I have to say that I was seriously impressed with the show.  Having really young kids, this was my first time and this type of show that is clearly geared toward the younger set.  I expected something much more cheesy and frankly, with a lot less talent.  I was wrong!  This is a wonderful production with seriously talented ice skaters, beautiful sets and costumes, and great production value.  There are 3 performances left and I highly recommend it, if you have young kids who are big fans of Disney.  Tickets range from $17-$52 and all the info is here.  I think we were in the $30 seats and they were just fine.  Honestly, for this type of show, there isn’t a bad seat in the house.

They open things with a cute “cast warm-up” that encourages the audience to get up and move around and it’s led by The Incredibles.   It was fun and very cute, although we opted to stay seated since we both had kids in our laps.  Next comes Mickey, Minnie, Donald and Goofy, who tell you that this night is about looking for “Treasures” that are the Disney characters.   First we have a big, fun number with the entire cast of “Alice in Wonderland”.   The dancing cards that are hearts one side and clubs on the other are really cool.  And the Queen of Hearts is sufficiently mean.  But, Alice keeps her head and all is well.   The first act ends with a second full cast number that is almost the whole story of Peter Pan.  Captain Hook and Mr Smee are actually really cute bad guys.  The Lost Boys are adorable, Wendy and her brothers and great but Peter Pan steals this number.  He’s an excellent skater and after an epic battle between the pirates and lost boys, he saves the day, but not without the help of a flying (and skating) Tinkerbell.  My kids LOVED this part.  Also, Captain hook gets eaten by the biggest crocodile puppet in history!  Hooray!

Intermission is quick and Act II is all about the Disney Princesses!  (which is good because Samantha kept asking me, “Mama, when are the princesses coming?”)  But before we get our princess fix, we are treated to a visually stunning number from The Lion King.   From the opening with a beautiful set piece depicting “Pride Rock” and Rafiki to the gorgeously skated ending with Simba and Nala to “Can you Feel the Love Tonight”, this was probably my favorite large cast number.  I thought the neatest part was the way they portrayed the stampede in the canyon that results in the death of Mufasa.  It was so cool and incredibly inventive.  I am always so impressed with stuff like that.  It reminded me of the amazing way Animal Kingdom does the “Finding Nemo” show with puppets.  Way cool.

Finally, it is Princess Time!  Mickey and the gang re-appear to tell us that coming up the first feature film that Walt Disney produced and out come 7 cute little guys to give us a quick version of Snow White.  The manage to touch on the whole story in about 8 minutes.  Snow White is another very talented skater and her part with her Prince is very pretty.   The big Act II number is from Aladdin and it’s great!   The Genie is fun, Aladdin rides in on an elephant and the Magic Carpet flies!  Aladdin, just like most of the other leads, is immensely talented.  He does a spin at the end that made my kids squeal and clap.   A  great number.  After that, we were treated to Ariel and Sebastian and some under-the-sea creatures that were fun.  Then a very cute and really beautiful skate with Rapunzel and Flynn.  (she’s my favorite Princess and “I See the Light” is so pretty!)  They even had the floating lanterns.  I loved this one.  Then Tiana and Naveen did a bit to “Dig a Little Deeper” that was upbeat and again, very fun.  (I need better adjectives besides ‘cute’ and ‘fun’…but you get the picture.)  Finally, we see Mickey and company again and then the pinnacle for all the little girls in the house….every Disney princess and her prince!!  I can’t for the life of me remember what they skated to, but it was big and flashy and gave ample time for everyone to skate all over the ice.    Let me put it this way…my daughter pointed to all her favorites that were not featured several times over.   “Mama!  Belle!  Cinderella!  Sleeping Beauty! Mulan!”   She was thrilled.   I should mention that my 4 year old son had a ball, too.  And even my husband was impressed.

A few things to know before you go-

• Parking at the Bay Center is FREE, but the front fills up fast.  So, if you don’t want to walk up the giant ramp, I’d get there at least 30 minutes early.
• The Bay Center is so proud of their snacks.  We tell the kids they can pick one thing to share and a drink to share as well.  (after the circus last year) This time it was popcorn.  I think the cotton candy (with the Mickey ears, that frankly I could do without) was $15.  Wha?  Anyway, I make sure the kids eat a decent dinner and stick some goldfish in my purse.
• Holy Over-Priced Souvenirs, Batman!  My daughter, God bless her, is not one to ask for anything, anywhere. She didn’t even notice the scads of Princess-y, sparkly crap that was $20 and up.  ( I love her slightly more for this particular trait.)   My son whined about getting a sword all night and in fact, we are going to Wal-Mart in the morning to purchase a reasonably priced plastic one.  You’ve been warned.
• If you have a little girl, by all means let her dress up.  Sam wore her tiara with a sundress, because she doesn’t have a Disney princess costume just yet, but we saw so many girls dressed up.  Very cute.

