TR w/4000+ Pics/Disney on Ice w/184 Pics!!

[Belle Ella]

Called the HoJo today & made our reservation!!!

Arriving July 25 & departing Aug 3
Building 1, Facing Disney
Premium Room with 2 queen beds
Requested 2 cribs & adjoining rooms....since our family is so big & will have to be split between 2 rooms
AP Rate of 20% off & if by chance a better AP rate comes up...they will adjust our ressie!!!!!

Woo Hoo!!!! Very excited about getting this done!!!!

I'm all excited for you!!

 

[DizNee Luver]

So we've been having major issues with our 8yr old....a lot of lying, taking things from family members & then lying about it, argumentative, etc...impulsive!! Well his bio mom & other family members were all addicted to meth.....you probably ask....why talk about that??? Here's why....our guy is A.D.D. & so a dr put him on Adderall (amphetimine).....he was put on legal meth basically. Anytime he had a dose increase, the behaviors got bad again. I finally got a pediatrician to listen to me about my concerns of giving this to a child that comes from a long history of meth abuse & he totally agreed with me!!! He said the behaviors he was displaying, was like that of a user. He even has sores on his face that he picks at....just like a user!! As of this morning.....my son is no longer on this med!!!! This is a warning if you know of other people that could be in the same situation......don't want other kids to go thru what our boy has been thru!!

So he's having some blood work done this morning because the doctor wants to rule out something......leukemia! He's running a low grade fever, has thrown up, & is covered in bruises. The doc feels 99% sure it's nothing...but said he'd sleep better knowing for sure. Say a small prayer for us.....won't get results back for a few days (and possibly not until our follow up appt in 2 weeks....unless there's something not good).....so I pray for NO NEWS!!!

Phew, that was kinda heavy for a beautiful, sunny Friday morning......sorry!! I hope everyone has a super weekend & would love to hear what you're doing!!!!

We're doing our Give a Day, Get a Day tomorrow morning at our local food bank......can't wait to go & help out!! Followed by my sons basketball game & then Mike & I are going out for the evening......ALONE!! Haven't done that for probably 6 mths.....it's needed!

 

[onelilspark]

 

[kaoden39]

How awful that they even put children on a drug like that.

We had a health issue with Loren at around that same age. Almost overnight he was covered in bruises and there was no sign of where they had come form and he was feeling altogether ill, low grade fever. I had him to see his Dr. and the first thought was leukemia. Thank the Lord it wasn't. It was a disease along the lines of Johnson's Puppera (I am not sure on the spelling) but it was basically a bruising disease that her out grew. I am not even sure of the name anymore. I just remember how afraid we were. I am praying for you and keeping you in my thoughts.

 

[DizNee Luver]

How awful that they even put children on a drug like that.

We had a health issue with Loren at around that same age. Almost overnight he was covered in bruises and there was no sign of where they had come form and he was feeling altogether ill, low grade fever. I had him to see his Dr. and the first thought was leukemia. Thank the Lord it wasn't. It was a disease along the lines of Johnson's Puppera (I am not sure on the spelling) but it was basically a bruising disease that her out grew. I am not even sure of the name anymore. I just remember how afraid we were. I am praying for you and keeping you in my thoughts.

thank you...I appreciate it!!

 

[DizNee Luver]

On our way to work at the Marion-Polk Food Bank until noon for our Disney Give a Day, Get a Day!! Will report back when done!!

 

[Belle Ella]

First of all, big

On our way to work at the Marion-Polk Food Bank until noon for our Disney Give a Day, Get a Day!! Will report back when done!!

Have an awesome time! How funny that our GAD work is on the same day

 

[goofycathy]

Have a great time at the food bank and on your date night, sounds like lots of fun!

 

[MinnieMouseMom]

On our way to work at the Marion-Polk Food Bank until noon for our Disney Give a Day, Get a Day!! Will report back when done!!

Have fun!! Our church has a food closet through them.

 

[kaoden39]

On our way to work at the Marion-Polk Food Bank until noon for our Disney Give a Day, Get a Day!! Will report back when done!!

You, Bella Ella and I are all doing our GAD this weekend.

 

[DizNee Luver]

Cool that we all picked today to do our volunteering!!!

We had a great time & Anthony was quite entertaining!! He had everyone in stitches & he worked hard the whole time!!

We volunteered at the Marion-Polk Food Share in Salem:

We started bagging onions:

Then we did green beans......lots & lots of green beans!!:

Right before we were done we started on beef cubes. Everyone we worked with today were all doing the Disney Give a Day, Get a Day program. Most were going to Disneyland, but one couple was going to Disney World.

It felt great teaching Anthony about hunger & helping his neighbors. He really enjoyed himself.......I was a very proud mom!!!

 

[Belle Ella]

Awesome Laurie!!

I wish I had thought to get photos of what I did. But it was a little chaotic, haha.

 

[merrrydeath]

I'm loving hearing about everyone's GAD work. Thanks for the pictures too. I'm glad that it was such a good experience for you all.

 

[Brady's Mom]

Hooray for volunteering! It is such a GREAT lesson to be able to teach your kids. That must be why you have such a great family!

Good luck with Anthony and his diagnosis. Hopefully it is some weird, random thing that is really nothing. Anything else is almost unthinkable.

