Stefa70 Goes Commando For Christmas At The Fort

[Nicki aka Rebelstand 272]

Love the sweatshirt!

You are the only grownup adult person over the age of 18 I have ever seen wear that one!

TCD

and she look sooo cute in it.....

[stefa70 205]

I'm sorry you got sick, I hope it doesn't affect future punch parties. I guess that was a little rude, I really was concerned about you.

Love the sweatshirt and the price!! You look pretty healthy in that picture so maybe the Punch punch wasn't too bad.

Looking forward to your next update. Hmmm, who is the mystery man?

No affect on future punch parties! I just know I should eat dinner first and pace myself. Hard to do with that stuff because it tastes so good.

In a segment coming up somebody got an assbeating on the Fantasia Golf Course. All I can say is Steph kept score and her hubby wins. Just sayin.

I took score exactly how the strokes were taken, except for all those mulligans that we gave you.

Love the sweatshirt!

You are the only grownup adult person over the age of 18 I have ever seen wear that one!

TCD

See there! Being tiny does have some advantages (besides the obvious ones) I saved $20 by buying a kids size!

and she look sooo cute in it.....

Aww, thanks Nicki. I might have been cuter, had I not made 3 trips over the porcelain plastic throne. :flush:

[Nicki aka Rebelstand 272]

Aww, thanks Nicki. I might have been cuter, had I not made 3 trips over the porcelain plastic throne. :flush:

paying homage to the porcelain god ... we have all paid him a visit at some point and time....

[SCTigerCock 171]

paying homage to the porcelain god ... we have all paid him a visit at some point and time....

:annce:

AMEN!!!

[Nicki aka Rebelstand 272]

:annce:

AMEN!!!

Love that one!

[stefa70 205]

This will be the last installment today. It is Friday night and I have to finish my Christmas shopping in the morning. :rant:

Donnie showed up around 11:30, so we sat and caught up for a little bit. None of us had eaten lunch, so we decided to catch a boat over to Wilderness Lodge to eat.

When we got down by the settlement, Judy's son was riding his bike around. Donnie asked him if he wanted to join us, and he did. He said he has eaten lunch, but would have some water. We called Judy and asked for her permission, and made our way to the boat launch.

Now, in case ya'll don't know this yet...I love men. Big, small, fat, skinny, old, young...it doesn't matter. I'll take 10 men over 1 woman to hang out with. I guess because I'm not much of a girly girl.

So now I was spending the afternoon with Trevor, Donnie and Lil B.

Here we are coming off the boat. Lil B was hiding behind Donnie. He wasn't too sure of me at first, (like most people) because he hadn't spent a lot of time with me.

The geyser was shooting off when we walked up.

Donnie, Trevor and I all got the roast beef and blue cheese sandwich. The boys got homeade chips, I got the cucumber salad.

Lil B had froot loops! :)

The sandwich was delicious, and huge! Trevor ate half of mine. The cucumber salad was to die for. (Bob )

I would have preferred just a feed bag of the cucumbers, had I been given the choice.

Donnie decided to come to Epcot with us that evening, and we asked Lil B if he wanted to join us. We also asked Donnie if he wanted to stay the night as we had an extra bed since Nate left. I believe he was scared to sleep with, next to, anywhere near me.

We walked back to the boat launch at the lodge and waited for a boat back to the Fort.

When we boarded the boat, I ended up between Donnie and Lil B, with Trevor in front of us. I figured it would be a good photo op.

I always end up with one or two favorite pics from my trip, and these are the two.

Lil B still wasn't sure about it, but he was considering it.

Then he went in for the kill.

I half expected to get a "boobie tweak" because Judy told me that he loves the girls, but he was a perfect gentlemen! Look at that smile! :heart:

Sorry Donnie, you look cute too. Notice the red solo cup supporting the wilderness lodge cup.

We made plans for later and parted ways.

We picked up Mason and took him over to the dog park to sniff around. What the heck has happened to the bench in here? Very unDisney like.

Mason went into, what I like to call, crack addict mode, sniffing, drooling and foaming at the mouth. SENSORY OVERLOAD! It was time to go.

