Guilting my sister back to the World

[Glittercat]

Okay. Caught up, cried three times, and I'm head over heels for your family! Loved the comment about Aria having more in common with Iron Man. So glad her surgery went well and that she'll get to swim when in Florida. I was a hospital kid (bones not heart) from age 8 on, and it is great to hear good things about the hospital that does her operations! Our daughter Celeste was very nearly named Aria but then I had a dream in which she introduced herself, and from that moment forward she was Celeste. I think Amara and Celeste would get along quite well! C. has preferred adult menus since she was 3, and we've been sharing food since. lol. Tokyo Dining is one of our very faves as well! OOOh now going to have to add Flying Fish and Cape May, never been to either! How about Disneybounding as Stitch or Lilo for Aria?

 

[tarak]

Okay. Caught up, cried three times, and I'm head over heels for your family! Loved the comment about Aria having more in common with Iron Man. So glad her surgery went well and that she'll get to swim when in Florida. I was a hospital kid (bones not heart) from age 8 on, and it is great to hear good things about the hospital that does her operations! Our daughter Celeste was very nearly named Aria but then I had a dream in which she introduced herself, and from that moment forward she was Celeste. I think Amara and Celeste would get along quite well! C. has preferred adult menus since she was 3, and we've been sharing food since. lol. Tokyo Dining is one of our very faves as well! OOOh now going to have to add Flying Fish and Cape May, never been to either! How about Disneybounding as Stitch or Lilo for Aria?
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Aria is such a Stitch kid. That's a really cute idea! I love Lilo, too, as a character. We watched Lilo and Stitch at the hospital, too. Amara would be all about putting together outfits, I think. She's much more organized that way.

I'm so sorry you had to go through that as a kid. One of Amara's good friends has juvenile RA and spends a good amount of time at Hershey. She has another friend who's going through her second bout with cancer. It really stinks.

 

[Glittercat]

Aria is such a Stitch kid. That's a really cute idea! I love Lilo, too, as a character. We watched Lilo and Stitch at the hospital, too. Amara would be all about putting together outfits, I think. She's much more organized that way.

I'm so sorry you had to go through that as a kid. One of Amara's good friends has juvenile RA and spends a good amount of time at Hershey. She has another friend who's going through her second bout with cancer. It really stinks.

Stitch is one of most favorite characters so I under her adoration of him. Amara might have fun with Disneybounding, Celeste and are doing some for our next trip.

I was diagnosed with JRA at 9 after having surgery for EDS but they did not know that at the time lol.
I'm so sorry for the trials and tribulations that your daughter's friends are going through. That is really sad and I hope the one with cancer has full remission and recovery. I'm glad your daughters have each other, and that you will all be back in the World soon!

 

[luvpoohandcompany]

Joining in. Loving it all. Aria looks so cute in her stitch outfit. Love that she is so close to her big sister. Hoping for a speedy recovery for Aria and all her friends. Looking forward to hearing more

 

[JoshAndEvsMom]

Oh my word, Tara! Your girls have me in tears, they are so sweet! I am so glad Aria is doing better. I can only imagine the week you had, mama.

Hope you have all gotten some rest and enjoy your Mother's Day!!

 

[tarak]

Joining in. Loving it all. Aria looks so cute in her stitch outfit. Love that she is so close to her big sister. Hoping for a speedy recovery for Aria and all her friends. Looking forward to hearing more

Welcome! And thank you - she's doing really well. Although I suspect she overdid things yesterday (refused to take a nap and acted like she hadn't had surgery less than a week before). Silly toddler.

Oh my word, Tara! Your girls have me in tears, they are so sweet! I am so glad Aria is doing better. I can only imagine the week you had, mama.

Hope you have all gotten some rest and enjoy your Mother's Day!!

Thank you - actually, having her home and healthy was the best mother's day gift ever. We spent a few hours at Hershey Park, which was a lot of fun. We didn't do anything too strenuous (rode the carousel a few times and went on the gentle kiddie rides for the most part). She was so mad when we left to go home. I was just glad she didn't show off her incision to anyone. She's quite proud of it, but it does tend to freak people out.

