Family Florida Vacation Summer 2010

This year was the year of our biggest family trip ever!  We headed to Florida for a National/International convention for the F.I.R.S.T. organization.  It is the Foundation for Ichthyosis and other Related Skin Types.  This is the 3rd convention we have traveled for.  We really enjoy going and spending time with other families and children affected with a similar skin condition as Mason.  We were given AMAZING treatment in the airport on our way there.  We had to carry on over 50 pounds of fluids for Mason.

 The kids all did really well on the long flight there.  Ez kind of slept.  The flight there was definately better than the flight coming home!

 After we got all settled in we walked around Downtown Disney for a little while.  Crowded.  We stopped in the Harley Davidson store to look around and get pictures. 

Ethan insisted that all the boys get a turn. 

This was the picture they took for our group picture for the conference! Funny. Ez was Thrilled..

 In the kids camp room they had a lady from the alligator farm to let all the kids pet alligators.  Mason liked it.

 Ezra LOVED it.  He wouldn't let go of his hand.  His hand really felt a lot like Mason's hand.. sad. 

 These are a few of the directors for the skin conference.  We love these people.

 We really should have utilized this pool more.  We all loved it and it was SOOO hot. 

 Look at how gorgeous! 

 Spen's a much better sport than I am 

 Ez learned some water tricks. 

 He had so much fun in the water.  It was so hot outside that you really didn't feel much different in or out  of the water.

 At the closing banquet they brought in Mickey Mouse.  We stood in line to meet him and just as it was our turn he left and in came Cinderella.  I had no clue how devastating this was for Ethan until 20 minutes before we were leaving the Park on our last day and he mentioned how much he wanted to meet Mickey Mouse.  Cinderella just wasn't the same. 

 This is Lauren.  She has been Mason's pal since our first conference in 2006.  She has Harlequin Ichthyosis. 

 This is another of Mason's friends from our first conference.  I really can't remember her name..  I'm awful.  She has Lamellar Ichthyosis like Mason. 

 After our last meeting at the conference we all got on the tram and headed to Epcot Center.

  Mason HATED Disney World.  I think that he tried to tolerate Epcot (in parts) and Animal Kingdom.  The other parks were miserable.  We all tried to spend at least an hour or two there together, but with Mason so miserable one of us would take Mase and Ez away.  Ethan had a great time.  He kept saying that "he wished Mason and Ezra were there" and "how much they would love this!"

Spen could handle all 3 kids no problem!

If any of you out there know my Ethan you know that he absolutely refuses to let me take his picture.  He hates it.  I really wanted to have some great pictures of him at Disney World because honestly this was a once in a lifetime chance for us!  He became a paid model.  It was brilliant if I do say so!  I paid him $5 a day to never complain and be ready to smile for my camera everytime I asked him to.  Then after 4 days he should have $20 and he could spend it on anything he wanted in the park..  This meant no begging for everything that we walked past!  He didn't ask for one thing.  I had to convince him to share a treat every now and then with me because he was so worried that it would come out of his modeling money!  He got a light up sword, and I got priceless pictures of him!  We both win.

Getting us all together was rare.  This was at Epcot before Ezra caught on to the smile at the camera thing.

Ez was so excited to meet Donald Duck.  He thought he was a bird.  Ez LOVES birds.  Donald reached out to give him 'five' and the lady that follows him around said, "give Donald five."  So Ez slapped him on the bill.  For a 1 year old that felt like a five..  The lady yelled at him and that was that.  He was terrified of Donald.  Oh well. 

Mason liked meeting Donald though.  He was soft.

Maybe my favorite picture of the whole trip!  Ethan thought Donald was pretty cool.

I had NO idea how hot it can get in Florida in July!  It was 100 degrees and between 90% and 100% humidity everyday.  We were soaked through the second we walked outside.  Nothing helped.  At Animal Kingdom we thought of ice for Mason - who can't regulate his temperature anyway.  It was perfect but very wet.  Nothing would dry so he got to be soaked and cooled all day!  We put ice packs in both arm pits, behind his neck, and on his tummy.  Of course we figured out the perfect way to keep him mildly comfortable the last day.  Annoying.

Ez started figuring out the camera on the 2nd day!  Thank heavens!  He's so darling.  His long hair would just curl in the humidity.  I loved it.

Ethan and Ez really loved the animal safari.  It's a ride through a real animal wildlife refuge.  We saw everything you would in Africa.  Of course it's Disney so there was some planned adventure that Ethan ate right up.  He was so concerned that people were 'poaching' and stealing a baby elephant.  Lucky we were there to stop them.  He had to call and tell my dad what a great thing we did to save that baby elephant.

At every park we spent quite a bit of time in the medical facility.  Mason calmed down in here.  It was a good place for him to cool off and rest.  You can see the ice in his shirt!

We saw a Lion King show and the boys were interested most of the time.  Only Ezra lost interest near the end.  Mason got us our front row seats.  Thank you Moose!

The tree of Life.  We thought it was pretty cool.

We actually thought Mason might enjoy the 4D Bug's Life show.  Wrong.  It's a 3D movie that also has interactive seats.  They would poke your bum and blow stinky air for stink bugs..  stuff like that.  Ethan did not like the 4D part so he stood up after about a minute!

We did like the bug glasses though.

Mason did not!

Look at that wonderful hair!  What a cute kid!

Mason enjoyed waiting by the Expedetion Everest ride.  Don't know why, but I really had to get pictures of him smiling at Disney World.

Day 3 found us in at Disney Hollywood Studios.  Within seconds of being there it was clear that the only place in that park Mason would be happy was in the gift shop.  Ethan enjoyed dressing them all up in Mickey Shoes.

Mason even joined in!  Such cute Mickey boys.

This picture should have the screaching yell attached so you can fully understand how Mason felt!  Starting with the ferry ride to Magic Kingdom we were in big fat trouble!

We got to meet Stitch.  That was fun.

Almost immediately Spen split off with Ethan and Ez.  I tried to do things with Mason.  We did find the one thing in all of Disney World that Mason liked.  The Monsters, Inc Laugh Floor.  It was an interactive cartoon comedy show.  Getting in was a nightmare, but once we sat down and the show started he even giggled a few times.  I talked to the people at the doors and they let us just sit there for 4 shows.  We came back several times and sat for at least 3 shows.  I loved that attraction for the sole reason that Mason did!

Taking turns getting pictures with the big castle.

This was the one picture I really wanted!  All 3 of my boys with the castle.  Ezra was more concerned with holding Mason's hand than anything else, but now looking at these pictures it all feels worth it!  Amazing what pictures can do, right?!

He finally got that hand!

This is my picture that credits Ethan for being so patient and smiling for his payout!  Most of my pictures were of me trying to get the kids to look and smile!  Ethan was the star.

Such a great week.

In the afternoon Spen took the kids and Ethan and I stayed to play.  We did every ride in that park in 4 hours!  That is impressive.  It rained and we were in the group of suckers that bought ponchos, but I was worried about my cameras and really didn't want to be more wet for the rest of the day.  Plus they really saved us on Splash Mountain!

As we are getting ready to leave - literally walking to the exit - I notice that Ethan is really sad, almost teary sad.  I asked him what was wrong and he told me that he never got to meet Mickey.  He was so broken up about it.  He had been looking forward to it since the conference when we just missed Mickey and had to meet Cinderella.  It was a long shot but we raced to ToonTown.  Lucky us Mickey was there!  Ethan was the happiest kid in the park.  He got to meet Mickey afterall!

He even wanted a picture with me and Mickey Mouse.  Afterwards he told me he didn't really want Minnie in his picture, but he thought it would be mean to ask her to leave!