Home from Disneyland

Hello all,
We are home.
We were watched over
Protected
Given favor over and over and over and over and over again.
We came home a car limping as it is,
Bless God for DUCT TAPE!!!!!!!!!
For the first day we were in a car accident near the beach
The others involved at the seen was respectful,
The kids an emotional mess.
Sweet angles were sent to help me calm them.
No One was hurt.

It was wonderful at the beach
The wonder of the little ones was priceless
We were given favor by a stranger when our time had run out on our meter they inserted coin just prior to the meter attendant.
While parked at a Wally World Steve purchased the Duct Tape while I called claims.
We now have much to face including a $1000. deductible.
We were at fault :{

We Limped on into Anaheim, parked the car and
CHOSE TO FORGET ABOUT THE ACCIDENT AND GO ON!
Frugality a must
we had incurred the deductible


Our lodging gave us a upgrade for free ($35 savings x4)
The travel agency set us all up in one king bed!
an extra stuffed toy for free
wireless for free
a safe for free
Kindness unmeasurable!

Disney pictures to come as well as trip pictures.

I have THE most amazing children ever!!!!!!
Folks not one time did my kids ask us for one thing that we did not offer them!!!!!!
NOT ONE TIME!

We ate one meal in the park and out of the hotel room all the rest.
We back packed in water and snacks from home.
NOT ONE TIME DID THEY WINE OR BEG ABOUT ANYTHING!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

OVER and OVER
We were given unprecedented favor at Disneyland.
Personal attendance, grace and favor at long lines
taken to the FRONT of lines!!!!!!!!!
Given gifts!

Only once was a disappointment when we were forced to tell Dove no to a character meal $$$$$$$$$$
So We all held hand, prayed that God would make a way
SHE GOT THE SIGNATURE SHE WANTED!!!!!!!!!
SHE GOT THE HUG FROM AERIAL!!!!!!
Greater yet she saw GOD meet her hearts desire!!!!!!!!!!!
all character signatures were acquired and the kids were satisfied and very happy!

The very hardest thing of our trip....
We were faced with the severity of Doves Special Needs.
Having her in school, and only home on a schedule, well we forgot.
We forgot about her emotional status.
Her sensory, panic, social cognitive, and well just sweet beauty broke our hearts.

We told her she did not have to ride anything she did not want too.
However very first ride
WE screwed up!
We were almost at the head of the line after an hour and a half wait.
She given all the chances to wait with me , she not wanting to DISAPPOINT!
We (forced) convinced her to go, her and I both HATED IT!
Indiana Jones ride.
The boys have a separate taste than her and I.
The park was ruined for her after that!
My consequence for being selfish and not walking out.

We (I) was/were mostly forced to walk around with her the whole time.
She was over stimulated and cried and wept, and was just plain terrified.
She felt so bad about herself too (that was the worst part to me).
I spent almost the whole three days holding her at my side.
It was only perhaps a total of 4 hours we even got to see her smile.
It was really heart breaking.
I sobbed my eyes out this morning in the shower at the hotel just to release the stress of it.
It was really so hard.
She clung to me , yes clung!
Even on the little train!
It took me a day to regain her trust, three days for Steve.
What is scary to her was nothing to his mind.
So he simply did not understand the magnitude of it.
He felt awful too, we did not save 6 years for a trip to see our baby so distraught.

She did however love the pool.
At times we simply could NOT get her out of charater (fictional) when she was playing with her brother. It really is so hard to put into words what we expiernced that so opened our eyes. Steve and I both see it however and he suggested we make notes of it to have to get the help we may need for her. The education we need to help her as well.
I am so grateful that she is a happy child.

God has cleared the haze and now I must again face this sweet babies needs.
I must now become a mommy bear for her.
We do not know what her future holds, but we do know who holds the future.
Case in point...she cried and wept and was terrified to go into "its a small world".
It took almost half the ride to see a smile on her face.
She was just panicked!
We tried ear plugs it helped a bit.
The sounds , sights and sensory was just WAY WAY TOO MUCH for her.

Next vacation THE FOREST!

Now we felt this way six years ago (the last time we went).
I remember telling Steve NEVER AGAIN!
WE "thought" it was just her needing to out grow the 4 year old (at 6 years of age) inability of fact/fiction delineation.
She is now 11....
She is not just two years behind in the academics,
she is special needs in the other ways they tried to tell us about.
We just too easily became blind to it.
I listened too much to my critics and began to believe them that I was just making too much out of it, that "what do those professionals know anyway" "that's how they get their money out of you"...and all of that.
I fell victim to listening to all those well meaning nay sayers who lovingly wanted to just make us feel better. Maybe I needed too for a while, I just got so tired.
She really can't function normally.
My Sweet Lord she is still 4.
She is a grown up in body. A young lady who is only maybe 4-5 emotionally.
It really is sweet and beautiful to have her so full of that simple wonder.

Oh when she was happy !!!!!!!
It was mostly the sweet baby rides, and three outdoor roller coasters.
Only an outside coaster, the rush of movement was good.
An out side car, the tea cups.
Any heavy physical sensory movement with NO other stimulus.
It stimulated her sense's in a pleasing way.
EVERYTHING else was tears and trembling!

She may not "grow up" out of it.
We have work to do, more to learn and prepair for.
GOD will make us able , but we are both so stunned and deeply moved by the reallity of it.

Pretty big gift for us huh...

