Disney's DAS versus GAC and Why We Really Didn't Notice (Too Much!)

This summer, we decided to put together an impromptu trip to Disney World for 4 days. We started planning the trip in July and our departure date was August 2.  Normally, this would not work for me because I like to have all of my ducks in a row at least 6 months in advance but with the help of Rebecca at Wishes Family Travel, we were able to put the trip together relatively quickly and still got to do most of the things we really wanted to do. (No Be Our Guest or Cinderella's Table--book those 6 months out as suggested!)
We had taken the girls to Disney about a year-and-a-half ago and we used the Guest Assistance Card with Imma. We loved it. She was able to get on just about any ride she wanted to with limited wait time, which is perfect for a child with her disabilities who has trouble understanding why she has to wait and who struggles to leaves others alone while standing in a line. (Really, it's just as much for the other people in line as it is for us! Who wants to listen to a child screaming for an hour while they wait to get on It's a Small World?) Since that time, Disney has changed the way they assist those who are differently-abled.  They now call the system Disability Access Services. It works differently in that your child is given a paper card, sort of like a passport, and he or she can get a wait time for one attraction at a time.  So, Imma had her paper and Daddy could run to whichever ride she wanted to ride next, get a time, and we could go do something else. We were skeptical that this would work for us, but it did, and I'll explain why.

Our plane ride to Orlando

It seemed like a long flight!

 

The first time we went to Disney with the girls, it was also before Fast Pass +.  We didn't use the old Fast Pass system with the GAC, we didn't need to. This time, however, we were able to use our Fast Pass + rides in conjunction with the DAS and, for the most part, Imma didn't have to wait in line to ride anything. She may not have been able to ride exactly what she wanted to when she wanted to but there were not a lot of meltdowns waiting, as I had imagined there might be.  I will give you a run down of our first day at Magic Kingdom so you can get an idea of how it worked.
First of all, we got there at "rope drop," which happened to be at 9:00. The girls loved watching the opening ceremony, even though Imma is still pretty afraid of people in costumes and of fireworks and there were both, but she was okay. We found out on the way to Orlando that Imma really wanted to ride the  new Seven Dwarfs Mine Train Ride.  We did not have a Fast Pass + (from now on I will just say FP) for this ride because I didn't think she'd like it. Our plan was to go straight to that ride and ride it first. However, by the time we got there, the wait was already 75 minutes and that was not happening. So, Brian and Imma went to get Imma's DAS while I started riding rides with Lucy. That early in the morning, there really weren't a lot of people there yet (except for the hundreds in line waiting to see Dopey!), so we were able to walk right on most rides, including Dumbo, Mad Hatter Tea Party, and Prince Charming's Carousel, with just a few minutes wait at Winnie the Pooh. Then, I took Lucy to meet Cinderella and Rapunzel at Fairy Tale Hall with a FP while Brian took Imma on Winnie the Pooh with FP. By the time we were done, we were able to walk right over to Seven Dwarfs and get in the FP line with the DAS.  There was just a short wait. Imma loved it so we knew we would be doing that again.

Lucy's new favorite--Small World. That song won't get stuck in your head!

Riding Dumbo with Lu

And Winnie the Pooh--she was scared

We love the horsies!

Cinderella was so sweet!

We went to get a DAS time for Peter Pan and then wen to It's a Small World and used the regular line because the wait was only 15 minutes.  Then, we rode Peter Pan and used a FP for Dumbo.  We got another wait time on the DAS for Seven Dwarfs and rode the Mad Hatter Tea Party together. After some ice cream, it was time to ride Seven Dwarfs again. Since Lucy didn't like it, we did Ride Swap and Imma got to ride it twice, once with Mommy and once with Daddy.
Next, we ate lunch at Tomorrowland and then headed out to find a spot for the parade. This was definitely the worst part of the day for us because it was so hot and we just couldn't find a shady spot. This is also where we encountered the rudest people of our trip. Imma was walking around with her head phones on, a clear indicator that something isn't quite typical about her, complaining that she can't see and yet an almost seven-foot tall man comes and stands directly in front of her, right on the edge of the sidewalk.  She got very upset and he just gave her dirty looks instead of realizing he was a giant standing in front of a group of children who were trying to see a parade designed for them. I really hate it when people are inconsiderate, regardless of whether or not it's obvious my daughter has special needs. But, we made it through the parade, despite the people in costumes, the loud noises, and the dragon. Then, we went to take a nap  the Hall of Presidents to cool off.  Lucy ended up falling asleep and it began to rain outside, making it cooler but also incredibly humid.
We used Imma's DAS to ride Haunted Mansion, which the girls hated. They liked it last time but it had some changes so not quite sure if that's why.  Imma and Daddy used FP to ride Splash Mountain, which Imma loved, so they got it on her DAS to ride again. Lucy and I went to ride Aladdin's Magic Carpet and get Tiana and Naveen to sign her hat. (We decided to do a hat this time instead of a book.) Then, we all met up for dinner at The Plaza. Our reservations were originally scheduled for 8:30 but we didn't think we would make it that long so we asked them to get us in as quickly as they could and we ended up getting in at 7:00 or so.

Riding Dumbo with Imma

Tiana is Lucy's favorite princess. Naveen was the only prince we met and he signed her hat.

