Planes, Trains and automobiles to Europe

Welcome to day one of what the hell was I thinking when I planned this day.  But it all ended up ok, so welcome to day one of Nik's graduation trip! We started researching this trip about 8 months before Nik's graduation. Initially we had planned to go to London. I found perfect airfare. The price was great, the flight times were perfect, and it was non-stop from Chicago to London. We thought we could arrive in Chicago the night before and relax before a very long flight. It was perfect. We even bought upgraded premium seats on Virgin Atlantic. But our plans changed, partly due to our choice and partly due to the airlines choice.

We decided to add on a few days in Paris, but did not want to change our flights. No problem! We decided to take the Eurostar. I went ahead and booked tickets. Against my better judgement, we wanted to go to Paris first, so I looked our Eurostar tickets for the same day we arrived in London. More on that later.

A couple months before the trip, our perfect flights turned in to impossible flights. It was no longer a non-stop and had impossible connections. Fortunately, we were able to get that all straightened out, but it meant we would not have the extra time in Chicago and no longer had the non-stop from Chicago to London. We did manage to keep the premium seating though, which gave a bit extra leg room.

We had crazy early flights, so we decided to spend the night before at a hotel right by the airport. This was a great decision. We were able to leave the car in the hotel lot, and they gave us a free ride to the airport. We let the kids just relax in the hotel room and Alex and I double checked the bags and got everything ready to go. We were doing carry-on bags only, so ninja packing skills were necessary. I'm proud to say that we traveled to Europe on a 10 day trip only using carry on bags! Don't ask how many bags we needed coming home though.

Nik and Noah relaxing in our pre-trip hotel.

We were up at the crack of dawn and made it to our first flight in plenty of time.

Goodbye, Kansas City!

A big part of traveling with special needs people is that you plan out as much as possible. This means picking out airline seats ahead of time, planning flight times around meals because the kids don't like airplane food.

Next stop Chicago!

First stop was a 3 hour layover in Chicago. It was enough time to stretch our legs and have lunch. As I said before, meal times are something that we have to plan ahead for. Fortunately when I flights were changed, we were able to fix it so we could have lunch during this leg of the trip. 

Our next flight headed to New York City. 

This was a 4 hour layover, so we occupied our time reading, watching movies and walking around. We made sure to have dinner during the layover as well. It was a relief to have meals out of the way, because I know the kids would not be interested in the meals that are served on international flights.

Killing time in yet another airport.

Next stop London!

Before long, it was time to board the last flight of what was already a long day. 

Ready for takeoff!

We planned the tiniest detail to make an international flight as comfortable as possible. Noise canceling headphones, comfortable clothes, neck pillows, extra legroom, cups with straws, snacks. 

Leg room!

So close to first class, yet so far away.

Hey, who did rabbit ears on me?

While the rest of the plane was busy eating their meals, we all washed up, brushed teeth and started to settle in for the night. We all watched movies and tried to fall asleep.

Plenty of movies to choose from on an international flight.

I think we all managed to sleep for a couple hours. Before we knew it, we were getting ready to land in London!

So excited!

Customs line in Heathrow.

The customs line was very long in Heathrow, I was glad that I gave us a 4 hour window for our Eurostar train to Paris. It took about an hour to clear customs, then we were off to the Eurostar station. Here is where I didn't listen to my gut, What I should have done was start us out in London, or at a minimum allow us to spend one night in London before emarking on a 3 hour train ride after a redeye flight to London. That is a mistake I will not make again!

Our first London tube ride!

We took a 45 minute tube ride to St Pancras railway station. Once inside the train station, I knew it was a mistake. The kids did not want to eat breakfast on the plane, so once in the train station, I went to find something for us to eat. While waiting in line with our food, the room began to spin. Fortunately Alex walked over and let me sit down. I could feel that I was going to pass out, so I put my head down. I swear if I could make it to the bathroom I would have thrown up, but the room was spinning so much, I just sat there and tried to hold it together. I almost died, I tell you! Ok, I just almost puked and passed out, but it felt like I was going to die.

