"Personally, I think I would make a great stripper!" 8/10 The End

This last Dec when we went we drove through Chicago (bypass) and then I65 to Indianapolis and Louisville, across Tennessee to Atlanta and south from there.
That is usually how we go then last year mapquest sent us through Iowa for some reason! :confused3
DH liked those frozen pies, too, but I preferred the regular ones.
There is a famous key Lime place in Marathon -and the best pie I have ever had in my life!!!

Haha, I love that Hangover shirt! :lmao:

I wish I had been with when he picked it out - he got one almost too small but he has worn it a ton!
I LOVE
My junior year, the entire defensive line of our football team decided to shave their heads and get mohawks for one of their games.
The boys for football homecoming usually do goofy stuff as well here. In college my freshman year, all the wrestlers got intoxicated and shaved off all their hair. Legs, everything before season.

I felt bad for the guys who waited to be shaved last. The clippers stopped working and their were some guys first hour who showed up with chunks taken out of their hair here and there. It looked like a checkerboard.

Now that is one thing women would not do. We would not say, "Hey, let's get trashed and use hair clippers!" :lmao:
 
That sunset was beautiful. What a great memory to have with the kids.

My daughter who is 5 now wants to go there since she was standing over my shoulders when I was reading your trip report and saw the pictures.

Side note she wanted to know why Baylor's teeth were silver- had to explain ortho since she has never seen anyone with braces.

Good luck with all of Baylor's court stuff.

Rhonda
 

I'm going to guess Stitch cause he's a lot of fun, but also causes some trouble. Just like boys... :)
 
Great sunset pics! The ship in some of your pictures (the schooner, not the catamaran) is the Wolf, I think. You should definitely consider a sunset cruise if you go back, they're awesome and you could meet my dad! :rotfl: He plays music on one of them. It looks like you had a great time! It's fun to visit someone else's vacation of places that I know really well.
 
3rd Contest:

Which character do you think was utilized as the main theme for shirts I made?

***BTW - if you add in the reason why you think I chose that character and you are right - you get an extra prize!!!!!
:yay:

Hi! I just recently finished reading all of your TRs... I loved them! You are a talented writer! I hope that my children will grow up to be as close as yours are!

First of all, I wanted to say that I hope everything works out with the suit! I am in the medical field and did my residency in a hospital with a burn center. I spent lots of time there and almost accepted a position to stay-on post
residency! Burn patients and their families have a very special place in my heart!

Now onto the contest... My guess would be Pluto due to his stellar/creepy dance moves during one of your WDW trips. You named a TR after him... How could you not have made family t-shirts with his image!
 
Ok somehow I missed all of this, so would someone mind giving me the cliff notes on what happened to poor Baylor? Sorry to be a pain!
:sad2:
 
Okay, I'm not sure of your favorite character. Should have paid closer attention in your previous TRs!
I'm going to go with Goofy - because your family just seems a little Goofy! (I know you won't be offended by that!, it's really a compliment!)
 
DANG IT!!! Minnie Mom stole my answer. This is what I get for sleeping in. I'm out of ideas, so I'll sit this contest out.
 
Great update Dawn. Perfectly gorgeous evening in OKW! The sunset pictures are lovely! The street performers look like a ton of fun! I think I am falling in love with OKW, although I doubt I will ever have to nerve to drive there from home. :laughing:

Character eh? With your creative mind it is hard to say! I could guess Snow white and the seven dwarfs, but you don't have quite enough dwarfs. So how about Buzz Lightyear since you really did drive to infinity and beyond! LOL!
 
Hi everyone!

Nobody has exactly guessed the right answer yet! Some of you may be close though! ;)

Keep the guesses coming!

Cliff notes on Baylor:

Halloween 2008, afternoon, he was at a friends house. Kid who lived in the house threw gasoline on the remains of a bonfire from the night before. The kid who originally threw the gas, got scared when after it hit the embers, the flames flashed at him. He threw the gas he still had to his left, all over Baylor.

Baylor had to jump in a pool to put himself out, then sat in a tub for over an hour while the kid refused to call for help. Literally, he almost died. Not from the burns which are labeled as a 30% of his body, but from shock. It took the ambulance crew almost an hour to get a vain ran for meds to transport him. T

Baylor has skin grafting from the top of his shin to the top of his left foot. Donor site was his entire upper thigh.

Mom, who was supposed to have been home, refused to give me their home owners insurance, in fact never called the insurance company, I had to find them by calling through the Yellow pages and asking if they were covered by each company I called till I got the right one.

One month in the hospital, missing his 7th and 8th grade years of regular school because of needing to get caught up and all the care required for his grafting site, not to mention a life that is forever changed is the result in a nutshell.

I wrote a lot about it in my first TR (Pluto) and don't get me wrong, I am so blessed as is he, it was not worse. It just sucks and we are finally at the point because he has been given the go ahead for an "exit" interview by the burn docs, that we can finally settle the claim with the homeowners.

All his medical bills will be paid for first to our health insurance who wants to be reimbursed, then Baylor's portion for pain and compensation and OOP to us for all the deductibles, things not covered by insurance.

The claims adjuster said the other day she wanted pics because obviously if Baylor's leg looks pretty good, the extent of the scarring plays a role in his settlement.

I told her she can kiss my keester because the reason his leg looks as good as it does is because of almost 2 years of hard work and diligence to care. That he will not be given less because he spent more time than most kids or adults making sure to lotion his leg and keep it from the sun. That because he was responsible, he will not be docked. If anything he should get more because any doctor will tell her the amount of dedication it takes to get his leg looking as good as it does means he did not live a normal life of a 13/14 year old for the past 1 1/2 years.

