[Tori] Jackson, good goal!
Previously on Little People, Big World...
Whoo!
It was a fun, like, first DAAA experience for our family.
[Zach] I saw my dad and Cary at Jackson's soccer.
I got to meet Josiah. He's a little button.
[Matt] But Zach and Tori
So we didn't see a lot of them.
They were busy, you know, taking care of the kids.
[Tori] You want a snack?
Lilah has stuff going on with her ears
which is, like, not good.
So we're going to go see a ear, nose, throat doctor
to see if it's affecting her hearing,
delaying her speech. Know what's going on.
[Lilah cries]
Have you talked to Matt about this whole farm deal?
He thinks he's owned up to all his mistakes.
-I'm like... -[laughs]
I think he better ask all four of us. I don't know.
[Lisa] I know the boys are really hurt.
I've actually had some conversations
and their heart was into it.
But this wasn't a "family deal".
It was a business deal.
[Tori] Are you going to be a soccer player now?
[Zach] I feel like he's getting close to realizing,
like, he's different.
He's so proud of himself.
I hope that that doesn't break him down, you know.
That collision of confidenc and self-worth
and then reality...
It's coming for him.
[Zach speaking]
[Tori] I didn't get the memo
that we're all wearing blue today.
Look how cute all of you are.
[Tori] Thank you.
-[hostess] You're welcome. -[Tori] Hi.
[Tori] Or do you want to just sit here?
-[Lilah] Yeah. -[Jackson] Yeah, yeah.
-Are you going to have mac and cheese? -[Lilah] Yeah.
Do you want mac and cheese?
-[server] How are you guys doing today? -[Lilah] Milk.
-She would like a milk. -[server] A milk?
[server] A strawberry lemonade? Yeah, of course.
[Tori] And I will also do a strawberry lemonade.
[server] Strawberry lemonade. All right, I'll get started on that.
-Thank you. -[server] Of course.
What did they check?
[Jackson speaking]
They checked your ears?
-Mm-hmm. -[Zach] Yeah and your mouth?
When he checked your mouth, what did you do?
[Tori laughs]
[Tori] A few weeks ago,
got Lilah's annual well-child check.
They do the ear test
for hearing and she failed it.
So they were worried that she has water behind her ears
and that she maybe couldn't hear us all the way,
like it was muffled.
And it's a possibility that it could be
contributing to her delay in speech.
So today I took her to a hearing specialist
to have more tests ran on he
to figure out what's happening.
-[Jackson] Hey, Lilah. -Is she deaf?
-[Jackson speaking] -[Lilah] Huh?
-Yeah. -[Tori laughs]
So is she deaf?
She has perfect hearing.
-She has perfect hearing? -[Tori] She has perfect hearing.
So she's just slow in talking.
She's just slow in talking.
The reason why she failed the pressure test
at the pediatrician's office is because she has
just an irregularly shaped eardrum.
But there's no water. There's no water
-behind her ear. -There's nothing behind her eardrums?
No.
She's just behind
because she had two ear infections in a row.
However, currently her ears look clear.
Fascinating.
[Tori] I think he was relive to hear that.
Yeah, she doesn't have a hearing issue.
Huge relief. Huge relief.
Doesn't need any sort of surgeries or anything.
Yeah. Lilah does not need tubes,
that's not, like, even a question anymore...
-Is a relief. -Yes, it's perfect.
She also said,
we can put her in speech therapy.
[Zach] When Jackson starts full day's kindergarten,
I really think you'll have more time
to work with her and do your teaching thing.
-Right. -Not to put it all on you,
-but I think-- -Totally.
[Tori] I have a background in child development.
Not that I consider myself
a speech pathologist, by any means.
-However, like I do have a lot of tools in my back pocket. -You have the basics.
And I think that we can help her a lot at home
before we have to, like, step into
-a specialist's office. -Yes.
-[babbles] -[Tori laughing]
[Zach] I think I did speech therapy growing up.
I think my pronunciation was just...
My pronunciation still sucks.
[Tori] Well, it's pruh-nuhn-ciiation, first of all.
-Pro-noun-ciation. -It's pruh-nuhn-ciation.
That's unbelievable.
-[Tori laughs] -I've never heard that word before.
I did have speech therapy.
And if you ask Tori, it did not work.
[laugh]
-I have pronunciation issues. -"Pro-noun-ciation" issues...
I love you.
But also though, like,
Amy Roloff, I love you but "Or-gone..."
-Oregon? -"Or-gone", "per-mia-sion" cheese?
"Amb-lance".
Again, sorry.
[Zach] Um, so...
This week, we have the Witouses...
-Mm-hmm. -...are coming.
