there while the custody trials are going on, it's been going on for about 2 months now and as much as I love my little Lily pie I can't leave my own son for her and he can't miss all of that school to be with me! So I'm stuck!

2- Our school district lets us be in part with the debate for the board of Ed meetings to come up with the budget numbers for the vote! It's our first year to own a home so we have never gone to any of these! I am lost in most of the meetings and ask a TON of questions to whoever is sitting with me- I don't think that I have ever had the same person sit next to me 2x in a row! But they are saying that NY Gov. is cutting $9.5 million from the budget and they are going to raise the taxes 12%, they need to cut $7.3 million from the budget to make the numbers work or raise the taxes even higher! I don't understand, why can't we just negociate the contracts? I know that my son's teacher- this is from her own mouth- makes a little over $87,000 per year and "deserves it because of all the schooling she had to pay for to get where she is". They do deserve what they get I agree, but maybe if they paid into the health care a little bit they could keep some other teachers around! And tonight the super's salary was discussed and he admitted to making $290,000 per year plus what he gets reimbursed for! So with this being said, they are asking "what do you think is most important for you and your kids to keep?" Well my son's only in kindergarten, but I know that he wants to play in the jazz band and soccer! So those are important to me, but to run both of those it costs over $3 million dollars (that includes all music and sports), so maybe then they can't keep the full day kindergarten and the after school clubs (debate, government, and so on) and they have to cut the career school that our district has to save themselves about $2.3 million! It's sad, very sad and 50% of the budget is devoted to salaries we are shown by the budget committee... why can't we renegotiate the contracts? It's so confusing!
3- I have to rake the leaves again tomorrow..... this is probably the worst thing that I could have to do! I love to garden, I love to mow, but I hate the leaves! And it seems as though some weird people lived here before us because they never cleaned the yard (which is kinda sad the rest of the neighborhood looks so nice, then there is my house) and I am finding 1/2 decomposed dolls bodies and the full head, arms and legs, beer cans, candy wrappers, tons and tons of metal pools and boat paddles (we live near the water and have docking rights so they had a boat) and with the boat I found fish bones??? And a few dead birds! So PLEASE send me good wishes for the leaves! Thank you! Oh and after all of the leaves are FINALLY picked up we have to then weed the beds and can till the ground and hopefully by then the last frost will be gone and we can plant!

Okay so that's my rant.... sorry! I am really sorry to teachers out there I understand that you are doing a great job and I appreciate it, but my DH has to pay 1/2 of our health insurance plan- why not you? And the super I think makes too much! I DH makes that much in a little over 5 years (not including the expenses that are reimbursed!)! But anyway, sorry for this, I will get back to the trip in the AM!

 

[mphalens]

Hi!!!

I live in Charlotte, NC and had to look up both "Brick kids" and "Old Man Traffic" from your list ...

I think your idea of stopping places like that is really neat ... but I can tell you that those two places are NOT exactly on your path to Disney ...
"brick kids" will take you into Uptown Charlotte and is easily a good 20 minutes off the highway to get to ...

and then continuing from Brick Kids to Old Man Traffic ... well, it's REALLY not easy to get from one to the other without getting lost, and I LIVE here and know the city ... Charlotte is one of those places that likes to name streets using the same few names ... and the "intersection" of Providence Rd & Queens ... well, there's more than one... Make sense? Nope. Not at all

So... I'd totally stick with the Rock Hill stop (it's cool!!!) and on the way to that there's a Baseball water tower But unless you feel like spending a day, I'd stay out of Charlotte except for Rt 77 as you drive through ...

 

[Monknmom]

Hi!!!

I live in Charlotte, NC and had to look up both "Brick kids" and "Old Man Traffic" from your list ...

I think your idea of stopping places like that is really neat ... but I can tell you that those two places are NOT exactly on your path to Disney ...
"brick kids" will take you into Uptown Charlotte and is easily a good 20 minutes off the highway to get to ...

and then continuing from Brick Kids to Old Man Traffic ... well, it's REALLY not easy to get from one to the other without getting lost, and I LIVE here and know the city ... Charlotte is one of those places that likes to name streets using the same few names ... and the "intersection" of Providence Rd & Queens ... well, there's more than one... Make sense? Nope. Not at all

So... I'd totally stick with the Rock Hill stop (it's cool!!!) and on the way to that there's a Baseball water tower But unless you feel like spending a day, I'd stay out of Charlotte except for Rt 77 as you drive through ...

Oh, I didn't know that! Thank you! They look cool, but I was only planning on maybe staying an hour or so there, so I might have to rethink that! But hey, that means that I can add some other stuff that I liked! I am going to re-do the list a thousand times before we leave, I know that ! My mom lives over in Jacksonville! there is a root beer factory over there in a town with the name of Spring? that gives free tours, but we are coming in on Christmas eve and leaving Christmas day to go to Fort Bragg (but only here for a few hours to say good bye to my brother) so I don't think that it will be open, I love root beer- so I had to change that! But thank you for the information! I am going to look up the stuff that you said and see if we can add it in! I love all of these little things along the way to go places! To some people it seems like a waste of gas but to me it's like a treasure hunt!

 

[annmarieda]

What a cool idea to make those stops. I have never made stops like that. Usually, when we are on the road we hurry from point A to point B.

Sorry for your bad day. Having kids, I sympathize with school woes. I was shocked when we had ds at home for an online program. Because it was a publicly funded program the state paid the same for him as they would if he went to a brick and mortar school. The supplies that were sent to him were amazing... new books, art class materials... even a microscope one year. I guess since they didn't have to pay for heat and teachers and custodians and office workers... that allotment for him went a lot further. In no way am I saying that those people are not a vital part of a what makes a school work... nor am I saying they don't deserve to be paid, but... I was just amazed at how much comes from each child to pay for those.