The shows tomorrow are at 2:00 and 6:00 and then again at 2:00 on Sunday.  Tickets are available here.  Let us know if you go and what you and your kids thought about it.  We always love to hear from our readers.   xoxo Jules

Here is your weekend roundup! If you know of an event we should add to the list, please leave us a comment! Have a fun weekend exploring Pensacola with your family! As always, I recommend that you follow the links for more information and call ahead to confirm. Event information often changes!

Friday, May 17, 2013

Gallery Night- Downtown Pensacola

Blue Wahoos VS the Mobile Baybears

Disney on Ice “Treasure Trove”-Pensacola Bay Center

“The Magic of Flight”, “The Last Reef” & “Rocky Mountain Express” IMAX @ The Naval Avitaion Museum

Daumier, Art for the Masses, Pensacola Museum of Art

Sacred Objects: The Gillmore, Meacham, and Peyroux Collection, Pensacola Museum of Art

Make your own glass workshops-Belmont Arts & Cultural Center  (by appt.)

Colonial Cooking & Trades- Historic Pensacola Village

Music and a Movie Foley, AL

Lemur Encounter, AL Gulf Coast Zoo

Saturday, May 18, 2013

Palafox Market- Downtown Pensacola

Fiesta Children’s Treasure Hunt- Bayview Park in East Hill

Blue Wahoos VS the Mobile Baybears

Disney on Ice “Treasure Trove”- Pensacola Bay Center

Barnes & Noble Summer reading program kick off party

Discovery Saturday with Col Mac Miller-National Naval Aviation Museum

Colonial Cooking & Trades- Historic Pensacola Village

“The Magic of Flight”, “The Last Reef” & “Rocky Mountain Express” IMAX @ The Naval Avitaion Museum

Daumier, Art for the Masses, Pensacola Museum of Art

Sacred Objects: The Gillmore, Meacham, and Peyroux Collection, Pensacola Museum of Art

Make your own glass workshops-Belmont Arts & Cultural Center  (by appt.)

Lemur Encounter, AL Gulf Coast Zoo

Sunday, May 19, 2013

Fiesta Sand Sculpture Contest- Pensacola Beach

Blue Wahoos VS the Mobile Baybears

Disney on Ice “Treasure Trove”- Pensacola Bay Center

“The Magic of Flight”, “The Last Reef” & “Rocky Mountain Express” IMAX @ The Naval Avitaion Museum

Make your own glass workshops-Belmont Arts & Cultural Center  (by appt.)

Lemur Encounter, AL Gulf Coast Zoo

Carmike Cinemas Bayou 15 @ 5149 Bayou Blvd will begin it’s Summer Kids Series on June 13th, 2013.

Movies will be shown every Thursday at 10am. The cost is $4 and that includes a drink, popcorn, candy, and admission.

Mark Your Calendars!

• June 13  Despicable Me

• June 20  The Smurfs

• June 27  Hotel Transylvania

• July 4  Ice Age

• July 11  Rio

• July 18  Horton Hears a Who

• July 23  Madagascar 3

• August 1  Happy Feet 2

• August 8  Yogi Bear

• August 15  Chimpanzee

Things to Know Before You Go:

• Head to these movies with patience.  While they won’t fill up as quickly as the FREE summer movies, expect them to be crowded. This is not a date night movie and there will be constant noise during the movie. It does quiet down to a reasonable level but remember that the movie is free and full of kids!
• Doors open at 9:30 but a line begins closer to 9am.
• You may want to go with a friend who can watch your seat if you have to get up for whatever reason.

The Ridge Cinema 8 has published their 2013 Free Summer Movie Schedule  to their Facebook Page.

Movies are shown every Tuesday and Thursday at 10am. Doors open 9:30am and movies begin at 10am.

Like I have said before, don’t be late because they lock the doors once the theater is filled.

I will add the other movie theater schedules as we receive them.

Mark your calendars!