I also like this picture because Trevor has his Man and Dog shirt.

Our plan was to go to the first processional, but I still wanted to do some shopping and search any empty sites to get pics for the Fort Fiends site map. I went to Judy's to check with Donnie if he minded going to the second showing instead. While I was inside, Lil B handed me a Jimmie Johnson championship hat from last year, that someone had given to him. :heart:

I told him it was the best gift ever and gave him a big hug. What a guy!

We then rode down to the Meadows Trading Post in search of Fort merchandise. I bought the same shirt TCD did (probably a smaller size) a couple of Christmas gifts, and this:

We rode around and I got pictures of 3 sites we were missing, and went back to our site. Donnie and Lil B showed up just as we were going for a walk. Lil B asked if he could walk Mason, so Trevor let him and he was thrilled to death.

Judy told me later that he came home and asked if he could have a dog. She said she'd buy him a stuffed one!

Next up... we go to Epcot for the Candlelight Processional. Or did we? ?

[doodlebug....Cherie 461]

Great update, Stef. I'm pretty sure you meant you'd rather hang with 10 men unless I were around. Looks like you had a great time!

[Tri-Circle-D 2,059]

Great update, Stef.

I'm glad that you got to meet Lil' B.

I think he's awesome. That man can talk some Saints football.

Say what you want about Donnie, but the fact that he spends time with Lil' B tells you what kind of guy he really is.

(and by that I mean Donnie is a heck of a guy!)

And cool, now you and me have matching t-shirts.

Let's make sure to coordinate it so we can both wear them at the same time the next time Lou is at the Fort.

I like to make him jealous.

TCD

[Nicki aka Rebelstand 272]

Great update, Stef. I'm pretty sure you meant you'd rather hang with 10 men unless I were around. Looks like you had a great time!

I am sure that's what she meant .... and if not you can just hang out with me. :rofl3:

And cool, now you and me have matching t-shirts.

Let's make sure to coordinate it so we can both wear them at the same time the next time Lou is at the Fort.

I like to make him jealous.

TCD

suck up.... twinkie... poor Lou. :rofl2:

[PureTcrazy...rita 380]

Stef, Obviously you had a great trip! Love that you had fun with the boys! I guess us girls are just chopped liver!

[stacktester 78]

Great update, Stef.

I'm glad that you got to meet Lil' B.

I think he's awesome. That man can talk some Saints football.

Say what you want about Donnie, but the fact that he spends time with Lil' B tells you what kind of guy he really is.

(and by that I mean Donnie is a heck of a guy!)

And cool, now you and me have matching t-shirts.

Let's make sure to coordinate it so we can both wear them at the same time the next time Lou is at the Fort.

I like to make him jealous.

TCD

Great update, Stef.

I'm glad that you got to meet Lil' B.

I think he's awesome. That man can talk some Saints football.

Say what you want about Donnie, but the fact that he spends time with Lil' B tells you what kind of guy he really is.

(and by that I mean Donnie is a heck of a guy!)

And cool, now you and me have matching t-shirts.

Let's make sure to coordinate it so we can both wear them at the same time the next time Lou is at the Fort.

I like to make him jealous.

TCD

I appreciate that Andrew. I've known Judy for several years and I used to see Lil B sitting on the steps and he'd kinda wave or say hey when I'd come by. VW Dano and I were hanging out one night (Dan has known Judy and B longer than me) and B was with him. I wasn't sure to be honest, due to me never being around a special needs person much of his capabilities. Anyway, Dan was telling somebody he was heading home that weekend and Lil B asked if he was going to give him a hug before he left. Now let me explain, Dan is at the fort way more than me and he looks at B and says well you know I'm probably gonna be back after I drop the camper off (30 minutes away) so I got to see he has emotions. Like I said, I've never been around anyone with Downs before so I knew nothing.

