Total buy in

I've been reflecting on what makes some people enjoy Walt Disney World more than others. Whether you are talking about children or adults, some people just seem to have a better time there than others. Some people don't really get it; while others seem to not be able to get enough of it. And, I'm thinking that it has to do with your amount of "buy in". Not buy in, in terms of cost, but buy in, in terms of fantasy. For children, it may be about going at the right time, before they are too old to realize that the mouse is not ACTUALLY a mouse....and for adults, perhaps it is whether or not they can really let themselves pretend. We decided to go to the "World" to find our smiles...we had lost them. And when we got there, I just decided to let go of my reality and to just pretend to allow the fantasy to overtake me. Now, I am not sure if I did this was on purpose or by accident...but it was something about this meeting with Sully from Monsters Inc., taken in Hollywood Studios that really made me realize it.

Following Lauren's birth Will and I must have watched Monsters Inc about 50 times. It is a Disney children's movie that I genuinely like...and he and I would watch it again and again. It was a movie that I would sit in front of; sometimes watching, and sometimes just sitting, and sometimes thinking and sometimes not thinking. An escape from my world into a different one, with Will holding my hand and the comfort of the cool and the dark of our basement lulling me into a sense of calm. And, so on this very sweaty day in Walt Disney World I could not have been happier to see Sully. It was wonderful to see my old friend, and in that moment I think I actually believed it was good to see me too..again, smiling. You might notice, Will is not in the picture. He is smarter than me perhaps, he is in his stroller tired of having his picture taken..actually saying to me, "no more pictures." I'm not particularly fond of the picture. I think I look fat, Joe points out that he is as big as Sully himself, which makes us laugh...but the funniest part was when I realized later. It was a man in a costume. It was a MAN in a costume. But I had such complete buy in, so overtaken by the fantasy...that I believed we knew each other and that he was happy to see me, and that he was happy to see that I had found my smile. I wonder, what it is that makes some other people love the World, and what makes other people not like it so much. Two of my friends confessed that their husbands hated the Magic Kindom, the most....some other good friends really had to readjust their expectations upon arrival due to heat and crowds and wait times for lines...I would love to hear from friends about what makes vacations magical and what makes them less than magical. Anyone??

Have a Laugh!

Will Mickey Miss His Date?

Is that a parade I hear?

I keep expecting to be greeted by a parade in my normal life...the fact is that the return to the normal "world" ain't easy! And, I bet its that way for a a lot of vacations, (my brother's zip line pics and repelling pics looked pretty awesome)! But for me, this was really the first vacation where when I returned, I just had a hard time getting really, really back to life! I think it took me about one day in regular life for each day I spent at the World to really adjust. So now I've moved on to re-living our adventures, and thinking about the ones to come!

I really felt like all of my planning paid off at WDW, for instance I had the map of Disney really under my belt. I had character dining reservations made, I had a list of prioritized things that I thought my family would enjoy. And all of this planning (though made fun of by some of you) really made it so that I could enjoy the unexpected magic. One of my favorite things at the World were the parades. I did not plan to be in a certain place when the parades came, (with the exception of the lighted parade at close at the Magic Kingdom), but periodically we would be greeted by High School Musical, Block Party Bash, or my favorite the Celebrations Parade mid day at Magic Kingdom. On this particular day it was Woody/Buzz Day because it was the opening of Toy Story 3. We had fun dancing with the characters, not just getting our autograph and picture.

<>

I wonder now in the regular world how many times I miss the joyous spontaneous celebrations of life because they are not accompained by music, and men in costumes? Thanks to WDW I'm going to try and look harder for the celebrations and find the magic in my every day life!

Disney's Have a Laugh! Mickey Mouse - I Gotta Feeling (Black Eyed Peas)

Stop CMV pictures sent to me already!

Thank you Sarah Hobson, Thank you Heidi & Charles Lynn, and their healthy baby girl Tori

, Thank you Marcia and Jacob Thurman and their precious baby to be. Thank you Stacie Manary and her children Cameron & Kate!

