Wishes Do Come True

The Dancing Queen's wish from the Michigan Chapter of Make A Wish was fulfilled last week!!! If you recall, DQ wished to meet the characters, especially Elmo and Mickey. So bright and early on Saturday, December 17, a limo picked us up and took us to the airport to fly to Orlando.

Make A Wish arranged for us to stay at Give Kids the World Village, an amazing resort for families on their child's wish trip. The Village is set up just for kids and was so amazing that we could have stayed there all week and had a wonderful time without any theme parks. Here is a picture of us as soon as we arrived at our villa.

We were at the Village from Saturday afternoon through Friday morning. We ate most of our meals in the Gingerbread House where all of the tables and chairs were kid-sized and ceilings were decorated with toys. The angels (volunteers) not only served us food, but carried our trays for us. Right outside the Gingerbread House was a carousel. The kids most have rode it a dozen or more times. Probably a couple of dozen times. They loved it!

The Village also had a giant sleeping tree that snored at us, a water park complete with pirate ship, dino putt putt, a train station with toy trains and a kid train, a life-sized Candy Land Game playground, and lots of other fun things for kids. And every day, when we returned to our villa, there were gifts for the kids! They got stuffed animals (lots and lots of stuffed animals). They got board games, videos, music, and other toys. It was all magical. A special place was the Castle of Miracles, where the kids could play and everyone can see the ceiling covered in over 140,000 stars. Each wish child who had stayed at the Village had a star on the ceiling. Here is a picture of DQ writing her name on her star for the Star Fairy to put in on the ceiling of the Star Tower (an addition built on to fit more stars!)

Both kids also got magic pillows in the Castle of Miracles to have magic dreams during our trip and at home.

One of DQ's favorite things was the ice cream parlor, which was open all day long. We had ice cream every day and we even had ice cream for breakfast! Sometimes, she needed two spoons to eat the ice cream cause it was just so good!

We had so much fun in the Village. The kids smiled whenever we were there and skipped as they walked about! 

We also got passes to Disney World, Sea World, and Universal Studios, so we spent three days at Disney World seeing Hollywood Studios, the Magic Kingdom, and Animal Kingdom. We also took the kids to Sea World. The Mad Scientist and I spent an evening at Universal. Everything was so amazing. We got to the front of the line for everything we wanted to do. DQ was given royal treatment. She had a button from Give Kids the World that told people in the park she was a wish kid, so when we went places, the people knew. We watched lots and lots of parades and in each one, at least one dancer stopped to talk to DQ. Simply amazing. Here is a picture of DQ waiting for the Pixar Parade.

We watched lots and lots of shows.DQ' s favorite was the Mickey Christmas Show in front of Cinderella's castle. Below are some pictures. I tried to capture the pure joy she was showing. These are close, but not true enough. I guess you had to be there to see the utter joy of her being able to sing carols with Mickey and Minnie.

We also did awesome things like eat lunch with sharks, take a safari where a giraffe walked in front of our bus, and see Darth Vadar in person! A highlight was feeding and petting dolphins at Sea World.

But, the main wish for DQ was meeting the characters. And we did that. A lot. We met Jake (from Jake & the Neverland Pirates), Lightening McQueen, Mater, Phineas & Ferb, a green soldier from Toy Story, Buzz, Woody, Pluto, Goofy, Minnie, Mickey, Squidword, Belle (from Beauty and the Beast), Ariel (the Little Mermaid) and Prince Eric, Shamu, and Tinkerbell. There were probably more as well, but I can't remember right now!

TRex's favorite was probably meeting Jake! 

One of my favorite moments was DQ meeting Lightening for the second time. We were about to leave after taking all kinds of pictures. DQ ran back and hugged Lightening as only a three year old could do. She just stood there, hugging his headlight, knowing she might not see him again, just like he was a much-loved friend.  The moment was magical (yes, that word again.) Lightening is one of her all time favorites. She sleeps with him every night.

Meeting Mickey and Minnie was pretty awesome too. They came to visit us at the Village, so we got a little more time with them.

DQ was all smiles when she met Tinkerbell. 

But the most emotional moment of the week was meeting Elmo. DQ's initial wish was for Elmo and at Sea World, that wish came true. I was a blubbering mess as Elmo and all of the Sesame Street friends came to meet with us individually after their Christmas show.

This trip has proven that sometimes, wishes do come true. Seeing my baby's wish come true has done so much to help us all. The happiness that has been brought to our family because of DQ's wish being granted is magical. I know, I've used that word a lot, but there is no other way to describe what was the trip of a lifetime and memories I will cherish forever. I've never seen my girl as happy as she was last week. Thank you so much to the Michigan Chapter of Make a Wish and Give Kids the World Village!!!!!!

Celebration Time!

Last night, my lucky kids had several firsts. They both went to their first carnival. They both went to their first concert. They both saw fireworks for the first time.