Over the past couple years I've spent time with him playing bean bag toss and taking him to lunch or a park. I'll tell you 2 things about him. He WILL beat your ass at bean bags and if you say something you don't want him to hear you'd better be far away because he has bionic ears. He loves people and once he gets to know you and you him there is no more special a friend can you have. I've learned a lot from B and seeing things through his eyes is amazing. For those of you who know Tina who is next to Judy her daughter is also special needs and she's a little doll. There's no words to describe what these people will give back to you.

Sorry to ramble but until you've been around someone with special needs you haven't lived right yet.

[Lou... 3,118]

How is it that I've never met Judy or Lil B?

[PureTcrazy...rita 380]

How is it that I've never met Judy or Lil B?

I don't know Lou, but you need to meet them both! Judy is a hoot! I think she talks more than Donnie and Ed! We took Lil B a pumpkin after Halloween because Judy said he loved to carve them. He was tickled about it, but was still pretty shy around us.

[Brent... Just Brent 83]

Great update! I've heard of Judy before, but I never had a face to put with the name. Needless to say, I'm very much looking forward to meeting her now.

It sounds like you had a fantastic day... after worshipping the porcelain god. Which is a sign that the night before was a lot of fun. Ok, maybe too much fun, but you enjoyed it and that's all that counts!

[stefa70 205]

Great update, Stef. I'm pretty sure you meant you'd rather hang with 10 men unless I were around. Looks like you had a great time!

Welll, no offense, but you're not much of a girly girl either, so you don't count. :heartsmiley:

Great update, Stef.

I'm glad that you got to meet Lil' B.

I think he's awesome. That man can talk some Saints football.

Say what you want about Donnie, but the fact that he spends time with Lil' B tells you what kind of guy he really is.

(and by that I mean Donnie is a heck of a guy!)

And cool, now you and me have matching t-shirts.

Let's make sure to coordinate it so we can both wear them at the same time the next time Lou is at the Fort.

I like to make him jealous.

TCD

I had met Lil B a few times before, but he usually just stared at me through the screen door. Judy said it's because he likes boobies

Yes, Donnie is an ok guy but that's all I will say about that. I refuse to ooh & ahh over someone who doesn't know how to reciprocate. (he does have a bit of a mean streak) :rant:

We will wear our shirts together!! We will look like twins. (Maybe "Twins" like Arnold Schwarzeneggar and Danny Devito, but.....)

suck up.... twinkie... poor Lou. :rofl2:

Did you just call TCD a twinkie? :argh: Them's fightin words! :laugh:

Stef, Obviously you had a great trip! Love that you had fun with the boys! I guess us girls are just chopped liver!

I know you're not a girly girl either!! I've seen your fouth-mouth and unruliness in action.

Sorry to ramble but until you've been around someone with special needs you haven't lived right yet.

Agreed. I will share some Lil B stories when I get further in this report. That guy is sharp, I hope no one ever looks at his special needs as a handicap!

How is it that I've never met Judy or Lil B?

Whaattt? Put this on your "must do" list. Judy is honestly one of a kind. When Nathen went to MK a few weeks ago, I told him to go and introduce himself to Judy. He didn't. He told me "Mom I don't even know her, I'm not just gonna walk up there!" When he met her on this trip, I repeated the story and she hugged him to death and told him they'd be related in 10 minutes. And they were...I'll have more on that later also!

Great update! I've heard of Judy before, but I never had a face to put with the name. Needless to say, I'm very much looking forward to meeting her now.

It sounds like you had a fantastic day... after worshipping the porcelain god. Which is a sign that the night before was a lot of fun. Ok, maybe too much fun, but you enjoyed it and that's all that counts!

GO meet Judy, Brent! I don't think she knows a stranger.

It was just a bit too much fun, but SO worth it!. Hopefully you can join us soon in your new pup. :jumpforjoy

[DaveInTN 3,247]

LOVED this update Stef!!

I finally had the pleasure of meeting Judy and Lil B this trip. Those times were highlights for us. Saying they are great people isn't sufficient. They are people that will go out of their way to make you feel welcome. Like old friends. And seeing how Lil B reacted to Donnie tells me something about Donnie's character. You treat people right, it'll come back to you. Likewise if you treat them like dirt.