The kids ate and I drank water and ate crackers and tried not to puke or die. Slowly I started to feel better. I really think it was just jetlag and feeling motion sickness from the tube ride. No rest for the weary though, because it was time to board the Eurostar! We were all completely exhausted. I'm so proud of how well the kids did. Let me tell you, we really pushed them on this trip to go outside the comfort zone. They never complained.

Once inside the train, we all collapsed in to our seats.

Exhausted but so happy to be on the Eurostar!

Once again, I did a lot of research on selecting our seats. I picked a car that was close to the food car, and seats that had us all together. I thought we might kill the time playing cards. Ha! we killed the time napping, watching France roll by and watched a movie.

We also ate some snacks along the way. So glad I packed snacks for us!

Before long, we were in Paris. I had researched how to get from the Eurostar Station to Disneyland. I had it saved all in my head. But I didn't account for the fact that jetlag pretty much renders your brain useless. It took us quite a bit of time trying to figure it all out. Finally, we were on the last mode of transportation to our destination! 

Finally in Paris!

After almost 24 hours of travel, we were worn out! We crashed on the bed for a bit. Were we crazy enough to hit Disneyland park after all that travel? Stay tuned to find out.

Onward and upward!

It's been forever since I have blogged. No reason in particular, other than the normal family and work obligations. We have had an exciting year filled with new opportunities and experiences. It seems like a good time to knock the cobwebs off the blog.

2017 saw the end of Nik's high school experience. It was an exciting and at times confusing experience. We had to make some tough decisions and deal with the things that all other special needs parents have to take care of before their child turns 18. Then there was the very normal decisions, like does that tie go with that shirt, how will we decorate the graduation cap, and what will the senior ad be like.

All in all, it was a great experience. It all culminated in the big graduation ceremony. We had decided to celebrate his graduation by going to London and Paris. So I did a little spin off of that and used it as inspiration for his cap decoration. Yes, that is the Tardis flying over Hogwarts.

"I'm climbing in to my Tardis and heading off to Hogwarts!"

We had the best time at Nik's graduation. He had wonderful teachers! Without their support, he wouldn't have reached such success.

It was a long, emotional day and one that we won't forget. Noah serenaded his brother with the old Sinatra song "My Way" as we dropped him off at the school. Nik rode to the ceremony with his teacher and a few students. It worked out nicely and we didn't have to worry about Nik getting lost in the shuffle.

Alex, Noah and I headed to dinner and just enjoyed some quiet time before heading to the ceremony. We cheered loud and proud for Nik when they called his name.

So proud of this kid!

And the tossing of the caps was pretty neat to see.

It was a great day, but Nik was exhausted by the end of it. Look at that tired face.

It was past 10pm when we got home, and too late to celebrate that night, so we celebrated the day before. Dave and Busters followed by ice cream cake.

In the end, we celebrated Nik's success. It's not about what college he is going to, or what scholarships or whatever other achievement his peers received. We chose to focus on how far Nik has come. He is compassionate, kind, hard-working, and the best son and brother we could ask for. 

Next up, our big celebratory trip to Europe!

Overwhelmed

I haven't blogged in months and the reason is simple. This school year has left us overwhelmed at times. This is Nik's senior year. The decisions being made and the responsibilities that come with it are at times completely overwhelming. But I finally feel like we have a solid game plan.

This year has put the final nail in the coffin of acceptance. Eighteen years ago, we thought we would be waiting for university acceptance letters. While we have been well aware that this wasn't in the cards for some time, this is one of those bitter sweet years where we allow ourselves to admit that we still feel sadness. But we also get to rejoice in the huge progress, and the kind-hearted, hard-working person that Nik is!

We have been overwhelmed by trying to navigate all the choices. All. The. Choices. There is so much to consider, and we are keenly aware that making the right choice has huge implications on Nik's future. Will he continue in the public school system, as he is legally allowed to do until 21? Does he apply for one of the 2 year university job and life skill training programs in the area? They offer no degree or guarantee that he will end up with a job. Do we look in to other programs not affiliated with the school district? For now, we have decided that Nik will continue on with the school district. It will allow him more time to develop and fine tune his job skills. And he has the same goal that all of his peers do. To be fully employed!

