I am off to Disneyland Paris today. I have a wonderful group of Disney friends who will be taking part in the very first Disneyland Paris half marathon this weekend. I can not wait to cheer them all. They have all worked so hard, some of them having never ran at all before, many overcoming obsicles and some wanting to add another half marathon to their belt.
Running was never even a remote option for me and I’ve watched the heartbreak as a few people have had to step down from running and join the cheer crew.
Each and every one of these people has inspired me, to follow their journeys and be part of this event with them has already been special and its not really even begun. As I head off to the airport I am so excited to meet friends who I spend most days talking to. But mostly I cant wait to watch them complete their journeys in what ever form that may take.
One thing is for sure Disney isn’t only a magical place, it creates magical people and wonderful friendships.
I Will be guest blogging this trip on my wonderful friend Deborah’s blog
This past year I have done a lot of blogging about who I am and who I am not.
I have explained how I am so much more comfortable in my own skin and that I am getting better at not comparing myself with others.
I have to say this last month has shaken me to my core. I have struggled with my identity, where I fit, who I fit with and where I want to be or go.
What I realised was that I had began to work out who I am but only in the context of the place in my life I was in. So I had built confidence I’m myself but that only applied while things where good. I had based a lot of the foundation of who I am on other people and things and therefore once they where removed I kind of crumbled. My happiness in who I was, was still there but I kind of realised that I still am not confident in how others see me. If I am not a leader will people still want to talk to me? If I don’t finish my degree this year will people still want or respect my opinion. If my health fails will people want to put up with the extra time and effort it takes to go somewhere with me?
So I guess its not the who I am that has wobbled but maybe the who others are in relation to who I am.
I have never been the type of person to have hundreds of friends, I have always had a fairly small circle and in the past year I have deliberately made that circle even smaller. Not in an, ‘I’m so awesome everyone wants to be my friends’ type way. But in an ‘I’m going through a lot and I need to be around people who get this’ type way.
Recently I lost one of those friends who was part of that little circle, when the circle is small, the pain is bigger. It hurt to loose that person, it still hurts, its gonna be painful for a long time. It made me question if its worth it? Should there be a circle at all, is the pain of letting someone go something I ever want to face again. But of course the laughter and the memories are more than worth it and I wouldn’t change a single second, I just wish there had been a few more seconds to share.
From I was around 12 I have been aware of my parents struggling with mental health issues, both have battled with various forms of depression over the years. I have also been open with Bens battle and I have other family and friends who have also had to face the struggle of each day living with these conditions. With the whirlwind life recently, I asked my self and I actually also asked another friend, In life with so many close to me struggling, with so much going on, is this me? Am I the common factor in all of this, can I even be the one causing it?I have always had a niggling little thought, telling me that I’m not good enough, I am not enough to keep them here, not enough to hold them, to help them. Now I know that none of this is true. I have not caused other people pain. I am exactly who I am supposed to be. I know I am where I am for a reason and that I will do something good with my life.
But in the middle of hurt and grief and confusion its really hard to hold on to that. Its ok to question these things and I reached out to a friend when this was in my head so that it wouldn’t snowball. I’m glad that my circle has people who get this and know how to help.
So here we are in September 16, I know that I am still not that girl. I am still happy to not be that girl and if anyone is looking for that girl she wont be found here. I still wont change myself to fit any pretty picture and I am still glad to share my story and be real. Ok so I am a little insecure and my 2016/17 isn’t looking like the picture I had in my head. I am however still excited for whatever lies ahead.
This Girl has picked herself up and is ready for the next adventure.
Today on Roald Dahl’s 100th birthday, I have spent the morning talking to the kids about our favourite Roald Dahl books, how we all love the magic of his wonderful imagination and how a wonderful book can be an excellent escape from the world of homework, housework or every day life.
Sometimes a nice story book isn’t quite enough to distract us from the reality of every day life.
