"You're Going to Disney?? Again??

Yes, we did. Again. Blame it on hubby, although I have stopped fighting him whenever he goes on one of his *I can't take my life anymore must plan a Disney trip* tangents. Three trips in four months, two of which involved driving 18 hours, each way. So, a quick recap of all trips in one, easy-to-read summary:


The obligatory medical crisis was had by none other than me, during trip two. An allergic reaction gone haywire necessitated a midnight call to 911 and a fun few hours in the ER. I must say, the EMT's and medical staff down there are just as nice as they are in Disney proper.


Trip one saw us having Christmas dinner at Shula's steakhouse in the Dolphin, hubby's favorite restaurant, where the now-infamous Battle of the French Fries occured. Son is extremely obsessive about his food, and will not eat anything on their menu. So fries were requested, and were denied. Father-in-law jumped into the fray and won the fries, as he wins most battles with service people. Shy, he is not.



Umm...hubby? There is no bus service from Fort Wilderness to the Magic Kingdom, and our waiting for 30 minutes for a bus did not change this fact.


Between all three trips, we stayed at the Wilderness Lodge, Fort Wilderness, the Boardwalk (both the Inn and the Villas), Bay Lake Tower and a private rented home. We are tired of moving.

The service at the ESPN Zone at the Boardwalk was terrible. So was the Mets game we watched there during trip three.

Sitting in the private lounge atop Bay Lake Towers during trip three, sipping a cocktail while the fireworks explode above us was definitely a highlight.

So was Jico, the restaurant at Animal Kingdom Lodge (trip three). Great steaks! Great zebratinis! Lots o' alcohol in them drinks...

The Osborne lights at Hollywood studios at Christmas (trip one) were amazing.

Beautiful daughter has now flown by herself for the first time during trip one. Brave girl!

Absolute best moment of all trips: The moment we drove onto the grounds, first day of trip three, our amazing son points at direction sign and says "Hollywood Studios!" A bit garbled due to his articulation issues but omg!! Unprompted, spontaneous speech! We nearly cried. This is why we go to Disney so often.

Till next time!

Been Such a Long Time...

How time flies! I can't believe it's been nearly three months since my last post. Poor little blog, I apologize. So a recap of our latest happenings...

So much went on in that time, beginning with Thanksgiving, which was, as usual, held at our house. Every year the number of guests grows. This year I fed 23. Yikes! I am by no stretch a good cook (a black sheep of the family, especially since I am related to these guys - imagine having a NY Times-profiled foodie at your table??) but, by assigning out some dishes to others, I managed. Cooking stress aside, it's always great to have family over. Seeing the little ones that we don't often get to, hearing the same old funny stories. Never gets old.

It was then off on a whirlwind X-mas season, shortened for us as we were heading down to Orlando for 10 days of Mickey. This meant that all gifts had to be purchased, wrapped and delivered by the 18th. Gifts for Chris' teachers and other staff, which always take precedence and which constitute a large chunk of my budget each year, were easily completed with gift cards and candy. I am a firm believer of treating his professionals as well as I can afford to, as they are underpaid, overworked and, in the case of his particular team, worth their weight in gold.

Our kids' gifts were small, as we were taking them to Disney, for heaven's sake. Enough is enough! We celebrated X-mas with my family on the 11th, as we were all scattering for the holiday. No seeing our new neice for her first x-mas! So sad. Hubs' parents did come down with us, though, and we met up with some family members who live in that area. Fun!

Speaking of which, what a great and magical trip! We are made fun of by our friends due to our frequent trips there, and our refusal to vacation anywhere else. Fact is, there is nowhere else that our son would rather be. He is treated with respect and kindness by the staff, other guests and especially, Mickey himself. It is no secret among the autism community that Disney is the place to be for as stress-free a vacation as is possible, with good reason. Love you, Mickey! And love you, dear hubby, for your hard work in making all these wonderful trips possible. He does all the planning, right down to the dinner reservations.

Since then it's been business as usual. I seem to be making a name for myself as a therapist, and am being specifically requested by new clients. Needless to say, my supervisors are pleased. Wish they were pleased enough to give me a raise, though. And our beloved Jets have made it into the playoffs. Wow. And as of four hours ago, won their first game. What's this? A welcome celebration after three years of extreme Mets disappointments.

So much more to tell, but sleep is needed. Till next time!

XOXO