Mickeyoldeon's for desert at The Plaza

So, here are my thoughts regarding the change from the GAC to the DAS. Is it the same? No. Does it work? Yes.  Will your child understand the differences at first? Probably not. I had to keep telling Imma, "Daddy has to get it on your paper first and when your paper say it's time to go, we can." She constantly wanted to know what time it was and what time the paper said. But we were able to keep her busy with other rides most of the time, especially when we had our FP to use.  I will say we had a lot less trouble with other guests giving us dirty looks for "cutting."  They all just assumed we were using a FP.  And we had a lot less trouble with cast members as well.  Before, we had some that would roll their eyes or give us dirty looks when we tried to use the GAC. I didn't see that at all this time and, in fact, a few of them were so accommodating, they just let her go ahead and get in the FP line if it was long. The way it is supposed to work is, the cast member looks at the wait time, subtracts ten minutes and then writes the new time on the card. However, a couple of them said, "I'm really bad at math," and just wrote down a time about 15 or so minutes from the time we had arrived. This was especially true at Animal Kingdom where the big rides, like Expedition Everest (which Imma loved) and Kali River Rapids have long wait times in their FP lines as well. Did the DAS prevent meltdowns completely?  No, but even our typically developing daughter had some of those.  It was hot and we were all cranky, that's when meltdowns are mostly likely to occur in my experience. But Imma got to ride a lot of rides and she was very happy at the end of the day, and that's what matters most.
I read a lot of reviews of the DAS before we decided to go and I that included  a lot of really nasty comments from people who do not have kids with disabilities.  The biggest argument I read was that Disney isn't the righter-of-all-wrongs and that they don't have to accommodate our children with special needs at all.  And I agree with that--they really don't have to. However, when parents start saying, "it isn't fair that your kid gets to go on 20 rides while mine only gets to go on 10," I would like to say, your kid is probably going to last a lot longer at the parks than mine will so, what you can stretch out over the 15 hours the park is open, I have to cram into usually about 7 hours, though on this particular day she made it a lot longer. You can probably work in all of those rides if your child will last longer.  Mine won't. She can't handle all of the sensory overload--the noises, the "threats" of being snuck-up-on by a cast member in costume, the bright lights, the crowds--and the fireworks. She is terrified of those and there's not explaining that away. No, Disney does not have to do anything for us but, the fact that they do, is one of the reasons why they can maintain their status as the Happiest Place on Earth. My best advice to those who do not have special needs children--if you can't say something nice, don't say anything at all. If you didn't like the GAC because you felt like we were "cutting" in line, then make the argument from your own perspective, not ours. For example, "I don't feel my child should have to wait so long while it appears other children are not waiting at all."Not, "Your kid gets to skip the whole line just because there's something wrong with her." Believe me, I would stand in a line a thousand times longer not to need the DAS or the GAC or the therapy or all of the other things that we have to endure!
Honestly, I am hopeful that this new card is more fair to everyone and that those who complained before will accept it as a compromise that works in their favor.  And, Disney is dissuading a lot of people from getting the new card in the first place. They asked my husband several times if he was sure it would help when he went to get it because they don't want to hand out so many.  We knew it would help--and it did--so we got it. But it won't work the same way for everyone and it won't work the same way as the GAC. I did hear one parent ranting at a cast member for an extensive amount of time about how horrible the DAS is. She tried to draw another mother and I in to the conversation saying, "It's a waste of time, isn't it?" I calmly said, "Honestly, you're the one wasting my time right now. I've been waiting for five minutes to let this lady fill out my card while you're talking to her." Sorry, lady,  but I disagree. DAS saved us time over other theme parks who have no accommodations (like Silver Dollar City, where we visited in July) and I am not going to knock it.  It worked for us.
Now, I would love to hear your experiences with both the GAC and/or the DAS.  What do you think? And, what did your kiddos think of the Seven Dwarfs Mine Train? We are still singing, "Hi-Ho, Hi-Ho, it's home from work we go. . . ."

Swimming the Length

Imma has always loved the water. From the time that she could walk, anytime she was near a body of water (a friend's pool, a lake, etc.) she would try to just walk right in. We said she thought she could "walk on water!" Of course, she couldn't, so in attempt to keep her from getting seriously hurt, we started swimming lessons at a very early age.  I believe she was almost two when we took her to her first lessons at a local high school  The first year she did just about as well as any two year old. It was the next year when the high school boy serving as her instructor made the comment, "I think there's something wrong with your kid." I don't think he was trying to be rude, but that was one of the first times someone other than a close friend had said anything to us about her differences, so it was a bit alarming.  We knew there were differences with Imma, but what he was referring to was her inability to follow his directions--literally inability, too, not refusal--and the fact that she continued to do her own thing, as if that was what the expectation was. You see, despite the fact that there was no way he was going to be able to teach her to swim the length of the pool, as advertised, Imma was having the best time ever splashing around and walking on the bottom of the shallow end while moving her arms in a repetitive "swimming" motion. So, even though she was not learning to swim, she was learning to love the water even more.

Little Imma on the boat, pondering jumping in and going for a swim.

Imma has done swimming lessons 4 out of the last 5 years. Last year, we paid for private lessons with a very experienced teacher and I definitely think that it helped. But Imma still couldn't swim.  She was still under the illusion that she was swimming by walking and moving her arms in a breast-stroke motion.  And she would still, occasionally, just attempt to walk right into a pool, with no regard for how deep the water might be.

Imma (5) and Lucy (2) in our family swimming pool.

Whenever I talk to the parents of Imma's friends who are great swimmers, they all pretty much say the same thing. "If you want her to be a good swimmer, get her in a pool every day." Now, like most women I am not always thrilled to get into a bathing suit in public. However, I have vowed to take her to the pool several times a week this summer so that she can become a better swimmer, and because both of my girls love the water.

