Vocab Tests and Prayer Time.

My schedule during this pandemic has been sporadic -- some days I have 12 different projects going on, and some days I am a blob on the couch willing myself to do SOMETHING productive. Little Red's return to school, albeit a completely different return than we have ever had, has at least provided structure for my day. I like structure. Structure helps me schedule the things that are most important, things like having an early morning time dedicated to reading my Bible and praying for the needs around me.

Today, my girl needed help with her vocabulary words so I abbreviated my devotion time to help her.And so it was that my prayer time after was a congruence of Bible scripture and vocab.

I had been reading about worth -- and how as Christians, our worth is directly linked to Jesus and his love for us. It doesn't matter if we are spurious -- Jesus loves us. It doesn't matter if we are mediocre or spasmodic. I mean we could even be a brigand and Jesus would still love us.

In a world where we shout at each other over social media and judge one another about politics and mask-wearing, isn't it comforting to know that our worth is not based on the validity or invalidity of our arguments? My worth is unchanged whether you like me or not. My worth is unchanged if I have a thousand readers here or two (my mom and MIL).

If you will excuse me, I have 36 more words to memorize....

I'm not crying.

To my Little Red,

You start high school tomorrow. I am trying to play it cool. But there are just a few things I need to say. I told you today that I am so proud of you. You asked me why and I know it sounded so lame to you when i said "for being you." But oh Cate, I need you to know that my answer wasn't lame. I am proud of who you are....

1. I am proud of the way you climbed off your high chair as a little bitty thing so you could wipe the ice cream off your brother's face. You climbed up on the wheel of his wheelchair and gently wiped his chin. You KNEW already that we needed your help. And you were willing to give it graciously.

Add caption

Remember that over the next four years, you are going to meet people who need you. Remember to always take the time to help them.

2. I am proud of the way you meet new people with an open heart, always. You were barely three when you made a best friend waiting at Disneyland for the Fantasmic show. I had to introduce myself to her parents because y'all were inseparable! You moved across country twice in five years, and have made the most amazing friends wherever you land.

Add caption

This year will look different due to the COVID stuff -- but remember to open your heart as you meet new people and make new friends. 

3. I am proud of the way you go after what you love. Watching you find your softball team in Delaware and make them your people has been such a great delight! 

Add caption

High school is going to throw all sorts of things your way -- I know you will hit it out of the ballpark. But listen, if you don't always hit it out of the park, that is totally ok too. And Cate, I will be here in your cheering section no matter what. Always.

4. Ok, this will be the last one, I promise. I am proud of the way you embrace adventure! Your future is bright, my girl. You have picked a fabulous high school and even in this strange pandemic season, I know you are going to have a great four years. Seize all the moments, and take advantage of every opportunity!

Add caption

 

So yea, I am proud of you, Cate. And I can't wait to hear all about your first day of HIGH SCHOOL!!

I love you so.

Mom.

Star Wars Fans since birth. Literally.

Wade and I had been dating for almost a year when he invited me to sit and view three movies back to back. He didn't tell me it was a test. But in hindsight, I am absolutely certain that the very future of our relationship hung in the balance. The very fact that he kept dating me after learning that young young me had not gone to the theater to see Star Wars, speaks volumes to the fact that he already loved me when this was discovered. Whew.

We were expecting triplets in 1997 when the original movies were re-released on the big screen in anticipation of the prequels. For "A New Hope" we braved the crowds and when the lobby of the Chicago movie theater turned in to a mash pit, a kind theater manager whisked me into the theater early. And so it began.

These babies kicked the entire movie. THE ENTIRE MOVIE! I was laughing out loud because already, I knew they were going to love watching it with their Dad.

When "The Empire Strikes Back" was re-released, the theater manager saw us when we walked in and whisked me to the calm and safety of the theater. And when "The Return of the Jedi" re-released, I was in the hospital on bed rest and had to miss it.

But in 1999, when "The Phantom Menace" opened, we stood in line all day to see it -- well, Wade did. I had three two year olds at home. The babysitter came in time for me to meet Wade to go in and FINALLY see a Star Wars movie the first time it was released.

After the hype died down a bit -- and by hype I mean the crowds because the hype was alive and well at our house -- Wade and I loaded three very excited two year olds and headed to the theater for their first action film. One bitty baby got scared when the previews started -- the surround sound hurt his little ears, I think. And when I went to take him to the lobby, his sister wanted to go with us, too. That left Dad with Benjamin. And Benjamin, well, Benjamin sat on Wade's lap, holding on to the seat in front of him talking to the screen:

"Hey Yoda! Daddy, it's Yoda!!!" 

"Jar Jar!!! Daddy, Jar Jar Binks!!!!"

"Darth Maul!!"

Don't worry, we were in a small town, months after the movie premiered and there was only one other Dad and child in the theater. My enthusiastic Star Wars fan didn't disturb anyone.

