"Mom, Dad, 3 Kids & a Gingerbread Boy" Matty's Wish Trip December 10-18, 2009

[Sandy321]

Pamela! I know who Julie McCoy is (Yep, that makes me old!!)


My dh is also the even tempered one - and I'm Blessed he evens me out!! and I have visited many speech pathologists over the years - DS#1 (now 24) is hard of hearing! I left my teaching career to be his advocate, and sahm -

cant wait to read more - just so you know I read, but often dont have time to post!! or dont know what to say!! but I have my kleenex ready (LOVE the poem you posted - reminded me of this old movie... "Made in Heaven" starring Timothy Huton and Kelly McGillis)

anyway - I'm in on the ride!!

Here's the Lyrics to my favorite Muppet Movie Song...

This looks familiar, vaguely familiar,
Almost unreal, yet, it's too soon to feel yet.
Close to my soul, and yet so far away.
I'm going to go back there someday.

Sun rises, night falls, sometimes the sky calls.
Is that a song there, and do I belong there?
I've never been there, but I know the way.
I'm going to go back there someday.

Come and go with me, it's more fun to share,
We'll both be completely at home in midair.
We're flyin', not walkin', on featherless wings.
We can hold onto love like invisible strings.

There's not a word yet for old friends who've just met.
Part heaven, part space, or have I found my place?
You can just visit, but I plan to stay.
I'm going to go back there someday.
I'm going to go back there someday.


It just seems to fit!

 

[praisehisname]

"Can I be in this parade?" he asked me pointing to a picture of MVMCP.

I can't wait to find out!!! We were there the 10th - 14th. I wonder if we walked by each other at some point?

 

[PrincessCaitlin]

Hi

I found your tr after I read Maroo's tr about Matty's wish

I am so excited to read more about your beautiful family's wish trip!

 

[pacrosby]

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Pamela! I know who Julie McCoy is (Yep, that makes me old!!)

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YAY...another oldie but goodie!! Remember Gopher and Isaac and Doc? Too funny And the Muppets!!!! I loved that primetime Muppet show (can you imagine a show like that in primetime NOW......yeah, I wish) Beaker (sp?) was always my favorite.

btw....loved the lyrics to that song

whether you manage to post or not....nice to know you are lurking

Pamela

Matty's Wish Trip PTR http://www.disboards.com/showthread.php?t=2325607

 

[pacrosby]

I can't wait to find out!!! We were there the 10th - 14th. I wonder if we walked by each other at some point?

Ohhhh, so you caught the magic of xmas at Disney this month too???? Weren't the parks beautiful? I bet we stood right next to each at some point! As far as finding out what happened, we didn't get to the MVMCP until the end of our trip so you might be waiting awhile Actually, did you catch maroo's mini-trip? She reveals what happened in a short readable 3 pages!!

Hi

I found your tr after I read Maroo's tr about Matty's wish

I am so excited to read more about your beautiful family's wish trip!

Maroo did such a great job! She's turned into a real family friend.


Pamela

Matty's Wish Trip PTR http://www.disboards.com/showthread.php?t=2325607

 

[yinyanggirls]

Pamela, you're off to a great start! I love the details, so who cares if it takes 100 posts to get through the whole report! I'm subbing and checking in.
And, I had a secret crush on Gopher.

 

[pacrosby]

Ok......so let's get on with it!!!!!

I "found" the DISboards early in November just before we got confirmation of our dates. One month wasn't alot of time for planning but I was certain I was up for the challenge. Now you must know that although I love to plan parties and events and activities, family vacations are NOT something I "plan". The Crosby's fly by the seat of our pants. Whatever happens, happens. Whatever will be be. "Que sera, sera!" as they say. But this trip needed to be different because it was Matty's Wish Trip and I KNEW I needed to change my ways. And so plan I did.....and plan.....and plan.....and plan some more (ask my DISwish buddies how many times they caught me at 3 am STILL on the computer). And before we knew it, the month had gone by YIKES It was time for a going away party!!!! (on the very same day as hubby and my 14th anniversary!!! What a way to celebrate!)



First a review of the few gingerbread gifts for Matty:

a Christmas tree ornament (a gingerbread man.....of course!!)

and a book (the classic "run run as fast as you can" Gingerbread Man story

and of course the COSTUME!!!

which was promptly modeled for all to see (isn't he silly????)