Imma last summer (6) taking a break from swimming in our little backyard pool.

And it seems to be working!  She is actually taking risks in the water that I've never seen before.  She's starting to coordinate her kicking (yes, kicking, not walking!) with her arms. She's not afraid to put her head under the water and most of the time she usually remembers to hold her breath. She's jumping off of the side (not just walking in) and she's even diving down to get rings off of the bottom.  She's a long way from swimming the length of the pool but she's come a long way.
Today, Lucy did a lot better, too. Normally, she stays on the steps, in the shallows, or clings to me like a baby monkey. But today, she let me pull her around by her hands and even tried to kick her feet.  She's still afraid to put her face or head in the water but at least she's getting in and trying now and not just hanging out on the sidelines.
The pool that we go to most of the time is at my gym in a neighboring town.  Occasionally we see someone we know but not very often.  One of Imma's strengths is that she just assumes that everyone is her friend. This is usually a good thing but sometimes it results in her getting her feelings hurt.  We are running into this a lot at the pool because there are groups of girls that already know each other or girls who just don't understand Imma's differences.  She wants to get in and play with the other girls and they typically have no idea how to relate to her.  Most of the time they will say a few things to her and then continue on with their group, attempting to ignore her. Imma doesn't understand when others are giving her the cold-shoulder, however, so  lot of times she will press on, which can lead to the other children getting frustrated. So far, no one has been rude to her but I'm afraid it might happen. And I know it happens when I'm not around (as is the case with all children) but I want to protect her as much as I can, like most mothers, so it's frustrating for me as well. I have tried talking to her about how to tell when other children don't want to play "right now" or they are "doing something else" but she doesn't understand what I am telling her any more than the other girls understand what she is telling them when she starts quoting a video they haven't seen. I also try inviting her to come play with me and/or Lucy but we are boring and she wants to play with the other girls.  It's difficult to know if I should just let her be and see what happens or try to protect her from getting her feelings hurt. Have any parents of special needs children been in a similar situation and, if so, what did you do?
So far, we have had a wonderful summer--full of sun and swimming. I am hopeful that, by the end of summer, Imma will finally be swimming the length of the pool!

Imma had a blast riding the dolphin in Cozumel this summer.

In All of My Spare Time . . .

When I tell people that I took on another job this summer, they look at me like I'm crazy--and they are probably right--but this was an opportunity I couldn't pass up.
My friend Tiffany, who lives in Houston, started working as a consultant for Mary &  Martha last year. I saw all of her beautiful posts on Facebook,  lovely products, unique and apparently of very high quality.  Perhaps more importantly, I was intrigued by the message M & M sends--loving God through loving on others.  These are products that inspire women to invite others into their homes, welcome them, and share God's message.  When I was presented with the opportunity to join the M & M team as Regional Developer, I just couldn't pass it up.

Love this tray! Great for weddings, too!

When I initially read the job description, I thought, "That doesn't sound like me at all!" The description was looking for someone with sales experience, of which I have very little. The person would need to recruit other individuals to join the company. I thought that was something I might be able to do because I know a lot of people and I'm not afraid to approach people.  There was certainly one aspect of the job description that I absolutely loved, however, sharing God's love with others.  I spoke to a few members of the home office staff several times over the course of about a week and finally came to the determination that, with God's help, this really was something that I can do.  Now, Mary & Martha have become a part of my ministry.  Sure, the products are amazing. Yes, the compensation plan is spectacular.  But most importantly, I now have a reason to invite others into my home--or to be invited into the home of a hostess--and share God's message of love with others.  Mostly, we talk about our kids, our work, and life in general, but the fact that we are surrounded by phrases of hope and inspiration, with Bible verses and scripture, creates an atmosphere that lets us know we are in His presence.

I think I will get this apron for my mom for Christmas!  Isn't it cute?

So, do I really have the time to take on more responsibility?  Well, we are making it work! Do I need the extra money?  Maybe not, but it sure is nice!  Can I handle the demands of being a "sales person"?  Well, the products are so awesome, they really sell themselves. I don't know if I'll meet all my recruiting quotas or not, but as long as I am able to continue to spread God's word and "love on others,"  I'll be perfectly happy!

This is my favorite item!  I think it would be so great for engagement or wedding pictures. Love it with my girls, too!

You can check out all of the amazing Mary & Martha products by following the link to my page here.  To shop on-line,  click on events, choose "shop online" next to an event, and then click on the shopping cart that says, "shop now."
If you are interested in hosting a party or becoming a consultant, please email me at vanhornmandm@gmail.com
If you found this post inspiring, please feel free to share it with others.

Imma's 7th Birthday!

