Take a peek...it may save your life...

The Envelope Please....

We have TWO winners this time! Both ladies will receive the "anytime greeting" cards as their comments were literally within minutes of each others! Would seem unfair to not let them BOTH win...AND they were the ONLY two to get all answers right! So, SubWife and WildwoodGirls, CONGRATULATIONS!! Now, let me explain! 1. I lived in LA for two years as a baby, PA until I was 23, NY for 8 1/2 years and then moved back to PA! Will NEVER leave again!! :) 2. GO NITTANY LIONS!!!! (I don't think ANY of you got that wrong! Am I that obvious?? Of course, I am - it's PENN STATE WE ARE TALKING ABOUT!!) 3. We have 3 children. 10, 9 and almost 3 4. I just started blogging in January of '07! So, technically, I am a newbie! 5. Yes, it's a very funny story! My husband was my college boyfriend's roommate. However, due to the trauma that said boyfriend (affectionately known as BUTTFACE) caused, hubby and I became best friends....still are! (insert "AWWWWWWWWW" here!) 6. ART TEACHER! Hello! 7. My only sibling is Tiffany, my poor sister who has put up with years of me! She is quite a bit younger than me but sometimes needs to be the older sister to put me in my place! :) 8. EVERYONE knew Macy-Sue!! That makes me giggle! 9. I am stuck in the 80's! Purple has been my favorite color since I can remember! Only, now in the 21st century, I just keep it's hue off my eyelids! 10. YES, I: pierced my own bellybutton, stole a road sign, birthed both children with NO epidurals, completed my Master's Degree with a 4.0, embarrassed my husband with the things that I blog about, talked a cop out of citing my friends for public urination, recently adopted, watched FOOTLOOSE over 30 times, met John Stamos, Kirk Cameron and Alan Thicke, gave up soda 2 1/2 years ago, was/am a vegetarian, was a telemarketer, pledged a sorority, had a panic attack while driving thru a tunnel, got detention for being late to school 3 x, made a Michael Jackson scrapbook, failed my drivers test the 1st time, cut the tip of my thumb off, owned my own craft shop, had my own bath & body product business, was a direct sales consultant for a company called HENN, was a hot dog preparation specialist, fake-cleaned for a party, over-ate until I was dizzy.....gasp.....and wrote 24 truths that could incriminate me in front of the whole world! BUT I DO NOT HAVE a tattoo on the nape of my neck...although one may be appearing on my foot soon! Stay tuned!! Thanks for playing! That was fun!!!

Titillating Tour - PA-style...

Ladies and gentleman ('cuz I think there is only one of you),

Please take your seats and buckle up as we head off to your long-awaited tour of the 'always exciting' Southern Berks County. It is a happening place to be to make sure you have your cameras poised as you won't want to miss these sights.

Please excuse our speed, but on these country roads we have to get out of the way of our friendly horse and buggies and bare-foot Amish children on scooters.

As we climb Welsh Mountain and progress out of the woods, you will see the sites that make Berks County an irresistible place to live.

This small chapel was built on the grave site of the own of this amazing tree farm. The young attractive, hummer-driving, bachelor man who was left his father's fortune continues to make our countryside beautiful with his trees and quaintly-placed buildings. For all you single women, please fill out the questionnaire and slip it into his mailbox as we round this final curve. Ma'am, one card, one card. PLEASE PUT THE STACK OF POSTCARDS DOWN!

Oh, my! Divert your gaze away from the AWF (Amish Wrestling Federation) SMACKDOWN! Although they are known for their simple, peaceful lifestyle it has become evident that they do not allow photographs to be taken of them as not to incriminate the young. This hooded youth is the heavyweight champion, PLEASE STAY INSIDE THE VAN!

And this is her trainer. He is PUSHING the Clydesdales. Let's move on to some friendlier scenes:

As you will notice from ANY Amish clothes line, their fashion is ...well... limited. No snaps or zippers as this will attract the Devil. Nothing fancy. And apparently, they do not wear underwear. I have yet to see them hanging on the line. Your nest-kept PA secrets revealed here on My Semblance of Sanity Tours!