Jess and Mikey and they have a boy named Michael.
And Jackson, he's pretty much your same age.
I've known them for years in LPA.
They are from Indiana, South Bend, Indiana.
Their son is the same age as our son.
He is an LP as well.
So it will be kind of fun to get Jackson a friend,
you know, that's an LP and see how he interacts.
[Tori] It's been... What? Five years, six years
since you've seen them? That will be fun.
Hopefully we'll all get along.
[Tori] Jackson doesn't really have
a lot of friends with achondroplasia.
I don't think he's made that distinction anyway of, like,
this friend doesn't have achondroplasia
and this friend does, you know.
[Zach] So when this Michael guy comes,
what do you want to show him first?
Oh, yeah. He wants to figure out if he's faster or not.
This could easily not go well.
Two alpha dudes going at it
and just right off the bat are going to be like,
"I'm not sharing with you." And then that's going to set
the tone for the next four days.
There's definitely a little bit like,
"Ah! Is this going to work?"
Ball.
Josiah.
[Tori] Very good.
Look at you.
[Amy] All right. Okay, are we going to be ready for this?
I'm ready to go.
Yeah, we're going to kick some booty.
-Oh, yeah. Right. Good to see you. -[laughs]
-[Amy] Me too. -Hey, good to see you.
[Amy] Well, I don't know. Chris had an energy drink.
-[Lisa laughs] Oh, no! -[Art] We're in trouble now.
[Chris] Art and Lisa Fletche are closest long term friend
-[Chris] Rally time. -[Amy] Bring it on!
The funny thing is, I've got two friends
that are Lisa and Art, Lisa and Art.
I mean, what are the odds of that?
So I have Lisa and Art Dixo
and then I have Lisa and Art Fletcher.
-[Chris] Ooh! -[Amy grunts]
-[Art] All right. -[Chris] Nice move.
-They are a perfect couple to play with. It's just... -Yeah.
-They are a lot of fun. -It's just really all about
exercising and enjoying the game.
[Lisa] 2-4.
[Chris exhales] All right!
[Amy] For me, I always thin it's a challenge
playing with people of average height
because they just have a better leverage than I do
I mean, I'm...
Not only a longer reach
but I'm right even with the net.
So even if I have a great back hand,
my back hand is not over the net.
It's going right into the net.
[Amy and Chris groans]
But if I tilt my paddle up to go over the net,
it has a tendency to pop up.
-[Amy] Oh. -[Lisa] Yes! [laughs]
Three, four, one.
-[Amy groans] -[Art] Game? Game point?
[Amy] Ooh!
[Chris laughs]
No!
-[Chris groans] -Victory!
-All right. -Woop-woop!
I don't know. We can't leave it at one
-but let's take a break. -[Chris groans]
[Amy] You know, Chris and I look at each other,
-"Oh, okay. They won this one. We're gonna get the next one." -Yeah.
[Amy] I went to the farmer's market,
got all those raspberries and I told you I'll bring it,
you know, at our next game.
I wanted to try something that I've never done before.
So I made raspberry sorbet
and I made some homemade granola
and I just thought that was a nice treat
after being hot and sweaty and...
Yeah, good thinking.
Do you guys want anything more?
[Art] No, I'm good. This is great.
That's plenty for me.
Well, you know that crazy farm of mine.
Or not mine anymore.
It's still up for sale, right babe?
It's still up for sale?
[Art] No? Any interested buyers at all?
-I don't know. -You're out of it.
Yeah, yeah.
But I'll tell you.
If I would have known now what I did...
I just had an idea, we kind of generally talked about it
and I thought it would go this certain way, and...
I was too afraid to take that financial risk.
-You're conservative. -Yeah.
[Amy] There's parts of me that wished
that I would have just bought Matt out.
And maybe I could have held on to it for a year or two
and I probably would have just sold it
to, you know, one of the boys.
But obviously, with what Matt has it at now,
I mean, none of those boys are able to afford that.
I have all these memories
-of, you know, the Western town. -I know.
And... What was it?
The progressive dinner through the farm.
-Oh, yeah, wasn't that fun? -Yeah, that was awesome.
-I loved that progressive dinner. -[Lisa] Like, driving mule.
[Chris] When I first met Amy
it was kind of talked about and assumed
that the side that Amy lived on,
that side would continue on
with one of the twins, the older boys.
So I was disappointed that neither Zach or Jeremy
was able to work that out with their dad, and...
You know, unfortunately, Zach and Tori,
they headed north to Battle Ground, and...
Um, it's a shame that they are farther away.
We don't see them nearly as often.
Yeah, I definitely think both the boys have moved on
but it doesn't mean whatever feelings
and emotions and history suddenly goes away
and everything's back to hunky-dory.
