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<font color=darkorchid>I sucked my thumb up with t
- Joined
- Apr 2, 2008
Trip 2 came about unexpectedly. I came into a small amount of money and had a choice - Europe with my parents alone or Disney with the family. Jim said Europe, I chose Disney. This was something I could give my kids but it became known as "The One where Mom Tried to stab the Babysitter with a Spork". I started planning. I bought the Birnbaum Guide to Disney, I bought the Unofficial Guide to Disney, I researched at the library, I over planned. We had spread sheets that the kids had to choose their favorite rides or attractions. I ranked them statistically. I was ready.
Somehow in the planning the babysitter became part of the trip. The previous year Jennifer was hit by a car in front of our house. She was in the hospital for 2 weeks with a badly broken leg and concussion. Thankfully she recovered. While she was in the hospital I spent everyday there by her bed as she was only 6 years old. I also felt guilty that I couldn't get to her fast enough to protect her. I just stood on my step and watched helplessly as it happened right in front of me. That is how we got the babysitter. She actually had watched the kids on occasion before Jennifer's accident but while she was in the hospital the babysitter picked up Beth from a friends house and Jamie from school and brought them to the hospital. It was actually a short walk from our house. She took them home and stayed with them until Jim came home from work if he was running late. At the time she was an angel from heaven. She also started watching them on a regular basis so Jim and I could have a night out for bowling. How she became a part of the trip still eludes us, seriously. I never directly said, "Come with us." Somehow she became a part of the plans. A week before we left she still hadn't told her mother she was coming with us. To be fair she was over 18 at the time but I insisted she let her mother know.
One week to the day before we were to leave Beth was pushed from the top of an 8 ft sliding board and had a buckle fracture of her wrist. We were at a softball game that I co-managed and kept score for, Jim played on the team. She wound up in a heavy plaster cast up to her shoulder and the ER doctor said, "NO Disney!" Right like that will stop me. We saw the orthopedist 2 days later and he ok'd the trip. So we were off and flew Delta Airlines - the official airline of Disney World. Why is this important you ask? We were greeted by Mickey Mouse and Minnie Mouse at the airport
We stayed at what we thought would be the same Ramada. I used a travel agent again and she assured me it was the same place. It wasn't. This was the Norman Bates Ramada, OK not really but the pool was a horrible shade of green the whole trip. We rented a Ford Aerostar and my kids LOVED it. They could control the radio from the back. The babysitter was not having that. The kids came into our room complaining about it at the end of our first day. We, or really I, set up a rotation schedule so they each had a turn playing with the radio. The next day my Beth, and she is my feisty child, said it's my turn ask my mom. I offered the babysitter a place in the rotation but she hoisted herself into the back seat for the rest of the trip.
Our first day in EPCOT we rode Maelstrom and then headed on to Germany. This was when the babysitter caused some more problems. She lost her camera out of the pocket of her muumuu. Jim took her back to Norway and I was stuck with 3 kids in the blazing hot son in Germany. I wasn't happy. Of course the camera was gone. She HAD to have a new camera and even though we were staying offsite she had to buy it in the camera shop on property. She spent close to $100 for a camera she could have gotten offsite for around $25. I know this because I looked it up when we got home. I had 14 rolls of film, seriously, and I used them all. I wouldn't have been as upset about this but she only brought about $250 with her to pay for her meals, souvenirs and any incidentals she needed. I would having to pay for all of her meals and she NEVER opted for anything cheap. She also yelled at the kids, especially my son, constantly. More on that though. Here are some pics from EPCOT
A rare picture of me and my girls in Germany
Jennifer got chosen to take part in the show
Jennifer, Jim and the babysitter, Beth refused to get in the picture
Magic Kingdom pictures
Alice signing Beth's cast. All of the characters signed the cast and she wanted to keep it forever. Only problem was she jumped into a swimming pool and (a) the names all faded away to almost nothing and (b) after being water logged it really SMELLED!!!