Out the windows to the right, you will see the latest HOOF CUTLASS. You can't beat the gas mileage on this baby. She is rockin' the roads with her 4.5 mph and clip-clop-on-a-dime abilities. Although, this model's "output" can get a little messy... WATCH OUT DRIVER, I JUST WASHED THIS VAN! Grrrr. Sigh. Ladies and Gentleman, when exiting the vehicle at the end of our tour, please take a clothespin for your nose and watch the back of your legs so as not to smear your pants with "output."

Nothing to see here - SCHOOL'S OUT FOR SUMMER. We are now entering the celebrity portion of our trip... get your cameras ready - the GLAM is just around the corner.

"MOOOOOOve over Pamela Anderson, my gals have got the goods!"

"And those with good cosmetic surgeons have MOOOOOOOORE than the rest of us."

Look directly to your left. Trying to avoid the paparazzi is "Moo" Gibson. The biggest stud in the field. Don't get your hopes up - he doesn't do autographs. Quick, look out to your right. "Bray" Barone of the #1 comedy, EVERYBODY LOVES BRAYMOND, is cracking jokes about the size of his...snout. (Clean humor here. Clean humor!)

Well, it is "5 passed Silo," five minutes later than our tour normally ends but you all have been a part of one of the most exciting tours yet here on My SOS TOURS! You got your money's worth and more! On that note...we end with our FINALE...

THE INFAMOUS POOOOOP TRUUUUCK!

Grab those clothespins, watch the "output" and have a WONDERFUL PA DAY!!

I kid you NOT, I did not leave the comfort of my mini-van for ANY of these pictures!

"If you have nothing better to do than to drive around, photograph livestock and make up a flaky story about it...you might just be a REDNECK!"

Up for air...

GASP....GASP....GASP....

Came up for air just long enough to tell you I finished another NAMESAKE...started potty-training the baby, came up with a COOLER idea for a greeting card line and a NEW contest....

...back to work....

...will fill you in later tonight...

(so, how badly do you wanna know what the new contest is??? you know I love it when you beg!)

~SPLASH~

Climbing off the plate...

I have so much on my plate right now and I just wanted you all to know I AM STILL MAKING YOUR NAMESAKES...

Not that I have felt rushed - I surely have not but I would feel badly if I didn't at least let you all know I haven't run off to the Bahama's with your money and left my kids to complete your NAMESAKES!

The weather has been just gorgeous so we have been sledding (?)

and doing a lot of playing outside. As you know, it is quite difficult to throw a baseball, catch a basketball, sled (?), chase a trike, chase multiple-sized balls across the road while dodging traffic and save the cat from having his tail stomped on by a lunatic 2-year old all while sketching and planning. So, NAMESAKE-making has become a naptime activity!

Of course, when you add a BRAND NEW KING-SIZED PILLOW TOP BED in Mommy and Daddy's room to the mix...

nap time can quickly get out of hand and not be quite so productive!

Add to that an ALEX'S LEMONADE STAND with my church girls...

some zip-line lessons...

(he's not really screaming - he is yelling, "COOOOOOOOOOOOL!!!!!!"

(she WAS screaming...until she saw the camera!)

(hubby - not screaming either, just trying to look young!)

(the baby - watching and wishing he was a few years older!!)

So, as you can see...me chasing all these SHENANIGANS with sketchbook in hand makes me a little sleepy. My usual blogging time is L-O-O-O-N-G after everyone is in bed...but with a KING SIZED PILLOW TOP MATTRESS...that is exactly where I have been, too!

All kidding aside - there were a lot of orders and I continue to fill them. You will receive an email when they go out in the mail. Please feel free to email me if you just wanna check on the progress or your number in line. I haven't forgotten you - just taking my time to make YOURS extra special!

(Oh, and we had a broken bone this weekend - the third one this year! YIKES! Good thing I have all my background clearances from foster parenting or we would be getting a call! LOL!)

Humbled...

What can I say but, "WOW!" http://theresakrier.blogspot.com/ Theresa is an amazing woman who has also taken on the fight and has been featuring different Cancer Kids on her blog, drumming up support for RELAY and much more. This girl has a heart the size of Texas! Right back at ya girl, right back at ya!