We were in the middle of the ocean on a cruise ship when Imma turned seven. I didn't have the chance to post anything about this year or how amazing my little girl is.  So, this post is a few days late, but I hope to sum up a year of progress, of growing, of challenges, and perseverance.
Imma did really well in school this year.  She still struggles with abstract concepts but she is becoming a great reader. She has amazing spacial skills that have allowed her to take her own approach to math and excel in some areas that are really difficult for other children. She did really well with Mrs. Medford and I'm so happy she had such an amazing teacher.
Imma has played softball and basketball this year and done really well in both.  She also did great in dance and did an awesome job at her recital.  She has shown she knows how to play as part of a team and can contribute to a winning effort.
Imma has made new friends this year and grown existing friendships.  I don't know where she would be without her bestie Peyton.  She also became very good friends with another little Peyton this year as well.  I couldn't possibly name all of her friends but we are blessed to have each of them in our lives and it isn't surprising to me that so many of her close friends are boys (like Chrisopher, Donny, and Bradley to name a few!) I have also seen a blossoming friendship between Lucy and Imma this year.  They become closer and closer as they get older.  Often, it is the idea that, "no one better mess with my sister, except for me!"
Imma continues to enjoy music and dancing.  She started music therapy at school this year, which was a blessing for her.  She continued speech and also added some OT back in.  All of these therapies continue to help her improve her language skills.
I will still be the first to say that Imma is the hardest working child I have ever met.  She has to do so much just to know what is going on around her. The fact that most people have no idea that there is anything different about her is remarkable and a testimony to just how incredible she is.  I am so very lucky to have been chosen to be here mother!
Now, for the fun part!  Imma wanted a lalaloopsy party this year.  So, since last year's theme was, "Imma in Wonderland,"  this year we decided to go with, "Imma in Lalaloopsy Land."  We invited a ton of people again and had a great turn out.  We went ahead and did the petting zoo and bounce house, even though I wondered if the kids were getting too big for that.  My sister Kinley made the cakes, which turned out super-cute, and of course I took the decorating a little too the extreme.  Our family friend Priscilla dressed-up like Jewels Sparkle and Imma dressed up like Crumbs Sugar Cookie because she wanted to! She had a really great time with a whole bunch of her friends. Here are some pics from the party!

Imma blowing out her candles.

Imma's birthday cakes.

The Candy Buffet

Some of the decor

Crumbs Sugar Cookie!

LuLu checking out the snacks

We hope all of our guests had as much fun as we did!  We got to meet some parents we hadn't gotten to know before and that's always a plus.  I'm not sure if we will do "Extravaganza" again next year or not but Imma had a good time, we got to see a lot of her friends from school one last time before summer, and I had an excuse to make lots of cute decorations! :)

I am excited to see what Imma's eighth year has in store. I know she will continue to inspire and amaze all of those who are lucky enough to get to know her.  Happy Birthday, Imma-Jane!

Cruising with Kids to Cozumel

My husband and I have been discussing the idea of taking a cruise for about 11 years--no joke.  When we first started talking about it, not only did we not have any kids, we were still of the mindset that we were NEVER having kids. So, we would be able to travel at our leisure, what with all of that extra time and money.  We did do quite a bit of domestic traveling before the girls were born but we never got around to taking a cruise.  Then, once Imma and Lucy came along, we got lots of advice about why you shouldn't take small children on cruises. Sure, plenty of our friends had done it and said it was no big deal, but one of us (I won't say who, but you can probably guess) doesn't really like to take chances when it comes to whether or not the children are going to be miserable and make us miserable, so we just never did it.  Until now . . . .
I'm not exactly sure what made us (okay, me) decide we should go on a cruise this summer. I guess it was mostly because I didn't want to deal with flying anywhere.  I hate going through security at the airport.  Since we live within driving distance to Galveston, it just made sense to me that a cruise would be the next most logical choice.
I did a lot of research before determining which cruise line to choose. It didn't take too long to narrow it down to two--Disney and Carnival.  Whenever I found lists that discussed cruises that catered to children, both of these names were basically on every list.  Both have options for childcare so parents can get some time on their own, both had activities centered around kids, and both had excursions specifically for children. When we found that Disney wouldn't be sailing out of Galveston any time during the window that we planned to go, we decided to go with Carnival.  We had talked about driving to Florida to catch the Disney boat from there but since Imma explained to me that she is afraid of "squirrels and dolls"  a.k.a. the Chipmunks and anyone in a costume, not to mention she is still pretty fearful of fireworks, we decided Carnival was the way to go.
Carnival's website is almost overloaded with information.  There are tons of posts and articles to read.  Cruising options are also almost too many to choose from.  We finally decided we needed to go on the shortest cruise possible, just in case the girls hated it.  So, we opted for the 4 night cruise from Galveston to Cozumel.  One port, one debarkation, one re-embarkation.  Seemed to make sense.
Because I like to worry a lot about everything, I determined it would be in my best interest to spend the night in Galveston the night before.  I though about traffic, (Dallas traffic, Houston traffic!) and all kinds of things that could have gone wrong if we waited until the day of to make the 4ish hour drive to Galveston.  So, we rented a room on the Galveston beach for the night before.  I found out a few days before we left that I would actually have to pick Brian up at Houston-Hobby Airport because he had to be in Atlanta on business up until the day before we left.  I was super nervous about driving the girls down by myself but it ended up working out pretty well.  They were both very good on the way.   They watched some new movies, stopped at McDonald's to play in Huntsville for about an hour, and asked me if we were at the beach yet about 4,000 times.  Imma spent the first half of the trip under the impression that we were getting on a plane. She finally realized we were just getting Daddy at the airport and then driving on to the beach at about Corsicana.  She did have a lot of fun dancing for the other kids in the play area at Old MacDonald's though.  ("Shake it to the left!  Shake it to the right!")
Despite getting into an argument with a construction worker at Houston-Hobby, the rest of the trip was relatively insignificant until we reached the beautiful brown waters of the Galveston Coast.  Brian and I lived in Houston for about 4 years and we went to Galveston several times each summer. Even though I had been to Galveston so many times, I guess I had forgotten just how yucky the water really is. Still, the girls were excited to splash in the waves and build a sandcastle.  They also got the opportunity to go ride the rides at Pleasure Pier, a place I had never been to before.  So, all in all, the night we spent in Galveston was a pretty good one.
Since I have several friends who are considering going on a cruise soon (or have already booked one!) I'm going to be a little more detailed than most people really care for.  Sorry!  Feel free to skim.  We were told to be at the Port of Galveston between 12:30 and 3:30.  We waited until about 12:15 to leave our hotel. When we got to the port, about 10 minutes away, there was already a huge crowd.  I found out later that people actually start arriving as early as 11:00! Now, being the practical mommy that I think I am, I decided it would make a lot of sense for us to carry most of our bags ourselves and only check things we could live without for a few hours.  Big mistake! Of course, I didn't realize at the time that Lucy would refuse to walk.  In order to get on the boat, you have to stand in several lines and have several documents checked several times.  There's a lot of climbing stairs and ramps and various other obstacles designed to move huge numbers of people onward and upward.  We used only our birth certificates and drivers licenses as proof of citizenship and that was no problem.  But we had several bags and one 3 year old to drag along. Next time, I will definitely check everything--maybe even Lucy ;).
Once you get through the line, there's a photographer there, ready to take your picture as you go aboard the boat.  These photographers are everywhere on the boat! At this point, we  were literally dripping with sweat. Needless to say, we did not purchase that picture!  It took us about an hour or so to finally get aboard.  And our room wasn't quite ready yet so I sat down with the girls while Brian made trips to the room with the bags.  I will say that everyone we encountered while boarding was super nice and friendly, unlike most of the people I have ran into at the airport and security was metal detectors, not that thing that scans your whole body!