 

[luvpoohandcompany]

Good for Aria being proud of her battle wounds. I have a few from childhood myself and I was embarrassed a little as a teenager ( only ever wore a one piece swimsuit). Then 1 fine day it dawned on me if I didn't have the scars I wouldn't be alive so I decided I was not going to worry anymore what others might think!

 

[tarak]

Good for Aria being proud of her battle wounds. I have a few from childhood myself and I was embarrassed a little as a teenager ( only ever wore a one piece swimsuit). Then 1 fine day it dawned on me if I didn't have the scars I wouldn't be alive so I decided I was not going to worry anymore what others might think!

I totally agree about them being battle scars. She would absolutely not be here without hers. Just wish she had fewer of them. We have her post-op appointment tomorrow. Dreading the echo-cardiogram. She's usually good for the EKG and even the interrogation of her pacemaker (they put a wand over the PM and check to make sure it's functioning right). They'll probably tweak a few settings. By the time the echo rolls around, she's done and no amount of bribing will get her to cooperate. When she was younger, I'd just nurse her while they did it. The pediatric cardio staff at Hershey Med have seen more of me than I'm sure they ever bargained for.

 

[luvpoohandcompany]

It must be so tough for you both going through this now but you are doing an awesome job and Aria won't remember most of it so hang in there and know that we are thinking of you and sending positive vibes your way

 

[tarak]

It must be so tough for you both going through this now but you are doing an awesome job and Aria won't remember most of it so hang in there and know that we are thinking of you and sending positive vibes your way

You are right. She'll likely need another surgery in a few years (5-8, when the battery runs out on her pacemaker). I'm hoping she's not too anxious. That surgery would be outpatient, fortunately. She had her post-op appointment and things went great. I only had to bribe her with one lollipop. And I got to take photos of her x-rays, so I could see just how bionic she is inside!

glittercat has me totally thinking about disneybounding. Aria loves princesses and anything girly (like Hello Kitty). I bought her a few of the skirt and top sets from the Disney Store. The skirts totally fit in with the concept of disneybounding. She has Ariel, Snow White, and Cinderella. So I think I could do something with the tops and they would be perfect. She still has that fine, baby hair, so I usually pin it back. I could come up with a number of fun hair bows. Amara is the crafty one and she was just complaining that we don't have any planning to do in the next month because we can't schedule FP. Sounds like a good task for the hard-to-entertain kid.

 

[Glittercat]

The only downside to the Poly was the beds were soft. I like a soft bed, but these were crazy soft.

Sorry the beds were not good for you guys! I am so relived to read that they are soft though! My hips dislocate on firm beds, and bones are tough to keep in alignment even with the ridiculous number of pillows I have to use to keep them more or less in place. lol.

Although I suspect she overdid things yesterday (refused to take a nap and acted like she hadn't had surgery less than a week before). Silly toddler.

How is Aria doing now?

Good for Aria being proud of her battle wounds. I have a few from childhood myself and I was embarrassed a little as a teenager ( only ever wore a one piece swimsuit). Then 1 fine day it dawned on me if I didn't have the scars I wouldn't be alive so I decided I was not going to worry anymore what others might think!

Good perspective!

When she was younger, I'd just nurse her while they did it. The pediatric cardio staff at Hershey Med have seen more of me than I'm sure they ever bargained for.

My son and I had RSV when he was just a teeny little thing and we were quarantined at the hospital. The only thing that gave him comfort was breastfeeding so I nursed that lil' guy constantly. Thank goodness our bodies can provide such soothing nourishment to our babies. I'm sure the hospital staff thought quite well of you for the comfort you gave her.

And I got to take photos of her x-rays, so I could see just how bionic she is inside!

That is pretty awesome!

She has Ariel, Snow White, and Cinderella. So I think I could do something with the tops and they would be perfect.

She will be so cute Disneybounding!

 

[tarak]

Oh, my, but it's been a while since I updated. Things have been crazy with the school year ending and my work has been in a bit of an upheaval.

Sorry the beds were not good for you guys! I am so relived to read that they are soft though! My hips dislocate on firm beds, and bones are tough to keep in alignment even with the ridiculous number of pillows I have to use to keep them more or less in place. lol.

How is Aria doing now?

Good perspective!