No more what??

So, a while back I blogged about the chords attached to my chest, stickies on my boobulars and the gadget stuffed into my pocket. Missed it? Read it here. It is called a Holter Monitor and is kind of like a 24-hour EKG. Every time you have an "episode" (which for me was a fluttering feeling in my chest) you push a button on the small black box stuffed in your pocket and write the time and what you were doing in a little book. Well, I went to get the results. My doctor unfolded a long paper and quietly studied it. Hello, sitting right here, gimme the news! WHY do they do that? The look and they "hmmmm" and then they look and they "hmmmm." Here's the scoop! I am not experiencing heart palpitations as I had thought. I have PVC. No, not like the pipe! PVCs are premature ventricular contractions = extra heart beats. HE THINKS IT COULD BE FROM CAFFEINE! NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO! Then he sent me for a 2D echocardiogram. Lemme tell you, the next person that comes at me with STICKERS FOR MY BOOBS (or warm gell, for that matter) is gonna get slapped! I laid on my side on a bed with my arm above my head in a dark room while a woman I have never met before lubed my left gazzunga and went to town. I was thinking how non-invasive this procedure would be if I was a man. And, and, if I was a guy I would never have to feel a speculum either. Charmed life!LOL! So, I wait for those results but the tech (chief - lubricator) said, "Now, if I noticed something I would have you wait for a cardiologist. I am NOT doing that. I am telling you that you can GO!" In her own "on the down low" way, she was saying, "Move along. Nothing to see here." So, apparently my Venti, iced, non-fat Carmel Macchiato order just grew by another letter...decaf! UGH! Case in point, it is 1:02 am. My dear, sweet, LOUD toddler gets up at 5:30 am - decaf is about as good to me as a flip flop with no strap...does NOTHING for me! Goodnight. Don't forget to check out it's 4 the kids! It's live! Over 1500 hits on Wednesday!

It is your lucky day...

First, before I reveal the secret, please know the responsibility that is in your hands at this moment! If this new website can change one life before it's even designed (we donated $478.00 to CJ Shaw's family - carepage: cjshaw), imagine what it can do when it goes live. Imagine the lives we will change....together! So, are you ready to forward the link to everyone you know? Are you ready to put the logo on your blog? Are you ready to spread the word like wildfire? So, are you ready? Are you ready to check out it's 4 the kids for the first time?! Just a minute...be patient! Are you ready to go see the AMAZING designer Karen at Simply Amusing Designs? GO! GO! GO! Check her out! Revamp your blog! She is a magician!! OH WAIT, before I give you the link, I am still looking for artists who want to share their talents and donate a portion of their proceeds to it's 4 the kids! I have about 6-8 artists who are getting their photos and descriptions to me as we speak so keep watching as the 4 sale page will be increasing in size soon! And, I will forever be asking for children to post on the KIDS page. So, simply go to it's 4 the kids ! Want to help by adding the html to your blog? Thanks in advance! Leave a comment and I will leave the html in your comments! I can't figure out how to put it on here without Blogger telling me there's something wrong with what I wrote.

it's 4 the kids...

HOLY COW! Thanks to an AMAZING woman and her AMAZING talents, I am almost ready to share with you the AMAZING SITE she created for me so we can move mountains and help families dealing with the monster we have come to know as Pediatric Cancer! This is your official OPEN CALL, I am now accepting artists who would like to be featured on the site. I will need a photo of you and your wares, a blurb about what you create and about you, the price of your item and what percentage you will be donating to it's 4 the kids! Also, if you have a "cancer kid" that you would like to see featured in the "kids" section, please send me a photo, a list of their favorite things and type of cancer they are battling. If your child has earned his/her wings, please include the year their wings were fitted. You can mail all of this info to its4thekids@gmail.com! Also, if you are reading this post, you have entered a binding agreement *wink, wink* to forward the link of the AMAZING WOMAN who made the (almost ready) it's 4 the kids website a reality to at least 10 people! I will unveil her with the link to the site soon! She put up with a lot from my non-computer-minded brain and made it all happen! Out of the goodness of her heart. If you ever THOUGHT of having someone do a custom design for you, SHE IS THE ONE!! Peace!