I have been open before about my husbands battle with depression. This is a story he has allowed me to share. Ben finds it difficult to talk openly about his journey but he also recognises the need to be more open about mental health issues and how we, as society, need to continue to talk more in order to break down the stigma and shame surrounding depression.
Ben has struggled with depression since he was a teenager. He has seen some pretty ropey mental health professionals and as you can imagine, the techniques used 20 years ago are often things we shudder at the thought of now.
Two weeks ago Ben had a really awful day. His medication had been increased two months ago and we really felt that he had turned a corner. Ben has been on medication on and off for years, he has never needed to stay on it long term, however this time due to extremely slow appointments, it has taken a bit longer to get on top of. However over the past few weeks Bens moods had dipped, small issues in work began to overwhelm him and I could see he wasn’t in great shape. However he had been refered to the gym as part of a mental health incentive by the GP in connection with the local mental health team and this had been helping massively.
On this Tuesday, however, Bens mood was particularly low and I could tell by the tone of his texts through the day he wasn’t in a great mood, that continued as he got home. Now just because I acknowledge my husband has depression and I am aware how serious that can be, it does not make me super human and as a grumpy wife I argued with him when he got home because he was just in a mood of doing his own thing so after a long day I had to settle the kids while he went out to the gym.
However what Ben decided to do was put a pretty worrying post on facebook just as he headed out the door. By the time I settled the kids and checked my phone I had about 10msgs from people worried about him. Of course when I tried to ring him his phone was off. Panic did set in. In the logical part of my mind I knew that Ben would be at the gym working through his mood and processing his feelings in the way that works best for him. But the other part of me worried, that deep fear that one day it will just be too much for him and he will make the decision that I dread.
I packed up the kids and headed to the gym, his car was there, managed to check that he was definitely inside and then I headed home. When Ben came home he thought nothing of it.
It wasn’t until the next day that Ben was able to open up a little about how he was feeling.
We had a routine mental health appointment booked for Ben that afternoon and we headed there together. After being left sitting for 40 mins and then getting yet another new doctor (every single one of bens appointments is someone new), Ben was pretty fed up. It lead to us pretty much getting nowhere, having been told they would change his meds for the doctor to then go and check with someone else and then come back to say no they wouldn’t be changing anything it just felt very pointless. I can see why its so hard for Ben and others to seek help. The system is so flawed, no doubt because of lack of funding but still flawed.
On Tuesday night Ben had suicidal thoughts and on Wednesday a doctor told him he didn’t need any further help.
This just isn’t a system that works, people slip through the net and there is just no one to catch them. I recognise that Ben is tricky, he’s not keen on counselling although its not actually been offered, he doesn’t want to work though his issues as they’re so painful. For there to be nothing, no recognition of not being able to just walk that through alone, if Ben was a single bloke on his own with no family around to boost him, I’m fairly certain he wouldn’t be here.
Why are we failing as society. How did our culture become so cruel. Where did the Health service go so massively wrong? There are people out there who are desperate to make a difference. There are doctors who are unbelievably talented and want to help people. There are people doing research because they want to find more effective treatment.
People care, people want to help! why are there barriers and how do we help to bring them down.
We’ve all seen the posts ( I’ve posted them plenty of times) , saying a smile or an act of kindness can make a difference, and yea I have no doubt that it helps, don’t stop doing that. But more often that just isn’t enough, there’s a chemical imbalance that needs to be addressed, there is 24/7 support that needs to be given. There is support needed in every single aspect of life and the thought of that is overwhelming. To want to help and to actually provide it is two very different things.
I had the most amazing night away with my Friend this week. You know when you just get to the point where you need a little bit of time for yourself, well that was where I was at and this break which was booked months ago came at the perfect time.
We where booked into the Europa hotel in Belfast and despite having worked beside it for years I had never actually been inside it. It is a beautiful hotel. I expected it to be dated and small, I have no idea why as its huge from the outside. I couldn’t have been more wrong, it was beautiful and modern. Our room ( we where totally blessed with a free upgrade) was massive! The bathroom luxurious with the most amazing powerful shower and beautiful bath. The staff where super helpful and the other guests where also very friendly, this will not be my last trip here I cant wait to stay again.