This was actually taken the last day and Jim refused to sit with us
Beth and Jamie.
We got to see Minnie Moo. The cow was a celebrity in her own right with 3 spots forming a Mickey
Splash Mountain opened just before we went on the trip. The CM's wouldn't let Beth go on it claiming she was to small. She just hit the mark but she did hit it. I think they were more worried about the cast. We had ride swap because of this so I could ride but I never got the chance. Beth was upset and crying. When she gets in that mood you can not calm her down, so I passed.
Hollywood Studios
We still had the problem with random people getting into our pictures. I wasn't happy about this one because the girl pushed my kids out of the way.
Of course my son would think up something like this
And Miss Piggy
We went to Sea World again this trip. By the time we got here a couple of days into the trip I was losing it. The babysitter yelled at my kids nonstop even after being told to back off. Jim was not doing anything to help and I was losing my grip on my sanity. I became that woman we all hate. The one who is so stressed she is yelling in the parks. I told Jim that was it I wanted a divorce when we got home. It was after the day at Sea World that I picked up my spork from breakfast and threatened to "stab" her with it.
That look on Beth's face is Ella. She has her aunts personality.
This was one of my favorite pictures from the trip
Thankfully after the luau and with some coffee in me I was in a better mood which reflected in the kids
We did go to West Palm Beach to visit my aunt and it did help me. She could tell that I was tense and we had a long talk on the way to my cousin's house. I did at least calm down enough to have some fun on the last couple of days.
Our last picture in the parks before we left
The kids wanted balloons so we bought them some when we left. Now this was before TSA so balloons were allowed on planes. The thing is balloons and planes do not go well together. Balloons explode from the change in cabin pressure. The babysitter freaked out, my kids laughed uncontrollably and Jim and I talked. I had some suspicions about the babysitter's character after the trip and sadly they were confirmed later that year. She accused me of being Abusive to Girls Scouts Headquarters but thankfully my parents took my side minus two or three. She set me up with them. One parent actually came to my house and threatened me physically. Thankfully my mom called the police as she was there when this happened. The biggest betrayal was when I found out she abused my kids - physically and emotionally. She is the reason I do so much for my grandkids. I will never trust anyone with them and it's a way to make up for letting my kids down. We did have some fun on the trip as bad as it sounds. I just knew that the next trip had to be better.
Somehow in the planning the babysitter became part of the trip. The previous year Jennifer was hit by a car in front of our house. She was in the hospital for 2 weeks with a badly broken leg and concussion. Thankfully she recovered. While she was in the hospital I spent everyday there by her bed as she was only 6 years old. I also felt guilty that I couldn't get to her fast enough to protect her. I just stood on my step and watched helplessly as it happened right in front of me. That is how we got the babysitter. She actually had watched the kids on occasion before Jennifer's accident but while she was in the hospital the babysitter picked up Beth from a friends house and Jamie from school and brought them to the hospital. It was actually a short walk from our house. She took them home and stayed with them until Jim came home from work if he was running late. At the time she was an angel from heaven. She also started watching them on a regular basis so Jim and I could have a night out for bowling. How she became a part of the trip still eludes us, seriously. I never directly said, "Come with us." Somehow she became a part of the plans. A week before we left she still hadn't told her mother she was coming with us. To be fair she was over 18 at the time but I insisted she let her mother know.
One week to the day before we were to leave Beth was pushed from the top of an 8 ft sliding board and had a buckle fracture of her wrist. We were at a softball game that I co-managed and kept score for, Jim played on the team. She wound up in a heavy plaster cast up to her shoulder and the ER doctor said, "NO Disney!" Right like that will stop me. We saw the orthopedist 2 days later and he ok'd the trip. So we were off and flew Delta Airlines - the official airline of Disney World. Why is this important you ask? We were greeted by Mickey Mouse and Minnie Mouse at the airport
We stayed at what we thought would be the same Ramada. I used a travel agent again and she assured me it was the same place. It wasn't. This was the Norman Bates Ramada, OK not really but the pool was a horrible shade of green the whole trip. We rented a Ford Aerostar and my kids LOVED it. They could control the radio from the back. The babysitter was not having that. The kids came into our room complaining about it at the end of our first day. We, or really I, set up a rotation schedule so they each had a turn playing with the radio. The next day my Beth, and she is my feisty child, said it's my turn ask my mom. I offered the babysitter a place in the rotation but she hoisted herself into the back seat for the rest of the trip.
