~How TWO trips became...who knows? ~ It's a TRIP! and an upgrade.... 4/22

[mrsksomeday]

I still have not canceled my December weekend yet.... I *may* do a Room Only ressie and plan to drive in December...and just go if I want to.

Which weekend is it that you are thinking about going?

 

[maroo]

Which weekend is it that you are thinking about going?

Well...that is another issue. I was thinking the 2nd weekend - when the "meets" are usually held...but then I heard one podcast announce theirs for the first weekend...so now I am on the fence about that too...

Jen may also be going...so I guess it just depends on when all of my friends are going.

 

[mrsksomeday]

Well...that is another issue. I was thinking the 2nd weekend - when the "meets" are usually held...but then I heard one podcast announce theirs for the first weekend...so now I am on the fence about that too...

Jen may also be going...so I guess it just depends on when all of my friends are going.

Right now we are planning on being there Dec. 2nd - 14th staying at Pop. If you are there when we are I would love to at least say hi to you .

 

[maroo]

Right now we are planning on being there Dec. 2nd - 14th staying at Pop. If you are there when we are I would love to at least say hi to you .

definitely!!!!

and u guys will b there both weekends!!

 

[eyor44]

I'm not sure why touring plans has that week at 10s. We have been the past two Thanksgivings and have not had the crowds. Of course I have been planning around EMHs and such. The only time we had a serious crowd was Saturday after Thanksgiving 2008, MK was kind of bad but not too bad. Still not a 10. I wonder if TP knows something?????

OH yes, and don't go to DTD on Thanksgiving evening. I thought everyone would be home eating Turkey and watching football. NOT!

 

[maroo]

I'm not sure why touring plans has that week at 10s. We have been the past two Thanksgivings and have not had the crowds. Of course I have been planning around EMHs and such. The only time we had a serious crowd was Saturday after Thanksgiving 2008, MK was kind of bad but not too bad. Still not a 10. I wonder if TP knows something?????

OH yes, and don't go to DTD on Thanksgiving evening. I thought everyone would be home eating Turkey and watching football. NOT!

It seems like last year the TP had it listed as a 7, but that people came back saying it was super busy. BUT...they also had Free Dining that week. Which, frankly, I sorta hope doesn't happen this year.

We are planning very few "nice" meals and the FD would be nice - but then we would need to move to POP - which I guess would be fine. But I think I would rather have fewer crowds and pay for our food (mostly counter service).

And good advice about DTD. I don't think we are planning DTD at all. I guess it depends on how much we get "done" at the parks. We are going to try to tone down Lauren's make up routine for this trip. We may take fewer pictures of her generally - and more of what we are doing - and then she won't feel the pressure to be perfect every day. She says she wants to make "rope drop" a couple of times - which would greatly increase our ability to tour the parks.

But TP really seems to be off on the parks to avoid and such, too....

I normally try to go to the EMH park the next morning...so if Epcot has PM EMH on one day, we would plan that park for the next day - or something similar. I am also most worried about DHS crowds - it was SOOOO crowded the other day that we could not get down the sidewalk and Lauren would have been stuck.

But anyway...we will have a lot more time in the parks (last time they only got 3 Disney Days and this time they will have possibly 7!)

 

[that's nice]

Anyone want any POPcorn?

Hey Mary! Just noticed this thread was waaaaay down on page 3.

Hope everything is going well with you!

 

[KathyRN137]

Just popping by to say "Hi!" and to see how Lauren is doing!


Kathy

 

[maroo]

I am a thread killer!!

Anyone want any POPcorn?

Hey Mary! Just noticed this thread was waaaaay down on page 3.

Hope everything is going well with you!

Thank you so much for the popcorn! I would have been much more effective if I had seen it.

Just popping by to say "Hi!" and to see how Lauren is doing!


Kathy

Lauren is AWESOME!!! I am about to fill you in!!

 

[maroo]

I need to get organized on this thread again...one day.

But for now...I am just POPping in to let you know a bit of trip news!



The November trip with Lauren's family and I...well, it was almost postponed today. For something even better!!

Let me explain:


First of all - if you are just joining us - Lauren is disabled and I help her family. That story is a lot longer...but Lauren can't walk or really use her hands well, which is important to this story.

Anyway. Lauren HAD to do a Science Fair Project this year. It is a big part of her Chemistry grade. It was the bane of my existence. Lauren can't "do" a lot of the things (like putting the presentation board together), so she needed help with that - and since I did science fair in High School, I was nominated to be her hands for this process.

I was SO PROUD of her when she won 3rd place in her division at her school fair. She goes to a competitive school and I thought it was awesome! At her school they only judge the "presentation board" and nothing else, so we joked that I won that for her. She can't exactly cut and paste. (She, of course, did her own experiment - we just had to do the board for her.)

She was invited to the Regional Science Fair today, which includes 7 metro area counties. But this one is not graded by the presentation board, but rather by the student and their ability to describe, explain and present their project to local judges and special guests.

She did a great job...so great in fact...that she won .........




FIRST PLACE!!!!!