We then had afternoon Tea booked at Ten square which was a five min walk from our hotel. I have had several Christmas dinners here which where always great but afternoon tea was a new experience. This was probably the best value afternoon tea I have had it was all the usual savoury and sweet treats and a selection of tea’s but also included was a choice of cocktails and same very delicious chips, all for £20. We spent two hours happily chatting and eating, we where never rushed and the staff where attentive and helpful. I would highly recommend it.
We then headed for a bit of shopping before getting ready for the main event. Our trip to watch Chicago at the Grand Opera House.
Chicago is one of my favourite shows, I have only seen it once about 5 years ago, in the west end. When I saw it last it was an almost full cast of understudies, all amazingly talented. We had front row seats and went along with my mum in law, who had one of her dance students in the show and also my father in law and husband. They had all seen the show and knew the content. I didn’t and without any spoilers, its not a show you watch with parents and certainly not while sat in the front row. However I still totally loved every min of it.
I have to confess, even with a cast full of actors I know and love, John partridgeis one of my favourite actors and I know he does musicals so well. But I still expected, as its a touring production and Chicago is currently closed in London, that this show would be inferior to the one I had seen before.
I could not have been more wrong. This time I was along with one of my best friends, ready for a great girls night out. Again we where sat front row – bare in mind front row isn’t always great for a show often u loose some of the set and have a creaked neck – not true for Chicago and The Grand Opera House.
From the second the cast stepped on stage they blew me away, every single person was phenomenal, the crowd went crazy from scene one and the atmosphere was electric. Now we simply couldn’t wait to see John Partridgeas Billy Flynn and with those wicked eyes and that smooth voice he lived up to all our expectations and I have to say if it felt like he looked my way, my heart melted a little, that man is just beyond talented!!
Hayley Tamedon was playing Roxy heart and my word that girl can sing, she moves like a gymnast (which sure we all knew from her DOI days) and she just has so much character and talent beyond imagination, I have to say I particularly loved her facial expressions and even the hint of a slight giggle in one scene, shes real, she’s loveable and she’s just perfect for that role.
The real surprise of the show was Jessie Wallace, I love EastEnders I am a total soaps fan, and she is a true soap legend. I honestly didn’t know what to expect when I saw her on the cast list. I though she would be good, I assumed she could sing (although that’s not always true of celebs brought into shows) but nothing prepared me for the spine tingling performance she gave. Jessie walked out onto that stage and she gave it her all she owned that stage and she wowed that crowd. She had us in the palm of her hand and I hand on heart could have listened to that woman sing all night, that is a voice that needs to be heard, that is a talent that needs to be seen and that wonderful woman has a heart of gold.
All the cast performed wonderfully and the orchestra are a real treat in this particular show – I am now selecting what musical instrument Elijah will learn based on what they play in Chicago!!
Afterwards Emma and I waited to meet the cast, most people understandably had to rush off as they had come straight from the airport to the theatre and I cant even imagine how tired they must have been. We waited after most of the crowd at the stage door had gone and our perseverance paid off as John, Jessie and Hayley all came out to meet us (yea, were on first name terms now, me and my musical friends).
John was every inch the west end star, you can tell he’s been doing this since he was 16 and he just was born for this life. He is the most lovely friendly man, he complimented our dresses and made Emma and I feel like princesses’ he called us ‘Billy’s babes’ and having never been called any ones babe in my life I will be claiming that title for the rest of my life!! Haley had to leave quite quickly for her taxi but she was still very lovely.
Jessie again surprised us she was so much fun, a truly wonderful woman who had all the time in the world for us. As her and John walked arm in arm for their post show drink, I loved that they where looking out for each other, that they have a real friendship and that showbiz world clearly isn’t all its made out to be.