 

[Monknmom]

What a cool idea to make those stops. I have never made stops like that. Usually, when we are on the road we hurry from point A to point B.

Sorry for your bad day. Having kids, I sympathize with school woes. I was shocked when we had ds at home for an online program. Because it was a publicly funded program the state paid the same for him as they would if he went to a brick and mortar school. The supplies that were sent to him were amazing... new books, art class materials... even a microscope one year. I guess since they didn't have to pay for heat and teachers and custodians and office workers... that allotment for him went a lot further. In no way am I saying that those people are not a vital part of a what makes a school work... nor am I saying they don't deserve to be paid, but... I was just amazed at how much comes from each child to pay for those.

Yeah... I never thought of doing all of those stops when we travel upstate we drive from A to B and stop for potty and sleep (well going upstate we don't need sleep it's only 8-9 hours), but someone suggested it to me that instead of stopping in the middle of no where to eat make it an interesting stop! So I did what she said and now I'm hooked on that site, I love typing in where I have been and seeing everything that I have missed! It's true- on the DIS boards people tell you to slow down when going from ride to ride and you'll find great things, well I learned that now in like too!
Yes it is crazy, I have thought of homeschooling Monk, but I'd still have all of the taxes and he needs services I know that I can't give him... PLUS that little one has me on my toes ALL the time It's nice to have that little break while he's at school to keep my cool! But I love him just the same! And it's not the school district I'm made at it's Governor Cuomo.... he passed all of these new laws! I didn't vote for him, but I'm getting the deal from him and have written so many times- it doesn't help! We live in a high needs district (we have some of the highest numbers of special needs kids here) and the governments (state and federal) put these mandates on school districts on what they have to supply and guidelines they have to follow but don't help pay for these mandates- THEN they lower the amount of funding that they are going to give!

ANYWAY---- today was a new day and I just got back from our first practice of the season (DH and I are the coaches of DS's team)! Sunday is our first game and I have exciting trip news I will post later- well exciting for me!

 

[Monknmom]

Enter my pretty little niece Lily Hope! If all goes really well with Disney and they offer a really GREAT discount I can take my little Lily Pie with us to Disney on my own expense! Her uncle K is the one that suggested it when she was talking to him- we weren't going to mention that we were going to her because we felt bad, but Damien let it slip (he's 6 what can I say he's excited)! And she begged Uncle K "I promise I won't fight with Damien uncle K, promise!" It's so bitter sweet to watch Grumpy hear that because it's my sister's daughter so really no blood line to him, but even grumpy feels like a blade in his heart!

She's going to be 5 at the end of May and has only met me once- the Christmas of 2008....

She feel in love with her "auntie", "uncle K" and Damien

Yes there were some fights that broke out

But what can you expect from 2 only children?

Anyway--- since then everytime we get to talk to her on the phone she BEGS us to come get her! You wouldn't really now it but she has a hard life and she's only 4, going on 5 in May. But she has been through some pretty tough stuff and learned some pretty rough stuff that NO child should have to! So hopefully these great deals come out so that I can add her on to the trip! So let's all keep our fingers crossed!

 

[annmarieda]

I sooo hope something comes out so she can go with you guys. She is just too adorable!!!

 

[disneyaddicted]

Omagosh your little boy is so cute! I hope Lily gets to go with you. I don't know first hand from a childs perspective what a custody battle feels like, but I battled it out in the courts for 13 years for my 2 children, it really took a toll on them, the judge never gave their Dad custody but it didn't stop their Dad from taking me back to court over every little tiny thing. Parents don't give kids enough credit, they think they don't know what's going on, but even if the kids don't know details they can still pick up negativity real quick. I am praying for Lily, God bless her.

I have a December trip planned with my sister, (my kids are almost 17 and 19 and don't care for Disney) our mother is going too. Our dates are earlier than yours but I would love to follow along with your PTR and talk Disney with ya.

 

[Monknmom]

I sooo hope something comes out so she can go with you guys. She is just too adorable!!!

Me too! Thank you! And I hope that July comes quick for you (though the day of the wedding I hope that it lasts forever with great memories)!

Omagosh your little boy is so cute! I hope Lily gets to go with you. I don't know first hand from a childs perspective what a custody battle feels like, but I battled it out in the courts for 13 years for my 2 children, it really took a toll on them, the judge never gave their Dad custody but it didn't stop their Dad from taking me back to court over every little tiny thing. Parents don't give kids enough credit, they think they don't know what's going on, but even if the kids don't know details they can still pick up negativity real quick. I am praying for Lily, God bless her.

I have a December trip planned with my sister, (my kids are almost 17 and 19 and don't care for Disney) our mother is going too. Our dates are earlier than yours but I would love to follow along with your PTR and talk Disney with ya.

Yeah I went through custody battles with my parents too! So it is hard, and what breaks my heart the most is that she hears everything that they say about each other! I wish I could just pick her up and let her stay here forever! But truth is she's almost a year and a half younger than Damien and she knows more about life lessons and hard times and such than he does!
But anyway I am subbing in your post and will come back and read it later- right now I am not supposed to be on the internet I have to be at Damien's class in 20 min- his teacher lets one parent come in a day to be a helper and it's my day every Friday!

 

[veggiemama]

I really, really hope things work out that you can take your sweet Lily with you to WDW

Even better if you could protect her from the harshness of life but if she can't live with you right now, at least you could give her something to remember that would be positive instead