I think it will take time for them.
[Amy speaking]
[Zach speaking]
[Zach] I hope that Jackson will get along with Michael
If they don't get along, it could be a long weekend.
[Michael screams] Maa!
[Amy speaks]
[Caryn] Oh, I'm sorry. I know this is hard for you.
My dad was getting more and more ill and...
No, no, no, no, no.
We'll do this later.
This will take forever to wrap back up.
So my dad let us know that papa's in the hospital
with complications from COVID.
The whole family got a group text from my dad
that Papa's not doing well.
But he's fighting.
You know, so it's not time to come down yet
and so we're going to enjoy our time with the Witouses.
Um, but I'm on standby.
I honestly think we need about eight stools.
Tori and Josiah went to go pick up
the Witouses from the airpor
And Jackson and Lilah and me waited at home.
The Witouses were not at the Spokane convention
and so we are glad that they are able to come out he
and visit us here in Washington.
Go put these in your room.
Quick, run fast as you can. Go, go, go.
'Cause they are coming. Quick!
Five, four, three, two...
I think it should be fun for Jackson to play
with someone else that has achondroplasia
and it's kind of nice being able to talk to parents
that just might go through the same thing
or are going through the same thing.
[Zach] Hey.
-[Jess] Hello. -[Tori] Ooh! You're looking fresh, J.
-[Zach] How are we doing? -[Mikey] Good, how are you?
-[Zach] I'm good, how was it? -It was a good flight.
-[Mikey] Not bad. -[Jess] Yeah.
-Early but good. -[Zach] Yeah?
-Good thing you got... -Yeah, you too.
-Thanks for coming out. -Yeah, thanks for having us.
So we are Mike and Jess Witous.
The way to remember it is, "Witous or against us."
It's how I have always said it.
People tend to remember it that way.
Hey, Michael.
[Tori] Are you Michael too?
-Technically, yeah. -[Tori] Technically, okay.
Because my dad's Michael,
so he goes by Mike, I go by Mikey.
[Zach] So it's a whole family thing.
-[Tori] This is like a family thing. -[Jess] Yeah.
-[Tori] I love that. -It's not confusing at all.
-[Mikey] Yeah, yeah. -[Jess] By any means.
[Mikey] I'm one of four kids in my family.
Everyone's average height in my family.
I was born into an average height family
and then at three months I was adopted
into another average height...
a family of average height parents
but they had already adopted two girls, in different times,
but two girls with dwarfism already.
So I have two sisters that are both dwarfs.
[Zach] Oh hey, Lilah, are you part of this too?
Here, we can jump inside.
[Zach] Let's get out of the heat here.
[Zach] Go on, Jackson.
Can you say hi?
This guy is Michael.
Yeah, Mikey and me go back a couple of years.
We've played on a couple of dwarf athletic teams together.
Her first convention, we hung out with them
but that was before any of us had kids.
-We got along really well. -Yeah.
[Zach] I think Jackson just knows
that someone's coming to visit.
-So all of the next four days-- - [Tori] He's stoked, yea
[Zach] ... is going to be, like, different.
So there's gonna always be someone to play with.
I hope that Jackson will get along with Michael
If they don't get along, it could be a long weekend.
[Jess] You want to show me your Batman?
-I bet Jackson likes Batman. -Is that your Batman?
-Jackson's a Spiderman guy. -[Jess] Yeah.
-[Zach] Yeah. -[Jess] He's the same, right?
And you kind of like the bad guys too, don't you?
[Jess] No?
You like superheroes. That's a good thing.
[Zach] You guys ever been to the Northwest?
-[Jess and Mikey] No. -Were you at the Seattle conference a few years ago?
[Mikey and Jess] No.
And obviously the Spokane Convention, no.
-Yeah, we didn't go to Spokane. -[Zach] Okay.
-[Zach] All of you, come on. We can sit down. -[Tori] Come on in.
-[Zach] See the place. -[Mikey] You want to see his room?
[Tori] Oh, you want wa-wa?
[Zach] We recently took him to Spokane.
-[Mikey] Yeah. -[Zach] And he's like...
He's, like, starting to figure it out a little bit.
-You know, like? -[Mikey] Yeah.
We keep trying to tell him that...
Like, you're not going to be like grandpa,
-or... -Yes.
He's like, "Oh, I'm going to be tall, like..."
-I'm like, "No." -[Zach] Yeah.
[Jess] I feel like I grew up and I didn't even know...
I don't remember being told.
-[Zach] Yeah. -You just do it.
Yeah or it's like a gradual...