This Blog might seem very trivial to most who read it, but what I haven’t said is just how much I’ve struggled the past few weeks. Having a child with Autism and facing the back to school routine is draining. Bens battle with Depression is ongoing and its a real war for him at the moment and I love him to pieces and want to get him through, but when your drained yourself that can be very hard to do. And On Tuesday (the day after Chicago) I had a major lung appointment. I have been dreading this one for a month, I know that the outlook for this isn’t the greatest, unfortunately the appointment ended up being a massive let down and I’m back to the waiting game.
The point is, a little bit of escapism helped, it refreshed me and recharged me. Time with a friend who understands me completely helped me remember I have people I can lean on when others need to lean on me. And a person who is insanely talented taking time out of their crazy schedule, when they’ve just had to leave their loved ones behind for another few months just meant the world to me.
A little bit of kindness, sharing your gifts and talents with the world, be that singing, dancing or your ability to drink cocktails and tea simultaneously is something that should be shared with the world. You don’t know anyone’s journey. You’re hello, your coffee, your laughter or your song could save someone from drowning.
Packed lunches have always been a little bit of a chore in our house. When Elijah started Primary school two years ago he had a nasty Dairy allergy which had taken two years of hospital admissions and tests to discover. Adapting his diet to being Dairy free, wasn’t too difficult really. He was young enough to accept that when we said something wasn’t good for him then he would just avoid it. However once he started school things became a little bit more difficult. A varied, Healthy, packed lunch with no dairy was actually pretty difficult to get the hang of. And when kids where getting a treat what could Elijah have instead.
After much trail and error, sandwich cutters to make his plain ham sandwiches more interesting, which lead to him playing with his food and not eating it, trying lots of food he wouldn’t touch or even taste, we realised that variety was not the spice of life for Elijah. Routine and repetition was what made him happy when it came to lunch time snacks. Not only in lunch but in life, as Elijah has Asperger’s, nothing makes him happier than routine and knowing exactly what will be in that lunch box when he opens it.
What we discovered not long after our Dairy allergy diagnosis was that although there weren’t many treats he could enjoy due to his strict diet and ASD, (autism spectrum disorder) food habits what we could do was give him Jelly for a treat. Even better than having a pudding we could carry around with us ( Hartley’s Jelly pots) but we could vary the flavours and even better we had a no added sugar option so it was a fun (mummy guilt free) snack.
This Summer Hartley’s are encouraging mums to get creative with lunch box ideas, after all the Jell pots are the perfect size for lunch boxes and what’s better to beat those back to school blues than a lovely pot of wibbly wobbly jelly. Not only that but if you collect 12 of the special green lids found on No Added Sugar Jelly Pots (115g), you can claim a free Harley’s lunchbox and stickers.
We have lots of fun taking out lunch box out on our summer adventures and Elijah loved the stickers but choose not to put them on his lunch box !! Boys!!!
I hope that if you choose to collect the lids that you have as much fun as we had with ours and what better reason to ‘help’ the kids get extra lids by enjoying some Hartley’s Jelly pots along with them. Go on its sugar free!!
This post is an entry for BritMums #HartleysYourLunchbox Linky Challenge, sponsored by Hartley’s Jellyhttp://www.hartleysfruit.co.uk/.
You know when you are just about to fall asleep at night and then your brain just starts buzzing? That seems to be the only time at the moment that I get any ideas on what to write. Of course i’m just that wee bit too sleepy to get up, go downstairs and get the laptop. By the morning, try as I might I just cant think of all those ideas I had, annoyingly I can remember that I had a good idea just no clue what it was or even the topic.
I know when I got my tattoo I bored you all with my love of Peter pan and I’m just gonna briefly recap on that. Its one of my fav Disney movies, I remember watching it over and over again and I still do. My granddad loved it too and so it was a special connection we had that he would always sign my cards with a hook, as he was also called James. When I got birthday or Christmas money he would always tell me to ‘squander it’ in a pirate voice (thanks for that life lesson in how to be awful at saving!!). I remember spending hours with my granddad and brother building lego pirate boats, before lego officially branded everything Disney. We pretended to be captain hook and smee and played for hours.
