Re: our trip to land

[Guest guest]

That sounds like an awesome trip all around! Thats awesome too that your

daughter showed such a huge moment of independence. I think we often just want

to shelter and protect them, but as they get older its good to see that

sometimes they dont need us.

My daughter would have probably LOVED the subway too. She gets a kick out of the

trains at the Zoo.

our trip to land

We just got back a little while ago, we went up to land on Sunday

for our appointment with Dr. Geier on Monday. After that we decided to

tour DC some & then go down to Virginia Beach for a couple of days. It

was a wonderful week. Started off rocky, Allie had a hard time at the

monuments, I think it was a combo of all the walking & being hot. DC

is not what it once was prior to 911, where you could park & walk

nearby, now everything is SO UN friendly to those with limited

mobility. You either need to be profoundly disabled to get the help or

super shape. I'm really considering getting a stroller/wheelchair for

older kids, I found myself torn between trying to teach Allie to suck

it up and wondering if her body was just giving out. We had gotten the

mito disorder the day before and I've known she cannot hold out

physically very long, I guess it was just an emotional moment.

Her favorite part was the subway. We would switch back from time to

time on opposite trains to give her more riding time at no cost. She

was so happy sitting in the seats. She has pretended to be Dora the

Explorer for years & while in DC she wanted to take her backpack with

all her Crayola stuff. We would put her bottles of water in there &

during a subway ride Dinah, her 5 yr-old sister, began crying from

thirst, Allie pulled out her water to share & we all said how she was

like Dora with her magical backpack. Allie LOVED that!

The best/worst moment was when Allie disappeared in the sonian

Museum of Natural History. I had taken the girls to the bathroom &

told them to stay right outside the stall. When I came out Allie was

no where to be found. The best part, she had evidently left the

bathroom on one end of the museum with hundreds of people & went

straight back to a cafe on the opposite side where Craig was. I was

mad that she left like that but it also was a great moment in that she

proved herself to me. I never would have given her the opportunity to

trek all that way. I still won't, but it helped once again prove to me

that she is more capable than I often give her credit for.

The rest of the week was great. She loved the beach. We did have a

flat tire near burg & had to get it fixed. Craig & I both grew

up dirt poor & have told the kids stories about going to funerals

across state & the car breaking down & parents having no money to get

towed, having to hitchhike to an exit to call family collect to come

help. We, by the grace of God, had enough money to get the tire fixed

but I felt it was a good lesson to the girls to see how to handle

getting broke down -- get the hubby to change the tire, lol! While he

did I had on my " Green our vaccines " shirt & figured free publicity &

faced the traffic. I kept hoping some autism family would see us &

take pity, but there was really nothing to do anyway.

A funny moment was today on the way home. Allie has entered th realm

of now being able to say anything but having no clue WHEN to say or

REFRAIN from saying. Such as seeing a man with a large belly at the

restaurant & saying to his son, " Does your dad have a baby in his

belly? " ROFL. You'd think between me & Craig she would understand one

does not have to have a baby to have a big belly, perhaps she's still

hoping we'll pop a couple out at some point!!

I'm gonna try to get my AWESOME pics of the kids uploaded on my

myspace site soon, www.myspace.com/debityree

Debi