I don't remember having like a doorbell,
-you know. -[Jess] Yeah.
It just became what it was.
-[Tori] For what? -Like recognizing
-that you're different, you're a dwarf. -Oh, yes.
[Tori] Lilah loved Michael.
Lilah wants to be a part of the boys
-and, like, wants to do what they are doing. -Yes.
-And she got excited about it. -And she was with Jackson all the time
-and she's like, "I want to do that." -Yeah.
[Michael screams] Maa!
Can you go to Michael's birthday party?
You want to go to Michael's birthday?
Michael invited you to his birthday?
-Absolutely. -It's a Batman party.
-[Zach laughing] -I didn't even know he's having one.
-...out. -Yeah.
Yeah, absolutely.
[Mikey] You are invited 100%.
[Zach] I was worried but onc they got together
and got along so quickly, I was relieved.
So you want to have a Batman party?
And you invited Jackson?
Okay.
[Zach] They just gel very well.
[screams]
[Jess] Look at them.
[Chris speaking]
[Amy] Does it not say in her
Like how big it is?
222 acres.
-That's big. -Yeah, that is kind of big.
-Isn't it? -It is.
Because when you think of the farm,
where I lived and the 75 acres where Matt lived,
or he has it all now.
Um, that's a 100.
Well, we kind of need to talk to him about pumpkin season.
Whether you were gonna be a part of it.
Yeah. Before I commit to that or figure that out...
Um, I got to get my head around it.
Well, I have been thinking about pumpkin season
'cause I know it's coming up here sooner than later
and obviously, the north side part of it is up for sale.
So I don't know, I just have to have
a little bit more info as to what does this year look like?
What's changing?
You know, what are the tour... What is his gameplan?
You know, he asked me to do a tour
that he had forgotten about and stuff
and I said, "Sure." You know, "I'll go and do it."
[Amy] We also heard from Mat
that his dad had to go in the hospital
and he had a tour, a private tour
scheduled on the farm.
So, you know, I definitely said yes right away
because, you know, he's in Arizona
attending a family matter.
And, you know, you just help out,
regardless of what's going on.
It's just what you do.
But I tell you, I said "yes" way too quick.
-Hmm. -Because I was like...
-"Okay, what do I talk about now?" -Hmm.
It's been quite some time since I've done a tour.
Ever since I've moved off the farm,
I kind of feel, like, disconnected.
Last year was my first time doing the wagon tour,
-first time I've volunteered. -Ever participated.
Yeah, participated in any part of that.
And definitely be open to doing it again.
Obviously this is our big pumpkin area.
-We've got several varieties of pumpkins to choose from. -[woman] Oh, oh!
Is a pumpkin a fruit or a vegetable?
[woman laughs]
Have you read the script?
We just tweaked and critiqued him a little bit but...
-So harsh. -I was not.
He might have had a little rough start
but he did fantastic the rest of the time.
Yeah, if Matt needs help with tours, you know,
depending on what the tourists look like,
I'd be happy to help out but, um...
Yeah, I'm not sure...
Pumpkin season's lost it's lure for me now.
Half of it up for sale, it's like...
I... I guess I'm afraid of being asked
so many questions. "What do you think?"
"Oh, it's so sad that that part of the farm..."
"It's not pumpkin season anymore"
-You know, whatever people... -Mm-hmm.
...may think.
[Amy] I think what makes pumpkin season
a little more unique
is when there's some of the family members involved
but when you have a rift in family,
that doesn't always go away right away.
And so, when it's just another pumpkin place,
I just wonder how I could fit in in the future.
Regardless, I think you should go and do your costume thing.
Oh dear, oh dear.
I think you're a big part of it.
-Oh dear, oh dear. -I think you should be there.
-I don't know. -You know...
[Chris] Well, if Amy is not for working at pumpkin seaso
I'd feel funny going there without her.
Um, I'm just doing it, one, for the fun of it
and two, something that her and I can do together.
But wouldn't be near as much fun if Amy wasn't there.
You being there is a bigger part
of it then me doing tours.
[Amy speaking]
[Zach] Yeah, the Witouses are really positive people
but they also have been through a lot.
Moments that are hard, anniversaries, of course.
-Like birthdays and stuff. -The things you don't think of before it happens.
[Zach] Michael and Jackson are playing great together.
Yeah, I don't know. They just read each other so well.
It's nice when kids... Forget the dwarfism.
It's nice when kids are on the same page.
-[Jess] Yeah. -Yeah.
[Zach] Jackson is really hitting it off with Michael
who is Mikey and Jess' only son.
Um, it is awesome when you have two, you know, five, four-year-olds
that get together, that get along so well
right off the bat.
How are you guys doing?