Not only the family memories but I just loved the whole idea of peter pan, is no secret that I had a bumpy start to life and although my mum and dad loved and protected me fiercly, reality was sometimes life was a bit tough. What is more appealing to a child than the thought of being able to fly off to a magical land and having amazing adventures every night. I’m fairly certain that I visited Neverland millions of times in my dreams.
These things along with the later film Hook staring Robin Williams just cemented my love of all things peter pan, I mean who doesn’t love Robin Williams and the idea that even as an adult we have the ability to find that magic? And best not to get me started on my love of Hook from once upon a time!!
Recently a friend brought Ruth B’s song Lost boys to my attention and its one of those songs that totally moved me. I think it will forever be special to me. I know loads of other people love it and it just has a way of connecting with that little girl in me who just wanted to be friends with Peter Pan and maybe the deeper insecurities of wanting freedom and not quite knowing where I fitted in, in the real world.
I think no matter where we are in life we all need a little bit of magic. Its healthy every now and then to be that boy or girl who never grew up. To grab hold of life, think of that happy thought and take flight.
Life is a funny thing. So often I have so many ideas of how my life should be and I get so caught up in emotion when things aren’t going the way I expected.
I have loved this past few years where I have become more confident in myself. More aware of the people I want to surround myself with and trusted my own instincts and judgement more than I ever have before. However recently in several situation I have found myself questioning that judgement and again hurt and let down in circumstances I never expected.
That’s the thing with life though isn’t it? Its not always that our judgement was wrong or friends or situations weren’t right, but circumstances change and people change and therefore relationships change. That’s not something to beat ourselves up over.
I got married a lot earlier than most of my friends and because of that I found myself in a different group of friends, often with people older than myself, which was different but non the less great and those relationships where helpful and the old friendship weren’t bitter or sad it was just a simple drift. Now I find myself with lots of my peers getting married and having children and those friendships have rotated and the old friendships have strengthened again where the newer ones have drifted as the other people are at a different point in life again.
Life goes in cycles, sometimes the company we keep is based on the situation we are in. Other times is based on similar likes and sometimes people are simply brought into our lives when were not looking for them and those are just the most awesome realtionships you can ever have.
The important thing is not to get caught up in the bad situations. We cant let one bad able spoil the whole tree.
I get so worried about Elijah’s social difficulties I worry that he wont have enough friends that he wont be able to navigate life easily without having lots of people around him. Then I look at my own life. I keep my circle small. The people I have spent time with, invested in and learned to really trust, have always got my back and I’ve got theirs. I don’t need loads of people around me I just need a few good people to talk to, to laugh with and to lean on. He will be the same.
Asperger’s wont stop him from finding a few good people who really get him and really when you find that you don’t need anything else.
Just be clear, just so every knows, DISNEY friends make the BEST friends.
I don’t love flying, I always find myself wishing that I could just press a button and magically be at my destination. For someone who doesn’t like flying, I find myself doing it an awful lot.
One thing that makes travelling most stressful is the packing. Especially when travelling with children. I find no matter where we go I end up packing for all four seasons and putting pretty much everything but the kitchen sink into my suitcase.
When we travel with the children I always pack ‘party bags’ with little activities, treats and surprises to keep them amused and distracted on the plane. This I have found to be a total lifeline.
When Ben and I decided to travel to London on our own last year it was amazing how much easier it is to pack for just the two of us. Yes the hand luggage still ends up full but we didn’t even need hold luggage. When I packed Ben laughed as he realised I still packed little Party bags for us, our hand luggage had, magazines, music, iPad, sweets, treats etc. mainly to distract me from flying.