Oh, and one other thing. Thanks for the sandwich pics! :heart:

[doodlebug....Cherie 461]

Welll, no offense, but you're not much of a girly girl either, so you don't count. :heartsmiley:

Oh ya, that's right. Silly me! :rofl2:

[stefa70 205]

LOVED this update Stef!!

I finally had the pleasure of meeting Judy and Lil B this trip. Those times were highlights for us. Saying they are great people isn't sufficient. They are people that will go out of their way to make you feel welcome. Like old friends. And seeing how Lil B reacted to Donnie tells me something about Donnie's character. You treat people right, it'll come back to you. Likewise if you treat them like dirt.

Oh, and one other thing. Thanks for the sandwich pics! :heart:

It was a great day!! After being with Lil B, it makes me twice as sad the way you've told us DS babies are cast aside in Russia. What a waste of a beautiful life.

I have a full afternoon and evening with some funny B stories I'll try to post in the morning. Please check back.

Oh ya, that's right. Silly me! :rofl2:

:raspberry2:

[LORNADUCK 261]

Great TR, looking forward to more.

I have also spent time with Judy and Tina and Little B and Tara. Not only are they a hoot to be around but you they are great friends.

I got hugs yesterday from Tara and a big hi from Little B, I have learned a lot from parents like Judy, Tina, Kim and Dave and Cindy - I have learned so much about special needs children, you never realize the care they need if you are lucky enough to have a healty child. I give all of them soooooo much credit.

Oh and I forgot Donnie, we call all tease him all we want. But I have seen him around these kids and he is so caring and warm.

He also is great to CJ and my Grandson and always spends time with CJ, don't know if it is because he is really a kid himself or just has a GOOD HEART :heart:

[Roller ... aka Ed 351]

Great TR. I only have one question ... .. Once Judy started dancing, did she start talking about Donnie's toes? :rofl2:

[stefa70 205]

I'm back! As promised, I'm going to get at least one update done this morning. This holiday spirit thing has got me running in 10 different directions.

Saturday evening, we picked up Donnie and Lil B around 5:30 to catch an Epcot bus.

When we arrived, Donnie had to go to customer service to pick up Lil B's pass. I wanted to get inside and take some pictures, so we let them go ahead.

Trevor and I walked behind them giggling to ourselves. Lil B LOVES him some Donnie, and that was evident by the pushing, arm in arm walks and the smack on the ass that he gave Donnie a couple of times.

They turned toward the customer service desk and Trevor and I entered the park.

I was hoping their tree would be the first thing I saw, but it was inside near the lake. Instead they had some topiary's, which as TCD had already noticed, some of them were leftover from the Flower & Garden Festival.

After a few minutes, I texted Donnie and told him we'd meet in the good ole USA to see just how crowded it was for the Processional. Then I found the Epcot Christmas tree!

About the time we got past Mexico (yes, that is the first country going clockwise around the lake) we started seeing a line. WTFort? Please tell me this isn't for the Processional? :banghead:

It was! This was not looking good for us. I called Donnie and said, we are in USA and I don't think we're going to see the show. Him and B were trying to weave through the crowds at this point so we copped a squat and said we wouldn't move an inch.

I sat on the fence of the turkey leg stand, and waited.

I think we've discussed this before, but for the life of me, I can't remember why this is spelled like this.

Does anyone remember why Public is spelled Publick?

Surprisingly enough, the boys were hungry...are you seeing a pattern here? I was more in the mood for a snack, which I never did get. Because there wasn't a lot of room to move around, they decided to eat right there, and I continued to hold down the fence. I figured if I couldn't see the Processional, at least I could hear it. So all alone, I sat.

Holy Chaos Batman! Neil Patrick Harris is a popular dude!

This was taken about 15 minutes before the show started.

And this was as it began. No, this is not from my vantage point (short) remember, I was sitting on a fence!

By the time the boys finished eating, the show was 3/4 of the way done, and I wanted to beat feet before they let the theater out. Though I couldn't see much, I could hear it fine and that was enough.

