Hectic Life Meet Your Match...Disney here we come!

Families of friends have busy schedules! Some of you work, volunteer, and have hobbies in addition to maintaining your busy family's commitments and extra curricular activities. Everyone "runs" from one chore to another errand, with hopes of crossing off something on the long To-Do list. At my children's school, I encounter moms who attend class parties and field trips while also substitute teaching and organizing class activities for their additional children. It amazes me!

William is so good to remind me that there are many reasons that I fall into bed at night exhausted from my day, too. Although I am not paid by an employer, I work the full time jobs of two over-worked employees. I "appear" occasionally at my children's school; however, my name can never be written on the list for room parent volunteer as my family situation is reliably unstable and unpredictable. Since my errands and To Do list are never ending, someone might think the extra curricular activities of my five children keep me busy, but the reality of our lives meeting the various needs of two special children keeps our healthy children's commitments limited to homework and playing together here at home. Our phone rings "off the hook" sometimes, but usually the endless (and sometimes less than productive) conversations with doctors, nurses, therapists, insurance, medical supply companies and the pharmacy keep me busy. Don't forget, we also have all the regular stresses of life, like bills, broken potties, and taxes.

Let's add all the responsibilities William has at work, a job that keeps him running throughout a ten hour day (at least) until he comes home only to return to work-related projects for another three to six hours each night after the children go to bed. The level of exhaustion between the two of us is insurmountable and overwhelming. Truthfully, we are just plain tired without any energy left even to allow depression. A typical day begins before the sun rises and ends late into early the morning hours (midnight,1AM,2AM?) unless our family is healthy, and I fall into bed after Aly's last milk feed ends around 10PM. Even then, William's head rarely hits the pillow before midnight as he faithfully attempts to meet deadlines.

Having said all of that, we treasure our time together because no one can predict for how long our family will remain intact as Our Aly might be called to be with Her loving, heavenly Father who is waiting patiently to be with her, too. And although our wishes would really be for all of our children to be healthy and normally developing, we yearn throughout the year for Aly to get her wish to return to Disney World for her birthday. It's the happiest place on earth where all of the stresses of our real life are magically postponed and forgotten for ten days! AHH! Short of a cure for Rett Syndrome and Tethered Cord Syndrome, it's only in Disney World where our family feels "right" and "normal" because everyone in the Magic Kingdom is special whether princess, pirate, or mouse. It's the place where our girl is a celebrity and our family gets special "perks" just by being with her. It's where fireworks blast in honor of Aly's birthday as required by the level of emotions felt by her family living with her and loving her, thankful for time to be with her.

The magic continues throughout our trip. It's where Cam gets to play all day without attending therapy; it's where Daddy has "no work,no work" and Mommy isn't running from one crisis to another. The children have no homework and stay up all hours to have fun. Our kids, okay all of us, devour all kinds of yummy foods and dessert every day/night. The place is filled with our favourite music. The wonders are extravagantly sighted everywhere. Let me be clear:

Hectic Life Meet your Match...Disney World Here We Come!!!!!!

The adventure begins. The magic carpet lifts off Monday morning, and return landing isn't for ten glorious days! "A dream is a wish your heart makes." Here's to big wishes and dreams coming true; here's to Aly's tenth birthday! Happy Disney days from M&R7