The next summer, when Benjamin needed surgery requiring a cast after, we were sitting with him when he woke in the recovery room. 

"Daddy, look! I am in a pod racer!!!"

And that boy didn't complain ONE time about wearing his "pod-racer" cast all summer!

And so last night, we were at the premiere of the latest movie, "The Rise of Skywalker." On a work night. On a school night. We were there. 

And I know, judging by my social media feed and the way we had to buy tickets months ago, (And you know, because I don't live under a rock!) that we are not a unique family in our love of Star Wars. And yet, last night, I felt super emotional as familiar faces popped up on the big screen. Memories swirled of babies kicking to the brilliant music of John Williams before they were even born, to the surgeries the films have distracted us from. 

I felt grateful for a universe that creates a level playing field for my boys with their friends (and strangers, and all of Twitter.).

But mostly, I felt grateful for shared experiences with their Dad. In my head I could hear the thousands of conversations over the years where they deconstruct the movies, where they read the books, where they anticipate the rides! I feel grateful for Jedis and lightsabers and even the Sith. 

And I am totally blaming my gratitude for the dozen or so times, I teared up last night. Totally.

So whatever the next generation of films offers, we will no doubt be huge fans. But last night -- for me anyway -- felt like saying thank you to the ones who began it all. And I loved every minute.

May the Force Be With You!

The Good. The Bad. And the Ugly.

Sorting through the thousand or so photos I took over the last two weeks, I am struck by the absolute beauty of this trip. I am overwhelmed with gratitude that we had this experience. And after a semester having my family separated by thousands of miles, I confess that I took as many photos of my crew as I did the scenery and I do not apologize for that even a little bit. (Especially since we left Mason studying off the coast of Spain so already we are separate...again.)

But I am also keenly aware that my photographs are of the good moments. I don't stop and photograph the hard times -- though I try to be honest about them -- and so am always struck when people comment about how happy we are "always".....seriously, that is not our reality and I don't want you to think it is.

So, if you are interested in a traveler's tale, please grab some coffee. I have about a million photos I want to share and might get a bit long-winded!

Let's start with the good:

1. Gelato. Holy smokes, the gelato was so divine. And this little gelato spot in particular made us smile for a myriad of reasons -- not the least of which, they recognized us upon our return and welcomed us back!

2. Entrance Fees.  We usually only paid for one or at the most one adult and one child. Italy's policy is that those with disabilities enter free, as does one companion. 

View from the Coliseum!

3. The history.  From the Arch of Constantine and the reminder that it was Constantine who returned to Rome demanding everyone become "Christian." To the Coliseum, where for 390 years, battles were reenacted, executions were held, prisoners were fighting wild animals for their freedom, and all in the name of entertainment. In those years more than 400,000 people died.

We saw the forums of Rome's mighty leaders. We toured the Vatican and saw the Sistine Chapel (I posted photos from those sights here and also here). And toured St. Paul's Basilica, built where Paul is buried. Seeing the actual chains from when Paul was imprisoned was emotional. 

And convicting. Paul wrote from his prison cell:

"I am not saying this because I am in need, for I have learned to be content whatever the circumstances." Philippians 4:11

Oh, I need to have that level of contentment.

Outside of St. Paul's.

Inside St. Paul's Benjamin had plenty of room to navigate.

The eternal flame burning at the altar where Paul's prison chains are housed.

For perspective -- the columns were huge at the Basilica.

4. The pizza. Need I say more?

5. Tour guides. We made a wise decision prior to our travels and hired an accessible van for two days in Rome, the drive to our ship, and to also meet us at the port of Livorno to take us to Pisa and around Florence. On these days, Benjamin had to navigate the roads much less and Mason had to walk the cobblestones much less. They still had to....but the reprieve between major sites was a nice change.

We used www.romeconnection.com for these drivers and tour guides. They did an outstanding job helping us navigate the ancient cities!

With Marco, our tour guide for two days in Rome. Marco got us into and around the Vatican as if it were easy -- it is not. We were so thankful for his expertise!

With Heliana, our fantastic tour guide in Florence! The history this woman knew was incredible and so fascinating! 

With Florin -- our absolutely delightful driver! He and this van were an absolute game-changer!!!

6. The views. Once upon a time, I read a little book -- "The Red Sails of Capri" -- aloud to Cate that promptly drew her teenage-siblings' attention and enthralled us all. We have dreamt for years of visiting Capri. It did not disappoint.

And of course, my archaeologist son, Mason, was thrilled to visit Pompeii. He worked harder than he has ever had to in order to navigate these enormous cobble stones of the ruins but did not stop smiling the entire time!

Under an arch in Pompeii with Mt. Vesuvius behind them! Look at the size of those cobblestones!

The tour guide was enthralled with Mason's enthusiasm and knowledge. Of course.

She hardly had to break a sweat to hold it up! :)

She didn't either! (And no, the boys would have no part in the silly photos!)

