The Fixer,The CookMaster,The Teacher,The President: 2007 sequel-*BACK 10-20-08 * Yep

[Bibbidi]

Bibbidi~~The till is open! Just today at Easter lunch we discussed going back next spring break. A even said he would contribute his life's worth: $400, especially if the same cast could return! I hope your May trip is fantastic. Write a report!

My own trip report You've set the bar so high--but I might give it a shot.

That is so sweet that your son would give up his life's savings. I hope you're able to return next year.

 

[Wonders10]

Ok, I want new friends! Can I borrow you and yours?

Seriously, none of my friends and most of my family for that matter could name 100 places they would rather visit before even mentioning WDW.

You are awesome for doing all of this, inviting them along, planning.

And what a cutie with his giant Pooh (ooh wait that doesn't sound right... )

Can't wait to read the rest!

 

[Emeline]

I need to say here that I went on Buzz expecting to win - my last trip, I smoked my family and friends and won the highest score and their admiration. My 13 yr old thought I would do it again - when do you actually hear one say "My mom is REALLY good at this!"? Boy did I let him down and slink back to normal size in all their eyes. I was rotten - and Jamal, who SAID she was soooo bad, really did take the prize with several million I think. Oh well, she IS the fixer, right? My 7 yr old got far more than I did - I won round 2, but the reality is I was only with my DD11 who really doesn't get how to win points and I smeared her (happily) in the process. And that Pooh is CUTE. I love Pooh and I loved Evan's delight in it and the pics of him sleeping with Pooh in his room! And I do love that Jack...

 

[kpk89]

Emeline, I am really not stalking you! Total coincidence that I seem to post after you lately.

Jami, you are the bestest mama for letting E spend his $100 on a giant Pooh. Wise, too, because once the cash is gone, no more dump shop duty!!

Can we join you on spring break? (sadly, no, because spring does not spring until much later in these parts!)

 

[DISNEYDUET]

Great installment! Love the Pooh. I know he is a treasured part of your family now. What! A "Scary phone call from home"! That is never good. Hope everything turns out ok.

 

[AshClan]

Just checking in. I love this chapter, especially Jack (WOW!) and, of course, the adorable E and his big stuffed Pooh. Bless you. I am not sure I'd let my kids spend $100 on a stuffed animal. Even if it was their money. But the look on his face says it all. (But be sure to keep the puppy away from it!!)

 

[GeorgiaAristocat]

Jami ~
What a great chapter! And, the pixies of E and his bear - wow!

I, too, will encourage another spring break trip, especially if it means another spring break trip report!

 

[jamal]

I have rarely seen E enjoy something as much as he does this Pooh. It is so funny to us because at seven we thought he might have moved past stuffed animals but they have made a strong re-appearance in the last six months. Pooh travels all over the house with him and often scares me when go back in to tuck E in at night. He was well worth $100, especially since he kept us moving through the dump shops the rest of the trip!

 

[praisehisname]

I have rarely seen E enjoy something as much as he does this Pooh. It is so funny to us because at seven we thought he might have moved past stuffed animals but they have made a strong re-appearance in the last six months.

My almost 13 DS would never admit it to his friends, but he still loves his stuffed animals. They are all up on the bed with him every night!

Denise

 

[Grammyof2]

I have been derelict in my duties at posting to trip reports and even writing my own.

I have spent most of the morning trying to catch up. My ears have been bleeding for 5 days because of Easter break but peace and quiet is surrounding me now.

WTH were you thinking making the Cookmaster do some chicken running for non existant FP's

Loved E with Pooh!

Will you teach me to be a winner in Buzz? I always lose because my eyes are shut , my mouth is open and I am laughing which makes it very difficult to score.

That is one fine, superfine Jack

 

[Suzflee]

Grammy's all caught up... Let's hear more!

 

[jcc0621]

Ok, started 45 minutes ago and I am all caught up. Can't wait to hear the rest. I think I will go take a peek at your last trip report to hold me over until you post again.

 

[jamal]

I'm working on it now!!!

 

[Bibbidi]

I'm working on it now!!!

Type faster! Just kidding. But really, it would give me some entertainment tonight when there's nothing on tv

 

[Dreamer & Wisher]

Can't wait for more!

I'll just scrapbook for a little while and check back!

 

[jamal]

I have to take a minute to tell you a story. The whole report is a story, but if you are following along, you need to know about the mood and feel and sentiments and ups and downs and real lives of the cast.