6/11 & 6/13 Brave & Parental Guidance

6/18 & 6/20 Monster’s Inc & Hotel Transylvania

6/25 & 6/27  Frankenweenie & Chasing Mavericks

7/2 & 7/4  Despicable Me & Paranorman

7/9 & 7/11 Madagascar 3 & Escape from Planet Earth

7/16 & 7/18 Wreck it  Ralph & Diary of a Wimpy Kid 3

7/23 & 7/25 Rise of the Guardians & Mirror Mirror

7/30 & 8/1 The Smurfs & Here Comes the Boom

8/6 & 8/8 Percy Jackson and the Lightening Thief & The Lorax

8/13 & 8/15 Ice Age 4 & The Odd Life of Timothy Green

Things to Know Before You Go:

• Head to the free summer movies with patience. These movies fill up quickly with day care field trips and families with kids. This is not a date night movie and there will be constant noise during the movie. It does quiet down to a reasonable level but remember that the movie is free and full of kids!
• Doors open at 9:30 but a line begins closer to 9am.
• Concessions will be open and often there is a deal on the Kid’s Pack.
• You may want to go with a friend who can watch your seat if you have to get up for whatever reason.

There are still a few weeks of school left, but we are working on gathering all the free summer movie info.   The Breeze Cinema 8 Free Summer movie schedule is on their facebook page.

Movies are shown every Tuesday and Thursday at 10am. Doors open at 9:30am and the movie begins at 10am. Don’t be late because doors typically close when the theater is full.

I am adding other free movie theater schedules as we receive them.

Mark your calendars!

6/11 & 6/13 Brave & Parental Guidance

6/18 & 6/20 Monster’s Inc & Hotel Transylvania

6/25 & 6/27  Frankenweenie & Chasing Mavericks

7/2 & 7/4  Despicable Me & Paranorman

7/9 & 7/11 Madagascar 3 & Escape from Planet Earth

7/16 & 7/18 Wreck it  Ralph & Diary of a Wimpy Kid 3

7/23 & 7/25 Rise of the Guardians & Mirror Mirror

7/30 & 8/1 The Smurfs & Here Comes the Boom

8/6 & 8/8 Percy Jackson and the Lightening Thief & The Lorax

8/13 & 8/15 Ice Age 4 & The Odd Life of Timothy Green
Things to Know Before You Go:

• Head to the free summer movies with patience. These movies fill up quickly with day care field trips and families with kids. This is not a date night movie and there will be constant noise during the movie. It does quiet down to a reasonable level but remember that the movie is free and full of kids!
• Doors open at 9:30 but a line begins closer to 9am.
• Concessions will be open and often there is a deal on the Kid’s Pack.
• You may want to go with a friend who can watch your seat if you have to get up for whatever reason.

If you know of a VBS that we are missing, please leave us a comment or send me a note at julie at pensacolawithkids dot com.

The Vacation Bible Schools are listed in order of dates and then alphabetically. As always, call to confirm information and registration deadlines.

*Please note that Pensacola with Kids is not affiliated with any of the Vacation Bible Schools and be aware of our disclaimer.

Week of June 9

First United Methodist Church of Pensacola

• Dates: June 9-13
• Times: 9am to 12noon
• Address: 6 East Wright Street, Pensacola, FL 32501
• Theme: Kingdom Rock- where kids stand strong for God
• Ages: Age 3 as of Sept. 1 to completed 4th grade

Grace Lutheran Church

• Dates: June 10-14
• Times: 5:30-8pm
• Address: 6601 N 9th Ave, Pensacola, FL
• Theme: Kingdom Rock- where kids stand strong for God
• Ages: 3-11

• Dates: June 10-14
• Times: 6pm to 9:00pm
• Address: 3065 Highway 297A, Cantonment, FL 32533
• Theme: not available
• Ages: Completed Kindergarten to completed 5th grade

McIlwain Presbyterian Church

• Dates: June 10-14
• Times: 9am to 12:30pm
• Address: 1220 East Blount Street, Pensacola, FL 32503
• Theme: Upward Bound
• Ages: Completed PreK 4 through 5th grade

Olive Baptist Church

• Dates: June 24-28
• Times: 9am to 12pm
• Address: 1836 Olive Road, Pensacola, FL 32514
• Theme: Colossal Coaster World.  Facing Fear and Trusting God
• Ages: Completed K5-completed 5th grade