Overlooking Florence in all her splendor!

And from the bridge in Florence.

A calanque (creek)  in Cassis.

In the village of Cassis, France.

7. Family Time. Oh man how I loved needing a table for SIX for every dinner!!

The Bad.

1. When we clicked wheelchair-access on the Disney Cruise site, all excursion options disappeared. EVERY. SINGLE. ONE. We considered not taking the cruise at all. Not taking the trip at all. But the bottom line was that I desperately wanted my crew to experience Italy. And I also knew that Disney would ensure our rooms at night and our meals were accessible. Beyond that we were on our own.

So, Benjamin was able to tour Rome. Because we flew there and arranged our own tours.

Shrader SIX in the Coliseum!

He was able to see the tower in Pisa, and sight see in Florence. Again, because WE arranged the van and tour guides who would give us an accessible option.

My fab four in front of the Leaning Tower of Pisa!

All six Shraders able to see the Duomo in Florence!

But he wasn't able to get off the ship in Capri. Or Marseilles. Or Cannes. So he and Dad stayed on the ship. He enjoyed every minute. He loves that boat. He WON six out of six Disney Trivia contests, was known by many families around the ship due to his wins, and thoroughly enjoyed himself. But still. He missed Capri.

Only four Shraders could see the majesty of Capri.

 And Cassis.

And he missed the short walk we took through the streets of Cannes. And the crepes at the little sidewalks. And we missed sharing all of this with him and with Wade.

2. Cobblestones everywhere.

Giant cobblestones in Pompeii were a physical challenge but my archaeologist son still smiled every minute!

3. Exhaustion. We walked five to ten miles every sight-seeing day. The weather was lovely and yet, the sun got hot as we tried to rapidly see as many sights as possible. This trip was not for the faint of heart. Not even a little.

Girls napping while we wait for lunch (Pizza, what else?!) in Sorrento!

The Ugly.

1. Rome arrival. Detailed here. I can't even go into that again. Sigh.

2. My attitude. Oh man. In the first days of our time in Italy, I desperately wanted everyone to love it as much and as intensely as I had dreamt about them loving it.  And the hard-to-navigate roads, coupled with inconsistent curb-cut-outs of Rome were leaving Benjamin frustrated and a bit frantic so we needed to help him drive. This led to some short tempers. Ok, this led to my short temper. One day, I will learn to get my expectations out of the way.

Luckily, we remembered to flex before we were too many days in and the trip because much much more enjoyable after that.

3. Taxi in Barcelona. We disembarked Saturday morning in Barcelona. We had to get Mason to his Field School and so had opted to just fly home also. We booked our transfer from the ship to the airport through DISNEY. As guests poured off the ship, they loaded charter buses for their transfers. Not one was accessible. We were told to wait. We waited. They called for us and led us to a small van with a steep ramp. I mean steep ramp. The "van" was not tall enough for Benjamin to get into and you know, keep his head on. :)  We measured and angled and finally reclined him, drove him up the crazy ramp and then raised him back up as much as possible. The vehicle didn't hold us all and our luggage. So Wade and the luggage went on one of the buses. The kids and I in the taxi. (I will commend the taxi and bus drivers and say that they worked very hard to stay together. At one point, the bus driver pulled to the side of the road to wait for us. He obviously read our discomfort with being separated in an unknown city/country.)

3. Arriving back in Philadelphia. Same song, hundred and fifteenth verse. Plane lands. Passengers get off. Wheelchair does not arrive. We wait. Aisle chair arrives. I have to explain Benjamin can not get into that until his chair arrives. Entire flight crew gather round us. THANKFULLY, they all understood and just sat down and visited with us. But we waited 45 minutes for his wheelchair to be unloaded and brought to the jet way. Seriously, can I say AGAIN, that the time lost in us forcing airlines to have a lengthy flight turn-over could be avoided if they engineered a way for his wheelchair to lock down instead of having him transfer out of his chair!! (Before you criticize me, please know the drawings have been done and are actively being considered. I didn't just come up with this idea! Check out this video!)

Traveling with a disability is a struggle. We have left Mason in Spain where he is doing a field school at an ancient burial site. He is walking up five flights of stairs for housing, hiking through brush for half an hour, and working in the sun on his knees and belly all day. Clearly, we don't avoid the hard stuff. But really, there is no reason Disney can not provide excursions from this wonderful cruise itinerary that make it easier for families like ours to travel. I want to encourage families to not be afraid to explore the world -- but until companies like American Airlines, Disney, and other travel companies decide our patronage is valuable, and make an effort to ease the travel burden by providing more accessible options, I can only say that seeing the world is worthwhile, and seeing the world is hard.

I have some jet-lag to overcome but if you want to come by and see the other thousands of photos I wasn't able to include here, just give me a shout! :)

From the overlook in Florence!

www.romeconnection.com