 

[DizNee Luver]

Awesome Laurie!!

I wish I had thought to get photos of what I did. But it was a little chaotic, haha.

I figured you never left home without your camera....lol

I'm loving hearing about everyone's GAD work. Thanks for the pictures too. I'm glad that it was such a good experience for you all.

We really did have fun...but I remember why I don't work anymore.....my fibromyalgia was really painful when we got done. Too much standing in one place.......ouch!!

Hooray for volunteering! It is such a GREAT lesson to be able to teach your kids. That must be why you have such a great family!

Good luck with Anthony and his diagnosis. Hopefully it is some weird, random thing that is really nothing. Anything else is almost unthinkable.

I thought it was important that Anthony understood that this food probably feeds some of his school friends....that he's very lucky to have food in the house everyday. He told me he was proud of himself for working hard!!! So cute!

Thanx on the diagnosis......we're hoping it's nothing...but he's still out of sorts & that worries me!!

 

[prettyprincessbelle]

Poor Anthony! I hope his blood work comes back fine (which it will). Is there an alternative medicine to give him than Adderall? I'm so glad his doctor listened to you too. Mommas know best!

It looks like you had a wonderful time at your GAD volunteering! What a wonderful experience for Anthony too.

Oh and we stayed in building 1 at the Hojo with a Disney facing room and loved it. The beds are heavenly. And they changed the AP rates now, some days are 50% off, so check on the Hojo message board to see if your dates are there!

 

[DizNee Luver]

Poor Anthony! I hope his blood work comes back fine (which it will). Is there an alternative medicine to give him than Adderall? I'm so glad his doctor listened to you too. Mommas know best!

It looks like you had a wonderful time at your GAD volunteering! What a wonderful experience for Anthony too.

Oh and we stayed in building 1 at the Hojo with a Disney facing room and loved it. The beds are heavenly. And they changed the AP rates now, some days are 50% off, so check on the Hojo message board to see if your dates are there!

Thanx Courtney.....we won't find out the test results for a couple weeks....unless there's a problem....so NO NEWS IS GOOD NEWS!

The doctor put Anthony on Tenex (a non stimulant A.D.D. med).....his face sores are already going away......amazing!!

The volunteering was fun & Anthony was calling one of the families there...dude, babe, bro, etc...... everyone was cracking up.

I saw the new AP rate.....they just haven't posted out that far (July/Aug) but I will be watching. The reservationist said if there was a rate change, they'd just make the adjustment to our ressie!!

We're very excited about staying there. We wanted the Disney facing because the twins will need to be in the motel before fireworks & that way, who ever is taking their turn in the room will still get to enjoy them. Besides who doesn't want to look out there window & see the Matterhorn & monorail going by??? lol

 

[DizNee Luver]

So I just realized we have a BIG problem!!

I have the premium Annual Pass so we can get discounts on our meals, purchases & even at the HoJo. I will be the only one with the pass...everyone else will have a 6 day park-hopper. That means everyone can go to Magic Morning (early entry to Fantasyland) except me!!!! So now we're trying to figure out if I should buy a 3 day pass just so I could get the MM.......I figured the 2 older boys could use the ticket one other time during our trip to spend an extra evening at the parks. (share the ticket between the 3 of us)

Does that sound nuts??? Would you do the same??

Magic Morning is one of our favorite times in the park....almost the only time we spend in Fantasyland....because Fantasyland is ALWAYS busy any other time.

 

[kaoden39]

So I just realized we have a BIG problem!!

I have the premium Annual Pass so we can get discounts on our meals, purchases & even at the HoJo. I will be the only one with the pass...everyone else will have a 6 day park-hopper. That means everyone can go to Magic Morning (early entry to Fantasyland) except me!!!! So now we're trying to figure out if I should buy a 3 day pass just so I could get the MM.......I figured the 2 older boys could use the ticket one other time during our trip to spend an extra evening at the parks. (share the ticket between the 3 of us)

Does that sound nuts??? Would you do the same??

Magic Morning is one of our favorite times in the park....almost the only time we spend in Fantasyland....because Fantasyland is ALWAYS busy any other time.

I have that same dilemma because I am going to get myself an AP so that I can do the ladies only trip next year too. So, I don't know what I am going to do.

 

[Belle Ella]

So I just realized we have a BIG problem!!

I have the premium Annual Pass so we can get discounts on our meals, purchases & even at the HoJo. I will be the only one with the pass...everyone else will have a 6 day park-hopper. That means everyone can go to Magic Morning (early entry to Fantasyland) except me!!!! So now we're trying to figure out if I should buy a 3 day pass just so I could get the MM.......I figured the 2 older boys could use the ticket one other time during our trip to spend an extra evening at the parks. (share the ticket between the 3 of us)

Does that sound nuts??? Would you do the same??

Magic Morning is one of our favorite times in the park....almost the only time we spend in Fantasyland....because Fantasyland is ALWAYS busy any other time.

UGHH! You are not alone. I am having such an internal debate right now over whether or not to get an AP and right now the lack of a MM is the one thing that is turning me away from it. I don't know what I'd do in your shoes because I hate the idea of sharing PH's which is a real no-no.

I don't know-know!!