Blah blah blah

You may very well find the point of this entry to be just that... blah.  I am sitting here at 12:46 a.m. (will let you know what time it is when I stop typing) after a few days of trying to organize the nitty gritty details of flying down to Florida for a week....

because we thought it could be restful...

Well, thanks to the plethora of required planning & preparing, I am NOW ready for a vacation!  First it was conjuring up a list of all things needed for Ethan.  He cannot eat on planes or in restaurants but there are strict rules about crossing the border with food and stricter yet when boarding a plane!  So emails and phone calls to the Airport Security Authority, checking out websites and we are STILL left with the possibility they won't let his food come on the plane!

Then it was get letters from Ethan's allergy specialist stating the severity of Ethan's allergies and the need to bring his own food and epipens onboard.

Then we need to find out if Sivana's stroller and carseat can come onboard or if these need to be checked in... and could we have a carry on with all the ingredients needed to cook for Ethan that week kept with that stroller on the plane??

Not sure...

So it's call the stores near the home we are renting (because I have to cook all of Ethan's food) to find out if it would be the end of the world if they lost the luggage with all his food!

Passport pictures which require ordering birth certificates... oh the joys!  Letters of permission from the ex to bring Melina across the border, copies of divorce final orders & custody agreements, etc...

And then it's calling the theme parks we are hoping to attend to see what their policies are on bringing our own food in for Ethan.  Some require their supervisor's letter of consent which has to be brought with us, restrictions on the size of soft-sided cooler that can be brought in, etc...

Sea World... is this a smart place to bring a child with severe fish allergies??  Emails back and forth on their history of anaphylaxis issues... none to-date... phew!

Argh!!  Then it's menu planning to make sure his three staple meals are made between all the action.  And on and on and on!

It was decided that we would go on a week that Isabel is with her father which also resulted in some harsh judgement and comments from the peanut gallery over there... which then led to phone calls to a doctor who has worked with special needs in psychology for thirty years!!  This wonderful woman stressed the importance of spending quality time with the other children who otherwise live around the needs of a severely handicapped sibling... and especially given the fact that Duane spends 14-16 hours per week driving Isabel to and from school!!  That's a lot of time away from the little ones!  This doctor was phenomenal in stressing the importance of looking at the family's needs as a WHOLE.

Suffice it to say, it was a wonderful relief to be so strongly supported in this decision.  She eased the accusation of not giving Isabel the same level of consideration (a comment from the ex I found rather hurtful), especially given the fact that she has been given MORE consideration than the other kids with the addition to our home for a custom-built space to meet her needs, wheelchair ramp, modified van, etc...  Her needs are individual and "fairness" does not mean "equal" in this instance!  And I would be disappointed if any of my children ever complained of lack of fairness given Isabel's higher needs.  Argh...

And the logistics just don't work at this stage in our lives.  Duane would have to sit with her in a separate area of the plane while I sat with an infant and two toddlers somewhere else!  I don't think so!  How would we do anything while carrying an infant, pushing Izzy, keeping two small kids safe and making sure a teenager doesn't go wandering off??  And do I dare imagine what our attempts at swimming would look like??

So it was decided that the best way to honour Isabel on this trip would be to find a home to rent that is "wheelchair accessible" and to scope out attractions & their disability policies and accommodations while we are down there so that a family trip several years down the road will be far easier to plan!

It is now 1:08 a.m. and I am so pooped and wondering if this was a good idea.  I would apologize for the "rant" but I really am feeling a little deflated these days and I have to admit, it feels good to get it out.  Here's hoping that this finds you all doing well out there and making the most of the goodness of being "home".  And I pray that "home" is a real nice place for you!

There is much, much, more to tell and hopefully time will permit some time to write while we are gone.  That would be a wonderful gift for me!

Much love, my dears.  I normally type those words with such fervour but tonight my fingers slide across the keyboard much the way my kids drag their feet when we've been walking too long at the grocery store!  Just know that in my heart, there is a great fire (no, not heartburn!)... but it's just not reaching my fingertips at the moment!  God and peace be with you all!