RIDEMAKERZ

We ventured to Downtown Disney. I thought we hadn't been there since Gabriel was a baby but I was mistaken. We haven't been there since before we had children. We went to Pleasure Island with two great friends - back when we had three fewer responsibilities.
With the new eyes of a parent, we took our three children there. We had lunch at Bongos, a Cuban Cafe. I was slightly disappointed in their menu. I think I was expecting food similiar to the food we had in Miami. The food was fine and the atmosphere was nice.
We walked around the shops and found Ridemakerz. I had never heard of the place. It's Build-a-Bear on crack! Seriously. You pick a car model, wheels, and decide if you're going to upgrade to monster wheels or remote control. We didn't upgrade or customize.
Click on the link to learn more. The kids LOVED it. Even Lane picked out a yellow car - I pointed out the purple version but she wasn't interested.
Here are photos of my serious car builders:

A Day in the Life - a Friday

We went to our first autism play group in Orlando today. It was at 9:30 am, half an hour away. The park was wonderful. It was shaded and had tons of newer equipment. The kids had a great time running around the park for which I was thankful.
It was a challenge to get everyone out of the house in time. We aren't in a routine of getting out the door early yet. Somehow we managed and we were only a few minutes late.
After the park play date, we went to Target. The boys were WILD. I'm not sure where their energy came from but they were playing "angry birds" by running into each other. Apparently Alex was the green pig and Gabriel was the angry red bird.
They finally realized that they could both fit under the cart. It was GREAT! The only thing that would have made it better would have been a strap (to keep them there)! They were delighted.
Some of the Target employers and customers were horrified. One woman told the boys that they should get out because it was dirty. I told her that I was fine with it because they weren't running into people. She didn't seemed pleased with my response. I hope the boys decide to lay there again next time! It's much easier for me!

The kids LOVE our new master bathroom. It has a deep bath tub and a shower with two shower heads. Lane plays with her doll in the tub while the boys take a shower together. They are busy for more than half an hour. Ahhhh - something that finally keeps them occupied.
We don't have cable yet. We have Netflix and the kids have been enjoying the kids and family movies we can get on it. I think we'll keep our Netflix subscription even after we get cable or dish started. It's far too convenient to click on a movie and it loads. Magic.

Silliness Pursues

We have a lot to accomplish before getting our house in order. We need the house in order prior to getting back to a decent routine.
This is our fifth cross country move but our first with three young children. Andrew has been back to work for two weeks and I have been left to my own devices to deal with daily tasks as well as unpacking and organizing. I also have to purchase furniture. It's fun to pick out things I like (or in the case of the red couches, something our kids like) but it takes time and extra energy with three children who have little interest in furniture shopping.
Yesterday I took a break from it all. I played with the kids and had a fantastic time. Of course, I feel guilty because I have to get this house in order so Gabriel's world is back in order. I have to start deep cleaning and get the kids back in therapy, classes, etc.. Oh well, for one day we were silly and lighthearted. It was nice to sit and interact with my three beauties rather than give in to the pressure of creating our home. I think it was good for my soul.
At night, I read the Go To Sleep Book. I highly recommend it to any parent. I laughed through the entire thing, again.
Here is a photo of Lane being a silly potato head.

Stepford Wives?

We moved to Celebration, Florida. It's a gorgeous community with everything from apartments to mega-mansions. We live in a townhouse, a couple blocks from the downtown area and look forward to taking advantage of the short walk to the Farmer's Market, restaurants, and other happenings. We have thought this is the type of lifestyle we want for years and now we can give it a whirl to see if we really like it.
However, it has a Stepford Wives feel when you enter the community. Several friends have made the same comment to me. It seems too perfect. There is no garbage anywhere to be found. The lawns are perfectly cut. People walk their quiet dogs on the flower lines streets. Tourists can be seen taking segway tours here.
Andrew even got upset at me for putting empty boxes on the back deck. I put them there to give us some room while we unpacked, knowing I would put them in the trash later. It completely unnerved him. If you know my husband, this is not his style at all.
As I left the community the other day, I watched a man about my age scrub his sidwalk. Oh yes, I said SIDEWALK! He had a large brush, sudsy water, and some type of chemical.
Hopefully I find some friends out of the 9000 residents. I have little hope in having much in common with someone who scrubs their sidwalk though

Do angels exist?

I've never thought about angels in the sense of them existing among us. I have considered kind spirits who help us and maybe that is the same thing. I don't know if they exist but now I'm tipping over the believer fence.
Yesterday started out fine. The kids are getting adjusted to their new home. Our living room sofa, love seat, and chair were delivered. They are red to appease ASD boy. Though, they are very comfortable. I normally would bypass a red sofa but so be it. I am crossing my fingers that he doesn't hate red next week.
Then I noticed Brody, our ten year old sweet dog, was still bleeding from his surgery. The vet at the emergency clinic told us that if anything continued to happen to him, nothing could be done further for him. So I called our vet who is 45 minutes away and took him in with our three children.
I am not ready for our dear dog to be put to sleep and in that mindset, I got Brody and the kids situated in the vet's office. It's a cluttered office with fish, a lizard, and old benches to sit on. It's a small price to pay for a fantastic vet. He also has a pet raccoon and parrots in the hallway. It's like a small zoo visit for the kids.
I had tears in my eyes and then a family walked out with their deceased Golden Retreiver in their arms. Out came the tears. A flood actually. I'm thankful the kids were busy looking at the zoo when they walked out of the room.
The vet said that Brody looks okay and that he will continue to bleed as he bumps his incision. What a nightmare for him - we have to take extreme care of him for the next ten days.
Hooray for good news and the roller coaster that is my life continues. I decided to pick up Mexican for dinner to avoid cooking. As I pulled out into an intersection, I heard a horn blaring. I couldn't tell where it was coming from but looked to my left and saw an older man barreling toward me. Adreneline rushed into my system and my heavy foot hit on the gas. Somehow this driver stopped a foot away from where my van was positioned.
My body continued to shake as I drove home and I began contemplated if angels exist. I still don't have an answer but I can't figure out where the horn noise was coming from or how I knew to step on the gas. I usually freeze.
Either way, I am more than grateful that I am still here today. I am still a mother, a friend, a daughter, a granddaughter, and more to the people I love. I had a tough time driving to get furniture today but I made it and given the circumstances, I am glad I was able to do and everyone is okay.

Medieval Times

We have been to Medieval Times in Orlando twice. We had a great time and looked forward to taking our children one day. We decided that today was that day!
I was a little nervous that Lane would be scared but knew the boys would love the jousting and fighting. Lane was shaking in the beginning but Andrew was able to give her some comfort. The boys had a fantastic time. They got to yell and cheer for their knight, the red and yellow one. Lane LOVED the horses and princess. When someone called her Princess she looked at them in shock as if to ask - how did he know my name?

The boys got plastic swords and had fun showing us their fighting skills after the show.