When Chaperoning is P-R-E-T-T-Y!

Now, you take a small group of gifted children to a world-renowned arts facility for an afternoon of tours, talking with artists and getting your hands all messy with paint and I am as happy as a pig in sh--.....mud! Not to mention, I met them there...NO BUS RIDE FOR MOI! The Goggleworks is an amazing place to have 30 minutes from our house! Being in that building makes my fingers twinge and creative ideas float around in my head like little tornados! And that is better than drugs, I tell you! Drugs like Sudafed or Motrin...geez, people, I am an artist in most ways but, drugs? No thanks!! I am freakishly strange enough all on my own!

So much inspiration and a group of amazingly well-behaved children led to some mighty creative moments this weekend - I was a busy NAMESAKE-er during naptime today!

Now, THAT'S the way to do a field trip! My career is back on track! LOL!

What a gift!

There is nothing like opening your email and getting a great big blessing of generosity inside! A couple posts back I was hashing out all of my hopes and dreams for its 4 the kids and soon after I received a wonderful email from Karen from Simply Amusing Designs. Her email said that she had been "following my crumbs" and was moved to help my designing the kids website - for FREE! I accepted after looking at her blog - HOLY COW THIS IS ONE TALENTED WOMAN - only to receive two more similar offers from other readers! Thank you! Karen wanted to use MY drawings and my designs for the website so I have decided to use the 6 children whose families have touched my life and pulled me into their world so far that helping in some way was not even a question anymore. For those of you who visit the carepages go check out Mimi and Julian at juliansworlds, Haley at haleyworld, Coleman at colemanscott, John Eric at johnericbartels, Mikayla at mikaylavenwey and Crazy Bailey at superbay. For those of you who have never gone on the carepages you are missing out on life changing stories and precious children who will impact your life in a way you never imagined! It is free to register and won't sign you up for anything other than a peek into the lives of these amazing families! I have had a lot of feedback over the past couple months and some of it has been less than fond. I have had people tell me that they have stopped reading my blog because it is "too depressing when all you do is talk about those cancer kids." Well, I see the reasoning behind that comment although it rubs me the wrong way because if we all turned our backs because it was too sad, who could "those cancer kids" look to for help? I try and read between the lines when I get those comments and I hear this, " I come to your blog to laugh at what was stuck in your toilet, what your toddler did with a box of markers, etc! I look to your blog for relief from MY OWN chaos!" This is why I have decided to take Karen up on her offer. Within the next week or so I will be unveiling my new website where you can go to make a purchase that will benefit these babies. And if your heart allows you, you can stay and take a peek around and meet some of God's precious angels who have been dealt a really rough hand. But you will also leave being blessed by the network of friends that were brought together through the carepages. I hope that my new site will be a blessing to everyone who visits. I hope that all of my loyal readers will link to it. 7 years ago, while cringing at the baby screams as I painted a mural in a chemo room at CHOP I never imagine voluntarily walking back into that world again. It was painful and sad. But, now I see it as a blessing to be a part of something that is grounded in giving back, in being warriors. its 4 the kids will be what it will be and by the Grace of God I hope it is HUGE! Thank you Karen...from me AND THE KIDS!

(check out my NAMESAKE ebay auction - 100% of the proceeds goes toward its 4 the kids!)

Oprah and the World's Smartest Kids...

