Day Four - Abby's Make a Wish Trip

From Brent

1. Day One
2. Day Two
3. Day Three
   

Day Four wandered away in the cool night air without a protest as everyone of us happily collapsed into bed, even Landis.

We started "Sea World Day" with breakfast at Give Kids the World Village. Unfortunately for my diet efforts, the Ginger Bread House (where we eat every day) makes Belgium waffles that can only be classified as sinful. It’s about 4am as I write this and the Good Angel on my right shoulder is warring with the Evil Angel on my left over something that is known in the heavenlies as “waffle gluttony”. It’s too theological for me, so I’ll let them duke it out.

After breakfast we headed over for banana splits at the ice cream shack… just kidding (they weren’t open yet and we checked... all the doors and windows were locked). We headed for the Kids Koral so the kids could ride horses. Actually, it was sitting on a horse being led around in a circle, but that’s one “secret” we didn’t let Landis in on.

The temperature had dropped from the 90’s to the 70’s in one day. It was heaven. The first day we roasted but yesterday, especially by evening time, we were actually shivering. Felt GREAT! I love the cold weather much to my beautiful Bride’s chagrin. I won’t wear a coat unless it’s under 40 degrees with a gale force wind whereas my devoted wife gets frostbite if the temperature drops below “heating pad”. This morning when I was outside just before 4am, in shorts, T-shirt and flip flops, it was about 50 degrees... aaaahhhh, heaven on earth. I was tempted to jump in the pool but I needed to get this post done.

After horsey back circles we loaded up for Sea World. Since the weather was cool and it was Saturday, the place was PACKED. We didn’t get to do nearly as many different rides/shows as the last two days, but it was still a day of non-stop adventure. We saw penguins and Shamu. We went through a magnificent Aquarium. Michelle, Garrett and Sami rode some outrageous roller coaster called the Manta, where you dangle in mid air being sped around at mach 1.5 while trying to stuff your intestines back down your throat. Somebody had to sacrifice and watch the babies, so I gave up my own personal desire to throw up on the crowds below and stayed behind with Spidey and Abby.

Abby got her biggest wish too for the day: a kids roller coaster. She wanted SO BAD to ride a "roh-luh coh-ser" like the big kids. This was no little joke ride either. While it was a “kids” version, it was still a real coaster that went fast and was “kid scary”. I volunteered to brave the ride with Abby because I didn’t want Michelle to endure such a fearsome experience. I’m the Dad, I have to do what I have to do no matter the personal price I pay.

We got back to the Village in time for a nice dinner at the Ginger Bread House and what do you know… the ice cream shack was unlocked. In fact, I need you to pray for Michelle. She has contracted a dangerous disease for which there is no known cure: icecreamitus musthavetwicedailyolus. Again, being the sacrificial husband that I am, I don’t leave her to suffer alone. I lovingly accompany her into the heart of the dairy beast to show her she is not alone in her struggle.

After ice cream, the Village was throwing a birthday party for the Mayor (the giant RABBIT, yes Rabbit, not MOUSE… I know the difference now thanks to your comments). We went down to the town square and danced the HoDown ThrowDown, played with some beautiful dogs, rode on the electric car and elephant, and ate ice cream. Okay, we didn’t eat more ice cream but that was only because they weren’t serving any.

Before I get to the pics today, here’s a few things funzy I wanted to share:

In the Event of the Loss of Cabin Pressure

On the airplane when we were flying over, Michelle, Abby and I were on one side of the aisle. Christian, Landis and Sami were on the other. The airline attendant does her thing about oxygen masks and cabin pressure. The kids are clueless, busy discovering the wonders of the barf bags in the seat pockets in front of them.

The airline gal walks up the aisle informing parents on each row with children, “be sure to put your own mask on first before putting on the child’s mask.” She gets to our row, and looks over at Christian.

