A Halloween Adventure in Autism (11/7) Prayer Request for Catie (p.129)

[Hedy]

Good job to Tricia for keeping the peace.
I'm amused at Catie doing the "Katie Holmes" style knee bend in the picture with her cousins.

 

[IluvXU]

I think Play and Dine needs to be on my next year meal list. That looks like fun!

 

[irish dancer]

What a great lunch!

Daniel LOVED Little Einsteins too, saw every episode many, many times and will occasionally still put it on. He would probably love that lunch and would be up dancing and singing along too. It was great of Tricia to accompany him on the parade to give you and Ed a chance to eat.

 

[Northern Disney Girl]

Awesome update KAthy!!! That Billy of yours is SUCH a sweetie!! I am really enjoying hearing about how he enjoyed your trip!! You are such a GREAT story Teller!!

 

[All7OfUs]

That update really blessed my day, Kathy!! I so love to see families having FUN together and enjoying the situation TOGETHER!! Billy is right in his element, isn't he??!! I love it!

Thanks for sharing your tender moments of family togetherness with us!

 

[Charleston Princess]

The pictures of Billy and Goliath are so sweet!!! Since my kids are older, I don't know all these Playhouse Disney characters, but the meal looks like a lot of fun!

 

[carissanboys]

I love Little Einsteins! My boys don't watch it anymore so we've never done the meal there. Goliath is so cute! Looks like Billy had a wonderful time.

 

[KathyRN137]

Great update Kathy! Those pictures of Billy enjoying the dancing and singing are AWESOME! You can tell how happy and "in his element" he is. And good for Tricia for jumping in and helping out. She sounds like an amazing sister!

Thank you! Of course, she can find him just as annoying as any girl can a little brother, but she loves him and knows that he loves her.

I was like that at her age...my dad thought I had tapeworms! I wasn't as tall though.

You are blessed with Billy. I've watched my sister and my girlfriend struggle with their autistic children who can't bear to be touched. They've made progress but it's been slow, and hard...probably one of the most moving moments in my life was when my nephew sat down, snuggled up to me for no particular reason on the couch last Christmas day. It was SO huge for him I almost bust into tears right there.

Its those little unexpected "breakthrough moments" that are so precious... the everyday things we tend to take for granted when coming from our neuro-typical kids... they are like small glimpses into what the child would be like but for the autism.

What a wonderful lunch!

Goliath sounds like a wonderful "CM" so sweet for "him" to spend just a little extra time with Billy. That is what makes Disney such a Magical Place.

It is!

I know that most children are really taken by the characters at these meals, but for Billy to seek out and try to engage Goliath in a song is really quite a big deal for a child with autism! I'm so glad that the Goliath CM realized that!


Kathy

 

[KathyRN137]

I love times like that. I think, in general terms, this is why I love Disney so much. Ariana fits right in, no matter the ages of those around her, and her whole being is just... happiness.

Wonderful update Kathy, one of my favorites so far.

Thanks you! Its very true... At Disney, no one seems to "mind" Billy's quirkiness. Is it because everyone is just having so much fun? No, kids have fun at birthday parties and on the playground, too. Yet there I can tell that they are looking at him strangely... not in a bad way... just as if they are trying to figure out what is "different" about him. When we're at Disney that just magically disappears and the differences don't seem that noticable at all!

Such a great update! Made me a litle teary watching Billy with Goliaath SOunds like a fun lunch. We have a bkfst there in May.

Oh good, I think you'll like it! Lots of music and fun!

Billy really connected with Goliath in a special way... it was very sweet.

Good job to Tricia for keeping the peace.
I'm amused at Catie doing the "Katie Holmes" style knee bend in the picture with her cousins.

I just noticed that when I went back to look at the pictures! Its hard to be taller than everyone... especially for a girl of thirteen. I was tall at a young age and my mother always had to remind me to "stand up straight!"


Kathy

 

[KathyRN137]

I think Play and Dine needs to be on my next year meal list. That looks like fun!

If the kids like Playhouse Disney, they will love this meal! The songs they play/sing are not just the ones from Little Einsteins and JoJo's Circus... there were Mickey Mouse Clubhouse songs and songs from Handy Manny, Higglytown Heroes, and more!

What a great lunch!

Daniel LOVED Little Einsteins too, saw every episode many, many times and will occasionally still put it on. He would probably love that lunch and would be up dancing and singing along too. It was great of Tricia to accompany him on the parade to give you and Ed a chance to eat.

Yes, she really did that out of love! I do wish that they would have all the Little Einsteins there... its hard to explain why only Leo and June are there. The first time we did Play and Dine, Billy kept asking, "Where's Quincey? Where's Annie?"

Awesome update KAthy!!! That Billy of yours is SUCH a sweetie!! I am really enjoying hearing about how he enjoyed your trip!! You are such a GREAT story Teller!!

Thanks, Kim! I'm enjoying your report, too!


Kathy

 

[SwansLoveDisney]

What a wonderful lunch you had!

I love the pic of you, Ed, Billy, and Goliath!

 

[KathyRN137]

That update really blessed my day, Kathy!! I so love to see families having FUN together and enjoying the situation TOGETHER!! Billy is right in his element, isn't he??!! I love it!

