Lindsey's Little Miracles

I know the chances are slim that anyone local is reading, but I have to write about an organization centered around a very little girl holding a very big event tomorrow. Lindsey's Little Miracles was founded by a friend of mine, Quaker Grubbs, whose daughter, Lindsey, was diagnosed with a rare form of liver cancer just after her first birthday. You can read their story on the site as my words could never do it justice. The gist is that Lindsey is considered NED (no evidence of disease) and if she maintains that status for the next few years, she's considered cured. If she does not, she will be considered terminal.

For the past two years, the Grubbs family has put together a huge fundraiser to benefit the Make-A-Wish Foundation for local children. Even as I type it, I'm getting goosebumps.

I've known Grubbs family for a little over a year. My oldest daughter and Quaker's son were in the same preschool class. In one of our early conversations I actually said the words "you've lived through every parent's nightmare." to her when she talked about Lindsey's illness. In a later conversation, had over baby shower preparations for one of the teachers, I heard about how the diagnosis and treatment sent a ripple through the family.

I instinctively hold my breath when I think about the fears this family must face every day. Lindsey is a beautiful child in every way. She's bright. She's friendly. She's articulate. She's curious. She's snuggly. She lights up a room! I thought that long before I ever knew she was *thee* Lindsey of Lindsey's Little Miracles. When I did find out, I secretly cried.

I'm humbled by how the Grubbs family can channel the tears that must live somewhere below the surface into helping others. And darnit, they're productive at it!

I first send out my prayers to Miss Lindsey for her health. My next set go out to her family for their strength and peace. And last, I pray that the event tomorrow goes off without a hitch, including beautiful weather, and raises a ton of money for a very very worthy cause.

Sorry to keep referring back to their site, but if you'd like to attend the event or contribute, give it a click.

[photo courtesy of http://www.lindseyslittlemiracles.com/]

Why has the Supernanny never covered the "Java" technique?

For years and years, I have been decaffeinated. It started just after college when I was having horrible stomach issues. An ultrasound showed no issues and the doc's recommendation was to eliminate trigger foods one at a time to possibly identify the problem. It turns out, the offending food group was caffeine. Flash forward about 10 years, one year post-gallbladder-removal and I can enjoy a nice cup of coffee again without doubling over and weeping. Who knew I was such a delicate little flower and could detect an issue before it even shows up.

So last night my husband was out of town on business. Whenever he has these trips I always talk them up in my head. "I'm going to relax after the kids go to bed. Maybe I'll catch up on Lipstick Jungle and Project Runway. Maybe I'll pop in some Sex and the City DVDs. The possibilities are endless!" What actually ends up happening, invariably, is that I work well past my bedtime. Last night was no exception.

I typically like to hit the hay around 10:30 PM. We'll just say I saw AM on the clock before turning in this morning. And as luck would have it, five minutes after getting into bed I hear "Mommy...Mommmmy....MOMMMMMY!!" It turns out the little one wet her bed. :-( I take responsibility because I must have forgotten to ask her to use the potty before going to sleep. Poor kid. I'm kind of pleased I was still up, though, because I was better able to care for my little pee-pee princess with loads of compassion. She was lucky there was extra space in my bed. And believe me when I tell you she used every inch of her allotted amount and some of mine.

I don't recall actually sleeping last night. The alarm was set for 6:00 AM. I set two just in case one malfunctioned. I woke at 5:50 and decided to lay in bed until I heard beeping. What a glorious ten minutes of sleep that was.

Promptly after getting out of the shower, I indulged in a very large cup of freshly ground and pressed coffee. With its assistance, I was able to pack a lunch, get us three girls dressed and fed, and walk this whole crew to school. I was cheerful and efficient. And that's when it hit me. Coffee helps me be a better parent. Sure I'll pass out in a few hours once it's out of my system. Sure it gives me horrible breath for that "one last kiss" before school. And then there's the issue of stained teeth. But it's all good. For today anyway... Tomorrow is Saturday and I'm hopeful a few extra winks of sleep will alleviate the need for my new parenting crutch!

[photo courtesy of http://scienceblogs.com/retrospectacle/2007/08/science_vault_coffee_as_a_cure.php]

The joys of Facebook

Is it me or is Facebook the same as high school? I admit it, I'm late delving into the world of social networking. I created an account several months ago when one of my cousins dragged me in. There it sat, with no friends and no activity. I honestly forgot it had it. Then one day I get an email that someone else I knew "friended" me. Two weeks later another friend emailed about how fun it was, blah blah blah and off I dove into the sea of old friends, acquaintances, enemies and others.

It didn't take me long to find the graduating class at my high school. Just recently my mom asked me, "Do you think you'll ever go to a reunion?" My answer, "it's not very likely."