Joining Hands to Stop CMV

The Stop CMV network is an amazing organization. When you have a baby, or a grandbaby with CMV, this network of amazing mothers and grandmothers joins together to be there for you. I found stopcmv.org after my daughter Lauren was born. In the medical community I found few doctors who were willing or able to take the time to discuss CMV, and I have come to believe that it is in part due to a lack of general knowledge about the virus. I was so relieved to find a network of supportive, caring, and smart people who not only could answer any question I had, but could anticipate the next question that was coming. On mornings when I judged myself, Janelle Sargent Greenlee the founder of stopcmv.org was there to remind me that I was currently at war. At war with a virus that was stealing from me, a war I was not prepared to fight. Stopcmv.org continues to work hard with various campaigns to bring public attention to this disease that hurts so many families. June is National Congenital CMV Awareness Month. 1 in every 150 children is born with congenital CMV, causing deafness, blindness, cerebral palsy, mental and physical disabilities, seizures, and death. The statistics are staggering and it is time to bring the message of CMV prevention to women...

Stop CMV is asking people like you and me to take a picture with the words "Stop CMV" written on your hand. Take a simple picture, a picture that depicts you, a picture that rings true to you. Take a picture of a friend, a child, your spouse, or yourself...just simply include your hand with those words. Upload your picture here.

"Join Stop CMV as we work to increase the public profile of CMV to save thousands of children from disabilities and death. Join your hand with ours and help become part of a global community dedicated to raising awareness of congenital CMV and impacting millions of lives worldwide! Ask a friend, coworker, family member, or photographer to take your hand picture. Submit your photo online before June 30th by uploading your photo to our Hands to Stop CMV Awareness Wall! Then vote for your favorite image to become the new face (and hand) of Stop CMV! This image will be featured in web, print, and broadcast awareness campaigns for Stop CMV! "

In addition, if you email me your picture (eor1415@mchsi.com) or at my blog, I will post it as well. Stop CMV needs about 50 more pictures to reach their goal, and I would be so proud if some of my friends and family members would take the time to submit pictures.

Included in the pictures above is a picture of me taken in our empty baby room by my husband, as well as another taken by my friend Jessica of her own hand and her own healthy baby daughter's hand. Like many of you she was saddened so deeply by our story, she held my hand along the way and she continues to hold her hand out now. Please hold yours out as well for all the children living with, and dying of CMV.

Finding our smiles again!

It has taken me a few days to post on our blog! I think some people were afraid this meant that I didn't have as good a time as expected...this could not be further from the truth. The truth is that I don't even know where to begin about what turned out to be a week of magic for our family. While some days were more magical than others, there was not a single moment when I wondered if it was "worth the money," or over hyped. I at one point felt that one particular day at the Magic Kingdom rated in the top 10 in my entire life. If you would have told me four months ago, that one of my best days ever was just around the corner; I wouldn't have believed it. And yet there it was, my smile. So long on my face that my cheeks ached. Countless times, I felt weepy over the magic and happiness that filled my chest and just how good that felt. We traveled with friends who made the trip extra special, in fact tomorrow's post, "Traveling with the Shorts" ha just kidding..Zac hates appearing on the internet so I will leave it alone. But suffice it to say the five of them added to our adventure and I would do it again in a heart beat! Top ten most magical moments in no particular order:

1. Will says to giraffe on Kilimanjaro safari: "Hi Giraffe, I Will!"
2. The rainbow that appeared in the sky while we were waiting for Fantasmic to begin.
3. Meeting Mickey Mouse Safari, meeting Mickey Mouse at his house, meeting Chef Mickey.
4. The realization that my husband kept pace with me every second for 5 days of Disney magic. Every day I got to the car I thought I could not have gone one more step. You were heroic Joe!
5. Toy Story Mania 3 times, and Buzz Lightyear's Space Ranger Spin 6 times with the help of the fantastic Fast Pass planning as posed by the Williams family!
6. The day at Magic Kingdom where we managed to be there from nearly open to close.
7. Our entire family and great friends on Cinderella's Golden Carosusel at nearly 1 AM following Chef Mickey's the lighted parade and fireworks.