We have been overwhelmed by the little legal details that  must be addressed. What level of control will we need to maintain to protect Nik as an adult? I am thankful for random parents who I have met this year, and who have faced this same decision before me. I'm thankful to Nik's team, who has been a wonderful source of information and support. We believe we have made the best choice for Nik and are eager to move forward.

We have been overwhelmed by all the activities involved with a senior year in high school. Senior portraits, yearbook ads, writing parent letters, ordering cap and gown, announcements... The deadlines involved will make your head spin. My calendar is marked up with senior stuff! Add to it all the fun extracurricular activities like school basketball, bocce and soccer teams, plus Special Olympics basketball and soccer.

Each time that we have been overwhelmed, we have managed to find clarity and a solution to each question mark. We can finally see the light at the end of the tunnel. We are confident in the choices we have made. We are thankful that we have given Nik the tools that he needs to be a productive member of society.

I am thankful for an educational team, our friends and family, who have proven to be stretcher bearers when we need it. I'm thankful that I have surrounded myself with people who understand my family challenges, even if they have no experience with special needs. Since we don't live close to family, my friends have sustained me. Sometimes it helps just to have people to laugh with, even when they can't offer advice. Some weird highlights have been friends putting mustard packets on my desk. I hate mustard and they knew I would think it was funny. Friends texting me selfies that are morphed zombie pictures. I have had some great text exchanges with friends this year. They have sustained me. This went down on New Years Eve. Not.Weird. At. All. I'm going to do my friend a favor and not post her picture. You're welcome.

Laughing keeps me sane. And my friends know that I try to laugh as much as possible.  If it's one thing I've learned about the life of a special needs parent, it's that you will learn who is a true friend, and who is not. If they aren't true, don't waste your time. Move on. I can only hope that I offer as much support to my friends as they have supported me this year,

We are just a little over 3 months to graduation day. We still have some things that we are working through. But I feel like we have a solid game plan. We are so excited for graduation! And we are beyond excited for our post graduation family trip to Europe!

 I'm excited to see Nik reach higher stars in the years to come. He has so much to offer the world. Are you ready, world? Because Nik is coming for you!

Ch-ch-ch-Changes!

That David Bowie song got me through high school, and it seems perfect to use it as the title to this blog entry. We are now over a month in to a new school year. This is going to be one wild ride for us! With Noah entering his freshman year, and Nik entering his senior year, our family is facing many changes.

The boys in their class shirts. 

We are off to a great start. Noah has adapted to high school nicely. Last week was Homecoming, and Noah jumped right in to the fun. He marched in the school parade. I was thrilled to hear so many of his gen ed peers saying "Hi Noah!" He seems to have made an impression with his peers, and that was awesome to witness! He even introduced me to his friend. That's right, I said friend. This kid has never used that term before until this year. Now, it's not the type of friend that you go to the movies with, or hang out after school. Noah still very much prefers to hang with family. But Noah identifying someone as a friend is huge! To him, his friend is someone who he can talk to while walking the halls or having lunch. I'm so happy to see such progress!

Noah walking in the Homecoming Parade

Parade watching!

The kids in the parade floats were throwing candy, so of course my smart senior was ready to pounce on that!

The boys were invited to a Homecoming Dance pre-party at a classmates house. Since I had to work, Alex jumped in and made sure that the boys looked handsome. Nik wore his 11th Doctor Who bow tie, because they are cool. Noah wore the 50th Anniversary Doctor Who tie. Nerds rule!

Of course they had to go on their adventure by walking through the Tardis!

At the pre-party, I was able to join them. It was so much fun to see all the kids hanging out, having a great time!

Nik and Noah and their awesome teacher!

Yes, I was standing on something.

What a great time! Eventually, the kids all carpooled to the dance. About an hour and a half in, my phone rang. Nik called to say he was ready to leave. As we were talking, Noah called to say he was ready to leave too. The kids reported that they did not dance. But they did have fun hanging out and taking pictures with their phones. In case you are wondering, one kid took pictures of people coming in to the dance, and the other took pictures of his brother taking pictures of people coming in to the dance.

I just love how the boys are willing to try new experiences and step out of their comfort level. What more could a parent want?