Then lots and lots (ok, waaaay too many but Mama just got alittle carried away) of dollar store junk for all to enjoy. Puzzles, and coloring books, diddlies and doodles all with a disney theme; Mickey/Minnie Mouse t-shirts (can you believe we had NONE) and disney jammies too! The kids were thrilled and all pumped up for tomorrow mornings adventure. Our fancy party dinner consisted of mashed potatos, carrots and MICKEY MOUSE CHICKEN NUGGETS (what a find huh?)!!!!! And of course a cake (I know Mickey looks a little cross-eyed but I was in a hurry and didn't have time to fix him)

Autograph books followed....one for every child.

of course Matty's was a little bit bigger (ok, a LOT bigger.....he got lots of comments, sometimes in the form of body language/gesture, regarding the sheer size of his book )

Here's px of the inside of the books (hey listen, these things took me FOREVER to make so I'm not above begging for alittle recognition for my efforts)

and after the candle was blown out (can't have a cake without a candle right??) the kids did their little dance (video is only about a minute but it can stop and start which is annoying!!!). Sorry for the dark room but we'd shut the lights off when we lit the candle. Their enthusiasm is undeniable. And the dog???? Well she was pretty excited too!!!!!!!!!!!!!

http://s604.photobucket.com/albums/...tion=view&current=20091209204921.flv&newest=1

Time to EAT CAKE!!!!!!!!!


Pamela

Matty's Wish Trip PTR http://www.disboards.com/showthread.php?t=2325607

 

[yinyanggirls]

I love the dance! Your kids are such good sports.
And speaking of staying up until 3am....

 

[yinyanggirls]

Oh! And I forgot to say...Great job on the autograph books!!! They look meticulously done. I don't know how you got everything done in one month!

 

[pacrosby]

Hey Melissa!! We did that dance every night for 3 weeks!! It was so silly. The books were so much fun to make but SOOOOO time consuming. They ended up getting good use out of them though so I feel like it was worth my time and effort. Thanx for indulging me by noticing

Yeah......3 am What's wrong with me huh?????

Pamela

 

[praisehisname]

Those autograph books are awesome! I love the costume, too!

 

[pacrosby]

Well, I know people are reading this masterpiece 'cuz that 'view' ticker just keeps goin' up and up. Don't be shy guys!!!! Say hello! Introduce yourselves! Tell me how much you just looooove my autograph books



ok...so now the pre-party is over, the mess has been cleaned up, the luggage is packed and waiting patiently in the foyer and the kids are sleeping soundly in their beds (well, actually no, not in their beds but rather on the floor in their sleeping bags in MY room!!!). Limo is due at 4 AM!!!!! Dh is oh so tired and packs it in around midnight I however decide not to bother (I would've just lay awake hour after hour anyway and that is aggravating). So I find things to do until the magic wake-up call at........3AM!

Here's us at 3:30 anxiously awaiting the limo (please be kind, we're alittle sleep deprived!! - dh looks like he's still asleep!!!!!) Please take note of the wonderful matching shirts handcrafted and sent to us from our new friend maroo!!!!!

Shortly thereafter the LIMO arrived!!! A big stretch white limo! The kids were beyond excited. In fact Matty had included a picture of a limo in his Wish Book to show to the Wish granters (although his had been black......guess you can't have it all). We had LOADS of luggage -took advantage of one suitcase per family member allowance to make sure we had enough room for all the souvenirs on the way back AND a carry-on for everyone too!))

Here's Matty posing in the door of the limo. Now let me tell you the weather outside was FRIGHTFUL!! (yes, you are all welcome to sing along!!) It was just beyond FREEZING that night and everyone inside the limo kept screaming at him to CLOSE THE DOOR!!!!!

Here are some token px of us in the limo on the way to the airport

Oh, all the seat hopping that was going on!!!! The kids were fascinated by this thing. The lights, the buttons, the tv, the glasses (we almost broke one of those). But appparently is just wasn't BIG enough for Matty as he kept saying "it's not really that long is it?" I guess he thought you should be able to fit a tractor trailer inside!! Anyway, it's only a half hour to the airport in Boston from our house and before we knew it...........we were there A fast check-in at the outdoor express kiosk (in 15 degree weather!!!!!!) and we were on the way to the security check (quite the experience with 4 kids). I'd always wondered if Matty would set off the alarms given all the metal hardware in his chest but thank goodness it didn't (try to explain that????). Now, mind you, it's still only about 5 AM and the plane isn't leaving until 7! Four exhausted (albeit excited) little kids in an airport for 2 hours!!!!!??????? So we wandered, and wandered, and looked out windows, and snacked on snacks that children have no business snacking on at 5 in the morning (although the snacks in THIS picture weren't all that bad)!!