Imma and Lucy when we set sail from Galveston Cozumel.

When we finally got to our room, it really wasn't as small as I thought it would be.  We had a window to the ocean, which was great because I love to watch the water.  The bed was a full size.  There was a cot that came out of the wall, which Imma claimed, and the Carnival crew turned the little couch into a Lucy sized bed.
Our suitcase that we checked arrived in our room about 15 minutes after we did.  So glad we dragged 5 bags around for so long, just in case we didn't get our bags for several hours!
Aboard the ship, there were lots of things to do.  There was always music coming from somewhere. Imma loved the water slide and the pools.  The pools aren't very big but there was never any problem having enough room for the girls to swim. Lucy really liked running around in the two inch wading area around the outside edge of the pool and the warm shower next to each pool.

Deck 9, Lido

Imma loved going down this green slide!

There are also cheeseburgers, pizza, and ice cream available twenty-four hours a day, which was awesome for the girls since they wouldn't eat much else.  The buffets for breakfast and lunch were nothing to write home about but they weren't terrible. Tea, water, and lemonade are on the house but if you want soda, you can buy it one can at a time or by a "Bottomless Bubbles" card and get sodas for free.  We decided not to do this because it cost $27 but I think I drank at least that much in soda so I would recommend it if you tend to drink a lot of soda. And I haven't been lately, but I'm also not a fan of tap water, lemon-flavored drink, or unsweetened tea.
We did not see any of the performance shows. Brian and I did attend one of the comedy shows, which was pretty good.  It was John Knight and he had some pretty good bits.  But that was the only entertainment we really caught on board.  We wanted to go watch Frozen on the giant TV outside on the deck the first night but it didn't start until 11:00 and by then the girls were zonked so we didn't try it.  It would be great if you had kids that could stay up a little longer.
We tried the Kids Club twice, both times on the second day.  Imma felt betrayed right from the beginning.  Lucy was so tired that she slept the whole time when we dropped them off after lunch.  We paid extra for them to attend the Night Owl Party, which lasted from 10:00 until12:45.  They got a stuffed owl, a flash light, and a night light.  We went to the comedy show and got a call around 11:00 that they were both crying.  Lucy was exhausted and Imma was upset because they were playing a game that involved popping balloons. ("You do not pop the balloon!")  So, that didn't quite work out the way we had hoped. Imma told us several times the next day, "You're not going to Kids Club!" and every day there after.  So, that was the end of that idea.  But it worked out okay because I was content to be with the girls anyway and while Brian would rather have some time to himself, he was able to go out and explore while I stayed with the kiddos.  Incidentally, the way the Kids Club works with the little ones is that they give you a cell phone that works on board and they call you if the kids are upset or misbehaving.  They do let you bring diapers if you have  a non-potty-trained child.  (Lucy is potty-trained when she is at her daycare providers house but not when she is with me because she "wants to be my baby.") The childcare providers are all very friendly and seemed to really like the kids.  They had a lot of programs planned so  the kids would never be bored, if they are the type of kids that don't mind letting go of their mother's apron-strings.

A view of the ocean

Never get tired of looking out at the sea!