My son and I had RSV when he was just a teeny little thing and we were quarantined at the hospital. The only thing that gave him comfort was breastfeeding so I nursed that lil' guy constantly. Thank goodness our bodies can provide such soothing nourishment to our babies. I'm sure the hospital staff thought quite well of you for the comfort you gave her.

That is pretty awesome!

She will be so cute Disneybounding!

When Aria was in the PICU after her first surgery, the boy in the next bed had RSV. It was such a surreal time. We'd chat with other families in the Ronald McDonald room about how things were going. The worst part was knowing if someone was discharged, we'd never know because of HIPAA. You'd just come by in the morning to see an empty bed and not know if the outcome was good or bad. I was so glad my husband ran into the dad of that little boy as he was carrying him out to the car after getting the all clear. We'd never have known, otherwise, that he was okay.

We bought season passes for Hershey Park this year, so when we thought Aria was up to it, we checked out the new rides. This is Aria with her big brother. At Hershey Park, kids are classified by different chocolate bars. Aria is officially a Hershey Kiss, which means she can go on the new mini-coaster they have, and all the kiddie rides. I feel bad for my middle daughter. She doesn't like the coasters at all and she's too tall to go on some of them now. I think Hershey is great for little ones or kids who like roller coasters. There's not too much in-between. Fortunately, the water park section of the park has stuff for everyone, so she's good for the summer, at least.



Aria drives my son nuts most times, but he is still protective of her. So he made sure she didn't bump into anything riding the mini-pirate ship. He is, rather ironically given he's allergic to peanuts, a peanut butter cup. He likes some coasters, but not the crazy ones. My oldest will ride anything. She's hoping Aria is as adventurous as she is.



We have ten days until I have to make our FP reservations. My sister doesn't seem to comprehend the wackiness that is involved with planning a Disney trip at this point. Fortunately, my oldest daughter does. So we have a rough plan outlined for the first day or so until the rest of the family arrive. After that, I think I'm going to pair up Amara with her cousin and my sister and I can take Aria on the easier rides. She is tall enough for the barnstormer, but that's about it. Short of putting her in platform heels, there's no way she's getting on the Mine Train in two months. Which is a shame, because I think she might like it.

 

[tarak]

Brief and silly update. I went into my daughter's room to chat about FP plans. I have ten days to figure out who will ride what and when. She's always been my go-to kid in planning this stuff. Halfway through my discussion about what we'll do on day 2, she says, "I can make a fart noise with my eyeball."

Sometimes I forget she's only twelve. So I just walked away and contemplated what to cook for dinner.

 

[luvpoohandcompany]

Lol

 

[NJlauren]

What a nice update! Was thinking I you hadn't posted in a while and was hoping all was well! Your kiddos are so cute on that coaster and with the kiss!

I swear people who don't 'Disney' just don't get it!! Good luck with all the FP reservations! So stressful!!!

 

[tarak]

I set my alarm for midnight on the 16th. The plan was to make the FP reservations for the tough ones and then go back to sleep. It went well. So well, I was expecting to find no reservations when I woke up in the morning.

Our plane gets in around 11 am on Sunday. Our room may or may not be ready when we get to the Wilderness Lodge. We'll have our swimsuits packed in our carry-on luggage if we feel like swimming right off the bat. In reality, my kids will act like they haven't eaten for weeks, so we'll get lunch and explore the resort. I've been lucky in that every time I've checked in early, my room has been ready. Who knows. If we can go to the room, we'll do that, eat, then probably sneak in a nap since we'll have been up since o-dark-30. I have five-day tickets bought years ago. So long ago I don't even know what they cost, other than several hundred less than what they'd cost now. But they need upgrading. So I made FP reservations for Anna and Elsa, Cinderella and Rapunzel (because god forbid she want to see a princess and there's a long line - I'd be offering that kid anything, including one of those life-size dolls, to avoid that), and Wishes.

Confession. I cry at Wishes. Every time. It's gotten to the point where Amara will openly stare at me to see if I'm crying yet. Fine. I can cry at Wishes in a specially marked spot where at least I have a shot at not being surrounded by hundreds of other sweaty bodies. It's bad enough being surrounded by sweaty bodies to which I'm related.