However when our flight was delayed for 5HOURS! He wasn’t laughing when we had loads to keep us amused until take off. everything is alright if you have chocolate.
5 Hour delay, a big taxi bill because the trains stopped running and a very sleepy start to our first day. Maybe traveling with the kids was easier after all!
On our second Day in London, we had breakfast in our Travelodge hotel.
I felt breakfast was great value for money, with a choice of hot breakfast, cereals, fruit, pastries and yogurt. Megan was especially happy as she could have her all time favourite breakfast, beans on toast!! The tea and coffee was good and there was a good selection of juice for the kids. The staff again where very friendly and helpful.
We headed off after breakfast to the Natural History Museum which involved getting one DLR and one Tube, it took us around half n hour. We headed out of the tube and the museum was right in front of us, (its a bit of a walk inside the station to the exit). As I was using my walking stick we where told to head straight inside and skip the queue. I assume if you show some form of disability evidence that you can do the same. However baring in mind it was August and peak summer holiday time the queue was not terribly long and was the same length when we left around three hours later. When we visited the Museum three years ago you could hire a little explorers pack and go and find specific animals and follow clues to find facts, however they no longer do these. We headed to the parts of the museum that we had not seen on our last trip due to them being refurbished. Megan loved reading the facts about volcanos and Elijah loved the Dinosaur section. Ben and the kids also headed to the earthquake room which lets you experience what an earth quake feels like. Megan thought it was great fun but Elijah got quite scared.
Although we thoroughly enjoyed the museum, some parts do feel quite tired and it was extremely busy and there are an awful lot of gift shops popping up everywhere in the museum instead of just the one of the way out. There where also a few more cafes and it felt like a hard sell for a donation on the way in, where as without being pushed I am always more than happy to give a donation on the way out. I understand that because entry is free that they need to make money from somewhere but it felt a little bit too commercial and pushy.
After we finished at the museum we headed over towards charring cross where we grabbed a quick McDonalds which is Elijahs favourate and then headed on to Covent Garden to watch some street performers. Both the kids loved this we settled down to watch with some cookies from Primrose Bakery and really enjoyed joining in with the fun and laughter. We then headed on to find some more dream jars and had a great time, again walking further than the kids realised but they where totally engrossed in finding the Jars.
Once we finished our Dream Jar trail, we headed to the Disney Store in Oxford street where Megan spent the rest of her holiday money, and then some!! We also met a cast member from the Disney Page I am a member of on Facebook, which is always fun to find another Disney fan. www.facebook.com/groups/Thedisneyvillage
For Dinner we went to La Tasca just off Oxford street where the food, as always was amazing and the staff where efficient and friendly. We also got 20% off using the La Tasca card. What pleased me most about this was that Eli tried paella, he hated it but he tried it!!
By this stage we where totally exhausted so we headed back to the hotel, stopping off at Bens cookies for some snacks for the hotel. We got back to the Hotel around 8 with everyone aprat from me fast asleep by 10 after all the walking.
The next day we had lots planned, we had breakfast and checked out of the hotel. We then headed to charring cross where we used the luggage store which is £12.50 per bag for the day. We also made use of this in June as many of the budget hotels in London to not have facilities to store your bag.
At Charring Cross we met Bens mum Caroline, the kids haven’t seen her yet his year due to work and family commitments and this was a truly perfect reunion.
We headed on a slow walk to the Imperial War Museum. It is just over a mile to walk but on the way the kids got to see Big Ben and the London Eye from the bridge. It did feel like quite a walk but the closest tube station is currently closed for refurbishment. Thankfully it was sunny and enjoyable.
The Imperial war museum did not disappoint from the second you walk in it is almost overwhelming with a spitfire hanging from the ceiling. The staff where very friendly at the door and there are lockers to store your bags and coats etc which we found very handy. We headed to the café for a quick coffee and juice before heading to the first floor to learn all about the first world war. Megan loved reading all the facts and Elijah loved there there where lots of interactive parts to the exhibits and also videos to watch. Ben was engrossed from the beginning and we all took our time walking around taking in the horrors that so many had to face and all the interesting facts on the equipment and uniforms used and even learning about the tensions that lead to war in the first place. Towards the end of this floor there is an area where you can try on the uniforms and then walk through a trench which helped to make it all very real.