Our trail

The famous Carnival tail

Let's talk about dinner.  We opted for the "dine on your own time" option, which worked out pretty well for us.  We could go to dinner anytime between 5:45 an 9:45.  Since we have two little people, we usually went down around 6:00 and, believe it or not, the room was already starting to fill up.  We dined in the London Dining Room. There were lots of food options but I was never very thrilled with anything that I ordered. It really wasn't my kind of cuisine. I probably would have been happier ordering off of the children's menu.  Brian liked almost everything that he ordered so if you like fancier faire, then you'll probably be happy.  I was content to stop by Guy's Burger Joint after dinner and catch "second-supper."  I will say, however, that if you like chocolate, then you must order the warm chocolate melting cake whenever possible.  Chocolate and I are best friends and I have never had anything so delicious in my life. On "Elegant Night" it really isn't necessary to wear anything fancier than a pair of khakis and a sun-dress.  Some people wear formals and if that's your thing, go for it, but you really don't have to pack a suit if you don't want to.
I will pause here to say a few words about the wait staff and the rest of the crew.  I am a pretty picky person when it comes to customer service. I expect people to be competent and friendly.  I get irritated when people who are in the business of serving others are not friendly or are down-right rude. I can honestly say that, from the second we stepped on the boat until the moment we left, not once did one single individual ever come across as anything other than genuinely happy and willing to do whatever it took to make sure we had everything we needed. Even at Disney World, I can honestly say, the staff was not quite as friendly as the folks at Carnival.  They went out of their way to make the girls laugh, to learn their names, to ask how they were doing and what else they could bring us.  From the staff that straightened our room two to three times a day to the waiters and bus service at the restaurant, everyone was extremely friendly and accommodating.  If there was a 5 star scale for customer service, I would have to give them a 6 and that's pretty unbelievable for me.
My favorite part of dinner (even better than the cake!) was last night when the servers all got up to do the Macarena and asked Imma to join them.  Nearly every night they invited the girls to dance but last night, Imma actually did it. It was adorable.  Alas, I did not have my video camera with me.  She was so happy--and didn't know a single move--but that's okay because she was so stinking cute!
We docked in Cozumel Saturday morning.  We were supposed to disembark at 9:00 at the earliest so I scheduled our dolphin swim with Dolphinaris at 11:00, thinking that would give us plenty of time.  Well, we had more time than I thought and we got to the bus transport point at 10:15.  Luckily, the Dolphinaris folks let us go early.  The awful part was walking a quarter of a mile or so to the cab carrying Lucy, who refused to walk.  Also, you aren't allowed to wear sunscreen with the dolphins so we bought the girls some big floppy hat in the duty-free shop so they wouldn't burn. Luckily, the only person who got a sunburn on this trip was me!

My floppy-hatted little girls waiting their turn to ride the dolphins at Dolphinaris.

I had a really hard time deciding which dolphin company to go with, as there were two.  I read several reviews of each. I know you can't always make everyone happy but we had zero problems with the company we went with.  Once again, the staff was super nice.  They were extremely accommodating and there was no pressure to make us purchase anything beyond our original package.  We paid for Brian, Imma, and I to swim with the dolphins and do a ride-along. Lucy was free, which ended up being a big plus since she refused to get in the water.  We don't have any pictures of ourselves in the water with the dolphins except for the one we purchased of Brian and Imma riding the dolphin because you aren't allowed to take your camera down with you so you buy their pictures.  But I think that's understandable.  You do have to wait about 45 minutes for your turn but no one was complaining.  There's shade and they keep you busy talking about the experience. You can also see the groups that are in front of you so there's plenty to watch.  They separated us into groups and there were 6 other people with us besides our group of 4.  We were actually with 3 people we had shared a cab with so we had already met and then 3 ladies who were really friendly, which ended up being a big plus. When we got into the area where the dolphins were, there was a little landing and then a significant drop-off.  Lucy refused to get off of the steps.  The first thing we were asked to do was to swim out to where the dolphin was so we could touch it.  Brian had to stay on the steps with Lu, which meant I was in charge of swimming with Imma.  We all had on life-jackets but Imma really can't swim at all and I am not the strongest swimmer myself. Unfortunately, Imma thinks she can swim, which makes her pretty dangerous around water.  The trainer asked me to take Imma to the center of the line.  Despite my best swimming abilities, she continuously swam me back out to where the dolphin was located.  So, I relied on the other members of our party, the ones I had basically just met, to tow Imma back in to line.  Without their help, we both may have given up and gone back to the stairs with Lucy!
Imma was a little scared of the dolphin at first but she warmed up to it pretty quickly.  We gave the dolphin all sorts of signals and it complied.  Imma did not want the dolphin to kiss her cheek and she started screaming when it got close.  After she saw me ride the dolphin (an amazing experience, by the way!) Imma decided she did want to ride.  But, we were afraid she wouldn't hold on tight enough so she rode on Brian's back.  She giggled and laughed so hard the entire time, it was worth all of the money just to hear her so excited.  And then, she had to go to the bathroom.  So, I hauled the girls inside and by the time we made it back out, it was just about over.  Nevertheless, we had an awesome time.

Imma and Brian riding the dolphin at Dolphinaris.

The dolphin pools at Dolphinaris.

I have read that some people get pretty upset about these dolphins being kept in captivity and they complain about the conditions, etc. I can see that point of view but I will say that the trainers were very kind and gentle with the dolphins.  They always told us exactly how to touch the dolphins in a way that wasn't going to hurt them.  The pools that the dolphins were in were huge and the water was about the cleanest I have ever seen. They also had all of the fish they could possibly eat so it looked like a pretty good deal to me.  I know that some will disagree and they are entitled to their opinion.

The group ahead of at Dolphinaris touching the dolphin as it swims by.

As for the food at Dolphinarus, it was nothing spectacular. It was all you can eat but we didn't eat very much. I was happy to see that soda was included, however! It was about 12:30 when we got done and we could have probably taken a taxi to a beach or to the national park but we decided to go back to the boat instead, to beat the lines and make sure we didn't miss our ride.  We didn't have to wait in line at all and all they did was scan our cruise cards (which is called Sail and Sign on Carnival, by the way.)

Imma going back on board after our excursion.