In high school I definitely had a group of friends, but the ones I've wanted to keep in touch with are on my speed dial. The rest I haven't talked to in about 10...okay okay...15 years and I'm okay with that. I wish them well. If I ran into them I'd love to have coffee and catch up. But I'm not really inclined to search them out.

On Facebook I've got a list of some of those people sitting in front of me waiting for me to friend. There are some folks I requested friendship from immediately. Usually the message sent with the request went something like "Kimmy!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!" or "OMG! Remember that time we fill-in-the-blank?!"

The second layer of people were folks I was friendly with but it took some time for me to request their friendship. Thankfully I haven't been denied yet, though there are still many out there. I went to school in a small town. Some of these people I met in kindergarten and graduated with. Yet in high school, we merged with a few other towns and I basically lost them.

Since I live about 600 miles from the area I grew up in, and have since 8 weeks after graduation, I don't tend to run into these people. I've certainly never socialized with them beyond the prom. It's actually amazing to me how many of them stuck around!

So here I sit. I'm nearly 34 years old. I'm accomplished. I'm confident. I'm pretty much okay with who and what I am. So why do I care who I'm friends with on Facebook? *insert eye roll here*

i'm bloated

I was sitting at my younger daughter's dance class tonight, half reading a magazine, half listening to the conversation between another mom and her mother, who was sitting on a wicker bench beside me. Passed me toddled two adorable cherubs with the sweetest cheeks imaginable. I squinted through the sheer curtain of the studio every now and then trying to catch a glimpse of Miss Ballerina doing her thang. It was then that I caught the horrifying reflection of a very bloated girl who sees herself to be quite a bit more svelte in her own mirror.

I'm fat. I'm not self-pitying. I'm not self-defaming. I'm stating fact. Sad sad fact. When I was in high school I was never skinny, but I was fit. I danced. I twirled batons. I ran. I was active, busy and while not the best eater, a better eater than I am now.

I've just come off a party weekend. There is still a box of chocolates on my counter and spinach dip in my fridge. I feel like if I didn't eat for the next 48 hours, I'd be fine...and I ate dinner 3 hours ago. I wonder where this is all leading me? 200 lbs? 250? What will be my limit? Both of my brothers have had gastric by-pass surgery and a second "revision" because they were able to outsmart a bodily alteration. Our family history of obesity is pretty obvious. So is the history for heart disease and diabetes.

I got on a kick the week before last, almost desperate to find a personal trainer. It came as a result of watching The Biggest Loser. Oh how I wish I could do some version of that show for the slightly-less-than-shockingly-obese. I need a Jillian or a Bob. Here I am two weeks later and I've already discontinued working out, riddled with finding time again.

This would be the time for me to write about how I've got a new plan all together and ready to roll out. Something comprehensive that included diet and exercise changes. Yet as I'm sitting here, I feel unoptimistic. I don't know how my time issues will work out. I can definitely work on eating better...the first step being ridding my house of leftover homemade mac and cheese and ribs.

I'm a rational girl who can think clearly and lucidly about almost any topic. Rarely do my emotions get the better of my decision-making processes. Yet I can't seem to "just do" this. We all have our issues, I guess. I"d like to resolve this one, though. I don't like the reflection of the gal staring back at me in the reflection on the glass. She looked like a girl who is lazy. Someone who doesn't play with her kids. She looked unhappy. I could cast a lot of judgements on her.

Happy Birthday to hubby!

I'm thankful to report that our first round of fillings went really well. There was so anxious crying the morning of, but overall, the complaints have been minimal. Today we made our way over to Build-A-Bear workshop for a little reward. I'd really like to get off this bribing system for dental visits, but since I've got another appointment to go, I'll hang in there and keep my trap shut!

Today is my hubby's birthday and he's spent it with his sister, brother-in-law, two nieces, mom, mother-in-law, father-in-law, two daughters, me and two friends from Australian. Once upon a time, he would have balked about all the extra obligation on "his"day. But this year, he seemed genuinely grateful to have everyone around celebrating with him.

We had muffins for an early breakfast and a big brunch. Most of the family left and he, very open hearted, spent the next several hours with our international friends, walking around Broadway at the Beach. When we parted (they'll be traveling on tomorrow) he sincerely thanked them for visiting.

Normally family visits stress me out. I procrastinate in cleaning. I over-think schedules and overwork menus. Everything has to be *just so*. In short, I drive myself nuts. When one thing derails any part of it, I, personally derail. This weekend I made decisions that were good for me, and ultimately ended up being good for others. I went with the proverbial flow. I enjoyed the company of our guests. As a result, everyone involved walked away feeling content and pleased.

It's hubby's birthday, but I believe we're both growing up!