Uh, we're good, like...
You know, it's like good for the most part.
We have our resources, our support that have really helped us.
-[Mikey] Losing [stutters] a child, like it's... -[Jessica] Losing ch-- yeah.
There's mental, uh, grief that everyone has to go through.
[Zach] Yeah, the Witous' are really positive people.
But they also have been through a lot.
Mikey and Jess had two, um, daughters
that died very, very early.
[Jessica] Two years ago, we found out we were pregnant again.
And then, at 18 weeks, we learned that
there was a possibility that the baby would have double dominant dwarfism.
We both have achondroplasia
So because we have the same type of dwarfism,
basically, it's kinda like two dominant genes fighting that,
you know, one doesn't win. And so their lungs are under-developed,
and there's some narrowing of the, um, foramen magnum.
Yeah, even more narrowing
-of the spinal columns, like. -Yeah.
Basically, every complication that could happen with achondroplasia
-is made... made... -Like magnified, yeah.
[Mikey] Typically, with like, achondroplasia and double dominancy,
the children only last, like, seconds to minutes, maybe even hours.
[Zach] I didn't realize, like,
like, the stories are starting to come out.
It is. It's 25% chance that it can happen.
Every time. It's not like, oh, you had it once,
-so you're not gonna have it again. -[Tori] Right.
-It's 25% every time. -[Zach] With any... any couple that's,
-has the same type of dwarfism. -Same type, yeah.
If there's two parents with achondroplasia,
there's a 50% chance that your child will have achondroplasia,
there's a 25% chance that your child will be average height,
and there's a 25% chance that your child will be born with double dominance.
[Zach] Can't imagine what they're going through, like
going through the pregnancy, going through all that and then
watching your baby, you know, pass away. Um, can't imagine.
It's more like moments that are hard. Anniversaries, of course,
like birth dates and stuff and um...
-But... Yeah. -Some things you don't think of, like,
before it happens.
[Jessica] This is Margot Ann
and this is Bernadette Suzanne.
Margot was with us for two and a half months.
-Which is very-- -She even came home with us.
She came home with us, so her last three weeks, she was home with us, um...
Bernadette Suzanne is our third and she, um,
she lived four days.
So, but we were able to take her home again.
Everyone thinks of the big moments, but it's like...
-[Jessica] It's a little... -It's the little things. Like,
oh, what would we be doing
-if both girls-- -[Jessica] They were here.
Or one of the girls was here with us.
And, like, I'm sure you guys do the same thing.
-Wh... Where would you be? -[Jessica] Yeah.
-[Mikey] Like, or what would you be doing? -[Jessica] Yeah.
I mean, I don't know. [sighs]
Credit God and the hospital staff for working with us
and getting our girls to come home.
That's a miracle in itself, you know.
[Mikey] It was great to have that moment.
Um, and happy that Michael got to meet his sisters.
Nothing gives a reason or makes it better but, um,
we like to think we have two saints in heaven
that are watching out for us.
[Tori] How's he been with everything?
-[Jessica] Pretty good, and-- -[Mikey] Yeah, he's...
he's been good, he has... he has his days where,
like, he'll... he'll say something that just, like,
tugs at our heart strings, like, "Oh, I wish Bernie was here"
or "I wish Margo was here", but like,
then like...
-the next subject is like... -He changes the subject.
"Can we watch, like, uh, TV? Can we turn on the TV?"
-Are you guys... You'll... You'll try again? -[baby crying]
-[Mikey] Yeah, we're-- -[Jessica] I mean, that's the plan. I gotta...
I still need to do some healing, some recovery.
Yeah.
Physically and emotionally and mentally. But um,
yeah, I mean, that's our plan
is to grow our family. So... we'll figure out a way.
-[Zach] I think it's super brave of them to... -[Tori] Yeah.
[Zach] ...even try to have kids after maybe at the first loss.
People say, like [exhales] you know, "Why do you bring people into the world?"
Like, they think it's not good that we procreated
and brought more dwarfs into the world to suffer, you know.
But I totally disagree with that.
I think people with disabilities
have a right to procreate and have family.
You know, so.
-[Jessica] How about you guys, I mean? -[Mikey] Yeah.
-[baby crying] -You know.
-[Tori] Just as what happened with us last year? -[Jessica] Yeah.
-[Mikey] Yeah. -I mean, like,
it's hard to, like, sit and, like,
talk to someone, like, you know,
you guys have been through so much.
-And it was like... It was like a traumatic experience... -[Jessica] Yeah.
...for sure, but I think that, like,
I don't know.
-[Jessica] Well, that's the thing. Like, don't ever... -[Mikey] We won't downplay
-your feelings. -[Tori] Right.