And finally (I'd like to say before we knew it but in truth it was more like an eternity) we were able to board the plane. The plane had 6 seats across (3 and 3) so fortunately we were all together in one row, each adult between two kids for increased control. The kids were thrilled at the prospect of having their own tv's to watch and couldn't wait for Daddy to shell out the 8 bucks for them to each have their own individual headphones. SpongeBob was the pick of the morning.....UGH!......but who was I to complain. They were happy. Brennan, on the other hand.......well, I fell asleep so Daddy was in charge Let's just say I hear it was a good thing I was asleep since, in true Brennan spirit, he never stopped talking the entire three hours of the trip

Here are a few token airplane shots:

A 10 AM arrival in Orlando.......not bad at all!!!! Kathy, a very nice lady from Give Kids the World was waiting to meet us with a personalized sign JUST for MY Matty (of course HE can't read yet so the significance was lost on him). Dh and I got it though and were quite touched (I knew enough to expect it but it's different to actually see it with your own eyes).

On the way to the rent-a-car counter Kathy tells us about another family that had just arrived as well. Apparently her 'friend' was their greeter. I suspected it was my new DISwish friend Chrissi and later found out..........I had been right. Ppwk completed, our van was pulled around. Kids pile in....................

ooooohhhh were they excited!! Too funny! We have one of those monga SUV's (I know, I know....we're killing the environment). THEY think vans are cool Momma, however, does not (sorry, van lovers, nothing personal. Practical? Yes. Cool? Absolutely NOT!). All week long dh and I kept hearing how we needed to get a new car and it needed to be a van. I told them if they wanted a van, they needed to get themselves a new set of parents

NEXT UP: on to GKTW!!!!!

Pamela

 

[yinyanggirls]

Oh, you've arrived! It's getting exciting!
When we had to get a new car I tried out every single SUV and wagon on the market, buy none of them fit Phoebe's wheelchair without having to take it apart first. I reluctantly (verrrrry reluctantly) gave in to our family's need for one. Now that she is going to need a new, bigger, chair I don't know if our van will still work. DH wants to get a full-size van! I told him HE can drive it then!

 

[maroo]

Love your start!!!!

So glad you like the shirts!

Woo Hoo on the LIMO! You guys were traveling in STYLE!

Eek on the long wait to board the plane. Love the breakfast.

Awesome airplane shots! And glad you got to sleep!

GKTW Greeter! Gotta love that sign!

Your van...ok, that cracks me up! And just begs for this story to be told...

So my friend Rachel (who you guys did not meet, but she was the one I was there with)...they don't like "vans" and don't think they are cool...at. all. In fact, they always made fun of the minivan moms. But...then Rachel got her spinal cord injury...and...well...you guessed it... Now they have to drive around in a minivan since that is one of the only practical cars that hold her wheelchair. She has a Honda Element that also holds her chair, but it is hard to get in and out of and the controls are for HER to drive - but she can't because of her siezures...so they are now stuck driving a minivan everywhere.

Her Mom has said, "That's what we get for making fun of those minivan Mom's all those years."

 

[maroo]

Oh, you've arrived! It's getting exciting!
When we had to get a new car I tried out every single SUV and wagon on the market, buy none of them fit Phoebe's wheelchair without having to take it apart first. I reluctantly (verrrrry reluctantly) gave in to our family's need for one. Now that she is going to need a new, bigger, chair I don't know if our van will still work. DH wants to get a full-size van! I told him HE can drive it then!

Girl...we totally need to talk! There are LOTS of vehicles now that will pull out with a ramp and let her drive right in and lock in with barely any effort...

Lauren had one of those HUGE gas drinking vans...and they finally got rid of it because the gas bills were horrible...now they have a minivan and the floor was lowered to fit her chair...

I will have to find a picture for you...

I am totally hijacking this TR...so I will go find your pre-trippie and put a picture on there.

 

[kellyw8863]

I'm LOVING your TR so far! The autograph books you made are amazing! What did you use? I love all the family pics and can't wait to see and read more!

Kelly

 

[reelmom]

You deserve lots of praise for your autograph books. They are AWESOME! I can't believe you were able to make them in that short amount of time. Love the video and the picture of Matty on the plane with the sun rising out the window.

 

[kayrosek]

I Love the Autograph books! Although they do make me feel a bit lazy when we went over Thanksgiving I just bought Disney themed journals I found at the dollar store for the kids to use. A limo how cool! We accidently ended up in one in the Bahmas (a cruise we took right after our WDW trip) and my kids were just like your Matty. I think they were expecting a hot tub or something LOL!

 

[maroo]

ok....

I TOTALLY missed the autograph books!!!

Shoot! I should have asked to see them in real life!

They are AWESOME! And did you make the Mickey Cake?

 

[MJAJmom]

Great trip report so far!! Beautiful family. Your poem had me bawling, it was precious, as is your love and dedication to your children. I'm an oldie too, love the Love Boat series. And loved your autograph pages, I've printed up tons of pages for our trip, it is very time consuming but it makes for a more special trip.

Looking forward to more pictures.