Oprah (my BFF b/c I saw her in real life thanks to Kendra) had the cutest kids on her show today. She had kids who could play concert piano by age 3, one little guy who was a mad drummer from the time he was 6 mos old, and a cute set of ballroom dancers that probably still watch Sesame Street and Barney! I guess my kids invitations got lost in the mail. Oprah must have tried to call during the week the phone was sequestered between the cushions of the couch. Whatever the glitch, we missed our calling! As moms, don't we all think OUR child is the cutest, smartest, most polite, precious child on the face of the earth? Even this week as my two-year old started the sticking-out-of-the-tongue gimmick, I noticed he has a very cute tongue. Could a child really be so cute that even his tongue is cute? I do believe I have the cutest tongue in the land!! I currently have the world's most artistic daughter - this little lady can draw anything! Today she was whipping out caricatures by the minute! She is amazing! This one will do something big with her talents. She has the heart of an angel and the patience of a saint. My princess! I also have the world's most philanthropic 10-year old. My first-born has spent the days since Mimi and Haley have left drumming up support for pediatric cancer. He has sold ALL of the Julian bracelets Mimi left him and is anxiously awaiting a new shipment. He is as passionate as his mom about helping others! My youngest (the tongue-sticker-outer) is the newest version of HAPPY GILMORE. Adam Sandler's got nothin' on this kid! My mom bought him a mini golf set and he has dreamed up uses for golf clubs that I could never have imagined. Although, the way the dog winces when he runs past, I think she has dreamed them up! No matter whether I am pulling matchboxes out of my air ducts, getting tractors out of the dishwasher, running forgotten lunches and instruments into school or breaking up the 4,000 argument of the day I am the happiest mom in the world to the three bestest kids in the whole big world! I hope your Mother's Day was spectacular! You deserve it!

Feast or Famine...

WHY DOES BEING A MOM MAKE ME FAT? (if this does not pertain to you - if you are not the least bit chubby and you are a mom, pick up your right foot and stomp it down REAALLY hard on your left...there...I feel better!) So, today as I wiped peanut butter and fluff off my leather couch (and licked my fingers) I started to think about this question. I was pretty thin at one time. Then.I.had.kids. Three.of.them! I chase a toddler all day and a baseball player and an ice-skater after school...why do I not weigh like 37 pounds? Why does my body feel more like a sausage than pretzel rod? Of course kids make you fat starting at conception when they cram their 11 pound (in my daughter's case) baby-selves into your abdomen and sit there for almost a year. What else is there to do when your belly, that the summer before bared itself between bikini pieces, now measures the same circumference as a small elephant but sit and EAT! I have heard people say that they exercised up until the day they delivered. Honey...I had a 50" circumference, I couldn't reach my toes, walk faster than a slug or sit UP. I laid back. LOTS of laying back! If I could have stayed in shape by balancing objects on the stomach that stuck so far out I couldn't reach it's front...I'd be Cindy FREAKIN' Crawford right now. I need to find a picture and post it... Then those little slimy creatures make their way out of your midsection....hmmmm....let's see, 11 pound baby, naturally, no drugs, no episiotomy....let's not go there!! Then, you can't eat enough while you are nursing. I was eating pounds of bacon, cheetos and cupcakes breakfast bars each time I got up with my kids to nurse them. Those calories are tough to burn when all you do is sit and nurse a baby all day. Then they start eating and you have to taste-test everything. Peas and Beef (BARF!), Chicken and Broccoli (BARF!) 13 jars of Blueberry Buckle in a row makes for a great dessert....did I say that? I never did that! Swear! It was 11, not 13! Table food - here is when the trouble sets in! I am not a lover of mac 'n cheese, hot dogs, graham crackers, PB & J or goldfish crackers...so WHY DO I CONTINUE TO EAT THEM? Cold soup and crusts, smashed pretzels and popcorn, seriously gross food. My kids plates are disgusting by the end of the meal. If a child-less person saw what corn, mashed potatoes, orange juice and spit-back-out apple chunks looked like - they would never come to my house again...Hmmmm...my sister is a child-less person - she rarely eats here...I guess now I know why. When I was in Chicago with "the gang" and the waiter said, "And for you ma'am?" (btw...ma'am is NOT what I am - I hate being called that!!) What if I placed my order like this... "First I would like some crushed teddy grahams and warm grapes - could you add a little couch fuzz to those grapes? Thanks." "And for your main course?" "I think I will have the cold grilled cheese...hold the middles please, I really only like the crust. Extra milk dripped on to make them nice and soggy. Can you do that? Thanks." "And for dessert?" "Mmmmm. Dessert. I am going to try the PB & Fluff on Graham Crackers. And, could you lick some of the fluff from around the corners to 'neaten' them up? And a big glass of warm milk." "Crumbs and backwash?" "Oh, yes. Please!" And I wonder why it is hard to keep the pounds off. Sheesh! But when I am feeling fat and dieting trying to make better choices (like I am now) it seems that the bad for me stuff is comforting... Case in point...

