Esmerelda
04-11-2003, 06:54 PM
Lessons Learned 08/31, Part 1
I decided maybe I should add a little background about my daughter and me. My daughter is six years old and I was blessed to get her as a foster child at 4 weeks old and adopt her when she was three. In addition to having mild cerebral palsy, she has some neurological damage and has PDD(Pervasive Developmental Disorder) which is a type of autism. She has very little frustration tolerance, is very impulsive, and can explode like a volcano with little provocation. She also has Sensory Integration Disorder and gets overstimulated very easily. I have lupus and high blood pressure. I was in the middle of a flare, and was fighting pnuemonia(shortness of breath due to fluid build up). I have very little stamina and my joints ache even with normal walking. Now back to the story.
August 31, 2002.
I woke up and just knew that this was going to be our best day ever at WDW. A friend had told me that the Disney Store had Belle princess dresses in large girl sizes and we had immediately gone to the Disney store and bought one. I even bought her the crown that matched. We were going to go eat breakfast with the princesses at Cinderella's castle and she was going to be a princess. I had visions of my beautiful princess smiling from ear to ear with her arm around the other princesses. Yikes, I'm digressing.
The phone rings and I tell Elayna to get the phone that it might be for her, knowing it was our Mickey Mouse wake up call. She answers the phone and the next thing I hear is "Don't you realize I am still sleeping? Call back later please" I am wondering if it was a friend that called and so I said Elayna, who was on the phone and she nonchalantly says Oh, it was just Mickey Mouse. This was the first sign of a non-perfect day. She did not want to get out of bed after I kept her out too late last night, but I finally got her out of bed and got her dressed in the princess dress. We get to the bus stop and are waiting for our friends from Germany to meet us when Elayna says "Mama, this dress itches me!" I respond in not my nicest voice "Elayna, hush about the dress. I don't want to hear you whine". Soon thereafter the bus comes and we are on our way for our 8:05 ressie with Cinderella. She hushes and I begin to think that all is well with the world again. We get off the bus and I see LindaB the line and run up to say Hello. Who is there but a friend of mine and Elayna's favorite person in the whole wide world, Duchess, all the way from California! I was SO excited. Elayna absolutely adores her, and I just knew that life was getting better by the second. I go back to get in line and realize Elayna is very quiet. I just chalk it up to her being tired after being up so late last night. We get in the gates and I can't wait for her to see that her special friend is here, but what happens when Elayna sees her? She looks at her and pretends she doesnt even recognize her! I was FLABBERGASTED!!!!! Part of the reason she had flown in was to surprise Elayna and I felt So bad! She was gracious as always though and was very patient.
We arrive at Cinderella's castle and Elayna has to get out of her stroller. Luckily we were seated very quickly and I just KNOW she is getting ready to have the time of her life! It is not to be though. Not only does she refuse to acknowledge any of my four friends, but she is suddenly not hungry and refuses to even acknowledge the princesses, much less get her picture taken with them! Does she not know how many little girls would love to be eating breakfast with the princesses? AAARRRGGGHHH!!! Finally, very discouraged I give up and decide to take her to change clothes while everyone else finishes their meal. We go to get her guest assistance pass (a long way when you are pushing a 92 pound child in her stroller with very little nourishment). That mission accomplished we go and change her clothes. Then we head back to the castle and guess what? She NOW wants to go eat breakfast with the princesses!!! Of course, breakfast time is over.....Thank God we soon see my friend and the one that she worships "Duchess" and she goes to ride Pooh with her. I panic, because it seems that I have lost the envelope that contains my driver's license, park tickets, money, etc....so what do I do but in a panic head BACK to the front of the park to guest services thinking I left it on the counter when getting the Guest Assistance Pass. It's not there and so I rush to the bathroom where we changed clothes. It is not there either and I have visions of being stuck in WDW with my child for the rest of my life b/c I have lost my driver's license and won't be able to fly home! Contrary to what some of you might believe, it was NOT a pleasant thought. I hurry back to Fantasyland wondering if Elayna was behaving herself and feeling sorry for my friend if she wasn't. I see LindaB and tell her I've lost all my important stuff and am almost in tears. She remains calm and ask me if I looked in all the pockets of the tote bag. Well, alas! There it is in the front pocket where I NEVER put anything! Well, this wouldn't have been such a big deal except it is only 9:00 and I am already physically exhausted and emotionally exhausted and besides that I didn't even get nourished! After