We take those with us to The Happiest Place on Earth, even when we are escaping our jobs, school, and stresses of everyday life.

My Granny is 89 years old. I love her; we have been very close my whole life. I am very very blessed to have her in my life at the age of 43. My children know and love her and they know how much she loves them. Don’t get me started on how much she loves Shrek. Please. The moon dangled in space until he came along. My mother says when I was a child we couldn’t drive anywhere near her house or I would SCREAM to go to her. She tells me I’m pretty (SOOO pretty) and she loves me and reminds me what matters most in life. She is usually right.

Granny is strong as an ox. We have said she will outlive us all and make a liar out of every doctor in town. She still owns her house and sees no reason to move. Never mind that she had her hip replaced a few years ago and needs my mother (a 40 minute drive) or aunt (5 minutes but still plenty of worry) to help and check on her and sitters to keep her company. She fires most of them, but has found one or two she will tolerate. She is ‘fine and can take care of herself.’

Her hip replacement failed last fall and she had it re-replaced in November. I was able to visit her (she lives in my hometown about two + hours away from us) several times in the rehabilitation center from November-February. It was always a scream. She’d slip me some change and send me down the hall for a Co’Cola. I’d try to put more money in the drawer by her bed so she could have a Coke any time she wanted but she made me hide it lest the people there ‘rob her blind.’ She’d ask me about Shrek’s parents, what I ate for Christmas dinner (Eat the whole piece of cake, honey! Life is short and a few extra pounds don’t matter!), and what the boys wanted for Christmas.

About a week before we left for Disney Granny moved from the rehab to assisted living (shhhh!! Don’t tell her about her house! The doctors said she needed a little more time). Three days before we flew to Florida she fell (the woman will not follow orders and wait for help), which earned her a trip back to the hospital. On this trip an X-ray detected a top-of-leg bone fracture (I don’t think the other word will get through the filter) and a routine exam revealed congestion in her lungs.

She had congestive heart failure and her lungs were sporting quite a bit of fluid.

Huh? Granny? Sick???????????

Mom and her husband were smack in the middle of a well-deserved Florida vacation (their furthest point from home, Key West, of course) when they received the call. They arrived home to find Granny in ICU with congestive heart failure. This was the day before I left for Disney.

I just knew she’d be OK. She’s always OK! On Thursday as the doctors monitored her and Friday as we traveled I spoke to Mom several times. Every time we spoke, she repeated there was no reason for me to cancel or postpone my trip as Granny was on antibiotics for the now-diagnosed pneumonia and they really wouldn’t know much more for 72 hours. Mom also had her sister, her brother, my youngest sister (not going to Disney), and several of my cousins in our hometown the entire time, so I knew she had help and support. The Teacher, who was driving to meet us, would be stopping to spend the night, visit Granny, and assess the situation on the way to Disney as well.

There was nothing I could do, which was the worst feeling in the world for a Fixer.

It’s very strange to have a serious conversation in Disney World. My mother was on the phone explaining that Granny absolutely could not breathe on her own without a ventilator as we were lunching at Columbia Harbour House. Why did this make me think of the yellow fever epidemic of the 1700s? Anyway, my heart was breaking for my poor mother and I pulled Shrek aside as we walked through the park after lunch:

I think I need to go.
For you, or for your Mom? You know Granny isn’t conscious or coherent.
Maybe for both of us. Mostly for her right now.
Well, honey, we would miss you, but do what you need to do.
A (eavesdropping): Mom! Don’t go! We can’t do Disney without you!
Well, we’ll see. It’s my Granny, A. My mom is hurting. Her mother may be dying and she is sad.

I talked to The CookMaster and The President on the bus back the BC after our delightful children shared their stories with my ears. Both of my friends had lost dear grandmothers in recent years and witnessed the goodbyes. They were excellent listeners who understood my struggle between my two families.

They also know where Granny is going when she dies, that we will share eternal life together, and I can tell her goodbye anywhere.

I am going to come back to this day and tell you (I promise! I am going to post it tomorrow to bring back the happy HAPPY fun FUN!) about Saturday afternoon and evening but I’m going to jump ahead to finish telling you about Granny that day.

Saturday afternoon and evening she was not doing well at all. Anytime the nurses took the ventilator off for more than a few seconds she had no ability to breathe on her own. She was still fighting a fever. There were few signs that her body was fighting back from the failure and the 50-50 recovery chance was looking pretty grim. I knew my sister (the Teacher) was visiting Granny that evening and would call with a report before night’s end.