Resurrection Lutheran Church

• Dates: June 9-13
• Times: 6:00pm-8:00pm
• Address: 6305 N. Blue Angel Parkway, Pensacola, FL
• Theme: Go Tell it on the Mountain
• Ages: Not available

Week of June 17

• Dates: June 17-21
• Times: 9am to 12:15pm
• Address: 4187 Highway 90, Pace, FL 32571
• Theme: Colossal Coaster World.  Facing Fear and Trusting God
• Ages: not available

Marcus Pointe 

• Dates: June 17-21
• Times: 9am to 12pm
• Address: 6205 North W Street, Pensacola, FL  32505
• Theme: Turn it Up!
• Ages: K4-5th grade

Myrtle Grove Baptist Church

• Dates: June 17-21
• Times: 9am-12pm
• Address: 5920 Lillian Highway, Pensacola, FL 32506
• Theme: Colossal Coaster World.  Facing Fear and Trusting God
• Ages: K- 6th grade

Perdido Bay Baptist Church

• Dates: June 17-21
• Times: 6pm to 8:30pm
• Address: 12600 Sorrento Road, Pensacola, FL 32507
• Theme: Kingdom Chronicles
• Ages: 3 years to 5th grade

• Dates: June 17-21
• Times: 8:30am-12pm
• Address: 6212 Pine Blossom Road, Milton, FL 32570
• Theme: Colossal Coaster World.  Facing Fear and Trusting God
• Ages: 4 through 5th grade

Week of June 24

• Dates: June 24-28
• Times: 8:30am-12:30pm
• Address: 500 N Palafox, Pensacola, FL 32501
• Theme: Colossal Coaster World.  Facing Fear and Trusting God
• Ages: Pre-K through 5th grade

• Dates: June 24-28
• Times: 6pm-8:30pm
• Address: 590 E Burgess Road, Pensacola, FL 32504
• Theme: Kingdom Rock-where kids stand strong for God
• Ages: 3 years old  (potty trained) thru 5th grade.

Hillcrest Baptist Church

• Dates: June 24-28
• Times: 8:30am to 12pm
• Address: 800 East 9 Mile, Pensacola, FL 32514
• Theme: Colossal Coaster World.  Facing Fear and Trusting God
• Ages: 4 to grade 5

Myrtle Grove United Methodist

• Dates: June 24-28
• Times: 9am to 12:30pm
• Address: 1030 North 57th Avenue, Pensacola, FL 32506
• Theme: Kingdom Rock- where kids stand strong for God
• Ages: K4-5th grade

• Dates: June 24-28
• Times: 9am to noon
• Address: 3400 Bayou Boulevard, Pensacola, FL 32503
• Theme: Down by the Riverside
• Ages: Age 4 to grade 5

Week of July 8

East Brent Baptist Church

• Dates: July 8-12
• Times: 8:30am to 12pm
• Address: 4801 N Davis Highway; Pensacola, FL 32503
• Theme: Kingdom Rock-where kids stand strong for God
• Ages: Children who turn 4 by September 1, 2011 through rising 6th grade

• Dates: July 8-12
• Times: 5:30pm-8:30pm
• Address: 6240 Highway 95A, Molino, FL 32577
• Theme:Kingdom Rock-where kids stand strong for God
• Ages: 3 years to completion of 5th grade

Pine Summit Baptist Church

• Dates: July 8-12
• Times: 9:00-12:00
• Address: 2920 Bellview Ave
• Theme: Colossal Coaster World.  Facing Fear and Trusting God
• Ages: Entering 1st through entering 6th

• Dates: July 8-12
• Times: 5:30-8:30pm
• Address: 2203 North 12th Ave
• Theme:Kingdom Rock-where kids stand strong for God
• Ages: Elementary Age

Week of July 15

• Dates: July 15-19
• Times: not available
• Address: 6500 North W Street, Pensacola, FL 32505
• Theme: not available
• Ages: 5-11

• Dates: July 15-19
• Times: 6pm to 8pm
• Address: 2026 Pauline St, Cantonment, Fl
• Theme: Kingdom Rock-where kids stand strong for God
• Ages: 3 years old to 5th grade

Warrington United Methodist Church

•  Dates: July 15 – 19
• Times: 6:00 pm to 8:30 pm
• Address: 301 Winthrop Ave, Pensacola, FL 32507
• Theme: SonRise National Park
• Ages: 4 yr to 6th grade

Week of July 22

• Dates: July 22-26
• Times: 9:00am-12:15pm
• Address: 5820 Montgomery Avenue; Pensacola, FL 32526
• Theme: Tell it on the Mountain
• Ages: PreK to rising 7th