The night began with us meeting the Editor, Car Guy, Little Car Guy, the Chef, Ma, and Papa in the parking lot of Ma and Papa's church (actually the Dancing Queen and TRex came with them and the Mad Scientist and I arrived separately since I had to work later than planned). The ten of us then joined the throngs of people heading to the river front. The walk was filled with interesting people to see, lots of offers to purchase glow necklaces, and of course passing the carnival midway. TRex wasn't impressed. He found the walk boring. I enjoyed it though and DQ was pushed the entire way by the Chef, so she had fun.

After a difficult search for the tarp Ma laid out early in the morning, we settled into the side of a hill right by the river. The hill had about a 30 degree incline, so sitting was not easy. We arrived right when the band started to play. DQ thought it was awesome.

The boys looked a little bored with the music though, so the Mad Scientist and the Car Guy took them to the midway for some fun. DQ was jealous and wanted to go to, so Ma decided to take her with the boys.  The midway was full of all your street carnival games and rides. Lots of people to see and things to do. Neither of our kids had seen such frivolity before and it was very exciting.

DQ only lasted about 5 minutes though before she wanted her mommy. Ma brought her back to the blanket and immediately DQ asked to go to sleep. (It was 45 minutes past bed time, the temp was high 80s, very humid, and she hadn't really eaten, so she was plain tuckered out.)  We made her a nice little spot on the side of the hill, took her glasses off (did I mention DQ got glasses?), and gave her a pacifier.

DQ in her glasses with her pacifier last night.

DQ was ready to sleep, but the music was playing. And wouldn't you know it? That Dancing Queen couldn't help herself. She was laying on her back on the hill, covered in a blanket, sucking a paci, and dancing. She had her arms swinging and body swaying as she laid down. But when you dance while laying down on a 30 degree angle, on top of tarp, you slide right down the hill. So, every couple of minutes, we had to pull DQ back up again. That upset her, so she decided to cease sleeping and go with the fun. She spent the rest of the "concert" dancing.

(I say "concert" because the band wasn't that good and despite being on the opposite side of the river, the base was up so high that it vibrated everything and made it uncomfortable to listen and for the Editor, hard to breathe.  There was a point between songs that an entire flock of geese swam up the river in triangle formation, all Canadian geese gray and black, led by one white goose at the tip of the triangle.  They got up to the band stand right when the band started to play again. The geese immediately turned around and quickly headed back where they came from. The band definitely deserved the snub.)

DQ didn't care about the quality of the band. She heard a beat and music, so she danced and loved every minute of it. Each time a song ended, she'd clap. (Many times, she was the only one.) We had everyone around us watching her. It was so much fun. She spent a good 20 minutes alone dancing with the Editor and having a blast. Here she is dancing with her Ma.

The boys came back right as the band stopped playing. TRex went on a tilt-a-whirl and bumper cars. He had a blast. This is a huge deal for him because we couldn't even get him to ride the toddler train when he visited Santa. He was too scared. So the idea that he actually got on the tilt-a-whirl is huge. He loved it! Maybe next time it will be easier for him to move past his fears.

As twilight gave way to darkness, DQ grew anxious. She wanted to see the colors in the sky.  And finally, the fireworks started. DQ was enthralled. She was laying in her aunt's lap, looking directly at the sky while the fireworks were directly above us.  (We literally had the best seats available.) I don't think DQ closed her eyes once for the entire twenty minutes. Simply put, she was in awe. (This morning, she inundated us with questions about when she was going to see the fireworks again.) DQ's reaction was magical for me. And, I have to admit, last night's display was probably the best I'd ever seen in person.

Unfortunately, TRex did not have the same reaction. At the first boom, he screamed and cried. He wanted his puppy dog. Mommy and Daddy were not adequate.  Puppy dog was the only one he wanted. I thought we were going to have to leave early, but then inspiration hit and I promised TRex we'd go straight to the car as soon as the fireworks ended to get puppy dog. He stopped screaming and crying at that point, but he is adamant that he will never see fireworks again.

The night ended with the long walk back to the car in the crowds. A fight broke out right next to us and scared the heck out of the Editor and I, afraid for our babies. And the car ride home was an entire story onto itself. Let me just say that the entire world seemed to be leaving down the one road we were heading to, but nobody moved an inch for 15 minutes, then an ambulance came. And then another. And then another. We were eventually able to turn around. But it took us an hour to go a mile. I held my phone up so the melting down kids (awake 4 hours after bedtime) could watch "The Cat in the Hat" and we didn't get home until after midnight.

Overall, the day was a total success. My kids had a blast. I can't wait to do it again and can only hope TRex's fear subsides with time.

Did any of you see fireworks this weekend?

Adventure

I was sitting at my computer, checking facebook, when the Dancing Queen walked by with the stool in her hand, saying she needed to go upstairs to get the old dog. What could she be up to?

I followed.

She pointed to the treasurer she needed.

Then I remembered the penny she had found! She needed the old dog bank.

She carried the old dog downstairs, until the cork fell out.

DQ decided to put the coins away on the stairs.

I thought it was safer at the table.

She continued to put coins into the bank for quite a while. We love this activity because it helps work her fine motor skills. DQ is still very behind in fine motor skills in part due to her overall weakness, but also because of her long, gracile fingers associated with her 22q deletion.

What a fun adventure!