Thank You

A big thank you to everyone for their support of the walk-and-roll-a-thon. Be it monetary or words of encoragement, it all counted and it all helped.

Even though it started raining a third of the way in and he got soaked my dad made it through. And I’m very happy to say it was their biggest turn out ever. 

No, these photos have nothing to do with my words.

My Anniversary and a Special Request

Today is my 17th wedding anniversary. I can’t believe it’s been that long or so wonderful. Yesterday we played hooky from life while the kids were at school. We went to a rummage sale, out for breakfast and lunch, to a movie in the middle of the day and to a bookstore. Not very romantic, eh? But if you have little ones, you know the luxury of doing that sort of thing child free.

And now on to my request…

17 years ago my youngest sister rolled down the aisle of our church as my bridesmaid. A little over a year ago, she unexpectedly passed away. Tomorrow, my father will be completing a 5k in her memory as well as 3 others who had spina bifida and have now passed. Please consider making a pledge today sponsoring my father that will benefit the Spina Bifida Association of Illinois. Even just a $5 donation would be very much appreciated.

• Click here for the brochure about the event, the association and those it’s honoring. 
• Click here to make a pledge as well as see a cute picture of my parents.

Thank you for listening. I don’t particularly like fundraising. However, I know exactly how much this association helped my sister as well as my parents deal with the challenges of spina bifida.

Folding Laundry

Why is it I haven’t asked the kids to help fold laundry before? Seth could fold washcloths perfectly with no instructions.

Eleanor being 2 1/2 years younger needed to be shown how a couple times and aren’t as neat and tidy but who cares? They’re kitchen and bath washcloths for heavens sake. Though it was a bit aggravating that she wouldn’t stack them. Apparently each cloth needed it’s own space.

Of course, where Seth can fold a stack and keep on task, Eleanor has a limit of about 5 or 6 and then she starts doing things like rolling them.

Green Vans

What do you do when the only pair of slide on shoes you can find in your 5 year old’s size are bright white vans? Keeping in mind I’d been shopping already for 4 hours and he needed them in 2 days for school. He’s required to have some sort of slide on indoor shoe/slipper for school. And this is NOT the time of year to go slipper shopping.

Why you buy them anyway and dye them green of course. A blueish green as prescribed by said 5 year old.

I have new found respect for those that make custom color dyes. I prefer mixing paint colors where you see the progress you’re making. Not peering into a bowl of black liquid that could in fact be just about any color in the end. Phew – that was way more than I bargained for.

A Letter to My New Teacher

 

“My name is Seth. I am S. I collect a bunch of transformers. I have a little sister. This summer I went on a trip to NASA. I saw lots of stuff I loved. I saw a come-apart rocket there and I got it! My favorite food is fish sticks. I love rice candy. I used to go to tumbling lessons but now I don’t. Sports class is a lot of work. If wore me right out. I hope my new school has castle-building legos.”

As dictated to his current day care provider and given to his new preschool teacher. I wish I could have scanned the card. He calls it a book and it included a photo of him and drawing he did that he describes as “not anything”. Unfortunately, I couldn’t figure out my scanner on this particular morning. That’s ok, I’d probably end up loosing it anyway. Incidentally, this is the photo I would have chosen for his locker. Click here to see the one he chose “because it’s silly”. Ah, that boy.