Woodbine Baptist Church

• Dates: July 29-August 2
• Times: 4:45pm to 8pm
• Address: 4912 County Road 197A Pace, FL 32571
• Theme: Tell it on the Mountain
• Ages: 3 years old to 5th grade

Week of August 5

Immanuel Lutheran Church

• Dates: August 5-9
• Times: 5pm to 7:30pm
• Address: 24 West Wright Street
• Theme: Tell it on the Mountain
• Ages: aged 4 as of Jan. 2012 up to those entering 5th grade

• Dates: August 5-9
• Times: 9am to 12pm
• Address: 100 Daniel Drive, Gulf Breeze, FL 32561
• Theme: Athens- Paul’s dangerous journey to share the truth
• Ages: Kindergarten through 5th grade

Here is your weekend roundup! If you know of an event we should add to the list, please leave us a comment! Have a fun weekend exploring Pensacola with your family! As always, I recommend that you follow the links for more information and call ahead to confirm. Event information often changes!

Friday, May 10, 2013

Stargazing at Fort Pickens

Auto Racing,  Five Flags Speedway

“The Magic of Flight”, “The Last Reef” & “Rocky Mountain Express” IMAX @ The Naval Avitaion Museum

Daumier, Art for the Masses, Pensacola Museum of Art

Sacred Objects: The Gillmore, Meacham, and Peyroux Collection, Pensacola Museum of Art

Make your own glass workshops-Belmont Arts & Cultural Center  (by appt.)

Music and a Movie Foley, AL

Lemur Encounter, AL Gulf Coast Zoo

Saturday, May 11, 2013

Palafox Market

“Pitch, Hit and Run” @  Blue Wahoos Bayfront Stadium

Art in the Park- Seville Square  sponsored by PMA

Free tour of the Basilica of St Michael- Downtown Pensacola

“The Great Train Robbery with the Beaver Gulch Gang- Wales West Light Railway

“The Magic of Flight”, “The Last Reef” & “Rocky Mountain Express” IMAX @ The Naval Avitaion Museum

Daumier, Art for the Masses, Pensacola Museum of Art

Sacred Objects: The Gillmore, Meacham, and Peyroux Collection, Pensacola Museum of Art

Make your own glass workshops-Belmont Arts & Cultural Center  (by appt.)

Lemur Encounter, AL Gulf Coast Zoo

Sunday, May 12, 2013  Happy Mother’s Day!

Blue Wahoos VS the Chattanooga Lookouts

Art in the Park- Seville Square  sponsored by PMA

“Symphony by the Sea” Mother’s Day Concert @ Pensacola Beach

Mother’s Day Concert- Bellingrath Gardens

Mother’s Day Special Menu- The Melting Pot

Mother’s Day Brunch-Hilton Pensacola Beach

Mother’s Day Brunch- The Fish House

Mother’s Day Brunch- Legends Premium Wine Bar & Grille

Mother’s Day Brunch- Jackson’s Steakhouse

Make your own glass workshops-Belmont Arts & Cultural Center  (by appt.)

Lemur Encounter, AL Gulf Coast Zoo

“The Magic of Flight”, “The Last Reef” & “Rocky Mountain Express” IMAX @ The Naval Avitaion Museum

Here is your weekend roundup! If you know of an event we should add to the list, please leave us a comment! Have a fun weekend exploring Pensacola with your family! As always, I recommend that you follow the links for more information and call ahead to confirm. Event information often changes!

Friday, May 3, 2013

Blue Wahoos VS the Montgomery Biscuits

Pensacola Crawfish Festival- Downtown Pensacola

“Momologues” Pensacola Little Theater

Pensacola Children’s Chorus presents “Showtime” The Saenger Theater

“The Magic of Flight” and “Rocky Mountain Express” IMAX @ The Naval Avitaion Museum

Daumier, Art for the Masses, Pensacola Museum of Art

Sacred Objects: The Gillmore, Meacham, and Peyroux Collection, Pensacola Museum of Art

Make your own glass workshops-Belmont Arts & Cultural Center  (by appt.)