Dash had a blast!
He sucked it up!
Only thing was....His special needs....he can't take any physical free fall feeling and HATED roller coaster type rides!!!

Go figure...

Steve and I saw very little of each other.
We took turns with the kids.
Mostly though I kept Dove, for she was glued to me.
Dash wanted time with his daddy.

We enjoyed being with our children.
we are blessed!

Thankful Thrusday

We leave in the very early a.m. tomorrow.
We have a dear friend to tend the estate.
He has been recently blessed with employment at my husbands side.
30 years ago they once worked side by side.
Brothers and friends.
Amazingly he starts when we return.
It is so good to know that he is here for the life we leave behind as we are free to set off.

Oh Joy!
Small children await the day as they anticipate a journey.
The sensory issues faced them a bit.
I found sweet Dove asleep this morning
"IN HER CLOSET".
Change is a process when you have special needs darlings.
Slow transition called to wisdom to keep them home today.
Their little hands to fold the clothing to take.
Their little minds to process what is going on around them.
At their own pace they this day will prepare for a change, a different bed to sleep in.
They will anticipate sand on their toes and if that will feel nice or harsh, will the air be cold on skin or just right.
Noise and lights to consider as wisdom reminds me of my bag Of tools, tricks of the trade for this mother of special needs children.
Time to pause and reflect , watch for the next vision of action to take.
Made able for this task am I.
Made able.
Not able alone or on my own.

"This is not my mother or this is not my father HELP!",
rehearsed into a jubilant force of power!

I will flow into the end of my day.
This day that like my land , no more belongs to me but to the Love of a Father.
All the rides have been viewed on U tube.
The preventives measured and readdressed.
Open for question, rehearsing the trip.
It is like taking it thrice or even more.
Once there then....calm can easily be restored if need be.
They have played it out before.
Oh, but this day...
This day is new.
This day has begun.
Oh the joy.
Oh what fun.
They are so happy.
They are doing their laundry HAPPILY!

Cleaning the chicken coop poop.

The coop
The poop

the rake the bucket

Tarren high tailing it out of the way.

Pearly had to come check it out.

Now you scoop, the coop of the poop.

"Alright then go on... get!...this is my coop
my poop get on your way then..."

The coop has three doors on hinges.
The far right is the only place that really needs to be cleaned
No matter how much room they have they like to nest together.

"Didn't you tell her to get?"

"Come on Angel leave her to the task."
"Do you think she will grab the eggs now or later?"
The poop I scooped from the coop, into the compost and stir it over. They call it "green poop" that I scooped. It takes time for it to ripen up for the garden. Well it smelled pretty ripe to me:)
At the wallies world I get this for $6. Cheapest I can find it. Pine shavings, I once used a bag a week soon I learned it was over kill. Over fill. Just more than was necessary. See the nest are not needed to be cleaned very often.
My birds do not poop where they nest.
"What's going on up here?"
"what you think your going to leave this like that?"

me..."Birds! Oh Maybell, she is just an old "Mother Hen" bossy bossy."
"angle I got this under control "

"Now that's better!"
"Wow Pearly would you just look at this, fresh sheets"
"Well don't forget to close the door on your way out"
Maybell led the girls down stairs. I think she is satisfied.

This is kept by the compost. The pine shavings are the "brown" of the compost, the dung and the kitchen scrap set the balanced stage .
"hay she forgot the eggs"
:)

Word Filled Wednseday

If we love him.

life

Hello!
What a full day already!
I had the most awesome day!

After the normal customary tasks of each day and the children were off I set to a few additional duties of the day.
Set the worms to soil and the praying mantis out

cans to the posts in the garden and the compost fed the kitchen scrap

I remembered well that we were to have a brunch at Bible Study , however....it is in three weeks. The Cole slaw went to the heat for I was not to return yesterday untill day's end at 4 p.m.

Mucked the chicken coop, stirred the compost and watered the gardens too.

Mornings harvest.

Picked the peas, tomatoes (so I could save them from the dogs..)
They will ripen on the counter.
The sandwiches for the trip will have the treat of the toms.

Girls said hi:)

Well lookie there.
You wont see that often here at his uncommon home.
Set for the absence.
I am a funny soul. If I should go I would not want to leave a mess behind for another to clean.
Traveling is that wasy for me . I do not want to return all rested to tasks to tend too.
I much rather like to ramp up.

The car is in my charge today, however the kids are due home and I have just returned from Prayer with the Mom's in Touch group.
Soooo...kids to walk in in a moment, devotions on psalms91.
If you set your love upon me said God ....
Thought it a good lesson.

Gotta go get the chicke feed, the water shoes and the oranges and fruit for the trip.
Heard we have a microwave in the hotel so I got some ideas of a few prep meals to just reheat.


Oh this is so funny!!!!!
The door bell rang and I was off in a song
NO MORE SCHOOL
NO MORE SCHOOL
for 5 days or more no more school
thinking it was the kids.

It was the UPS guy
hahahhah
(he delivered Dash's medication and the walkie talkie's that Steve was gifted with for his first 5 years of service with the company.)
Just in time for the trip.
We will each now have one.
Perfect timing!

Made him smile.

He told me that a man hit him today with his vehicle, and then pulled up fixed the mirror and drove off...
He said he got the plate but did not report it.
I told him that if he did that to him so callus and he was alright what if he was the honorable man who could be used to prevent the mans next victim.
He said he had not thought about that.

well better run.