When I found the cutting boards UNDER the couch cushions, did I crave fresh fruit salad or a SONIC burger?

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

When my toddler decided to SHAVE HIS NOSE (yes, that really and truly happened today), did my stomach call out for 8 lightly salted almonds or an 8-layer chocolate cake?

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

When the victim of the nasal accident chose the wrong color lipstick (magic-marker), was lettuce spritzed with light dressing or nachos on the menu?

Do you see where I am going with this? It's all about STRESS!! This week Cindy Crawford was on The View and she mentioned how after 2 kids she doesn't dance in bikini for her husband anymore. WTFreak? She could dance in a bikini INSIDE my left pant leg!! So, I am off to start dinner b/c lots of kids are coming over after school - I need to just pop something in the oven as the chaos ensues. I am thinking Extra cheesy enchiladas with corncake and pico de gallo, a side of chips and guac and that 8-layer chocolate cake a leaf of lettuce and an apple.

1 down, 13 to go...

(see below for Gabbin' Mama Video Blog)

Gabbin' Mama Thursday...

OK, so I said something about ebay TWICE...haha...I had to do a couple takes trying to do this without sounding like a geek or tripping over my words so I forgot that I had already mentioned it.

1st NAMESAKE (so far)

Have a RIP-ROARIN' CANCER FIGHTIN' day!

Asking God...

We don't always see where God is "going" when He plops circumstances into our lives. I am never quite sure why He can't orchestrate the day's happenings so that the phone doesn't ring at the same time that I am fishing a "blanky" out of the toilet which was dropped there when the dog barked because the UPS guy was delivering a package that had to be signed for...ALL while my original intent in opening the bathroom door was so that I could USE the bathroom! Sometimes I just KNOW, my God has a HUGE sense of humor. I can't explain my passion for Cancer Kids...I can much more easily explain Mimi's, Haley's, and Peggy's. All I know is that God is laying BIG things on my heart and I pray He is SURE I am the one He wants to do this because it is growing every single day! The cards are selling on CafePress, the NAMESAKES sold amazingly well and in our drive to the airport, Mimi and I had a thousand other ideas. Things that we will need a TEAM to do. You are my team! Heather and Marcy have offered to sell some of their wares on my NEW website/blog (which still needs a DESIGNER! I may be artistic but I cannot "HTML" to save my life!) and donate 50% of their proceeds to the kids! On the way to the airport the Heavens opened and DUMPED a plethora of ideas right into my van! Mimi and I were struggling to not interrupt each other as the ideas were flowing from our mouths like .... um, ideas flowing from our mouths! You thought I was going to say, "vomit!" I was telling her about a book I had written long before I met her or had a blog that is called, "Look What We Can Do..." and is a craft book for kids that shows them how to put their creativity to work and blessing those around them with it. A Philanthropy 101 course for the creative child, if you will. The second part of that series is called, "...When We Put Our Heads Together!" and would be vignettes of the children/scouting groups/schools that used the book to raise money for someone in their community or for a larger organization. Problem is...publishers and agents tell me that because there isn't a "philanthropic" shelf in most children's sections of the big book stores, they do not think it would sell well. I NEED A PUBLISHER FOR THIS PROJECT! Mimi and I were also talking about designing a line of ChemoPals...small beanie-type boy and girl dolls that would accompany children to treatments. The doll would have various hairstyles and colors to match any child but would be removable. The top of the head would turn inside out to reveal a bald head while the child goes through treatment. And it would have a velcro closure that could be reversed to show hair again as the child's hair grows back after treatment. We were thinking that the nurses could poke and prod the ChemoPal as well, to give the child a partner when most feel very alone. Christie, Mikayla VanWey's mom from the carepages said Mikayla asked her at bedtime, "Mommy, when you were 4 and had cancer did you have to take chemo?" It's all they know and it breaks my heart! Mimi has a passion for having pre-packed backpacks for the hospitals to give out when what started as an appointment for testing turns into an immediate and lengthy hospital stay. There would be a change of clothes for a parent, magazine, toiletries to get you through a couple days and some miscellaneous items that would help a scared child's mom not HAVE to leave his side during the scariest time of his life! And - eBay (it's where it all started!!) I currently have an auction of a NAMESAKE that I am hoping will make TONS of $$ because I am donating 100% of the proceeds for this one!! Of course, children's book ideas pop into my head throughout the day but lately I have had images of Julian, Coleman, Bailey, Mikayla, Haley and many others being the subjects of these books. I was thinking about going the self-publishing route and having these kids (ANY kids) tell THEIR story and illustrate it as a means to heal but also to share their story with someone who is about to jump into the same boat. Can you just imagine the stories that are hidden inside these babies? (Sorry, Hales, you are not a baby!) Just imagine the lives they could touch with their words and their pictures. The cancer cards will continue to be a focus as I have talked with some cancer moms who are willing to share their child's artwork with me as the designs and the child's photo and type of cancer on the back. Haley and Mimi continue to help me come up with phrasing ideas for things that NEED to be said but no card company has had the nerve to print. I have been working my artwork into some chemo cards as well. The philanthropic gene must run in the family because as Mimi packed up her stuff this morning and the little ones played, I got my big kids breakfast on the table and my oldest's mind was obviously elsewhere as he sat writing on a piece of notebook paper. "Whatcha doin', bud?" I asked. He said, "Making an order form." "For what?" "I am going to ask Mimi if I can sell Juju's bracelets here and send her the orders." I am one PROUD MAMA! I ask that you PLEASE fwd this post to everyone you know. Those of you with blogs, I ask that you link back to it. I ask that you spread the word like wildfire so that God can orchestrate this new venture through you by making some that we could not make alone. Pray for 4 the kids! It is exploding and Mimi and I will never sleep again if we have to do it all by ourselves!! Give us a Hip Hip Hooray in the comments as we are feeling a bit overwhelmed. I feel blessed by your readership!

