Disney Countdown Chart

The whole big mess started at the Iowa State Fair.  Kylie, Our 6 year old daughter, usually gets to pic a little toy at the vendor booth every year. 

For some reason, (Thank you, Peter Pan and Captain Hook), she took an interest in a flashing sword.  I really wasn't keen on having a sword in the house, so I saw that next to the sword was this fabulous wand.  The wand lit up and flashed different colors of the rainbow

I did my absolute best to sell her on the wand, but she wasn't having it.  I even pressed the button and showed her how it lit up in three different cycles!!! 

NOPE! She wasn't falling for it... so, then, in mommy desperation I played the "Disney Card".

Kylie loves nothing in this world more than she loves Disney.  She has never been there (that would be her 6 year old dream come true) but she lives vicariously through all her Disney DVDs and through the Disney documentaries on Netflix. (yes, I said DOCUMENTARIES)

She. Loves. Disney.

Every year we go to Disney on Ice around Thanksgiving time.  So, again, in desperation to keep weapons out of my home, I threw out the suggestion that if she chose the wand she could take it to Disney on Ice!

She was immediately SOLD!

Mommy victory!!  (or so I thought)

Throughout the rest of the evening, while proudly playing with her flashing wand, she talked of nothing else but Disney on Ice.  It was August and with huge smiles on our faces we nodded and assured her that we ABSOLUTELY would go to Disney on Ice - in NOVEMBER- BY THANKSGIVING.

She didn't get it.

The next morning, she threw open our bedroom door and excitedly jumped on our bed squealing "Today is Disney on Ice!!!"

We groggily explained that while we ARE going to Disney on Ice that it was NOT TODAY.

Fast forward two weeks of solid references to Disney on Ice- no less than 10 times a day- (and I am not playin' yall)

We needed a *SERIOUS* Disney intervention.

So, I decided to make a chart so she could SEE how many days we have left until Disney on Ice.  I laminated and made it flexible so we could use it for other Disney adventures in the future.

On the very top, I put a photo of this year's Disney on Ice theme (this can easily be changed with other Disney events in the future)

Then, I created the actual body of the chart (in power point). Kylie is really into Minnie Mouse, so I alternated Mickey and Minnie to give it some visual interest.

On the top, I began with the #1 and counted down to the number of days we have until Disney on ice (69 days)
The top left square simply shows a pic of Mickey and Minnie and the words DISNEY ON ICE.  That is the day we will actually go to the show.

On the bottom, I wrote the Purpose of the chart: "Disney on Ice Countdown" using lots of the characters that will be in this year's show.

Then, I laminated the basic chart and began working on the cards that will mark off each day.

I searched the internet for free Disney Clip Art and made 69+ cards for Kylie to use to count down the days. (I laminated these too)

Every morning, Kylie gets to choose a card

And then place it over the largest number on the chart.  (we use sticky tac to adhere them- easily removable so we can use the chart over and over again) 

(reminder: we do this first thing in the morning, which is why our hair is a little messy and we are still in our Cinderella nightgown)

It is a BIG decision selecting which card will go on the chart each day!

I asked Kylie to look at me and smile.  THIS is what I got (no, she is not a stepford child - ha! She just looks like a robot here.) That is what I get for interrupting the Disney Process...

Here you can see where we have marked off the first couple of days:  She chose Jasmine the first day, Simba and Nala the second day, Mr Incredible the third day and John from Peter Pan the 4th day.  Today she chose Tinkerbell, but I took the pic before she put her up.

According to this picture, we have 65 days until Disney on Ice

 Let me tell you, this chart has been a life saving device! We hardly EVER hear about Disney on Ice anymore, because she can clearly see that it isn't the time yet!  She is still excited to go, but we don't hear about it every waking moment or experience the disappointment she feels every time we have to let her down.

She is really content to mark the days off and she can rest knowing Disney on Ice is coming and how long it will be.

Here is the full chart in all its glory!  Wish I had thought of it sooner!!

Halloween Helpers - A Love Beyond Measure

Halloween was successful for our Kylie ONLY because we had so many gracious and sacrificial helpers.  These are people who literally poured themselves into our Kylie. 