Music and a Movie Foley, AL

First Friday Art Walk Fairhope, AL

Lemur Encounter, AL Gulf Coast Zoo

Saturday, May 4, 2013

Palafox Market

Blue Wahoos VS the Montgomery Biscuits

Pensacola Crawfish Festival- Downtown Pensacola

“May the Fourth be with You” presented by Bricks 4 Kidz

39th Annual Fiesta10K Run and 5K Run/Walk- Pensacola State College

“Momologues” Pensacola Little Theater

Pensacola Children’s Chorus presents “Showtime” The Saenger Theater

“The Magic of Flight” and “Rocky Mountain Express” IMAX @ The Naval Avitaion Museum

Daumier, Art for the Masses, Pensacola Museum of Art

Sacred Objects: The Gillmore, Meacham, and Peyroux Collection, Pensacola Museum of Art

Make your own glass workshops-Belmont Arts & Cultural Center  (by appt.)

Great Train Robbery with the Beaver Gulch Gang, Wales West Light Railway

11th Annual St. Francis Episcopal Church Arts & Crafts Festival, Dauphin Island, AL

Lemur Encounter, AL Gulf Coast Zoo

Rosamond Johnson Day, Johnson Beach, Perdido Key

“The Original Tale of Peter Pan” Comedia del Arte, Mobile, AL

Sunday, May 5, 2013

Cinco de Mayo- Downtown Pensacola

Blue Wahoos VS the Montgomery Biscuits

Pensacola Crawfish Festival- Downtown Pensacola

“Momologues” Pensacola Little Theater

Pensacola Children’s Chorus presents “Showtime” The Saenger Theater

“The Magic of Flight” and “Rocky Mountain Express” IMAX @ The Naval Avitaion Museum

11th Annual St. Francis Episcopal Church Arts & Crafts Festival, Dauphin Island, AL

Lemur Encounter, AL Gulf Coast Zoo

    I remember during both my pregnancies, I worried so much and prayed that my kids would be healthy.  I think every pregnant woman does.  When we lived in St. Louis, one of our best friends became pregnant a few months after I did.  My son was born in Dec and hers in April, so we got to be preggers for a while together.  We shared in the fun and the worry.  We complained to each other about all the crazy changes our bodies were going through.  We attended each others baby showers and after Spencer was born a healthy baby boy, she’d come over and observe how completely sleep deprived I was and laugh nervously knowing what she was in for.  I Thank God every day and feel so lucky that both my kids were born without any imminent problems.  Her son was born with Cerebral Palsy.  I’ve never told her this, but I felt guilty for the longest time that my son was healthy and Quinn was going to have such a rough road ahead.  Today, he’s 4 and is an absolute light and joy.  And she’ll tell you that she’s the lucky one. 

Since taking over this website in January, I’ve talked with her about things we could do to include the Moms of kids with special needs.  So, I asked her to tell her story.  It’s the first time she’s put it into words and I’m honored to share it with our readers.  If you are the Mom of a kid(s) with special needs and know about activities that are designed for or would be great for other kids like yours, please email me at julie@pensacolawithkids.com  And Thanks Amanda for sharing your story. ~Julie

“The Five Things I’ve Learned from Having Special Needs Kids” By Amanda Geraghty

I didn’t think it was going to happen for me.   No fairytales here.  And I’d made my peace with it….sort of.  By 31 I had one bad marriage and no kids.  And then by some miracle at 33 I met  the love my life and the man who would become my husband and father of my children. We are a perfect match.   He is laid back where I am Type A, he likes to win but is not competitive like me, he’s patient where I am not, and we are a great balance.  Today we are a family of 5 with two special needs children.  When I fell in love with Todd, I also fell in love with his son Joey.   Joey is mid functioning Autistic who was nonverbal until about 3 years ago. He was 5 then. He’s now a healthy and happy 11 year old who is communicating more and more.  Joe has taught me the value of a routine, helped me begin to work on patience and teaches me every day that what is shown is just as important as what is said.  We also have a son Tyson, who is 2 and developing like a normal 2 year old should.  And then there is our “Quinnie”.  This is our story.

At almost 35 I unexpectedly got pregnant. To say I was surprised would be an understatement.  It was August of 2008. We had just built our new house and we were engaged to be married in April 2009.

What unfolded next would change our lives forever.  We went to the doctor in September and the first shocker was we were pregnant with Dichromatic Identical Twins. I was speechless, scared, and not sure that I wanted two babies at once!   Then the doctor told me that Baby A’s heartbeat was slow and it might be a “Disappearing Twin”.  A Disappearing Twin is a twin who doesn’t live past the first couple of weeks and “disappears” back into the placenta. The doctor said we would know within a week.   I prayed with all my might that week that both babies would survive. When I went back a week later both babies had strong heartbeats and were growing. We were so excited!!! We got married a couple of weeks after that since the babies were due in April.  We were officially a family and growing fast!

