Sadness

I was going to write a post about the exorbitant amount of snow days that Jack has had this year (8) not to mention delays and early dismissals. I was going to write about our

l. . . o. . . n. . . g

day yesterday stuck in the trailer together, playing Candyland, Operation, Princess dress up, and I Spy Bingo while the never ending ice and snow pelted down outside. I was going to write about how the sound of the phone ringing with our automated school closing announcement was starting to really get on my nerves. I was going to write about starting to count down the days (6) until I leave for St. Thomas. I was going to write a lot of things, but when I checked my e-mail this morning I saw that there was an updated post about my little Carepage cutie that I follow Coleman. Tragically, sadly, unfairly, he lost his 2 1/2 year battle and died Monday night. So now I am just sad. Sad and mad. And sad. Sad for his parents and his twin brother Caden. Sad for all the parents. And glad that I got to spend the day stuck in a trailer with my 2 healthy children playing games. Cancer sucks. That's all.
On another prayer, if you can send out some extra thoughts for my Nanny who is in the hospital with Pneumonia, I would appreciate it. She's going to be fine I'm sure, a little rest and recuperation (along with some tasty antibiotic's) and I'm sure she will be back where she wants to be soon, which is HOME!.

Rudolph's Roundup

First off, let's get the unpleasantness of Un-frump out of the way. Let's just say that the day started with me yelling "frick frick frick" and Abbey asking me "mommy, why are you mad at the scale?" That's not true, she was still asleep, but there was yelling at the scale involved, albeit soft yelling. 1 lb gained, I'm going to move on now though, hope for better next week. I always have a setback after a good week, so I shouldn't be surprised.

Now, onto other things. Some of you may remember me writing about a little boy battling cancer named Coleman Larson a while ago, on International Coleman Day. If you didn't, you can catch up by reading all about him and his family (including his adorable twin brother Caden) here. Presently the family is in New York City undergoing treatment, so let's send some extra prayers and good thoughts their way. Michelle over at Semblance of Sanity wanted to raise money for the family, so she got together with Mimi, another Care Page momma and they cooked up Rudolph's Roundup. Bunches of people sent Mimi lots of fun prizes and they will be having a great raffle. I will just paste the last entry right from Mimi's own site to let you know more about it.

RUDOLPH'S ROUNDUP prizes are coming in steady. I got candles in today, they are 3 wick candles in a glass container shaped like Texas ! They are beautiful ... (not just cuz they are Texas shaped , well...). I will be getting some Cure Search stuff, a team Unite sweatshirt. I am also designing new Coleman and Caden Tee Shirts. That will be a surprise for later..." For now it is time to get busy: I DECLARE RUDOLPH'S ROUNDUP OPEN. One entry: $5 or three entries: $10. (Maximum 3 entries, BUT donations for more welcome ) The $$$ will go exclusively to TEAM LARSON (100%), please be generous, we want their holiday season to be as amazing as possible...You can either mail in the money for your entries and/or donations.

Mimi Avery
111 Aviator Dr
Fort Worth , TX 76179

Or paypal them at mimiavery74@msn.com

If your heart is willing, please include a short (or not) note for The Larson's. Even if you paypal, I will print the notes out for them. If you didn't quite get it, if you have questions, suggestions email me at myriamtx@yahoo.com

You may be thinking "I don't know this Mimi, I'm not going to send her any money!" I understand but believe me, the money will go to the Larson's. Mimi lost her own son Julian last January to the same cancer that Coleman is fighting, her heart is pure and her determination to help families that are in the same boat she was in knows no bounds. So, if you are considering giving a donation somewhere this holiday season, consider Rudolph's Roundup, you could win a great mystery prize!

Remember, our children drive us crazy and can be real pains in the butts sometimes, but they are healthy and happy, so go and hug them and kiss them and smell them. Go. Now. Go on.

International Coleman Day

When I first started reading these "mommy" blogs the first one I read was Because I Said So, which is how I learned about other blogs, as well as a couple of Carepages (http://www.carepages.com/). Carepages (like Caringbridge) are where parents post information about their children who are fighting diseases, to keep everyone up to date and also (I believe) as a great form of "writing therapy." One day there was a link to a 4 year old little boy's Carepage who has cancer, named Coleman Larson. I have to say that I got totally hooked. His mother really opened up and let us into her world, a world that I am grateful every day that I don't have to experience firsthand. When I started reading back in March Coleman had just undergone a stem cell transplant and I read along through his recovery and healing, moving out of the hospital and eventually back home again. I have to mention that he also has an adorable twin brother, Caden, who seems really energetic and mischievous and reminds me a lot of my own Jack. I'm not sure why I kept reading Peggy's (that's his mom) posts, but I just couldn't stop and kept hoping that one day I would read that she had really wonderful news, really fabulous news that Coleman was well and healthy and she was shutting down the Carepage. But that hasn't happened. Things have been going well for them though, Coleman has a lot more energy and she keeps writing about all the fun they are having now that they are home from the hospital and done with treatment, and all the "normal" things she is so glad they are able to do. She's even grateful for yelling at them. Imagine being grateful that you can yell at your child? I hadn't before, but now I am grateful. I'm grateful for every time-out that I can give them, every hug & kiss, every book I can read them, every exasperated sigh I have over their antics. It's too easy to forget that their are mother's out there who would give anything for that sigh. So my heart broke a bit earlier this week when I read that Coleman's recent MRI & Spinal Tap showed that the cancer is not gone. It's still there after chemo and radiation and a stem cell transplant. I don't know what their next step is, but I pray that whatever it is, it will cure him once and for all. The family is in Iowa City now, meeting with the doctors. In the meantime please just add this little boy to your prayers. I also wanted to post what I read today.

INTERNATIONAL {{{{{HUGS}}}}} COLEMAN DAY

Friday, July 25 at 11:00am

Please - I am asking all of you out there to send everything you have (prayers, hugs, thoughts) to Team Larson on this Friday at 11:00am. The power of prayer (collectively) can help them right now. Please pass this message along to everyone. And remember to hug your children or anyone close to you !! Thanks for your help

Scott and Peggy - we are right here with you !!

And while I have you all held captive and am demanding prayers, I would also like everyone to send prayers and good thoughts and good karma and whatever else is out there to my Uncle Joe. You are brave and strong and good, and please know that the whole family is behind you, fighting with you. (In spirit, obviously, because if all of us were actually there with you every day Aunty Jeanne would probably go bananas!)