8. Seeing will meet Woody and Buzz


9. Chef Mickey's, Chef Mickey's, Chef Mickey's



10. Coming home to a letter promising that the Magic was just beginning for our November 2010 visit to the World!

Walt Disney World 1987

So I have actually been to Walt Disney World once before! When I was about 14 my parents took my brother and I on a very long road trip to Orlando. Pictured above is my brother and I along with my mom and grandmother. I remember my papa taking this picture and I felt like some sort of crazy scene out of Chevy Chase Walt Disney World Vacation! I believed they were trying to torture me for sure. At the time, the World was only two parks large. Magic Kingdom & Epcot. It seemed worth it to dig out these old photos while visiting my parents tonight. We had some good laughs about fashion and how we have all gotten fatter. Except Micky, he hasn't aged a bit; though his fashion is questionable here as well! I do in fact remember having a good time, and it is remarkable that my parents felt like it was safe enough that they toured Epcot extensively while we explored the Magic Kingdom to the ends of the World. At the time, I didn't let on to the fact that I was having fun, by I think the smile in the picture below might have given me away!

Gratitude

I don't know how many of you have had a semi-charmed kind of life, where you have experienced little upheaval, or tragedy...I know at least one of my friends who has talked about being nervous that her "thing" is just around the corner. That she knows that she can not go a lifetime with no bad luck, and that since she has experienced none, she is constantly worried about when "it" is coming. This trip we are taking is sort of a benchmark of sorts. A trip we booked within days after our largest life tragedy to date, a trip that was a reminder that there would be a tomorrow, and indeed there is. As it nears I have been thinking about what it is that I am grateful for and here is just a short list with the general disclaimer that there are things that are not here, these are just the ones that came to mind THIS morning:

1. These specific nurses and doctors who did more than they had to. Laura, Kate, and Dr. Lyndsey Maines. Not for being nurses and doctors so much, but for being human beings...and for making me better then and always. All three of you helped me survive the storm, and made me a better woman by knowing you. I will pay your kindness forward.
2. My mom and papa. It would have been much harder to survive the last months if I did not have them to give us their ear, a pat on the back, a hug. In the beginning I felt like sleeping between them like when I was 8 and they let me.
3. My brother and because he is private that's enough said.
4. My friend Jessica who brought us dinner every night forever and offered to take care of us, and we let her.
5. Old friends who knew when to call and when to not
6. Neighbors who knew when to push and when to pull
7. Colleagues, teachers and AEA alike who have worried about us and worried about Lauren, who have prayed and hoped and cried with us.
8. New friends who accept me now, just as I am.
9. My husband for allowing me to go on vacations when there are so many other things that we could spend our money on, who knows what I need and lets me have it.
10. And you, who ever you are for reading this blog.

The Magic is Contagious

With less than a week to go until we leave for Walt Disney World, I find myself speculating about how contagious the magic of Walt Disney World actually is. Over the last several months I have cultivated a few friendships based entirely on our love for the World! I have received several little gifts on my desk at work, ranging from plastic buckets to anonymous Mickey/Minney picture frames. Various co-workers have combed through their homes for old now un-used felt "ear" hats, and touring guides on the world. People who I previously had nothing in common with, now smile when I am coming towards them..if for no other reason they no what to say..."how long until you leave!?" Today as I was pulling into my driveway a friend who has consistently offered me support and encouragement in the past few months, pulled in behind me. She emerged from her car with two Walt Disney World Lanyards and five official Walt Disney World Trading pins! Several months ago, I read about the magic of trading pins at Disney; and I decided to get on board. I ordered my very own starter set of pins in anticipation of trading collectible pins with cast members and other strangers in the parks. So here was someone in my life who has been paying attention to my postings on Facebook enough to know that I would find joy in these pins. I was moved, actually moved to tears at the thoughtfulness of her friendship, and by the magic that Disney has given me.

You didn't win the lottery did you?

Last year Joe and I returned to Las Vegas for what was the third time since we've been married. We repeated our stay at the Monte Carlo in the same honeymoons suite we had in 1999. We love the Monte Carlo for a variety of reasons, but mostly because it is a beautiful hotel that gives us the feeling of luxury without being "out of our league." I notice they are now advertising that they are the home of unpretentious luxury. We noticed that even in 1999! We stayed in Las Vegas for three nights and our son Will stayed with my mom. We made our way downtown for

the first time ever, enjoyed the O Cirque de Soleil show at the Bellagio, and layed by the pool in the sun.






We enjoyed dinner all three nights with room service to our hotel suite. We did this in part so that we would not have to spend lots of time waiting, and partly because it was romantic and relaxing, and partly because yes it saved money. Just a little more than 50.00 for the below dinner for two complete with dessert! Over three nights we had 150.00 in three beautiful dinners delivered to our room with excellent quality, excellent view of the strip from our beautiful room and with our feet out of our shoes since by then our dogs were barking!

