Branson & Audrey

So Audrey came over to play...


And Branson had a great idea...


called "stick your tongue and face on the sliding glass window"...


Audrey thought it looked awfully fun...




So she decided to join Branson at the window...


And she showed him up big time in the silly face department...



Well Branson just couldn't have a girl beat him so he played with her little hair thingy...




And then tackled Audrey and tried to eat her...

Audrey Creativity W Muscle L Cuteness Tie

Branson Creativity L Muscle W Cuteness Tie

Today...

Why I am Jay Buhner's #1 Fan

I know there are three different video clips here, but trust me that you gotta watch them all. In the spring of 2001 Anderson was 5, our time at RMH was coming to a close and he was invited to be the first person to run the bases for the Mariners 2001 season. The weekend before he was due to make his special appearance we were able to go home for two days. Anderson jumped off his bunk bed and broke his heel. The Mariners Public Relations people said that they would have to find someone else to circle the bases since the ball players are highly superstitious and wouldn't want someone using a wheelchair on their prized field. When the team heard that they were giving Anderson the boot they wouldn't stand for it...they didn't care if he was in a wheelchair. So opening night we were down on the field to see Ichiro make his first ever appearance. Anderson had two favorite players, Edgar Martinez and Jay Buhner. He loved that Jay had a bald head, just like him...well, just watch and see why Jay Buhner totally rocks in my book.









Sorry about the poor quality...we put this on the Internet using the white trash method. But a HUGE thank you to my professional video recorder...Alicia! I had been wanting to post this for some time and I couldn't do it until she helped me out.

If you missed it, Jay Buhner actually used his own jersey to wipe Anderson's drippy nose! He was amazing. He gave Anderson a wrist band and a pair of his used batters gloves. Why did Anderson think the gloves were so cool? They had Jay Buhners gum smeared on them!

I Wanna WIN!

The two lucky winners are......

Rachel Haertling

Jeff and Heidi

You gotta Iguana...book!

What Sydney Learns at Activity Days...

Last week at Activity Days Jan Barron sent the girls on a Nature hunt. As the girls came filing out to their moms each of the girls had little snack sized baggies full of leaves, twigs, and rocks. Not Sydney...out she comes with a dead branch that is taller than I am! So for over a week it has sat propped in her bedroom. She won't let me throw it out even after I found Branson trying to eat it. My kids walk home from school. Yesterday Cayden walked in alone.

Me: Cayden where is your sister? You know you are supposed to wait for her.
Cayden: I did mom, but she found some nature stuff on the side of the street and she's taking forever because she is carrying it.

When Sydney walks around the corner she is pulling half a tree through my house! OK maybe it wasn't really half a tree, but almost. It is dead and pine needles and twigs are covering the floor in her wake. Besides that, she has more treasures in her hands that look less dead, but pretty sappy. When I tell her to take them out to the trash can she looks like I just ran over her cat.

I let her keep ONE. The less sappy, not so big, living piece of nature.

Thanks Jan.

I Wanna Iguana

I Wanna Iguana

By Karen Kaufman Orloff

This is one of my favorite picture books!

A little boy begs his mother to let him get a pet Iguana. The mother and son correspond back and forth in letter form as they each plead their case both for and against owning an Iguana. (Obviously the mom is the protagonist in this story) It's whimsical illustrations and catchy letters make this book an instant classic. This book giveaway is for TWO lucky winners!

Post a comment before 8:00 AM on Friday morning to be entered to win.

(For those who may be new to my book giveaways-they are gently used and may have names written on the inside cover. But I am very picky and guarantee that each of my books has plenty of life left in them.)

Anderson at 13

After being diagnosed with Leukemia in May of 2000 it took less than 24 hours on Chemo for him to go into remission. This was very good news since it meant he would not have to have radiation treatments. Because Leukemia is in the blood stream, those who have it go through a prolonged treatment program. Anderson was on chemotherapy until the spring of 2004. Due to his "high risk" category Anderson has a greater chance of Leukemia coming back one day but those are just statistics and he is doing great. He gets a thorough blood check about twice a year and he is a polite, happy, ornery teenager.

Before he got sick Anderson loved sports and outside was his favorite place to be. The biggest change I saw in Anderson as a result of his sickness is his lack of interest in athletics and his desire to play outside. I am sure this is a direct result of being "trapped" inside the Ronald McDonald house for months at a time with severely low blood counts. Video games became his passion...his only passion but I have been noticing some changes. This past week Anderson took his birthday money and bought himself a skateboard. He has opted to go out on the sport court (his Make-a-Wish donation) and ride his skateboard instead of playing X-box. This is HUGE! We had some kids move into the house next door that Anderson has known for some time. Our street has always been a quiet, older street but Saturday night filled me with that "happy mom feeling." Anderson and Cayden were across the street in the dark playing hide and go seek with the neighbor kids. I could hear screams and laughter...that is what being a kid is all about.

Uh...Anderson, I think you are supposed to stand on the skateboard.

Anderson went fishing with John yesterday and I received an excited telephone call from the boat announcing to me that he had caught his first Salmon. I see a new life in Anderson. It took many years for him to begin to run faster and grow taller. He was 20 pounds at three months and is now on the shorter side, but his body is hanging in there.
He loves choir and anything that has to do with singing. Besides being in the McLoughlin 7th grade choir he is participating in the Three Rivers Children Chorus. His hobbies and interests have not turned out to be what we had thought they would...but I wouldn't change him for anything.