We then headed to have lunch. This is by far the best restaurant I have ever seen in a museum, they cook the food fresh in front of you and the portions are very generous, we all had a great feed and even the kids ate up every last bite. After that we headed to the WW2 exhibit and my favourite part was the family a war section where there is a case study of an actual family where you are able to read about the impact of war on each of the family and see where they lived and what happened to each of them. It made it all much more personal.
After that, we headed to the section with all the vehicles and Ben headed to the holocaust section, you need to be 14 to go to this section so we kept the kids in another section and when Ben came away from it an hour later he was extremely upset but glad he went.
We then took a walk back towards charring cross, stopping for a go on a merry go round near the London Eye. We had a bit of time before we needed to get our train so we stopped off at Five Guys for some of their amazing milkshakes.
Then we headed for the Gatwick express. Caroline told the kids she was enjoying her time with them so much that she would get the train with us. Then once we got to the airport Caroline sat the kids down and told them she had something to tell them, she was coming back with us!!!! The kids where so happy and excited!! The Holiday wasn’t over at all there was lots of fun to be had once we got home!!! which you can watch on my You Tube channel here … https://youtu.be/KdZWTOCMg9o
This week we have been having an adventure in London.
Every year since Ben and I became a couple I have spent a good chunk of my year traveling to England. Now we always try to fit at least one trip to England a year in with our kids. This year due to family and work commitments, instead of staying with family we squeezed in a flying visit to London. And for the first time for the kids we stayed in central London.
To prepare Elijah before we went Ben had prepared a booklet outlining all we would be doing including our travel plans and maps of how we got from the airport to our hotel etc.
We where super excited to travel, our main aims where to see Aladdin, visit the natural history museum and war museum and to find as many BFG jars as we could.
http://www.visitlondon.com/bfg
We started off on a crazy early flight to London with Ryanair who again, (having flown with them to Disney in May), I couldn’t fault. The staff where friendly and efficient the flights where super cheap (£100 for the 4 of us) and the flight left and arrived on time. Although we had to get up at 4am, I am glad we got the early flight as the timings worked out really well for us. After our flight we headed into London on the Gatwick express, (£50 for all 4 of us). We then got the underground (using our tourist oyster cards which get discount on many stores in London, including 10% in m&m world) and headed to tower hill station where we started our BFG trail as we had some time before we could check into our hotel. We managed to see three dream jars within our first half hour of looking and we also took in the Tower of London, Tower Bridge and the Shard. The kids didn’t even realise how far they where walking as they were so excited to find the jars. We then where getting sore feet and all getting a little grumpy from the early start so we stopped at pret a manger for bacon baps which did the trick and perked us all up. We then dreaded on to find another two jars at monument, where we had a chat about the fire on London which Megan knew about but Eli didn’t and then we headed towards bank station where we could get the DLR train to our hotel and also find one more Dream Jar at the London exchange.
I think the DLR or Docklands Light Railway, was Elijahs fav part of the trip. He loved being on a train with no driver, he was excited to sit in the front seat and he and Megan would pretend they where driving us. Initally Elijah was quite worried about this and Ben had to explain exactly how it works and how it was safe for us to get on it. Elijah was also unaware of the dangers of the train stations and ould try to dash off if one of us wasn’t holding his hand at all times. This was possibly the most stressful part of the trip for me, I was constantly worried he would fall or go onto the tracks or not get on or off the train. Even though we where holding onto him at all times it still just irrationally made me very nervous. Megan has really grown up this past year and she enjoyed working out what train we would be getting next and how long it would take, and how to follow the correct signs.