Pooh we go ride Buzz Lightyear while the adventurous ones ride Space Mountain. Then we ride TTA while waiting for our fast pass for Buzz. Then some of my friends leave and we continue to tour with my German friend, Jutta and her eight year old absolutely perfect, precious daughter, Carolin. We ride Pooh again using a fastpass. Elayna is being very whiny and nothing seems to please her and then she wants to ride Dumbo. I KNOW that she is overstimulated and not about to be able to wait in a crowded que so we use her guest assistance pass. We wait for only about 5-8 minutes by the wheelchair entrance and we get to ride. Of course, we get plenty of hateful stares, but the funny part is anytime anyone dared stare at Elayna she made mean faces at them, started fussing and kicking the kickplates on her stroller. For some reason, most of them then looked at me sympathetically instead of with anger. We then rode Peter Pan with fastpasses and then it's a small world. After this, I decide it is time to head back to the room. We get to the bus stop right as the bus has pulled away. We wait for the bus and the bus driver appears very angry about having to use the lift for her stroller. He reads my guest assitance pass for about 10 minutes(it seems) before he begrudginly operates the lift. I almost ask him if he is illiterate and needs me to read it to him but I remember just in time I am supposed to be a good influence on my daughter. Elayna falls asleep on the bus and we head back to our room for a nap.
****LESSON LEARNED #9****
If youi daughter tells you her dress itches, believe her the first time. It is NOT going to stop itching! I should have changed her clothes when she first complained. When I told her to hush she took it literally and totally shut down until we changed clothes. After all, I had told her I didn't want to hear it......
****LESSON LEARNED #10****
Realize your dreams are not necessarily going to be your children's. I would have been in heaven if my parent's would have let me dress up as a princess as a child. It is not your child's responsibility to fulfill your unfulfilled childhood dreams.
****LESSON LEARNED #11****
Don't stay out until 11:00 PM and expect an 8:05 AM breakfast to go smoothly.
I decided maybe I should add a little background about my daughter and me. My daughter is six years old and I was blessed to get her as a foster child at 4 weeks old and adopt her when she was three. In addition to having mild cerebral palsy, she has some neurological damage and has PDD(Pervasive Developmental Disorder) which is a type of autism. She has very little frustration tolerance, is very impulsive, and can explode like a volcano with little provocation. She also has Sensory Integration Disorder and gets overstimulated very easily. I have lupus and high blood pressure. I was in the middle of a flare, and was fighting pnuemonia(shortness of breath due to fluid build up). I have very little stamina and my joints ache even with normal walking. Now back to the story.
August 31, 2002.
I woke up and just knew that this was going to be our best day ever at WDW. A friend had told me that the Disney Store had Belle princess dresses in large girl sizes and we had immediately gone to the Disney store and bought one. I even bought her the crown that matched. We were going to go eat breakfast with the princesses at Cinderella's castle and she was going to be a princess. I had visions of my beautiful princess smiling from ear to ear with her arm around the other princesses. Yikes, I'm digressing.
The phone rings and I tell Elayna to get the phone that it might be for her, knowing it was our Mickey Mouse wake up call. She answers the phone and the next thing I hear is "Don't you realize I am still sleeping? Call back later please" I am wondering if it was a friend that called and so I said Elayna, who was on the phone and she nonchalantly says Oh, it was just Mickey Mouse. This was the first sign of a non-perfect day. She did not want to get out of bed after I kept her out too late last night, but I finally got her out of bed and got her dressed in the princess dress. We get to the bus stop and are waiting for our friends from Germany to meet us when Elayna says "Mama, this dress itches me!" I respond in not my nicest voice "Elayna, hush about the dress. I don't want to hear you whine". Soon thereafter the bus comes and we are on our way for our 8:05 ressie with Cinderella. She hushes and I begin to think that all is well with the world again. We get off the bus and I see LindaB the line and run up to say Hello. Who is there but a friend of mine and Elayna's favorite person in the whole wide world, Duchess, all the way from California! I was SO excited. Elayna absolutely adores her, and I just knew that life was getting better by the second. I go back to get in line and realize Elayna is very quiet. I just chalk it up to her being tired after being up so late last night. We get in the gates and I can't wait for her to see that her special friend is here, but what happens when Elayna sees her? She looks at her and pretends she doesnt even recognize her! I was FLABBERGASTED!!!!! Part of the reason she had flown in was to surprise Elayna and I felt So bad! She was gracious as always though and was very patient.