So day one was easy. Day two. Well, my sister and niece don't get in until about 4 and they'll likely not want to go to the parks that night. The only coaster Aria can go on is the Barnstormer, because she's a midget. So I made a bunch of random FP reservations, thinking we'll get there at park open, hit things like Peter Pan, Dumbo, Barnstormer, etc. First FP is for a M&G with Ariel. Ariel is Amara's favorite princess after Mulan. And Aria has been insisting she's turning into a mermaid for weeks now. Not sure how she'll feel about Ariel having legs, but we'll see how it goes. Then it's a FP at the Haunted Mansion. I hope she doesn't panic. Amara loved it at that age. My ten-year-old daughter and seven-year-old son still refuse to go on it. I warned Amara we will likely hit the Country Bear Jamboree. She's welcome to sleep through it if she wishes. I will force everyone to suffer the Swiss Family Robinson Treehouse because I am a wretched mom who makes them CLIMB STAIRS! We will have lunch - please not Pecos Bill's - your dad isn't here, so we can try something else. How about some fresh fruit or a turkey leg? We could live dangerously and try the Tortuga Tavern!

After lunch, it's the RR around the park, then exit wherever we're closest to the People Mover. Last FP is for Buzz, if we make it that long. Then we'll head back to the resort to clean up the sweat and meet my sister and niece. My best guess - after Amara says she KNEW Maddy would be there and how could I lie to her all these months - we'll go to the pool and go to the room early. My sister will insist that 75 is a perfectly acceptable temperature for the hotel room and I'll toss her another blanket.

 

[luvpoohandcompany]

Sounds like a plan and I feel I'm rushing around MK there with you lol

 

[tarak]

Sounds like a plan and I feel I'm rushing around MK there with you lol

We're really lucky that we've been often enough that we don't have to do everything every trip. One year, we were on Main Street doing one of the quests for Sorcerer's of the Magic Kingdom. We were tucked back into one of the alleys and I heard a piano playing. Looked up and in one of the second-floor windows you could hear what sounded like a piano lesson going on. It was so cool. I love the little details and we seem to miss a lot of those, so I was happy to find that one.

 

[tarak]

Okay - so it's past time for me to get some work done on this PTR, or it will be a TR before I know it.

We've had a few small trips here and there, but I wanted to comment on one I made for work about a month ago. This falls squarely in the category of "It doesn't only happen at Disney."

I had to attend a meeting at the Bedford Springs resort in Bedford County, PA. Now, there are clearly worse places I could spend a few days. But I don't generally like having to travel for work. I get to the front desk to check in and they don't have my name in the computer. They look on the list of committee members attending and don't find me there, either. After much rushing about, and making sure I understand that there is plenty of room at the inn, they find my reservation. I'm assigned room 780. The resort has three floors, I think, and it's kind of a chaotic mess, but I head towards the elevator. Get to the end of the hallway and the room numbers end at 730. Okay... I walk on to a balcony of sorts and down a few flights of stairs and head to the other end of the resort. I finally find my room and enter to find a lovely fruit basket.



Placed neatly on a plate next to it is a note card for someone else. I head back to the front desk. The guy working behind it could not care less about the fruit basket and tells me to just eat the contents. Which I do. I still use the chain on the door when I'm in there, just in case the true owner of the fruit basket comes calling. I head down to get something to eat and, lo-and-behold, there is a small restaurant with a fire pit out front. I order these fancy-pants potato chips and a glass of wine and enjoy the fire.


I texted this photo to Amara against my better judgment, who promptly texted back that she was suffering through a plate of mac and cheese at John's (a local diner that's actually pretty good). Because this is the dis, I should add that the chips were freshly made and covered in blue cheese and a balsamic glaze.

The fire could have used an extra log or two, but it was a pretty nice way to end the day.

 

[luvpoohandcompany]

Those posh chips look yummy! Love it when magic happens be it at Disney or anywhere else. That fruit basket was a nice surprise even if it wasn't meant for you lol.
There is something so nice about eating ( and drinking ) outdoors that I just simply love doing it whenever I get the chance. So much more relaxing .
Must listen out for piano lesson next time I'm on Main Street
Not long until your trip now