Our first day in EPCOT we rode Maelstrom and then headed on to Germany. This was when the babysitter caused some more problems. She lost her camera out of the pocket of her muumuu. Jim took her back to Norway and I was stuck with 3 kids in the blazing hot son in Germany. I wasn't happy. Of course the camera was gone. She HAD to have a new camera and even though we were staying offsite she had to buy it in the camera shop on property. She spent close to $100 for a camera she could have gotten offsite for around $25. I know this because I looked it up when we got home. I had 14 rolls of film, seriously, and I used them all. I wouldn't have been as upset about this but she only brought about $250 with her to pay for her meals, souvenirs and any incidentals she needed. I would having to pay for all of her meals and she NEVER opted for anything cheap. She also yelled at the kids, especially my son, constantly. More on that though. Here are some pics from EPCOT
A rare picture of me and my girls in Germany
Jennifer got chosen to take part in the show
Jennifer, Jim and the babysitter, Beth refused to get in the picture
Magic Kingdom pictures
Alice signing Beth's cast. All of the characters signed the cast and she wanted to keep it forever. Only problem was she jumped into a swimming pool and (a) the names all faded away to almost nothing and (b) after being water logged it really SMELLED!!!
This was actually taken the last day and Jim refused to sit with us
Beth and Jamie.
We got to see Minnie Moo. The cow was a celebrity in her own right with 3 spots forming a Mickey
Splash Mountain opened just before we went on the trip. The CM's wouldn't let Beth go on it claiming she was to small. She just hit the mark but she did hit it. I think they were more worried about the cast. We had ride swap because of this so I could ride but I never got the chance. Beth was upset and crying. When she gets in that mood you can not calm her down, so I passed.
Hollywood Studios
We still had the problem with random people getting into our pictures. I wasn't happy about this one because the girl pushed my kids out of the way.
Of course my son would think up something like this
And Miss Piggy
We went to Sea World again this trip. By the time we got here a couple of days into the trip I was losing it. The babysitter yelled at my kids nonstop even after being told to back off. Jim was not doing anything to help and I was losing my grip on my sanity. I became that woman we all hate. The one who is so stressed she is yelling in the parks. I told Jim that was it I wanted a divorce when we got home. It was after the day at Sea World that I picked up my spork from breakfast and threatened to "stab" her with it.
That look on Beth's face is Ella. She has her aunts personality.
This was one of my favorite pictures from the trip
Thankfully after the luau and with some coffee in me I was in a better mood which reflected in the kids
We did go to West Palm Beach to visit my aunt and it did help me. She could tell that I was tense and we had a long talk on the way to my cousin's house. I did at least calm down enough to have some fun on the last couple of days.
Our last picture in the parks before we left
The kids wanted balloons so we bought them some when we left. Now this was before TSA so balloons were allowed on planes. The thing is balloons and planes do not go well together. Balloons explode from the change in cabin pressure. The babysitter freaked out, my kids laughed uncontrollably and Jim and I talked. I had some suspicions about the babysitter's character after the trip and sadly they were confirmed later that year. She accused me of being Abusive to Girls Scouts Headquarters but thankfully my parents took my side minus two or three. She set me up with them. One parent actually came to my house and threatened me physically. Thankfully my mom called the police as she was there when this happened. The biggest betrayal was when I found out she abused my kids - physically and emotionally. She is the reason I do so much for my grandkids. I will never trust anyone with them and it's a way to make up for letting my kids down. We did have some fun on the trip as bad as it sounds. I just knew that the next trip had to be better.