Now, I won't lie to you...Science is not really Lauren's thing - but she is a great presenter of ideas and is so articulate! She is charming. And she really impressed these judges.


In fact...

She ALSO won the Army Award AND the Navy Award AND the Math Award during the fair. She won more awards than any other student at the fair...and $250 in CASH for her efforts! Which was more than any other student that I am aware of and definitely the most from her school.

The adults kept having to get off the big stage to come down to her because she could obviously not walk up all of those stairs to get her award(s)!

So, how does that relate to our trip...well, for a second there, her teacher and I were "concerned" that they may pick her project to be "Best in Fair" and that comes with an all expense paid trip to California! Not even sure how we would get her there since her chair does not fly...


But Lauren has advanced to the STATE Science Fair next week.

We are SOOOO proud of her! She is one smart cookie!

 

[kdzbear]

That is so awesome for Lauren! Please tell her congratulations!

Are you still going on a trip in Sept.? If so, what are the dates?

 

[mrsksomeday]

she is a great presenter of ideas and is so articulate! She is charming.

Sounds like a certain Bill I know . I know what you mean about being someone's hands , been there done that. I built his computer because he wanted one exactly the way he wanted it.

Congrats to Lauren, she did a fantastic job!! That is wonderful.

 

[KathyRN137]

How awesome is that??

Congratulations, Lauren!


Kathy

 

[maroo]

That is so awesome for Lauren! Please tell her congratulations!

Are you still going on a trip in Sept.? If so, what are the dates?

I am going in Sept!!

In fact...that pre-trip report is going strong thanks to the dedication of our fearless leader, Liesa (All7ofUs)!

The dates are Sept 2 (but I think I arrive the 3rd) through the 13th! Long trip!!

It is going to be a great trip!!!

Sounds like a certain Bill I know . I know what you mean about being someone's hands , been there done that. I built his computer because he wanted one exactly the way he wanted it.

Congrats to Lauren, she did a fantastic job!! That is wonderful.

Thank you so much! She will be excited to read your responses when she gets home today.

How awesome is that??

Congratulations, Lauren!


Kathy

Thanks! (I will let her tell you guys thanks when I see her tonight!)

 

[eyor44]

Congratulations to Lauren! How wonderful!

and I'm sure Maroo did a good job on the cutting and pasting. so congratulations to you also.

 

[All7OfUs]

YAY, for my sweet friend!!!!! Hooray!!!

Give her a hug from me!

 

[maroo]

Congratulations to Lauren! How wonderful!

and I'm sure Maroo did a good job on the cutting and pasting. so congratulations to you also.

I will certainly tell her congrats!!

I think she won despite my cutting and pasting! They found two things wrong with the layout...but oh well!

YAY, for my sweet friend!!!!! Hooray!!!

Give her a hug from me!

Thanks! I sure will!!

 

[that's nice]

Hurray for Lauren!!!!!

That is awesome!! You think Lauren will give me a loan with all that cash she got?

So was it really your birthday this week?

 

[maroo]

Hurray for Lauren!!!!!

That is awesome!! You think Lauren will give me a loan with all that cash she got?

So was it really your birthday this week?

Lauren is so funny...she said she wants to save all of her money for college.

That child! WAY too responsible!!

How do you tell her that $250 seems like a LOT now and that she should spend it while it still seems like a lot of money??

And yes...I am a year older now than I was last week. But...who's counting?

 

[maroo]

I have some trip news....

NOVEMBER:

We have settled on a resort! We are going to stay at the Swan. They have queen beds, a workout room, several pools and multiple eating options. We also plan to spend several days at Epcot and DHS - and it is a good location for those parks!

It really is the best of all worlds for this trip.



DECEMBER:

I just canceled my December solo trip. I really need to update my ticker!!

The main reason I canceled is because we will be there two weeks before that for 9 nights - so I am pretty confident that I can finish everything on my Christmas bucket list and not need that extra weekend.

I am also mad at Disney right now ...so I decided canceling the trip TODAY would make me feel better. It really didn't. But, whatever.


There MAY be another trip in my future to add back to my list....still deciding on that one!




On other life news - please pray for Lauren. She is having a very difficult time right now. She got all new parts for her wheelchair - and more parts are on the way to help straighten out her neck (which is now extremely crooked). They are hoping to avoid a very risky and painful surgery where they would place rods in her neck.

But the contraption she is in now is very uncomfortable and she has pieces that hold her head, which are messing up her hair. (Really messing up her hair - making a rats nest of her hair!) She also can't do her own makeup anymore.

I have not taken any pictures of her, because I think it would make her cry. But we are going to the State Science Fair tonight and tomorrow and I am sure we will have an occasion to take a picture of her new digs and I will post it to give you an idea of what they have added to her chair.

She did get a new fancy "air" cushion that she is using for seating. It is a seat made special for a quadraplegic that can't move to do their own pressure relief, so that will help her since she now can't move to do her own pressure relief.

Also...William (her little brother) dislocated his knee and is on crutches and doing PT 3 times a week. (He is fine now, but the crutches are getting on his nerves.) I think Lisa (Lauren and William's Mom) is about to go crazy. So please pray for her, too.