For the next 20 weeks I went to the doctor each week and saw ultrasounds of my babies and heard their heartbeats. I became very attached to them and overwhelmed by the miracle of being the mother of Identical twins.  It was beginning to look like everything was going to be fine.

At 22 weeks I went for my Anatomy/ Anomaly ultrasound.  The one where they really look at the babies and see if there’s anything amiss.  That whole week I had been having dreams about the moment we found out the sex of the babies. I just KNEW they would be girls and I had their names all picked out.  I was so excited about the sex and we were feeling so great about the pregnancy that I’d forgotten to worry about anything being wrong.    We got settled into the room and waited for the technician. The tech came in and started the process. She took a few measurements and looked at me.  ”I’m sorry”, she said . “One of the babies’ hearts has stopped beating.  One of the babies has died”.

I was in shock.  She then told me that the babies were boys.  I laid there on that table completely numb, fighting back tears while the technician finished up. She told me to come back in a week to finish.

We drove home in silence. To this day I don’t remember the ride. I cried for days.  I couldn’t understand how this could happen. To this day I don’t have words to accurately describe how I felt.

I went back to the doctor a week later to finish my anatomy/anomaly on the son I had left in the womb. When I got into the room they told me that they had wanted me to come back in a week because they had seen an abnormal amount of fluid on the surviving baby’s  brain and didn’t want to tell me the last time because of all I had  been through.   They quickly did another ultrasound and determined the fluid had not gone away. 10 minutes later I was sitting in a perinatal office being told all of the potential things that could be wrong with the surviving baby, asking me about termination, and recommending an amniocentesis. We did the amnio that day and the next couple months I went to the perinatal Dr. once a week for more ultrasounds.  I had every test they could think of and it all came back fine. At 32 weeks they released me as a high risk patient and told me that as much as they could tell any mother their child will be born normal they could say that to me.  Basically there were no guarantees, but everything seemed fine.  Once again, we breathed a small sigh of relief.

The rest of my pregnancy went off without a hitch and I was induced at 41 weeks. I gave birth to a beautiful 8 pound 7 ounce baby boy that we named Quinn Daniel.  It was the happiest day of my life. In the back of my mind I thought about the baby who did not survive and what it would have been like to welcome two babies, but I pushed the thought away and focused on the miracle of Quinn.

The next day the pediatrician came in and examined Quinn. He told me that the nurse was concerned about the smallness of Quinn’s head and they wanted to do an ultrasound. The doctors were concerned that he was missing the middle part of his Brain. People live normal lives with this condition so I wasn’t too stressed about it. The doctor came back that evening and said they couldn’t find anything but wanted to do an ultrasound just to be sure. I agreed and never thought about it again until that evening when the doctor came in and told us that he had had a stroke in Utero, has brain damage, and would develop Quad Spastic Cerebral Palsy.   In that moment, everything changed.

I wanted to tell you this story so you could understand where I was and where I am today. For the first year of Quinn’s life I mourned. I still mourn today. There’s not a birthday of his that goes by that I don’t wonder what Quinn would be like if this hadn’t happened. As I watch his brother Tyson develop, I mourn the fact that we may never hear Quinn say the words “I love you” or any words for that matter. We may never see him take his first steps unsupported. We may never see him play sports or pick an object up.  I went through all of the guilt and being mad at God and the world. I felt like I failed my husband. He already had one handicapped son. This was his chance at experiencing “normal”.  I isolated myself from my friends and family.  All I thought about was building the strength to deal with being a working mom to two handicapped children and figuring out the financials of it all. To say that I was overwhelmed would be an understatement.

When Quinn was one, I met a gentleman whose youngest child had CP. He gave me the best advice and it completely changed my outlook. Quinn just turned 4 and from that advice I have derived these 5 important lessons that I hope to pass on to you. Most of these can actually apply whether your child is handicapped or not:

1. Your reality is not your child’s reality. While I often feel sad when Quinn cannot participate in normal kid activities, he doesn’t. Quinn is loved by many people and is a very happy boy. That’s his reality. And it is okay!

2. The reality of your situation is what it is.  And it’s okay to show emotion. It’s important to let people know how you’re feeling instead of expecting them to know. No one I know can read minds.