-Compare because-- -A loss is a loss.
-[Tori] Totally. -[Jessica] Yeah, your loss is your loss.
-And it's big and it's major. -[Tori] I think that like, for... for me,
what I think about everything that happened was just
-the way that it happened. -[baby cooing]
-[Jessica] Hmm. -And like,
you know, like, it was just-- it was really hard.
But I mean, we were so blessed to get Josiah.
-I mean, like, pretty quickly after. -[Jessica] Yeah.
Like it didn't take very long for him to come along
and so, I think that that helped our healing a lot.
It was hard for me to compare
-with Jess, like, 'cause I... this... -Yeah...
What they went through was so significant
and like, it doesn't discount what we went through.
However, it was hard for me to connect on that level.
Because it was like, what do I have to complain about
when we're sitting there with three healthy babies that...
they should be sitting there with three healthy babies.
The fact that you guys have been so strong in your faith
and the fact that you've been able to, like, go through this twice,
-like, not just once. -[Jessica] Yeah.
But twice. The courage that you guys have is unbelievable.
You... You become grateful for the things you do have
rather than focusing on the things you don't have.
Makes you be that much more appreciative
of the fact that we have Michael and that he's, uh, fully healthy.
-It's not an easy subject to talk, like, you go over it. -[Tori] It's not.
But it happens to so many.
[Tori] So many, yeah.
And like, people who haven't gone through it
are afraid to talk to people who have, like, about it.
'Cause like, they think that they're gonna make people sad, but it's like,
no, like, it's... it's a form of therapy for parents when they talk about it.
It's been taboo for so long to not talk about miscarriage
and to not talk about losing children.
So I think that when Mikey and Jess
talk about losses, it makes other people feel less alone.
It could be a healing and an encouraging thing fo
them to see other couples talking about it.
Papa!
[Tori] Coming up...
[Zach] Are you ready?
Set. Go.
-[Mikey] Come on, bud, run. -[all cheering]
-[Tori] Okay. -[Zach] All right, let's go check it out.
[baby cooing]
[woman cheers]
[Zach] Come on, onward.
[kid talking]
The Witous' have never been to Oregon or the Northwest, really.
Um, so it's exciting to bring them to, you know, the Oregon beach.
And yeah, show them a little bit
of our neck of the woods.
Look what Jackson's doing.
-[Mikey laughs] -Oh, my God.
-Yay! -[Tori exclaiming]
[Zach] Whoa, good job, bud.
-Wa-wa. -[gasps]
Was that your favorite thing at the beach?
-Wa-wa. -It was the wa-wa?
What is your favorite?
[cheering]
[Zach] This age, this is like the last years our kids
before they become aware of who they are.
There's like an ignorance.
-Not an ignorance, there's a child-- -[both] Innocence.
It is just a thought I had when I watched them playing, and like,
the older they get, they're gonna start
realizing that the world maybe looks at them differently
or that they are different.
He's unaware of who he is.
And next summer could be different.
And I think it's our job to protect their innocence
-as long as we possibly can. -Yeah.
I was telling Mikey how it's their last years, like,
they can run down the beach and not think about, like,
-who's looking at me, who's staring, who's... -Yeah.
...making fun of my waddle feet, you know.
I know.
And you want to, like... You want them to, like, keep that forever.
Yeah, okay.
The confidence to just, like, do whatever...
-[Zach] Yes. -Again, like, you know,
"I can do this too."
There's "What do you mean I can't do this?"
[Zach] They're both the tallest, the fastest, the smartest,
the coolest kids in the room.
-And they know it, you know what I'm saying? -[Jessica] Yeah.
But then it's gonna like, that, like, when that hits them...
Yeah, you go from the fastest to the slowest.
[Zach] Well, and there's another additional challenge that they're gonna face.
I think it hit me earlier.
I don't think I had the confidence.
I think already had, like, a depreciatingness about myself.
Jackson, I just think he has stronger confidence in himself
that, uh, might just burst his bubble even more. Or...
I've also seen dwarves that never lose it.
Like, they're still, "I'm the fastest one in the room."
I hope he doesn't lose it.
But yeah, like, do you remember
-noticing the difference? -[Zach] Oh, yeah.
-It's during the PE classes-- -It was... I was just gonna say
I noticed it when I was playing soccer
that the kids were bigger. And I was like, like I knew I was a little person
but like...
I liked playing goalie, and then, like, eventually,
the goals were just the cones
-and then once we went to, like, goals... -Yeah.
-[Zach] Like, I was just ushered out, you know. -[Jessica] Yeah.
-If we were, like, winning... -Yeah.