That was our Illuminations night. I have more to tell, and show in pictures, about it, but I will set the scene by letting you know it was cold (Shrek might say cool) and we were on a pontoon boat with the Gatelatches.

We’d never done this before and it was a cozy way for me to be with my family and friends on an emotionally charged day. As the show and story began, our captain encouraged us to move to the front of the boat for the best view.

I promise you I felt her as the show began. I was snuggled under a blanket with my E, but Granny was right there watching the show with me. She took it all in.

"Good evening, and welcome.
We've gathered here tonight, around the fire,

as people of all lands have gathered for thousands and thousands
of years before us,

to share the light and to share a story

an amazing story, as old as time itself

but still being written.

And though we each of us have our own individual stories to tell
a true adventure emerges when we bring them all together as one.
I hope you enjoy our story tonight --
Reflections of Earth."​

I could just hear her.....
Oh honey, it’s SOOO pretty! Look at all the lights. How do they afford all this? It must cost a lot of money! Oh sweetie I’m so happy for you to be able to do all this with your boys. Shrek must really love you and want you to see everything and I am SOOO happy for you.

This is SOMETHING else!​

I just felt her there. The tears came. The story continued, the fireworks blazed, and the buildings took their turn on stage on cue. I just thought about her life and what she had meant to me my whole life and how, truly that was woven into my fiber and no one could ever remove that from me. I knew I was fortunate to have her into my own parenting years and that every birthday was a gift. I looked into those lights and tried to see it from her perspective. I have seen so much more of the world than she saw, but I know she saw it with a deeper appreciation. Maybe I give life a lick and a promise and fail to go deep. I hope I spend my time putting down roots, looking inside, and making investments that matter. If my grandchildren can mourn my impending passing when I am 89 then it doesn't matter how I spend the rest of my time. I think I'll try to take them to Disney World. I hope I'll get to see what THEY see.

I am a Wishes girl, but Illuminations was there for me that night. Every second of it filled my soul. That was a surprising gift. Thanks.

I scooted back to my seat and whispered to Shrek: I need to say goodbye to her.
He whispered: you can do that anywhere. Maybe you just did.​

As we exited the boat I felt the familiar wiggle of my phone vibrating in my pocket. My sister was sobbing on the other end. I could barely make out the words.

I just left her. Her skin is gray. There are tubes everywhere. She begged us (cousin) not to leave her (first cognition in days). It was horrible. She knew us and knew what was happening and wanted us to help her. I am still coming tomorrow morning with the kids and we will just come back here when/if she dies.​

OK. I won’t go. I might not even make it. I called my other sister. What’s the name of that new airline that flies direct into our hometown?

I stopped at the concierge desk. The staff there was unbelievable. I adore them all. That night, Susan looked up flight times for me. I wrote down the daily flight schedules and phone numbers for a couple of airlines.

Just in case I needed them, I kept them in my pocket. I didn’t book anything, but I wanted them close.



OK, tomorrow morning’s chapter: back to Stormalong Bay (Mommy there is sand IN the pool) and prizes for bread!!

 

[jaycns]

Jamal... I am so sorry about your grandma...what a heart wrenching decision to have to make anywhere....let alone at WDW. Post another update soon! This is one "more later" that I will really be praying about.

I got chills reading that installment.

PS that HUGE Pooh is TOO cute! And so is the smile that your ds is wearing as he carries him!!

 

[Suzflee]

Wow - My fingers aren't doing their usual speed typing 'cuz I'm just awestruck by your ability to write all that so that I felt like as I was there. As I wipe away the tears, I'd say I'd pray for you but that sounds silly since all that is going to happen has already happened so I will pray that we all can learn a lesson from your story and your Granny's life about the importance of family ties and about living in the moment.

 

[nicolemarie]

Jami -

Great, great installment. I'm said.

I have a Granny like that, too. She just built a new house at the ripe old age of 85. And still does her own yardwork.

I can't imagine her any other way. But there will come a time.

Thanks for the reminder of how fleeting our life here is. Even if we live a long, long earthly life. It's still fleeting. In the words of one of my favorite Christian singers, Live Out Loud.

NM

 

[kpk89]

Jam, this is your best yet. Truly. You've given me goosebumps and made me cry.