At this stage of teen life, Christian has an embedded hearing loss device (it loses his perfectly good hearing whenever it suits him) that keeps him oblivious unless it receives a signal about girls, what’s for dinner or permission to watch TV. As this airline attendant is explaining the cabin-pressure-oxygen-mask to him we can see him slip conveniently into a self imposed coma. As she walks away, Michelle leans over to me and says, “in the event of a loss of cabin pressure, they don’t stand a chance. She just explained the procedure for getting oxygen to a teenager who isn’t listening, who is then supposed to help the 10 year old Ethiopian who just learned English, who then is supposed to assist the Guatemalan 3 year old who probably would take loss of cabin pressure as a really cool game.”

In the Event of the Loss of Personal Inhibitions

We are eating lunch yesterday at Sea World outside on a deck by a deli. It’s a beautiful day and Landis is especially wound up. He’s standing up by our table dancing. “Look Mom, I’m shaking my booty!” he says. So half kidding, I said, “hey Landis, run over there in the middle of the lunch crowd where everyone can see you and dance for them.” I assumed I would get the shy “no way Dad” look from him. I was wrong. Very wrong.

He takes off about running about 20 feet away right smack in the center of this entire lunch area, slides to a stop in his best Spidey pose and scans the surroundings to make sure he has everyone’s attention. Then he launches into his premier Landis Dance Booty Shake which, I have to tell you friends, rivals the best swivel Elvis ever got banned for. Landis finishes the show and dashes back to the table in time for another bite of turkey sandwich.

Just One of the Girls

Abby had a costume on that was covered in glitter. Garrett was carrying her around for a little bit and some of the glitter got off on his cool-guy, black T-shirt. So we are sitting there at dinner and Abby looks over at him and declares confidently for all to hear: “you look like a girl!” Poor Garrett couldn’t get back to our cottage fast enough to change shirts.

Day Four in Photos


SpideyLandis kept saying "YEEE-HAAWWWW!"
He was so thrilled to be a cowboy.


Abby loved riding the horse.

Sami wanted to jump the fence and take
off on a real ride.


A motley crew of cowboy and cowgirls.


A 10 ft tall sea horse greets us at Sea World.


There's Maria, Sami and Garrett on the Mantra... (yes, MANTRA. I chanted
over and over: "I hope they don't die, I hope they don't die").
The ride starts you upside down, hanging in mid air...


... then drops you a 100 feet, still upside down, hanging in mid air...


... then takes you up again, upside down, hanging in mid air...

... and loops around, upside down, hanging in mid air....

... after plummeting to the ground, it rushes back into the sky,
yep, upside down, hanging in mid air...
Man, I wish I could have done that too! But I put my family first.


Abby and Landis were fascinated by the little sea dragons.

A manta comes to the glass to flash us a smile.

Hannah and SpideyLandis inside the aquarium looking out at us.
Isn't it amazing that Hannah can hold her breath and still smile?


Garrett and Abby up in the aquarium.

A year ago Abby could barely stand up... and didn't very much...

... yesterday Abby walked for miles and was jumping to the clouds.
An interesting by product of all the pain and unknown she's endured
is that she is pretty fearless about trying new things.


Sami starts jumping and immediately decides a few flips will make it more fun.


The Penguin adventure...

The penguins are Abby's favorite. Her and Mom were
really looking forward to seeing them.


Not even the wonders of Shamu could keep Abby from enjoying
her favorite snack. This kids were awed by the killer whales (me too).


Landis seems to have conquered his fear of giant
animals and 9 foot characters.


Sami, ever shy around the camera (not!),
strikes a pose with the babies and Shamu.


Garret chases Abby, much to her delight, down a tube in
a HUGE playground area.


Sami, about 40 ft in the air, climbing up a net.
"It hurts my feet Daddy!" she yelled down to me.


Landis played on the "beach" while Sami and Abby climbed
through the playground directly above him.


Proof that I braved this dangerous roller coaster just
so Abby could have bragging rights.


This time last year, the only ride Abby got was on
a hospital bed to and from painful procedures.


Now's she's riding roller coasters with Dad...
no tubes, no I.V's, no shots needed.


The perfect smile to end a perfect day living the perfect wish
made possible by the most perfect friends!
God is good. Can I get an 'amen'?