Disney World Tomorrow!!!

I have been trying to decide if the b12 seems to be helping so far. It seems like maybe it has. A.J. talked a lot today. She asked lots of questions and did many new things that she hasn't done before. She drew a picture and wanted to show it to me. She also tried to write the name of her doll on the paper and I have never seen her do that all by herself before.


Then later on at the table she said, "Mom" to get my attention, and she looked right at my face.
"Yes" I looked back at her.
She continued to look me square in the eye, "Can I have more strawberries please"
"Sure!"
I giggled because she has never done that, like that, before and I felt a bit giddy. That tiny exchange was so "normal."

This is our usual conversation:
She blurts out, weather I'm standing there or not, without looking at me,
"I want more strawberries"
"What's the magic word?"
"please"
"OK."

She has been stealing "O's" toys which is a bit annoying and today for the first time I told her to give the toy back to "O". When she wouldn't I had to say, "Do you want to sit in time out?"
I say that all the time to "O" but never to A.J. She turned around and threw the teddy bear down at his feet.
I said,"Now tell him you're sorry"
She said, "Sorry "O"."
She seemed pleased to be doing the same thing/ritual that her brother and I go through daily. Now she is in on the communication spiral galaxy. she made a lot of eye contact today. But she is still lethargic a bit and I want that to get better.

We are going to Disney World tomorrow for the first time (for the kids). I'm pretty nervous, more nervous about the 2 hr drive on the interstate than the park itself. (I am a little damaged from my sisters accident and working through it.) I packed up lunches and snacks and drinks.

We got that letter from CARD (Center for Autism and Related Disabilities) to take to guest services. The letter says that A.J. has autism and anything they can do to make our stay more comfortable would be appreciated. This is supposed to help us get passes so we don't have to wait in lines. DH said he felt a bit guilty about that and I told him that we, and the kids have to deal with the negative affects that autism has on our lives, all the time. We do not have to feel guilty about one positive thing being awarded to us. He agreed. I felt pretty emotional about it for some reason.

We are going to get up at 5:30 am and leave at 6:00 am and drive there. I keep thinking that I am forgetting something. I made a list and put it by the backpack. We are going to rent a stroller when we get there. My sister that passed away went to Disney World a couple of years ago with her husband and their friends with kids. There is a photograph of her sitting in the rented double stroller all crunched up, but she fit in it! This makes me think it is probably big enough for the kids to sleep in. I hope so. I can't get the picture out of my head though, and her big smile. It is a funny picture. I think I put it in the photo montage I made for her funeral. I wish I could be talking to her about our trip tomorrow.

I am hoping that this trip to Disney is going to be one big distraction. I wan to have fun and gain joy through the children's joy. I hope it isn't sensory overload. I hope they have an amazing time. We are going to skip "small world" since I remember wishing as a kid that song would just stop. We are going first to get hats with their names stitched on them...if they still do that. I haven't been in 20 years. Then I'm thinking we will start with the carousel and maybe Dumbo the flying elephants. We will have to work up to Peter Pan but I know they will love it if they are not scared.

It is late, I need to get some sleep...I'm too excited to sleep!
me.