...they'd, like, let me score the goal and I was like, "Thanks for the--"
-Oh, I hated that. I hated that. -Thank you.
-[Mikey] Thanks for the handout. -Whatever...
Yeah, like, thanks for the handout, but...
That's what I always try to, like, push, like,
I've tried parents who're, like, asking, "Oh, what... what can they do?"
-Anything. Just let them do anything. -[Zach] Yeah.
So the base thing I always, like, try to
tell every child parents that have a child with dwarfism is, like,
find a way to give them the experience of doing the things
that they want and that they seek enjoyment in.
Uh, don't shelter them from society.
Let them be in society, let them know what society is like
and how it will treat them,
so that they're ready for it when they become an adult on their own.
But until then,
let's give them a good life and...
we don't want them to grow up too fast.
I don't think there's one way to prepare your kids to,
you know, take on the world that thinks they're different.
Just instilling confidence and resilience in them,
when challenges come up, will definitely address them you know.
-[Tori] Who's more fast? -[boy] Me.
Do you guys wanna race?
-[Zach] Jackson, Michael. -[boy] Yeah.
Let's do it.
[boys exclaiming]
-Here, grab like the other... -I'm gonna grab the hoe.
-[Zach] Jackson wants to rac -[Tori] He's like, I wanna race!
-[Zach] Jackson-- -[Tori] He has testosterone
-just raging through his bod -[Zach] Yeah.
But that's not just with Michael.
-That's with anyone who comes in. -No, that's with all the boys.
That's like, any boy who comes in, he thinks he's faster.
Jackson, Michael, come here.
[woman giggles softly]
-[Mikey] You guys-- You guys are gonna have fun. -[Zach] Okay...
Michael, you ready?
Set!
Hey... Ready?
Set! Go!
-Go! -Go!
[dramatic music playing]
[music intensifies and stops]
[Zach chuckling] That was pretty even.
[Mikey] Yeah.
[Zach] Who was faster?
Are you sure you were faster?
Give him high-five.
Now Zach and Mikey!
[Zach] When Tori said, Mikey and Zach race,
I was like, "Oh, heck yeah.
No, I was totally into it. I'm super competitive.
Let's go.
[upbeat music playing]
-[women cheering] -[men chuckling]
[Mikey] I could've knocked you down.
Did you pull anything?
Yeah, but what was that? Who won?
-I don't know. -[all chuckle]
Who do you think won?
Argh!
-Probably was. -That's a good answer.
I'll take a tie! [chuckles]
You're both winners.
[Tori] You're both winners in our hearts.
[Zach] Best part about the Witous' visit was
-the beach day was a lot of fun. -Mm-hmm.
Catchin' up with Mikey and Jess was a lot of fun too.
-[Tori] The kids rallying. -[Zach] The most was just watching Michael and Jackso
-rally and... -And he did an awesome job.
-I think that he was a great friend to Michael. -Yeah.
Lilah, smile! Say cheese!
[narrator] Coming up...
[whistles]
Well, you know, one of the things my dad said was,
"I just want everybody in the family to get along."
Those were powerful words, so I got a lot of work to do.
Zach and Tori said they needed space,
but I'm gonna try to work constantly on
making sure that the family gets along.
[serene instrumental music playing]
[whistles]
[Matt] Caryn and I were down in Arizona,
um, 'cause my dad was getting more and more ill.
And, um, after puttin' up a very big fight, for several weeks,
uh, he finally succumbed to his lung issues.
Um... And he passed away peacefully.
[sniffles]
I'm just glad we got down there when we did.
I thought he was gonna [chuckles] walk out of it.
And then there was a point, when, like, "Uh-oh!"
Yeah, it's... a chance he might not.
And then... And then the next day it would be like...
[stutters] You know, going good.
Yeah, the roller-coaster of it.
[sighs softly]
Very nice, that all of you were...
Kids... flew there to say their goodbyes.
That meant a lot to me,
and I'm sure it meant a lot to him.
Towards the end when we kne things looked more dire. I..
uh... notified everybody. All the kids.
And, um... they... um...
Yeah, they all came in.
They...
simply all dropped everything.
When it mattered most, we can all
not get along for this, that, or the other thing,
But when the... when the
crap hit the fan,
within hours, they were... in my dad's... by my dad's side.
A... And all of them were able to be there.
[gulping]
And then, you know, Jeremy, Zachary, Molly, Jacob, and then...
You know, 'course my mom-- mother was there and um...
So, um, it was...
You know, we were there by his side.
[choking up]
[sniffles softly]
Oh, I'm sorry. I know this is hard for you.
I just figured that they were gonna...
You know, we were gonna get more time with them down there... I mean,
they just barely got settled in Arizona.
