The train ride

Since our trip was so jam-packed with train rides, theme parks, Give Kids the World, fishing, horseback riding, Christmas, and so on, I've decided in order to protect my sanity I will break the trip down into different posts.

That and I'd rather be watching TV. :)

Gabe and Lisa at the train station. Ahh, we were filled with so much energy and excitement. I have to say our experience with the Auto Train (leaving out of Lorton, VA) was very, very good. They took one look at Gabe's ventilator.. his stationary one, not portable.. much bigger, much more cumbersome.. and gave us the first class treatment. Not that getting out and loading someone into the train on a handicapped ramp is first class treatment, but they were very helpful and friendly. Not everyone is! I guess I've come to expect hassles and less-than-helpfulness when it comes to taking Gabe out, so when people are actually accomodating it's a bit of a surprise!

The girls were in a "family room" with Shaun and I. It's funny because the "family room" is roughly the size of a dining room table, whereas the "roomettes" are the size of a 2-person table at McDonald's. Literally.

Such deceptive names!

At least we did have a bathroom/shower. Disgusting, huh? The bathroom WAS the shower. "Hey, let me take a pee and then I'll stand up and turn the water on and let it rain down on me. Why not? I'm in the shower!"

Within the first few minutes of being on the train, I was really afraid we were going to have a problem. This train was cramped. It was small. I was not expecting such a small space to live in and sleep in for the next 18 hours. Even walking down the narrow hallways was very claustraphobic!! Thank God you kind of adjust after a few hours and get used to very small living, walking, and sleeping space!

Gabe was nicely situated in a handicapped room on the bottom level of the train (we were on the top). The handicapped room was more spacious than our room or the roomette but it was still a tight fit with all his stuff. I wish I'd taken a picture of his room. Picture Gabe, Lisa, vent, suction, pulse-ox monitor, stroller, Gabe's carry-on, Lisa's carry-on, feeding pump, blankets, pillows, all in one "powder-room" sized room. Oh I forgot to mention the toilet and sink that were in the room, too.

Lisa is an amazing nurse, and she handled all of Gabe's care, even on a moving train in the cramped space,

as marvelously as usual!

Piled on Daddy in the "family room."

I'll try not to complain too much about the lack of sleep we all had, as the train was swaying side-to-side crazily all night, alternating with the brakes screeching and jerking abruptly. There were moments we'd wake up in the middle of the night wondering if we were veering off the tracks! But alas we made it to Sanford, FL safe and sound.

Next mission:

Unload all our stuff off the train, wait for our car to be unloaded from the train, and load up all 6 of us + luggage + large vent in our van and drive an hour to Kissimmee.

Perhaps one of the more stressful moments of our travels. It was really, REALLY hard to fit all of us and all of our stuff in the van. I had no seat and had to sit on the floor sandwiched between Faith & Gabe's car seats and in front of the ventilator. However, at least we all fit, nothing fell off the top of the van, and we didn't have to pay someone to take some of us down to Kissimmee. The silver linings....

Tomorrow I'll try to post about arriving at the amazing kids'wonderland called Give Kids the World!