Got a Happy Story? Extreme Makeover Edition
Fri Feb 29, 2008 at 05:12:33 PM PDT
Got a Happy Story is a community gathering every Friday night where we share stories large and small that have put a smile on our face. It is a time to acknowledge the joy and wonder we experience. The Happy Story diary exists as a way to anchor the community in hope and comfort while we do the hard work of taking back our country. Everyone and all sorts of stories and pictures are welcome. May we find joy and strength here.
One weekend a few years ago my brother sat my son down with his two boys and they watched Extreme Makeover: Home Edition. I didn't care for the show but my son really latched on to it. Thus began "movie night" at our house. We started watching the show every Sunday night, either snuggled up on the couch or in bed. About 6 months ago my husband started joining us for Extreme Makeover.
While there is much I don't like about the show: the yelling, the conspicuous consumption, Ty's ego... I've found that my son really responds to the story of the families. Extreme Makeover builds a new home for a family in need each week. It opens with telling the story of the family's hardship and introduces each family member. Then they demolish the old house and build the new one. Often they go into detail to explain each family's issue. My son has learned about domestic violence, congenital defects, single parenthood, cancer, autism, blindness and many other issues.
He's seen other children whose parents are dealing with cancer as well as other children with Asperger's Syndrome. He still talks about some of the families. He was particularly moved by the Ripatti-Pearce family. Both parents are police officers and the mother was shot and paralyzed when following a gang member. soberboy still talks about Christina's bravery and positive attitude over a year later.
He has been annoyed for over a long that there hasn't been a show in Massachusetts. That has intensfied recently as we've seen shows ifrom Maine and Connecticut. A month ago there was a show on a family from Manchester, NH. Completely by coincidence soberdad found out that they're actually filming in Massachusetts this week. So today soberdad took soberboy up to Maynard to see the final day of filming. soberboy always got excited by the final day, which begins with the family arriving home from vacation. They are welcomed back by the community and the house is hidden behind a bus. Everyone yells, "Move that bus!" Then the family gets their first glimpse of the home. Today soberboy had the opportunity to be a part of his favorite section of the show.
He's had a rough year. He spent his Christmas vacation having surgery and his February vacation recovering from his 2nd post-op infection. He had his 3rd infection last week. I don't believe in children not attending school for anything other than dire illness. But after his past few months I thought he deserved a reward. When we told him last night he said, "I know what being blown away means now. This is like a dream come true."
They've returned home and were both very excited. soberboy got to see 3 of the designers and yell, "Move that bus!" He brought along a sign and sat on soberdad's shoulders waving it around. Afterward soberdad took a picture nearby the house. The camera crew told soberdad that this was the coldest build they'd ever had since they'd worked through the night in -2 temperatures. They have been filming in Orlando and Maynard and they do not like the weather here. They had to get the family in this afternoon because snow will be arriving shortly and that area is expected to get 9 to 12 inches.
soberboy at the Giunta's new home, photo by soberdad
The bus! photo by soberboy
soberboy was the 1st to spot the limo, he snapped this photo
Some of the crowd, photo by soberdad
Ty scribbling notes at the front door, by soberdad
The Giunta's new home, photo by soberdad
Please fill us in on your happy story this week.
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