3. You will lose some “friends” through a time like this. The ones who stick around and give you some leeway are the ones you will Thank God for every day.  I know that I do.

4. Don’t take it personally. Your friends and family will do their best to support you, but they are nervous and scared for you and don’t know how to handle all of the high needs of a special child. They may not tell you this and they may not offer to help out too much. Try not to take it personally, they don’t mean it personally.

5. If you’re a person of Faith instead of asking God what you did to deserve this, Thank him for choosing you to be the mommy of your Special Child. I realize this one sounds somewhat glib. This didn’t happen for me overnight. It’s taken me 4 years of reconnecting with God to get to this.  And it helps me get through most days.

These 5 lessons don’t solve everything. I still worry about Quinn and Joe and how we are going to save money for retirement and for them so that if something happens to my husband and I they aren’t institutionalized. I worry about how his brothers high needs will affect their little brother Tyson. I’m often extremely stressed. When I have the time, even if it takes me 7 days (like it did to write this) I reflect on these 5 lessons and use them to help me keep going.

Thank you so much for reading this. This is the first time I have ever written my story. I hope I reached one or two new mothers of a special Needs Child.  I want you to know that no matter how bad things seem, you WILL be ok.

I have included a link to a contest we have entered to win a wheel chair enabled mini -van. If you feel so inclined please click on the link and vote. You can get two votes by clicking on the tab in the left hand side and answering the question correctly. You can vote once per day per IP address.

http://www.mobilityawarenessmonth.com/entrant/todd-geraghty-lake-st-louis-mo/

 (**Please note that I am not being compensated to attend any or all of these events on behalf of PWK.  These are just the things that I think my Littles will enjoy the most!**)

Friday, April 26-

•  We are going to start the weekend off in downtown Pensacola at the Grand Opening of the Pensacola MESS Hall.  (MESS stands for Math, Engineering, Science and Stuff)  It will be open it’s regular hours of 1-5pm but the festivities begin @ 3:30.   This is a neat resource for our area and tomorrow’s event requires the regular admission price of $8 pp ages 3&up. But for the Grand Opening, it’s FREE!
• Then we are going to head on over to the Navarre Fun Fest on Navarre Beach.  We are going to grab Dad for this one and make it a family fun night.   This event is today from 4-10 and Saturday from 10-10.  Parking and admission are FREE and you can enjoy arts and crafts, delicious food, a kid’s play area, entertainment and fireworks!  No coolers or picnic baskets allowed, so we will plan on eating there and supporting Navarre Beach and their Chamber.

Saturday, April 27

• I love starting the weekends with a visit to our very own Farmer’s Market at Palafox Market.  It’s from 8am-2pm, and the early bird definitely gets the worm here.  I love showing my kids all the wonderful locally grown produce.  There’s also a ton of beautiful handmade things from art to soap to jewelry.  It’s especially wonderful with the weather not too hot and hopefully the rain will hold off.
• We are going to throw caution to the wind and have dessert first, so next we will go to Cordova Mall and support our Gulf Coast Kid’s House and Pensacola Chocolate Fest!   It’s from 12-3 and tickets are $10 in advance and $15 at the door.  You can purchase them online or at GCKH or Sam’s Club.  There’s also a link on the event website.  The tickets gets you a box to fill with chocolate at each vendor booth and entrance to the kids area.  Yum-O!
• Next we will head up to Milton for Avalon Bowling Center’s Open House from 12 noon-10pm.  This is a big family friendly event with FREE bowling (one game), Food & Drink specials, and a Fish Fry and Sausage @3.   This should be fun for everyone.
• After heading home and collapsing into a food coma, I’m getting some girlfriends together to go and see Pensacola Little Theater’s production of “Momologues”  This promises to be a great show full of laughter about everything that comes with being a Mom.

Sunday, April 28

• After church, we are going to take the kids to pick strawberries up at Akers of Strawberries in Baker.  It’s about an hour from us, maybe 45 from Pensacola.  The kids have been talking about this all week, so even though I’m pretty sure we are going to be wiped out, we are going to go.  They are open from 12-4 on Sundays.  Look for a special feature about this outing next week.  There are about 6 weeks of berry picking season left and blueberry season is coming in May and June.

What are your plans for this weekend?  Do you think that I’ve lost my mind with this jam packed schedule?!? I’m exhausted just typing it!  Whew!    We’d love to hear from you! xoxo Jules