I don't think she knew what hit her and I think she had a taste of what is to come because I am not the sort of intimidated mother who back down to her BS.

I told her it was her job to try and keep as much money of the policy in the pockets of the company and it is mine to tell her she can shove it where the sun don't shine and will make her or the judge relive every moment of the hour plus he waited for this "friend" to call for help and the following days and weeks when his leg looked like hamburger and he lost 30 pounds.

She said, "I can imagine."

I assured her, "No you can't."

So thus the settlement and the claim and my desire to make sure he gets every penny available to him if at all possible.

The End - sorry not exactly short! :teacher: :mad: Still a touchy subject for me.
 
You are such a awsome mom. I would have needed bail
money. It has come close a couple times a few years ago. I really pray you get everything Baylor desrvise!!
 
OMGosh, what a horrible mess! Thanks for filling me in, I hadn't read your previous report. Stick to your guns Mama Bear and make sure that Baylor gets all that he is sorely due!

Unfathomable...
:sad2::sad2:
 
I remember reading about all this in your first TR too. It is more than APALLING to hear about how that family reacted to Baylor's injury. I mean, how dare they! It really boils my blood to see people like that out there. :mad: :headache:

On another topic, if someone is close...I'm gonna go for Donald Duck! Because....he's not afraid to speak his mind, and neither are you! ;)
 
Chapter Thirteen: A Day of Nothing & Everything

This was now Tuesday and everyone voted that we needed a day of rest. A day to hang out at the beach and a day to simply pick and choose what struck our fancy.

We could have headed back to Key West and we could have gone to a local state park but nobody wanted to go anywhere and that actually was just fine.

Dan and I had went to a local Winn Dixie to get a few supplies and other than that the car for the most part stayed put.

Instead, everyone minus me played tennis and basketball.

I stayed on the deck and read, relaxed watched and took pictures. It is an amazing sight watching all your kids playing and interacting and at about the same skill level in a sport. None have played tennis minus school gym class and all three are not the best! (Don't get me wrong, Treyner is still the kind of kid who is just a natural athlete and you hate him because he will always be better than you at first try. :headache:)

But they paired up and played and Taylor got in the mix as well and Dan joined in after Treyner and Taylor went for a walk in the beach and a lie on the hammock.

This is the kind of day that you really have to work at having at WDW because the parks steal you away so often as does just the busier atmosphere. It felt like a lazy summer day when the kids were in preschool/early elementary ed and were just hanging around the house and backyard because they were not old enough to really venture to far on their own, and just enjoyed each others company. Nobody had cars yet and everybody was home.

Listening to them laugh and tell jokes and pick on one another and Baylor trying to hit Treyner square in his man package :scared1: was priceless. Carsyn telling Taylor to stop squealing like a girl every time the ball came at her because she was going to ram the racket down her throat was joy to the ears. :laughing:

The boys telling Carsyn, Helen Keller had better odds than her, made me roll on my chaise in uncontrollable fits of laughter. Dan trying to be athletically graceful in his Keen sandals and too lazy to get tennis shoes on, as was the kids who were all playing barefoot was pure genius.

Hearing the whoosh of a green ball flying over the fence as tennis turned into a competition of who can hit it the farthest is 100% my kids and this family.

Our motto should be:

"If you suck at what you are doing, figure out a way to turn it into something you don't quite suck at so much."

I guess it is too long for a bumper-sticker on the booger.

Anywho - here are some pictures of the tennis match from Baylor/Dan and Carsyn. I was laughing so hard at first when Treyner and Taylor were there, I never thought to grab the camera!

Honestly awesome in every moment. Many are taken through the screen on the deck so sorry for the square viewing pleasure!

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Baylor

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Dan

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Carsyn

Then, it was time for lunch and everyone came in to eat and then played some UNO on the porch.

I have heard claims from Treyner that Taylor was cheating because she had a blanket on her legs. I think Treyner is just sore he lost because next to breathing, he thrives on competition to live. pirate:

Now mind you during this time, there were some older teens playing basketball and they were not good. They thought they were (probably college age mind you) and were talking all big and since our deck was right above the tennis/basketball courts, we could hear all of it but they could not hear us. :rolleyes1

So while we were playing some serious UNO, the boys were also trying out their commentary as future NBC sports analysts. :mic: Cheap entertainment and priceless. I reminded them of their tennis debacle earlier and the only thing I heard was it was not their fault if people were not taking advantage of the opportunity handed to them.

Which is totally true because as much as they rip out one line zingers, they expect to get it back. They remind me of The Muppets theater fogies, "Statler and Waldorf" who enjoy the razz as much as the razzing!

So for Pasty Pete and his friend, Sucky Sam (if you are reading and let's face it, who isn't? :rotfl:) who looked like they had never played a game of horse in their life, come back next year and feel free to berate, belittle and trash talk tennis! They deserve it! :rotfl2:

Be careful though because they are quick and trust me from experience, when you think you have them beat, they will turn it on you and you won't know how a great, near perfect zing can come back like a boomerang and hit you in the melon! :bored:

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P1040097.jpg

Baylor making a face like Pasty Pete just did.

P1040098.jpg

Carsyn thrilled for food eating shots! ( I actually put this one in because behind her on the right side you can see one of the guys playing basketball.)

P1040099.jpg

Taylor finding out watermelon juice in a cut is not fun!

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This is what Treyner usually looks like.

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Dan and his cute face!
 
Wow you are up and at it early today! You are so funny! I love reading your commentary on your family's activities! :lmao:
What a great relaxing day on vacation. I can hear my kids - I'm bored, can we go now? etc. They are still young though and sometimes still have to be entertained. I hope when we go to the beach they will amuse themselves a bit. I think it's going to be DH who gets bored! I'll be reading!
 












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