Other Disney Highlights

January 29, 2013

Other Disney Highlights

Oliver wasn't all interested in the characters during meal time. He was much more interested in watching "Mickey Mouse Clubhouse" on the iPad. Here is Pluto watching with him - Oliver totally unaware he was even there.

Best memory of the trip was during the afternoon parade. Goofy, Donald and Pluto all came running over to Waverly. She was giggling and smiling, so happy to see all of them. Thank you Disney characters for making my little girl so incredibly happy.

Waverly used to always say "Dumbo's mommy" while watching "Dumbo". And she would cry when the mom was punished and put in solitary. I found this adorable stuffed Mrs. Jumbo and she had to have it.

Oliver in his German inspired Mickey ears riding on the train. He loves the rides outside, especially those that involve a type of transportation. I think the train, buses and monorail are his favorites.

Waverly was an excellent driver on this trip. She held the steering wheel the entire time. She was so happy driving me around the track a few times.

Comments

Welcome to Holland

By Emily Perl Kingsley

I am often asked to describe the experience of raising a child with a disability - to try to help people who have not shared that unique experience to understand it, to imagine how it would feel. It's like this......When you're going to have a baby, it's like planning a fabulous vacation trip - to Italy. You buy a bunch of guide books and make your wonderful plans. The Coliseum. The Michelangelo David. The gondolas in Venice. You may learn some handy phrases in Italian. It's all very exciting.After months of eager anticipation, the day finally arrives. You pack your bags and off you go. Several hours later, the plane lands. The stewardess comes in and says, "Welcome to Holland.""Holland?!?" you say. "What do you mean Holland?? I signed up for Italy! I'm supposed to be in Italy. All my life I've dreamed of going to Italy."But there's been a change in the flight plan. They've landed in Holland and there you must stay.The important thing is that they haven't taken you to a horrible, disgusting, filthy place, full of pestilence, famine and disease. It's just a different place.So you must go out and buy new guide books. And you must learn a whole new language. And you will meet a whole new group of people you would never have met.It's just a different place. It's slower-paced than Italy, less flashy than Italy. But after you've been there for a while and you catch your breath, you look around.... and you begin to notice that Holland has windmills....and Holland has tulips. Holland even has Rembrandts.But everyone you know is busy coming and going from Italy... and they're all bragging about what a wonderful time they had there. And for the rest of your life, you will say "Yes, that's where I was supposed to go. That's what I had planned."And the pain of that will never, ever, ever, ever go away... because the loss of that dream is a very very significant loss.But... if you spend your life mourning the fact that you didn't get to Italy, you may never be free to enjoy the very special, the very lovely things ... about Holland.