Our next plan was to take Lil B to play mini golf. Donnie had the brilliant idea to take a "short cut" (no pun intended) so we went out the International Gateway exit and started walking, and walking and walking.

By the time we make it to the Boardwalk, Donnie figures he will ask a CM what is the easiest way to get to Fantasia Gardens. She tells him to go out front, catch a bus to Downtown and then a bus to Fantasia Gardens. We realized she didn't know WTFort she was talking about so we continued to walk...and walk...and walk.

The Boardwalk's tree (as an added bonus)

We stopped and asked another CM which way to walk to get to mini golf. Let's just say he wasn't that informed either, because the next thing I know we are walking through the grass, around a pond & fountain, all the while I'm on the lookout for gators. Did I mention it was dark AND cold?

We walked about 1/2 mile out of our way when we realized we needed to backtrack. :banghead:

Finally we come up on the Swan and Dolphin, so we knew we were close!

We literally had been walking for an hour, but we had arrived! Now I was worried about Lil B getting tired (Judy had told us that if he got tired to call her and she would come and pick him up....foreshadow) and I was afraid there would be a line at mini golf and Mason had been locked up since around 5:00.

But, luck was on our side and we walked right up. I decided not to participate. Besides saving the boys the humiliation of getting whooped by a girl, I figured it would speed up the process and someone would need to keep score.

Coming soon....Donnie is a loser and B's personality shines!!

[Gots2pitt.. Jeff 64]

Great update. Looks like I need to post another one now to keep up. We were lucky when we were at EPCOT that the processional wasn't that busy so we sat at the fence right behind the theatre. The line waiting to get in to the theater on the other hand was long.

[PureTcrazy...rita 380]

I love the boardwalk area at night time! Donnie and lil B walking together...priceless!

[doodlebug....Cherie 461]

I love the Candlelight Processional. I have also made that walk from the Boardwalk to get to Fantasia Gardens,, I don't know which way you were going but you definitely took the scenic tour. :rofl2:

Great update, Stef. I can't wait for the mini golf update. If Donnie is whining already it must really be something.

[stefa70 205]

Great TR, looking forward to more.

I have also spent time with Judy and Tina and Little B and Tara. Not only are they a hoot to be around but you they are great friends.

I got hugs yesterday from Tara and a big hi from Little B, I have learned a lot from parents like Judy, Tina, Kim and Dave and Cindy - I have learned so much about special needs children, you never realize the care they need if you are lucky enough to have a healty child. I give all of them soooooo much credit.

Oh and I forgot Donnie, we call all tease him all we want. But I have seen him around these kids and he is so caring and warm.

He also is great to CJ and my Grandson and always spends time with CJ, don't know if it is because he is really a kid himself or just has a GOOD HEART :heart:

I agree 100% Lorna. I also love the fact that Judy treats B just like any other child. She doesn't see any limitations with him, and it shows. He definitely has his Momma's sense of humor.

I also watched Judy interact with Tara that night at our site, and for the first time I saw Tara's little face light up. It made my heart smile.

I truly believe God gives "special" kids to special people.

Great TR. I only have one question ... .. Once Judy started dancing, did she start talking about Donnie's toes? :rofl2:

Thanks Ed! I would like to say I remembered all of Judy's comments.....but I don't. There was A LOT going on that night.

Great update. Looks like I need to post another one now to keep up. We were lucky when we were at EPCOT that the processional wasn't that busy so we sat at the fence right behind the theatre. The line waiting to get in to the theater on the other hand was long.

Wow, you got lucky! Who did you see narrate? You couldn't get within 10 foot of that fence that night.

Donnie and lil B walking together...priceless!

I really enjoyed watching them from behind. I could say a lot of things about Donnie, but he does have a heart somewhere in that big body. :heart:

I don't know which way you were going but you definitely took the scenic tour. :rofl2:

It was more of an adventure trek. It should have come with a typical Disney warning.

You should not do this adventure if you are pregnant, have heart problems, bad back.....

Maybe that's why I love him, it's always an "experience" when you're with Donnie.

I will try to get to our golf game sometime today.