This trip, we stayed at Travelodge Docklands, this is about a 5min walk from the East India, DLR station, we weren’t really sure what to expect and its a little further out than we’ve stayed before but I honestly couldn’t fault it. The staff where very helpful and friendly, we checked in at 12 and our room was ready for us, we added on breakfast which was £15 for all 4 of us per day and had a great selection. The rooms where really quiet and the area was quiet and felt very safe. The only negative was that the lift wasn’t working but they did have people in fixing it while we where there. The hotel cost us £100 for the two nights which in august in London is an amazing price. We spent around £15 per day on our oyster card in total travelling and that was for all four of us for the whole day.
After we checked into our hotel we headed back into central London to go to M&M world and the Nickelodeon store as well as finding a few more Dream jars. After our shopping we headed to get some dinner before the theatre. We headed to Pizza Express at charring cross, however it wasn’t the greatest experience, the staff which quite disconnected so they forgot our starters, they had to remake our main meals and then they totally messed up the bill. The food when it arrived did taste amazing.
We then headed to the theatre to catch Aladdin, Megan and Elijah had both asked to dress up as Aladdin and jasmine and they where so excited to see this musical. As you know we are all massive Disney fans and we love the Aladdin movie. Ben and I had seen this in June and we couldn’t wait to see the kids reaction to all the amazing costumes, lights and songs. Our second viewing of Aladdin did not disappoint. Elijah was very overwhelmed by the time we got to the station, London is os noisey and busy that his wee mind was in a complete sensory overload and he had barely spoken the whole day. We have found more and more recently that as Elijah’s anxiety and sensory experiences increase, he withdraws more from us and the world around him. During the first half Elijah was tried and overwhelmed but did sit well and simply didn’t react, which isn’t unusual for Elijah, he usually is very still during a performance and the only time I have seen him react is at slapstick humour in a pantomime. By the time Friend Like me came on Elijah had rallied a little and he sat forward but again we couldn’t gage what he thought, Megan was completely engrossed with a massive smile on her face, The second half Elijah again watched every moment but by the end with no signs of emotion we thought he was exhausted and overwhelmed we picked up our things and prepared to head back to our hotel when he took my hand and asked could we go to the stage door to try to meet Genie.
Its very unusual for Elijah to ask to do something, we usually plan out days and prepare him for what is ahead, he rarely makes decisions or openly expresses what he would like to do. When he asked to go and meet the cast I immediately said yes, much to a sleepy Megan’s protests, (I knew once the cast came out she would be very happy too). We headed round to the stage door and I was really nervous incase nobody arrived by after around 20mins cast started to come out and they all made such a fuss of Megan and Elijah in their costumes. We met, Sultan who was just beyond kind, Iago who was fun as always, Jasmine who megan just adored and then Trevor who plays Genie arrived and the kids just beamed. Then just as we where walking away, Dean John Wilson who plays Aladdin appears and Eljah spotted him and started pulling me back towards him. A lovely family let us nip in front of them to get some pictures. Dean was so Kind and chatted away to megan and Elijah and then as we started to walk to the train station, my little overwhelmed baby boy, started to sing, and he sang the whole way back to the Hotel!!
Never underestimate the kindness of a stranger. Those actors had performed two shows that day, a high energy intense show. They had to make journeys back across London to their homes at 11pm at night before doing it all again the next day, they have families of they own to see and its a working day for them, they’re not on holidays like we where and yet they made time for my kids. Megan is more determined than ever to be an actress she is so inspired by the hard work and determination and if nothing else watching that show will drive her to keep working on her confidence which has been such an issue for her this year. Elijah was trapped in his overwhelmed sensory world but the kindness and the magic of these artists brought him right out of his shell and made him happy and full of life again. People might say that a WestEnd show is silly or a waste of money. I say its therapy!!!
I will forever be grateful to the cast of Aladdin and as always to Walt Disney x
You can check out my original Aladdin Review here: http://www.lonelycaterpillar.co.uk/a-whole-new-world/