NEW card...

Here's the last auction piece - now a blank notecard all 4 the kids! Stop by my CafePress store where 50% of your total purchase will go to Pediatric Cancer! Notice the really cool graphic in my sidebar from WILDWOOD GIRLS at etsy. If you would like to add it to your blog, leave me a comment that you wanna snag it and I will send you the link. Remember: Don't turn your head...turn up your heart!

The waiting is over...

Well, even though I actually posted the SURPRISE yesterday...Yes, I did...I really did...scroll down and see. Most of you sillies only read the first post and quit. It was supposed to DRAW YOU IN...give you a REASON to scroll DOWN...but you didn't feel drawn, you didn't scroll!

But congratulations to MaBunny for her (well, her husband's) winning guess... "Mimi and one of the kiddos you talk about coming to visit." Bet he will look 'purty' in his new Circle of Hope Bracelet.

And, for your viewing pleasure "The Mimi and Haley Show!"...here is my VERY FIRST stab at movie-making (only took 2 hours to make a 2 1/2 minutes of footage and that was WITH Mimi's help)...enjoy!

The "Charlie" Story...

HEEEEELLLLLLLLOOOOOO...

OK...all of you who are giving me H-E-double-hockey-sticks.... SCROLL THE HECK DOWN... The answer has been there the WHOLE FRIPPIN DAY! HAHAHAHA!

How 'bout another week of clues?

THAT WOULD BE FUN, DON'T YA THINK?!

Maybe I will tell you today...

Nah.....

Ya ready to find out?

Are ya sure?

My three favorite visitors...

William, Haley and Mimi!

Boy, do I have a lot of FUN to share with you!

"Miss you Babyface!" says William

Clue #4...

Oooooo you are sooooo close...

Just a couple more hints...and maybe a VIDEO...hhhhhmmmmmm!

Hint #3...

" Three feet to the wind."

HINT #2...and now it's a CONTEST!

I had to do this...

and if you GUESS CORRECTLY...you will win THIS...

(from Circle of Hope Bracelets - for Cancer)

Gabbin' Mama is at it again....

The countdown continues...

Only 24 hours and 56 minutes before my SUPER DUPER SURPRISE WEEKEND BEGINS!!!!

Here is your first hint:

(a thumbnail of an illustration I did for someone)