Proverbs 18:24 says that "...There is a friend who sticks closer than a brother"

That verse applies to this situation - especially since Kylie does not have any siblings.  Our friends and helpers have become our family.  I don't care if that is a conflict of interest in some areas (such as with therapists).  These key people are as close to us as family.  And it is no wonder!!  We are with them up to 4 times a week.  They know intimate details of our lives and we trust them.

These special people in Kylie's life have helped us in so many ways.  They walk with us daily in our Autism Adventure!

Here are a few of the many people who love on our precious girl.  How I wish I could picture them all.


Miss Kimberly - a friend and also one of Kylie's Respite Providers. 
Kylie looks unhappy because she didn't like the sound of the helium machine.
Kylie loves that Miss Kimberly can make her balloon animals - especially pink puppies.

Kylie's friend, Anna. 
Anna has been so patient and sweet with Kylie.  Kylie has had to learn how to be a friend, how to tolerate people in her personal space, how to enjoy the squeals of little girl laughter and delight.  These things don't come natural for our girl, but Anna continues to be such a good and patient friend to our Kylie. 

Kylie's Papa and Grammy Stout
Papa and Grammy's home has become a haven of peace for our Kylie.  She is with them weekly and enjoys every minute of her time with them.  It has been neat to watch their relationship grow and develop over time.   They allow us to dress Kylie for her Halloween Adventures every year at their house.

Kylie and her friend Rebecca. 
Kylie and Rebecca share the same speech therapist.  We often run into Rebecca and her family when we are out and about at various community events.  It is always so much fun to find friends in common.

Amelia and Lauren are sisters and they share an Occupational Therapist with Kylie.  They are also in a social group together.  Amelia, Lauren and their parents have become good friends of our family this year.  We have (too) much in common  =0)
I also LOVE this pic as it looks like Kylie is wearing a fur bra!  (oh, don't be fuddy duddies - it's funny!)

These three (Ellen, Chloe and Elizabeth) are Kylie's helpers at Dance Without Limits (we love them all).  DWOL is a ballet program sponsored by Ballet Des Moines specifically designed for children with special needs.  This program has been such a blessing and joy to our family!  Kylie has class every week at the School of Classical Ballet and Dance and it happened to fall on Halloween so the class was invited to wear their halloween costumes!  It was great fun!  They even did a spooky dance! Monika Peltz is Kylie's Dance Instructor and she is so wonderful with these kids!

And then there is all the staff at ChildServe.  If I have not mentioned it before now, we LOVE, love, love Childserve and all they have done and continue to do for our family!  These are just a few of the special things they did to make Halloween fun for all the children.

Erin (dressed as "Slinky Dog") is Kylie's Occupational Therapist, Julie (dressed as a friendly witch) is Kylie's Speech Therapist and Mary (dressed as Cookie Monster) is Kylie's Feeding Therapist (also an OT)

One of the other therapists (I wish I could remember her name) allowed Kylie to play Tic Tac Toe.  Kylie had a "Cat's Game"... How fitting for a "Pretty Kitty"  =0)

This is Marsha (as Minnie Mouse).  She is another of Kylie's Occupational Therapists.  Marsha is really creative.  You can't see her shoes, but she took old croc shoes and covered them in yellow duct tape and then used yellow glitter glue to make Minnie Mouse Shoes.  Marsha is also the one who came up with the game "Lucky Pumpkins"

And THIS, by FAR, was the best part of Kylie's day...

This is two therapists and one of the gals who work the front desk. 
(I wish I knew their names so I could rave about them).
These gals were so gracious to my Kylie.  They aren't even her therapists and they took precious time out of their day to make her feel special!  Yep!  This is why we LOVE Childserve.

One of the princesses let Kylie wear her crown -
It was a sacred moment for Kylie.

To top off Kylie's day, Her therapists invited her to play her favorite game: Duck Duck Goose!!  Kylie was in Heaven!!

It literally took a village to make Halloween a success for Kylie, but all these people and so many more helped to make her weekend special!!

Thanks to everyone who lavishes their love on our baby girl!  Our meager Thanks will never be enough but know you hold a special place in our hearts and we will never forget!