Which brings me to my point. One of my bestest bestie friends said "you guys didn't win the lottery did you?" referring to our plans to travel. And I immediately had to laugh and say OF COURSE NOT! But we have learned over time that some secret strategies to save money making it easier to travel.






1) we frequently use Allegiant air; and plan our trip around when Allegiant is flying. AND we look at a calendar over several months to find the best value time for traveling based on the hotel we are going to stay at. One of the most interesting people I know is the custodian of the building where I work. He takes cruises or trips every year, multiple times a year. He and his wife and son are getting ready to go on an Alaskan cruise very soon! What's his secret?? He checks the website of his cruising choice, every single day. That's right every day he looks to see if there is a deal. And he is prepared when there is to not hesitate. Book it! He says people just don't take the time to look!
2) we frequently wait for Allegiant air to have buy one ticket, get one free with the booking of air and a hotel room (they are actually running this special right now). My mom and grandma and I have done this with Amtrak as well, but 2 get a third free!
3) when we cruise we try to fly in on the day of the cruise and fly out the day of the cruise so as not to spend additional dollars "waiting" to cruise (unless you plan ahead for the additional day and you see it as part of the vacation)
4) we have been the lucky recipients of two weeks at my in-laws time share, but I am aware that you can rent people's unused time shares at a reduced cost
5) we do not spend a lot of money on food, we generally eat out only once per day if at all when vacationing. If we do eat out, we choose wisely. We instead look for lodging that allows us to buy groceries. We make a run to the grocery or to Wal Greens, buy breakfast food etc., and especially water which is a premium when you buy it by the bottle instead of the case! The Residence Inn is a favorite of ours in Des Moines for just this reason. Yes it is an all suite hotel that is slightly higher in price, but it has a kitchen which is going to save us money in the long run. We feel similarly about the option to do laundry. It saves us space in our suit case, money in terms of buying things before we go, and stress for when I sit on M&M's in the car, which seems nearly inevitable.
6) we re-allocate money. This year our trip in November for example is likely to be our Christmas gift to each other (Joe & me) or another example, I do not intend to pay the 200.00 I frequently spend on getting Will's picture taken near his birthday, since we will be traveling to Disney World on his third birthday; I'm sure there will be plenty of photo opportunities and I just saved myself 200.00 at the local photographers.
7) we prioritize. For example, I wanted to see the Cirque show in Las Vegas the year we got married, (11 years ago). We decided that we just couldn't see parting with the money then. It has since been rated the #1 show on the strip for many many years. Upon our return, not only did I get tickets but I got really good tickets, and yes they were expensive. But we then balanced that with laying by the pool for free for 2 solid days and a walking/bus tour of the city which also cost us a whopping 0.00 dollars!
8) We save money on the extras on a flight etc. We pack light, the less you pack the less you pay for checking baggage. We're planning to do it one bag to WDW for 7 days for 3 of us! And, we always say no to travel insurance. Pay the minimum on your trip before you go and if you lose money you just lose the deposit. I have found that if there is a natural disaster airlines/hotels will make it right (I once had a problem with a hurricane and once with a huge fire in Colorado) and my parents have found that making a claim because of an illness is so complicated that its hardly worth it. So we save the insurance money on the front end and hope for the best on the back end and we've never been sorry.
9.) We ask Joe's mom to house sit while we are gone. Since we were after all robbed once...a story for another day...but this also saves a truck load on kenneling the dog etc, paying someone to take in the mail. Find someone who is happy to have somewhere to "get away" from their home and its a win win! Perhaps a college student? You might even be able to convince my mother in law to come to your house!
10) We stay aware of discounts. For example, Will can get into WDW for free until he is 3 so we are going twice before he is 3, once literally days before hand. There are similar benefits to flying before 2 or to going places before your child is of adult ticket price. Another good tip, my papa taught me to NEVER travel without your student ID. You'd be surprised how many museums etc., let students in at half price or even free! Even if you are just doing continuing ed credits, I bet most of you are a student SOMEWHERE, seek out a college ID!



Its about balance for us, and trying to look at a budget for a whole year and thinking about what means the most to us. I bet if you look at your budget you could name things that could be sliced or eliminated in order to allocate a couple hundred dollars towards your next adventure!