My parents decided to seek warmer ground
so they moved down to Arizona,
and they happened to land about a mile and a half--
two miles maybe, from Caryn's parents.
Caryn's parents helped them acclimate to the-- to the ar
and get to know people.
I was lookin' forward to, you know, all the time we were gonna be able
to spend with them down there.
And, um... it just kind of...
You know, you feel a little bit,
you feel a little bit robbed.
Yeah, we took 'em to the movies, remember?
-[Matt] Yeah, we took 'em to the movies. Yeah. -[Caryn chuckles]
-[Matt] That was good. Yeah. -That was adorable, watchin' them holdin' hands.
[melancholy music playing]
Boy, he sure loved my mother.
[Caryn] Mm-hmm.
You know that... She's strong, but you know, she's...
Definitely havin' to re-figure out what she can do
and what she can't do and...
-[sighing] Yeah. -Um...
My mother is doing good,
but she also doesn't have him there
as a safety net.
He doted on my mom, and one of his...
one of his last words to me was,
"You know, I really spoiled your mom.
And so, now, I really need to look...
look to you to...
look to me to help take care of her
and make sure she, you know, lives a comfortable, happy life." So um...
And I told him I had... would have that under control.
[Caryn] I loved your dad. He was a great guy.
He was very... positive and...
[Matt] Mm-hmm.
Um... He's gonna be missed, for sure.
-[sniffles] -[Matt] Mm-hmm.
He lived life large, you know, no doubt about that.
My dad was sort of a... larger than life character,
and, um, my dad had a pretty good sense of humor,
and, you know, he gave me a hard time sometimes.
My dad had no fear to say what was on his mind,
and... he'd tell it like it is.
You're... You're buildin' a house for whom?
-For these grandbabies that we're talkin' about. -You guys gonna get married?
-What's the deal here? -[chuckling]
-How can you have a home without a wife? -[chuckles]
He had a big person... "I love people."
He never met a person that he didn't, you know,
wanna visit with and learn about.
-Great to see you, Papa. Thanks for drivin' up. -[laughing with joy]
-Wanna say, "Hi!"? -Lilah, good to see...
-[softly] Hey! Hey! -[Tori] Is he...
[woman] Lilah Ray!
Hey! Not too many guys to say I...
I've snuggled with my great grandpa.
Okay! Here we come! Oh!
[all laughing]
He led a really good life.
And... Uh, he made a big impact
on a lot of people, so it was um...
But it's never easy.
It's always kinda hard to say goodbye to somebody,
here on Earth, but, um, I think,
you know, we can... rest assured that he's
um... in a better place.
So I'm comforted by that.
I don't know if I told you this, but...
couple of days before he passed, he made some
private comments to me.
He wanted everybody to... everybody to love each other.
One of the things my dad said in his final hours or days,
was, "I just want everybody in the family to get along."
You know, and I want the same thing.
And it's not just me and them. It's everybody.
So, all you can do is make sure that
you don't bring any additional negativity to the table.
Sometimes things just take time, you know, and...
I'm being respectful of the fact that
Zach and Tori said they needed space,
but I'm gonna try to work constantly
on making sure that the family gets along.
He always wanted everybody to get along.
Those were powerful words that I have embedded in my head.
So, I got a lot of work to do.
[somber instrumental music playing]
-[upbeat music playing] -[narrator] Next on Little People, Big World...
[Chris] We are turning the big six-o.
I know, the big 6-0.
So, are we on agreement of doing a... little celebration.
Yeah, I think we said we were gonna do that.
-Yeah. -Oh, okay.
I've told Chris that, "Yeah, sure. We can have a joint birthday party."
What Chris doesn't know is that I'm working on
a surprise birthday party that's just for him.
It's nerve-wracking,
I find anxiety and just...
casually find out...
Does have a clue?
So, I' really gonna have to work hard
to be able to pull this off.
Jackson! You got your very own bridge?
Feeling reflective on my dad passing away.
And with all the kids,
I'm re-doubling my efforts
to check in on 'em all as often as possible.
Look at that little Josiah.
We want him to be... Have a relationship with his grandkids and all that,
but we wish things didn't go the way they did.
I'm so glad I got to come up and see your farm.
[Zach] Sometimes, things can be awkward
but that's what's to be expected
with where our relationship's at.
-[indistinct chatter] -Hey, guys! They're here!
-[woman] They're pulling in... -They're here, you guys!
-Quiet! [shushes] -[indistinct chatter]
Walkin' up to the venue,
I... I mean, I really got, like, nervous.
[chuckling] I have not pulled this off yet,
until I see the look on his face
and is he actually surprised?