Port of Cozumel

This morning, we were in one of the last groups to leave the boat.  You have the option of carrying your own luggage or having it brought down for you.  After our experience boarding, I decided to let them do the work.  We packed the bags last night and sat them outside with the proper tags.  We did have to sit around for a few hours today because we weren't allowed to stay in our room but they got us off faster than they told us they would.  It was pretty easy to get off of the boat.  We went down the stairs, had our Sign and Sail cards scanned, and found our bags.  We then found a porter with a cart, and he took us to the line where the fastest and easiest-going Custom's Officer was located, which happened to be Line 10 today.  We were through pretty quickly. Brian and Lucy went  to get the car and Imma and I stayed with the bags.  Even though we were some of the very last people to get off of the boat and some of the people taking the next cruise were already arriving, we didn't have to wait too terribly long for Brian to make it through the traffic to pick us up.
Just a few more notes, really for my own memory more than anything else! When you get off at any floor, the "lady" on the elevator tells you the number and name of the deck. We were on Deck 1, Riviera. But, Imma misunderstood what she was saying so every time we got to our deck, Imma would announce, "Step one, to ear!"  I don't know why she thought that was what the voice was saying but it was very cute.  She had her own interpretation for every floor.
Also, I would recommend staying closer to Deck 9 if possible because that's where the food is.
The muster drill is required and it is miserable! You will stand in a line 5 people deep in the heat for about 20 minutes.  Dress accordingly.
The showers are about one foot by one foot.
The towels are made into animal shapes each night, which lasts about 10 seconds before they are destroyed by excited little girls.
Not every ice cream machine has pink ice cream so if you find one that does, make sure you get your little girl a pink ice cream cone every time.
There are only two cartoon channels and neither one of them is Disney Junior.
All in all, we had a great time and I would totally do it again--even with two little kids.  Not once did it ever cross my mind to explain to anyone that Imma has special needs because no one could ever tell.  Both of the girls were just as well behaved as any other child we came across, and better than most.  We had a lot of fun and made a lot of great memories.  Now, if I can just figure out how to make my bed rock me to sleep at night, we'd be all set. . . .
If you have experience cruising with small children, particularly with special needs children, please leave a comment!

So You HOPE You Can Dance

If you've been reading this blog for a while, you know that we are striving for "normalcy" whatever that is.  Part of being "normal" for us is doing things that typically developing kiddos do. We used to go to therapy several times a week while we listened to others talk about hauling kids to softball practice and dance. I vowed that, one day, Imma would be able to do those things, too.  At the time, I don't think I realized that it wasn't that far off.
Lucy took dance last year and loved it.  And she is an AMAZING dancer (okay--I may be a little biased. I am her mother, after all)  But when all of the other 2 year olds were crying, Lucy was the lone-dancer, completing her routine like a pro.  So, I didn't hesitate to sign her up for dance again this year.  But this year, things were a bit different. Lucy used to attend dance at her daycare and she wasn't going there any more.  So, if she was going to keep going to dance, she would have to do it in the evening. Which meant Imma would be able to go, too.  Except, I didn't know if Imma could do it.  I hesitated to sign her up because I just had no idea how she would react.  We started off with a baby step, Dance Camp last summer. It was one day a week for four weeks. Imma complained sometimes ("We're not going to dance!") but she went and she liked it. So, I talked to her dance teachers last fall.  Was she doing okay?  Was she listening? Was she keeping her hands and her teeth to herself?  They said she was struggling a little but she was trying.  She wasn't always able to keep up.  They didn't know if she could handle the class with the girls her age because they had all had dance before.  So, we compromised.  We put Imma in the 4-5 year old class.  Some of these girls would be turning 6 and Imma is a little short so it shouldn't be too obvious that she was a little older. And then, I held my breath--for 9 months.
Throughout the year, there were a few incidents where Imma didn't listen. Once, she accidentally hurt a friend.  And once she didn't earn a "smelly."  I asked how she was doing and I was told she was doing "fine" or "okay."  She was making it.  You see, we aren't allowed to watch them dance.  They are in closed rooms.  We can only guess at how they are doing.  Then, at Christmas, we were allowed to watch a routine. This was our present.  She did really well!  She hammed it up for me and the camera but I was impressed and a little relieved.  Still. we had several months until the dance recital and I wasn't sure how she would do onstage.  Though she did a great job as a dancing frog in the first grade musical this year, this was different. This was choreography! And I was reminded of a melt-down two-year-old Imma had when she refused to sing Twinkle Twinkle Little Star at a recital once.  So, I still wasn't sure how it was going to go.

My two dancing girls

And finally, the big day arrived. We were almost late!  I hate being late but it was raining and I was struggling to get Imma's make-up right.  When we finally got out the door, we had 15 minutes to make a 30 minute drive and we just weren't going to make it. Luckily, we got there in time to drop the girls off.  The show started promptly at 6:00.  My girls' routines were towards the end. Lucy's class went first. Of course, she did amazingly well, as I knew she would. The whole class did a lot better this year, only one crying child. Lucy looked gorgeous and blew kisses and did all of the things that make a mommy want to stand up and yell, "That's MY girl!"

Princess Lucy posing for the camera

Who wouldn't be proud of this little cutie?