Thanks for sharing your tender moments of family togetherness with us!

You're welcome... that's very sweet of you to say. At first I thought that the older girls would turn their noses up at character meals, but they really did enjoy seeing Billy blossom around his Disney "friends!" The happiness they bring him really touches my heart.

The pictures of Billy and Goliath are so sweet!!! Since my kids are older, I don't know all these Playhouse Disney characters, but the meal looks like a lot of fun!

Play and Dine is supposed to be for the preschool crowd... but there are always so many new shows and new characters coming out... I've lost touch with a lot of them, myself.

Billy has very eclectic tastes... one minute he's into Teen Nick and the next he's into Sesame Street! But if there is music involved, there's a good chance he will love it.

I love Little Einsteins! My boys don't watch it anymore so we've never done the meal there. Goliath is so cute! Looks like Billy had a wonderful time.

Little Einsteins is a great show! I like how it teaches younger kids about art and classical music (in a fun way.) Billy had so much fun, thanks!


Kathy

 

[KathyRN137]

What a wonderful lunch you had!

I love the pic of you, Ed, Billy, and Goliath!

Thanks, Julie!

Wow! You're really in the home "stretch!" Just one more week 'til Baby Swan arrives!!


Kathy

 

[buzz for boys]

Phew - all caught up!
I know im going back a far way here but I have to say Im still scared of ITTBAB so i give a huge thumbs up to your neice for even going in there.
TOT scares the bee geezers outr of me also and im going to be made to this on our next trip as all my kids want to do it !! Im pleased to read that ED didnt find it too horrendous - heres hoping thats my experience too

Really enjoying your trip x

 

[joy13]

What a great update - I even got a bit teary eyed at how great Goliath was with Billy and how great of a sister Tricia was! Great update! We ate there during our '07 trip and really enjoyed it. I wonder how long Jo Jo and Goliath will be there, I don't think the show is ever on Disney Channel anymore?

 

[Hedy]

Thanks you! Its very true... At Disney, no one seems to "mind" Billy's quirkiness. Is it because everyone is just having so much fun? No, kids have fun at birthday parties and on the playground, too. Yet there I can tell that they are looking at him strangely... not in a bad way... just as if they are trying to figure out what is "different" about him. When we're at Disney that just magically disappears and the differences don't seem that noticable at all!





Oh good, I think you'll like it! Lots of music and fun!

Billy really connected with Goliath in a special way... it was very sweet.




I just noticed that when I went back to look at the pictures! Its hard to be taller than everyone... especially for a girl of thirteen. I was tall at a young age and my mother always had to remind me to "stand up straight!"


Kathy

I was the same way and have a trapezial pain to prove it, LOL.

 

[KathyRN137]

Phew - all caught up!
I know im going back a far way here but I have to say Im still scared of ITTBAB so i give a huge thumbs up to your neice for even going in there.
TOT scares the bee geezers outr of me also and im going to be made to this on our next trip as all my kids want to do it !! Im pleased to read that ED didnt find it too horrendous - heres hoping thats my experience too

Really enjoying your trip x

Hi, Louise! It took me a few visits to work up to ToT... now I love it! Hopefully you will too!

What a great update - I even got a bit teary eyed at how great Goliath was with Billy and how great of a sister Tricia was! Great update! We ate there during our '07 trip and really enjoyed it. I wonder how long Jo Jo and Goliath will be there, I don't think the show is ever on Disney Channel anymore?

I don't think so... but Billy remembers them from when he was little.
Handy Manny would probably be very popular at a character meal!

Now that Billy is older, I haven't seen half of these shows...
http://tv.disney.go.com/playhouse/allshows/index.html

I was the same way and have a trapezial pain to prove it, LOL.

Ouch.


Kathy

 

[MeMom]

Chapter Twenty-Three: Billy Gets the Lions’s Share...

But for Billy, the best character of all was Goliath, the circus lion. “He” seemed to understand Billy’s need to snuggle up to him so he could stroke and sniff his furry costume. (I say “he” because I got the sense from Goliath’s body language that there was a female cast member inside the costume.)

When Goliath came around, Billy jumped up and ran after him to give him more hugs. He was really taken with him on this trip! Some music was playing and Billy was trying to get Goliath to sing the song with him. The character handler came along and motioned to Goliath to move along, but he waved her off and finished the song with Billy. Like I said, he (or she) was very sweet and understanding and I am so grateful. Billy was all-smiles for the rest of the day!

Kathy

What a great CM to recognize a way to make special moments for a boy and his family!

 

[KathyRN137]

What a great CM to recognize a way to make special moments for a boy and his family!

Yes... some CMs really "get" how very important they are to making the magic. Ed and I were sure to thank Goliath sincerely. That cannot be an easy job!


Kathy

 

[mousescrapper]

Hi Kathy...

sorry to be the sensible Dis-party pooper... but you made the best decision...sorry the new job just wasn't to your liking...but I like what eandesmom said about find a fit not fit the find

and loved the last two post reports...and what a smile I have anytime I see Billy having that pure Disney fun and joy!

Scrappie