We arrive at Cinderella's castle and Elayna has to get out of her stroller. Luckily we were seated very quickly and I just KNOW she is getting ready to have the time of her life! It is not to be though. Not only does she refuse to acknowledge any of my four friends, but she is suddenly not hungry and refuses to even acknowledge the princesses, much less get her picture taken with them! Does she not know how many little girls would love to be eating breakfast with the princesses? AAARRRGGGHHH!!! Finally, very discouraged I give up and decide to take her to change clothes while everyone else finishes their meal. We go to get her guest assistance pass (a long way when you are pushing a 92 pound child in her stroller with very little nourishment). That mission accomplished we go and change her clothes. Then we head back to the castle and guess what? She NOW wants to go eat breakfast with the princesses!!! Of course, breakfast time is over.....Thank God we soon see my friend and the one that she worships "Duchess" and she goes to ride Pooh with her. I panic, because it seems that I have lost the envelope that contains my driver's license, park tickets, money, etc....so what do I do but in a panic head BACK to the front of the park to guest services thinking I left it on the counter when getting the Guest Assistance Pass. It's not there and so I rush to the bathroom where we changed clothes. It is not there either and I have visions of being stuck in WDW with my child for the rest of my life b/c I have lost my driver's license and won't be able to fly home! Contrary to what some of you might believe, it was NOT a pleasant thought. I hurry back to Fantasyland wondering if Elayna was behaving herself and feeling sorry for my friend if she wasn't. I see LindaB and tell her I've lost all my important stuff and am almost in tears. She remains calm and ask me if I looked in all the pockets of the tote bag. Well, alas! There it is in the front pocket where I NEVER put anything! Well, this wouldn't have been such a big deal except it is only 9:00 and I am already physically exhausted and emotionally exhausted and besides that I didn't even get nourished! After Pooh we go ride Buzz Lightyear while the adventurous ones ride Space Mountain. Then we ride TTA while waiting for our fast pass for Buzz. Then some of my friends leave and we continue to tour with my German friend, Jutta and her eight year old absolutely perfect, precious daughter, Carolin. We ride Pooh again using a fastpass. Elayna is being very whiny and nothing seems to please her and then she wants to ride Dumbo. I KNOW that she is overstimulated and not about to be able to wait in a crowded que so we use her guest assistance pass. We wait for only about 5-8 minutes by the wheelchair entrance and we get to ride. Of course, we get plenty of hateful stares, but the funny part is anytime anyone dared stare at Elayna she made mean faces at them, started fussing and kicking the kickplates on her stroller. For some reason, most of them then looked at me sympathetically instead of with anger. We then rode Peter Pan with fastpasses and then it's a small world. After this, I decide it is time to head back to the room. We get to the bus stop right as the bus has pulled away. We wait for the bus and the bus driver appears very angry about having to use the lift for her stroller. He reads my guest assitance pass for about 10 minutes(it seems) before he begrudginly operates the lift. I almost ask him if he is illiterate and needs me to read it to him but I remember just in time I am supposed to be a good influence on my daughter. Elayna falls asleep on the bus and we head back to our room for a nap.
****LESSON LEARNED #9****
If youi daughter tells you her dress itches, believe her the first time. It is NOT going to stop itching! I should have changed her clothes when she first complained. When I told her to hush she took it literally and totally shut down until we changed clothes. After all, I had told her I didn't want to hear it......
****LESSON LEARNED #10****
Realize your dreams are not necessarily going to be your children's. I would have been in heaven if my parent's would have let me dress up as a princess as a child. It is not your child's responsibility to fulfill your unfulfilled childhood dreams.
****LESSON LEARNED #11****
Don't stay out until 11:00 PM and expect an 8:05 AM breakfast to go smoothly.