Then, it was time for Imma's class.  Imma had already torn her tights (Daddy was able to hide it) and her lipstick looked a little like we'd put it on in the dark, in a moving car, on a roller coaster. But you couldn't really tell from the audience.  The curtains opened to Imma's class of girls sitting on little crates, legs crossed, shoes ready to tap.  She was in the back--in the middle--right in the middle.  My immediate thought was, "Why aren't they trying to hide her??"  Well, they didn't need to.  They started off with a cute little tapping, leg crossing, switching thing.  Then, they were up and tapping, back down, one leg on the crate, then switch, etc.  She was doing it! She was dancing!  She was doing the same thing as everyone else. Then, there was a part when they shimmied to the right.  She was away from her crate and the spacing was a little off.  I was scared she would accidentally take the wrong crate!  But, she didn't! When they went back to their crates, she found hers.  She finished the routine and I was the proudest mama you could ever imagine!  I remember thinking, "You can't even tell there's anything 'different' about her!"  She was just like everyone else.  Not perfect but perfectly wonderful.  This was an amazing accomplishment for us. We had proved that Imma could do something just like other children.  She was very proud of herself as well. And the first thing she said to me after the recital was, "No more dance.  Dance over!"  You bet, kiddo--until after the summer anyway.

After the recital. Imma was so happy and Lucy kept saying, "Okay, Mommy, that's enough!"

As I am typing this, I'm thinking of the next challenge we would like to take on. I know that Imma would love cheerleading but we're not ready to tackle that yet.  There's just too much dependency on everyone doing the same thing.  That being said, I don't think it's too far off. I think she'll be able to do it very soon.  In fact, I think there's nothing she can't do if she wants to.
This year, she's played basketball, softball, and danced in a recital.  She's learned to read, done extremely well in math also, and made some great friendships. Her amazing teacher has taught her so much--not just academics but social and emotional skills as well.  I am so very proud of her and I can't wait to see how she does in 2nd grade--but we'll be waiting until the fall on that one, too!
Our next adventure will be a trip to Mexico on a cruise ship.  I know my girl can do it.  She can do anything she puts her mind to!
What has your special kiddo accomplished that has made you extremely proud?

A Few Words About Sportsmanship

One of the reasons I haven't posted as often as I'd like to lately is because it's been basketball season for the last few months.  Imma has been really enjoying playing.  We were blessed that she has the same coach for basketball as she had for baseball last spring.  While playing a team sport certainly has it's challenges for Imma, she really likes playing and we love seeing her gallop down the court!

My cutie-pie! Photo curtesy of RC Furr Photography

When I was growing up, my dad was my basketball coach for a couple of years. I started playing in 5th grade. I wasn't particularly good at first but I enjoyed it and my dad really worked with me.  I ended up playing through 8th grade and decided to stop playing in high school when I found other things that interested me more, like acting and choir.  My dad didn't just teach me how to play basketball, he taught me how to play as part of a team. My dad coached a lot of sports and thousands of players over the coarse of his life. One thing he really focused on with each of his athletes was that sportsmanship is a life-long skill. In order to be successful in school, at work, and in life, we have to be good sports.  Though I don't play basketball anymore, I still cheer for my "teammates", support them when they are down, and always contribute to the end product.  I can attribute many of my collaborative skills to the lessons my father taught me while I was on the basketball court.

Don't judge people, it was the '90's!  8th grade basketball pic

If you've read my blog for very long, you know how proud I am of the little community we live in.  The coaches here are much like my dad.  They know it's important to teach these little boys and girls the fundamentals of the sports they are playing, but beyond that, they teach them how to work together, how to find a common goal, how to cheer for each other, how to take turns, and how to be good sports whether they win or lose.  We witnessed a beautiful demonstration of those skills a few weeks ago when Imma was playing another team from Community.  Imma is playing on the kindergarten team so that she could have the same coach that she had for baseball.  Her team was playing against the first grade team, a team full of girls who know and love Imma.  The coaches of the first grade team also know and love Imma (one of them was an assistant coach on the baseball team who helped Imma run the bases.)  The coaches and the girls on the first grade team got together and decided it would be wonderful to help Imma score a basket. Even the ref was involved.  Imma got the ball, dribbled to the basket, took a shot--and missed.  But she got her rebound and made it the second time!  The gym went wild!  Everyone was cheering for her!  Imma was so very proud of herself. She ran to her coach and gave her a high-five, yelling, "Imma made it!"  What an incredible moment of sportsmanship and good-will! Even though we went to Great Wolf Lodge water park that weekend, all Imma could talk about was her basket.  It was truly one of those moments you might see on Youtube when the special needs child makes the winning basket--except for Imma's team still lost.  Nevertheless, it was an incredibly special moment and one we will never forget.

Imma scoring her basket.

I would like to say that this is the end of the story--we all went off with great memories of an exciting play. However, that wasn't what happened.  As is too often the case, one lone disgruntled parent tried to ruin it for everyone.  Those amazing coaches who had done such a wonderful thing, were bombarded with hateful comments from a parent who just totally missed the point of what had just happened.  They handled it with grace and poise, which is just more proof of how they have taken those character traits of good sportsmanship to heart, but it is just so very unfortunate that this woman missed out an amazing act of kindness.  What's even worse is the confusion her daughter must have felt, not sure who was right in this situation and who was wrong.  Luckily, that argument was completely missed by my little girl, who was too busy floating around on Cloud 9.
Imma's last basketball game is this Saturday. She starts baseball next week. Honestly, I'll be sad to see basketball end.  While I have lots of memories of my dad with both sports, there's something about being the coach's daughter that made me feel pretty special. I hope that Imma has fond memories of her first basketball experience and even though her parents weren't the coaches, it's incredible to know that she has made such an impact on so many people that even the coaches on the other team know how special and amazing she is.  And that's because all of the coaches we have had the honor of working with in Community are pretty darn amazing and special themselves.

Would you want to run into this crowd in a dark alley?  I don't think so! Photo by R.C Furr Photography via Facebook